Many times we come across situations where we wonder why some things happen and why some things don’t. For example, when we switch on a light switch the light comes on and likewise when we switch it off the light goes off. The act of switching on the light switch is the cause of the light coming on. Looked at another way the act of switching on the light switch has the effect of the light coming on. Here, we see a cause and effect relationship.
We do our normal daily routine things without really thinking about the cause and effect relationships but they do exist. More often than not, we are alerted when a cause does not have the desired effect. For instance, in our light switch example we would be surprised if the light does not come on and we would begin to look for reasons why the light did not come on. Again, there will be a cause-effect relationship which will explain why the light did not come on. It could be because there is no power, or the light bulb has burnt out, or there is a fault in the wire that supplies the electric current.
[readmore]In reading comprehension we begin to look for this cause-effect relationship every time we read a passage. Identifying the cause-effect relationship enhances our understanding of what we read. By reading regularly and understanding the cause-effect relationship we learn to read faster and assimilate what the writer intends to say. Read the passage that follows and take the quiz based on what you read which tests your ability to understand the nuances of the cause-effect relationship.
The other day all the equipment in my house running on electric power shut down when power suddenly went off. Usually, power goes off for some time due to some maintenance work and comes back on within 15-20 minutes. That day, the whole morning was upset and I could not take a bath as the geyser had not worked. The electric toaster was not going to work and so no breakfast.
The first thing I do when there is no power at home is to check if our neighbours have power. If they have power then it means that there is something wrong in my house. Since they had power there must be something wrong in my house only. I went to the main switch board and found that the main MCB was tripping. Tripping happens when there is some problem in the circuit. I had to call an electrician to figure out what the problem was. He checked the circuit and came to the conclusion that there was a short circuit between the main switchboard and the first junction point. He examined the wiring and found the short circuit. The wire had been eaten by rats causing the short circuit. The electrician replaced the faulty wire with a new wire and restored power. One lesson we learn is that proper maintenance goes a long way in preventing mishaps.
1.
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What was the cause of the equipment shutting down? |
|
[ ] |
The power suddenly went off. |
[ ] |
I switched off the power. |
[ ] |
The equipment was faulty. |
[ ] |
I had not switched the equipment on. |
|
|
2.
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What was the effect of the power going off? |
|
[ ] |
I had a nice breakfast. |
[ ] |
I had a nice bath. |
[ ] |
That the equipment in my neighbour's house shut down. |
[ ] |
That I should call an electrician. |
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3.
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Why was the geyser not working? |
|
[ ] |
Because there was no water. |
[ ] |
Because the power went off suddenly. |
[ ] |
Because the geyser was faulty. |
[ ] |
Because the geyser was not switched on. |
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4.
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'So no breakfast' - why is this term used in the passage? |
|
[ ] |
Because there was no bread. |
[ ] |
Because I was not feeling hungry. |
[ ] |
Because the toaster was not going to work. |
[ ] |
Because I don't know how to make breakfast. |
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5.
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Which is not an effect of the power shutting off suddenly? |
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[ ] |
I had to call the electrician. |
[ ] |
I could not have breakfast. |
[ ] |
I checked if my neighbours had power. |
[ ] |
My neighbours had no power. |
|
|
6.
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What was the reason I could not have a bath? |
|
[ ] |
Because the geyser did not work. |
[ ] |
Because I had no soap. |
[ ] |
Because I had no water. |
[ ] |
Because I had no fresh clothes. |
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7.
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Why did the power go off suddenly? |
|
[ ] |
Because the power supply company stopped supply. |
[ ] |
Because I switched off the power supply. |
[ ] |
Because there was a short circuit. |
[ ] |
Because the neighbours stole my power. |
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8.
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What was the cause of the short circuit? |
|
[ ] |
There was a problem with the geyser. |
[ ] |
Rats had eaten into the wire causing a short circuit. |
[ ] |
There was a problem with the toaster. |
[ ] |
There was a problem with the main power supply. |
|
|
9.
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What effect did the short circuit have? |
|
[ ] |
It stopped the power supply to my neighbours. |
[ ] |
It made the electrician happy. |
[ ] |
It made the rats happy. |
[ ] |
It tripped the main MCB. |
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10.
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Power going off for short periods is caused by what? |
|
[ ] |
Maintenance work being carried out. |
[ ] |
Faulty equipment. |
[ ] |
Power supply company not supplying enough power. |
[ ] |
Power supply company forgetting to supply power. |
|
|
1.
|
What was the cause of the equipment shutting down? |
|
[x] |
The power suddenly went off. |
[ ] |
I switched off the power. |
[ ] |
The equipment was faulty. |
[ ] |
I had not switched the equipment on. |
|
|
2.
|
What was the effect of the power going off? |
|
[ ] |
I had a nice breakfast. |
[ ] |
I had a nice bath. |
[ ] |
That the equipment in my neighbour's house shut down. |
[x] |
That I should call an electrician. |
|
|
3.
|
Why was the geyser not working? |
|
[ ] |
Because there was no water. |
[x] |
Because the power went off suddenly. |
[ ] |
Because the geyser was faulty. |
[ ] |
Because the geyser was not switched on. |
|
|
4.
|
'So no breakfast' - why is this term used in the passage? |
|
[ ] |
Because there was no bread. |
[ ] |
Because I was not feeling hungry. |
[x] |
Because the toaster was not going to work. |
[ ] |
Because I don't know how to make breakfast. |
|
|
5.
|
Which is not an effect of the power shutting off suddenly? |
|
[ ] |
I had to call the electrician. |
[ ] |
I could not have breakfast. |
[ ] |
I checked if my neighbours had power. |
[x] |
My neighbours had no power. |
|
|
6.
|
What was the reason I could not have a bath? |
|
[x] |
Because the geyser did not work. |
[ ] |
Because I had no soap. |
[ ] |
Because I had no water. |
[ ] |
Because I had no fresh clothes. |
|
|
7.
|
Why did the power go off suddenly? |
|
[ ] |
Because the power supply company stopped supply. |
[ ] |
Because I switched off the power supply. |
[x] |
Because there was a short circuit. |
[ ] |
Because the neighbours stole my power. |
|
|
8.
|
What was the cause of the short circuit? |
|
[ ] |
There was a problem with the geyser. |
[x] |
Rats had eaten into the wire causing a short circuit. |
[ ] |
There was a problem with the toaster. |
[ ] |
There was a problem with the main power supply. |
|
|
9.
|
What effect did the short circuit have? |
|
[ ] |
It stopped the power supply to my neighbours. |
[ ] |
It made the electrician happy. |
[ ] |
It made the rats happy. |
[x] |
It tripped the main MCB. |
|
|
10.
|
Power going off for short periods is caused by what? |
|
[x] |
Maintenance work being carried out. |
[ ] |
Faulty equipment. |
[ ] |
Power supply company not supplying enough power. |
[ ] |
Power supply company forgetting to supply power. |
|
|