Lab Activity 11: Organizing and Linking Your Ideas

Lab Activities
Lab Activity 11: Organizing and Linking Your Ideas

Objective: To practice organizing and linking ideas.

Step 3: Read each of the paragraphs below and answer the following questions.

1. When considering whether to buy a concert ticket, I always follow a few key steps before spending my hard-earned money. (1)_____, I ask myself whether the band is one that I really love or one that I like to listen to only once in a while. If it's a band that I don't listen to that often, I figure that my $60 or more might be better spent elsewhere. (2)_____, I do some research to find out if the band will be performing a mix of their old and new songs and if they'll have a good opening band to start things off. I generally don't like to go to a concert where I'll hear none of my favorite songs because I like to sing along with the band. That helps me to really get into the concert. I also feel some of my money is wasted if the opening act is terrible. These two steps are key, but they are not the most significant. (3)_____, I check my bank account. If I'm running low on cash, I don't want to go into debt to buy concert tickets, even for my favorite band. Paying my rent is more important than going to any concert.

Select the appropriate transition for each blank. [Hint]

Using the pulldown boxes, match each item on the left to the corresponding item at right.

(1) A. First

(2) B. Next

(3) C. Most importantly

2. My poster of Elvis Presley is very unusual. (1)_____ his head, there is a large sign that seems to hover in mid-air. It reads "Elvis Lives" in glittering white, cloud-shaped letters. (2)_____ his right leg, a miniature palm tree sits in a big black pot; the palm fronds seem to brush against the side of his leg and hip. (3)_____ his feet lies a large purple rug that is embroidered in orange with the word, "Aloha." (4)_____ Elvis, you can barely make out the Honolulu skyline in the background. This is probably the tackiest Elvis poster in existence. That's why I bought it!

Select the appropriate transition for each blank.

Using the pulldown boxes, match each item on the left to the corresponding item at right.

(1) A. Next to

(2) B. Behind

(3) C. Above

(4) D. Below

3. Among the popular performers of the 1940s and 1950s, Ella Fitzgerald is probably my absolute favorite. She is known as the "First Lady of Song" because of her incredible voice and her versatility. She could make a mediocre song sound good and a good song sound great. (1)_____, "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" would be a pretty forgettable song done by anyone else; Ella added her unique brand of scat and swing and transformed the song into a standard. She took classic hits and re-energized them with her own style. The Bessie Smith hit of the 1920s was one such classic. (2)_____, "Ain't Nobody's Business" received a more upbeat and fun treatment from Ella and her collaborator Louis Jordan. Her collaborations with Louis Armstrong, however, are the recordings I enjoy most. Songs (3)_____ "Dream a Little Dream of Me" will stay in my memory forever.

Select the appropriate transition for each blank.

Using the pulldown boxes, match each item on the left to the corresponding item at right.

(1) A. For example

(2) B. Specifically

(3) C. Such as