Single correct option
For centuries, the overland Silk Road is popularly imagined as a single continuous highway along which goods travelled unbroken from China to Rome. In reality, few merchants ever traversed the entire route; instead, goods typically changed hands dozens of times, passing through a relay of regional traders, each covering only a familiar stretch before selling onward at a local market. This relay structure meant that no single merchant, kingdom, or empire ever controlled the full trade, which paradoxically made the network more resilient — the collapse of any one regional power disrupted only its segment, while trade along the rest of the route continued largely unaffected.
Which of the following best summarizes the passage?
Which of the following best summarizes the passage?
- A. The Silk Road was a single, continuously travelled highway controlled by one dominant empire.
- B. The Silk Road actually functioned as a relay of regional traders rather than a continuous route, and this fragmented, decentralized structure made the overall trade network resilient to the collapse of any single power along it.
- C. Trade along the Silk Road collapsed entirely whenever any regional kingdom fell.
- D. Merchants on the Silk Road typically traveled the full distance between China and Rome.
Show answer and solution
Answer: (B) The Silk Road actually functioned as a relay of regional traders rather than a continuous route, and this fragmented, decentralized structure made the overall trade network resilient to the collapse of any single power along it.
The passage explicitly corrects the popular 'single continuous highway' image, replacing it with a 'relay' structure, and draws the causal conclusion that this fragmentation 'made the network more resilient.' Option 1 captures both the factual correction and its consequence; options 0, 2 and 3 contradict the passage directly.
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