Read the excerpt from chapter 8 of The Travels of Marco Polo
Why does the author include information about the dry
climate?
to explain why the sheep have homs but no ears
to explain why the sheep in the region are so small
O to explain why people in the region have to feed
their animals fish
O to explain why there are such large quantities of fish
available
They have sheep here that have no ears, nor even ear-
holes; but in the place where ears ought to be they
have little horns. They are small creatures and very
pretty. And here is something else that may strike you
as marvelous: their domestic animals-sheep, oxen,
camels, and little ponies—are fed on fish. They are
reduced to this diet because in all this country and in all
the surrounding regions there is no grass; but it is the
driest place in the world. The fish on which these
animals feed are very small and are caught in March
April, and May in quantities that are truly amazing
They are then dried and stored in the houses and given
to the animals as food throughout the year. I can tell
you further that the animals also eat them alive, as
soon as they are drawn out of the water.
no