Question 24·Hard·Inferences
During a recent excavation of a tenth-century hilltop settlement in central Anatolia, archaeologist Matteo Romano catalogued dozens of amphora shards bearing identical merchant seals and containing trace amounts of cedar resin, a preservative derived almost exclusively from trees native to the Levantine coast. The community’s dwellings were small, single-room structures of rough-hewn stone, and agricultural tools found nearby indicate a diet based largely on locally grown grains. Taken together, these discoveries most strongly suggest that although the settlement’s residents lived in seemingly modest conditions, __________.
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For “most logically completes the text” inference questions, use the sentence structure (especially contrast words like “although”) to predict the logical role of the blank. Then tie your choice to the most specific evidence given (here, nonlocal cedar resin + merchant seals) and eliminate options that (1) contradict stated facts, (2) introduce highly specific new storylines, or (3) explain the evidence with an unsupported special scenario.
Hints
Locate the key contrast
Find the word 'although' in the sentence with the blank. What two ideas is this word contrasting?
Think about the cedar resin detail
Cedar resin is said to come almost exclusively from trees on the Levantine coast. Why is it important that this settlement is in central Anatolia, not on that coast?
Beware of extra stories
Which options stay close to what the passage actually says, and which ones add new, specific events that the passage never mentions?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the basic situation
The passage describes a tenth-century hilltop settlement in central Anatolia. The dwellings are small, single-room stone structures, and tools suggest a diet based on locally grown grains. This paints a picture of a modest, agrarian lifestyle.
Focus on the unusual evidence
Despite these modest conditions, the excavation finds dozens of amphora shards with identical merchant seals and traces of cedar resin. The passage says cedar resin is derived almost exclusively from trees native to the Levantine coast, far from central Anatolia.
Use the contrast word 'although'
Because the sentence uses “although,” the blank should contrast “seemingly modest conditions” with a supported implication from the amphorae/resin evidence—namely, contact with distant regions.
Choose the completion most supported by the evidence
The only completion that directly follows from “Levantine-coast resin found in sealed merchant amphorae at an inland site” is that the residents had access to imported goods through trade, even if they otherwise lived modestly and relied on local agriculture. Therefore, the correct answer is: they had access to imported goods from the Levantine coast through trade despite their modest, largely local way of life.