《美国大学英语写作》课后习题答案(PART1).doc

ANSWER KEY
Part One: Essay Writing
1 An Introduction to Writing
Activity (Point and Support in a Paragraph), pages 5–6
Point: There are drawbacks to moviegoing.
Support: 1. Inconvenience
b. Long time to find parking spot and long walk to theater
d. Sticky floor
3. Other moviegoers
a. Running kids
b. Laughing, shouting teenagers
Activity (Introductory Paragraph), 8
1. c
2. b
3. a
4. a. Inconvenience of going out
b. Temptations of the theater
c. Behavior of some patrons
Activity (Body: Supporting Paragraphs), 9–10
1. To begin with, I just don’t enjoy the general hassle of the evening.
2. b. Parking lot is always jammed
d. Tickets may sell out, and theater is crowded
e. Tickets cost up to $8 each
3. Second, the theater offers tempting snacks that I really don’t need.
4. b. 2) chocolate bars
3) Milk Duds
5. Many of the other patrons are even more of a problem than the concession stand.
6. a. Little kids race up and down the aisles
b. Teenagers talk back to the screen, whistle, make funny noises
Activity (Concluding Paragraph), 10
1. a
2. c
Review Activities, 18–20
Answers will vary.

2 The Writing Process
Activities (Freewriting, Questioning, Making a List, Clustering, Scratch Outline), 25–31
Answers will vary.
Activity (Writing a First Draft), 33
1. thesis 5. specific
2. first 6. bs
3. equiped (other answers are possible) 7. conclusion
4. second and third
Activity (Revising with a Second Draft), 36–37

1. Second 5. watching what I keep in the house
2. however 6. comfortable seats
3. unity . . . My friends are as bad as I am. 7. As
4. support . . . snacks like celery and carrot 8. jump into my hands
sticks . . . no ice cream in the freezer . . . 9. disgusted
dripping with butter . . . risk pulling out
my fillings as I chew
Activity (Taking a Writing Inventory), 39–40
Answers will vary.
Activity (Prewriting), 41–43
L, Q, SO, C, F
Activity 1 (Outlining), 43–45
1. Thesis:My high school had three problem areas.
a. Students
(1) Involved with drugs
(2) Formed cliques
b. Teachers
(1) Unwilling to help after class
(2) Much too strict
c. Buildings
(1) Leaky ceilings
(2) Ill-equipped gym

2. Thesis:Working as a dishwasher in a restaurant was my worst job.
a. Working conditions
(1) Heat in kitchen
(2) Noisy work area
b. Hours
(1) Ten-hour shifts
(2) Hours changed every week
c. Pay
(1) Minimum wage
(2) No bonus for overtime
3. Thesis: Joining an aerobics class has many benefits.
a. Social benefits
(1) Make new friends
(2) Meet interesting instructors
b. Mental benefits
(1) Reduces mental stress
(2) Improves self-image
c. Physical benefits
(1) Strengthens heart
(2) Tones muscles

4. Thesis: My favorite times in school were the days before holiday vacations.
a. Lighter workload
(1) Less work in class
(2) Less homework
b. Friendlier atmosphere
(1) Teachers more relaxed
(2) Students happy about vacation
c. Special events
(1) Pep rallies
(2) Holiday concerts
Activity 2 (Outlining), 45–47
Thesis:More and more, the inventions of modern technology seem to be cutting us off from contact with our fellow human beings.
First topic sentence:The world of business is one area in which technology is isolating us.
Support: 2. Workers’ salaries are automatically credited to their bank accounts.
3. Personal banking is becoming a detached process.
a. Customers interact with machines rather than people.
b. Some loans are accepted or rejected by computers, not loan officers.
Second topic sentence: Another area that technology is changing is entertainment.
Support: 1. For many people now, music is a solitary experience.
2. Fewer people go out to watch movies.
Third topic sentence: Education is a third important area in which technology is separating us from others.
Support: 1. Students sit alone in front of computers.
2. Students use software at home instead of interacting with others.
3. Videotapes are replacing class instruction.
Activity (Revising), 47–48
2, 1, 4, 3

