Question

asthma
centers for disease control, asthma, faqs
what asthma is
1 asthma is a disease that affects your lungs. it is the most common long - term disease of children. it causes repeated episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and nighttime or early morning coughing.
2 we know that family history contributes to susceptibility, but in most cases we dont know what causes asthma to develop, and we dont know how to cure asthma. you can control your asthma by knowing the warning signs of an attack, avoiding things that trigger an attack, and following the advice of your doctor.
effects of asthma
3 in 2001, 20.3 million americans had asthma, and 12 million had an asthma attack in the previous year. if a person has a parent with asthma, he or she is three to six times more likely to develop asthma than is a person who does not have a parent with asthma.
how asthma is diagnosed
4 asthma can be difficult to diagnose, especially in children under 5 years old. a thorough physical exam that includes a check of lung function and for
the authors purpose in including paragraphs 12, 13, and 14 is to
a to show that asthma can be cured
b to explain how asthma affects the lungs
c to remind asthma sufferers to take their medication as prescribed
d to suggest steps the asthma sufferer can take to avoid asthma attacks

Explanation:

To determine the author's purpose for paragraphs 12, 13, 14 (assuming context about asthma management steps like recognizing triggers, taking meds, etc.), we analyze options:

• Option A: The text likely doesn't focus on "causing" asthma here (more on management). Eliminate.
• Option B: Explaining lung effects is probably in earlier sections (like "Effects of Asthma"). Eliminate.
• Option C: "Remind sufferers to take medication" is too narrow; the paragraphs likely cover broader steps (e.g., recognizing triggers, action plans). Eliminate.
• Option D: If the paragraphs outline steps (e.g., know triggers, take meds, follow action plans) to avoid attacks, this fits. So D is correct.

Answer:

D