写作：4. Writing an opening paragraphAn opening paragraph usually consists of two parts: opening part and thesis statements.1) Functions of an opening paragraph:Attract readers‘ interest.Present your thesis.2) Five useful ways to write an opening paragraph(1) Begin with a broad, general statement of your topic and narrow it down to your thesis statement. (from a broad topic to your thesis)(2) Use an incident or a brief story. (from a brief story to your thesis)(3) Start with an idea or a situation that is the opposite of the one you will develop. (from an opposite idea or situation to your thesis)(4) Ask one or more questions (from a question(s) to your thesis)(5) Use a quotation (from a quotation to your thesis)5. Writing supporting paragraphs1) Three bases for writing a supporting paragraph:(1) Support (adequate and specific)（论据充分性）(2) Coherence（连贯性）(a)Transitional words:Type 1: Addition signals are used to show accumulation.Type 2: Time Signals are used to show sequence.Type 3: Space signals are used to show location.Type 4: Change of direction signals are used to show contrast.Type 5: Illustration signals are used to show examples.Type 6: Conclusion signals are used to show consequence.(b) Transitional sentences(c) Other collecting words:Repeated wordsPronounsSynonyms(同义词)(3) Unity（一致性）(a) Make all of the topic sentences in the supporting paragraphs related to the thesis.(b) Make all of the major supporting points related to the topic sentences in each supporting paragraph.(c) Make all of the minor supporting points related to the major supporting points in each supporting paragraph.2) Patterns of Organization:(1) Time order (chronological order) (按时间顺序排列)(2) Climactic order (order of importance) (按重要性顺序排列)(3) Space order(按空间顺序排列)6. Writing an concluding paragraphFour effective ways will be introduced(1) End with a summary and a final thought.Restate your major points raised in your thesis, but do not repeat them.(2) End with a recommendation(3) End with a prediction(4) End with a thought-provoking question or questions.7. Sentence Skills1) Three types of fragments:2)Run-on sentences (乱加从句的冗长句子)A run-on sentence is a string of words with two subordinate clauses that are run together without proper punctuation.3)Dangling modifiers (垂悬结构)40a. *Carrying a heavy pile of books, her foot caught on the step.41a. *To get up early, the clock was set at six.42a. *At the age of five, my dad taught me about cars.43a. *To improve his result, the experiment was done again.41b. To get up early, I set the clock at six.42b. When I was five, my dad taught me about cars.43b. He improved his result by doing the experiment again.But some set phrases and absolute constructions are not dangling modifiers.44. To be frank, I do not think he is the right man for the job.45. Generally speaking, at this age, girls are more mature than boys.46. The majority approving of the project, he had to give in.4) Parallelism (并行关系)50a. *I took a bath, sleeping, and waking up refreshed.51a. *The keys to improving grades are to take effective notes in class, to plan study time, and preparing carefully for exams.52a. *In many ways, starting college at forty is harder than to start at eighteen.Correct sentences:50b. I took a bath, went to sleep, and woke up refreshed.51b. The keys to improving grades are to take effective notes in class, to plan study time, and to prepare carefully for exams.52b. In many ways, starting college at forty is harder than starting at eighteen.5) Mixed construction53a. *The most valued trait in an employee is a person who is loyal.54a. *Indigestion is when you cannot digest food.55a. *By taking a No.70 bus is one way to get to our university.56a. *The reason I enjoy horseback riding is because it provides outdoor exercise.57a. *There are many people move to USA.Correct sentences:53b. The most valued trait in an employee is loyalty.54b. Indigestion is the inability to digest food.55b. You can get to our university by taking a No.70 bus.56b. I enjoy horseback riding because it provides outdoor exercise.57b. There are many people who move to USA.改错练习：Revenge is one of those things that everyone enjoy. People don‘t like to talk about it, though. Just the same, there is nothing more tempting, more satisfying, or with the reward of a bit of revenge. The purpose is not to harm your victims. But to let them know that you are upset about something they are doing. Careful plotting can provide you with relief from bothersom coworkers, gossiping friends, or nagging family members.Coworkers who make comments about the fact that you are always fifteen minutes late for work can be taken care of very simply. The first thing that you should do is to get up extra early one day. Before the sun com es up, drive to each coworker‘s house, reach under the hood of his car, and disconnected the center wire that leads to the distrib. cap. The carwill be unharmed, but it will not start, and your friends at work will all be late for work on the same day. If your lucky, your boss might notice that you are the only one there and will give you a raise. Later if you feel guilty about your actions you can call each person anonymously and tell them how to get the car running…Correct essay:Revenge is one of those things that everyone enjoys(主谓一致). People don‘t like to talk about it, though. Just the same, there is nothing more tempting, more satisfying, or more rewarding than（并行关系）a bit of revenge. The purpose is not to harm your victims but(fragment) to let them know that you are upset about something they are doing to you. Careful plotting can