IXL | Match problems with their solutions

Read the text.

In the early 1900s, Life was a humor magazine. During the Great Depression, however, the magazine was in trouble. It started to face competition from new humor magazines. Publisher Henry Luce bought Life and relaunched it in 1936. Instead of featuring humor, Luce filled the magazine with amazing photographs. This approach was very successful. As television became more popular, though, Life's audience shrank. It was making less money and had to lower costs. The answer was to publish it monthly instead of weekly to lower publishing costs. Life finally stopped being published in 2007. But it still continues as a website.

Match the problems with their solutions.

Life concentrated on publishing photographs.

Life was published less often.

Problem

Solution

Life faced competition from humor magazines.

Life lost some of its audience to television.

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Learn with an example

question

Read the text.

If you have ever seen a cactus plant, you know it is covered by sharp spines. The prickly spines prevent most animals from eating the cactus. Cacti grow in the desert, where the heat and dryness make plant life difficult. To meet this challenge, cacti have shallow roots. These roots soak up any raindrops that may fall on the ground. Cacti then store the water inside special stems.

Match the problems with their solutions.

The desert is dry.

Animals eat plants.

Problem

Solution

Cacti have spines.

Cacti have shallow roots.

key idea

Writers sometimes organize their texts to focus on problems and solutions. As you read, pay attention to what the problems and solutions are. This can help you better understand the topic and the writer's opinion.

Writers often use signal words to introduce problems and solutions. They can be words like question, answer, stop, fix, solve, should, must, and make sure.

People should pile sandbags around the pond to make sure it doesn't overflow.

Problem: The pond might overflow.

Solution: People should pile sandbags around the pond.

solution

Look at the signal words in bold.

If you have ever seen a cactus plant, you know it is covered by sharp spines. The prickly spines prevent most animals from eating the cactus. Cacti grow in the desert, where the heat and dryness make plant life difficult. To meet this challenge, cacti have shallow roots. These roots soak up any raindrops that may fall on the ground. Cacti then store the water inside special stems.

These signal words help you find the problems and solutions.

Problem

Solution

Animals eat plants.

Cacti have spines.

The desert is dry.

Cacti have shallow roots.

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