Writing1.
Write an essay about something or someone interests you, trying to use the strategy of exemplification.
An Unforgetable Professor
Perhaps the most vital person I have ever met is an Italian professor of philosophy who teaches at the University of Pisa. Although I last met this man eight years ago, I have not forgotten his special qualities. First of all, I was impressed by his devotion to teaching. Because his lectures were always well-prepared and clearly delivered, students swarmed into his classroom. His followers appreciated the fact that he believed in what he taught and that he was intellectually stimulating. Furthermore, he could be counted on to explain his ideas in an imaginative way, introducing such aids to understanding as paintings, recordings, pieces of sculpture, and guest lectures. Once he even sang a song in class to illustrate a point. Second, I admired the fact that he would confer with students outside of the classroom or talk with them on the telephone. Drinking coffee in the snack bar, he would easily make friends with students. Sometimes he would challenge a student to a game of chess. At other times, he would join groups to discuss subjects ranging from astronomy to scuba diving. Many young people visited him in his office for academic advice; other came to his home for social evenings. Finally, I was attracted by his lively wit. He believed that no class hour is a success unless the students and the professor share several chuckles and at least one loud laugh. Through his sense of humor, he made learning more enjoyable and more lasting. If it is true that life makes a wise man smile and a foolish man cry, then my friend is truly a wise man. Probably the best example of his wit is this bit of wisdom with which be once ended a lecture. "It is as dangerous for man to model himself upon his invention, the machine, as it would be for God to model Himself upon His invention."
[解析] 要求写一篇自己感兴趣的事或令“我”难忘的人。以《一位令你难忘的教授》为例。我们可以先提出文章的中心思想(Perhaps the most vital person I have ever met is an Italian professor of philosophy who teaches at the University of Pisa.)。然后对教授的特征展开详细的描述。对教授印象最深刻的事情也应进行详细的阐述。最后可以再次强调教授是你最难忘的人。
为了能够感染读者,我们要尽量选择有感染力之处。
2.
The following passage is incomplete with one body paragraph missing. Study the passage carefully and write the missing paragraph in about 100 words. Make sure that your tone and diction are in unity with the passage provided. The appeal of advertising to buying motives can have both negative and positive effects. Consumers may be convinced to buy a product of poor quality or high price because of an advertisement. For example, some advertisement have appealed to people's desire for better fuel economy for their cars by advertising automotive products that improve gasoline mileage. Some of the products work. Others are workless and a waste of consumers' money.
Sometimes advertising is intentionally misleading. A few years ago, a brand of bread was offered to dieters with the message that there were fewer calories in every slice. It turned out that the bread was not dietetic, but just regular bread. There were fewer calories because it was sliced very thin, but there were the same number of calories in every loaf.
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Each consumer must evaluate her or his own situation. Are the benefits of the product important enough to justify buying? Advertising is intended to appeal to consumers, but it does not force them to buy the product. Consumers still control final buying decision.
On the positive side, emotional appeals may respond to a consumer's real concerns. Consider fire insurance. Fire insurance may be sold by appealing to fear of loss. But fear of loss is the real reason for fire insurance. The security of knowing that property is protected by insurance makes the purchase of fire insurance a worthwhile investment for most people. If consumers consider the quality of the insurance plans as well as the message in the ads, they will benefit from the advertising.
[解析] 补写段落应该把给出的文章内容读透彻,从其他段落中尤其是第一段中寻求讯息,找出文章缺失的段落应该从哪些方面入手。
文章开头便告知:“The appeal of advertising to buying motives can be both negative and positive effects.”接着简要描述了一些负面的状况,并不排除广告中介绍的物品也却有奇效的。
第二段有一个总领句,即“Sometimes advertising is intentionally misleading.”之后列举了一个例子,来说明确实有一些广告是故意误导消费者的。
那么第三段应该是怎样的内容呢?我们先不急于判断,把最后一段内容阅读完毕再来判断。最后一段的内容是讲述每一个消费者必须去估量自身的情况,去考虑想要购买的产品是否值得购买。广告固然是为了吸引消费者,但毕竟消费者自己有最终的决定权。这可算是一个小小的文章总结。
那么我们回过头来再去猜想第三段应该怎样补写。很自然,在经过文章开头的总领之后,加之已经介绍过了广告的负面结果,最终又对消费者的购物目的做了总结,第三段的内容应该是介绍一些有关广告的正面效应来和上下文衔接。段首应该有一个总领句,介绍广告也确实有积极的方面。为了和上段的结构照应,也应该列举一个例子来说明为什么也会有这样的正面效果。这样文章就被补写完整了。
3.
