Pre-IEL 4.

0 Topic Sentence
and Controlling Idea Exercises

Exercise 0: Điền từ vào chỗ trống

- a paragraph has …………………..parts: ………………………. sentences,

………………………….. ideas/details, and …………………… .
- …………………… sentences are usually at the beginning of the paragraph and in the first
sentence.

Exercsie 1: Double underline (02 gạch) the topic and underline (01 gạch) the controlling
idea in each of the following topic sentence.

1. College students take many kinds of tests.

2. Good roommates have four characteristics.
3. Small cars have several advantages.
4. A baseball player must master several skills.
5. Big cars are safer than small cars for two reasons.
6. Living with your parents has certain advantages.
7. Talent and dedication are two characteristics of Olympic athletes.
8. Living with your parents has certain disadvantages.
9. Tokyo is one of the world’s most expensive cities.
10. The Middle East is the birthplace of three major religions.
11. Tokyo has excellent public transportation systems.

Exercsie 2: Read 5 paragraphs below. Choose and write the best topic sentence for
each paragraph on the line provided.

1. ___________________________________________________________ . Firstly, living

in a foreign country helps you learn another language faster than studying it at school.
Secondly, you can learn directly about the history, geography, and culture of a country.
Thirdly, you become a more tolerant person because you experience different ways of
living. The last, living in a foreign country makes you appreciate your own country better.

A. You can learn by living in a foreign country.

B. We should live in a foreign country for a while.
C. Some benefits you can get by living in a foreign country.

2. __________________________________________________________ . There are

some private colleges and universities in the United States. Private colleges and universities
are usually more expensive because they do not get money from taxes. Meanwhile, some
other colleges and universities are public. It means the citizens of each state pay some of
the costs through their taxes so that public colleges are cheaper for students to attend.
However, you can get a good education no matter which type of college you attend – public
or private.

A. Two main types of colleges and universities in the United States are private and public.
B. Private colleges and universities get money from taxes.
C. There are only some colleges and universities in the United States.

3. _________________________________________________________ . First, the

classes in small college are small. There are approximately twenty students in average
class in a small college. Second, it is easy to meet with professors. Almost all professors in
small colleges have time to help students and are usually happy to do so. Third, small
colleges are friendly, so new students make friends quickly. Thus, small colleges are better
than large universities for many students.
A. Small colleges are friendlier than large universities.
B. Some reasons are stated for attending a small college instead of a large university.
C. An excellent education you can get at a small college.

4. _____________________________________________________________ . One
reason is that employers want workers to be dependable. They certainly want workers who
come to work every day. The other reason is employers want workers who are responsible.
The employers would like to give the worker a project to do and know that it will be done
well. In addition, employers look for workers who can work well with others. The ability to
get along with co-workers is important to the success of business. In short, employers look
for dependable and responsible team players.

A. It is difficult to find good employers these days.

B. Employers read job applications very carefully.
C. The three main qualities the employers look for in their employees.
5. ____________________________________________________________ . Green curry
is the hottest Thai curry. People who will enjoy green curry are those who like very spicy
food. Red curry is medium hot. It doesn’t burn your mouth and is flavorful. Yellow curry is
the mildest of all. This curry is usually the choice of people who eat Thai food for the first
time. To summarize, you have three delicious choices when you order Thai curry.

