writing the paragraphs in the first draft - Pearson Learning Solutions

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Part II • The Writing Process
established ride-sharing schedules and offered employees
incentives for using mass transportation. Even more extreme
is Singapore’s method for limiting downtown traffic--most
private vehicles are completely banned from central sections
of the city.
c. A small town in Massachusetts that badly needed extra
space for grade school classes found it in an unlikely
spot. Most of the town’s available buildings were too far
from the main school or too small. One building, however,
was nearby and spacious; it even offered excellent lunchroom
and recreation facilities. Despite some objections,
the building was chosen--a former saloon, complete with
bar, bar stools, cocktail lounge, and pool hall.
d. The physical complaints of neurotics--people who are
exceptionally anxious, pessimistic, hostile, or tense--
were once largely ignored by physicians. Many doctors
believed that neurotics’ frequent health complaints simply
reflected their emotional distress. New research,
though, shows that neurotics are indeed likely to have
physical problems. Specifically, researchers have found
that neurotics stand a greater chance of suffering from
arthritis, asthma, ulcers, headaches, and heart disease.
In addition, there is growing evidence that people who
were chronically anxious or depressed in their teens and
twenties are more likely to become ill, even die, in
their forties.
e. Many American companies have learned the hard way that
they need to know the language of their foreign customers.
When Chevrolet began selling its Nova cars in Latin
America, hardly anyone would buy them. The company finally
realized that Spanish speakers read the car’s name as the
Spanish phrase “no va,” meaning “doesn’t go.” When Pepsi-
Cola ran its “Pepsi gives you life” ads in China, consumers
either laughed or were offended. The company hadn’t
translated its slogan quite right. In Chinese, the slogan
came out “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead.”
2. Using the strategies described on pages 70–71, strengthen the following vague
paragraphs. Elaborate each one with striking specifics that clarify meaning