Technological Advances and Age of Exploration Practice Test

European rulers in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries increasingly sponsored voyages that sought sea routes to Asian luxury goods, partly to bypass intermediaries in the eastern Mediterranean. These voyages relied on improved cartography, knowledge of winds and currents, and new shipbuilding techniques. Which factor most directly motivated this search for alternative routes?

A maritime manual used by English navigators around 1600 explains that accurate latitude can be found using instruments like the astrolabe or cross-staff, while longitude remains difficult without reliable timekeeping. Captains still use dead reckoning and coastal landmarks when possible. Which statement best describes the practical consequence of this navigational reality for European expansion?