Cause and Effect Matching Worksheet for Reading Comprehension

Let's solve this Cause and Effect quiz step by step. The goal is to match each effect (what happened) with the correct cause (why it happened). We’ll go through each one logically.

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Effect → Cause Matching

1. Sue covered her ears because...
→ She must have heard something loud.
Answer: c. the siren on the firetruck was very loud.
✔ *Loud noise causes someone to cover their ears.*

2. Louie bought a cake because...
→ Buying a cake is usually for a celebration.
Answer: e. it is his mom’s birthday.
✔ *Birthdays are common reasons to buy cakes.*

3. The waiter dropped his tray of food because...
→ He likely tripped or lost balance.
Answer: h. he tripped on a napkin and fell.
✔ *Tripping causes dropping things.*

4. Paul did his homework at night because...
→ He probably didn’t have time earlier.
Answer: f. he had soccer practice after school.
✔ *After-school activities can delay homework.*

5. The popcorn mom made burned because...
→ Popcorn burns if left in the microwave too long or forgotten.
Answer: b. she forgot it in the microwave.
✔ *Forgetting = burning.*

6. Ian received his black belt in karate because...
→ A black belt is earned by passing a test.
Answer: g. he passed the final test.
✔ *Passing the test is the cause of earning the belt.*

7. Julie’s mom brought Julie to the doctor because...
→ People go to the doctor when sick.
Answer: j. she had a fever.
✔ *Fever is a symptom that requires medical attention.*

8. The dog was all wet because...
→ Dogs get wet by jumping into water.
Answer: a. it jumped into the pool.
✔ *Jumping into a pool makes a dog wet.*

9. The milk was sour because...
→ Milk spoils if left out.
Answer: i. someone took it out and left it on the counter.
✔ *Leaving milk out causes it to spoil.*

10. George had a drink because...
→ People drink when they're thirsty.
Answer: d. he was hot and thirsty after running outside.
✔ *Being hot and thirsty leads to drinking.*

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✔ Final Answers:

1. c
2. e
3. h
4. f
5. b
6. g
7. j
8. a
9. i
10. d

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📝 Explanation Summary:

Each answer pairs a logical cause with its corresponding effect:
- Loud siren → covering ears
- Birthday → buying cake
- Tripping → dropping tray
- Soccer practice → doing homework late
- Forgetting → burnt popcorn
- Passing test → black belt
- Fever → going to doctor
- Jumping in pool → getting wet
- Left out → spoiled milk
- Thirsty → drinking

This exercise helps students understand how events are connected — one thing happens because of another.

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