Passage 1:

Hurricane Andrew was one of the worst hurricanes to hit the United States. Andrew first
formed in the warm waters of the southern Atlantic Ocean. To begin with, the storm had
winds of only 40 miles per hour. As the storm continued to move over the warm ocean, it
gained energy and grew stronger. When the wind speed reached 74 miles per hour, the
storm was officially a hurricane and was named Andrew. Then Andrews winds climbed
to 175 miles per hour! Next, heavy rain moved onshore as Andrew made landfall in
southern Florida. Seven inches of rain fell, and storm tides were as high as 17 feet.
Hurricane Andrew caused significant destruction to property in the United States. Final
damages eventually totaled $25 billion.

1. The text structure used in this passage is

a. sequence/chronological
b. cause and effect
c. problem and solution
d. compare and contrast

2. Which transition word would not signal the text structure used in this paragraph?
a. In contrast
b. First
c. Finally
d. Next

3. What is the authors purpose in this passagea.

a. To compare and contrast hurricane Andrew to other hurricanes.
b. To show the causes and effects of hurricanes.
c. To show the problem of hurricanes and how we can stop them.
d. To show the process of how the hurricane grew and became destructive.

4. What is the central idea of this parpagraph?

a. Hurricane Andrew was one of the worst hurricanes to hit the United States.
b. Hurricane Andrew had winds that started at 40 miles per hour.
c. Hurricane Andrew had damages of $25 billion dollars
d. Hurricane Andrews winds reach 175 miles per hour.
TURN TO THE BACK FOR PASSAGE 2

Passage 2:
Two of the most destructive hurricanes to hit the United States in recent years were
Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Both hurricanes inflicted
massive destruction and damage to parts of the southeast United States.
When Hurricane Andrew made landfall in Homestead, Florida, it was a category 5
hurricanethe strongest measure for hurricanes. At landfall its winds measured 175
miles per hour and it dumped seven inches of rain on southern Florida. With storm
surges nearly 17 feet, the damage was extensive. Estimated property damage was $25
billion and 26 people died as a result of the hurricane.
Hurricane Katrina struck the Mississippi and Louisiana coast as a category 3 hurricane
with winds of 120 miles per hour at landfall. Although Katrina was not as strong as
Andrew, it was far more destructive and deadly. This is because the city of New Orleans
was in its path. A storm surge of 12 feet reached the city and caused the protective levees
to break, flooding 80% of the city. More than 1,800 people died and property damage
was about $81 billion.
Both hurricanes caused suffering and devastation to the people who lived through them.
In measuring hurricane strength, Andrew was the stronger of the two. However, Katrina
inflicted more destruction and fatalities because its path was through New Orleans.

4. The text structure used in this passage is

a. sequence/chronological.
b. cause and effect.
c. problem and solution.
d. compare and contrast.

5. The authors purpose in this passage is

a. To show the causes of hurricanes and their effects.
b. To compare and contrast two different hurricanes.
c. To show the process of how hurricanes grow and become destructive.
d. To show how big of problem hurricanes are and to offer solutions.