1. According to the criteria we developed in class, which of the following thesis statements is not adequate and would make a poor controlling idea for an essay?

A) As science begins to provide glimmers of answers to the questions surrounding what causes homosexuality, such scientific research may not only enhance our self-knowledge as human beings but also may have influence, however indirect, on our politics and cultural beliefs.

B) In their first year of life, babies acquire increasingly sophisticated cognitive and motor skills as they move from reflexive to nonreflexive activities, from pure response to self-initiated actions and behaviors.

C) Edgar Allan Poe's strategic use of light and darkness in his poem %u201CThe Raven%u201D symbolizes the emotional extremes of the narrator's intellect and soul.

D) The 16th century union of Europeans with the remarkable New World food that came to be called the %u201Cpotato,%u201D would, because of its effects on diets and economies, change the course of world history as much as any gold or silver stolen from the Incan Empire.

2. Which criterion that we discussed in class most clearly establishes that the thesis in question 26 is not adequate?

A) It%u2019s an inadequate thesis because it confuses a list (a preview statement) with a controlling idea.

B) It%u2019s an inadequate thesis because the sentence is far too generic and generalized.

C) It%u2019s an inadequate thesis because its key terms are undefined.

D) It%u2019s an inadequate thesis because it is only a statement of fact; it fails to develop a position that can be a strong controlling idea.