高考英语专项练习:概要写作10篇
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概要写作1.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Want to join the online fitness program?Online training is one of the fastest growing section of the fitness industry. A 2015 study found that more than half of all smartphone users had downloaded a fitness or health app. If you’re considering joining the online fitness community, consider these benefits and drawbacks.There are many reasons that online training may work for you. As long as you have access to pre-downloaded videos or a WiFi connection for streaming videos, you can work out wherever you are.Besides, compared with similar offline programs, most online fitness programs range in cost between $10 and $20 per month. This is due in part to the wider audience and the greater opportunity to sell programs to more people.All this growth is incredibly positive — it provides health and fitness resources to the general consumer wherever they happen to be, without requiring access to a gym or fitness studio. But it’s not without problems.The first thing to think about when considering an online fitness program is “know yourself.” If you struggle with self-motivation, you don’t like exercising at home, and you prefer a social workout environment, online fitness may not be for you. Not to mention the fact that very few online fitness programs enable the instructor to see you, check your form, and offer modifications or corrections based on your performance. This means you might perform exercises incorrectly, or even unsafely, without knowing it, which is particularly concerning for beginners and those recovering from injuries, as they’re more likely to perform exercises incorrectly.Therefore, like any training format, there are pros and cons to consider when deciding if it is right for you. Take time and make the most suitable decision to reap more benefits._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________2.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize in no more than 60 words the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage. Use your own words as far as possible.The Paper ArchitectFor a long time, Zaha Hadid was known as “the paper architect,” someone whose grand designs never left the page to become real buildings. But in recent years her buildings have sprung up like mushrooms all over the world: the Guangzhou Opera House in China, a car factory in Germany, a contemporary art museum in Rome, a transportation museum in Scotland, and the Aquatics Center for the 2012 Olympics in London.Pinning down her individual style is difficult. Certainly Hadid has been influenced by the modem trend in architecture that likes to play with the traditional shape of buildings and fragment (分解) them, creating unpredictable angles and surfaces. Working in this way, she and her fellow architects have produced some spaceship-like structures that seem to go against the normal laws of engineering.The idea of offering the viewer multiple perspectives from within the building is a theme that runs through Hadid’s work. Her most famous building, MAXXI—a museum for the 21st century— in Rome, is a great example. It is a complex and spectacular structure of interlocking concrete shapes. Inside spaces interconnect Tike winding streets, so that the visitor is surprised and charmed at each turn. The Rosenthal Center in Cincinnati produces a similar effect. Like an extension of the street it sits on, it draws you in, with walkways directing you this way and that, and windows inviting you to sample the view. “It’s about promenading” says Hadid, “being able to pause, to look out, look above, look sideways.”So what inspires someone like Hadid to produce such different buildings? She speaks in complimentary terms about the work of her contemporaries. She also cites the natural landscape and organic geological patterns as an influence. But it is not a question that she seems too concerned with and nor perhaps should we be. Hadid is an artist, sharing with us her vision of what buildings should be like and always, as she does so, trying to keep human interests—our interests as users and viewers—at heart._______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________3.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize in no more than 60 words the main idea of the passage and how it is illustrated. Use your own words as far as possible.Men may eat more in summerWinter may be seen as the time to fill up with food, but in fact, sunny summer months are when men eat more calories—unlike women.The effect seems to occur because sunlight makes the skin release an appetite-stimulating hormone (激素), says Carmit Levy at Tel Aviv University in Israel. Levy and her colleagues noticed the effect in experiments in mice, in which male animals exposed to UV light (紫外线) ate more food.To see if humans do the same, the team used data on about 3000 people who had filled in questionnaires as part of the Israeli government’s national health and nutrition survey. Between March and September, the men consumed about 17 per cent more calories per day than they did during the rest of the year, while the women’s food intake stayed about the same.Human appetite is influenced by many complex systems, but a substance called ghrelin, a hormone produced in the body that stimulates appetite, seems to be the only hormone that directly stimulates eating. It was thought to be mainly produced by the stomach when empty. “It tells the brain to eat more,” says Caroline Gorvin at the University of Birmingham, UK.Further investigation revealed that exposing male mice to UVB (紫外线B 段波) radiation, which is present in sunlight, raised levels of ghrelin production by fat cells in their skin. This was blocked by the female sex hormone, which may explain why the effect wasn’t seen in the female mice or the women. Boosted ghrelin production was also seen in men’s skin samples that were exposed to UV light in the lab.Skin hasn’t previously been thought to play a role in appetite, says Gorvin. The reason for the effect is unclear, but it may be an adaptive response to fuel greater physical activity in summer, says Levy.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________4.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Should Hand Feeding Dolphins Be Encouraged?Some tourist centers train Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins to approach beachside public sighting areas or boats by hand-feeding them small amounts of fish every day. Because hand-fed males aggressively attack each other over the food, putting themselves and nearby humans in danger, tourist centers focus their hand feeding only on female dolphins, says Valerie Senigaglia at Murdoch University in Perth, AustraliaBut recent studies have shown that only 38% of the calves (崽) of hand-fed wild dolphins survive to three years of age, which is much lower than the average 77% survival rate for wild calves in general. To better understand why, Senigaglia and her colleagues evaluated the social behavior of dolphins around the Bunbury coast in Western Australia. In particular, they observed the individual behavior and movement of 35 dolphins, including 13 that had been hand-fed using a small boat. They regularly followed each dolphin for periods lasting from 20 minutes to 3 hours for two years in a row for a total of 180 hours.They found that hand-fed dolphins swam in relatively large groups, but more readily broke away from them to join different ones. In general, they created weak ties with other group members. “You can feel lonely in a room full of people and it’s the same thing for dolphins,” says Senigaglia. Free-swimming dolphins that are fed by hand become less socially involved with their peers. As a result, their calves may grow up lacking vital social skills-which could explain, at least in part, why they are twice as likely to die before reaching adulthood as wild calves generally.No wonder animal right activists are calling on the practice of hand-feeding dolphins to be stopped._______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________5.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point (s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Is Leather Good or Not?For thousands of years, humans have used leather to make everything from clothing to furniture to footwear. The skin of animals is a material that is strong, hard-wearing and flexible. These qualities make leather a popular material for many different products, but more people are becoming concerned about the potential harm caused by items they buy. Should we respect ancient traditions or is having real leather not as important as it used to be?The treatment of animals raised for their skins is a massive issue. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), more than 2.29 billion cows, pigs and goats are killed each year for their hides. This does not include the animal skin of fancier leather products, such as sheep, crocodiles, kangaroos and lizards.There’s also an environmental problem. Producing leather is a very polluting process, because it requires treating the skins with chemicals. During the procedure, called tanning, chemicals change the fibres (纤维) inside the leather, making it tougher. A tanning facility uses more than 60,000 litres of water for every tonne of leather produced. It uses huge amounts of poisonous chemicals, including substances containing heavy metals such as chromium, which when washed out ends up in nearby soil and drinking water that people use.However, the making of leather is not entirely negative. Selling animal skin is a key source of income for remote populations such as the Inuit people in Canada. Every day, cows, pigs and goats are killed for their meat to be sold in supermarkets. It’s respectful not to waste anything, and without leather their skins would have to be buried or burned.Although there are alternatives to leather, some of these fabrics are only 85% to 90% biodegradable (可生物降解的). Vegan leather can be made from plastics which take years to biodegrade, so it’s actually worse for the planet.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________6.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Why Don’t We Use the Math We Learn in School?How much of the math you’ve learned in school is used in everyday life? For the majority of people, the answer is surprisingly little. Clearly, some people learn math very well and apply it in everyday problem-solving settings. The question is why most people don’t, in spite of spending many years practicing it.The first explanation blames the failure of education. One of the major barriers to using a skill in real life is automaticity. We tend to find the least-effort solution to our problem. If struggling through a math problem is hard for you, you’ll find a different way to solve it that doesn’t rely on math. The familiar model for teaching mathematics revolves around teachers telling students certain rules, applying those rules to examples and students then practicing problems similar to the examples seen in class. By teaching in this way, a lot of the work and deep thought that went into the creation of these mathematical rules is lost. In that sense, people were never taught math thoroughly enough to use it automatically in real life.The second explanation is a little different. It argues that people may develop competence in math classes, but they struggle to translate real-life problems into a format where they can use their mathematics knowledge. This seems most apparent in the case of applying algebra (代数). Students struggle with algebra, but they particularly struggle with word problems. Yet, the equivalent real-life problems are typically much harder than word problems. From this perspective, what people struggle with is not doing math, but recognizing where and how to apply math to real problems.Educational researchers now emphasize the importance of transfer and deep understanding. They believe we need to give students more training in noticing and converting everyday situations into the math problems they know how to solve. By using real-life math applications,students can make connections between math and everyday life._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________7.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Are Oceans Silent?Most sea creatures, from whales and dolphins to fish, sharks and shrimps, respond to sound, and many can produce it. They use it to hunt and to hide, find mates and food, send messages and give warnings, establish territories, warn off competitors, confuse their targets, deceive enemies, and sense changes in water and conditions. Marine animals click bones, grind teeth and belch gases (磨牙打嗝); use special organs to make various noises. Far from the ‘silent deep’, the oceans are so noisy.Into this age-long confused noise, in the blink of an evolutionary eye, has entered a new thunder: the trembling sound of mighty engines as 46,220 large ships passed the world’s shipping courses. Scientists say that background noise in the ocean has increased roughly by 15 decibels (分贝) in the past 50 years. It may not sound like much in overall terms, but it is enough, according to many marine biologists, to mask the normal sounds of ocean life going about its business. At its most intense, some even say noise causes whales to become disoriented, dolphins to suffer from ‘the bends’, fish to go deaf, leave their breeding grounds or fail to form groups—enough to disorganize the basic biology of two thirds of the planet.“Undersea noise pollution is like the death of a thousand cuts”, says Sylvia Earie, chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Each sound in itself may not be a matter of critical concern, but taken all together, the noise from shipping,earthquake-related surveys, and military activity is creating a totally different environment than existed even 50 years ago. That high level of noise is bound to have a hard, sweeping impact on life in the sea._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________8.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.ChatbotsWhat if instead of clicking on link after link on a company’s website, you could type a question and get an immediate, customized answer? Some companies are working to make this a reality using chatbots. Chatbots are computer programs that can communicate with human beings by phone, on messaging apps or on websites.There are two types of chatbots: open and closed. A closed chatbot follows a script, which may or may not involve using AI (artificial intelligence) to understand users’ messages. An open chatbot uses AI both to figure out what users want and to generate responses. Open chatbots are able to learn from their conversations and thus improve their ability to communicate over time. This means that open chatbots can respond to a wider range of inquiries, compared with closed chatbots. Communicating with them feels more natural, but if they have not been correctly trained, users may have a bad experience with them.One significant advantage of chatbots is that they are available all the time, even in the middle of the night. Plus, a single chatbot can cater to multiple users at once. This means that users can get immediate answers to their questions rather than waiting for a human representative. Chatbots have the potential to overcome several technological problems people face. These include difficulty in searching websites and trouble finding basic information and answers to simple questions.However, in order for chatbots to work, humans are still indispensable (不可或缺的). Someone has to program the chatbots initially, train them, and maintain and improve the chatbot system. Further, even open chatbots may not have the answers to detailed questions, and many people simply prefer speaking to a human rather than a chatbot. Thus, chatbots are unlikely tocompletely replace human agents. Rather, they will help users resolve simple problems so that customer service representatives can focus on more difficult issues._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________9.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Graduates Turn to TeachingChina has witnessed a 66-fold increase in the number of applicants for teaching qualification tests over the past decade, and experts say the popularity has mainly been driven by more graduates chasing stable jobs. According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Education, the number of applicants for teaching exams each year has grown from 172,000 to 11.44 million in the past decade.Experts said the sharp increase corresponds with the increase in teachers’ salaries and status within society, and it is expected to bring about an overall improvement in quality teaching. However, another big reason for the enthusiasm for teaching posts is that the challenging and complicated employment situation is driving graduates toward stable jobs such as working as teachers and government officials.Chu Zhaohui, a senior researcher at the National Institute of Education Sciences, said the popularity of teaching posts is closely associated with people’s changing perception of the economic situation, job stability and security, which are major concerns for graduates.In view of the coronavirus epidemic in recent years, many college graduates just want a stable job, so teaching suddenly becomes a very popular profession, and many students fromwell-known universities have joined the competition. Of course, everyone has their own ideas. Take Wang Lin for example. Wang Lin, who graduated from a famous university, said she had wanted to be a history teacher since middle school, inspired by her own history teacher. She added she had a good impression of her teachers from an early age and was grateful to those who had taught her. In fact, there are many such cases.While passing the teaching qualification test is the first step to becoming a teacher in China, landing a post at schools in big cities can be very competitive._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________10.