Question

people in the southwest got most of their food from farming. the ancestral puebloans were sedentary farmers, meaning they settled in a single area to farm rather than moving from place to place to find food. their most important crops were corn, squash, and beans.
growing food in the dry climate of the four corners was difficult. match each solution the ancestral puebloans found to the problem that it solved.
the ancestral puebloans put sponge - like rocks into the soil that collected and slowly released rainwater.
the ancestral puebloans used irrigation such as ditches and dams to carry water to their fields.
the ancestral puebloans grew corn next to beans and squash, which added nutrients into the soil.
the ancestral puebloans developed new kinds of corn that needed less water and could grow well in dry climates.
problem
corn usually required a lot of water to grow well, but the climate in the southwest was dry.
corn took nutrients from the soil, which could make the soil worse for farming.
water from rain and melted snow would quickly evaporate, so the soil dried out too fast for plants to absorb it.
solution

Explanation:

1. For the problem "Corn usually required a lot of water to grow well, but the climate in the Southwest was dry", the solution is "The Ancestral Puebloans developed new kinds of corn that needed less water and could grow well in dry climates" because developing drought - resistant corn directly addresses the issue of corn needing much water in a dry climate.
2. For the problem "Corn took nutrients from the soil, which could make the soil worse for farming", the solution is "The Ancestral Puebloans grew corn next to beans and squash, which added nutrients into the soil" as growing these plants together replenishes the nutrients that corn depletes from the soil.
3. For the problem "Water from rain and melted snow would quickly evaporate, so the soil dried out too fast for plants to absorb it", the solution is "The Ancestral Puebloans put sponge - like rocks into the soil that collected and slowly released rainwater" since these rocks help retain water in the soil, preventing it from drying out too quickly. And for the irrigation - related problem (though not listed here, but for the irrigation solution "The Ancestral Puebloans used irrigation such as ditches and dams to carry water to their fields", it would be for a problem related to water availability for fields in a dry area, like lack of sufficient water for fields due to dry climate).

Answer:

1. Problem: "Corn usually required a lot of water to grow well, but the climate in the Southwest was dry" - Solution: "The Ancestral Puebloans developed new kinds of corn that needed less water and could grow well in dry climates"
2. Problem: "Corn took nutrients from the soil, which could make the soil worse for farming" - Solution: "The Ancestral Puebloans grew corn next to beans and squash, which added nutrients into the soil"
3. Problem: "Water from rain and melted snow would quickly evaporate, so the soil dried out too fast for plants to absorb it" - Solution: "The Ancestral Puebloans put sponge - like rocks into the soil that collected and slowly released rainwater"
4. (If there was a problem about getting water to fields) Problem: (Related to water supply to fields in dry area) - Solution: "The Ancestral Puebloans used irrigation such as ditches and dams to carry water to their fields"