© 2013 Texas Education Agency/ The University of Texas System. All Rights Reserved.

English I: Reading: Module 4: Practice 1: Section 3Compare Narrative and Informational TextsInformational Text Analysis

Instructions: Read the following excerpt from an article in the New York Times about traveling to Brazil for a “soccer vacation” and answer the questions that follow.

Are You Ready for Some Futebol? By Seth Kugel

When to Go

The first thing you have to know about Brazilian soccer is that it is played nearly year-round. There’s no spring training or long, wait-till-next-year periods of inactivity. Between two consecutive league seasons and a handful of national and international tournaments, the biggest teams play virtually nonstop, except for about a month in late December and early January. The first few months of the year are dominated by state leagues: all 26 Brazilian states, as well as the Federal District in and around Brasília, have them. (Games are generally on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.) By May or June, the more exciting four-tiered national league starts. By the time the season ends in December, there’s a national champion.

[In an omitted section at this point, the author comments on the World Cup and other national “Cup” tournaments.]

Source: Israel v Brazil 5, Israeli Beach Soccer League, Wikimedia

How to Stay Safe

Rio is full of coddled experiences — tours of the favelas, private helicopter rides — and soccer is no exception. In hotel lobbies in the tourist-clogged Copacabana and Ipanema neighborhoods, travelers can pay 150 reais or so (about $75 at 2 reais to the dollar), take a bus or van to the stadium, and be herded by an English-speaking guide into the pricey reserved seats. It is the most expensive and probably the most boring way to see a match. It is also unnecessary.

© 2013 Texas Education Agency/ The University of Texas System. All Rights Reserved.

English I: Reading: Module 4: Practice 1: Section 3Informational Text Analysis (continued, page 2)

Travel in Brazil is never entirely without risk, of course, but games are much safer than they used to be. Armed with some advance knowledge, common-sense precautions and a sense of adventure, it’s far more exciting to sit in the general-admission grandstand. In summary: arrive very early, don’t bring valuables, and sit on the edges of the grandstand, not in the middle of the mayhem.

Source: Football Brazil, TownDown, Wikimedia

[The author describes how league responsibility and new laws have reduced dramatically any possibility of violence in the stands.]

You’ll also want to decide on whether to participate in the street festivities before the game. At most of the games I attended, street vendors hawked dirt-cheap, ice-cold beer and meat on sticks. In most places, there was a significant police presence, which was mostly reassuring. Even at a Series B game I attended in Fortaleza, in the northeast, where rows of officers in riot gear standing guard were enough to startle me, there was no evidence of anything worse than [rowdy] teenagers.

What should we do first? It’s always good to start with some data collection, so let’s do that. For each question below, fill in the requested information. Sometimes, there will be more than three possible responses; sometimes there will be fewer than three. Do what you can, and then mouse over the “Sample Response” button.

Is there factual information?

List two facts from the article:

1. 2.

Sample Response

© 2013 Texas Education Agency/ The University of Texas System. All Rights Reserved.

English I: Reading: Module 4: Practice 1: Section 3Informational Text Analysis (continued, page 3)

Is there information about the context?

Are there lighthearted, personal comments?

List two things about the context of the article:

1. 2.

List two things about the comments in the article:

1. 2.

Sample Response

Sample Response

Does the author try to “connect” with readers? Is there any direct address of the reader?

List two places where the author tries to “connect” with the readers :

1. 2.

Sample Response

Is there a structure to the text?

Sample Response

List two structural elements of the text:

1. 2.

English I: Reading: Module 4: Practice 1: Section 3Informational Text Analysis (continued, page 4)

© 2013 Texas Education Agency/ The University of Texas System. All Rights Reserved.

Source: Viva La Brazil, rOsHith’s, Flickr

Now it is time to do some analysis. Type your answers in the text boxes below. When you are finished, mouse over the “Sample Response” button to see a possible response to the question.

How “formal” is the presentation?

What is the purpose of the presentation?

Who is the audience?

Sample Response

Sample Response

Sample Response

What is the tone?

Sample Response