UPM-CALC/CEL2103 WRITING ACADEMIC TEXTS/SEM 1/2022-2023

SCL WORKSHEET WEEK 4

SCL WORKSHEET WEEK 4

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

Complete the activities and submit by the due date.

A. Tick (√) the best thesis statement in the space provided based on the topics below.

Topic: A comparison between mobile phones and smartphones

Mobile phones and smartphones have similar functions, but they have different √
features.
Mobile phones and smartphones are similar in some ways but different in others.

Topic: Similarity and difference between coconut oil and olive oil
Coconut oil and olive oil are always used in cooking; therefore, their nutrient
content is different.
Although coconut oil and olive oil are always used in cooking, their nutrient content √
is different.

Topic: Comparing and contrasting between public and private transportation

While public and private transportation offer convenience to their users, the cost for √
these transportations is different.
Public and private transportation offer convenience to their users. The cost for
these transportations is different.

Topic: A comparison between indoor and outdoor exercise

Indoor and outdoor exercise offer many health benefits as it lowers blood pressure
and reduces stress.
Indoor and outdoor exercise offer many health benefits; however, they provide √
different environmental experience.

Topic: Similarity and difference between desktop computer and laptop

Desktop computer and laptop have similar functions, but their portability is different. √
Although desktop computer has many functions, the portability is different.
 UPM-CALC/CEL2103 WRITING ACADEMIC TEXTS/SEM 1/2022-2023
SCL WORKSHEET WEEK 4

B. Fill in the blanks with the correct tenses (simple present / simple past / present perfect)
of the verbs in the parenthesis.

At one time, astronomers believed (believe) the surface of Mars was crisscrossed by canal
systems. This in turn giving (give) rise to speculation that Mars was very much like Earth,
capable of supporting life and home to a native civilisation. As human satellites and rovers
began (begin) to conduct flybys and surveys of the planet, this vision of Mars quickly dissolved,
replaced by one in which the Red Planet was a cold, desiccated and lifeless world. However,
over the past few decades, scientists came (come) to learn a great deal about the history of
Mars that altered (alter) this views as well. We now know that though Mars may currently be
very cold, very dry, and very inhospitable, this was not always the case. In fact, Mars and Earth
have (has) a lot in common. Between the two planets, there are similarities in structure and
composition, but they have differences in atmospheres and temperatures that would make living
on Mars, a growing preoccupation among many humans a significant challenge.

Earth and Mars are similar in structure and composition. Both planets have (has) a silicate
mantle surrounding their cores and a surface crust of solid material. Earth's mantle which
consists of an upper mantle of slightly viscous material and a solid lower mantle being (be)
roughly 2,890 km thick and is composed of silicate rocks that are rich in iron and magnesium.
The Earth's crust is on average 40 km thick and is composed of rocks that are (be) rich in iron,
magnesium and granite. Comparatively, Mars' mantle is quite thin, measuring some 1,300 to
1,800 km in thickness. Like Earth, this mantle is believed to be composed of silicate rock that
are rich in minerals compared to the crust, and to be partially viscous (resulting in convection
currents which shaped the surface). The crust, meanwhile, averages about 50 km in thickness,
with a maximum of 125 km. This makes (make) it about three times as thick as Earth's crust,
relative to the sizes of the two planets. Williams (2015) identified that when it comes to their
basic makeups, they are both terrestrial planets. This means that both are differentiated
between a dense metallic core and an overlying mantle and crust composed of less dense
materials (like silicate rock).

Adapted from: Williams, M. (2015). Mars compared to Earth. https://phys.org/news/2015-12-mars-

earth.html
UPM-CALC/CEL2103 WRITING ACADEMIC TEXTS/SEM 1/2022-2023
SCL WORKSHEET WEEK 4