Question

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The passage below appeared in an article about sideshows and unusual circus acts. As you read it, look for clues that suggest the author’s purpose for including this paragraph.

Not all sideshow acts involved fakes. Chang and Eng, the world’s most famous conjoined twins, were quite real. Born in 1811 in Thailand (called Siam at the time), the two were connected at the chest by a thick band of skin and cartilage. Although they traveled the world showing their unusual appearance to people who paid to see them, they also found ways to live somewhat normal lives.

What is this author’s purpose in this part of the article?

to shock readers with a story about a famous set of conjoined twins

to convince readers that some sideshow acts were real

to teach readers what life was like in 19th century Thailand

to inform readers about the terrible truths behind circus acts

Answer 1

to convince readers that some sideshow acts were real

Explanation: The paragraph gives a real example (Chang and Eng) and emphasizes that they “were quite real,” countering the idea that all sideshow acts were fakes.