Part A
Read the last three paragraphs from "Shoes: Feet First!":
Despite the relatively recent age of the early shoes found to date, scientists believe that humans were wearing shoes
as much as 40,000 years ago. Shoes made of reeds, papyrus, or even leather decompose easily, leaving few or no
traces. But people who don't wear shoes have wider feet and bigger gaps between their big toe and the other four. In
studying bones of the smaller toes of fossilized skeletons, scientists observed that the thickness of these bones
decreased somewhere between 40,000 and 26,000 years ago. They believe the change was the result of wearing
shoes.
The materials used to make shoes varied with the climate and region. Ancient Egyptians made sandals from papyrus
and palm leaves. The Masai of Africa used rawhide; the people of India used wood; and the Chinese and Japanese
used rice straw. South Americans wove sandals from the leaves of the sisal plant, and the Anasazi people of Mexico
and Arizona used the yucca plant. The Dutch developed wooden clogs. People living in arctic climates created
snowshoes-a hardwood frame with rawhide lacings—which distribute a person's weight over a larger area so that
the foot doesn't sink into the snow.
Today, shoe manufacturers use rubber, plastic, cloth, and other materials in addition to leather. Most soles are made
from synthetic materials such as ethylene, vinyl, acetate, rubber, and polyurethane, which provide better traction,
durability, and water resistance than leather soles. Special shoes are available for running, bowling, and other sports.
And shoes are often considered an important fashion accessory.
In the table, use these strategies to identify what claims are developed in each paragraph. Then identify specific details
that develop these claims.