[ 407 ] Geography and the World GED ® TEST SOCIAL STUDIES FLASH REVIEW _____________ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Read the passage and answer the following question. Machu Picchu is an ancient stone city situated on a mountain ridge high in the Peruvian Andes, above the Sacred Valley. The Incas built the city around 1450, at the height of their empire. The city follows a strict plan in which agricultural and residential areas are separated by a large square. Most archeologists believe that Machu Picchu served as a religious and ceremonial center of the Incan Empire. The Incas chose Machu Picchu for its unique location and features. Getting to Machu Picchu requires a journey up a narrow path. This makes it easily defended, as no one could approach without being spotted. Machu Picchu was abandoned shortly after Spanish conquistadors vanquished the Incan Empire. Over the next several centuries, the jungle reclaimed the site on which Machu Picchu lay. The site was once again “discovered” by an American historian and explorer in 1911. Since then, archeologists have flocked to the site to see what they can learn about the Incas. Today, Machu Picchu—the Lost City of the Incas—is the most visited site in Peru. Which hypothesis is supported by the evidence in this passage? a. The Incas would have expanded their empire had Columbus not discovered the Americas. b. If Machu Picchu had not been discovered in 1911, we would not know anything about the Incas. c. Machu Picchu would have survived many more years had Columbus not discovered the Americas. d. If the Incas had built fortified centers on lower ground, they would have been able to beat the Conquistadors.