provide you with relief from bothersome(拼写错误) coworkers, gossiping friends, or nagging family members.Coworkers who make comments about the fact that you are always fifteen minutes late for work can be taken care of very simply. The first thing that you should do is to get up extra early one day. Before the sun comes up, drive to each coworker‘s house, reach under the hood of his car, and disconnect（时态一致）the center wire that leads to the distributor(全拼) cap. The car will be unharmed, but it will not start, and your friends at work will all be late for work on the same day. If you‘re lucky, your boss might notice that you are the only one there and willgive you a raise. Later,（标点）if you feel guilty about your actions you can call each person anonymously and tell them how to get their cars(代词一致) running again…8. Patterns of development1) Comparison and contrast(1) One side at a time (subject by subject)(2) Point by point2)Cause and effect（因果说明）—— We may support our thesis statements by explaining a series of causes or a series of effects.(1) Causes:These tell readers why something happened. We try to examine the cause of something. Many actions do not occur without causes. For example, Smoking causes lung cancer. (Smoking is one of the causes of lung cancer.)(2) Effects:These tell readers the results of something. We try to examine the effects of something. An action can have a series of effects — good or bad. For example,Twelve thousand smokers die from lung cancer every year. (Lung cancer is one of the results of smoking.)By examining the causes or effects of an action, we seek to understand or explain things that happen in our lives.3) Illustration （说明文）(Examples)In an illustrative essay, you support your point by illustrating it with examples.Illustration paragraph include:例1：Topic sentence:Knowledge often results only after persistenceinvestigation.Supporting examples:Albert EinsteinA detectiveAnnie Jump Cannon(安妮·坎农，美国女天文学家)Investigation into the causes of polio(脊髓灰质炎)Concluding sentence:As students, we too are determined in our investigation to find, retain and contribute to the store of human knowledge.例2：Topic sentence: The first day of school was frustrating.Supporting examples: My sociology course was canceled. Then I couldn‘t find the biology lab. And the lines at the bookstore were so long that I went home without buying my textbooks.Characteristics of illustration●An example is relevant●An example is representative, when it shows a typical real-lifesituation, not a rare or unusual one.●Examples are taken from your own life or the lives of people youknow. They are unique examples shared by no other people.Choose examples that are striking and dramatic and that will make a strong lasting impression on your readersBe sure that the examples you use to explain your thesis should be carefully chosen. You should select examples that are relevant, representative, specific, striking and dramaticTransitional words that are often used in illustration:For instance, For example, Another instance of, Another example of, Another illustration of, To illustrate, A case in point is, Here are a few examples, Some instances, Yet anotherBrief illustration An unelaborated example, often only a sentenceA detailed exampleExtendedillustrationHypothetical An example that might happen but that has not4) Argumentation（考试考点）:In an argumentation essay, you defend your position (point of view) with a series of solid reasons. You try to argue with someone, that is, to persuade others to accept or agree with your point of view.(1) Strategies for argumentation(a) Acknowledge differing viewpointsYou can cite the opposing viewpoint in your thesis statement or in your supporting paragraphs.(b) Grant the merits of differing viewpoints.(c) Use tactful, courteous language.(d) Rebut differing viewpoints(2) How to write argumentative essaysStage 1: decide on a controversial topic (debatable and interesting) and write an argumentative thesis statement. The thesis statement should define the scope of the argument and make an assertion that is open to debate.Ineffective Examples of Argumentative Thesis StatementsExample 1:Thesis: Something should be done on media bias.This is not an effective argumentative thesis statement because it does not clearly state the writer‘s idea. The answers of questions like ―what is that ‗something‘ that should be done?‖ or ―who should do it?‖ are not clear. Example 2:Thesis: CNN is the best TV channel.This is not an effective thesis statement. This sentence is not debatable as it involves personal choice or preferenceExample 3:Thesis: There are 3 ways of media censorship.This is not an argumentative thesis statement as the writer aims at listing the types of media censorship. Therefore, the writer‘s purpose of writing this essay is not to persuade the reader but to give information. Also, the ways of media censorship are not open to debate. Thus, they are not suitable for argumentation.Effective Examples of Argumentative Thesis StatementsExample 1:Thesis: Newspapers should not identify people by color, race, or religious faith in any way.This is an effective argumentative thesis statement. Firstly, the topic is open to discussion. There may be people who would oppose thisargument claiming that this kind of restriction would damage the objectivity of the news. Therefore, the writer holds a clear stance. Above all, it is obv ious that the writer‘s aim is not simply to inform the readers but to convince them to take his / her side in the debate.The expository (p58)thesis statement vs. the argumentative thesis statement:Similarity:Both expository(说明的，解释的) and argumentative thesis statements express a certain opinion about a topic.Difference:An expository thesis statement does not include a sharp opinion; rather, it discusses advantages, disadvantages, types, reasons, results, problems, solutions, processes, or categories of an issue often in the form of listing, enumeration, classification, or sequencing.An argumentative thesis statement has a clear stance on a debatable topic, fiercely argues that the writer’s opinion is correct and reflects this subjectivity both in its style and tone.Choosing an argumentative topic is not an easy task. The topic should be such thatit should be narrowed down×Marijuana ( [ˌmærəˈwɑːnə]大麻) should be considered illegal.