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Out of Sight, Out of MindTechnology has made paying all sorts of bills incredibly easy. The real-time budget apps, which capture our spending and pay our bills automatically, should theoretically give us more control over our money. But why, in real life, do they do the opposite?It helps to think about how we used to pay. My parents describe a process that would involve three separate points of contact whenever they paid for something with a credit card: first, at the cash register, then when a bill came in the mail and finally when they wrote a check to cover it. While each of the checkpoints is technically still there, automation has given us a chance to skip the second and the third. For bills paid automatically through a banking app, even the first checkpoint can be gone. We know that it is happening in the background, but it’s so far out of view that it might as well not be there. How do we get that connection back, without giving up the convenience that technology has brought us?The good news is that though technology has taken away something, it can also give. Much of the battle is simply recognizing what we’ve lost. If we want to be smart about our money and have thorough control over it, we need to bridge that gap between what we spend on and how much we pay. We can start using personal-finance apps to do more than make our lives easier. These apps can send us notifications when each automatic payment is being made and categorize purchases, sending us instant spending reports. Admittedly, those tools require the user to sign up for these services and make conscious efforts to take full advantage of them. In this way, they are arguably better practice than balancing a checkbook on a Saturday morning._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________参考答案:1.The advantages and disadvantages of online training should be both considered when people decide whether to take part in. Easy access and lower prices of online training programs contributes to its popularity. However, for those who lack self-motivation and need in-person instruction, these programs aren’t suitable and may even be unsafe. Hence, think twice before making the decision. (58 words)【导语】本文是一篇说明文。
概要写作1.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Parents, teachers, and anyone who regularly deals with teenagers know how difficult the adolescent years can be. Adolescents have always been known to do wild — even dangerous — thing. Now, brain-imaging technology allows scientists to study the physical development of the brain in more detail than ever before. Their discoveries have led to a new theory of why teens act the way they do.Recently, scientists discovered that though our brains are almost at their full size by the age of six, they are far from fully developed. Only during adolescence do our brains truly “grow up”. During this time, they go through great changes, like a computer system being upgraded. This “upgrade” was once thought to be finished by about age 12. Now, scientists have concluded that our brains continue to change until age 25. Such changes make us better at balancing our impulses (冲动)with the need to follow rules. However, a brain that is still developing does this awkwardly. The result, scientists claim, is the unpredictable behavior seen in teenagers.The studies confirm that teens are more likely to take risks and behave in extreme ways. Fortunately, the news isn’t all negative. As brain scientist B.J. Casey points out, the teen brain inspires such behavior in order to help teenagers prepare for adult life.One way the brain does this is by changing the way teens view risks and rewards. Researchers found that when teens think about rewards, their brains release more of the chemicals that create pleasure than an adult brain would. Researchers believe this makes the rewards seem more important than the risks and makes teens feel the excitement of new experiences more keenly than adults do.Research into the structure of the teen brain also found that it makes social connections seem especially rewarding. As such, teens have an intense need to meet new people. It, therefore, connects social rewards with even more pleasure. In this way, the brain encourages teens to have a wide circle of friends, which is believed to make them more successful in life._______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____2.Directions: Read the following three passages. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Your child’s brain on math: Don’t bother?Parents whose children are struggling with math often view intense tutoring as the best way to help them master crucial skills, but a new study released on Monday suggests that for some kids even that is a lost cause.According to the research, the size of one key brain structure and the connections between it and other regions can help identify the 8- and 9-year olds who will hardly benefit from one-on-one math instruction.“We could predict how much a child learned from the tutoring based on measures of brain structure and connectivity,” said Vinod Menon, a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, who led the research.The study, published in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to use brain imaging to look for a connection between brain attributes and the ability to learn arithmetic. But despite its publication in a well-respected journal, the research immediately drew criticism.Jonathan Moreno, professor of medical ethics at the University of Pennsylvania, fears that some parents and teachers might “give up now” on a math-challenged child. “If it gets into the popular consciousness that it’s wise to have your kid’s brain checked out.” before making decisions about academic options, he said, “that raises huge issues.”Menon and his fellow scientists agree that their research shouldn’t lead to conclusions immediately. They are exploring whether any interventions might change the brain in such a way that children who struggle with math can benefit more from tutoring.Just as learning to juggle increases the amount of gray matter in the area of adult brains that is responsible for spatial attention, said Menon, maybe something could pump up regions relevantto learning arithmetic before a child begins math tutoring.Until then, he said “it’s possible” that parents will interpret the new study as saying some kids cannot benefit from math tutoring, “and give up before even trying. How this plays out is far from clear.”_______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 3.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as much as possible.Until 1964 most forms of gambling were illegal in the United States. Since then, however, more and more states have legalized gambling in order to raise income. Most states in the United States now depend on incomes from state lotteries(博彩)and use them for good causes, such as improving public education, maintaining state parks, and developing environmental programs.Although there are many advantages to legalized gambling, there has also been a good deal of criticism of state-supported gambling. As states increase their support of state lotteries, they seem to encourage commercial gambling in all its forms. More than 5 million Americans suffer from gambling addiction. Those most at risk of becoming addicted include the poor, young people between twelve and eighteen years old, and women over the age of fifty, who are looking for some entertainment. As a result, many of them will end up in prison or even homeless. The promise of winning big fortune has created big problems.Perhaps the most important concern is the moral issue of legalized gambling. The lottery is the only form of gambling that is essentially a government control. Critics ask whether gambling is a proper function of government. Should the government be the spokesman for the expansion of gambling? Critics say state advertising of lotto emphasizes luck over hard work, instant happiness over careful planning, and entertainment over savings.In 1996, Congress created a commission to conduct a legal study of the social and economic impacts of gambling in the United States. After two years of study, the Commission recommended an end to the expansion of legalized gambling. Some feel this will severely hurt the gamblingindustry. Others fear that it is not enough and are asking the government to take a tough stand against gambling._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ 4.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize in no more than 60 words the main idea of the passage and how it is illustrated. Use your own words as far as possible.How We Find Our DirectionPsychologists have found that there are two main ways that successful travelers use to navigate (确定位置) their environment.The first is to follow a fixed route from here to there. Cognitive (认知的) psychologist Barbara Tver sky describes route navigation as a series of paths and choice points that is basically selfcentered: it is constructed for the purpose of reaching one particular goal from a fixed starting point, and the entire journey is explained from the point of view of the traveler.The second navigational strategy involves a bird’s-eye view — a map of the general area. Maps are overviews, “surveys of a space of possibilities,”that lay out a variety of possible paths. Maps almost always rely on cardinal directions (基本方位), usually east-west and north-south, that anchor them to a larger space. When we use a map to get somewhere, it is up to us to figure out the most proper route, or the alternatives, for ourselves.So how does this work out in the real world? In her 2019 book, Mind in Motion, Tversky acknowledges that most of us do not carry a file drawer of maps in our heads. Instead, we use a combination of methods to get where we are going: part tum-by-tum directions, part bird’s-eye view, and part general map-like information(it’s somewhere near the center of town; we’ll be traveling toward Omaha; the mid-day sun is on our left, so we are still heading west) and helpful landmarks. For this reason, Tversky refers to our way finding plans not as “cognitive maps” but as “cognitive collages (拼贴画)”.But it is important to note that most navigational directions of moderate complexity dependin part on the ability to understand a map perspective. Sometimes maps just make for better directions, but they are essential if we make a mistake and have to figure out how to correct our course._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________5.阅读下面短文,根据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要。
概要写作1.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Losing your ability to think and remember is pretty scary. We know the risk of dementia (痴呆) increases with age. But if you have memory slips, you probably needn’t worry.There are pretty clear differences between signs of dementia and age-related memory loss.After 50, it’s quite common to have trouble remembering the names of people, places and things quickly.The brain ages just like the rest of the body. Certain parts shrink, especially areas in the brain that are important to learning, memory and planning. Changes in brain cells can affect communication between different regions of the brain. And blood flow can be reduced as blood vessels narrow.Forgetting the name of an actor in a favorite movie, for example, is nothing to worry about. But if you forget the plot of the movie or don’t remember even seeing it, that’s far more concerning.When you forget entire experiences, it’s a red flag that something more serious may be involved. Forgetting how to operate a familiar object like a microwave oven, or forgetting how to drive to the house of a friend you’ve visited many times before can also be signs of something going wrong.But even then, people shouldn’t panic. There are many things that can cause confusion and memory loss, including health problems like temporary stoppage of breathing during sleep, high blood pressure, or depression, as well as medications (药物) like antidepressants. Defense against memory loss is to try to prevent it by building up your brain’s cognitive (认知的) reserve.Read books, go to movies, take up new hobbies or activities that force one to think in novel ways. In other words, keep your brain busy and working. And also get physically active, because exercise is a known brain booster._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ 2.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Nowadays, leaders the world over are busy mapping out blueprints for a new age with environmental protection high on their agenda. Sustainable development hits headlines almost every day. It is of utmost importance to restore the harmonious balance between man and nature, given the damage we’ve already done to it.First of all, we must realize that man and nature are interactive. To begin with, we derive everything from nature. Among other things, I’m sure you’ve all tasted natural produce that is otherwise known as green food. And you must have noticed that nearly all beautifying products boast of being natural creams, natural lotions or natural gels. For man, nature has an irresistible appeal.But on the other hand we must also realize that nature can be unruly. Nature is indeed like a riddle, some areas of which are beyond the reach of science and technology, at least in the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, the advancement of science and technology will still characterize the next millennium. The coming new age will provide many opportunities, but it will be likewise run of challenges. For instance, United Nations’ demographers predict that global population could soar from its current 5.9 billion to as many as 11.2 billion by 2050. This will worsen the current scarcity of natural resources caused by environmental degradation. More conflicts over this scarcity may occur with the ghost of nuclear wars always hiding in the background. To prevent this nightmare from coming true, governments need to work closely with each other and back up their verbal commitment by actions. However, it is not enough only to ask what governments can do to achieve the harmony between man and nature. We must ask ourselves what we as individuals can do.Can we all be economical with food, water, electricity or other resources? Can we, or rather, some greedy ones among us, stop making rare plants and animals into delicious dishes? Can we stop using the unrecyclable style of lunch boxes? If not, one day they may bury us in an ocean ofwhite rubbish. After all, the earth is not a dustbin; it’s our common home._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________3.