UNIT 1 :

CONTEXT CLUES
Unit goals:

Learning outcomes:
Students are expected to be able to:
1. Understand the definition of context clues
2. Identify the types of context clues
3. Use several types of context clues to figure out meanings of
words
4. Analyze the context clues
5. Figure out the meaning of words from their use in a sentence

Learning focuses:
1. Definition
2. Restatement
3. Example
4. Contrast
5. Inference
6. Modifier
PART 1

Warming-Up

What is context?

Read the following brief paragraph. Several words are missing. Try to figure
out the missing words and write them in the blanks.

Most Americans can speak only one _________. Europeans, however,

________ several. As a result, Europeans think _________ are unfriendly and
unwilling to communicate with them.

Did you insert the word language in the first blank, speak or know in the
second blank, and Americans in the third blank? Most likely, you correctly
identified all three missing words. You could tell from the sentence what word
to put in. The words around the missing words (the sentence context) gave
you clues to what word would fit and make sense. Such slues are called
context clues.

The
answer is

While you are unlikely to find missing words on a printed page, you will often
find words that you did not know. Context clues can help you to figure out the
meaning of unfamiliar words.
Example:

Phobias, such as fear of height, water, or confined spaces, are difficult to

eliminate.

From the sentence, you can tell that phobias means “fears of specific objects or
situation”. Here’s another example:

The couple finally secured a table at the popular, crowded restaurant.

You can figure out that secure means “got or took ownership of” the table.

PART 2

Learning Focuses
Context clues is a source of information about a word or phrase that
helps readers understand a specific meaning of a word, by looking at the
word in context— in the sentence and surrounding sentences. There are five
easy steps to becoming an expert at using context clues:

 Circle the word or phrase you do not understand.

 Underline key phrases and ideas in the sentence. Look for words that
give synonyms, antonyms, examples, etc.
 Give the main idea of the paragraph the new word is in.
 Say the sentence in your own words.
 Guess at what the new word means. Use what you underlined to prove
your guess is right.

Types of context clues

There are six common context clues that you can look for when trying to find
out the meaning of an unfamiliar word/ phrase. They are: Definition,
Restatement, Example, Contrast, Inference and Modifier.
 1. Definition
A definition context clue means that the word is formally defined in the
same sentence. The definition or the meaning of the unfamiliar/new word is
clear, easy to spot and literally given to the reader. Signal words/phrases for
this clue are is, am, are, refers to, can be defined as, are called as, etc. .

Example:
The explorers landed in alien environment which refers to a place
both foreign and strange to their beloved homeland.

The patient is so somnolent that she requires medication to help her

stay awake for more than a short time.

A symbol is something that stands for something else.

Drinking coffee late at night can give you insomnia that means the
inability to sleep.

The encyclopedia is a reference for all branches of knowledge.

In other words, the meaning of the vocabulary is in the sentence itself, usually
following the vocabulary

Exercise 1: Context clues: Definition

Read each sentence and write a definition for each boldface word or phrase.
Use the definition context clue to help you determine word meaning.

1. Glogg, a Swedish hot punch, is often seved at holiday parties.

__________________________________________________________________________
2. The judge’s candor –his sharp, open frankness- shocked the jury
__________________________________________________________________________
3. A chemical bond is a strong active force that holds two or more atoms
together.
 _________________________________________________________________________
4. Lithium (an alkali metal) is so soft it can be cut with a knife
_________________________________________________________________________
5. Hearing, technically known as audition, begins when a sound wave
reaches the outer ear.
_________________________________________________________________________

2. Restatement / Synonym

Different from a definition context clues, a restatement context clue usually

provides a clue (easier language) in the sentence rather than define the word
clearly. It could be said that the writer says the synonym or the same thing in
different way. The words/ phrases such as or, in other words are used to
indicate restatement context clues. Punctuation is often used to signal the
meaning of the unfamiliar word. They are commas (,), parentheses ((…)), and
dashes (-).

Example:
Five-line rhyming poems, a limericks, are among the simplest forms of
poetry.

A leading cause of heart disease is a diet with too much cholesterol ( a fatty
substance made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen).

I experienced such vertigo-extreme dizziness- that I could not walk alone.

The baseball coach punished the team's duplicity or deceitfulness after they
admitted to using steroids to boost their batting averages.

The annual bazaar is scheduled for the last day of school. It's always a
fun festival.

“That charlatan!" he cried. "That is an absolute fake!"

Exercise 2: Context clues: Definition and Restatement
Read the following sentence, circling definition and restatement context clues
for the underlined words. Then write the meaning of the words.

1. The patient may have been a hypochondriac, for when he was

examined by a doctor he was found to be asymptomatic, showing no
symptoms of disease.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. I would never have cut the price, but my partner, who is more
malleable-perhaps too flexible- gave them 25 % discount.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. The marching band’s team spirit, or as we prefer to call it esprit de
corps, has been excellent ever since we purchased the new
instrument.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. At the colloquy, which is a fancy name for a conference, I had a
change to meet with several professors and find out about their
universities.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Uncle Roger was experimenting with a peripatetic existence, which
is to say he never staying long enough to have an official address.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Example
Example context clues provide examples of the unfamiliar word in order to
give the readers a clue to meaning. Phrases that signal an example or
illustration to follow include for example, for instance, to illustrate, such as,
etc. In other words, Specific examples are used to define the term.
Example:

Toxic materials, such as arsenic, asbestos, pesticides, can cause bodily

damage. From the example given, which are all poisonous substance,
you can conclude that toxic means poisonous.

Celestial bodies, such as the sun, moon, and stars, are governed by
predictable laws

His duplicity involved lowering his employee's salaries, increasing their

stock options, and then stealing the money he saved by doing so

I was aghast at her duplicity when she stole my diamond earrings, sold
them on eBay and lied to me about it the whole time.

Exercise 3: Context clues: Example

Read the following sentence, bold word will help you figure out the meaning
of each word.

1. Nocturnal creatures, such as bats and owls, have highly developed senses
that enable them to function in the dark. Nocturnal
means………………………………………………….
2. Mundane activities such as doing laundry or dishes or going food
shopping or reading a novel all help me relax. Mundane
means…………………………………………..
3. Since my grandfather retired, he has developed several new avocations.
For instance, he now enjoys gardening and chat group on the internet.
Avocations means………………….
4. You may have an issue, such as fear of snakes, which keep you from
playing outside. Issue means……………………………..
5. Fish, whales and dolphins are aquatic animals. Aquatic means
………………………
 4. Contrast / Antonym
Contrast context clues provide the readers words or phrases that mean the
opposite of the unfamiliar word. Words or phrases that signal an example or
illustration to follow include but, however, although, whereas, unlike,
nevertheless, even though, on the other hand, and on the contrary. In other
words, it uses a word or group of words that has the opposite meaning to
reveal the meaning of an unknown term.

Example:
Most of the graduates were elated, although a few felt sad. (The opposite
of sad is happy or joyful, so the meaning of elated is happy/ joyful).

Although Sam’s suit was costly, his shoes were cheap. (The opposite of
cheap is expensive, so the meaning of costly is expensive).

Unlike my last employee who had integrity to spare, you have nothing
more than duplicity and will not receive a recommendation from me for
another job.

"You look pretty content about it, not like you're all bent out of shape at
all," he noted.

"No, no, that didn't literally happen," she said. "I

was speaking figuratively."

"The kids are just roughhousing a little. I expected them to

be bruised and bleeding."

Exercise 4: Context clues: Contrast

Read the following sentence, bold word will help you figure out the meaning
of each word.

1. I love amusing movies, but I also like sad movies. Amusing

means…………………………
2. Outside the air was frigid, but inside it was warm and comfortable.
Frigid means…………………………
 3. Brian is usually gregarious, although sometimes he does like to be
alone. Gregarious means ………………………………….
4. The village seemed to be completely uninhabited, but 2 years ago he still
could find a lot of people here. Uninhabited means
………………………………
5. When the rain arrived, my clothes became sodden immediately, while
hers remained completely dry. Sodden means……………………………….

5. Inference
Inference context clues force the reader to use rationale or reasoning skills
in order to figure out the meaning of the unfamiliar word. Even though the
word is not directly defined, the reader can logically find out the meaning
using the information provided in the context.

Example:

Bob is quite versatile; he is a good student, a top athlete, an excellent car

mechanic, and a gourmet cook. You can see that Bob is successful at
many different types of activities, and you could reason that versatile
means “capable of doing many things competently.

In everyday life, everyone makes inferences. When we deal with people,

ride in a car, or watch television, we make inferences. We use the five senses-
sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell-ti figure out what’s going on. For example,
when people smile sincerely, the look on their faces implies that they’re happy
or pleased. When you walk into a kitchen or restaurant filled with delicious
smells, the scent implies that the person cooking is a execelent chef.
Here are more examples of your making inferences all the time:
 On your way to a class room, you wave to a friend, but she does not
wave back. You may infer that she is angry, that she is displeased with
you, that her mind is on something else, or that she did not see you.
 As you’re driving home, you come to a traffict light. On the side of the
road sits an unshaven man wearing wrinkled, dirty clothes. He holds a
 sign that says, “Will work for food.” You might infer that he is homeless,
has no job, and is hungry. Or you might infer that this is a rip-off. Rather
that passersby offering him a job, the man expects people to give him a
couple of dollars to buy food.
The ability to make inferences while you read is a learned skill. to make
inferences, you take hints from what’s stated and then fill in the gaps.

Exercise 5: Context clues: Inferences

Read the following passage, write where you think the passage in happening
and explain your answer.
1. I was allowed to push the cart. The front left wheel was broken, so that
the cart wobbled down each aisle. Mother put various packages and
boxes in the cart, but I did not notice. I as trying to keep the cart going
straight as it got heavier and heavier.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………….
2. It felt wonderful to be outside, even if only for a little while! All the
swings were already taken, and a group was playing softball on the
diamond. Casey and I decided use the monkey bars until mommy called
us.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Read the following passage, write who the person is in the passage in
happening and explain your answer.
3. I had finally gotten used to being weightless. It became a comfortable
feeling. I especially liked floating by the window to see the planet Earth
below.
........................................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................................
4. I often work in the early morning when the light is best. The canvas has
had time to dry overnight. When I start, I make sure all of my brushes are
clean.
 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. The crowd began to roar as I made a few practice swings with the bat.
The umpire called me sharply to hurry. I was in any hurry to face the
most famous pitcher in history.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

6. Modifier

Modifier context clues can be a phrase, a clause, or a sentence to modify

difficult words mentioned previously in the sentence. Usually, the phrase and
the clause provide additional information about the nouns. There are a lot of
modifiers / the signal word, they are: who, which, whose, what.

Example:
A teacher, who is seat down in front of the office is my sister, does have
a husband

A city manager, who runs all the service departments of the government
and takes a charge of buying for a city is my mother.

An illiterate person, being unable to read or write, is often cited.

The reading components act as stable intermediate forms, as subparts

of a larger system, with each part relatively unaffected by the other
subparts
PART 3

Putting it all together

Exercise on Context clues
A. Select the best meaning of the word shown in Italics in following sentences.
1. Adversities, such as poverty, poor grades, and a weak family background,
can be overcome with effort.

Adversities means
a. obstacles b. pleasures c. Responsibilities

2. Andrew had a reputation for doing perilous activities. For example, he

loved to ride a racing bike without a helmet, climb mountain without
safety rope, and ride in a speedboat without a life preserver.

Perilous means
a. thrilling b. dangerous c. Remarkable

3. Pungent odors, including those a perfume, room deodorizer, and

household cleansers, can cause allergic reactions in some people.

Pungent means
a. mild b. sharp c. Weak

4. An obituary generally includes the person’s age, occupation, survivors,

and funeral arrangements.

Obituary means
a. death notice b. sermon c. Will

5. Brothers and sisters sometimes like to play a harmless prank on one

another. For example, a sister might make up the idea that their mother
wants the brother to do a messy household chore.

Prank means
a. joke b. assignment c. Request
6. I could see by Carlos’s visage he was upset. He had an angry frown on
his face, and his eyes were wide with fury.

Visage means
a. actions b. personality c. Appearance

7. Pachyderms, such as the rhinoceros, the hippopotamus, and the

elephant, are mammals that live in Africa.

