Navigation in the Age of Exploration

According to the passage, what was historically one of the most efficient ways to navigate the world?

• traveling on foot

• traveling by sea

• traveling by horse

2. The passage lists different navigational instruments available to explorers. Which of the following navigational instruments was not available to Christopher Columbus?

• the sextant

• the astrolabe

• the compass

3. Limited knowledge of world geography was a problem for early exploration. What evidence from the passage supports this conclusion?

• Navigational maps were improved with each new exploration.

• Columbus set out to find a more efficient trade route to India.

• Columbus unintentionally sailed to the Americas.

4. How did navigational tools change from the 15th century to the 17th century?

• They became smaller.

• They became less accurate.

• They became more accurate.

5. What is this passage mostly about?

• Christopher Columbus’s discovery of America

• the tools and challenges of exploration by sea travel

• tools made by the United Kingdom in the 17th century

• why governments were hesitant to fund explorations

6. Read the following sentence: “Columbus’s incomplete knowledge of world geography and the imprecise navigational devices he brought with him caused him to inadvertently discover North America and all the rich natural resources available there.”

As used in this sentence, what does “inadvertently” mean?

• happily

• purposefully

• accidentally

• fortunately

7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.

Early navigational techniques such as “dead reckoning” were imprecise; ________, exploring uncharted seas was challenging and inconsistent.

• consequently

• otherwise

• ultimately

• especially