Reread "The Beginnings of the Maasai," and then answer the question. One purpose of "The Beginnings of the Maasai is to explain the weather. Which excerpt best justifies this conclusion? The sky god is powerful, but can change from nurturing to vengeful depending on our behavior. Sometimes Enkai is Enkai Narok, the Black God happy with us and blanketing the sky with dark clouds that pour out rain to nourish the plains. In these times, the sun grows incredibly hot until the earth dries up and becomes barren My father tells me that the eruption was so violent that it broke the earth away from the sky and flung Enkai and all of the cattle high up into the heavens

## Step 1<br />The problem requires us to identify the excerpt from "The Beginnings of the Maasai" that best supports the conclusion that one of the text's purposes is to explain the weather. To do this, we need to analyze each excerpt and determine which one provides the most direct explanation of weather patterns or phenomena.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />The first excerpt discusses the sky god's power and its influence on weather, specifically mentioning Enkai Narok, the Black God, who brings rain to nourish the plains. This excerpt directly links the god's behavior to weather patterns, making it a strong candidate for the answer.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />The second excerpt describes a period of intense heat that dries up the earth and turns it barren. While this does describe a weather condition, it does not provide a clear explanation of the weather patterns or phenomena.<br /><br />## Step 4<br />The third excerpt talks about a violent eruption that broke the earth away from the sky and flung Enkai and all of the cattle high up into the heavens. This excerpt does not provide any information about weather patterns or phenomena.<br /><br />## Step 5<br />Based on the analysis, the first excerpt is the most relevant to the conclusion that one of the text's purposes is to explain the weather. It provides a clear explanation of how the god's behavior influences weather patterns, specifically mentioning the rain that nourishes the plains.