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Summary如何写(I)
说明文的summary
我们以上海英语高二课本中的一篇文章为例
The Problem of Packaging
第一段
A large source of rubbish is packaging material. It often makes up more than 30 percent of the total. To understand why this is true, think of the packaging commonly used for a simple product, such as toothpaste. The packaging includes not only the tube for the toothpaste, but also the box for the tube. This box is put into a plastic wrapper. Then, the boxes are transported in a cardboard container.
第二段
Most packaging material ends up in a landfill after it is thrown away. Though necessary, landfills take up valuable space, often stink, and can leak harmful substances into the soil. Landfills not included, the production of packaging material itself is a major source of air and water pollution.
第三段
People are now trying to solve the problems caused by packaging materials. In 1991, Germany took the lead by requiring companies to recycle the packaging used for their goods. To do this, the companies set up recycling bins in every neighborhood. Consumers now separate their rubbish into three categories—metal, plastic and paper cartons. They then put it into the appropriate bin. The rubbish sorted, it is transported to are cycling company for processing.
第四段
The programme worked well at first. However, the amount of rubbish has begun to increase again. One reason for this is that many consumers no longer reduce waste because they think the problem is solved. It seems that to properly deal with the problem of rubbish, everyone must remain vigilant and do their part.
我们先来把每段的大意理一下:
第一段的中心应该就是讲 A large source of rubbish is packaging material. It often makes up more than 30 percent of the total. 后面的牙膏的情况只是举例说明咯。
第二段呢?讲了两层意思,一层:垃圾进入填埋场后造成污染;二层:这些包装材料生产过程中,会产生对空气和水的污染。
第三段: 中心句很清晰啊 People are now trying to solve the problems caused by packaging materials. 后面的德国的事情也是举例子,政府啊,制造商啊,个人啊,采取什么措施来试图解决包装材料带来的污染问题。
最后一段了:尽管德国的方法起到了一定的作用,但,又有些人开始神兜兜起来了。包装材料的污染仍是个大问题啊,我们不能放弃警惕。
说明文概要模板
a. 现象揭示类:
This article points out the common phenomenon --(主题), which….(补充解释).
b. 利弊对比类:
The article compares the disadvantages/ benefits of A and B. A…while B…
The passage discusses the impact of sth.
On the positive side…, but it may also….
c. 研究显示类:
The study reveals that…
The purpose of the report is to show that…
Summary:
The article points out the problem of packaging. About one third of rubbish results from the packaging materials, which cause damage to the environment during their production and after ending in landfills. Though the programs carried out to combat the problem are temporarily successful, the problem remains a great concern. (50 words)
Summary如何写(II)
A driving goal for most websites is for that site to be easily found by people looking for the products or services. One of the ways people may find these sites is via a search engine. With this in mind, companies obviously want their websites to appeal to search engines as well. (第一段文字讲网站要让搜索引擎喜欢,那预测下,接下来的文字可能会是, 该怎么让搜索引擎喜欢呢?有什么要注意的要素呢?)
First of all, website content should be unique and timely. (第一句话是主题句,网站内容要独特新颖且及时)Only quality content ensures that customers will frequent your website and also recommend it to friends via links or through social channels. This act of sharing not only gives your site more chances of public exposure but it also helps to push up your search engine rankings, which extends huge psychological implication to other engine users as people tend to follow suit.
Now famous search engines such as Google use mobile friendliness as a ranking signal(这个词出现了,后面几段文字都是在讲搜索引擎会关注的ranking signal啊,这个词在summary中必须出现啊) in their ranking algorithm(算法). Therefore, if your site is not applicable for mobile devices, you are offering a less than ideal experience to some users and in result search engines will take the disadvantage into account.(这段文字的主要词眼是 mobile friendliness)
Another key ranking signal that Google and other search engines weigh heavily is page speed and overall site performance.(又是主题句,关键词是page speed 和overall site performance)If your site is loaded with too many high-resolution images and videos or other elements, much viewing time will be caused. These will make sluggish, slow loading that frustrate and often drive away visitors. It's time to reduce the page size as all the visitors appreciate faster download. Some are even willing to trade better visual experiences for high viewing speed. As user preference stands on top of any search engine's list of priority, search engines will look very favorably upon the speed improvements of the websites.
