Conjunctions and Transitional Words

Example: The conjunctions and transitional words are in bold.

Do you like movies? Nearly everyone does these days. Movies have become one of the most popular forms of entertainment. One reason for this is that there are so many different kinds of movies. One popular kind of movie--for girls, anyway--is romantic movies. Movies like Titanic make girls feel tender and make them cry. Another popular type of movie is the horror film. These scary movies bring boys and girls closer together--literally! A third kind of popular movie is the action movie. Movies with stars like Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwartzenegger always attract large audiences because they are so exciting. Finally, war movies still appeal to many people. Their stories show us the strongest human emotions. What sort of movie do you like best?

Exercises: Fill in the blanks with appropriate conjunctions or transitional words.
1.	Some older people think that boys should not wear earrings, but I disagree. I think a man wearing one earring is really cool. One day last week, I decided to buy a gold earring and have my girlfriend put it into my ear for me. ________________ I took the bus downtown to a department store. They had a large selection of earrings there, and I chose one that was neither small nor large. ____________ I went to my girlfriend's house. She knew I was coming so she was ready. She has a lot of experience piercing ears so I trusted her. ____________ she finished piercing my ear, she put in my earring, and, Wow! _________ I'm a really cool guy. Maybe _______________, you can get your ear pierced, too!
2.	Why do people who read novels have better language skills? I think that the answer to this question is easy to understand. Being in the habit of reading exposes us to new words every day. ______________ reading, we not only learn new words, but we also review many others. Reading novels is interesting and educational, and we often share what we learn from them with our friends and family. ____________ we discuss what we read with them, we understand the story and the words in the novels better, too. Is there an easier way to learn new vocabulary? I doubt it. ______________ the reading of novels, people can enjoy their lives and improve their language skills.
3.	Should the government prohibit the use of young women to sell betel nuts in roadside stands? There are many reasons to support this prohibition. __________, these girls are not only beautiful but also sexy; they wear sexy clothing and a lot of makeup. This is a kind of visual pollution for most people, if not for taxi drivers and truck drivers. __________, this is not a real occupation. These poor girls can learn nothing from their jobs except how low class men can be in our society. __________, in some cases, these women are actually prostitutes who can help spread sexual diseases throughout our society. __________, a betel nut itself is a cancer-causing agricultural product which should be banned, not sold. ______________________, it is clear that the government should prohibit the use of young women to sell betel nuts in public.
4.	Should kidnappers be given the death penalty? I am one of many who support this use of the death penalty for the following reasons. Children are shocked very badly when they are kidnapped. People often think about the kidnapper who will die, but they forget about the child who will never forget this experience throughout his lifetime. ____________, kidnappers often harm their victims physically, not only psychologically. It is unfair for adults to abuse children in this way, even when the children are their own. ____________, no family will live a normal life after a kidnapping, whether successful or not. Not only the child and the kidnapper are affected, but the parents, other relatives, and the whole society. _______________, kidnapping is nothing more than a kind of slavery (the sale of people). ____________, I believe that kidnappers should be put to death.
5.	Many of my friends tell me that I should buy a car. Presently, I take public transportation, like the bus, the MRT, and taxis. __________, my friends tell me that I should buy a car. _________________, I can see their point of view. If I had my own car, I would be free to go wherever and whenever I wanted. I would not have to wait any longer for a bus, MRT train, or a taxi. __________________, I save a lot of money by taking public transportation. A car needs gas and oil, and you have to pay for your license, parking fees, and car checkups. Cars can also be inconvenient. Have you ever heard of a traffic jam? There is no traffic jam on the MRT. ____________, I think I will continue to take public transportation.
6.	Why are vacations so important for modern people? In the past, most people worked as farmers or small businessmen. They worked and lived in the same place. Life was simpler then, but in some ways more difficult, too. Bad weather would influence everyone, from the farmer to the businessman. Everyone worked six full days a week or even longer then, too. Today, although our work week is shorter and society produces more, we have much more stress. ____________, vacations are important to help us relax. People do not exercise today as much as they did before, either; ____________, vacations allow us the time to enjoy sports and outings. ________________ vacations, people truly live better today than in the past.
7.	Have you taken a ride yet on Taipei's new MRT? The only thing wrong with the MRT is that it is not yet finished. ________ it is completed, many more people will be able to travel in and around Taipei city quickly, cheaply, and easily. They will not need to drive their cars or take a bus into town or back home, so there should be less traffic. __________ the MRT is faster even than a taxi, and cheaper too, people will feel more relaxed at home and at work. __________ an MRT station cannot be built in front of everyone's home or office, many city buses go near these stations __________ most people can take advantage of this new type of transportation. I have only one complaint: why didn't the government build the MRT system sooner?
8.	"Does he love me, ________ does he not?" This question is asked by countless girls ________ they grow up. They are attracted to a boy, ________ they don't know __________ the boy likes them or not. "On the one hand," a girl may say, "he spoke to me in the classroom, but _____________________," she continues, "he speaks to all the girls." Then we might hear this same girl say, "____________he smiled at me, he didn't call me up." Girls usually watch boys very carefully, __________ boys often ignore them and prefer the company of other boys. "__________ she's pretty," a boy might say, "I don't want to spend so much time and money on her." Girls and boys are so different!
9.	Do you know how to bake chocolate cookies? It's easy! Just listen to this. __________, get everything you need for baking ready. You'll need two bowls, a couple of spoons, a cup to measure with, and a cookie sheet. __________, turn your oven on and set it to the proper temperature. You'll need two eggs, some flour, sugar, a little salt, one stick of butter, some baking powder, and some chocolate. __________ break the eggs into one bowl and mix with the sugar and butter until it is very smooth. __________, in the other bowl mix your flour, salt, and baking powder. __________, combine the two bowls and add the chocolate. __________ you can add a little oil to your cookie sheets, and add the cookie mixture in small drops. Put into the oven and just wait a few minutes!