The phrase "documentary record" (last sentence of the second paragraph and second sentence of the fourth paragraph) p...

Victoria on September 8, 2020

Hi @Vennela-Vellanki,

Happy to help!

In the first paragraph, the author tells us that scholars studying the Irish landscape have relied primarily on evidence from historical documents. However, these documents provide a fragmentary record (i.e. these historical documents are the fragmentary documentary record upon which these scholars rely).

The first paragraph concludes by telling us that these documents largely focused on issues related to military or commercial interests (e.g. the reference to linen production at line 37).

The second paragraph (lines 16 to 20) tells us that pollen samples can be used to supplement or correct the documentary record.

Therefore, answer choice (A) cannot be correct because the second paragraph directly contrasts the pollen samples and the documentary record. This means that the documentary record does not refer to the results of pollen sample analysis.

Hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any further questions.