To support the inference that the characters have a deep appreciation for the few natural elements in a harsh environment, the following three pieces of evidence can be chosen:
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Response A: "Trees were so rare in that country, and they had to make such a hard fight to grow, that we used to feel anxious about them, and visit them as if they were persons. It must have been the scarcity of detail in that tawny landscape that made detail so precious."
- This evidence highlights both the rarity of trees and the emotional connection people have with them, indicating that in an environment with little natural beauty, every detail becomes valuable.
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Response B: "I used to love to drift along the pale-yellow cornfields, looking for the damp spots one sometimes found at their edges, where the smartweed soon turned a rich copper color and the narrow brown leaves hung curled like cocoons about the swollen joints of the stem."
- The description of the cornfields and the specific details about the smartweed illustrate the beauty found in the limited flora of the landscape, showcasing an appreciation for nature's subtleties.
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Response C: "Sometimes I rode north to the big prairie-dog town to watch the brown earth-owls fly home in the late afternoon and go down to their nests underground with the dogs. Antonia Shimerda liked to go with me, and we used to wonder a great deal about these birds of subterranean habit."
- This reflects a fascination with local wildlife and a shared experience that deepens the characters' connection to their environment, further supporting the idea that they value the natural world that surrounds them.
Collectively, these pieces of evidence emphasize the characters' engagement with and appreciation for the few elements of nature available in their challenging landscape.