Reading Comprehension Text Structure and Organization 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which text structure would MOST LIKELY be used in an article comparing electric cars to gasoline-powered cars?
- Chronological order
- Problem and solution
- Compare and contrast (Correct answer)
- Descriptive
Correct answer: Compare and contrast
Examining similarities and differences between two subjects calls for compare-and-contrast structure.
Question 2: A history passage covers events from 1776 to 1865 in the order they happened. What organizational structure is used?
- Descriptive
- Cause and effect
- Chronological order (Correct answer)
- Problem and solution
Correct answer: Chronological order
Presenting events from earliest to latest is chronological order, a common structure in history texts.
Question 3: The word 'consequently' in a passage MOST LIKELY signals which type of text structure?
- Descriptive
- Cause and effect (Correct answer)
- Sequential
- Compare and contrast
Correct answer: Cause and effect
'Consequently' means 'as a result,' signaling that what follows is an effect of what was previously described.
Question 4: A science textbook section titled 'Acid Rain: The Damage and What We Can Do' MOST LIKELY uses which structure?
- Descriptive
- Chronological order
- Compare and contrast
- Problem and solution (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Problem and solution
The title signals that the text will identify a problem (acid rain damage) and propose solutions, fitting problem-and-solution structure.
Question 5: How does understanding text structure help a reader?
- It tells the reader which words to look up in a dictionary
- It helps the reader predict where key information will appear (Correct answer)
- It shows the reader how many paragraphs are in a passage
- It indicates the reading level of the passage
Correct answer: It helps the reader predict where key information will appear
Recognizing structure lets readers anticipate where supporting details, solutions, or contrasting points will be placed.
Question 6: A passage first describes rainforest biodiversity and then explains how deforestation destroys species. Which structure does this BEST represent?
- Descriptive then cause and effect (Correct answer)
- Chronological order
- Compare and contrast
- Problem then solution
Correct answer: Descriptive then cause and effect
The passage opens with descriptive detail and shifts to explaining how one event (deforestation) causes a result (species loss), combining descriptive and cause-and-effect structures.
Which text structure would MOST LIKELY be used in an article comparing electric cars to gasoline-powered cars?