1、Successful Writing,Lecturer: Associate Professor Wenjuan Zhou,大學(xué)英語(yǔ)四級(jí)作文的新動(dòng)向與新挑戰(zhàn) 2011年12月份舉行的CET-4英語(yǔ)考試，與2011年6月份所實(shí)施的同一考試，在英語(yǔ)作文這一部分，已經(jīng)“與時(shí)俱進(jìn)”地發(fā)生了一些明顯的變化，呈現(xiàn)出某些全新的動(dòng)向，向考生提出了更大的挑戰(zhàn)。本文擬對(duì)這些變化淺作剖析，以期對(duì)考生在以后備考過(guò)程中所應(yīng)注意的事項(xiàng)，予以提示。 時(shí) 間： 沒有變化。在12月份的考試中，以及以往舉行的考試中，時(shí)間均為30分鐘。 字 數(shù)： 以往考試中， CET-4的作文，限定在120字至150字之間，而現(xiàn)在(以及在可預(yù)計(jì)的

2、今后相當(dāng)一段時(shí)間內(nèi))， 字?jǐn)?shù)的規(guī)定是“不得少于120字，不得多于180字”。顯然，有更強(qiáng)寫作能力的學(xué)生，如果能夠在30分鐘內(nèi)寫出一篇180字的作文來(lái)，要比只能寫出120字的學(xué)生，在其它條件相等的情況下，肯定會(huì)因?yàn)槎鄬懙倪@60個(gè)字，而更易獲得高分。這多寫出來(lái)的60字，無(wú)疑會(huì)很有份量，因?yàn)樗且黄?20字作文的整整1/2的篇幅。換言之，純粹從字?jǐn)?shù)上看，在相同時(shí)間限度內(nèi)，寫180字的學(xué)生，比只寫120字的學(xué)生，寫作能力超過(guò)三分之一。此次考試，從以前的120-150字?jǐn)?shù)要求，變成120-180字，目的就是要在寫作能力不同的學(xué)生之間，拉開差離。,讀 題 : 在以前的考試中，基本上不存在讀不懂題目的問(wèn)題，

3、因?yàn)槟闼栝喿x的題目，一方面極短，另一方面，用詞極簡(jiǎn)單。否則，如果難的令相當(dāng)一部分學(xué)生讀不懂，學(xué)生可能就要造反了。因此，像2011年6月的考題，“Online Shopping”，你是不可能讀不懂的。 其次，以前的文章的結(jié)構(gòu)，出題者在出題的當(dāng)時(shí)，就已經(jīng)代替你進(jìn)行了謀篇布局，因?yàn)樵嚲砩嫌兄形奶峋V，列出了一下幾點(diǎn)： 很多人開始在網(wǎng)上購(gòu)買商品(寫作者只需陳述網(wǎng)購(gòu)現(xiàn)象，作出事實(shí)性的描述，或提供背景，再以舉例來(lái)說(shuō)明即可)。 網(wǎng)上購(gòu)物可能存在的問(wèn)題(寫作者只需先以一個(gè)主題句，陳述網(wǎng)上購(gòu)物存在問(wèn)題這一事實(shí)，隨即列舉或描述若干具體的問(wèn)題，略提這些問(wèn)題可能帶來(lái)的危害，最后作一簡(jiǎn)單的總結(jié)或歸納)。 我的看法(寫作

4、者只需明確表明何種程度上支持網(wǎng)上購(gòu)物，何種程度上反對(duì)網(wǎng)上購(gòu)物，并針對(duì)網(wǎng)上購(gòu)物的弊端提出改進(jìn)建議，使網(wǎng)上購(gòu)物朝著良性的方向發(fā)展，并對(duì)網(wǎng)上購(gòu)物的前景作出樂觀的展望。) 以前的考試中，強(qiáng)制性成分比較突出，各個(gè)模塊已經(jīng)給考生規(guī)劃完畢。考生只需往每個(gè)模塊里填充內(nèi)容即可，寫作完全可以按照模板化的方式來(lái)操作。并且，所提供的中文提綱，學(xué)生也是毫無(wú)讀不懂中文outline 之虞的。 但是，現(xiàn)在的考試則不然，為文章確定一個(gè)outline或structure的任務(wù)，已由出題者轉(zhuǎn)嫁至參試者。Outline既然已經(jīng)消失，也即意味著模板已被抽掉，考生必須學(xué)會(huì)自己來(lái)組織文章的結(jié)構(gòu)。因此，從此以后的考試中，考生必須在30分鐘

