英语四级写作讲义.doc

四级写作讲义新的大学英语课程教学要求(教学大纲)对“一般要求”的书面表达能力作了如下描述能完成一般性写作任务；能描述个人经历、观感、情感和发生的事件等；能写常见的应用文；能就一般性话题或提纲在半小时内写出120个词的短文，内容基本完整，用词恰当，语意连贯；能掌握基本的写作技能。大学英语四级考试的写作能力测试即是对考生是否达到这一要求的书面评估。写作部分考试时间30分钟。一般用英语给出考试指令和作文题目，用中文或英文规定情景，或给出段首句规定每段的大意，或给出图表，或给出关键词，要求学生写出120150词的短文。在改革后的四级考试中，写作测试的时间分布有重大的调整：试卷的第一部分即为30分钟的写作，要求做在“答题卡一”上，之后考生才可以开始其他部分的答题，这反映了新四级考试对写作的重视。四级作文测试概述1.常考写作题材纵观近年来的大学英语四级考试作文考题，校园生活话题和日常生活话题占了很大的比例，更注重考查学生是否能达到大学英语教学对写作能力的要求，描述日常社会生活和校园生活中的所见所闻，能否表达对这些事情的看法或提供解决的方法。大家可以从最近几年的四级考题中清晰地看到这一趋势。一、校园热门话题1) How I Finance My College Education(2000年1月)2) Is A Test of Spoken English Necessary(2000年6月)3) How to Succeed in a Job Interview(2001年1月)4) A Letter to a Schoolmate(2001年6月)5) A Letter to the University President about the Canteen Service on Campus (2002年1月)6) Student Use of Computers(2002年6月)7) The Day My Classmate Fell Ill (or Got Injured)(2003年6月)8) A Letter in Reply to a Friend(2004年12月)9) A Campaign Speech(2005年1月)10) Teachers Day(2005年6月)二、日常生活话题和社会热门话题1) The Two-day Weekend(1996年1月)2) Harmfulness of Fake Commodities(1998年1月)3) Do Lucky Numbers Really Bring Good Luck(1998年6月)4) Dont Hesitate to Say No(1999年1月)5) It Pays to Be Honest(2003年1月)6) An Eye-witness Account of a Traffic Accident(2003年6月)7) A Brief Introduction to a Tourist Attraction(2004年6月)8) Should the University Campus Be Open To the Tourists?(2006年1月)2.常考写作体裁在以往的四级作文中，议论文和说明文占极大的比例。但是，近几年来四级作文的出题类型已经不是传统的、单一的提纲或提示类出题模式，而是越来越趋向真实性、实用性和多样化，注重考查学生在观察问题、分析问题和解决问题过程中的书面综合语言应用能力。一篇作文的命题中往往涵盖了记叙文、说明文、描述文、议论文以及书信、图表等应用文体的多种体裁。例1 An Eye-witness Account of a Traffic Accident (2003年6月考题)要求：按下列中文提纲写作。 假设你在某日某时某地目击一起车祸，就此写一份见证书。见证书须包括以下几点： 1. 车祸发生的时间及地点 2. 你所见到的车祸情况 3. 你对车祸原因的分析分析：这一命题内涵了多种体裁，如第一段主要考查记叙文(Narration)的写法，第二段需要描述车祸的情况，则是考查描述文(Description)的写作技能，第三段要求分析车祸发生的 原因，属于说明文(Exposition)的范畴。例2 A Brief Introduction to a Tourist Attraction (2004年6月考题)要求：按下列英语提纲写作。Your role: a tour guide.Your audience: a group of foreign touristsYour introduction should include: some welcoming words the schedule for the day a description of the place the tourists will be visiting(e. g. a scenic spot or a historical site, etc. )You should make the introduction interesting and the arrangements for the day clear to everybody.分析：在此题中，既考查了描述文的写作，也考查了应用文体中的导游词写作，而不少考生因为对这两种作文体裁比较生疏而失分。有些作文在描述某个景点时凌乱无序，有些作文不能把握导游词的语篇特征，使用大量的复杂句和难词，使文章显得累赘拗口。例3 A Campaign Speech (2005年1月考题)要求：按下列中文提纲写作。1. 你认为自己具备是什么条件(能力，性格，爱好)可以胜任学生会主席工作，2. 如果当选你将会为本校同学做什么?分析：这一命题既考查了描述文和说明文的写作能力，也考查了应用文体中演讲稿的文体特征，而不少考生把它当作一般的议论文来写，语言平淡，缺少演讲稿的感染力。例4 In Honor of Teachers on the Occasion of Teachers Day (2005年6月考题)要求：按下列中文提纲写作。1. 向老师致以节日祝贺2. 从一件难忘的事回忆老师的教诲和无私奉献3. 我如何回报老师的关爱分析：这一作文题既考查学生的记叙文、说明文的写作能力，也兼顾了应用文中感谢信的写作技能，要求考生熟悉基本的书信文体。从以上几例四级作文题即可看出，四级作文能力测试部分充分体现了大学英语教学大纲的要求，如果考生希望在这部分取得高分，就必须熟悉英语写作中常见的作文体裁，并能融会贯通，综合运用。记叙文记叙文(Narration)就是叙述一件事或一连串事件，或记录人物的经历及事物的发展过程。作为一种重要的文体，在历年的四级考试中，它往往结合其他文体一起考查。记叙文的写作要注意以下几点：第一，要着重交代事件发生的时间、地点、人物；第二，叙述目的要明确，特别要选取一些关键的细节，围绕中心思想；第三，记叙文一般采用“时间顺序”和空间顺序”组织素材，亦即先发生的先写，后发生的后写，或用倒叙法，先讲结局，再从头描述经过；在叙述一个地方、事情或人物外貌时，其文章内容应按照一定的方向排列，如由近及远、由远及近、自下而上、自上而下、按顺时针方向或逆时针方向排列。另外，要注意人称、时态的一致性。请看下面的例子：In Honor of Teachers on the Occasion of Teachers Day (2005年6月考题)要求：按下列中文提纲写作。1. 向老师致以节日祝贺2. 从一件难忘的事回忆老师的教诲和无私奉献3. 