Cooking: it's a simple act that has brought families around the world together for thousands and thousands of years. as a chef, i can think of few things more beautiful than that. however, i also know how deadly such a simple act can be , not only to our health, but to our environment. why does the author place these paragraphs first in his argument?

They attempt to get the reader interested in the topic.

Explanation:

The author's description of cooking as a potentially deadly activity is found at the beginning of his argument because it is meant to grab the reader’s attention, which is the most important aspect of an effective introduction. Furthermore, this introduction presents the topic and tone of the article, leading to the thesis statement.