Deck 9: Following Thought Patterns

Question 1

In contrast to the main idea of a paragraph, the controlling idea in a textbook section typically

A) is more specific.
B) is more comprehensive.
C) requires fewer supporting details.
D) uses only facts and statistics as support.

Answer 1

is more comprehensive.

Question 2

In most textbooks, the progression of ideas typically goes from

A) general to particular.
B) small to large.
C) limited to comprehensive.
D) inductive to deductive.

Answer 2

general to particular.

Question 3

The primary purpose of an example is to

A) show how a concept can be applied in a real situation.
B) give reasons to support the writer's opinion.
C) compare and contrast two different ideas.
D) persuade the reader to accept an idea.

Answer 3

show how a concept can be applied in a real situation.

Question 4

An author who wants to help readers create a mental picture of an object, place, or process would use

A) reasons.
B) descriptions.
C) research citations.
D) facts and statistics.

Question 5

Alex is writing a term paper for his botany class in which he defines the word monocot. According to the standard pattern, the first part of his definition should

A) explain that monocots belong to the general class of plants.
B) describe the characteristics of monocots.
C) give examples of various types of monocots.
D) explain how monocots differ from other plants, such as dicots.

Question 6

The topic most likely to be developed using the comparison-contrast pattern is

A) the two types of leaders found in organizations.
B) the parts and functions of the human ear.
C) how to discover a novel's theme.
D) the purpose and content of a résumé.

Question 7

The topic most likely to be developed using the classification pattern is

A) the consequences of overcrowded classrooms.
B) how children learn language.
C) types of mental illness.
D) the life cycle of a butterfly.

Question 8

The transitional phrase that indicates the cause-effect pattern is

A) for example.
B) as well as.
C) by contrast.
D) as a result.

Question 9

The transitional word that indicates the listing pattern is

A) both.
B) first.
C) unlike.
D) because.

Question 10

The controlling idea in a textbook section is

A) discussed only in the introductory paragraph.
B) the most specific detail included by the writer.
C) the most important thought that is explained throughout the section.
D) less comprehensive than the main idea of a paragraph.

Question 11

The type of supporting information that is used to show how a principle can be applied in a real situation consists of

A) statistics.
B) examples.
C) reasons.
D) research.

Question 12

The primary purpose of a description is to

A) explain why the writer supports a belief or action.
B) lend support for a particular viewpoint.
C) make an idea practical and understandable.
D) help the reader create a mental picture.

Question 13

Typically, the first part of a term's definition provides

A) the general class or group that the term belongs to.
B) distinguishing characteristics of the term.
C) applications or examples describing the term.
D) the appropriate context for the term.

Question 14

A transitional phrase typically associated with the definition thought pattern is

A) as a result.
B) refers to.
C) in spite of.
D) in addition

Question 15

For each of the following topic sentences, write the letter of the choice that indicates the thought pattern most likely to be used in the paragraph.

-An orexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder characterized by a pathological fear of weight gain.

A) definition
B) comparison-contrast
C) time sequence
D) listing

Question 16

For each of the following topic sentences, write the letter of the choice that indicates the thought pattern most likely to be used in the paragraph.

-A person accused of a crime may pass through six stages in the American criminal justice system.

A) cause-effect
B) comparison-contrast
C) time sequence
D) Definition

Question 17

For each of the following topic sentences, write the letter of the choice that indicates the thought pattern most likely to be used in the paragraph.

-High blood pressure has been associated with a variety of risk factors.

A) cause-effect
B) comparison-contrast
C) time sequence
D) definition

Question 18

For each of the following topic sentences, write the letter of the choice that indicates the thought pattern most likely to be used in the paragraph.

-The Mayan pyramids were like the Egyptian pyramids in several ways.

A) Classification
B) cause-effect
C) time sequence
D) comparison-contrast

Question 19

For each of the following topic sentences, write the letter of the choice that indicates the thought pattern most likely to be used in the paragraph.

-People identify their territory with three types of markers.

A) Definition
B) classification
C) comparison-contrast
D) cause-effect

Question 20

Read each textbook excerpt and then answer the questions that follow.
Earth supports an amazing diversity of flowering plants, from tender marigolds to prickly rose bushes, from short grasses to towering oaks. Overall, however, all flowering plants can be placed into one of two large groups, called monocots and dicots. Monocots include lilies, daffodils, tulips, palm trees, and a wide variety of grasses (not only the familiar lawn grasses but also wheat, rice, corn, oats, and bamboo). Dicots include virtually all "broad-leafed" plants, such as deciduous trees and bushes, most vegetables, and many flowers in fields and gardens.

-The primary organizational pattern used in this excerpt is

A) time sequence.
B) classification.
C) listing.
D) cause-effect.

Question 21

Read each textbook excerpt and then answer the questions that follow.
Earth supports an amazing diversity of flowering plants, from tender marigolds to prickly rose bushes, from short grasses to towering oaks. Overall, however, all flowering plants can be placed into one of two large groups, called monocots and dicots. Monocots include lilies, daffodils, tulips, palm trees, and a wide variety of grasses (not only the familiar lawn grasses but also wheat, rice, corn, oats, and bamboo). Dicots include virtually all "broad-leafed" plants, such as deciduous trees and bushes, most vegetables, and many flowers in fields and gardens.

-The word or phrase that signals the pattern used in this excerpt is

A) however.
B) one of two large groups.
C) not only.
D) such as.

