Writing1.
The following passage is incomplete with the concluding paragraph missing. Study the passage carefully and write the missing paragraph of about 100 words. Make sure that the tone and vocabulary you use are in unity with the passage provided. Manners Are Important
As one looks about, it becomes very easy to conclude that good manners seem to be a thing of the past. More and more people seem to be discourteous to one another, more indicative of a "survival of the fittest" attitude of living in a civilized society. Although much of what was considered good manners at the turn of the last century may no longer be appropriate, common courtesy and acceptable behavior are still necessary to make life pleasant, especially as our cities become more and more crowded. Although common courtesy is the underlying framework, good manners are manifested in two distinct areas, business and social relationships.
The world of business has become increasingly impersonal over the years. The fast development of computers has removed the personal touch from many business dealings. It is not uncommon, when phoning a company, to get a recorded message telling us which number to press. When we finally do get a live person on the other end, he often seems uncaring. Good business sense, though, would dictate the importance of getting back to the personal touch. The speaker should identify himself by name to the caller and make every effort to be courteous and helpful. Above all, he should take great pains to assure the call is not disconnected. In addition, he should make certain that the caller is connected to his party and not kept waiting long while listening to canned music. Good manners will assure happy, loyal customers.
Good manners are, perhaps, most frequently associated with social relationships.
Unfortunately, here again they seem to be in decline. Giving up one's seat on a crowded bus to an elderly person, a pregnant woman, or an obviously tired person seems to be a thing of the past. People also seem to have forgotten how to behave as an audience. It is not uncommon to see people putting their feet up on the seats in front of them or talking loudly during a movie or play. Even restaurants are not immune from the lack of good manners. Young parents do not seem to care that their children are roaming throughout the restaurant or are crying and disturbing the other guests. These examples touch only the surface of the rapid decline of good manners.
Good manners in the modern times are essential for people to live comfortably and peacefully with each other in every aspect of their lives. As our cities are growing more and more crowded it is the good manners that will help people learn to self-regulate their behavior to make themselves suitable in the society, and, moreover, it is the good manners that will make the difference between a civilized society and a jungle. We must all be able to expect certain types of behavior of our fellow citizens, or the quality of life will rapidly deteriorate.
[解析] 这篇文章是关于举止礼仪的。需要补充的是最后一段结论。下面来具体分析各段的意思。
第一段:总述。
正如人们所见到的那样,遵守礼仪规范正渐渐成为过去。越来越多的人对他人不再礼貌,这表明“适者生存”的生活态度比生活在文明社会更重要。尽管从上世纪末开始许多礼仪被认为不合时代,但是基本的礼貌和规范的举止对于塑造愉快的生活还是十分必要的,特别是现在我们的城市变得越来越拥挤的时候。尽管基本的礼貌是根本的行为准则,良好的行为举止更常见于两个领域——商业领域和社交领域。最后一句是文章的中心思想句(Thesis statement)
第二段:分述礼仪在商业领域的表现。
这几年,商业领域开始变得越来越缺乏人情味。计算机的发展减少了商务中的个人亲自接触。例如,当我们打电话给某个公司的时候,听到电话录音的指导是很常见的。如果电话那头是真人的话,他往往表现得漫不经心。重要的是良好的商业理念应该需要个人的亲自接触。接线员应该告知打电话的人自己所属的公司,并尽一切努力做到谨慎认真,尽力帮助对方,服务于对方。最重要的是,他要尽可能地保证电话线路的畅通。另外,他应该保证致电者能接通电话,而不是一直听着电话里的音乐苦苦等待。良好的礼仪往往能留住顾客,使之心情愉悦。最后一句为本段的主题句(topic sentence)。
第三段:过渡主题段。
或许,良好的礼仪与社交联系更为密切(topic sentence)。
第四段:分述其在社交领域的表现。
不幸的是,礼仪在社交领域也有所衰退。在公交车上为“老幼病残孕”乘客让座已成为过去的景象。人们似乎也忘了如何做礼貌的观众。在影剧院里人们把脚放到前排椅背上或大声喧哗都是十分普遍的。甚至在酒店餐厅里,人们也不再注重礼仪。年轻的父母往往不在乎自己的孩子在饭店里乱跑哭闹,打扰别人。这些还仅仅是礼仪衰落的表面现象。
从以上分析可见,我们需要补充的结论要强调礼仪在当今社会的重要性,这样来总结全文,并从商业领域和社交领域两方面展开,以照应开头,并说明礼仪衰退的危害来深化主题。
结论:在当今社会,良好的礼仪对于人们在生活的各个方面与他人和平共处是至关重要的。正因为城市变得越来越拥挤,只有良好的礼仪才能帮助人们不断规范和调整自己的行为以适应社会,良好的礼仪才是文明社会与野蛮世界的分水岭。我们必须期待人们能循规蹈矩,否则生活质量会迅速恶化。
下面来看句子是如何组织的。
1)be essential for对……是至关重要的
Good manners in the modern times are essential for people to live comfortably and peacefully with each other in every aspect of their lives.
