Question

Read this excerpt from "A Student's Guide to Global Climate Change."

Climate change might allow some infectious diseases to spread. As winter temperatures increase, ticks and mosquitoes that carry diseases can survive longer throughout the year and expand their ranges, putting more people at risk. One big concern is malaria, a deadly disease spread by mosquitoes in many hot, humid parts of the world.

What can people do about it?
People should take common-sense steps to avoid tick and mosquito bites, and communities can take actions to control mosquitoes, such as removing sources of standing water. It's also important for doctors to know the symptoms of diseases that could be spreading to new areas so they can diagnose and treat their patients.

This excerpt uses text structure.

Answer 1

The excerpt uses a cause-and-effect text structure to explain how climate change could affect the spread of infectious diseases. The paragraph first identifies how the warmer winter temperatures due to climate change could allow ticks and mosquitoes to survive longer and expand their ranges. This leads to the effect of more people being at risk of diseases that these insects carry, with malaria being a specific example.

The paragraph then transitions into discussing actions that individuals and communities can take to address the issue, indicating that these actions could have a positive impact on controlling the spread of diseases. Finally, the paragraph ends by stressing the importance of doctors being aware of the symptoms of such diseases so that they can diagnose and treat their patients. The use of cause-and-effect text structure in this paragraph allows the author to explain the relationship between climate change and the spread of diseases in a clear and concise manner.