Question 24

The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.

Colonialism is not a modern phenomenon. World history is full of examples of one society gradually expanding by incorporating adjacent territory and settling its people on newly conquered territory. In the sixteenth century, colonialism changed decisively because of technological developments in navigation that began to connect more remote parts of the world. The modern European colonial project emerged when it became possible to move large numbers of people across the ocean and to maintain political control in spite of geographical dispersion. The term colonialism is used to describe the process of European settlement, violent dispossession and political
domination over the rest of the world, including the Americas, Australia, and parts of Africa and Asia.

Solution

Option C is the correct answer because it accurately captures the main idea of the passage. It highlights how technological advancements in navigation during the sixteenth century transformed colonialism by enabling Europeans to establish settlements and exert political dominance over distant regions, including the Americas, Australia, and parts of Africa and Asia.

Option A focuses on the displacement of indigenous populations, which is not the central point of the passage.

While Option B mentions the expansion of territories and political power, it does not emphasize the technological advancements in navigation.

Option D introduces the concept of British settlements, which is narrower than the broader context of European colonialism discussed in the passage.

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