Question

read the paragraph, then choose the word that best completes the sentence. the age of petrochemicals started shortly after world war ii. during the war, the united states did not have enough rubber. to solve this problem, scientists created human - made rubber from oil and natural gas. then, scientists realized that other items could be produced from oil and gas as well. oil and natural gas form underground when living things made of carbon break down. in a laboratory, carbon atoms can be joined to other atoms to form different compounds. each compound can be used to create something different: plastic, human - made rubber, and more. petrochemicals have considerable ______. a novelty b risks c prospects d utility

Explanation:

The paragraph emphasizes that each petro - chemical compound can be used to create different things like plastic and human - made rubber. This indicates their usefulness. "Novelty" refers to newness, "risks" are not mentioned, and "prospects" are future possibilities which are not the main focus. "Utility" means usefulness, which best fits the context.

Answer:

D. utility