Reading Comprehension Cause and Effect Relationships 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Heavy rain fell for three days straight, saturating the soil. Because the ground could no longer absorb water, rivers overflowed their banks and flooded nearby neighborhoods. Residents were forced to evacuate their homes.
What caused residents to evacuate their homes?
- Rivers flooded nearby neighborhoods after the ground became saturated (Correct answer)
- The rain fell for only one day before stopping
- Residents chose to leave because they disliked rainy weather
- The rivers dried up during the storm
Correct answer: Rivers flooded nearby neighborhoods after the ground became saturated
The passage states that rivers overflowing—caused by saturated ground—led directly to the evacuation.
Question 2: Maria forgot to water her potted plant for two weeks during a summer heat wave. As a result, the leaves turned yellow and began to droop. Eventually the plant died.
What is the effect of Maria forgetting to water her plant?
- The plant grew taller and produced flowers
- The leaves turned yellow, drooped, and the plant eventually died (Correct answer)
- The heat wave ended sooner than expected
- Maria decided to buy a new pot for the plant
Correct answer: The leaves turned yellow, drooped, and the plant eventually died
The passage directly states that forgetting to water the plant caused the leaves to yellow, droop, and the plant to die.
Question 3: Scientists discovered that the coral reef near the island had bleached significantly. They traced this back to rising ocean temperatures. Since coral cannot survive in abnormally warm water for extended periods, large sections of the reef died.
Which signal word best indicates the cause-and-effect relationship in this passage?
- discovered
- since (Correct answer)
- near
- significantly
Correct answer: since
The word 'since' introduces the causal explanation for why the coral died.
Question 4: The factory upstream released chemicals into the river. Consequently, fish populations downstream dropped by forty percent within a year. Local fishing communities reported drastically reduced catches.
What was the direct effect of the factory releasing chemicals?
- The factory moved its operations to a new location
- Fish populations downstream dropped by forty percent (Correct answer)
- Local fishermen increased their efforts
- The river's water level rose significantly
Correct answer: Fish populations downstream dropped by forty percent
The passage uses 'consequently' to link the chemical release to the forty-percent drop in fish populations.
Question 5: After spending hours reading in dim light, Jared developed a painful headache. He also noticed that his eyes felt strained and dry. He resolved to use a brighter lamp in the future.
What caused Jared's headache and eye strain?
- Jared spent too much time outdoors in the sun
- Jared read for hours in dim light (Correct answer)
- Jared forgot to wear his glasses
- Jared's headache caused him to read in dim light
Correct answer: Jared read for hours in dim light
The opening phrase 'after spending hours reading in dim light' identifies the cause of both the headache and eye strain.
Question 6: During the Industrial Revolution, factories consumed enormous quantities of coal. This led to thick smog blanketing cities like London. The smog was so severe that it caused widespread respiratory illness among city residents.
Which of the following best describes a cause-and-effect chain in this passage?
- Respiratory illness → smog → coal consumption
- Coal consumption → smog → respiratory illness (Correct answer)
- Smog → coal consumption → Industrial Revolution
- Industrial Revolution → respiratory illness → coal consumption
Correct answer: Coal consumption → smog → respiratory illness
The passage establishes a chain: burning coal caused smog, which in turn caused respiratory illness.
Question 7: The drought lasted an entire summer, leaving crops withered in the fields. Farmers lost most of their harvest as a result. Food prices in the region rose sharply the following autumn.
What was an effect of farmers losing most of their harvest?
- The drought ended early due to farmer intervention
- Crops grew stronger in the following spring
- Food prices in the region rose sharply the following autumn (Correct answer)
- Farmers increased irrigation to save their crops
Correct answer: Food prices in the region rose sharply the following autumn
The passage states that food prices rose sharply 'as a result' of the harvest loss caused by the drought.