Pachyderms means
a. sensitive b. hostile c. thick-skinned

8. That mole on your arm is a dark color; you need to see a doctor who
specializes in dermatology.

Dermatology relates to
a. heart b. skin c. feet

9. Servers in restaurants depend on customers to leave a gratuity for their

services. Without tips, waiters couldn’t make a living.

Gratuity means
a. money b. compliment c recommendation

10. To avoid encountering fans, Mankind and The Rock of the World
Federation Wrestlers, agreed to rendezvous at 12 midnight at main
Street and Broadway.

Rendezvous means
a. exhibition b. match c. Meeting

B. Read the following sentences and define the bolded word based on the
context clue. Then identify which of the four types of clues is used.
1. The girl who used to be very vociferous doesn't talk much anymore.
2. Pedagogical institutions, including high schools, kindergartens, and
colleges, require community support to function efficiently.
3. He was so parsimonious that he refused to give his own sons the few
pennies they needed to buy pencils for school. It truly hurt him to part
with his money.
4. His pertinacity, or stubbornness, is the cause of most of his trouble.
5. Rather than be involved in clandestine meetings, they did everything
quite openly.
6. Ecclesiastics, such as priests, ministers, and pastors, should set models
of behavior for their congregants.
7. The girl was churlish – rude, sullen and absolutely ill-mannered.
8. Because the conflagration was aided by wind, it was so destructive that
every building in the area was completely burned to the ground.
UNIT 2 :

WORD PARTS
Unit goals:

Learning outcomes:
Students are expected to be able to:
1. Recognize word parts
2. Identify prefixes
3. Identify root words
4. Identify suffixes)

Learning focuses:
1. Root word
2. Common Prefixes
3. Common Suffixes
PART 1

Warming-Up

Exercise 1: Talking about happiness

Answer the following question carefully.

1. What makes you happy?

2. What makes you unhappy?
3. What is the happiest moment in your life?
4. How do you define happiness and how do you achieve it?
Exercise 2: Reading a text: The World’s Happiest Man
Please read the article below and then answer the questions!

A 69-year-old monk who scientists call the 'world's happiest

man' says the secret to being happy takes just 15 minutes a day
Alyson Shontell

Who is the happiest man in the world? If you Google it, the name "Matthieu Ricard" pops
up.

Matthieu Ricard, 69, is a Tibetan Buddhist monk originally from France who has been
called "the world's happiest man."

That's because he participated in a 12-year brain study on meditation and compassion led
by a neuroscientist from the University of Wisconsin, Richard Davidson.

Davidson hooked up Ricard's head to 256 sensors and found that when Ricard was
meditating on compassion his mind was unusually light.

The scans showed that when meditating on compassion, Ricard’s brain produces a level of
gamma waves – those linked to consciousness, attention, learning and memory – ‘never
reported before in the neuroscience literature’, Davidson said. The scans also showed
excessive activity in his brain’s left prefrontal cortex compared to its right counterpart,
allowing him an abnormally large capacity for happiness and a reduced propensity towards
negativity.

Ricard, who says he sometimes meditates for entire days without getting bored, admits he's
a generally happy person (although he feels his "happiest man" title is a media-driven
overstatement).

He spoke with Business Insider at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Here's
his advice for how to be happy.

Stop thinking 'me, me, me'

To Ricard, the answer comes down to altruism. The reason is that, thinking about yourself
and how to make things better for yourself all the time is exhausting and stressful, and it
ultimately leads to unhappiness.

"It's not the moral ground," Ricard says. "It's simply that me, me, me all day long is very
stuffy. And it's quite miserable, because you instrumentalist the whole world as a threat, or
as a potential sort of interest [to yourself]."
If you want to be happy, Ricard says you should strive to be "benevolent," which will not
only make you feel better but also make others like you more.

That's not to say you should let other people take advantage of you, Ricard warns, but you
should generally strive to be kind within reason.

"If your mind is filled with benevolence, you know, the passion and solidarity ... this is a
very healthy state of mind that is conducive to flourishing," Ricard says. "So you, yourself,
are in a much better mental state. Your body will be healthier, so it has been shown. And
also, people will perceive it as something nice."

That all sounds great in theory, but how does a person actually become altruistic and
benevolent and not let selfish thoughts creep in?

Start training your mind like you'd train to run a marathon

Ricard believes everyone has the ability to have a lighter mind because there's a potential
for goodness in every human being (unless you're, say, a serial killer, and there's something
actually chemically abnormal going on with your brain).

But like a marathon runner who needs to train before he or she can run 26.2 miles, people
who want to be happier need to train their minds. Ricard's preferred way of training his is
meditation:

With mental training, we can always bring [our level of happiness] to a different level. It's
like running. If I train, I might run a marathon. I might not become an Olympic champion,
but there is a huge difference between training and not training. So why should that not
apply to the mind? ... There is a view that benevolence, attention, emotional balance and
resilience are skills that can be trained. So if you put them all together, you could say that
happiness is a skill that can be trained.

OK, so how does one train their mind to be happier?

Just spend 15 continuous minutes a day thinking happy thoughts

Start by thinking happy thoughts for 10 to 15 minutes a day, Ricard says. Typically when
we experience feelings of happiness and love, it's fleeting and then something else happens,
and we move on to the next thought. Instead, concentrate on not letting your mind get
distracted, and keep focused on the positive emotions for the next stretch of time.

And if you do that training every day, even just two weeks later you can feel positive mental
results. And if you practice that for 50 years like Ricard has, you can become a happiness
pro too. That's backed up by neuroscientists, by the way. Davidson found in his study that
even 20 minutes of daily meditation can make people much happier overall.
Source : www.independent.co.uk
 1. Who is Matthieu Ricard ?
2. How did Richard get the label as “the world’s happiest man”?
3. What does he usually do to keep himself happy all day long?
4. What is altruism?
5. Based on the text, what is the source of happiness?

PART 2

Learning Focuses
Previously, you have read an article about the world’s happiest man. In the article,
you will find some words that are related to word “happy” such as happier,
happiest, happiness and unhappiness. If you did not know the meaning of word
“unhappiness” for example, can you guess it?

When context does not give enough clues to the meaning of an unknown word, an
easier and faster way to determine the word meaning is to break the word into parts
and analyze the meanings of the parts. Many words in the English language are
made up of word parts called prefixes, roots, and suffixes. These word parts have
specific meanings that when added together, can help you determine the meaning
of the word as a whole.

We can break the word “unhappiness” into three parts: its prefix, root and suffix.

 Prefix = un- , means not

 Root = happy, means feeling or showing pleasure
 Suffix = -ness means a state, condition, or quality

Based on this analysis that word unhappiness means “a condition of not feeling
pleasure”.

Here are a few other examples of words that you can figure out by using prefixes,
roots, and suffixes:

 The parents thought the child was unteachable.

Un- = not
 Teach = help someone learn
-able = able to do something
Unteachable = not able to be taught

 The student was a nonconformist.

Non = not
Conform = go along with others
-ist = one who does something
Nonconformist = someone who does not go along with others.

The first step in using the prefix-root suffix method is to become familiar with the
most commonly used word parts. The prefixes and roots listed in Tables 1 and 2
will give you a good start in determining the meanings of thousands of words
without looking them up in the dictionary. For instance, more than 10,000 words
can begin with the prefix non-. Another common prefix, pseudo-, is used in more
than 400 words. A small amount of time spent learning word parts can yield a large
payout in new words learned.

Before you begin to use word parts to figure out new words, there are a few things
you need to know

1. In most cases, a word is built upon at least one root

2. Words can have more than one prefix, root, or suffix.

a) Words can be made up of two or more roots (geo/logy).

b) Some words have two prefixes (in/sub/ordination).
c) Some words have two suffixes (beauti/ful/ly).

3. Words do not always have a prefix and a suffix.

a) Some words have neither a prefix not a suffix (read).

b) Others have a suffix but no prefix (read/ing)
c) Others have a prefix but no suffix (pre/read).

4. Roots may change in spelling as they are combined with suffixes. Some
common variations are included in Table 2
5. Sometimes, you may identify a group of letters as a prefix or root but find that
does not carry the meaning the prefix or root. For example, in the word
internal,the letters inter should not be confused with the prefix inter- meaning
“between". Similarly, the letters mis in the word missile are part of the root and
are not the prefix mis-, which means “wrong, bad”.

Exercise 3: Breaking up the word

Analyze and identify the prefixes, roots and suffixes from the following words:
1. Undo
2. Impossibility
3. Miscommunication
4. Discounted
5. Undisputable
6. Permissible
7. microbiology
8. Distraction
9. Internationally
10. Subconsciously

3. Prefixes
Prefixes appear at the beginning of many English words. They alter the meaning of
the root to which they are connected. In table 1, thirty-two common prefixes are
grouped according to meaning
Table 1. COMMON PREFIXES
Prefix Meaning Sample Word
Prefixes referring to amount or number
Bi- Two Bimonthly
Equi- Equal Equidistant
Micro- Small Microscope
Mono- One Monocle
Multi- Many Multipurpose
Poly- Many Polygon
Semi- Half Semicircle
Tri- Three Triangle
Uni- One Unicycle
 Prefixes meaning “not” (negative)
A Not Asymmetrical
Anti Against Antiwar
Contra Against, opposite Contradict
Dis Apart,away,not Disagree
In/im/il/ir Not Illogical
Non Not Nonfiction
Un Not Unpopular
Pseudo False Pseudoscientific

Prefixes giving direction, location, or placement

Circum Around Circumference
Com/col/con With, together Compile
De Away, from Depart
Ex/extra From, out of, former Ex-wife
Hyper Over, excessive Hyperactive
Inter Between Interpersonal
Intro/intra Within, into, in Introduction
Post After Posttest
Pre Before Premarital
Re Back, again Review
Retro Backward Retrospect
Sub Under, below Submarine
Super Above, extra Supercharge
Tele Far Telescope
Trans Across, over Transcontinental

Exercise 4:
Directions: Use the list of common prefixes in Table 1 to determine the meaning of
each of the following words. Write a brief definition or synonym of each. If you
are unfamiliar with the root, you may need to check a dictionary.
1. Interoffice :
2. Supernatural :
3. nonsense :
4. Introspection:
5. Prearrange :
6. Reset :
 7. Subtopic :
8. Transmit :
9. Multidimensional
10. Imperfect :

Exercise 5:
Directions: Read each of the following sentences. Use your knowledge prefixes
to complete the incomplete word

1. A text titled Botany was used ….. titled Understanding Plants.

2. The politician delivered his speech in a dull……… tone.
3. The new sweater had a snag and I returned it to the store because it was
..........perfect.
4. The flood damage was permanent and……… reversible.
5. I was not given the correct date and time, I was ……. informed.
6. People who speak several different languages are …… lingual.
7. A musical ….. lude was played between the events in the ceremony.
8. I decided the magazine was uninteresting, so I ……. continued for
subscription.
9. Merchandise that does not pass factory inspection is considerably …..
standard and sold at a discount.
10. The tuition refund policy approved this week will apply to last tuition
as well; it will be ……. active to January 1 of last year.

2. Root
Roots carry the basic or core meaning of word. Hundreds of root words are
used to build words in the English language. Thirty of the most common and
most useful are listed in Table 2. Knowledge of the meanings of these roots
will enable you to unlock the meanings of many words. For example, if you
know that the root dic/ dict means "tell or say," then you would have clue to
the meanings of such words as dictate (speak for someone to write down),
dictation (words spoken to be written down), and diction (wording or manner
of speaking).
Table 2 COMMON ROOTS

Root Meaning Sample Word

Aud/audit Hear Audible
Aster/astro Star Astronaut
Bio Life biology
Cap Take/seize Captive
Chron(o) Time Chronology
Corp Body Corpse
Cred Believe Incredible
Dict/dic Tell,say Predict
Duc/duce Lead Introduce
Fact/fac Make,do Factory
Graph Write Telegraph
Geo Earth Geophysics
Log/logo/logy Study, thought Psychology
Mit/miss Send Dismiss
Mort/mor Die,death Immortal
Path Feeling Sympathy
Phono Sound,voice Telephone
Photo Light Photosensitive
Port Carry transport
Scop Seeing Microscope
Scrib/script Write Inscription
Sen/sent Feel Insensitive
Spec/spic/spect Look,see Retrospect
Tend/tent/tens Stretch or strain Tension
Terr/terre Land,earth Territory
Theo God Theology
Ven/vent Come Convention
Vert/vers Turn Invert
Vis/vid See Invisible
Voc Call Vocation
Exercise 6:
Directions: Use the list of common roots in Table 2 to determine the meaning
of the following words. Write a brief definition or synonym of each, checking a
dictionary if necessary.

