单选题 Not too many years ago it seemed obvious both to the general public and to sociologists that modern society has changed people's natural relations, loosened their responsibilities to kin and neighbors, and substituted______superficial relationships with passing acquaintances.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】解析：句意是，最近几年，对于公众和社会科学家来说似乎都是一个明显的事实，即现代社会已经改变了人类的自然关系，淡化了他们对亲戚和邻居的责任感，取而代之的是他们点头之交之间的表面关系。in one’s place表示代替，in place表示恰当的，所以正确答案为C。