Question

lasers: the light fantastic!
1 since the early days of ancient greece, egypt, rome, china, and india, rays of light have been thought to possess mysterious, even magical powers. the ancients believed light could carry messages from the gods and that the sun was responsible for endowing life. light, they believed, could even cure serious illnesses.
2 ordinary light is composed of many light rays of different wavelengths, all out of step with each other. that’s why most visible light diffuses, or spreads out, from its source. you probably have experienced this if you have ever been in a darkened room and lit a candle or turned on a small light bulb. the light, in these examples, is brightest at its source. as it moves away from its point of origin, the light covers more area but it grows dimmer. people wondered if there was any way to keep the intensity of light the same as it is at its source?
in paragraph 1, the author includes the information about the atomic bomb primarily to

• provide background information about world war ii
• explain the problems that inventions need to solve
• share an example of an invention with the potential for great destruction
• show readers what has happened with inventions over time

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the context of the passage (about lasers and light - related inventions) and the purpose of including the atomic bomb. The passage is about inventions related to light. The atomic bomb is an invention with great destructive potential. Option A is incorrect as the passage isn't about WWII background. Option B is wrong as the atomic bomb isn't about the problems inventions need to solve (the passage's problem is about light diffusion). Option D is incorrect as the atomic bomb example isn't about showing the evolution of inventions over time. Option C fits as the atomic bomb is an example of an invention with great destructive potential, which is relevant to the theme of inventions (like lasers) and their impacts.

Answer:

C. share an example of an invention with the potential for great destruction