Question

while researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:

• ancient farmers in the negev desert used

unoff farming\ to grow crops in areas with less than 100 mm of annual rainfall.

• they constructed stone walls across dry streambeds, known as wadis, to trap silt and slow down flash flood waters.
• by slowing the water, the soil had time to absorb moisture deeply enough to support fruit trees and grains.
• in the andes, the wari people developed \andenes,\ or stone - walled terraces, on steep mountain slopes.
• these terraces prevented soil erosion and captured scarce rainwater, distributing it evenly across the planting surface.
• both systems relied on meticulously engineered stone structures to manage water flow and create arable land in harsh environments.

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the student wants to make and support a generalization about ancient water - management techniques. which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
a ancient farmers in the negev desert used stone walls in wadis, while the wari people in the andes constructed mountain terraces called andenes.
b stone - walled terraces in the andes were designed to prevent soil erosion, whereas stone walls in the negev were designed to trap silt and moisture.
c ancient civilizations successfully farmed in harsh environments by engineering stone structures that managed water flow and preserved soil moisture.
d the wari people developed complex stone - walled terraces that allowed them to distribute scarce rainwater evenly across steep mountain slopes.

Explanation:

To make a generalization about ancient water - management techniques, we need to find a statement that goes beyond just describing individual cases and captures the common theme.

• Option A just describes the specific techniques of two groups (Negev Desert farmers and Wari people) without making a general point about ancient water - management techniques.
• Option B focuses on the different purposes of the stone structures in two different regions, rather than a general statement about ancient water - management for farming in harsh environments.
• Option C: The notes show that Negev Desert farmers used stone walls to manage water and create arable land in a dry area, and the Wari people used stone - walled terraces to manage water and farm on steep slopes. Both are ancient civilizations using stone structures to manage water flow and preserve soil moisture (either by absorbing moisture deeply or preventing erosion and distributing water) to farm in harsh environments. This option makes a generalization about ancient civilizations' water - management techniques for farming in harsh environments.
• Option D only describes the Wari people's technique, not a general statement about ancient water - management techniques.

Answer:

C. Ancient civilizations successfully farmed in harsh environments by engineering stone structures that managed water flow and preserved soil moisture.