Question

According to the United Nations, there were roughly 300 million humans on the planet 1,000 years ago.

Essentially all of them were poor by modern standards: They lacked antibiotics, almost all lacked indoor
plumbing, and none traveled faster than a horse or a river could carry them. Today, between 1 billion and 3
billion humans (out of about 7 billion total humans) are poor. So, over the last 1,000 years, what has
happened to the fraction of humans who are poor?
a. It rose.
b. It fell.
c. It stayed about the same.
d. The answer is impossible to determine from the given information.

Answer 1

d) The answer is impossible to determine from the given information

Step-by-step explanation:

One might think that the correct answer is the b) it rose. However, you should consider that the statement is comparing the lifestyle of humans 1000 years ago with modern standards of poverty. Which is not entirely correct, since 1000 years ago antibiotics had not been discovered, nor had processes developed to purify water, much less invented means of transport such as train or cars. It is possible that 1000 years ago, lacking these comforts wasn't an indicator of poverty as it is today, basically because at that time in history those things didn't exist.