Tag: Academic writing

Read the following poem and then answer the questions that follow. For the multiple choice, select the response that BEST answers the question.
Station                             by Eamon Grennan
1          We are saying goodbye
on the platform. In silence
the huge train waits, crowding the station
with aftermath and longing
5          and all we’ve never said
to one another. He
shoulders his black bag and shifts
from foot to foot, restless to be off, his eyes
wandering over tinted windows where he’ll sit
10        staring out at the Hudson’s[i] platinum dazzle.
I want to tell him he’s entering into the light
of the world, but it feels like a long tunnel
as he leaves one home, one parent
for another,
15        and we both know it won’t ever
be the same again. what is the air at,
heaping between us, then thinning
to nothing? Or those slategrey birds that
croon to themselves in an iron angle, then
20        take flight, inscribing
huge loops of effortless grace
between this station of shade and the shining water?
When our cheeks rest glancing against each other,
I can feel mine scratchy with beard and stubble, his
25        not quite smooth as a girl’s, harder, a faint fuzz
starting-those silken beginnings I can see
when the light is right, his next life
in bright first touches. what ails our heart? Mine
aching in vain for the words
30        to make sense of our life together, his
fluttering in dread
of my finding the words, feathered syllables
fidgeting in his throat
In a sudden rush of bodies
35        and announcements out of the air, he says
he’s got to be going. One quick touch
and he’s gone. In a minute
the train-ghostly faces behind smoked glass-
groans away on wheels and shackles, a slow glide
40        I walk beside, waving
at what I can see no longer. Later,
on his own in the city, he’ll enter the underground
and cross the river, going home
to his mother’s house: I imagine that white face
45        carried along in the dark glass, shining
through shadows that fill the window
and fall away again
before we’re even able to name them.
_______________________
[1]Hudson:
Hudson River
Question 25
Lines 11 and 12, “…entering into the light / of the world,” suggest
Select one:
a. death.
b. the city.
c. the past.
d. the future.
Question 26
The son is going to
Select one:
a. live on his own.
b. join the military.
c. live with his mother.
d. attend boarding school.
Question 27
Lines 28 to 30, “What ails our heart? Mine aching in vain for the words / to make sense of our life together,” reveal that the speaker is
Select one:
a. angry.
b. doubtful.
c. resentful.
d. distraught.
Question 28
Lines 32 and 33, “of my finding the words, feathered syllables / fidgeting in his throat,” contain an example of
Select one:
a. alliteration.
b. dissonance.
c. onomatopoeia.
d. simile
Question 29
Lines 34 and 35, “In a sudden rush of bodies / and announcements out of the air.. .,” indicate that the
Select one:
a. train has just arrived.
b. train is about to leave.
c. father is leaving the son.
d. father is changing his mind.
Question 30
In line 39, “shackles” implies
Select one:
a. wisdom.
b. freedom.
c. captivity.
d. movement
Clear my choice
Question 31
In addition to its literal meaning, the title suggests
Select one:
a. social status.
b. a lack of purpose.
c. a stage in one’s life.
d. a lack of movement
Question 32
The poem is predominantly
Select one:
a. instructional.
b. dramatic.
c. narrative.
d. expository.

Image transcription text
Born a Crime Why does Trevor decide to stand with Chapter 17 By Trevor Noah white people in the holding area?
1. What lesson did Patricia teach Trevor about shoplifting?
2. What words of wisdom does Patricia give Trevor about friends?
3. Why was Trevor arrested?
4. What is Trevor’s plan to stay safe in jail while awaiting his hearing?
5. What does Trevor realize about appearances when he meets the “Incredible Hulk” in jail?
6. What is the difference between prison and jail in South Africa?
8. What life-altering decision does Trevor make when he is released from the court?
9. Who paid Trevor’s bail and lawyer fees?
10. Describe Abel as he appears throughout this chapter.
11. What is the difference in Abel’s Tsonga culture and Patricia’s view of gender roles?
Show less

Chapi 18 continued
What things does Abel change about Patricia’s and Trevor’s lives?
Why does Trevor compare Abel to a cobra?
Why does Abel hit Patricia the first time?
What happened when Patricia tried to file domestic abuse charges against Abel?
What was life like for Trevor when Abel and Patricia bought Mighty Mechanics? Also, draw what he hated to eat in hard times.
Why did Abel hit Trevor the first time?

