Lead Topics What is a topic? When you read for the meaning, you should begin by looking for the fopic. This helps ‘you connect what you read to what you already know. In order to find the topic, ask yourself: “What is this about? What is the general idea?” Example a: |In the group of words below, one of the words Is the tople forall the other words. Circle the topic. Elephants Zebras_— African animals. Lions Tigers The topic is Affican animals. All of the other words are examples of this topic. Example b: {In the group of words below, one of the words Is the tople for al the other words. Cirle the topic. Wheels tres. brakes — steering wheel seats. doors. car ‘The topic is car. All of the other words are parts of a car. In these exercises, you should work with another student. By discussing your work, you «will learn more from the exercises and you may change the way you think about reading, exercise 1 = _neach group of words, circle the word which is the best topic for all the other words. Work With another student. Work as fast 2s you can. Time limit: two minutes. The Answer Key Is on page 278. 1. flippers face mask wet suit’ surf board waterskis goggles water sports air tank 2. referees scoreboard —_basketball game clock fans baskets. players. coaches 3. airbags seat belts. stereo speakers car equipment anti-lock brakes spare tire windshield wipers4. whales sharks dolphins -_barracudas seacreatures eels. octopus skates S. string quartet double bass viola. violin. — cello 6. tulips daffodils. flowers. hyacinths. crocuses 7. pistachios cashews nuts almonds pecans _filberts, 8. Maui —-Kauai_-—_-Hawaiian Islands Oahu Hawaii Lanai Molokai 9. Biochemistry Physiology Medical Subjects Neurology Anatomy —_Kinesiology 10, The Old Man and the Sea__—_—Reading for Pleasure The Pearl The Chocolate War ‘The Incredible Journey Night, grorciae 2 = _ineach group of words, cele the word which isthe best topic forall the other words. Work with another student, as fast as you car. Time limit: two minutes. 1. encyclopedia index. dictionary _reference book atlas bibliography _telephone directory 2. Hausa Yoruba African languages. Somali Amharic Swazi Sotho. Wolof 3. Chicago Cleveland Chicopee Carlsbad Cities Cranston —Chippewa_—Clinton 4. tent waterbottle camping _sleeping bag mosquito repellent matches-—_lantern S. mun scamper walk move _—stroll_~—amble_— skip 6. aspirin tetracycline valium quinine penicillin medicine erythromycin—_ibuprophen 7. loam fertilizer rake shovel ~— seeds garden hose sprinkler_—limestone mulch 8, Paris Versailles Toulouse France Lyon_—_—Bordeaux oF9.faxmachine typewriter word processor office mobile telephone _ photocopying machine 10. table diners appetizers. chair_—_waiter entrees soups restaurant «desserts Stating the topic exerctue 3 > _ inthis exercise, the topic Is not included In each group of words. White the tople above the words. Work with another student. Time limit: three minutes. 1. Topic: Glinton Ford Nixon Carter_—-Reagan Johnson 2. Topic: frame strings hammers keys cover pins pedals legs front 3. Topic: dulcimer zither guitar banjo ukulele 4. Topic: modem monitor keyboard — disk drive floppy 5. Topic: writer producer director actors-_—_-camera crew 6. Topic: Henry Elizabeth George Victoria. ‘Edward 7. Topic: manager produce buyer stock clerk cashier butcher bagger _cleaner 8, Topic: German tallan Basque ‘Flemish Dutch Spanish 9. Topic: pineapple kiwi papaya mango guava 10. Topic: Copernicus Brahe Kepler Galileo Newton 70exercise G > _Inthis exorcise, the topic Is not Included in each group of words. Wie the tople above the words. Work with another student. Time limit: three minutes. 1. Topi mercury tin. aluminum — copper iron chromium 2. Topic: mountains plateaus plains —iills’«=—cliffs-—_valleys 3. Topic: hull sail mast_—keel_— tiller rudder bow stern. boom 4. Topic: saw drill plane chisel_~—= clamp = hammer ~—_—_ screwdriver, 5. Topic: cotton polyester. = wool, silk linen’ rayon 6. Topic: hairdryer microwave oven —eggbeater_- iron —blender_—_ toaster 7. Topic: McKinley Aconsagua Everest. = “Elbrus_—_Kilimanjaro 8, Topic: fuel pump carburetor cylinders_-—svalves_—_ pistons. 9. Topic: North America South America Europe Africa. «Asia 10. Topic jazz rockand roll folk religious classical reggae —_—heavy metal 7exorcise 5 >In cach group of words, the topic Is not included. Write a tople for each group of words. Then ‘think of one more item which fs your topic. White It on the lines. Work with another student. Time limit: theee minutes. 1. Topic: Mercury Venus Saturn Jupiter.