Week 12a

CAUSE AND EFFECT

Academic texts often include explanations of cause and effect relationships. In some cases, the
effect is described before the cause. In other cases, the cause is given first, followed by the
effect it produces. For example:

Cause + Effect
Asthma typically causes wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath. Living in an industrial
area leads to an increased risk of developing asthma. A family history of asthma can mean
that your chances of getting asthma are greater. Being exposed to tobacco smoke when young
results in increased risks.

Effect + Cause
Asthma attacks are sometimes caused by sudden changes in the weather. The increase in
hospital admissions were not caused by the increase in the pollen count.

Exercise 1
Read the text below and answer the questions that follow.

The causes of asthma

1 Asthma is a chronic lung condition where the air passages in the lungs become inflamed.
The lining of the airway is swollen, the muscles become tight and mucus builds up. This
results in breathing problems for the patient. Asthma typically causes wheezing, coughing
and shortness of breath. The symptoms are often worse during the night, when the patient
is lying down or after physical exercise.
2 It is not known exactly what causes asthma, but we do know that certain conditions
make a person more likely to develop it. For example, living in an industrial area, where
people are more exposed to air pollution, leads to an increased risk of developing asthma.
Similarly, a family history of asthma or other allergies, such as hay fever, can mean that
your chances of getting asthma are greater. Studies have also shown that being exposed
to tobacco smoke when young results in increased risks.
3 As well as examining the deeper causes, an important area of research for medical
scientists is finding out what can trigger an asthma attack. Asthma attacks vary according
to the time of year and are sometimes caused by sudden changes in the weather. Autumn,
for example, is known to be a bad time for sufferers, as are heatwaves in the summer.
4 One particular focus of study has been the relationship between the pollen count and
asthma. A study was carried out in New York to determine if an increase in the amount of
pollen in the air caused an increase in the number of asthma attacks. Over a period of 270
days, the number of people admitted to New York hospitals with asthma attacks was
recorded.
5 The findings show clearly that the increase in the number of hospital admissions of
asthma cases, which reached a peak in October, were not a result of the increase in the
pollen count, which reached a peak a month earlier. Although there are many patients who
say their asthma attacks are caused or made worse by pollen in the air, the evidence
shows that this is not the case for the majority. Instead, it seems more likely that asthma
attacks occur more frequently in October because it is the season when people catch colds
and flu most often.

1
A) Complete the table below with information from the text.

Asthma a condition where ______________ become inflamed

Main symptoms (effects)
Possible causes of asthma attacks
Known causes of asthma attacks
Connection between asthma and
pollen count according to research
breathing problems: __________________________
1 _________________________________________
2 _________________________________________
3 _________________________________________
___________________________________________

B) Use the notes in the table to complete the summary of the text read.

Asthma is a condition where (1) ___________________ and breathing is affected.

Sufferers feel the effects of asthma more strongly at night and after exercise. The main
symptoms are breathing problems such as coughing or (2) __________________. The
precise cause of asthma is not known, but we know what makes people more likely to
develop it. Scientists are investigating possible causes, which include (3)
_________________ . Current research indicates that (4) ___________________ can
cause asthma attacks. However, it has been concluded that there is (5)
_________________ causal link between pollen count and asthma outbreaks.

C) Use the information in Paragraph 1 – 4 to match each cause 1 – 4 to its effect a – d.

1 the lungs become inflamed a an asthma attack

2 living in an industrial area b breathing problems for the patient
3 sudden changes in the weather c an increased risk of developing asthma
4 an increase in pollen count d no increase in hospital admissions for asthma

D) Read Paragraph 5 again and the pairs of sentences 1 – 3 below. For each pair, decide
which sentence is the cause and which is the effect.

1 Hospital admissions for asthma increased in October. The number of asthma attacks
rose.
2 People think that there is more pollen in the air. People link the amount of pollen to
their asthma attack.
3 Asthma attacks occur in greater numbers during October. Autumn is the season when
people catch colds and flu.