C. to mock the manner of speaking that the writer is criticising
The figurative language used in the passage is a simile .
Answer:
D
evidence
Explanation:
You always need evidence.
The answer is B. Because, if the students had the flu, of course their absence was 'legitimate', which means 'acceptable', allowed. And 'aberration' means 'something unusual or unexpected", because they usually have perfect attendance, but now they missed a couple of classes.
This is called the "centralized" approach. It means that one person becomes in charge of more and is also more responsible for the company's actions which may or may not do the company good.