Which of these inferences about the Highway Beautification Act of 1965 is best supported by the text? A. It was believed that this legislation would cement the United States'position as a world leader in environmental reform. B. The act would serve to protect the national landscape from invasive species that threatened to undermine roadways. C. Johnson argued that the act would be one of the first lines of defense against the encroachment of advertisements and mar D. Key components of the act were heavily scrutinized and later changed at the request of large corporations.

## Step 1<br />The problem is a reading comprehension question, which requires us to infer the main purpose of the Highway Beautification Act of 1965 based on the given text. <br /><br />## Step 2<br />The text does not provide explicit information about the Act's purpose, so we have to make an inference based on the options provided.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />Option A suggests that the Act was intended to position the United States as a world leader in environmental reform. However, the text does not provide any evidence to support this claim.<br /><br />## Step 4<br />Option B suggests that the Act was intended to protect the national landscape from invasive species that threatened to undermine roadways. Again, the text does not provide any evidence to support this claim.<br /><br />## Step 5<br />Option C suggests that the Act was intended to be one of the first lines of defense against the encroachment of advertisements and mar. This seems to align with the general purpose of the Act, which was to regulate outdoor advertising along highways.<br /><br />## Step 6<br />Option D suggests that key components of the Act were heavily scrutinized and later changed at the request of large corporations. The text does not provide any evidence to support this claim.