Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

The thesis statement should be specific and focused on one main idea. Option A is the only sentence that is specific enough to be the thesis statement of an essay. Option B is too general and option C is too broad. The thesis statement in option A is limited enough to focus the essay on a specific topic (the negative effects of relying on text messages for communication). Option B is too broad and option C is too general.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

The logical progression starts with the economic impact (low wages leading to reduced economic growth), moves to the social support needed due to these economic conditions (financial burden on communities), and concludes with the broader societal implications (waste of human potential due to high incarceration or unemployment rates).

Question 3

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Parents should not enter their little girls in children s beauty pageants. (2) First of all, children who participate in these pageants may develop an unhealthy body image. (3) Studies have found that children who competed in beauty contests are more likely than those who didn t compete to be dissatisfied with their bodies, an attitude that can lead later to eating disorders or other psychological issues. (4) Another reason to avoid pageants is the cost. (5) Participation requires a lot of money for clothing, props, coaching, and travel, and these expenses quickly add up to thousands of dollars per pageant. (6) Many parents have admitted going into debt to finance their pageant hobby; Rick and Misty Simon of Atlanta, Georgia, for example, say that their credit card debt rose to $30,000 after two years of entering their daughter in a series of local pageants. (7) The most important reason to avoid these pageants, though, is their tendency to sexualize little girls. (8) The glitz pageants in particular require young contestants to wear heavy makeup and elaborate hairstyles that adults would wear. (9) They encourage parents to put their children into revealing costumes and then have those kids gesture and dance flirtatiously while wearing inappropriately suggestive facial expressions. (10) Little girls have no business prancing around on stage made up like adult women, winking at the judges, blowing kisses, and swinging their hips. Which of the following sentences offers an example to support a reason?
A) Sentence 3
B) Sentence 6
C) Sentence 7

Accepted Answer

Sentence 6 offers an example of parents going into debt to finance their pageant hobby.

Question 4

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Parents should not enter their little girls in children s beauty pageants. (2) First of all, children who participate in these pageants may develop an unhealthy body image. (3) Studies have found that children who competed in beauty contests are more likely than those who didn t compete to be dissatisfied with their bodies, an attitude that can lead later to eating disorders or other psychological issues. (4) Another reason to avoid pageants is the cost. (5) Participation requires a lot of money for clothing, props, coaching, and travel, and these expenses quickly add up to thousands of dollars per pageant. (6) Many parents have admitted going into debt to finance their pageant hobby; Rick and Misty Simon of Atlanta, Georgia, for example, say that their credit card debt rose to $30,000 after two years of entering their daughter in a series of local pageants. (7) The most important reason to avoid these pageants, though, is their tendency to sexualize little girls. (8) The glitz pageants in particular require young contestants to wear heavy makeup and elaborate hairstyles that adults would wear. (9) They encourage parents to put their children into revealing costumes and then have those kids gesture and dance flirtatiously while wearing inappropriately suggestive facial expressions. (10) Little girls have no business prancing around on stage made up like adult women, winking at the judges, blowing kisses, and swinging their hips. Select the number of the topic sentence in the paragraph above.
A) Sentence 1
B) Sentence 2
C) Sentence 3

Accepted Answer

The first sentence in the paragraph clearly states the topic or main idea of the paragraph, which is that parents should not enter their little girls in children's beauty pageants. This sentence serves as the topic 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. Choose 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.

Accepted Answer

Option C is limited enough to be the thesis statement for a good essay as it focuses on a particular aspect of the writer's job at the car wash and provides a specific claim about how it has improved their skills. Option A is too broad and lacks specificity, while option B simply states the intention to write about the job without providing a clear assertion. Option C is limited and specific enough to serve as a thesis statement for an essay. It outlines the specific aspect the essay will focus on (improvement of teamwork and leadership skills) and provides an indication of the direction the essay will take. Option A is too broad and unspecific, and option B is simply an announcement of intent without providing any specific focus for the essay.

Question 6

Instructions: Each of the following sentences tells what you are trying to persuade someone to do. Beneath each sentence are four reasons that attempt to convince the reader that he or she should take this particular course of action. Select the letter of the reason that seems irrelevant, illogical, or untrue. If you wanted to convince someone to eat at Lou s Famous Barbeque Restaurant, you could say that
A) my mother eats at Lou s.
B) the food at Lou s is very good.
C) Lou s prices are reasonable.
D) the service at Lou s is friendly and fast.

