A continuación se presentan una lista de los conectores más frecuentes clasificados de acuerdo con su función
ENUMERACIÓN/SECUENCIA/CRONOLOGÍA
To begin with, then, next, later, finally, in the first place, after, before, first(ly), second(ly), etc.
ADICIÓN
and, also, besides, as well as
DESCRIPCIÓN/DEFINICIÓN/EXPLICACIÓN/EJEMPLIFICACIÓN
for example, such as, e.g., for instance, i.e., that is, in other words, like
CAUSA/CONSECUENCIA/CONDICIÓN/PROBLEMA/SOLUCIÓN
because, since, if, so, consequently, as a consequence, thus, therefore, hence, as a result
COMPARACIÓN/CONTRASTE
but, yet, however, nevertheless, despite, in spite of, though, although, even though, on the other hand, rather than, like, similarly
ALTERNATIVA
or, either... or, neither... nor, whether...or
RESUMEN/CONCLUSIÓN/SÍNTESIS
in short, to sum up, to conclude, in conclusion, consequently, thus, so, as a result
EJERCICIO
Utiliza algunos conectores para unir los siguientes enunciados
a) Mexico is a very rich country in natural resources,/
it does not have the financial resources to exploit them
b) social status and income are important factors in determining worker’s political attitude,/
these are not the only ones.
c) Pesticides damage more than they help,/
Farmers keep on using them
d) the family is the smallest unit in modern society. It is also the oldest, the most personal and the most basic unit. Its form may vary from one society to another,/
its functions are usually the same
e) deer population in North America is growing/
their habitat is shrinking and the animals have become a problem in some areas
f) the cell were exposed to air/
water would evaporate
g) the true alchemists usually worked clandestinely/
the activity was considered illegal
h) 20 years ago it was thought cocaine was a non-addictive drug/
users do not have the severe physical withdrawal symptoms of heroin
i) you take cocaine,/
you run a 10% chance of addiction
j) there is no way to tell who will become addicted,/
one thing is certain, no one who is an addict had the intention to become one
k) all the talk about putting children first/
our society is becoming increasingly hostile to its young
l) how different schools and homes would be/
parents and educators would defend youngsters’ right to a childhood
m) I see kids literally shaking and crying/
They don’t want to go into testing
n) what is the purpose of the best academic education/
it fails to prepare young people for the “real” world
o)American pupils sit through an average of 12000 hours of compulsory academic instruction/
there are plenty who leave the system as 18-year-olds
miércoles, 17 de octubre de 2007
CHILDHOOD IS FOR CHILDREN
DESPITE ALL THE TALK about putting children first, our society is becoming increasingly hostile to its young. How different schools and homes would be if parents and educators would defend youngsters' right to a childhood, instead of fixating on their progress and success.
The pressure to excel is undermining childhood as never before. Naturally, parents have always wanted their offspring to "do well," both academically and socially. No one wants his or her kid to be the slowest in the class or the last to be chosen in a pick-up game. Yet, what is it about the culture we live in that has made that natural worry into such an obsessive fear, and what is it doing to our children? Why are we so keen to mold them into successful adults, instead of treasuring their carefree innocence?
Jonathan Kozol, a best-selling author and children's advocate, puts it bluntly: "Up to the age of 11 or maybe 12, the gentleness and honesty of children is so apparent. Our society has missed an opportunity to seize that moment. It's almost as though we view those qualities as useless, as though we don't value children for their gentleness, but only as future economic units, as future workers, as future assets and deficits."
Of all the ways in which we push kids to meet adult expectations, the trend toward high-pressure academics may be the most widespread, and the worst, I say "worst" because of the age at which we begin to subject them to it and the fact that, for some of them, school quickly becomes a place they dread and a source of misery they cannot escape for months at a time.
In my book, Endangered: Your Child in a Hostile World, I quote Melinda, a veteran preschool teacher in California: "We have parents asking whether their two-and-a-half-year-olds are learning to read yet, and grumbling if they can't. I see kids literally shaking and crying because they don't want to go in to testing. I’ve even seen parents dragging their child into the room."
