Lesson 9: One Thing Leads to Another
Imagine that you have stood a long row of dominoes on end. They are standing very close to
each other. What happens if you knock the first domino into the second one? The whole
row falls down, one after another.
A story is a lot like that row of dominoes. Something happens first. Then that event causes the
second thing to happen, and so on. Causes are the things that happen first and effects are
what happen next. Learning about causes and their effects will help you understand the
things you read.
Cause and Effect
The following tips will help you spot causes and effects in a reading passage.
TIP 1: Put the events in order.
First, put the events in order. This will help you see the causes of events more clearly. The
following passage will help you practice this skill.
Directions: Read the story and answer the questions that follow.
All Wet
by Alan Noble
"Mark! Just look at yourself! Why are your new clothes all wet and covered with mud?" My
dad seemed very upset.
"Because of a nail, I guess:' I said.
"A nail? How could a nail make you wet and dirty?" Dad asked. He was looking very unhappy
with me.
"See, it was like this. Today was Phil's birthday party, so I got on my bike to go. As I rode my
bike out of the garage, I ran over a nail. The front tire was flat before I got to the end of the
driveway."
"And?" my father asked.
"Well, I decided to leave the bike and walk to Phil's. Since I had to walk, I knew I was going to
be late. So I thought I'd take a shortcut over the footbridge. When I got to the little creek,
the footbridge was closed for repairs. So, I used the stepping stones instead."
"And you slipped:' Dad said without a smile.
"Not exactly:' I said. "But I did start to lose my balance. That's what made me drop Phil's
birthday gift into the water?'
"Oh, no!" Dad groaned.
"Yeah. And then I had to jump in after it. I finally grabbed it, but the creek bottom was really
slick. So I slipped into deeper water."
"So you didn't go to the party?"
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"No, Dad. I didn't want to go in these wet clothes. I just dropped off Phil's gift and came
home."
"You gave him a wet gift?!" Dad was surprised. "Wasn't the gift ruined?" "No. It was fine:' I
said.
"What was it?" he asked.
"Swimming trunks?" I said.
1. What is the first thing that happens to Mark on his way to the party?
A. He starts to lose his balance.
B. He runs over a nail with his bike.
C. He sees the footbridge is closed.
D. He decides to leave his bike at home.
That first event causes a long chain of events to happen afterward. Look at the following row of
dominoes.
1) Mark gets on his bike.
2) Bike runs over nail.
3) Tire goes flat.
4) Mark tries to take shortcut over bridge.
5) Mark uses stepping stones.
6) Mark starts to lose his balance.
7) ?
8) Mark jumps in creek to save gift.
9) Mark gets wet and muddy.
10) Mark drops off Phil's gift.
2. Which event belongs with this domino 7) ?
A. Mark drops the gift into the creek.
B. Mark's dad seems upset.
C. Mark tells his dad the gift wasn't ruined.
D. Mark brings the gift to Phil's house.
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3. What happens just after Mark runs over a nail?
A. He decides to walk.
B. He gets wet and muddy.
C. His bicycle tire goes flat.
D. He takes a shortcut.
TIP 2: The action that causes an event sometimes happens just
before the event.
Sometimes, we can find the cause of an event by looking at what happens just before it.
4. Which event causes Mark to get wet and muddy?
A. He decides to walk through the park.
B. He gets on his bike to go to the party.
C. He uses stepping stones to cross the creek.
D. He jumps in the creek to save the gift.
TIP 3: Link the events in a because sentence.
In the passage, Mark has one problem after another. Each thing that happens in the story causes
some new problem. Putting two events together in a because sentence shows you how two
events connect.
Mark uses the stepping stones to cross the creek because the footbridge is closed.
Now it's your turn to write your own because sentence.
5. Write a because sentence that connects two other events from the passage.
because
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TIP 4: Look for "cause" words.
This box shows words that will help you spot causes and their effects.
Cause Words
cause
because
so
led to
due to
as a result of
Read the following passage from Blaze and the Forest Fire by C. W. Anderson. It tells about a
boy named Billy and his horse, Blaze. Look for any words that will help you find causes
and effects.
Billy's dog, Rex, usually went with them on their rides. But one day he was sick; so Billy's
mother kept him at home. It was a beautiful day, and Billy decided to ride along a little
winding road. It passed through some woods, and not many people used it. Both Billy
and Blaze liked to ride through the woods, because there were so many things to see.
