According to the writer, why is it important to study history? so we can see how things change over time so we can understand how the present came to be so we can learn interesting facts about the past so we do not repeat mistakes of the past

Hey there!
The usual moral of history is the fourth option, so you do not repeat the past. probably heard the saying "he who doesn't understand history is doomed to repeat it." This is because you learn from mistakes made by those before you.
Hope this helps!