In addition, for a hot website, appropriate update frequency is also vital.(又是主题句,词眼是update frequency) Although the content is current and up to date when it is first launched, it will soon lose its freshness with the explosion of other various online resources. If the content on your websites has appeared on other sites before, your website is sooner or later to be deserted because of humans’ nature of having a low boredom threshold(门槛). In turn, your website’s search ranking will drop drastically.
Finally, don’t look down on customer experience. (主题句,关键词是customer experience)Too often people ignore the benefits of creating a viewing experience that is enjoyable. When assessing your website's user friendliness, understand that ease of use comes first, but do not discount the benefits of adding a bit of delight into that experience as well.
整理下思路:
该文章主要讲了网站为了迎合搜索引擎,必须要考虑到搜索引擎的一些
ranking signals, 分别是unique and timely content, mobile friendliness, page speed and site performance, appropriate update frequency 和enjoyable customer experience.
Summary:
This article focuses on how websites make themselves easily accessible to users through search engines. The ranking signals to be considered include unique and timely content, mobile friendliness, page speed and site performance, appropriate update frequency and enjoyable customer experience.(41 words)
总结
语言图式,内容图式,结构图式
教师在讲解试卷的过程中,如果只是就题目而分析的话,可能就失去了很多好的机会让学生更立体的了解一段文字,往往我们更多地关注文章的语言图式和内容图式,对结构图式避而不谈,这是“只见树木,不见森林”的做法。
如果学生对文章的结构脉络了解清楚的话,对做完形,阅读题都是十分有帮助的,当然,写文章一样。
summary很重要的一点就是要看出文章的结构。当然,该文章是说明文,本来结构就比较清楚。
Summary如何写(III)--说明文
On Earth, there's no doubt that they have highly developed senses to stay alive and thrive. But while some of their features may be compared to taste, sight, touch and smell in humans, have you ever wondered--can plants think?(这是整篇文章作者想要解决的问题)
On land, the cumulative mass of plants is 1000 times higher than that of animals. But these plants are immobile and can't move around in their environment; which is, seemingly, a pretty big evolutionary disadvantage. This has forced plants to adapt in amazing ways that often go unnoticed by the naked eye.
Smell something funny? Plants do too-and they react to these chemicals in the air. For example, when fruits start to ripen, they release a chemical called ethylene. And when neighboring fruits sense this pheromone, they ripen faster, so that all fruits mature at the same time.
Plants also give off scents which attract insects to spread their pollen. In particular, the amazing carrion flowers grow tiny hairs, feel warm and smell like rotting flesh in an attempt to mimic a dead corpse. This is to attract flies and beetles as pollinators. On the other hand, when a plant is attacked by an insect, animal or pathogen, it knows. When acacia trees are grazed by animals, they quickly react by producing chemicals called tannins, which make their leaves unappetizing and tough to digest. Some even produce enough toxin to kill the animal. Perhaps more impressive are some corn and cotton plants, which when eaten bycaterpillars, release chemicals in the air that attract parasitic wasps, who fly in and ultimately kill the insects. (以上这些文字讲植物会想方设法地解决他们遇到的一些问题。)
On some level, they communicate with the wasps. Crazy as it seems, even sound recordings of caterpillars chewing leaves, trigger this response. Without any from of touch, the plants react, as if they can hear.
(这段文字讲了植物也会和周围环境中的物种交流感情!这也太神奇了点。)
On a large scale, plants also work together. A web of underground fungi can connect tree roots in forests, allowing them to exchange nutrients and information.
Using radioactive isotopes, scientists discovered that trees share water and nutrients with others in need. Large trees nourish smaller shaded ones until they are tall enough to reach sunlight, And trees that stay green all year round share nutrients with trees that lose their leaves in winter, helping them through the season. Which is then repaid in the summer months, like a transactional exchange. Some scientist refer to this as the "wood-wide web". (这段文字讲了植物也懂得如何共生!合作!)
