Exam 1: Writing Effective Paragraphs

Instructions: Select True if the statement is true or False if the statement is false. Adding specific details or examples can make a sentence or paragraph more interesting.

Instructions: Below is a source followed by passage(s) from student papers. If the student has summarized, directly quoted, or indirectly quoted the source correctly, select the answer Correct. If you believe the source is incorrectly summarized or plagiarized, select the answer Incorrect. So why should we care about population growth in the world, in China, in the United States, or anywhere else? The primary reason is that each of us depends on the earth s life-support systems to meet our basic needs for air, water, food, land, shelter, and energy as well as our needs for a number of other natural resources that we use to produce an incredible variety of manufactured goods. As our population grows and incomes rise, we use more of the earth s natural resources to satisfy our growing wants, and this increases our ecological footprints. The result can be degradation and depletion of the natural capital that keeps us alive and supports our lifestyles and economies. Miller, G. Tyler, and Scott E. Spoolman. Environmental Science. 14th ed. Belmont: Brooks/Cole, 2013. Print. Page 94. Student version: Population growth should matter to us all because it threatens our lifestyles and economies. According to the book Environmental Science , we have to remember that we depend on the earth s life-support systems to meet our basic needs, and population growth causes degradation and depletion of the natural capital that keeps us alive.

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct preposition to insert in each of the following sentences. When it comes to highway tolls, I differ ____ Senator Freiling.

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct words and punctuation for each blank. Years later, the library suffered a tragic fate: In 1851, two-thirds of the Jefferson ____ destroyed in another fire.

Instructions: Select the correct preposition in parentheses for each of the following sentences. Heidi s addicted ( with , to ) caffeine; she can t start the day without a cup of coffee.

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

Instructions: The following sentences form a passage. For each one, select correct if the sentence is punctuated correctly, fragment if it is a fragment, run-on if it is a run-on, and comma splice if it is a comma splice. Today, McLurkin champions technical education.

Instructions: In each sentence below, a blank space appears where the verb should be. Choose the correct helping verb and past participle form. Select the letter of the correct answer. Angela ____ dozens of phone calls for the Channel 41 telethon.

Instructions: In each pair of sentences below, carefully determine the exact relationship between the sentences. Then select the transitional expression that clearly expresses this relationship. He posted his r sum on a job search web site. ____, he waited for employers to contact him for a job interview.

Instructions: The following sentences form a passage. Select the correct past tense verb for each blank. Several folks ____ their eggs and ____ their coffee in the waterfront coffee shop.

Instructions: Read each of the following essay introductions. Select the letter of the method the writer used in each introduction. The essay below begins with a(n) Almost all of us have heard of the Amish, the religious sect that separates itself from the world and rejects modern conveniences and advanced technology. We imagine people wearing hand-sewn clothing and living in homes without refrigerators, dishwashers, televisions, and telephones. However, the Amish have been buying and using cell phones for years. They also use in-line skates, power-operated grass cutters, and gas grills for barbecuing. The Amish employ such conveniences when they do not interfere with family life. Cell phones, for example, are kept outside the home and are used for business purposes only. The Amish people look at every modern-day convenience and accept it only if it works to bring together, not drive apart, members of the family and community. Wired, January 1999, http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/7.01/amish.html

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) It would be difficult to imagine a more stifling and uncomfortable outfit than one favored by the fashionable, well-to-do lady of the Elizabethan era. (2) Atop her dyed and styled hair, she wore an often elaborate headdress. (3) Her face was covered with a base coat of white lead and sulfur makeup, with additional layers of dye for cheeks and lips. (4) Around her neck was either a heavy necklace of large jewels or a ruff, a stiff ring made of starched lace. (5) A bodice with long, detachable sleeves covered her to her waist. (6) Beneath this bodice, a corset functioned as a girdle to flatten her chest and decrease the size of her waist. (7) Underneath her skirt, or kirtle, she wore a stiff frame made of wire or whalebone, which was designed to make the skirt balloon out from the body. (8) On her legs and feet, knee-length stockings made of wool or silk and leather shoes completed her many-layered costume. Select the number of the topic sentence that states the overall impression of the subject.

Instructions: Select the sentence that contains concise, fresh language. Which sentence contains concise, fresh language?

Instructions: The following sentences form a passage. Select the correct noun for each blank. He made history in so doing but also created a ____ in sports.

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. For each item, select the letter of the word that is a look-alike/sound-alike error. In 1952, Chavez began his work for the Community Service Organization, a group that helped Mexican American migrant workers fight for they re rights.

Instructions: Each of the following general statements is followed by several examples. For each of the statements, select the letter of the example that does not clearly illustrate the generalization. My boss seems to go out of his way to make me miserable.

Instructions: The following sentences form an essay. Select the correct verb for each blank. Here are exhibits that ____ how electricity is generated or why bubbles eventually break, or where lightning is likely to strike.

Instructions: What kind of paragraph or essay is required by each of the following questions? Select the letter of the correct answer. How are Islam and Christianity alike?

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. For each item, select the letter of the word that is misspelled. Some origami creations have moving parts. A bird can flap its delecate wings; a frog can hop when someone touches its back.

Instructions: For each of the following statements, select the answer that correctly identifies the cause and effect. The lack of an effective warning system led to the high death toll from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.