Paraphrase exercises

1. "The Antarctic is the vast source of cold on our planet, just as the sun is the source of our heat, and it exerts tremendous control on our climate," [Jacques] Cousteau told the camera. "The cold ocean water around Antarctica flows north to mix with warmer water from the tropics, and its upwellings help to cool both the surface water and our atmosphere. Yet the fragility of this regulating system is now threatened by human activity." From "Captain Cousteau," Audubon (May 1990):17.

Antarctica produces the largest amount of cold on earth. It is responsible for keeping our planet and our atmosphere safe and cool and its water currents mix with the tropical waters and stabilize our environment. In fact, Antarctica plays a mayor role on our climate but unfortunately, we risking that stability due to our actions. Captain Cousteau," Audubon (May 1990):17.

2. The twenties were the years when drinking was against the law, and the law was a bad joke because everyone knew of a local bar where liquor could be had. They were the years when organized crime ruled the cities, and the police seemed powerless to do anything against it. Classical music was forgotten while jazz spread throughout the land, and men like Bix Beiderbecke, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie became the heroes of the young. The flapper was born in the twenties, and with her bobbed hair and short skirts, she symbolized, perhaps more than anyone or anything else, America's break with the past. From Kathleen Yancey, English 102 Supplemental Guide (1989): 25.

80 years ago, things were very different. Back then, drinking was illegal but they all knew of ways to drink it. Mafia spread all around the cities and police officers were unable to stop it. Jazz became popular and it affected the Childs’ lifestyle. Since then everything changed because new heroes appeared, and everything, including the hairstyles and fashion changed. Kathleen Yancey, English 102 Supplemental Guide (1989): 25.

3. Of the more than 1000 bicycling deaths each year, three-fourths are caused by head injuries. Half of those killed are school-age children. One study concluded that wearing a bike helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent. In an accident, a bike helmet absorbs the shock and cushions the head. From "Bike Helmets: Unused Lifesavers," Consumer Reports (May 1990): 348.

Hundreds of people die every year because of riding bicycle. The majority of them are caused by concussions and many of them are students. Studies have proved that wearing a helmet lowers the risk of concussions by remarkable numbers. The purpose of these helmets is to absorb the hit and ensure the safety of the passenger. Helmets save your life. Bike Helmets: Unused Lifesavers," Consumer Reports (May 1990): 348.

4. Matisse is the best painter ever at putting the viewer at the scene. He's the most realistic of all modern artists, if you admit the feel of the breeze as necessary to a landscape and the smell of oranges as essential to a still life. "The Casbah Gate" depicts the well-known gateway Bab el Aassa, which pierces the southern wall of the city near the sultan's palace. With scrubby coats of ivory, aqua, blue, and rose delicately fenced by the liveliest gray outline in art history, Matisse gets the essence of a Tangier afternoon, including the subtle presence of the bowaab, the sentry who sits and surveys those who pass through the gate. From Peter Plagens, "Bright Lights." Newsweek (26 March 1990): 50.

Matisse is an expert at painting living art. He recreates anything from the gentle wind to the sweet smell of fresh fruits. His ability to recreate life-liked paintings makes him deserving of being one of the best painters in history. It’s the fact that he feels what he is doing that makes his paintings so real and wheather he paints tragic scenes from war or a summer afternoon, he is the best at making you feel it. Bright Lights." Newsweek (26 March 1990): 50.

5. While the Sears Tower is arguably the greatest achievement in skyscraper engineering so far, it's unlikely that architects and engineers have abandoned the quest for the world's tallest building. The question is: Just how high can a building go? Structural engineer William LeMessurier has designed a skyscraper nearly one-half mile high, twice as tall as the Sears Tower. And architect Robert Sobel claims that existing technology could produce a 500-story building. From Ron Bachman, "Reaching for the Sky." Dial (May 1990): 15.

How tall can buildings get? The sears Tower in Chicago, Illinois ranks amongst the highest buildings in the United States. Yet, plans don't sop here, there are plans of constructing a building that would reach 800 m in hight which means that it will be two times bigger than the Sears Tower. Not only that, but there are enough materials to build a building with 500 floors. From Ron Bachman, "Reaching for the Sky." Dial (May 1990): 15.