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Part I: Basic Writing This part will cover: Elements of Writing Narrative Description Exposition Chapter 1 Elements of writing I. Paragraph structure identification Gold Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable for jewelry, coins, and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and will remain beautiful forever. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was minted twenty-three centuries ago. Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. For many years, it has been used in hundreds of industrial applications. The 1

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Part I: Basic WritingThis part will cover: Elements of Writing Narrative Description Exposition

Chapter 1 Elements of writingI. Paragraph structure identification

Gold Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable for jewelry, coins, and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and will remain beautiful forever. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was minted twenty-three centuries ago. Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. For many years, it has been used in hundreds of industrial applications. The most recent use of gold is in astronauts’ suits. Astronauts wear gold-plated heat shields for protection outside the spaceship. In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty, but also for its use. Hurricanes Hurricanes, which are also called cyclones, exert tremendous power. These violent storms are often a hundred miles in diameter, and their winds can reach velocities of seventy-five miles per hour or more. Furthermore, the strong winds and heavy rainfall that accompany them can completely destroy a small town in a couple of hours. The energy that is released by a hurricane in one day exceeds the total energy consumed by mankind throughout the world in one year.

Famous School “Failures” Albert Einstein, one of the world’s geniuses, failed his university entrance examinations on his first attempt. William Faulkner, one of America’s noted writers, never finished college because he could not pass his English courses. Sir Winston Churchill, who is considered one of the masters of the English language, had to have special tutoring in English during elementary school. These few examples show that failure in school does not always predict failure in life.

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SynonymsSynonyms, words that have the same basic meaning, do not always have the same

emotional meaning. For example, the words “stingy” and “frugal” both mean “careful with money”. However, to call a person stingy is an insult, while the word frugal has a much more positive connotation. Similarly, a person wants to be slender but not skinny, and aggressive, but not pushy. Therefore, you should be careful in choosing words because many so-called synonyms are not really synonyms at all.

Learning to OutlineLearning to outline will improve your writing for three reasons. First of all, it will

help you organize your ideas. Specifically, an outline will ensure that you won’t include any irrelevant ideas, that you won’t leave out any important points, and that your supporting sentences will be in logical order. Second, learning to write an outline will help you write more quickly. It may take some practice at first, but once you become used to outlining your ideas before you start to write. Preparing an outline is 75% of the work. The actual writing becomes easier because you don’t have to worry about what you are going to say; you already have a well-organized plan to follow. Finally, your grammar will improve because you will be able to concentrate on it, not on your thoughts or organization. Improved organization, speed, and grammar make learning to outline well worth the effort. For these three reasons—improved organization, speed, and grammar—learning to outline is well worth the effort.

The above paragraphs show a linear development of ideas, that is, from topic sentence to development sentences and finally to the concluding sentence, or the reversed order, that is, from concluding sentences to development ones, which are typical of English writing, although there are always variations.

Now read the following paragraph critically and prepare a discussion on it.

Culture, Logic and Rhetoric Logic, which is the basis of rhetoric, comes from culture; it is not universal. Rhetoric, therefore, is not universal either, but varies from culture to culture. The rhetorical system of one language is neither better nor worse than the rhetorical system of another language, but is different.

English logic and English rhetoric, which are based on Anglo-European cultural patterns, are linear — that is, a good English paragraph begins with a general statement of its content and then carefully develops that statement with a series of specific illustrations. A good English paragraph may also use just the reverse sequence; it may state a whole series of examples and then summarizes those examples in a single statement at the end of the paragraph. In either case, however, the flow of ideas occur in a straight line from the opening sentence to the last sentence. Furthermore, a well-structured English paragraph is never digressive. There is nothing that does not belong to the paragraph, and nothing that does not support the topic

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sentence. A type of construction found in Arabic and Persian writing is very different.

Whereas English writers use a linear sequence, Arabic and Persian writers tend to construct a paragraph in a parallel sequence using many coordinators, such as and but. In English, maturity of style is often judged by the degree of subordination rather than by the degree of coordination. Therefore, the Arabic and Persian styles of writing, with their emphasis on coordination, seem awkward and immature to an English reader.

Some Asian writers, on the other hand, use an indirect approach. In this kind of writing, the topic is viewed from a variety of angles. The topic is never analyzed directly; it is referred to only indirectly. Again, such a development in an English paragraph is awkward and unnecessarily vague to an English reader.

Spanish rhetoric differs from English rhetoric in still another way. While the rules of English rhetoric require that every sentence in a paragraph relates directly to the central idea, a Spanish-speaking writer loves to fill a paragraph with interesting digressions. Although a Spanish paragraph may begin and end on the same topic, the writer often digresses into areas that are not directly related to the topic. Spanish rhetoric, therefore, does not follow the English rules of paragraph unity.

In summary, a student who has mastered the grammar of English may still write poor papers unless the rhetoric of English is also mastered. Also, the student may have difficulty reading an essay written by the rules of English rhetoric unless (s)he understands the “logical” differences from those of his/her own native tongue.

II. Transitional signals

Read and compare the following two paragraphs

Paragraph 1: A difference among the world’s seas and oceans is that the salinity varies in different climate zones. The Baltic Sea in Northern Europe is only one-fourth as saline as the Red Sea in the Middle east. There are reasons for this. In warm climates, water evaporates rapidly. The concentration of salt is greater. The surrounding land is dry and does not contribute much fresh water to dilute the salty sea water. In cold climate zones, water evaporates slowly. The runoff created by melting snow adds a considerable amount of fresh water to dilute the saline sea water.

Paragraph 2: Another difference among the world’s seas and oceans is that the salinity varies in different climate zones. For example, the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe is only one fourth as saline as the Red Sea in the Middle East. There are two reasons for this. First of all, in warm climate zones, water evaporates rapidly; therefore, the concentration of salt is greater. Second, the surrounding land is dry and, consequently, does not contribute much fresh water to dilute the salty sea water. In cold climate zones, on the other hand, water evaporates slowly. Furthermore, the runoff created by melting snow adds a considerable amount of fresh water to dilute the saline sea water.

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Frequently- used transitional signals

表关系 连接词 并列连词 从句连词 其他关联词

表递进 :furthermore+and + another+moreover

an additional (+名词) , in addition

表转折 : on the other hand + but + although + in spite of +

however+yet+though+despite+in contrast

+even+though+ whereas

while

表选择:otherwise + or+ if + unless

引出事例:for example + an example of (+名词)+ for instance such as(+名词) e.g.

重述 i.e.

表结尾 in conclusion

in summary

to conclude

to summarize

Ex. Recognizing Transition SignalsStep 1 Circle all of the transition signals in the following paragraphs. There are at least ten in each.Step 2 Punctuate the transition signals if necessary

Paragraph 1

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Genetic research has produced both exciting and

frightening possibilities. Scientists are now able to

create new forms of life in the laboratory due to the

development of gene splicing. On one hand the ability

to create life in the laboratory could greatly benefit

mankind. For example because insulin is very

expensive to obtain from natural sources scientists

have developed a method to manufacture it

inexpensively in the laboratory. Another beneficial

application of gene splicing is in agriculture. Scientists

foresee the day when new plants will be developed

using nitrogen from the air instead of from fertilizer

therefore food production could be increased. In

addition entirely new plants could be developed to

feed the world’s hungry people.

Not everyone is excited about gene splicing

however. Some people feel that it could have terrible

consequences. A laboratory accident for example

might cause an epidemic of an unknown disease that

could wipe out humanity. As a result of this

controversy the government has made rules to control

genetic experiments. Still many people feel that these

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rules are not strict enough even though the scientific

community may feel that they are too strict.

Paragraph 2

The “women’s lib” movement toward greater

equality for women has produced some permanent

changes in the vocabulary of English. The first change

is that new words have been added. The words

“feminist” “sexist” and “male chauvinist” for example

became common during the past ten years or so.

Another new word is the title Ms which is often used

in place of both Miss and Mrs. A second change is that

sexist titles of many job occupations have been

naturalized. A chairman is now a “chairperson”, a

businessman is a “businessperson” and a salesman is

a “salesperson”. Moreover a mailman is now a “mail

carrier” and an airline stewardess is now a “flight

attendant.” Finally attempts to give equal treatment

to masculine and feminine pronouns in English have

led to the search for a new pronoun form to replace he

(as he/she or s/he) when referring to the neutral nouns

such as the student. In my opinion some of the new

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words such as Ms are quite useful: you can use Ms to

address a woman when you don’t know if she is

married. On the other hand the lack of a clear neutral

pronoun can lead to awkward sentence construction.

III. Paraphrasing: Paraphrasing is used when you need to transfer what you read into your own words.

Original When the Maracana soccer stadium (in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) was opened to the public in 1950, and Brazil lost the World Cup to the Uriguayan team, the Brazilians were so disheartened that one had the impression that the country itself had died. And people died of sadness. Mere threats of defeat in a championship match can cause heart attacks and the despair of the public is so great that many beat their heads against the cement posts. Such is the Brazilian’s passion for soccer.

Paraphrase In 1950, Brazil lost the World Cup in soccer to Uruguay in Rio de Janeiro. The entire country was overcome by sadness: some people even died from it. Brazilians react very strongly to potential defeat in championship soccer games. Some people have heart attacks, and others beat their heads against cement posts. Brazilians are very emotional about soccer.

IV. An Approach to Style ( Strunk & White, 1999)

“Style … is an expression of self”.

1. Place yourself in the background.Write in a way that draws the reader’s attention to the sense and substance of the writing, rather than to the mood and temper of the writer. … A careful and honest writer does not need to worry about style. As you become proficient in the use of language, your style will emerge, because you yourself will emerge, and when this happens you will find it increasingly easy to break through the barriers that separate you from other minds, other hearts – which is, of course, the purpose of writing, as well as its principal reward. Fortunately, the act of composition, or creation, disciplines the mind; writing is one way to go about thinking, and the practice and habit of writing not only drain the mind but supply it, too.

2. Write in a way that comes naturally.Write in a way that comes easily and naturally to you, using words and phrases that come readily to hand. But do not assume that because you have

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acted naturally your product is without flaw.The use of language begins with imitation. … The imitative life continues long after the writer is secure in the language, for it is almost impossible to avoid imitating what one admires. Never imitate consciously, but do not worry about being an imitator; take pains instead to admire what is good. Then when you write in a way that comes naturally, you will echo the halloos that bear repeating.

3. Work from a suitable design.Columbus didn’t just sail, he sailed west, and the New World took shape from this simple and, we now think, sensible design.

4. Write with nouns and verbs.It is nouns and verbs, not their assistants (adjectives and adverbs), that give good writing its toughness and color.

5. Revise and rewrite.6. Do not overwrite.

It is always a good idea to reread your writing and ruthlessly delete the excess.7. Do not overstate.8. Avoid the use of qualifiers.

Rather, very, little, pretty – these are the leeches that infest the pond of prose, sucking the blood of words.

9. Do not affect a breezy manner. 10. Use orthodox spelling.11. Do not explain too much.12. Do not construct awkward adverbs.13. Make sure the reader knows who is speaking.14. Avoid fancy words.

Four scores and seven years ago= eighty-seven 15. Do not use dialect unless your ear is good.16. Be clear.17. Do not inject opinion.18. Use figure of speech sparingly.19. Do not take shortcuts at the cost of clarity.20. Avoid foreign languages.21. Prefer the standard to the offbeat.

