Answer:
The paragraph starts off with kind of a philosophical hook "What we learn about our friends on a road trip may be very different from what we learn about them in their homes or at school", which is interesting because it is an idea that is bigger than the story. It gives relevant details such as the title of the story, author, main character, and setting, but doesn't give too much away.
D. They both examine humankind’s place in relation to the larger universe.
A transitional topic sentence is most often implied, although of course it should be noted that this is not always the case, and that it varies greatly with the speaker.
