Extract:
Killer Cosmetics
In recent years, there have been frightening headlines about harmful ingredients such as mercury and lead in ordinary cosmetics. However, these are hardly the first examples of people paying a heavy price to conform to cultural ideals of beauty. That is a tradition that has been around for centuries.
Ancient Egyptians decorated their eyes with malachite (a green ore of copper), galena (a lead sulfide), and kohl (a paste made from soot, fat, and metals such as lead). This may have made them look more beautiful, but it also led to health problems such as insomnia and mental confusion.
The ancient Greeks went even further. They applied lead to their entire faces, supposedly to clear their complexions of any blemishes and improve the coloration of the skin. Health problems that resulted ranged from infertility to insanity. The lead ointment whitened their faces, a sure sign of beauty, and they then added some red lead to their cheeks for that rosy glow. As if that toxic mess were not enough, they also used hair dyes that contained lead. The Romans adopted these practices, and some historians suspect that lead poisoning was part of what later led to the fall of the Roman Empire.
As recently as 2007, lipsticks for sale were found to contain lead, and mascara was found to contain mercury. An additional concern is phthalates, industrial chemicals that can cause birth defects and infertility. They are found in personal care products such as shampoos, lotions, perfume, and deodorants. An old saying states that beauty has a price. Sometimes that price may be much higher than consumers realize. Know what you are putting on your face.
What is the author’s primary purpose in writing this essay?
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A
To persuade
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B
To analyze
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C
To entertain
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D
To reflect
The author's primary purpose is to persuade readers to exercise caution with cosmetics by highlighting historical and contemporary health risks.
A) To persuade
The passage builds a persuasive case through: opening with "frightening headlines" to establish concern, presenting historical patterns of self-harm across civilizations to demonstrate recurring danger, detailing severe health consequences (insanity, infertility, birth defects), and concluding with direct warning ("Know what you are putting on your face"), all structured to influence consumer behavior toward informed caution.
B) To analyze
Analysis would dissect cultural motivations for cosmetic use or compare risk-benefit ratios objectively. The author emphasizes risks without balanced analysis of beauty's social value or risk mitigation strategies.
C) To entertain
No narrative elements, humor, or engaging storytelling appear. The tone remains cautionary and factual, designed to warn rather than amuse.
D) To reflect
No personal experiences or introspective musings appear. The writing maintains external focus on historical patterns and health consequences rather than the author's contemplative response.
Conclusion
Persuasive writing combines problem identification (cosmetic dangers), evidence presentation (historical health consequences), and behavioral recommendation (informed caution). This passage's structure, establishing concern, demonstrating patterns, detailing harms, concluding with warning, exemplifies persuasive intent through systematic advocacy for cosmetic awareness.