Instructions: Copy and paste this exercise into your e-mail message area. Complete it and then send it to 0302race@spc.cc.tx.us. Put "Assignment 4" in the subject line of your e-mail.
Each part is worth 25 points.
Part 1: Topic Sentences. Each of the following paragraphs contains a topic sentence that states the main idea of the paragraph. Find which sentence best states the main idea and type it below the paragraph. The topic sentence will not always be the first sentence of a paragraph.
1. Sometimes, factors totally unrelated to study can interfere
with performance on a test. Test anxiety is an excellent
illustration. It often strikes students who have prepared adequately and
who set high standards for themselves. Test anxiety goes beyond the mild
jitters that plague almost every student the night before a test. It holds
its victims in a paralyzing grip. Typically, the student with test anxiety
looks at the first question on the test, and all the carefully studied material
seems to evaporate in a haze of panic. The student knows the material
before entering the examination room and may recall both questions and answers
after the test has ended, but in the pressure cooker of the text environment,
the answers do not come. As the example of test anxiety shows, poor test
performance is not always an indication that no studying took place.
TOPIC SENTENCE:
2. Purchasing a new car requires the buyer’s careful
consideration of five items. First, the car buyer must determine a budget.
Although many people would appreciate the luxury of a new Mercedes-Benz, few
could afford the monthly payments. Second, the buyer must determine the
type of car he needs. If the buyer has a large family, then a sports car
with only two seats is impractical. Third, the buyer must determine how he
will use the car. For example, a rancher who lives in a mountainous area
needs a four-wheel-drive vehicle, not a luxury car that requires a tune-up every
two months. Fourth, the buyer must choose the options he wants or
needs. For instance, if the buyer lives in a subtropical climate, then an
air conditioner is a necessity, not a luxury. Finally, the buyer should
consider the reputation of the dealer. After all, if there are problems
with the machine, then the buyer wants to know that he can rely upon the dealer
to have the problems corrected. Following these steps will ensure that a
buyer selects the correct car for his needs.
TOPIC
SENTENCE:
3. Mountains of disposable diapers are thrown into garbage cans
every day. Tons of yogurt containers, soda cans, and other plastic items
are discarded without so much as a stomp to flatten them out. If the old
Chevy is not worth fixing, tow it off to sit with thousands of others on acres
of fenced-in junkyards. Radios, televisions, and toasters get the same
treatment because it is easier and often less expensive to buy a new product
than to fix the old one. Who wants a comfortable old sweater if a new one
can be bought on sale? No thought is given that the new one will soon look
like the old one after two or three washings. We are the great "Let's junk
it" society!
TOPIC SENTENCE:
4. Travelers to the United States have usually heard about the
wonders of Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon. These same tourists are not
always so aware that an impressive variety of other sights awaits them in this
country. The spectacular beauty of the Rocky Mountains and the wide
majesty of the Mississippi River are sure to please the tourist. The green
hills and valleys of the East are a contrast to the purple plains and dramatic
skies of the West. The sandy beaches of the southern states are becoming
increasingly popular. Even the area of the Great Lakes becomes a center of
activity for boating, fishing, and swimming throughout the summer months.
TOPIC SENTENCE:
5. Advertisements that claim you can lose five pounds overnight
are not to be trusted. Nor are claims that your luck will change if you
send money to a certain post office box in a distant state. You should
also avoid chain letters you receive in the mail that promise you large amounts
of money if you will cooperate and keep the chain going. Many people are
suspicious of the well-publicized million-dollar giveaway promotions that seem
to offer enormous cash prizes, even if you do not try the company's
product. We should always be suspicious of offers that promise us
something for little or no effort or money.
TOPIC
SENTENCE:
Part 2: Paragraph Unity. For paragraphs 1-4, type any sentences that do not support the topic sentence below each paragraph. Each paragraph contains at least one irrelevant sentence. Question 5 is written in TASP Test format.
1. A vegetarian diet benefits one’s health, one’s wellbeing,
and even the environment. First, a low-fat vegetarian diet can prevent
heart disease and help lower blood pressure, as well as fight diabetes.
Not many people realize that almost six percent of Americans are diabetic and
that there is no cure. Muscles, strength, and endurance are also enhanced
by a vegetarian diet. In addition to the health benefits, vegetarians say
they feel better about themselves spiritually than they did when they were
eating meat. It is as if people discover a greater awareness of their
connection with the plant and animal world. This awareness is related to
the satisfaction of knowing that vegetarianism benefits the environment.
Less water is used in the cultivation of vegetables than in the production of
livestock, and much more fossil fuel is required to produce the same amount of
protein from beef as from grain. Given the benefits, it is no wonder over
twelve million Americans today consider themselves vegetarians.
IRRELEVANT SENTENCE(S):
2. The three possessions I could not live without are my car,
my portable tape recorder, and my bed. Since I attend school full time and
hold down two part-time jobs that are many miles from each other, from where I
live, and from school, reliable transportation is essential for me. Even
though my car is almost twelve years old and has close to 120,000 miles on it, I
could not manage without it. In addition, I could not live without my
portable tape recorder because I use it to record all the class lectures I
attend. Then, I can play them back while I am driving or during my breaks
at work. Three nights a week and on weekends I work as a counselor at a
home for teenagers with problems, and my other job is in the tire department at
Sam’s. Finally, I could not live without my bed because I spend so much of
my time on the go. When I am home, all I want to do is sleep!
