Reading Comprehension Cause and Effect Relationships 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The ancient Roman city of Pompeii was buried under volcanic ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. Because the ash sealed off oxygen, many organic materials were preserved remarkably well. Archaeologists discovered wooden furniture, food, and even fabric centuries later.
- Archaeologists caused the eruption by excavating the site
- The lack of oxygen from the ash preserved organic materials for centuries (Correct answer)
- Mount Vesuvius erupted because Romans built a city nearby
- Wooden furniture survived because it was stored underground
Correct answer: The lack of oxygen from the ash preserved organic materials for centuries
The passage explains that oxygen being sealed off by ash—caused by the eruption—led to preservation of organic materials.
Question 2: Lily stayed up until midnight finishing her science project. The next morning, she felt exhausted and could barely keep her eyes open during class. She fell asleep briefly and missed an important explanation from the teacher.
- Lily's exhaustion caused her to stay up late the night before
- The teacher's explanation put Lily to sleep
- Staying up late left Lily so exhausted that she fell asleep in class (Correct answer)
- Lily finished her project early and rewarded herself with extra sleep
Correct answer: Staying up late left Lily so exhausted that she fell asleep in class
The passage traces a direct line from staying up late to exhaustion to falling asleep in class.
Question 3: A company developed a new app that translated spoken language in real time. Therefore, travelers no longer needed to learn foreign languages to communicate abroad. Tourism to remote regions increased substantially.
- Tourism declined because travelers relied on flawed translations
- The app was created because tourism had already increased
- The translation app removed language barriers, boosting tourism to remote areas (Correct answer)
- Travelers learned foreign languages to use the app effectively
Correct answer: The translation app removed language barriers, boosting tourism to remote areas
'Therefore' introduces the effect: the app enabled barrier-free communication, which boosted tourism.
Question 4: An unexpected cold snap in April killed many fruit blossoms on the orchards. Without pollinated blossoms, trees produced far less fruit that summer. Grocery stores in the region faced a shortage of locally grown apples and peaches.
- Grocery stores caused the cold snap by lowering their refrigerators
- The cold snap killed blossoms, reducing fruit production and causing store shortages (Correct answer)
- Apple and peach trees bloomed extra early to avoid the cold
- Local stores imported more fruit, which caused orchard closures
Correct answer: The cold snap killed blossoms, reducing fruit production and causing store shortages
The cold snap killed blossoms, which prevented fruit development, ultimately causing shortages in stores.
Question 5: The scientist mixed two chemicals that should not have been combined. The reaction produced toxic fumes, which triggered the building's fire alarm. Employees evacuated as a precaution.
- The fire alarm caused the scientist to mix the chemicals
- Employees triggered the alarm by evacuating too quickly
- Mixing incompatible chemicals created toxic fumes that activated the alarm (Correct answer)
- The alarm malfunctioned because of a wiring problem
Correct answer: Mixing incompatible chemicals created toxic fumes that activated the alarm
Mixing the incompatible chemicals caused fumes, and the fumes triggered the alarm—a direct cause-and-effect chain.
Question 6: Deforestation in the Amazon has reduced the number of trees that absorb carbon dioxide. Since trees capture COâ‚‚, their removal has contributed to higher atmospheric carbon levels. Scientists link this to accelerated global temperature rise.
- Higher temperatures caused deforestation in the Amazon
- More trees were planted to offset the COâ‚‚ increase
- Removing trees reduced COâ‚‚ absorption, raising atmospheric carbon and contributing to warming (Correct answer)
- Scientists believe rainfall caused the rise in COâ‚‚ levels
Correct answer: Removing trees reduced COâ‚‚ absorption, raising atmospheric carbon and contributing to warming
'Since' introduces the causal mechanism: fewer trees absorb less COâ‚‚, leading to higher atmospheric levels and warming.
Question 7: After the new library opened, students in the district showed improved reading scores. Librarians attributed this to greater access to diverse books and quiet study spaces. The school board decided to fund another library branch.
- Improved reading scores caused the school board to open the first library
- The library opened because reading scores were already high
- Greater access to books and study spaces improved reading scores, prompting a second library (Correct answer)
- Students preferred digital reading over library visits
Correct answer: Greater access to books and study spaces improved reading scores, prompting a second library
The library provided resources that improved scores, which led the board to fund another branch.
Reading Comprehension Cause and Effect Relationships 4
The ancient Roman city of Pompeii was buried under volcanic ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.
Because the ash sealed off oxygen, many organic materials were preserved remarkably well.
Archaeologists discovered wooden furniture, food, and even fabric centuries later.