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ASVAB · Author's Purpose and Tone

'Smoking damages nearly every organ in the body and causes numerous diseases. Quitting, even later in life, significantly improves health. There is no safe level of tobacco use.' The author's main purpose is to:

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Correct answer

Persuade readers that smoking is harmful and quitting helps

  1. A Persuade readers that smoking is harmful and quitting helps
  2. B Encourage smoking
  3. C Describe how cigarettes are made
  4. D Compare tobacco brands

Why this is the answer

AUTHOR'S PURPOSE: The passage emphasizes smoking's harms and the benefits of quitting, with a strong claim ('no safe level'). The purpose is to PERSUADE readers that smoking is harmful and quitting helps. ASVAB strategy: identify whether the author aims to inform, persuade, describe, or entertain. The strong, one-sided health message ('damages nearly every organ,' 'no safe level') signals a persuasive purpose discouraging smoking — the opposite of 'encourage smoking.'
Source: ASVAB Paragraph Comprehension — Author's Purpose

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About this topic: Author's Purpose and Tone

Author's purpose and tone questions ask why the passage was written — to inform, persuade, describe, entertain — and how the author feels about the subject. Word choice is the evidence. This is one of 11 Paragraph Comprehension questions on author's purpose and tone, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

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