Deck 14: The Proccess of Writing an Essay

Question 1

Instructions: The paragraphs of the following essay have been scrambled so that they are out of order. Read them and then answer the question(s) that follow.
Acting to Save Mother Earth
_____ (1) These personal actions may not seem important. (2) At the very least, though, they can relieve some of the helplessness we all feel when faced with threats of global disasters. (3) If carried out on a larger scale by millions of individuals, they could greatly improve our environment and lives.
_____ (4) A third way of taking action for the planet is wise management of hazardous wastes. (5) Hazardous wastes include paint, old car batteries, oven and drain cleaners, mothballs, floor and furniture polish, pesticides, and even toilet bowl cleaners. (6) First of all, we should store hazardous materials properly by keeping them in their original containers; making sure they are clearly labeled; and keeping them in a cool, dry place that is out of the reach of children. (7) Second, we can reduce our use of these products by buying only what we need and by sharing anything that might be left over. (8) Third, we should take great care when disposing hazardous wastes. (9) Certain wastes such as old car batteries and motor oil can be refined and reused, and in some cities they can be turned in for special burning. (10) However, local authorities have to be contacted because disposal practices vary so much from place to place.
_____ (11) Every day we hear more bad news about our planet. (12) Reports tell us that wildlife and forests are disappearing at an alarming rate. (13) Newscasts give the latest word on how quickly Earth is losing its protective shield and warming up. (14) Newspapers lament the pollution of our air, water, and soil. (15) What can we do in the face of such widespread gloom? (16) In fact, we do not have to feel helpless. (17) We can each learn practical ways to better our environment.
_____ (18) But that's not all we can do. (19) Another Earth-saving habit is "precycling" all kinds of waste. (20) This means buying food and other products packaged only in materials that will decay naturally or that can be recycled. (21) The idea is to prevent unrecyclable materials from even entering the home. (22) For instance, the 190 pounds of plastic ⎯ especially Styrofoam ⎯ each American uses a year are thrown out as soon as packages are opened. (23) Be kind to your planet by buying eggs, fast food, and other products in cardboard instead of Styrofoam cartons. (24) Buy beverages in recyclable glass, aluminum, or plastic containers. (25) Buy in bulk to reduce the amount of packaging; you will save money, too. (26) Finally, when you can, buy products whose packaging shows the "recycled" logo. (27) Materials that have been recycled once can be recycled again.
_____ (28) For example, saving and recycling newspapers has a number of positive results. (29) First, recycling newspaper saves trees. (30) The average American consumes about 120 pounds of newsprint a year ⎯ enough to use up one tree. (31) That means close to 250 million trees each year are destroyed for paper in this country alone. (32) If we recycled only one-tenth of our newspaper, we would save 25 million trees a year. (33) Second, making new paper from old paper uses up much less energy than making paper from trees. (34) Finally, this process also reduces the air pollution of paper making by 95 percent.
Select the number of the sentence that is the thesis statement of this essay.
a. Sentence 11
b. Sentence 15
c. Sentence 17

Answer 1

c

Question 2

Instructions: In each group, select the letter of the sentence that is limited enough to be the thesis statement of a good essay. Select the thesis statement.

A) Marriage is beneficial for both spouses' physical health.
B) Marriage is a good idea.
C) This essay will discuss the benefits of marriage.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Instructions: The paragraphs of the following essay have been scrambled so that they are out of order. Read them and then answer the question(s) that follow.
How to Break a Bad Habit
_____ (1) Then, after awareness of a negative habit has been raised, substitution can take place. (2) Every time a person is tempted to engage in the undesirable behavior, he or she can replace it with a new, more desirable behavior. (3) For example, if a student grabs a bag of chips and a soda every time she sits down to study, then she can replace that habit with grabbing a bottled water and an apple, or just the water. (4) If a person is used to lighting up a cigarette after finishing a meal, he or she might get in the habit of chewing a piece of gum instead.
_____ (5) The process begins with increasing awareness of an undesirable behavior. (6) A bad habit is often so deeply ingrained that it becomes unconscious, and people do not realize when and how much they do it. (7) Therefore, a person must first think, "I'm doing it again" every time he or she lights up a cigarette, grabs a handful of chips, or puts off doing something.
_____ (8) Almost everyone has at least one bad habit he or she would like to get rid of. (9) That habit might as be as big as smoking cigarettes, procrastinating, or overeating, or as small as biting fingernails or misplacing keys. (10) All of them are tough to break. (11) But it's not impossible; in fact, any bad habit can be broken by following a three-step process.
_____ (12) People who have used this three-step process say that they were able to finally conquer their bad habit. (13) In the end, they not only improved their lives by giving up an unpleasant or unhealthy behavior, but they also felt more powerful for having been strong enough to free themselves from something that once held them in a very tight grip.
_____ (14) The final step of the process involves persevering over time. (15) A bad habit is not going to go away overnight; experts say that breaking it will take at least three to four weeks. (16) Therefore, a person has to persist with daily substitution. (17) At the same time, he or she must resist the urge to give up on the whole idea of breaking the habit if a lapse occurs. (18) Setbacks and resistance are inevitable, but they don't have to result in complete failure. (19) Keeping the long-term goal in mind and continuing to imagine the positive end result will help ingrain the newer, better habit.
Select the number of the sentence that best expresses the thesis statement of this essay.
a. Sentence 1
b. Sentence 8
c. Sentence 11

