It was a routine flight from Hilo on Hawaii to Kahului 110 miles away. Suddenly, there was a tremendous noise and the top of the plane was torn away! Ninety four passengers dared not move, wondering what would happen next. They need not have worried because Reben Schormsteimer, the pilot, was firmly in control. For 25 minutes they hardly dared to breathe, through there was plenty of unwelcome fresh air “I didn’t dare to open my mouth.” one of the passengers said later. “I hardly need to tell you how terrified I was.” The passengers embraced the pilot who had brought the plane down safely. “I’ve heard of a plane flying off a roof.” joked one of them later, “but never of a roof flying off a plane!”

It had been a particularly bad winter in Chicago. Nearly forty inches of snow had fallen in a week. Railway workers at Chicago station didn’t know what to do with it. The foreman advised them to shovel it into huge mountains to keep the platforms clear. He told them not to leave any snow on the platforms because it was dangerous for passengers. But it was an impossible task! Suddenly, one of the workers had a bright idea. “I know how to get rid of it,” he said. “Let’s load it onto this freight train. We can send it south to Mississippi and New Orleans. It’ll just melt away.” The next day five tons of snow arrived in Memphis, Tennessee. “It’s welcome gift,” a railway worker said. “We know what to do with it here. We’ll send what we can to the children’s playground. Some of us have never seen snow before!”

문단(단락)의 구성요소를 정리하면 다음과 같다.

주제어, 핵심어 ( main idea / key words / topic / subject words )

흔히 첫 문장에 있으며, 그 문단에서 가장 자주 등장하는 말이다.

주제문 ( topic sentence / subject sentence )

1 주제, 1 문단

대체로 문단의 첫 문장이 주제문이다.

문단에서 설명할 주제를 정의하거나 논점의 방향을 제시한다.

서술문 ( supporting sentences / 밑받침 문장 )

주제문을 발전시킨다.

사실을 열거하거나 예를 들고, 통계, 인용 또는 이유를 제시하면서 주제문을 설명한다.

결론문 ( concluding sentence )

문단을 끝맺으며, 요점을 정리해 준다.

흔히 주제와 같다.

요지 = 필자의 주장 + 주제

문단의 통일성, 일관성, 응집성

하나의 문단은 ‘하나의 주제’ 만을 논의하며, 문장들이 주제를 벗어나 우왕좌왕하지 않는다 ( 통일성 unity ). 또 한 문단을 구성하는 문장들은 한 주제를 중심으로 논리정연한 순서 ( logical order )로 전개된다. ( 일관성 coherence )

Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable for jewelry, coins, and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and will remain beautiful forever. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was minted twenty-three centuries ago. Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. For many years, it has been used in hundreds of industrial applications. The most recent use of gold is in astronauts’ suits. Astronauts wear gold-plated heat shields for protection outside the spaceship. In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty, but also for its utility.