Explanation
Correct answer: A.
Choice A is the best answer. Text 1 states that cassava’s “rise to popularity was slow” in West Africa. Text 2 also describes cassava’s “slow adoption into the diet of West Africans.” While the two texts identify different causes for this slow adoption, both agree that cassava took a long time to catch on.
Why the other choices are wrong
Choice B
Choice B is incorrect. This isn’t something that either text claims. Cassava is the only crop discussed in the passages, so we have no basis to draw conclusions about what the authors might say about “several” crops.
Choice C
Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t something that either text claims. Neither text mentions the “climate of the West African coast,” so we have no evidence that either author would agree with this.
Choice D
Choice D is incorrect. This isn’t something that either text claims. The 1500s were when cassava was brought to West Africa, but neither text describes how cassava is cooked, nor do they make any claims about when cooking methods were developed.