Childhood itself has come to be viewed as a suspect phase. Children of all ages and means are being squelched on the playground and in class, not because they are unmanageable or unruly, but simply because they are behaving as youngsters should. Diagnosed with "problems" that used to be recognized as normal childhood traits—impulsiveness and exuberance, spontaneity and daring—thousands of kids are being diagnosed as hyperactive and drugged into submission.
I am referring, of course, to the widespread use of Ritalin and to the public's fascination with medicine as the answer to any and every problem. Given the fivefold increase in Ritalin prescriptions in the last decade, one has to wonder if it isn't being misused to rein in lively children who may not even have attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. After all, much of what is designated as ADHD is nothing more than a defense against overstructuring— a natural reflex that used to be called letting off steam or, alternately, a symptom of various unmet emotional needs.
More and more, it seems that we have lost sight of the "child" in childhood and turned it into a joyless training camp for the adult world. We have abandoned the idea of education as growth and decided to see it only as a ticket to the job market. Guided by charts and graphs, and cheered on by experts, we have turned our backs on the value of uniqueness and creativity and fallen instead for the lie that the only way to measure progress is a standardized test.
Children ought to be stretched and intellectually stimulated. They should be taught to articulate their feelings, to write, read, develop and defend an idea, and think critically. However, what is the purpose of the best academic education if it fails to prepare young people for the "real" world beyond the confines of the classroom? What about those life skills that can never be taught by putting kids on a bus and sending them to school?
As for the things that schools are supposed to teach, even they are not always passed on. Writer John Taylor Gatto points out that, even though American pupils sit through an average of 12,000 hours of compulsory academic instruction, there are plenty who leave the system as 18-year-olds who still can't read a book or calculate a batting average—let alone repair a faucet or change a flat.
It is not just schools that are pressuring kids into growing up too fast. The practice of rushing them into adulthood is so widely accepted and so thoroughly ingrained that people often go blank when you voice concern about the matter. Take, for example, the number of parents who tie up their children's afterschool hours in extracurricular activities. On the surface, the explosion of opportunities for "growth" in areas like music and sports looks like the perfect answer to the boredom faced by millions of latchkey kids, but the reality is not always so pretty.
It is one thing when a child picks up a hobby, a sport, or an instrument on his or her own steam, but quite another when the driving force is a parent with an overly com-petitive edge. In one family I know, their daughter showed a genuine talent for the piano in the second grade, but by the time she was in the sixth, she wouldn't touch a keyboard for any amount of coaxing. She was tired of the attention, sick of lessons (her father was always reminding her what a privilege they were), and virtually traumatized by the strain of having been pushed through one competition after another. The pattem is all too familiar: ambitious expectations are followed by the pressure to meet them, and what was once a perfectly happy part of a youngster's life becomes a burden that is impossible to bear.
As an author, I became aware, after completing my first book, of something I had never noticed previously—the importance of white space. I am referring to the room between the lines of type, the margins, extra space at the beginning of a chapter, and/or a page left blank at the beginning of a book. It allows the type to "breathe" and gives the eye a place to rest. White space is not something you are conscious of when you read a book. It is what isn't there.
Just as books require white space, so do children. That is, they need room to grow. Nevertheless, too many children aren't getting that. The ancient Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu reminds us that "it is not the clay the potter throws that gives the jar its usefulness, but the space within."
Certainly, there is nothing wrong with giving kids chores and requiring them to carry out the tasks on a daily basis. However, the way many parents overbook their children, emotionally and time-wise, robs them of the space and flexibility they need to develop at their own pace. They need stimulation and guidance. but also need time to themselves. Hours spent alone in daydreams or quiet, unstructured activities instill a sense of security and independence and provide a necessary lull in the rhythm of the day.
