Chapter 1: Recognizing Paraphrases (1)

1: The Civil War

Paraphrasing ,
.
Civil War 1861 1865 .

Involvement in a war is painful to any nation. No nation wants to send its young
people to fight and die. It is even worse when the war is fought within the country, but the
worst of all is when a country finds itself divided, and people of the same nation fight
each other. In America's history, the most painful period is surely the Civil War.

1.
-In America's history, the most painful period is the Civil War.
2.
-No nation ~: no nation .
(cf.) not never .
-It is even worse ~: worse bad , even worse .
-the worst of all:
-each other:
(cf.) one another:
3.
-involvement
-painful (= causing pain)

The Civil War was fought for many complex reasons. Probably the most important
was the issue of slavery. (1) The Southern states, dependent on slaves for producing
cotton, wanted to continue the practice of slavery while the industrialized Northern states
wanted to abolish it. The issue of States Right, the right of individual states to make
laws without interference from the national government, was also very divisive. There were

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even basic cultural differences which caused friction between Northerners and
Southerners. (2) All of these factors led to a war between the North and South which
would be the bloodiest in the nation's history.

1.
-The Civil War was fought for many complex reasons.
2.
-complex reasons = complicated reasons
-slavery: (cf.) slave
-The Southern states, dependent on slaves for producing cotton, wanted:
(,) .
-lead to: to .
-the bloodies in ~: , the + + in .
3.
-abolish
-interference

Both sides suffered terribly in the war. Families were torn apart as fathers, sons,
and brothers chose different sides. Hundreds of thousands of young men died on both
sides. The city of Atlanta was burned to the ground. Fortunes were ruined and the
economy of the Southern states was wrecked. (3) The people on both sides suffered, and
that suffering was worse because it was inflicted by people who had been their
countrymen, and even their brothers. Shortly after the war, a bitter Southerner
assassinated the beloved president Abraham Lincoln.

1.
-Both sides suffered terribly in the war.
2.
-both +
-be torn apart = be divided
-Hundreds of thousands of:
-burn to the ground:
-fortunes: (pl.) (cf.) fortune .
-shortly after ~: ~
3.

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-ruin
-assassinate

After four bloody, terrible years, the North won the war and the country was re-
united. The slaves were freed and the nation set about rebuilding. Historians will always
argue whether or not the Civil War could have been avoided, and what its long term
benefits have been. (4) There can be no argument, however, that the Civil War was the
most painful period in America's history.

1.
-The Civil War was the most painful period in America's history.
2.
-After four bloody, terrible years ~: .
-set about = begin
-whether or not ~ = whether ~ or not
-the most painful period: .
3.
-avoid
-benefit

_________________________________
Southerner: a native or inhabitant of the south, especially the southern United States
_________________________________

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Question 1:
Which of the sentences below best paraphrases the essential information in the
highlighted sentence (1) in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning or leave
out essential information.
(A) Slavery was important to the Southern economy.
(B) Both the North and the South felt slavery should be abolished.
(C) Slaves were very expensive to support and look after.
(D) Slavery was not a serious issue between the North and the South.

Question 2:
Which of the sentences below best paraphrases the essential information in the
highlighted sentence (2) in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning or leave
out essential information.
(A) There are many reasons for the war in which more people died than any other
war.
(B) During the war, there are more casualties in the south and north than in the
east and west.
(C) The only one reason contributed to the war which is the worst in the world
history.
(D) Many people died because of lack of blood transfusion which led to a war.

Question 3:
Which of the sentences below best paraphrases the essential information in the
highlighted sentence (3) in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in
important ways or leave out essential information.
(A) If the war had not been with their brothers, there would have been no pain.
(B) If the war had not taken place in the countryside, there would have been less
pain.
(C) If the war had been with other nations, the results would have been worse.
(D) If the war had not been with the same race, the pain would have been much
less.

Question 4:
Which of the sentences below best paraphrases the essential information in the
highlighted sentence (4) in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning or leave
out essential information.

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(A) Discussing the reasons of the Civil War is worthless to everyone.
(B) The vast majority of people accept that the Civil War was painful.
(C) It is impossible to hold a different opinion.
(D) It is illegal to hold a different opinion.

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1. ?
.
(A) .
(B) .
(C) .
(D) .

[] The Southern states, dependent on slaves for producing cotton, wanted to

continue the practice of slavery ~ , Slavery was important to the
Southern economy. .
[] (A)

2. ?
.
(A) .
(B) .
(C) .
(D) .

[] all of these factors led to a war there were many

reasons.
[] (A)

3. ?
.
(A) .
(B) .
(C) .
(D) .

[] countrymen, bothers (, )

.
[] (D)

4. ?

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 .
(A) .
(B) .
(C) .
(D) .

[] There can be no argument that ~(~ ) everyone

agrees on it.( ) the vast majority of people ( )
.
[] (B)

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involvement , / painful / surely / the Civil War /
complex / slavery / dependant on ~ / practice /
industrialized / abolish / interference , / divisive
/ factor / friction / bloody / suffer , / tear
apart , / hundreds of thousands of / burn to the ground
/ ruin / fortune / wreck / inflict / countryman /
assassinate / reunite / free / rebuilding / argue
/ avoid / benefit , / painful