Whereas [the King] provided that cavalry and infantry forces and ships should be sent out against those who invaded Egypt by sea and by land, laying out great sums in money and grain in order that the temples and all those who are in the land might be in safety; in return for which things the gods have given him health, victory, and power, and all other good things, and he and his children shall retain the kingship for all time. —The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone,
James Cross Giblin

What is the central idea in the first part of the passage?

The king has kept the people of Egypt safe from enemies.
The gods have given the king many gifts in return for his success as a ruler.
The king has spent a lot of money and grain to keep the people safe.
The king’s children shall retain the kingship forever.

Read this passage from alan weisman's "the city without us": he props his running shoe against the whitish bark of a chinese amur cork tree, growing among the last of the hemlocks. "this may sound blasphemous, but maintaining biodiversity is less important than maintaining a functioning ecosystem. what matters is that soil is protected, that water gets cleaned, that trees filter the air, that a canopy regenerates new seedlings to keep nutrients from draining away into the bronx river." now read this passage from jared diamond's "the ends of the world as we know them": both the shoguns and the japanese peasants took a long-term view: the former expected to pass on their power to their children, and the latter expected to pass on their land. . today, despite having the highest human population density of any large developed country, japan is more than 70 percent forested. what common theme of green literature is most strongly evident in both passages? a. in order to thrive in coming centuries, people must find viable alternatives to fossil fuels, such as coal. b. with careful and intelligent management, ecosystems can still thrive after human beings have changed them. c. in order meet their goals, environmentalists must people develop a personal desire to protect nature. d. there is no excuse for damaging the natural world, and anyone who does so will pay a steep price.