Question

Read this excerpt from a passage about Easter Island, an island in the South Pacific that once supported a complex civilization. Which type of evidence would support the author's thesis?

Historians and scientists agree that the landscape of Easter Island was much different when the first islanders arrived from Polynesia in 800. The island was covered in lush forests of palm trees and was inhabited by large populations of birds. Less than 600 years later, the island was a barren wasteland of grasses. The ecosystem on Easter Island collapsed as a result of the reckless use of natural resources

A. A journal written by one of the civilization's chiefs describing how trees on the island died out after people cut down too many for wood
B. Photographs of the many grasslands that cover Easter Island today
C. Several articles written by different historians describing how people from Polynesia first journeyed to Easter Island by boat more than 1,000 years ago
D. Interviews with people currently living on the island who enjoy bird-watching

Answer 1

A
The journal would provide a historical account that agrees with the author's thesis of ecosystem collapse.

Answer 2

The first alternative is correct (A).

The passage narrates the destruction of the Easter Island ecosystem due to the human activities of predation of the natural resources.

In this sense, a document that corroborates the thesis would be a diary that describes the death of the trees, written by a head of the civilization that witnessed the happened thing.