4. Read the selection from the section "Early sailing vessels."
In the 1400s, many different factors came together, and the result was explosive. Beginning around 1400, Spain conquered the Canary Islands and slaughtered the native peoples. In 1418, Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal began sending expeditions farther and farther down the west coast of Africa. By 1432, the Portuguese colonized the Azores. Within thirty years they had reached Guinea and begun settling on the Cape Verde Islands.
Why did the author use the word "explosive" in the first sentence?
A
to suggest that explorers faced many dangers during their journeys
B
to convey the widespread violence of the explorers
C
to suggest that ships carried a lot of gunpowder
D
to convey the numerous and far-reaching consequences of exploration