1. dictaphone 11. astrophysics

2. biomedicine 12. capacity
3. photocopy. 13. chronicle
4. porter 14. corporation
5. visibility 15. facile
6. credentials 16. autograph
7. speculate. 17. sociology
8. terrain 18. phonometer
9. audition 19. sensation
10. sentiment 20. vocal

Exercise 7:
Directions: Complete each of the following sentences with one of the words
listed below

Synchronized Verdict Spectators

Graphic Visualize Extensive
Phonics Prescribed
Apathetic Scriptures

1. The jury brought in its ……………. after one hour of deliberation.

2. Religious or holy writings are called ………….
3. She closed her eyes and tried to ………….. the license plate number
4. The………………watching the football game were tense.
5. The doctor………….two types of medication.
6. The child's list of toys he wanted for his birthday was…………
7. The criminal appeared …………. when the judge pronounced sentence.
8. The runners …………..their watches before beginning the race.
 9. The textbook contained numerous…………aids, including maps, charts,
and diagrams.
10. The study of the way different parts of words sound is……….

3. Suffixes
Suffixes are word endings that often change the part of speech of a word.
For example, adding the suffix y to the noun cloud produces the adjective
cloudy. Accompanying the change in part of speech is a shift in meaning
Cloudy means "resembling cloud, overcast with clouds, dimmed or dull as if by
clouds.")

Often, several different words can be formed from a single root word
with the addition of different suffixes.

Examples:

Root : class
Root + suffix = class/ify, class/ification, class/ic
Root: right
root + suffix = right/ly, right/ful, right/ist, right/eous

If you know the meaning of the root word and the ways in which different
suffixes affect the meaning of the root word, you will be able to figure out
word’s meaning when a suffix is added. A list of common suffixes and their
meanings appears in Table 3.

Table 3. COMMON SUFFIXES

Suffix Sample Word

Suffix that refer to a state,condition, or quality
Able Touchable
Ance Assistance
Ation Confrontation
Ence Reference
Ible Tangible
Ion Discussion
ity Superiority
ive Permissible
ment Amasement
ness Kindness
ous Jealous
ty Loyalty
y Creamy
Suffixes that mean “one who”
ee tutee
eer Engineer
er Teacher
ist Activist
or Advisor
Suffixes that mean “pertaining to or referring to”
al Autumnal
Ship friendship
Hood Brotherhood
Ward Homeward

You can expand your vocabulary significantly by learning the variations in

meaning that occur when suffixes are added to words you already know.
When you find a word that you do not know, look for the root word.

Examples:

The article was a compilation of facts.

root + suffix
compil(e)+ -ation = something that has been compiled, or put together into
an orderly form

We were concerned with the legality of our decision to change addresses

root + suffix
legal + -ity : pertaining to legal matters.

Our college is one of the most prestigious in the state.

root + suffix
prestig(e) + -ious = having prestige or distinction
Exercise 8:
Directions: For each of the words listed, add a suffix so that the word will
complete the sentence. Write the new word in the space provided. Check
dictionary if you are unsure of the spelling.

1. converse
Our phone…….. lasted ten minutes.
2. Assist
The medical…….. labeled the patient's blood samples.
3. qualify
The job applicant outlined his …….. to the interviewer
4. intern
The doctor completed her ……. at Memorial Medical Center,
5. eat
We didn't realize that the blossoms of the plant could be………

Exercise 9:
Directions: for each word listed below, write as many new words as you can
create by adding suffixes.
1. Compare :
2. Adapt :
3. Right :
4. Identify :
5. Will :

PART 3

Putting it all together

Think of root words as being at the root or core of a word's meaning. There
are many more roots than are listed in Table 2. You already know many of
these, because they are everyday words. Think of prefixes as word parts that
are added before the root to qualify or change its meaning Think of suffixes as
add-ons that make the words grammatically into the sentence in which it is
used. When you come upon a word you do not know, keep the following
pointers in mind:

1. First, look for the root. Think of this as looking for a word inside a larger
word. Open a letter or two will be missing.

Examples:
un/utter/able inter/colleg/iate
post/operat/ive im/measur/ability
defens/ible re/popular/ize
non/adapt/able non/commit/tal

2. If you do not recognize the root, then you will probably not be able to
figure out the word. The next step is to check its meaning in a dictionary.

3. If you did recognize the root word, next look for a prefix. If there is one,
determine how it changes the meaning of the word.

Examples: un/utterable post/operative

un= not post= after

4. Locate the suffix, if there is one, and determine how it further adds to or
changes the meaning of the root word.

Examples: unutter/able postoperative

-able = able to be -ive = state/condition

5. Next, try out the meaning in the sentence in which the word was used.
Substitute your meaning for the word and see whether the sentence
makes sense.

Examples:
- Some of the victim's thoughts were unutterable at the time of the crime.
unutterable: not able to be spoken
- My sister was worried about the cost of postoperative care.
postoperative : state or condition after an operation
Exercise 10:
Directions: Use the steps listed previously to determine out the meaning of each
boldface word. Circle the root in each word and then write a brief definition of
the word that fits its use in the sentence.

1. The doctor felt the results of the x-rays were indisputable.

2. The dissimilarity among the three brothers was surprising

3. The extortionist demanded two payments of $10,000 cash.

4. It is permissible to camp in most state parks.

5. The student had retentive abilities.

6. The profiteer was fined for failing to file an income tax return last year.

7. We were surprised by her insincerity.

6. The child's oversensitivity worried his parents.

9. The English instructor told Peter that he had written a creditable poem.

10. The rock group's agent hoped to repopularize their first hit song.
UNIT 3 :

UNDERSTANDING SENTENCES
Unit goals:

Learning outcomes:
Students are expected to be able to:
1. Identify the part of a sentence that that express the basic meaning
and its details
2. Recognize sentences that combine equally important ideas
3. Understand the connection between ideas expresses in a
sentence

Learning focuses:
1. Sentence with single idea
2. Sentence with combine idea
3. Sentence with related idea
PART 1

Warming-Up

Answer the following question carefully.

5. What is Idea?
6. Is a sentence needs idea?
7. How to identify Idea in a sentence?

PART 2

Learning Focuses
1. Identifying Single Key Idea
Every sentence expresses at least one key idea or basic message. This
key idea is made up of two parts, a simple subject and a simple predicate. The
simple subject, usually a noun, identifies the person or object the sentence is
about. The main part of the predicate (simple predicate) is a verb, which tells
what the person or object is doing or has done. Usually a sentence contains
additional information about the subject and/or the predicate.

Example:

The average American drank 3 litters of water per day last year

The key idea of this sentence is “American drank”. It is expressed by the

simple subject and predicate. The simple subject of this sentence is American;
it tells what the sentence is about. The words the and average give more
information about the subject, Americans, by telling which one. The main part
of predicate is the verb drank; this tells what average American did. The rest
of the sentence gives more information about the predicate by telling what
and how much was drunk. Here are a few more examples;

George studied for three hours last night.

Kathy lives in Boston near the waterfront

Food prices have risen drastically in the past four hours.

In many long and complicated sentences, the key idea is not as obvious
as in the previous examples. To finds the key idea, ask;

1. Who or what is the sentence about?

2. What is happening in the sentence?

Here is an example of a complicated sentence that might be found a

psychology textbook:

“Intelligence, as measured by 1Q, depends on the kind of test

given, skill of the examiner, and the cooperation of the subject.”

In this sentence, the answer to the question "Who or what is the sentence
about" is “intelligence." The verb is depends, and the remainder of the
sentence explains the factors upon which intelligence depends. Let us lock at a
few more examples.

William James, often thought of as the father of American

psychology, tested whether memory could be improved by
exercising it.

Violence in sports, both at amateur and professional levels, has

increased dramatically over the past ten years.

Some sentences may have more than one subject and/ or more than one
verb in the predicate.

Examples:

Poor diet and lack of exercise can cause weight gain

Subject Subject

My brother always worries and complains about his job.

Verb Verb

Many homes and businesses are burglarized or vandalized each year

Subject Subject Verb Verb

The angry woman was screaming, cursing and shouting

Subject Verb Verb Verb

Exercise 1: Identifying Key Idea

Directions: Find the key idea in each of the following sentences. Draw one line
under the simple subject and two lines under the verb. Example: The
instructor assigned a fifteen-page article to read.

1. Every summer, my parents travel to the eastern seacoast.

2. Children learn how to behave by imitating adults
 3. William Faulkner, a popular American author, wrote about life in the
South.
4. Psychologies are interested in studying human behavior in many
different situations
5. Mentally ill patients often refuse to take prescribed medication
6. Elements exist either as compound or as free elements.
7. Attention may be defined as focusing of perception.
8. Cocaine, although illegal, is apparently increasing in use.
9. The most accurate method we have of estimating the age of the earth
is based on our knowledge of radioactivity.
10. The specific instructions in a computer program are written in a
computer language.

2. Locating Details
After you have identified the key idea, the next step in understanding a
sentence is to see how the details affect its meaning. Most details either add to
or change the meaning of the key idea. Usually they answer such questions
about the subject or predicate as what, where, which, when, how, or why.
For examples:

Sam drove his car to Toronto last week.

What where when

Last night I read with interest a magazine article on sailing.

when how what
As you read a sentence, be sure to notice how the details change, limit, or add
to the meaning of the key idea. Decide, for each of the following examples, how
the underlined portion affects the meaning of the key idea.

Chemistry is really a language, a way of describing things we see every

day.

The scientists, with the most liberal attitudes, urged further study of
nuclear power.

The film about the death of the basketball star was depressing.

In the first example, the underlined detail explains in what way chemistry
language. ln the second example, the underlined detail tells which scientist
(only those with the most liberal attitudes) urged further study. In the third
example the underlined detail describes the film.

Exercise 2: Locating Details

Direction: Read of the following sentences and decide what the
underlined part of the sentence tells about the key idea. Write what,
which, when where, how or why in the space provided.

1. You can relieve tension through exercise.

________________________________________________________________________
2. The English instructor summarized the plot
________________________________________________________________________
3. Many students in computer science courses can use the computer
terminal by late at night.
________________________________________________________________________
4. Many peppers clip coupons to reduce their grocery bill.
________________________________________________________________________
5. After class I am going to talk to my instructor.
________________________________________________________________________
 6. Astronomers have learned about stars and galaxies by analyzing
radiation they emit.
_______________________________________________________________________
7. The world's oil supply is concentrated in only a few places around the
globe.
_______________________________________________________________________
8. Light traveling through empty space will move in a straight line.
_______________________________________________________________________
9. Cobia, essential for the manufacture of jet aircraft engines, is a
valuable resource.
_______________________________________________________________________
10. Ebbinghaus, one of psychology's pioneers, studied learning and
memory processes.
_____________________________________________________________________

3. Identifying Combine Ideas

Many sentences express more than one key idea. Often a writer will
combine two or more closely related ideas into one sentence. This is done for
one of three reasons; (1) to clarify the ideas, (2) to emphasize their
connection, or (3) to show that they are of equal importance. For example:

“Some students decide to take the final exam, and others chose
to write a term paper.”

In this sentence two related ideas are combined:

1. Some students decided to take the final exam.

2. Some students chose to write a term paper.

As you read combined sentences, be sure to notice both key ideas. If you
read too fast, it is easy to miss the second idea.
 Often you can spot combined ideas by the punctuation in the sentence. Two
complete ideas can be combined by

1. Using a semicolon;

Examples: Some students hate math; others enjoy it.

Television is entertaining; it can also be educational

2. Using a comma followed by a conjunction (and, but, or. Nor, so, for,
yet).
Examples: John expected a good grade, but he received a D.

My writing instructor assigns a lot of work, and she is very

particular about how it is done.

Data processing is my major, so I have to take several math

courses.

Exercise 3: Combine Ideas

Directions: Each of the following sentences is made up of two key ideas.
Draw one line under the first complete idea and two lines under the
second complete idea.