(Not a good topic because it is too general. In some medical cases, marijuana is prescribed by the doctors and the patients are encouraged to use it in case of suffering from too much pain)√Selling and using marijuana in public places should be considered illegal.∙it should contain an argument×We should decide whether we want a bicycle or a car.(our stand is not clear: do we support having bicycles or cars?)√If we are under the age of 30 and want a healthy life, we should definitely get a bicycle instead of a car.×Are you one of those who thinks cheating is not good for students? (a question cannot be an argument)√Cheating helps students learn.×Considering its geological position, Turkey has an important geopolitical role in the EU. (facts cannot be arguments)√Considering its geopolitical role, we can clearly say that the EU cannot be without Turkey.∙it should be a topic that can be adequately supported (with statistics, outside source citations, etc.)×I feel that writing an argumentative essay is definitely a challenging task. (feelings cannot be supported; we cannot persuade other people)Which of the following are argumentative thesis statements?Thesis 1:There are three main reasons why the media manipulate the news. Thesis 2:The media should not manipulate the news in any way.Thesis 3:It is essential to be media literate for three reasons.Thesis 4:It is essential that media literacy be taught in schools.Thesis 1is not argumentative. Although the writer has the assumption that the media manipulate the news, the aim of this essay is not to convince the reader on this issue, but to simply list the three reasons for media manipulation. The reader, too, expects to learn the three reasons. Thesis 2 is acceptable as an argumentative thesis statement because the writer clearly takes a stand in the debate about whether the media should manipulate the news or not. Here, the writer intends to influence the mind of readers rather than to merely inform them.Thesis 3 is an expository thesis statement although the sentence includes a strong word, ―essential‖. The use of this word does not make the thesis statement an argumentative one because the aim here is to inform the reader about the three reasons. The reader, here, expects to read a list of the reasons without being forced to take a side. The writer does not hold a stance in an ongoing discussion.Thesis 4is clearly an argumentative thesis statement. Firstly, the topic is debatable. Secondly, the writer is clear about where in the discussion he stands. Finally, the purpose of the writer is to a ffect the readers‘ ideas on this issue.On the whole, while writing argumentative thesis statements, be sure to have a debatable topic, state your claim and stance as strongly as possible and make the reader understand that your aim is to persuade rather than only to inform.Stage 2: Generating ideas: After formulating your argumentative thesis statement, you need to brainstorm a variety of supporting ideas, counter arguments and ways to refute these opposing views. In supporting your argument, the evidence that you include can be facts, examples, support from authority (testimony), and statistics.(3) Organization:All argumentative essays have PROs and CONs (赞成反对). Before starting writing, it is imperative to make a list of these ideas and choose the most suitable ones among them for supporting and refuting.There are three possible organization patterns:PRO idea 2CON(s) + Refutation(s)ConclusionExample 1:5) Description（描写文）More than many other types of essays, descriptive essays strive to create a vivid experience for the reader. Great descriptive essays achieve this effect not through facts and statistics but by using detailed observations and descriptions.As you get started on your descriptive essay, it‘s important for you to identify exactly what you want to describe. Often, a descriptive essay will focus on portraying one of the following:a person∙ a place∙ a memory∙an experience∙an objectHow should you write your description?As you write your descriptive essay, remember: showing, not telling. Showing and not telling means that you paint a picture for your reader. The difference between showing and telling:Example 1:(1) I grew tired after dinner.(2) As I leaned back and rested my head against the top of the chair, my eyelids began to feel heavy, and the edges of the empty plate in front of me blurred with the white tablecloth.The first sentence tells readers that you grew tired after dinner. The second sentence shows readers that you grew tired. The most effective descriptive essays are loaded with such showing because they enable readers to imagine or experience something for themselves.Example 2:(1) The lake stared through the trees, a wide grey eye trapped in a perpetual state of weeping.(2) There were trees near the lake.As you write your descriptive essay, the best way to create a vivid experience for your readers is to focus on the five senses.∙sight∙sound∙smell∙touch∙tasteWhen you focus your descriptions on the senses, you provide vivid and specific details that show your readers rather than tell your readers what you are describing.How should you create a descriptive thesis statement?An example of a descriptive thesis statement is: My backyard is like a jungle.This thesis statement does not mean that your backyard is literally a jungle, but that the different aspects of your backyard make it seem like a jungle.写作部分Part I Read the following passage carefully, and then choose the best answer A, B, C or D to each of the questions that follow. Pleasewrite your answer on the Answer Sheet. (10分)The Love of Money is a Root of Evil1、The thinkers of many cultures and epochs have sought to find the fundamental reasons for social problems, philosophers of the past analyzed numerous contributing factors such as leaders, money, deities and citizens in their societies. A significant number of such thinkers came to the conclusion that an individu als‘ passionate attitude towards money was an influential trigger of various social calamities. Desiring to obtain more and more material goods and money causes an individual to become selfish and hard-hearted – this in turn affects the quality of a whole community. An uncontrolled love of money is the reason for many disturbances and wrongs that are enacted.2、To begin with, the love of money may lead to the decline of moral standard. Apostle Paul, who can be said to be a philosopher, says ―…they that desire to be rich, fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful desires, which plunge men into destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evils; which some coveting, have erred from the faith‖. Paul emphasizes th at the pursuit of money and financial gain causes one to be distanced from one‘s morality and virtue. No longer do people seek to build a relationship with their neighbor; instead they seek ways to use them to obtain more wealth and security. At the same time, people who treat others as means of reaching their goals, tend to be treated in the same manner, thus multiplying their own misfortunes.3、Along with the moral decline, people with a strong lust for money can develop an insensible disposition. In the discipline of psychology, there exists a correlation between happy feelings and money that has already been discovered; however, there is also a link between negative feelings and actions when there is a lack of money (Vohs, Mead & Goode, 2008). Those who have a strong love of money constantly feel the urge to gain more money as if they have a lack of it; consequently, these individuals have a bad disposition and are impatient when confronted with those whom they believe are seeking to prevent them from gaining money.4、What‘s more, because of a fanatic identification with their savings, those with a persistent love of money are hesitant to lose their capital. Such individuals would be hesitant in investing in community projects or remaining loyal to their fellow coworkers, employees, and even neighbors. Today, because of the apparent focus on obtaining more food, entertainment, games and technology, the sense of community is dying. Paul Mattick states in his book Art in It’s Time that, ―A steady increase of the love of money present in our capitalistic economy system causes a sense of community to decline as faith is placed in material things for the self rather than concepts for the community‖ (Mattick, 2003).5、In an attempt to understand the true nature of different social problems of the past and of today, many thinkers have paid attention to the phenomenon of yearning for money. Because of an individual’s love of money, there is a decline in personal values and morals. Subsequently the constant pursuit o f money causes one’s behavior to be inconsistent with the needs of other human beings. Finally, many people with an excessive passion for money tend to identify themselves with their financial well-being, thus being afraid to lose their capital. In their fear, they lose the greatest of all values: a sense of peace.1. Which of the following best expresses the thesis of this essay?A. Thinkers of the past have sought to find the fundamental reasons forsocial problems.B. Philosophers of the past tried to analyze the contributing factors forsocial problems.C. A lot of thinkers concluded that people‘s attitude towards money led to social problems.D. An uncontrolled love of money is the reason for many disturbances and wrongs.2. What pattern of organization is employed by the writer to develop thiscause and effect essay?A. Focus on several causes that leads to one effect.B. Focus on several effects of a single cause.C. Causal chain.D. All of the above.3. The transitional sentence“Along with the moral decline” in Paragraph3 is used to achieve .A. adequate supportB. better unityC. better coherenceD. effective sentence skill4. Which of the following best serves as the topic sentence of Paragraph 4?A.people with the love of money are not willing to invest in community projects.B. People with the love of money are more likely to focus on obtainingmore food, entertainment, games and technology.C. People with the love of money have a fanatic identification with their savings.D. The sense of community is dying.5. The writer mainly ends the essay with .A. a recommendation for people with excessive passion for moneyB. the future of those who lose the greatest of