大学英语高级写作教程课件.ppt

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1、Unit 3 Expository Writing,Learning Aims and Objectives,Students who have engaged successfully with the learning activities proposed in this unit should be able to:Have an overall understanding of expository organizational patterns;To identify main ideas and support for main ideas in expository essay

2、s;To organize and write an expository essay;To explain or support a generalization by illustration,definition,classification and division;To expound by description of process or by comparison and contrast;To use transitions to increase coherence.,I.Lead-in Activities II.Guidance for Expository Writi

3、ngIII.PracticeIV.Assignments,Lead-in Activities Activity 1:Choose one of the following two questions and talk about it with your partners.1.What kind of extra-curricular activities are held on campus?Choose one of your favorite activities and write about why you like it.2.What kind of voluntary jobs

4、 or social activities have you experienced?Tell your classmates about one of these jobs/activities and explain why you found it to be enjoyable.3.What kinds of natural disasters have you experienced or witnessed?A disastrous snow storm;A devastating hurricane or typhoon;A severe drought;A rampant fl

5、ood.Discuss with your partner the cause and effect of one such experience.,Activity 2:Listen to the following passage“Stroke Prevention Tips”by Carol Pearson adapted from VOA news.Unit 3 expository.mp3What are the problems mentioned in this passage?How do the pollution particles in the air enter the

6、 body?What is the next step for scientists in their work?,II.Guidance for Expository Writing,1.Definition of Expository WritingExpository essays require that the writer give information,explain the topic or define something.They are best developed by the use of facts and statistical information,caus

7、e and effect relationships or examples.Since they are factual,they are written without emotion and usually in the third person.The use of the pronoun“I”is not usually found in this form of essay.,Expository essays include:Essays that describe how to do something.Essays that analyze events,ideas,obje

8、cts,or written works.Essays that describe a process.Essays that explain/describe an historical event.Essays that convey information and explain the topic.Essays that report about an event/situation.,2.Main Patterns of an Expository Writing,3.Guidance for Expository Reading,Writing is based on readin

9、g.The process of expository reading involves:1)Unpacking the Title.Ask yourself:What is the essay topic?Then try to predict how the writer will develop his/her expository.2)Thesis.Locate the thesis statement and analyze the organization of the essay.3)Prediction.Try to predict the content of the ess

10、ay based on the information given in the thesis statement.,4)Analysis.Analyze how the thesis has been elaborated upon or what evidence has been used to support it.5)Conclusion.Draw a conclusion for yourself before reading the end of the essay,and compare the differences/similarities between your ide

11、as and those of the writer.6)Reviewing.After reading the essay,think about the structure and content of the essay.7)Reflection.Reflect upon whether you are now clear about how to illustrate an event or a process or how to analyze an event,idea,or object.,4.Guidance for Expository Writing,The followi

12、ng is a diagram of the basic expository essay structure:,1)PreparationChoose a suitable thesis statement.Outline your essay and refer to the outline constantly so that you wont omit anything important or stray away from your topic.Lay out a plan for the whole piece of writing in the introductory par

13、agraph of your essay and carry it out throughout the essay.,2)IntroductionThe introduction paragraph has at least 3 sentences.First is the most general sentence with the purpose of catching attention;The second is to inform readers of the topic and thus more detailed.The third and last sentence is y

14、our thesis statement.Make sure that your thesis statement is well defined and narrow enough to be supported and managed within the word-length of the essay.,3)Elaboration.When elaborating upon your thesis,pay attention to the following points:Good structure:To write a well-structured expository essa

15、y give a distinct controlling topic to each of the support paragraphs.Aim to keep a balance between the general statements and the specific details in your writing.Never make a generalized statement if you do not have enough details to support it,nor include details that do not serve to illustrate a

16、nd clarify your point.,Substantial content:Select substantial,concrete,interesting,lively and supportive examples to make your points convincing,and remember to present information without offering an opinion or argument.Logical reasoning:Present your ideas in a logical sequence and within a well-de

17、signed structure.Smooth transitions:Use appropriate transitional words/phrases to signal any shifts in your thought to ensure a smooth transition from one point/idea/item to another.,4)Conclusion Briefly restate the thesis and the main supporting ideas in the concluding paragraph.Finish with a state

