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Font: 12, Space: double Example of Comparison and Contrast Essay (using point-by-point organization

!apan and t"e #S$-%ifferent but $li&e

'"e culture of a place is an integral part of its society ("et"er t"at place is a remote )ndian *illage in +razil or a "ig"ly industrialized city in ,estern Europe- '"e culture of !apan fascinates $mericans because, at first glance, it seems so differentE*eryt"ing t"at c"aracterizes t"e #nited States ne(ness, racial "eterogeneity, *ast territory, informality, and an et"ic of indi*idualism-is absent in !apan- '"ere, one

finds an ancient and "omogeneous society, an et"ic t"at emp"asizes t"e importance of groups, and a tradition of formal be"a*ior go*erning e*ery aspect of daily li*ing, from drin&ing tea to saying "ello- .n t"e surface at least, $merican and !apanese societies seem totally opposite.ne ob*ious difference is t"e people- !apan is a "omogenous society of one nationality and a fe( underrepresented minority groups, suc" as t"e et"nic C"inese and /oreans- $ll areas of go*ernment and society are controlled by t"e !apanese ma0ority)n contrast, alt"oug" t"e united states is a country (it" originally European roots, its liberal immigration policies "a*e resulted in its becoming a "eterogeneous society of many et"nicities-Europeans, $fricans, $sians, and 1atinos- $ll are represented in all areas of $merican society, including business, education, and politics.t"er areas of difference from !apan in*ol*e issues of group interaction and
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sense of space- ,"ereas $mericans pride t"emsel*es on indi*idualism and informality, !apanese *alue groups and formality- $mericans admire and re(ard a person ("o rises abo*e t"e cro(d2 in contrast, a !apanese pro*erb says, 3'"e nail t"at stic&s up gets "ammered do(n-4 )n addition, ("ile $mericans5 sense of size and scale de*eloped out of t"e *astness of t"e 6ort" $merican continent, !apanese genius lies in t"e diminuti*e and miniature- For example, $merica builds airplanes, ("ile !apan produces transistors)n spite of t"ese differences, t"ese t(o apparently opposite cultures s"are se*eral important experiences+ot", for example, "a*e transplanted cultures- Eac" nation "as a 3mot"er4 society-C"ina for !apan and 7reat +ritain for t"e #nited States-t"at "as influenced t"e daug"ter in countless (ays: in language, religion, art, literature, social customs, and (ays of t"in&ing- !apan, of course, "as "ad more time t"an t"e #nited States to (or& out its uni8ue interpretation of t"e older C"inese culture, but bot" countries reflect t"eir cultural ancestry+ot" societies, moreo*er, "a*e de*eloped t"e art of business and commerce, of buying and selling, of ad*ertising and mass producing, to t"e "ig"est le*els- Fe( sig"ts are more reassuring to $mericans t"an t"e tens of t"ousands of bustling stores seen in !apan, especially t"e beautiful, (ell-stoc&ed department stores- 'o $merican eyes, t"ey seem 0ust li&e 9acy5s or 6eiman 9arcus at "ome- )n addition, bot" !apan and $merica are consumer societies- '"e people of bot" countries lo*e to s"op and are ent"usiastic consumers of con*enience products and fast foods- :ending mac"ines
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selling e*eryt"ing from fres" flo(ers to "ot coffee are as popular in !apan as t"ey are in $merica, and fast-food noodle s"ops are as common in !apan as 9c%onald5s restaurants are in $merica$ final similarity is t"at bot" !apanese and $mericans "a*e al(ays emp"asized t"e importance of (or&, and bot" are paying penalties for t"eir commitment to it: increasing stress and (ea&ening family bonds- $mericans, especially t"ose in business and in t"e professions, regularly put in t(el*e or more "ours a day at t"eir 0obs, 0ust as many !apanese executi*es do- $lso, ("ile t"e normal !apanese (or&(ee& is six days, many $mericans ("o (ant to get a"ead *oluntarily (or& on Saturday and;or Sunday in addition to t"eir normal fi*e-day (or&(ee&!apan and $merica: different, yet ali&e- $lt"oug" t"e t(o societies differ in many areas suc" as racial "eterogeneity *ersus racial "omogeneity, indi*idualism *ersus group cooperation, and informal *ersus formal forms of be"a*ior2 t"ey s"are more t"an one common experience- Furt"ermore, t"eir differences probably contribute as t"an one common experience- Furt"ermore, t"eir differences probably contribute as muc" as t"eir similarities to(ard t"e mutual interest t"e t(o countries "a*e in eac" ot"er- )t (ill be interesting to see ("ere t"is reciprocal fascination leads in t"e future-

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Example of Comparison Essay (using point-by-point organization

