Font size
WorksheetsEnglish 1A Midterm
Total questions: 39
Worksheet time: 3hrs 46mins
What is a thesis statement?
A general idea of what the essay is about
A summary of the main idea
A statement that explains the main idea of an essay
A suggestion that you should read the essay
The best kind of pet is a cat because they are friendly, low maintenance, and have great personalities.
"In this essay, I will discuss the crime rate in Mountain City." Why is this NOT a good thesis statement?
It's a title.
It's a fact.
It's too wordy.
It's too general.
Which two of the following should thesis statements avoid?
The first person
Making an argument
Stating a fact
Having one or two sentences
"Cost of Living" is not a good thesis statement because:
It is too wordy.
It is too general.
It contains a title.
It contains a fact.
Which sentence would be the better thesis statement for the introductory paragraph of an argumentative essay?
The Hunger Games is a science fiction adventure film based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins.
The Hunger Games is a morality tale about the dangers of a political system that is dominated by the wealthy.
Which sentence would be the better thesis statement for the introductory paragraph of an essay?
There is no question that cell phones have changed our lives in a very big way.
While cell phones provide freedom and mobility, they can also become a leash, compelling users to answer them anywhere and at any time.
Which sentence would be the better thesis statement for the introductory paragraph of an essay?
The iPad has revolutionized the mobile-computing landscape and created a huge profit stream for Apple.
The iPad, with its relatively large high-definition screen, has helped to revitalize the comic book industry.
Before choosing a position or side, you should
develop a thesis
write the introduction
consider all the evidence
You come across the order with the following instructions: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. Here are three theses written by the writer. Which of them is the strongest?
Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.
Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.
In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.
Mark Twain's story is well written and there are many contrasts to be seen in the story that include the river.
Find the thesis statement in the following paragraph: What has happened to the American male? For a long time, he seemed utterly confident in his manhood, sure of his masculine role in society, easy and definite in his sense of sexual identity. The frontiersmen of James Fenimore Cooper, for example, never had any concern about masculinity; they were men, and it did not occur to them to think twice about it. Even well into the twentieth century, the heroes of Dreiser, of Fitzgerald, of Hemingway remain men. However, one begins to detect a new theme emerging in some of these authors, especially in Hemingway: the theme of the male hero increasingly preoccupied with proving his virility to himself. By mid-century, the male role had plainly lost its rugged clarity of outline. Today, men are more and more conscious of maleness not as a fact but as a problem. The ways by which American men affirm their masculinity are uncertain and obscure. There are multiplying signs, indeed, that something has gone badly wrong with the American male's conception of himself.
Today men are more and more conscious of maleness not as a fact but as a problem.
The ways by which American men affirm their masculinity are uncertain and obscure.
There are multiplying signs, indeed, that something has gone badly wrong with the American male's conception of himself.
Today, men are more and more conscious of maleness not as a fact but as a problem.
Find the thesis statement in the following introduction: Most people who bother with the matter at all would admit that the English language is in a bad way, but it is generally assumed that we cannot by conscious action do anything about it. Now, it is clear that the decline of a language must ultimately have political and economic causes: it is not due simply to the bad influence of this or an individual writer. An effect can become a cause, reinforcing the original cause and producing the same effect in an intensified form, and so on indefinitely. A man may take to drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks. It is rather the same thing that is happening to the English language. It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts. The point is that the process is reversible. Modern English, especially written English, is full of bad habits which spread by imitation and which can be avoided if one is willing to take the necessary trouble. If one gets rid of these habits one can think more clearly, and to think clearly is a necessary first step towards political regeneration: so that the fight against bad English is not frivolous and is not the exclusive concern of professional writers. I will come back to this presently, and I hope that by that time the meaning of what I have said here will have become clearer. Meanwhile, here are five specimens of the English language as it is now habitually written.
Modern English, especially written English, is full of bad habits which spread by imitation and which can be avoided if one is willing to take the necessary trouble.
If one gets rid of these habits one can think more clearly, and to think clearly is a necessary first step towards political regeneration: so that the fight against bad English is not frivolous and is not the exclusive concern of professional writers.
I will come back to this presently, and I hope that by that time the meaning of what I have said here will have become clearer.
Meanwhile, here are five specimens of the English language as it is now habitually written.
Which of the theses is the strongest?
Although I agree with Jeane Kirkpatrick’s argument that environmentalists and businesses should work together to ensure the ecological future of the world, her argument is likely to undervalue the necessity of pressuring businesses to attend to environmental concerns that may not benefit them in the short run.
This paper will address the characteristics of a good corporate manager.
The songs of the punk rock group Minor Threat relate to the feelings of individuals who dare to be different. Their songs are just composed of pure emotion. Pure emotion is very important in music, because it serves as a vehicle to convey the important message of individuality. Minor Threat’s songs are meaningful to me because I can identify with them.
Which of the theses is the strongest?
The flight from teaching to research and publishing in higher education is a controversial issue in the academic world. I will show different views and aspects concerning this problem.
Although Othello appears to attack jealousy, it also supports the skepticism of the jealous characters over the naïveté of the lovers.
There are many similarities and differences between the Carolingian and the Burgundian Renaissances.
Which of the theses is the strongest?
The jeans industry targets its advertisements to appeal to young adults.
Sir Thomas More’s Utopia proposes an unworkable set of solutions to society’s problems because, like communist Russia, it suppresses individualism.
From cartoons in the morning to adventure shows at night, there is too much violence on television.
Which of the theses is the strongest?
The songs of the punk rock group Minor Threat relate to the feelings of individuals who dare to be different. Their songs are just composed of pure emotion.
Although violent revolutions begin to redress long-standing social inequities, they often do so at the cost of long-term economic dysfunction and the suffering that attends it.
It is important to understand why leaders act in a leadership role. What is the driving force? Is it an internal drive for the business or group to succeed, or is it an internal drive for the leader to dominate others?
Which thesis statement is NOT debatable?
At least 25 percent of the federal budget should be spent on limiting pollution.
America's anti-pollution efforts should focus on privately owned cars.
Pollution is bad for the environment.
Drug use is detrimental to society.
This is an example of a thesis statement that is
Perfect
Too narrow
Too broad
We should abolish the death penalty. Even Taylor Swift is opposed to it.
Hasty Generalization
Bandwagon
Straw Man
Appeal to Authority
My opponent is an untrustworthy liar and an idiot. Therefore, you should believe me.
Hasty Generalization
Circular Reasoning
Cherry-picking the evidence
Ad Hominem