V. Style of Writing: Vocabulary and Grammar

1. Vocabulary

1) Verbs:

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English often has two or more choices to express an

action or occurrence. The choice is often between a

phrasal or prepositional verb (verb + preposition) and

a single verb, usually with Latin origin. For written

style, the preferred choice is a single verb wherever

possible, which is one of the dramatic stylistic shifts

from informal to formal style, e.g.

Less formal: Building a nuclear power plant will not

get rid of the energy problem

completely.

Formal: Building a nuclear power plant will not

eliminate the energy problem

completely.

2) Nouns and Other Parts of Speech:

English has a very rich vocabulary derived from many

languages. Because of this, there may be more than

one way to express an idea. You should strive to

choose words that are less informal in nature and

also precise. In spoken language, you will likely

hear less formal speech, however, in writing you

should use a more forma form if one exists.

2. Grammar

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Here are some nonvocabulary-related

recommendations for maintaining a formal academic

writing style.

A. Avoid contractions

B. Use the more appropriate formal negative forms

e.g. not any → no, not much → little, not …many → few

etc.

C. Limit the use of “run on” expressions, such as “and so

forth” and “etc.”

e.g. These semiconductors can be used in robots, CD

players, etc.

→ These semiconductors can be used in robots, CD

players, and other electronic devices.

D. Avoid addressing the reader as “you” (except, of

course, if you are writing a textbook)

e.g. You can see the results in Table 1.

→ The results can be seen in Table 1.

E. Limit the use of direct questions

e.g. What can be done to lower costs?

→ We now need to consider what can be done to lower

costs.

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Or: We now need to consider how costs may be

lowered.

F. Place adverbs within the verb

Adverbs often are placed midposition rather than in

the initial or final position. In informal English,

adverbs often occur as clauses at the beginning or end

of sentences.

e.g. Then the solution can be discarded.

→ The solution can then be discarded.

The blood is withdrawn slowly.

→ The blood is slowly withdrawn.

Ex. Rewrite the following sentences to reduce the informality

1. Researchers have been looking into this problem

for 15 years now.

2. Engineers can come up with better designs using

CAD.

3. The reaction of the officials was sort of negative.

4. The future of the high-speed rail is up in the air.

5. America’s major automakers are planning to get

together on the research needed for more fuel

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efficient cars.

6. A loss of jobs is one of the things that will happen if

the process is automated.

7. The analysis didn’t yield any new results.

8. The government did not allocate much funding

for the compulsory education.

9. If you fail the exam, you can’t enter the university.

10. OK, what are the causes of SARS? Many

possibilities exist.

11. You can clearly see the difference between these

two processes.

12. These special tax laws have been enacted in six

states: Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, etc.

13. The subjects didn’t have much difficulty with

the task.

VI. Techniques in paragraph development

World Refugees Duc Tong knew that the voyage would be risky, but he also knew that he had no choice. If he and his family stayed in their country, there was little hope for their future. So one night he, his wife, and ten other members of his family boarded a small, rickety boat, taking with them only what they could carry, and set sail along with thirty-six other Vietnamese. Their voyage was a nightmare. Before they reached safety, they were attacked by two different groups of pirates, and during a terrible storm, their supplies were washed overboard. Eleven of the older people died, and the survivors were delirious from lack of food and water.(Illustrative Incident) The rising tide of refugees around the world is rapidly becoming a flood. According

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to figures published by the United Nations, there are more than 6.2 million refugees and an additional 2.6 million people who are classified as “displaced persons”. That makes a total of nearly 9 million.(Statistics) No corner of the Earth is without a refugee problem, although the African continent has so far produced the greatest number. Ethiopias, with its 1.6 million refugees, has produced three times as many refugees as Vietnam and Cambodia combined. The Middle East has its Palestinian and more recently, Afghan refugees. In the Western Hemisphere, Haiti, Cuba and the Central American countries of El Salvador and Guatemala are producing refugees by the thousands.(Examples) The refugees present problems not only for themselves, but also for the countries that take them in. As Victor Palmieri, the U.S. coordinator for refugee affairs, has put it, “The worldwide refugee explosion is a massive tragedy in human terms and a growing crisis in financial terms for the countries bearing the burden.” (Quotations) Vocabulary of figures ??

Vocabulary Example of Structure

rate

ratio (of X to Y)

percent

percentage

geometric rate

arithmetic rate

to double, triple, quadruple, etc

to increase/decrease four-fold, by one-half

to rise/fall by 20,00; by 6 percent (6%)

The rate of inflation has skyrocketed.

The ratio of smokers to non-smokers was 3:2.

Twelve percent (or 12 percent) of the population is 55

or elder.

Only a small percentage of personal income should go

toward housing.

The world population is increasing at a geometric rate.

The number of auto accidents has doubled.

The number of computer companies has increased

sevenfold.

By 1990, oceanic levels will rise by 2 percent.

Ex. Using Figures and Statistics

The Hazards of Driving Small Cars Small cars may be hazardous to your health, according to a recent study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The number of Americans dying in automobile accidents is ___________(increasing, decreasing, gaining, reducing) again after ____________(rising, falling, declining, inclining) sharply in 1974, when the national 55 miles per hour speed limit was imposed. Safety authorities warn that as drivers increasingly shift from fuel-saving smaller, lighter cars, the rise in the death toll will accelerate _________ (geometrically, arithmetically).

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In 1979, the last year for which full statistics are available, small cars were involved in 55 _________ (rate, ratio, percentage, percent) of all fatal crashes even though they constituted only 38 ________ (rate, ratio, percentage, percent) of the cars on the road, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Projecting from current trends, the agency and other safety officials ________ (estimate, guess, predict) that automobile traffic deaths will increase ________ (to, from, of, by) 30 percent by 1989, or ___________(to, from, of, by) about 27,000 a year ___________(to, from, of, by) about 35,000 a year, almost exclusively because of the inherent vulnerability of smaller cars. Perhaps more significantly, the death rate per hundred million miles driven has begun to increase over the last three years, reversing a fifty-year downward trend. According to the safety council, the rate ________(increased, decreased, raised, rose) from a record low of 3.33 deaths __________ (per, pro, of, from) hundred million miles in 1978 ___________ (to, from, of, by) 3.40 in 1979 and 3.53 in 1980.

Based on its analysis of highway deaths, the highway safety council says occupants of a subcompact car are 3.4 _________ (times, double, triple) more likely to die than those in a compact if two such cars collide; 6.3 ________(ratio, times, lose) more likely to die in a crash with a midsize car; and 8.2 __________(times, quadruple, rate) more likely to die in a collision with a large car.

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Chapter 2 NarrativeOne at a time

A friend of ours was walking down deserted Mexican beach at sunset. As he walked along, he began to see another man in the distance. As he grew nearer, he noticed that the local native kept leaning down, picking some thing up and throwing it out into the water. Time and again he kept hurling things out into the ocean.

As our friend approached even closer, he noticed that the man was picking up starfish that had been washed up on the beach and, one at a time, he was throwing them back into the water.

Our friend was puzzled. He approached the man and said, “Good evening, friend. I was wondering what you are doing.”

“I’m throwing these starfish back into the ocean. You see, it’s low tide now and all of these starfish have been washed up onto the shore. If I don’t throw them back into the sea, they’ll die up here from lack of oxygen.”

“I understand,” my friend replied, “but there must be thousands of starfish on this beach. You can’t possibly get to all of them. There are simply too many. And don’t you realize this is probably happening on hundreds of beaches all up and down this coast. Can’t you see that you can’t possibly make a difference?”

The local native smiled, bent down and picked up yet another starfish, and as he threw it back into the sea, he replied, “Made a difference to that one.”

( From Chicken Soup)

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Chapter 3 DescriptionI. Description: people

Physical characteristics checklistMen Women

Age old … elderly...middle-aged…young…is(looks) about 30Appearance good-looking…handsome…ugly beautiful…pretty…plainHeight tall…of average (medium) height …shortFigure well built… broad shouldered has a good figureShape plump…slim (favorable)…fat…thin (unfavorable)Face round…long…square…oval…wrinkled…freckled with dimples, beauty-spot, scar Features beard…moustache…bald head…receding hairlineHair black…dark…fair…red long…short…straight…curly…wavy pony-tail, parted on the right sideEyes blue…brown…green…grey…hazel

Charactersamusing efficient hard-working open-minded sincereartistic energetic helpful organized sociablecapable enthusiastic honest spontaneous patientcareful flexible humorous perceptive cheerfulsympathetic friendly imaginative polite tactfulclever generous intelligent practical thoughtfulconfident gentle interesting rational unselfishconsiderate good-humored kind reliable versatilecreative good-natured lively sensible wiseeasygoing happy loyal hardworking sensitivetolerant pleasant smart entertaining charming

lazy unkind unfriendly moody dullsilly unpleasant unsociable mean selfisharrogant cold miserable aggressive dullboring disagreeable hypocritical depressing narrow-mindedquick-tempered rude untidy idle unfeeling

Aunt BarbaraMy aunt Barbara is my father’s sister. She is about 35, but she looks much

younger. She is a very attractive woman, with fair, curly hair, large, green eyes, and a beautiful complexion. She is quite tall, but looks even taller because she dresses very well and always wears high-heeled shoes. She has a lovely, slim figure and I would like to look like her when I am her age.

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Aunt Barbara is married, and lives quite near us with her husband, my uncle Stephen, and their son, Martin, who is ten. She works as a teacher at the local comprehensive school. She is very energetic and never stops moving. At the weekend she plays tennis with my uncle, but she also goes to keep-fit classes three times a week and is very fond of dancing. She sometimes sits down quietly to read a book, but she can’t stand watching television. She prefers to go out for a long walk if the weather is fine.

I think of her as warm and friendly, with a lively personality, because she has always been kind to me. But some of her students at the comprehensive school say she is strict and can be quick-tempered if they don’t pay attention. I think she gets impatient with people who are bored or inattentive, because she is so active herself. I never feel bored in her company, and so I have always got on very well with her.

II. Description: daily routineA typical day in my life

I have to get up every day about seven because work really begins about an hour before surgery when the phone calls start to come in. My wife helps me with that because she usually answers the phone and that gives me time to have breakfast and read the paper. We open the waiting room about 8:30, and there are often a dozen people there when I start surgery at nine.

People at the surgery generally have coughs and colds and just need a prescription for the chemist or a doctor’s certificate to stay away from work, but occasionally an examination suggests there may be something seriously wrong with them. In such cases, I have to arrange appointments for them at the hospital to check my diagnosis. On an average day, I can finish surgery by 10:30 or so, and start my rounds. My wife makes a list of the visits I have to make from the phone calls during the morning and often helps me by working out the best route from one patient’s house to another.

I usually try to get back to lunch by 1:30, though I sometimes have to continue my visits in the afternoon. On a good day, I have a couple of hours before surgery begins again at six when I can catch up with the paper work, completing forms for the health authorities, and sometimes read an article in one of the medical journals to keep up with the latest development.

Evening surgery usually lasts till about eight, but often goes on much longer. I belong to a group of five doctors in the area who share night duty between us. That means that we are on call once a week between Monday and Friday and every fifth weekend. As a result, my wife and I normally have dinner about nine, I have time to talk to the children, and we sometimes watch TV before going to bed around nine. When I am on call, however, we have dinner as soon as surgery is over, so that I can go out immediately if I am needed. Occasionally, there are emergencies, of course. If one of my patients is very seriously ill or dies, I like my colleagues to let me know and always visit them or the family myself, even when I am officially off duty.