Accepted Answer

The fact that the speaker's mother eats at Lou's is not a relevant or convincing reason for someone else to eat there. It does not provide any information about the quality of the food, prices, or service. The fact that the speaker's mother eats at Lou's is irrelevant and does not provide any convincing reason for the reader to eat there.

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: 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

Accepted Answer

It makes sense to start with the bandeirantes' attacks on Karaja villages during the eighteenth century (sentence 2), as this marks the beginning of European violence against the Karaja people. This is followed by the Karaja's reduction in numbers due to diseases introduced by Europeans during the nineteenth century (sentence 1), illustrating the detrimental effects of European contact. Finally, the sentence about Brazilian pioneers using Indian territory as grazing land since the turn of the twentieth century (sentence 3) provides a more recent example of exploitation and disregard for the Karaja people's rights.

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

Accepted Answer

The topic sentence discussing the frequency of binge drinking during academic stress periods should come first to introduce the idea that binge drinking is not limited to just weekends. The next sentence discusses problems with class attendance and falling behind in schoolwork due to binge drinking, which is a logical consequence of frequent heavy drinking. Finally, the sentence about peer pressure fits as the third topic sentence as it provides another reason why college students engage in binge drinking.

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

Option C is limited and specific enough to be the thesis statement of a good essay. It clearly states the main topic of the essay, which is the communication styles of men and women, and indicates that the essay will focus on the differences between these styles. Options A and B are too broad and general to be effective thesis statements. Option A is a mere declaration without any specifics while Option B uses the phrase 'This essay will be about' which is generally avoided in thesis statements. Option C is the most limited and specific sentence that can be used as a thesis statement. It presents a clear topic for the essay and narrows down the scope to focus on the communication styles of men and women. Option A is too broad and lacks specificity, and option B is more of an introduction than a thesis statement.

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. Choose 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.

Accepted Answer

Option C is a specific and limited statement that outlines a clear thesis statement for an essay. It presents a problem (misbehavior, poor achievement) and a solution (same-sex classrooms) that the essay could explore in depth. Options A and B present broad ideas that could be developed into thesis statements, but they are not specific or limited enough on their own. Option C is the only sentence that includes a clear and specific argument, which can be developed into a good essay. The other two sentences are too broad and general to be considered a thesis statement.

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. Choose 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.

Accepted Answer

Option A is the best choice as it is clear and specific, providing a topic of discussion that can be more thoroughly explored in an essay. Option B is too vague and lacks direction, while option C is too broad and does not provide a clear and specific focus for the essay. Option A presents a specific topic (the physical health benefits of marriage) and takes a clear stance on the issue, making it a strong thesis statement option. Option B is too broad and does not provide a specific argument or focus for the essay. Option C is too vague, as it only mentions that the essay will discuss benefits of marriage, but does not provide any specific focus or argument.

Question 12

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) The swim-with-dolphin programs popular in tropical resorts have been described as a delightful way to get to know these gentle, intelligent animals. (2) However, people should consider the harmful consequences of swimming with a dolphin and avoid these programs. (3) For one thing, getting into a pool with a dolphin may result in injuries. (4) Quite a few participants have suffered from cuts, bruises, cracked ribs, and broken arms because dolphins are wild animals, and they don t always behave in predictable ways. (5) What s more, swimming with dolphins can be harmful not only to humans but also the dolphins. (6) Trainers may say that these playful, permanently smiling creatures are friendly and love interacting with humans. (7) According to marine mammal scientist Dr. Ben Coleman, though, the dolphins in these programs are being held captive, which causes them stress. (8) Their happy expressions mask their true mental and emotional state. (9) Finally and most important, capturing a wild animal and forcing it to perform tricks for humans amusement is just downright unethical. (10) These animals deserve to live their lives in freedom in the open seas, as nature intended. Which sentence offers a reference to an authority to support a reason?
A) Sentence 4
B) Sentence 7
C) Sentence 10

Accepted Answer

Sentence 7 references Dr. Ben Coleman, a marine mammal scientist, who gives expert insight into the well-being of dolphins in captivity.

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. 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

Accepted Answer

Sentence 11 clearly states the thesis statement of the essay, which is that any bad habit can be broken by following a three-step process.

