Universitas Pamulang Sastra Inggris

MEETING 4
TOPIC
A. GOALS OF STUDY
At the end of this lesson, students are expected to be able to:
4.1 Define and identify the topic.
4.2 Define the word or phrase that best describes what all of the sentences in
the paragraph are about.
4.3 Improve vocabulary by providing additional vocabulary exercises and
tests on words.
4.4 Develop specific reading skills such as skimming, scanning, reading
speed, guessing word meanings from context.
4.5 Reflect on and evaluate reading text, as well as personalize the content.

B. MATERIAL DESCRIPTION

Goals of study 4.1:

Define and identify the topic

Definition
A topic is the one thing the whole paragraph is about. It is the unifying
factor, which every sentence and idea contained in the paragraph relate
to. To find the topic of a paragraph, ask yourself this question: “Which
person, event, practice, theory, or idea is most frequently mentioned or
referred to in the paragraph?” Usually, the topic of a paragraph can be
expressed in one word or a phrase consisting of two or more words.
That’s why a topic could also be defined as the word or phrase that best
describes what all of the sentences in the paragraph are about. To
illustrate, let’s use the following paragraph.

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Goals of study 4.2:

Define the word or phrase that best describes what all of the sentences in the
paragraph are about.

Example:
Computer chips have changed our way of life. With computer chips, we
can make very small computers. Space scientists use these small
computers in satellites and space ships. Large companies use these small
computers for business. We can make very small calculators with
computer chips. Some calculators are as small as a credit card, and these
calculators are not very expensive. Computer chips are also used for
making digital watches. A normal watch has a spring and moving hands,
but a digital watch has no moving parts. A digital watch show the time
and date with numbers, and some digital watches even have an alarm
and a stopwatch. The computer chip makes all of this possible.

Explanation:
The phrase “computer chips”, as indicated by the underlining, is the
most frequently mentioned thing in this paragraph. It is the one that best
describes what all of the sentences in the paragraph are about. Thus, this
is the topic of the paragraph.
Most paragraphs state the topic, but some writers frequently imply the
topic. Thus, to identify the topic, readers have to synthesize, or combine;
different words in the paragraph to be useful, the topic you select or
create should be general enough to include everything discussed in the
paragraph. At the same time, it should be specific enough to exclude
what isn’t. To illustrate, read the following paragraph.

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C. QUESTIONS FOR EXERCISE / ASSIGNMENTS

Pre-Reading 1: Complete the sentences about football with the verbs in
the past tense. Use each verb only once.

beat draw win send off lose

be

1. Spain ____________ to South Korea in the quarter – finals.

2. Italy _________ the World Cup in Germany.
3. Japan and Croatia ___________ 0-0 in the opening match.
4. At half – time South Korea __________ in the lead.
5. Chelsea _______ Manchester United 4-1 yesterday.
6. The referee _______ two players in last night’s match.

Pre-Reading 2: Underline the word that does not belong in each group.

1. goalkeeper Striker Fan substitute soccer player

2. field Ticket Ball net half-way line
3. half-time full-time injury time extra time overtime
4. score Shoot Kick result head
5. crowd red card whistle referee penalty
6. qualifying knockout trophy semi- final
round stage finals

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Goal!!!

Picture 5.1
Andres Escobar
Picture Source:
transmopolis

1. _____________________
July 1966
The North Korean soccer team shocked the world yesterday by beating the
mighty Italians 1-0. It was an amazing match and the Korean team has
gone from strength to strength, first losing against the USSR, then
equalizing against Chile, and now beating the Italians. Pak Do Ik’s goal
means two things. The favorites are out of the World Cup, and North
Korea now faces Portugal in the first knockout stage.

2. _____________________
June 1969
Only hours after El Salvador’s 3-2 win over Honduras, fighting broke out
across the border between the two countries. Both teams were in Mexico
yesterday for their third match to find out who qualifies for next year’s
World Cup finals. As both teams have won a game, this was the decider.
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There have already been disagreements between the two countries with
acts of violence. Last night was the first time a battle on the soccer field
turned into political combat.

3. _____________________
June 1986
A controversial win for Argentina has knocked England out of this year’s
World Cup. During the quarter-final in Mexico City, Maradona clearly
used his hand to put the ball past the goalkeeper and into the net. The
Tunisian referee allowed the goal despite English protest. After the match
Maradona referred to the hand of God. He went on to score an incredible
goal having collected the ball from the halfway line and passing most of
the English team. Argentina won 2-1 and now go through to the semi-
finals against Belgium.

4. _____________________
July 1994
100.000 Colombians were at the funeral of Andres Escobar, the murdered
soccer player, yesterday afternoon. Escobar was leaving a restaurant with
his girlfriend when he was shot in the chest and face. Three men went for
the soccer player, shouting about his own goal. It was during the World
CUP match against the United States that Escobar scored own goal. The
Americans won 2-1 and the Colombians didn’t qualify for the next round.
Nine days later Escobar was dead.

