Read the excerpt from a letter. dear ann, the funniest thing happened during my ski lesson! i tried a new ski run and i was doing very well. the sun was shining and the snow was fresh. my instructor encouraged me to bring my skis closer together so i could gain a little speed. i don't know exactly what happened next, but suddenly my skis had criss-crossed and i was skiing backward! what is the author's purpose? to entertain the reader with a humorous story to provide practical ski instruction tips to educate the reader about skiing techniques to persuade a friend to try a new winter sport