The Human Drift by Jack London (excerpt)

Man early discovered death. As soon as his evolution permitted, he made himself better devices for killing than the old natural ones of fang and claw. He devoted himself to the invention of killing devices before he discovered fire or manufactured for himself religion. And to this day, his finest creative energy and technical skill are devoted to the same old task of making better and ever better killing weapons. All his days, down all the past, have been spent in killing. And from the fear-stricken, jungle-lurking, cave-haunting creature of long ago, he won to empery over the whole animal world because he developed into the most terrible and awful killer of all the animals. He found himself crowded. He killed to make room, and as he made room ever he increased and found himself crowded, and ever he went on killing to make more room. Like a settler clearing land of its weeds and forest bushes in order to plant corn, so man was compelled to clear all manner of life away in order to plant himself. And, sword in hand, he has literally hewn his way through the vast masses of life that occupied the earth space he coveted for himself. And ever he has carried the battle wider and wider, until to-day not only is he a far more capable killer of men and animals than ever before, but he has pressed the battle home to the infinite and invisible hosts of menacing lives in the world of microorganisms.

In the excerpt, the thesis statement is expressed in these sentences: Man early discovered death. As soon as his evolution permitted, he made himself better devices for killing than the old natural ones of fang and claw.

Which of these supporting premises reinforces the thesis statement?

I. Like a settler clearing land of its weeds and forest bushes in order to plant corn, so man was compelled to clear all manner of life away in order to plant himself.

II. He devoted himself to the invention of killing devices before he discovered fire or manufactured for himself religion.

III. And ever he has carried the battle wider and wider, until to-day not only is he a far more capable killer of men and animals than ever before, but he has pressed the battle home to the infinite and invisible hosts of menacing lives in the world of microorganisms.

IV. And from the fear-stricken, jungle-lurking, cave-haunting creature of long ago, he won to empery over the whole animal world.


I
I and II
IV
I, II, and III
II and IV