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. earth’s 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 highlights how fragile the earth is. it illustrates that the earths crust is fragmented.

Explanation:

The simile compares Earth's crust to a broken eggshell. An eggshell broken into slabs (as the crust is into plates) shows fragmentation. The first option is incorrect as the simile doesn't relate to color. The second is wrong because the focus is on being broken into pieces (fragmented), not fragility in terms of being easily damaged. The third option matches the idea of the crust being in broken slabs (fragmented) like a broken eggshell.

Answer:

It illustrates that the earth's crust is fragmented.