1. Although my favorite dessert is orange chocolate mousse cake. I like

anything made with chocolate.
2. Some students love math, while others hate it.
3. I read all the chapters that were assigned, and I wrote an outline of
each.
4. Sal was lonely and depressed, so he called his brother on the phone
to talk things over.
 5. The football team practices every day, rain or snow never stops
them.
6. Scientists describe atoms with two important quantities, mass and
charge, and we have to know what these mean before discussing
them.
7. Cocaine is, however, addictive, and in large doses it can induce
reactions of hostility and suspicion.
8. People are impressed with the computers’ ability to solve a problem,
yet computers do not solve problems unless a person has
programmed them to do so.
9. World politics is no longer a matter of military power; it involves
issues of equality and sharing of the world's natural resources.
10. The appeal of gold is ageless, people tum to gold investments in
various types of economic climates.

Exercise 4: Combine Ideas

Directions: Read each of the following sentences and decide whether it
expresses one single idea or combines two equally important ideas. If a single
idea is expressed, write S in the space provided. If two or more combined
ideas are expressed, write C in the space.

1. The students wanted to cancel the class, but the instructor decided to
reschedule it. __________________
2. Some students chose to write a term paper, and others chose to take the
final exam. __________________
3. The personnel manager, a friend of my father accepted my application
and scheduled an interview with me. __________________
 4. The textbook contains exercises intended to improve concentration and
recall. __________________
5. The library is open weekends to accommodate students' work and study
schedules. __________________
6. Lack of study and preparation cause some students to do poorly on
exams; test anxiety can also be a factor __________________
7. Computers have become part of our everyday lives, and new uses are
developed daily. __________________
8. My sister bought used car, but she couldn't keep up with the payments.
__________________
9. Reading with a purpose can improve your comprehension and increase
what you can remember. __________________
10. I drove around the city for a while, and then I found the restaurant for
which I was looking. __________________

4. Identifying Relate Ideas

Often a writer expands a sentence by adding a related but less important idea.
This related idea has its own noun and verb, but it expresses an incomplete
thought and cannot stand by itself. For example, the underlined portion of the
following sentence has a noun and a verb, but it does not make sense until you
read the entire sentence.

Because Hal forgot to buy the newspaper, he couldn't check the want ads
for used cars.

In this sentence, the more important idea is that he could not check the want
ads. The first part of the sentence gives the reason that explains the second
part. Here are the two more examples

After we left the party, we stopped for a pizza.

I did my math homework while I waited for the bus.

 As you read sentences of this type, be sure to notice the relationship between
ideas. The idea of lesser importance usually performs one or more of the
following functions:

 Describes

Example: My sister, who is eight years old, got the chicken pox.

 Expresses cause

Example: Because I was out jogging, I missed your phone call.

 States purpose or reason

Example: George skipped his English class so he could study for his
psychology test.

 Describes conditions or circumstances

Example: If I pass introductory psychology, I will register for child

psychology.

 Expresses time relationships

Example: while I was waiting for the bus, I reviewed my biology notes.

Exercise 5: Relate Ideas

Directions: Read each of the following sentences. Draw two lines under the
key idea and one line under the less important, related idea,

Example When I got home, I plan to relax for an hour

1. Although I was recovering from a cold. I went shopping anyway.

2. If a department store is too crowded, I cannot concentrate on
what I am trying to purchase.
 3. Because violence is regularly shown on television, children accept it as
an ordinary part of life.
4. As far as scientists can tell from available research, some types of cancer
may be caused by a virus.
5. When a child throws a temper: tantrum, the child usually receives
attention.
6. Although different psychologists within the developmental field hold
various points of view, some fundamental issues confront all of them.
7. When you learn a computer language, you learn the logic of problem
solving.
8. While many political issues are of concern today, the most important
ones are energy, the economy, and equality.
9. Since comparison shopping is a necessary part of the buying process,
wise money managers look for differences in quality as well as price.
10. As most people are aware, $100 will not purchase the same amount of
goods or services today as ten years ago.

Exercise 6: Relate Ideas

Directions: Read each of the following sentences and decide whether it

expresses one single idea or contain: one complete thought and a related
thought. If only one idea is expressed, write S in the space provided. If the
sentence expresses an idea and a related thought, write R in the space.

1. Although Frank looked nervous and unsure of himself, he scored well on

the exam. __________________
 2. The papers lying on the instructor's desk fluttered in the breeze.
__________________
3. Several students were surprised to learn that instructors expect two to
three hours of study for each hour spent in class. __________________
4. Although the average age of college students is increasing, most
students in my class are under twenty-one. __________________
5. Many people enjoy jogging because it releases tension and frees the
mind. __________________
6. If you can organize your study time into a weekly schedule, you will find
that you accomplish more work. __________________
7. To improve your concentration, try to study in the same place every day.
__________________
8. Students with large vocabularies have a good chance of getting high
grades in college. __________________
9. Nonsmokers have a longer life expectancy than do smokers.
__________________
10. An outline of a textbook assignment is useful because it shows the
organization of the chapter. __________________

PART 3

Putting it all together

A sentence expresses at least one key idea, which consists of a simple
subject and a verb. The remainder of the sentence contains information that
explains, clarifies, or limits the key idea. Not all words in a sentence are of
equal importance. In reading a sentence, sort through the words to locate the
key idea and to determine how the rest of the sentence affects the key idea.
 Two or more complete ideas may be combined into a single sentence.
This is done to emphasize or clarify the relationship between the ideas. Some
sentences contain a key idea and a related but less important idea. Be sure to
notice how the two ideas are related. Usually the less important idea explains
the key idea by describing expressing cause, stating purpose or reason,
describing conditions or circumstances, or expressing time relationships.
UNIT 4 :

Understanding Paragraph
Unit goals:

Learning outcomes:
Students are expected to be able to:
1. Understand the essential elements of a paragraph;
2. Identify the topic of paragraph;
3. Understand the stated main idea;
4. Understand the supporting details;
5. Understand the unstated details;
6. Understand the use of transition in a paragraph.
8. Understand reference words

Learning focuses:
1. Elements of a paragraph
2. Paragraph Topics
3. Stated Main Idea
4. Supporting Details
5. Unstated Main Idea
6. Transition
7. Reference words
Part 1: Warming Up
To understand paragraph, you need to know the elements of a
good paragraph. Before recognizing each elements, discuss the
paragraphs below.

A
Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and
aquatic plants. When confronted with humans, piranhas’ first instinct is
to flee, not attack. Their fear of humans makes sense. Far more piranhas
are eaten by people than people are eaten by piranhas. If the fish are
well-fed, they won’t bite humans
B
Although most people consider piranhas to be quite dangerous,
they are, except in two main situations, entirely harmless. Piranhas
rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants.
When confronted with humans, piranhas’ instinct is to flee, not attack.
But there are two situations in which a piranha bite is likely. The first is
when a frightened piranha is lifted out of the water—for example, if it
has been caught in a fishing net. The second is when the water level in
pools where piranhas are living falls too low. A large number of fish may
be trapped in a single pool, and if they are hungry, they may attack
anything that enters the water.
https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/paragraphs/

Exercise 1: Thinking about the topic

Compare the two paragraphs below by reading them carefully and
answering the questions.
8. What is the topic of paragraph A and B?
9. What does the paragraph A and B discuss?
10. What details can be identified from paragraph A and B?
11. How does paragraph A differ from paragraph B?
12. Which paragraph is easily understood?
Part 2: Learning Focuses
To understand paragraph, you need to know the elements that
construct and make it a good one. Study the explanation about the
each element in a paragraph below to help you understand and be
able to identify each element and its function as well.

4. Elements of Paragraph
A paragraph is a group of sentences that fit together to support and
explain one main idea. A paragraph consists of four essential elements:

1. Topic is one thing a paragraph is about.

2. Main idea is what the author wants to tell about the topic.
3. Supporting details are the proof, support, explanation, reason, or
examples that explain the main idea.
4. Transition are words that relate sentences in a paragraph.

This is an example of a paragraph that has the four essential elements

above; topic, main idea, supporting details, and transitions.

1I have several reasons for wanting to get rid of Punch, our dog.
2First of all, he knows I don’t like him. 3Sometimes he gives me an evil

look and curls his top lip back to show me his teeth as he wants to bite
me. 4Another reason to get ride of Punch is he sheds everywhere. 5Every
surface is our house is covered with Punch hair. 6Last of all, Punch is an
early riser, while I am not. 7He will start barking and whining to go
outside at 7 a.m., and it is my job to take care of him. 8When I told my
family that I had a list of good reasons for getting rid of Punch, they said
they would make up a list of reasons to get rid of me.

Based on the paragraph above, here are the explanation:

1. Topic :
Our family dog, Punch
2. Main Idea:
Line 1: I have several reasons for wanting to get rid of Punch, our
dog.
3. Supporting details:
Line 2-3: First of all, he knows I don’t like him. Sometimes he gives
me........
Line 4-5: Another reason to get rid of Punch is he sheds
everywhere. Every ..
Line 6-7: Last of all, Punch is an early riser, while ......
4. Transisition:
First of all
Another reason
Last of all

To identify topics and main ideas in a paragraph, You need to

understand general and specific ideas. A general idea is a board idea
that applies to specific items; meanwhle, a specific idea is detailed or
particular. Look at the example below.
Example:
Idea 1 Idea 2
General: Fruits General: types of movies
Specifics: Grapes, lemons, apples Specific: comedies,actions,romance

Exercise 2: Analyzing general and specific ideas (Word)

Read the following items and decide the most general word in each set.
Write your answer in the blank. Number one is an example.

____C____ 1. A. company __________ 6. A. brochure

B. organization B. reading matter
C. patnership C. Novel
D. government D. magazine
agency
__________ 2. A. Math __________ 7. A. addition
B. Astronomy B. Calculation
C. Philosophy C. Subtraction
 D. College courses D. Multiplication

__________ 3. A. animal __________ 8. A. anger

B. mammal B. revulsion
C. Amphibian C. emotion
D. reptile D. fear

__________ 4. A. Tulips __________ 9. A. cardiologist

B. roses B. doctor
C. Flowers C. pediatrician
D. orchid D. intern
__________ 5. A. Sclupture __________ 10. A. Head of state
B. Art B. King
C.Paint C. Monarch
D.Cartoon D. Emperor

Exercise 3: Analyzing general and specific ideas (Phrase)

Read the following items and decide the most general phrase in each
set. Write your answer in the blank.

Example: _____D____ A. going dancing at disco

B. reading a good book
C. having a picnic
D. spending free time

__________ 1. A. repairing ________ 4. A. looking for a motor

dilapidated wood vehicle
word B. following the service
B. planning the guide
order of renovation C. maintaining the
C. restoring an old engine
house D. caring for the
D. purchasing bodywork
fixtures and
materials
__________ 2. A. getting haircuts ________ 5. A. reducing income tax
B. permanent rates
waves B. reducing budget
C. manicures and deficits
pedicures C. expanding the
D. beauty-salon money supply
 services D. running a country’s
economy

__________ 3. A. writing a term

paper
B. attending
rehearsals
C. learning lines
D. forging a career

Exercise 4: Analyzing general and specific ideas (Sentence)

Read the following items and decide the most general sentence in each
set. Write your answer in the blank.

Example: _____D____ A. The hotel offers complimentary coffee

from 7 to 10 a.m. daily.
B. There are many reasons why guests feel
at home at the Glorietta Bay Inn.
C. The coin-operated laundry room has an
ironing board, and an iron is available
for the use guests.
D. There are number of extra services at
the Glorietta Bay Inn including baby-
sitting.

__________ 1. A.Recently, reports on Kevin Costner, Princess Diana, and

General Colin Powell have all appeared.
B. People magazine contains articles on people in the
news, unusual happenings, and the latest
entertainment events.
C. Typical of the unusual was an article on recipes for and
the benefits of earthworms.
D. The review are entertainingly written and sometimes
highly critical though they are shorter than in some
older, established magazine.

__________ 2. A. The orbit of Uranus does not follow the orbit calculated
for it because it is being pulled off course by the
gravitational attraction of another, unknown planet.
B. The tiny planet Pluto is too small to account for the
distortion of Uranus’s orbit.
 C. The Planetoid Chiron, discovered in 1977, is too small
to cause the irregulary exhibited in Uranus’s orbit.
D. Planetary observations show why astronomers believe
a tenth planet may exist.

__________ 3. A. Stray animals usually do not trust people.

B. Stray animals almost never make good pets.
C. Most stray animals have received little or no training.
D. Stray animals are frequently the victim of poor
nutrition and lack of medical treatment.