Answer 3

c

Question 4

Instructions: The paragraphs of the following essay have been scrambled so that they are out of order. Read them and then answer the question(s) that follow.
How to Break a Bad Habit
_____ (1) Then, after awareness of a negative habit has been raised, substitution can take place. (2) Every time a person is tempted to engage in the undesirable behavior, he or she can replace it with a new, more desirable behavior. (3) For example, if a student grabs a bag of chips and a soda every time she sits down to study, then she can replace that habit with grabbing a bottled water and an apple, or just the water. (4) If a person is used to lighting up a cigarette after finishing a meal, he or she might get in the habit of chewing a piece of gum instead.
_____ (5) The process begins with increasing awareness of an undesirable behavior. (6) A bad habit is often so deeply ingrained that it becomes unconscious, and people do not realize when and how much they do it. (7) Therefore, a person must first think, "I'm doing it again" every time he or she lights up a cigarette, grabs a handful of chips, or puts off doing something.
_____ (8) Almost everyone has at least one bad habit he or she would like to get rid of. (9) That habit might as be as big as smoking cigarettes, procrastinating, or overeating, or as small as biting fingernails or misplacing keys. (10) All of them are tough to break. (11) But it's not impossible; in fact, any bad habit can be broken by following a three-step process.
_____ (12) People who have used this three-step process say that they were able to finally conquer their bad habit. (13) In the end, they not only improved their lives by giving up an unpleasant or unhealthy behavior, but they also felt more powerful for having been strong enough to free themselves from something that once held them in a very tight grip.
_____ (14) The final step of the process involves persevering over time. (15) A bad habit is not going to go away overnight; experts say that breaking it will take at least three to four weeks. (16) Therefore, a person has to persist with daily substitution. (17) At the same time, he or she must resist the urge to give up on the whole idea of breaking the habit if a lapse occurs. (18) Setbacks and resistance are inevitable, but they don't have to result in complete failure. (19) Keeping the long-term goal in mind and continuing to imagine the positive end result will help ingrain the newer, better habit.
Part A: Select the answer that numbers the paragraphs in the order they should appear in the essay.
a. 1, 4, 3, 5, 2
b. 3, 2, 1, 5, 4
c. 2, 5, 4, 3, 1
Part B: Select the number of the topic sentence in the second paragraph of the reordered sequence.
a. Sentence 5
b. Sentence 6
c. Sentence 7
Part C: What transitional expression shows the relationship between paragraphs 2 and 3 in the reordered sequence?
a. Then
b. The final step
c. For example
Part D: Which of these three linking techniques is not used by the writer at the beginning of the third paragraph in the reordered sequence?
a. She repeats key words or ideas from the thesis statement.
b. She refers to a word or idea from the preceding paragraph.
c. She uses a transitional sentence.

Question 5

Instructions: In each group, select the letter of the sentence that is limited enough to be the thesis statement of a good essay. Select the thesis statement.

A) The school system needs to be changed.
B) Same-sex classrooms are a good idea.
C) To reduce misbehavior and improve student achievement, students should be educated in same-sex classrooms.