“IMAGINE THE ANGELS OF BREAD” poem by Martin Espada
1) The simile comparing squatters to admirals (lines 1-2) creates an image of a world that is
a)comical.
b)realistic.
c)malevolent.
d)topsy turvy.
2) Espada’s repetition of the phrase “This is the year” throughout the poem suggests that each event the speaker imagines must happen in order to
a) eliminate suffering and right the injustices in the world.
b) wrench power from the people who really deserve it.
c) punish the people who have created such a harsh world.
d) inspire people to vent their anger against an unfair system.
3) In lines 12-16, the speaker imagines that “raging cops” discover that their guns and nightsticks
a) have been collected and destroyed.
b) have been given to refugees by judges.
c) can no longer be used to oppress others.
d) give them a great deal of power.
4) The image of the ghosts of murdered black men (lines 17-22) sipping “coffee / quietly with the apologizing descendants / of their executioners” ends the first stanza on a note of
a) retribution.
b) hope.
c) injustice.
d) anger.
5) In lines 23-25, “those / who swim the border’s undertow” refers to
a)fish that live in the Rio Grande.
b)people who sneak across the border.
c)thugs who engage in shady dealings.
d)the alligator problem in the South.
6) Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole. In the second stanza, the speaker says “this is the year that the hands / pulling tomatoes from the vine / uproot the deed to the earth that sprouts the vine.” What part is being used to represent a whole?
a) “earth” represents people
b) “tomatoes” represents vines
c) “deed” represents law
d) “hands” represents farm  workers
7) The description of “eyes / stinging from the poison that purifies toilets” (lines 35-36) creates a vivid image of
a)a person who works as a house cleaner.
b)a person who owns a chemical factory.
c)someone who seeks medical attention.
d)an immigrant who works in a cannery.
8) In lines 50-61, Espada’s repetition of the words
if
and
then
a)makes the reader doubt that any of these things can happen.
b)creates a feeling of hopelessness and despair.
c)sets up a rhythm that builds momentum and dramatic tension.
d)intensifies the feelings of rage and retaliation.
9) The words
vision, imagination,
and
idea
in the next-to-last stanza convey a tone that can best be described as
a)fanciful.
b)hopeful.
c)pensive.
d)uncertain.
10) In the last stanza, the speaker wishes for
a)headstones to be repaired.
b)bread to be given to the hungry.
c)the oppressors to be humiliated.
d)the downtrodden to be uplifted.

There are many types of rain, and they all are different mood. Spring rain on fields and flowers can feel refreshing. On the other hand, cold, steady rain in the middle of winter can make you feel a little sad. A thunderstorm might feel frightening, or it might feel exciting. All types of rain are necessary to water the earth’s grasses and plants. No matter where you are, you can use the mood created by rain as an inspiration to start writing.
What sentence is the topic sentence of the paragraph.
What sentence is irrelevant to the topic and can be eliminated.
List four types of grammatical or punctuation errors to look for when you’re proofreading.
Complete the following two steps:
Define the term
cliché
.
Give an example of a cliché. Write one sentence using the cliché and another that replaces the cliché with your own original wording.
Name and explain two types of prewriting.
Choose one of the following prompts. Write five-sentence paragraph using chronological order and including a topic sentence to explain the steps you would take to complete one of the following tasks.
Preparing for a test
Preparing to host a party or an event
Getting ready for work
Cleaning your room or your home
Building a snowman, sandcastle, or sculpture
Creating a budget
Choose one of the following topics. Write eight-sentence paragraph that fully develops the topic.
Following instructions is very important.
Job-training programs (such as Job Corps) are valuable to both employers and potential employees.
Advances in technology have changed the way people interact with each other.
A high school diploma is important to my future.
For some people, entering the work force is a better choice than going to college.
Having strong writing skills will improve both my personal and professional communication.

