MEETING 6

TOPIC

A. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
In this chapter, the students will learn about previewing and predicting. By the end of
the course, the students are expected to be able to:
1.1.Understand and describe what topic is.

B. MATERIAL DESCRIPTION
1.1.Definition of Topic
A good reader always asks herself/himself what is this paragraph or text about.
That kind of question actually asks about the topic of the paragraph or text. Topic
is actually the subject which is discussed in a paragraph or a text. It tells you what
the paragraph or text is about. The topic of a paragraph should not be too specific
or too general. Look at the following example:

Mexico City is a popular place for tourists. Every year, thousands of people go to
Mexico City. They visit the old and beautiful building in this city. In the museum
they learn the history of Mexico. And in the restaurants, they enjoy the spicy and
delicious Mexican food.
What is the topic of the paragraph above?
a. Mexican food
b. Mexico
c. Mexico City

The correct answer is (c) Mexico City. The first reason is because the paragraph
talks about Mexico City. The second reason is because Mexico City is not too
general or too specific. (a) Mexican food is too specific. It is only one part in the
paragraph. (b) Mexico is too general. The paragraph does not talk all ideas about
Mexico. Therefore, the correct answer is (c) Mexico City.
C. EXERCISE
1.1.Exercise 1
Instructions: Make a check after the best topic. Write “too specific” or “too
general” after the other topics.
Paragraph 1
Some of the largest trees in the world are in California. These are called redwood
trees. Redwood National Park is the largest forest of redwood trees. Visitor in the
park can walk and drive through the forest to look at the trees. Some redwoods are
hundreds of years old. These old trees are very tall. They are also very wide at the
bottom. The hole is so big you can drive a car through it.
a. Parks in California ……………………..
b. Redwoods trees in California ……………………..
c. The age of redwoods ……………………..

Paragraph 2
In many hilly areas of Scotland there once were large forests. Over the years, the
forest became smaller. People cut down the trees to use the wood for heating or
building. They used the land for farming. But after a while the land was not good
for farming. It became rocky because the earth was washed away by the rain. There
were no trees to hold the earth in place. Now the Scottish government is planting
new trees. These new forests look nice and green. They also will help improve the
earth for the future.
a. The land in Scotland ……………………..
b. How trees hold earth in place ……………………..
c. Forests in Scotland ……………………..

Paragraph 3

Large forests are important to us in many ways. They give us wood for building and
heating. They are a home for many kinds of animals and plants. And for many city
people, forests are place to go for a vacation. People can learn about nature there.
They can breathe fresh air and sleep in a quiet place. There is one more reason why
forests are important for everyone. The leaves on the trees in a forest help cleaning
the air. Dirty air is a problem in many parts of the world. Without our forests, this
problem might be much worse.
 a. The important of forests ……………………..
b. Taking vacations in forests ……………………..
c. Large forests ……………………..

1.2.Exercise 2
Instructions: Determine the topics of the following paragraphs. Make sure the
topics are not too specific or too general.
Paragraph 1
Fog is really a low cloud near the ground. Fog and clouds are made of many little
drops of water. These drops stay in the air because they are too small. You cannot
see each drop. But fog can make it hard to see other things. It can be dangerous if
you are driving, for example. Sometimes where there is a lot of fog you cannot see
the road. Sailors also have trouble when there is fog. Boats may get lost and hit
rocks or beaches in the fog.
What is the topic of the paragraph above?

Paragraph 2
When there is a heavy rain storm, you sometimes see lighting. It is very bright light
in the sky. In the past, people thought the reason was religious. They thought it
came from the angry god. In the 1700s, Benjamin Franklin found out lightning was
electricity. Storms with lightning really are electrical storms. But scientists today
still do not know everything about lightning. They do not know exactly what it
comes from. And they never know where and how it will hit the earth.
What is the topic of the paragraph above?

Paragraph 3
In European universities, students are not required to attend classes. In fact,
professors in Germany generally do not know the names of the students enrolled in
their courses. In the United States, however, students are required to attend all
classes and may be penalized if they do not. Furthermore, in the European system,
students usually take just one comprehensive examination at the end of their entire
four or five years of study. In the North American system, on the other hand,
students usually have numerous quizzes, tests and homework assignments, and they
 almost always have to take the final examination in each course at the end of each
semester.
What is the topic of the paragraph above?

