Text Structures
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A Problem
and Solution
Text
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Contents
What is a Cheetah?..........................................................................4
Cheetah Numbers............................................................................6
Where do Cheetahs Live?...............................................................8
Cheetah Habitats.......................................................................... 10
Problems with Humans................................................................ 12
Problems with Other Predators.................................................. 14
Other Problems............................................................................. 16
What Can Be Done?..................................................................... 18
Breeding Programs....................................................................... 20
Cheetah Conservation Fund........................................................ 22
Reintroduction Into India............................................................. 24
Cheetah Preservation Foundation.............................................. 26
Explanation of Text Structure...................................................... 28
Glossary.......................................................................................... 30
Find Out More............................................................................... 31
Index................................................................................................ 32
The text in this book has been organized
using the problem and solution text structure.
Writers use the problem and solution text
structure to present a problem and suggest
possible solutions. To find out more about
writing using this text structure, see page 28.
Some words are
shown in bold,
like this. You can
find out what they
mean by looking in
the glossary.
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What is a Cheetah?
The cheetah is one of the big cats and is the
world’s fastest land mammal. Unlike most big
cats, cheetahs are active during the day, hunting
prey such as antelope and hares. Their spotted
coats provide excellent camouflage, which
allows them to blend in with the dry grass of
the African savannahs.
Cheetahs can reach speeds of up to
75 miles (121 kilometers) per hour.
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Female cheetahs usually have three cubs. These
cubs live with their mother for up to two years.
Male cheetahs often form small groups of two or
three. The cheetah is endangered in some parts
of the world, mostly due to the destruction of its
natural habitat.
Many cheetah cubs do not survive
to be adults.
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Cheetah Numbers
More than 100 years ago, it was estimated that
there were 100,000 cheetahs living in the wild.
About 30 years ago, that number had fallen to
less than 2,500. Today it is believed there are
around 10,000 cheetahs remaining, but that
figure might be as low as 5,000.
Graph showing cheetah decline
The total cheetah
population is
falling, and they
are in danger of
becoming extinct.
Cheetah Population
100,000
80,000
60,000
40,000
20,000
0
1900
1980
2008
Date
6
2015
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The cheetah
can be difficult
to spot in the
wild.
Cheetah numbers are hard to estimate. Counting
wild cats is very difficult because they move
around a lot. They are also difficult to spot
because of their camouflage. The same cheetah
might also be counted more than once.
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Where do Cheetahs Live?
Cheetahs once lived in 44 countries across Africa
and Asia. Many of these populations are now
extinct. Today cheetahs are mainly found in
countries in southwest Africa. Most live in small
groups outside protected game reserves.
Map showing past locations of cheetahs
EUROPE
Africa
Past cheetah
locations
No cheetahs
ever recorded
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Asia
More than
100 years ago,
cheetahs could
be found in
places such
as Israel, India,
and Russia.
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Today the Asian cheetah is nearly extinct.
It became extinct in India in the 1950s. The last
cheetah was seen in Israel in 1956. A small
number of cheetahs are still found in Iran. The
largest population of cheetahs is in the African
country Namibia. About 2,500 cheetahs live there.
Map showing current locations of cheetahs
Africa
Sahara Desert
Sahel
Kenya
Tanzania
Current
cheetah
locations
Namibia
Cheetahs can
still be found in
Botswana, Kenya,
Namibia, and
Tanzania. Small
numbers live in the
Sahara Desert and
the Sahel region.
Botswana
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Explanation of
Text Structure
This text has been written using the
problem and solution text structure.
This text structure introduces a problem
and discusses ways of solving it. The
problem and solution text structure
includes words such as problem,
as a result, solution, difficult, another,
because, and help.
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Counting wild cats is very difficult
because they move around a lot. Another
problem is that cheetahs do not breed well
in captivity. Zoos try to breed cheetahs
that are not related to one another.
As a result, the cheetahs will have more
variety in their genes to help cope with
disease. Another solution is to use science
to help female cheetahs get pregnant.
Problem and solution signal words
Now you could try using the problem and
solution text structure to write about:
•how we can reduce the amount of trash
that goes in our landfills/trash cans
•how we can provide green space for
children who live in cities
•how we can reduce the amount of
electricity we use
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