sat suite question viewer
In 1154, Muhammad al-Idrisi completed a collection of maps of the lands known to medieval Arabic and European scholars. This collection was titled Al-Kitāb al-Rujārī (The Book of Roger), after the Norman king Roger II who hired him to create it. To create the collection, al-Idrisi consulted Arabic and Greek maps and interviewed travelers about the lands they visited. He included these travelers’ stories alongside the map illustrations.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
Explanation
Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately states the main purpose of the text, which is to describe a collection of medieval maps and how it was created. The text begins by mentioning Muhammad al-Idrisi’s collection of maps of lands known to medieval Arabic and European scholars. It then states that the Norman king Roger II hired al-Idrisi to create the collection and details al-Idrisi’s methods of creation: consulting Arabic and Greek maps and interviewing travelers. In short, the text presents a collection of medieval maps and then goes on to describe how that collection came to be.
Choice A is incorrect because the text describes a collection of maps and the process of creating that collection but does not discuss the benefits of studying mapmaking in general. Choice B is incorrect because though the text mentions that al-Idrisi interviewed travelers, the text does not describe how those travelers created maps. Choice D is incorrect because though the text mentions that al-Idrisi consulted Arabic and Greek maps, the text does not offer a comparison of Arabic and Greek mapmaking techniques.