Question

built to last
how roman harbors have stood the test of time
the circular harbor at caesarea, which sits on the coast of israel, was constructed in less than 10 years, from roughly 23 to 15 b.c., on the order of king herod, ruler of the roman province of judaea. the site chosen was an unobstructed length of coastline with no natural geographic features to break the waves rolling into shore or protect ships. the port’s construction was nothing short of a roman engineering marvel, comparable to the colosseum or the aqueducts.
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much of the vast structure, which includes two breakwaters, three underwater piers that once held large statues, and a 60 - foot - wide entrance for ships, stands today. the scholar josephus’s description, written nearly 2,000 years ago, still rings true: “herod contended with the difficulties so well that the sea could not overcome the solidity of the construction.”
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the trick to caesarea’s longevity was the concrete used to build the harbor. for more than a decade, john oleson, a classical archaeologist at the university of victoria, in british columbia, has pursued the secrets of roman harbors and their impressive durability. “people have been studying roman concrete for 500 or 600 years, but they haven’t done much with the concrete in the sea because it’s more difficult to access. also, until recently, people thought it was not as important as what you find on land,” says oleson.
as head of the roman maritime concrete study (or romacons), oleson, along with university of colorado boulder maritime archaeologist bob hohlfelder and british architect chris brandon, examined samples from several ancient roman ports. they found that there was, in fact, a key ingredient that made the material uniquely suited to hold up to the underwater environment.
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the romans started building with concrete regularly beginning in the
this question has two parts. answer part a, and then answer part b.
part a
which statement would the author of the passage most likely agree with?

1. the romans were resourceful in their use of materials from the area in that volcanic ash was readily available.
2. the romans greatly influenced modern construction techniques through their early discoveries and use of materials.
3. the romans greatly expanded the roman empire by making their unique building materials a significant part of their trade.
4. the romans were clever in their use of materials to build ports that enabled them to achieve larger goals for the roman empire.

part b
how does the author best develop the point of view in the correct answer from part a?

1. by comparing the ingredients that were used in different types of concrete over time

Explanation:

Part A

• Option 1: The passage mentions the use of volcanic ash materials in Roman construction (like the harbor and aqueducts/Colosseum), and that the harbor at Caesarea was built in less than 10 years, implying the materials (volcanic ash) were readily available to enable quick construction. The other options: Option 2 - the passage doesn't say Romans influenced modern construction techniques through early discoveries; Option 3 - the passage focuses on construction durability, not trade from building materials; Option 4 - the passage is about the durability of Roman concrete for ports, not about "larger goals" for the Empire. So Option 1 aligns with the passage.

The question is about how the author develops the point from Part A (Romans' resourceful use of materials, specifically volcanic ash in concrete for durability in underwater/harbor environments). The option "by comparing the ingredients that were used in different types of concrete over time" would show how the key ingredient (volcanic ash - or the unique ingredient) was used in different concretes (over time or across types) to support the idea of their resourceful use for durable construction. The other option (not fully visible, but the given option focuses on comparing ingredients in different concretes, which ties to the point about the unique ingredient for underwater environments from Part A).

Answer:

1. The Romans were resourceful in their use of materials from the area in that volcanic ash was readily available.

Part B