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Great Writing 4: Great Essays, 4ed Answer Key

UNIT 1

Activity 1, pages 5–8PreviewAnswers will vary.

Post-Reading

1. !e story of Cinderella, her cleaning tasks, and how she felt about them

2. Answers will vary. 3. Ironing clothes, washing dishes, and cleaning

the bathroom 4. 5 paragraphs; paragraph 1 (introduction);

paragraph 5 (conclusion); paragraphs 2, 3, 4 (body)

5. Unpleasant household chores 6. “!e top three of these unpopular tasks o"en

include ironing clothes, washing dishes, and cleaning the bathroom.”

7. Why people don’t like to iron clothes; “One of the most hated chores for many people is ironing clothes because it is not a task that can be completed quickly or thoughtlessly.”

8. Paragraph 3: “Another household chore that many people dislike is washing dishes.” Paragraph 4: “Although ironing clothes and washing dishes are not the most pleasant household chores, perhaps the most dreaded chore is cleaning the bathroom.”

9. Two possible supporting sentences: “Each piece of clothing must be handled individually, so ironing a basket of laundry can take hours!” “A"er ironing a piece of clothing meticulously, which entails smoothing out the fabric, following the seams, and getting the creases just right, it needs to be put on a hanger as soon as possible.

1 0. “Because the bathroom is full of germs, a quick wiping of the surfaces is o"en not enough.”

1 1. “Maintaining a house means doing a wide variety of unpleasant chores.”

Activity 2, pages 9–12PreviewAnswers will vary.

Post-Reading

1. !en the doorbell rang, and my life changed forever.

2. Answers will vary. 3. (1) !e writer’s family was napping. (2) !e

writer was bored. (3) !e writer answered the door. (4) !e writer sat down on the sofa. (5) !e writer wondered about her exam score. (6) !e mother gave the writer courage. (7) !e writer opened the letter. (8) !e writer read the letter. (9) !e writer hugged her mother. (10) !e writer was congratulated by her family.

4. 6 paragraphs; paragraph 4 5. To describe the letter and establish the

problem or con#ict of the essay

Activity 3, pages 12–14PreviewAnswers will vary.

Post-Reading

1. !e di$erences between urban life and rural life

2. “Perhaps some of the most notable di$erences in the lives of these two groups include the degree of friendliness between residents, the pace of life, and the variety of available activities.”

3. urban 4. activities: paragraph 4; more options for

activities: city 5. Pace (paragraph 3): Urban: 1. “In the city, life

moves very quickly.” 2. “!e streets re#ect this hectic pace and are rarely empty, even late at night.” 3. “City dwellers appear to be racing to get somewhere important.” 4. “Life for them tends to be a series of deadlines.” Rural: 1. “In the country, life is much slower.” 2. “Even during peak hours, tra%c jams occur less o"en than in a city.” 3. “Stores close in the early evening, and the streets do not come alive until the next morning.” 4. “!e people in small towns or villages seem more relaxed and move in a more leisurely way.”

Activity 4, pages 14–17PreviewAnswers will vary.

2 ANSWER KEY

discriminates against senior citizens, and wastes valuable skills as well as money.”

2. direct—It gives the speci!c reasons that will be discussed.

3. Answers will vary. Sample indirect thesis statement: Capable workers should not be forced to retire when they reach a certain age.

Activity 8, pages 27–29Answers will vary.

Activity 9, pages 29–30 1. “"ese di#erences, however, pale in

comparison to the similarities shared by the two professions, for the main functions of athletic team coaches and business managers are very closely related.”

2. indirect—It doesn’t give the speci!c similarities of the two jobs.

3. Answers will vary. Sample direct thesis statement: Athletic team coaches and business managers are similar in their leadership roles, problem-solving capabilities, and interaction with higher management.

Activity 10, pages 30–31Title: “July 13, 2013”

I. C. “"en the doorbell rang, and my life changed forever.”

II. B. “I turned the packet over in my hands a few times then gently began opening it, careful not to tear anything that might be important.”

II. C. “So many questions were racing around in my head that I did not hear my mother come down the stairs.”

Activity 11, pages 32–33Title: “Cinderella and Her Tedious Household Chores”

I. A. “Almost everyone knows how the story of Cinderella ends, but do people actually think about how she spent her days before she met the prince?”

I. B. “Her daily routine was not glamorous. She did everything from sweeping the $oors to cooking the meals. If someone had asked Cinderella which chores she did not particularly like, she probably would have answered, ‘Why, none, of course. Housework is my duty!’ In today’s increasingly busy society, however, most people admit that they have de!nite dislikes for certain household chores.”

Post-Reading

1. Some cancer risks can be reduced by implementing lifestyle changes.

2. “By eating better, exercising regularly, and staying out of the sun, people can reduce their risks of cancer.”

