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Chapter 1 introduces you to the two kinds of problems writers pose: subject matter problems and rhetorical problems. Subject matter problems revolve around questions of fact (Is X possible?), practical application (How can we use X?), and value (Is it right to use X?). Rhetorical problems arise from an author's particular audience, purpose, and genre, and revolve around such questions as "How much background information will my audience need?" The chapter also introduces the distinction between closed and open forms of writing: Essays with explicit theses expressed in their introductions are the most closed, while personal narratives with implicit theses are the forms described as most open. By the end of the chapter, you should understand the following: 1. Academic writing provides both immediate and long-term benefits. 2. Writing is not just a way to express thought, but it also serves as a way to think through an issue. 3. The exploratory process that will culminate in a finished essay begins when you pose a question that is both problematic and significant. 4. Problematic questions either have not yet been answered, or the experts don't agree on the answer. 5. Questions are significant when their answers solve real-world problems or help us uncover and address other, larger questions.
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