Exam 1: College Writing Skills with Readings

PUNCTUATION MARKS Each of the sentences below contains an error in punctuation. Refer to the box below to write, in the space provided, the letter identifying the error. Then correct the error. a. missing comma b. missing apostrophe c. missing semicolon d. missing quotation marks -_____ 3. Arlene just received a promotion she's now an assistant buyer for the sports shop in the mall.

______ If you want to use a quotation that is longer than four lines, you should block the quotation, indenting it by an extra margin.

Revise each of the following sentences, using the strategy indicated. A. Parallelism 1. Tired of your old hair? The hair-care aisle is full of products that can color it, straighten it, or make it curly. 2. Beautiful women, a suave hero, and villains who are despicable are the most important elements of a James Bond movie. B. Consistent point of view 3. Joanna's date smiled at her, reached for her hand, and says, "You're looking beautiful tonight." 4. Rhonda says that you can kill a dog by feeding it chocolate. C. Specific words 5. Tonight I'd like a hamburger with all the trimmings. 6. The pile of junk on Carlos's bed made it impossible for him to sleep there. D. Active verbs 7. My sleep was shattered by a blood-curdling scream. 8. Every bit of the stew was eaten by the hungry hikers. E. Concise words 9. Without any doubt whatsoever, the success of this project has been due to the fact that everyone involved gave it his or her absolute utmost effort. 10. One of the very positive benefits of exercise is that after the person returns back to her normal everyday activities, she is not infrequently in a better mood than in the period of time before she exercised.

INFORMATION LITERACY Some of the questions that follow are true-false or multiple choice questions, and some require you to write short answers. -An example of a primary source is ____________.

_____ A topic sentence can also be a transitional sentence.

RUN-ONS In the space provided, write R-O beside run-on sentences. Write C beside sentences that are punctuated correctly. Some of the run-ons have no punctuation between the two complete thoughts; others have only a comma. Correct each run-on by using (l) a period and capital letter, (2) a comma plus a joining word, or (3) a semicolon. Do not use the same method of correction in each sentence. -_____ 10. I know I won't win the race tomorrow, I just want to be able to say I finished.

In the spaces provided, add appropriate transitions to tie together the sentences and ideas in the following essay. Draw from the words given in the box below. -Hooked on Buying Every day, Americans head out in droves for our country's department stores, discount centers, and shopping malls. We all have to buy something we think we really need or we feel is an incredible bargain. In reality, though, we are just ready for another fix of our favorite drug: shopping. There are several reasons why we seem to have turned into a nation of consumer junkies.______________________ , Americans believe in competition, even when it comes to acquiring possessions. We feel like losers if we don't own the cars, appliances, clothes, and furniture our neighbors and friends own. _______________________ , the Browns' four-year-old car will seem fine until the Smiths next door buy a brand-new model. Then the competitive instinct to stay ahead in the game sends the Browns out scouting the new car lots. The competitive urge tells us that people's success in life is measured by how much they own. So we admire those with the most material possessions, the ones who own three cars or enough shoes to fill a walk-in closet. A _________________________ reason for our addiction to consumer goods is the American belief that "new is better." It is possible to fix a broken toaster, mend torn clothing, or make do with an outdated refrigerator. _____________________ we prefer to throw out the old and buy the new. _______________________, we have junkyards and dumps bursting with the still-usable items we no longer want. Instead of reusing or recycling, which would make more economic sense, we throw away.________________________, our buying habit is maintained and encouraged by advertisers. We are bombarded by television and pop-up ads that carry seductive messages. ___________________ of these messages is that buying a particular product-a flat screen, a motorcycle, or a dishwasher-is all that is needed to make the purchaser happy. _____________________ message is that buying a certain product will make the user a better, more attractive person. Every shampoo, makeup, or cologne ad tries to convince us that a single item can transform us into the ideal self we fantasize about. In this country, shopping satisfies our psychological needs. We are truly hooked on the thrill that comes from passing cash or plastic over a store counter and receiving some new possession in return. ____________, this thrill is never lasting and only promotes the worst sides of our collective character. _____________ of submitting to consumerist impulses, Americans ought to focus their time, energy, and resources on initiatives that improve society, thus breaking this vicious cycle of buying and selling.

When you use the library catalog to search by subject, you will find

Choose the sentence that is too broad to be an effective thesis for an essay.

Which of the following is not an effective way to avoid plagiarism?