all valuesC. an attempt to understand the true nature of different socialproblems of the past and of todayD. a summary of the results of yearning for moneyPart II Read the following paragraphs and answer questions after each paragraph very briefly according to what you havelearned about writing. Please write your answer on the AnswerSheet. (15分)Paragraph 1July, a fourteen year old grade eight student, was racing down the narrow hallway like a mad dog when he bumped into the principal. Frightened and fearful, he tried to make an about turn to head in the opposite direction. The angry principal would have none of this. He grabbed July by his left shoulder, holding him firmly in his grasp. In his usual stern high-pitched voice he ordered him to the office. Like a lame wounded dog, July limped to the office. There the principal gave him his usual no-nonsense lecture and sent him back to his class.Question 1What pattern of essay development is adopted by the writer in order to show the vivid picture of the relationship between the boy and the principal? (Description)Paragraph 2I．IntroductionThesis statement: From the perspectives of climate, activities and location, to vacation at the beach is better than in the mountains. II．MountainA．ClimateB．Types of ActivitiesC．LocationIII．BeachA．ClimateB．Types of ActivitiesC．LocationIV．ConclusionQuestion 2In order to show the differences between vacationing in the mountains or at the beach, the illustrative method of contrasting is adopted in this guideline. What contrasting pattern is used here? (One side at a time)Paragraph 3The shelf has three layers, two of which are devoted to books on various objects. On the upper shelf are the reference books for my different courses. The books on the middle shelf are taller than those on the upper shelf, and they all stand in perfect order like two rows of soldiers marching through dark night toward down. These are books for killing time but they are my favorites. On the lower shelf, an ink bottle stands in one corner and a pocket dictionary squats in the other. Question 3This is the student's description of his bookshelf. What pattern of organization is adopted here?(Space order)Paragraph 4We know that people live various different lives, spend their time in various different ways, have different jobs, believe in different things, have different opinions, different customs, and speak different languages. Normally, we don't know the extent of these differences, yet sometimes when something unusual happens to make us notice, variety and difference appear more as a threat than an opportunity.Question 4In order to make the speech more powerful , what kind of coherence method is used in this paragraph? (Repeating key terms)Paragraph 5Research has shown that 90% of people naturally use their right hands for most tasks. But hundreds of millions of people use their left hands. Then why are some people left-handed? Scientists have been trying to answer that question for many years. A study done in 1992 found that men are more likely to be left-handed than women. It also found that Asian or Hispanic people are less likely to be left-handed than white people, black people, or North American Indians. Some culturesaccept people who do things mostly with their left hands. Others do not. Question 5This serves as an introductory paragraph for a passage. What specific method is used here as a beginning paragraph? (Question)Part III Writing (25分)In October last year, Beijing announced a plan to reduce the value of English by shifting points to Chinese in college and senior high school entrance exams from 2016. It seems that the glory days of English are fading in China and the removal of English from the “gaokao”is possible in the near future. Some English teachers and educators are opposed to this, insisting that English is a necessary ability for Chinese to understand the world. What do you think? Should English be removed from the “gaokao”, the national college entrance examination? Write a well-organized argumentative essay in which you argue for or against this controversial issue in about 300 words. Don’t forget to write a title for your essay.English Test for Non-English Major Graduate StudentsJan, 2014Ⅰ．Read the following passage carefully, and then choose the best answer A, B, C or D to each of the questions that follow. Please write your answer on the Answer Sheet. (10%)Negative Effects of Noise Pollution1. Technological progress has brought humanity numerous benefits. All types of devices and gadgets allow people to save time, work more efficiently and stay in touch with the rest of the world. However, there is also a flip side. Industry growth, an increasing number of vehicles and constant information overloads causes a significant and underestimated problem –noise pollution. The term noise pollution is used to define unwanted sounds that are released into the environment. Various research studies have proven that noise pollution imposes a number of negative impacts on mental and physical health. To understand the reasons behind their health conditions, people should consider the effects that are usually caused by noise pollution. In a modern megalopolis, noise pollution arises from many sources, such as traffic, barking dogs, noisy neighbors, aircrafts, verbal advertising in the streets and many other environmental factors merging into one sound wall. A person may get used to perceiving these sounds and ignore them, but on a subconscious level, such constant noise exposure has a significant effect. Noise pollution is measured in。