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My unusual dayOne day is very like another in my life, but there are some that stand out in

your memory – last Wednesday, for instance. When I got up, it was raining and that’s always a good sign for a taxi-driver because it’s easy to get fares.

Nothing special happened during the morning but about half past two I was driving along Clarence Road, when a young man suddenly ran out of the house, waving his arms madly. I could see that straight away. I stopped and he asked me to wait. Then he went back into the house and came back with a moment later with his wife leaning on his arm. “Drive to St John’s Hospital as fast as you can”, the young man said, “My wife is going to have a baby”. I only hoped that she wouldn’t have it in the back of the car. Anyhow, they got in and five minutes later, I dropped them off at St John’s.

The young man was so worried about his wife that he got out without paying me. When I reminded him he put his hand in his pocket and looked desperate. “Oh, my god, “ he said, “I was in such a hurry that I came out without any money”. But he gave me his name and address and I said I’d call around one evening to collect the fare. I wished them good luck and they went into the hospital.

About a hundred yards from the hospital, I saw a big black car at the side of the road. The driver was standing beside it and a young man was arguing with him. When he saw me, he waved me down and I saw a girl sitting in the back of the car. “ I hope it’s not another emergency’ I thought, “not another baby”.

It was an emergency, but of a different kind. The young couple were on their way to the airport. They were going on their honeymoon and were afraid they would miss their flight. The man said it was a pity his brother couldn’t come to the wedding because his wife was expecting a baby and hoped she was all right. “Excuse me”, I said, “But your name isn’t Barlow, is it?” It turned out that it was, so I told them about my other fare, dropped them at the airport and wished them good luck as well.

There was one more coincidence, in fact. When I went round to Clarence Road for my fare, the first MR. Barlow said his wife and the baby were getting well. It was a boy and they were going to call him David. And that’s my name!

III. Description: ObjectsMy first bicycle

I got my first bicycle as a birthday present when I was twelve. It was made of shining steel and the frame was painted black. It had a three-speed gear on the cross-bar, a dynamo driven by the back wheel that produced electricity for the lamp, a socket on the frame for the pump, a saddle-bag attached to the saddle for my school books, and a bell on the handle-bars.

I knew how to ride a bicycle, because I had had a child’s bicycle before that, but I was very excited because in future I would be able to ride to school, instead of going on the bus. In the first few weeks after my birthday, I rode my new bicycle every day, and gradually discovered all its advantages, compared to the one I had had until then. When I came to a steep hill, I could change gear with my three-speed and pedal up it, instead of getting off and pushing the bike. I was not afraid of getting home after dark

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because the lamp provided a good flight, and the faster I rode the brighter it was.I also discovered the risks and the disadvantages. I liked to free-wheel down the

hills without pedaling, but I soon learnt that it was risky to put the front brake on first. That was a sure way to go over the handlebars, head first. I also learnt that bicycles need constant maintenance. I had to pump up the tyres and oil the gears and there were times when I had to mend punctures and replace the brake blocks. The thing I hated most was when the chain came off, and I had to take hold of the black, oily links and put it on again. But it was a good bicycle, and it lasted me until I was grown up.

IV. Description: an experimentA Neutralization Experiment

To perform a neutralization experiment, proceed in the following manner. First, measure out about 2cc of laboratory NaOH2 solution. Second, pour the solution into a small casserole. Next, add portions of HC1 solution, stirring after each addition until the solution is acid when tested with litmus paper. Then, place the casserole containing the solution on wire gauze over a Bunsen burner and heat it until the solution begins to boil. When it does, reduce the size of the flame immediately and allow the solution to boil gently. As it approaches dryness, sputtering may occur. At this point, cover the casserole loosely with watch glass. Then, hold the casserole above the flame and move it back and forth until no further water vapor is expelled. Finally, allow the dish and residue to cool.

V. Description: placesCalifornia Institute of Technology: Formality is Taboo

People driving by the pleasant campus in Pasedena, Calif., barely notice the low-rise buildings, the casually dressed students strolling across lawns or sitting on benches with their noses buried in books. To all appearances it could be any one of hundreds of small vocational colleges. In fact, that is how it began life in 1891, with the name of Throop University.

The California Institute of Technology (as it was renamed in 1920) has come a long way since then. Other small universities have a Nobel Prize winner or two among their faculty and alumni; Caltech boasts 20, including Physicist Richard Feynmen, who helped formulate the theory of quantum electrodynamics, and Neuroscientist Roger Sperry, whose experiments revealed functional differences in the left and right hemispheres of the human brain.

Other universities take credit for a handful of major discoveries; Caltech’s would fill a book. It was there that Seismologist Charles Richter devised the standard scale for measuring the intensity of earthquakes; that Astronomer Maarten Schmidt discovered the nature of quasars; that physicist John Schwarz developed the “superstring” theory that may achieve Einstein’s goal of linking the universe’s four basic forces; that scientists made the longest biologically active protein ever chemically synthesized. Caltech administers NASA’s nearby Jet propulsion laboratory, which designed, built and guided many of the nation’s unmanned spacecraft, including Explorer 1, the first U.S. satellite, and the Voyager that flew by the planet Uranus.

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These and a host of other achievements have sprung from an institution that is small in comparison with major universities; Caltech has only 273 professors and fewer than 1,000 each of graduate and undergraduate students.

Caltech’s rise to prominence came in the 1920s under the direction of three eminent scholars: Chemist Arthur Noyes, who was imported from M.I.T., Physicist and Nobel Laureate Robert Millikan, from the University of Chicago, and Astronomer George Ellery Hale of California’s Mount Wilson Observatory. Using their prestige to lure both brains and financing, primarily from the East, the trio built a superlative faculty and outstanding facilities that in turn attracted some of the nation’s best students; almost one-third of last year’s entering freshmen ranked first in their high school graduating classes.

Adding to Caltech’s appeal is the permissive, informal atmosphere that pervades the campus. Says Caltech’s President; “Select the very best people, give them the very best facilities and stand aside.” He does just that, giving his professors a voice in choosing which students should be admitted, who should be hired and which research projects should be funded. “We don’t have a lot of deans running around.” Says a chemistry professor. “The scientists run this place.” As a result, Caltech scientists can test a theory in the time that other universities take merely to consider it.Formality is taboo. The president, Dr. Goldberger, is called by his first name “Murph” by faculty and students alike. Professors lecture in jeans and open-collared shirts, shorts and sandals. They encourage questions and expect challenges. One professor has been known to wear a horse’s head while lecturing. Another, who played a tribal chieftain in a student production of the play South Pacific, mixes serious physics with comedy. And “Murph” marked the centennial of Einstein’s birth by riding an elephant across campus.

Professors are not the only ones noted for their peculiar sense of humor. During the school’s annual Ditch Day, seniors secure their rooms with a variety of clever locks and barriers, then leave campus and challenge the underclass to get in. This year one room was guarded by a computer that had to be addressed in several languages before the door could be opened. “I guess it sounds like strange way to have fun.” Says a sophomore from San Jose, “but building strange things is what this place does best.”

Such single-minded devotion to problem solving has led to criticism that Caltech turns out scientists who have little understanding of life outside their fields and works its students so hard, despite the fun and pranks, that they have little time for politics or social problems.

But no one denies Caltech’s outstanding record or doubts that it will achieve even more. While major astronomical discoveries are still being made with Caltech’s 200-in Hale Telescope, the school has joined with the University of California in building a 394-in optical scope, the world’s biggest, which will enable astronomers to see 12 billion light-years into space.

Chapter 4 Exposition

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The Social Control of Science and TechnologyScience and technology are not simply the work of isolated individuals: the

selection of research problems and the rate and direction of innovation are strongly influenced by social forces. It is no accident, for example, that so much applied research in the United States focuses on the development of military and commercial products. It follows that science and technology cannot be regarded as somehow independent of society. Like any other cultural products, they are created and controlled by countless individual men and women. The difficulty is that this control is haphazard. We have created a complex institution to ensure the development of science and technology, but we have created few means of monitoring and controlling their effects—despite the impact these effects can have on the social order.

The lack of systematic social control over scientific and technological innovation presents three main problems:1. A relatively haphazard scientific and technological advance may have unforeseen

social effects, particularly in terms of the quality of the environment. Consider, for example, the growing list of chemicals and food additives that may contribute to human cancers; the increasing atmospheric pollution that some scientists think may lead to climatic changes which could cause a new ice age; the mounting health problems caused by chemical wastes that have been improperly disposed of; and the ominous threat of major accidents in nuclear power plants.

2. Unless society ensures that innovations in science and technology take place in accordance with defined social goals, there may be distortion in the priorities given to research efforts in different fields. Critics argue that under the existing arrangements, scarce and valuable resources may be devoted to producing such trivia as self-heating shaving system, when they might otherwise be devoted to more socially desirable ends, such as medical research or energy conservation.

3. A highly technological society poses a possible threat to democracy. Public participation in the decision-making process may become difficult because the relevant facts about many important issues—such as the wisdom of building nuclear breeder reactors—may be beyond the comprehension of both voters and their elected representatives. Several writers have warned of the dangers of technocracy, or rule by experts. In modern corporations and government departments the real decisions are often made behind the scenes by experts whose specialized knowledge and recommendations are relied upon by those who are officially responsible for the decisions.

Space research Space research is still a controversial issue. For some people it is an exciting proof of man’s adventurous spirit, bringing scientific progress, while for others it is a waste of money that should be spent on improving living conditions here on Earth and solving the problems of poverty and hunger. This is the main argument against space research. The vast sums of money spent on it could be better used in other ways. Apart from that, it is thought that the successful landing on the Moon, for example, although it was spectacular, did not advance human

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knowledge very much, since we already knew it was uninhabited.On the other hand, those who defend space research argue that scientific progress

is inevitable, and what is more, the effort to reach the Moon led to the technological advance in other areas. Consequently, it is wrong to think that space research only benefits certain people, because all kinds of everyday objects have developed faster because of it. It is therefore wrong to think that the money is wasted.

On balance, I am in favor of space research because of the advantages it has already brought in terms of life on Earth today, for instance in developing techniques in hospitals. Nevertheless, I sympathize with those who are so concerned about the condition of people in Third World Countries that they would like to spend all the money available to governments on helping them.

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Part II Practical WritingThis part will cover: Introduction to English letters & letters of invitation Letters of inquiry & letters of complaint Letters of application, resume& autobiography Memo, notes & notice Summary Title & abstract Speeches and presentation

Chapter 1 Introduction to English letters & letters of invitation

I. Envelope

Miss Xia Yu615 Guangdong Rd.Shanghai 20001PR China Jannette McEwan Membership Secretary IATEFL 3 Kingdom Chambers Whitstable, Kent UK, CT5 2FL

II. Elements of English letters

1. Heading (信头)

2. Inside address (收信人地址)

3. Salutation (称呼)

4. Body (正文)

5. Complimentary close (结束语)

6. Signature (署名)

III. Letters of invitation

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Sample 115 Xueyuan Rd.Haidian DistrictBeijingPR China100083

April 30th, 2004

Dear Lisa,

Thanks so much for your letter, which arrived yesterday. I'm very happy to hear you are coming to China this summer. You say that your holiday will last a month, so I hope that you will be able to come and see us.

We have a spare room, so there is no problem about putting you up and you are welcome to stay for as long as you like. We are not going away this summer, so there is no problem about arranging dates.

Please write soon and tell me if you can come. My best wishes to you and your family.

