Sample Paragraph B (Comparison and Contrast)

EC Spring 2022

Have you thought about taking an intensive class (계절학기 수업) during the vacation?
Students should know that intensive classes are different from regular classes because of the
rapid pace, the necessity of completing daily tasks, and the ability to focus on one subject. One
difference is that, while a regular semester starts off a little slowly, an intensive class doesn’t!
Intensive classes cover all the content of regular classes, but they do so in sixteen days rather
than sixteen weeks, which has a large impact on students and teachers. For English classes,
assignments are often given the first day, midterm exams are taken in the middle of the second
week, and the final exam will be on the last day of the course. There is no time to slow down in
an intensive class. Another difference between intensive and regular classes is that students
taking an intensive class are required to complete two to three hours of assignments each day.
During the regular semester, students have days between each class, but during an intensive class
(three hours each day), by the time you finish Monday’s class, Tuesday’s class is only twenty-
one hours away! Taking our EC class as an example, students would be expected to handle a
listening section, a reading section and a vocabulary section each day, and both the first
paragraph and the first vocabulary quiz would be completed in the first week of the intensive
class. However, success in an intensive class is possible because of a final difference from
regular classes, which is the ability to focus. Obviously, during a regular semester students are
participating in many different classes; but during an intensive session, most students only take
one class. As a result, both the students and the teachers can concentrate on that one course,
which isn’t possible during the regular semester. Some students actually do better in the
intensive period than they would in the regular semester, just as some teachers prefer intensive
teaching over the regular semester, because there are no distractions and no competition with
other subjects or assignments. In conclusion, there is no doubt that intensive classes are a lot of
work because of how quickly they move, how much daily work is expected, and how much
concentration is needed. On the other hand, students who are willing to face this challenge can
quickly advance their academic career. Maybe you should consider taking an intensive class this
winter!

Read the paragraph above and answer the questions that follow.

1. Write down the two things that the writer is describing in this paragraph.
a. _intensive class_ b.__regular class__

2. This paragraph focuses on:

a. The similarities between two things
b. The differences between two things
c. The advantages of two things
d. The disadvantages of two things

3. “Another difference between intensive and regular classes is that students taking an
intensive class are required to complete two to three hours of assignments each day.”
This sentence is a…
a. Topic sentence
b. Supporting point sentence
c. Detail sentence
d. Concluding sentence
Sample Paragraph B (Comparison and Contrast)
EC Spring 2022

4. Maybe you should consider taking an intensive class this winter!

This sentence is most likely a…
a. Concluding sentence
b. Unnecessary sentence
c. Recommendation the writer is making
d. A new supporting point

5. Which of the following is NOT a transition word used in the paragraph?

a. Obviously
b. One
c. However
d. Another