5、內(nèi)，首先耗用三至五分鐘，來(lái)給自己打個(gè)腹稿，確定全文的結(jié)構(gòu)或outline。,其次，也是從今往后的考試中最大的一個(gè)變化是，在寫作要求(instruction)里， 首先會(huì)給你設(shè)定好一個(gè)情景(situation)或語(yǔ)境(context)。這就給考生提出了更大的挑戰(zhàn)。如果12月份的這次考試，只有題目本身”Nothing Succeeds Without a Strong Will”， 即使沒有outline，考生自己通過(guò)平時(shí)必要的訓(xùn)練，還是有能力較快地形成一個(gè)較合理的結(jié)構(gòu)。接下來(lái)，可以天馬行空，盡情發(fā)揮，只要所寫的內(nèi)容與文章的題目或多或少相關(guān)，隨便寫什么方面的題材，均無(wú)大礙。 但現(xiàn)在，情景或語(yǔ)境的設(shè)

6、定(12月份的這次考試中，是一個(gè)humorous saying)，逼迫學(xué)生必須圍繞著所給定的這一情景或語(yǔ)境來(lái)展開寫作。寫作要求中規(guī)定，你就“Nothing Succeeds Without a Strong Will”這一題目進(jìn)行闡述時(shí)，你必須要在文章中，對(duì)所給定的情景或語(yǔ)境進(jìn)行commenting, 亦即進(jìn)行“評(píng)述”。這也就是說(shuō)，你必須用三言兩語(yǔ)對(duì)所給出的情景或語(yǔ)境作出一番解釋(interpret)， 說(shuō)明你對(duì)它的理解，引申出它的內(nèi)涵以及與作文題目之間的某些關(guān)系，以這個(gè)情景或語(yǔ)境為出發(fā)點(diǎn)，來(lái)展開對(duì)“Nothing Succeeds Without a Strong Will”命題的探討?？忌?/p>

7、決不能脫離這個(gè)所給定的情景或語(yǔ)境，隨心所欲地大發(fā)議論。 再次，雖然讀題時(shí)所有考生對(duì)“Nothing Succeeds Without a Strong Will”幾乎不會(huì)有讀不懂的疑慮，但在所要comment 的對(duì)象中，即這次的humorous saying中，則有可能存在不認(rèn)識(shí)的單詞。詞匯量小一點(diǎn)的學(xué)生，對(duì)“quitting”一詞就有可能不認(rèn)識(shí)。若果真如此，就會(huì)對(duì)接下來(lái)的寫作過(guò)程造成極大的困擾。因此，考生平時(shí)應(yīng)該重視詞匯的積累，熟記考試大綱中的單詞，因?yàn)橹灰浞肿x懂了Instruction中的全部?jī)?nèi)容，才有可能在接下來(lái)的寫作中，寫出好文章來(lái)。,審 題： 在審題這一環(huán)節(jié)，本次考試及以后的考試中

8、，難度也明顯開始增加。在審題環(huán)節(jié)中，學(xué)生應(yīng)該有更高的判斷力(judgment)，揣摩出出題者的意圖，盡量不要在動(dòng)筆寫作時(shí)，犯下寫作中的最大忌跑題。 首先，在本次考試中，寫作要求中設(shè)定的情景或語(yǔ)境是一個(gè)humorous saying，即一個(gè)幽默的段子。既然這是一種幽默的說(shuō)法，這就需要考生們對(duì)”Quitting smoking is the easiest thing in the world. Ive done it for hundreds of times?！辈荒茏髯置嫔系摹⒈韺由系?、淺顯的解讀，好像“quitting smoking”真的是世界上最輕而易舉的事情那樣，絲毫不費(fèi)吹灰之力。如果

