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 marrin, 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 suggests that the earths crust is pale in color. it illustrates that the earths crust is fragmented. it highlights how fragile the earth is.

Explanation:

The simile "Earth's crust is like an eggshell broken into ten enormous slabs and numerous smaller ones" compares the crust to a broken eggshell. A broken eggshell is fragmented into pieces, which aligns with the description of the crust as split into slabs (plates). The passage does not mention color, so the first option is incorrect. The simile focuses on the crust's fragmentation, not the entire Earth's fragility, so the third option is also incorrect.

Answer:

It illustrates that the earth's crust is fragmented.