3. Each paragraph discusses one method (cause) for reducing cancer risks

4. "e foods contain saturated fat (“"ese popular foods contain large amounts of saturated fat, which is one of the worst kinds of fat.”) Processed food does not contain !ber. (“Instead, they now eat a lot more processed foods that do not contain natural !ber.”)

5. Food with a lot of fat tastes better. (“Although light and fat-free products are constantly being introduced to the consumer market, many people still buy foods that contain fat because they o%en taste better.”)

Activity 5, pages 17–22PreviewAnswers will vary.

Post-Reading

1. Community colleges and universities; community colleges

2. I. "esis: “However, if the choice is based on three speci!c factors, namely, cost, location, and quality of education, students will quickly see the advantages that attending a community college o#ers.”

II. A. Costs II. A. 1. a. $3,000 II. A. 1. b. University: over $25,000 II. A. 2. b. Photocopying costs II. A. 2. d. Cafeteria prices II. B. 1. a. Students do not want to be away

from home II. B. 1. b. Students can wait till they have

more experience before leaving home. II. C. Educational bene!ts II. C. 3. Library facilities are more than

su&cient.3. –7. Answers will vary.

Activity 6, pages 24–26Answers will vary.

Activity 7, page 27 1. “Mandatory retirement for capable workers

is wrong because it violates personal choice,

3

Post-Reading

1. “I had never been more anxious in my life.” 2. Answers will vary. 3. At an airport 4. A di!cult and confusing experience at the

airport ends well. 5. It sets up the next action while adding to the

suspense of the story 6. Frustration; fear 7. Narrator, passing businessman, airport employee 8. Simple past tense; Answers will vary. 9. Yes; !rst: watched bus driver set luggage on

sidewalk; second: could not make sense of signs; third: tried to ask businessman for help; fourth: followed a group to elevator; !"h: airport employee helped

10. Transitional sentences: Paragraph 2: “I had to "nd help because I could not be late!” Paragraph 3: “I could follow them to the right place, and I would not have to say a word.” Paragraph 4: “A high, squeaking noise announced the opening of the doors, and I looked around timidly.” Paragraph 5: “He led me past all the lines of people and pushed my luggage to the inspection counter.”

11. Prediction; “I can only hope that one day I will be able to do the same for another traveler who is su#ering through a terrible journey.”

Activity 3, pages 46–47Title: Frustration at the Airport

I. B. $esis statement: “Now, as I watched the bus driver set my luggage on the airport sidewalk, I realized that my frustration had only just begun.”

II. A. 3. Transition sentence: “I had to "nd help because I could not be late!”

II. B. Paragraph 3 (Event 2) topic sentence: “I tried to ask a passing businessman for help, but my words all came out wrong.”

II. B. 3. “Another bus arrived at the terminal, and the passengers came out carrying all sorts of luggage.”

II. B. 4. Transition sentence: “I could follow them to the right place, and I would not have to say a word.”

II. C. 1. “$ey all "t in, but there was not enough room for me.”

II. C. 3. “I pressed button 3. II. C. 4. Transition sentence: “A high, squeaking

noise announced the opening of the doors, and I looked around timidly.”

I. C. “$e top three of these unpopular tasks o%en include ironing clothes, washing dishes, and cleaning the bathroom.”

II. A.1. “One of the most hated chores for many people is ironing clothes. It is not a task that can be completed quickly or thoughtlessly.”

II. A. 2. a. 3. Getting the creases just right II. A. 2. a. 4. Putting it on a hanger as soon as

possible II. A. 2. b. If it is not put on a hanger right away, it

gets wrinkled. It will need to be ironed again. II. B.1. “Another household chore that many

people dislike is washing dishes.” II. B. 2. b. 2. Requires patience II. B. 2. b. 3. Must be done every day II. C.1. “Although ironing clothes and washing

dishes are not the most pleasant household chores, perhaps the most dreaded chore is cleaning the bathroom.”

II. C. 2. a. 1. Cleaning the bathtub II. C. 2. b. 2. Must use strong bathroom cleansers II. C. 2. c. Not a daily chore

Activity 12, page 35 1. unpleasant 2. di!cult 3. yes 4. few people 5. suspicious

6. money 7. hesitant 8. negative 9. habit 10. common

Activity 13, pages 35–36 1. daily 2. makes 3. with 4. claim 5. as

6. grease 7. against 8. higher 9. wide 10. tackle

Activity 14, pages 36–37Answers will vary.

UNIT 2

Activity 1, page 41Check these sentences: (5) Whales are by far the largest marine mammals. (6) She gave her friend a birthday gi%. (8) $e Russian dictionary that we use in our language class has 500 pages.

Activity 2, pages 43–46PreviewAnswers will vary.