Question

4.1.8 quiz: analyze a chapter from the world without us
question 2 of 10
read this excerpt from alan weismans \the city without us\:
after the ice recedes, buried in the moraine and eventually in geologic layers below will be an unnatural concentration of a reddish metal, which briefly had assumed the form of wiring and plumbing. then it was hauled to the dump and returned to the earth. the next toolmaker to arrive or evolve on this planet might discover and use it, but by then there would be nothing to indicate that it was us who put it there.
which claim does the excerpt most clearly support?
a. cities provide ecosystems just like forests and deserts.
b. nature acts swiftly to reclaim abandoned urban areas.
c. without humanitys presence, new york city would quickly deteriorate.
d. humanitys impact on the world is ultimately temporary.

Explanation:

The text describes metal (from wiring and plumbing) being buried and eventually having no indication of human origin. This shows that human - made things (a form of human impact) will lose their human - related markers over time. Option A about cities as ecosystems is not relevant. Option B focuses on nature reclaiming urban areas quickly, but the text emphasizes the long - term loss of human indication rather than speed of reclamation. Option C about New York City's deterioration is not the main point. Option D, humanity's impact being temporary (as the metal's human origin fades), is supported.

Answer:

D. Humanity's impact on the world is ultimately temporary.