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compare and contrast

Shall I compare thee to a Summers day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (15641616) ENGLISH POET AND PLAYWRIGHT

In this lesson, youll discover that authors often describe how things are alike or different.

SOME AUTHORS USE a compare-and-contrast text structure to organize

ideas. To compare, they tell how things are alike; to contrast, they tell how things are different. Words like same, different, some, all, every, also, but, both, or many signal to readers that the author is using a compare-and-contrast structure. Compare: Every student in the school wore the same blue uniform. Contrast: They may have to wear uniforms, but we dont! Authors dont always use signal words. Then, readers must gure out whats being compared or contrasted. Example The DJ played classic rock and everyone agreed the music was cool . . . or as some put it, erce! How could I tell my new friends that I preferred country-western?

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Many times things can be alike in one or more ways but still be different. In the preceding example, rock and country-western are alike because both are kinds of music, but they are different in style and rhythm. A Venn diagram can help you keep track of likenesses and differences as you read. Example Marissa and Matthew are twins, but she has dark hair and hes a blond. Everyone in their family has brown eyes. Matthew plays drums and Marissa plays guitar in the school band. They both sing and want to start a rock group.

Marissa girl dark hair plays guitar

Both brown eyes in band sing want rock group

Matthew boy blond plays drums

P R AC T I C E 1 : T H E C I T Y M O U S E A N D T H E C O U N T RY M O U S E A n Ae s o p s Fa b l e R e t o l d
Read the selection, and then answer the questions that follow. (1) Once there were two mouse cousins. One lived in the country; the other lived in a big city. They wrote to each other often and invited each other to visit. (2) You must come to see how nice it is in the city, wrote the City Mouse. I have a choice of wonderful foods to eat every day, like bread, cheese, and sweets. What do you eat? (3) I eat seeds from the elds, the Country Mouse wrote back. And I sometimes nd crumbs in the old farmhouse where I live.

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(4) One day, as the Country Mouse hunted for grain in the eld, he thought of his cousin choosing what to eat. Why should I have to hunt for food? he said to no one at all. I think I will head to this city my cousin keeps telling me about! (5) And so he did. When the Country Mouse arrived, the City Mouse said, Shhh! The people just left the dining room. Lets sneak in for some bread and cheese. (6) The Country Mouse was amazed at the leftover food just sitting on a table. Dig in! said the City Mouse, and he bit into a chunk of cheese. (7) The Country Mouse took a nibble. Hed never tasted anything so delicious! He was thinking how lucky the City Mouse was when he heard a noise. Run! said the City Mouse, as he grabbed his cousins paw. Someones come to clean off the table! (8) The two mice ran to a little hole in the kitchen wall. Inside, the Country Mouse trembled as someone stacked dishes in a dishwasher and went away. The City Mouse smiled, Good, he didnt see us. Lets go get something else. (9) The Country Mouse looked around. Hed never seen so many jars and bags and boxes! What luck! said the City Mouse. Someone left the cookies open! (10) The cousins climbed to a shelf where a cookie bag sat. After much pulling and tugging, they got a large chunk of oatmeal cookie out and began to nibble on it. Suddenly, the Country Mouse heard a loud MEOW! Run! cried the City Mouse. And they ran as fast as they could, back to the hole in the wall. (11) The City Mouse laughed as the Country Mouse shook with fear. Dont be so scared, Cousin; its only the cat! True, she likes to eat mice and she has sharp claws, but shell go away in a few minutes. Then we can go eat more food! (12) The Country Mouse shook his head. No, thanks, Cousin. Im going home! Thank you for your hospitality, but I would rather eat my lowly grain and crumbs in safety than have your ne menu and be in danger all the time! (13) And so the Country Mouse went home and happily ate in peace the rest of his days.

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1. How are the City Mouse and the Country Mouse alike? a. Each has a cousin. b. Each likes cheese. c. Both are mice. d. all of the above 2. From the text, you know that one difference between the two mice is a. that the City Mouse is taller. b. when each one was born. c. where each one lives. d. that the Country Mouse cant read. 3. The City Mouse and the Country Mouse are alike because a. each spends money on food. b. each is a boy. c. each likes dogs. d. each is a girl. 4. The Country Mouse went back home because he thought a. he could teach the farmer to make cheese. b. he would be red from his computer job. c. he had forgotten to lock the farmhouse door. d. he would be safer eating crumbs there than having treats in the city.