5. _____________________
May 2005
A crowd of 65,000 in Istanbul saw Liverpool win the Champions League
after being three goals down at half time. AC Milan scored in the first
minute, and after 45 minutes, the Italians in the crowd already thought the
cup was theirs. However, in an amazing turnaround, Liverpool equalized
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after just 59 minutes. In a penalty shootout the Reds went on to win 3-2 to
claim the trophy for the fifth time.

6. _____________________
June 2006
Japanese fans looked on in horror as their 1-0 lead over Australia turned
into a 1-3 defeat only minutes before the final whistle. Substitute Cahill
equalized after 84 minutes and then scored another goal soon after. Aloisi
then scored in injury time to give Australia a historic victory. Cahill’s
equalizer was Australia’s first ever World Cup goal, and no other team has
scored three goals in the last 7 minutes in World Cup History.

Comprehension 1: Match a heading with each of the newspaper articles.

A. World Cup Tragedy D. A Soccer War
B. Hand of God E. An Asian Surprise
C. Socceroos Historic Goal F. Italians See Red

Comprehension 2: Answer the questions.

1. Another way of saying, to get stronger is___________ (p.1)
2. Who are the favorites?
a. The Koreans b. The Italians c. The Russians
3. Which two words mean the same as a fight? (p.2)
4. How did people feel about Argentina winning?
a. There were strong feelings of happiness.
b. Everyone thought it was a fair game.
c. There were strong feelings of disagreement.
5. What did the referee do?
a. He ignored the English protests and said the goal was OK.
b. He listened to the English protests and said the goal was not OK.
c. He gave Argentina a penalty shot.

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6. Who was shouting?

a. the attackers b. Escobar
7. What does it refer to in paragraph 4?
a. the shouting b. the own goal c. the funeral
8. Which phrase shows that there was a very surprising change in the match
in paragraph 5?
9. What does looked on in horror mean in paragraph 6?
a. watched the match and were terrified
b. watched the match and were surprised and happy
c. watched the match and were surprised and shocked

Comprehension 3: Each of the sentences has a phrasal verb in bold.

Which word or phrase has a similar meaning to the
phrasal verb?

1. Fighting broke out among the fans.

a. escaped b. started
2. The gunmen went for Escobar outside a restaurant.
a. attacked b. chose
3. The 1-0 lead turned into a 1-3 defeat.
a. finished b. became
4. It was the match to find out who qualified.
a. get information about b. look for
5. After coming out on top of the group England went through to the second
round.
a. advanced to another stage b. examined carefully
6. Maradona went on to score an incredible goal.
a. continued without stopping
b. did something after completing something else.

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Comprehension 4: complete the sentences with the phrasal verbs from the
previous exercise.

broke out went for turned into find out went through
went on to

1. Let’s __________ who won the match last night.

2. The hooligan _____________ the Italian supporter with a knife.
3. They equalized against Chile then ___________ beat Italy.
4. Last night a fire _______________ in the stadium.
5. It ____________ a great match despite a slow start.
6. Arsenal __________ to the Champions League but lost to Barcelona in the
final.

Speaking: Talk to a partner and answer the questions.

Which statement do you agree with and why?
1. Soccer is great! The World Cup helps us to understand each other better.
2. I hate soccer! The players always cheat.
3. I’m not interested in soccer at all. The World Cup is boring.
4. None of the above. I think soccer is___________

EXERCISE 1
1. Although Benedict Arnold, an American Major General during the
Revolutionary War, served his country heroically in several early battles,
he is now known as a villain whose name is a synonym for "traitor." Why
did an outstanding officer who fought bravely for independence turn his
back on America in 1780 and plot to sell the fort at West Point to the
British? Several factors led Arnold to commit treason. First of all, the
ambitious Arnold became bitter about several setbacks to his career. He
was passed over for important promotions, and he alienated several of his
superiors with his jealous rivalry. He had a huge ego and craved
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recognition and public admiration, and he believed the Continental

Congress had betrayed him by denying him the official honors he had
earned. Arnold was also devoted to his own financial self-interest. He tried
to increase his income through legal and illegal means, including
inappropriate use of his position to engage in trade. Therefore, when the
British promised him $20,000 along with rewards of rank and honor in
exchange for West Point, which was under his command, he managed to
convince himself that America would be better off under English rule and
switched his loyalty in exchange for his own personal gain.
Topic: ______________________________________________
2. Increasingly prevalent food allergies in children are beginning to create
tension in schools. The number of allergies to foods such as peanuts, dairy
products, soy, wheat, corn, fish, and shellfish have been increasing over
the last decade. Up to about 3 percent of children are now experiencing
life-threatening reactions to such foods; some must be rushed to the
hospital if they so much as touch an allergen. As a result, their parents are
doing everything they can to prevent exposure of these children to the
problem foods. They carefully check labels on food packages, they pack
special lunches for their kids to take to school, and they try to keep them
away from places that serve foods that cause allergic reactions. But some
parents want to go even further: they want their children’s classmates to be
prohibited from exposing their allergic child to problem foods. They have
consequently persuaded some schools to impose limitations on what kids
can bring in their lunchboxes. Any food or snack that is not acceptable is
confiscated. Many parents of non-allergic children, however, are objecting
to what they believe are ridiculously unfair precautions.
Topic: ______________________________________________
3. For thirty years, scientists have been researching the four mysterious
moons in orbit around the planet Jupiter. The data they’ve collected
suggests some fascinating possibilities about these bodies. Of the four
moons, Io is the hottest, containing about eight active volcanoes that erupt
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constantly. Because its conditions resemble those on Earth before the