We Used to ‘Cane’ in America; Let’s Do it Again
By Ed Koch, mayor of New York from 1978-89.
The caning sentence in Singapore of a young American for vandalism ignited an emotional debate about the deteriorat­ing state of law and order in our own society. Caning was legal in the United States until it was ruled unconstitutional in 1948. We ought to amend the Constitution and bring caning back to help restore order to our streets.
The caning I have in mind doesn’t have to be the Singapore type, brutally adminis­tered to the point of physical shock. It could be a more severe version of the belt lashing my father used to give me.  And I am not alone in my view. Every time I go out on a speaking engagement, I poll my audience: If you knew that you were to cane every convict­ed drug dealer and that would vastly reduce drug dealing and recidivism, would you support the reintroduction of caning? Overwhelmingly people, including liberals, raise their hands in affirmation.
People in America are fed up with the fact that crime and recidivism – 50% of criminals in America are repeat offend­ers — continue to mount no matter how many people get sent to jail. Imprisonment has become our penalty of choice for almost every offense in the criminal code. Commit murder; go to prison. Sell cocaine; go to prison. Kite checks; go to prison. It is an all-purpose punishment. Some 1.6 million Americans are behind bars today. That represents a 150 percent increase since 2000, and the number is climbing. Yet there is no other form of punishment available but the death penalty, which applies, as it should, to only a limited number of crimes. And then we don’t even execute people very often. There is a federal law that allows the death penalty for major drug kingpins. I wish we would use it, but we never have.
Clearly, we need some form of punish­ment between death and ineffectual jail sentences. From my experience as mayor of New York, I know that judges are prone to send people to jail only for the worst crimes. They say that we must save the overcrowded jail space for the more violent offenders or that prison turns juveniles into adept criminals. Well, let’s do the right thing and give the justice system another option. I have little doubt that the fear of being caned would deter people from engaging in the kinds of crimes they now do with impunity.
The price of keeping criminals in cages is appalling – about $40,000 per inmate per year. And for many offenders a stint in prison becomes a sign of manhood, a status symbol. But there would be no status for the criminal if he were chained to an outdoor post and flogged. If young punks were horsewhipped in public after their first conviction, fewer of them would harden into lifelong felons. A humiliating and painful paddling can be applied to the rear end of a crook for a lot less than $40,000 – and prove a lot more educational than ten years’ worth of prison meals and lockdowns.
“Too degrading,” some will say. “Too brutal.” But where is it written that being whipped is more degrading than being caged? Why is it more brutal to cane a wrongdoer than to throw him in prison – where the risk of being beaten, raped, or murdered is terrifyingly high? The
Globe
reported in 2004 that more than 200,000 prison inmates are raped each year, usually to the indifference of the guards. “The horrors experienced by many young inmates, particularly those who…are convicted of nonviolent offenses,” former Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackman has written, “border on the unimaginable.” Are those horrors preferable to the short, sharp shame of corporal punishment?
There are deeper causes to the deterioration of social order in America that Singapore’s elder statesman, Lee Kuan Yew, pointed out in a recent interview. He says that civil society has broken down in America because the freedom of the indi­vidual has become so inviolable as to be elevated to a dogma at the expense of society and because the family, “the sur­vival raft of the individual,” has fallen apart in too many cases. This has led, he says, “to the erosion of the moral underpinning of American society and the dimi­nution of personal responsibility.” The arch-left-wing philosophy in this country that held sway in criminal justice until recently was that the rights of society are not as important as the rights of the individual. I don’t buy that and neither do most thinking Americans today. I agree with Lee that the belief that society would flourish if everybody did their own thing is wrong and contrary to human nature.
The breakdown of the family in America is not a fact just in the minority communi­ties, but across the board, among the white population as well. If the parent is not there to discipline the kids when they do something wrong, that must be done by the state. Part of the arch-left philosophy is the idea that kids from broken families are victims. Here I also agree with Lee: Being a “victim of society” is no excuse. If you do something wrong, you should be punished. Personal responsibility must be restored. The state can’t put the family back together. But it can teach values in the public schools. Some people think you can’t teach values without teaching religion. That is baloney. Values transcend religion. To teach that “thou shall not kill” or “thou shall not steal” doesn’t mean you have to teach the Ten Commandments as given to Moses. To teach love and respect for your parents isn’t teaching Confucianism.
I am not advocating that America become a Singapore. I am saying that there are alternatives within the beloved U.S Constitution to cope with the out-of-con­trol criminality that makes us fear for our lives in our own neighborhoods. Crime is out of control, despite the deluded happy talk by some politicians about how “safe” cities have become. For most wrongdoers, the odds of being arrested, prosecuted, convicted, and incarcerated are reassuringly long. Fifty-eight percent of all murders do not result in a prison term. Likewise 98 percent of all burglaries.
The ACLUs and the Ted Kennedy liberals are still holding on. But the sympathy being shown in America for common sense in Singapore indicates that our troubled society is at a turning point.  Americans know we must balance the interests of society and the individual. Lee has said that America will change because it doesn’t want to fail in the world by sticking to a losing formula. I couldn’t agree more, and that is the basis of my hope for this great country.
Directions: Analyze and evaluate “We Used to Cane in America; Let’s Do It Again.”
Issue:
Conclusion:
Reasons:
(R1)
(R2)
(R3)
(R4)
(R5)
(R6)
Ambiguous Terms (Term + clarification questions)
1.
2.
Value Conflict:
Descriptive Assumptions (unstated):

