《英语新闻阅读与写作》（双语课件）-2 news writing style 新闻写作风格.ppt

1、English News Readingand Writing,Chapter 2: News writing style, Simplify Words, Sentences and Paragraphs,1. To simplify stories, avoid long, unfamiliar words. Whenever possible, substitute shorter and simpler words that covey the same meaning. Examples: Approximately - about construct - build Summon

2、- call residence - home A airplane crashed, an FAA official explained that its engines were experiencing fuel starvation. -ran out of gas,He gave assistance to the victims He helped the victims. (Simple) His association with the bank began in 1996. The bank hired him in 1996. (Simple) Some women wer

3、e engaged in conversation with their neighbors. Some women were talking with their neighbors. (Simple),2. Keep the language and grammar clear and simple. A. Newspaper use simple sentences as well as simple words, with the subject, verb and direct object usually appearing in that order. Subject + Ver

4、b + Object Examples: He was invited into the apartment by a woman A woman invited him into the apartment.,The amount that has been allocated by the city is $42,000. The city allocated $42,000. Another of the terrorists demands is that they be given permission to leave the country. The terrorists are

5、 demanding permission to leave the country. Mauger, who worked as a bursar at DePaul University in Chicago prior to working at Beloit, said she missed the university environment. Mauger was a bursar at Chicagos DePaul University before her Beloit job. She missed the university environment.,B. News w

6、riters also use active verbs and strong nouns-not adjectives or adverbs, since they tend to be less forceful, vaguer and more opinionated. Writer Mark Twain warned, “ When you catch an adjective, kill it.” Stanley Walker, editor of the old New York Herald Tribune, advised his stall to:” Select adjec

7、tives as you would a diamond or a mistress. Too many are dangerous.” A single verb can transform a drab sentence into an interesting one-or a horrifying one.,Examples: He plunged the blade into his brothers stomach. While searchlights danced in the sky, thousands of fun-seekers converged on the Miss

8、issippi riverfront Wednesday night to mark the beginning of a new year. The girl was on her way home. (Vague and bland) The girl was walking home. (Specific and Descriptive Verb) The girl was jogging home. The girl was staggering home. The girl was carried home.,He got a computer. He bought a comput

9、er. He won a computer. He stole a computer.,Be particularly careful to avoid the repeated use of the passive verbs “is,” ”are,” ”was” and “were”. These verbs are overused, weak and dull. Example: Filing the protest was a history teacher. A history teacher filed the protest. A sharp criticism of the

10、plan was voiced by the mayor. The mayor sharply criticized the plan. Police officers were summoned to the scene by a neighbor. The neighbor called the police.,C. Avoid using many clauses.,Very long or awkward sentences should be rewriting and divided into shorter units that are easier to read and un

11、derstand. Examples: Left paralyzed on the left side of his body after brain surgery last summer, the 22-year-old is suing his doctor for $6 million. The 22-year-old is suing his doctor for $6 million. He has been paralyzed on his left side since brain surgery last summer.,Echoing parental complains

12、about the danger to children swimming in the pool, Mayor Marsha Palen-Saigol today closed it. Mayor Marsha Palen-Saigol today closed the pool and explained that she agrees with parents who said it is unsafe. She was thrown on the ground, choked when she began to scream for help and robbed of her sma

13、ll black cloth purse containing $7 in coins, a $20 bill, two rings and a gold watch worth $200. The robber threw her on the ground and chocked her when she screamed for help. He took a small black purse that contained $27, two rings and a gold watch worth $200.,A lawsuit the boys parents filed again

14、st the two teachers, Bonnie Gumienny and Lynn Davis, charges that they took 11 children from the daycare center to the private property of John Bledsoe, 330S. Dean Road, to swim in a pond without a lifeguard or fence, and that their son was submerged for almost 10 minutes before anyone noticed that

15、he was missing. The boys parents are suing two teachers at the day-care center: Bonnie Gumienny and Lynn Davis. Their lawsuit charges that the two teachers took 11 children to a pond without a lifeguard or fence. The lawsuit also charges that the boy was submerged for almost 10 minutes before anyone

16、 noticed that he was missing.,3. Keep paragraphs of one or two sentences. A. One idea per sentence. Example: Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., experienced the largest of recent high school murder rampages last week, and DeKalb schools, along with police, are reacting to a rumor of violence

17、at DeKalb High School. School officials and police are reacting quickly to a rumored threat of violence at DeKalb High School. The response follows last weeks high school massacre in Littleton, Colo.,B. Limit sentence length to 23-25 words. If you cant read a sentence aloud without a breath, its too

18、 long. Example: After the announcement was made by President John La Tourette that he will be retiring early next year, Boey, under his board authority, created an ad hoc committee that will find representatives to sit on the actual search committee. (38 words) President John La Tourette announced l

