Mid-Term Exam Practice

Exercise 1: Read these paragraphs carefully. Add a good topic sentence, and make sure your topic sentence
expresses the main idea of the paragraph. Use appropriate punctuation and correct capitalization.
1. ………………….………………………………………………………………...…………………………………..
It is always sunny and warm. The beaches are gorgeous, with soft white sand and beautiful water. There are many
fine restaurants in the Miami area, and most of the hotels offer terrific entertainment nightly. It is no wonder then that
Miami is my first choice for a vacation destination.
2. ………………….………………………………………………………………...………………………………...
To start things off, my plane was six hours late. When I finally got to my hotel, I was very disappointed. It was small
and dirty. On the third day, my wallet was stolen, and I lost all my credit cards. It rained every day except one, and
on that day I got terrible sunburn. All in all, my last vacation in the Northern part of France wasn’t a vacation to
remember.
3. ………………….………………………………………………………………………..…...……………………
First, you need to have enough time to request and then submit all the necessary academic records. Often it takes a
long time for records, such as transcripts or standardized test scores, to arrive at the university. You must be sure that
this paperwork reaches the university before the application deadline. Second, the admissions office must have enough
time to look at your academic records and decide whether you will be accepted. Finally, many universities have a
quota, or special number, of students who may enter every semester. If you apply too late, there may not be room for
you for the semester in which you want to enter. Following these simple steps can help you get into a university
quickly and easily.

Exercise 2: Read the paragraphs. Add a good concluding sentence. Make sure you conclude each paragraph as
suggested. Use appropriate transition words and correct punctuation/capitalization.
1. When I first started going to college, I was surprised at all the studying that was required. In high school, I hardly
ever studied, but my grades were fairly good. At the university, it seemed that all my professors gave me mountains
of homework every night. They all thought that their class was the most important! I could not watch TV anymore
because I had to read pages and pages of information. As a result, my nights out with my friends became limited. In
fact, I went out only on Saturday nights. It was a huge change from high school, where I used to go out every other
night.……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………… (express opinion)

2. There are four easy ways to prepare a delicious egg. The first and probably the easiest way is to boil an egg. Just
drop the egg into a pot of water and boil it for five minutes. Another easy way is to scramble an egg. All you need is
a fork to beat the egg mixture before you put it into the hot frying pan. A third way is to fry an egg “over easy”. This
involves breaking the egg into the skillet without breaking the yolk. After a few moments, take a spatula and turn the
egg over to cook on the other side. Finally, poaching an egg involves cooking the egg in a small dish that is sitting in
boiling water. Break the egg into a small metal cup that is sitting in a pan of very hot, shallow water. Poaching an egg
takes only four to five minutes. …………………………………………………………….…………………………
………………………………………………………….………………………………………………... (summarize)
3. Credit cards have a lot of advantages. First of all, credit cards are convenient because you don’t have to carry a lot
of cash around. Therefore, they are safer and more practical. You can buy the products and services you need even if
you do not have cash in your pocket. In addition, credit cards are very helpful in emergencies. Finally, you can become
a better money manager as you learn to use credit cards responsibly. ………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………… (paraphrase)

*** For other language issues, always refer back to the general checklist sent to you before. ***
Exercise 3: Add no more than three appropriate and relevant supporting sentences to complete these
paragraphs. Make sure your supporting sentences are coherent and cohesive and are in parallel with the topic
and concluding sentences. Use appropriate linking words.
1. Learning a foreign language undoubtedly has several benefits. ………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
....................... To conclude, acquiring a foreign language enables us to enhance our knowledge, make new contacts,
and learn about other cultures.

2. Homemade food is much better than fast food for many reasons. …………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Thanks to all these benefits, homemade food remains the best option.

Exercise 4: A. Write a narrative paragraph about an experience that you have had. Follow these guidelines.
- Choose a topic.
- Brainstorm the events in your story.
- Write a topic sentence with controlling ideas.
- Write supporting sentences for the middle of your narrative.
- Check for consistency in past tense verbs.
- Write the end of the story.
- Use appropriate transition words (time linking words)
B. Develop a paragraph about a strong opinion that you have. Include facts to support your opinion.
- Choose a topic.
- Brainstorm your opinions.
- Write a topic sentence with controlling ideas.
- Write Supporting sentences with facts that support your opinions.
- Check for incorrect word forms.
C. Think of a person or place you know well. Then brainstorm your ideas, narrow down your topic, and
write a descriptive paragraph.
- For a person, make sure to use some adjectives to describe them
- For a place, make sure to include prepositions and adjectives.
D. Write a process paragraph about any topic you know well about.
- Brainstorm and organize your ideas.
- Write a topic sentence with controlling ideas.
- Write supporting sentences, and check for coherence and cohesion.
E. Write a compare-contrast paragraph about any topic you know well about.
- Brainstorm about the topic.
- Make sure your topic sentence expresses comparison clearly and simply.
- Write supporting sentences that also express comparison/contrast.
- Use appropriate liking words (contrast liking words).
*** For other language issues, always refer back to the general checklist sent to you before. ***