Question

1. In "Señor Noboa," which statement best describes how Señor Noboa

and his father came to amass their vast property?*
O A. They stumbled into repeated lucky opportunities.
O B. They forced other landowners into selling their land cheaply.
O C. They used their fortunes to spend large sums on massive stretches of land
O D. They purchased the land through lengthy negotiations and complex treaties.

Answer 1

In "Señor Noboa," the statement which best describes how Señor Noboa and his father came to amass their vast property is:

B. They forced other landowners into selling their land cheaply.

Step-by-step explanation:

"Señor Noboa" is a short story by author Raúl Leis. Noboa is the owner of a banana plantation where he exploits the work of thousands of laborers. At the very beginning of the story, the narrator lets us know how Señor Noboa and his father got to own so much land:

During the last fifty years he had extended the lands inherited from his father by squeezing small landholders so they would sell him their small properties for a pittance. This was also how the large properties he had inherited had come into being.

As we can see, Señor Noboa and his father forced those landowners to sell their land cheaply. This is, in fact, a representation of a common and unfortunate practice that took (and still takes) place all over the Americas. Small land owners are constantly forced out of their lands by people with means and power.