Be
Madagascar is an island lying about 1,000 miles south of
Socotra. The people are Saracens who worship Mahomet.
They have four sheikhs-that is to say, four elders-who
exercise authority over the whole island. ... It is said to
measure about 4,000 miles in circumference. The people
live by trade and industry.
-"The Middle East,"
Marco Polo
what’s the authors purpose of writing this passage?

the correct answer would be:  

a. adverb phrase

there are several different forms of presenting this; each has a very specific format. plays have a very simple format; teleplays, for television shows, or screenplays, for movies, have more complex and strict rules for formatting.

drama

the first of these to be written for the express purpose of being performed were created by the greeks. many of our modern terms derive from greek origins.

comedy

in the greek sense, a play that doesn't end in death. in modern usage, refers to a play that is humorous.

tragedy

in the greek sense, a play that ends with the death of at least one of the main characters. in modern usage, refers to a play that doesn't have a happy ending.