__________ 4. A. Newborn babies sob seemingly in symphaty when they

hear the cries of other babies.
B. A calm baby does not cry if it hears a recording of its
own cry.
C. The crying of a baby chimpanzee has no effect on
newborn human babies.
D. Newborn babies can distinguish among their own cries,
the cries of other babies, and the cries of non-human
babies.

__________ 5. A. Microwave ovens have eliminated many of

inconvenience previosly associated with the
preparation of meals.
B. Many foods can go directly from the freezer to the
microwave oven without being defrosted.
C. Many microwave ovens can be pre-set to cook your
food while you are away from the kitchen.
D. The microwave oven has greatly reduced the amount of
time it takes to cook meal.

5. Paragraph topics
As a reader, you need to find out the topic in order to understand
the paragraph. To identify the topic, you need to ask “What’s the
paragraph about?”.
The topic is the one thing that a paragraph is about. What is needed to
remember when practice identifying the topic are:
1. A topic is usually expressed as a word or a phrase; it is not expressed
as a sentence.
2. A topic should not be too specific, nor too general.
3. A topic is usually appeared as a repeated word in the text.
4. A topic is usually found as a part of main idea.

Example 1:
Topic Main Idea
My dog Punch I have several reasons for wanting to get rid of Punch.
Celebrities Being a celebrity is often difficult.
Depression Serious depression has definite warning signs.
Memory Several factors can interfere with having a good
memory.

Example 2:
Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics.
First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion.
Therefore, it is suitable for jewelry, coins, and ornamental purposes.
Gold never needs to be polished and will remains as untarnished today
as the day it was made 25 centuries ago. Another important
characteristics of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. For
many years, it has been used in hundreds of industrials applications,
such as photography and dentistry. The most recent use of gold is in
astronauts suits. Astronauts wear gold-plated heat shields for
protection when they go outside spaceships in space. in conclusion, gold
is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility

The topic of the paragraph is gold.

Exercise 5: Choosing the best topic

Read the paragraphs. Choose the best answer to each question.

1. My Saturday mornings as a child were special. My mother used to

take me shopping every Saturday. First, we would go to the fish shop
to buy our fish. The next stop was the butcher's, where we would
choose the meat for our Sunday dinner. Next door was the fruit and
vegetable store. I loved looking at all the fresh, colorful vegetables
stacked up on the tables. Sometimes the shop owner would give me
an apple as a treat. Our final stop was always the bakery. I still
 remember the wonderful smell of freshly baked bread. Those were
special days.
What is the topic?
a. Different shops
b. Saturday shopping as a child
c. Shopping for vegetables

2. Grocery stores today are very different from stores two generations
ago. Today you only need to go to one store to buy everything you
need for the week. You can find meat, fish, dairy products, fruit and
vegetables, and any other grocery item you are looking for all in one
store. In the past, you had to go from one shop to another for all your
needs. Also, today you can find a much wider selection of food.
Grocery stores also reflect our multicultural world. You can find
Mexican, Chinese, and Thai food in almost every large grocery store.
This was impossible in the past. Finally, stores today import fruit and
vegetables from all over the world. You can buy fresh strawberries
from Chile in February and tomatoes all year round. Grocery stores
have changed a lot since my grandmother's time.
What’s the topic?
a. How grocery store have changed
b. Fresh food in grocery stores
c. Grocery stores

3. Not very long ago, a businessman named Ted Turner had an idea. He
wanted to create a twenty-four-hour television news channel. At the
time, a lot of people laughed at this idea. They believed people only
wanted to watch the news in the evening. Turner disagreed,
however, and started CNN, or Cable News Network CNN quickly
became one of the most watched channels on TV. It is still popular
today, not only in the United States but around the world.
What’s the topic?
a. Ted Turner
b. CNN
c. How CNN began
4. People who have never been to the United States sometimes have an
inaccurate idea about life in America. They watch Hollywood movies
full of beautiful, rich people and think that everyone in the States is
like this. They see violent American TV programs and think that life
in the United States is very dangerous. They visit McDonald's in their
own country and think that all Americans eat hamburgers every day.
When people visit America, however, they find that life is very
different from what they see in movies and on TV.
What's the topic?
a. Hollywood movies
b. Learning about U.S. life through movies and TV
c. Visiting America

5. Although funeral customs in England and America are similar in

many respects, they also differ significantly in other ways. In both
countries, preparation of the body occurs at a funeral home, a funeral
service is usually held in a church or chapel, and burial occurs in a
cemetery. However, the custom of embalming is not the same. In the
United States, treating a corpse with preservatives is routine. In
England, though, that procedure is rare. Other pre-funeral customs
differ, too. In America, it is customary for mourners to go to the
funeral home a day or two before the actual burial for a "wake," a
ritual during which people pay their respects to the deceased and to
his or her family members. At the wake, the body is laid out in a
coffin, and mourners go look at it. In England, however, there is no
pre-funeral wake. The funeral director places the body in a chapel,
and people can go see it if they like. But they usually don’t. Finally,
the actual funeral service differs slightly. The services in both
countries typically involve hymns and prayers, but those in England
last only about fifteen minutes. American funeral services are usually
much longer.
What’s the topic?
a. Funeral custom in England
b. Funeral custom in America
c. Differences between English and American funeral customs
Exercise 6: Identifying Topic
Read the paragraphs. Write the topic on the space given.

1. A hockery player rushing up ice travels at more than twenty-five

miles per hour; a slap shot hurls a frozen rubber disc toward a goalie
at one hundred miles per hour. Everything that happens in hockery-
passing stickhandling, checking, shooting-happens fast. (Greenfield,
“The iceman arriveth)
Topic:

2. Acadia National Park in Maine offers visitors a variety of wonderful

scenery. For example, it includes a rugged coastal region of great
natural beauty with the highest land on the eastern seaboard. It also
includes most of Mount Desert Island, parts of Isle au Hunt, and a
number of other islets, as well as the tip of the Schoodic Peninsula.
Wave-eroded granite cliffs characterize the coast. The inland portion
of the park is forested with spruce and fir, and contains lakes and
mountains carved by glacial actions. (McGrath and McGrath, “Travel
Treasuress”)
Topic:

3. At least 25 percent of the people in the United States suffer from

stress overload at work. According to a 1995 Gallup poll, 37 percent
of American workers report daily job stress, while 75 percent
reported significant stress at least once weekly. A study by the
National Center of Health Statistics revealed that more than half of
forty thousand workers surveyed reported experiencing moderate to
severe job stress in the previous two weeks. A 1998 Gallup poll
strongly suggested that stress continues to mount for American
workers, as fully 80 percent reported being significantly stressed at
work. (Abascal, Bruto, and Brucato, Stress Master)
Topic:

4. Death comes early in poor societies, where families lack adequate

food, safe water, secure housing, and access to medical care.
Organization combating child proverty estimate that at least 100
 million city children in poor countries beg, steal, sell sex or work for
drug gangs to provide income for their families. Such a life almost
always means dropping out of school and puts children at high risk of
disease and violence. (Macions, Sociology)
Topic:

5. The loss of a job, a serious illness, a family breakup, or other family

circumstances can lead to financial problems in the family. If money
problems are serious or long-lasting, a family may be unable to
afford such neccessities as adequate food, health care, and a place to
live. A growing number of families in the United States today have
become homeless dueto financial crises. (Pruitt, Crumpler, and
Prothrow-Stith, Health Skills for wellness)
Topic:

6. When you set a purpose for reading, you focus your attention on the
specific parts of the assignment you need to understand. Without
setting goals you are saying that everything in the assignment is of
equal value and that you want to learn it all in complete detail.
Although this total-mastery approach may be necessary in a few
reading assignments each term, most times it will just lead to
frustration and information overload. Setting a purpose each time
you read can make you more effective and efficient. (McGrath,
Understanding Diverse Viewpoints)
Topic:

7. People’s acceptance of a product may be largely determined by its

packaging. In one study the very same coffee taken from a yellow can
was described as weak, from a dark brown can as too strong, from a
red can as rich, and from a blue can as mild. Even your acceptance of
a person may depend on the colors worn. Consider, for example, the
comments of one color expert: “if you have to pick the wardrobe for
your defense lawyer heading into court and choose anything but
blue, you deserve to lose the case…..” Black is so powerful it could
work against the lawyer with the jury. Brown lacks sufficient
authority. Green would probably elicit a negative response.
Topic :
8. The constellation [group of stars] that the Greeks named Orion, the
hunter, was seen by the ancient Chinese as a supreme warrior called
Shen. Hindus in ancient India also saw a warrior, called Skanda, who
rode a peacock. The three stars of Orion’s belt were seen as three
fisherman in a canoe by Aborigines of northern Australia. as seen
from southern California, these three stars climb almost straight up
into the sky as they rise in the east, which may explain why the
Chemehuevi Indians of the California desert saw them as a line of
three surefooted mountain sheep.
Topic :

Exercise 7: Further exercise on topic

Read the paragraphs. Choose the letter of the choice that best
represents the topic of the paragraph.
1. Some plants require more light than others as a result of
the colors of their leaves. Plants with shades of white,
yellow, or pink in their leaves need more light than
plants with completely green foliage. For example, a
Swedish ivy plant with completely green leaves requires
less light per day than a variegated Swedish ivy that
contains shades of white, yellow, and green in its leaves.
a. How plants grow
b. Plants and light
c. Light
d. Green foliage

2. Mental ilness is usually diagnosed from abnormal

behavior. A woman is asked the time of day, and she
begins to rub her arms and recite tha Apostles’ Creed. A
man is so convinced that someone is “out to get him” that
he refuses to leave his apartment. Unusual behaviors like
these are taken as evidence that the mental apparatus is
not working quite right, and mental illness is the
resulting diagnosis.
a. Psychology
 b. Mental health
c. Mental ilness
d. Evidence

3. Discrimination doesn’t go away : it just aims at whatever

group appears to be out of fashion at any given moment.
One expert feels that age is the major factor in
employment didcrimination today, altough studies have
shown older workers may be more reliable than young
workers and just as productive. The age discrimination
in employment act gives protection to the worker
between forty and sixty-five. If you’re in this age range,
your employer must prove that you have performed
unsatisfactorily before he can legally fire you. This act
also prohibits age discrimination in hiring, wages, and
benefits.
a. Age discrimination
b. Older workers
c. Employment
d. Protection of workers

4. Magazines are a means of communication halfway

between newspapers and books. Until the 1940s most
consumer (general) magazines offered both fiction and
nonfiction articles as well as poetry and short humor
selections. With television providing so much
entertainment for the American home, many magazines
discovered a strong demand for nonfiction articles, their
almost exclusive content today.
a. Communication
b. Nonfiction articles
c. Newspapers and books
d. Magazines

5. Slavery has taken a number of different forms. War

captives and their descendants formed a class of slave in
some societied; in others, slaves were owned and could
 be bought and sold. The rights granted to a slave varied,
too. In ancient Greece, a slave could marry a free person,
but in the southern United States before the Civil War,
slaves were not allowed even to marry each other
because they were not permitted to engage in legal
contracts. Still, slaves in the South often lived together as
husband and wife throughout their adult lives, forming
families that remained tightly knit until they were
separated at the auction block.
a. Rights of slaves
b. Slavery in Greece
c. Forms of slavery
d. Slavery in the southern United States

6. Main ideas (a stated main idea)

In order to become a better an faster reader, recognizing the main
idea is the most important skill you can develop.

Main idea is the most important point the author wants to make. Main
idea can be stated or unstated.
- A stated main idea can be found in a single sentence called the
topic sentence. A topic sentence consists of topic and controlling
idea of the paragraph.
- An unstated main idea is not explicitly written in the paragraph. It
can be inferred after getting the whole information given. (it will be
discussed in the next part).

A STATED MAIN IDEA

The important points about a stated main idea or a topic sentence
are:
1. A topic sentence is a complete sentence; that is, it contains one
subject and one verb.

2. A topic sentence contains both a topic and a controlling idea. It

names the topic and the limits the topic to a specific area to be discuss
in the paragraph.
Example:
Topic controlling idea
a. Driving on freeways requires skill and alertness.
Subject Verb

Topic controlling idea

b. The rise of indie films is due to several factors.
Subject Verb

3. A topic sentence can be found in some positions in a paragraph:

 The first sentence (a beginning) of a paragraph.

