Exam 12: Cause and Effect

Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that follow. (1) Most of the ingredients in cigarettes cause serious damage to health, but three of the worst are tar, carbon monoxide, and nicotine. (2) Tar, the brown, sticky substance produced by a burning cigarette, is a messy mixture of hundreds of toxic chemicals. (3) At least forty-three of those chemicals cause cancer. (4) The other two destructive substances, carbon monoxide and nicotine, contribute to heart disease. (5) Carbon monoxide prevents red blood cells from carrying a full load of oxygen. (6) Therefore, it reduces the body's oxygen supply. (7) At the same time, nicotine is not only constricting blood vessels and impairing blood flow but also stimulating the heart, making it beat faster and crave more oxygen. (8) Consequently, carbon monoxide and nicotine work together to damage the cardiovascular system. How many causes does the writer include to develop the topic sentence?

Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that follow. (1) Most of the ingredients in cigarettes cause serious damage to health, but three of the worst are tar, carbon monoxide, and nicotine. (2) Tar, the brown, sticky substance produced by a burning cigarette, is a messy mixture of hundreds of toxic chemicals. (3) At least forty-three of those chemicals cause cancer. (4) The other two destructive substances, carbon monoxide and nicotine, contribute to heart disease. (5) Carbon monoxide prevents red blood cells from carrying a full load of oxygen. (6) Therefore, it reduces the body's oxygen supply. (7) At the same time, nicotine is not only constricting blood vessels and impairing blood flow but also stimulating the heart, making it beat faster and crave more oxygen. (8) Consequently, carbon monoxide and nicotine work together to damage the cardiovascular system. Which of the following sentences contains a transitional expression that signals cause or effect?

For each of the following statements, select the answer that correctly identifies the cause and effect. The high rate of divorce has increased the number of single-parent families in America.

Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that follow. (1) The average age of first marriage has been rising; in America, it is now 28.4 for men and 26.5 for women. (2) Why are people waiting longer to get married? (3) Americans are postponing marriage for a number of reasons. (4) One cause of this phenomenon is young people's desire to concentrate on their careers before taking on the additional responsibilities of a spouse and children. (5) Many people also want to enjoy the freedom and independence of the single life as long as possible. (6) Another reason for postponing marriage is the lack of pressure to marry. (7) Society now finds it acceptable for people in their twenties to be involved in intimate, long-term relationships without tying the knot. (8) Therefore, friends and family members are less likely to urge young people to formally commit to one another. (9) Yet another cause for the rising age of first marriage is the fear of divorce combined with high expectations for a marital relationship. (10) People want to wait to marry until they're sure they've found their perfect soul mate. Which of the following sentences does NOT contain a transitional expression that signals cause or effect?

Identify the cause and the effect contained in each of the following statements. The defendant was found guilty of kidnapping. Therefore, he was sentenced to life in prison.

Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that follow. (1) The wide availability of canned, frozen, and precooked foods has definitely improved people's lives by freeing up time that used to be spent preparing meals. (2) However, these convenience foods have also had some negative consequences. (3) One effect has been a rise in obesity. (4) Because plentiful convenience foods need little to no preparation time, many people have developed a tendency to eat too much and put on too much weight. (5) These foods also tend to contain unhealthy ingredients like preservatives and high amounts of salt. (6) Therefore, people who rely too heavily on them can find themselves with health problems such as heart disease. (7) Another negative result of convenience foods has been the death of family dinner time. (8) Now that people can grab prepackaged foods on the run, they just don't try as hard to sit down to a meal as a family. (9) Convenience foods have also contributed to Americans' rushed lifestyle overall. (10) Unfortunately, when it became easy to just microwave a burrito and keep going, sitting down and eating a relaxed meal seemed like a waste of precious time. How many effects does the writer include to develop the topic sentence?

For each of the following statements, select the answer that correctly identifies the cause and effect. Natural disasters like hurricanes often cause the price of gasoline to rise.

For each of the following statements, select the answer that correctly identifies the cause and effect. Tom moved to Philadelphia because his employer transferred him there.

Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that follow. (1) The average age of first marriage has been rising; in America, it is now 28.4 for men and 26.5 for women. (2) Why are people waiting longer to get married? (3) Americans are postponing marriage for a number of reasons. (4) One cause of this phenomenon is young people's desire to concentrate on their careers before taking on the additional responsibilities of a spouse and children. (5) Many people also want to enjoy the freedom and independence of the single life as long as possible. (6) Another reason for postponing marriage is the lack of pressure to marry. (7) Society now finds it acceptable for people in their twenties to be involved in intimate, long-term relationships without tying the knot. (8) Therefore, friends and family members are less likely to urge young people to formally commit to one another. (9) Yet another cause for the rising age of first marriage is the fear of divorce combined with high expectations for a marital relationship. (10) People want to wait to marry until they're sure they've found their perfect soul mate. How many causes does the writer include to develop the topic sentence?

Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that follow. (1) Most of the ingredients in cigarettes cause serious damage to health, but three of the worst are tar, carbon monoxide, and nicotine. (2) Tar, the brown, sticky substance produced by a burning cigarette, is a messy mixture of hundreds of toxic chemicals. (3) At least forty-three of those chemicals cause cancer. (4) The other two destructive substances, carbon monoxide and nicotine, contribute to heart disease. (5) Carbon monoxide prevents red blood cells from carrying a full load of oxygen. (6) Therefore, it reduces the body's oxygen supply. (7) At the same time, nicotine is not only constricting blood vessels and impairing blood flow but also stimulating the heart, making it beat faster and crave more oxygen. (8) Consequently, carbon monoxide and nicotine work together to damage the cardiovascular system. Select the number of the topic sentence in the paragraph above.