Read the following passage: In the year of our Lord seventeen hundred and twelve, at the village of Christchurch, the members of our congregation were first visited by the spirits. Which statement best explains the relationship between the author's choice to begin the story this way and the effect it has on the reader?

A. Beginning the story with something that happened in the past leads the reader to assume that he or she will be familiar with the events to come.

B. The inclusion of a specific location leads the reader to suspect that the story will be a social critique.

C. The tone of the language leads the reader to understand that the story will be relayed by a figure of authority.

D. The inclusion of a supernatural element leads the reader to recognize this story as being concerned with spiritual matters.​