和谐英语

英语四级作文段首句的写作技巧

2009-08-12来源:和谐英语
  写好段首句作文必须注意审清题意,正确理解段首句、写好扩展句及注意连贯与呼应。
  审清题意
  段首句作文从题目、段首句可以很容易地判断出文章的体裁和写作的目的。审题时,应着重弄清题目与段首句之间的逻辑关系,明确题目和段首句所提示的写作范围、侧重点和方向,从而确定主题思想。比如,第一种段首句的作文题目是Pleasures in Reading(读书的乐趣),把它与三个段首句联系起来审题,就能确定文章的主题思想应围绕读书给人生带来的乐趣展开。
  正确理解段首句
  正确理解段首句的意旨是续写成败的关键,因为段首句可能代表一个段落的主题思想。作者必须在正确理解段首句的基础上续写、扩展各段。领会段首句时,要反复推敲其含义,找出句中的核心词,因为核心词凝聚着段落的内容,指明续写的方向。核心词有时是一个词,有时是一个短语。比如,Pleasures in Reading的第一段段首句“I enjoy reading very much.” 的核心词是“enjoy”(喜欢);第二段段首句“In the first place, reading can disperse loneliness.”的核心词是“disperse loneliness”(消除寂寞);第三段段首句“Furthermore, reading can add fullness to my life.”的核心词是“add fullness”(丰富生活)。展开各段时,应该重点突出、扩大、延伸这三个核心词所包含的内容。
  2.2.3写好扩展句
  扩展句的目的是阐明、展开、补充主题句,起着“论据”、“具体事例”、“详情解释”等作用,并使主题句内容具体化。也就是说,扩展句应回答“how and why”(怎么样和为什么)的问题。写好扩展句就要以核心词为起始点,紧扣主题思想,深化主题句内容。
  2.2.4注意连贯与呼应
  续写要注意各段之间内容的连贯与呼应。如果没有审清作文题和段落之间发展的必然联系,就匆忙下笔,生编硬套,势必造成各段内容松散,前后矛盾。段首句作文三个段落之间的关系一般是“并列”和“转折”。如Pleasures in Reading的第二、三段段首句前的两个过渡词语“In the first place”和“Furthermore”表示并列关系。通过主题句,我们知道,第一段和第二、第三之间又存在着因果关系,因为第二、第三段解释我为什么喜欢读书。续写这两段,应注意它们之间以及全文的连贯与呼应。
  以Pleasures in Reading这个段首句作文题为例。第一段的续写考虑到开头段的性质和作用(概括内容、点明主题、交代目的),应明确地阐述本文的中心论点。第二段的续写可以通过举例、摆事实来论述读书为什么能(why)和怎样才能(how)“消除寂寞”。第三段同样用举例论证法来论述读书为什么和怎样才能“丰富生活”。这样续写,读起来感到充分、有说服力。请看范文:
  Pleasures in Reading
  ①I enjoy reading very much. ②Quite often I am so absorbed in a good book that for the time being I forget my surrounding and even myself. ③I think reading can offer me certain pleasures that real life cannot do.④In the first place, reading can disperse loneliness. ⑤In the pages of books I can talk and walk with the wise and the good of all lands and all times. ⑥The people I meet in books are always ready to give me friendship, sympathy, and encouragement, whereas my friends in reality cannot give me these when they leave me.⑦Furthermore, reading can add fullness to my life. ⑧By reading I can travel around the whole world, and lead varied lives. ⑨Through books the beauties of nature, the enjoyment of art, the triumphs of architecture, the marvels of engineering, are all open to my wonder and appreciation. ⑩It can be said those who cannot enjoy reading are poor men; those who enjoy reading most can obtain the greatest pleasure from it. ①主题句 ②举例说明“我”很喜欢读书 ③结尾句/过渡句 ④主题句/乐趣一 ⑤⑥具体解释读书为什么能和怎样消除寂寞 ⑦主题句/乐趣二 ⑧⑨解释读书为什么能和怎样丰富生活 ⑩总结全文
  再如,在以Chinese Women 为题的这篇段首句作文中,第一段的核心词是“liberated in many aspects”。因此,第一段应着重阐述中国妇女在哪些方面已获得了解放。第二段段首句的过渡词“However”,表示意思转折,与第一段内容形成对立关系,要求写妇女没有获得解放的方面。展开主题时,应注重事例要典型、突出。第三段给出的句子位于段尾,可视为结论句。其中“more”一词表示妇女现在的状况良好,将来会更好。该段的续写要简明扼要地指明妇女目前良好的总体状况,以便和最后一句自然衔接。请看范文:
  Chinese Women
  ⑴Women in China have been liberated in many aspects. ⑵They enjoy the right to vote; they go to universities; they compete with men in any professional field on equal terms. ⑶They have shown that they are capable of being good leaders and of doing many important things. ⑷Practically, they are “holding up half the sky”.⑸However, there still exist some problems. ⑹Some people think women cannot hold many important posts as men do. ⑺For example, the female college students are often refused to enter into some professions where the male students have the priority. ⑻Besides, women are still treated as the inferior sex in some rural areas. ⑼Their only position is considered to raise children and do household chores.⑽Generally, with the rapid development of our economy, women have made enormous strides in their social status; they get equal position as men do. ⑾In the future, we can expect a more promising prospect for Chinese women. ⑴主题句⑵⑶举例说明妇女在哪些方面获得解放⑷结尾句/小结⑸主题句/指出还存在问题⑹问题一⑺举例证明问题一⑻问题二⑼具体论证问题二⑽总结妇女目前良好的总体状况⑾展望中国妇女未来的状况
