Question

a which word best describes the tone of the excerpt?
a. serious
b. humorous
c. frustrated
d. formal

iv. excerpt 3
our school recently installed \state - of - the - art\ vending machines, which sounded impressive until we discovered they were powered by motion sensors with the attention span of a goldfish. for example, yesterday i waved my hands for a full minute like i was trying to land a plane, but the machine still refused to acknowledge my existence. meanwhile, my friend mia simply blinked at it from across the hallway, and it immediately sprang to life, offering her three snack options and a cheerful electronic jingle.
students have begun forming theories. some believe the machines respond only to calm, wise individuals—like vending - machine monks. others think the machines are secretly judging our snack choices and refusing service to anyone who selects the lime - flavored chips. the principal insists the issue is \a minor technical glitch,\ but considering one machine tried to give a granola bar to a passing janitor’s mop, i suspect the problem may be slightly more dramatic.

1. what is the author’s primary purpose in this excerpt?

Explanation:

The question about the author's primary purpose in the excerpt requires analyzing the text's content and tone. The excerpt humorously describes the school's vending machines' erratic behavior (e.g., comparing sensor attention to a goldfish, the machine reacting to a mop) and students' playful theories. This suggests the author aims to entertain or amuse by sharing these funny anecdotes about the vending machines.

Answer:

To entertain readers by humorously describing the erratic behavior of the school's vending machines and students' playful theories about them.