还可说:be fundamental to
2)self-regulate one's behavior规范和调整自己的行为
3)make the difference between a civilized society and a jungle文明社会与野蛮世界的分水岭
也可说:make the difference between a civilized person and a barbarian
原文中的有用用法:
1)survival of the fittest适者生存
2)underlying framework基本行为准则
3)business dealings商务
4)identify oneself表明身份
5)in decline处于衰退中
6)give up one's seat to other else让座
2.
Write an outline. Read the following passage carefully and compose a "topic outline" for it. Women's Lib
Women in Britain are without doubt better off today than they used to be. At the beginning of the nineteenth century women seem to have had almost no rights at all. They could not vote, or even sign contracts. Their marriages were arranged by their parents, and once they were married they could not own property. Most of the time they were kept at home, and even when they were allowed to work, they were never given responsible jobs. It is strange to think that, as far as we know, most women were happy with this situation.
Today the position is quite different. Women can now vote, and choose their own husbands. In 1970 a law was passed to give them an equal share of property in the case of divorce, and in the same year the Equal Pay Act gave them the right to equal pay with men for work of equal value.
Yet despite these changes, there is no doubt that there are still great differences in status between men and women. Many employers—maybe even the majority—seem to ignore the Equal Pay Act, and the average working woman is likely to earn only about half what a man earns for the same job. Most women who do work still do unskilled jobs, while only a small proportion of the country's workers—possibly one third—are in fact women. This small percentage is partly because of a shortage of nurseries. If there were sufficient nurseries, up to twice as many women might well go out to work. There is also great inequality in education. Only a quarter of all university students are women, and at present boys'schools are undoubtedly much better than girls' schools.
1. Deprived of all human right of women in the 19th century
A. No voting rights
B. Arranged marriage by parents
C. Without responsible jobs
2. Enhancement in women's position nowadays
A. Voting rights
B. Be responsible for their own marriage
C. Having the right to equal pay with men
3. Great differences in status between men and women
A. Less payment than men
B. Doing unskilled jobs
C. Suffering inequality in education
[解析] 这篇文章篇幅较短,全文共三个自然段。通过阅读分析得知,这是一篇关于过去与现在妇女地位相对比的文章。很自然地全文可以分为三个部分,即过去、现在妇女的地位及现在仍存在的一些问题。这样,全文脉络清晰明了。
首先,第一部分写的是19世纪妇女在自身权利方面存在的一些问题,她们没有选举权,婚姻是父母包办的,并且没有负责任的工作方面的权利。这样一来,第一部分的提纲可列为:
1. Deprived of all human right of women in the 19th century
A. No voting rights
B. Arranged marriage by parents
C. Without responsible jobs
其次,第二部分就是从与第一部分所对应的方面写出了如今妇女所享有的权利,这样第二部分的基本思路便与第一部分基本相似。其提纲就显而易见地可以这样写:
2. Enhancement in women's position nowadays
A. Voting rights
B. Be responsible for their own marriage
C. Having the right to equal pay with men
最后,通过今昔相比,文章又提出了现如今依然存在的问题。其提纲可列为:
3. Great differences in status between men and women
A. Less payment than men
B. Doing unskilled jobs
C. Suffering inequality in education
这样,通过层层分析文章的脉络也就一目了然,提纲也就应运而生了。
3.