  最后,再看Project Hope这篇段首句作文题。根据所给材料和题目,这篇文章的主题思想是,“希望工程”对我国的建设具有重大的意义。第一段的段首句是“希望工程”的定义。要拓宽这个定义,续写内容应放在“希望工程”的作用、目的、意义上。第二段主题句的核心词是“important”。扩展句应从国家建设、教育的角度来论述“希望工程”的重大意义。第三段的段首给出“In my opinion”这一介词短语,提醒我们这一段应阐述自己对“希望工程”的看法。但要注意紧扣主题思想,避免离题。请看下面的范文:
  Project Hope
  ①Project Hope is an urgent measure that our government has taken to help poor children in China who cannot afford to go to school. ②The project aims at providing underprivileged children with tuition fees, setting up new primary schools, and supplying poorly equipped elementary schools with better teaching facilities.③This project is of great importance to our country. ④In the first place, it brings great hope to thousands of children who can now sit again in their classrooms and acquire knowledge, which will be very useful to their future. ⑤Secondly, as most children have access to education, it will lead to the enhancement of the intelligence level in our country. ⑥Thus the project will benefit the modernization of our country a lot.⑦In my opinion, the project has a far-reaching influence on the construction of our country. ⑧How well a country is developed is largely depends on how well its people are educated. ⑨Therefore, more work should be done to persuade our people throughout the country to make greater contributions to the “Project Hope”. ①“希望工程”的定义 ②“希望工程”的目的 ③主题句/重要性④理由一 ⑤理由二⑥小结/重申“希望工程”的重要性 ⑦我的意见/看法⑧证明我的看法⑨呼吁人们采取行动支持“希望工程”
  小结:在这一讲里,我主要谈到了段首句作文的形式和写作要领。
  下面我们进行写作练习。我将给大家一个作文题,请大家根据这一讲的内容,在30分钟内完成。大家在写作的过程中要注意审题,考虑文章的结构、采用的扩展方法、开头的结尾的方法等。
  练习:
  Directions: For this part, you are allowed thirty minutes to write a composition on the topic Traffic Problems in Our City in three paragraphs. For the first two paragraphs, the first sentence is given and you may just write on to complete the paragraphs. As to the remaining part, you are required to work out a topic sentence and develop it into a well-organized paragraph which will lead to the concluding sentence given at the end of this essay. Your part of the composition should be no less than 120 words, not including the words given.
  Traffic Problems in Our City
  1. Traffic is one of the essential activities for our city. ____________.
  2. Owing to the major part it plays, traffic has long been a serious concern for the municipal government. ______________________.
  3. ________________. Only when these problems are effectively solved, will our city be able to survive the nation-wide competition and function as an economic center.
  参考文章:
  Ever since early last century, electricity has become an essential part of our modern life.The most obvious example is that electricity lamps give us light at night. Besides, electricity is needed when we watch TV or listen to the radio. Electricity is also essential for many household appliances such as air-conditioners, refrigerators and microwave stoves. In a word, there is hardly anything in our modern life that has nothing to do with electric power.
  If there were no power, our world would be in a state of confusion. For one thing, machines in factories would stop running and we would have to go without many essential industrial products. For another, our life would be seriously affected. For example, all the modern communications were shut up, running water would stop, and all the banks, schools, hospitals and post offices were closed. Without power, the result would be terrible.
  Therefore, people should realize the importance of electricity and do everything to guarantee a steady supply of power. On the one hand, we should cultivate a sense of saving electric power. On the other hand, more power stations should be built and other energy resources must be found so as to provide sufficient power for the increasing demand.