Which two sentences from the passage best support the idea that Easter Island settlers may have drunk brackish water? There are more than 800 mysterious and gigantic rock statues on Easter Island, which is located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. People believe that the first settlers reached Easter Island on large canoes after traveling several thousand miles across the open ocean. The voyagers established a complex island society with many chiefs, farmers, and craftsmen. The entire community built the large statues with primitive tools. Gradually, the settlement grew, and soon there were 12,000 to 15,000 people living together on the island.
There are very few fresh water lakes on the island. The island also receives very little rainfall throughout the year. It is surprising that a large society managed to survive on the island without sufficient fresh water. Recent field surveys show that the giant statues are located near major sources of brackish water along the coastline. Brackish water is a mixture of fresh and sea water and is not as salty as only seawater. Archaeologists also found that the people lived closer to the sea coast than to lakes.
Easter Island was once thickly covered with palm trees. However, later explorers who arrived on Easter Island found it almost barren. The millions of palm trees had all but disappeared. Researchers have discovered that almost all of the palm seed shells on the islands were damaged by rats. Despite this, the island and its majestic statues continue to fascinate both researchers and tourists.