Read the excerpt from Animal Farm.In January there came bitterly hard weather. The earth was like iron, and nothing could be done in the fields. Many meetings were held in the big barn, and the pigs occupied themselves with planning out the work of the coming season.

The excerpt focuses on severe winter weather: the earth is frozen “like iron,” so the animals cannot work in the fields. This shows how the natural world affects the animals’ lives and plans. The best choice is “nature.”

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