Which statement best traces the development of a central idea from one paragraph to the next? The first paragraph discusses the aspects of American culture that unify Americans. The second paragraph discusses the aspects of American culture that tear Americans apart and cause friction.
The first paragraph discusses the idea that Americans are united as one despite their differences. The second paragraph discusses the idea that acts of intolerance make it difficult to believe that Americans are united as one.
The first paragraph discusses possible benefits to living in a society like America. The second paragraph discusses the disadvantages of living in a society like America.
The first paragraph discusses the diversity of American society and its role in history. The second paragraph discusses the uniformity of American society and its role in history.

Read the excerpt from "A Quilt of a Country."

America is an improbable idea. A mongrel nation built of ever-changing disparate parts, it is held together by a notion, the notion that all men are created equal, though everyone knows that most men consider themselves better than someone. "Of all the nations in the world, the United States was built in nobody's image," the historian Daniel Boorstin wrote. That's because it was built of bits and pieces that seem discordant, like the crazy quilts that have been one of its great folk-art forms, velvet and calico and checks and brocades. Out of many, one. That is the ideal. The reality is often quite different, a great national striving consisting frequently of failure. Many of the oft-told stories of the most pluralistic nation on earth are stories not of tolerance, but of bigotry. Slavery and sweatshops, the burning of crosses and the ostracism of the other. Children learn in social-studies class and in the news of the lynching of blacks, the denial of rights to women, the murders of gay men. It is difficult to know how to convince them that this amounts to "crown thy good with brotherhood," that amid all the failures is something spectacularly successful. Perhaps they understand it at this moment [in the aftermath of 9/11], when enormous tragedy, as it so often does, demands a time of reflection on enormous blessings.

Which statement best traces the development of a central idea from one paragraph to the next?

The first paragraph discusses the aspects of American culture that unify Americans.

The second paragraph discusses the aspects of American culture that tear Americans apart and cause friction.

The first paragraph discusses the idea that Americans are united as one despite their differences. The second paragraph discusses the idea that acts of intolerance make it difficult to believe that Americans are united as one.

The first paragraph discusses possible benefits to living in a society like America.

The second paragraph discusses the disadvantages of living in a society like America.

The first paragraph discusses the diversity of American society and its role in history.

The second paragraph discusses the uniformity of American society and its role in history.

The first paragraph discusses the idea that Americans are united as one despite their differences. The second paragraph discusses the idea that acts of intolerance make it difficult to believe

Explanation:

The author discusses the idea that Americans are united as one despite their various differences "A mongrel nation built of ever-changing disparate parts, it is held together by a notion, the notion that all men are created equal,"

From the excerpt above, the author first begins by stating that the USA is an improbable idea that was built on the notion of equality for all when there are clear cases in history of men feeling more superior to theor fellow man and woman. He also discusses the intolerance in the country among themeselves that make it difficult to believe they are united.

since it is asking for her reaction to elnora's trouble at school you can rule out any answers with a positive response (b). then you can rule out (d), this is because it does not show the mother's reaction but the daughter's response. that leaves you with two options (a) and (c), by looking at the options you can rule out (c) because it isn't referring back to elnora's issues at school.

walter refusing lindner's offer.