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Cohesive Devices Analysis

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Cohesive Devices Analysis

Read the passage, then answer the questions. Look for the ways words and phrases link ideas across sentences.

Passage: The listening wall

Chloe and Lachlan visited a new sound exhibition at a museum. At the exhibition’s centre stood a curved listening wall, which transformed visitors’ voices into ripples of light. The display looked simple; however, its technology was remarkably complex. Microphones captured each sound, and a computer converted it into patterns. These patterns travelled across the wall like waves. Visitors could whisper, clap or hum; each action produced a different response. For example, a low hum made broad blue arcs, while a sharp clap created brief flashes of yellow. The exhibit encouraged people to experiment. As a result, even cautious visitors soon began testing new sounds. Although the room grew noisy, the staff did not ask anyone to be quiet. Instead, they invited visitors to notice how sound changes when it meets different surfaces. This invitation turned a playful activity into a lesson about vibrations. Chloe tried the experiment again with a whisper. It produced a narrow line of light, and she noticed that the pattern faded as the sound weakened. The wall was not just a spectacle: it helped visitors see an invisible process.

1.In “The display looked simple; however, its technology was remarkably complex,” what relationship does “however” signal?

A contrast between appearance and reality
A sequence of events
An example of the technology
A cause-and-effect relationship

2.In the sentence “At the exhibition’s centre stood a curved listening wall”, what does “the exhibition’s” refer to?

3.What does “These patterns” refer to in “These patterns travelled across the wall like waves”? Explain how this reference links the sentence to the previous one.

4.Match each phrase from the passage to its main function. Write the letter of the function beside each phrase.

For example
As a result
Although
Instead
A. Signals an alternative
B. Introduces an example
C. Introduces a contrast or concession
D. Signals a consequence

5.Give two words or phrases from the passage that belong to the sound-related word group. Explain how this word group helps hold the passage together.

6.In “This invitation turned a playful activity into a lesson about vibrations,” what earlier idea does “This invitation” refer to?

7.Rewrite these sentences using a cohesive device to make their relationship clearer: “The room grew noisy. The staff invited visitors to experiment.”

8.The passage uses “The wall” and “the exhibit” to refer to the listening wall. Explain how this variation helps the writing, and why simply repeating “the listening wall” every time could be less effective.

9.Write three or four sentences recommending—or not recommending—the listening wall to another museum visitor. Use at least three different cohesive devices, including one reference word or phrase (such as “it”, “this exhibit” or “these patterns”). Underline or list the devices you used.