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

Explanation:

A simile compares two things using "like" or "as". Here, the Earth's crust is compared to an eggshell broken into slabs. An eggshell broken into slabs is fragmented, so this simile illustrates the crust's fragmented nature. The first option about fragility isn't directly supported (the simile focuses on being broken into slabs, not fragility in a general sense), and the second about color is irrelevant as the simile doesn't mention color.

Answer:

It illustrates that the earth's crust is fragmented.