LECTURE FIVE

Drawing Conclusions

What are drawing conclusions?

A conclusion is the end or finish of an event or process. In narrative literature, a conclusion is the last
part of the plot diagram where the reader finds out how the conflict and climax of the story play out. It
is important to learn how to identify the concluding parts of texts you read.

Exercise 1

Directions: Choose the best answer. Work in pairs

Passage 1

One of the oldest games in the world is hockey. The ancient Greeks and Persians played it. So did Native
Americans. The name comes from an old French world, hoquet. It is the word for a shepherd's crooked
staff, or stick.

From the story you can tell that

A. hockey is played with a ball.

B. the French have played hockey for a long time.

C. hockey is now played by shepherds.

D. hockey will not last much longer.

Passage 2

There weren't always oranges in Europe. People from the Far East brought oranges to Europe during the
Middle Ages. Later, sailors from Europe brought oranges to America. Now the United States grows a
million tons of oranges each year.

From the story you can tell that

A. the first oranges probably grew in the Far East.

B. orange trees make fruit only in winter .

C. orange trees have blue flowers.

D. there were many wars during the Middle Ages .

Passage 3

Many people in the United States are sports fans. They like sports. Football is the sport Passage 3 most
people like. The second most popular sport is fishing. There is one interesting thing about fishing. Fishing
fans actually fish.

From the story you can telt that most Americans

A. play baseball and football.

B. watch fishing contests .

C. watch football or baseball games.

D. eat fish.

Passage 4

William H. Harrison was the ninth president of the United States. He was sworn in as president in 1841.
At the event he gave a long speech. In fact, his speech was the longest ever made by a new president. As
his speech, the weather was very cold. Harrison grew ill and died 31 days later. He is known as the
president who gave the longest speech. He is also known as the one who served the shortest term.

The story suggests that William Harrison

A. was president only a short time.

B. liked cold weather.

C. liked short speeches.

D. was a funny president .

Passage 5

Bob Siekman of Pyote, Texas, has an unusual hobby. He collects old fire trucks. As a youth, Bob watches
a man build a fire truck. Young Bob thought fires were very exciting. As a man, Bob continued his
interest in fire trucks by collecting them. He now has five old trucks in his collection.

The story does not tell

A. where Bob Siekman lives.

B. about Bob Siekman's hobby .

C. how many old fire trucks Bob Siekman owns.

D. where Bob Siekman finds the old trucks.

Passage 6

One night in 1816, Mary Shelley and some friends gathered. They took turn telling scary stories. At last
Mary's turn came. She told a story of a doctor. The doctor tried to create a man but built a monster
instead. Two years later Mary published the story in a book called Frankenstein.

The story does not tell

A. when Mary Shelley and her friends gathered.

B. when Mary Shelley's book was published.

C. what the other scary stories were about.

D. what Mary Shelley's scary story was about.

passage 7

One common superstition is the fear of the number 13. The fear of 13 shows up in many places. On
most airplanes there is no thirteenth row of seats. Most tall buildings do not have a thirteenth floor. And
many people feel a bit nervous on Friday the thirteenth.

From the story you cannot tell

A. that the fear of 13 is very common.

B. if airplanes use 13 as a row number.

C. why people fear the number 13.

D. on what day Friday the thirteenth falls.

Passage 8

Some people keep wild animals as pets. They enjoy raising squirrels, rabbits and other animals in their
homes. But is it good for animals? If you have found an animal that is sick or hurt,call the local Humane
Society. The volunteers who work there are likely to urge you to return your new pet to its natural
environment .

Circle the correct answer.

A. It's better for a squirrel to live in the wild than in your home .

B. Copy a sentence from the passage to justify your answer .

Passage 9

In every state in the USA, it is a law that children must attend school until a certain age. Unless you
attend school, your parents could be taken to court. The law allows that "school" can mean being taught
at home by your parents or going to a private school .

Circle the correct answer.

A. According to the law ,you have the right not to go to school .

B. Copy the sentence to justify your answer.

Drawing Conclusions Post-Test

Questions 01 — 02

Dirmanto and his father had been looking forward to their fishing trip for weeks. They didn't take much
food with them on the trip. When they started fishing they were quickly.

approached by a forest ranger. He asked Julio's father if he had a fishing license Dirmanto's father
reached into his wallet and suddenly got a terrified look on his face: Dirmanto was disappointed that
night as he ate dinner.

01. Why did Dirmanto and his father not take much food with them on the trip?

A. they didn't want to eat too much

B. they didn't have any food at their house

C. they were planning on eating the fish that they caught

D. they don't like to eat fish

02. Which of the following is a conclusion that can be drawn about the story?

A. Dirmanto was disappointed at dinner because he was hoping to have fish for dinner.

B. Dirmanto's mother doesn't like fish.

C. It takes a long time to catch fish.

D. Dirmanto's father is a better fisherman than Dirmanto.

Questions 03 — 04

Richard and Luis had been hiking for hours. Richard had to carry Luis for the last few miles of the hike.
Sweat was rolling down his face as the sun shone directly overhead.

03. What conclusion can be drawn about Luis's age?

A. He is older than Richard.

B. He is the same age as Richard.

C. He just had a birthday.

D. He is younger than Richard.

04. What time of day is it?

A. Morning

B. Midday

C. Midnight

D. Night

Question 05

Annie could hear the music playing over the loud speaker in the mall. She and her mother were
shopping for a present for her father. Annie could see a big line in the centre of the mall. She wondered
what all the people were waiting for. She then heard a jolly "HO! HO! HO!" from the centre of the crowd
and she quickly realized what the people were waiting on. As Annie and her mother walked through the
mall, she noticed that the store windows were decorated with green, white, and red decorations.

05. Which of the following is a conclusion that could be made from the story?

A. Annie and her mother were shopping for a birthday present for Annie's father.

B. The people were waiting in line to see Santa Claus.

C. The mall is close to Annie's house.

D. The music was coming from a band.