Explanation
Correct answer: D.
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is pronoun-antecedent agreement. The singular pronoun “it” agrees in number with the singular antecedent “a given term” and clearly indicates that the term becomes susceptible to obliteration by incorporation.
Why the other choices are wrong
Choice A
Choice A is incorrect because the plural pronoun “they” neither agrees in number with the singular antecedent “a given term” nor clearly indicates that the given term—not another plural noun in the sentence, such as “examples”—becomes susceptible to obliteration by incorporation.
Choice B
Choice B is incorrect because the plural pronoun “these” neither agrees in number with the singular antecedent “a given term” nor clearly indicates that the given term—not another plural noun in the sentence, such as “examples”—becomes susceptible to obliteration by incorporation.
Choice C
Choice C is incorrect because the singular pronoun “this” is ambiguous in this context, leaving unclear what exactly becomes susceptible to obliteration by incorporation.