Question

What is the best description of the author’s purpose in this passage? This town does not actually exist, but it might easily have a thousand counterparts in America or elsewhere in the world. I know of no community that has experienced all the misfortunes I describe. Yet every one of these disasters has actually happened somewhere, and many real communities have already suffered a substantial number of them. A grim specter has crept upon us almost unnoticed, and this imagined tragedy may easily become a stark reality we all shall know. 1. convince readers of a threat 2. explain frightening story 3. to convince readers of the importance of a community 4. explain historical event

Answer 1

to convince readers of a threat

Answer 2

This is to convince readers of a threat, the first choice. This is not a frightening story or a historical event, because the author clearly states that "I know of no community that has experienced..." meaning that this is figurative rather than historical. This is not to convince readers about the importance of a community, as the whole excerpt is about certain disasters rather than the community that experiences it.