18、ment that reinforces your position in a meaningful way.,A.Guideline for Writing a Cause-and-Effect ExpositoryCause and effect essays are concerned with why things happen(causes)and what happens as a result(effects).It is important that your tone be reasonable,and that your presentation be factual an

19、d believable.To determine the cause ask:Why did this happen?To determine the effect ask:What happened because of this?In regard to your chosen topic ask yourself:What are the causes?What are the effects?Which ones should be emphasized?Are there single or multiple causes and effects?Does the situatio

20、n involve a chain reaction?,In your thesis statement make it clear that you are discussing causes and effects,and introduce your main idea.Gather and organize supporting details to back up your thesis statement.Use appropriate transitions to blend details smoothly.The following words and phrases are

21、 a few suggestions:For“causes”:because;one cause is;since;due to;for;first;second;For“effects”:as a result;thus,as a consequence;consequently,resulted in;led to;one result is;another is;therefore.,Four organization patterns to choose from when writing a cause-and-effect essay:Single-cause any effect

22、s Multiple-causes Single-effectCausal chainSingle-cause Single-effect,Keep the following suggestions in mind when writing your essay:Make sure to clarify whether you are writing to inform or to persuade your reader.Strengthen your essay by using supporting evidence.Offer facts or statistics;provide

23、examples or personal observations that support your ideas.Qualify or limit your statements about cause and effect,unless there is firm evidence that one event is related to another.Qualifying statements include such phrases as:It appears that the cause was;It seems likely that;Available evidence sug

24、gests,etc.,B.Guidelines for Writing a Comparison and Contrast Essay,A comparison and contrast essay relates something unfamiliar to something familiar in order that the reader can gain an appreciation for the unique features of the unfamiliar things and a new perspective,a new understanding,of thing

25、s.It also reveals similarities and differences between things in order to evaluate their value,rank,usefulness or significance.There are two different patterns of comparison and contrast:Subject-by-subject comparison;Point-by-point comparison.,Outline of subject-by-subject pattern:,Outline of point-

26、by-point pattern:,Use appropriate transitions to move smoothly from one item to another.The following words and phrases are often used in comparison and contrast essays:For comparison:both,each,at the same time,accordingly,like,as,too,equally,compared with,similar(ly);For contrast:on the other hand,

27、the opposite(of),in contrast(with),instead(of),on the contrary,yet,but,unlike,although,while,whereas,however,nevertheless.,III.Practice 1.Reading,Evaluation and Discussion:Task 1:Read the passages“Alfred Nobel A Man of Contrasts”.,Task 2:EvaluationEvaluate the passage by answering the following ques

28、tions:What is the thesis statement of this passage?Does the writer present the topic in the first paragraph?Does the writer make the contrast by following a subject-by-subject pattern or a point-by-point one?What is the topic sentence of each paragraph?Does the writer give specific and effective evi

29、dence to strengthen his/her point?Does the writer use proper transitions to move from one item to another?Does the writer re-strengthen the topic in the last paragraph?Is it an effective concluding method for the writer to end the passage this way?,2.Writing PracticeWrite an expository essay on one

30、of the following topics.Topic 1:How to Cope with Campus Depression Points suggested for consideration:1)Causes of Problem:moving to a new environment;being separated from family and close friends;different requirements of university study;inability to form new friendships;incompatible room mates in

31、dormitory;lack of understanding about subjects or dislike of major.2)Effects:lack of incentive to study;lack of desire to communicate with other students;inclination to eat junk food;play computer games or watch movies;lack of interest in physical activity;low self esteem,lack of energy;broken sleep

32、 or too much sleep.,3)Solution:a.At Student level:physical exercise;eat healthy food;join a university organization to develop new interests and to form new friendships;part-time job;speaking to a friend or a teacher you feel you can trust;limiting time spent on computers just to play games or to su

33、rf the net;make a timetable for study so that something positive is achieved each day.b.At University level:provide easily available free professional help for students on-campus(i.e.counseling);ensure that students are aware of who they can call to ask for help.,Topic 2:Two Big CitiesShanghai and H

