Question

review the passage. the simile is shown in bold.
if you could slice deep into the earth, you would find that it is arranged in layers.
geologists—earth scientists—believe that the topmost layer of rock, or crust, is between
four and forty miles thick. earths crust is like an eggshell broken into ten
enormous slabs and numerous smaller ones. these slabs, called plates, float on a
layer of partially molten rock called the mantle—that is, the layer of rock between earths
crust and core.
from albert martin, black gold: the story of oil in our lives. copyright 2012 by albert marrin
what is the effect of the simile on the passages meaning or tone?
it illustrates that the earths crust is fragmented.
it suggests that the earths crust is pale in color.

Explanation:

The simile compares Earth's crust to a broken eggshell with slabs. A broken eggshell is fragmented, so the simile shows the crust is in pieces (slabs/plates). The color of an eggshell isn't relevant to the crust's description here, so the first option is correct.

Answer:

It illustrates that the earth's crust is fragmented.