Unity and coherence

Read the paragraph. Which sentence is off topic?

(1)Adventure travel is the hot trend in the tourism industry. (2)Ordinary people are no longer content to spend their two weeks away from the office resting on a sunny beach in Florida. (3) More and more often, they are choosing to spend their vacations rafting down wild rivers, hiking through steamy rain forests, climbing the world's highest mountains, or crossing slippery glaciers. (4)J People of all ages are choosing educational study tours for their vacations.

Read the paragraph. Which sentence is off topic?

(1)Adventure travel is the hot trend in the tourism industry. (2)Ordinary people are no longer content to spend their two weeks away from the office resting on a sunny beach in Florida. (3) More and more often, they are choosing to spend their vacations rafting down wild rivers, hiking through steamy rain forests, climbing the world's highest mountains, or crossing slippery glaciers. (4)J People of all ages are choosing educational study tours for their vacations.

Read the paragraph. Which are the main topics?

Because the Internet makes the world a smaller place, the value of having a common language is greatly increased. The question is-which language? Because the Internet grew up in the United States, the largest percentage of its content is now in English. Bill Gates, Microsoft's president, believes that English will remain valuable for a long time as a common language for international communication. His company spends $200 million a year translating software into other languages. He says, "Unless you read English passably well, you miss out on some of the Internet experience." Someday, software may be available to instantly translate both written and spoken language so well that the need for any common language could decline. That day is decades away, however, because flawless machine translation is a very tough problem. Computer spelling checkers also exist for various languages. Software that does crudes translations already exists. It is useful if all you are trying to do is understand the general idea of something you see on your computer screen. However, if you are trying to negotiate a contract or discuss a scientific subject where details are important, machine translation is totally useless (Gates).

Read the paragraph. Which are the main topics?

Even when you try to be polite, it is easy to do the wrong thing inadvertently in a new culture. For example, when someone offers you food or a beverage in the United States, accept it the first time it is offered. If you say, "No, thank you" because it is polite to decline the first one or two offers in your culture, you could become very hungry and thirsty in the United States. There, a host thinks that "no" means "no" and will usually not offer again. Meals in the United States are usually more informal than meals in other countries, and the times of meals may be different. Although North Americans are usually very direct in social matters, there are a few occasions when they are not. If a North American says, "Please drop by sometime," he may or may not want you to visit him in his home. Your clue that this may not be a real invitation is the word "sometime." In some areas of the United States, people do not expect you to visit them unless you have an invitation for a specific day and time. In other areas of the United States, however, "dropping by" is a friendly, neighborly gesture. Idioms are often difficult for newcomers to understand.

Read the paragraph. How many times is the word gold repeated?

Gold,a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. First of all, gold has a lustrous eauty that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable for jewelry, coins, and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and will remain beautiful forever. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was made 25 centuries ago. Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. For many years, it has been usea~ in hundreds of industrial applications, such as photography and dentistry. The most recent use ofgold is in astronauts' suits. Astronauts wear gold-plated heat shields for protection when they go outside spaceships in space. ln conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility.

Read the paragraph. How many times is the pronoun it used?

Gold,a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. First of all, gold has a lustrous eauty that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable for jewelry, coins, and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and will remain beautiful forever. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was made 25 centuries ago. Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. For many years, it has been usea~ in hundreds of industrial applications, such as photography and dentistry. The most recent use ofgold is in astronauts' suits. Astronauts wear gold-plated heat shields for protection when they go outside spaceships in space. ln conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility.

Read the paragraph. How many times is its used?

Gold,a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. First of all, gold has a lustrous eauty that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable for jewelry, coins, and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and will remain beautiful forever. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was made 25 centuries ago. Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. For many years, it has been usea~ in hundreds of industrial applications, such as photography and dentistry. The most recent use ofgold is in astronauts' suits. Astronauts wear gold-plated heat shields for protection when they go outside spaceships in space. ln conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility.