Caledonian College of Engineering

Week 4 – A Step towards Summarising – Paraphrasing

Paraphras
Think back to the different ways of paraphrasing, and write them in the spaces below:

i. __________________
ii. __________________
iii. __________________
iv. __________________
v. __________________
vi. __________________

Now, write a paraphrase for each of the following passages, combining the techniques
that you learned in the previous lesson.

1. “The Antarctic is the vast source of cold on our planet, just as the sun is the source of
our heat, and it exerts tremendous control on our climate," [Jacques] Cousteau told the
camera. "The cold ocean water around Antarctica flows north to mix with warmer water
from the tropics, and its upwellings help to cool both the surface water and our
atmosphere. Yet the fragility of this regulating system is now threatened by human
activity."
From "Captain Cousteau," Audubon (May 1990):17.
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2. "Of the more than 1000 bicycling deaths each year, three-fourths are caused by head
injuries. Half of those killed are school-age children. One study concluded that wearing a
bike helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent. In an accident, a bike
helmet absorbs the shock and cushions the head."
From "Bike Helmets: Unused Lifesavers," Consumer Reports (May 1990): 348.

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 Caledonian College of Engineering

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3. "Matisse is the best painter ever at putting the viewer at the scene. He's the most
realistic of all modern artists, if you admit the feel of the breeze as necessary to a
landscape and the smell of oranges as essential to a still life. "The Casbah Gate" depicts
the well-known gateway Bab el Aassa, which pierces the southern wall of the city near
the sultan's palace. With scrubby coats of ivory, aqua, blue, and rose delicately fenced
by the liveliest gray outline in art history, Matisse gets the essence of a Tangier
afternoon, including the subtle presence of the bowaab, the sentry who sits and surveys
those who pass through the gate."
From Peter Plagens, "Bright Lights." Newsweek (26 March 1990): 50.
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4. "While the Sears Tower is arguably the greatest achievement in skyscraper engineering
so far, it's unlikely that architects and engineers have abandoned the quest for the
world's tallest building. The question is: Just how high can a building go? Structural
engineer William LeMessurier has designed a skyscraper nearly one-half mile high,
twice as tall as the Sears Tower. And architect Robert Sobel claims that existing
technology could produce a 500-story building."
From Ron Bachman, "Reaching for the Sky." Dial (May 1990): 15.

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 Caledonian College of Engineering

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Peer-check:
Exchange your answers with your partner(s) and underline from their paraphrased
paragraphs two examples of each:

 changing word order

 changing parts of speech
 using synonyms
 using negative or opposite expressions
 combining or separating sentences
 using different grammar – structure or voice

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