Read the excerpt from chapter 8 of The Travels of Marco Polo. Let us go on now to tell of a large city which forms part of the province of Aden but has a petty ruler of its own. This city, which lies about 400 miles north-west of the port of Aden, is called Shihr. It is ruled by a count, who maintains strict justice in his domain. He has several cities and towns under his sway but is himself subject to the sultan of Aden. The people are Saracens and worship Mahomet. The city has a very good port; for I assure you that many merchant-ships come here well loaded with goods from India, and from here they export many goods to India. In particular they export innumerable fine chargers and sturdy pack-horses of great worth and price, on which the merchants make a handsome profit.

What are most likely the author's purposes for writing this text? Select two options.

to entertain readers by telling them about the ruler of Shihr
to inform readers by describing the city of Shihr
to educate readers by describing the religious practices of Shihr
to inform readers by giving facts about the ruler of Shihr
to persuade readers to study the politics of Shihr