Sample page for themes

In an essay, article, or book, an introduction (also known as a prolegomenon) is a beginning section which states the purpose and goals of the following writing. This is generally followed by the body and conclusion. The introduction typically describes the scope of the document and gives the brief explanation or summary of the document. It may also explain certain elements that are important to the essay if explanations are not part of the main text. The readers can have an idea about the following text before they actually start reading it.

Topic 1 / Sub-theme 1

Mate or maté^[a] also known as chimarrão or cimarrón,^[b] is a traditional South American caffeine-rich infused drink. It is made by soaking dried leaves of the holly species Ilex paraguariensis in hot water and is served with a metal straw in a container typically made from a calabash gourd.

Mate was consumed by the Guaraní and Tupí peoples. It is the national beverage of Argentina,^[2] Uruguay and Paraguay and is also consumed in the Bolivian Chaco, Northern and Southern Chile, Southern Brazil, Syria (the largest importer in the world) and Lebanon, where it was brought from Argentina by immigrants.^[3][4]

Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) contains (among other compounds) the stimulant caffeine. The leaves are dried and chopped or ground to make the coarse powdery preparation called yerba^[c] (meaning ‘herb’), which is then soaked in hot water.

Topic 2 / Sub-theme 2

Catan, previously known as The Settlers of Catan or simply Settlers, is a multiplayer board game designed by Klaus Teuber. It was first published in 1995 in Germany by Franckh-Kosmos Verlag (Kosmos) as Die Siedler von Catan. Players take on the roles of settlers, each attempting to build and develop holdings while trading and acquiring resources. Players gain points as their settlements grow; the first to reach a set number of points, typically 10, wins. The game and its many expansions are also published by Catan Studio, Filosofia, GP, Inc., 999 Games, Κάισσα, and Devir.

The Settlers of Catan became one of the first German-style board games to achieve popularity outside Europe.^[6] As of 2015, more than 22 million copies in 30 languages had been sold.

Topic 3 / Sub-theme 3

The Egyptian pyramids are ancient pyramid-shaped masonry structures located in Egypt. As of November 2008, sources cite either 118 or 138 as the number of identified Egyptian pyramids.^[1][2] Most were built as tombs for the country’s pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods.^[3][4][5]

The earliest known Egyptian pyramids are found at Saqqara, northwest of Memphis, although at least one step-pyramid-like structure has been found at Saqqara, dating to the First Dynasty: Mastaba 3808, which has been attributed to the reign of Pharaoh Anedjib, with inscriptions, and other archaeological remains of the period, suggesting there may have been others.^[6] The otherwise earliest among these is the Pyramid of Djoser built c. 2630–2610 BC during the Third Dynasty.^[7] This pyramid and its surrounding complex are generally considered to be the world’s oldest monumental structures constructed of dressed masonry.^[8]