Exam 3: The Proccess of Writing Paragraphs

The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the question(s). (1) New Jersey businessman Barry Halper owned the world's largest collection of baseball memorabilia. (2) Three packed rooms in his basement held countless baseball-related objects priceless to any lover of the game. (3) He owned, for instance, at least 1 million baseball cards, all in complete sets. (4) Nine hundred players' uniforms on a dry cleaner's conveyor belt hummed through a huge closet in Halper's basement. (5) Another prized example of Halper's passion was a life-size wax statue of Babe Ruth purchased from Madame Tussaud's famous wax museum in London. (6) Halper displayed a huge leather chair shaped like a baseball mitt, 3,000 autographed balls, a baseball pinball machine made in the 1930s, posters, bats, masks, trophies. (7) In 1998, he sold his collection; Major League Baseball bought many of Halper's treasures and donated them to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Transitional words or phrases are used in which sentences?

For each group of sentences below, select the letter of the sentence that is limited enough to be the topic sentence of a good paragraph. Select the good topic sentence.

Select the letter of the correct answer for each of the following questions. Study the body of the following paragraph. Then, select the letter of the topic sentence that is most accurate. From 1869 to 1875, as a poor child in Ohio, Annie Oakley paid off the family's mortgage by hunting and selling wild game. In her teens, she competed against Frank Butler, a famous marksman who came to town, and beat him by one point. European kings and queens loved to watch her perform, and she once shot a cigarette from the lips of the future Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. Years later, Annie married Butler and joined Wild Bill's Wild West Show, where she was the star.

The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the questions. (1) Networks should not present children's shows that contain violence. (2) Children fed a constant diet of TV violence begin to believe that brutality is acceptable. (3) Seeing dogs, cats, and mice pushing each other off roofs and hitting each other with bricks in these shows, children are bound to assume that brutality is and should be a way of life. (4) Another reason for keeping violence out of children's shows is that young viewers may get the idea that violence is not really painful. (5) For example, my neighbor has told me that after a Saturday morning of violent cartoons, her son Paul tends to hit and bully his sister and then seems amazed when, unlike the smiling cartoon characters, she cries. (6) Most important, the consequences of letting our children watch these shows are frightening to imagine. (7) We may be raising a generation of adolescents and then adults so used to watching cruelty on television that they will not be moved to stop it when they see it in real life. Transitional words or phrases are used in which sentences?

The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the question(s). (1) Why is money such a problem issue for couples? (2) Psychologists and others have identified several causes. (3) One cause of financial tension is that people who overspend tend to marry people who hoard their money. (4) The hoarders feel happy and in control when they are not spending, whereas the overspenders feel happy and in control when they are spending. (5) Another reason is that most couples have more difficulty communicating about money than about any other subject. (6) Although they may talk to each other about everything else under the sun, they can't seem to communicate about money or how they feel about it. (7) A third cause of trouble involves gender differences, including differences in how men and women see the world and operate in it. (8) Some of these differences may go back to the early roles of men as hunters and women as food gatherers. (9) Rob Becker, in his theater piece, Defending the Caveman , describes men going out to buy a shirt, wearing it until it dies, and then going out to kill another shirt ⎯ while women, the gatherers, shop early and accumulate items for later giving. (10) Even though this picture may strike us as funny and we know people who are exceptions to all the generalizations, money issues continue to plague our relationships. Transitional words or phrases are used in which sentences?

The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the question(s). (1) The bedroom had been carefully put in order. (2) The two French windows to the left of the door sparkled with the sunlight reflected onto their clean glass panes. (3) Beneath each window was a carved honey-colored bookcase about three feet high and four feet wide. (4) Both bookcases contained neat rows of leather-bound books. (5) Flush against the back wall stood a magnificent canopy bed covered with an eyelet comforter. (6) Several eyelet-covered pillows were plumped at the head of the bed. (7) Against the right wall was a carved writing table on which lay a neat stack of writing paper and a gold pen. Transitional words or phrases are used in which sentences?

