If you burn your trash in the back yard in spite of regulations against it, then you are

a) acting economically irrationally and creating a social cost.
b) avoiding the private costs associated with disposing your trash some other way and creating a social cost.
c) acting rationally and creating a positive externality.
d) saving landfill space and creating a social benefit.

The correct answer is choice b.

By burning your trash in the backyard in spite of regulations against it you are avoiding the private costs associated with disposing your trash some other way and creating a social cost. The social cost would be the air quality of your neighbors who are breathing in the smoke from the burning trash.

B. writing the first novel.

Explanation:

Although it is a matter of debate, many agree that the Tale of Genji can be considered the first novel ever written, this mostly because of the psychological nature of the narrative along with the structure of the tale which clearly falls within the scope of what is considered a novel (length, character development and setting, dialogue and polyphony, and detailed societal descriptions). The novel was written by a noblewoman by the name of Murasaki Shikibu in the 11th century of our time.