3 The First and Second Steps in Essay Writing
Activity (Writing a Good Thesis), 50–51

List 1 List 2

2 Teachers 3 Bicycles
l Education 4 Dangers of bike riding
3 Math teacher l Recreation
5 My high school math 2 Recreational vehicles
teacher was incompetent. 5 Bike riding in the city is a
4 High school math teacher dangerous experience.
List 3 List 4
1 Retail companies 3 Camping
2 Supermarkets 4 First camping trip
4 Dealing with customers 2 Summer vacation
3 Working in a supermarket 5 My first camping trip was a
5 I’ve learned how to handle disastrous experience.
unpleasant supermarket customers. l Vacations
Activity (Common Errors in Writing a Thesis), 53
A. 1. TB B. 6. 2
2. TN 7. A
3. TB 8. 2
4. TN 9. A
5. TB 10. 2
Activity (Support the Thesis with Specific Evidence), 54–55
Answers for this activity will vary; a possible third point for each outline is listed below.
1. c. Learning new rules and procedures 4. c. Save money
2. c. Sense of humor 5. c. Long hours
3. c. Too cold in the winter 6 c. Worry about finances
Activity (The Importance of Specific Details), 57
S 1. The paragraph lists specific precautions: getting a permit and buying
pressure-treated lumber.
X 2. What kinds of things did the writer do wrong? What specific rules were enforced?
How did this parent punish the writer?
S 3 The paragraph lists specific examples of items that should not be improved:
cheesecake and jeans.
X 4. What kinds of problems does the dog have? How does the dog misbehave when the owners are away? How did the owners try to train the dog?
Activity 1 (The Importance of Adequate Details), 58
Answers are given in the text after the activity.
Activity (Identifying the Parts of an Essay), 61
Thesis statement: 4
Topic sentence of first supporting paragraph: 5
Topic sentence of second supporting paragraph: 15
Topic sentence of third supporting paragraph: 22
First sentence of the conclusion: 34
Activity 1 (Evaluating Thesis Statements), 61–62 Activity 2 (Evaluating Thesis Statements), 62
1. A a. 1. TN a.
OK b. OK b.
2. OK a. 2. TN a.
A b. OK b.
3. OK a. 3. TN a.
A b. OK b.
4. A a. 4. OK a.
OK b. TN b.
5. A a. 5. OK a.
OK b. TN b.
Activity 3 (Evaluating Thesis Statements), 62–63 Activity 4 (Evaluating Thesis Statements), 63
1. TB a. 1. OK a.
OK b. 2 b.
2. TB a. 2. 2 a.
OK b. OK b.
3. OK a. 3. OK a.
TB b. 2 b.
4. TB a. 4. 2 a.
OK b. OK b.
5. TB a. 5. 2 a.
OK b. OK b.
Activity (Completing Thesis Statements), 64
Answers for this activity will vary; a possible third point of development for each thesis statement is listed below.
1. science. 6. coach
2. to be enthusiastic. 7. we were emotionally immature.
3. my boyfriend. 8. manners
4. money. 9. my relationships with others.
5. breaks down regularly. 10. the time I dented my friend’s car.
Activity (Writing a Thesis Statement), 65
Answers may vary slightly.
1. The cars I’ve owned have reflected the changes in my personality.
2. Attending a two-year college has several advantages.
3. I have tried several ways to give up snacks.
4. Halloween is not all fun.
5. Three factors contributed to my heart attack.
Activity 1 (Limiting a Topic and Writing a Thesis), 66
Answers will vary; a possible thesis for each limited subject is listed below.
1. Sharing an apartment with a roommate helped me adjust to a new city.
2. Deciding to be less critical of your spouse can help a marriage.
3. My mother’s tidiness drives us crazy.
4. Fast-food restaurants are cheaper, cleaner, and friendlier than other restaurants.
5. My cousin Myra has several bad driving habits.
6. Regular exercise can help ease emotional problems.
7. Do-it-yourself repairs always end up costing me more money than they’re supposed to.
8. The free-agent system has made baseball a big business, not a sport.
9. Being a single parent can be exhausting, frustrating, and intimidating.
10. Noise pollution is a growing problem in our city.
Activity 2 (Limiting a Topic and Writing a Thesis), 67
Answers will vary; some possible limited subjects and thesis statements are listed below.
1. Exotic animals as pets
People should not be allowed to keep exotic animals as pets.
2. Teens and birth control
Parents should be notified if their daughters visit a birth control clinic.
3. The new season’s TV programming
The new television programs are carbon copies of last year’s successful shows.
4. Computerized offices
Computers in offices are creating new health problems for employees.
5. Major fields of study
Choosing a major does not have to be done blindly.
6. House calls
Doctors should be compelled to make house calls.
7. Summer vacations
Summer is the worst time of year to take a vacation.
8. Barbecuing
There are three kinds of people who will be found behind a barbecue grill.
9. Children’s allowances
Getting an allowance teaches a child to be responsible, mature, and thrifty.
10. Christmas shopping
One year I made the mistake of doing my Christmas shopping months in advance.
Activity (Providing Specific Evidence), 68–69
Answers will vary; some possibilities are listed below.
1. Guests arrived two hours late; roast was burned; host and hostess got into a huge fight
2. Collects dead frogs, birds, and worms; loves to dunk pizza in his chocolate milk; combs his hair with his toothbrush
3. Too tired; too hungry; too disorganized
4. Chose my friends for me; chose my clothes for me; chose my college for me
5. Baby-sitting, gardening, baking cookies
6. New ignition, new brakes, new heater
7. Cat got sick; kids got sick; roof started to leak
8. Slept at his desk; gave six hours of homework per night; had a nasty temper
Activity (Identifying Adequate Supporting Evidence), 69–70
AD 1.
U 2. What are specific examples of how people are thoughtless to pets? What are the particular needs of pets that may be ignored? Examples might include bathing animals regularly, treating them for fleas, helping them stay cool in summer, exercising them, and providing a nutritious diet.
U 3. What are specific examples of shows that are of little interest to people? Exactly how would commercials be changed? How would network news be made more interesting? Examples might include the names of shows (situation comedies, game shows, and so on) that aren’t popular. Commercials might be changed by eliminating repetitious jingles or celebrity endorsements (using examples of current commercials).
AD 4.
U 5. What are examples of how the woman was set in her ways? What did she say about the kind of hairdo she wanted? For example, the woman might have rejected any suggestions other than the style she was used to. What did the writer do that was unsuccessful? And how did the woman seem to indicate that the writer was not doing what she wanted? For instance, she migh