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Stressful situations are sometimes unavoidable. Each of us perceives challenges in our own way and reaction to them also varies. How stressful our life is depends not only on us. Other people influence it as well. And this is something we cannot change.What if we do not try to change others, but rather try and change our attitude to stress and tension that we often experience at work?Stretching releases muscle tension that accumulates in your back, shoulders, and neck during the day. Even when your day is extremely busy, do your best and set aside at least 5-10 minutes to do some exercise. There are plenty of exercises you can practise that do not require any special equipment: yoga, or simple squats — you can pick any kind of workout to your liking. Physical activity will boost your energy level and help you calm down. Working out is beneficial for both your body and mind.Herbs work miracles. Some of them, such as chamomile and peppermint, are a powerful tool helping to fight stress and anxiety. NASA scientists have recently carried out research into the effect of herbs and found out that peppermint scent decreases tiredness by 20% and reduces frustration by 25%, Make a smarter choice and, while at work, drink herbal tea instead of coffee.Once you find yourself in a different surroundings you will feel much better. If your office is situated in a busy city center, then you can spend your lunch break m a sidewalk cafe. Order your favorite drink and distract yourself by watching people go by. If your office is located in an environmentally clean place, for example, near a city park. You can then refresh yourself and relax a bit before you dive back into your working routine.Call someone who you know can understand and support you when you feel stressed. Astudy shows that communication with close people, such as your friends or parents, produces oxytocin in your body — the hormone that is needed to successfully fight tension and stress._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________4.Directions:Read the following passage. Summarize in no more than 60 words the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage. Use your own words as far as possible.Fishy WeatherHave you ever heard someone say, “It’s raining cats and dogs”? It’s a figure of speech—no one has ever seen it truly rain cats and dogs. However, weird weather does happen. Fish, frogs, and even spiders have fallen from the sky during storms!Some places get a lot of weird weather. Yoro, a city in Honduras, is one such place. There, animals fall from the sky so often that kids learn about it in school. However, most people don’t believe it until they see it. When Miguel Espinoza moved to Yoro, he thought the stories were just legends. Then one afternoon, he saw a dark cloud in the sky. “I felt something hit my hat, and I saw a shiny flutter,” he said. “It was a fish!” Hundreds of silver fish fell like wriggling raindrops.Scientists can explain the raining fish. Storms with strong winds, such as waterspouts and tornadoes, can suck up water as they pass over rivers, lakes, or oceans. The winds will also suck up whatever is swimming in that water! These storms can then carry the animals for many miles. When the winds start to die down, they drop the water and animals.Fish are the most common animals carried by storms, but they aren’t the only ones. In 2005, thousands of tiny frogs rained down on a city in Serbia. Amazingly, frogs were still alive after they fell to the ground. And in 2007, a man named Christian Gaona was visiting northern Argentina when he experienced a very creepy rain. Dozens of spiders fell from the sky! Christian snapped some pictures of the raining spiders. Otherwise, his friends might never have believed his unusual story.Overall, animal rainstorms aren’t very common. In most years, fewer than ten animal storms are reported around the world. So don’t worry about fish bouncing off your umbrella. If they do,you’ll have your own story about very weird weather._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________5.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Major trends that may affect education systemsThe Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which promotes policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world, has been looking at the future of global education. Its head of education, Andreas Schleicher, has been talking about some major international trends affecting education systems around the world.One trend is the widening gap between rich and poor. In OECD countries, the richest 10% have incomes 10 times greater than the poorest 10%. This inequality is a challenge for schools who want to offer equal and fair access to education for everyone.Another trend is the rising wealth in Asia. It’s suggested that a large rise in themiddle-classes in countries like India will increase demand for university places. Andreas Schleicher asks the question “What values will these newly wealthy consumers want from their schools?”Increasing migration will also have an impact on education systems. Mobility results in more culturally diverse students eager to learn and develop good life for themselves. But that can be challenge, too, as Andreas Schleicher asks: “How should schools support pupils arriving from around the world? Will schools have a bigger role in teaching about shared values?”Funding pressure is another issue: as our demand and expectation for education rises and more people go to university, who’s going to pay for it all? The rise in dependency on technology is another concern. What should students learn when many of their talents can be reproduced by machines? And how reliant should we be on learning from the internet?These are just some of the issues the OECD is highlighting. But they remain irrelevant forhundreds of millions of the world’s poorest children who don’t even have access to school places or receive such low-quality education that they leave without the most basic literacy or numeracy._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________6.Directions: Read the following three passages. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.The World Should Welcome the Rise of the RobotsThe word “robot” was coined in 1020 by the Czech playwright Karel Capek, who imagined artificial, fully functional servants. For most of their history, however, robots have been dumb, inelegant mechanical devices sitting out of sight in factories.Things are starting to change, however. Robots have benefited from rapid innovations in smartphones, which brought cheap cameras and sensors, fast wireless communications and powerful, smaller computer chips. More recent advances in machine learning have added software to make robots better informed about their surroundings and equipped them to make wiser decisions. Robots are leaving carefully managed industrial settings for everyday life. In a pandemic-ravaged world, short of workers but with lots of elderly folk to look after, having more robots to boost productivity would be a good thing.And yet many people fear that robots will destroy jobs. A paper in 2013 by economists at Oxford University was widely misinterpreted as meaning that 47% of American jobs were at risk of being automated. In fact, concerns about mass unemployment are overblown. The evidence suggests robots will be disruptive but ultimately beneficial for labour markets. Japan and South Korea have the highest robot penetration but very strong work-forces. A Yale University study that looked at Japanese manufacturing between 1978 and 2017 found that an increase of one robot unit per 1,000 workers boosted a company’s employment by 2.2%. Research from the Bank of Korea found that robotization moved jobs away from manufacturing into other sectors, butthat there was no decrease in overall vacancies.Inevitably, some people will be on the losing end of change even as the robots make society as a whole better off. It may trigger a political backlash, because the losers feel left behind. That is one more reason why firms and governments would do well to recognize the value of retraining and lifelong learning. As jobs change, workers should be helped to acquire new skills.The potential gains from the robot revolution are huge. There is no reason to think the robots will revolt against their human masters and cause mass unemployment and worse._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ 7.Directions: Read the following three passages. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.What do We Know About “Mathephobia”Mathematician Mary de Lellis Gough, who often observed her struggling students fail to work out mathematical problems, coined the term ‘mathephobia’ in 1953. She described it as “a disease that proves fatal before its presence is detected”. Other experts have defined it as “the panic, helplessness and mental disorganization that arises among some people when they are required to solve a mathematical problem” and “a general fear of contact with mathematics”.Sian Beilock, a cognitive scientist and her colleagues of Barnard College in New York have shown that math anxiety can start as soon as we enter formal schooling. “Math is one of the first places in school in western cultures where we really learn about whether we got something right or wrong, and are exposed to being evaluated in timed tests.”Girls may be more prone to it than boys. Primary school teachers often have high levels of math anxiety, says Beilock, and in the US and elsewhere, they are mostly female. Since young children tend to identify with adults of the same gender, this means girls are more likely to pick up math anxiety from their female teachers. Having a female teacher with math anxiety makes girls more likely to believe gendered stereotypes about math, leading to poorer achievement.“Once you have it, it can be self-lasting. Worrying about it can make it worse.” says Beilock,whose study of children between the ages of five and eight suggests math anxiety might weaken performance by burdening working memory. “As our ability to focus limited, our attention gets divided when we do more than one task at a time.” she says. “If you’re worried about having to do math, you may have an internal monologue saying you can’t do this and at the same time you’re trying to calculate numbers.”When people have math anxiety, they tend to avoid the subject, as researchers from 2019 show. But since math builds on itself, avoiding it makes it harder to catch up. “Math is foundational. If you miss a certain idea, it’s harder to learn the next one.” says Darcy Hallett. “And then you can fall behind, which might make math more of a targeted anxiety compared to other topics.”_______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________8.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Global CooperationIn the 21st century, we’ve seen a new trend that is pushing the boundaries of human invention and innovation—global cooperation. Scientific and technical research and development is now so complicated that no one scientist can know it all. So, increasingly, innovation is coming from the combining of cutting-edge expertise (专业知识) from different scientific fields.There are now over 8, 000 scientific journals worldwide and it is impossible to be an expert in all areas. Therefore, in this highly specialized world, scientists, medics and engineers have to cooperate in order to innovate. Professor Bob Langer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has made significant breakthroughs in the field of biomedical engineering. But he hasn’t done it on his own. He has invited experts from around the world in different fields to form a global team to design new substances which can go inside the body, deliver medicines and then dissolve. Also at MIT, when Cesar Harada heard about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010,he quit his dream job there and tried to develop a more efficient way to remove the oil. But rather than focusing on profit, he decided to ‘open-source’ the design. He shared his own ideas on the web for free and then got experts from all around the world to contribute ideas and even donations. Thanks to this free, not-for-profit way of sharing ideas and intellectual property on the internet, a boat capable of cleaning oil quickly came into being. Obviously, international cooperation based on sharing information freely has produced innovative approaches to solving problems.It appears that the days of brilliant individuals working in their garages on their own are over. Global teams with a united purpose building on everyone’s expertise can collectively do far more than one brilliant individual. Today’s world calls for global cooperators, sharers, and not protectors of ideas._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________9.Directions:Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.To adjust you baby to the external world, educating him is your main assignment. How will you educate him? What role will he play in the world?According to Darwin’s theory of the evolution of the species, we are a competitive species and one survives by adapting itself biologically to various environments through various ways. Competition was useful for the progress of society and for the survival of human beings.Today, however, the challenges are different. There are environmental imbalance, deaths of thousands of children every day by starvation and countless diseases. Therefore, it is urgent that the philosophy of preparing our children for competition and power be replaced by one of preparing them for love and cooperation.The earth is a unique home to us all. We must educate our children so that they want to preserve nature and it can in return make them more powerful and capable in society. Ourchildren have to learn that we don’t need to practice actions that benefit only our homeland while all other countries are destroyed. The destruction of other countries and lives leads to the impossibility of the future existence of our home. We must teach our children that the main necessity of men and children is love. Love is good to ourselves, others and nature.But it is getting harder to love. We are not capable of demonstrating hate to a flower, grabbing it and throwing it at the floor and stepping on it. It sounds insane! But we are insensitive to the extent of seeing a homeless person on the ground and pretending it’s not our problem! Our strong idea of competition has led us to total insensibility!_______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ 10.Directions: Read the following three passages. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.The Changing Spring FestivalThe Spring Festival, as it is celebrated today, has undergone many changes, the country’s economic development and globalization.No Spring Festival is complete without food. People could not get good food with desired in earlier times, something that does not apply to society today. The best time celebrate was when food was available in plenty, and that was possible in spring, or the beginning of the Lunar New Year. That was the main reason why the Spring Festival acquired such great importance among Chinese people. But three decades of economic growth has ensured that people in China can enjoy a good meal whenever they want. People seem not to long for delicious food like before during the Spring Festival due to the change in people’s fortune.In the past, celebrations were limited to events like song-and-dance duets(二人转)in North China, dragon and lion dances in South China and fireworks. And economic development and urbanization seems to have ensured various forms of entertainment and communication. People can watch the Spring Festival Gala on TV or even on the cellphone.Many customs associated with the Spring Festival have changed, too. In the past, peopleused to visit relatives and friends with gifts and lots of good wishes. Today, many people, especially the youth, use their cell phones or the Internet to send their good wishes and even “gifts” to their relatives and friends. Some may say this is a sign that people have become less caring about their near and dear ones, but we can see this development as a time-andenergy-saving exercise granted by the information age._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________参考答案1.A possible version:People aged 50 and over tend to develop memory problems, because changes in brain cells have affected brain’s communication within, and that the narrowing of vessels reduces the blood flow. However, signs of memory loss do not necessarily lead to the condition itself. Anyway, tryingto think creatively and getting physically active help to keep your brain healthy effectively.【导语】本文是一篇说明文。
