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Craft and StructureMediumPurpose of an opening anecdote

Craft and Structure practice question

In 1854, a London doctor removed the handle from a public water pump, and the cholera outbreak in the surrounding streets stopped. The story is told in every introductory course on public health, because it captures the field's central idea: that disease can be prevented by changing the environment rather than by treating the sick.

Which choice best describes the function of the first sentence?

  1. A. It tells a story that the second sentence uses to illustrate a general principle.Correct
  2. B. It explains how cholera spreads.
  3. C. It argues that pumps should be removed.
  4. D. It describes a modern public health campaign.

Answer: A. It tells a story that the second sentence uses to illustrate a general principle.

Anecdote, then 'because it captures the field's central idea'.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. It explains how cholera spreads.
The mechanism of spread is not explained.
C. It argues that pumps should be removed.
No such argument.
D. It describes a modern public health campaign.
1854 is not modern.

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