“ Mars-—Neptune 2. Topic: butter milk cream yogurt. cheese 3. Topic: planets meteors aueteuriles —_astervids 4. Topic: snowy humid rainy stormy —_breezy 8. Topic: Quebec Toronto. Vancouver Halifax 6. Topic: chestnut maple willow cherry birch 7. Tople: circle oval pyramid cube square 8, Topic: slippers sandals galoshes_-—pumps_—_ sneakers, 9. To Picasso Gauguin. Monet_—_—Pissaro 10. Topic: steam gasoline oll, wind water 72Working with the topic exercise 6 inthis exercise, the topics are given. Write a list of things that ft the topic, Topic 1: Reading materials Topic 2: Money in different countries ‘Topic 3: Kinds of weather ‘Topic 4: Public Holidays Topic 5: Major Corporations = Compare your ists with another stunt. Are they the same? Why or why not? 774 In this exercise you will Iearn to refine your topic so that it Is neither too general nor t00 specific. Example: What is the best topic for this group of words? ‘Agean Black Baltic North Adriatic a. bodies of water. Italian seas _c, European seas If you said c, European seas, you were correct. Choice a, “bodies of water" Is too general. It includes other categories of words (rivers, lakes, etc.), which are not on the list. Choice >, "Italian seas" is too specific. Some of the words on the list do not fit in that category (Black, Baltic, North), (Choose the best tople for each list from the possible topies below. More than one of the toples ‘may be possible for some lists. But one topic fits best because itis neither too general nor too specific. Work with another student, as fast as you can. Time limit: three minutes. Ro 2 Mississippi Beethoven. Chicago Mozart Rio Grande Chopin Missouri Stravinsky Hudson Debussy 3 Elton John Ford ‘The Beatles Chevrolet Fleetwood Mac Jeep Talking Heads Cadillac Genesis Chrysler Mercedes Poland Honda Hungary BMW. Bulgaria Toyota Rumania Fiat Lithuania 2. ee England sedan Ireland. convertible Scotland station wagon Wales van Northern Ireland coupe Choices: cars, American cats, international cars, counties, Eastern Eurcpean countries, types of cars, musicians, composers, rock musicians, older rock groups, rivers, American rivers, German cars, European countries, British Isles, Great Britainexercise F > _Inthis exercise, begin by working alone. Write the topic for each group of words. Make sure your {ople Is nelther too general nor too specific. Time limit: three minutes. 1. Tople: glass cup goblet. «= mug — bottle. can snifter 2. Topic: beautiful gorgeous pretty cute attractive lovely 3. Topic: cathedral church temple_-—-mosque —_chapel 4. Topic: malaria tuberculosis. scarlet fever diphtheria__-measles, 5. Topi baseball football tennis basketball squash 6. Topic: editorials newsstories columns —_photographs. business reports weather report, 7. Tople: Borneo Kyushu Silly Iceland Hokkaldo—_Victoria 8. Topic: tongue sole laces heel shank toe ‘lining 9. Topl Aleutians Alps Urals Cascades Andes 10, Topi Islam Buddhism Catholicism Judaism Taoism ‘Now compare your work with another student. Do you agree on every tople? If no, try to convince ‘your partner that your topic fits best. Go back to Exercises 3 and 4 on pages 70 and 74. Working with another student, compare the topics that you wrote. Are some of them too general or too specific? Change then, If necessary, to Improve thom. Now compare your work with another pair of students. 7576 The words In each group can be divided into two topics. Name the two topics. Remember to rite topics which are not too general or too specific. Work with another student. Time limit: {four minutes. 1. Topica: Topic: sugar fingernails. halr——_honey molasses toenails. maple syrup skin 2. Topica Topic ee lettuce turnips peas. radishes, spinach beans potatoes carrots 3. Topica: Topic b: _ wheels St. Bernard brakes. ~—shandle bars —_ poodle seat dachshund cocker Spaniel collie frame. 4, Topic a: _ Topic b: apricot butter_—=smargarine pear peach plum —oliveoll_~—apple_-—peanut oil 8. Topic a! Topic b: ibs stomach vertebrae clavicle-—_tungs. liver heart stermum — shoulder blades. kidneys exereise 10 Which term does not belong in the list? Working with another student, think ofa topic for each _Eroup of words. Note that one of the words In each group must be crossed out because it does ‘ot ft In the top. Time limit: four minutos. Example: ‘Topic: Animated films from Disney Studios Beauty and the Beast Aladdin ‘Fantasia ‘The Lion King ‘The Sound of Music Snow White The Little Mermaid Item to cross out: Sound of Music (not an animated film) 1. Topic: Shakespeare Keats. Shelley — ‘Frost. Chaucer Wordsworth Blake Item to cross out:2. Topic: boring exciting swimming —_interesting challenging surprising frightening —_entertaining tem to cross out: 3. Topic: twist waltz. foxtrot. samba_—_dogtrot swing rhumba tango ‘lambada Item to cross out: 4. Topic: cows sheep pigs. mice goats ‘geese ducks chickens-—_—horses Item to cross out 5. Topic actor plumber chef_—pilot__—_amechanic nurse physicist psychologist. —_professor Item to cross out: 6. Topic: baritone bass alto. soprano mezzo-soprano tenor —_piano Item to cross 01 7. Topic: pine maple oak elm_—hickory— willow birch, Item to cross out: 8, Topic: airmattress suntan lotion ball, towel sunglasses bathing suit gloves._-—radio Item to cross out: 9. Topic: curtains blinds shutters. screens drapes. shades Item to cross out: 10, Topic: but palace. -—apartment-—teepee-—_—ikitchen. ranch mansion —_ cottage Item to cross out: > Now compare your work with another pair of students. 77