The following passage is incomplete with one body paragraph missing. Study the passage carefully and write the missing paragraph in about 100 words. Make sure that your tone and diction are in unity with the passage provided. In our system of education today, examinations are a common feature. Our present education system has often been criticized as too examination-oriented. However, one must remember that in offices and other areas of work, examinations still feature clearly. There is no doubt that the fear and influence of examination cause much preparation work. So it therefore appears that examinations whether considered good or bad would stay for a while as a test of human knowledge.
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In offices whether government or private ones, examination results show clearly whether a person is fit for promotion. The results indicate how much he knows about the work.
In our schools, examinations play several roles. Yearly school examinations help to grade students into different classes. Government examination help to stream students into different classes so that they can pursue a specific line of study.
In all these cases, examinations inculcate a spirit of hard work and competition. Students or office workers can refresh their mind again and again on what they have learnt. This maintains a certain individual and overall standard of knowledge.
Examinations are meant to test the intellect of a person, how much he knows or how he has learnt from a particular course. It is designed to make students study, which should be their immediate mission in life. In our competitive world today, examinations have a highly selecting or filtering role. In the university, students have to pass annual examinations before they are all owed to continue, or study a harder syllabus. The examination results would show whether the student is ready to start the next phase of his course. Moreover, for entrance into a university, preuniversity examination results would provide a guide as to judge whether a student has the minimum qualifications necessary. This is because the number of seats in the university is limited and only deserving, hard-working students should be given a place.
[解析] 该文章有5个自然段,要求根据内容补出第2段。
第一自然段简要讲述了现当今的教育中,考试是非常普遍的一种方式,用来考查学习和工作状况。虽然被指责以考试为导向,但它确实为工作和学习提供一种测试方式。
第三段和第四段讲述考试在职场和学校里施行的状况。
最后一段总结了考试的有利作用。
根据内容的上下关系,我们可以推断出,第二段应该在第一段的基础之上,讲“Examination”的具体状况,如它的目的、作用等。还可联系实际说明其作用。将上一段的内容扩展,同时联系下文。
在写议论文时,要根据文章的内容适当联系实际,或列数字,或打比方,或作比较,以丰富文章内容。
4.
Read the following passage carefully and compose a "topic outline" for it. Smell, as a means of nonverbal communication, is important. Odor communicates not only when we are face to face with another person, but also when the other person is not present. People from different cultures may have different attitudes toward body odors.
Most people in the West respond negatively to what they consider bad odors such as body odor, breath odor, or clothes that emit unpleasant smells such as sweat. They work hard to cover up their body odor and view those with body odor as dirty and unsanitary. However, people usually are not comfortable in discussing the topic, and generally will not tell another that his or her body odor is offensive. They will simply avoid being close to the person and will end the conversation as quickly as possible.
Other cultures have quite different concepts of natural odors; they consider them as normal and believe that it is an act of friendship to "breathe the breath" of the person with whom they converse and to feel their presence by smelling. For example, Arabs don't seem to feel comfortable unless they can smell each other. When Arabs talk, they virtually envelop each other in their breath. Smelling the natural body odors of one's friend is desirable; denying him or her this privilege is to act ashamedly. In other cultures smell also plays an important role. In Japan, young girls will often play a game involving the placing of five fragrances in tiny boxes. The girl who identifies the most aromas wins the game. In Bali, Indonesia, when lovers greet one another, they often breathe deeply in a kind of friendly sniffing. It is not uncommon for young lovers in the Philippines to trade small pieces of clothing on parting so that the smell of the other person will evoke their affection for each other.