1.    We have a mouse in the house.________, we should get a cat.
a.    Unfortunately
b.   Therefore
2.    Lisa got into a car accident. _________, her insurance rate increased.
a.    Furthermore
b.   As a result
3.    Linda is very athletic and plays on the school basketball team. ____________, her brother just stays at home and plays video games all day.
a.    However
b.   In addition
4.    There are many occupations today._____________, you can become a doctor, engineer, teacher, artist, athlete, musician, or chef, just to name a few.
a.    Such as
b.   For example
5.    The US government has been spending its money recklessly for too long. _____________, the plans that Congress proposes are destined to put the nation at great economic risk in the future.
a.    Furthermore
b.   As a result
6.    Getting a college degree is important. __________, building a good network of friends is crucial to future success.
a.    In conclusion
b.   More importantly
7.    Hawaii is a beautiful place to live. _______________, Siberia is a very inhospitable location.
a.    In addition
b.   On the contrary
8.    Eating well will help you live a healthier life. __________, exercising every day is also highly recommended.
a.  Moreover
b.  As a result
9.    Do you enjoy completing these grammar exercises? ________, you should be able to improve your writing skills in no time!
a.  Then
b.  Yet
10. Moving from one country to another can result in culture shock. __________, the language barrier that many immigrants face can lead to a long life of hardship
a.  However
b.  In addition
11. Polls show that Tony Blair is the most popular Prime Minister this century. ________________ , there are even members of his own party who are uneasy with his approach.
a.        In particular
b.        However
12. There are some slight variations in temperature. _______________ , 26 to 27ºC should be expected.
a.        consequently
b.        otherwise
13. The two main Channel Islands; __________, Jersey, and Guernsey are much closer to France than to England.
a.        for example
b.        namely
14. It was announced that nurses’ working hours would be increased by 25%. ______________ , even fewer trainee nurses are expected to join the profession.
a.        As a result
b.        So that
15. Sales of CDs have experienced a small but steady fall over the past 12 months. _____________ , vinyl records have seen an increase in their share of the market, up to 1.7%.
a.       Above all
b.        In contrast
16. The Vice Chancellor explained that in light of the current financial climate and because of unexpected bad debts, it would be necessary to peg salary levels at their current level for all grades of staff. _______, no-one was getting a pay rise.
a.       Nevertheless
b.          In other words
17. It is clear that the situation in Brazil will improve only slowly. ______________, the economic problems being experienced in Japan, the outlook is slightly more optimistic.
a.        In comparison
b.        nonetheless
18. In order to try to reduce car use in the inner cities, the government has announced new restrictions on company parking spaces and ______________ a new tax on individual car use.
a.        as well as
b.         in the same way
19. Essays must be handed in by the deadline. ______________ ,they will not be marked.
a.         obviously
b.         otherwise
20. ______________ it has been shown that fractures can occur at even relatively low pressures, the use of the material should not be completely discounted.
a.         Because
b.         Even though

Read pages 422-423 in the textbook
Excerpt from: The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy by R. Audi pages 710-711 found below as part of the reading
This discussion centers around Existentialism. As you read the following excerpt and your textbook pages, think about the following: What do you think of Sartre’s ideas? Does modern day society seem to be living his ideas? Do we suffer from choosing? Do these ideas stem from any other philosophical concepts we have looked at in this course? What are your thoughts?
Reading:  “The separation of self and consciousness and the rejection of the self as simply self-consciousness provides the framework for Sartre’s greatest philosophical work, “Being and Nothingness”.
It is through the nothingness of consciousness and its activities that negation comes into the world, our ability to imagine the world other than it is and the inescapable necessity of imagining ourselves other than we seem to be. And because consciousness is nothingness, it is not subject to the rules of causality. Central to the argument of “being and nothingness”, and Sartre’s insistence on the primacy of human freedom is his insistence that consciousness cannot be understood in causal terms. It is always self-determining and as such, “it always is what it is not, and is not what it is”- a playful paradox that refers to the fact that we are always in the process of choosing. Consciousness is “nothing” but the self is always on its way to being something”.

