In an interview with USA TODAY last year, Yale University president Richard Levin declared, "Americans like to have ambitious targets." Begin by deciding if you agree with Levin’s statement. Then, with a partner, look through today’s paper for two examples that support Levin’s quote: one demonstrating American ambition as a positive force and one showing it [...]

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Choose an article from today’s paper about an issue or event that you think will one day be considered a historic milestone. (It can be large or small, as long as you think it has some important significance.) Then, imagine you are writing a book about the event. Begin by writing a one-paragraph summary of [...]

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As the holiday season approaches, many families and individuals will be faced with the difficulty of buying gifts at the end of a trying financial year. Many families may turn to such alternatives as homemade goods or thrifty gifts. Look through today’s paper and find two examples of why thrifty and homemade might indeed be [...]

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When Al Neuharth founded USA TODAY in 1982, he had the goal of providing a national newspaper in the U.S. market. But he also wanted articles in the paper written in a clean, precise and direct style — a style he called "plain talk." Search today’s paper for an outstanding example of this style of writing. Next, [...]

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