概要写作1.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Retirement - Paradise or NotMost people look forward to retirement as a time when they can finally take up activities that they never had the time or energy to pursue before. But some recent studies on people in their golden years are disturbing: they suggest that retirees are more likely to suffer from depression and possibly higher rates of other diseases such as heart disease and high blood pressure. That's why a new study of French workers is welcome news.Led by Hugo Westerlund, a professor of psychology at Stockholm University, the study of more than 14,000 workers found lower rates of depression and fatigue in people after they got retired while they were still employed.The scientists followed employees of the French National Gas and Electric Company for 14 years. They found in the year immediately after retirement, the volunteers reported 40% fewer depressive symptoms than they had in the year before their retirement. The researchers also found an 81% drop in reports of both mental and physical fatigue over the same time period.Clearly, said Westerlund, much of these decrease in physical and mental fatigue can be traced back to relief from the stresses of work. The decline in depressive symptoms suggests that retirement may be having a positive mental effect, too, which may have a lot to do with the generous pensions that French workers enjoy. Most retirees in that country still benefit from about 80% of their yearly salaries."The economic or financial situation in retirement is very important," Westerlund says. "We don't know if the decrease in fatigue and depressive symptoms is because of the removal of something bad while in work or the addition of something good while in retirement. But no matter the reason, if life in retirement is not comfortable, then we won't see the improvements we did."However, in European nations like France, governments are considering changes to pension plans, which may affect retirees' health after they leave their jobs-with less of a financial safety net, workers may no longer seem so mentally and physically happy to be out of work._______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____2.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Living to 100Since the mid-1950s, life expectancy around the world has increased dramatically, and many scientists believe that this trend is likely to continue in the future. The main reason for the increase during this period was the decline in infant mortality. Fewer children died at an early age, and this was mainly because of improved healthcare and better food production.Most experts believe that people will continue to live longer in the future because of medical advances. Researchers predict that at least half of the North American and Japanese babies born since the year 2000 will live to an age of 90, and ten percent to 100 years old. Furthermore, new drugs are being developed which will slow down the ageing process. These will be available in a few years, and they will enable people to live 20 years longer.If the current older populations in many countries become healthier, wealthier and live longer, the trend will have important consequences for people and governments. The cost of medical care for older people will rise, and governments will have to start thinking hard about how to fund state pensions for older citizens. Some people will want to keep on working later in their life, which could lead to changes in the age of retirement in many countries. Others would prefer to retire early to enjoy having more time for themselves. This will create business opportunities for companies in the leisure and entertainment industries and open up new segments of the market. The effect on the world population will be great. Europe’s population has been in decline for several years now as people prefer to have fewer children and families tend to be smaller. However, “the population will not decline as anti-ageing drugs start to become widely available”, as an expert on population, Professor Shripad Tuljapurkar, says in his recently-released book._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________3.Summary WritingWorking AroundAccording to the latest statistics, young men and women from the UK are leaving their country in large numbers because they want to work abroad. Is the idea of working abroad fact or fiction and what is it like to work in another country?In order to find answers to these questions, the Guardian newspaper recently interviewed British workers in France, Germany, Spain and Holland. What they discovered was that if you have a marketable skill and can speak the language of the country you are in, then you will have no problem finding work. Let’s take the following examples. Peter Tate moved to France in 1991. He had studied lighting design in England and had worked for eleven years in theatres around the country. He wanted a different lifestyle and certainly didn’t expect to get a job in his field immediately.He did a number of different jobs until he was finally hired by Disneyland Paris in 1992. First he worked there as a lighting technician, then he eventually got a job in design. After all his experience, he says that you have to be realistic about finding exactly the kind of job you want abroad. “The theatre is a small world,” he explains. “Jobs are usually found through contracts. I had to get to know people first and I didn’t speak very good French when I first arrived.”He admits that his poor level of French was a big problem. He did a three-month language course before he moved to France permanently, but this still was not enough. He says that if you want to get a good job in another country, you have to be able to speak the language well. A lack of language skills is the main problem when trying to find work in Europe.___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________4.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Why play games? Because they are fun, and a lot more besides. Following therules...planning your next move... acting as a team member...these are all “game” ideas that you will come across throughout your life.Think about some of the games you played as a young child, such as rope-jumping andhide-and-seek. Such games are entertaining and fun. But perhaps more importantly, they translate life into exciting dramas that teach children some of the basic rules they will be expected to follow the rest of their lives, such as taking turns and cooperating.Many children’s games have a practical side. Children around the world play games that prepare them for work they will do as grown-ups. For instance, some Saudi Arabian children play a game called bones, which sharpens the hand-eye coordination needed in hunting.Many sports encourage national or local pride. The most famous games of all, the Olympic Games, bring athletes from around the world together to take part in friendly competition. People who watch the event wave flags, knowing that a gold medal is a win for an entire country, not just the athlete who earned it. For countries experiencing natural disasters or war, an Olympic win can mean so much.Sports are also an event that unites people. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. People on all continents play it — some for fun and some for a living. Nicolette Iribarne, a Californian soccer player, has discovered a way to spread hope through soccer. He created a foundation to provide poor children with not only soccer balls but also a promising future.Next time you play your favorite game or sport, think about why you enjoy it, what skills are needed, and whether these skills will help you in other aspects of your life.5.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize in no more than 60 words the main idea of the passage and how it is illustrated. Use your own words as far as possible.The advantages of social networkingWhy do most people sign up to social networking sites? The main reason is to stay in touch with other people. These sites also help people to find their childhood friends that they have lost touch with. Renewing these long-lost friendships is just a click away. It is very exciting to be ableto catch up with friends and keep up with their news on an almost daily basis thanks to frequent updates.Keeping up-to-date, however, doesn’t have to be restricted to friends and acquaintances (相识的人). What many people tend to forget is that they can also use networking sites for professional reasons. It is actually a great way of finding out about upcoming job opportunities. Friends might know about job vacancies that may not be advertised elsewhere or they can even recommend their friends for certain jobs. Even people already employed can promote their business online. This is particularly important for artists, actors and musicians who can create pages devoted to their band or theatre company, and inform fans about their gigs (现场演唱会) or latest exhibitions. In addition, the sites can be used to allow the public to give instant feedback on the artists’ work and to interact with their favorite artist.Another great advantage of social networking sites is how easy it is to organize an event with your friends. Thanks to different settings people can organize their friends by different criteria (标准). These criteria could be how close friends they are, common interests and hobbies or where they live. This means if a certain event takes place, for example, an open-air concert or a football match, all they have to do is invite the right group of friends to attend. Some networking sites offer a range of quizzes and games, so friends living on opposite sides of the globe can invite each other to participate and compete in a variety of games without leaving their homes.___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____6.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.FriendshipTo help us understand what friendship really means, we need to review some classical views of friendship. According to Aristotle, we may find three kinds of friendship:Friendship based on utility. Utility is an impermanent thing: it changes according tocircumstances. When the ground for friendship disappears, the friendship also breaks up. Friendships of this kind seem to occur most frequently between the elderly, because at their age what they want is not pleasure but utility Friendships based on utility are also frequently found among those in middle or early life who are pursuing their own advantage. Such persons do not spend much time together, because sometimes they do not even like one another, and therefore feel no need of such an association unless they are mutually useful. They take pleasure in each other’s company only in so far as they have hopes of advantage from it.Friendship based on pleasure. Friendship between the young is thought to be grounded on pleasure, because the lives of the young are regulated by their feelings, and their chief interests are in their own pleasure and the opportunity of the moment. As they grow up, however, their tastes change too, so that they are quick to make and to break friendships. That is why they fall in and out of friendship quickly, changing their attitude often, even within the same day.Friendship based on goodness. Perfect friendship is based on goodness. Only the friendship of those who are good, and similar in their goodness, is perfect. The conduct of good men is the same or similar. It is between good men that both love and friendship are chiefly found and in the highest form. Such friendships are rare and they need time and intimacy; for as the saying goes, true friends must go through trials and tribulations (患难) together. And no two persons can accept each other and become friends until each has proved to the other that he is worthy of love. and so won his trust. The wish for friendship may develop rapidly, but true friendship does not. 7.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main points of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Functions of a SpeechThe art of public speaking began in ancient Greece over 2, 000 years ago. The spoken word can handle various vital functions: persuading or inspiring, informing, paying compliment, entertaining, or simply introducing someone or something or accepting something. Over the past years, the human voice has helped guide us over the ups and downs of what was certainly a stormy time.Persuasion is used in dealing with or reuniting different points of view. When the leaders met in Copenhagen in December 2009, persuasive words from activists encouraged them to commit themselves to firmer action. Inspirational speeches challenge the emotions. They focus on topicsand matters that are close to people's hearts. During wars, generals used inspiring speeches to prepare the troops for battle.A speech that conveys knowledge and enhances understanding can inform us. The information must be clear, accurate, and expressed in a meaningful and interesting way. Informative speeches from World Health Organization officials helped people to keep their panic under control so they could take sensible protection.Sad events are never easy to deal with but a speech that pays tribute to the loss of a loved one and gives praise for their contribution can be comforting. Madonna's speech about Michael Jackson, after his death, highlighted the fact that he will continue to live on through his music. It's not only in world meetings where public speaking plays an important role. It can also be surprisingly helpful in the course of our own lives.On a more personal level, a friend may be upset and need comforting. Or you might be asked to introduce a speaker at a family event or to speak at a wedding, where your language will be needed to move people or make them laugh.Great speaking ability is not something we're born with. For a brilliant speech, there are rules that you can put to good use. To learn those rules you have to practice and learn from some outstanding speeches in the past.___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____8.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main points of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Things to Do After You StudyMany students study with little thought about what comes after their study session. But what you do after studying could have an effect on how well you learn and remember new information. Actually, there are two no-cost ways that can help you improve your learning: wakeful rest and sleep.When many students finish studying, they often go straight to another activity. Perhaps they look at their phone or computer. They might even play a video game or watch television. But research suggests that resting after you study may help you remember what you studied.The basic idea is this: by reducing your activity after the study session, your brain gets a chance to rest. Resting is difficult when you have too much stimulation from electronic devices, games, lights and so on. Many studies have explored the benefits of resting after learning — what is called “wakeful rest.” A 2019 study found that both young and older adults were able to better remember, or recollect, information from prose passages after doing wakeful rest. The findings appeared in Neuroscience Letters. If you want to give “wakeful rest” a try, here are a few simple things to do: Rest quietly for five to ten minutes. Do not look at your phone, read stories or play games. Just limit the amount of stimulation you get. It is really that easy!In addition to wakeful rest, sleep is also important for learning. The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School notes that sleep helps people to learn. A report on the school’s website explains that “a sleep-deprived person cannot focus attention optimally and therefore cannot learn efficiently.” It also says, “sleep itself has a role in the consolidation of memory, which is essential for learning new information.”Now you have two suggestions for how to learn new information. Try to get some “wakeful rest” after a study session. Then try to get a good night’s sleep. That’s it — a simple, no-cost way to help you remember what you learn.___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____9.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Judging from recent surveys, most experts in sleep behavior agree that there is virtually an epidemic of sleepiness in the nation.“I can’t think of a single study that hasn’t found Americans getting less sleep than they ought to,” says Dr. David. Even people who think they are sleepingenough would probably be better off with more rest.The beginning of our sleep-deficit crisis can be traced back to the invention of the light bulb a century ago.From diary entries and our personal accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries, sleep scientists have reached the conclusion that the average person used to sleep about 9.5 hours a night.”The best sleep habits once were forced on us, when we had nothing to do in the evening down on the farm, and it was dark.” By the 1950s and 1960s, the sleep schedule had been reduced dramatically, to between 7.5 and 8 hours, and most people had to wake to an alarm clock. “People cheat in their sleep, and they don’t even realize they’re doing it,” says Dr. David, ”They think they’re okay because they can get by on 6.5 hours, when they really need 7.5, 8 or even more to feel ideally vigorous.”Perhaps the most merciless robber of sleep, researchers say, is the complexity of the day. Whenever pressures from work, family, friends and community increase, many people consider sleep the least expensive item on their program.” In our society, you’re considered dynamic if you say you need only 5.5 hours’ sleep. If you’ve got to get 8.5 hours, people think you lack drive and ambition.”To determine the consequences of sleep-deficit, researchers have put subjects through a set of psychological and performance tests requiring them, for instance, to add columns of numbers or recall a passage read to them only minutes earlier. “We’ve found that if you’re in sleep deficit, performance suffers,” says Dr. David, ”Short-term memory is weakened, as are abilities to make decisions and to concentrate.”_______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________10.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Birthdays are an occasion for reflection. In the 15 years since its founding in 2004, Facebook has altered America in three notable ways. First, the company has created a virtual “me-economy”where people share their feelings, photos and comments. The company has done this twice: once with its flagship social network, which became the pastime and addiction of college students and high scholars in the mid-2000 and again with Instagram, which is the most popular photo sharing App. It has shaped what it means and feels like to be young.Second, Facebook has changed attitudes to privacy. The social network thrives through trust. After Facebook was launched, for the first time people felt comfortable sharing intimate details online, including their phone number, relationship status, likes and dislikes, location and more, because they felt they could control who had access to them. Users were vaguely aware that Facebook was starting to make a fortune by inappropriately using this data and selling advertisers access to specific types of users, but they mostly did not object.Third, Facebook has left a lasting mark on politics. The social-networking firm has become an invaluable tool for politicians seeking office, both through paid advertisements to reach voters and free content that spreads on the social network. “You’d find it difficult to name a politician who’s been elected in the last ten years who didn’t use Facebook,” says David Kirkpatrick, author of The Facebook Effect, a history of the social network.Can the social-media giant stay as influential in the next 15 years as it has already been? At the risk of being wrong about Facebook again, that seems unlikely. This is partly because its impact has already been so extensive. But it is also because of growing unease with the platform. As with all new technologies, from the printed book to the telegraph, social media can be used both for good and bad._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________1.One possible version:Instead of a golden period to enjoy life, recent researches argue that retirement led to depression and diseases. However, a 14-year study involving 14000 French workers showed dramatic decline in depression and fatigue soon after retirement, which is believed to result from reduced work pressure and comfortable pension. Unfortunately, considering the possibility of cutting pension, the advantage may cease.【导语】本文是一篇说明文。