P R AC T I C E 2 : S N OW C AT
Read the selection, and then answer the questions that follow. (1) The snow leopard lives in the rocky mountain caves of Central Asia, some 6,00018,000 feet (1,8295,486 m) above sea level. The animals beautiful, soft, gray fur is speckled with black or brown ringed spots. Its thick tail, which is more than 1 of its 67.5 foot (22.3 m) total length, is heavy with 3 fur to protect the animal from extreme cold. The snow leopard uses its tail both for balance and to wrap around its curled-up body and cover its nose and mouth in subzero temperatures. The bottoms of its large, furry paws are also covered with fur to help protect the pads from the cold, sharp ice and jagged rocks.

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(2)

The snow leopard is like other big cats in some ways and different in others. For example, other big cats roar, but not the snow leopard. It purrs like many smaller cats! And the snow leopard feeds in a crouched position, like a house cat, instead of lying down like other big cats. Most leopards hunt at night, often leaping from trees to chase down their prey, then store the food high in a tree away from other predators. But snow leopards hunt in the early morning and late afternoon. They rest on cliff edges, waiting for prey to pass by. Then the cat may leap as much as 50 feet uphill to capture a meal. Prey consists of almost any available animal, like wild sheep, goats, deer, or birds. Then, since there are no trees high in the mountains to store food in, the snow leopard stays on the ground close to its kill, often returning for three or four days to feed. In spring, a female snow leopard has from one to four kittens. They stay with their mothers through their rst winter, then go off to hunt on their own. Snow leopards are extremely rare; in fact theyre an endangered species. Many have been hunted for their beautiful fur and their bones, which are ground up and used in some Chinese medicines. Scientists estimate there are only about 4,0007,000 snow leopards left in the wild. You may be able to see one in a zoo. There are 600700 snow leopards living safely in zoos around the world.

(3)

(4)

(5)

5. According to the article, the snow leopard is like a small cat because a. it lives in the mountains. b. it eats in a crouched position. c. it hunts at night. d. it roars. 6. A snow leopard is like all other leopards because a. it is a member of the cat family. b. it has fur. c. it has four feet. d. all of the above 7. A snow leopard is different from other leopards because a. it is a predator. b. it has kittens. c. it hunts in the daytime. d. it eats meat.

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8. The snow leopard doesnt store its food in trees because a. there are no trees high in the mountains. b. it cant climb like other leopards. c. the trees are full of leaves. d. it eats all of the prey in one meal. 9. Once there were many snow leopards, but now there are only about a. 2,0003,000 in zoos and in the wild. b. 4,0005,000 in zoos. c. 4,0007,000 in the wild. d. 6,0008,000 living. 10. Which do both snow leopards and other leopards do when they hunt? a. roar b. leap c. sing d. sleep

P R AC T I C E 3 : S TO N E S T R U C T U R E S
Read the selection, and then answer the questions that follow. (1) Ancient people built rock monuments, many of which are still standing. Stonehenge was built in England about 5,000 years ago. Its rocks were arranged in four circles, with 30 large rocks on the outsides, some of which weighed 40 tons! Its believed that people may have used Stonehenge to predict the seasons. About 4,500 years ago, the Egyptians used millions of stone blocks to build pyramids as tombs for their kings. Pyramids, of course, are pointed at the top. The Egyptians believed the pointed tombs helped their rulers get to heaven. The Great Wall of China was built more than 2,000 years ago. The 1,200mile- (1,900-km-) long rock structure was created to keep invaders out of China. Today, tourists take long walks along the top of the winding wall. On Easter Island, off the coast of Chile, stand giant rock statues with large heads and thick bodies. About 600, measuring up to 60 feet (18 m) tall, were created more than 1,000 years ago. Today only about 100 are left. Its believed that islanders may have carved them as monuments to their ancestors.

(2)

(3)

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11. How are all the monuments alike? a. All are in Europe. b. All have faces. c. All are made of rock. d. All were put in place by giant bulldozers. 12. One difference between the pyramids and the Easter Island rocks is that a. the Easter Island statues are set up in four circles. b. the pyramids are tombs for kings, and the statues are not. c. the Easter Island statues were built long ago. d. some pyramids are still standing. 13. The Great Wall and Stonehenge are different because a. they were built in different countries at different times. b. both are made of rock. c. only the Great Wall was constructed by humans. d. each can still be seen today.