Answer:
a.) He saw beauty in the flaws as well as the perfections in the country and its people.
I am not entirely sure on this one... but the third option is my best guess.
c.) the area looks barren.
Considering the passage's content, the most likely reason the author mentions problems in the publishing industry in a paragraph is to let the reader know that "<u>there is still opportunity in the publishing industry despite current problems."</u>
Here, the author is trying to let the reader knows that currently, there are problems that need to be solved in the publishing industry. However, despite these problems, there is abundant opportunity in the publishing industry.
This was revealed when the author said that "<em><u>Despite reports to the contrary, this is a great time to be in publishing</u></em>."
Hence, in this case, it is concluded that the correct answer is "<u>there is still opportunity in the publishing industry despite current problems."</u>
Learn more about Passage reading here: brainly.com/question/16835380
Answer: personification simile
Explanation: