unit_6_Report_Writing(_Charts_Interpreting__)_v_[1].doc

UNIT SIX REPORT WRITING UNIT SIX REPORT WRITING By the end of this unit, students should be able to:l select a chart to suit the data needs.l control paragraphs and sentence linking skillfully.l rephrase basic information on charts.l recognize major trends or features of data and group similar informationl do comparison and identify whole-to-whole VS point-to-point comparison patterns. l use approximations to present numerals.l use hedging or cautious language.l control tenses in chart interpreting.l use vague statement + additional information pattern.l make a questionnaire, do an online survey and create charts on Excel or Microsoft Word. Lead-in Charts and the Basic Concepts 1 Give a report on your pre-course research in groups, stating how you collected the data, how you presented them in graphs and what was induced from the data. We will see how your data are different from each other and what might be the problem.2 Report writing in this unit refers to a brief report of the data presented on charts. Charts are widely used in academic essays, business plans, business reports and others to support points of views and decisions. They are great in visualizing a set of complex, specific facts or figures for analyzing and recognizing decision making problems. Now study the following charts and see how one chart is different from another or in what situation you prefer to use one rather than another.3 According to your knowledge of charts, choose one chart to present the data in the following and tell why. 1. The weekly weather in London. _. 2. The types of dictionaries used for English learning_. 3. Expenditure on campus. _.4. The major sources of income in your family_.5. The monthly sales of cars. 4 Read the following and fill in the blanks in the following with curve charts, bar charts or pie charts_are used to compare different groups. But the items do not need to affect each other. _are dynamic, showing how one thing changes over time. _ are used to show relations of parts to whole.5 Work together with your partner. Use the words given to describe the movements and then go on to brainstorm more words you may use to describe the movements of the following chart. A. Make a curve chart with varied movements in the following grids. Remember to caption the graph and label both the X (horizontal) and Y (vertical) axes first. When ready, keep it to yourself without showing it to your partner.B. Describe the chart. When one student describes his/her chart, the other student will listen and draw according to what is heard. Then reverse roles and repeat the same steps. (The words in the left hand side will help you. Keep practice until you are familiar with words.)Useful ExpressionsY - Axis1. stood at 13.5 2. peaked at 90 3. reached a plateau of 704. dropped to 10.55. rose by 70%6. climbed up to 11.0 7. fluctuated between 20% and 30%8. increased to 20% from 10 %9. an increase of 10 per cent 10. remained at 30 %X-Axis11. leveled off until 199912. grew up to 199913. had soared to 50 by 199214. went up from that year forward 15. rose to 50 since 199016. was stable as of 199017. increased from 1997 to 199918. bottomed out in 1992 19. over the course of the year20. through the 2-month period21. leveled off between 1990 and 1996There be aAdj.NounsPrep.(value)Prep.(time)SubjectsVerbsAdv.Prep.(value)Prep.(time)1) There was a2), followed by aslowslightgentle gradualstablemoderatedramaticsuddenquick sharpsignificantconsiderableconsistentdeclinedecreasedrop fallincreaseriseclimbsoarpeaklevel-offatto fromuntilbetweenbythroughuntilduring betweenfrom toover in atonsince 1)The figure2)The grade3)The percentage4)Sales of carsdeclineddecreaseddropped fellincreasedroseclimbedsoaredpeakedleveled offslowlyslightlygently graduallystablymoderatelydramaticallysuddenlyquickly sharplysignificantlyconsiderablyconsistentlyatto fromuntilbetweenbythroughuntilduring betweenfrom toover in atone.g. There was a gradual decline to 20% in 1990, followed by a level-off at 30% until 1993.e.g. The consumption of milk declined gradually to 20% in 1990.6 Some words can both be verbs and nouns as listed below. Now describe the above chart again using the words as nouns and verbs alternatively to achieve variety.7 When describing a chart orally, you may not notice the repetition in your sentences. However, when written down, this cannot be disregarded. Think over possible ways to improve the sentence linking. 8 The following list some strategies for saying “then” in varied ways. You will find one strategy is repeatedly used for your better observation. Now work with your partner to find out the rules and then try to balance all the six strategies in one paragraph to achieve variety of sentences.Writing Tips:1) You may use before to take the place of then to link two sentences into one. E.g. I wash face and then I go to bed.