PERT Practice Questions - Postsecondary Education Readiness Test Exam

Question Number 5


Read the passage below and answer the question. "Historians have long debated whether the fall of Rome resulted primarily from military pressure by Germanic tribes or from internal decay — economic strain, political instability, and a declining civic culture. Most modern scholars favor a synthesis: the empire was weakened by internal problems that made it unable to resist external pressures. The two causes reinforced each other over centuries." Which conclusion does the passage most strongly support?
✔ Correct Answer:
Rome fell due to a combination of internal weakness and external military pressure.