Example:
Synonyms, words that have the same basic meaning ,do not
always have the same motional meaning. For example,th word stingy
and frugal both mean “careful with money.” Howver, calling someone
stingy is an insult, but calling someone frugal is a compliment. Similarly,
a person wants to be slender but not skinny, aggressive but not pushy.
Therefore, you should be careful in choosing words because many so-
called synonyms are not really synonymoust at all.

In the middle of a paragraph

Example:
Whenever possible, good listeners prepare in advance for the
speech or lecturer they plan to attend. They study the topic to be
discussed and find out about the speaker and his or her beliefs.
Effective listeners, then ,take specific steps to achive accurate
understanding of the lecture. Furthemore , when they arrive at the
place where the speech is to be given, they choose a seat whwre it is
easy to see, hear ,and remain alert. Finally ,when th speech is over
,effective listeners review what was said and evaluate the ideas that
were expressed.

 The last sentence in a paragraph

Example:
By the year 2009, a vaccine against the common cold will have
been developed. By the same year,the firts human will have been
successfully cloned. By the year 2014 ,parents will be able to create
designer children. Genetic therapy will be able to manipulae genes for
abilities,intelligence, and hair,eye,and skin color. By 2020,most diseases
will have been wiped out. These are just a few examples of the
medical miracles that are expected in the next few decades.

Exercise 8: Recognizing topic sentence (1)

Read the paragraphs. Locate the topic sentence of each paragraph

1. The functions of desktop publishing software are similar to those

of word processing programs, except that some capabilities are
more sophisticated. A user can enter text using the desktop
publishing program in the same way that he or she can enter text
with a word processing program. In addition, the user can retrieve
text from a file created by another program. For example, the user
may enter, edit, and save text using a word processing program
and then retrieve the saved text using the desktop publishing
program.

2. The good listener, in order to achieve the purpose of acquiring

information, is careful to follow specific steps to achieve accurate
understanding. First, whenever possible, the good listener
prepares in advance for the speech of lecturer he or she is going to
attend. He or she studies the topic to be discussed and find out
about the speaker and his or her beliefs. Second, on arriving at the
place where the speech is to be given, he or she chooses a seat
where seeing, hearing, and remaining alert essay. Finally, when
the speech is over, an effective listener reviews what was said and
reacts to and evaluates the ideas expressed.

3. The rate of cooling an object depends on how much hotter the

object is than the surrounding. The temperature change per
minute of a hot apple pie will be more if the hot is put in a cold
freezer than if put on the kitchen table. Ehen the pi cools in the
freezer, the temperature difference between it and its
surrounding is greater. A warm home will leak heat to the cold
outside at a greater rate when there is a large difference in the
 inside and outside temperatures. Keeping the inside of your home
at a high temperature on a cold day is more costly than keeping it
at a lower temperature. If you keep the temperature difference
small, the rate of cooling will be corresponding low.

4. The pawnshop industry has been in decline in most parts of the

world. In Great Britain in 1990 there were 3,000 pawnshops; in
the 1990s there are fewer than 150. In the United States, however,
the pawnshop business actually grew during the same time
period, from under 2,000 to more than 7,000 today. Pawnshops in
this country currently make about 40 million loans a year with an
aggregate dollar amount over $1 billion. Most if these pawnshops
are that many states have relaxed their restriction (called usury
laws) on the maximum interest rates that can be charged.
Pawnshops in these states can now legally charge the night rates
needed to stay in business. Further, the percentage of U.S. citizens
classified as low-income has risen in recent decades. These
individuals cannot get loans from mainstream financial
institutions, such as banks and savings and loan associations, and
so must turn to alternatives, one of which is the pawnshop.

5. Many people assume that the law is based on the contest of

citizens, that it treats citizens equally, and that it serves the best
interest of society. If we simply read the U.S. Constitution and
Statues, this assumption may indeed be justified. But focusing on
the law on the books, as William Chambliss (1969) pointed out,
may be misleading. The law on the books does indeed say that the
authorities ought to be fair and just. But are they? To understand
crime, Chambliss argued, we need to look at the law in action,
Chambliss concluded that legal authorities are actually unfair and
unjust, favoring the rich and powerful over the poor and weak.

Exercise 9: Recognizing topic sentences (2)

Read the paragraphs. Rewrite the topic sentence on the space
given.
1. History is always written by the victors. The basic Tudor picture of
Richard as a bloodthirsty tyrant was handed down through the
standard histories of England and the school textbooks for five
centuries. There has been an obstinate opposition, however.
Beginning with Sir George Buck in the 17th century, a series of
writers and historians have insisted that Richard was not getting a
fair break, that the Tudor version was largely fabrication: far from
being a monster, Richard was a noble, upright, courageous,
tenderhearted and most conscientious king. This anti-Tudor version
reached its definitive statement in the work of Sir Clements
Markham, a 19th-century eccentric who spent years of passionate
research trying to prove that crimes attributed to Richard were
either outright libels by, or the actual work of, a pack of villains, most
notably including Cardinal Morton and Henry VII.
The topic sentence :

2. The alarm clock sounded for a full two minutes before Katie heard it.
Even then, she put her pillow over her head, roalled over and
groaned loudly. Getting up early in the morning was always hard for
Katie. As usual, her mom had to pull the blankets off her and make
her get up for school.
The topic sentence:

3. When a camera flash is used in a low-light environment, the subject's

eyes may appear red in the finished photograph. What is known as
"red-eye" is the result of light from the flash reflecting off the pupils
of the eyes. The phenomenon of red-eye can be lessened by using the
red-eye reduction feature found on many SLR cameras. This feature
activates a lamp which shines a small light directly into the subject's
eyes. When this happens, the diameter of the pupil is reduced, thus
tightening the opening in the iris. Since a smaller pupil means a
smaller host for the reflection, the chances of red-eye occurring are
greatly reduced.
The topic sentence :

4. In colonial days, huge flocks of snowy egrets inhabited the coastal

wetlands and marshes of the southeastern United Stated. In the
 1800s, in fashion dictated fancy hats a dorned with feathers, egrets
and other bird were hunted for the plumage by the late 1800s, egrets
were almost extinct. In the 1886, the newly formed National
Audubon society began a press campaign to shame “feather wearers”
and the praktice. The campaign caught on, and gradually, attitudes
changed; New laws followed. Government policiec that protect
animals from overharvesting are essential to keep species from the
brink of extinction. Even when cultural standars change duo to the
efforts of individual groups (such as the National Audubon society),
laws and policy measures must follow to ensure that end angered
population remain protected. Since the 1800s, several important
laws have been passed to protect a wide variety of species.
The topic sentence

5. A living will is a legal document prepared by a patient. This

document gives intructions about the health care to be provided if
the patient becomes terminally ill or falls into a permanent coma or
persistent vegetative state. A living will is a way for the patient to
make helath-care decisions before experiencing a health- care
emergency. A livng will species wether the patient wants to be kept
on life-support machines. It species wether the patient wants to be
feedings or artivicial (IV) hydration when the patient is in a coma or
persistent vegetative state. It may also contain other construction
related to helath care.
The topic sentence

Exercise 10: Recognizing the topic sentence (3)

Read the paragraphs. Determine the topic sentence, and write it
down in a space given.
1. Whenever possible, the good listeners prepares in advance for the
speech or lecture he or she plans to attend. He or she studies the
topic to be discussed and finds out about the speaker and his or her
beliefs. On arriving at the place where the speech is to be given, he or
she chooses a seat where seeing, hearing, and remaining alerts are
easy. And when the speech is over, he or she reviews what was said
and reacts to and evaluates the ideas expressed. Thus, an effective
 listener, in order to achieve the purpose of acquiring the information,
takes specific steps to achieve accurate understanding.
Topic sentence:

2. Because faces are so visible and so sensitive, you pay more attention
to people’s faces than to any other nonverbal feature. The face is
efficient and high-speed means of conveying meaning. Gestures,
posture and larger body movements require some time to change in
response to a changing stimulus, whereas facial expressions can
change instantly, sometimes even at a rate imperceptible to the
human eye. As an instantaneous response mechanism, it is the most
effective way to provide feedback to an ongoing message. This is the
process of using the face as a regulator.
Topic sentence:

3. Is there a relationship between aspect’s one personality and one’s

state of physical health? Can psychological evaluations of an
individual be used to predict physical as well as psychological
disorders? Is there such a thing as a disease prone personality? Our
response is very tentative, and the data are not all supportive, but for
the moment we can say yes, there does seem to be a positive
correlation between some personality variables and physical health.
(Gerow, psychology: an introduction, p. 700)
Topic sentence:

4. The symbols that constitute language are commonly referred to as

words—labels that we have assigned to concepts, or our mental
representations. When we use the word chair as a symbol, we don’t
use it to label just one specific instance of a chair. We use the word as
a symbol to represent our concepts of chairs. As symbols, words
need not stand for the real things in the real world. We have words to
describe objects or events that cannot be perceived, such as ghost or,
for the matter, mind. With language we can communicate about owls
and pussycats in teacups or a four-dimensional, time-warped
hyperspace. Words stand for cognitions, or concepts, and we have a
great number of them. (Gerow, psychology: an introduction, p. 250)
Topic sentence:
5. Everything moves. Even things that appear at rest move. They more
relative to the sun and stars. As you’re reading this you’re moving at
about 107.000 kilometers per hour relative to the sun. And you’re
moving even faster relative to the center of our galaxy. When we
discuss the motion of something, we describe motion relative to
something else. If you walk down the aisle of moving bus, your speed
relative to the floor of the bus is likely quite different from your
speed relative to the road. When we say a racing car reaches a speed
of 300 kilometers per hour, we mean relative to the track. Unless
stated otherwise, when we discuss the speed of things in our
environment we mean relative to the surface of the earth; motion is
relative. (Adapted from Hewitt, Conceptual Physics, p. 39)
Topic sentence:

7. Supporting details
A good paragraph will provide strong and specific support to
elaborate the main idea.
Supporting details are reasons, examples, steps, or other kinds of
factual evidence that explain the main idea of a paragraph.

There are two categories of supporting details: major and minor.

Major supporting details
Major details:
 are examples, reasons, statistics, and studies that help make the main
idea clear and convincing.
 Are PRIMARILY in charge of supporting the main idea
 Answer readers’ questions about the topic sentence/main idea.
 Must be included in reading notes.
 Are often introduced in the paragraph with transition words (e.g., for
example, for instance, first, second, in addition, finally, similarly,
therefore, etc.)

Minor supporting details

Minor supporting details are more specific and provide more
information about major supporting details. The information sometimes
can be overlooked if the reader is not in such specific details.
Example 1:
The topic sentence is in italic, the major details are bolded, and the
minor details are underlined.

Being a celebrity is often difficult. (1) First of all, celebrities have

to look almost perfect all the time. There's always a photographer
ready to take an unflattering picture of a famous person looking dumpy
in old clothes. (2)Celebrities also sacrifice their private lives. Their
personal struggles, divorce, or family tragedies all end up as front page
news. (3) Last, and most frightening of all, celebrities are in
constant danger of the wrong kind of attention. Threatening letters
and even physical attacks from crazy fans are things a celebrity must
contend with.

Sometimes, a major detail is not followed by the minor. Look at Example

2. There is one major detail which does not have minor detail.
Example 2:
The topic sentence is in italic, the majors are bold, and the minors are
underlined.
People lie for different reasons. One common reason is to avoid
hurting someone's feelings. For example, a friend might ask "Do you
like my new haircut?" If you think it's ugly, you might still answer, "Yes.”
Another common reason for lying is to avoid a fight. Say a friend
angers you and then asks, "Are you upset with me?" You might answer,
"No," to avoid an argument. People also lie so that they'll fit in, as
when you listen to a boring person and politely say, "That's
interesting.” In addition people lie to avoid spending more time
with someone. For instance, you might lie. "I have to go now.”

Now, let see how all the elements can be identified.

There are many factors that contribute to student success in

college. The first factor for success is having a goal in mind before
establishing a course of study. The goal may be as general as wanting
to better educate oneself for the future. A more specific goal would be
to earn a teaching credential. A second factor related to student success
is self-motivation and commitment. A student who wants to succeed
and works toward that desire will find success easily as a college
student. A third factor linked to student success is using college
services. Most beginning college students fail to realize how important
it can be to see a counselor or consult with a librarian or financial aid
officer.