我如何回报老师的关爱范文：This is Teachers Day and a time to be grateful to all teachers. This profession deserves the special recognition and respect. There is no more appropriate time than this to honor you and others in your chosen field. You have my eternal gratefulness. Have a happy Teachers Day, dear teachers!Of all teachers who have taught me since my early childhood, the most unforgettable one is my first English teacher in college, Ms. Zhang. It is she who has aroused my keen interest in the learning of English and helped me realize the importance of self-reliance. Born into a poor farmers family in a mountainous area and educated in relatively primitive surroundings, I found myself lagging far behind in the first class in college, which happened to be Ms. Zhangs English class. I was really discouraged and frustrated, so I decided to drop out. Ms. Zhang was so keenly insightful that she had noticed my embarrassment in class. After class, she called me into the Teachers Room and discussed the situation with me, earnestly and kindly, citing the example of Robinson Crusoe to motivate me to go ahead in spite of all kinds of difficulties. Be a man and rely on yourself, she nudged me. The next time we met, she brought me a simplified version of Robinson Crusoe and recommended that I finish reading it in a week and write a book report.Under her consistent and patient guidance, not only has my English been greatly improved, but my confidence and courage enhanced considerably. My heart-felt thanks to you, dear teacher. What you have done enriches my mind and broadens my view. One day is hardly enough to show my gratitude, and I will work harder to bring more honor to you.分析：本文的第二段落即为记叙文，作者采用时间和空间顺序，回忆了一件有关老师的难忘的事，先发生的先写，后发生的后写，逻辑清晰，同时尽可能使读者对事件发生的地点有明确的图像概念。先用主题句总括(“Ms Zhang is the most unforgettable teacher)，然后用细节展开段落(“the difficulties I encounterand“how the teacher helps me)，最后顺理成章得出相应的结论，语篇结构清晰严谨；句式富有变化(如强调句式“It is who. . . ”；so. . . that句式，倒装句“Under , not only , but )等不仅在语篇上使文章结构连贯流畅，也在内容上为叙述增添了情感，更好地达到了叙述目的。描述文描述型文章(Description)就是用语言对人物、事物、景色、物体、场景进行主观或客观的描绘。描述必须去芜存菁，抓住典型特征，使其具有极强的表现力，给人留下深刻的印象。在历年的四级考试中，描述文也是融合在多种体裁的综合考查中。描述型文章主要有三种形式：一是注重提供信息的描写(要包括尽可能多的细节，并要安排有序)；二是注重给人一种感觉和印象的描写(提供拥有特殊意义的细节，语言要生动，使读者犹如身临其境)；三是对人物和动物的描写(要精选能表达人物和动物特征的典型品质和特征，或者典型事例)。描写文必须详略得当，围绕描述的目的突出重点。请看下例。A Brief Introduction to a Tourist Attraction (2004年6月考题)要求：按下列英语提纲写作。Your role: a tour guide.Your audience: a group of foreign touristsYour introduction should include: some welcoming words the schedule for the day a description of the place the tourists will be visiting(e. g. a scenic spot or a historical site, etc. )You should make the introduction interesting and the arrangements for the day clear to everybody.范文：Good morning, ladies and gentleman, welcome to Beijing. To begin with, I would like to introduce myself: I am the tourist guide from China Travel Service and its great honor to stay here with all of you for a whole day. Just as the old saying goes, It is always a pleasure to greet a friend from afar, I wish all of you to enjoy yourselves during this trip.The following is schedule of the day. The first spot we are going to visit is the Great Wall, the grandest fortification in ancient China. The next sight to look around is the Ming Tombs, which is one of the best-preserved tombs for 13 emperors in Ming Dynasty more than one thousand years ago. In the afternoon, we will go for the Summer Palace, the royal park for Chinese ancient emperors.Currently we are on the way to the Great Wall. Dating back to the seven century B.C., the Great Wall is constructed by respective states for fortifying against invasion of neighboring states. By the reasons of long history and its length, it becomes one of the eight wonders in the world and represents the highest wisdom and crafts. From the top of the Great Wall, we can enjoy a magnificent view of continuous mountains, green trees and blooming wild flowers. It is no doubt that one says, He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man.Above is my introduction to the Great Wall. If any of you have questions, please feel free to ask me at any time.