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Practice Reading: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers ID: #35789 Viking expansion
Instructions ›
Read the text and answer the question by selecting all the correct responses. You will need to select more than one response.
One probable motive determining the Viking expansion suggests that the inhabitants had outgrown the agricultural potential of their Scandinavian homeland. For a coastal population with progressive sea-faring expertise, it made sense to expand overseas and birth records for that era reflect an unexpected rise in birth rates. Another explanation is the Vikings’ ability to exploit a moment of weakness in the surrounding territories, capitalising on internal divisions and the lack of organised naval opposition. Viking ships could travel undetected and strike relatively easily given that many settlements were positioned near navigable rivers. The decline in profitability of former trade routes also played a fundamental role. Trade on the Mediterranean Sea had reduced substantially, thus by opening further trade routes, the Vikings profited from international trade by expanding beyond their established borders.

According to the writer, what are the possible reasons for Viking expansion beyond their homeland?

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Result:

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Option 2: "The neighbouring countries were vulnerable, divided and less developed."

Explanation: This option is correct as the text states that the Vikings capitalised on the internal divisions and weaknesses of surrounding territories. This vulnerability made it easier for the Vikings to expand their influence and territory.

Option 1: "A declining Viking population made overseas expansion necessary."

Explanation: This option is incorrect because the text does not mention a declining Viking population as a motive for expansion. Instead, it suggests that the Vikings were motivated by a growing population that had outgrown their agricultural potential, not a decline.

Option 3: "Viking farming technology was less advanced than their sea-faring technologies."

Explanation: This option is incorrect because the text does not compare farming technology to sea-faring technologies. Instead, it emphasizes the Vikings' sea-faring expertise as a reason for their expansion, without indicating that their farming technology was inferior.

Option 4: "There was a high demand for Viking goods and products overseas."

Explanation: This option is incorrect as the text does not mention a high demand for Viking goods as a reason for expansion. It focuses on the decline of trade routes and the need to open new ones, rather than demand for their products.

Option 5: "There were opportunities to develop new trade links abroad."

Explanation: This option is correct because the text indicates that the decline in profitability of former trade routes prompted the Vikings to seek new opportunities for international trade by expanding beyond their established borders.

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