It is a beautiful thing to see kids absorbed in play. In fact, it is hard to think of a purer, more spiritual activity. Play brings joy, contentment, and detachment from the troubles of the day. Especially nowadays, in our hectic, time- and money-driven culture, the importance of play cannot be emphasized enough. Educator Friedrich Froebel, the father of the modern kindergarten, goes so far as to say that "a child who plays thoroughly and perseveringly, until physical fatigue forbids, will be a determined adult, capable of self-sacrifice both for his own welfare and that of others." In an age when fears of playground injuries and the misguided idea that play interferes with "real" learning has led approximately 40% of the school districts across the country to do away with recess, one can only hope that the wisdom of these words will not go unheeded.
Allowing youngsters the room to grow at their own pace does not mean ignoring them. Clearly, the bedrock of their security from day to day is the knowledge that we who care for them are
always at hand, ready to help them, talk with them, give them what they need, and simply be there for them. How often, though, are we swayed instead by our own ideas of what they want or need?
Isn't the parental desire to have superstar or genius offspring in the first place just another sign of our distorted vision—a reflection of the way we tend to view children as little adults, no matter how loudly we may protest such a "Victorian" idea? The answer, of course, is to drop our adult expectations entirely, to get down on the same level as our children and look them in the eye. Only when we lay aside our ambitions for them will we begin to hear what they are saying, find out what they are thinkin, and see the goals we have set for them from their point of view.
Obviously, every child is different. Some seem to get all the lucky breaks, while others have a rough time simply coping with life. One child consistently brings home perfect scores, while another is always at the bottom of the class. One is gifted and popular, while still another. no matter how hard he or she tries, is always in trouble and often gets for-gotten. As parents, we must refrain from comparing our offspring with others. Above all, we must refrain from pushing them to become something that their unique personal makeup may never allow them to be.
Raising a "good" child is a dubious goal in '"the first place. Getting into trouble can be a vital part of building character. As the Polish pediatrician Janusz Korczak pointed out. "The good child cries very little, he sleeps through the night, he is confident and good-natured. He is well-behaved, convenient, obedient, and good. Yet no consideration is given to the fact that he may grow up to be indolent and stagnant."
It is often hard for parents to see the benefits of having raised a difficult child, even when the outcome is positive. Strange as it may sound, I believe that the more challenging the youngster, the more grateful the parents should be. If anything, the parents of difficult children really ought to be envied, because it is they, more than any others, who are forced to learn the most wonderful secret of parenthood: the true meaning of unconditional love. It is a secret that remains hidden from those whose love is never tested.
When we welcome the prospect of raising a problematic child with these things in mind, we will begin to see our frustrations as moments that can awaken our best qualities. Instead of envying the ease with which our neighbors seem to raise perfect offspring, we will remember that rule-breakers and children who show their horns often make more selfreliant and independent adults than those whose limits are never tried. By helping us to discover the limitations of "goodness" and the boredom of conformity, they can teach us the necessity of genuineness, the wisdom of humility, and the reality that nothing good is won without struggle.
"Unlearning" our adult mindsets is never easy, especially at the end of a long day, when children sometimes seem more of a bother than a gift. When there are kids around, things just don't always go as planned. Furniture gets scratched, flowerbeds trampled, new clothes torn or muddied, and toys lost and broken. Children want to have fun, to run in the aisles. They need space to be rambunc-tious, silly, and noisy. After all, they are not china dolls or little adults, but unpredictable rascals with sticky fingers and runny noses who sometimes cry at night. If we truly love them, we will welcome them as they are. *
Johann Christoph Arnold is a children 's advocate, family counselor, father of eight, and author of Endangered: Your Child in a Hostile World.
[Publicado en la revista USA TODAY * JULY 2001]
CUESTIONARIO
ELIGE OCHO PREGUNTAS DE LAS SIGUIENTES Y CONTÉSTALAS DE ACUERDO CON LO QUE SE MENCIONA EN ESTE TEXTO
1. ¿Qué suposición se menciona en el primer párrafo?
2. según Kozol ¿qué son los niños para los adultos?
3. ¿De qué problema se habla en el párrafo IV?
