English Skills with Readings 7th Edition by John Langan

Exercise 32

4 Evaluating Paragraphs for Coherence
Answer the questions about coherence that follow each of the two paragraphs below.
1. Why I Bought a Handgun
1 I bought a handgun to keep in my house for several reasons. 2 Most important, I have had a frightening experience with an obscene phone caller. 3 For several weeks, a man has called me once or twice a day, sometimes as late as three in the morning. 4 As soon as I pick up the phone, he whispers something obscene or threatens me by saying, "I'll get you." 5 I decided to buy a gun because crime is increasing in my neighborhood. 6 One neighbor's house was burglarized while she was at work; the thieves not only stole her appliances but also threw paint around her living room and slashed her furniture. 7 Not long after this incident, an elderly woman from the apartment house on the corner was mugged on her way to the supermarket. 8 The man grabbed her purse and threw her to the ground, breaking her hip. 9 Buying a gun was my response to listening to the nightly news. 10 It seemed that every news story involved violence of some kind-rapes, murders, muggings, and robberies. 11 I wondered if some of the victims in the stories would still be alive if they had been able to frighten the criminal off with a gun. 12 As time passed, I became more convinced that I should keep a gun in the house.
a. The paragraph should use emphatic order. Write 1 before the reason that seems slightly less important than the other two, 2 before the second- most-important reason, and 3 before the most important reason.
_____Obscene phone caller
_____Crime increase in neighborhood
_____News stories about crime
b. Before which of the three reasons should the transitional words First of all be added _____
c. Before which of the three reasons could the transition In addition be added _____
d. Which words show emphasis in sentence 2 _____
e. In sentence 8, to whom does the pronoun her refer _____
f. How often does the key word gun appear in the paragraph _____
g. What is a synonym for burglarized in sentence 6 _____
2. Apartment Hunting
1 Apartment hunting is a several-step process. 2 Visit and carefully inspect the most promising apartments. 3 Check each place for signs of unwanted guests such as roaches or mice. 4 Make sure that light switches and appliances 1 work and that there are enough electrical outlets. 5 Turn faucets on and off and flush the toilet to be sure that the plumbing works smoothly. 6 Talk to the landlord for a bit to get a sense of him or her as a person. 7 If a problem develops after you move in, you want to know that a decent and capable person will be there to handle the matter. 8 Find out what's available that to matches your interests. 9 Your town newspaper and local real estate offices can provide you with a list of apartments for rent. 10 Family and friends may be able to give you leads. 11 And your school may have a housing office that keeps a list of approved apartments for rent. 12 Decide just what you need. 13 If you can afford no more than $400 a month, you need to find a place that will cost no more than that. l4 If you want a location that's close to work or school, you must take that factor into account. 15 If you plan to cook, you
want a place with a workable kitchen. 16 By taking these steps, you should be ready to select the apartment that is best for you.
a. The paragraph should use time order. Write 1 before the step that should come first, 2 before the intermediate step, and 3 before the final step.
_____Visit and carefully inspect the most promising apartments.
_____Decide just what you need.
_____Find out what's available that matches your interests.
b. Before which of three steps could the transitional words The first step is to be added _____
c. Before which step could the transitional words After you have decided what you are looking for, the next step is to be added _____
d. Before which step could the transitional words The final step be added _____
e. To whom does the pronoun him or her in sentence 6 refer to
_______
f. What is a synonym for landlord in sentence 7 _______
g. What is a synonym for apartment in sentence 13 _______