Question

4 many of these adaptations have uniquely served not only the camel itself, but also the needs of humans. in fact, the earliest known domestication of the dromedary camel took place around the year 3,000 bce. it is not surprising that humans would be drawn to an animal that knows how to take care of itself so well and requires minimal additional husbandry. its chief functionality for humans probably comes from its ability to serve as transportation. the camels large size makes it reliably able to carry people and their belongings, with a fully grown male camel able to carry roughly half of its 2,000 - pound body weight in cargo and to do so for a full eight - hour day. the camels docile disposition suits this task as well, and camels are routinely asked to travel between 40 and 120 miles per day. camels are opportunistic animals; when able to replenish their stores, they will drink as much as eight gallons of water a day and graze heavily on any available grasses, even eating thorny plants that other animals cannot. once their energy levels have been restored, camels can provide milk for human consumption and even fuel for fires from hardened patties of their waste that can be burned. some camels are used out in the fields to pull plows as well as for meat, leather, and wool. in this way, for thousands of years, the camel has lived symbiotically with those inhabiting the worlds hottest, most formidable regions.

1. which of the following best expresses the central idea of this paragraph?

a. as a docile animal that can carry about half of its 2,000 - pound body weight, the camel is exception - ally suited to transportation use by humans.
b. humans can use the camel to travel 40 to 120 miles in 8 hours due to the camels energy - storing abilities.
c. for thousands of years, humans have benefited from the largely self - sufficient camels adaptations through numerous uses, such as transportation, milk, meat, leather, wool, and fire fuel.
d. the camel has had a symbiotic relationship with the rest of the creatures in the desert for thousands of years.

Explanation:

The paragraph emphasizes that camels' adaptations have served both themselves and humans. It mentions various uses like transportation, providing milk, meat, leather, wood, and fire fuel. Option A only focuses on transportation, option B has incorrect travel - time information (camels can travel 40 - 120 miles per day, not in 8 hours), and option D is wrong as the symbiotic relationship is with humans, not other desert creatures. Option C encompasses all the main points about humans' long - term benefit from camels' adaptations and multiple uses.

Answer:

C. For thousands of years, humans have benefited from the largely self - sufficient camel's adaptations through numerous uses, such as transportation, milk, meat, leather, wood, and fire fuel.