4. Según los párrafos VI y VII ¿cuál es el comportamiento normal de los niños y qué hacen los adultos ante ello?
5. ¿Cuáles son las sugerencias que da el autor?
6. ¿Qué situación señala John Taylor Gatto?
7. ¿Qué ejemplo se menciona de la presión que ejercen los adultos sobre los niños? (párrafo XI)
8. ¿Qué es el espacio en blanco (white space) y cómo se relaciona con el tema de la niñez?
9. Escribe en español la cita de Lao Tzu.
10. Según Froebel ¿cómo beneficia el juego a los niños?
11. ¿A qué se refiere el 40% que aparece en el párrafo XVI?
12. Escribe en español la idea principal del párrafo XVIII?
13. Según el párrafo XXI ¿cuál es “el más maravilloso secreto de la paternidad”?
The pressure to excel is undermining childhood as never before. Naturally, parents have always wanted their offspring to "do well," both academically and socially. No one wants his or her kid to be the slowest in the class or the last to be chosen in a pick-up game. Yet, what is it about the culture we live in that has made that natural worry into such an obsessive fear, and what is it doing to our children? Why are we so keen to mold them into successful adults, instead of treasuring their carefree innocence?
Jonathan Kozol, a best-selling author and children's advocate, puts it bluntly: "Up to the age of 11 or maybe 12, the gentleness and honesty of children is so apparent. Our society has missed an opportunity to seize that moment. It's almost as though we view those qualities as useless, as though we don't value children for their gentleness, but only as future economic units, as future workers, as future assets and deficits."
Of all the ways in which we push kids to meet adult expectations, the trend toward high-pressure academics may be the most widespread, and the worst, I say "worst" because of the age at which we begin to subject them to it and the fact that, for some of them, school quickly becomes a place they dread and a source of misery they cannot escape for months at a time.
In my book, Endangered: Your Child in a Hostile World, I quote Melinda, a veteran preschool teacher in California: "We have parents asking whether their two-and-a-half-year-olds are learning to read yet, and grumbling if they can't. I see kids literally shaking and crying because they don't want to go in to testing. I’ve even seen parents dragging their child into the room."
Childhood itself has come to be viewed as a suspect phase. Children of all ages and means are being squelched on the playground and in class, not because they are unmanageable or unruly, but simply because they are behaving as youngsters should. Diagnosed with "problems" that used to be recognized as normal childhood traits—impulsiveness and exuberance, spontaneity and daring—thousands of kids are being diagnosed as hyperactive and drugged into submission.
I am referring, of course, to the widespread use of Ritalin and to the public's fascination with medicine as the answer to any and every problem. Given the fivefold increase in Ritalin prescriptions in the last decade, one has to wonder if it isn't being misused to rein in lively children who may not even have attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. After all, much of what is designated as ADHD is nothing more than a defense against overstructuring— a natural reflex that used to be called letting off steam or, alternately, a symptom of various unmet emotional needs.
More and more, it seems that we have lost sight of the "child" in childhood and turned it into a joyless training camp for the adult world. We have abandoned the idea of education as growth and decided to see it only as a ticket to the job market. Guided by charts and graphs, and cheered on by experts, we have turned our backs on the value of uniqueness and creativity and fallen instead for the lie that the only way to measure progress is a standardized test.
Children ought to be stretched and intellectually stimulated. They should be taught to articulate their feelings, to write, read, develop and defend an idea, and think critically. However, what is the purpose of the best academic education if it fails to prepare young people for the "real" world beyond the confines of the classroom? What about those life skills that can never be taught by putting kids on a bus and sending them to school?
As for the things that schools are supposed to teach, even they are not always passed on. Writer John Taylor Gatto points out that, even though American pupils sit through an average of 12,000 hours of compulsory academic instruction, there are plenty who leave the system as 18-year-olds who still can't read a book or calculate a batting average—let alone repair a faucet or change a flat.