1. Topic :Student Success

2. Main Idea :There are many factors that contribute to student
success in college.
3. Major Details :First factor (goal)
Second factor (self-motivation/commitment)
Third factor (college services)
4. Minor Details :Earning a teaching credential
Desire to succeed
Seeing a counselor, librarian, or financial aid officer

Exercise 11: Recognizing supporting details

Idenfity the major and minor details in the following paragraphs

Example:
Several factors can interfere with having a good memory. For one thing,
there can be a lack of motivation. Without a real desire to learn or
remember something, you probably won't. Also a factor is a lack of
practice. To stay sharp, memory skills, like any other skill, must be used
on a regular basis. Yet another factor that can hurt memory is self-
doubt. If you're convinced, you won't remember something you
probably won't. In addition, distraction can interfere with memory. If
you're distracted by a television or by conversation nearby, try to find a
quiet environment before trying to commit something to memory.
Answer
Major 1: a lack of motivation (line 2)
Minor: Without a real desire to remember something, you probably
won't.
Major 2: a lack of practice (line 4)
 Minor: To stay sharp, memory skills, like any other skill, must be
used on a regular basis
Major 3: self-doubt (line 6)
Minor: If you're convinced, you won't remember something you
probably won't.
Major 4: distraction (line 6)
Minor: If you're distracted by a television or by conversation
nearby, try to find a quiet environment before trying to commit
something to memory

Questions:
1. The total number of insect species is greater than the total of all
other species combined. About a million insect species are known
today, and researchers estimate that at least twice this many exist
(mostly in tropical forests) but have not yet been discovered. Insects
have been prominent on land for the last 400 million years. They
have been much less successful in aquatic environments; there are
only about 20,000 species in freshwater habitats and far fewer in the
sea.

2. What about Miami do I want to talk about today? I am going to say

that Miami is a wonderful place to visit. This sentence is my main
idea. It is what about the topic (Miami) I am talking about. Now I
have to support my main idea with Major Supporting Details, so I
must think of reasons why Miami is a wonderful place to visit. I can
say for example, that Miami has great beaches, exciting sporting
events, terrific weather. These are just 3 major details that support
my main idea. If I want to make my passage more detailed then I
must add Minor Supporting Details that will support my Major
Supporting Details. For example, Miami has great beaches; you can
go to South Beach, which is a fun, young exciting beach. You will see
people playing volleyball on the beach and always having a party. If
you are with young children, you will want to go to Hollywood Beach,
as it is set up for kids with an amazing boardwalk and places for
them to ride bicycles.
3. Julia’s birthday was finally here; she was about to turn three, and the
wait for her birthday party was over at last. Julia was a perfect
hostess as she announced that it was time for the party games. Bean
bag toss was first, and then it was the treasure hunt. The children
scurried about the house following personalized treasure maps in
search of their loot, and satisfaction filled their faces as they
discovered each item. Next, it was time for cake. Julia’s eyes sparkled
as brightly as the candles that were sunk into the chocolate fudge
icing. Finally, it was time to tackle the pile of presents. Julia, dwarfed
by the mountain of gifts that she sat at the foot of, opened each gift
with passion. Julia sang the same enthusiastic “ooh” and “thank you”
for each. At last, the guests departed, and the rush of the day sank
with the setting sun. Exhausted and elated, Julia snuggled into her
bed with three new stuffed animals and an assortment of plastic
figurines. She fell into slumber with a sweet smile on her face and a
feeling of love in her heart.

4. There are many factors that contribute to student success in college.

The first factor for success is having a goal in mind before
establishing a course of study. The goal may be as general as wanting
to better educate oneself for the future. A more specific goal would
be to earn a teaching credential. A second factor related to student
success is self-motivation and commitment. A student who wants to
succeed and works toward that desire will find success easily as a
college student. A third factor linked to student success is using
college services. Most beginning college students fail to realize how
important it can be to see a counsellor or consult with a librarian or
financial aid officer

5. There are three kinds of book owners. The first has all the standard
sets and best-sellers--unread, untouched. (This deluded individual
owns wood-pulp and ink, not books.) The second has a great many
books--a few of them read through, most of them dipped into, but all
of them as clean and shiny as the day they were bought. (This person
would probably like to make books his own, but is restrained by a
false respect for their physical appearance.) The third has a few
 books or many--every one of them dog-eared and dilapidated,
shaken and loosened by continual use, marked and scribbled in front
to back. (This man owns books).

Exercise 12: Identifying irrelevant details

Cross out or circle the detail that does NOT support the topic
sentence.

1. Topic sentence: The hospitality industry is an exciting and

challenging field in which to work.
a. Some hotels feature luxurious working environments.
b. Managers often work 10 hours a day.s
c. Many travelers enjoy vacation cruises.
d. Large hotel and airline companies offer employees free travel and
discounts.

2. Topic sentence: The most famous railway transportation system

in Europe is the TVG train system in France.
a. The TVG serves more than 150 cities in France and Europe.
b. The United States does not have a national unified rail system.
c. The trains in the TVG travel at about 186 mph.
d. The ride on the TVG is amazingly smooth.

3. Topic sentence: The rental car business is a large part of the

travel industry in the United States.
a. Some agencies charge more than others for daily rentals.
b. More than 5,000 car rental companies operate in the United States.
c. About 75 percent of the car rental business is situated around
airports.
d. The top four rental agencies maintain about 625,000 rental cars.

4. Topic sentence: Air travel has become an important factor in the

tourism industry.
a. Many airlines offer vacation packages that include hotel and rental
cars.
 b. During any time of the day, about 4,500 airplanes are flying over
the United States.
c. Jet aircraft have made it possible to visit places that were not
accessible before.
d. Low airfares help to boost hotel occupancy and increase tourism.

5. Topic sentence: Cruise ships have become a popular vacation

choice.
a. Many ships feature nonstop entertainment for their passengers.
b. Some ships offer casinos and live entertainment.
c. The Diamond Princess is longer than two football fields and carries
up to 2,670 passengers.
d. The market for cruise ship vacations has increased dramatically in
recent years.

Exercise 13: Identifying supporting details

Read the following paragraph, and underline the main idea and
major details. Then, answer the questions that follow.

“When Emeril Lagasse graduated from high school in Fall River,

Massachusetts,he was offered a full music scholarship to the New England
Conservatory of Music as a percussionist. Instead, he decided to become a
professional chef and enrolled at Johnson and Wales University in
Providence, Rhode Island. While he was in college, Emeril worked in
restaurants. He also studied culinary arts in Paris and Lyon, France. After
working in many restaurants, he was offered the job as executive chef at
Commander’s Palace, a famous restaurant in New Orleans. After
achieving success there, he left to open his own restaurant, Emeril’s, in
New Orleans. A few years later, he began hosting his own TV show,
cooking with his own special spice blends that now sell in supermarkets.
Emeril has published eight best-seller cookbooks and has opened 10
Emeril’s restaurants around the country. Each restaurant has a different
style of cuisine, but all of them feature his special blends of bold spices,
which he adds with a “Bam!” Emeril has made a successful career as a
professional chef and restauranteur. “
1. What is the topic?
a.Emeril’s restaurants
b.Emeril Lagasse
c.becoming a professional chef
d.Emeril’s cooking

2. What is the topic sentence of this paragraph?

a.When Emeril Lagasse graduated from high school in Fall River,
Massachusetts, he was offered a full music scholarship to the New
England Conservatory of Music as apercussionist.
b.Instead, he decided to become a professional chef and enrolled at
Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island.
c.Emeril has made a successful career as a professional chef and
restaurateur.
d.Each restaurant has a different style of cuisine, but all of them
feature his special blends of bold spices, which he adds with a
“Bam!”

3. Which of the following is not a major detail?

a. Instead, he decided to become a professional chef and enrolled at
Johnson and Wales University in Providence.
b. After working in many restaurants, he was offered the job as
executive chef at Commander’s Palace, a famous restaurant in New
Orleans.
c. Emeril has published eight best-seller cookbooks and has opened
10 Emeril’s restaurants around the country.
d. Each restaurant has a different style of cuisine, but all of them
feature his special blends of bold spices, which he adds with a
“Bam!”

4. Which minor detail tells more about the sentence, “Instead, he

decided to become a professional chef and enrolled at Johnson and
Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island”?
a.While he was in college, Emeril worked in restaurants.
b.After working in many restaurants, he was offered the job as
executive chef at Commander’s Palace, a famous restaurant in New
Orleans.
 c.A few years later he hosted his own TV show, cooking with his own
special spice blends that now sell in supermarkets.
d.Emeril has made a successful career as a professional chef and
restaurateur.

5. Identify the best meaning for the underlined word in the following
sentence:
“Emeril has made a successful career as a professional chef and
restauranteur.”
a.someone who goes to restaurants
b.a restaurant owner
c.a chef
d.an investor

8. Transition
To help readers understand the main points, the writers use
transition to show relationships among ideasand to make ideas
clear.
Transitions are words that writers can use to show relationships
within and between sentences. Transition words or phrases help bring
ideas together and are a way of gaining coherence so that there are no
abrupt jumps or breaks between ideas.

Here is the example of transitions used in a paragraph.

Serious depression, as opposed to the fleeting kind we all feel at
times, has definite warning signs. One symptom of depression is a
change in sleep patterns-either sleeplessness or sleeping too much. In
addition, abnormal eating patterns may develop, either eating too
much or loss of appetite. A third sign is trouble in thinking or
concentrating-even to the point of finding it difficult to read a magazine
or newspaper. Last of all, a general feeling of hopelessness may signal
depression. People feel indifferent to their families and jobs and may
begin to think that life is not worth living.
This table shows the types of transition and how they are used in a
paragraph.
 Type of What They Tell the
Examples
Transition Reader
The author is arranging
Time - sequence First, later, next, finally ideas in the order in
which the happened
For example, for instance,
Example An example will follow
to illustrate, such as,
The author is marking
or identifying each
First, second, third, last, mayor point (sometime
Enumeration
another, next these may be used to
suggest order of
importance)
The author is continued
Also, in addition, and, which the same idea and
Continuation
further, another is going to provide
additional information
The author is switching
On the other hand , in to a different , opposite,
Contrast
contrast, however, or contrasting idea than
previously discussed
The writer will show
Comparison Like, likewise, similarly how the previous idea is
similar to what follows
The writer is showed a
connection between two
or more things, how one
Because, thus, therefore,
Cause – effect thing caused another, or
since, consequently
how something
happened as a result of
something else
The writer will state or
Summation Thus, in short, to conclude restate his or her main
point
Exercise 14: Understanding types of transitions
Choose the right transition for each sentence from the box below !

For instance Therefore However also \in in contrast

then similarly Consequently fact this time

1. Joanna loves to dance; , she’s not able to sing well.

2. Mr. Johnson was on vacation at that time; , his mother was
there.
3. Elephant is the biggest animal on land; , blue whale is the
biggest animal in the ocean.
4. My grandmother got a car accident last week; , she has to
hospitalize at least for a week.
5. You have to chop the onion; , cook them about 2-3
minutes.
6. I don’t really like source fruits; , oranges and peaneaple
are the most I don’t like.
7. Jean always wakes up late in the morning; , she never
comes on time at school.
8. Bats are the only mammal that can fly; , they fly with a pair of
thin skin.
9. John used to wear boots anytime; , he wants to change his
old habit.
10. Helena is a diligent student; , her sister, Lili, is a lazy
girl.

Exercise 15: Understanding the types of transitions

Read the paragraphs below and fill the blanks with the suitable
transitions.

1. Electricity is a kind of energy that has been used in humans’ life

mostly because almost all of humans’ aspects in life need
electricity to operate. 1, humans use some main sources in
producing the electricity for fullfilling their needs about this kind
of energy. Coal, oil, wind, solar and nuclear power are the
 examples of sources in producing the electricity. . 2, the
use of one of those fuels, the nuclear power, has made a
controversy in the society. The nuclear power is controversial
because it has dangerous disadvantages that will affect humans
and environments. 3, although it has dangerous
disadvantages, it also gives satisfying advantages to humans and
environment. 4, humans cannot regret to use the nuclear

power. 5, there are many countries in the world that

have already used the nuclear power as their main source for
producing the energy of electricity. 6, the United States and

Japan are the countries which have been using the nuclear power
for many years. Indeed, the nuclear power gives us the advantages
and also the disadvantages at the same time.