EVALUATING AN ESSAY FOR COHERENCE Read the essay below and then answer the questions about coherence that follow. Labeling Animals a In some ways, the human race seems to be in its childhood. The conventional attitude toward animals, for example, makes humanity seem like a tribe of seven-year-olds pulling the wings off flies. Instead of respecting all animals as important parts of the chain of life, humans rate them according to their usefulness. Historically, humankind has failed to recognize animals as anything other than products, toys, or monsters. b There are the products. These are the animals, such as cattle, pigs, and sheep, that provide much of the world's food. For this reason, people tend to think of them less as living creatures than as growing crops, fattening them up, herding them into slaughterhouses, and carving them into edible portions. These animals are "useful," so the general population has typically positive feelings about them. Humankind's actions show that most people are not actually fond of them. People are willing to lock baby calves into dark boxes for months and then kill them for veal, or cram thousands of chickens into tiny pens and allow them to live for only six weeks. Increased production, not humane treatment, is the bottom line. c Perhaps the most harmful label that humans pin on animals, though, is that of monster. The general population has use at all for these creatures. They are taught from birth that sharks, snakes, bats, and alligators, for instance, are evil and dangerous. The facts about these animals make no difference to people's emotions. The fact that being attacked by a shark is less likely than being struck by lightning does not stop fishermen from holding shark-killing contests. The fact that a snake is harmless does not stop sadistic hikers from crushing it. Very few will ever be mauled by a grizzly or bobcat or torn apart by wolves, yet many support the extermination of these animals in the name of "safety." d Advertisers label some animals as toys. These are the lucky ones-the puppies, kittens, pandas, koala bears, bunnies, and porpoises that children consider cute. Toys make people feel sentimental and protective. Many are willing to devote five minutes on the evening news to a baby panda, they stock their children's room with stuffed bunnies, and watch movies about friendly, funny porpoises. No one in their right mind would advocate a puppy-shoot or a koala-killing contest. Toy-like animals may occasionally be neglected or abused by individual owners, but polite society does not allow them to be destroyed on a wholesale basis. e Labeling animals is not a harmless little quirk that humans have. In separating the animal kingdom into products, toys, and monsters, society has made it easier to brutalize these defenseless creatures. The practice of categorizing has dulled humanity's respect for other living beings and even led to the destruction of entire species. As people dominate animals, they forget to behave as caretakers. This results in a loss of dignity and humanity-not only for the victimized animals, but for their human counterparts as well. -What are the first several words of the sentence to which the transition word First could be added in the first supporting paragraph? _____________________________

Some of the questions that follow are true-false or multiple choice questions, and some require you to write short answers. -FILL-IN: In most writing, your general aim should be to first advance a point and then ________________ that point.

INFORMATION LITERACY Some of the questions that follow are true-false or multiple choice questions, and some require you to write short answers. -FILL-IN: Magazines, journals, and newspapers are often referred to as ______________.

In revising sentences, which of the following questions should you ask?

RUN-ONS In the space provided, write R-O beside run-on sentences. Write C beside sentences that are punctuated correctly. Some of the run-ons have no punctuation between the two complete thoughts; others have only a comma. Correct each run-on by using (l) a period and capital letter, (2) a comma plus a joining word, or (3) a semicolon. Do not use the same method of correction in each sentence. -_____ 6. We quickly closed the camper's windows, but dozens of moths had managed to fly in anyway.

What is the date of the issue in which the article appeared? ___________________________

Some of the questions that follow are true-false or multiple choice questions, and some require you to write short answers. -In which stage of the writing process is a computer helpful?

IDENTIFYING ADEQUATELY DEVELOPED PARAGRAPHS Each of the following body paragraphs is part of a larger essay. Two of the paragraphs provide sufficient details to support their topic sentences convincingly. Write AD for adequate development beside those paragraphs. There are also two paragraphs that, in large part, use vague, wordy, or general sentences as a substitute for real supporting details. Write U for underdeveloped beside those paragraphs. -______ 1. Chaperoning a group of Girl Scouts on a canoe trip turned out to be one of the three worst experiences of my summer. The day started out wrong, first, when a scheduling mix-up occurred. A great deal of time had to be spent just getting this exasperating matter straightened out. Once we reached the river, we had problems teaching the girls how to handle their crafts. There was not the cooperation and the simple skill at moving the crafts that might have been assumed. Finally, the loss of some important supplies and some unexpected bad weather turned the whole outing into a horror show. Feeling altogether frustrated because of the many things that went wrong, I vowed that I would never again volunteer for a Scout field trip.

_____ It is a good idea to insert your own ideas and opinions into any summary you write.

INFORMATION LITERACY Some of the questions that follow are true-false or multiple choice questions, and some require you to write short answers. -Which of the following is an example of an online database?