Essays
What is the purpose of an introduction paragraph in an essay?
a. to summarize the main points
b. to provide background and state the thesis statement
c. to restate the thesis statement
b. to provide background and state the thesis statement
Choose the correct word in the following sentence:
The food became _________ by an unknown substance.
a. contaminate
b. contaminated
c. contamination
b. contaminated
Of the many kinds of vegetables grown all over the world, which one remains the favorite of children and adults alike? The potato, of course. The annual potato harvest around the world is over 6 billion bags. Each bag contains 100 pounds of potatoes, some of them as large as four pounds each. Here in the United States, farmers fill about 400 million bags a year. That may seem like a lot of potatoes, but it leaves the United States a distant third among world potato growers. Polish farmers dig up just over 800 million bags a year, while the Russians lead the world with nearly 1.5 billion bags a year.
What is the main idea?
A. The potato is the most popular vegetable in the world.
B. The United States produces 400 million bags of potatoes a year.
C. Farmers grow many kinds of vegetables all over the world.
A. The potato is the most popular vegetable in the world.
The ________ (soon) you freeze the meat, the _________ (good).
The sooner you freeze the meat, the better.
Write a past unreal conditional sentence for the following situations:
You didn't get the job because you chewed gum during the interview.
If I hadn't chewed gum, I might have gotten the job.
What is a thesis statement?
a. the conclusion of the essay
b. a summary of the main points
c. a statement that presents the main idea of the essay
c. a statement that presents the main idea of the essay
We need to __________ the surgical equipment.
a. sanitization
b. sanitized
c. sanitize
c. sanitize
Many people like raisins. However, the raisin business in America happened by accident. In 1873, many farmers grew grapes in the San Joaquin Valley of California. That year, just before the grape harvest, there was a heat wave. It was one of the worst heat waves ever known. It was so hot that the grapes dried on the vines. When they were picked, California had its first raisin crop. People were surprised to find out how good raisins were. Everybody wanted more, so the San Joaquin farmers went into the raisin business. In spite of its surprising beginning, it grew into a major business and people still love to eat them today.
What is the main idea?
A. Raisins started in California.
B. Raisins are a very popular food.
C. The creation of raisins in America was an accident.
C. The creation of raisins in America was an accident.
The _________ (healthy) you eat, the ___________ (energetic) you'll feel.
The healthier you eat, the more energetic you'll feel.
You got sick because you ate contaminated food.
If I hadn't eaten contaminated food, I wouldn't have gotten sick.
a. to provide evidence and support for the thesis statement
b. to restate the thesis statement
c. to conclude the essay
a. to provide evidence and support for the thesis statement
I __________ that there will be 200 people at the wedding.
a. estimate
b. estimation
c. estimated
a. estimate
Before clocks were made, people kept track of time by other means. In ancient Egypt, people used a water clock. Water dripped slowly from one clay pot into another. People measured time according to how long it took one pot to empty and the other one to fill. Candle clocks were common during the Middle Ages. As such, when a candle burned, marks on its side showed about how much time had passed. A final ancient way to measure time was the sundial, which used the movement of the sun across the sky. The shadows moving across the face of the sundial showed the current time. What is the main idea?
a. When a candle burned, marks on its side showed about how much time had passed.
b. Before clocks were made, people kept track by other means.
c. In ancient Egypt, people used a water clock.
b. Before clocks were made, people kept track by other means.
The ___________(hard) he works, the ______________ (tired) he is.
The harder he works, the more tired he is.
A fire started because he forgot to turn off the stove.
If he hadn't forgotten to turn off the stove, the fire wouldn't have started.
If he had turned off the stove, the fire wouldn't have started.
What is the role of transitions in an essay?
a. to connect ideas and improve the flow
b. to introduce new topics abruptly
c. to repeat information
a. to connect ideas and improve the flow
___________ of our natural resources is very important.
a. Conserved
b. Conserve
c. Conservation
c. Conservation
One common example of instinct is the spider's spinning of its intricate web. No one teaches a spider how to spin: its inborn instinct allows it to accomplish the task. Another example of instinctive behavior is the salmon's struggle to swim upstream to lay eggs. It would be much easier for the salmon to follow the current downstream, but instinct overrides all other considerations. Instinct is clearly a strong influence on animal behavior. What is the main idea?
a. One common example of instinct is the spider's spinning of its intricate web.
b. No one teaches a spider how to spin: its inborn instinct allows it to accomplish the task.
c. Instinct is clearly a strong influence on animal behavior.
c. Instinct is clearly a strong influence on animal behavior.
The __________ (soon) I do my housework, the _____________ (early) I can go to bed.
The sooner I do my homework, the earlier I can go to bed.
The child didn't wear a bike helmet and injured her head when she fell off her bike.
If she had worn a bike helmet, she wouldn't have injured her head.
What is the purpose of a conclusion paragraph in an essay?
a. to discuss the main points in detail
b. to provide background information
c. to restate the thesis, summarize the main points, and leave a lasting impression
c. to restate the thesis, summarize the main points, and leave a lasting impression
There was a _______ change in the temperature from yesterday to today.
a. significantly
b. significant
c. significance
b. significant
Caffeine is a natural ingredient in coffee, cocoa, tea, and chocolate, and is added to some prescription and non-prescription drugs. Despite being "natural," caffeine is also a powerful drug which greatly affects the body. In healthy, rested people, a dose of 100 milligrams (about one cup of coffee) increases alertness, banishes drowsiness, quickens reaction time, it enhances intellectual and muscular effort, and increases heart and respiratory rates. Drinking one to two cups of coffee an hour before exercise encourages the body to preserve glycogen and burn fat --something that results in greater endurance. In addition, caffeine masks fatigue. In doses above 300 milligrams, caffeine can produce sleeplessness, nervousness, irritability, headaches, heart palpitations, and muscle twitches. Caffeine is also habit-forming, and those who try to suddenly stop after heavy use may experience such withdrawal symptoms as headaches, lethargy, irritability, and difficulty in concentrating.
The main idea of this passage is that caffeine
a. is a powerful drug that affects the body in numerous ways.
b. is good to drink before working out.
c. is linked to various health concerns.
d. is a strong drug that only enhances the body when used.
a. is a powerful drug that affects the body in numerous ways.
The ___________ (long) the wait, the ___________ (upset) the customers will be.
The longer the wait, the more upset the customers will be.
You forgot to bring your umbrella, so you got all wet when it rained.
If I hadn't forgotten to bring my umbrella, I wouldn't have gotten all wet.
If I had remembered to bring my umbrella, ...