9、你不能解讀出這個(gè)幽默段子里的反諷意味(ironic effect)，你真的就事論事地論述“quitting smoking”是多么容易的一件事情，那么，你就跑題了！你所寫的內(nèi)容，即使文字再優(yōu)美，也會(huì)與文章的題目本身南轅北撤，相去十萬(wàn)八千里！眾所周知，寫作中沒有什么比跑題來(lái)得更讓人崩潰的了。 因此，本次考試中這個(gè)humorous saying的設(shè)置，應(yīng)該給今后的考生帶來(lái)一個(gè)警訊。也就是說(shuō)，今后的四級(jí)作文考試中，將會(huì)繼續(xù)出現(xiàn)這樣那樣略帶“腦子急轉(zhuǎn)彎”色彩的情景或語(yǔ)境，需要考生能識(shí)別出這一情景或語(yǔ)境使用了語(yǔ)言上的何種修辭手段(rhetorical device)，從而精準(zhǔn)地解讀出該情景或語(yǔ)境所包含的

10、內(nèi)涵。正如上面所指出的那樣，本次考試中所使用的是語(yǔ)言修辭上的反諷(irony)手法，這一手法,使該humorous saying傳遞出這樣一個(gè)道理，即哪怕是最視若容易的事情，如果沒有堅(jiān)定的意志(strong will)，也會(huì)以失敗而告終，一事無(wú)成。這樣的理解或解讀，就與文章的題目完美掛鉤了。恭喜你，you are on the right track了！ 其次，在審題時(shí)，要求學(xué)生首先完成一個(gè)“commenting”的步驟。那么，我們應(yīng)該如何來(lái)精確理解寫作要求中的這個(gè)”commenting”的指令呢？依我的理解，這個(gè)指令應(yīng)該具有兩層含義。首先，在文章的正文中，你必須要提及這個(gè)幽默的段子，絕不能置

11、之不顧或超越它。其次，在具體的操作層面上，所謂的commenting，是需要考生從所給定的情景或語(yǔ)境中，引申出自己對(duì)它的理解，抽象出某些(最好是兩個(gè))深層次的內(nèi)涵，將其與文章題目緊密地掛起鉤來(lái)，然后展開自己的論述。最后，還需注意的是，在進(jìn)行commenting的時(shí)候，抓住一、兩個(gè)要點(diǎn)，三言兩語(yǔ)概述一下即可，要用2/3甚至3/4的篇幅，來(lái)圍繞著文章的題目本身，來(lái)展開論述。千萬(wàn)不要本末倒置，用2/3甚至3/4的篇幅來(lái)討論這個(gè)humorous saying本身，而對(duì)題目本身則無(wú)話可說(shuō)。說(shuō)白了，這個(gè)humorous saying本身，只是一個(gè)引子，只是一個(gè)出發(fā)點(diǎn)，引發(fā)學(xué)生推而廣之地就文章的題目，展開廣

12、泛深入的探討。,小結(jié)： 總之，在從今往后的四級(jí)作文考試中，隨著考試形式的變化以及考試難度的增加，考生必須在更大程度上發(fā)揮自己的主觀能動(dòng)作用。首先要讀懂所需comment的對(duì)象，正確解讀它的內(nèi)涵或言下之意。其次，在寫文章進(jìn)行論述時(shí)，必須要有機(jī)地將所設(shè)置的情景或語(yǔ)境，與文章的題目結(jié)合起來(lái)，絕不能偏廢所給出的情景或語(yǔ)境。最后，考生必須依照自己從所給出的情景或語(yǔ)境中引申獲得的理解，來(lái)靈活地為自己的文章構(gòu)筑一個(gè)可行的結(jié)構(gòu)(a viable structure)。以前考試中，模板化的操作手法已經(jīng)不再適用。此次作文考試中的變化，很有可能就是考試命題者認(rèn)識(shí)到了以往四級(jí)考試中，考生們令人震驚的模板化、投機(jī)取巧式

13、的寫作手法根本無(wú)法提高考生實(shí)際寫作能力這一嚴(yán)重后果，因而作出了某些重大的調(diào)整與改變。這些變化無(wú)疑給廣大考生提出了嚴(yán)峻的挑戰(zhàn)，要求考生們也相應(yīng)作出改變，減少模板依賴癥，在平時(shí)更加積極主動(dòng)地注重英語(yǔ)寫作的鍛煉，提高實(shí)際寫作能力，從而達(dá)到四級(jí)考試的真正宗旨。,作文套路及范文 My view on 套路1 : People s views /ideas /opinions on .vary from person to person. Some people think that They hold this opinion, becauseHowever others hold thatin the