概要写作1.阅读下面短文,根据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要。
Have you had a headache during a test? Have you ever been so worried about something that you have a headache or even can’t sleep at night? If so, then you know what stress is.Stress is what you feel when you are worried about something. This worry in your mind can make your body feel bad. You may feel angry, sad, scared, or afraid——all of which can give you a stomachache or a headache.However, there are different kinds of stress. Some kinds of stress are good and others are bad.Good stress might happen when you’re called to answer questions in class or when you have to give a speech. This kind of stress can help you to get things better done. For example, you may do a better job on your test if the stress pushes you to prepare better before the test. On the other hand, bad stress can happen if the stress lasts too long. You may not feel well if your parents are fighting, if a family member is sick, if you’re having problems at school, or if anything else makes you unhappy every day. That kind of stress isn’t going to help you. And it can actually make you sick.The best way to fight the stress is to have a balanced life. Make sure you keep yourself in mind: Sleep, Exercise, Leisure, and Food. If you get enough sleep and eat properly, and if you exercise and leave time for fun, you’ll probably feel less stressed.___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____2.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage with no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Sue and Johnsy are friends and they live in one studio.But Johnsy kept her bed. The doctor thought there was uncertain hope and he couldn’t see any confidence in Johnsy.At the same time, Johnsy lay on the bed, looking through the small window and counted “10、9” and “8、7......” She said feebly. When the last leaf fell she must go.Sue heard that and felt sad. She went to invite old Behrman, who was a painter with no achievement. And he always talked of his coming masterpiece.Behrman heard the story of Johnsy from Sue.After the beating rain and fierce wind that had endured through the night, there was still one leaf. And another terrible night, it was still here. Johnsy lay for a long time looking at it. Then she saw the life’s energy and wanted to live.With the help of doctor and Sue, Johnsy was out of danger. But the bad news was that the old Behrman died of pneumonia. And they knew the secret that the last leaf was just a painting, drew by Behramn in that terrible night.This is really a beautiful and sorrowful story. We can give other people energy, hope and love. You can see something glittering in our heart._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _________________3.阅读下面短文,根据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要。
概要写作1 EnvyIt’s a familiar but uncomfortable feeling. Your best friend will marry a handsome doctor, and the congratulatory hug you offer lacks genuine warmth. Your friend is made the team for Saturday’s big game, and you take a certain pleasure in telling him you can’t be there to watch him play. You smile but a voice in your head asks, why them and not you?Envy is a shortcoming of character we like to keep in our heart secretly. How shameful is it not to be looking forward with delight to your day as your best friend's bridesmaid! Who would hope your friend might suffer some injury, so you can take his place on the team?Envy is everywhere. It seems to be in our nature to hate others' gifts and good fortune, especially if we see them as advantages they shouldn't have.Envy raises its ugly head when we focus on what we want but we don’t possess now. Worse still, we may even wish for and take pleasure in someone's losing what we have always desired. When you compare yourself and your life unfavorably with your friend or your colleague, you can only keep your darker emotions.So is there a solution? Is there anything you can do to get rid of this most ungenerous emotion?Well, why not make envy the motivation you need for self-improvement? The best weap on against envy is not to compete where you can’t shine, but to do your absolute best where you can.Start by making peace with yourself, and accept the gifts which make you unique. Make a n agreement with yourself to be the best you can be. Then find the qualities in others thatcause your envy. Is it someone’s singing voice, their work promotion, their new car? Envy shows us the things we’d like to have. So, make a plan to earn what's important to you.And aim for genuine pleasure in the achievements and good fortune of others. Cheer on your friend when he scores that goal. Enjoy your best friend’s wedding day. Then go out and do something special, and make yourself wonderfully proud of you.参考答案Envy is a common but unpleasant feeling, which is a secret hidden in our heart. This nature usually arises when we can't get what we want and even take delight in others' losing it. To avoid this negative feeling, firstly try to transform envy into the motivation to improve ourselves. Besides, accept your unique talents gladly. Finally, appreciate others' achievements sincerely.概要写作2 Water shortageUsing too much water or throwing rubbish into our rivers are clear ways that humans can put our water supply in danger, but we also affect our water supply in less obvious ways. You may wonder how paving a road can lead to less useable fresh water. A major part of the water we use every day is groundwater. Groundwater does not come from lakes or rivers. It comes from underground. The more roads and parking lots we pave, the less water can flow into the ground to become groundwater.Human activity is not responsible for all water shortages. Drier climates are of course more likely to have droughts than areas with more rainfall, but in any case, good management can help to make sure there is enough water to meet our basic needs.Thinking about the way we use water every day can make a big difference, too. In the United States, a family of four can use 1.5 tons of water a day! This shows how much we depend on water to live, but there’s a lot we can do to lower the number.You can take steps to save water in your home. To start with, use the same glass for your drinking water all day. Wash it only once a day. Run your dishwasher only when it is full. Help your parents fix any leaks in your home. You can even help to keep our water supply clean by recycling batteries instead of throwing them away.参考答案Human activities, such as wasting water, polluting rivers and constructing roads, can partly lead to water shortage. Meanwhile, drier climates are another cause of insufficient water supply. Hopefully, if you take action to use water smartly/wisely in your daily life, say, using the same glass of water, maximizing the efficiency of dishwashers, helping repair leaks and recycling batteries, you can still make a significant difference.概要写作3 SneezeMany people are used to saying “bless you” or “gesundheit” when someone sneezes. No one says anything when someone coughs or blows their nose, so why do sneezes get special treatment?The phrase “God bless you” belongs to Pope Gregory the Great, who voiced it in the sixth century during a bubonic plague epidemic (黑死病泛滥时期) (sneezing is an obvious symptom of one form of the plague). The term “gesundheit” comes fromGermany,and it literally means “health”. The idea is that a sneeze typically occurs before illness.Actually every country around the globe has its own way of wishing sneezers well. People in Arabic countries say “alhamdulillah” which means “praise to be God”. Hindus say “Live!” or “Live well!” Some countries have special sneezing responses to children. InRussia, they are also told “rostibolshoi” (“grow big”) after children are given the traditional response “bud zdorov” (“be healthy”).For the most part, the various sneeze responses originated from ancient superstitions (迷信). Some people believed that a sneeze causes the soul to escape the body through the nose. Saying “bless you” would stop the devil from taking the person’s soul. Others believed the opposite: evil spirits use the sneeze as an opportunity to enter a perso n’s body. There was also the misunderstanding that the heart temporarily stops during a sneeze (it doesn’t), and saying “bless you” is a way of welcoming the person back to life.We now know that sneezing is a reflex action and is most often the sign of something relatively benign (良性的), such as a cold or allergy (过敏). A sneeze also can be caused by being outside in the sunlight or from smelling a strong smell. Still, we keep the custom of saying “bless you” or “gesundheit”, mainly out of habit and common kindness.参考答案People usual ly say “bless you” after they sneeze, as sneezing was considered one of the typical features of the plague. Many countries have their unique custom of wishing good health in response to sneezing. Most practices have their origin from ancient superstitions. Now sneezing is known as merely an indication of a minor sickness and a response to outside stimulations, yet we keep the custom, mainly out of habit and politeness.概要写作4 Taking a showerTAKING a shower is relaxing. You can hum a song, daydream or think about nothing, leaving the real world behind you. But did you know that showering can also benefit your mind?A piece of research by Scott Barry Kaufman, a psychologist from Yale University in the US interviewed over 3,000 people around the world. It turned out that nearly two-thirds of the interviewees said they had experienced new ideas in the shower and were more likely to have them in the shower than at work.So why does a simple shower have such magic power? Science can explain it.Showering can help to raise our level of dopamine, a hormone closely related to our creativity. “People vary in terms of their level of creativity according to the activity of dopamin e”, explained Alice Flaherty, a renowned American neuroscientist. “Taking a warm shower can make us feel relaxed and therefore make the dopamine level rise and bring the “Aha!” moment to us.”Besides the chemical changes, showering may give you a break from what you feel you have been stuck with. Especially when you have thought hard all day about a problem, jumping into the shower can keep you from the outside world so that you can focus on your inner feelings and memories. In this way, according to American psychologist Shelley H. Carson, author of Your Creative Brain, “a showering hour may turn into an ‘incubation (孵化) period’ for your ideas”.Compared with sitting in front of a computer, taking a shower is something we do less frequently in our daily lives. When showering, we get a fresh experience with the change of location, temperature and humidity. “New and unexpected experiences canlead to positive changes in thinking,“ explained Kaufman. “Getting off the couch and jumping in the shower may create a distance and force you to think from a new point of view”.Showering allows us to enjoy the creative juices of our minds, which makes the bathroom an alternative where you get your inspiration. So next time you consider ways to free your mind, count it in.参考答案Showering can relax your body and free your mind as well. First, relaxation in the shower helps raise the level of dopamine and bring new ideas. Second, showering provides a new, unexpected and fresh experience that can result in positive changes, making it possible to stop thinking about what you are stuck with. Besides, showering can make us think from a new point of view with the change of location, temperature and humidity.概要写作5 ShopaholicsTV. The Internet. The mall. Everywhere we look, we see advertisements that urge us to buy. In today’s consumer society, we are under constant pressure to shop. Of course, most people only buy what they need and what they can afford. However, there are some people, called shopaholics, who can’t control th eir desire to spend money and buy things. This kind of addictive behavior can lead large financial problems, family conflict, and deep unhappiness.What are the symptoms of a shopaholic? People with this problem often spend hours and hours shopping on the Internet or at the mall. Their closets are full of clothing andjewelry that they have never worn, with the price tags still on them. Their homes may be packed with shopping bags and boxes that they bought but never used. Many shopaholics are aware of the ir own problems, but when they go to a store, they simply can’t resist the urge to buy. Some of them are ashamed of their weakness and try to hide it by storing their purchases in places like the attic(阁楼), where others won’t see them.Psychologists suggest there are several reasons for a shopping addiction. For some people, it is a way of relieving stress. For others, shopping is a way to fight loneliness or depression. For people with low self-esteem, shopping can be a way that they prove their self-worth. Sometimes the problem develops out of boredom. It becomes a replacement for other hobbies and interests, and it helps pass the time. Although shopping can temporarily make people feel good, they often experience feelings of shame and guilt later.When shopping habits get out of control, people need professional help. They can either see a counselor(顾问) or join an organization such as Shopaholics Anonymous. Groups like this try to help people understand the reasons for their addiction and learn how to control the urge to shop. Their goal is to help people find ways to fulfill themselves that do not lead to serious debt and troubled lives.参考答案Shopaholics refer to those who are addicted to shopping whether they need something or whether they can afford something. There are several symptoms of shopaholics. They spend too much time shopping and can’t re sist the desire to buy things, many of which are even never used. Shopaholics do so for different reasons, such as reducing stress, fighting loneliness or depression, proving self-worth, killing boredom or time and so on.Anyhow, professional help is available if necessary.概要写作6 Punishing childrenPunishing children is a controversial topic. Everybody has different opinions about how to act to correct a child’s behavior. Parents, teachers, doctors, and specialists like psychologists, have disagreements about whether it is g ood for a child’s education to punish him.The word “punish” means different things to different people. Punishment can be physical or emotional. Physical punishment is when the parent hits, slaps or spanks the child.On the other hand, emotional punishment is when the parent, in order to educate the child, doesn’t let him watch TV, go to play with his friends, or do things like that. The parents doesn’t teach him, but still he punishes the child.Although many surveys and studies have been made about what the correct way is to raise a child, nobody has the answer or the truth. I think it will be very difficult to find the answer or get people to agree.I think parents should love their child and give him the best education, but at the same time, they should punish the child if he deserves it. I think if you love your child, you should be rational when you apply the punishment. It should be reasonable but strict.The parent’s goal is to have in the future a good man or woman in society, so sometimes you should do what is necessary to get your child to behave well.