It is not just schools that are pressuring kids into growing up too fast. The practice of rushing them into adulthood is so widely accepted and so thoroughly ingrained that people often go blank when you voice concern about the matter. Take, for example, the number of parents who tie up their children's afterschool hours in extracurricular activities. On the surface, the explosion of opportunities for "growth" in areas like music and sports looks like the perfect answer to the boredom faced by millions of latchkey kids, but the reality is not always so pretty.
It is one thing when a child picks up a hobby, a sport, or an instrument on his or her own steam, but quite another when the driving force is a parent with an overly com-petitive edge. In one family I know, their daughter showed a genuine talent for the piano in the second grade, but by the time she was in the sixth, she wouldn't touch a keyboard for any amount of coaxing. She was tired of the attention, sick of lessons (her father was always reminding her what a privilege they were), and virtually traumatized by the strain of having been pushed through one competition after another. The pattem is all too familiar: ambitious expectations are followed by the pressure to meet them, and what was once a perfectly happy part of a youngster's life becomes a burden that is impossible to bear.
As an author, I became aware, after completing my first book, of something I had never noticed previously—the importance of white space. I am referring to the room between the lines of type, the margins, extra space at the beginning of a chapter, and/or a page left blank at the beginning of a book. It allows the type to "breathe" and gives the eye a place to rest. White space is not something you are conscious of when you read a book. It is what isn't there.
Just as books require white space, so do children. That is, they need room to grow. Nevertheless, too many children aren't getting that. The ancient Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu reminds us that "it is not the clay the potter throws that gives the jar its usefulness, but the space within."
Certainly, there is nothing wrong with giving kids chores and requiring them to carry out the tasks on a daily basis. However, the way many parents overbook their children, emotionally and time-wise, robs them of the space and flexibility they need to develop at their own pace. They need stimulation and guidance. but also need time to themselves. Hours spent alone in daydreams or quiet, unstructured activities instill a sense of security and independence and provide a necessary lull in the rhythm of the day.
It is a beautiful thing to see kids absorbed in play. In fact, it is hard to think of a purer, more spiritual activity. Play brings joy, contentment, and detachment from the troubles of the day. Especially nowadays, in our hectic, time- and money-driven culture, the importance of play cannot be emphasized enough. Educator Friedrich Froebel, the father of the modern kindergarten, goes so far as to say that "a child who plays thoroughly and perseveringly, until physical fatigue forbids, will be a determined adult, capable of self-sacrifice both for his own welfare and that of others." In an age when fears of playground injuries and the misguided idea that play interferes with "real" learning has led approximately 40% of the school districts across the country to do away with recess, one can only hope that the wisdom of these words will not go unheeded.
Allowing youngsters the room to grow at their own pace does not mean ignoring them. Clearly, the bedrock of their security from day to day is the knowledge that we who care for them are
always at hand, ready to help them, talk with them, give them what they need, and simply be there for them. How often, though, are we swayed instead by our own ideas of what they want or need?
Isn't the parental desire to have superstar or genius offspring in the first place just another sign of our distorted vision—a reflection of the way we tend to view children as little adults, no matter how loudly we may protest such a "Victorian" idea? The answer, of course, is to drop our adult expectations entirely, to get down on the same level as our children and look them in the eye. Only when we lay aside our ambitions for them will we begin to hear what they are saying, find out what they are thinkin, and see the goals we have set for them from their point of view.
Obviously, every child is different. Some seem to get all the lucky breaks, while others have a rough time simply coping with life. One child consistently brings home perfect scores, while another is always at the bottom of the class. One is gifted and popular, while still another. no matter how hard he or she tries, is always in trouble and often gets for-gotten. As parents, we must refrain from comparing our offspring with others. Above all, we must refrain from pushing them to become something that their unique personal makeup may never allow them to be.
Raising a "good" child is a dubious goal in '"the first place. Getting into trouble can be a vital part of building character. As the Polish pediatrician Janusz Korczak pointed out. "The good child cries very little, he sleeps through the night, he is confident and good-natured. He is well-behaved, convenient, obedient, and good. Yet no consideration is given to the fact that he may grow up to be indolent and stagnant."