IRRELEVANT SENTENCE(S):
3. Dr. Jerome Bach believes that children may play certain
roles in the family depending on their birth order. The first child, who
usually identifies with the father, takes on the family’s more obvious social
and career goals. The second child is tuned in to the family’s emotional
requirements and may act out the hidden needs of others, especially the
mother. The behavior of the third child often reflects what is going on
between the parents; for instance, if eating is the only activity the parents
enjoy doing as a couple, the third child may be overweight. In general,
families today have fewer children than in the past.
IRRELEVANT SENTENCE(S):
4. Studies conducted by Dr. Leonard Eron over the last thirty
years suggest that the more television violence children are exposed to, the
more aggressive they are as teenagers and adults. In 1960 Eron questioned
parents about how they treated their children at home, including how much
television their children watched. There is more violence on television
today than there was then. Ten years later, he interviewed these families
again and discovered that whether teenage sons were aggressive depended less on
how they had been treated by their parents than on how much violent television
they had watched as children. Returning in 1990, he found that these same
young men, now in their thirties, were still more likely to be aggressive and to
commit crimes. Researchers estimate that a child today is likely to watch
100,000 violent acts on television before finishing elementary school.
IRRELEVANT SENTENCE(S):
5. TASP-Format Question. Read the passage below, written in the style of a leisure studies textbook. Then answer the question that follows.
(1) Fishing is one of the most popular recreational sports in the United States. (2) More people become involved in it every year. (3) Moreover, it is an activity that attracts participants from every geographic region of the country. (4) Unfortunately, acid rain poses a serious threat to our northeastern lakes and streams. (5) In short, people from all walks of life--from school teachers to computer programmers--are catching more fish every year.
Which of the following numbered parts draws attention away from
the main idea of the above paragraph?
Type "my choice"
next to the answer you choose.
A. Part 2
B. Part 3
C. Part 4
D. Part 5
Part 3: Paragraph Support. Each of the following 4 topic sentences is followed by 4 additional sentences. Three of these additional sentences contain acceptable supporting details, but one of the sentences is simply a restatement of the topic sentence. Find the sentence which is simply a restatement of the topic sentence, and type "my choice" in front of it. Number 5 is a TASP-format question.
1. Most people no longer wonder whether cigarette smoking is bad for their health.
a. Following the evidence from over 30,000 studies, a federal
law requires that cigarette manufacturers place a health warning to all smokers
on their packages.
b. Studies have shown that smoking
presently causes nearly 80 percent of lung cancer deaths in this country.
c. Few authorities today have any doubts about the connection
between cigarette smoking and poor health.
d. We know
that 30 percent of the deaths from coronary heart disease can be attributed to
smoking.
2. Iceland has a very barren landscape.
a. One-tenth of the island is covered by ice.
b. There is not a single forest on the entire island.
c. Nearly everywhere you look in Iceland, you see vast desolate
areas.
d. Three-fourths of the island is
uninhabitable.
3. Today, people are realizing the disadvantages of using credit cards too often.
a. People should think twice before using their credit
cards.
b. Interest rates on credit cards can reach
alarming rates.
c. Credit cards encourage buying on
impulse, rather than planning a budget carefully.
d.
Many credit card companies charge an annual fee for the privilege of using
cards.
4. Since World War II, the status of women in Japan has changed.
a. In 1947, women won the right to vote.
b. The women's position in Japanese society has altered over the past
fifty years.
c. Many Japanese women now go on to get a
higher education.
d. Women can now own property in
their own name and seek divorce.
5. TASP-Format Question. Read the passage below, written in the style of an environmental studies textbook. Then answer the question that follows.
(1) The deadly poison DDT was routinely used by farmers in the 1950s to kill the insects that preyed on their crops. (2) Unfortunately, however, the chemical's effects could not be confined to the pests for whom it was intended. (3) Washed off the plants by rain, DDT found its way into rivers, contaminating fish. (4)______________________________________________. (5) One such consumer, the bald eagle, was brought to the edge of extinction before DDT was banned. (6) It was only after DDT use was outlawed that the bald eagle population--as well as that of many other species of wildlife--began to increase once again.
Which of the following sentences would be the best replacement for the blank line labeled Part 4 in the paragraph? Type "my choice" in front of the answer you choose.
A. Consumers of the fish were poisoned in turn.
B. This at least reduced the amount of DDT on the crops meant
for human consumption.
C. You are probably wondering
why somebody did not think of that.
D. We all feel
sorry for the affected eagles, but what about the fish that died?
Part 4: Paragraph Support.
For the
topic sentences in numbers 1-3 below, supply three supporting details. Be
sure each detail/example is specific and not general or vague. (each worth 5
points)
Example: The dinner was a disaster.
2. My sister is the sloppiest person I know.
a.
b.
c.
3. The first semester in college can be overwhelming.
a.
b.
c.
For number 4 below, specific details are needed to back up the ideas in the paragraph. Where the blanks are provided, add a sentence or two of clear, convincing details for each supporting idea. Type the ideas you add in ALL CAPS.
4. When my family's only television set
went to the repair shop the other day, my parents, my sister, and I thought we
would have a terrible week. However, with no television to compete for our
time, we found plenty of hours for personal interests. We all read more
that week than we had read during the six months before. For example,
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
We each also enjoyed some hobbies we had ignored for
ages.___________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
In addition, my sister and I both stopped procrastinating with
our homework._______________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________