Question

The unfamiliar environment around the Panama Canal led to problems. The legs of beds in the infirmary were placed in dishes of water. It was thought that this would prevent ants from crawling up to the patients. However, it proved a breeding ground for the deadly mosquitoes.

By including this intercalary chapter, what effect is the author most likely attempting to achieve?

A.The author wants to break from the narrative flow of the novel to advance the author's purpose and perspective on building the canal.
B.The author wants to give readers a better understanding of the background and circumstances of transportation between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
C.The author wants to provide commentary, separate from the narrative, that illustrates individual experiences with travel during 1914.
D.The author wants to create a secondary narrative that runs parallel to the primary narrative but uses different characters and plot.

Answer 1

B.) should be correct.

Answer 2

B. The author wants to give readers a better understanding of the background and circumstances of transportation between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Step-by-step explanation:

The introduction of a piece of text complementary to the main subject provides the reader with an insight about another topic (or in this case, a backgground), which offers valuable information related to the main idea without parting from it.

Regarding the example, the author most likely included this paragraph so it would serve as a counter-claim to a following chapter (referring to the placing of water dishes under the legs of beds).