It is often hard for parents to see the benefits of having raised a difficult child, even when the outcome is positive. Strange as it may sound, I believe that the more challenging the youngster, the more grateful the parents should be. If anything, the parents of difficult children really ought to be envied, because it is they, more than any others, who are forced to learn the most wonderful secret of parenthood: the true meaning of unconditional love. It is a secret that remains hidden from those whose love is never tested.
When we welcome the prospect of raising a problematic child with these things in mind, we will begin to see our frustrations as moments that can awaken our best qualities. Instead of envying the ease with which our neighbors seem to raise perfect offspring, we will remember that rule-breakers and children who show their horns often make more selfreliant and independent adults than those whose limits are never tried. By helping us to discover the limitations of "goodness" and the boredom of conformity, they can teach us the necessity of genuineness, the wisdom of humility, and the reality that nothing good is won without struggle.
"Unlearning" our adult mindsets is never easy, especially at the end of a long day, when children sometimes seem more of a bother than a gift. When there are kids around, things just don't always go as planned. Furniture gets scratched, flowerbeds trampled, new clothes torn or muddied, and toys lost and broken. Children want to have fun, to run in the aisles. They need space to be rambunc-tious, silly, and noisy. After all, they are not china dolls or little adults, but unpredictable rascals with sticky fingers and runny noses who sometimes cry at night. If we truly love them, we will welcome them as they are. *
Johann Christoph Arnold is a children 's advocate, family counselor, father of eight, and author of Endangered: Your Child in a Hostile World.
[Publicado en la revista USA TODAY * JULY 2001]
CUESTIONARIO
ELIGE OCHO PREGUNTAS DE LAS SIGUIENTES Y CONTÉSTALAS DE ACUERDO CON LO QUE SE MENCIONA EN ESTE TEXTO
1. ¿Qué suposición se menciona en el primer párrafo?
2. según Kozol ¿qué son los niños para los adultos?
3. ¿De qué problema se habla en el párrafo IV?
4. Según los párrafos VI y VII ¿cuál es el comportamiento normal de los niños y qué hacen los adultos ante ello?
5. ¿Cuáles son las sugerencias que da el autor?
6. ¿Qué situación señala John Taylor Gatto?
7. ¿Qué ejemplo se menciona de la presión que ejercen los adultos sobre los niños? (párrafo XI)
8. ¿Qué es el espacio en blanco (white space) y cómo se relaciona con el tema de la niñez?
9. Escribe en español la cita de Lao Tzu.
10. Según Froebel ¿cómo beneficia el juego a los niños?
11. ¿A qué se refiere el 40% que aparece en el párrafo XVI?
12. Escribe en español la idea principal del párrafo XVIII?
13. Según el párrafo XXI ¿cuál es “el más maravilloso secreto de la paternidad”?
lunes, 8 de octubre de 2007
IDENTIFICACIÓN DE LA IDEA PRINCIPAL
What is a Main Idea?
The main idea of a passage is the core of the material, the particular point the author is trying to convey. The main idea of a passage can be stated in one sentence that condenses specific ideas or details in the passage into a general, all inclusive statement of the author's message. In classroom discussions, all of the following words are sometimes used to help students understand the meaning of the main idea:
thesis
main point
central focus
gist
controlling idea
central thought
Recognize General and Specific Words
The first step in determining the main idea of a selection is to look at the specific ideas presented in the sentences and try to decide on a general topic or subject under which you can group these ideas. Before tackling sentences, begin with words. Pretend that the sentence ideas in a selection have been reduced to a short list of keywords. Pretend also that within the list is a general term that expresses an overall subject for the keywords. The general term encompasses or categorizes the key ideas and is considered the topic of the list.