LoveHelen

Sample 246 Cranford StreetLondonNW3 5PQ

28th April, 2004

Dear Martin,

I am sorry that I haven't written to you for such a long time. I have been so busy at the university. But now something has come up that would give us a chance to meet. Our former classmates from West Comprehensive School are planning a reunion in honor of Mr. Winston Hills, who is retiring. I know that he is your favorite teacher. Would you like to join us?

We are planning to have the reunion on Saturday, May 12 th at Half Moon restaurant. It would be lovely to see you then if you were free.

Could you let me know before May 8th if you would like to come. In any case, we hope that we can meet at the day.

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Looking forward to hearing from you.

SincerelyDavid

Sample 3Department of PsychologyThe University of ReadingWhiteknightsP.O.Box 217, ReadingUnited KingdomRG6 6AH December 22, 2003

Prof. Li YunSchool of HumanitiesBeihang University Beijing, 100083PR China

Dear Prof. Li,

It is a pleasure for me to invite you on behalf of the Department of Psychology to accept an appointment as a visiting professor at the University of Reading from January 1,2001 to June 30, 2001. The University of Reading will pay you a salary of €1250 per month and reimburse your travel expenses. We hope that you can accept this invitation and we ask you to contact Dr. Valerie Peterson with respect to details of your research and lecturing activities during your stay in Reading.

Yours Sincerely(Signature) Timothy ClarksChairmanDept. of Psychology

Sample 4Dept. of Computer Sciences and Technology Beihang UniversityBeijing, 10083PR China

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March 15th, 2004

Prof. Woodrow BushyDept. of ComputerNew York UniversityNew YorkUSA

Dear Prof. Bushy,

It is with great pleasure that I invite you to the 11 th Annual Computer Society Conference. This year's conference will be held at Beijing from September 23 through September 27.

We are offering a valuable program with industry-wide applications, speakers who are recognized experts in their field and topics with many implications for the future. Ample time is scheduled for discussion periods. In addition, tours to two large computer companies have been arranged.

Enclosed please find information on accommodations, transportation and registration.If you have any questions, please call the session coordinator, Julie Han at 8610-82316661.

Yours Sincerely(Signature)Wang QiangChairmanDept. of Computer Science

Ex. Write two letters of invitation according to the information given below.

1. 给一位国外的朋友写一封邀请信, 请他/她到中国来度假。2. 给某一位知名教授写信。 邀请他/她来参加某一大型活动, 如某学科知识竞赛,系列专业讲座等等。

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Chapter 2 Letters of inquiry & letters of complaintI. Letters of inquiry

Sample 1: A letter of inquiry in response to the following advertisementSummer intensive courses for advanced students of English. The New Line Language School is organizing a number of courses of one month's duration for advanced students of English this summer in language studies with options in business English and English for computer science and technology. Enquires to: The Director of Courses The New Line Language School Haidian District,

Beijing, 100083

Inquiry3a Guanganmenwai St.Xuanwu DistrictBeijing, 100021 May 8th, 2001

The Director of CoursesThe New Line Language SchoolHaidian District, Beijing, 100083

Dear Sir,

I am writing to you with reference to your advertisement in Beijing Youth for one-month courses in English at the New Line Language School this summer. I would be grateful if you would send me further information on these courses, indicating the dates on which they will start, the timetable and the fees. I am particularly interested in Business English and would like to know how much time is spent on this option every day.

I would also like to know whether there will be foreign teachers for the courses and whether we will have a lot of time practicing spoken English.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours Faithfully(Signature)Wan Li

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Sample 2: A letter of inquiry according to the following information

假设你对某家计算机公司的杀毒软件感兴趣并有意购买该产品, 写一封问询信了解一下该产品的性能,价格等。Inquiry3a Guanganmenwai St.Xuanwu DistrictBeijing, 100021 May 8th, 2001

Mr. Jim ChenXX Computer Software CompanyZhongguancunHaidian DistrictBeijing, 10081

Dear Mr. Chen,

I am writing to you in connection with the anti-virus software programs produced by your company. I would be grateful if you would send me further information about them.

I am particularly interested in firewalls used for the internet security. Could you give me details of the product performance and costs? I would also like some advice about how to protect my computer from unauthorized access from outside.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours Sincerely(Signature) Wan Li

Sample 3: A letter of inquiry about school admission and financial aidDear Sir or Madam,

I should like to obtain application forms for your university and the proper information about your scholarship program, since I would need financial aid.

Faithfully Yours(Signature)

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Zhang Yi

Useful sentence patterns:1. I am writing to you in connection with….2. I am writing to you with reference to… .3. I was very interested to see your advertisement in ….4. I would be grateful if you could (would) send me ….?5. Could (Would) you please give me details of …?6. I would like to know...

II. Letters of complaintSample 4: A letter of complaint according to the following information

针对某家航空公司服务质量太差及航班的晚点的投诉信。Dear Sirs,

My colleagues and I have just taken your flight from Paris to Beijing. Your brochure claimed that "the staff are available at all times to help our clients", but my experience has been very different, and I am therefore writing to draw your attention to a number of defects in your service and organization.

To begin with, the boarding did not begin until five minutes before take-off, and due to the poor organization and inefficiency, it was a great mess. Passengers crowded in the gateway and the flight attendants did not offer their help in time. Consequently, the flight was delayed 15 minutes to take off.

Our second cause for complaint is the service during the trip. The flight attendants were lazy and they just served three rounds of drinks during the 9-hour flight and we have to go to fetch the water or drinks when we were thirsty. To make matters worse, the dinner provided on board tasted awful and it was neither Chinese food nor Western food, which just included two potato doughnuts and one fried meatloaf.

To sum up, we consider that you owe everyone on the flight an apology. In my opinion, quality products and service are vital for being competitive and the development of an enterprise. An airline is no exception.

We trust that we will hear from you soon.

Yours Faithfully

Sample 5: A letter of complaint according to the following information

假设你所居住的地方原来空气新鲜,环境优美,一条清澈的小河从小区旁边流29

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过。但是后来,小河边上盖起了很多的餐馆。 餐馆的污水都排放到小河里, 令小河臭气熏天, 严重地影响了当地居民的生活质量。 给有关部门写封投诉信, 反映一下这个问题并提出解决的方法。Gentlemen,

I am writing to place a complaint against the persons in charge of our neighborhood.

Several years ago, we had beautiful scenery and the river surrounding the area is clear and clean. But since a number of restaurants were set up along the river, all have been changed. The riverside is no longer a good place to go for a walk, because the effluent from the restaurants have all been released into the river and made it smell bad. During the summer months, we can not even open the window because of the staunch smell.

The polluted living environment is detrimental to our health. In my opinion, good living environment is the first step in improving people's standard of living and it ought to be possible to find a reasonable solution to this problem by controlling the effluent of the restaurants and closing down some responsible for the contamination of the river.

It will be appreciated if you can do to help us on this matter.

Yours Faithfully Ex. 1: Write two English letters, using the information given below.

1) 假设你在一张报纸上读到这样一则广告:英语速成培训班。 通过传授独家秘籍,保证你一个月学好英语。写信询问有关课程及学习内容。

2) 参加完练习 1中培训班后, 发现自己的英语并没有那么神奇的进步, 写信给有关部门,投诉该培训班。

Ex. 2: Translate the following letter into English.尊敬的女士/先生,我们一家于 3月 5日星期二到贵酒店用餐。我现在写信向您投诉贵酒店 饭菜和服务的质

量。首先,虽然我们已于两天前预定了座位,但当我们到达时已无空座,所以我们只得等

待,这花了我们半个小时。第二,在我们进餐过程中,服务一直很差。为我们服务的侍者态度粗鲁,他甚至把汤泼

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洒在我妻子的裙子上。最后,虽然贵店名气很大,但饭菜确实一般。牛排咬不动,蔬菜不新鲜。不仅如此,我

觉得有些饭菜已经变了质,因为我和两个家人第二天就闹肚子。我们认为我们应该得到赔偿,故要求贵酒店退还我们就餐的费用。随信附上帐单。

希望能早日得到您的答复。忠诚的,

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Chapter3 Letters of application, resume & autobiography

I. Letters of application

Sample 1: A letter of application for graduate school admission

Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is Zhang Fang. I am a postgraduate student at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering of Beijing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics (BUAA). I am writing to apply for graduate study in the field of computer science and technology

I graduated from Tsinghua University last year and then was admitted as a graduate student by BUAA. Thorough years of systematic study at the undergraduate and graduate levels, I am sure that I have had sound knowledge in the theory of computer science and engineering. In addition, I have taken part in a lot of research work on computer application at the enterprise level. I have been awarded scholarship because of my excellence in study and research.

I would be grateful if you would send me the application forms and the details about the scholarship. Enclosed please find my resume.

I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours Faithfully(Signature)Zhang Fang

Sample 2: A letter of application in response to a job advisement for a supervisor of computer training

Dear Ms. Hu,

I was very interested to see your advertisement in today's Beijing Youth for a supervisor of computer training, as I believe that I have the appropriate qualifications and experience you require. I am therefore enclosing my curriculum vitae.

You will see that I have been working as a computer engineer in an aircraft design institute for more than five years. This experience has enabled me to get well acquainted with the state-of- art computer languages and system.

In addition to the research work, I have been teaching evening classes to the staff workers in the institute in word processing and related subjects during the past two

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years. I find teaching immensely exciting and rewarding.

I truly believe that responsible work experience, expertise in computer and a sincere love of teaching make an ideal combination for the position you advertised. At age 28, I feel ready for a new challenge and I hope you will offer that challenge to me.

I would be grateful if you could consider my application. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours Sincerely(Signature)Wang Gang

II. ResumeSample 3 ResumeName: Zhang FangSex: FemaleDate of Birth: April 20, 1981Address for correspondence: P.O.Box 2-17 37 Xueyuan Rd. Haidian District Beijing, PR China 100083E-mail: [email protected]: classical music, reading, mountain climbing and swimmingEDUCATION 2000-present: graduate student Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering Beijing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics Beijing, PR China Field of study: software design 1996-2000: undergraduate student Dept. of Computer Science Tsinghua University Major: computer science Degree awarded: Bachelor of ScienceEXPERIENCE

2000-present: member of Prof. Li Lie's research group1998: Third prize winner of The 3rd Computer Program Design Contest

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Sample 4 Curriculum VitaeName: Wang GangSex: maleAddress for correspondence: Dept of Computer Control Engineering Beijing Institute of Aircraft Design Beijing 100028Telephone: 88227712Education:

1992-1995: Dept. of Electronics Wuhan University Major: Electronic communication technology

Experience:1995-present: Engineer (full-time)

Dept of Computer Control Engineering Beijing Institute of Aircraft Design

Evening class instructor (part-time)Hobby: languages, travel, tennis

III. AutobiographyLincoln’s Autobiography I was born February 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky. My parents were both born in Virginia, of undistinguished families---second families, perhaps I should say. My mother, who died in my tenth year, was from a family named Hanks, some of whom now reside in Adams County, and others in Macon County, Illinois. My paternal grandfather, Abraham Lincoln, emigrated, about 1781 or 1782, from Virginia to Kentucky, where he was killed by the Indians a year or two later, not in battle, but when he was laboring to open a farm in the forest. My father, at the death of his father, was six years old, and he grew up literally without education. He moved from Kentucky to Indiana when I was seven. We reached our new home about the time the state came into the Union. It was a wild region, with many bears and other wild animals still in the woods. I grew up there. There were so-called schools, but no other qualification was ever required of a teacher beyond “reading, writing and adding.” If a stranger supposed to understand Latin happened to reside for a time in the neighborhood, he was looked on as a wizard. There was absolutely nothing to excite ambition for education. Of course, when I came of age, I did not know much. Still, somehow, I could read, write, and add, but that was all. The little advance I have now made upon this store of education, I have picked up under the pressure of necessity. I was raised to do farm work, which I continued until I was twenty-one. At twenty-two, I came to Illinois. I remained in New Salem, Illinois, for a year as a clerk in a store. Then the Black Hawk War came. I was elected a captain of volunteers, a success which gave me more pleasure than any I have had since. I went into the campaign, ran

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for the legislature the same year (1832), and was defeated, the only time that I have been rejected by the people. In the next and the three succeeding biennial elections I was elected to the legislature. I was not a candidate afterward. During that legislative period, I studied law and moved to Springfield to practice it. In 1846 I was elected to the lower house of Congress. I was not a candidate for re-election. From 1849 to 1854 I practiced law more assiduously than ever before. I was losing interest in politics when the repeal of the Missouri Comprises aroused me again. What I have done since then is pretty well-known.

