What is a topic? When you read for the meaning, you should begin by looking for the topic.

This helps you connect what you read to what you already know. In order to find the topic, ask yourself. What is this about? What is the general idea? Example a: In the group of words below, one of the words is the topic for all the other words. Identify the topic. Elephants Zebras African animals Lions Tigers The topic is African animals. All of the other words are example of this topic. details Example b: In the group of words below, one of the words is the topic for all the other words. Identify the topic. Wheels tires brakes steering wheel seats doors car The topic is car. All of the other words are parts of a car. In these exercises, you should work with another student. By discussing your work, you will learn more from the exercises and you may change the way you think about reading. Exercise 1 In each group of words, circle the word which is the best topic for all the other words. 1 referees scoreboard basketball game clock fans baskets players coaches 2 air bags seat belts stereo speakers car equipment anti-lock brakes spare tire windshield wipers 3 whales sharks dolphins barracudas sea creatures eels octopus skates 4 tulips daffodils flowers hyacinths crocuses 5 Maui Kauai Hawaiian Islands Oahu Hawaii Lanai Molokai 6 Biochemistry Physiology Medical Subjects Neurology Anatomy Kinesiology Exercise 2 In each group of words. Identify the word which is the best topic for all the other words. 1 encyclopaedia index dictionary reference book Atlas bibliography telephone directory 2 Hausa Swazi Chicago Yoruba Spotho Cleveland African languages Somali Amharic

Chicopee

Carsbad

Cities 4

Cranston

Chippewa camping matches walk valium erythromycin rake sprinkler Toulouse

Clinton sleeping bag lantern move stroll amble skip quinine ibuprophen shovel limestone France seeds mulch Lyon

tent water bottle Mosquito repellent run aspirin Penicillin loam Garden Paris Bordeaux fax machine Office table entrees dinners soups scamper tetracycline medicine fertilizer hose Versailles

5 6

typewriter mobile telephone

word processor photocopying machine chair waiter

10

appetizers (heurs douevre) restaurant desserts

Stating the topic Exercise 3 In this exercise, the topic is not included in each group of words. Write the topic above the words. 1. Topic: US Presidents Clinton Ford Nixon Carter Reagan Johnson 2. Topic: computer equipment Modem monitor keyboard disk drive floppy 3. Topic: cinema Writer producer director actors camera crew 4. Topic: British royals Henry Elizabeth George Victoria Edward 5. Topic: European languages German Italian Basque Flemish Dutch Spanish Exercise 4 In this exercise, the topic is not included in each group of words. Write the topic above the words. 1 Topic:_________________ Mercury tin aluminium 2 Topic: scenery

copper

iron

chromium

Mountains plateaus plains hills cliffs valleys 3Topic: _________________ Hull sail mast keel tiller rudder bow stern boom 4 Topic: ________________ Saw drill plane chisel clamp hammer screwdriver 5 Topic: material of cloth Cotton polyester wool silk linen rayon 6 Topic: home appliances Hair dryer microwave oven egg beater iron blender toaster 7 Topic: mountains McKinley Aconcagua Everest Elbrus Kilimanjaro 8 Topic: _____________ Fuel pump carburettor cylinders valves pistons 9 Topic: continents North America South America Europe Africa Asia 10 Topic: types of music Jazz rock and roll folk religious classical reggae heavy metal Exercise 5 In each group of words, the topic is not included. Write a topic for each group of word. Then think of one more item which fits your topic. Write it on the lines.

1 Topic: planets Mercury Venus Earth________

Saturn

Jupiter

Mars

Neptune

2 Topic: mathematical shapes Circle oval pyramid 3 Topic: footwear Slippers sandals

cube

square

triangle ___________

galoshes

pumps

sneakers

ankle boots

4 Topic: painters_________________ Picasso Gauguin Monet

Pissaro

Michaelanglo___________

5 Topic: sources of energy________________ Steam gasoline oil wind 6 Topic: types of weather Snowy humid rainy stormy freezing cloudy

water breezy

sun___________ sunny cold

Exercise 7 In this exercise, you will learn to refine your topic so that it is neither too general nor too specific. Example: What is the best topic for this group of words? Agean Black Baltic North Adriatic a. bodies of water b. Italian seas c. European seas If you said c, European seas, you were correct. Choice a, bodies of water is too general. It includes other categories of words (rivers, lakes, etc.), which are not on the list. Choice b, Italian seas is too specific. Some of the words on the list do not fit in that category (Black, Baltic, North). Choose the best topic for each list. One topic fits best because its neither too general nor too specific. 1. Beethoven Mozart Chopin Stravinsky Debussy 2. Ford Chevrolet Jeep Cadillac Chrysler 3. Mercedes Honda BMW Toyota Fiat 4. Poland Hungary Bulgaria Romania Lithuania Choices: German cars, cars, American cars, international cars, countries, Eastern European countries, European countries, classical composers, composers, German composers.

Exercise 8: Write the topic for each group of words. Make sure your topic is neither too general nor too specific. 1. Topic: Beautiful 2. Topic: Cathedral 3. Topic: Baseball 4. Topic: Islam Exercise 10: Which term does not belong in the list? Think of a topic for each group of words and cross out the words which do not fit in the topic. 1. Topic: Beauty and the Beast The Sound of Music Item to cross out:

gorgeous

pretty

cute

attractive

lovely

church

temple

mosque

chapel

football

tennis

basketball

squash

Buddhism

Catholicism

Judaism

Taoism

Aladdin Snow White

Fantasia The Lion King The Little Mermaid

2. Topic: boring exciting swimming frightening entertaining Item to cross out: 3. Topic: Twist waltz rumba tango Item to cross out: 4. Topic: Cows sheep Ducks chickens Item to cross out:

interesting

challenging

surprising

foxtrot lambada

samba

dogtrot

swing

pigs horses

mice

goats

geese