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PARAPHRASING

Total questions: 19

Worksheet time: 50mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Paraphrasing, or restating ideas in your own words, helps you check your understanding of what you hear and read.


Read the passage below and decide which sentence best restates the ideas presented:

"Although television was not widely used in American homes until the 1950s, small, experimental television images were broadcast in the 1920s."

a)

Television was not widely used in American homes until the 1950s.

b)

Television became popular in the 1950s, but the first televisions were used thirty years earlier.

c)

Television became popular in the 1920s, and again in the 1950s.

2.
Paraphrasing can help you avoid _____________. It is taking another person's ideas or words and presenting them as your own. This is not only a serious academic offense, but it is also illegal in many cases. Use your own words when you write, and always give credit to others whose ideas you use.
a)
getting int trouble
b)
plagiarism
c)
cheating
d)
pledging
3.

Read the passage below and choose the best paraphrase:

Thanks to the efforts of volunteers, people in Sauri, Kenya, have much better lives today than in years past. Their hospital now has a generator and running water, and it provides free medications for diseases that are widespread in the community. Cases of malaria have declined as people have been given mosquito nets for beds.

a)

Their hospital now has a generator and running water, and it provides free medications for diseases that are widespread in the community.

b)

Cases of malaria have declined as people have been given mosquito nets for beds.

c)

Thanks to the efforts of volunteers, people in Sauri, Kenya, have much better lives today than in years past. Their hospital now has a generator and running water, and it provides free medications for diseases that are widespread in the community.

d)

Life in Sauri has recently improved.The hospital offers electricity and plumbing, and Free medicine and mosquito nets help prevent common diseases and malaria.

4.
What is the best paraphrase of the following sentence?
Brazil is the largest country in South America and Suriname is the smallest. 
a)
The biggest country in South America is Brazil, while the tiniest is Suriname.
b)
Suriname and Brazil the largest and smallest countries in Brazil.
c)
The largest country is Brazil and the smallest country is Suriname, and they are both countries in Brazil.
d)
The two countries of Brazil and Suriname are two countries in Brazil.
5.
What is the best paraphrase of the following sentence?
A type of shark called a shortfin mako can leap 20 feet above the surface of the water.
a)
A shark can leap 20 feet out of the water, it is called a shortfin mako. 
b)
The shortfin mako shark can jump above the surface of water.
c)
A shortfin mako is a kind of shark that can leap 20 feet out of the water. 
d)
A shortfin mako can jump 20 feet above the surface of the water.
6.
Choose the BEST paraphrase of these sentences:
Rugby football is the most popular sport in New Zealand. Most villages, towns, and districts have their own teams.
(World Book Atlas page 212)
a)
Of all sports played in New Zealand, rugby football is the most popular. Most areas even have their own teams.
b)
Rugby and football are the most popular sports in the area of New Zealand. Every village, town, and district has teams.
c)
New Zealand sports include rugby football in most districts, villages, and towns.
d)
Most villages, districts, and towns in New Zealand love rugby football and popular sports.
7.
Choose the sentence that BEST paraphrases this sentence:

A high school student usually has summer reading assignments.
a)
A high school student always has homework assignments in the summer.
b)
It is common for students in high school to have summer reading assignments.
c)
Usually school aged students have summer reading assignments.
d)
Most summer school students have high school reading to do.
8.
Original Text: The MESSENGER spacecraft will first perform two flyby missions, in which it will gather data on the planet Mercury. In these flybys, MESSENGER will measure Mercury's atmosphere, magnetic pull, and surface composition.
Paraphrase the text above, making sure to identify all the writer's main points. Don't forget to look up any unfamiliar words.
a)
MESSENGER is scheduled to travel past Mercury to get information about the planet. The spacecraft's trips will give us data about Mercury's surface, atmosphere, and gravity.
b)
The MESSENGER spacecraft will first perform two flyby missions, in which it will measure Mercury's atmosphere, magnetic pull, and surface composition.
c)
Past missions to Mercury haven't been successful because of the heat. MESSENGER is designed to orbit close to the sun.
d)
MESSENGER will provide useful information about Mercury during its flyby missions.
9.
MESSENGER will travel 4.9 billion miles to Mercury's orbit and will have to survive extreme conditions. For one thing, it will have to take a lot more of the sun's heat and energy than any other spacecraft. Additionally, MESSENGER will need to travel at extreme speeds—over 140,000 miles per hour!
Choose the best paraphrase.
a)
For one thing, it will have to take a lot more of the sun's heat and energy than any other spacecraft. Additionally, MESSENGER will need to travel at extreme speeds—over 140,000 miles per hour!
b)
MESSENGER will need to travel at extreme speeds—over 140,000 miles per hour!
c)
On its 4.9 billion-mile journey, MESSENGER will encounter intense conditions as it travels near the sun and survives ultimate heat as it hurtles at a speed of over140,00 mph.
d)
MESSENGER will travel 4.9 billion miles to Mercury's orbit and will have to survive extreme conditions.
10.