If any personal description of me is thought desirable, it may be said that I am nearly six feet four inches in height; lean in flesh, weighing one hundred and eighty pounds on the average, I have a dark complexion, with coarse black hair and gray eyes. I have no other marks or brands.

Ex. 1: Find out the post that interests you from a job advertisement in English newspaper and prepare a letter of application and resume.Ex. 2: Prepare your autobiography with more than 350 words.

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Chapter 4 Memorandum, notes & notice I. MemorandumLayout of memorandum

Heading (企业名称)

Memorandum (备忘录)

To: (收阅人)

From:(撰写人)Date: (日期)Subject: (主题)Message: (正文)

Reference Initials (撰写人姓名首字母)Encl (附件)cc (副本)

Sample 1: To: All From: John Gray Re: Mandatory Staff Meeting

On Tuesday, December 3, we will have our annual mandatory staff meeting at 10:00 A.M. We expect the meeting to last an hour; the agenda is attached. If you have anything else you think should be addressed, please let me know no later than November 28.

Sample 2: To: Ms. Alt

Ms. RasmussonMs. Stanislawczyk

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Ms. WaldenMessrs: Anderson

Perez Timkins

From: Richard Farnsworth, Secretary Date: July 15, 2000 Subject: Executive Roundtable Meeting Notice

There will be a meeting of all members of the Executives’ Roundtable on Thursday, July 25, 2000 at 11 a.m. in the Beacon Room of the Tower Building in Chicago.

Luncheon will be served at 12:15 p.m. If you cannot be with us, please call 247-9521 no later than July 23. An agenda is enclosed. Also, you will find a map with complete travel directions

and a description of the parking facilities at the Tower Building. It will be a pleasure to welcome all members to this important planning session of

our organization.Richard FarnsworthRF: jmlEncl.: Agenda Map

Sample 3: To: Sales Staff From: Michelle Perringer, Manager of Sales Date: March 6, 2002

Subject: Quarterly Sales Figures

I’ve just seen the sales figures for the first quarter, and I’m happy to announce we’re ahead of last year’s figure by 20 percent! This great performance reflects the dedication and hard work of the entire sales staff. Let’s see if we can continue the food work and beat last year’s record for the remaining three quarters.MP: wrt

Ex. 1: Translate the following memo into English.

收阅人:全体员工撰写人:Kellor先生的秘书Martha Cooper

主题:长途电话登记簿37

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打长途时,别忘了填写长途电话登记簿,请记录下日期、时间、电话号码、通话对象以及打电话的目的。印刷室的 Carole 或 Joan那儿备有空的登记簿,需要时请找他们领。

Ex. 2: Translate the following memo into English.

收阅人:全体机关人员撰写人:办公室经理 John Smith

日期:2000年 5月 6日主题:办公室更换新地毯

下周周末(6月 13-6月 14日)我们将更换整个机关办公室的地毯。因此,星期五离开办公室之前请将废纸篓、椅子、箱子及地板上的其他东西全部移到走廊上。

此外,请将桌子清理干净。自己的物品或放进抽屉(应该上锁),或放进箱子里。请在箱子上贴上标签,以便星期一能够容易地找到自己的东西。我相信大家都会喜欢换上新地毯,我们的旧地毯肯定是到了被淘汰的时候了。

For reference:

To: All Agency StaffFrom: John Smith, Office ManagerDate: May 6, 2000Subject: New Carpet for Agency Office

Next weekend, May13-14, we will be recarpeting the entire agency office. Therefore, before you leave on Friday, please make sure all wastebaskets, chairs, boxes and other items on the floor are moved into the hallway.

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Also, clear your desktops and either put your belongings in your desk drawers (which should be locked) or in boxes. Please label your boxes so that you can find your belongings easily Monday morning.

I’m sure we all appreciate getting the new carpeting. Our old carpet has definitely seen better days.

Ex. 3: Write a memo according to the following information.

以办公室主任的名义给全体员工写备忘录。Subject: Staff Picnic。详情自定。II. Notes

Samples

March 12

Professor John Jackson,

May I be excused from attending your lecture today on account of my bad cough? I called the doctor last night, and he advised me to go to his clinic for a further check this morning. I expect your favor.

Respectfully, Yu Hua March 12Dear Sir,

I have to ask for leave of absence from this evening’s piano lessons. As my mother is ill in bed, I must take care of her at home. Would you be so kind as to make it up for me next week? With many thanks, Yu Hua

III. Notice

Samples

Class meeting Monday Sept. 4

5 p.m.Rm. 300

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Football MatchOn Playing Court

English Dept. vs Computer Science Dept.Fri. Oct. 273: 00 PM

LectureSpeaker: Prof. Lawrence of Harvard UniversitySubject: The World economy Trend in 21st centuryDate: Wednesday, 15 MarchTime: 10 a. m.Place: Reading Room of the Library

All are welcome!

May 10, 1999We lost one cheque No. 23157 for RMB 35,000 drawn on the Agricultural Bank of China, dated May 5, 1999. Payment has been stopped and the cheque declared null and void.

Shanghai Koluc Stainless Co., Ltd.

Lost

July 9, 2002

I lost a New English –Chinese Dictionary in the reading room of the library yesterday afternoon. Will the finder please send it to me, or ring me up to fetch it?. Loser: …Address: Room 423, Student Dormitory 8Tel. No.: 33445566

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Chapter 5 Summary Example 1:Original There is nothing new about the idea of a fixed link across the English Channel, but it has continued to make

news for nearly 200 years. For all of this time, men have been designing bridges, tunnels, tubes, submerged railway

lines and other ingenious and sometimes lunatic schemes to establish a direct and permanent line of communication

between Britain and Europe. But in spite of their enthusiasm and the support of many distinguished statesmen,

from Napoleon to Winston Churchill, the Channel has remained unbridged and unbored.

War was for many years the main deterrent. The fact that Napoleon was keen explained the lack of enthusiasm

on the British side when it was first suggested. A direct link was regarded as a threat to the island's natural defenses,

and there was a graphic portrayal of a sea and land invasion at the time of the Napoleonic wars, with the French

army marching through a tunnel under the channel, to demonstrate the point. Though public interest in the idea

grew during the later nineteenth century, the requirements of defense continued to inspire official British rejection.

Lord Palmerston was against any plan to shorten a distance which was, he said, already too short.

Winston Churchill later rejected this view, maintaining in the 1930s that resistance to a tunnel on strategic

grounds was no longer valid. A tunnel would have been the greatest value to Britain's support of France in the First

World War, he believed, and if danger had threatened it could always have been closed. Later strategists have

supported this view, and there are today no serious military objections to the construction of a fixed link.

The more recent problem has been lack of political determination. The last Anglo-French tunnel project,

which in the early 1970s seemed likely to go ahead, was abruptly cancelled in 1975 by a Labour government less

committed to Europe than Edward Heath's administration. But the idea was given yet another breath of life in 1984,

when Mrs. Thatcher and President Mitterand committed their respective governments to support the construction of

a fixed link, provided that it could be totally financed by private means. The two governments then issued an

"Invitation to Promoters" for the development, financing and operation of a fixed link, with detailed proposals to be

submitted by the end of October 1985, enabling them to decide by the end of January 1986. (from S. Fowler’s

Progressive Writing Skills )

Procedures:Step 1: Summarize each paragraph.

Paragraph 1: For nearly 200 years engineers have been working on projects for a link across the English Channel to establish a direct, permanent line of communication between Britain and Europe.Paragraph 2: When the link was first suggested, it was opposed because of British fears of invasion.Paragraph 3: There are no longer any serious military objections to a link. Recent problems have been due to the lack of a consistent political policy.Paragraph 4: The British and French governments now support a channel link, provided it is paid for by private companies. They therefore asked promoters to submit their proposals so that they could decide on the best by the end of January 1986.

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Step 2: Connect the above points into a coherent and cohesive summary. Revise this summary and check for grammatical corrections, punctuation and spelling

Summary For nearly 200 years engineers have been working on projects for a link across the English Channel to establish a direct, permanent line of communication between Britain and Europe. For a long time, these projects were opposed because the British feared invasion, but there are no longer any serious military objections to the link. More recently, the lack of a consistent political policy prevented development, but the British and French now support a channel link, provided it is paid for by private companies. They therefore asked promoters to submit their proposals so that they could decide on the best by the end of January 1986. (106 words)

Example 2:Original Unlike the scientist, the engineer is not free to select the problem which interests him; he must solve the problem as they arise, and his solutions must satisfy conflicting requirements. Efficiency costs money, safety adds complexity, performance increases weight. The engineering solution is the optimum solution, the most desirable end result taking into account many factors. It may be the cheapest for a given performance, the most reliable for a given weight, the simplest for a given safety, or the most efficient for a given cost. Engineering is optimizing.

To the engineer, efficiency means output divided by input. His job is to secure a maximum output for a given input or to secure a given output with a minimum input. The ratio may be expressed in terms of energy, materials, money, time, or men. Most commonly the denominator is money; in fact, most engineering problems are answered ultimately in dollars and cents. Efficient conversion is accomplished by using efficient methods, devices, and personnel organization.

The emphasis on efficiency leads to the large, complex operations which are characteristic of engineering. The processing of the new antibiotics and vaccines in the test-tube stage belongs in the field of biochemistry, but when great quantities must be produced at low cost, it becomes an engineering problem. It is the desire for efficiency and economy that differentiates ceramic engineering from the work of the potter, textile engineering from weaving, and agricultural engineering from farming.

Since output equals input minus losses, the engineer must keep losses and waste to a minimum. One way is to develop uses for products which otherwise would be waste. The world of the chemical engineer in utilizing successively greater fractions of raw materials such as crude oil is well known. Losses due to friction occur in every machine and in every organization. Efficient functioning depends on good design, careful attention to operating difficulties, and lubrication of rough spots, whether they

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be mechanical or personal.

