Reading: Analyzing Topics
Directions: For each of the following sets of topic sentences, specify the topic
that is being discussed. Note that each topic sentence presents a different facet
of (or opinion about) the topic.
1. ■ “The continued flow of immigrants into the United States has created a
rich, diverse society that has been beneficial to the country.”
■ “The presence of guest workers from South America in states like Arizona
and California has a positive effect on the U.S. economy.”
■ “Because the country is suffering from high unemployment, we must
reduce the number of people who come here looking for jobs.”
Topic: immigration
2. ■ “Most scientists agree that temperatures now are warmer than they were
20 years ago.”
■ “It is hard to draw any definite conclusions from the hundreds of studies
that have considered whether climate change is occurring or not.”
■ “People who claim that the Earth is now hotter miss the point that the
Earth has been getting warmer over the last several thousand years, not
just the last 50 years.”
Topic: climate change, or global warming