Question 6

Instructions: The paragraphs of the following essay have been scrambled so that they are out of order. Read them and then answer the question(s) that follow.
Acting to Save Mother Earth
_____ (1) These personal actions may not seem important. (2) At the very least, though, they can relieve some of the helplessness we all feel when faced with threats of global disasters. (3) If carried out on a larger scale by millions of individuals, they could greatly improve our environment and lives.
_____ (4) A third way of taking action for the planet is wise management of hazardous wastes. (5) Hazardous wastes include paint, old car batteries, oven and drain cleaners, mothballs, floor and furniture polish, pesticides, and even toilet bowl cleaners. (6) First of all, we should store hazardous materials properly by keeping them in their original containers; making sure they are clearly labeled; and keeping them in a cool, dry place that is out of the reach of children. (7) Second, we can reduce our use of these products by buying only what we need and by sharing anything that might be left over. (8) Third, we should take great care when disposing hazardous wastes. (9) Certain wastes such as old car batteries and motor oil can be refined and reused, and in some cities they can be turned in for special burning. (10) However, local authorities have to be contacted because disposal practices vary so much from place to place.
_____ (11) Every day we hear more bad news about our planet. (12) Reports tell us that wildlife and forests are disappearing at an alarming rate. (13) Newscasts give the latest word on how quickly Earth is losing its protective shield and warming up. (14) Newspapers lament the pollution of our air, water, and soil. (15) What can we do in the face of such widespread gloom? (16) In fact, we do not have to feel helpless. (17) We can each learn practical ways to better our environment.
_____ (18) But that's not all we can do. (19) Another Earth-saving habit is "precycling" all kinds of waste. (20) This means buying food and other products packaged only in materials that will decay naturally or that can be recycled. (21) The idea is to prevent unrecyclable materials from even entering the home. (22) For instance, the 190 pounds of plastic ⎯ especially Styrofoam ⎯ each American uses a year are thrown out as soon as packages are opened. (23) Be kind to your planet by buying eggs, fast food, and other products in cardboard instead of Styrofoam cartons. (24) Buy beverages in recyclable glass, aluminum, or plastic containers. (25) Buy in bulk to reduce the amount of packaging; you will save money, too. (26) Finally, when you can, buy products whose packaging shows the "recycled" logo. (27) Materials that have been recycled once can be recycled again.
_____ (28) For example, saving and recycling newspapers has a number of positive results. (29) First, recycling newspaper saves trees. (30) The average American consumes about 120 pounds of newsprint a year ⎯ enough to use up one tree. (31) That means close to 250 million trees each year are destroyed for paper in this country alone. (32) If we recycled only one-tenth of our newspaper, we would save 25 million trees a year. (33) Second, making new paper from old paper uses up much less energy than making paper from trees. (34) Finally, this process also reduces the air pollution of paper making by 95 percent.
Part A: Select the answer that numbers the paragraphs in the order they should appear in the essay.
a. 5, 4, 1, 3, 2
b. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
c. 4, 1, 5, 2, 3
Part B: Select the number of the topic sentence in the second paragraph in the reordered sequence.
a. Sentence 28
b. Sentence 29
c. Sentence 34
Part C: What transitional expression shows the relationship between paragraphs 3 and 4 in the reordered sequence?
a. A third way
b. But
c. For example
Part D: What linking technique does the writer use at the beginning of the third paragraph in the reordered sequence?
a. She repeats key words or ideas from the thesis statement.
b. She refers to a word or idea from the preceding paragraph.
c. She uses a transitional sentence.

Question 7

Instructions: Each of the following plans for an essay contains a thesis statement and several topic sentences in scrambled order. Select the letter of the answer that numbers the topic sentences in each group according to an order that makes sense. Thesis statement: To process and store information, the human brain uses three kinds of memory.
Topic sentences:
____ All incoming information from the world around us is registered first by our sensory memory.
____ If we rehearse information or integrate it with what we already know, we can move it from working memory into long-term memory, the brain's permanent storage vault.
____ By focusing attention on the information in sensory memory, we can move it to working memory, where we can consciously think about it.

A) 3, 2, 1
B) 1, 3, 2
C) 2, 1, 3

Question 8

Instructions: Each of the following plans for an essay contains a thesis statement and several topic sentences in scrambled order. Select the letter of the answer that numbers the topic sentences in each group according to an order that makes sense. Thesis statement: Binge drinking among college students has become a major problem on campuses nationwide.
Topic sentences:
____ Many students who drink heavily have problems with class attendance and fall behind in their schoolwork.
____ Nearly half of all college students feel pressured by their peers to drink heavily at social events.
____ Not limited to weekend partying, students may binge as often as four times a week during periods of academic stress.