continents formed, scientists hope that it can offer insights into the origin
of our own planet. In comparison to Io, Europa, which is a little smaller
than Earth’s Moon, is icy and drab. However, there is evidence that
Europa may contain wet, watery slush, a condition that may support life.
Ganymede, the third moon, seems to contain water, too, and it may even
have a thin atmosphere of oxygen due to the breakdown of water vapor by
sunlight. Therefore, it, too, may be capable of supporting life. One final
moon, Callisto, is the least active of the four. It has been geologically dead
since its birth, but, unlike other bodies where volcanoes, erosion and
shifting land masses constantly change the surface, Callisto has not erased
the craters caused by the impacts of space "junk." Because it has preserved
an ancient record of bombardment by meteors, scientists believe it may
reveal secrets of the solar system’s 4 billion-year history.
Topic: ___________________________________________
4. Traffic is directed by color. Pilot instrument panels, landing strips, road
and water crossings are regulated by many colored light and signs.
Factories use color to distinguish between thoroughfares and work areas.
Danger zones are painted in special colors. Lubrication points and
removable parts are accentuated by color. Pipers for transporting water,
steam, oil, chemicals, and compressed air, are designated by different
colors. Electrical wires and resistances are color-coded.
Topic: __________________________________________
5. Frances Wright was a brilliant and determined woman who believed that
she could have changed an unjust world. Inspired by her belief, Wright
founded, in 1826, an experimental community called Nashoba. It was to be
a place where black men and women could work together until they were
able to purchase their freedom from slavery. But for all its good intentions,
the community was a failure. Plagued by bad weather and illness, Nashoba
produced nothing but debts. By 1830, it was only a memory, forgotten by
everyone but the people who helped start it.
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Topic: ______________________________________________
6. Passing fears are common in early childhood. Many 2- to 4-year-olds are
afraid of animals, especially dogs. By 6 years, children are more likely to
be afraid of the dark. Other common fears are of thunderstorms, doctors,
and imaginary creatures.
Topic: ________________________________________________
7. Congratulations! You have been offered a job. The time has come to
negotiate your salary. The question to ask yourself is: "How much am I
worth?" Your answer will likely affect the outcome of your salary
negotiation. The point is, in order to negotiate the best possible salary, you
must convince both yourself and the employer of the value that you will
bring to the job.
Topic: __________________________________________
8. There are gender differences in adolescents' satisfaction with their bodies.
Compared with boys, girls are usually less happy with their bodies and
have more negative body images. Also, as puberty proceeds, girls often
become even more dissatisfied with their bodies. This is probably because
their body fat increases. In contrast, boys become more satisfied as they
move through puberty, probably because their muscle mass increases.
Topic: ___________________________________________
9. Don't wait for your company to send you to school. Determine your needs
and ask about the company's training program. If they don't have one, sign
up for classes at a local college. When it comes to your profession, you
should be a lifelong learner. Put a high priority on learning new skills and
on personal growth and professional development. Learn new software
technology and improve interpersonal and writing skills.
Topic: ____________________________________________
10. One of the big programming surprises of the 2002 summer TV series was
a show on the Fox Network called American Idol, a talent search that
highlighted several aspiring performers. The final episode of the show
garnered the biggest audience share among 18- to 49-year olds that the
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network has ever had. Based on a British series called Pop Idol, American
Idol is another in a long list of shows that the United States has imported.
In fact, many popular U.S. TV shows originated overseas. These include
the quiz shows Who Wants to Be A Millionaire and The Weakest
Link, both also from Britain. Other examples include Survivor, imported
from Sweden; Big Brother, based on a Dutch series of the same name; and
TLC's Trading Spaces, based on the British series, Changing Rooms.
Topic: _________________________________________

D. REFERRENCES
McAvoy, Jackie. 2009. Essential Reading Student Book 2. Series editor Scott
Miles. UK: Macmillan.

Topic exercise, viewed 20 December 2016.

http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/free-reading-worksheets

Topic, viewed 20 December 2016.

http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0073123587/student_view0/
chapter8/topic_and_stated_main_idea_multiple
choice_exercise.htm>

Topic (available online), 20 December 2016.

http://www.laflemm.com/dynamic/online_practice.php?practice_id
=3

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