Read the excerpt from "Politics and the English Language" by George Orwell.

I said earlier that the decadence of our language is probably curable. Those who deny this would argue, if they produced an argument at all, that language merely reflects existing social conditions, and that we cannot influence its development by any direct tinkering with words and constructions. So far as the general tone or spirit of a language goes, this may be true, but it is not true in detail. Silly words and expressions have often disappeared, not through any evolutionary process but owing to the conscious action of a minority. Two recent examples were explore every avenue and leave no stone unturned, which were killed by the jeers of a few journalists.

How does Orwell use evidence to support the underlined claim?

a. He provides statistics showing the number of times a silly word is used.
b. He quotes an expert who gives suggestions on eliminating useless language.
c. He poses a hypothetical situation in which simple language is used.
d. He gives an example of two phrases that lost popularity with writers.