Reading Strategies I

1
Reading Strategies (I)

• Where is the Topic Sentence Located?
• 1)It can be the first sentence in the paragraph.
• When this occurs, the first sentence will be a
  general statement that will introduce a subject
  and will then be followed by sentences that will
  support that statement in some important way.
• induction???specific?general
• deduction???general?specific

2

• 2) It can be in the middle of a paragraph.
• This will occur in two circumstances
• 1. Sometimes, a paragraph begins with an
  introductory sentence that is meant to grab your
  attention.  It may be a very general statement
  that looks like a topic sentence, but then is
  followed by a sentence that changes direction.
• This sentence is the one that is explained in the
  rest of the paragraph, and it becomes the topic
  sentence.

3

• 2. You will also find a topic sentence in the
  middle of a paragraph when the paragraph starts
  with a question.  
• A question will never be a topic sentence.  Look
  for the answer to the question---this will be the
  topic sentence of the paragraph. Of course, if
  the answer to a question is Yes, or No, this
  will not be your topic sentence.
• The explanation that follows this one-word answer
  will be the topic sentence.

4

• NOTE a topic sentence can appear at the end of a
  paragraph, either as a    summary or a
  conclusion.
• A summary will bring together all of the points
  made in the paragraph. A conclusion is where all
  of the points lead up to a final, important
  point.

5
Topic Sentences Exercise 1
A. (1)Do you know what to do if you are stung by
a bee or a hornet? (2)There a a number of steps
that should be followed if this happens to you.
(3)The first thing to do is remove the stinger.
(4)A stinger contains venom. (5)It will continue
to release venom as long as it is contact with
skin. (6)When the stinger is removed, put ice on
the wound. (7)This will reduce the swelling.
(8)Then, apply a small amount of baking soda.
(9)It contains enzymes that will weaken the
venom. (10)Finally, look for signs of an allergic
reaction such as difficulty in breathing.
(11)People have died from strong allergic
reactions to stings. (12)When one occurs, the
victim should be taken to the hospital for
treatment. The topic sentence is ____.
6
Topic Sentences Exercise 2

• B. (1)The worlds oldest known bound book is a
  prayer book. (2)The book is over 1,600 years old.
  (3)It was discovered in a childs grave in 1984.
  (4)The books nearly 500 hand-written pages were
  stuck together. (5)Experts had to separate each
  page. (6)The book is now on display in the Coptic
  Museum in Cairo, Egypt.
• The topic sentence is _____.

7
Topic Sentences Exercise 3

• C. (1)Black ice is an invisible coating of ice
  that forms on an asphalt road surface. (2) Black
  ice is very dangerous. (3)It is caused by drizzle
  falling on the frozen pavement. (4)Drivers don't
  know the roadway is icy. (5)When their cars hit
  the ice, they skid out of control. (6)Sometimes
  cars bounce off of each other like characters in
  an arcade game. (7)Sometimes they skid off the
  roadway into ditches. (8)Incidences of black ice
  have caused numerous collisions and deaths in the
  colder regions of the country.
• The topic sentence is _____.

8
Topic Sentences Exercise 4

• D. (1)Albert Einstein was one. (2)So was artist
  Pablo Picasso. (3)American writer and humorist
  Mark Twain was one, as well. (4)Others include
  Babe Ruth, General Norman Schwartzkopf, Johann
  Sebastian Bach, and Joan of Arc. (5)What do all
  of these famous people have in common? (6)All of
  them are left-handed.
• The topic sentence is _____.

9
Topic Sentences Exercise 5

• E. (1)A low fat diet may prevent major illnesses,
  including cancer and heart disease. (2)Because of
  this, doctors and nutritionists have suggested
  many ways for people to lower the fat in your
  diet. (3) They recommend using non-fat milk
  instead of whole milk. (4) Also, they suggest
  that people eat little or no meat. (5)For p eople
  who eat meat, poultry is recommended. (6)It has
  less fat than beef or pork. (7) People should
  also cut down on the number of eggs they eat.
  (8)Eating non-fat yogurt for dessert instead of
  ice cream is also recommended.
• The topic sentence is _____.

10