Question

this is an excerpt from the influence of sea power upon history by a.t. mahan, originally published in 1890.

1. the first and most obvious light in which the sea presents itself from the political and social point of view is that of a great highway; or better, perhaps, of a wide common, over which men may pass in all directions, but on which some well - worn paths show that controlling reasons have led them to choose certain lines of travel rather than others.
2. under modern conditions, home trade is but a part of the business of a country bordering on the sea. foreign necessaries or luxuries must be brought to its ports, either in its own or in foreign ships, which will return, bearing in exchange the products of the country, whether they be the fruits of the earth or the works of mens hands; and it is the wish of every nation that this shipping business should be done by its own vessels. the ships that thus sail to and fro must have secure ports to which to return, and must, as far as possible, be followed by the protection of their country throughout the voyage.

reading tip!
what is the most likely meaning of the word common, as it is used in paragraph 1?
choose 1 answer:
a legal right
b political group
c shared condition
d public land
attribution

Explanation:

En el contexto del texto, se habla de la "sea" (el mar) como un espacio sobre el que "men may pass in all directions" (los hombres pueden pasar en todas las direcciones). Un "common" en el sentido de "public land" (tierra pública) se ajusta a la idea de un espacio abierto y accesible para el tránsito, similar a cómo se describe el mar en el párrafo. Las otras opciones ("legal right" - derecho legal, "political group" - grupo político, "shared condition" - condición compartida) no capturan el significado de un espacio físico abierto y transitado como lo sugiere el texto.

Answer:

D. public land