Not knowing cultural variations in attitude toward smell can create uncertainty and even ill feeling. For example, a medical doctor from Saudi Arabia once worked in a hospital in the southern United States. Problems arose when patients refused to have the Saudi doctor examine them. Interviews with patients revealed two problems: He "smelled bad" and he breathed on the patients. The doctor's training had apparently failed to include the difference between Arabic and American attitudes and practices relating to smell. Clearly, encounters between people with such widely differing attitudes could lead to serious miscommunication. To maintain harmonious intercultural business relationships, one should remember these diverse attitudes toward smell.
1. Introduction: smell and people's attitudes toward it
A. Smell being an important means of nonverbal communication
B. Thesis= People from different cultures may have different attitudes toward body odors.
2. Negative reaction to body odors in the West
A. Attempting to cover them up
B. Avoiding being close to people with body odors
3. Positive attitudes to body odors in some other cultures
A. Arabs willing to smell each other's body odors
B. Girls in Japan playing a game of fragrance identification
C. Lovers in Bali sniffing each other as a way of greeting
D. Lovers in the Philippines trading pieces of clothing to keep each other's smell
4. Conclusion= importance of awareness of cultural differences relating to smell
A. Avoiding miscommunication
B. Maintaining harmonious business relationship
[解析] 这篇文章是关于气味的。全文共有四段,首先来分析一下文章各段的内容:
第一段:有两层意思。第一,气味作为非语言交流的一种方式很重要。气味不仅在面对面交流时传递信息,并且当另一个人不在场时也同样传递信息。第二,来自不同文化背景的人对于体味有不同的态度。
1)nonverbal communication非语言交流
2)face to face面对面
Odor communicates not only when we are face to face with another person, but also when the other person is not present.
气味不仅在面对面交流时传递信息,并且当另一个人不在场时也同样传递信息。
第二段:西方的大多数人对那些他们认为是不好气味的东西持否定态度,比如体味,和带有汗味的衣服。所以一方面,他们努力去遮盖自己的体味,并且认为那些带有体味的人是肮脏的。另一方面,人们并不习惯于谈论这个话题,通常不会告诉对方他的体味让人觉得不舒服。他们会尽量和对方保持距离,或者尽早结束谈话。
view...as...视……为……
They work hard to cover up their body odor and view those with body odor as dirty and unsanitary.
他们努力去遮盖自己的体味,并且认为那些带有体味的人是肮脏的。
第三段:有些国家对于体味持肯定的态度,认为体味是自然的,闻对方的味道是一种友好的表现,同时以此来感受对方的存在。然后举了四个不同地方的事例来说明。第一,阿拉伯人觉得如果闻不到对方的体味就会觉得不舒服。第二,在日本,女孩喜欢玩一个游戏,在一个盒子中放入五种不同的香味,能识别出种类最多的人将是胜利者。第三,印度尼西亚的巴厘岛,恋人通常深深地呼吸对方的气味以表达问候。第四,在菲律宾,年轻的恋人总是喜欢在分别时相互交换布片,以便对方的气味会唤起他们对彼此的爱意。
play an important role扮演着重要的角色、起重要的作用。
In other cultures smell also plays an important role.
在其他的文化中,气味也扮演着重要的角色。
第四段:这一段是全文的总结。通过一个实例说明了解不同文化对于体味的态度可以避免一些误解,最后又阐明,这样有助于建立一种和谐的商业关系。
1)Not knowing cultural variations in attitude toward smell can create uncertainty and eyen ill feeling.
不了解对气味的态度的文化差异,可能会造成令人把握不定的局面,甚至会产生不好的感觉。
2)encounters between people with such widely differing attitudes could lead to serious miscommunication.
对气味有截然不同态度的人们相遇,可能会导致严重误会。
通过上面的分析,文章的层次就很清楚了。全文四段各自为一个层次。第一段总的讲到气味和人们对它的态度。一方面讲到气味的重要性,另一方面讲到不同文化背景下的人们对气味有不同的态度。但后者是主题。第二段讲到西方人对体味的消极态度。一方面,他们会尽量去遮盖体味,另一方面,他们会尽量和有体味的人保持一定的距离。第三段讲到有些国家对于体味持积极的态度。然后举了四个例子加以论证。第四段总结意识到这种文化差异的重要性。一方面可以避免产生误会,另一方面有利于建立和谐的国际商业关系。
5.