The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the questions. (1) Networks should not present children's shows that contain violence. (2) Children fed a constant diet of TV violence begin to believe that brutality is acceptable. (3) Seeing dogs, cats, and mice pushing each other off roofs and hitting each other with bricks in these shows, children are bound to assume that brutality is and should be a way of life. (4) Another reason for keeping violence out of children's shows is that young viewers may get the idea that violence is not really painful. (5) For example, my neighbor has told me that after a Saturday morning of violent cartoons, her son Paul tends to hit and bully his sister and then seems amazed when, unlike the smiling cartoon characters, she cries. (6) Most important, the consequences of letting our children watch these shows are frightening to imagine. (7) We may be raising a generation of adolescents and then adults so used to watching cruelty on television that they will not be moved to stop it when they see it in real life. Select the type of development the writer of this paragraph has used.

For each paragraph, select the number of the topic sentence. Identify the topic sentence of the paragraph below. (1) Playing video games may give doctors an advantage in the operating room, helping them save lives. (2) A 2004 study at New York's Beth Israel Medical Center tested thirty-three doctors on video game tasks that measured their motor skills, reaction time, and hand-eye coordination. (3) These are the same skills that are essential to performing laparoscopic surgery, which involves using a joystick to maneuver a tiny video camera inserted into a patient's body. (4) Researchers found that doctors who used to play video games for more than three hours a week were 37 percent less likely than nongamers to make mistakes. (5) They also finished procedures 27 percent faster than nongamers.

For each paragraph below, select the number of the topic sentence. Identify the topic sentence of the paragraph below. (1) Statistics show that the average American generates about 4 pounds of trash every day. (2) When you multiply that by the number of people living in the United States, you realize we throw away about 210 million tons of stuff each year. (3) That's a lot of trash. (4) However, we can all combat this problem by taking three steps: "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle." (5) Reduce refers to lessening the amount of trash you generate. Buy only the amount you need. (6) Persuade manufacturers to reduce the amount of packaging they use. (7) Mow your lawn with a mulching mower and leave the clippings on the grass. (8) Reuse means finding other locations for items besides the garbage can. (9) Figure out other ways you can use things like cans or plastic bags. (10) Share unused portions with neighbors or charities. (11) Donate unwanted items to others rather than throwing them away. (12) If you can't reuse, recycle . (13) The recycling process can be applied to glass, paper, plastics, steel, and cardboard, which can be made into useful products rather than thrown into an overflowing landfill.

For each paragraph below, select the number of the topic sentence. Identify the topic sentence of the paragraph below. (1) Volunteering doesn't just benefit those who receive help; it significantly improves the health and happiness of the volunteer, too. (2) According to several studies, elderly people who volunteer are less depressed and more physically healthy than elderly people who don't volunteer. (3) Plus, those same studies found that the volunteers lived longer. (4) However, it's not just senior citizens who benefit from volunteering. (5) The connection between volunteering and good health is so strong, as a matter of fact, that the Public Health Center at Harvard University created a media campaign to encourage new retirees to sign up to volunteer. (6) Child psychologists say that volunteer work helps adolescents and teenagers, too, by building their self-esteem and socialization skills.

Select the letter of the correct answer for each of the following questions. Select the number of the topic sentence in the paragraph below. (1) Within 20 minutes of quitting smoking, an ex-smoker's blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal. (2) Within eight hours, oxygen levels in the blood increase, and carbon monoxide levels decrease. (3) Forty-eight hours after quitting, the ex-smoker's senses of smell and taste return to normal. (4) By three months after quitting, the ex-smoker's circulation will have improved, and his or her lung function will have increased by as much as 30 percent. (5) A year after quitting, the ex-smoker's risk for heart disease is slashed by half. (6) The risk for lung cancer is cut in half within five years of quitting. (7) It's clear that the longer an ex-smoker goes without cigarettes, the healthier he or she becomes.

For each group of sentences below, select the letter of the sentence that is limited enough to be the topic sentence of a good paragraph. Select the good topic sentence.