Question 14

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Parents should not enter their little girls in children s beauty pageants. (2) First of all, children who participate in these pageants may develop an unhealthy body image. (3) Studies have found that children who competed in beauty contests are more likely than those who didn t compete to be dissatisfied with their bodies, an attitude that can lead later to eating disorders or other psychological issues. (4) Another reason to avoid pageants is the cost. (5) Participation requires a lot of money for clothing, props, coaching, and travel, and these expenses quickly add up to thousands of dollars per pageant. (6) Many parents have admitted going into debt to finance their pageant hobby; Rick and Misty Simon of Atlanta, Georgia, for example, say that their credit card debt rose to $30,000 after two years of entering their daughter in a series of local pageants. (7) The most important reason to avoid these pageants, though, is their tendency to sexualize little girls. (8) The glitz pageants in particular require young contestants to wear heavy makeup and elaborate hairstyles that adults would wear. (9) They encourage parents to put their children into revealing costumes and then have those kids gesture and dance flirtatiously while wearing inappropriately suggestive facial expressions. (10) Little girls have no business prancing around on stage made up like adult women, winking at the judges, blowing kisses, and swinging their hips. How many arguments support the topic sentence?
A) two
B) three
C) four

Accepted Answer

There are three arguments that support the topic sentence:
1) Unhealthy body image
2) Cost
3) Sexualization of little girls

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: 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

Accepted Answer

The first sentence introduces the topic of sensory memory being the first stage of memory processing. The third sentence follows logically, explaining how information from sensory memory can be moved to working memory. The last sentence then explains how information in working memory can ultimately be transferred to long-term memory. Therefore, the correct order is 1, 3, 2.

Question 16

Instructions: Each of the following sentences tells what you are trying to persuade someone to do. Beneath each sentence are four reasons that attempt to convince the reader that he or she should take this particular course of action. Select the letter of the reason that seems irrelevant, illogical, or untrue. If you wanted to convince someone that your town or city is a great place to live, you could say that
A) your town offers many employment opportunities.
B) you have lived there all of your life, so it s obviously a wonderful place to be.
C) the crime rate is low.
D) your town offers many different recreational activities.

Accepted Answer

Personal anecdote does not serve as a compelling reason to persuade someone to move to a town or city. The focus should be on objective reasons such as low crime rates, job opportunities, and recreational offerings. Personal experience alone does not provide objective evidence for why a town or city is a great place to live. It is important to provide tangible facts and statistics, such as employment opportunities, low crime rates, and recreational activities, that support the claim.

Question 17

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 letter of 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.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Instructions: The paragraphs of the following essay...

Question 18

Instructions: Each of the following sentences tells what you are trying to persuade someone to do. Beneath each sentence are four reasons that attempt to convince the reader that he or she should take this particular course of action. Select the letter of the reason that seems irrelevant, illogical, or untrue. If you wanted to convince someone that the school day should be lengthened, you could say that
A) doing so would increase student achievement.
B) extending the school day would save parents money on after-school day-care costs.
C) a longer school day would solve all of students problems.
D) lengthening the school day would help keep older kids out of trouble by reducing the amount of time that they are unsupervised by adults.

Accepted Answer

Saying that a longer school day would solve all of students problems is an overstatement and not entirely true. It is unlikely that all problems would be solved solely by lengthening the school day. The statement "a longer school day would solve all of students problems" is unrealistic and exaggerated, and therefore illogical.

Question 19

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

Accepted Answer

Sentence A is a specific statement about the author's grandfather teaching them about discipline and hard work. This could be expanded into a clear thesis statement for an essay about the importance of those values. Sentences B and C are too broad and do not provide a clear focus for an essay. Sentence A is the only specific sentence that could be developed into a thesis statement for an essay, as it presents a clear topic (the value of discipline and hard work) and an angle (what the speaker learned from their grandfather). Sentences B and C are too vague and general to serve as good thesis statements.

Question 20

Instructions: Each of the following sentences tells what you are trying to persuade someone to do. Beneath each sentence are four reasons that attempt to convince the reader that he or she should take this particular course of action. Select the letter of the reason that seems irrelevant, illogical, or untrue. If you wanted to convince someone to adopt a dog from the animal shelter, you could say that
A) the adoption fee is reasonable and affordable.
B) Miley Cyrus has an adorable Yorkshire terrier.
C) by adopting from the shelter, you could save a dog that might otherwise be put to death.
D) the animal shelter offers a wide selection of animals, so the chances of finding the right pet are very good.

Accepted Answer

The fact that Miley Cyrus has an adorable Yorkshire terrier is irrelevant to persuading someone to adopt a dog from the animal shelter. The fact that Miley Cyrus has an adorable Yorkshire terrier is irrelevant and does not provide any logical reasons to adopt a dog from the animal shelter.

Quiz 1: Writing Effective Paragraphs

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

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

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

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

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

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