🧠 GRE Exam Prep

Passage: "The shift from a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle to settled agriculture was not a sudden revolution but a gradual process, marked by intermittent periods of both subsistence strategies. Early agriculturalists often supplemented their diets with wild foods, and some groups practiced agriculture for a time before reverting to foraging, suggesting a flexible and opportunistic approach to resource management rather than a complete and immediate abandonment of old ways." Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

A The adoption of agriculture always led to a permanent settlement.
B Hunter-gatherer societies rarely encountered agricultural practices.
C The transition to agriculture was not universally linear or irreversible.
D Early agricultural techniques were inherently less efficient than foraging.

✓ Correct Answer: Option C

The passage states the shift was 'gradual,' involved 'intermittent periods,' and that some groups 'reverting to foraging.' This directly implies the process was not always a straight line (linear) or a final change (irreversible).

Related GRE Exam Prep Questions