CAUSES and EFFECTS

1. Read the sample essay below and underline all the words or phrases expressing
CAUSES and EFFECTS.
More children in developed countries are becoming overweight. This is a
serious problem for wealthy countries.
Discuss some causes and effects of this problem.

In almost all developed countries around the world, rates of being

overweight have been rising alarmingly. This trend can be seen in all age
groups, but is particularly worrying where children are concerned. This
essay will describe the possible causes of childhood obesity and some of
its devastating consequences.

Unhealthy diet and inactive lifestyle are the two most major causes of
obesity. It is true that growing affluence for city families has led children
to consume more fast food and live more sedentary lifestyles. This
comes as a result of parents’ busy work schedule and ready-made food
seems to be the best option to feed their children. Next, when it comes to
screen time, playing games, surfing the net or chatting with friends are
not uncommon with these children. Worse still, despite little energy
consumption, high caloric intake in the form of fast food, soft drinks or
processed food all contribute to their uncontrollable weight gain.

A steady growth in the number of overweight children has serious

consequences. To begin with, heavy children tend to have a lifelong
struggle with their weight, which in turn can lead to serious health-
related problems such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
As a result, they may have shorter life expectancies than their parents,
are easy targets for body shaming and more often bullied by their
friends. The direct consequence is children’s psychology is negatively
influenced, making them less confident and becoming socially isolated.
 To sum up, childhood obesity mostly results from improper dietary
practices and inactive lifestyles. This certainly has adverse effect on
their physical and psychological health.

2. Complete the sentences with the correct word or phrase below.

because of due as a result therefore
1. It is often difficult to understand young children's reactions to situations__
their inability to express themselves clearly at a young age.
2. More and more teenagers are becoming interested in reading __ to the
popularity of books such as the Harry Potter series.
3. Online communication brings a certain number of risks for the younger
generation; __ ,laws should be introduced to combat these risks.
4. Our local community has organised a series of parties in the neighborhood.
_ _ , people have been able to meet each other more.

3. Use TWO words below to complete the sentences.

benefits cause diversity impact
issue migration overcrowding poverty
1. The __ of__ includes lack of jobs, lack of education and a fragile economy.
2. The _ _ of _ _ can be both positive and negative for a receiving country.
3. The __ of__ is becoming more and more salient as increasing numbers
of citizens move to large cities.
4. The _ _ of __ are numerous and range from new tastes and music to new
beliefs and attitudes.