| Example: The underlined sentence is the concluding sentence. | |
1. |
Should teachers use physical punishment on their students? This question has always caused a great debate among parents, teachers, and students themselves. I support the use of physical punishment as a means of controlling student behavior, but only as a final means to control a dangerous situation or as a means of last resort. Would any fair-minded person criticize a teacher for hitting a student in order to defend himself? Then why would anyone find fault with a teacher for hitting a student who was ready to hurt other students, or a student who, despite the teacher's many warnings, continued to behave badly? In these cases, then, teachers should be allowed to use physical force as a punishment. |
| Exercises: Fill in each blank with the concluding sentence. | |
1. |
Is honesty the best policy? I agree because honesty is the best but not the only policy. There are times when lying may do more good than bad, as when we are asked our opinion about a friend's new boyfriend or girlfriend, or a new hairstyle. Saying "not bad" or "fine" instead of how we really feel may save trouble. Besides, as we know, "to each his own." People have different tastes in friends or hairstyles so this is not really an important matter. Lying to hurt others or to avoid responsibility, however, is wrong. Lying at these times usually causes even more problems later on. ____________________________________________________________________________________ |
2. |
Is it better to be fat or skinny? If we are talking about a little fat or a little skinny rather than obese or starving to death, I would say that it is better to be fat than skinny. Why? That's easy! Who ever heard someone say, "Oh! What a beautiful skinny baby!" No one! Everyone likes a baby to be fat. When we are in our youth, being a little fat is a sign of strength. Fat people are usually happy and outgoing, whereas many skinny people look tired and insecure. Being a little fat in middle age is usually a sign of success.____________________________________________ |
3. |
Cellular phones are more of a nuisance than a help. In classrooms, movie theaters, and restaurants, we can hear their annoying ringing when instead we should have quiet surroundings. Drivers have accidents by using cellular phones in their cars because they pay attention to their phone rather than to the traffic around them. Finally, people who have recently purchased a cellular phone--and that is an awful lot of people--make many unnecessary calls just to play with their new "toy," which is a bother to everyone else. _________________________________________ |
4. |
There's an old joke that goes like this: "How much sleep does everyone need? The answer: 10 more minutes!" This joke would be funny if it were not true for me. Every school morning my alarm goes off at 6:30, but I don't wake up until 7:00. Since I'm late, I have to run to the bathroom to brush my teeth, wash my face, and comb my hair. Then I dash back to my bedroom to get dressed. I have to remember all my books and papers, too. Breakfast? Not for me! I then sprint to the bus stop and pray that the bus will come on time. By the time I arrive at school, I'm tired and hungry.___________________________________________________________________________________ |
5. |
14. Should 18-year-olds in Taiwan be given the right to vote? Many young people argue that today's teenagers are better educated than their parents. They say that young people know more about the world today from school, TV, and the Internet, and therefore should be given the right to vote. They may be more educated, but knowledge does not equal wisdom. Some smart kids who do well in school still do not know the difference between right and wrong. In terms of choosing our political leaders, social knowledge is more important than book knowledge. Young adults of twenty know more about the real world than teenagers just getting out of school. __________________________________________________________________________________________ |
6. |
Dogs should be raised for food, not as pets. When we hear the word dog, we usually think of the lovable Snoopy, the famous cartoon character. In reality, though, there are no cute Snoopies in the world. Instead, there are dogs whose barking keeps us up late at night; there are dogs that bite us and give us rabies and other terrible diseases; and there are stray dogs by the thousands which are an eyesore and whose "gifts" litter our streets and the bottoms of our shoes! Though people often say, "The dog is man's best friend," this saying should be changed to "The dog is its owner's best friend." _________________________________________________________________ |
7. |
Should the driving age in Taiwan be lowered to 16? Many teenagers complain that learning to drive is easy enough for a 16-year-old. Driving at 16 is allowed in some countries, they say. Knowing how to drive a car is becoming more important in society, so the earlier we learn to drive, these teenagers say, the better. Indeed, learning how to operate a car is easy enough, but controlling oneself is less easy. Today young drivers are responsible for more accidents than middle-aged people. Furthermore, a youth has little appreciation for the value of the car he is driving since he did not buy it. ______________________________________________________________________ |