- I wash face before I go to bed/ before going to bed.2) You may use with ving to take the place of then to link two sentences together.3) If that or this appears at the beginning of a sentence to refer to the time in the previous sentence, you have an opportunity to use which to take the place of that to link two sentences together. E.g. After that , after which,4) If a sentence ends with time, such as 1991, you may use when it began to; or when it continued to;when ensued to take the place of then. 5) Use adverbs like surprisingly, interestingly to reveal your judgment before a sentence. 6) Use itthatto indicate your opinion or provide additional information before a sentence. Male graduates annual income stood at approximately 12,200 RMB in 2004. Then it experienced a moderate increase to around 14,300 RMB in 2005. Between 2005 and 2007, their income fluctuated dramatically. Then it dropped slightly to about 13,200 RMB in 2006. Then it surged to a peak at 18,000 RMB in 2007. Then a moderate decrease to 15,400 RMB occurred in 2008.9 The following sentences have poor sentence linking. Now rewrite them to achieve variety. 10 Read and match the charts with the descriptions on the right side.A. It then increased quickly to 18.8 million in 1991 and further increased to 20 million in 1993 but with a slower growth trend before it rose quickly again to 38 million in 1994.B. It continued to go up and finally reached a plateau at roughly 40 million from 1995 to 1997.C. Thereafter, sales of cars fluctuated between 28 and 48 million until 2000.D. Sales of cars peaked at 50 million in 1990. After that, it bottomed out around 5 million in 1990.答案: 1-D 2-A 3-B 4-C123411 Create a curve chart on Word following the given instructions. 1) Find the Iconfrom the toolbar and then click on the blank space of the given bar chart to get a dialog option; 3) Select the chart you need before you input the data into the table. Then you make it!12 Create a curve chart on Excel following the instructions. You may input your invented data.When making a chart on excel, you will 1) input the data and then select them with mouse, making sure a blank line is kept above the data when doing this; 2) Click on the charticonfrom the toolbar and then select the chart you need from it; 3) Click on the blank space on your chart to get dialog options; then input a caption for your chart and do editing (Fonts, Color or Font size) before you finish.13 Now go on to report the data on the chart, making sure it is of good sentence linking. The beginning is already done for you.As can be seen from the chart, 14 This is a ten-minute non-stop free writing. Please report on your pre-class research here, stating the purpose of the research, the data and the result. Free Writing Page Subject: NotesComments:Part One Curve ChartsSelecting significant information from a chart and identifying its major features are key to paragraph organization and interpreting information.1 Now work on the chart and answer the questions.1. What is the chart about? What information should be given first to prepare readers for further reading?2. What is the overall trend or the common feature? In other words, how males and females are similar in income? 3. What is the typical feature of the chart? How males and females are different from each other in income? 4. What information may be derived from the data?Overall trendTopic sentenceIntroductionConclusionSupportive InformationSupportive InformationThe curve graph illustrates the annual income both Chinese male and female college graduates earned on average over the years spanning from 2004 to 2008. It is observed that there was a general upward trend in both male and female annual income over the given years.The income of male graduates experienced some ups and downs, when increasing through the years. The male income stood at approximately 12, 200 RMB in 2004, when it began to rise to round 14, 200 RMB in 2005, a stable increase by one sixth. However, between 2005 and 2007, there was a dramatic fluctuation, with the figure dropping slightly to about 13200 RMB in 2006 before surging to a peak at 18,000 RMB in 2007. Finally, a sharp decrease to 15,400 RMB occurred in 2008. Female annual income, when compared with that of males, was generally lower. In 2004, female income was only 11800, roughly 400 RMB less than that of males. Such income tended to parallel with the rise of males income, too, being up to 13900 RMB in 2005. This figure, then, stabilized at round 14000 RMB until 2006, surpassing the income of males for the first time. 2007, however, was a brilliant year, when both males and females peaked over 17,000 RMB, achieving a transcendent improvement. After this, their income diminished to around 16000 RMB in 2008. Apparently, male college graduates received higher pay than their female counterparts. But it is worth noting that the females income was more and more competitive to that of males as time went on.Topic sentence2 Read and observe the major information and the structure of the text. Global trend 3 I Introductory ParagraphA. Recapping the introductory information. B. _II Body Paragraphs A. _1) General description 2) Specific description B. Female group movements and features1) General description 2) Specific descriptionIII Conclusion Paragraph A. the major features derived1) higher male income 2) Observe the information in the typical positions and complete the outline in the following.Writing TipsYou may have noted that, some positions in a piece of writing are more important, where general information is always provided to guide readers forward through the reading.答案：I B the general trend II-A male group movements and features III-2 more competitive female incomeHow to Write an Introductory ParagraphAn introductory paragraph is to prepare readers with basic information (as shown in the chart on the right) for further reading. For writing a good introductory paragraph, you will:1) join the information on axes and caption together into one sentence. 2) rephrase or paraphrase the sentence in your words, making it different, more general or more specific, from the given expressions. Introduction: Basic Information + General Trend Patterns for Giving Basic Information1. The curve chart shows/presents/displays/demonstrates the _ through/over the period from _ to _.A. The bar chart illustrates the changes/ the fluctuation/the number of _ in thousands over the course of the day.B. The pie chart compares the proportion/ the ratio/the percentage/the distribution of_in six specific faculties/categories/segments/sectors.C. The table gives a breakdown/distribution of _by category in _.5. The followingtable lists the sales, in $ millions, of _used to_during the given years.4 When writing, just imagine readers cannot see the chart, so it is necessary to introduce, usually in one sentence, the basic information shown on the chart at the very beginning for readers to understand what the chart is about.5 Read the following sentences and point out what methods are used in rephrasing.1) Using synonyms. 2) Rewriting in a more general way. 3) Generating a verb from the caption to make a sentence. 4) Transforming parts of speech, e.g. from a noun to a verb. 1. The curve graph illustrates the earnings made annually by male and female college graduates in the given years.2. The curve graph shows differences in salaries received by both males and females who graduated from Colleges in China during the given four-year period.3. The curve graph illustrates annual median earnings in RMB of both Chinese male and female college graduates through the period from 2004 to 2008. 4. The curve graph compares the average income earned annually by both male and female college graduates in China over the period spanning from 2004 to 2008. 5. The curve chart gives information about how much both Chinese male and female college graduates received on average annually over the years between 2004 and 2008. 6. The curve chart shows variances in the annual average income male and female college graduates received over the four initial working years from 2004 to 2008.答案1. The curve graph illustrates the earnings made annually by male and female college graduates in the given years. 1 1 3 22. The curve graph shows differences in salaries received by both males and females who graduated from Colleges in China during the given four-year period. 2 1 3 4 4 2 3. The curve graph demonstrates annual median earnings in RMB of both male and female college graduates in China through the period from 2004 to 2008. 1 1 2 4. The curve graph compares the average income earned annually by both male and female college graduates in China over the period spanning from 2004 to 2008. 2 3 4 25. The curve chart gives information about how much both Chinese male and female college graduates earned on average annually over the years between 2004 and 2008. 2 1 3 4 26. The curve chart shows variances in the annual average income male and female college graduates received over the four initial working years from 2004 to 2008. 2 3 26 Please rephrase the underlined words to make the information more general. For exampleThe original: The chart shows sales of cars in thousands from July to December.The revised: The chart compares sales of cars in thousands over the second half of the year. 1. The chart shows the sales of cars in millions from January to March.2. The curve graph presents the percentage of inhabitants living in the suburbs from 1950 to 1960.3. The curve chart shows changes in the number of passengers taking tubes in New York from 6:00 to 22:00.4. The chart illustrates the amounts of beef consumed in UK, France, Germany and Italy in 1990.答案: 1. The chart displays the sales of cars in millions in the first season of the given year.2. The curve graph presents the percentage of inhabitants living in the suburbs in the 1950s.3. The curve chart shows changes in the number of passengers taking tubes in New York over the working time of a day.4. The chart illustrates the amounts of beef consumed in four European countries in 1990.7 A caption may not involve a verb, eg. Full-time TEFL Teachers in DLS School (1950-2000). In this case, you will generate a verb from the given caption so as to produce a sentence. Now fill in the blanks with verbs in right forms, such as Ving, Ved or to V. 1. This graph shows the number of TEFL teachers who_ _ full time in DLS high school over the course from 1950 to 2000.(work)2. The curve chart displays the change, by number, of full time teachers _ _in DLS School through half a century from1950