Question

review the passage. the simile is shown in bold.
a hundred - plus - miles - an - hour wind blew for an hour. it lifted up the awning on the café across the way, tore wooden shutters off old buildings, and even made the outer walls of our building shake—really shake, stone shaking, a scary sound. the winds lifted all the christmas trees that lined the street right up and sent them blowing like tumbleweeds down the boulevard saint - germain. one of them still had its lights on, plugged in on a long cord, writhing and blinking.
from adam gopnik, paris to the moon. copyright 2000 by adam gopnik
what is the effect of the simile on the passages meaning or tone?
it demonstrates how powerful the wind is.
it shows how light the christmas trees are.
it implies that tumbleweeds are a common sight on the boulevard.

Explanation:

The simile compares Christmas trees being blown by the wind to tumbleweeds. Tumbleweeds are known to be carried far and easily by wind, so this comparison emphasizes the wind's strength—able to move heavy (or at least substantial) Christmas trees like lightweight tumbleweeds. The other options are incorrect: the simile isn’t about the trees’ weight (they’re Christmas trees, not inherently light) or tumbleweeds’ commonality, but the wind’s power.

Answer:

It demonstrates how powerful the wind is.