19、ast month he will retire early next year. (12 words) Boey has since created a temporary committee to choose a search committee. (12 words),On May 1st, James Bristle, a London fruit vendor, began picking pockets in an attempt to save his dying dog. I had no choice, he said. Petes the only friend I ha

20、ve. Bristle, 35, says he has been unable to sell even half of his wares during the last month because of the effects of the drought on the fruit market. He is well-known in Trafalgar Square, the area in which he was caught, for his Premium Plums and Peaches.,Activities 1: Simplify the following Sent

21、ences. 1、Oil profits are being used for the purpose of buying back stocks in the oil companies, instead of developing alternatives. 2、She is like a bird living in a cage and not able to survive without the cage. 3、The mistake that Hester makes that causes the most trouble later when her husband is p

22、retending to be the ministers friend when he is really trying to torture him is agreeing to keep her husbands identity a secret.,4、 She was scolded because she hit her brother because he stole her bike. 5、 I sat in the middle of the group of people in the shade under the tree., Eliminate Unnecessary

23、 Words,1. Remove any extraneous adjectives or adverbs.,Some of the words not necessary,She was a very beautiful young lady but she had an extremely bad habit. She was a beautiful young lady but she had a bad habit. (Without losing any impact) She was able to persuade him to leave. She persuaded him

24、to leave. (Concise) He presently drives a distance of about 80 miles a day. He drives about 80 miles a day. (Concise),2. Eliminate unnecessary words and phrases For instance: A pilot said he thinks that the airplane is worth in the neighborhood of between approximately $34,000 and $36,500. A pilot s

25、aid the airplane is worth $34,000 to $36,500. Three drownings occurred in the water of Crystal Lake this last summer. Three people drowned in Crystal Lake last summer.,3. Eliminate unnecessary repetition. For instance: Other injuries the man received include a broken leg. The man also suffered a bro

26、ken leg. In an attempt to put out the fire, two men tried to smother it with a blanket. Two men tried to smother the fire with a blanket. A survey Monday concerning the fairness and accuracy of the news media revealed that four out of 10 students believe the media are unfair and inaccurate. Four out

27、 of 10 students surveyed Monday said the news media are unfair and inaccurate.,4. Tighten the sentences. Now that the reporter eliminated unnecessary words and facts, its time to look at the structure of the sentences. For instance, take a look at this one: When the farm animals were brought to the

28、barn, the chickens tended to adjust first to their new environment. Of all the farm animals, the chickens adjusted to barn life the fastest. (Tighten structure),Activities 2:,1. Read the following news quickly, and rewrite it yourself. Your news story must be no less than 10 sentences.,China Floodin

29、g Kills 701, Worst Toll In a Decade,by The Associated Press, BEIJING July 21, 2010, 05:12 More than 1,000 people have died or disappeared in severe flooding in China so far this year, and the heaviest rains are still to come, a senior official warned Wednesday. This years floods, which have caused t

30、ens of billions of dollars in damage already, have exacted the highest death toll since 1998, when the highest water levels in five decades claimed 4,150 lives. With the typhoon season rolling in, Liu Ning, general secretary of the governments flood prevention agency, told a news conference authorit

31、ies must ramp up preparations.,Since 60 to 80 percent of the annual rain level occurs in June, July and August, we should be prepared to prevent and combat potential disasters, Liu said. Tropical storm Chanthu is expected to hit Chinas southern island of Hainan and Guangdong province this weekend. S

32、ix to eight typhoons are expected this year. Already, three-quarters of Chinas provinces have been plagued by flooding and 25 rivers have seen record-high water levels, Liu said. State broadcaster China Central Television showed footage of soldiers and rescue workers searching through rubble and mud

33、 for survivors of a landslide in Ankang city in the northern province of Shaanxi, where 14 people have died and 35 remained missing as of Wednesday.,Footage from Shaanxi and the southwestern province of Sichuan showed flooded shops and homes, with buses and cars driving down water-filled streets. So

34、me residents waded through knee-deep water to stock up at the local supermarket. Flooding, particularly along the Yangtze River basin, has overwhelmed reservoirs, swamped towns and cities, and caused landslides that have smothered communities, including toppling 645,000 houses. The Three Gorges Dam

35、faced its highest levels ever this week and water breached the massive dam. Although water levels in the upper stretches of the Yangtze River have surpassed that of 1998, the flood situation is still not as severe because the Three Gorges Dam has played a key role in preventing floods along the rive

36、r this year, Liu said.,The waters have killed 701 people and left 347 missing. The overall damage totals 142.2 billion yuan ($21 billion), Liu said. This years torrential floods have hit farms especially hard, affecting 2.3 million acres (930,000 hectares) of crops, with more than 330 acres (133 hectares) destroyed by floods as of July 10, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. 2. Discuss your news in groups of six, check whether your sentences are simplified and clarified. 3. Rew