Read the paragraph from “Rivers and Stories,” Part 1.
Though the names are still magic—Amazon, Congo, Mississippi, Niger, Plate, Volga, Tiber, Seine, Ganges, Mekong, Rhine, Colorado, Marne, Orinoco, Rio Grande—the rivers themselves have almost disappeared from consciousness in the modern world. Insofar as they exist in our imaginations, that existence is nostalgic. We have turned our memory of the Mississippi into a Mark Twain theme park at Disneyland. Our railroads followed the contours of the rivers and then our highways followed the contours of the rail lines. Traveling, we move as a river moves, at two removes. Our children don’t know where their electricity comes from, they don’t know where the water they drink comes from, and in many places on the earth the turgid backwaters of dammed rivers are inflicting on local children an epidemic of the old riverside diseases: dysentery, schistosomiasis, “river blindness.” Rivers and the river gods that defined our civilizations have become the sublimated symbols of everything we have done to the planet in the last two hundred years. And the rivers themselves have come to function as trace memories of what we have repressed in the name of our technical mastery. They are the ecological unconscious.
Which pieces of evidence best help you to identify the author’s perspective on the topic discussed in the paragraph: that rivers should be respected more?
Select all that apply.
1. The author describes how railroads and highways replaced rivers.
2. The author describes how children don’t know what rivers are used for.
3. The author describes the names of rivers as “magic.”
4. The author describes the memories of rivers as nostalgic.
In order to identify the author's perspective on the topic of rivers should be respected more, we can analyze the given paragraph and look for pieces of evidence that support this perspective. Let's examine each option:
1. The author describes how railroads and highways replaced rivers.
This piece of evidence suggests that rivers have been neglected or overlooked in favor of other transportation methods. It implies that the author believes rivers should be given more importance and respect.
2. The author describes how children don’t know what rivers are used for.
This piece of evidence highlights a lack of knowledge among children about the importance and uses of rivers. It indicates that the author may advocate for a better understanding and recognition of rivers.
3. The author describes the names of rivers as “magic.”
Although this statement adds an element of fascination to the names of rivers, it does not directly support the notion that rivers should be respected more. Therefore, it is not the best piece of evidence for the author's perspective.
4. The author describes the memories of rivers as nostalgic.
This piece of evidence suggests that the author believes that the memories associated with rivers are sentimental. It implies an appreciation for the significance of rivers and a desire to rekindle that sense of value.
Based on the analysis above, the pieces of evidence that best help identify the author's perspective on rivers should be respected more are options 1 and 2.