An elderly woman and a rich man were seated next to each other on a flight from San Francisco to Denver. The man asked if she would enjoy playing a fun game. "I'll ask you a question, and if you don't know the answer, you'll have to pay me $5, and vice versa." She declined and tried to get some sleep. Annoyed, the man said, "OK. If you get the question wrong, you only owe me five bucks. But if I get the question wrong, I owe you $500." This was too good to pass up, so she agreed. The lawyer asked the first question. "What is the circumference of the earth?" The woman had no idea, so she paid him $5. Then the woman asked the man, "What wears makeup and walks on three legs?" The man had no idea. He took out his laptop and searched high and low for the answer…but he didn't have any luck. After searching for nearly an hour, he gave the woman $500. The woman said "thanks" and tried to sleep. The lawyer was clearly upset and asked the woman what the answer was. Without saying a word, the woman smiled and gave the lawyer a five-dollar bill.
What is the author's purpose in writing this passage?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Authors use narrative prose to tell stories. This passage does just that-it tells an entertaining story about two passengers on an airplane flight.
To inform is incorrect. Authors use nonfiction passages to inform (educate) their readers of something. This passage is fiction. 
To persuade is incorrect. When an author wants to persuade readers to adopt a certain stance or point of view, they often use persuasive language such as "you should…" or "you ought to…" This passage contains no persuasive language. 
To describe is incorrect. When an author wants to describe something-a place, or a person, for example-he or she will use descriptive language such as adjectives or imagery. This passage does not contain such language.

An Elderly Woman and a Rich Man Were Seated Next