He was surprised to learn that Easter Island is now essentially
deserted, but at one time as many as 10,000 people lived there. He
also learned that the environment is radically different now than it
was when the first people arrived. It was once covered by a lush rain
forest but now supports only minimal, low vegetation. The people
who first colonized this island came in search of new resources to
use.
Jamal wondered, "What happened to all of the trees and all of the
people?"
Jamal learned how valuable trees were to the inhabitants when he
read the passage below:
To the people of Easter Island, trees were wealth. In fact, the words
for tree and wealth were used interchangeably. The islanders used
trees in almost every part of their daily lives. Beyond obvious uses
as firewood and for house building, the trees provided fruit and
birds for the islanders to eat. The bark was used to make clothes
and the fibers for rope. Tree trunks were used to create oceangoing
canoes, allowing the islanders to harvest deep-water fish such as
tuna, using harpoons made from the branches. Most famously,
What claim might Jamal make about the impacts of the over use of trees on
the inhabitants of Easter Island?
OA. Since trees were considered wealth, landowners became even more
wealthy and powerful.
OB. The people of Easter Island were no longer able to find resources to
make clothes and canoes.
C. The people of Easter Island began to rely more on an agricultural
society versus hunting and gathering.
D. Bird species that once nested in the trees moved their nests onto the
statues and ate fish instead of the berries in the trees.