Question

architecture
the modern philosophy of “out with the old, in with the new” has been used and abused for years. oftentimes, it has more to do with making a profit rather than a legitimate need for something new. across the united states, beautiful, historic architecture is frequently destroyed to make way for malls, high - rise apartment buildings, grandiose homes, and other structures. unfortunately, little is done to protect our history.
over the past several years, it has become increasingly common for big - name developers to tear down victorian, craftsman, and colonial buildings. this destruction is often performed with the thought that it is the property that holds the true value, not the structure that sits on it.
likewise, homeowners have begun to value their property’s location over the house they have spent many years living in. little regard is given to the painstaking details and craftsmanship that went into these buildings, nor the innate beauty of hand - carved woodwork and ornamentation. “out with the old, in with the new” has resulted in people no longer appreciating the history and artistic integrity of our country’s oldest buildings and failing to realize that once “the new” is brought in, “the old” is lost to us forever.
it is bad enough that developers and private citizens are blind to the beauty around them, what is worse is that local governments refuse to step in and prevent this destruction. cities and towns need to stand up to large developers that flash money around in the name of progress. rather than allowing developers to tear down old buildings simply to put up new ones, local governments could enact ordinances to preserve their area’s architecture. if an old building is unusable or unsafe as it is, the structure could be restored instead of demolished, not only would this save one - of - a - kind architecture, it is also an extremely environmentally - conscience concept because less building material is used.
5
select the correct answer.
which statement from the excerpt expresses the author’s overall claim?
a. this destruction is often performed with the thought that it is the property that holds the true value, not the structure that sits on it.
b. the modern philosophy of “out with the old, in with the new” has been used and abused for years.
c. it is bad enough that developers and private citizens are blind to the beauty around them
d. little regard is given to... the innate beauty of hand - carved woodwork and ornamentation.

Explanation:

The author starts by criticizing the over - use of the "out with the old, in with the new" philosophy, which is the main claim around which the rest of the arguments (destruction of historic architecture, lack of appreciation for history and artistry) are built.

Answer:

B. The modern philosophy of "out with the old, in with the new" has been used and abused for years