Nonfiction Text Structures

Read the passage and identify the text structure.

The Olympic Games first began as athletic festivals to honor the Greek gods. At that time, the most important festival was held in the valley of Olympia to honor Zeus, the king of the gods. It was the festival that became the Olympic games in 776 B.C. Later, these Games were ended in A.D. 394 by the Roman Emperor who ruled Greece. No Olympic Games were held for more than 1,500 years. Then the modern Olympics began in 1896. Almost 300 male athletes competed in the first modern Olympics. During the games held in 1900, female athletes were allowed to compete. The games have continued every four years since 1896 except during World War II, and they will most likely continue for many years to come.

• Sequence-Procedural

• Descriptive

• Cause-Effect Text

• Problem-Solution

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The Olympic Games are a 2-week celebration featuring thousands of gifted athletes from around the world competing in 28 different disciplines. One of the more popular disciplines during the summer games centers on pool sports. The aquatic events, like diving, swimming, synchronized swimming, water polo, etc., are a favorite of many. Gymnastics is another type of discipline. It consists of trampoline events, artistic gymnastics, as well as rhythmic gymnastics. Additional disciplines include track and field, figure skating, and winter outdoor sports.

• Procedural-Sequence

• Descriptive

• Compare-Contrast

• Cause-Effect

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Millions of people attend the Olympic Games or watch them on television. Because of the Olympics, people can escape the ordinariness of daily life. They identify with someone else’s individual sacrifice and accomplishment. Consequently, the Olympics impact national pride as an athlete’s or a team’s hard-earned victory becomes a nation’s victory. For this reason, there are national medal counts and people keep track of how many medals their country’s athletes have won.

• Procedural-Sequence

• Descriptive

• Cause-Effect

• Problem-Solution

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The modern Olympics is very unlike the ancient Olympic Games. Individual events are different. While there were no swimming races in the ancient games, for example, there were chariot races. There were no female contestants, and all athletes competed in the nude. Of course, the ancient and modern Olympics are also alike in many ways. Some events, such as the javelin and discus throws, are the same. Some people say that cheating, professionalism, and nationalism in the modern games are a disgrace to the Olympic tradition. But according to the ancient Greek writers, there were many cases of cheating, nationalism, and professionalism in their Olympics, too.

• Problem-Solution

• Descriptive

• Cause-Effect

• Compare-Contrast

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One problem with the modern Olympics is that it has become expensive to operate. Consequently, the city or country that hosts the games often loses money. A stadium, pools, and playing fields must be built for the athletic events, and housing is needed for the international athletes. And all of these facilities are used for only 2 weeks! One solution is not to build new facilities, but to repurpose spaces. That’s what Los Angeles officials did for the 1984 games; they used area colleges and universities as the athletes’ living areas. They also solved the economic drain by charging a fee for companies who wanted to be official sponsors of the games. Companies like McDonald’s paid a lot of money to be part of the Olympics. By so doing, Los Angeles actually made a profit rather than losing money as hosts of the Olympics.

• Compare-Contrast

• Descriptive

• Cause-Effect

• Problem-Solution

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The easiest way to get to work during rush hour is to follow these simple steps. First, remember to grab some good music and a spillproof mug full of coffee for the trip. While traveling from your home to the interstate, check the local radio station for traffic updates. Subsequently decide which route to take. During the commute, breathe deeply and quiet your mind. Little by little you will creep closer to your destination, and, in the end, you will arrive to work in a more rested state.

• Descriptive

• Sequence-Procedural

• Compare-Contrast

• Problem-Solution

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Traffic jams occur often on highways and main roads. There are several different kinds of traffic jams. Characteristics of the most common traffic jam include high levels of commuters on their way to work. Many people start work at the same time causing roads to become congested. Rush hour consists of large numbers of cars all heading in similar directions at the same time. Another type of traffic jam occurs after car accidents or stalled vehicles stop the flow of traffic. These types consist of cars waiting to get around the impaired, wrecked, or abandoned vehicles. In addition, there are also traffic jams caused by planned events. A parade or street fair can cause roads to be blocked, making other roads more crowded. This type of jam consists of too many vehicles in a small place at one time.

• Procedural-Sequence

• Descriptive

• Cause-Effect

• Problem-Solution

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When traffic backs up, it impacts more than just the wait time of drivers and passengers. Delays due to excessive traffic cause people to be late to work or school. Since cars idle in the midst of a traffic jam, then fuel is wasted. Also affected is the stress level of the motorists. All that frustration results in impatience and anger, which, in turn, can cause accidents.

• Compare-Contrast

• Descriptive

• Problem-Solution

• Cause-Effect

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Getting to work in the morning is the choice between two paths. The first option is the highway. It offers high-speed convenience and a direct route. On the other hand, some prefer the circuitous route through the back roads. It differs from the interstate in that it is not very direct, but it does offer a quieter, more scenic view. Regardless of which route you take, both bring you to the same destination.

• Cause-Effect

• Descriptive

• Problem-Solution

• Compare-Contrast

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Traffic jams are prevalent in most urban areas, consequently drivers often experience long wait times. Traffic management systems provide several different options to combat this problem. Since traffic reporters provide constant traffic information through the radio, then drivers can adjust their commute. In order to warn drivers of upcoming traffic tie-ups, digital message signs provide drivers with approximate drive times. But the biggest change that can lead to improved situations is regular tracking of traffic counters to determine road usage. If the data shows the usage is high, then it likely indicates the need for wider roads in the future

• Problem-Solution

• Cause-Effect

• Compare-Contrast

• Sequence-Procedural