Question

Both petroleum and coal are made up of complex carbon-based molecules, and both originated with living creatures of some kind. Both are vital sources of energy for the modern world and both were formed by geologic processes over millions of years. However, petroleum was mainly formed from the remains of ocean-dwelling microorganisms. Coal, on the other hand, originated from decayed vegetation in ancient swamps and bogs. In any case, it took millions of years for both coal and oil to be produced. This is the case because it took that much time for overlying sediments to produce the unimaginable heat and pressure that would one day allow us to harvest these energy resources.
1. What organizing principle or principles are used in this paragraph?
A. Chronological order
B. Comparison and contrast; cause and effect
C. Cause and effect
D. Chronological order; cause and effect

Answer 1

The organizing principles that are used in this paragraph are comparison and contrast; cause and effect. In the beginning, the author is giving the similarities and the differences between petroleum and coal, and moves on to talk about cause and effect in the end.