What is the main purpose of the 'async' and 'await' keywords in JavaScript?

The main purpose of the 'async' and 'await' keywords in JavaScript is to handle asynchronous operations more readably. They allow developers to write asynchronous code that looks and behaves more like synchronous code, making it easier to understand and maintain. By using 'async' before a function, it indicates that the function will return a promise, and within that function, you can use 'await' to pause execution until a promise is resolved, without blocking the entire thread. This makes it simpler to write and read code that handles asynchronous tasks, such as data fetching or processing.

In contrast, options that refer to blocking code execution or creating event listeners do not accurately capture the essence of 'async' and 'await.' Blocking code execution contradicts the nature of asynchronous programming, which seeks to avoid blocking the flow of the application. Similarly, managing event listeners is a different concept, focusing on responding to user actions rather than structuring asynchronous code. Finally, though 'async' and 'await' may simplify some aspects of working with callbacks, their primary role is to provide a clearer syntax for handling promises, distinguishing them from traditional callback approaches.