Text Structure

1. Most people have had red pizza, or pizza covered with red sauce, but have you ever had white pizza? White pizza is made in almost the same way as red pizza: the dough rises and is rolled out, toppings are applied, and it is cooked in an oven—but the key difference is that white pizza does not have any tomato sauce on it. Instead, a white pizza may have olive oil or no sauce at all. I like white pizza more than red pizza because you can really taste the ingredients. Adding some fresh tomatoes to a white pizza will give it that tomato flavor without the completely overwhelming taste of the red sauce that covers most pizzas. If you have not had a white pizza, I recommend that you order or make one today.

• Chronological

• Sequence

• Compare and Contrast

• Problem/Solution

• Cause and Effect

The foundation of every pizza is the crust, and good crust comes from good dough. You might be surprised to learn that pizza dough is made from nothing more than flour, water, yeast, olive oil, salt, and sometimes sugar. Start by adding your yeast packet to a cup of warm water. Let the yeast activate, and then add two cups of flour, two tablespoons of olive oil, two teaspoons of sugar, and a teaspoon of salt. Mix all of that together and wait half an hour for the dough to rise. Now you’re ready to roll it out!

• Chronological

• Sequence

• Compare and Contrast

• Problem & Solution

• Cause & Effect

Cooking the perfect pizza at home can be quite a challenge. You may find that it’s difficult to get your oven to the right temperature. If the oven is too hot the crust will burn, become hard, and taste bad. If your oven isn’t hot enough, the crust may get soggy. Even at the perfect temperature, extra moisture from your ingredients may prevent the bottom of the crust from fully cooking, but don’t let oven temperature stop you from building the pizza of your dreams. Get yourself a pizza stone. A pizza stone will get very hot when preheated and will allow your crust to fully cook without burning it. Then you can pile the ingredients on your pizza and have a crispy crust that isn’t burned. That’s the way to go.

• Chronological

• Sequence

• Compare/Contrast

• Problem/Solution

• Cause and Effect

Pizza is often viewed as a junk food, and it is true that some pizzas are high in salt, fat, and calories, but there may also be some benefit to eating pizza. Some studies have found that lycopene, an antioxidant that exists in tomato products that are often used in pizza, may prevent some forms of cancer. Dr. Silvano Gallus, of the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmaceutical Research in Milan, studied the eating habits of people who developed cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and colon. He concluded that people who ate pizza at least once a week had significantly less chance of developing these cancers. Here’s to your health.

• Chronological

• Sequence

• Cause and Effect

• Problem/Solution

• Compare and Contrast

Pizza is so old that its origins are not quite clear to historians, but the word pizza comes from the Latin verb pinsere, meaning to press. It may also be related to the Greek word pitta. In any event the word “pizza” was first documented in Italy in 997 AD. Whatever they were eating back then, however, was quite different from the pizza that we know today. Pizza as we know it could not really have been invented until sometime during the 16^th century, when tomatoes were brought to Europe from America. This was big, but in my opinion the greatest development in the history of pizza occurred in 1905, when pizza was first sold in America. The rest, as they say, is history.

• Chronological

• Sequence

• Compare/Contrast

• Problem/Solution

• Cause and Effect

9. Almost everybody loves pizza, but try to get a group of people to agree on a pizza order and you’ll quickly find that not everybody likes their pizza the same way. Perhaps such disagreements led to the many distinct pizza styles that can currently be found in America. These pizza styles are currently categorized by region and three of the most popular pizza styles are the New York-style, the Chicago-style, and the Detroit-style. All of these pizza styles contain dough, sauce, cheese, and other toppings, but it’s the way that these ingredients are utilized that gives them their unique regional flair. The New York-style pizza is thin. New York-style slices are cut into large triangles that can be folded and this pizza is commonly sold by the slice. Chicago-style pizza is marked by its deep dish crust, which can be up to three inches tall at the edge. Toppings are heavily applied to these pizzas, as is characteristic of the style, and they are generally sold as whole pies rather than slices. Then there’s the Detroit-style pizza, which is not circular like the Chicago and New York-style pizzas, but square like the Sicilian-style pizzas. The Detroit-style pizza is similar to the Chicago-style pizza in that these pizzas both have thick crusts, but the Detroit-style pizza is twice-baked, giving it a chewy crust that is crispy around the edges. Pizza styles in America may vary greatly by region, but they are all delicious if you ask me.

• Chronological

• Sequence

• Compare and Contrast

• Cause and Effect

• Problem/Solution

Getting a free pizza from Mortini’s Pizza Parlor is as easy as pie, pizza pie. You’ll see. Start by placing your order. I suggest that you choose a white, New York style pizza with lots of cheese, but you can get whatever floats your boat. After placing your order, wait until your pizza comes. It may take thirty minutes to an hour (longer on Super Bowl Sunday). When your pizza finally arrives, pay your deliver driver. Don’t forget to tip. Then, eat your pizza, or just throw it away. We’re fine with either. But before you throw it away, grab the coupon off the top of the box and save it in a drawer. Collect ten of these coupons and the next time you place your order from Mortini’s Pizza Parlor, you can redeem them for a free pizza. Now you see, getting a free pizza from Mortini’s is as easy as eating pizza.

• Chronological

• Sequence

• Compare and Contrast

• Cause and Effect

• Problem/Solution

No one knows exactly what causes tornadoes, but some scientists believe that when warm air meets cold air, a tornado may form. The reason for this is that the warm air is lighter than the cold air, so it rises up fast and meets different winds moving different directions. Under the right conditions, this can cause a tornado. Though there is still much mystery surrounding tornadoes, many people believe that when warm moist air meets cool dry air, tornadoes can result.

• Chronological

• Sequence

• Compare and Contrast

• Problem/Solution

• Cause and Effect

Carl Terrell Mitchell, better known by his stage name Twista, was born in 1972. Nineteen years later Mitchell’s first album, “Runnin' Off at da Mouth,” debuted. In 1997, after appearing on a hit song, Twista was signed to Atlantic Records. Under that label he released “Adrenaline Rush” and formed the group Speedknot Mobstaz in 1998. His 2004 album Kamikaze went to number-one on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart.

• Chronological

• Sequence

• Compare and Contrast

• Problem/Solution

• Cause and Effect

Having good attendance is important because attendance determines the school’s funding. Some students have poor attendance, and the school has tried many ways of addressing this: teachers have talked to parents on the phone and the school has mailed letters. Yet, some students still maintain poor attendance. Next, the staff will attempt to schedule parent/teacher/administrator conferences with students who are habitually absent. Hopefully, this will help more students get to school everyday.

• Chronological

• Sequence

• Compare and Contrast

• Problem and Solution

• Cause and Effect