Digital ACT Reading Practice Question #1554

According to the passage, what was a primary economic advantage of maritime trade over overland caravan routes? Passage Excerpt (Social Science): While 19th-century historians romanticized the overland caravans crossing Central Asian deserts, archaeological excavations along the Indian Ocean rim demonstrate that the maritime silk and spice routes transported exponentially greater tonnage. A single merchant dhow sailing from the Malabar Coast to Alexandria could stow hundreds of sacks of black pepper, cinnamon, and cloves—quantities that would require a train of several hundred pack camels overland. Furthermore, maritime transit avoided the extortionate transit tariffs levied by petty warlords controlling desert oasis strongholds. However, sea voyages carried colossal perils: monsoon winds were fickle, shallow reef shallows claimed entire fleets, and pirate squadrons patrolled the narrow straits of Malacca.