Choose the correct paraphrase of the following sentence:

During the Industrial Revolution, children as young as three worked in factories.

a)

In the time of the Industrial Revolution, children as young as three worked in the factories.

b)

Factories employed children-even three-year-olds-in the Industrial Revolution.

c)

During the Industrial Revolution, children as young as three worked in factories.

11.
Choose the BEST paraphrase of this sentence:
Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, has been an important market and trading place for hundreds of years.
(World Book Illustrated Atlas page 103)
a)
Tashkent and Uzbekistan are important places to trade hundreds of things in the market.
b)
The Uzbekistan capital city of Tashkent has been a major market and trading place for centuries.
c)
For hundreds of years, Tashkent has been the capital of Uzbekistan and trading places now is important for the market.
d)
Uzbekistan is a popular place for markets and for hundreds of years Tashkent has been trading its capital goods.
12.
 Choose the BEST paraphrase of this text: 

Lionel Messi earns a whopping $39.6 million a year for playing striker for La Liga's Barcelona team.
(Scholastic Book of World Records 2011 page 99)
a)
Lionel Messi earns a whopping $39.6 million a year for playing striker for La Liga's Barcelona team.
b)
According to Scholastic Book of World Records 2011, I think it is great that soccer player Lionel Messi earns a whopping $39.6 million a year for playing striker for La Liga's Barcelona team!
c)
Soccer player Lionel Messi earns a whopping $39.6 million a year for playing soccer as striker/winger for La Liga's Barcelona team. Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain.
d)
According to Scholastic Book of World Records 2011, soccer player Lionel Messi makes over $39 million dollars annually. This impressive salary is from his work as a striker for La Liga's Barcelona team (page 99).
13.
 Choose the BEST paraphrase of this text: 
The giant rafflesia, also known as "the stinking corpse lily" has blossoms that can reach three feet in diameter and weigh up to twenty five pounds. The flowers give off a smell similar to rotting meat.
a)
The stinking corpse lily, also known as the giant rafflesia has blossoms. They can get pretty big and the blossoms stink.
b)
A flower with the nickname "the stinking corpse lily" produces an odor like rotting meat. The real name of this huge flower that can weigh as much as twenty five pounds is the giant rafflesia.
c)
The giant rafflesia, also known as "the stinking corpse lily" has blossoms that can reach three feet in diameter and weigh up to twenty five pounds. The flowers give off a smell similar to rotting meat.
d)
There are flowers give off a smell similar to rotting meat. The giant rafflesia, also known as "the stinking corpse lily" has blossoms that can reach three feet in diameter and weigh up to twenty five pounds.
14.

Three issues are especially crucial to understanding the possible uses of the human genome.

a)

Three things are especially crucial to understanding the possible uses of the human genome.

b)

Understanding potential uses of the human genome is linked to three vital issues.

15.

While most people are aware of such medical possibilities, they are less aware of the fact that genes can also uncover a great deal about humankind's history and culture.

a)

Many persons are aware of such medical possibilities, but they are less knowledgeable about people's history and culture.

b)

Most people know that genes are linked to potential medical advances.However, what they do not realize is genes can also tell us about a society and its past.

16.

On June 26 Francis Collins, head of the Human Genome Project, and Craig Venter, head of Celera Genomics, announced that they had completed thereading of a "rough draft" of the human genome - the complete set of human DNA.

a)

On June 26 two scientists stated they had finished the initial reading of the human genome.

b)

It was announced by two researched that they had read the first reading of the complete set of human DNA.

Answer

a

17.

Amir worried about passing the very difficult test.

a)

Receiving a passing grade on the difficult exam concerned Amir.

b)

Amir was worried about receiving good marks on the test, which was very hard.

18.

Anxiety is a feeling. It occurs when someone dreads something unknown.

a)

Anxiety, which is a feeling, is felt by people who do not know why they are uneasy.

b)

The feeling of anxiety results when someone is uneasy but doesn't know why.

19.

Select the best paraphrase for the following excerpt: "His life lasted many winters; Wise men all over the Earth surely remember him still."

a)

He lived a long life and is considered famous even now.

b)

He survived the difficult winter months, and hopefully others know of him too.

c)

Many men know of him.

d)

He was killed in the winter by wise men.