Read the excerpt from Silent Spring. There was once a town in the heart of America where all life seemed to live in harmony with its surroundings. The town lay in the midst of a checkerboard of prosperous farms, with fields of grain and hillsides of orchards where, in spring, white clouds of bloom drifted above the green fields. In autumn, oak and maple and birch set up a blaze of color that flamed and flickered across a backdrop of pines.

Which phrases in the excerpt best support the author’s purpose of creating a positive image of a town? Select five options.

heart of America
live in harmony
with its surroundings
lay in the midst
hillsides of orchards
in autumn
blaze of color
backdrop of pines