The
Critque, The Thesis Statement,
The Explanatory Synthesis and the Argument Synthesis 1.
What are the principles for writing an Argument Synthesis? What makes an
argument synthesis different from an explanatory synthesis?
2.
Assess the following 3 thesis statements: a)
Would this thesis be more suitable for an explanatory synthesis or an argument
synthesis? Why? The
Krebs cycle is found in all living beings. Therefore, to understand basic
biology, the Krebs cycle must be thoroughly mastered. The high rate of student
failure in organic chemistry is directly due to student’s poor mastery of the
Krebs cycle. b)
Would this thesis be more suitable for an explanatory synthesis or an argument
synthesis? Why? The
field of colonial furniture design is dominated by the work of contemporary master
Norm Abrams and by the products of the Littlefield furniture workshops in
c)
Would this thesis be more suitable for an explanatory synthesis or an argument
synthesis? Why? It
is impossible to learn how to tie a knot from a diagram or a description.
The best way to learn knots is for one person to show another person. Of
course, the learner must practice! The Boy Scouts of America should replace
their knot-tying manual with an instructor-led video training course. 3.
Imagine that you are writing a paper about Charles Shultz, creator of the cartoon
Peanuts, and you’ve decided to quote some part of the passage
below. Give the title for the paper and
write three sentences from your imaginary paper. First, introduce your quote with a sentence.
In the next sentence, present the quote, eliminating
part of the original passage using ellipses. Finally, follow the quotation with a third,
concluding sentence. During
the Great Depression, Schulz's hard working father, Carl, struggled to keep both
his family and his barber shop afloat. Carl Schulz not only managed to maintain
two employees and to put pancakes on the dinner table (his son’s favorite), but
also found the means to enroll his son in a correspondence course in cartooning
at what is now the Art Instruction Schools, Inc. ("Draw Me"), in Minneapolis.
A shy and insecure student, Schulz struggled through the program, submitting his
coursework by mail instead of in person and earning only a C+ in "Drawing
of Children." Mary
McIntosh, The Life of Charles Shultz (page 32). Title
for your paper: Three
sentences (including a quote): 4.
You are a newly hired columnist at the New York Daily News, and your editor suggests
that you write a critique of this month’s top DVD rental, the horror comedy Squashed
Cheerleaders. You’ve never seen the movie and your column
is due in 48 hours. However, you don’t
panic because you learned the 3 elements of a well-informed opinion English 101.
What are those elements? Based on these elements, what will you do to earn the
reputation for good judgment? 5.
Military historian Professor Stuff asks you to write a one-page critique of the
book Thomas Jefferson: A
Hero for All Times. He’s a stickler for details, but he’s also very busy.
(That’s why you’re doing the critique!) You know that you can satisfy him if your
critique is well-organized. Propose an outline for your critique. 6.
You have a job as a translator of ancient texts, and yesterday you translated
the Babylonian cuneiform tablet below. You have discovered that this tablet contains
five questions, which you have translated (below). “Oh ho!” you said to yourself, when you read
the questions, “I remember these questions from English class! This must be part
of an ancient writing lesson.” a)
What was the title of this lesson?
7.
Assess the following thesis statement. “To understand the success of Rita’s Italian Ice in |