分析：本文的第三段即属于描述文写作。作者以导游的口吻描述长城修建的历史(提供信息的描写)，长城周围优美的风景(感觉和印象的描写)，再用不到长城非好汉”的谚语加深游客对描述目标物的印象，达到了描述的目的。说明文说明文(Exposition)就是说明、解释事物发生的原因、结果、性质、意义等。这是四级考试中出现最为频繁的体裁，无论是A or B、A and B，还是What to do、How to do，或是图表型作文，都可归人此类。说明文主要是关于过程和关系展开段落，常用举例、比较、分类、阐述过程、因果、定义等写作手法。其特点是就事论事，不掺杂作者的任何观点、主张。说明文要条理分明、层次清楚。语言简洁、富有逻辑。在历年的四级考试中，说明文的写作考试尤为常见，如 “How I Finance My College Education?”(2000年1月)，“How to Succeed in a Job Interview?”(2001年1月)均属于此类；另外，说明文也常常结合其他文体一起考查。请看下面两例。例1 How to Finance My College Education? (2000年1月考题)要求：按下列中文提纲写作。1. 上大学的费用(tuition and fees)可以通过多种途径解决2. 哪种途径适合于我(说明理由)范文：Several years ago new tuition fee policy was put into practice and college students were asked to pay a certain sum of money. And now, all the students, no matter what subjects they are engaged in, must pay for tuition.There are many ways for a student to finance his college education. Most students ask their parents to pay the tuition fee and pay for their books, accommodation and other cost. A student can also apply for the scholarship. Most universities set up scholarship to offer money to the poor students who do well in entrance exams and reward those who work well at university. A student can also apply for the low-interest loans. In addition to the above, taking part-time jobs is also a common way for a college student to get money to pay part of his tuition and fees.So far as Im concerned, Id prefer earning the scholarship. This means I must study hard and be a top student, which has always been my goal. After all, the task of a student is to study. And in addition to solving my financial problems, getting the scholarship can also prove my ability and is good for my future.例2 How to Succeed in a Job Interview? (2001年1月考题)要求：按下列中文提纲写作。1. 面试在求职过程中的作用2. 取得面试成功的因素：仪表、举止谈吐、能力、专业知识、自信、实事求是范文：Nowadays, in an ever-tighter job market, both the employer and the applicant have attached great importance to an interview. The interview, so to speak, has become indispensable for getting a satisfactory job. On the one hand, the interviewer can take advantage of the occasion to learn about the candidates, such as their work experiences, education and their personalities, so as to pick out the right person for the company. On the other hand, the interviewee can make use of the opportunity to get to know the job he is going to take up, the salary, the working conditions and many other things about the job he is interested in.Therefore, the job interview is very important to a job-hunter. But how can one succeed in it? First of all, the interviewee must pay attention to his or her appearance. The first impression is always where we start. Get dressed properly and neatly. Secondly, good manners are equally important. Dont be too proud, and neither too timid. Just be courteous. Thirdly, the interviewee must demonstrate his aptitude and skills for the job and his knowledge about the job-related areas. Be confident. Last but not the least, the interviewee ought to be honest about his or her personal as well as academic background, for honesty is the best policy.To sum up, the job interview is indeed important, but there is no need to be nervous. As long as the interviewee has the ability for the job, with careful preparation and a fairly confident and honest performance, his or her success can be ensured.