The following passage is adapted from a Natural Science article discussing historical cartography and the development of world maps.
[1] For centuries, mapmakers struggled to represent the spherical Earth on a flat sheet of paper. Early cartographers relied on artistic renderings and descriptions from travelers, resulting in maps that were more decorative than geographically accurate. These documents often filled uncharted territories with illustrations of mythical sea monsters, reflecting the limits of geographical knowledge at the time.
[2] The introduction of Mercator’s projection in 1569 revolutionized navigation by allowing sailors to plot straight-line courses across the oceans. By preserving angles and directions, Mercator's map made transatlantic voyages significantly safer. However, this mathematical solution introduced severe distortion near the poles, making landmasses like Greenland appear disproportionately large compared to Africa.
Based on the passage, which of the following best describes the relationship between Paragraph 1 and Paragraph 2?
- AParagraph 2 provides a chronological history of the voyages that inspired the decorative illustrations mentioned in Paragraph 1.
- BParagraph 2 presents a mathematical formula that proves the geographical descriptions in Paragraph 1 were completely accurate.
- CParagraph 2 expands on the specific dimensions of Greenland and Africa to show that early mapmakers were superior to modern ones.
- Paragraph 2 describes a mathematical solution to the mapping difficulties introduced in Paragraph 1, while also identifying a drawback of that solution.Answer