The raw materials with which engineers work seldom are found in useful forms. Engineering of the highest type is required to conceive, design, and achieve the conversion of the energy of a turbulent mountain stream into the powerful torque of an electric motor a hundred miles away. Similarly many engineering operations are required to change the sands of the seashore into the precise lenses which permit us to observe the microscopic amoeba in a drop of water and study the giant nebula in outer space. In a certain sense, the successful engineer is a malcontent always trying to change things for the better. (432 words)

Summary: Unlike the scientist, the engineer is not free to select the problem which interests him. He must find to the problem a solution that can satisfy conflicting requirements. The desire for efficiency and economy makes engineering the large and complex operations. Thus the engineer will have to adopt efficient methods, devices and personnel organization to accomplish efficient functioning of machines and organizations. The successful engineer is a malcontent always trying to change things for the better because the raw materials with which they work seldom are found in useful terms. (90 words)

Example 3:Original I belong to a rare species. I am a pedestrian who does not drive in a city full of cars. The worst of it is that motorists regard me as a nuisance or behave as if I did not exist. I try not to irritate them. I keep to the pavement and only cross at traffic lights, waiting for the green light, but that is not enough, because they want to invade my territory. One of the main problems is parking. In my city, people often park halfway onto the pavement, and sometimes block it altogether, so pedestrians have to walk in the road. All scooters are parked on the pavement and the young riders never think of getting off the kerb to park. They ride along the pavement until they reach their house or school.

Another problem is traffic lights. A recent study by the city council shows that every time the lights change in the city, two motorists go through when they are red. I am used to the idea that as the lights change, motorists accelerate, instead of stopping; what I cannot get used to and prepare for is that at many corners the lights are green for the pedestrian but yellow for the motorist coming off the main road. As far as he (or she) is concerned, yellow is green, and they turn the corner without slowing down. They even blow their horns impatiently if they have to stop because I am walking across.

Of course the solution would be to enforce the law. The city council should provide more car parks and tow away vehicles obstructing the road. As it is, they only do so if someone telephones to complain. They should fine people who park on the pavement; at present, only 30% of fines are paid, but the council do not take the

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drivers' license away unless they fail to pay several fines. More traffic wardens should be employed, even though the city council study says that last year traffic wardens on duty were the victims of 422 serious physical attacks by motorists.At a time when the newspapers are full of articles about the right to work and the right to prevent other people from smoking, when are the authorities going to concern themselves about the right to walk? (from S. Fowler’s Progressive Writing Skills )

Summary The writer, a pedestrian, complains about the behaviors of motorists in his city. The main problems are that motorists park on the pavement, do not obey traffic lights, especially when turning corners, and are impatient with pedestrians who have the right of way. He proposes that there should be more car parks, but also that the city council should remove cars obstructing the road, fine people who park on the pavement and take their licenses away if they do not pat the fines. Apart from that, more traffic wardens should be employed and they should be protected from angry motorists. In short, he thinks pedestrians have the same right to walk as motorists have to drive.

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Chapter 6 Title and abstract Title and abstract in published papers are at the same time both front matter and summary matter. (Huckin, 1987)

Front matter: “news value” element: of those who read the title, only some will read the abstract and of those who read the abstract only some will read the article itself.

Summary matter: Most abstracts reflect the IMRD pattern. (Swales)

I. Titles1. Good RP titles should

- indicate the topic of the study- indicate the scope of the study (i.e. neither overstating nor understating its

significance)- be self-explanatory to readers in the chosen area- in some cases, it may be helpful to indicate the nature of the study

(experiment, case report, survey etc.)- length: disciplinary matter- capitalization: all first words are capitalized; all words immediately

following a colon are capitalized; all other words are capitalized except for articles and prepositions (Agree or disagree?)

- colons: its typical function is to separate ideas (usually two noun phrases separated by a colon)Before the colon: After the colon

Problem: SolutionGeneral: SpecificTopic : MethodMajor : Minor

e.g. Reducing Air Pollution in Urban Areas: The role of Urban Planners Children’s Punctuation: An Analysis of Errors in Period Placement Arguing for Experimental “Facts” in Science: A Study of Research Article

Results Sections in Biochemistry

2. Types of titlesFull-sentence titles:

Science: About 8.5% (307) used full sentences as the titles, most of which are in the field of biology where NP indicates the area within which the researcher is working, and the sentence as a whole presents the general findings of the study.

Linguistics: 4.3% (9/207) e.g.

a. CU2+ions interact with cell membranes b. Exposure to context may contribute to within-session changes in responding c. The activity of oxidized bovine spleen purple acid phosphatase is due to ann Fe

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(III) Zn (II) ‘impurity’ d. Theories are buildings revisited e. ‘I blame the government’ f. Why are some verbs learned before other verbs? Effects of input frequency and

structure on children’s early verb use g. “Yes, I agree” h. Time’s up i. Applied Ergonomics is online and having impact

Compound titles: e.g.a. Coping with complexity: lessons from the mathematical sciencesb. Finding gender advantage and disadvantage: Systematic research integration

is the solutionc. Leadership theory and practice: Fostering an effective symbiosisd. MeshSQL: the query language for simulation mesh datae. Electrochemical behavior of poly (3-hexythiophene): controlling factors of

electric current in electrochemical oxidation of poly ((3-hexythiophene)s in a solution

f. Efficient processing of similarity search under time warping in sequence databases: an index-based approach

g. Trust in project relationships––inside the black box Remaining title structures

NP+ one or more post-modifying prepositional phrases (of is the most commonly used prep; in ranks the second) Usu. Nominalization of a dynamic verb to indicate the process.

e.g. a. Visualization of three-dimensional datasetsb. Regulation of the Heat Shock responsec. Phase Transitions in the universed. A TOPS-MODE approach to predict permeability coefficientse. Silica reinforced triblock copolymer gelsf. Evaluation of an intervention to reduce musculoskeletal hazards among

fresh market vegetable growers

Titles with a piling up of multiple prepositional phrases, indicating the precise specification of the researche.g. a.Encapsulation of organic light-emitting devices by means of

photopolymerized polyacrylate filmsb. Syndiospecific polymerization of propene under different processes with

different bridged [(RPh)2C(Cp)(2,7-tertBuFlu)]ZrCl2 metallocene catalystsc. Preparation of composite membranes by atom transfer radical

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polymerization initiated from a porous support Titles comprising participial phrase

e.g. a. Listening to the candle (- the title of the poem the paper is critiquing)b. Finding gender advantage and disadvantage: Systematic research

integration is the solutionc. Comparing the compatibility of various functionalized polypropylenes with

thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)d. Assessing the contribution of knowledge to business performance: the KP3

methodology Titles starting with prepositions (on/ toward)

e.g.a. On “Beginnings”b. Toward a theory of spiritual leadershipc. On derivations of BCI- algebrasd. In search of gender advantage

II. Abstract1. Comment on the following quotation and see if there are differences in abstract writing:

The abstract is characterized by the use of past tense, third person, passive, and non-use of negatives. It avoids subordinate clauses, uses phrases instead of clauses, words instead of phrases. It avoids abbreviations, jargon, symbols and other language shortcuts which might lead to confusion. It is written in tightly worded sentences, which avoid repetition, meaningless expressions, superlatives, adjectives, illustrations, preliminaries, descriptive details, examples, footnotes. In short it eliminates the redundancy which the skilled reader counts on finding in written language and which usually facilitates comprehension. (Graetz, 1985)

Linguistic specifications of abstracts (Naomi Graetz, 1985)1. the use of full sentences2. the use of past tense3. the use of impersonal passive4. the absence of negatives5. the avoidance of “abbreviation, jargon, symbols and other language

shortcuts that might lead to conclusion.”

2. Sentence patternsBeginning This paper deals with (discusses, describes, establishes, presents, reports, etc.) the design (an investigation, experimental results, analysis, method, model,

characteristics, principles, approaches, problem, phenomenon, etc.) of ....An analysis of ... is described (presented, etc.) in this paper.

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This author reviews (holds, touches upon) something.... This article has been prepared (designed, written) to .... The aim of this article is to determine (explore, review).... This paper is aimed at….

Body: The method (theory) is adopted in … and the data (experimental results, model,

etc.) are (is) derived (obtained, found, revealed, developed, etc.). The experiment (investigation, technique, method) was made (conducted, applied,

used, etc.) to ....

Concluding Sentences: The results show (indicate, suggest, etc.) that .... It is found (observed, suggested, etc.) that.... The article (author) finds (considers, deems) it necessary (advisable) to .....

III. Journal abstracts:- normally a single paragraph containing 4-10 full sentences- 2 main approaches to writing RP abstracts:

results-driven abstracts: concentrates on research findings and what might be concluded from them

RP summary: provide one- or two- synopses of each of the four sections- either informative or indicative

Ex. 1: Read the following two drafts of the abstracts and then answer the questions.A count of sentence connectors in 12 academic papers produced 70 different

connectors. These varied in frequency from 62 tokens (however) to single occurrences. Seventy-five percent of the 467 examples appeared in sentence-initial position. However, individual connectors varied considerably in position preference. Some (e.g. in addition) always occurred initially; in other cases (e.g. for example, therefore), they were placed after the subject more than 50% of the time. These findings suggest that a search for general rules for connector position may not be fruitful. (85 words)

Although sentence connectors are a well-recognized feature of academic writing, little research has been undertaken on their positioning. In this study, we analyze the position of 467 connectors found in a sample of 12 research papers. Seventy-five percent of the connectors occurred at the beginning of sentences. However, individual connectors varied greatly in positional preference. Some, such as in addition, only occurred initially; others, such as therefore, occurred initially in only 40% of the cases. These preliminary findings suggest that general rules for connector position will prove elusive. (89 words)

The journal requirements state that the abstracts accompanying papers should not exceed 100 words.

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Which version is “results driven” and which is an “RP summary”?Compare the tense usage in A & B.Which version do you prefer? WHY?If the journal asks for a list of key words, choose three or four suitable key words.

Ex. 2: Translate the following abstracts into Chinese1. Knowledge is inherently difficult to measure. However, without valid and reliable

measurement, it is very difficult to develop a comprehensive theory of knowledge and provide a practical guide for knowledge management. In this paper, we do not measure knowledge directly, but assess how much knowledge contributes to business performance. The KP 3 methodology developed in this paper assesses the contribution of knowledge to business performance by employing product and process as intermediaries between the two. The understanding of the contribution is essential because it makes it possible to assess the productivities of knowledge entities, evaluate and compensate knowledge workers, and to allocate and develop human capital.

2. Synthesis of high-flux composite membranes require deposition of a selective, ultrathin skin on a highly permeable support. This paper describes the use of room-temperature atom transfer radical polymerization (ATPR) from a substrate to synthesize two types of ultrathin (-50mm) polymer skins: cross-linked poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (PEGDMA) and linear poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA). The synthetic procedure involves attachment of initiating layer to modified porous alumina and subsequent polymerization from the initiator. This method is attractive because film thickness can be easily controlled by varying polymerization time and field emission scanning electron microscopy (PESEM) images indicate the grafted polymer skins can completely cover a porous surface without filling underlying pores. Gas permeation studies show that PEDGMA has a CO2/CH4 selectivity of -20 and an O2/N2 selectivity of -2, whereas uncross-linked PHEMA films show very little selectivity. However, the selectivity of PHEMA improves significantly after derivation with fluorinated membrane skins that can potentially be derivatized for specific separations.

3. Aircraft aerodynamics have been predicted using computational dynamics for a number of years. While viscous flow computations for cruise conditions have become commonplace, the non-linear effects that tale place at high angles of attack are much more difficult to predict. A variety of difficulties arise when performing these computations, including challenges in properly modeling turbulence and transition for vertical and massively separated flows, the need to use appropriate numerical algorithms if flow asymmetry is possible, and the difficulties in creating grids that allow for accurate simulations of the flowfield. These issues are addressed and recommendations are made for further improvements in high angle of attack flow predictions. Current predictive capabilities for high angle of attack flows are reviewed, and solutions based on hybrid turbulence models are presented.

