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.
Since <em>contrast</em> in short means to compare,
A. would be the best answer, since it compares the qualities of a dog to a cat.
Hope I helped!
A hook in an English paper is defined as an enticing statement that grabs the reader's attention. A good way to remember this is to perhaps think of the hook like a fishing hook. And what is the job of a fishing hook? To lure the fish with good bait and grab it and get it hooked.