2. Writing is the skill that I did not understand perfectly before. .

1, when I realized paragraph writing was one of the

compulsory courses that I should take in the second semester, I

had no confidence in facing this course. 2, although I had
no confidence in this course, I still had to attend the class. .
3, I also had to follow every material which was explained by
the lecturers seriously. As the time flew, my seriousness in
following the lesson showed me the result gradually, and finally I
enjoyed this course.

3. Long time ago there were only two creatures that ruled the world.
They are the ‘Diavolos’ and ‘Theos’. Diavolos are the demons who
ruled the Dark Land, and Theos are the gods who ruled the Holy
Land. Both Diavolos and Theos never agreed about something in
case. 1, the Creator made a giant wall to separate them. .

2, the Diavolos were so greedy. They wanted to take over the

Holy land, so they broke the wall and went to the Holy Land. The
Theos were outnumbered by the Diavolos, so the Diavolos could
defeat the Theos easily. 3, there were only nine of them were

left. Seeing this the Creator was angry and cursed the Diavolos.
The creator threw them away to a new place which had different
dimension with their world before, and their new place named
‘Fotia’.
4. Nuclear power is also a friendly fuel for our enviroment because
by using the nuclear power, we can reduce the pollution in the air
which is caused by the greenhouse gases. This could happen
because the nuclear power does not produce the greenhouse
gases from its emissions as it is reported by the CEF. 1,
using nuclear power as the main source for producing the energy
of electricity is better than using the coal or oil enviromentally.
2, in 1998, the CEF’s document reported that the using of
nuclear power had reduced the air pollution percentage by a half
in the areas that had already used the nuclear power. 3,

Naomi Oreskes, a professor of the history of science and an

affiliated professor of earth and planetary sciences at Harvard
University, said, ” Promoting the use of nuclear power as a way to
deal with climate change overstates the promises of the technology
and understates the risks.” She shared her opinion on New York
Times’s (NYT) website. . 4, this reason become a rational
reason for humans to start using the nuclear power.

5. Although nuclear power does not produce the greenhouse gases

emissions, its waste is still hazardous. According to the CEF, these
waste is hazardous because they also carry the radiation, so it
means that it is not only the nuclear itself has the radiation, but
the waste also has. 1, the New York Times also reported
that this waste will contaminate the water and the sands, and they
will emit the radiation from ten to hundreds of years. 2, this
waste, actually, will take about 10,000 years to be back to its
original forms, New York Times added. . 3, these wastes,
dangerously, also can be used to make the nuclear weapons, so it
is becoming a hot target for mililants and terrorists. 4,

nuclear’s waste is really dangerous and must be monitored well,

and this waste also has to put on a place that is located far away
from crowded
6. Unstated Main Idea
Stated main idea is explicitly written and can be easily found in the
paragraph. Meanwhile unstated main idea cannot be found in a
pragraph.
An unstated main idea or implied main idea is a main idea statement
created by the reader when an author does not directly state his or
her main point in one sentence within a reading.

An unstated main idea is an inference.

Unstated main ideas can be made with one of three methods:

 Topic + Existing Sentence
 Sentence + Sentence
 Supporting details + existing knowledge

Example:
Miguel got an "E" on his history test. He only completed 30% of the
classwork, and 0% of his homework. When the teacher called Miguel's
father, Miguel was grounded for a month. He had to bring his books
home every night and sit at the kitchen table to study.

The following graphic is one way to organize the details of the passage
to get the main idea.
Exercise 16: Identifying unstated main idea
Read the paragraphs below and fill the blanks with the suitable
transitions.

1. Although quite reduced from previous years, Mexico still has a small
population of wolves. Somewhat larger populations –perhaps twenty
to twenty-five thousand–remain in Alaska and Canada. The largest
concentrations of wolves still in the lower forty-eight states are in
north eastern Minnesota (about one thousand) and on the Isle Royale
in Lake Superior (about thirty). There is a very small wolf population
in Glacier National Park in Montana and a few in Michigan's Upper
Peninsula. Occasionally lone wolves show up in the western states
along the Canadian border.... (Adapted from Lopez, Of Wolves and Men)
a. The number of wolves in North America has gotten smaller over
the years
b. The largest concentration of wolves in the lower forty-eight states
is in northeastern Minnesota.
c. About twenty to twenty-five thousand wolves remain in Alaska
and Canada.

2. The biggest challenges facing small businesses have traditionally

been taxes, government regulations, and access to money. But a
recent study finds a bigger problem in this day of low
unemployment rates a labor shortage. The Small Business
Administration (SBA) study found that about half of small
businesses are looking to hire someone and most of them are having
trouble finding good people. (Small Business Administration, Labor
Shortages and Related Issues in Small Businesses)
a. Small businesses often have problems with taxes, laws, and
money.
b. The unemployment rate is at an all-time low.
c. Currently, the biggest problem for small businesses is finding
good workers.

3. There's no question that word-processing programs streamline the

writ ing process. But there's a tendency to give those programs
 more credit than they deserve. After all, a computer is pretty stupid.
It's just a tool, kind of like a screwdriver. A good screwdriver does
the hard work, but you still have to pick out the right screw for the
job. It's the same when you use the computer as a tool to help you
write. You still have to supply the key ingredient for good writing
the thinking that underlies it. (Chan and Lutovich, Can a Computer
Improve Your Writing?)
a. Although a computer can help in some ways, good writing still
requires good thinking.
b. A computer is just a tool like a screwdriver.
c. A word-processing program makes some parts of the writing
process easier.

4. Employees should have clear goals for what they are trying to accom
plish in their jobs. Further, managers have the responsibility for
seeing that this is achieved by helping employees to set work goals.
These two statements seem obvious. Employees need to know what
they're supposed to do, and it's the manager's job to provide this
guidance. Simple? Hardly! (Adapted from Robbins, Training in
InterPersonal Skills)
a. Employee need to know what they're supposed to do in their
jobs.
b. A manager's job is w help employees know what they're
supposed to do.
c. Employees and managers both have a responsibility to set work
goals, but it isn't always as simple as it sounds.

Exercise17: Inferring the main idea

In the following paragraphs the main idea is not directly stated. Read
each paragraph, identify the topic, and write it in the space provided.
Then write a sentence that expresses the main idea of the passage.
1. Traffic is directed by color. Pilot instrument panels, landing strips, and
road and water crossings are regulated by many colored lights and signs.
Factories use colors to distinguish between thoroughfares and work
areas. Danger zones are painted in special colors. Lubrication points and
removable parts are accentuated by color. Pipes for transporting water,
 steam, oil, chemicals and compressed air are designated by different
colors. Electrical wires and resistances are color coded
_Gerritson, Theory and Practice of Color, p.9
Topic :
Implied main idea:

2. Jack Schultz and Ian Baldwin found last summer that trees under attack
by insects or animals will release an unidentified chemical into the air as
a distress signal. Upon receiving the signal, nearby trees step up their
production of tannin – a poison in the leaves that gives insects
indigestion. The team learned, too, that production of the poison is in
proportion to duration and intensity of the attack.
_ “Trees Talk to One Another,” Science Digest, p. 47
Topic :
Implied main idea:

3. When President Lincoln was shot, the word was communicated by

telegraph to most parts of the United States, but because we had no links
to England, it was five days before London heard of the event. when
president Reagan was shot, journalist Henry Fairlie, working at his
typewriter within a block of the shooting, got word of it by telephone
from his editor at the Spectator in London, who had seen a rerun of the
assassination attempt on television shortly after it occurred.
_Naisbitt, Megatrends, p. 23
Topic :
Implied main idea :

4. A study by the market research department of the New York Times found
that when choosing between two similar food or beverage products 81
percent of consumers would choose one they could both smell and see
over one they could only see. Samuel Adams beer was one of the first
non – perfume products to be advertised with a scent strip that smelled
of hops, and Rolls Royce distributed ads scented with the smell of
leather. However, a note of caution: This technique adds at least 10
percent to the cost of producing an ad, so marketers will need to watch
their dollars and scents.
_Solomon, Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having, and Being, 4 th Ed., p.48
Topic :
Implied main idea:

5. In 1920 there was one divorce for every seven marriages in the United
States. Fifty years later the rate had climbed to one divorce for every
three marriages, and today there is almost one divorce for every two
marriages. The divorce rate in the United States is now the highest of
any major industrialized nation, while Canada is in a rather distant
second place.
_Coleman and Cressey, Social Problems, p. 130
Topic :
Implied main idea:

7. Reference words
Reference words are words which substitute for other words in order
to avoid using the same words over and over again.

They refer back to words that have been used.

Usually words of type that used such as pronoun and noun.

The function of reference words is to help the reader to understand the

passage/paragraph.

Example:

A computer, like any other machine, is used because it does certain jobs
better and more efficiently than humans.

To understand the reference words, follow these two steps:

1. Subject or object reference words

Reference words can change depending on whether they are the subject
or the object of the sentence
Example:
Mr.Smith works with Mr. Brown every day
 He works with Mr. Brown every day(Subject)
 Mr.Smith works with him every day(Obejct)
2. Singular and Plural reference words

Sometimes, to make the sentence become interesting, singular nouns

take a plural reference words or plural nouns take singular reference
words.

Example:
 The teacher (singular) is a punctual person, so that they (plural)
need to come on time. They refers to Students.
 The students (plural) work in a group and she (singular) observe
the process.

Exercise 18: Analyzing the Context References (Subject and Object)

Underline the subject and object pronouns in the following

paragraph Change the pronoun. Then draw arrow to the noun that
each pronoun refers to.

Engineers in Japan built a sociable robot named Wakamaru. They

designed Wakamaru to help and serve people in a friendly, caring, and
intelligent way. Wakamaru can recognize faces and use gestures. It
knows 10,000 words and can use them to talk to people about weather
and other subjects. Wakamaru can do many tasks for a family. For
example, at night, it moves quietly around the house, but it can wake
family members up if there is any trouble. During the day, Wakamaru
can also send them email and text messages.

Exercise 19: Analyzing the Context References (Singular and

Plural)

Find out what the bold pronouns refer to.

Pens and pencils are never there when I need them (_______________). I try
to keep a pen near the telephone so that I will use it when the phone
rings. But it is never there when I need it (_______________). The situation
was getting so bad that I decided to do something about it. I bought a
large cupboard with a number of shelves. I then put ten boxes on them
(_______________). I put a label on each box: one (_______________) I labeled
“Pens and Pencils,” another (_______________) I labeled “Tools,” another
“Needles and Pins.” I also bought an address book and put it in the
corner of the cupboard. Before this, I always lost all the addresses and
phone numbers I needed. Now I felt very proud of myself. But things did
not change. Pens began to disappear, and one day I found my hammer
under the bed. There was only one solution. I locked the cupboard and
put the key on top of it (_______________). The cupboard was always locked
and I was the only one who knew where the key was. Then I lost it
(_______________).

Exercise 20: Understanding Other reference

Find out what the bold words/phrases refer to.

Example:
Everybody uses computers for many different purposes. These smart
machines make their lives easier.

 These smart machines refer to computers.

1. Telecommunication is the transmission of signals over a distance
for the purpose of communication. In modern times, this process
always involves the sending of electromagnetic waves.
2. She wrote a novel in 1998. That incredible book was to bring
her fame some years later.
3. Dr. Lee’s project got ten thousand dollars on grant money. Prof.
Brown received a similar amount.
4. The students experienced numerous obstacles in reading. These
problems delayed their comprehension.
5. Human need three basic things to live: water, air, and food.
However, some of these necessities are not free for them.
Part 3: Putting it all together
Identify the elements of paragraphs below and write them as the
organization showed in the picture.
A. Stated main idea
When you travel to Europe, you can visit many different countries,
such as England, Spain, Germany, and Greece. Many different
languages are spoken in Europe, and the cultures of the countries are
all unique. Also, the weather in Europe varies a lot. Countries in the
north are very cold, and you can go skiing. In the south, there are
beautiful beaches, and these are popular places for vacation. As you
can see, Europe is a very interesting place with different kinds of
people and many possibilities.

B. Unstated Main Idea

Traditional research strategies in behavioral genetics include
studies of twins and adoptees, techniques designed to sort biological
from environmental influences. More recently, investagors have
added the search for pieces of DNA associated with particular
behaviors, an approach that has been most productive to date in
identifying potential locations for genes associated with major
mental illnesses such as schizophernia and bipolar disorder. Yet even
here there have been no major breakthroughs, no clearly identified
genes that geneticists can tie to disease. The search for genes
associated with characteristics such as sexual preference and basic
personality traits has been even more frustrating.