Question 22

Read each textbook excerpt and then answer the questions that follow.
Comic books have spawned several of the most well-known fictional characters ever developed. Superman, Batman, and Spiderman are perhaps the strongest characters of this genre. They have been developed into television shows, movies, books, video games, and other forms that survive each generation. Why do they last? There may be several reasons for their continuing popularity: First, they always encounter obstacles, yet always catch the bad guy or right the wrong, reinforcing to us that success is possible although never easy (even with super powers or gadgets). Second, they are all incorruptible, never yielding to temptations for money or power-helping us see an ideal often lost in daily news stories of human greed and corruption. Third, they give us hope that crime can be stopped if everyone had the vigilance and perseverance of these superheroes. Fourth, the line between good and evil is sharply drawn in fiction, while in the real world the lines are often fuzzy at best, making comic book heroes a way to help clearly distinguish between the two. Fifth, they succeed despite the odds being stacked against them in the crime-ridden Metropolis, Gotham, and New York depicted in the comics, movies, and games.

-The organizational pattern used in this excerpt is

A) comparison-contrast.
B) time sequence.
C) cause-effect.
D) definition.

Question 23

Read each textbook excerpt and then answer the questions that follow.
Comic books have spawned several of the most well-known fictional characters ever developed. Superman, Batman, and Spiderman are perhaps the strongest characters of this genre. They have been developed into television shows, movies, books, video games, and other forms that survive each generation. Why do they last? There may be several reasons for their continuing popularity: First, they always encounter obstacles, yet always catch the bad guy or right the wrong, reinforcing to us that success is possible although never easy (even with super powers or gadgets). Second, they are all incorruptible, never yielding to temptations for money or power-helping us see an ideal often lost in daily news stories of human greed and corruption. Third, they give us hope that crime can be stopped if everyone had the vigilance and perseverance of these superheroes. Fourth, the line between good and evil is sharply drawn in fiction, while in the real world the lines are often fuzzy at best, making comic book heroes a way to help clearly distinguish between the two. Fifth, they succeed despite the odds being stacked against them in the crime-ridden Metropolis, Gotham, and New York depicted in the comics, movies, and games.

-The primary supporting details used in this excerpt are

A) facts.
B) reasons.
C) statistics.
D) comparisons.

Question 24

Read each textbook excerpt and then answer the questions that follow.
The essential difference between cohabitation and marriage is commitment. In marriage, the assumption is permanence; in cohabitation, couples agree to remain together for "as long as it works out." For marriage, individuals make public vows that legally bind them as a couple; for cohabitation, they simply move in together. Marriage requires a judge to authorize its termination, but if a cohabiting relationship sours, the couple separates, telling friends and family that "it didn't work out."

-The organizational pattern used in this excerpt is

A) definition.
B) listing.
C) process.
D) comparison-contrast.

Question 25

Read each textbook excerpt and then answer the questions that follow.
The essential difference between cohabitation and marriage is commitment. In marriage, the assumption is permanence; in cohabitation, couples agree to remain together for "as long as it works out." For marriage, individuals make public vows that legally bind them as a couple; for cohabitation, they simply move in together. Marriage requires a judge to authorize its termination, but if a cohabiting relationship sours, the couple separates, telling friends and family that "it didn't work out."

-In this excerpt, the author focuses on

A) similarities.
B) differences.
C) reasons.
D) examples.

Question 26

Read each textbook excerpt and then answer the questions that follow.
The Battle of El Alamein marked the culmination of over two years of fighting in North Africa. In the spring of 1941, German troops came to the aid of retreating Italian forces in Libya; by June 1941, they had muscled the British back into Egypt. For more than a year the two armies pushed each other back and forth across the desert, but finally the British caught the Germans by surprise at El Alamein in October 1942. One month later, combined British and American forces landed in Morocco and Algeria. Over the next six months they pushed Germany out of North Africa and secured a jumping-off point for their invasion of southern Italy in July 1943.

-The organizational pattern used in this excerpt is

A) comparison-contrast.
B) definition.
C) classification.
D) time sequence.

Question 27

Read each textbook excerpt and then answer the questions that follow.
The Battle of El Alamein marked the culmination of over two years of fighting in North Africa. In the spring of 1941, German troops came to the aid of retreating Italian forces in Libya; by June 1941, they had muscled the British back into Egypt. For more than a year the two armies pushed each other back and forth across the desert, but finally the British caught the Germans by surprise at El Alamein in October 1942. One month later, combined British and American forces landed in Morocco and Algeria. Over the next six months they pushed Germany out of North Africa and secured a jumping-off point for their invasion of southern Italy in July 1943.

-The primary supporting details used in this excerpt are

A) examples.
B) facts.
C) descriptions.
D) reasons.

Question 28

Read each textbook excerpt and then answer the questions that follow.
Canine Assistants, an organization that trains service dogs, has an at-risk youth program for juvenile male offenders, ages 13 to 18 years. In the program, the young men work with service puppies and dogs under the supervision of experienced trainers. The goal is to learn responsibility, patience, and goal setting. Statistics demonstrate positive results including increased self-esteem, improved school grades, and a decreased recidivism rate for those involved in the program.

-The pattern used in this excerpt is signaled by the phrase

A) at-risk youth.
B) In the program.
C) under the supervision.
D) Statistics demonstrate positive results.

Question 29

Read each textbook excerpt and then answer the questions that follow.
Canine Assistants, an organization that trains service dogs, has an at-risk youth program for juvenile male offenders, ages 13 to 18 years. In the program, the young men work with service puppies and dogs under the supervision of experienced trainers. The goal is to learn responsibility, patience, and goal setting. Statistics demonstrate positive results including increased self-esteem, improved school grades, and a decreased recidivism rate for those involved in the program.

-The cause-effect pattern used in this excerpt is

A) single cause-single effect.
B) single cause-multiple effects.
C) multiple causes-single effect.
D) multiple causes-multiple effects.