QUIZ

INTENSIVE WRITING
PRACTICE 1
Choose the best thesis statement for each essay topic.
1 Earth Day celebrations
a. Earth Day is in April.
b. Th e science building has a rooftop garden.
c. On Earth Day, people can help their communities, the environment, and the world.
2 Black Friday
a. Black Friday helps retailers attract customers, sell products, and make larger profits.
b. Black Friday is aft er Thanksgiving.
c. Th e holiday shopping season is busy.
3 Independence Day celebrations
a. People love to have picnics on Independence Day.
b. Picnics, parades, and fi reworks are just a few ways that communities celebrate Independence Day.
c. Fireworks on Independence Day can be dangerous.
Practice 2
Read the thesis statement and the possible sentences from the body paragraphs. Choose one sentence for each that does not
relate to the thesis statement
Thesis Statement: Although there are many similarities between how mocap is used to
make movies and to make video games, there are important differences.
1. Sentences from body paragraph 1:
a. One difference between using mocap for movies and for video games is
the way characters interact with viewers.
b. In video games, on the other hand, the viewer controls one of the
character’s
movements.
c. Designers are paid a lot of money to create animation.
2. Sentences from body paragraph 2:
a. Another diff erence is the environments that characters “live” in.
b. Scenes in older TV programs oft en showed only one side of a room.
c. Unlike movies, video game backgrounds allow the viewer to see in
every direction.
3. Sentences from body paragraph 3:
a. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences now recognizes the
importance of animated movies.
b. A third difference between animation for movies and for video games is
the use of sound.
c. Characters in these movies speak to each other more oft en than they do
in video games.
Practice 3
These paragraphs from an essay entitled “Alternative Energy Sources” are in the wrong
order. Choose the correct type of paragraph for each one. Write I for Introductory, B
for Body, or C for Concluding.
_____ 1 Sun, or solar, energy is one example. Large panels convert the heat from the
Sun into energy. This type of energy works well in places where there is a lot
of sun, such as in a desert.
_____2 Finally, waves are also a source of energy. Special machines in the ocean
convert the movement from waves into energy. Wave energy is possible near
oceans, especially oceans where there is a lot of wind.
_____3 People are experimenting with various alternative energies. Some alternative
energies are better for different locations. Learning about them can help you
decide what type of energy is best for your town.
_____4 Some experts claim that we will run out of energy in the future if we do not
start using more alternative energy sources. Therefore, people in many countries
are currently experimenting with alternative sources of energy. This essay will
talk about three natural sources of energy: sun, wind, and waves.
_____5 Wind energy is another example. Windmills spin faster and faster with high
winds. This creates energy. Wind energy is best in places near the ocean or other
locations where there is a lot of wind.
Practice 4
Paraphrase and Summarize the following text below

Original Text Paraphrased Text

Traditionally, in oral and written
discourses, the masculine pronoun
'he' was used as a pronoun to refer to
a person whose gender was
unknown or irrelevant to the
context. Recently, this usage has
come under criticism for supporting
gender-based stereotypes and is
increasingly considered
inappropriate (Smith, 2010, p. 24).
Practice 4
Paraphrase and Summarize the following text below

Original Text Summarized Text

“For most people, writing is an extremely
difficult task if they are trying to grapple in
their language with new ideas and new ways
of looking at them. Sitting down to write
can be an agonising experience, which
doesn't necessarily get easier with the
passage of time and the accumulation of
experience. For this reason you need to
reflect upon and analyse your own reactions
to the task of writing. That is to say, the task
will become more manageable if you learn
how to cope with your own particular ways
avoiding putting off the moment when you
must put pen to paper” (Taylor 1989, p. 3).