14、ir opinion As to me , I am in favor of that it doesnt mean that besides Admittedly(無(wú)可否認(rèn)） but this is not to say that Therefore / In a word/ from the foregoing,My View on Educational Reform Peoples view on educational reform vary from person to person . Some people think that educational reform is ve

15、ry important and necessary. They hold this view because they think the traditional way of education is outmoded. We must change the test-oriented education into ability oriented education .In this way our country will develop faster and faster. But others hold that the reform is unnecessary. In thei

16、r opinion the test-oriented. education is very good. The test scope is a ruler to measure the degree of students mastery of knowledge with the traditional educational system. Our country has developed test and will do as ever. As to me I am in favor of the first view. The following are the reasons o

17、f my standpoint First, the world keeps changing .If we know only book knowledge ,it is not enough for us to keep pace of the development of science and technology. Besides, high score doesnt mean high intelligence, We must pay attention to the basic quality rather than the score. In many schools, te

18、achers spend a lot of time for students to do a lot of exercises to raise their scores. In this way , students have no time to develop their own abilities. It should be noted that our society needs people with different kinds of abilities not people with only high scores. In a word, schools should c

19、ultivate students abilities according to their different interests.,套路2： Different people have different views on It is held that But also held that Those who hold the first opinion In contrast, those who hold the second view As to me , I agree with the latter opinion Admittedly,. But this is not to

20、 say that,My view on Friendship Different people have different views on friendship. It is held that a friend in need is a friend indeed. But it is also held that friendship means understanding each other. Those who hold the first opinion often ask their friend for help when necessary. They regard t

21、hose who help them as friend but regard those dont help them as mere acquaintances. In contrast, those who hold the second view believe that they have no right to ask their friends to do everything for them especially those things that might inconvenience their friends. As to me , I agree with the l

22、atter opinion Admittedly friends should help each other but this is not to say that friends must agree to often help in any circumstance . If we want to keep our friendship, we should cherish it ,but not use it. Whats more , it should be understood that with a modern pace of living most people are b

23、usy. They may not have time to lend their friends a hand on short notice. In a word, understanding is preferable to need.,My View on Donating blood Peoples opinion on donating blood vary from person to person. Some people think that it is glorious to donate blood. They hold this view because these w

24、ho are in urgent need of blood can be saved. But others hold that it is foolish for people to donate blood. In their opinion, blood is very precious and losing 200ml in main may do harm to their health. First, while it is true that lose of too much blood is dangerous to ones health it doesnt mean th

25、at donating a little blood is also harmful. On the contrary, doctors say that donating a little blood can promote metabolism(新陳代謝）. Second there are many people who need one help .My little blood can come back someone in the way to death, will there be anything that can make me even happen? Therefor

26、e donating blood is glorious.,作文套路及范文： Advantages and disadvantages of - 套路： Nowadaysplay an important part/role in /(is/are popular around used like everything else has/ have both favorable aspects. Generally the advantages can be listed as follows. First.Besides.Most important of all But every coi

27、n has two sides. The negative aspects are also apparent. To begin with,.To make matters worse, Worst of all Through above analysis, I believe that the advantages/positive aspects outweigh the disadvantages /negative ones, Therefore. On Computers Nowadays computers are very popular around us. Like ev

28、erything else, computers have both favorable and unfavorable aspects. Generally the advantages can be listed as follows.,First, computers can calculate. They can make work more efficient for they have a high speed of calculation . Besides, people can communicate with each other by e-mail, which cost

29、s people less money and less time . Most important of all, computers create wide communication around the world. People can communicate with each other by Internet. They can make friends all over the world. But every coin has two sides. The negative aspects are also apparent. To begin with, since co

30、mputer can do a lot of work for us, such as calculation, we may rely too much on them and become lazier and lazier. To make matters worse, although it is convenient for people to communicate with each other by e-mail, the original warm relationship may become cold for people will have fever opportun

31、ities to talk to each other face to face. Worst of all computer will have virus caused by electronic backers so that a lot of important information will be lost. Through above analysis I believe that the positive aspects outweigh the negative aspects. Therefore, I believe computers will have a brigh

32、t future.,Advantages and Disadvantages of Part-time Job Nowadays more and more college students are crazy about taking part-time jobs. Its estimated that more than 30 percent students are busy spending over 60% of their After-school time on part-time jobs. Whats more, the tendency seems to be on the rise.