Final answer:
Breaking CD-ROMs can render the data inaccessible to the average user, but not all data is guaranteed to be completely irrecoverable, as small fragments might still be read with specialized equipment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Breaking CD-ROMs is considered a physical method of data destruction. While it may seem like this would prevent data recovery, this is not entirely foolproof. Small fragments of the disc could potentially still contain data that could be recovered with specialized equipment and techniques. It would be difficult, but not impossible - especially if the broken pieces contain parts of the data layer where information is stored. However, for most practical purposes, breaking a CD-ROM will render the data inaccessible to the average user because the data retrieval process requires the dots in the data layer to be in specific alignment which is disrupted when the disc is broken.