Reading Selection: Identifying Text Structure - Compare & Contrast PDF

Reading Selection 課文動畫 課文朗讀 Reading Strategy Review: Identifying Text Structure—Compare & Contrast When we talk about...

Reading Selection 課文動畫 課文朗讀 Reading Strategy Review: Identifying Text Structure—Compare & Contrast When we talk about two things or objects, “comparing and contrasting” is often used to note the similarities and differences between them. Compare: When we discuss two things that have a lot in common but are not identical, we are “comparing” them. The second and third paragraphs of the following passage, for example, compare two different places. Contrast: This shows how one thing has some features that the other does not, as the information in the fourth and the fifth paragraphs do. “Comparing and contrasting,” therefore, helps readers clarify the similarities and differences that exist between two things. “F 1 ormosa” is commonly known as an unofficial name for Taiwan. However, what many people don’t know is that there is another Formosa located on the banks of the Paraguay River* in Argentina*. Let’s take a 5 detailed look at these two namesakes* and investigate1 the aspects in which they are similar and those in which they differ2. Note the Details Interestingly, it appears that both Formosas were 1. What does the word unintentionally discovered by European explorers in “Formosa” mean if the 10 the sixteenth century. It is believed that a crew3 of word “Ilha” is “island” in Portuguese? Portuguese* sailors4 first came across Taiwan and named 60  Lesson 3 Formosa: One Name, Two Stories it “Ilha Formosa,” which means “beautiful island.” Similarly, Formosa was the European name given to an area of land discovered in South America* by Spanish explorers around 15 the same time. These explorers considered the area they had 3 found to possess such exceptional5 beauty that they decided to settle6 there. Apart from their shared name and historical similarities, 2. Which sentence in the passage explains that there is another interesting geographical phenomenon that each of the two 20 connects these two locations. Taiwan is located at 23° N Formosas is on the exact opposite side of and Argentina’s Formosa at 23° S, which means both the world from the areas are roughly the same distance from the equator*. other? What’s more, each of them sits on the exact opposite side of the world from the other. If someone in northern Taiwan What many people don’t know is that there is another Formosa located on the banks of the Paraguay River in Argentina. 61  25 dug a hole straight down into the Earth, penetrated7 its core8, and then continued digging to the surface on the other side, he or she would end up in Formosa, Argentina! Since most of the globe is covered in ocean, it 30 is even more amazing that these two bits of land are exactly antipodal*! Despite these two special links, the Argentina two Formosas are, in many ways, still worlds apart. Their natural landscapes, 35 for a start, differ considerably9. Two thirds of Taiwan’s 36,000 square kilometers are made up of majestic10 mountains covered in dense11 forest, some of which soar12 thousands of meters above sea level. Furthermore, the island’s mountains, valleys13, rivers, and 40 reefs are home to hundreds of unique species found only in Taiwan. By contrast, most of If someone in Argentina’s Formosa, which is two times the size of northern Taiwan dug a hole straight Taiwan, is fairly flat and covered with trees, down into the Earth, grassland*, or marshland*. Its eastern region he or she would end up in Formosa, 45 receives more rain than its other parts and also has Argentina! more forests and streams14. 62  Lesson 3 Formosa: One Name, Two Stories There is, in addition, a stark15 contrast 3. What is the biggest difference between between their economies. Present-day Taiwan is the two Formosas in known worldwide for its lively16 economy 3 terms of economy? 50 and its advanced information technology Taiwan industry. Moreover, the Asian* island is famous for its natural beauty and The equator friendly people and thus attracts visitors from far and wide. By contrast, 55 Formosa is one of Argentina’s least developed areas. Its economy relies primarily on cattle17 raising and other agricultural18 activities, such as growing cotton and fruit. Ranching* is also extremely important to 60 Formosa’s economy. The area’s total number of cattle exceeds19 1.5 million, which is more than three times the number of people living there! Whatever differences or similarities exist between the pair, thanks to those who explored the globe hundreds of 65 years ago, people can now pay a visit to two beautiful lands. Both Argentina’s Formosa, with its gorgeous20 green plains21 and lush22 forests, and Taiwan, with its bustling23 cities and mighty24, mountainous25 landscapes, are sure to 63  impress visitors. Perhaps the people of these two lands on 70 opposite sides of the world can even come face to face and get to know each other a little better one day as well! That could make for a beautiful friendship! —Written by Mark Darvill Reading Strategy Review: Identifying Supporting Details Supporting details follow a topic sentence to provide readers with more information to help them understand the idea of the topic sentence. These supporting details can be definitions, explanations, statistics*, facts, or examples. Mostly, these supporting details derive from an abstract idea to form a concrete example. That is, a definition or an explanation will come right after the topic sentence, and, if needed, an example or a case in real life will be used to prove its credibility. Locate the topic sentences and supporting details in Paragraphs 2, 3, 4, and 5. Then check the statement(s) that describe the supporting details in each paragraph. Paragraph Statements describing its supporting details □ The author gives examples to show how the two Formosas are different. □ The author uses historical facts to explain the topic sentence of this 2 paragraph. □ The second and third sentences of this paragraph are definitions. ☺Word Bank statistics 統計數字 64