Answer: A. The author contrasts how each views the beauty and function of the lake.
Step-by-step explanation:
In this passage about Crater Lake, the author explores the lake from the viewpoints of three entities being the Native Indians, the the Cascades mining town residents, and Will Steel and contrasts how each entity viewed the beauty and function of the lake.
The Native Indians found it so beautiful that they believed it had to posses spiritual power so they meditated and taught by it. The townspeople on the other hand were not very interested in the lake at first because they were more interested in gold but the lake did get famous.
And for Will Steel, the lake was so beautiful that the lake simply had to be preserved.
The rest of the passage is attached.