Exercise 1
Circle the general term or subject for each of the following related groups of ideas.
a) satin/wool/fabric/silk
b) chimpanzees/orangutans/apes/gorillas
c) cirrus/clouds/cumulus/stratus
d) oats/wheat/corn/grain
e) Alps/Appalachians/mountains/Rockies
f) shrimp/crustacean/crab/lobster
Exercise 2
Circle the phrase that could be the topic for each list.
a) totaling yearly income
substracting for dependents
filing an income tax return
mailing a 1040 form
b) paying fees
buying books
starting college
going to class
c) picking up seashells
vacationing at the beach
walking in the surf
riding the waves
d) pushing papers under sticks
piling the logs
building a fire
striking a match
Exercise 3
Circle the phrase that best describes the topic or subject for each group of sentences.
Group 1
1. To provide a favorable climate for growing grapes, the winter temperature should not go below 15° F, and the summers should be long.
2. During the growing season, rainfall should be light.
3. A gentle movement of air is required to dry the vines after rains, dispel fog, and protect the vines from fungus disease.
Protecting Grapes from Disease
Appropriate Temperatures for Growing Grapes Appropriate Climates for Growing Grapes
Group 2
1. For example, faced with fewer expansion opportunities within the United States, Wal-Mart opened new stores abroad and foreign sales reached $7.5 billion in three years.
2. As more and more companies engage in international business, the world is becoming a single, interdependent global economy.
3. In a plan to become a transglobal giant, Chrysler, one of America's apple pie auto companies, merged with Germany's Daimler-Benz to become DaimlerChrysler.
International Auto Mergers
A Global Economy
Wal-Mart Expansion
Group 3
1. After accidents, suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents.
2. In a national survey, 42 percent of the 8th through 10th grade girls reported contemplating suicide sometime in their lives.
3. In the last forty years, the suicide rate among young men 15 to 19 years of age has quadrupled.
Prevention of Suicides
Increase in Adolescent Suicides
Reasons for Teen Suicides
Group 4
1. Some scientists believe that the vestigial diving response offers proof that humans evolved from aquatic animals.
2. If you submerge your face in water, your pulse rate is likely to drop and your metabolic rate decreases.
3. This slowdown suggests a vestigial diving response that would allow humans to remain submerged longer.
Human Science
Vestigial Linkage to Aquatics
Lowering the Metabolic Rate
Group 5
1. Simply drinking water is the best way to prevent dehydration from sweating.
2. Taking salt tablets before drinking water can dehydrate the body even more by extracting water from body tissue.
3. Plain water is better than beverages containing sugar or electrolytes because it is absorbed faster.
Salt Tablets versus Water
Value in Plain Water
Preventing Dehydration
Exercise 4
Read the following groups of three sentences and then write a phrase that best states the subject or general topic for the sentences.
Group 1
1. The albatross is one of the few birds that is designed to live at sea and it seldom visits land.
2. Because it has special glands that excrete salt, it can drink seawater and eat salty fish.
3. The albatross's unusually long wings provide the lift for it to glide almost endlessly in high winds over rough seas.
General topic? _______________________________________________
Group 2
1. Once children begin to speak and understand words, their progress is remarkably fast.
2. Most children begin speaking at 1 year of age and speak only 2 to 3 words.
3. By age 2, they speak about 50 words and understand 200 to 300 words.
General topic? _______________________________________________
Group 3
1. Dr. Sylvia Castillo of Stanford University founded the National Network of Hispanic Women.
2. This organization publishes a national newsletter that focuses on the successes of Hispanic women in academia and business.
3. The organization has become an important voice for Hispanic issues relating to gender.
General topic? ________________________________________________
[tomado del libro Breaking Through.College Reading de Brenda D. Smith, Longman Publishers]
The main idea of a passage is the core of the material, the particular point the author is trying to convey. The main idea of a passage can be stated in one sentence that condenses specific ideas or details in the passage into a general, all inclusive statement of the author's message. In classroom discussions, all of the following words are sometimes used to help students understand the meaning of the main idea:
thesis
main point
central focus
gist
controlling idea
central thought
Recognize General and Specific Words
The first step in determining the main idea of a selection is to look at the specific ideas presented in the sentences and try to decide on a general topic or subject under which you can group these ideas. Before tackling sentences, begin with words. Pretend that the sentence ideas in a selection have been reduced to a short list of keywords. Pretend also that within the list is a general term that expresses an overall subject for the keywords. The general term encompasses or categorizes the key ideas and is considered the topic of the list.
