"Emile was a two-year-old boy living in Meliandou, a village in the West African nation of Guinea. In December 2013, Emile may have been bitten by a fruit bat, a common animal in West Africa. On December 26, he became ill. He died two days later. By January 14, his three-year-old sister, his mother, and his grandmother had also died. No one yet realized it, but researchers now believe Emile was patient zero—the first person to contract and begin spreading the Ebola virus during this outbreak. There have been more than two dozen Ebola outbreaks since the virus’s discovery in 1976. The 2014 outbreak quickly became by far the most devastating.'

Question

"Emile was a two-year-old boy living in Meliandou, a village in the West African nation of Guinea. In December 2013, Emile may have been bitten by a fruit bat, a common animal in West Africa. On December 26, he became ill. He died two days later. By January 14, his three-year-old sister, his mother, and his grandmother had also died. No one yet realized it, but researchers now believe Emile was patient zero—the first person to contract and begin spreading the Ebola virus during this outbreak. There have been more than two dozen Ebola outbreaks since the virus’s discovery in 1976. The 2014 outbreak quickly became by far the most devastating.'
Use the passage to answer the question.

What technique does the writer use to engage readers in this introductory paragraph?

Responses

1) telling a brief related story
2) using a vivid image or description
3) telling an interesting or surprising fact
4) using a connection to the readers’ experiences

GPT-4o mini · Answer

1) telling a brief related story

Answer

Are you sure?

GPT-4o mini · Answer

Yes, the writer employs the technique of "telling a brief related story." The paragraph provides a narrative about Emile and his family, illustrating the onset of the Ebola outbreak through their experiences, which effectively engages readers by drawing them into the unfolding situation. This storytelling approach helps to humanize the impact of the virus and establishes a context for the subsequent discussion about the outbreak.