IREAD Nonfiction: Text Structure 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passage says, 'First, the caterpillar hatches from an egg. Next, it grows into a caterpillar. Then, it forms a chrysalis. Finally, it becomes a butterfly.' What text structure is this?
- Compare and contrast
- Sequence (Correct answer)
- Problem and solution
- Description
Correct answer: Sequence
The words first, next, then, and finally signal that events are listed in order, which is sequence structure.
Question 2: Which signal words BEST indicate a cause and effect text structure?
- However, on the other hand, but
- First, second, then, finally
- Because, as a result, therefore (Correct answer)
- For example, such as, including
Correct answer: Because, as a result, therefore
Words like because, as a result, and therefore show that one event caused another, signaling cause and effect structure.
Question 3: A student reads: 'Frogs and toads are alike in many ways, but they also have differences. Frogs have smooth, wet skin while toads have dry, bumpy skin.' What structure is used?
- Problem and solution
- Sequence
- Description
- Compare and contrast (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Compare and contrast
The passage discusses how frogs and toads are alike and different, which is compare and contrast structure.
Question 4: An author writes several paragraphs describing the size, color, habitat, and diet of a bald eagle. What text structure is MOST likely being used?
- Cause and effect
- Description (Correct answer)
- Sequence
- Problem and solution
Correct answer: Description
Listing features and characteristics of one topic is description text structure.
Question 5: Which phrase would you MOST likely find in a problem and solution text?
- In contrast, unlike
- One answer to this is (Correct answer)
- Long ago, after that
- Similarly, both
Correct answer: One answer to this is
'One answer to this is' signals that the author is presenting a solution to a problem.
Question 6: A nonfiction book chapter is titled 'How Floods Damage Farmland.' What text structure would you MOST expect inside?
- Compare and contrast
- Sequence
- Cause and effect (Correct answer)
- Description
Correct answer: Cause and effect
A chapter about how floods damage farmland shows what causes the damage and what results from it, which is cause and effect.
Question 7: A reader sees a Venn diagram in a nonfiction article. Which text structure does this graphic organizer BEST match?
- Sequence
- Problem and solution
- Compare and contrast (Correct answer)
- Description
Correct answer: Compare and contrast
A Venn diagram shows similarities and differences between two subjects, which matches compare and contrast structure.