6. Underline any "cause" words in the passage.
7. Why does Billy's dog, Rex, stay at home?
A. Rex is too sick to go with Billy.
B. Billy doesn't want Rex to go with him.
C. Blaze gets nervous when Rex comes along.
D. Rex doesn't want to go with Billy.
8. Why do Billy and Blaze like to ride through the woods?
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TIP 5: Look for causes and effects in nonfiction passages, too.
Events in nonfiction, like those in fiction, are also linked to each other. Read the following
passage from an article about scallops, a type of shellfish. The article is from Ranger Rick
magazine.
A scallop's gills are covered with thousands of tiny hairs called cilia (SILL-ee-uh) that are
too small to see. These hairs are always quickly waving back and forth. The waving
sweeps water into the scallop's shell. The scallop gets oxygen from this water. And
floating in the water are tiny plants and animals. They get caught on the cilia and are
then swept into the scallop's mouth.
9. The cilia's back-and-forth motions help the scallop by
A. sweeping water in to clean the scallop's shell.
B. protecting the scallop from dangerous animals.
C. bringing in water that carries oxygen and food.
D. keeping the scallop's gills warm in cold waters.
One Thing Leads to Another
Lesson 9 Summary
When answering cause and effect questions, remember the following tips:
 Put the events in order.
 The action that causes an event sometimes happens just before the event.
 Link the events in a because sentence.
 Look for "cause" words.
 Look for causes and effects in nonfiction passages, too.
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DIRECTIONS: Read this passage and then answer questions 1 through 8.
Salt and Bread
Once upon a time there was a king with three daughters. The youngest, Katrina, had pretty
golden hair, rosy cheeks, and a kind, loving nature. The two older girls, Kristen and Karla,
were very jealous of their young sister. They spent much time trying to ruin the king's love
for the girl. They wanted her out of the castle! Finally, the king began to believe the
rumors that his older daughters were spreading. Maybe Katrina does not love me as the
others do, he thought. One day when the three daughters were together, he put their love to
a test.
"Tell me, Kristen, how much do you love me?" the king asked.
"Gentle father, I love you as much as all the gold in the kingdom," his oldest daughter replied.
The king was pleased.
Then he said, "Karla, how much do you love me?"
"My dear father, I love you as much as my own life," the middle daughter replied.
Again, the king was pleased.
Finally, he asked Katrina how much she loved him.
"Oh, Father, I love you as much as bread and salt."
The king was very angry with Katrina's reply.
"Get from my castle," the king said. "You care no more for me than for these things found in
the poorest man's cottage. I will send you into the woods and leave you there."
He called his servants and had Katrina taken into the dark woods, where they left her. She
became cold and very frightened.
Now it happened that a king from another country was hunting in the same dark woods. He
followed his dogs until they surrounded the sobbing young girl. When he saw her tearstained face, he lifted her onto his horse and took her to his castle.
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The young princess told him her story and said that she forgave her wicked sisters and her cruel
father. The young king fell in love with Katrina. And Katrina fell in love with the young
king.
They invited all the royal people of neighboring countries to a great wedding and feast. Among
the guests were Katrina's father and her two sisters. They did not recognize Katrina, but
she knew them as soon as she saw them. Quietly, Katrina asked the serving girls to remove
both the bread and the salt from the dining hall.
When the guests sat down to the wedding table, Katrina's father was heard to say, "This table
lacks two very important things, bread and salt."
"That is true:" Katrina said. "Bread and salt are among the most precious things on earth. And,
can you believe that because I once loved my father as much as bread and salt, I was
driven into the woods to die?"
It was then that the old king recognized his young Katrina. He begged for her forgiveness—and
she forgave him. Then her sisters begged for forgiveness—and she forgave them, as well.
The young king forgave them, too, and he lived happily for many, many years with good
Queen Katrina.
1
Why do the older sisters become jealous of Katrina?
A because the king gives Katrina many gifts
B because Katrina is married to a young king
C because Katrina is very beautiful and kind
D because Katrina does not have to do chores
2
The king sends Katrina away from the castle because he thinks she—
A doesn't love him enough
B cannot be trusted
C doesn't love her sisters
D loves a poor man
3
How does the young king find Katrina in the woods?
A He hears her cries for help.
B He follows his dogs.
C He sees her from far away.
D He asks her servants where she is.
4
Why does Katrina have the bread and salt taken away from the dining hall?
A She doesn't like bread and salt.
B Her new husband wants them removed.
C She plans to serve cake and milk instead.
D She sees her father among the guests.
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5
Why does Katrina's father beg his daughter for forgiveness?
A He doesn't want her to marry the young king.
B He learns how very much Katrina loves him.
C He realizes how much he misses her.
D He wants her to return bread and salt to the table.
6
Where does the beginning of "Salt and Bread" take place?