34、ong KongPoints suggested for consideration:1)Both are modern,with towering skyscrapers,and are strong in commerce.2)Both were once colonies of Great Britain.3)Both are port cities.4)Both are ever-evolving symbols of Chinas technological development.5)Each has different governmental policies.6)Each h

35、as a different formation of population.7)Each has different geographical features and areas.8)Each has different focus on developing its economy.9)Each has a different land proportion for farming.,3.Checking and reviewingPeer ReviewWhen you have finished writing the first draft of your essay,give it

36、 to a classmate to read and review.Use the peer review check list in Appendix I to respond to each others draft.Self-Assessment,Use this checklist to help you to give suggestions to your peers and to revise your own essay.,Expository Writing Assessment Outcomes,Ranking of the essay,IV.Assignments,1)

37、Write a 5 paragraph cause and effect essay(300-400 words).Choose from one of the following topics:The link between drink-driving and car-accidents;The link between Chinas rapid economic growth and pollution;The cause and effect of Chinas one child policy;Explain the causes for the popularity of West

38、ern-style fast food restaurants and their effects on Chinese youth;Chinese traditional culture and western influences;The causes and effects of the Internet revolution.,Or consider one of the following questions:Why does a university degree not guarantee a good job for graduates?What has brought abo

39、ut an increase in student cheating in exams?,2)Write an expository of 250 words on the following topics.Topic 1:Negative Effect of the Internet on Students and Possible Ways-out Points offered for consideration:Problem:Because the net offers an unlimited supply of information and is easily accessibl

40、e,many students have come to reply solely on this as a means of research.Students are inclined to accept anything they find on the web at face value,without evaluating ityet much of it is of poor quality and not always accurate.,Effect:Easy access has made some students intellectually lazy,they down

41、load essays straight from the net,rather than attempting to develop their own skills of analysis and writing.Many students waste unnecessary time surfing the net.Many web sites offer essays for sale on any topic.Some students have become internet junkies.,Solution:Essays taken from the web should be

42、 heavily penalized.Students should be made aware that plagiarism is undesirable and will not lead to academic excellence or advancement.Students should take the time to properly evaluate information found on the web-check if it comes from a reliable source and if the information is up-to-date and ac

43、curate.,They should also make sure that their research includes other methods of gathering data and knowledge about any given topic.It cannot be denied that the internet is a wonderful resource tool,but it needs to be used with commonsense.Limit your time on the web;make sure you do not get sidetrac

44、ked into areas that are not relevant to your areas of study.Try to write down your own responses to an essay topic or piece of writing before turning to the web.As with all critical material make sure that anything you do use from the web is properly acknowledged.,Topic 2:On Getting Prepared for Our

45、 Future Jobs Points suggested for consideration:1)Causes of the problem:increasing numbers of university graduates;students expectations too high(i.e.desire to instantly become a manager);most graduates want to find work in major cities or attractive coastal areas;companies expecting graduates to ha

46、ve experience,which is hard to achieve while you are studying;discrimination in the workforce against women;studying majors for which there is a low job intake.2)Effects:Graduates having to accept jobs that they do not enjoy;lower salaries than expected;having difficulties paying back university loa

47、ns;feeling that it has all been a waste of time.,3)Solutions:Graduates:Have reasonable expectations,and be prepared to work in less popular regions of the country where opportunities could be higher;improve English speaking and writing skills.Universities:Regularly update the courses offered in orde

48、r to meet the job market,which in Chinas fast developing economy is in a state of flux;university policy on students changing their majors could be more flexible;offer a training course for seniors on interview techniques and resume preparation.Employers:Take a more reasonable attitude towards the r

49、equirement for graduates to have prior work experience;be prepared to offer initial training to new employees.,2)Write a comparison and contrast essay of 300 words on one of the following topics:Compare Two figures,one from China and the other from any English-speaking countries,in Education or Literature or History;Acquiring Academic Knowledge VS Gaining Practical Experience;Two Teachers you know from either High School or University;Writing Letters Vs Making Calls.,Thank You!,