Jane DewhurstTopic Sentences - Answers Writing I

Exercise 1

The sentences have been arranged in the correct order and the topic sentence underlined.

Paragraph 1

c. Driving in winter, especially on snowy, icy roads, can be less troublesome if you take a few simpleprecautions.b. First, put on snow tires if you plan to drive on snowy, icy roads very often.e. Second, check the amount of antifreeze in your radiator and add more if necessary.a. Next, add antifreeze to your windshield washer fluid; otherwise, the fluid will freeze and possiblybreak the container.d. Finally, it is also a good idea to carry tire chains, a can of spray to unfreeze door locks, and awindshield scraper in your car when driving in winter weather.

Paragraph 2

f. The increasing depletion of oil reserves, along with environmental concerns, have promptedsome radical developments in car design over the past few years.b. Researchers in the automobile industry are experimenting with different types of engines andfuels as alternatives to the conventional gasoline engines.c. One new type of engine, which burns diesel oil instead of gasoline, has been avaliable forseveral years.e. A further type is the gas turbine engine, which can use fuels made from gasoline, diesel oil,kerosene and other petroleum distillates.d. Finally, several automobile manufactureres are experimenting with methanol, which is a mixtureof gasoline and methyl alcohol, as an automobile fuel.a. A breakthrough in one of these areas will hopefully provide a means of relieving both theoverstretched oil market and the environment.

Paragraph 3

e. Some form of written communication has been used throughout the centuries.b. In the earliest times, people carved or painted messages on rocks.a. Later on, people began to write on pieces of leather, which were rolled into scrolls.c. In the Middle Ages, heavy paper called parchment was used for writing and books werelaboriously copied by hand.d. With the invention of the printing press in the middle of the fifteenth century, the modern printingindustry was born.

Exercise 2

Here are some suggestions for topic sentences to begin the paragraphs:

1. Although the majority of Americans may not be aware of it, many features of their cultureand their language are in fact imports from other cultures.

2. University systems and syllabi can vary considerably from country to country and particularlyfrom continent to continent.

3. House construction in various parts of the world depends mainly on the availability ofbuilding materials.

Exercise 3

Here are some suggestions for topic sentences on each of the topics:

a. The health hazards caused by smoking cigarettes are well-known in today's society.The history of cigarette is one that goes back almost as far as the history of civilisation itself.The debate about cigarette smoking in public places shows no sign of coming to an end.

b. Travelling to another country can involve varying degrees of preparation and planning.There are various hazards about which the individual about to embark on a journey to a

Jane DewhurstTopic Sentences - Answers Writing I

foreign country should be aware.Travel to a foreign country used to be a luxury that only the rich could enjoy.

c. There are many reasons why people oppose the annual investment of billions of dollars inspace exploration.The motivations behind space exploration in America have always been an intriguingmixture or intellectual curiousity and ideological belief.The recent loss of a further space shuttle has served as a painful reminder of the hazards ofspace exploration.

d. The effect of certain forms of rock music on young people has long been a cause forconcern.The emergence of rock music is usually dated to the 1950s.The lifestyles of rock musicians are of necessity unusual and alternative.

e. There may be diverse factors that motivate a young person to study foreign languages.Foreign languages are a sadly neglected area of study in Great Britain nowadays.The benefits of studying a foreign language are many and diverse.

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