Compose an essay E-mail is an entirely new means of communication, but it gains growing popularity rapidly. Write an essay(about 300 words)expressing your view on it.
Electronic mail, or E-mail for short, is an entirely new way of communication by means of computers. Being fast, inexpensive, highly efficient and convenient, E-mail is so popular in developed countries that it is difficult to imagine modern life without it.
Nowadays, millions of computers all over the world have been connected to form a global network called Internet. You can send or receive by E-mail a variety of information and documents such as letters, papers, video and audio files to anyone in over 170 countries in a short time. Moreover, language barriers are not a problem, because Internet software is capable of translating your mail into whatever language you want. You can also store, delete, edit, compile and search your E-mail or simultaneously send it to different places. And user defined passwords will keep your mail a secret. Most importantly, E-mail helps us overcome space and time limitations in communication.
With the rapid growing popularity of computers and the fast expansion of the information highway, wider and wider applications of Internet E-mail will be developed and E-mail will soon become an indispensable means of communication.
[解析] 阅读题目可得知,该作文题目是讲电子邮件是一种新型的交流方式,但它的发展势头却迅猛。就有关问题发表一下个人看法。
关于发表个人意见和看法的文章属于议论文的范畴。要考虑议论文的特点和行文结构。要在文章中条理清晰的陈述自己的意见。想要表述自己在电子邮件的新型交流方式这个话题上的看法,需首先在脑海中形成一个大致框架,想要从哪些方面着手。如方便、廉价、高效等特点。在总述之后可以就其各个特点稍微展开论述。最后可就其前景做简要阐述。
考生要从以下几个方面考虑行文结构:
1.文章切题,内容充实。
2.结构清晰,语言流畅。
3.思维清晰,用词准确。
因此,要着重从以上诸多方面下功夫,才能取得良好成绩。
4.
Some people think good movies should be instructive and entertaining at the same time. What is your opinion? Write a 300 word expository essay stating your views.
Nowadays, with the fast development of filmdom around the world, there is a widespread concern over good movies' criterion. But it is well known that the opinion concerning this hot topic varies from person to person.
A majority of people think that good movies should be more instructive, In their views, there are two factors contributing to this point of view. Firstly, to some degree, a movie can show our real life and the real world. Certain scene or some actors' lines may even change a person's life. So a good movie should be more instructive so that it can provide us a right guidance. And secondly, movie may have a more crucial effect on the teenagers. They often imitate the action we think cool as well as the apparel. So it again shows the importance of a instructive movie.
While some others think that being entertaining is the necessary factors for the good movies. They may think the purpose of watching movie is to entertain themselves. A entertaining movie can offer them a good mood, and even can make them more optimistic to their life. So they may agree that good feeling a move supply is more important than its instructiveness.
In my opinion, I agree more with the first point of view. A good movie may influence a generation. Those topics which a movie offers us are to tell us what is or not the importance. Thus it can be seen, a good movie may burden the future of a generation.
[解析] 首先,对这个问题,有两种不同的看法,一种认为一部优秀的电影应该更具有教育意义。另一种认为一部好的电影应该更注重娱乐性。从应试的角度出发,文章的第一段中,应包含主题思想句:如Nowadays,with the fast development of filmdom around the world,there is a widespread concern over good movies' criterion. But it is well known that the opinion concerning this hot topic varies from person to person. 主体段落的展开因人而异,可以用对比法、列举法或叙述法等。结论段的写作也是因人而异,因文章特点而异。
5.
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。
6.
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。
7.
Examinations
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.
______________________________________________________
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。虽然被指向以考试为导向,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。