SAMPLE PARAGRAPH 3
The topic sentence is green, the three main supporting sentences are blue, and the concluding sentence is orange.
A STRANGE PICTURE
Viewers in other countries who watch American daytime TV undoubtedly have a distorted picture of average Americans and their lifestyles. First, in most programs and commercials, the settings are luxurious. The decor of homes reflects high middle class taste and affluence. For example, many of the homes featured in All My Children are decorated with antiques and oriental carpets. The homes of most of the characters in the daytime "soaps" are filled with opulent furnishings and surrounded by gorgeously landscaped yards featuring picture–book patios, spas, swimming pools, and tennis courts. Not only do the characters live in expensive homes, but they also dress in designer clothing, wear expensive jewelry, drive luxury cars, dine in elegant restaurants, and fly in private jets to vacation at exclusive resorts. One has to watch only a few segments of All My Children, The Bold and the Beautiful, The Young and the Restless, General Hospital, or any of the daytime "soaps" to assume that such lifestyles reflect average America. Finally, the characters on these programs are self–centered, materialistic, and amoral. For example, in a recent episode of one of the "soaps," the main character was trying to steal her best friend's husband. The character wanted the man because she wanted to travel and because he owned a resort in the Bahamas and a manor house in England. The character's actions were motivated by her obsession to get rid of her best friend and get the man. Unfortunately, American television communicates the message that Americans are wealthy, egotistical, materialistic opportunists. —Sue Graef