Paraphrasing and Summarizing: Rephrase the main idea of each sample in your own words, without repeating words or sentence structure from the original statement.

1			Nova Scotia and New Brunswick boast the two largest economies in the Maritimes, but don't exactly get much of the spotlight on a national scale. Alberta has the oil, Ontario has the banking and auto plant jobs, and B.C. and Quebec have much of the remaining manufacturing output. But if you're looking for islands of resiliency during the economic downturn this year, the two Maritime provinces are about as good as it gets in Canada. Source: Silcoff, Sean. "The Maritimes: Go east, young man?" Canadian Business Magazine (Feb 16, 2009). 22.
2			Many airlines started charging a surcharge in an attempt to preserve their bottom lines when the price of oil soared last year. But commodity surcharges may be creeping into other industries as well. Take the paper recycling industry. It's been hit exceptionally hard by increasing supplies that have cut into prices, forcing some companies to add a surcharge on their collection services. Source: Halas, Sarka. “Commodity Surcharges: Charge Cards.” Canadian Business Magazine (Feb 16, 2009). 25.
3			Buying a computer is fraught with trade-offs between price, performance, mobility and features. Now a new class of computers known as netbooks is emerging that tries to strike a new balance. These miniature laptops, weighing only about one kilogram, are more portable than full-sized notebook computers, but — of course — offer fewer features and lower performance. Source: Wahl, Andrew. “Office tech: your next computer?” Canadian Business Magazine (Feb 16, 2009). 28.
4			When convenience stores across Canada were forced to cover up their cigarette displays by “power wall” legislation, their sales sank. But some businesses in New Brunswick have found a novel way to fight back. They’re doing an end run around the laws by shutting their doors to kids and getting licences to convert their convenience stores into smoke shops. Source: Mendleson, Rachel. “Dying stores morph into smoke shops.” Maclean’s (Mar 16, 2009). 26.
5			With the stock market gyrating and the economy uncertain, there’s one low-cost move you can make that’ll pay big dividends: offering your employees financial counseling. Studies have shown that providing such help will increase workers’ feelings of company loyalty and improve retention rates. It should boost productivity, too; when employees are worrying about their savings accounts, they’re not focused on work. Source: Tice, Carol. “Get by with a little financial help.” Entrepreneur 37.3 (Mar 2009). 33.
6			Searching for the next big idea? Sometimes all it takes is a dash of the old to bring new splendor. Indeed, ideas that come from nostalgia are everlasting, and you can find inspiration everywhere. Gabriela Hernandez, 43, found her inspiration in the classic styles of Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn and created a cosmetics line based on the colors and styles of 1940s makeup. In 2004, she founded Bésame Cosmetics, in Glendale, California, and now projects year-end sales of $800,000. Source: Wilson, Sara. “Capitalize on nostalgia.” Entrepreneur 37.3 (Mar 2009). 94.
7			If you’ve bought soap, shampoo, even paper products you thought were good for the planet because they said so, you’ve likely been greenwashed faster than a newbie at a paintball game. Awed by Tide Coldwater’s claim to light cities? Wowed by the greening of Windex and Pledge manufacturer SC Johnson that you’ve been hearing about during American Idol commercial breaks? Sorry, you’ve been had there, too. Source: Downtown, Dawn Rae. “Drowning in Greenwash.” Alive #318 (Apr 2009). 88.
8			A Canadian-developed Internet software program is putting kids’ online safety literally at their fingertips by using their one-of-a-kind prints as their personal ID prior to accessing the web. It’s among several safety components featured in Dolphin Secure, which launched Tuesday, aimed at providing children with a secure Internet experience and parents with a little peace of mind. Rather than run the risk of keying in a user password that could be stolen, altered or simply forgotten, kids enter their user name and scan their fingerprint instead which matches up with a unique number inside Dolphin Secure’s system. Source: La Rose, Lauren. “Security at their fingertips.” The Beacon Herald (Apr 16, 2009). 20.
9			Throughout our research, people said that the leadership style bound to succeed in today’s global and interdependent world is democratic and based on common interests. It is anchored in influence rather than authority, empowerment not control, collaboration instead of dominance. It’s looking for win-win solutions that have a chance to last. Source: Henein, Amal and Morissette, Francoise. Made in Canada Leadership: Wisdom from the Nation’s Best and Brightest on Leadership Practice and Development. Mississauga: John Wiley & Sons Canada, 2007. 162.
10			In January, six teenagers in Greensburg, Penn.—three girls and three boys all under the age of 18—were charged with child pornography for sending and receiving nude pictures of themselves via cellphone after the images were discovered by a high school teacher. Within weeks, teenage “sexting,” to use the catchy coinage, had become a seeming epidemic in the U.S., with a flurry of criminal charges, ranging from possession of child pornography to the lesser felony of obscenity, being laid in more than a dozen states. Source: Kingston, Anne. “The Sexting Scare.” Maclean’s (Mar 16, 2009). 52.
11			Although many environmentally concerned individuals throughout the world invest in stocks, bonds, and real estate, few of these investments are consistent with environmental values. In many cases, investors are providing financial support for corporations that wreak havoc on the planet. Fortunately, there is rapid growth in the field of socially responsible investing, from ethical mutual funds to programs run by progressive financial institutions. Source: Suzuki, David T. and Boyd, David R. David Suzuki’s Green Guide. Vancouver: Greystone Books, 2008. 126.
12			One of the most important and continuing changes in the business world today is the trimming down of staff size. Organizations are becoming leaner, and each employee is expected to wear many hats and have diverse skills. Certainly in organizations experiencing a downsizing or merger, the employees who survive personnel cuts most likely are those who can offer the most talent to the firm. Source: Lambert, Stephen. Great Jobs for Business Majors. 3rd ed. Toronto: McGraw-Hill, 2009. xii.
13			There are many solid reasons why meeting practicing business professionals during your college years is a smart move. You can meet men and women of all ages and backgrounds with a variety of experience, and many will be willing to share that experience. You’ll have a chance to appreciate the diversity present in the world of business and possibly discover some new role models for your own career plans. Source: Lambert, Stephen. Great Jobs for Business Majors. 3rd ed. Toronto: McGraw-Hill, 2009. xiv.
14			Carbon Busters Inc. is a consulting firm that advises school boards, municipalities, and businesses about using energy more efficiently. So far, Carbon Busters’ advice has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 54 million kilograms (121 million pounds), yet this huge environmental improvement cost the clients nothing. Carbon Busters was paid a portion of the savings on energy costs, while the clients themselves saved more than $16 million. Source: Suzuki, David T. and Boyd, David R. David Suzuki’s Green Guide. Vancouver: Greystone Books, 2008. 28.
15			Technology is so pervasive that almost all office employees need to be able to navigate the Web and to use word processing, e-mail, spreadsheet, database, and presentation software. Most colleges and universities have short courses to help students master the technicalities of these programs, and longer courses on technology’s changing impacts on how—and how often—we communicate. If new communications technologies allow for speedy, efficient management and transmission of information, they have simultaneously raised expectations of the accuracy, quality, and speed of written communications. Source: Locker, Kitty and Findlay, Isobel. Business Communication Now. Toronto: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 17.