Question

Read these passages from FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the CDC, the Center for Disease Control, about what to do in a tornado situation. Which of the following thesis statements would be the BEST way to introduce an essay comparing and contrasting the information in these websites? FEMA If you are not in a sturdy building, there is no single research-based recommendation for what last-resort action to take because many factors can affect your decision. Possible actions include: • Immediately get into a vehicle, buckle your seat belt and try to drive to the closest sturdy shelter. If your vehicle is hit by flying debris while you are driving, pull over and park. • Take cover in a stationary vehicle. Put the seat belt on and cover your head with your arms and a blanket, coat or other cushion if possible. • Lie in an area noticeably lower than the level of the roadway and cover your head with your arms and a blanket, coat or other cushion if possible. In all situations: • Do not get under an overpass or bridge. You are safer in a low, flat location. • Never try to outrun a tornado in urban or congested areas in a car or truck. Instead, leave the vehicle immediately for safe shelter. • Watch out for flying debris. Flying debris from tornadoes causes most fatalities and injuries. CDC On the Road The least desirable place to be during a tornado is in a motor vehicle. Cars, buses, and trucks are easily tossed by tornado winds. DO NOT TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO IN YOUR CAR. If you see a tornado, stop your vehicle. Do not get under your vehicle. Outdoors Do the following if you are caught outside during a tornado and there is no adequate shelter immediately available: • Avoid areas with many trees. • Protect your head with an object or with your arms Although both websites give safety information about being outdoors during a tornado, the information FEMA gives is clearer and more complete than the CDC information. Although the FEMA website says to take shelter in a car, the CDC website warns against it. Both FEMA and the CDC websites give a lot of information about what to do in case you are caught in a car or out in the open during a tornado. The CDC website says to get out of your car during a tornado, but it does not say what you should do after you leave your car, so it is incomplete information.

Answer 1

Answer: The thesis statement: "DO NOT TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO IN YOUR CAR" would be the best way to introduce an essay comparing and contrasting the information on these websites.

Explanation: A thesis statement is a sentence that conveys the main idea of an essay, stating a concise concept for contrasting or comparing information. In this passage, FEMA claims that you should get in your car and drive to the nearest shelter, but in case the tornado is nearby, you must stop. On the other hand, CDC warns you not to get in a car by any circumstance. However, the sentence; "DO NOT TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO IN YOUR CAR" summarizes that both CDC and FEMA believe that you must not try to surpass a tornado by driving, since tornados could toss vehicles.