参考答案People have mixed opinions towards punishment to children. (要点1) Punishmentcan be physical or emotional, but the way they are punished is the key problem. (要点2) As a matter of fact, it is difficult to find the correct way to raise a child. (要点3) Proper punishment can be instructive and necessary to children if it is reasonable and strict. But love and education are the most important for us to make our kids behave well. (要点4)概要写作7 Second childMany couples who already have one healthy, happy child, are facing a dilemma, that is, the issue of whether to have a second child or not. They have hard jobs and limited time and money, but they want to make sure that their only child does not become a lonely child. So, what are the advantages and disadvantages of having a second child? That is what so many couples are very much concerned about and eager to understand.One popular saying is that one child means a lonely child. That’s why many single-child parents plan to have a second child. They feel guilty about their decision to have only one child, because there are no other children in the family for their only child to play with, which may make the child feel lonely at times, especially during vacations.Another common argument against having just one child is that an only child may be more spoiled than one with brothers or sisters. If one couple had only one child, the child could not learn to share things with others and are less capable of getting along well with other children than one who grows up with brothers or sisters.However, in many parts of the world, more and more parents are still choosing not to have a second child because they argue that there are advantages for the child as well as the parents. With just one child, they suggest, there is little chance of family arguments concerned with children. Besides, as an only child in the family, the child can receivemore quality time and attention. This often leads to increased self-respect and independence, which can lead to the child being more confident.Unluckily, there is no simple answer to the question of whether or not to have a second child. Every family is different, and what is proper for one family may not be for another. The important thing, in the end, is to make a decision that both you and your spouse (配偶) feel confident about.参考答案Whether or not to have a second child has put many couples in a dilemma. Some supporters think one child means a lonely and spoiled child. With siblings, children can learn to share and get on well with others. However, some opponents argue that an only child will get more quality time and attention while causing fewer arguments. Still, there is no easy answer to the issue. It’s up to the couple to make a proper decision about it.概要写作8 Public transportationThere are many benefits of public transportation. For example, public transportation makes it easier for people to get where they want and need to go. It also helps people save money, as the cost of maintaining a working vehicle is often much more than the cost associated with public transportation. The frequency of traffic jams and accidents may also be reduced when a person uses public transportation.One of the main benefits of public transportation is the fact that it makes it easier for people to get around. Without public transportation, many people —especially those without cars — would be limited in where they could go and what they could do. With public transportation, however, people can get to school and work, get to the grocerystore and to doctors’ offices, and visit relatives, even if they do not own vehicles. Public transportation serves people of all ages and from all walks of life, ranging from families, including their children, to business people on their way to the office, to the elderly.Often, people complain about the cost of public transportation when the rates are raised. When compared to the cost of buying a car, many people find that choosing to ride public transportation is a much cheaper option.When public transportation is available, many people choose to use it instead of driving to work and school. This is true even of many people who own cars, as they may prefer to ride to work on a bus or train rather than deal with traffic jams and parking frustrations each day. When people make this choice, the result is less traffic on the roadways, which means fewer traffic jams and less pollution. In fact, the choice many people make to ride public transportation may even translate into fewer car accidents and vehicle-related deaths and injuries. Additionally, the use of public transportation also means less gas is consumed each year.参考答案People can benefit a lot from public transportation. (要点1)First, it enables people to go wherever they want or need to go. (要点2)Secondly, by taking public transportation, people may save a large amount of money. (要点3) Moreover, it may help reduce many traffic jams and accidents. (要点4) Finally, the use of transportation is also an efficient way to decrease the consumption of gas. (要点5)概要写作9 Teenagers hearing loss problemOne billion teenagers and young adults around the world risk losing their hearing bylistening to loud music. This is according to the World Health Organization. The U.N. agency is asking young people to turn down the volume to prevent irreversible damage to their hearing.Few things get the blood pumping like good music. Many people believe louder is better if you are listening to rock and roll.But experiencing really loud music, even really good music, can have a serious effect on your hearing.Dr. Shelley Chadha is a specialist on hearing damage for the World Health Organization. Dr. Chadha says that the cells we use to hear, called sensory cells, can be permanently damaged by loud sounds that happen over a long period of time, or are prolonged, and happen regularly, or are habitual."When this exposure is particularly loud or prolonged or habitual, the sensory cells are damaged permanently leading to irreversible hearing loss."Studies in middle-and high-income countries show nearly 50 percent of teenagers and young adults aged 12 to 35 years listen to unsafe levels of sound. They are listening on their personal audio devices as well as at concerts, night clubs and other entertainment places.But what is an unsafe level of sound?The WHO says there can be many kinds of unsafe levels of sound. It depends on how loud the sound is and how long you listen to it. Unsafe can mean noise levels of 85 decibels for eight hours a day or 100 decibels for just 15 minutes.Dr. Chadha told VOA when the intensity of sound increases by only three decibels, safe listening time goes down by half."If a person takes a subway to go from one place to the other for half an hour in the morning and a half an hour in the evening, and every day has to turn up the volume on his device because there is so much of noise of the train and everything around, and is listening to - let us say 100 db (decibels) for one hour every day, his hearing is going to get irreversibly damaged in a few years, in a couple of years time, for sure."Simple ways to prevent irreversible hearing loss.Dr. Chadha says there are simple measures to protect people from unsafe sound levels. She says young people who wear earplugs during concerts can enjoy music at 90 decibels as much as they can at 110 decibels. But she admits that earplugs may not look very cool."The fact that earplugs may look un-cool may be true today, but if there is a change in behavior that may not necessarily be true in the future and wearing earplugs may actually be cool."A common sense suggestion is to turn down the volume on your personal audio devices. The WHO also advises young people to limit their use of such devices to less than one hour a day. It reminds people to use their technology to stay safe. Smart phone apps can help to monitor safe listening levels.参考答案Nowadays, many young people risk losing their hearing due to loud music according to the WHO. The reason is that their sensory cells can be incurably damaged while listening to unsafe levels of sound. Thus, young people should be aware of this and change their behaviors. They are advised to control the volume and limit the time when using the audio devices. Besides, apps can be used to monitor the process.概要写作10 English weatherHow can you start a conversation with an English person? The answer is quite simple. Many people will tell you that any English conversation begins with The Weather. Such a fixation with the weather finds expression in Dr. Johnson’s famous comment that “When two English meet, their first talk is of weather.” Though Johnson’s observation is as accurate now as it was over two hundred years ago, most commentators (评论员) fail to come up with a convincing explanation for this English weather-speak.Bill Bryson, for example, concludes that, as the English weather is not all at all exciting, the obsession (痴迷) with it can hardly be understood. He argues that “To an outsider, the most striking thing about the English weather is that there is not very much of it.” Simply, the reason is that the unusual and unpredictable weather is almost unknown in the British Isles.Jeremy Paxman, however, disagrees with Bryson, arguing that the English weather is by nature attractive. Bryson is wrong, he says, because the English preference for the weather is not about the natural phenomena at all. “The interest is less in the phenomena themselves, but in uncertainty.” According to him, the weather in England is very changeable and uncertain and it attracts the English as well as the outsider.Bill Bryson and Jeremy Paxman stand for common misconceptions about the weather-speak among the English. Both commentators, somehow, are missing the point. The English weather conversation has nothing to do with the weather. English weather-speak is a system of signs, which is developed to help the speakers overcome the natural reserve and actually talk to each other. Everyone knows conversations startingwith weather-speak are not requests for weather data. Rather, they are routine greetings conversation starters or the blank “fillers”. In other words, English weather-speak is a means of social bonding.参考答案Many commentators can’t explain why English talks start with weather. Bill Bryson says it is hard to understand the preference for boring British weather. However, Jeremy Paxman argues the uncertain weather is fascinating. Actually, such conversations stand for social greetings, talk starters or the blank “fillers” and as a system of signs, English weather-speak plays the role of promoting social connection.概要写作11 reduce carbon footprintThe Crowne Plaza Hotel in Copenhagen is offering a free meal to any guest who is able to produce electricity for the hotel on an exercise bike linked to a generator.(发电机).The idea is to get people fit and reduce their carbon footprint. Guests will have to produce at least 10 watt hours of electricity ---- roughly 15 minutes of cycling for someone of average fitness. Guests staying at Plaza Hotel will be given meal tickets worth $36 once they have produced 10 watt hours of electricity. The bicycles will have smart phones attached to the handlebars measuring how much power is being generated for the hotel.The plan, a world-first, will start on 19April and run for a year. Only guests staying at the hotel will be able to take part. Rederikke Toemmergaard, hotel spokeswoman, said, “Many of our visitors are business people who enjoy going to the gym. There might be people who will cycle just to get a free meal, but generally I don’t think people will takeadvantage of our program.”Copenhagen has a long-standing cycling tradition and 36% of locals cycle to work each day, one of the highest percentages in the world, according to the website visitcopenhagen.dk. US environmental website recently voted Copenhagen the wor ld’s best city for cyclists. “Because Copenhagen is strongly connected with cycling, we felt the bicycle would work well as a symbol of the hotel’s green profile (形象).”If successful, the electric bicycle meal program will be spread to all Crowne Plaza hotels in the UK, the hotel said in a statement.参考答案In Copenhagen a hotel is holding a program where any health-conscious guest is given a free meal by cycling to produce electricity. The program, lasting for one year, is to help people healthy and decrease carbon output. Because Copenhagen has one of the world’s highest rates of people cycling to work, the bicycle serves well to promote environmental concept. All Crowne Plaza hotels in the UK will hold the program if it goes smoothly概要写作12 Sports stars’ high payAs is known to all, sports stars earn large amounts of money every year. LeBron James, the famous American basketball star, for instance, earns an income of more than 20 million dollars a year. Some people hold the view that these stars do not deserve the high pay that they are getting. Some even argue that sports stars do nothing to society apart from entertaining people. Their contributions to society are much less than thosemade by doctors, firemen, scientists, professors, ect. But I can never agree with that. While sports are for entertainment, it does not mean that they are not important to people’s life. Why do so many people go to see football matches and NBA games?It is because they enjoy the games, and they are willing to pay to watch the performances. Because of the sports stars, our life becomes more exciting. Some sports stars gain honor for their country, and their countrymen are proud of them. They contribute to the spiritual well-being of their people.What’s more, sports stars usu ally are at the top of level in their fields. In this world, you have to pay if you want the best. It is the same with sports. Skills in sports are like the skills in works of art. People will not say that Da Vinci’s painting Mona Lisa was bought for too much money. Most stars are skilled in their own field not only because of their talents but also because of their hard training. They have to keep performing at their peak to earn that good income.Their influence on the national economy can not be overlooked. Take NBA in America for example, the stars help to support not only the basketball industry, but also other related industries like sportswear and sport equipment. Sports stars also make constant appearance in advertisements. Since they are well known in the world, they attract many people’s attention, which often leads to an immediate boom in the sales of the products that are advertised by them. I hope one day their accomplishments will be fully recognized.参考范文Different from some people's views, the writer believes sports stars' pay is not too high but reasonable. First, sports stars' performance brings people excitement and。
专题模拟训练(概要写作)概要写作(一)A(2024·高考英语考前信息必刷卷)阅读下面短文,依据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要。
The production of fine art is the use of skill and imagination to create aesthetic objects or experiences which can be shared with other people.Photography is thought by some to be a form of fine art; however, others claim that photography is not.Those who believe that photography is not a form of art present several arguments.They claim a photograph is nothing but an objective record of a particular place at a particular time.Therefore, any beauty that is perceived in the picture is the beauty of the time and place where it was taken, and is not the creation of the photographer.They also argue that sophisticated and expensive equipment often plays a greater role in the success of a photograph than the photographerʼs creativity.Even some of the greatest photographers acknowledge that there is a limit to the amount of influence they can have on a final product.However, there are also many reasons why photography is appreciated on the same level as other recognized forms of visual art.The decisions involved in creating a photograph are analogous to those made by any other artist.A photograph is not just a banal record of the world, but a deliberately created image with its own artistic features.Ansel Adams, the American photographer, commented on this point when he noted: “You donʼt take a photograph, you make it.” There is a growing trend for photographers to call themselves artists and their photos are sold for millions of dollars.However, these high prices may not be enough to change peopleʼs perceptions of whether photography is art.The arguments about whether photography is art have been discussed since the earliest cameras were used.The creative process involved in taking a fine photograph, deciding what, when and how the picture should be taken, is certainly similar to the process of making fine art.However, cameras are also increasingly used to take photographs for non-artistic functions.Although we cannot say that photography itself is necessarilyart, we can certainly see that it is a medium that can be used to make art.【范文】Opinions vary from person to person on whether photography should be considered a fine art.Some are against it because they think it is just an objective record and the photographerʼs creativity isnʼt reflected.However, others are in favor of it.They think photograph is a deliberately created image.All in all, photography is a medium used to make art.B(2024·高考三轮冲刺卷)阅读下面短文,依据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要。
