Animals being in captivity is bad for their instincts. In captivity, animals lose their more wild side that's in touch with their original and natural environment. Unless an animal (specifically whales in this case) is injured and cannot be in the wild, they should not be kept in captivity.
China.
The Silk Road is a trading route from the Middle East to China, and the ancient civilizaitons practiced ancestor worship. The Mandate of Heaven dictates that good weather and general prosperity are because of divine approval of the leader of China. If there is famine, invasion, or other natural disasters, it was interpreted as needing a new ruler, aka losing the mandate of heaven.
The correct answer is C. Modern Poet.