"Most Westerners accept the stereotypes of eh 13th century Mongols as barbaric
plunderers intent merely to main, slaughter, and destroy. The perception based on
Persian, Chinese, Russian, and other accounts of the speed and ruthlessness with
which the Mongols carved out the largest contiguous land empire in world history, has
shaped both Asian and Western images of the Mongols... Such a view has diverted
attention from the considerable contribution the Mongols made to 13th and
14th-century civilization. Though the brutality of the Mongol's military campaigns
ought not to be downplayed or ignored, nor should their influenced on Eurasian
culture be overlooked... Perhaps most importantly, the Mongols empire inextricably
linked Europe and Asia and ushered in an era of frequent and extended contacts
between East and West."
-Morris Rossabi, "The Mongols' Mark on History", 2004

A. Identify and Explain ONE specific example that would SUPPORT the typical
stereotype of the Mongols mentioned at the beginning of the passage.

B. Describe ONE specific reason that the Mongols were able to build their empire
so rapidly

C. Describe ONE specific characteristic of the Mongol's empire which would support
the author's argument that the Mongols actually contributed to civilizations in Eurasia

Think:
• A=ANSWER THE PROMPTI (Claim) The easiest way to do this is starting by
REPHRASING THE PROMPT and using that as a sentence starter.
. C=Cite specific/factual evidence (Evidence). Make it SPECIFIC to your prompt.
• E=Explain how that evidence proves the answer to the prompt in (A) (Reason)