Question

Read the following excerpt, then answer the following question. "Allergies may seem similar to a cold, but the causes are very different. An allergy occurs when the body's immune system reacts to something the body comes in contact with. How can you know if you have a cold or allergies? A short-term illness caused by contact with a virus is a cold. Allergies can't be spread from person to person and may last longer than a cold. Neither allergies nor a cold are fun to experience, but understanding the differences can help you know how to respond." Which format does the author use to help the reader understand the main idea? A. Problem/solution B. Cause/effect C. Comparison/contrast D. Sequential/chronological order

Answer 1

C. Comparison/contrast is the answer

Answer 2

C) The author uses comparison and contrast.

The main idea is that cold and allergies may seem similar, but are quite different (as you can see from the topic/first sentence). To help the reader understand this idea, he/she talks about the differences (aka compares/contrasts) the cold and the allergy. He/she is comparing/contrasting between the cold and the allergy when he says "how do you know if you have a cold or allergies?" and then proceeds to answer that question.