1.3.Exercise 3
Vocabulary Building 1
Instructions: Match the following descriptions (1-10) with the words (a-j).
1. A place where animals are slaughtered is a ………..
2. A place where bread and cakes are made is a ………..
3. A building where beer is made is a ………..
4. A place where food is canned is a ………..
5. A place where a dead is buried is a ………..
6. A place where law-cases are heard is a ………..
7. A room for washing the hands and face is a ………..
8. A place where historical relics are preserved and displayed is a ………..
9. A home for orphans is a ………..
10. A place where water is collected and stored is a ………..………..

a. Museum
b. Orphanage
c. Reservoir
d. Cannery
e. Bakery
f. Abattoir
g. Brewery
h. Cemetery
i. Lavatory
j. Court

1.4.Exercise 4
Vocabulary Building 2
Instructions: Fill the blanks (1-10) with the words (a-j). Choose the correct word
for each blank.
 1. There are many students at the ………………… where we stayed.
2. Her pen pal’s father owns a ………………… where grapes are grown.
3. We went to watch the football game at the …………………
4. The ………………… came to mend all the chairs and tables in the school.
5. A ………………… attends to all needs of passengers in a ship or aeroplane.
6. The company is managed by a ………………… of directors.
7. She ordered a ………………… of furniture for the sitting-room.
8. We saw a ………………… of islands while we were crossing the Indian Ocean.
9. He became friendly with some members of an African ………………… while
he was aboard.
10. I like to watch the ………………… who does all the daring acrobatics.

a. Steward
b. Suite
c. Acrobat
d. Board
e. Group
f. Vineyard
g. Stadium
h. Tribe
i. Carpenter
j. Hostel

1.5.Exercise 5
Vocabulary Building 3
Instructions: In the following sentences, choose the correct verb in bold to
complete the phrasal verb in italics. The meaning of each phrasal verb is given in
brackets at the end of each sentence.
Example:
Some parents are criticized for the way they bring / make / throw up their children.
(to raise children)
1. They refused to move / face / come up to their responsibilities, with disastrous
consequences. (to accept an unpleasant state of affairs, and try to deal with it)
2. The President decided to shout / cry / call off his visit to Europe. (to not to go
ahead with a plan)
3. It is only at election time that senators add / count / read on support from their
constituents. (to rely / depend on other people)
4. Many developing countries are failing to run / chase / catch up with their more
developed neighbors. (to get to the same level)
5. It can take months or even years for political scandals to die / cut / fall down.
(to become less strong)
6. An alarming number of students jump / drop / fall out of school early every
year. (to leave a race, a competition, a course of study, etc., early or before you
have finished)
7. Major international companies can't carry / cut / figure out the popularity of
the anti-capitalist movement. (informal: to find it hard to understand)
8. The committee members dropped / made / fell out over plans for the new health
center. (to argue)
9. If they examined the issues more closely, they would search / look / find out
the reasons. (to discover)
10. As we grow / stand / look up our priorities change. (to change from being
children to being adults)
11. Salaries very rarely catch / keep / work up with the cost of living. (to rise at the
same speed as something else)
12. The latest government report leaves / keeps / throws out the real reasons for
current demographic shifts. (to not include)
13. The journalist showed / pointed / spoke out the mistakes made by the agency
over the last few years. (to show)
14. Once people lose / jump / fall behind with their mortgage payments, they come
under extreme financial pressure from their bank. (to fail to do something or
pay something at the time that you should)
15. The first step to a healthier lifestyle is to cut / slice / chop down on the amount
of saturated fats you eat. (to start doing less of something, usually because it is
bad for you)
D. REFERENCES
Edge, T. (2002). Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies Level 8. California:
Saddleback Educational Publishing.
Mikulecki, B.S. & Linda.J. (1986).Reading Power. US: Addison-Wesley Publishing
Company.
Mikukecky, B.S & Linda, J. (2007).Advanced Reading Power. US: LongmanOsborne,
J. (2006). CAHSE on Target. California : University of California Press.
Oshima, A & Ann, H. (2006).Writing Academic English 4th Edition. New York:
Pearson Education, Inc.
Yaworski, J. (2006). Getting Ahead: Fundamental of College Reading. New York :
Pearson Longman.