A) 3, 1, 2
B) 1, 2, 3
C) 2, 3, 1

Question 9

Instructions: Each of the following plans for an essay contains a thesis statement and several topic sentences in scrambled order. Select the letter of the answer that numbers the topic sentences in each group according to an order that makes sense. Thesis statement: America's current high school drop-out crisis is negatively impacting our society in a number of ways.
Topic sentences:
____ Worst of all, because too many high school drop-outs wind up in prison or on unemployment, the high drop-out rate reflects a terrible waste of human potential.
____ Even worse, some drop-outs become a financial burden on their communities because they pay little to no taxes but need support in the form of food stamps, housing assistance, and government health care.
____ One consequence of large numbers of high school drop-outs, who typically earn low wages, is a significant reduction in the community's economic growth.

A) 1, 3, 2
B) 2, 3, 1
C) 3, 2, 1

Question 10

Instructions: In each group, select the letter of the sentence that is limited enough to be the thesis statement of a good essay. Select the thesis statement.

A) My grandfather taught me the value of discipline and hard work.
B) My family has really affected me.
C) I plan to write about my grandparents.

Question 11

Instructions: In each group, select the letter of the sentence that is limited enough to be the thesis statement of a good essay. Select the thesis statement.

A) Relying on text messages can cause lack of communication or misunderstandings.
B) Miscommunication can cause very serious problems.
C) Communicating via text messages is the subject of this essay.

Question 12

Instructions: In each group, select the letter of the sentence that is limited enough to be the thesis statement of a good essay. Select the thesis statement.

A) Men and women are very different.
B) This essay will be about the differences between men and women.
C) In several ways, men's and women's communication styles differ.

Question 13

Instructions: The paragraphs of the following essay have been scrambled so that they are out of order. Read them and then answer the question(s) that follow.
Overcoming Student Depression
_____ (1) Today, I'm grateful to my college for wanting to help people like me, and I urge anyone who is feeling depressed to find out more about his or her college's resources. (2) Students shouldn't go on floundering until they drown, not when there are people ready to toss out a life preserver and pull them in to safety.
_____ (3) I got this help by visiting my college's student health service. (4) Like many colleges, the one I attended had beefed up its resources for students who are having trouble coping with their new challenges. (5) I was able to take advantage of free on-campus counseling with a qualified therapist named Becky. (6) I told her how I felt, and she helped me figure out how to deal more effectively with the stress I was under. (7) I learned, for example, about how to use time management and exercise to better cope with everything I had to do. (8) Before long, I felt the cloud I had been under begin to lift. (9) I was still busy, but I didn't feel as overwhelmed, and my grades improved from Cs and Ds to As and Bs.
_____ (10) Second, I found out that my feelings were fairly common. (11) I searched for information online and found out that, according to an American College Health Association study, 10 percent of college students had been diagnosed with depression. (12) In addition, the National Mental Health Association reports that one-third of all college freshmen say they feel overwhelmed a great deal of the time. (13) It was a relief to discover that I wasn't alone. (14) Knowing that encouraged me to take the next step and get the help I needed.
_____ (15) The first thing I did was admit to myself that I was depressed. (16) One day while sitting in one of the student lounges on campus, I picked up a pamphlet published by my college's student health service. (17) It included a list of questions, such as "Do you often feel sad, anxious, or empty?" "Do you often feel fatigued or low in energy?" "Do you have difficulty concentrating or making decisions?" (18) I was surprised when I found myself answering yes to almost every one of these questions. (19) Since then, I've found out that most colleges are trying to educate students about the signs and symptoms of depression and other mental illnesses. (20) Through information posted on college web sites; printed materials like pamphlets and posters; and even forums followed by free screenings for eating disorders, alcoholism, and anxiety, colleges are helping students like me recognize when they are battling a very serious problem.
_____ (21) When I first started college, I was excited and happy. (22) It wasn't long, though, before I began to feel overwhelmed. (23) I could barely keep up with all of the assignments, tests, and papers of five different challenging classes. (24) At the same time, I was in an unfamiliar new environment, homesick for my family and friends back home. (25) After a while, I wasn't handling the pressures well at all; in fact, it was all I could do to get myself out of bed every morning. (26) Fortunately, though, I was able to take positive steps to identify and solve my problem.
Part A: Select the answer that numbers the paragraphs in the order they should appear in the essay.
a. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
b. 2, 5, 4, 1, 3
c. 1, 3, 5, 2, 4
Part B: Identify the number of the topic sentence in the third paragraph of the reordered sequence.
a. Sentence 1
b. Sentence 10
c. Sentence 21
Part C: What transitional expression shows the relationships between paragraphs 2 and 3 in the reordered sequence?
a. The first thing
b. Second
c. Today
Part D: What linking technique does the writer use at the beginning of the fourth paragraph in the reordered sequence?
a. He repeats key words or ideas from the thesis statement.
b. He refers to a word or idea from the preceding paragraph.
c. He uses a transitional sentence.

