研究生英語寫作課件南京工業(yè)大學(xué)外語學(xué)院

AwritingCoursefor

PostgraduateStudents

Unit7

HowtoWriteanintroductoryparagraph

Howtowriteaconcludingparagraph

AwritingCoursefor

PostgraduateStudentsDefinitionAnintroductoryparagraphistheopening

paragraph

inaconventional

essay,

composition,or

report.Theprimarypurposeofanintroductoryparagraphistoattractthereader'sattentionandidentifythe

topic

and

purpose

oftheessay.A

thesisstatement

oftenappearsattheendofanintroductoryparagraph.Example1:[Attention-Getter]

AftertheSeptember11,2001terroristattacksonNewYork'sWorldTradeTowersandthePentagon,thedebatesurroundingracialprofiling(

種族定性)inairportsintensified.Manypeoplebelievedthatprofilingwasthebestwaytoidentifypossibleterrorists,butmanyothersworriedaboutviolationsofcivilliberties.WhilesomeairportsbegantotargetpassengersbasedsolelyontheirMiddleEasternorigins,othersinstitutedrandomsearchesinstead.

[Beginsetting-upthethesis]

Neitherofthesetechniquesseemslikelytoeliminateterrorism.NowmanyexpertsinthegovernmentandinairportsecurityarerecommendingtheuseofanationalIDcardorSafeTravelerCard.

[Thesis]

IfeveryUScitizenhadsuchacard,airlinescouldscreenforterroristsmoreeffectivelythantheydonowandavoidproceduresthatsingleoutindividualssolelyonthebasisofrace.Example2:

"WhyIHateMathematics,"“IstartedtodreadarithmeticbackinthethirdgradebecauseIdidn‘twanttomemorizethemultiplicationtables.Unlikelearninghowtoread,studyingmathseemedtohavenopurposeotherthantogivememassiveheadachesandshatterednerves.Thealphabetwasawonderfulcodethat,whendeciphered,entertainedmewithstoriesandrevealedallkindsofsecretsabouttheworld.Multiplicationtables,ontheotherhand,justtoldmehowmuchsixtimesninewas.Therewasnojoyinknowingthat.AlthougheveninthirdgradeIunderstoodthatIsharedwithmanyotherstudentsaterriblefearandhatredofmathematics,Idrewlittlecomfortfromthatfact.Sincethen,Ihavestruggledwithmath

foranumberofreasons.”Comment:Intheessay,thewriterexploresher

thesis

bytracingaclearpatternofcause&effect.Drawingonherownexperiencesinschoolfor

examples,shedemonstrateswhysomestudentsdevelop"aterriblefearandhatredofmathematics."Exercise:Thefollowingaresampleintroductoryparagraphs.Underlinethethesisstatement.11)Mostpeoplebelievethatstresshasanegativeeffectontheirlives.2)Underseverestress,mostcannotfunctioneffectively–oratall.3)Pressuredbytightdeadlines,heavyworkloads,orcompetitivesituations,theymaysufferfromsuchproblemsasanxiety,sleeplessness,orulcers.4)Yetstressinnotnecessarilybad.5)Contrarytopoplaropinion,peoplecanlearntoturnstressintoavaluableassetintheclassroomandtheworkplace.21.Inthecourseofworkingmywaythroughschool,IhavetakenmanyjobsIwouldratherforget.2.Ihavespentninehoursadayliftingheavyautomobileandtruckbatteriesofftheendofanassemblybelt.3.Ihaveriskedthelossofeyesandfingersworkingapunchpress

沖床inatextilefactory.4.Ihaveservedasawardaide病房勤雜工inamentalhospital,helpingcareforbrain-damagedmenwhowouldbreakintoviolentfitsatunexpectedmoments.5.Butnoneofthesejobswasasdreadfulasmyjobinanappleplant.6.Theworkwasphysicallyhard;thepaywaspoor;andmostofall,theworkingconditionsweredismal.31)Sixty-fiveisthetraditionalageforworkerstoretireintheUnitedStates.2)Conventionalwisdomsaysthattheyhavefulfilledtheirworkobligationsandshouldnowleavejobopeningsforthoseonthewayupthecareerladder,includingyoungpeoplejuststartingout.3)However,formanyreasons,today’scompaniesshouldlookforwaystokeeptheirolderemployeesinsteadofforcingpeopletoretireatagesixty-five.41)TaekwondoisaKoreanmartialart.2)Itisawayoffightingandself-defensebasedonanyunderstandingofbothbodyandmind.3)Asacollegestudent,Idiscoveredtaekwondo.4)EventhoughIwasphysicallyfitandplannedtobecomeapoliceofficer,Ithoughtthatwomenneededspecialskillstoprotectthemselves.5)Taekwondoteachestheseskillsandmuchmore.6)Thepersonwhopracticestaekwondogainsdiscipline,maturity,andachangedself-concept.51)Throughouthumanhistory,thephysicaluniversehasoftenpresenteddangerstoexplorers.2)Forexample,whenprimitivehumanslefttheirtribalvillagestosearchforfoodandwater,theyriskeddeathorinjuryfromdangerousanimals.3)Later,whenpeoplesailedtheoceansinsearchofnewlandsforsettlementortrade,manydiedinterriblestorms.4)Similarly,theoceanofouterspacehasmanydangers,butitalsohasseveraluniquechallengesforexplorers.ConclusionparagraphWritershavejusttakenthereaderthroughaorganizedandconvincingessay.Nowreadersseeksatisfaction

