Mrs. hopewell, who had divorced her husband long ago, needed someone to walk over the fields with her; and when joy had to be impressed for these services, her remarks were usually so ugly and her face so glum that mrs. hopewell would say, “if you can’t come pleasantly, i don’t want you at all,” to which the girl, standing square and rigid-shouldered with her neck thrust slightly forward, would reply, “if you want me, here i am—like i am.”
based on mrs. hopewell’s attitude toward the fields, it is reasonable to infer that the story takes place
on a farm with many field hands and employees.
on a wide, isolated expanse of farmland.
in a small town where everyone is friendly toward one another.
in a deserted town in which mysterious events occur.

on a wide, isolated expanse of farmland.

It can be determined that the story takes place on a farm because a field, by definition, is a piece of land that has the specific use for agricultural efforts.  It can, too, be inferred that the land is expansive because of how Mrs. Hopewell “impressed” Joy to walk the fields with her.  Her company may not have been needed if there were not such a large area to cover.  Too, it can be inferred that the location is isolated because it seems that Mrs. Hopewell had no one else to go with her as she walked the fields, which is most likely why she conscripted the reluctant assistance of Joy.

the correct answer is b. in order to explain a point clearly in an essay, it is always better to include a clear example of your ideas. including an scenario in which a family is affected by consumerism will support your argument as well as supporting details, such as quotations from experts and statistics. option a could be correct, but statistics and quotations are supporting ideas rather than clear explanations. choices c and d are simply inadequate. they do not add information about the effects of consumerism, rather they are strategies for engaging the reader