分析：这两篇说明文都运用了典型的“列举法”，即先点明主题，然后通过列举一系列的论据和事实，对主题句中的论点进行广泛、全面的陈述或解释，列举的顺序则按照所列各点的内容的相对重要性、时间、空间来排列，使读者全面了解被说明的事物。在例I中，作者按 其重要性有序地列举了四种解决上大学费用的途径(to ask parents to pay the tuition fee；to win scholarship；to apply for low interest loan；to take a part-time job)；类似地，在例2中，作者列举了四种取得面试成功的因素(to pay attention to hisher appearance；to be in good manners；to be confident；to be honest)，两篇例文都通过灵活有变化的句式对列举内容加以串联，并使用表示次序的一些衔接词(如first of all，secondly，thirdly，last but not the least)等来使列举内容在空间上的排列更加清晰连贯。例3 An Eye-witness Account of a Traffic Accident (2003年6月考题)要求：按下列中文提纲写作。假设你在某日某时某地目击一起车祸，就此写一份见证书。见证书须包括以下几点：1. 车祸发生的时间及地点2. 你所见到的车祸情况3. 你对车祸原因的分析The car accident happened at about 7:00 this morning when I was on my usual way to school.It was raining heavily, and the road was very slippery. A boy in red was riding on a bike in front of me. He was holding a mobile phone in one hand and talking loudly. As he turned left to Xinhua Road, A truck charged at him, and suddenly he fell down to the ground. The boy was seriously injured.As for the cause of the accident, I think the boy should be mainly held responsible. It is his absent-mindedness that accounted much for the accident. When the light was red then, he should have stopped and waited. It was he who had broken the traffic regulations. In addition, the bad weather was part of the cause. It was drizzling then, and the road was quite slippery. Finally, drunk driving was probably an important factor. As the police discovered on the spot, there was a heavy alcoholic smell on the lorry driver, and he didnt apply the brake in time.分析：在说明文的写作中，“因果分析”法也非常常用。一个原因可能造成一个或多个结果，也可能在一大段文章中涉及到一连串因果关系。一个结果也可能由多种原因所引起，通常先写结果，后写多种原因；但也可先写原因后写结果。在这篇文章中，作者先写“结果”(The boy was seriously injured in the traffic accident)，然后运用“因果分析法”说明“车祸发生的原因”，主次分明(“the boy should be mainly held responsible”；“the bad weather was part of the cause”；“drunk driving was probably an important factor”)。另外，运用倒装或强调句型来突出强调的原因和结果，使说明的内容真实可信。图表作文图表作文可算是说明文的一类，图表作文大体可以分两类：一是单纯描写图表中数据的变化特点，最后归纳总结，即纯说明文；二是先描写数据变化，再分析变化背后的原因，最后是笔者的个人看法、预测未来发展趋势或提出解决问题的方法，即说明十议论。要对图表进行描写和讨论，首先要看懂图表，弄清其反映的问题或现象。图表的类型主要有pie chart(表示各种事物在总数中所占比例)；line graph(表示一种事物的上升或下降趋势)；bar graph(表示几种事物在同一时期上升或下降的情况)以及table(表示多种事物之间的关系)。 图表作文的写作必须注意以下两点：一、仔细阅读题目和要求，注意变化明显的数字，抓住能反映根本问题的主要数据。图表所提供的数据资料一般都是有规律的可循的。经过横向和纵向的比较，就能对比数据之间的关系，总结和归纳出数据体现的意义。二、掌握一些常见的描述数字变化的表达法，如：In the year . it rose (increased/soared/jumped/decreased/dropped/fell) by . percent;In comparison with . the figure (percentage) has nearly (more than) doubled (tripled / quadrupled).By the end of the last decade, as many as three quarters (75 percent of/three out of four/three in four) college graduates as against (opposed to)1990 had 等等。 请看下例。Student Use of Computers (2002年6月考题)要求：按下列给出的图表和提纲写作。1. 上图所示为某校大学生平均每周使用计算机的时间：1990年(2 hours)、1995年(4 hours)、2000年(20 hours)，请描述其变化；2. 请说明发生这些变化的原因(可从计算机的用途、价格或社会发展等方面加以说明)；3. 你认为目前大学生在计算机使用中有什么困难或问题。