byreadingaconclusionstatementthat

wrapsupallthemainpoints

nicely.Frequently,theideasinthebodyofanessayleadtosomesignificantconclusionthatcanbestatedandexplainedinthisfinalparagraph.

Goodconclusionscanevenhavea

strikingending.Itshould

evokesupportiveemotions

inthereader,reflectingthesameemotionsthereaderfeltthroughouttheessay.

Nothingismoredisappointingtoareaderthanreachingaflatandboringending.

Concludingstatementswhichreferbacktotheintroductoryparagraph(i.e.theattention-getter)areappropriatehere;itoffersanicestylistictouchwhichbringstheessayfullcircle.Theconclusionparagraphstypically:—RevisitstheValueoftheEssay—RestatestheThesis—ReviewsMainPoints—Considersunexploredareas—LeavesthereaderthinkingExample1:Thereareotherdifficultiesinvolvedwithspaceexploration,butthesearethreeofthemostimportantones.Insummary,withoutadequateairpressure,theunprotectedhumanbodymaybeseriouslyharmedinavacuum.Inaddition,meteorscanthreatenhumanlifeanddamagespacecraft.Finally,thelackofwaterinspacemeansthathumanlifemayhaveadifficulttimesurvivingonotherplanets.Asonecansee,thechallengesofspacetravelareratherdifferentfromterrestrialdangers.Example2:Asmentionedabove,theEarth'snaturalenvironmenthasoftenpresenteddangerstoexplorers.Dangerousanimals,vastoceans,andviolentweatherhavepresentedriskstohumans.However,thenewfrontierofouterspace,withitsvacuum,meteors,andlackofwater,presentsuniquechallengestopeoplewhodesiretoexploreit.Example3:[RestateThesis&RevisitValueofEssay]

ItisclearthattheonlyacceptablewayofensuringthesafetyofairlinepassengersistobeginaprogramtoissueSafeTravelerCardsornationalIDcardstoUnitedStatescitizens.

[ReviewMainPoints]

Thesecardswouldscreenoutthosewhoareunlikelytobeterroristsandwouldalsoeliminatethedelaysthatcurrentlycharacterizeairtravel.Mostimportant,theywouldhelppreventterroristsfromhighjackingAmericanPlanes.Atthesametime,bymakingracialprofiling種族定性unnecessary,thesecardswouldhelpprotectpersonalandcivillibertiesofAmericans.

[LeaveReaderThinking]OnlybyinstitutinganationalIDcardsystemcantheU.S.makecertainthattheterroristswhoattackedtheUnitedStatesdidnothijackthelibertiesthataresoprecioustous.Exercise:Thefollowingaresampleintroductoryparagraphs.Underlinethesentencethatrestatethethesis.1IfAIDSisnatural,thenthereisno

message

initsspread.Butbyallthatsciencehaslearnedandallthatrationalityproclaims,AIDSworksbya

mechanism—andwecandiscoverit.Victoryisnotordained制定，規(guī)定byanyprincipleofprogress,oranysloganoftechnology,soweshallhavetofightlikehell,andbewatchful.Thereisnomessage,butthereisamechanism.

2Thoughservingonajuryisnotonlyacivicresponsibilitybutalsoaninterestingexperience,manypeoplestillviewjurydutyasachorethatinterruptstheirjobsandtheroutineoftheirdailylives.However,juriesarepartofAmerica'sattempttobeafreeandjustsociety.Thus,jurydutychallengesustobeinterestedandresponsiblecitizens.

3Withoutwell-qualifiedteachers,schoolsarelittlemorethanbuildingsandequipment.Ifhigher-payingcareerscontinuetoattractthebestandthebrighteststudents,therewillnotonlybeashortageofteachers,buttheteachersavailablemaynothavethebestqualifications.Ouryouthwillsuffer.Andwhenyouthsuffers,thefuturesuffers.4Campaignadvertisementsshouldhelpusunderstandthecandidate'squalificationsandpositionsontheissues.Instead,mosttelluswhataboob笨蛋orknave騙子theopposingcandidateis,ortheypresentgeneralimagesofthecandidateasafamilypersonorGod-fearingAmerican.Dosuchadvertisementscontributetocreatinganin