Question

read the passage.

ufos, or unidentified flying objects, are often the topic of science fiction novels. in reality, ufos are often aircraft, kites, clouds, or meteors that observers are unable to recognize at first glance. a ufo near roswell, new mexico, made headlines in the mid-twentieth century and remains a pop-culture phenomenon. in more modern history, satellite launches have caused rocket debris that is often observed and reported as a ufo.

what is the purpose of this passage?

to inform readers about the term \ufo\
to entertain readers with a story of a ufo landing
to inform readers about government record-keeping
to persuade readers to report ufos to authorities

Explanation:

Analyze the passage content

The passage defines UFOs as unidentified flying objects and explains that in reality, they are often common objects like aircraft, kites, clouds, meteors, or rocket debris. It provides factual context about what people actually see when they report UFOs.

Evaluate the options using evidence

Using Textual Evidence, we can evaluate each option:

• to inform readers about the term "UFO": The text defines the term and explains what these objects actually are in reality. This matches the informative nature of the passage.
• to entertain readers with a story of a UFO landing: The passage mentions Roswell briefly as a pop-culture phenomenon but does not tell an entertaining story about a landing.
• to inform readers about government record-keeping: Government record-keeping is not mentioned in the text.
• to persuade readers to report UFOs to authorities: The text does not encourage or persuade readers to take action or report sightings.

Determine the primary purpose

The passage is purely expository, aiming to explain the term "UFO" and clarify that most sightings are actually misidentified everyday objects or natural phenomena. Therefore, the primary purpose is to inform readers about the term "UFO" and its real-world explanations.

Answer:

• (A) to inform readers about the term "UFO" (Correct answer)
• (B) to entertain readers with a story of a UFO landing
• (C) to inform readers about government record-keeping
• (D) to persuade readers to report UFOs to authorities