Both “Witness to the Tragedy” and “Hope Survives in Search for Katrina’s Missing” provide first-person descriptions of the impact of Hurricane Katrina. (“First-person” means that a story is told using words like “I” and “me” instead of “he” or “she.”) Describe how each piece presents a first-person view of the event. Then, contrast the messages that the first-person accounts provide in each text. Be sure to use specific details from the texts in your response and to introduce your topic, develop your topic, use transitions, and provide a concluding statement.

Buy Nothing Day Argument Prompt
The first Buy Nothing Day – a day on which people are urged to purchase no goods – was organized in Canada in 1992 as a way to increase awareness of excessive consumerism.  A Buy Nothing Day has been held yearly since then in many nations.  An online article, “Buy Nothing Day: 2006 Press Release,” urged worldwide acceptance of taking a “24-hour consumer detox as part of the 14th annual Buy Nothing Day” in order to “expose the environmental and ethical consequences of overconsumption” (“Buy Nothing Day,” courtesy
Adbusters
, www.adbusters.org).
Consider the implications of a day on which no goods are purchased.  Then edit this outline  and  make coherent response ANSWERING THE PROMPT, edit the thesis below to be a fully developed thesis THAT ANSWERS THE PROMPT, and using the outline please EDIT THE OUTLINE TO MAKE four well-developed supporting paragraphs (one is already written but needs editing) in which you develop a position on the establishment of an annual Buy Nothing Day.  Support your argument with appropriate evidence. THIS IS JUST EDITING!
Context:
The Buy Nothing Day is an act spearheaded by the Canadians to save the planet from the adverse effects produced by overconsumption. However, if the economy and well-being of the community are at stake, this type of act should be well looked upon.
Thesis: (EDIT: possibly tangential; does not address Buy Nothing Day)
As primarily-capitalist societies are able to produce much revenue for a  company as it is based on economic competition, consumers are forced to be “greedy” and can cause harmful overconsumption hurting our communities and environment.
SUPPORTING PARAGRAPH: (1/five phrases – EDIT: This reads less like a developed paragraph and more like a handful of ideas, each of which would need more details and explanation for support.) please just edit.
While this campaign has effectively made its purpose of lessening overconsumption, the lives of the community and the economy are put at stake. This act somehow leaves the marginalized unconsidered, due to the fact that some are earning daily wages, therefore are buying necessities on a day-to-day basis. Also, putting the consumption entirely at halt for a day could cause a domino of effects on the economy of the country and the rest of the world, since most of the taxes come from consumers.
OUTLINE: EDIT INTO ESSAY
This may be beneficial to some—especially the privileged who actually own companies and real estate, but when looking at the bigger picture, this is not actually a permanent solution to the environmental and consumer issues that we have.
For Example, during this pandemic, billionaires barely lost any money and rather dramatically increased in wealth reflecting poorly on the system.
People with a  lower socioeconomic may not have the luxury as they depend on a large quantity of goods being bought to be able to feed their families.
Practicing of self-discipline when it comes to consumption of goods could be a more beneficial long-term solution than not buying goods for a day.
Example: The impact the world would have would be unimaginable if our societies were more mindful about the waste the world produces and the effect it has on our environment.
Perhaps finding ways to use that waste to good use such as clean energy or being more mindful about recycling waste.
The Buy Nothing Day still provides awareness in a world that used to getting the goods almost immediately.
Amazon’s purpose is to deliver to people within days of ordering directly to your house with the press of a button on a screen.
The Buy Nothing Day allows for self reflection about what our societies and lives truly need rather than buying just to buy or throwing something out that works just to receive the newest model available.
The attitude and spirit that comes from the Buy Nothing Day is what is truly the gold mine.
People in societies must learn not to take buying goods for advantage, rather have a sense of gratitude and especially awareness that they are spending money and the material item bought should be actually used and therefore not wasted.
Perhaps a way to build on this attitude would be to thrift clothing, donate unused items to churches or charities rather than simply throwing everything away.
Try to live a life in which not even food goes to waste, only order and buy what you will in fact eat, if unfinished, leftovers are a great and sustainable option.
Consumerism only allows us to feed upon our greed. To slow the spread, our societies must move forward ethically and sustainably for the sake of our environment and families.
How can we teach the next generation to be better stewards of empathy and sustainability to allow our communities to continue to thrive and grow?