Which of the following later developments would most undermine the hopes expressed by Mao in the second-to-last line of the passage?

(A) The development of Special Economic Zones along the Chinese coast brought economic growth to China. (B) Political friction with the Soviet Union pushed China into the orbit of the United States during the Cold War. (C) The cooperatives of peasants on the farmland and an emphasis on countryside steel production brought famine and poverty to the Chinese peasantry. (D) Opposition voices in the Communist Party led by men such as Deng Xiaopeng were rooted out and silenced during the Cultural Revolution.Explanation: Mao’s hopes in the second to last sentence in the passage are that the peasantry will enjoy increased prosperity on account of his collectivization regime. Eliminate (A) because the special economic zones were introductions of capitalism into China. You can also eliminate (B) and (D), as the reforms in the passage are economic, not political. Choice (C) is the best answer.