The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the question(s). (1) Do you have a flat bicycle tire? (2) If so, then follow these easy steps and you'll be on your way in no time. (3) First, remove the flat tire from its frame. (4) Make sure all the air is out of the tire. (5) Next, separate the tire from its rim. (6) Carefully remove the tube from inside the tire. (7) Once the tube is removed, patch it or start with a new tube. (8) Then inspect the inside of the rim for thorns, sticks, pebbles, or anything else that might cause a puncture. (9) Now you're ready to insert the tire back inside the rim. (10) After pushing the tire back into the rim, make sure the tube is completely inside the tire. (11) Inflate the new or patched tire. (12) After you check for bulges or irregularities in the tire, it should be ready for use. Transitional words or phrases are used in which sentences?

Each group of sentences below could be unscrambled and written as a paragraph. Read each group, and select the letter of the topic sentence for each. Select the topic sentence.

The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the question(s). (1) For two long days, Davisville's residents lived through the consequences of a power outage. (2) The most dramatic effect of the blackout was that people could not use their refrigerators, fans, or air conditioners although these were the two hottest days of the year. (3) Most residents tried to keep cool as best they could. (4) Lights were out, of course, so the local grocery store quickly sold its entire stock of candles and flashlights. (5) Couples and families could be seen trying to read by natural light until darkness fell. (6) Businesses were affected, too. (7) Small stores in the center of town used gas-fueled power generators to keep their produce cool and well-lit for customers. (8) Workers used to the conveniences of fax machines and computers had to bide time, making calls to clients to explain the situation. (9) The happiest consequence for some children was that they got to spend more hours at the town swimming pool, but when the power went back on Thursday morning, most people were eager to resume their daily activities. Transitional words or phrases are used in which sentences?

Select the letter of the correct answer for each of the following questions. Check the following paragraph for unity. Then, select the number of the sentence that does not belong in the paragraph. (1) The first batch of one of the world's most popular soft drinks was mixed in a backyard kettle over a hundred years ago. (2) On May 6, 1886, Dr. John Styth Pemberton heated a mixture of melted sugar, water, coca leaves, kola nuts, and other ingredients. (3) He planned to make one of the home-brewed medical syrups so popular at that time. (4) However, this one tasted so good that Dr. Pemberton decided to sell it as a soda fountain drink for five cents a glass. (5) The first glass of this new drink was sold at Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia. (6) Atlanta was and still is a wonderful place to live. (7) Pemberton's tasty invention, Coca-Cola, caught on. (8) Today, Coca-Cola is consumed by 140,000 people every minute.

Select the letter of the correct answer for each of the following questions. The group of sentences below could be unscrambled and written as a paragraph. Select the letter of the topic sentence in this group of sentences.

The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the question(s). (1) Recent research shows that laughter improves health through its positive effects on stress hormones and boosting the immune system. (2) Studies by Dr. Lee Berk and Dr. Stanley Tan of Loma Linda University in California show that belly laughter reduces at least four hormones associated with high levels of stress. (3) Another beneficial effect of laughter, according to these researchers, is an increase in the body's natural ability to kill diseased cells. (4) Laughter seems to reduce pain, too. (5) The Journal of Holistic Nursing reported that patients who were told jokes or watched comic videos after surgery perceived less pain than those who did not get a dose of humor. (6) Consequently, experts recommend taking time to laugh each day, especially during stressful times like finals week. Transitional words or phrases are used in which sentences?

Select the letter of the correct answer for each of the following questions. From the group below, select the letter of the sentence that is limited enough to be the topic sentence of a good paragraph.

The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the question(s). (1) The chronograph is a watch that measures time in different ways. (2) Its dial has two, three, or even four smaller subdials for this purpose. (3) A dial at the 9 o'clock mark might measure continuous seconds; one at six o'clock might count total hours up to twelve. (4) Specific features like these are useful to people who must measure time with great accuracy. (5) The stopwatch dial, for example, is useful to athletes who must time and assess their performance. (6) Another possible feature, the tachometer, can be used by race-car drivers to measure the speed of Formula One racers. (7) The chronograph's radium dial with luminous numbers and hands is helpful to military personnel conducting operations at night. (8) A waterproof version with rubber gasket rings can be used by divers who need to mark the tides. (9) Because of the chronograph's fancy, technical details, these timepieces project an active, competent, outdoor image. Transitional words or phrases are used in which sentences?