Recognizing Cause and Effect

What is cause and effect?

There is a reason for everything that happens. What happens is called the effect. Why it happens is called the cause. You can find examples of cause and effect almost anywhere.

How do you find cause and effect?

Not all reading passage tell about cause and effect. You can find exaples of cause and effect by thinking about what happens in a passage and why it happens. Read the passage below.

"Angelo and his friends were meeting at the park for a game of baseball. When they arrived, their hearts sank. Someone had been dumping trash in the park. The boy put down their bats, gloves, and other equipment and rolled up their sleeves. They spent two hours picking up all the trash. By the time they finished, Angelo and his friends were too tired to play baseball."

- Think about what the passage tells you. 

- Let's find two examples of cause and effect.

- Look at the boxes below:

                  

What happened?	Why did it happen?
- Their hearts sank.	- Someone had been dumping trash in the park.

*The first box tell what happened. This is the effect.

*The second box tells why it happened. This is the cause.

@ A cause is the reason that something happens. An effect is the result, or what happens because of the cause.

@ Clue words such as so, so that, since, because, therefore, and reason often signal cause and effect. Other clue words are as a result, if... then, and in order to.

@ When there are no clue words, look for cause and effect by thinking about what happens and why or how it happens.

Reading Activity

The Thaigem.com Story

Coming out of an unlikely backwater in rural Thailand, Thaigem.com utilizes the Internet not merely as another form of advertising, but as a medium to conduct business and generate profits. Thaigem.com is the e-commerce arm of Thaigem Global Marketing Limited. Its sister company, the NCS Group Co., Ltd. (formerly known as Nuntiya Care Stone, Co. Ltd.) is a traditional gemstone wholesaler based in Chanthaburi, Thailand.

Known for expertise in processing rubies and sapphires, as Chanthaburi mines dried up, the local   industry developed overseas    supply networks for rough gems. Established in the   early 80’s   the NCS Group, Co., Ltd. built up   a presence   as    an exporter   of colored gemstones from this regional industry hub.          

In 1998, the NCS Group Co., Ltd., began to experiment in online sales and  the

instantaneous profitability afforded  resulted in extremely rapid growth. Initially  listing 5 items on eBay,(website) more and more items were added as sales  escalated until, by the  end of that year, NCS Group Co. Ltd., had thousands of gemstones listed online and Thaigem.com, the Web’s Biggest Gem&Jewelry Store, was born.
           Today, Thaigem  Global  Marketing  Limited  operates  and   markets    Thaigem.com worldwide, buying directly from its sister company, the NCS Group Co., Ltd., to fulfill orders. The NCS Group Co., Ltd., has   over   500 employees, making   it the largest   single private sector   employer   in   the    Chanthaburi   province   of Thailand. Shipping over 2,000 items everyday   and   with an average product return rate of only 3%, Thaigem.com is among the most profitable e-businesses in Asia & the undisputed e-commerce leader in Thailand.
             Listing over 1.6 million individual items online, Thaigem.com caters for the diverse range of global preferences and tastes at extremely competitive prices. Starting with only 6 gem types, Thaigem.com  used to purchase most    of   its   gems in    Chanthaburi. Today, Thaigem.com   sources   gems   from  60    countries,    stocking    over    400   gem   types. Thaigem.com’s high volume enables bulk inventory   acquisition,   which are then resold as single    items or    smaller lots.  Thaigem.com’s   success and    large  online market share (approximately 90%)    has allowed  it to rapidly diversify into related areas such as jewelry, carvings, beads, tools and more.

a. Which paragraph contains these main ideas? (5 points)

Paragraph ……… In1998, the NCS Group Co., Ltd., began to experiment in online sales and the instantaneous profitability afforded  resulted in extremely rapid growth. 

Paragraph …….....  Known for expertise in processing rubies and sapphires, as Chanthaburi mines dried up, the local   industry developed overseas    supply networks for rough gems. 

Paragraph …………  Thaigem.com is the e-commerce arm of Thaigem Global Marketing Limited.

Paragraph ………...   Thaigem.com caters for the diverse range of global preferences and tastes at extremely competitive prices. 

Paragraph …………   Today, Thaigem  Global  Marketing  Limited  operates  and

marketsThaigem.com worldwide, buying directly from its sister company, the NCS  Group Co., Ltd., to fulfill orders.

 

b.  Match for meaning the numbers on the left with the letters on the right hand column. (10 points)

Terms	meanings
1. generate	a. catalog, stock
2. hub	b. produce, happen, build
3. instantaneous	c. make to sell again
4. escalate	d. immediate, promptly, spontaneously
5. profitability	e. controversy, argument, disagree
6. dispute	f. small ball pierced for threading with others
7. bead	g. volume, mass, large, big size
8. bulk	h. center
9. inventory	i. benefit, advantage
10. resold	j. increase, higher

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10

c.   Complete the table below.  (10 points)

nouns	verbs
diversification	1.
2.	acquire
preference	3.
4.	operate
5.	escalate
experimentation/ experiment	6.
7.	generate
8.	expertise
establishment	9.
inventory	10.

 

d. Make the story in the right order (ลำดับเหตุการณ์) (5 points)

………… a. Thaigem.com sources gems from 60 countries, stocking over 400 gem types.

………… b. The NCS Group Co., Ltd.,    began   to    experiment    in online sales with 5  items

………… c. Thaigem.com’s   success and    large  online market share (approximately 90%) has allowed  it to rapidly diversify into related areas

………... d. Its sister company, the NCS Group Co., Ltd. (formerly known as Nuntiya Care Stone, Co. Ltd.) is a traditional gemstone wholesaler based in  Chanthaburi, Thailand.

………... e. The NCS Group Co. Ltd., had thousands of gemstones listed online by the  end of the year

e. Answer the question

1. What can cause to conduct business and generate profits of Thaigem?

2. What is the effect of using internet for online sales?

Let's join our reading passage and practice !!!!!!!

Aj. Pook