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Ex. 3: Read the following title first and then identify the key words. Then decide if you want to read the abstract and what the Abstract will be like.

Key words: piracy, New product diffusion, software

Abstract This paper examines the relationship between the rate of software diffusion and piracy. Literature suggests that tolerating some piracy can be justified since it speeds up software diffusion. The question is, how much should be tolerated? Using innovation diffusion models of software by legal buyers and pirates, answers to this question are obtained for the three scenarios of monopoly, multiple generations of software and competitive markets. Results include, for example, that a monopoly should start with minimum protection of its software but well before the product has diffused half way, impose maximum protection and maintain it thereafter. The results provide important strategic guidelines for firms in the software for managing piracy.

How to write abstractCut and Paste Method

1. As you read through your own paper, highlight or copy sentences which summarize the entire paper or individual sections or sub-points of your main argument.

2. Write (or copy) a sentence that summarizes the main point. 3. Add sentences that summarize sections (or write new sentences for sections

that lack a concise summary sentence). 4. If you're writing a descriptive abstract, you're ready to begin revising.

5.If you're writing an informative abstract, look through your paper for details,

particularly of key findings or major supporting arguments and major conclusions. Paste these into your abstract and proceed to editing for consistency and length--frequently in the original "cuts" you will still have

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more detail than is necessary in an abstract.

Outlining Method1. Read through each paragraph of your paper and write one phrase or sentence that

answers the question "what does this paragraph do?" 2. Take your list of descriptions for each paragraph and look for connections: i.e.,

do these 3 or 5 paragraphs do something similar? What is it? 3. When you've reduced your outline to 4 or 5 accurate generalizations, you most

likely have a descriptive abstract. 4. If you're writing an informative abstract, fill in key details about your content.

Note: The numbers in this abstract are for illustration purposes only. Number 1 designates a concise statement of the main point. Number 2 designates a summary statement of the first major argument and its support (five pages in the original article). Number 3 corresponds to a summary of the second major argument (two pages in the original), and Number 4 corresponds to the second argument's support (two pages).(1) This paper argues that the "saving democracy" rhetoric surrounding the Gulf War was merely a mask for the U.S.'s interest in keeping oil prices down. (2) Such an argument is made by first describing the ways in which OPEC controlled oil prices by limiting sales, pointing specifically to how Kuwait was producing more oil than allowed by current OPEC agreements. (3) Second, the paper examines why the U.S. was invested in keeping good relations with the only two OPEC nations--Kuwait and Saudi Arabia--which frequently made trade agreements that benefited the U.S. (4) Finally, the paper does a close reading of the newspaper coverage of the Gulf War, examining how an early recognition of the monetary incentive changed to a democratic one when Bush ordered troops to Saudi Arabia.

IV. Conference abstractsWriting abstracts for conferences is an important art for academics to master. The job of conference abstracts is to inform organizers of your work that is either completed or currently developing, so that they can judge its intrinsic interest and likely quality against the others submitted. It is a competitive process, but one to be undertaken seriously. It projects the future (your ultimate findings; the full conference paper), and must do so convincingly and responsibly.

Conference abstracts are promotional and different in nature from several related forms: summary abstracts of completed work for publication (e.g. of dissertations, or of published articles); and projections of research to be done (often required in applications for funds, permission or resources). The different audiences and purposes must be kept in mind. In most cases, all such descriptions of research must be very short, kept to a strict length limit, and must represent the final product fairly and attractively.

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Abstract Format Guidelines

1. An abstract, including a bibliography, if needed, and examples, must be no more than 500 words and on one side of a single page. ... Abstracts longer than 500 words or more than one side of a single page will be rejected without being evaluated. Please note the word count at the bottom of the abstract.

2. At the top of the abstract, outside the typing area, put the title and designated research area(s).

3. Do not put your name on the abstract. Your name should be only on the abstract submittal form. If you identify yourself in any way on the abstract (e.g. "In Smith (1992)...I"), it will be rejected without being evaluated.

4. Abstracts which do not conform to the format guidelines will not be considered.

Abstract Contents Many abstracts are rejected because they omit crucial information rather than because of errors in what they include. Authors may wish to consult the model abstract prepared by the Program Committee.... A suggested outline for abstracts is as follows:

1. Choose a title that clearly indicates the topic of the paper and is not more than one 7-inch typed line.

2. State the problem or research question raised by prior work, with specific reference to relevant prior research.

3. State the main point or argument of the proposed presentation. 4. Regardless of the subfield, cite sufficient data, and explain why and how they

support the main point or argument. When examples are in languages other than English, provide word by word glosses and underline the portions of the examples which are critical to the argument. Explain abbreviations at their first occurrence.

5. If your paper presents the results of experiments, but collection of results is not yet complete, then report what results you've already obtained in sufficient detail that your abstract may be evaluated. Also indicate explicitly the nature of the experimental design and the specific hypothesis tested.

6. State the relevance of your ideas to past work or to the future development of the field. Describe analyses in as much detail as possible. Avoid saying in effect "a solution to this problem will be presented." If you are taking a stand on a controversial issue, summarize the arguments that lead you to your position.

7. State the contribution to linguistic research made by the analysis. 8. While citation in the text of the relevant literature is essential, a separate list of

references at the end of the abstract is generally unnecessary.

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5 parts in a conference abstract - Outlining the research field - justifying a particular piece of research/study; justifying by indicating a gap - introducing the paper to be presented at the conference - summarizing the paper - highlighting its outcome/results

Conference abstract descriptors

High-rated Abstracts Low-rated AbstractsTopics were of current interest to

experienced members of the community

A problem was clearly definedProblem was addressed in a novel way.

Special terminology was current or “buzzy”.

Several explicit and implicit references to the scholarly literature

Topics were of less interest.No clear problem was defined.Problem, if defined, received less interesting treatment.

Terminology was standard.

Fewer citations and allusions were used.

Source: Data from C. Berkenkotter and T. N. Huckin, Genre knowledge in disciplinary communication (Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1995)

ExamplesExample 1:

The competitive and uncertain business environment of the 1990s requires an accelerated product development process with greatly improved coordination and integration among cross-functional teams (Denison, Kahn and Hart 1991). Their successful product development effort suggests that speed and variety in perspective and expertise are compatible. Although product development using cross-functional teams has been drawing much attention from academics as well as the corporate world, research into its organization and processes is still underdeveloped. This deficiency is significant because the traditional literature on decision making has assumed that speed and variety are, in reality, incompatible. This paper elaborates the process of cross-functional team efforts, based on interviews and observations over a two-year period. A model is developed and operationalized with 22 survey measures and tested with data from 183 individuals on 29 teams. Results show that product development using cross-functional teams is highly correlated with time compression, creativity, capability improvement, and overall effectiveness. (152 words)

Example 2:

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Head biomechanics research is often interested in head or impacted structure modeling, but less often the study of impact itself. In studies using an analytical approach, epidemiological studies, and in studies of structure aggressiveness, researcher often use a lumped parameter approach to model the structure and a single mass to model the head. Often, in experimental studies, the real structure is impacted by a physical model of the head which is a single mass in structure and behaviour (rigid head for or Hybrid 3 head). A collaboration between Institution 1 and Institution 2 has demonstrated that this approach may be criticized for two reasons. First, the (analytical or physical) modeling of the head as a single mass rules out any interpretation of head injury mechanisms. Second, the modeling of the head by a single mass produces a very different head-structure force interaction than that which would be produced if a more bio-faithful head model is used. The objective of this joint study is to propose an experimental and analytical method to analyze head impact which uses a more realistic model of the head. In the past numerous studies have shown the importance of brain-skull decoupling on the mechanical behavior of the head under impact. In the proposed approach, this phenomenon will be taken into consideration.

In the experimental component of the study, the recently published dummy head “Biomass 150” is dropped onto beams with different characteristics. The impacts are compared …. The results show that the analytical model can simulate the experimental force interactions as well as interactional dynamics …. The results also show … We conclude that the experimental or theoretical modeling of the head mechanical behavior has an important influence on the structure response and that this has too be taken into consideration in the analysis of structure aggressiveness. It also appears that the proposed approach permits the prediction of a Head injury mechanism for a given impact.

Example 3:Science Parks: Theory, Background and Future Plans

The core concept driving the development of science parks has been the perception that if an industrial area was in close geographical proximity to a research and development organization, then it might benefit from that research environment. This was one of the basic concepts surrounding the establishment in the early 1950s of an industrial park close to Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. In this case, even the industrial or technology/science park area was owned by the university so that Stanford University benefited not only by the commercialization of its research, but also through the rents collected from the tenants of the park.

The Stanford University experience, which became the foundation for the Silicon Valley, was not rooted in any particular economic theory. Indeed, the originators of these and related concepts of economic development for the entire northern California region were engineers, not economists, urban planners or politicians.

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What they foresaw however, was the need to link basic and theoretical research to the real world: the world of commerce, trade and business. This link was good for R&D and was equally good for the placement of students directly into industry. And in many cases, the students formed their own firms and hence become “self-employed”. Today science parks are seen as a solution to the complex problems of economic development, under-employment, job creation, corporate downsizing, and new-business development. Thus, science parks receive considerable attention and financial support from the local, regional and national governments.

Over the decades, research, technology, industrial or science parks were established close to universities in various USA cities as well as in other industrialized nations. For the most part, theory followed or mimicked practice. As a recent report from Twente University in Holland put it: “The knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship flourishing in the Twente region did not develop as the result of a master plan. Nobody ever sat down and plotted out how it would all come together. The Twente Concept is the result of an organic development process -- not a ‘revolution’, but an ‘evolution’ -- that retained everything that was good and discarded what was wrong.” (Twente, 1998: 4) It is precisely this issue of economic development that will be explored in this paper.

The hypothesis is made that we now know enough about economic and business development to formulate a theoretical perspective on science parks. With that understanding, we can, therefore, explore and formulate strategies, plans and policies on how research and development can be converted into new businesses, support and assist entrepreneurship, provide programs that connect regional economic development while being concerned for the environment, and expand networks into international collaborations. This paper explores all those areas and provides some guidance into the theoretical and practical levels of business creation and therefore economic development.

Ex. Find out a CALL FOR PAPERS for the conference to be held in your field of study and write a conference abstract based on the requirements provided.

Conference Abstracts Review FormPaper No:Title:Reviewer Name: Date:

Write in a rating score for each of the criteria listed below:

CriteriaExcellent

5Good

4Satisfactory

3Weak

2Poor

1

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a) Fit to the Conference themes

[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

b) Relevance to the broad audience of teaching and learning using IT

[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

c) Originality/Innovative [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]d) Clarity of presentation [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Example: If you rate an abstract as 'excellent' for each of the criteria, fill in the number 5 in the first column for EACH of the criteria. The abstract will score a MAXIMUM score of 20.

