Does Low Body Temperature Cause Illness?
As children, we are often told to dress warmly in the winter so we do not get sick. This is a common piece of advice, but is there any truth behind it?
In fact, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that being cold can get you sick. Most illnesses are caused by viruses and bacteria. Illnesses like strep throat, influenza, and the common cold are only spread through contact with other infected people. How cold you are when you come into contact with the virus or bacteria has nothing to do with whether or not you will get sick.
The effect of body temperature on contracting illness was tested on human beings in the 1950s. Researchers divided volunteers into two groups: half of them were kept in a warm room and the other half were kept in a cold room. Both groups were then exposed to rhinovirus-the virus responsible for the common cold. The researchers discovered that members of both groups developed colds at the same rate. Since that first experiment, there have been similar experiments performed with a variety of different illnesses. All have yielded the same result: being cold does not make a person more likely to get sick.
Of course, it does seem that people do get sick more often when the weather is cold. However, this is because there is some evidence that people do get sick more often in cold weather, but it has nothing to do with forgetting to bundle up when it is chilly. When it is cold outside, people tend to stay inside. With so many people gathered closely together indoors, germs are spread more easily. Germs are spread from person to person, regardless of how cold or warm their bodies are.
What is the author's purpose in writing this passage?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is the best option for the primary purpose of the passage because the focus of the passage is explaining how (and why) the belief that cold weather makes us sick is incorrect.
To entertain readers with anecdotes related to getting sick in the winter months is incorrect. The author's purpose is not to entertain, despite the attention-grabbing sentences at the beginning of the passage. Additionally, anecdotes are not included in the passage. 
To inform readers as to why the common cold is not as dangerous as one may think is incorrect. Although the purpose of the passage is to inform, it does not mention the severity of the common cold, nor does it regard it as 'dangerous'. Therefore, this option is incorrect.
To inform the reader regarding experiments that have been done to debunk the theory that people are more likely to get sick because of colder temperatures is incorrect. Although the passage describes experiments that have been done, the passage does not state that these experiments were performed in order to 'debunk' any theories. In addition, the information regarding experiments is a supporting detail and not the primary purpose of the author.