Read these passages from When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! by John DiConsiglio. "Spanish Flu Mystery May Be Solved!"

Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the CDC, told the British Broadcasting Company (BBC), "By unmasking the 1918 virus, we are revealing some of the secrets that will help us prepare for the next pandemic."

"Fear of Food?"

Don’t worry about mad cow disease. But pay attention to E. coli.

We want you to enjoy your food. Really, we do. But there could be some nasty bacteria lurking in that burger. Or in that salad. . . .

Here’s how you can protect yourself from it.

What is the most likely reason why the author includes these passages?

to connect the various sections with humor
to add some positive notes to the serious overall tone
to emphasize the difficulty in dealing with these viruses
to cause the reader to be concerned about diseases