During the 1840s, more than 1 million people died of starvation and disease in Ireland as a result of a. a cholera epidemic.
b. a potato blight.
C. unsanitary living conditions in urban tenements.
d. an inadequate clean water supply.

it foreshadows the theme of the paragraph and hints the topic that will be discussed in the paragraph!

citizens get the vast majority of their political and governmental information from the media, which includes television, print journalism, radio, and now the internet. the media play an important role in connecting people to government.