Identifying Supporting Details Assignment Directions: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question that follows by choosing the correct letter (Capitalize the Letter Please). Caffeine produces several reactions. One major behavioral effect is an increase in attentiveness. Another major behavioral effect is a decrease in reaction time. Caffeine can also bring about an improvement in mood, by mimicking the effects of a natural brain chemical, adenosine. Too much caffeine, however, can result in nervousness and insomnia. People can build up a biological dependence on the drug. Regular users who suddenly stop drinking coffee may experience headache or depression. Many people who drink large amounts of coffee on weekdays have headaches on weekends because of the sudden drop in the amount of caffeine they are consuming.   2. Which of the following is a supporting detail mentioned in the paragraph?  Caffeine produces several reactions. Regular users of caffeine often experience headaches and depression. Kicking the caffeine habit can be difficult. Caffeine can bring about an improvement in mood by mimicking the effects of natural brain chemical, adenosine.  

Why the “That Test” Improves Academic Summaries Writing effective summaries is an important academic skill, yet many students struggle with it. When students summarize an article or essay, they often include too many small details or accidentally insert their own opinions. As a result, their summaries may fail to accurately represent the author’s central argument. Because academic writing requires clear attribution of ideas, this problem can make summaries confusing or misleading. One strategy that can help students avoid these problems is called the “That Test.” The “That Test” encourages writers to organize their summary sentences using a specific structure: Author + reporting verb + that + main idea. By forcing writers to include the word “that” followed by the author’s central claim, the test helps ensure that the sentence focuses on the author’s main argument rather than on personal commentary or minor details. For example, a student summarizing an article might write: “Garcia argues that technology has changed the way students interact in classrooms.” In this sentence, the structure clearly identifies both the author and the claim being made. Because the sentence emphasizes the author’s argument, readers can quickly understand the main idea of the original text. The “That Test” also helps students separate their own opinions from the author’s ideas. Inexperienced writers often write sentences such as “The author talks about technology, and I agree with her ideas.” Although this statement includes the author, it shifts attention away from the author’s argument and toward the writer’s opinion. Academic summaries should focus primarily on representing the author’s ideas accurately rather than evaluating them. Another advantage of the “That Test” is that it encourages the use of reporting verbs, such as argues, claims, explains, suggests, demonstrates, or emphasizes. These verbs help readers understand how the author presents their ideas. For instance, the verb argues suggests that the author is presenting a strong position, while suggests indicates a more cautious claim. Finally, the “That Test” helps writers identify the most important idea in a reading. Academic texts often include examples, statistics, and supporting evidence, but these details support the author’s thesis rather than replace it. By using the formula required by the “That Test,” students must decide which idea represents the author’s central claim. This process encourages deeper reading and stronger analytical thinking. Although the “That Test” is simple, it can significantly improve the clarity of academic summaries. By using the structure Author + verb + that + main idea, students can more effectively represent an author’s argument and avoid some of the most common summary-writing mistakes. The author includes the example sentence about Garcia mainly toA. show a real research studyB. demonstrate how the “That Test” structure worksC. criticize the use of technology in classroomsD. explain why reporting verbs are confusing  

LATENESS You must join class on time. If you are repeatedly late, it could be interpreted by other members of your classroom community that you do not respect your classmates and the instructor. Moreover, lateness causes disruptions because all attention switches on you when you unexpectedly walk enter class after the session has already begun. Repeated lateness (every third, ten minutes or more) will be construed as absence. I understand that occasionally there will be legitimate reasons for your lateness.

Identifying Supporting Details Assignment Directions: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question that follows by choosing the correct letter (Capitalize the Letter Please).   This paragraph comes from a management information systems textbook:   The electronic nature of computers gives them several important attributes. First, computers are extremely fast at processing instructions, that is, at performing calculations and making logical comparisons. Second, computers are extremely accurate in their processing. Rarely does a computer make an electronic mistake that it does not catch itself. Almost all errors in computer data processing are caused by faulty programs prepared by humans. Third, computers are extremely reliable. Because they are primarily electronic and without moving parts, they seldom have failures. –Source: Adapted from George M. Scott. Principles of Mall  5. What is the main idea of this paragraph? Computers make our lives easier in many ways. Computers seldom have failures because they are primarily electronic and do not have moving pans. The electronic nature of computers gives them several important attributes. Computers are efficient because they can correct their own electronic mistakes.

An article argues that constant access to digital technology has shortened individuals’ attention spans and reduced their ability to engage in deep reading. Which sentence best summarizes the author’s main claim? A. The article discusses digital technology and reading habits.B. The author argues that constant access to digital technology reduces people’s ability to concentrate on long texts.C. Technology affects many aspects of modern life.D. The author describes the history of digital technology.

The passage suggests that identifying the author’s main idea requires analytical reading.

Identifying Supporting Details Assignment Directions: Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question that follows by choosing the correct letter (Capitalize the Letter Please). This paragraph comes from a psychology textbook:   The brain stem is responsible for many basic functions. It takes in information from several senses through sensory regions for vision. hearing. taste, balance. and touch in the facial area. It controls involuntary activity of the tongue. the larynx, the eyes. and the facial muscles through specific motor neurons for these areas. It controls levels of sleep and arousal through the reticular formation, nestled within its central core, and it coordinates the motor neurons in the spinal cord that control such activities as walking, breathing, and the beating of our hearts.   –Source: Adapted from Diane Papalia and Sally Olds. Psychology. p. 251. Copyright Ii) 1988 7. What is the main idea of this paragraph? The brain stem is responsible for many basic functions. All body functions are Controlled by the brain stem. The reticular formation, nestled within its central core, is the most important pan of the brain stem. An injury to the brain stem can cause serious problems.

Which of the following is a false assumption about summaries? A. They should be completely free of quotation marks.B. They require attribution to the original author.C. They are written in your own words and sentence structures.D. They can include brief, selective quotations.

Match each summary concept in Column A with the correct definition or example in Column B. Each option is used only once. Column A – Summary Concepts A. Thesis IdentificationB. Objective ToneC. OverquotingD. Selective DetailE. ParaphrasingF. MisrepresentationG. Source AttributionH. Summary ConclusionI. Voice AppropriationJ. Excessive Length Column B – Definition or Example Failing to clearly distinguish between the author’s ideas and your own phrasing A summary that exceeds 50% of the source length Ending with a clear restatement of the source’s main outcome or significance Putting the author’s central claim in your own words Including too many quotations, weakening originality Focusing only on key points and omitting minor examples A neutral, non-opinionated approach to restating ideas Incorrectly stating that the author supports an idea they never expressed Including “According to…” or a parenthetical citation Rewriting the source’s ideas without quoting, in your own sentence structure  

Summaries are always written in the third person and present tense.