part V essay writing(3)

retired from my job, I've had to cope with the physical, mental, and emotional stresses of being \For one thing, I've had to adjust to physical changes. Now that I'm over sixty, the trusty body that carried me around for years has turned

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traitor. Aside from the deepening wrinkles on my face and neck, and the wiry gray hairs that have replaced my brown hair, I face more frightening changes. 8I don't have the energy I used to. 9My eyes get tired. 10Once in a while, I miss something that's said to me. My once faithful feet seem to have lost their comfortable soles, and I sometimes feel I'm walking on marbles. 12In order to fight against this slow decay, I exercise whenever I can. 13I walk, I stretch, and I climb stairs. 14I battle constantly to keep as fit as possible. 15I’m also trying to cope with mental changes.

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My mind was once as quick and sure as a champion gymnast, I never found it difficult to memorize answers in school or to remember the names of people I met.

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Now, I occasionally have to search my mind for the name of a close neighbor or favorite television show. 19Because my mind needs exercise, too, I challenge it as much as I can. 20Taking a college course like this English class, for example, forces me to concentrate. 21The mental gymnast may be a little slow and out of shape, but he can still do a back flip or turn a somersault when he has to. 22Finally, I must deal with the emotional impact of being old. 23Our society typecasts old people. 24We're supposed

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to be unattractive, senile, useless leftovers. We're supposed to be the crazy drivers and the cranky customers. At first, I was angry and frustrated that I was considered old at all. And I knew that people were wrong to stereotype me. Then I got depressed. I even started to think that maybe I was a cast-off, one of those old animals that slow down the rest of the herd. 30But I have now decided to rebel against these negative feelings. 31I try to have friends of all ages and to keep up with what's going on in the world. 32I try to remember that I'm still the same person who sat at a first-grade desk, who fell in love, who comforted a child, who got a raise at work. 33I'm not \34Coping with the changes of old age has become my latest full-time job. 35Even though it's a job I never applied for, and one for which I had no experience, I'm trying to do the best I can.

Thesis statement in \Topic sentence of first supporting paragraph: _____________________________ Topic sentence of second supporting paragraph: __________________________ Topic sentence of third supporting paragraph: __________________________ First sentence of the conclusion: _____________________________________

2. Evaluating Thesis Statements

As was explained, some writers announce a subject instead of stating a true thesis idea. Others write a dead-end thesis statement that is too narrow to need support or development. Contrasting with such a dead-end statement is the statement that is wide open — too broad to be adequately supported in the limited space of a five-hundred-word essay. Other thesis statements are vague or contain more than one idea. They suggest that the writer has not thought out the main point sufficiently.

Exercise 1

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Write A beside each sentence that is an announcement rather than a thesis statement. Write OK beside the statement in each pair that is a clear, limited point which could be developed in an essay.

1. _____ a. This essay will discuss the people you meet in exercise class.

_____ b. The kinds of workout clothes worn in my aerobics class identify \

and \

2. _____ a. I made several mistakes in the process of trying to win the respect and affection of my teenage stepson.

_____ b. My thesis in this paper is relationships between stepparents and stepchildren. 3. _____ a. A period of loneliness can teach you to use your creativity, sort out your values, and feel empathy for others.

_____ b. Loneliness is the subject of this paper.

4. _____ a. This paper will be about sharing housework.

_____ b. Deciding who will perform certain unpleasant household chores can be the crisis that makes or breaks a marriage.

5. _____ a. My concern here is to discuss \_____ b. There are several possible explanations for the similar \experiences

reported by some patients.

Exercise 2

Write TN beside each statement that is too narrow to be developed in an essay. Write OK beside the statement in each pair that is a clear, limited point.

1. _____ a. I had squash, tomatoes, and corn in my garden last summer. _____ b. Vegetable gardening can be a frustrating hobby.

2. _____ a. The main road into our town is lined with billboards. _____ b. For several reasons, billboards should be abolished.

3. _____ a. There are now more single-parent households in our country than ever before. _____ b. Organization is the key to being a successful single parent.

4. _____ a. My first job taught me that I had several bad work habits.

_____ b. Because I was late for work yesterday, I lost an hour's pay and was called in to see the

boss. 5. _____ a. Americans abuse alcohol because it has become such an important part of our personal

and public celebrations. _____ b. Consumption of wine, beer, and hard liquor increases in the United States every year. Exercise 3:

Write TB beside each statement that is too broad to be developed in an essay. Write OK beside the statement in each pair that is a clear, limited point.

1. _____ a. In many ways, sports are an important part of American life.

_____ b. Widespread gambling has changed professional football for the worse. 2. _____ a. Modern life makes people suspicious and unfrie …… 此处隐藏：12766字，全部文档内容请下载后查看。喜欢就下载吧 ……