Source: Python molurus bivittatus (1),
TimVickers, Wikimedia

1. Which of the two passages about Burmese pythons in Florida needs some revision for sentence variety?

a. Burmese pythons are an invasive species. They live in India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. Many now live in the United States. Thirty thousand live in Florida. They have no natural enemies.

b. Burmese pythons, native to southern Asia, are an invasive species in Florida. In the Everglades and surrounding areas, now home to 30,000 pythons, the snakes are free to feed and breed without any enemies to fear.

Source: 365: 2012/03/02 - chatting to
England, Foxtongue, Flickr

2. Which of the two passages about parents and teens needs some revision for sentence variety?

a. Many parents in the past never really knew what teenagers discussed. The teenagers stayed in their rooms or met up in food courts or parking lots. Most parents today don’t know what teens talk about online. There is an exception. There are some teens who are willing to friend their parents on Facebook.

b. Just as many parents in the past never really knew what teenagers talked about holed up in their rooms or in the food courts or parking lots, the conversations and content shared among teens and tweens online remain a mystery to many of today's parents--with the exception of that rare teen who has no secrets from Mom or Dad and is happy to friend them on Facebook.

Source: Hang Glider, TheRogue, Flickr

3. Which of the two passages about hang glider pilots needs some revision for sentence variety?

a. Even safely on the ground, pilots might have to spend hours lugging more than 100 pounds of equipment in search of a road where they could be picked up. One pilot who could not find her way to a road was rescued by police officers. She was dehydrated and delusional.

Avoiding that nightmarish situation was the main thought in [Dustin] Martin’s mind as he struggled to stay aloft that morning. About nine miles after he disconnected from the plane, he sank to just 1,073 feet above the ground.

b. Hang glider pilots might make it safely to the ground. However, the pilots might still have to spend hours lugging more than 100 pounds of equipment. They have to find a road where they could be picked up. One pilot could not find her way to a road. She was rescued by police officers. She was dehydrated and delusional.

[Dustin] Martin wanted to avoid that nightmarish situation. He struggled to stay aloft. He sank to just 1,073 feet above the ground about nine miles after he disconnected from the plane.

Source: Big Bend 09, auntie rain, Flickr

4. Which of the two passages about hiking in Big Bend National Park needs some revision for sentence variety?

a. Looking at photographs of a recent family vacation, it appears that my wife and I took some daredevilish treks with our two small children. However, it was actually pretty easy once we had set appropriate goals in consultation with park rangers.

Walking a half-mile nature trail that is as civilized as anything in a city park one afternoon, we were startled by a whooshing sound. It was so quiet that we could hear a bird's wings above us. We looked up. After quick consultation with a guidebook, we confirmed that it was a peregrine falcon, a noble refugee from polluted climes. Time stopped as we watched it play the updrafts, turning, tilting, swooping without visible effort.

It is possible to go very far afield in the Big Bend, into the wildest back country. However, it is not essential.

b. Looking at photographs of a recent family vacation, it appears that my wife and I took some daredevilish treks with our two small children, but it was actually pretty easy once we had set appropriate goals in consultation with park rangers.

Walking a half-mile nature trail that is as civilized as anything in a city park one afternoon, we were startled by a whooshing sound. It was so quiet that we could hear a bird's wings above us. We looked up and, after quick consultation with a guidebook, confirmed that it was a peregrine falcon, a noble refugee from polluted climes. Time stopped as we watched it play the updrafts, turning, tilting, swooping without visible effort.

It is possible to go very far afield in the Big Bend, into the wildest back country, but it is not essential.

Source: Corkscrew Roller Coaster, Vlastula, Flickr

5. Which of the two passages about Chad Miller, a designer of wooden and steel roller coasters, needs some revision for sentence variety?

a. Mr. [Chad] Miller, with his shaggy haircut and earrings, is something of a rock star among these fans, who think nothing of traveling thousands of miles to ride a particular [roller] coaster, over and over and over. About 450 of them showed up last month for a weekend event at Holiday World that included some after-hours riding in the dark. Mr. Miller showed up as well, bringing along a steel plate left over from a job in Sweden that he and his partners had autographed for a charity auction.

b. Mr. [Chad] Miller, with his shaggy haircut and earrings, is something of a rock star among these fans. The fans think nothing of traveling thousands of miles to ride a particular [roller] coaster, over and over and over. About 450 of them showed up last month for a weekend event at Holiday World. The event included some after-hours riding in the dark. Mr. Miller showed up as well, bringing along a steel plate left over from a job in Sweden. He and his partners had autographed the steel plate for a charity auction.