Through the midst of the city [Baghdad] flows a very
large river, by which travellers may go to the Indian Sea.
By this route merchants come and go with their
merchandise. You should know that from Baghdad to the
sea is a journey of fully eighteen days. Merchants
travelling to India follow this river to a city called Kais,
where they enter the Indian Sea. On the river between
Baghdad and Kais there is a large city named Basra; and
in groves all around Basra grow the best dates in the
world.
-"The Middle East,"
Marco Polo
What is most likely the author's purpose for writing this
passage?
to record details to create a map of his travels
to entertain readers with a story of traveling to
Baghdad
to inform readers by describing the river and cities
on the route
to persuade readers to travel to the cities of Basra
and Baghdad

Read this excerpt from "the light of gandhi's lamp" by hilary kromberg inglis, in which she describes driving to the police station where her sister is being detained. to avoid looking at the blackened windows at the top of the building and thinking about the history of who had died or been tortured there, i always looked instead at the little chinese restaurant on the opposite side of the road. how does this passage affect the text? it conveys, with great subtlety, the conflict she felt over having a sister who would break the law and end up in the custody of the police. it conveys, without any implied moral judgment, that those who fought against apartheid considered themselves to be soldiers in a just war. it conveys, with an extended metaphor, the idea that being detained by the police in this society was regarded as a badge of honor. it conveys, with direct language, the view held by many anti-apartheid activists that the police often acted in brutal and unlawful ways.

2read this passage from "the raven." what is puzzling the speaker in this stanza? 60% but the raven still beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, straight i wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door then, upon the velvet sinking, i betook myself to linking fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore- what this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore meant in croaking "nevermore." s and what the raven's message is why the raven came to visit where the raven came from how the raven got into his room

Based on this excerpt the authors are mostly likely to attempt to answer which question?