Writing Test 1...

From whose point of view is the story told?

Identify the topic sentence:

As a result of depleting oil reserves and increasing environmental concerns, radical developments in car design have emerged. To find an alternative to conventional gasoline engines, researchers are experimenting with different types of fuels and engines. An engine which uses diesel oil instead of gasoline has been in existence for many years. There is also the gas turbine engine, which can utilize fuels made from gasoline, diesel oil, kerosene and other petroleum distillates. Finally, many automobile manufacturers are testing methanol as a fuel. Hopefully, a breakthrough in these areas will relieve the overstretched oil market as well as the environment.

Identify the topic sentence:

What do you prefer: oceans or lakes? Oceans and lakes have many similarities, but they also possess many differences. Both are water bodies, but oceans are very large bodies of salt water, while lakes are much smaller bodies of fresh water. Lakes are usually surrounded by land, while oceans surround continents. Both are inhabited by plants and animals. The ocean is home to the largest animals on the planet, whereas lakes support much smaller life-forms. Both are ideal places to visit and enjoy during your vacations.

Read the following paragraph and identify the topic sentence:

Driving in winter can be less problematic if you take a few simple precautionary steps. Firstly, if you are planning to drive on snowy, icy roads, put on snow tires. Secondly, make sure you have enough antifreeze in your radiator. Next, add anti freeze to your windshield washer fluid to avoid the fluid freezing and breaking the container. Finally, carry tire chains, a spray-can to unfreeze door locks, and a windshield scraper in your car when driving in cold weather.

Identify the topic sentence:

Throughout the centuries, some form of written communication has been utilized. In earlier times, people carved or painted messages on rocks. People then began writing on pieces of leather, which were rolled into scrolls. With the dawn of the Middle Ages, heavy paper called parchment was used for writing and books were laboriously hand-copied. With the advent of the printing press in the mid-fifteenth century, the modern printing industry came to life.

Identify the best topic sentence for the following paragraph:

In European universities, students do not need to attend classes. As a matter of fact, German professors usually do not even know the names of their students. On the contrary, in the United States, students must attend every class and may be penalized for not doing so. Additionally, in the European system, students usually only have to appear for one comprehensive examination after their four or five years of study. On the other hand, in the American system, each semester ends with an exam and there are numerous assignments, quizzes, and tests throughout the semester.

Identify the topic sentence:

The heart weighs approximately 11 ounces and is as big as a clenched fist. The heart of a man beats about 60 to 80 times a minute and about 40 million times a year. With each beat, it takes in nearly a quarter of a pint of blood; in the course of a single day, it pumps 2,200 gallons of blood, and in a single lifetime about 56 million gallons. What other engine is capable of performing such heavy work over such a long period of time without needing repairs? Without a doubt, the human heart is a small yet highly efficient piece of equipment.

Identify the topic sentence:

We all hate a messy room, but what's worse is cleaning it. The following is the perfect system for cleaning your room. First, keep all items that do not have a designated place at the center of the room. Dispose of at least five things that you have not used within a year. Now find a location for each of the items you had placed in the center of the room. For the remaining items, try to squeeze them under your bed or into the back of your closet. See, that wasnt so hard!

Select a suitable topic sentence for the paragraph below:

For instance, people like the Eskimos, who live in places that have few trees, build temporary homes out of ice blocks. People who live in deserts, however, build houses out of mud or clay, which provide good insulation from heat and are readily available in their surroundings. In places where forests are plentiful, such as Northern Europe and Russia, homes are made out of wood. In the South Pacific, where there are many bamboo and palm trees, people use the tough, fibers of these plants to build their houses.

Which option contains the best topic sentence?