General Comments: (which will be available on request to the author):

Overall Evaluation (Please mark one):

Definitely Accept 50/50 Definitely Reject

V. Thesis abstractThesis abstract is mostly in the form of RP summary.

Example 1:

The corrosion behavior and the protection method of an Al-Li-Cu-Mg-Zr alloy.Al-Li alloys based upon compositions where homogeneous decomposition of coherent, Al3Li( ') can occur, offer attractive possibilities for aerospace applications. However, fundamental knowledge of the corrosion behavior, particularly the intergranular and exfoliation corrosion resistance, is very limited. The present research thus investigates the corrosion behavior of a commercially important Al-Li-Cu-Mg-Zr alloy, the so-called 2091 alloy in the T651 temper. By using various techniques, the effects of differences of microstructure and composition on the corrosion characteristics of the potentially attractive alloy have been examined with mechanisms forwarded for the corrosion behavior. Anodizing as a method for protection of the alloy from corrosion in certain environments has also been examined.

corrosion behavior Li/Mg depletion zones exist in the surface layers of the 2091 T651 alloy; additionally the grains in outer surface layers are recrystallised, i.e. they are larger than those in the inner layers of the alloy. A 'porosity' band is present at a depth of about 100 m from the surface. Copper-containing phases (e.g. S(Al2CuMg), T1(Al2CuLi) and R(Al5CuLi3)) are evident at grain boundaries, and Cu-free phases ((AlLi), 'PFZ and Al( )) are present at and adjacent to the grain boundaries.

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Additionally, there are '(Al3Li) precipitates throughout the matrix with dispersed S'/S and T1'/T1 precipitates at dislocations.

protection method In the present studies, ASTM G34, acetic acid type immersion, ASTM B597 and mixed salt spray cabinet tests were employed to investigate the corrosion behavior of the 2091 T651 alloy. To assess the corrosion behaviour, for the ASTM G34 test, weight loss, microhardness variation, test solution analysis and solution pH changes were used. (now de-restricted) (262 words)

Example 2

Knowledge based inspection planning system for rotational components.

INSPEX, a knowledge based computer aided inspection planning system, has been developed for preparing inspection plans from toleranced component models of rotational components. The existing knowledge base in EXCAP, which is a knowledge based expert process planning system for rotational components developed at UMIST, was extended by the rules derived from the gathered inspection and measurement knowledge for in-process inspection and post-process inspection planning for INSPEX. Inspection planning starts with a CAD EXCAP toleranced component model, which is obtained from a CAD system via IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Specification). INSPEX has been integrated with EXCAP to generate in-process inspection procedures for the inspection on a CNC lathe or a CNC grinding machine during the machining cycle. An interface between INSPEX and DMIS (Dimensional Measurement Interface Specification) was developed in PROLOG for converting the post-process inspection procedures into DMIS format to link to a CMM with an appropriate interface. At present, the system can fully automatically produce inspection plans for in-process inspection and post-process inspection, and generate a DMIS format file and an inspection file for inspectors or operators. Finally, the performance and deficiencies of the inspection planning system and the DMIS pre-processor are discussed, and some suggestions are made for further work. (202 words)

Ex. Find out a Chinese abstract from the journals in your field of study and translate it into English.

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Chapter 7 Speeches & presentation

I. Profile of a good speaker A good speaker is lively, interested, enthusiastic, vital. He feels alive; he sees his

audience as living people. He is interested in his topic and considers it vital to such people. So he speaks of it with enthusiasm. That is the best way to interest an audience.

A good speaker is earnest. He doesn’t talk for talk’s sake, to show off his clothes, or his smile, or his diction, or his voice. He doesn’t turn on the charm when he stands up only to switch it off as he sits down.

A good speaker has a sense of responsibility to his listeners. He realizes that if he talks for five minutes to a hundred listeners he is taking five hundred minutes out of people’s lives. He tries to say something that will be worth that precious time.

A good speaker has a sense of responsibility to others on the program. If he has been allotted five minutes, he does not take ten. He takes care not to squeeze others off the program, or force them to hurry. They, too, may have something worthwhile to say.

A good speaker has a sense of responsibility to his subject. He doesn’t bite off more than he can chew. He doesn’t spread it thin.

A good speaker has a sense of leadership: he stands up tall, he talks eye to eye; he speaks responsibly and with authority, as a leader should. He is positive, friendly and straightforward.

A good speaker keeps his head. He doesn’t let his enthusiasm carry him too far. He does not become a zealot. He doesn’t let his confidence become overconfidence. He doesn’t let himself get intoxicated with the sense of power that comes with being in the public eye.

A good speaker tries to be balanced, sane. A good speaker keeps his sense of humor.

To the beginning speaker: be yourself. Say what you think, not what some columnist or newscaster thinks.Study other speakers, do not ape them.Recognize and admire the fine qualities of experienced speakers. Practice it!

II. Examples

1. The government is planning to extend a small airport near the market town of Clopton so that jet aircraft on charter flights can use it. At a public meeting, the Minister for Aviation, Mr. Nicolas Browning, MP, explains the proposals to local people.

I would like to say first of all how pleasant I am to have this opportunity of putting the

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government’s case before you.

To begin with, speaking in general terms, air traffic in this country is increasing. Every year more people fly abroad for their holidays – I am sure that many of you do so – and they need an airport near their homes. At present, the nearest airport is Loxton, sixty miles away, so there is clearly a need for an airport in this area. Experts from the Ministry have inspected a number of sites and have reached the conclusion that Clopton is the most appropriate. It is much easier to expand an existing airport than to build a new one.

Nevertheless, although you may agree that Clopton is the best site from a technical point of view, you may still ask yourselves- and you are welcome to ask me questions afterwards –what advantages it will have for local people.

In the first place, unemployment has been growing in Clopton in recent years. The airport will create new jobs in the short term, while it is being expanded, but also in the long term, because when it is completed, staff will be needed to maintain the aircraft and for the shops and other services.

Secondly, if the airport is developed, people will pass through Clopton on their way to it, and this will benefit trade in the shops and hotels in the town. In fact, several new hotels will have to be built.

Thirdly, access roads will be built to the airport from the larger towns in a radius of forty miles around Clopton. This will create more jobs for the local people, and also attract new industries to the area. At present, as I am sure you realize, Clopton is a little bit off the map. The airport will bring it into the twenty-first century.

In conclusion, in the government’s view, the expansion of the airport can only be of benefit to the people of this town.

2. Mr. Sam Hislop, a local farmer, has led the opposition to the Ministry’s proposal and formed the Save Clopton Committee. Read his speech against the expansion of the airport.

In my opinion, all the advantages the minister has mentioned in connection with the airport in fact add up to one: creating more jobs. But I don’t think the minister understands the local situation.

Clopton is a market town serving a farming community in some of the finest countryside in England. Expanding the airport will change that.

In the first place, there will be noise from the planes. That will be a permanent

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nuisance for everyone who lives near the present airport and also affect farmers. Secondly, building new main roads all over the countryside is bound to destroy it, and apart from that, on the subject of traffic, if we are going to have a lot of tourists passing through the town, the town itself will suffer. The council will either have to widen the High Street and knock down the beautiful old buildings or build a ring road, and in that case the tourists won’t benefit local trade.

The minister claims the airport will create jobs in Clopton and bring the town into the twentieth century. However, I am not sure that the jobs will be permanent, as he says, I don’t think local people will get them, and above all, I am not sure they are the sort of jobs local people want.

We already have tourists in Clopton, who come for peace and quiet and buy souvenirs of the English countryside, is that the sort of tourist the minister wants to attract here? On the contrary! His tourists are waiting to get onto planes to buy souvenirs abroad.

To sum up, if we agree to the extension of the airport, it will mean destroying the countryside, destroying the town, and worst of all, destroying our way of life.

3. General rules of formal speeches:- Say who you are, and give the reason for your speech in appropriate language.- Convey your main message, using facts and examples, where necessary.- Mention anyone you want to draw attention to, either to introduce them or thank them.- Repeat the main message, and thank the audience for their attending.

Opening speech at an international conferenceLadies and Gentlemen,

Good morning. My name is Doyle Henderson. I am the Chairman of the organizing committee, and it is a great pleasure for me, on behalf of the committee, to welcome you to the III Annual Meeting of Symposium on Aerodynamics. The purpose of this meeting is to swap experience and knowledge in regard to the theories, new developments and potential application in space technology. Today we are honored to have with us the Nobel Prize winner, Prof. Clark Wilson who will introduce the research progress he has made in the past two years.

I am sure that the III annual meeting of Symposium on Aerodynamics will be a success in that it can greatly promote the development of the discipline and its application.

Closing speech at an international conferenceLadies and gentlemen, Our conference has lasted a week. It has achieved tremendous successes. 22 scientists and scholars spoke at the conference. Many more aired their views freely at group discussions, which proceeded in a friendly and lively atmosphere. I benefited

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greatly by attending this conference.Science and technology are a kind of wealth created in common by mankind.

They must in turn serve the needs of all the people and work for the interest of world peace. Any nation or country must learn from the strong points of other nations or countries, from their advanced science and technology. Science involves Herculean efforts and grueling toil. At the same time, it calls for creativeness and imagination. Let’s join hands and strive for the never-ending truth of science.

Ladies and gentlemen, you have my best wishes for your still greater achievements in your career of science. Now, I declare the conference closed. Thank you.

4. Business presentation Ladies and gentlemen:Welcome to this year’s China auto show. This is always an exciting event when

we view the new models for the coming year. We at Modern Motors are especially proud to present to you our new sports coupe, the Sky Dragon. This model is sure to be a winner in China, and I’d like to tell you why.

The Sky Dragon represents a stylistic break from the past. As you can see, the design is suggestive of modern European elegance. The sleek lines, curves, and low profile gracefully contribute to its style and aerodynamic efficiency. Yes, this car does look great! But it performs even better.

The standard Sky Dragon some equipped with a 2000 CC engine, five speeds, rack and pinion steering, radial tires, and disc brakes. Optional features include electronic overdrive, automatic transmission, air conditioning, and an anti-theft system.

This is a high performance automobile and the statistics back it up. It can go from 0 to 90 kph in just fifteen seconds. The engine produces a torque of 135 horsepower at 3500rpm. Under normal driving conditions, you can expect to get fourteen kilometers per liter of fuel. But numbers can tell you only half the story. More important is the feeling this car generates on the road.

When you get behind the wheel, you feel confident in the Sky Dragon. You know it’s going to get you where you want to go – and in style. The digital instrument panel is simply impressive in its design and use. You are surrounded by interior comfort. Over the steering wheel, you have an unobstructed view of the open road. And when you are driving, well, you can just feel the responsiveness built into the steering and brake systems, which are so essential in heavy city traffic. On the highway, the Sky Dragon is at its best, moving along in comfort and quiet. It makes the long trips a pleasure. It handles well at high speeds. Even if you execute sharp turns, the Sky Dragon holds the roads, keeping you in control.

As you can see, the Sky Dragon is a modern sports car and performs as well as the expensive imports. So we welcome all of you to come to any o four dealers and test drive one of these exciting new cars today. We know that you will be impressed with the results as well as the savings. Thank you.

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Ex. 1: Translate the following speech into English.

本人非常高兴能在此欢迎各位参加《自然》杂志创刊第一届周年庆。一年以前,我们怎么也想不到会在这么短的时间内进展如此之大,但是我们终于等到第一年年尾了,而这又是多么奇妙的一年。现在就让我来回顾一下我们在第一年的各项成就吧。我们已经出版了 12期令人印象深刻的刊物,而且每个月在品质和内容深度上都多少超越了前一期。而且,本杂志的受欢迎程度更是远远超过我们的预测。我还记得大约两年前,我们只有一个由四人组成的小团体,如今,我们已经获得成功。这份杂志之所以有今天,在场的每一位都功不可没。 我为我们这个集体感到骄傲。我也确信到了明年的这个时候,我们会得到更大的成就感和满足感。让我们恭贺本年度的大成功,并祝来年继续成功。Ex. 2: Prepare a speech (either formal or informal) to introduce your department or university to a group of visitors.

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