Question

Read the passage.

For centuries, gargoyles have graced the tops of buildings. Gargoyles are statues made to resemble animals, mythological creatures, and sometimes men. Yet gargoyles are not just decorative architectural features. They have a function. They transport water away from the roofs and sides of buildings and act as waterspouts. How? A groove is built into the back of each gargoyle, allowing water to exit the mouth of the creature. This helps prevent rainwater from damaging the mortar that holds masonry walls together.

The earliest gargoyles originated more than 4000 years ago in Egypt, Rome, and Greece. A typical Egyptian gargoyle depicted a human with the head of a lion since the Egyptians believed in deities with animal heads. Greek gargoyles were carved in either marble or terra cotta, a clay-based unglazed ceramic. During the Middle Ages, gargoyles became even more grotesque in appearance. Carvers released their imaginations by creating fantastic stone carvings. Like their historical counterparts in ancient Egypt, many medieval gargoyles were of creatures not of this world. Half-man and half-beast, they sat on the edges of buildings or projected forward out over the edges of structures. These gargoyles often looked ready to leap off into the air and take flight.

What is the author's purpose for writing this passage?


A) to describe what gargoyles look like and their purpose


B) to entertain readers with fantastical images of gargoyles


C) to inform readers of the difference among Egyptian, Roman, and Greek gargoyles


D) to explain why gargoyles should be preserved on historical buildings

Answer 1

is A

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

A) to describe what gargoyles look like and their purpose is the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

This excerpt has two paragraphs and each of them has a specific function. In the first one, the speaker compares gargoyles with animals or mythological creatures in order to explain how they look like. In this paragraph, the purpose of building gargoyles is also mentioned (transport water away from roofs and sides of buildings.)

In the second paragraph, the speaker points out how gargoyles looked in ancient times, and then he explains the evolution of their appearance across history. This is why option A is the correct answer.