A in a small cottage
B in a castle
C in the woods
D in a dining hall
7
Which of these words best describes Katrina?
A angry
B jealous
C forgiving
D sad
8
What does Katrina do after her father says there is no bread or salt on the table?
A She invites her father and sisters to her wedding.
B She asks her new husband to forgive her father.
C She explains that bread and salt are very precious.
D She asks her servants to return the bread and salt.
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DIRECTIONS: Read this passage and then answer questions 9 through 15.
Return of the Buffalo
Calling the North American bison a buffalo has become accepted in American English. The
bison is not really a buffalo, though. The word buffalo comes from the Italian word bufalo,
which describes a type of ox, not a type of bison.
At one time, as many as 60 million buffalo roamed the Western Plains. In the early 1800s, large
herds of buffalo could be found from western Iowa to Colorado, and from Canada to
Mexico. As great buffalo herds wandered in search of tall grass, Plains Indians followed
them.
The life of Native Americans was centered on the buffalo. They killed only the buffalo they
needed. They ate the meat. They used the hides for clothing and tepees. They used the
bones for such things as arrowheads, spoons, scrapers, shovels, sleds, jewelry, knives, and
toys.
The buffalo provided food, clothing, medicine, and shelter. For that reason, Native Americans
honored them and held them sacred. Plains Indians included buffalo in their songs and
imitated them in their dances. Buffalo were not killed for sport, but so the Indians might
live.
This way of life began to end in the mid-1800s. Eastern tribes were pushed west as pioneers
settled on their land. These tribes fought with the Plains Indians for land. The railroads
pushed westward, too, moving more and more settlers from the East. Then, when gold was
discovered in the Black Hills of Dakota, thousands of miners moved in, too. The Army
was sent west to protect the settlers from the Indians of the Plains. The Western land that
had belonged to the Indians for thousands of years began to vanish. Little by little, the U.S.
government was taking it away from them.
At the same time, great buffalo herds were being destroyed. First, they were killed to meet the
railroad companies' demand for food as their workers pushed west. Then, hunters began to
kill them for their valuable hides. The hides were then shipped to the East and made into
fashionable hats and coats. Finally, hunters began shooting large numbers for sport,
leaving their bodies scattered across the Great Plains. In less than 50 years, the buffalo of
Western legend was almost wiped out. The Plains Indians suffered not only the loss of
their land but the loss of their buffalo. It was an animal that had given them nearly all of
their food, clothing, and shelter.
In the early 1900s, fewer than 500 buffalo were left in North America. A group of concerned
people decided that the animal must be saved. According to the National Bison
Association, a small herd was found hidden in the Yellowstone Valley of Montana, and a
few more in Texas. From this small number, the buffalo has gradually returned. Today,
more than 175,000 buffalo live in the United States and Canada.
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9
What did the Plains Indians do to honor the buffalo?
A They lived on a diet of buffalo meat.
B They imitated them in tribal songs and dances.
C They used their bones for such things as arrowheads.
D They used buffalo hides to make tepees.
10
Why did hunters kill entire herds of buffalo in the last half of the 1800s?
A They wanted to sell the horns and hooves.
B They wanted to make jewelry and toys.
C They wanted to make room for settlers moving west.
D They wanted to sell the hides and to kill for sport.
11
Read this sentence.
The Western land that had belonged to the Indians for thousands of years began to
vanish.
What does the word vanish mean?
A turn to air
B disappear
C crumble apart
D increase in size
12
Why did thousands of people to move into the Black Hills?
A to find gold
B to hunt buffalo for food
C to build railroads
D to hunt buffalo for sport
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13
Which event caused the first loss of buffalo?
A Easterners ran out of cloth for hats and coats.
B Plains Indians began hunting for sport.
C People and railroads began moving westward.
D Native Americans began eating buffalo meat.
14
Look at the graphic organizer.
Native Americans
killed buffalo for food, clothing, medicine, shelter, and tools
used the meat, hides, and bones
killed only the buffalo they needed
European Settlers
killed buffalo for food, but also to make fashionable clothing and for sport
?
killed so many buffalo, they almost became extinct
Which of these statements belongs in the empty space?
A never used the meat, hide, or bones
B often left dead buffalo scattered over the plains
C discovered gold in the Black Hills of Dakota
D used the hides for clothing and tepees
15
Which sentence best tells what "Return of the Buffalo" is about?
A Pioneers settled on Native American land.
B At one time, 60 million buffalo roamed the Plains.
C Most buffalo were killed between 1850 and 1900.
D The North American buffalo is making a comeback.
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