Exercise 1
Circle the general term or subject for each of the following related groups of ideas.
a) satin/wool/fabric/silk
b) chimpanzees/orangutans/apes/gorillas
c) cirrus/clouds/cumulus/stratus
d) oats/wheat/corn/grain
e) Alps/Appalachians/mountains/Rockies
f) shrimp/crustacean/crab/lobster
Exercise 2
Circle the phrase that could be the topic for each list.
a) totaling yearly income
substracting for dependents
filing an income tax return
mailing a 1040 form
b) paying fees
buying books
starting college
going to class
c) picking up seashells
vacationing at the beach
walking in the surf
riding the waves
d) pushing papers under sticks
piling the logs
building a fire
striking a match
Exercise 3
Circle the phrase that best describes the topic or subject for each group of sentences.
Group 1
1. To provide a favorable climate for growing grapes, the winter temperature should not go below 15° F, and the summers should be long.
2. During the growing season, rainfall should be light.
3. A gentle movement of air is required to dry the vines after rains, dispel fog, and protect the vines from fungus disease.
Protecting Grapes from Disease
Appropriate Temperatures for Growing Grapes Appropriate Climates for Growing Grapes
Group 2
1. For example, faced with fewer expansion opportunities within the United States, Wal-Mart opened new stores abroad and foreign sales reached $7.5 billion in three years.
2. As more and more companies engage in international business, the world is becoming a single, interdependent global economy.
3. In a plan to become a transglobal giant, Chrysler, one of America's apple pie auto companies, merged with Germany's Daimler-Benz to become DaimlerChrysler.
International Auto Mergers
A Global Economy
Wal-Mart Expansion
Group 3
1. After accidents, suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents.
2. In a national survey, 42 percent of the 8th through 10th grade girls reported contemplating suicide sometime in their lives.
3. In the last forty years, the suicide rate among young men 15 to 19 years of age has quadrupled.
Prevention of Suicides
Increase in Adolescent Suicides
Reasons for Teen Suicides
Group 4
1. Some scientists believe that the vestigial diving response offers proof that humans evolved from aquatic animals.
2. If you submerge your face in water, your pulse rate is likely to drop and your metabolic rate decreases.
3. This slowdown suggests a vestigial diving response that would allow humans to remain submerged longer.
Human Science
Vestigial Linkage to Aquatics
Lowering the Metabolic Rate
Group 5
1. Simply drinking water is the best way to prevent dehydration from sweating.
2. Taking salt tablets before drinking water can dehydrate the body even more by extracting water from body tissue.
3. Plain water is better than beverages containing sugar or electrolytes because it is absorbed faster.
Salt Tablets versus Water
Value in Plain Water
Preventing Dehydration
Exercise 4
Read the following groups of three sentences and then write a phrase that best states the subject or general topic for the sentences.
Group 1
1. The albatross is one of the few birds that is designed to live at sea and it seldom visits land.
2. Because it has special glands that excrete salt, it can drink seawater and eat salty fish.
3. The albatross's unusually long wings provide the lift for it to glide almost endlessly in high winds over rough seas.
General topic? _______________________________________________
Group 2
1. Once children begin to speak and understand words, their progress is remarkably fast.
2. Most children begin speaking at 1 year of age and speak only 2 to 3 words.
3. By age 2, they speak about 50 words and understand 200 to 300 words.
General topic? _______________________________________________
Group 3
1. Dr. Sylvia Castillo of Stanford University founded the National Network of Hispanic Women.
2. This organization publishes a national newsletter that focuses on the successes of Hispanic women in academia and business.
3. The organization has become an important voice for Hispanic issues relating to gender.
General topic? ________________________________________________
[tomado del libro Breaking Through.College Reading de Brenda D. Smith, Longman Publishers]
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