Describe a process which you know about.
How to Post a Parcel
It is necessary for a person to know how to post a parcel, since almost everyone has relatives and friends living far away and he may like to send them something.
Different objects are packed in different ways. Things like bottles of medicine and watches should be put into wooden boxes to avoid breakage. After you have packed the objects, put down your address and that of the addressee on the wrapping. Give the parcel to the postal clerk for him to check. He will then give you a form to fill in. Having filled in the form, you give it together with the parcel to the clerk. He will weigh the parcel and tell you how much you should pay. You pay the money and get a receipt. Be sure to keep your receipt until you are sure that the addressee has received the parcel. If anything wrong should happen to your parcel, you can show the receipt to the clerk and asked to be reimbursed.
Next time if you want to send a parcel to someone, you can find you just have to follow the suggested steps.
[解析] 说明做某件事的过程时,通常以时间的先后为线索。文章开始可以先切入主题,介绍下面要说明什么事,为什么要讲这件事;主体部分当然要讲做这件事的每个步骤;文尾要进行决结。要说明其必要性,可以使用诸如:It is necessary for a person to know how to post a parcel, since almost everyone has relatives and friends living far away and he may like to send them something. 这样的句子。
6.
Write a concluding paragraph for the following essay. How to Prepare for an Interview
Being interviewed is a situation that nearly everyone faces at some time in life, whether for college or for a job. Most people face this deal with anxiety and even fear. However, people who prepare for an interview avoid much of this anxiety. Preparing for an interview involves doing advance research, choosing the right outfit, and planning appropriate communication with the interview.
Doing research before the actual interview will increase the chances for a successful interview. Find out the location of the interview site and decide how to travel there to arrive on time. Nothing makes as poor an impression on an interviewer as arriving late. In addition, learn about the company or situation where you are being interviewed. This will help you ask intelligent questions. If your interview is for admission to a school, find out what courses the school offers in your field of interest. For a job interview, find out about the kind of work that the company does. If you already work at the company and are being interviewed for a promotion, research the duties of the job for which you are applying. Such research will show the interviewer that you are interested in obtaining the job or being admitted to the school.
Dressing appropriately for the interview is important because your appearance will be the first thing the interviewer notices about you. This means wearing clean, neatly pressed clothing and subdued color combinations such as brown or navy with white. You want to make a good impression, but at the same time you do not want to attract attention to your clothing. Also, you wear loud colors of overly noticeable clothes, the interviewer might question your judgement about what's acceptable behavior for a school or office setting.
Preparing what you might say to the interviewer will help you feel more in control of the situation. From your research, prepare a list of questions that you would like to ask the interviewer. As you prepare what you might say, remind yourself of what not to say. For instance, you won't want to ask questions that are too personal. Also, remind yourself not talk too much. Make a mental note to let the interviewer guide and control the course of the meeting. Also plan to answer the interviewer's questions fully, explaining your answers rather than replying by saying only yes or no. Remember, the interviewer is trying to from an impression of you and how you would fit in at the school or company.
By following these steps, you will be prepared for your interview and feel more confident about the result. You will also increase your chances of making the good impression that is important for getting accepted into the school of your choice or landing the job you want.
[解析] 这是一篇说明文。当我们研究怎样做一些事情时,通常会按时间顺序安排一系列事件。说明文的组织十分重要。在引言段,首先要声明介绍的事件以及它的重要性。对于如何面试成功,首先要说明其必要性。可以使用诸如:Preparing for an interview involves doing advance research, choosing the right outfit,and planning appropriate communication with the interview. 来导出文章的中心句。对于主体段落可以按照顺序列出主要步骤,文章的主体段落是对主题思想句的分项分点的详细阐述和说明,首先说在面试之前要多查阅一些相关的资料,并列举出很多的例子。在第三段中讲述了面试时穿着要得体。第四段讲述了要提前准备好在面试时所要表达的话题。很显然,本题所考的是补充其中一个结论段,我们可以使用这样中心思想:By following these steps, you will be prepared for your interview and feel more confident about the result. 这样读者才能大致了解整个过程。