The following text discusses historical economics.
The Silk Road, operating from approximately 130 BCE to 1453 CE, was not a single road but a network of trade routes connecting East Asia with the Mediterranean. Beyond silk and spices, the routes carried ideas, religions, and technologies. Papermaking, gunpowder, and the compass spread from China westward; Buddhism traveled from India into East Asia; and art forms blended across cultures. The Silk Road thus facilitated unprecedented exchange, shaping civilizations far more profoundly than its commercial function alone might suggest.
What main point does the text make about the Silk Road?
It was only used for trading silk
Its importance extended far beyond commercial trade to include cultural and intellectual exchange
It operated as a single well-maintained highway
It had no lasting impact on civilizations
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the correct answer. The text emphasizes that "beyond silk and spices," the routes carried "ideas, religions, and technologies," shaping civilizations "far more profoundly than its commercial function alone might suggest."
- Evidence: Ideas, religions, technologies; profound civilizational impact.
- Reasoning: Commercial trading was only part of its significance.
- Conclusion: Cultural and intellectual exchange exceeded commercial importance.
Choice A is incorrect because many exchanges beyond silk are listed. Choice C is incorrect because it was "a network of trade routes." Choice D is incorrect because it "shap[ed] civilizations...profoundly."