SLO Pre-Assessment: Précis The purpose of this writing assessment is to measure the use of precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic.

Directions: Write a Précis on the text provided. Remember, this is a highly structured 4-sentence paragraph. Follow the structure below and write in the space provided.

Sentence 1:

The name of the author,

A phrase describing the author (optional),

The type and title of work, the date of the work (inserted in parentheses),

A rhetorically accurate verb (such as “assert,” “argue,” “suggest,” “imply,” “claim,” etc.) that describes what the author is doing in the text,

A ‘that’ clause in which you state the major assertion (thesis statement/claim) of the author’s text.

Sentence 2:

An explanation of how the author develops and/or supports the thesis (for instance, comparing and contrasting, defining, narrating, illustrating, defining, using humor or sarcasm, relating personal experience, depending on facts/statistics /opinion, etc.) Consider the author’s organization, use of evidence, and/or strategies used to construct his/her argument. Your explanation is usually presented in the same chronological order that the items of support are presented in the work.

Sentence 3:

A statement of the author’s apparent purpose, followed by an IN ORDER TO phrase in which you explain what the author wants the audience to do or feel as a result of reading the work.

Sentence 4:

A description of the intended audience and the relationship the author establishes with the audience.

Ineed . read this textbook passage. select the five (5) statements which are most logically supported by the given information. what would you do if you won ten million dollars in a lottery? your first reaction might be, “i’d spend the rest of my life on the beach (or skiing or traveling).” but in all likelihood you, like most other people who receive financial windfalls,would seek some kind of work eventually. a variety of motives keeps people working,even when they don’t need a paycheck to survive. if you’ve ever worked as a volunteer, you know that someone can be more satisfying than receiving pay. work also provides a sense of identity. one man aged 81 said, “i’ve been in the fabric business since i was a kid, and i still get a kick out of it." studies suggest that rats, pigeons, and children sometimes work to gain rewards,even if they can get the same rewards without working. one researcher wrote the following on the subject: rats will run down an alley tripping over hundreds of food pellets to obtain a single, identical pellet in the goal box, . . and pigeons will peck a key . . to get exactly the same food that is freely available in a nearby cup. given the choice of receiving marbles merely by waiting a certain amount of time for their delivery, children tend to prefer to press a lever . . to get the same marbles. 1. serving a purpose is satisfying. 2. it is not so lucky to win a large amount of money in a lottery. 3. endless “vacationing” eventually becomes dissatisfying. 4. the pay we receive is unimportant. 5. most people try to work as little as possible. 6. people, rats, and pigeons enjoy the challenges and interaction that work offers. 7. it generally feels better to achieve something than to be given something. 8. people who don’t retire continue to work only because they need the money. 9. most people who work as volunteers resent the fact that they are not paid for their work. 10. work can be its own reward.