25
Select the correct texts in the passage.
Which two details refine the author's claim that the materials used for the design of shoes has evolved over time?
excerpt from "Shoes: Feet First!"
from A History of Travel in 50 Vehicles 50
by Paula Grey & Phillip Hoose
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 biq 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
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 i 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.
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