6ot $s %ifferent $s <ou '"in&

$ll countries in t"e (orld are uni8ue- '"ey are different from one anot"er in location, size, culture, go*ernment, climate, and lifestyles- ?o(e*er, many countries s"are similarities- Some may t"in& t"at because +razil and t"e #nited States are in different "emisp"eres, t"ese t(o nations "a*e not"ing in common- .n t"e contrary, t"ey s"are many similarities.ne important similarity is t"eir size- +ot" +razil and t"e #nited States are large countries- +razil co*ers almost "alf of t"e Sout" $merican continent- Fe( +razilians can say t"at t"ey "a*e tra*eled extensi*ely (it"in its borders- +ecause of +razil5s large size, its (eat"er *aries greatly from one area to anot"er- 1i&e +razil, t"e #nited States ta&es up a significant portion of its continent (6ort" $merica , so most $mericans "a*e *isited only a fe( of t"e fifty states- )n addition, t"e #nited States "as a (ide range of climates- ,"ile t"e 6ort"east is experiencing sno(storms, cities li&e 9iami, Florida, can "a*e temperatures o*er @A degrees Fa"ren"eit$not"er similarity bet(een +razil and t"e #nited States is t"e di*ersity of
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et"nic groups- +razil (as colonized by Europeans, and its culture "as been greatly influenced by t"is fact- ?o(e*er, t"e identity of t"e +razilian people is not solely a product of ,estern Ci*ilization- +razil is a 3melting pot4 of many et"nic groups t"at immigrated t"ere and mixed (it" t"e nati*e people- '"e #nited States also "as a di*ersity of et"nic groups representing t"e early colonist from nort"ern Europe as (ell as groups from $frica, t"e 9editerranean, $sia, and Sout" $merica- '"e mixture of cultures and customs "as (or&ed to form et"nically ric" cultures in bot" countriesFinally, indi*idualism is an important *alue for bot" +razilians and $mericans+razil (or&s "ard to defend t"e concept of freedom of c"oice- Citizens belie*e t"at t"ey "a*e t"e rig"t to do and be ("ate*er t"ey desire as long as t"ey don5t "urt ot"ers- )ndi*idualism and freedom of c"oice also exist in t"e #nited States, ("ere freedom is per"aps t"e "ig"est *alue of t"e people- Some may belie*e t"at t"e desire for indi*idual expression is di*isi*e and can ma&e a country (ea&- ?o(e*er, t"e ability of people to be ("ate*er t"ey (ant ma&es bot" countries strong$lt"oug" +razil and t"e #nited States are uni8ue countries, t"ere are remar&able similarities in t"eir size, et"nic groups, and personal *alues- Some people tend to belie*e t"at t"eir culture and country are (it"out e8ual- 6e*ert"eless, it is important to remember t"at people as a ("ole "a*e more in common t"an t"ey generally t"in& t"ey do-

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Example of Contrast Essay (using bloc& format


9y '(o Sisters

9y grandfat"er, ("o (as interested in genealogy, once traced our family tree as far bac& as "e could, but "e couldn5t get fart"er bac& t"an 1CAD- )n t"at year, a foreign s"ip *isited my family5s little fis"ing *illage, and nine mont"s later, t"e only daug"ter in t"at family "ad a baby boy- 6o one &no(s ("at nationality t"at sailor (as, but t"e genes "e passed on "a*e been playing tric&s (it" our family e*er since)n e*ery generation, someone s"o(s up ("o is radically different from all t"e ot"ers)n my generation, it5s my older sister, 1isa, ("o is different- 1isa and Ellen, ("o is my ot"er sister, are as opposite as nig"t and day1isa typifies t"e radically different part of t"e family- 1isa is tall, slim, an elegant, (it" long dar& "air and bro(n eyes- 1isa (ears "er "air long and loose- S"e loo&s tanned e*en in (inter and is al(ays t"e first person in spring to start (earing
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s"orts- ?er personality fits "er loo&s- 1isa is excitable- ,"en 1isa gets angry, s"e doesn5t 0ust do it in a small (ay2 s"e ma&es suc" a commotion t"at it can be "eard in t"e next to(n- ,"en s"e5s "appy, s"e5s ecstatic- ,"en 1isa found out t"at s"e "ad passed "er uni*ersity entrance exam, s"e danced in bare feet t"roug" t"e ("ole to(n and partied for t(o solid (ee&s- S"e is al(ays on t"e loo&out for ne( and exciting experiences, and s"e ne*er does anyt"ing "alf"eartedly- .n "er (edding day, 1isa (ore a red mini-dress at "er first (edding and blue 0eans at "er second- ?er passion for life extends from lo*e to politics2 s"e5s di*orced (it" t"ree daug"ters by t(o different "usbands, and s"e5s a dedicated socialist- '"ere5s not"ing ordinary about 1isaEllen, my younger sister, is "er exact opposite- Ellen is s"ort (A feet, 2 inc"es and blond- Ellen5s eyes are summer-s&y blue, clear and untroubled- Ellen (ears "er blond "air in a s"ort, practical style- )n summer, Ellen gets sunburned easily and al(ays carries bottles of suntan lotion for "erself and "er e8ually blond c"ildren- Ellen is calm- ) "a*e ne*er yet "eard "er raise "er *oice at anyone, and "er laug" is a gentle breeze- .n "er (edding day, Ellen smiled softly and dressed in a traditional ("ite dress- Ellen "as ne*er c"anged "usbands, nor does s"e "a*e any intention of doing so- Ellen is a summer day, a calm ocean- S"e de*otes "erself entirely to "er c"ildren and "er "ouse- :isiting Ellen5s "ouse is li&e coming "ome?o( can t(o suc" opposites be born to t"e same familyF #ntil genetic researc" can come up (it" an ans(er, ) am content to belie*e t"e story of t"e un&no(n sailor- )n fact, e*en if a scientist s"ould fine t"e real ans(er, )5d rat"er not
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&no(- Some t"ings are more interesting ("en t"ey are left to t"e imagination-

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