Author's Purpose
What is the author's purpose in this text?
"The American Civil War began on April 12, 1861. It was a war between the Northern states and the Southern states. Abraham Lincoln led the North to victory."
To inform readers about the American Civil War
Which tone is represented in the following passage?
"Wow! With a top speed of one hundred fifty miles per hour, that car can almost fly!"
A. Annoying
B. Calm
C. Excited
C. Excited
What text structure was applied?
"The tower leaned more with each passing century. The tilt increased to more than five degrees. The people feared it would collapse into ruins. Now, we know the problem, what's the solution? Well, soil was removed from under the monument and weights were added to balance out the top of it. They corrected the lean, at least a little bit."
Problem and Solution
What is the main topic?
Many people look back to the 1950s as the golden age of the traditional family, but was it really? Teenage pregnancy rates were higher in the 1950s than they are today, although a higher proportion of teenage mothers were married (primarily due to “shotgun weddings,” a colloquialism that developed from the idea that many fathers of pregnant girls had to force, possibly with a weapon, a man to marry his daughter once she became pregnant). Many families were unable to survive the traumas of war and its aftermath, and the divorce rate rose from one in six in 1940 to one in four marriages in 1946. Although many families prospered in the years following World War II, many others suffered from economic hardship. In 1948, Newsweek reported that most of the 27 million schoolchildren in the United States were badly in need of medical or dental care, while more than 900 thousand children were malnourished.
A. teenage pregnancy rates
B. the effect of war on divorce
C. family problems in the 1950s
D. golden age
C. family problems in the 1950s
Identify the target audience:
"The school newspaper announcing the dates for the upcoming holidays."
Students
What is the author's purpose in this text?
"Rules are very important to follow. They help people get along, and they keep things running smoothly. You should follow the rules at all times."
To persuade readers that we should follow rules at all times
Which tone is represented in the following passage?
"Ugh! Do I have to sit through another boring lecture on data entry again?"
A. Joyous
B. Annoyed
C. Formal
B. Annoyed
What text structure was applied?
"The famous Leaning Tower of Pisa is located in Italy. It stands over 180 feet tall, tilted four degrees like it's starting to fall."
Description
What is the main topic?
You’ve probably heard that older men die before older women virtually everywhere in the world. In the United States, women are expected to live an average of 80.4 years, while men live only 75.2 years. Sociologists attribute many factors to this trend. For example, men have higher testosterone levels than women, which may make men more likely to abuse alcohol and tobacco, drive aggressively, and engage in other life-threatening behaviors. Men also choose riskier types of work and become involved in wartime aggression, which are connected to men’s decreased life expectancy. Studies also show that women are less likely to experience life-threatening illnesses and health problems than men are.
A. women’s health
B. men and risky behaviors
C. testosterone and age
D. men’s life expectancy
D. men’s life expectancy
Identify the target audience:
"Little Red Riding Hood"
Children
What is the author's purpose in this text?
"If you want to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, you need bread, jelly, and peanut butter. Put the peanut butter on one side and the jelly on the other. Last, put the two sides together to make your sandwich."
To inform readers about the process of making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Which tone is represented in the following passage?
"As that hurricane threatened, the wind's blast caused angry fifteen-foot waves to crash over the small houses near the shore."
A. Scary
B. Calm
C. Annoyed
A. Scary
What text structure was applied?
"Construction began in 1173 but it was halted when war was decreed. Building stopped for awhile, then resumed many years later in 1272."
Sequence
What is the main topic?
In the past few years, social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter have become hugely popular across all ages. Despite the opinions of some that young people are in danger of turning into crouching androids glued to their computers, research shows that the majority of friendships are still maintained offline. Offline friendships are characterized by more interdependence, depth, understanding, and commitment, but online friendships can gain some of these qualities with time. Most online friends tend to be rather cautious about disclosing personal information. However, this does not apply to people with a negative view of themselves and others; they instead seem to share more information, possibly in an attempt to become more self-confident in their interactions. Interestingly, even in online friendships people seem to gain more satisfaction when befriending people of a similar age and place of residence.
A. offline vs. online friendships
B. technology and self-image
C. personal information sharing online
D. satisfaction in online friendships
A. offline vs. online friendships
Identify the target audience:
"The Philippine Constitution"
Filipinos / Lawyers / Law Students / General Public
What is the author's purpose in this text?
"I walked home on Monday, and opened the front door as usual. All of the sudden, I heard, 'Surprise!' and all my friends humped out with presents. My birthday was still a week away! Boy, was I surprised!"
To entertain readers with the story of his surprise birthday party
Which tone is represented in the following passage?
"The sun was bright and the sky was clear. Joan jogged down the path with Rex at her side and smiled about last night's victory."
A. Determined
B. Cheerful
C. Anxious
B. Cheerful
What text structure was applied?
"Soft soil made the tower settle unevenly. As a result, it leaned increasingly. Builders tried to balance it with more floors but due to extra weight, it leaned even more!"
Cause and Effect
What is the main topic?
Compared with the technical resources of a theater of today, those of a London public theater in the time of Queen Elizabeth I seem hopelessly limited. Plays had to be performed by daylight, and scenery had to be kept simple: a table, a chair, a throne, perhaps an artificial tree or two to suggest a forest. But these limitations were, in a sense, advantages. What the theater of today can spell out for us realistically, with massive scenery and electric lighting, Elizabethan playgoers had to imagine and the playwright had to make vivid for them by means of language. Not having a lighting technician to work a panel, Shakespeare had to indicate the dawn by having Horatio, in Hamlet, say in a speech rich in metaphor and descriptive detail: But look, the morn in russet mantle clad Walks o’er the dew of yon high eastward hill
A. impact of technological limitations on Elizabethan theater
B. benefits of modern technology in theater performances
C. effects of Shakespeare’s writing style
D. the use of language to make ideas vivid
A. impact of technological limitations on Elizabethan theater
Identify the target audience:
"A manual on fixing a car transmission"
Drivers / Mechanics
What is the author's purpose in this text?
"Come and get your very own Speedy Scooter! It will make you super fast and let you have tons of fun! You should definitely buy a brand new Speedy Scooter today!"
To persuade customers to buy their very own Speedy Scooter
Which tone is represented in the following passage?
"The alarm buzzed. Jordan smashed her fist down on it hard. It flew off the nightstand and bounced off her cat, Armstrong. The cat yowled indignantly and rocketed out the room."
A. Passionate
B. Eerie
C. Humorous
C. Humorous
What text structure was applied?
"Both the Tower of Pisa's construction and the Washington Monument's saw disruption. The Washington Monument, named after George Washington, had construction paused for the Civil War. Like the Leaning Tower, it took years to finish but the purposes of the buildings were different. One was erected as a church bell's tower while the other honored a founding father."
Compare and Contrast
What is the main topic?
A century ago politicians used to say, “Vote early and often.” Cases such as West Virginia’s 159,000 votes being cast by 147,000 eligible voters in 1888 were not that unusual. Largely to prevent corruption associated with stuffing ballot boxes, states adopted voter registration laws around the turn of the century, which require individuals to first place their name on an electoral roll in order to be allowed to vote. Although these laws have made it more difficult to vote more than once, they have also discouraged some people from voting at all. Voter registration requirements in the United States are, in part, to blame for why Americans are significantly less likely to go to the polls than citizens of other democratic nations.
A. voter turnout
B. voter registration
C. voter eligibility
D. voter fraud
B. voter registration
Identify the target audience:
"An advertisement endorsing a political candidate"
Voters