Students tend to use computers more and more nowadays. Reading this chart, we can find that the average number of hours a student spends on the computer per week has increased sharply. In 1990, it was less than 2 hours; and in 1995, it increased to almost 4 hours; while in 2000, the number soared to 20 hours.Obviously computers are becoming more and more popular. There are several reasons for this. First, computers facilitate us in more aspects of life. Also, the fast development of the Internet enlarges our demands for using computers. We can easily contact with friends in remote places through the Internet. Besides, the prices of computers are getting lower and lower, which enables more students to purchase them.Along with the time spent on computers, there arise some problems. The most serious one is that many students are spending so much time playing PC games so that they ignore their studies. It is urgent to let the students use computers in a proper way.分析：这一柱形图显得简洁明了，属于同一类事物的比较，即“计算机应用”与“日期”的关系：随时间递增还是递减?或时增时减?可以发现这一变化特点：随着时间的推移，大学生越来越多地使用计算机(见图)。这篇作文在寻找出这一变化规律后，第一段段首句即确立该段主题(Students tend to use computers more and more nowadays.)，随后使用了一些常用的数字变化表达方式说明大学生使用计算机的情况，选词生动多样(increased；soared)，来说明“递增”趋势。在第二段指出这一数据变化背后的意义 (Obviously computers are becoming more and more popular.)，接着分析造成这一变化的三种主要原因，语义连贯，文字通顺简洁，观点科学清晰，达到了说明的效果。议论文议论文(Argumentation)是论证某一正确的观点、看法和主张，通过立论(主张自己的观点)和驳论(驳斥对方的观点和主张)来说服读者接受自己的观点和主张。在历年的四级考试中，议论文的体裁也很常见。议论文由论点、论据和论证构成。论点要正确、鲜明；论据要充实、可靠；论证要合乎逻辑。常采用的方法有举例、分析、引证、对比、反证、归纳、演绎等。议论文的关键是要有足够有力的论据，论据可以是一些现象、个人经历、统计数字、权威信息等。议论则要令人信服。请看下例：Should University Campus Be Open for Tourists?(2006年1月考题)要求：按下列中文提纲写作。1. 名校校园正成为旅游新热点2. 校园是否应对游客开放，人们看法不同3. 我认为. . . 范文：University in China has experienced a remarkable development in the past few years, especially those famous universities. Now visiting famous universities has become a new option for tourists.But when it comes to the question should university campus be open to tourists? answers vary widely. Some people hold that they should be allowed to visit university campus. First, it can cultivate their interest and enlarge their scope of knowledge. Second, it can enable them to have access to famous professors, artists, scientists and so on. Whats more, to those high school students, this visit will stimulate them to study harder. However, some other people argue that the university campus should not be open to tourists for it will destroy the atmosphere on campus and lead to disorder of daily routine there.From my point of view, Im in favor of the idea that university campus should be open to tourists. On the one hand, this will allow tourists to know what we are doing there and the importance of higher education. On the other hand, it will make us pay more attention to our own behavior and try to do our best every minute.In a word, I prefer to have our campus opened to tourists.分析：文章第一段简要的引入话题，第二段阐明对此现象的两种不同看法，层次分明，条理清晰；最后一段即属于议论文写作，论点鲜明(“大学校园该对游人开放”)，论据充分有力 (“开放对游人和大学生两方面都有好处”)，论证符合逻辑，也注重衔接和过渡。应用文近年来，四级考试更注重考应用文的写作，书信、演讲稿、导游词、通知等体裁频频出现，考生有必要了解常见的应用文的文体特征和写作要领。下面介绍书信和演讲词的写作要求。书信是四级考试中最常见的应用文体裁，它可以考查学生对上述几种体裁的综合写作能力。信封和地址、结尾，字体排列往往已在试卷上提供。实际上，上面提到的所有体裁都可以 “装载”到书信体中，历年已考过的此类作文有“A Letter to a Schoolmate”(2001年6月考题)；“A Letter to the University President about the Canteen Service on Campus”(2002年1月考题)；“A Brief Introduction to a Tourist Attraction(2004年6月考题)；“A Letter in Reply to a Friend”(2004年12月考题)等。公共演讲稿作为一种特殊的文体，其目的是激起听众的情感共鸣，以达到交际目的。演讲稿的语言要求清晰，选词不能太口语化，但也不能太过正式；演讲稿大量使用重复、排比等修辞手段来增强气势，已考的题目如“A Campaign Speech”(2005年1月考题)就属于这一类。例1 A Letter to the University President about the Canteen Service on Campus (2002年1月考题)要求：按下列中文提纲写作假设你是李明，请你就本校食堂的状况给校长写一封信，内容应涉及食堂的饭菜质 量、价格、环境、服务等，可以是表扬，可以是批评建议，也可以是兼而有之。范文：January 12th, 2002Dear Mr. President,Im very lucky to attend this world-famous university, but Im afraid Im not content w