概要写作1.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Cycling isn’t always easy. Busy streets, honking horns, and inadequate bike lanes can make it an uphill battle. But not even these difficulties can stop Europeans’ passion for cycling. According to BBC, bicycles outsold cars in most of the European Union’s states last year.There are traditional bicycle capitals”, such as Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Copenhagen in Denmark. But in many other traditionally car-made countries, the shift to bikes is striking. Italians, for instance, bought 1.6 million bikes against 1.4 million cars in 2012.So what has led to cycling’s growing popularity in Europe?The economic crisis has played an important role in the issue. “The economic crisis has had an effect on all areas of people’s lives, including on transport,” Giulietta Pagliaccio, head of the Italian cycling federation FIAB, told the Australian Associated Press.Since the European debt crisis broke out in 2009, more people lost their jobs while the cost of living, including fuel costs, continued to rise. It forced many people to give up driving to save money, the Guangzhou-based New Express commented. Take Greece, a country seriously hit by the crisis, for example. It sold 320,000 bikes last year against 58,000 cars.More importantly, people have changed their views toward cars and bikes. Cars are losing their appeal as status symbols. Yet, cycling is now seen as “a safe, clean, healthy, inexpensive way to get around town”, the Daily Star concluded. “It not only reduces traffic jam and pollution, but also contributes to public health.”However, with more and more people turning to cycling, questions remain about traffic and safety problems.To ease people’s worries, dozens of cities have joined a European Union to make bicycles equal to cars as a form of urban transport. Quite a few cities now offer well-marked bike lanes, such as the cycling super-highway marked in blue in London. It runs all over the city, from the center to the suburbs._______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _2.Directions: Read the following three passages. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.91. The Problem of PackagingA large source of rubbish is packaging material. It often makes up more than 30 percent of the total. To understand why this is true, think of the packaging commonly used for a simple product, such as toothpaste. The packaging includes not only the tube for the toothpaste, but also the box for the tube. This box is put into a plastic wrapper. Then, the boxes are transported in a cardboard container.Most packaging material ends up in a landfill after it is thrown away. Though necessary, landfills take up valuable space, often stink, and can leak harmful substances into the soil. Landfills not included, the production of packaging material itself is a major source of air and water pollution.People are now trying to solve the problems caused by packaging materials. In 1991, Germany took the lead by requiring companies to recycle the packaging used for their goods. To do this, the companies set up recycling bins in every neighborhood. Consumers now separate their rubbish into three categories—metal, plastic and paper cartons. They then put it into the appropriate bin. The rubbish sorted, it is transported to recycling company for processing.The programme worked well at first. However, the amount of rubbish has begun to increase again. One reason for this is that many consumers no longer reduce waste because they think the problem is solved. It seems that to properly deal with the problem of rubbish, everyone must remain alert and do their part._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _3.Directions: Read the following three passages. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.“Did you hear what happened to Adam Last Friday?” Lindsey whispers to Tori.With her eyes shining, Tori brags, “You bet I did, Sean told me two days ago.”What are Lindsey and Tori talking about? I can tell you what they are saying is not nice and not even true. Still, Lindsey and Tori aren’t very different from most students here at Linton High School, including me. Many of our conversations are gossip. I have noticed the effects of gossip.An important negative effect of gossip is that it can hurt the person being talked about. Usually, gossip spreads information about a topic - breakups, trouble at home, even dropping out -that a person would rather keep secret. The more embarrassing or shameful the secret is, the juicier the gossip it makes. Probably the worst type of gossip is the absolute lie, people often think of gossipers as harmless, but cruel lies can cause pain.If we know that gossip can be harmful, then why do so many of us do it? That answer lies in another effect of gossip: the satisfaction it gives us. Sharing the latest rumor can make a person feel important because he or she knows something that others don’t. Similarly, hearing the latest rumor can make a person feel like part of the “in group”.Gossip also can have a third effect: it strengthens unwritten, unspoken rules about how people should act. Professor David Wilson explains that gossip is important in policing behaviors in a group. Translated into high school terms, this means that if everybody you hang around with is laughing at what John wore or what Jane said, then you can bet that wearing or saying something similar will get you the same kind of negative attention. The do’s and don’ts conveyed through gossip will never show up in any student handbook.The effects of gossip vary depending on the situation. The next time you feel the urge to spread the latest news, think about why you want to gossip and what effects your “juicy story” might have._______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________4.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize in no more than 60 words the main idea of the passage and how it is illustrated. Use your own words as far as possible.It’s no laughing matterMuch research has been conducted about why humans laugh and what they laugh at—not only by psychologists, but also by philosophers, for the study of laughter crosses many disciplines. So, why do we laugh?The general belief is that humans laugh as a social bonding mechanism. Studies have shown that humans are over 30 times more likely to laugh with others than alone. Even “laughing gas” works more effectively on a group of people than on a single person. We all know that laughter can be very infectious.Some researchers believe that laughter in humans was born out of the relief our ancestors felt after danger had passed. If smiling in humans is considered an extension of the “fear” face in primates (灵长类动物), then laughter is a signal that the fear has gone. When we laugh, our “fight or flight” reaction to danger is temporarily switched off, further indicating that we now feel relaxed. So laughter is a way of discharging stress and anxiety.Although laughter is universal, people don’t always laugh at the same things, and what people find funny often changes as they get older. Children find a lot to laugh about, as they are encountering so many things for the first time, which offers constant surprises. Teenagers often like jokes that adults find annoying, while adults often laugh at jokes about funny things in their own everyday lives. Furthermore, because a lot of our humor comes from a shared cultural background, countless jokes don’t cross language and cultural barriers, with the result that what’s funny in Australia may well not be in Austria.Regardless of what different people find funny, people ought to laugh as much as they can. While we’re laughing, we increase the killer cells that destroy viruses. So, the next time someone tells you they nearly died laughing, tell them it’s far from the truth!______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________5.阅读下面短文,根据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要。
英语概要写作范文10篇合集English writing is an essential skill in today's global and interconnected world. Whether you are a student, a professional, or an aspiring writer, the ability to effectively communicate through the written word is crucial. In this essay, we will explore 10 sample essays that showcase different aspects of English writing.1. The Importance of Clear and Concise WritingEffective writing is characterized by its clarity and concision. In this essay, we will discuss the importance of conveying your message in a straightforward and easily understandable manner. We will examine techniques for organizing your thoughts, using precise language, and avoiding unnecessary wordiness.2. Crafting a Compelling NarrativeStorytelling is a powerful tool in English writing. In this essay, we will explore the elements of a captivating narrative, including character development, plot structure, and the use of descriptive language. We will also discuss strategies for engaging the reader and creating a memorable reading experience.3. Persuasive Writing TechniquesThe ability to persuade and influence others through writing is a valuable skill. In this essay, we will delve into the principles of persuasive writing, such as the use of logical reasoning, emotional appeals, and credible evidence. We will also examine the importance of anticipating and addressing counterarguments.4. Academic Writing: Structuring Your Research PaperAcademic writing, particularly in the context of research papers, requires a specific structure and format. In this essay, we will guide you through the key components of a well-structured research paper, including the introduction, literature review, methodology, results, and conclusion. We will also discuss the importance of proper citation and referencing.5. Effective Email CommunicationIn the digital age, email has become a primary mode of communication in both personal and professional settings. In this essay, we will explore the best practices for crafting effective emails, including the importance of subject lines, tone, and concision. We will also discuss strategies for managing email overload and maintaining professional etiquette.6. Developing a Distinctive Writing VoiceEvery writer has a unique voice that reflects their personality, experiences, and perspective. In this essay, we will discuss the importance of developing a distinctive writing voice and explore techniques for cultivating your own style. We will also address the balance between maintaining a consistent voice and adapting to different writing contexts.7. Mastering the Art of RevisionWriting is an iterative process, and the ability to revise and refine your work is essential. In this essay, we will delve into the art of revision, covering strategies for proofreading, editing, and enhancing the overall quality of your writing. We will also discuss the importance of seeking feedback and incorporating it into your revisions.8. Crafting Engaging DescriptionsDescriptive writing is a powerful tool for transporting the reader into a vivid, sensory-rich world. In this essay, we will explore techniques for crafting engaging descriptions, including the use of sensory details, figurative language, and vivid imagery. We will also discuss the importance of balancing description with other narrative elements.9. Developing a Coherent and Cohesive Essay StructureThe structure of an essay is crucial for guiding the reader throughyour ideas and arguments. In this essay, we will examine the key components of a well-structured essay, including the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. We will also discuss strategies for ensuring cohesion and logical flow throughout the writing.10. Overcoming Writer's Block and Cultivating CreativityWriting can be a challenging and sometimes daunting task, and overcoming writer's block is a common struggle. In this essay, we will explore strategies for sparking creativity and maintaining momentum in your writing. We will discuss techniques for brainstorming, freewriting, and finding inspiration, as well as ways to overcome mental blocks and self-doubt.By exploring these 10 sample essays, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of the various aspects of English writing. Whether you are a student, a professional, or an aspiring writer, these essays will provide you with valuable insights and practical strategies to enhance your writing skills and become a more effective communicator.。
英语高考作文范文10篇1. The Power of EducationEducation is the key that opens the door to the future. It equips us with knowledge and skills that are essential for personal and professional growth. In this essay, I will discuss the importance of education and how it can shape our lives.2. The Impact of Technology on SocietyThe advent of technology has revolutionized the way welive and work. This essay will explore the positive and negative impacts of technology on society, focusing on how it has changed communication, education, and employment.3. The Role of Sports in Personal DevelopmentSports are not just a form of entertainment; they play a crucial role in personal development. This essay will delve into how sports can build character, improve physical health, and teach valuable life skills.4. Environmental Conservation: A Global ResponsibilityThe environment is a shared resource that requires collective action for its preservation. This essay will argue for the importance of environmental conservation and suggest ways in which individuals and governments can contribute to this cause.5. The Influence of Media on YouthThe media has a profound influence on the thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors of young people. This essay will examine the role of media in shaping youth culture and the potential consequences of its pervasive presence.6. The Importance of Cultural ExchangeCultural exchange programs facilitate mutual understanding and respect among different societies. This essay will discuss the benefits of cultural exchange and how it can promote global harmony.7. The Challenges of UrbanizationAs cities grow, they face numerous challenges, including overcrowding, pollution, and a strain on resources. This essay will analyze the problems associated with urbanization and propose solutions to mitigate its adverse effects.8. The Value of VolunteeringVolunteering is a selfless act that benefits both the individual and the community. This essay will highlight the personal rewards of volunteering and its impact on society.9. The Ethics of Animal TestingThe use of animals for scientific testing is a controversial issue. This essay will explore the ethical considerations surrounding animal testing and present arguments for and against its practice.10. The Future of Renewable EnergyAs the world moves towards sustainability, renewable energy sources are becoming increasingly important. Thisessay will examine the current state of renewable energy and predict its future role in meeting global energy demands.Each of these essays can be expanded upon to meet the requirements of a high school English examination, providing a well-rounded view on the respective topics.。