A. Thai curry has three different colors.

B. The meaning of different colors in Thai curry.

Exercise 3: Please write your points in the spaces below each sentence as example

1. Good roommates have three characteristics.

a) Are neat, tidy
b) Are cheerful
c) Share housework

2. College students take many kinds of tests.

a) ______________________________________
b) ______________________________________
c) ______________________________________

3. Small cars have several advantages.

a) ______________________________________
b) ______________________________________
c) ______________________________________

4. There are two reasons why big cars are safer than small cars.
a) ______________________________________
b) ______________________________________

5. A baseball player must master several skills.

a) ______________________________________
b) ______________________________________
c) ______________________________________
d) ______________________________________
 6. Living with your parents has certain advantages.
a) ______________________________________
b) ______________________________________
c) ______________________________________

7. Living with your parents has certain disadvantages.

a) ______________________________________
b) ______________________________________
c) ______________________________________

Exercsie 4. Điền các từ nối cho các supporting ideas sau

Kinds of Intelligence

There are many kinds of intelligence. (1) ______________ there is mathematical-logical

intelligence. People who have this intelligence may become mathematicians, scientists, or
engineers. (2) _____________ there is linguistic intelligence. People with this kind of
intelligence are good at language, so they become poets and writers. We are familiar with
these two kinds of intelligence, but other kinds are not so familiar. There are (3)
_____________ two other kinds of intelligence: spatial and musical kinds of intelligence. For
architects and artists, spatial intelligence is necessary. Whereas musical intelligence is
necessary for musicians. (4) ______________ there is kinesthetic intelligence. Athletes and
dancers have kinesthetic intelligence. Personal intelligence is kind of intelligence (5)
______________ . People with personal intelligence manage people well, so they become
leaderrs of society. In conclusion, there are many ways to be smart.

Exercise 4: Write a good topic sentence for the paragraphs below. How many supporting ideas are
there in each paragraph and the linkers words for each idea
Viết câu chủ đề cho các đoạn văn sau? Cho biết đoạn văn có bao nhiêu supporting ideas và cụm từ
liên kết các idea với nhau

1.
Some people choose to learn how to play a musical instrument because they want to have fun.
They want to play it with their friends or maybe in a band. Another reason people play an
instrument is that it is their hobby. They learned how to play it a long time ago, and now it is a
way to occupy their time. Other people learn to play an instrument because it is part of their
culture. Certain instruments are popular in one culture, such as the guitar in Spain or the oud in
the Middle East. In some cases, however, people learn how to play an instrument because they
think it will make them smarter. A great deal of research suggests that studying music can
improve a person's brain function and intelligence. In sum, there is not just one main reason
that people play a musical instrument.

2.

First, your body will look better. Exercise is perfect for staying trim and healthy looking, and it
does not have to take a long time. Second, you will actually have more energy. A person who
exercises will have fewer problems walking upstairs or climbing hills. In addition, your heart
will be healthier. A good, strong heart is necessary for a long, healthy life. Finally, exercise
reduces stress and keeps your mind in shape. Therefore, if you want to improve your overall
health, you should exercise three or four times each week to accomplish this goal.
3.

One obvious difference is size. Most modern reptiles are small. Dinosaurs were much, much
larger than any reptile that we have on earth today. Second, the legs of most reptiles today are
on the sides of their body. However, dinosaurs' legs were on the bottom of their body. In this
way, dinosaurs could stand up on their back legs. Third, today's reptiles use the environment to
control their body temperature. In contrast, dinosaurs controlled their own body temperature.
They did not depend on their surroundings. While reptiles and dinosaurs may seem very
similar, they are actually quite different.
4.

It is one of the easiest foods to eat. You can eat it with your fingers, and it does not have to be
served piping hot like some foods do. In addition, with only 20 calories per cup and almost no
fat, it is both a filling and a heart-friendly snack. Furthermore, it can be an important source of
natural fiber, a substance that is important in limiting certain types of cancer. Based on this
information, can anyone be surprised that sales of popcorn are soaring in many countries?
5.
In this method, learners form their own sound association between the foreign language word
they are trying to learn and any word in their native language. In the second stage, learners
form an image link between the target word and the native language word. For example, a
Japanese learner of English might look at the English word hatchet and connect it to the
Japanese word hachi, which means "eight:' In this case, the learner might remember that he
can use a hatchet eight times to cut down a tree. For many language students, this particular
method is effective in learning new vocabulary in a foreign language.