PART A: Which statement identifies the central idea of the text?

A)If it weren’t for Francis Pizarro’s, the Inca Empire would have continued to expand and prosper.

B)Despite the riches they possessed, the Incas lived simple lives.

C)The Incas were a highly advanced civilization that were able to expand their net of influence far and wide.

D)Warfare was the most common and successful way in which the Incas were able to expand their empire.

PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?

A)"The Inca controlled perhaps 10 million people, speaking a hundred different tongues. It was the largest empire on earth at the time."

B)"Members of a community supported one another. The Inca tailored this practice of reciprocity — give-and-take — to their own needs."

C)"All were required to pay taxes as tribute. The Mit’a was a labor tax, which required the head of every household to work for the state fo

Consider, for example, we are told at the outset, "When Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro landed in Peru in 1532, he found unimaginable riches. The Inca Empire was in full bloom."

However, we were told that Pizarro captured and requested ransom from the last Inca emperor Atahualpa. What was the outcome? The text tells us, "Once Pizarro had executed the last emperor, the empire rapidly collapsed." This detail brings out the central idea of the text, that is, "If it weren’t for Francis Pizarro’s, the Inca Empire would have continued to expand and prosper."