概要写作1The ideal teacherstudent relationship is one where both the teacher and the student learn and adapt to new ideas and reasoning. Just as a tour guide can't make you enjoy the time you spend wandering around the scenery, a teacher, despite their title, can't be the force that is responsible for the student's learning. However, like a good tour guide, a teacher can make it a lot nicer than it would be otherwise.The most important trait for a teacher to possess is the ability to adapt to their student's needs. If a teacher always works on a fixed schedule and never makes any changes, they will not be able to instruct the student as well as they would otherwise. They must be able to deviate (偏离), spending more time in the places that create confusion and less in the places that are quickly understood.In an ideal relationship, both the teacher and the student need to be gaining as much as possible at all times. Obviously knowledge is the most important thing to be gained but along with that there needs to be a level of satisfaction or accomplishment along with enjoyment. Someone can work like crazy and complete more than everyone else combined, but unless they feel that they have truly accomplished something. The task has no meaning simply because they will have done nothing in their minds. Whenever I become bored with something, I stop paying attention to it and start doing something else. It is therefore important for some form of enjoyment to be present otherwise nothing can be gained.The last requirement for an ideal teacherstudent relationship is that both are ready and willing to commit themselves to either their instructing or learning. Now this applies mainly to the student who is for the most part required to be there and less to the teacher who chooses to be there. The imbalance comes from the simple logic that the teacher is almost automatically committed. There are plenty of other professions out there. On the other hand a student is more obligated to be there instead of choosing to be there and thus has a much higher chance of not being committed than the teacher.[精彩范文]The perfect teacherstudent relationship is one where both the teacher and the student learn and adjust to new ideas and reasoning. (要点1) The teacher needs to adapt to the student's needs. (要点2) Both of them need to acquire knowledge along with satisfaction or accomplishment along with enjoyment. (要点3) And they must be ready and willing to commit themselves to either their coaching or learning. (要点4)概要写作2In recent years, publishers, directors and TV producers have taken a keen interest in popular online novels, thanks to their originality and solid fan base.Genre is an important factor. According to a survey by Chinese online literature platform Cloudary, of 100 online novels whose copyrights were sold by Cloudary for adaption in 2012, novels about city life, legends of historical tales and stories based on war were the most popular.Online author Liu Chenfeng's bestknown novel A Clear Midsummer Night is a love story. It attracted more than 30 million Web hits and won the top prize in the annual competition for Chinese romance novels in 2012. A TV adaption of the book, was a huge hit when broadcast in 2013. The success of the TV adaption has brought Liu greater popularity and more confidence in writing.Popular online writer Bao Jingjing worked with director Teng Huatao as the screenwriter for one of her online novels. The movie Love Is Not Blind, adapted from her story, became an instant hit in 2012. Bao graduated from Beijing Film Academy with a degree in literature. Her background gave her extra weight in winning the director's trust. The experience has led Bao on a new career path. She won the award for best adapted screenplay at the 49th Golden Horse Award in Taiwan in 2012.Literature websites have played an important role in this trend. Major websites, such as and Hongxiu. com, which are owned by Cloudary, haveestablished special branches to help film and TV producers who are looking for good stories and to deal with copyright licensing.Liu, who has entrusted the literature website to deal with her copyright licensing, thinks it makes things easier for writers and allows them to focus more on their works.However, many other writers have sought to work closely with film and TV producers and play an active role in the adaption process of their own works. The authors' unique understanding about the original works is valued by producers and directors.[精彩范文]The article discusses the impact of popular online novels. (要点1) The reason why people pay so much attention to the online novels is that there are both some reliable fans and original works, whose popular themes mostly correspond to people's feelings. (要点2) Of all the online authors, Liu Chenfeng and Bao Jingjing are representatives of the most successful. (要点3) And to their credit, they both become famous because their original works are highly praised by producers and directors, even other relevant departments. (要点4)概要写作3“I can't survive without music,” says fifteenyearold Steve. In the morning, Steve wakes up to his favourite music radio station. He listens to rock on the radio while he eats his breakfast. He puts on his personal stereo before he leaves the house and carries his cassette player on the bus to school.“Last week I put my headphones on in the maths class,” admits Steve. “Theteacher was really annoyed. She took my headphones away and I couldn't use them for a week. It was terrible.” At home Steve does his homework to music—loud music.“My mother usually shouts, ‘Turn it down!’”says Steve. “She can't understand how I can work with music on, but music helps me to fix my attention upon my studies.” Steve would like to make music himself. “I'm learning to play the guitar. Unluckily, it doesn't sound too good at the beginning. But I'm going to keep practising!”For teenagers like Steve, music is a very important part of life. Music is social; it brings people together at discos, parties and concerts. Fast, loud music is full of energy; it helps people to forget their problems and have fun. Music talks about love, freedom and imagination. There are always new songs and new styles.Meanwhile Steve's mother agrees that music brings some problems. “Steve is a sensible boy,” she says. “I don't think he would ever take drugs hearing rock. But I do worry about his hearing with all that loud music. And it drives me crazy!”[精彩范文]Teenagers like Steve can't survive without music. Steve is listening to music at any time, at any place and in any way. (要点1) He just felt terrible without listening to music for a week. (要点2) In Steve's opinion, music is beneficial in fixing his attention upon his studies. (要点3) There is no denying that music is an important part of life for teenagers. However, parents worry that loud music can affect teenagers' hearing. (要点4)概要写作4Specialists say it is not easy to get used to life in a new culture. “Culture shock”is the term these specialists employ when talking about the feelings that people have in a new environment. There are three stages of culture shock, say the specialists. In the first stage, the newcomers like their new environment. Then, when the fresh feeling dies, they begin to dislike the city, the country, the people there, and everything else. In the last stage, the newcomers begin to get used to their surroundings and, as a result, enjoy their life.There are some obvious factors in culture shock. The weather may be unpleasant. The customs may be different. The public service system—the telephone, post office, transportation—may be hard to work out. The simplest things seem to be big problems. The language may be difficult.Who feels culture shock? Everyone does in this way or that. But culture shock still surprises most people. Very often the people having the worst culture shock are those who seldom had difficulties in their home countries and were successful in their community. Coming to a new country, those people find they do not have the same established positions. They find themselves without a role, almost without an identity. They have to build a new selfimage.Culture shock gives rise to a feeling of disorientation (迷失方向). This feeling may be homesickness. When homesick, people like staying alone all the time. They want to protect themselves from the strange environment, and create an escape anywhere for a sense of safety. This escape does solve the problem of culture shock for a short term, but it does nothing to make the person familiar with the culture. Getting to know the new environment and gaining experience are the longterm solution to the problem of culture shock.[精彩范文]The first paragraph of the article gives the definition of “culture shock” and describes the three stages when people adapt to a new culture. (要点1) The second paragraph lists some factors in culture shock. (要点2) And the third paragraph tells the readers what kind of people will be the most affected by culture shock. (要点3) At last the author talks about the disadvantages culture shock has brought and ways toovercome it. (要点4)概要写作5Almost everyone has read about the Taj Mahal in India. It is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. Over three hundred years ago, Shah Jehan built the Taj Mahal as the tomb for his wife. Shah Jehan wanted his wife's tomb to be perfect. He did not care about time or money. He brought together workmen from all Asia. Altogether, over 20,000 men worked on the building, and it took them over seventeen years to finish it.The building rests on a platform of red sandstone. Four thin white towers rise from the corners of the platform. A large dome rests from the centre of the building. Around this large dome there are four smaller ones.The building is made of fine white and coloured marble. It has eight sides and many arches. There is an open corridor just inside the outer walls. From this corridor, the visitor looks through the marble screen to a central room. The bodies of Shah Jehan and his wife lie in a tomb below this room.A beautiful garden surrounds the Taj Mahal. The green trees make the marble look even whiter. In front of the main entrance to the building there is a long, narrow pool. If you look in this pool, you can see all the beauty of the Taj Mahal in the reflection from the water.Many people think the Taj Mahal is the most beautiful at sunset. Then the marble picks up the colour of the sunset, and the building and its reflection in the pool gleam like red jewels.[精彩范文]The passage describes the famous Taj Mahal in India. The first paragraph explains why the Taj Mahal was built and how much time and labour were spent on it. (要点1) The second paragraph describes the location and appearance of the Taj Mahal. (要点2) The third paragraph details the building materials and the architecture styleof the Taj Mahal. (要点3) The last two sections picture the environment around the Taj Mahal. (要点4)概要写作6A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms, though my teacher emphasised the importance again and again. But recently, the importance of English idioms was shown in an amusing experience.One day, I happened to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be surprised. Gently shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders, he said, “You don't say!” “You don't say!”I was puzzled. I thought, perhaps this was not a proper topic. “Well, I'd better change the topic.” So I said to him, “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? By the way, have you ever been to the Great Wall?” “Certainly, everyone back home would laugh at me if I left China without visiting it. It is wonderful.” He was deep in thought when I began to speak like a tourist guide. “The Great Wall of China is one of the wonders in the world. We are very proud of it.” Soon I was stopped again by his words:“You don't say!” I couldn't help asking, “Why do you ask me not to talk about it?” “Well, I didn't ask you to do so,” he answered, greatly surprised. I said, “Didn't you say ‘you don't say’?”Hearing this, the Englishman laughed to tears. He began to explain, “‘You don't say’ actually means ‘Really’!It is an expression of surprise. Perhaps you don't payattention to English idioms.” Only then did I know how foolish I had been. Since then I have been more careful with idiomatic expressions.[精彩范文]概要写作7Einstein is a most famous and beloved scientist and recognized as an “icon” of “humanity in the face of the unknown”. Will science ever produce another Einstein?The problem isn't that modern physicists can't match Einstein's intellectual firepower. It's the fact that there are so many brilliant physicists alive today that it has become harder for any individual to stand apart from the pack.For the first half of the last century, physics yielded not only deep insights into nature but also history-jolting technologies like the atomic bomb, nuclear power, radar, lasers, transistors and all that make up the computer and communications industries. Physics mattered.Over the past few decades, many physicists have got stuck in pursuing a goal that obsessed Einstein in his later years: a theory that combines quantum physics and general relativity. Seekers of this “theory of everything” have wandered into fantasy realms of higher dimensions with little connection to our reality.After Israel's first president, the chemist Chaim Weizmann, died in 1952, the Israeli cabinet asked Einstein if he would consider becoming the country's president. Einstein politely declined.It is hard to imagine any modern scientist being treated in this manner. Einstein took advantage of his fame to speak out on nuclear weapons, nuclear power, militarism and other vital issues through lectures, essays, interviews, petitions and letters to world leaders. When he spoke, people listened.Einstein also possessed a moral quality that set him apart even in his own time. According to Robert Oppenheimer, the dark angel of nuclear physics, Einstein showed us “a wonderful purity, at once childlike and profoundly stubborn\”.The aspiring scientists and engineers I met at school give me hope that science has a bright future. But I suspect that we will never see Einsteins again because he was a unique product of the special time and nature.Einstein didn't think he lived up to his own reputation. “I am no Einstein,\” he once said. On top of all his other qualities, the man is modest.[精彩范文]What has been puzzling the world is why we haven't seen another Einstein since he died. (要点1) Actually, so many brilliant physicists stand out but no one can be singled out like Einstein. (要点2) Einstein made incomparable achievements against his peers, and his special quality and contributions to the world peace are beyond comparison. (要点3) In a word, Einstein is the unique combination of time, achievements, especially his super quality. (要点4)概要写作8Works of literature can be written in a wide variety of forms. These different types or sorts of writing are known as genre (类型). We can classify literary works by what they have in common—their styles or what they are about, for example. On a simple level, organizing works of literature into genres helps us understand the variety of literary works.Prose writing can be divided into two main types: fiction and nonfiction. Fiction includes stories that are made up by the author. They are not true in a factual sense but they may be based on scientific, historical or geographic facts. Within the broad area of fiction, we can distinguish two main types: realistic fiction and historical fiction.Realistic fiction includes stories that are set in the contemporary world and are about people and events that could happen. Most bestsellers are of this style. Realistic fiction itself has many subdivisions (划分) such as crime fiction, adventure stories and romantic stories. Stories set in the past and based on historical facts are historical fiction. Some of the characters in the stories are imaginary, while others may be real people from the past. Much of this type of fiction centers on wars or political events.Nonfiction books are based on facts and include genres such as biography, history, popular science and reference works such as dictionaries.[精彩范文]Different types of literary works can be called genres. (要点1) For example, fiction can be divided into two main types. (要点2) Stories in realistic fiction are about events that could happen in the contemporary world, while historical fiction is about stories that are based on historical facts. (要点3) Nonfiction books are written according to facts. (要点4)概要写作9February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolate, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine's Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest in the third century Rome. When the emperor decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn't allow marriage.But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison, it is said that V alentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”,an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a saint, as well as becoming one of the most romantic characters in history.Nowadays, Valentine's Day is still popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine's cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eatheartshaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.[精彩范文]February is considered to be a month full of romance, because Valentine's Day falls on February 14th. (要点1) It is also a day named after Valentine and observed in honour of the priest. (要点2) Valentine hated war and performed marriage ceremonies for young lovers secretly. He was regarded as one of the most romantic characters inhistory. (要点3) With more western festivals coming to China, Valentine's Day is still popular among Chinese young people, but it has been granted more meaning and purposes. (要点4)概要写作10American English began in the 17th century. At the beginning of the 17th century, the English language was brought to North America by colonists from England. They used the language spoken in England, that is, the language used by Shakespeare.In order to exploit new resources in America, British colonists settled down there and from 1607 to 1732 set up thirteen colonies, including Virginia North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. In these thirteen areas, English was a common language used by all people. The first colonists established the English form in America.As time went by, the English language gradually changed on both sides of the Atlantic. Foreigners longing for wealth set foot in the coastal area to trade. Americans adopted many words from foreign languages and invented numerous new words to meet their commercial needs.Following American Independence, famous people like Thomas Jefferson, the President, began to consider that the country should have a language of its own. Noah Webster compiled (编撰) three elementary books on English. Later, he expressed the idea that as an independent nation, America should have a system of its own in language as well as in government. After the second half of the 19th century, many great writers such as Mark Twain helped the development of American English.English in America has developed a character of its own, reflecting the life and the physical and social environment of the American people. Since the rise of the United States to a position of world importance, American English has beendeveloping and changing. There is no doubt that American English will enrich the English language greatly. With the rapid development of modern mass media and the common needs of economic, cultural and political exchanges, American English will be more widely used in the world than British English.[精彩范文]。