Question 14

Instructions: The paragraphs of the following essay have been scrambled so that they are out of order. Read them and then answer the question(s) that follow. Overcoming Student Depression
_____ (1) Today, I'm grateful to my college for wanting to help people like me, and I urge anyone who is feeling depressed to find out more about his or her college's resources. (2) Students shouldn't go on floundering until they drown, not when there are people ready to toss out a life preserver and pull them in to safety.
_____ (3) I got this help by visiting my college's student health service. (4) Like many colleges, the one I attended had beefed up its resources for students who are having trouble coping with their new challenges. (5) I was able to take advantage of free on-campus counseling with a qualified therapist named Becky. (6) I told her how I felt, and she helped me figure out how to deal more effectively with the stress I was under. (7) I learned, for example, about how to use time management and exercise to better cope with everything I had to do. (8) Before long, I felt the cloud I had been under begin to lift. (9) I was still busy, but I didn't feel as overwhelmed, and my grades improved from Cs and Ds to As and Bs.
_____ (10) Second, I found out that my feelings were fairly common. (11) I searched for information online and found out that, according to an American College Health Association study, 10 percent of college students had been diagnosed with depression. (12) In addition, the National Mental Health Association reports that one-third of all college freshmen say they feel overwhelmed a great deal of the time. (13) It was a relief to discover that I wasn't alone. (14) Knowing that encouraged me to take the next step and get the help I needed.
_____ (15) The first thing I did was admit to myself that I was depressed. (16) One day while sitting in one of the student lounges on campus, I picked up a pamphlet published by my college's student health service. (17) It included a list of questions, such as "Do you often feel sad, anxious, or empty?" "Do you often feel fatigued or low in energy?" "Do you have difficulty concentrating or making decisions?" (18) I was surprised when I found myself answering yes to almost every one of these questions. (19) Since then, I've found out that most colleges are trying to educate students about the signs and symptoms of depression and other mental illnesses. (20) Through information posted on college web sites; printed materials like pamphlets and posters; and even forums followed by free screenings for eating disorders, alcoholism, and anxiety, colleges are helping students like me recognize when they are battling a very serious problem.
_____ (21) When I first started college, I was excited and happy. (22) It wasn't long, though, before I began to feel overwhelmed. (23) I could barely keep up with all of the assignments, tests, and papers of five different challenging classes. (24) At the same time, I was in an unfamiliar new environment, homesick for my family and friends back home. (25) After a while, I wasn't handling the pressures well at all; in fact, it was all I could do to get myself out of bed every morning. (26) Fortunately, though, I was able to take positive steps to identify and solve my problem.
Select the number of the sentence that is the thesis statement of this essay.

A) Sentence 21
B) Sentence 25
C) Sentence 26

Question 15

Instructions: Each of the following plans for an essay contains a thesis statement and several topic sentences in scrambled order. Select the letter of the answer that numbers the topic sentences in each group according to an order that makes sense. Thesis statement: The history of European contact with the Karaja Indians of Brazil is one of violence and exploitation.
Topic sentences:
____ The Karaja, exposed to European diseases during the nineteenth century, were reduced in numbers by 90 percent.
____ During the eighteenth century, the bandeirantes led attacks on Karaja villages to get slaves.
____ Since the turn of the twentieth century, Brazilian pioneers have increasingly used Indian territory as grazing land.

A) 3, 2, 1
B) 1, 3, 2
C) 2, 1, 3

Question 16

Instructions: In each group, select the letter of the sentence that is limited enough to be the thesis statement of a good essay. Select the thesis statement.

A) I work at a great place.
B) I will write about my job at the car wash.
C) My job at the car wash has improved my teamwork and leadership skills.