Section A Exploratory Reading
Example
Please read the following passages，ask yourself“Why does the author writes this？”，then match each passage in column A with the author’s purpose in column B．
Explanations
1．A is right．In this passage，the author tells the reader it is easy and convenient to use the“Chopper 3”．Then，he／she calls for the reader to“order yours today”，which means he／she is trying to sell this product to the reader．
2．C is right．In this passage，the author introduces what different colors of the traffic lights stand for so people can understand and follow the traffic regulations．So the purpose of the author is to teach or inform people of the meaning of the traffic lights．
3．B is right．In this passage，the author points out the benefits brought by reading such as recognizing high-frequency words．So the purpose of the author is to persuade or encourage people to form the habit of reading．
Reading Skill：Identifying the Author’s Purpose
An author writes for many reasons．The purpose is the author’s reason for having written a passage．The Author’s Purpose Questions are questions that ask you to figure out why the author wrote the text．There are forms of such questions：“Why did the author write this or what was the reason this piece was written for？”The five main categories of purposes are：
•To persuade（argue，convince，prove）．
•To narrate（relate a sequence of events，tell a story）．
•To describe（appeal to the senses，create a picture or impression）．
•To entertain（amuse，divert attention from reality）．
•To inform（state，teach，explain）．