Perhaps the most shocking fact, is that some plants seem to have memory. Mimosa pedicab plants, are those leafy plants that close up when touched. This reflex is meant to scare away insects that land on them. In an experiment on these reflexes, scientists notice that when dropped from 15cm, they would close when they hit the ground, Not so surprising. But after repeating the drop 4 or 5 times, some of the plants stopped closing, as though they had realized the stimulus wasn't harmful. If they were shaken instead, they would close, but any time they were dropped from this
same height, they stayed open. This effect lasted for weeks-the plants had memories. (这段文字讲了植物也是有记忆的。“千万别招惹他们,哈哈哈”)
Of course, plants don't have brains or other cells and organs that we deem necessary for intelligence. Brains and neurons are irreplaceable, but plants are immobile and often attacked, so they must be able to survive after part of them is eaten, or destroyed. A brain just wouldn't work. But if you measure intelligence or thought as the ability to solve problems, interact with an environment, and even work in groups, then plants are incredibly smart. (这段文字是总结,最后的一句尤其赞,基本概括好了前文所讲的内容,但有点搞不懂的是为什么对memory这两段文字视而不见呢?)
Summary:
This article focuses on whether plants are smart. Research has shown plants have intelligence because they are capable of dealing with problems they encounter, communicating with the environment, cooperating with other plants for survival and that they have memories. Though lacking brains or other cells, plants are intelligent. (48 words)
Summary如何写?----写人记叙文(IV)
【P1】(Introduction) The teacher who did the most to encourage me was, as it happened, my aunt. She was Myrtle C. Manigault, the wife of my mother’s brother Bill. She taught in second grade at all-black Summer School in Camden, New Jersey. (第一段文字简单介绍文章主角和作者的关系。然后我同学问,summary该用第几人称写,应该是第三人称吧。)
【P2】During my childhood and youth, Aunt Myrtle encouraged me to develop every aspect of my potential,(dominant impression) without regard for what was considered practical or possible for black females. (supporting details 1) I liked to sing; she listened to my voice and pronounced it good. I couldn’t dance; she taught me the basic dancing steps. She took me to the theatre, not just children’s theatre but adult comedies and dramas—and her faith that I could appreciate adult plays was not disappointed. (这段文字的第一句话是很重要的,是文章猪脚的dominant impression, 应该也是写summary时可以用的到的。之后,就是具体的支持细节1,提到了作者唱歌,跳舞,看喜剧的培养,如果提炼一下,应该就是指对作者在艺术art方面的培养。)
【P3】(supporting details 2) My aunt also took down books from her extensive library and shared them with me. I had books at home, but they were all serious classics. Even as a child I had a strong liking for humor, and I’ll never forget the joy of discovering Don Marquis’s Archy & Mehitabel through her. (这段是第二个支持细节,提到了对作者在文学阅读方面的影响,literary pursuit方面的影响。)
【P4】(supporting details 3) Most important, perhaps, Aunt Myrtle provided my first opportunity to write for publication. A writer herself for one of the black newspapers, she suggested my name to the editor as a“youth columnist”. My column, begun when I was fourteen, was supposed to cover teenage social activities—and it did—but it also gave me the freedom to write on many other subjects as well as the habit of gathering material, the discipline of meeting deadlines, and, after graduation from college six years later, a solid collection of published material that carried my name and was my passport to a series of writing jobs. (这段是最后个支持细节,提到文章猪脚对作者在写作道路上的影响。)
【P5】(conclusion) Today Aunt Myrtle is still an enthusiastic supporter of her “favourite niece”. Like a diamond, she has reflected a bright, multifaceted(多面的) image of possibilities to every pupil who has crossed her path.(最后一段是总结性文字。)
Summary:
The article introduces the writer's aunt and mentor, Myrtle C. Manigault, a teacher in an all-black Summer School in New Jersey. Mytle always supported the writer and encouraged her to tap her potential in areas like art, literature and writing. Mytle made her pupils believe there were possibilities in life.
下面是关于summarizing的一些tips。
Summarizing a text, or distilling its essential concepts into a paragraph or two, is a useful study tool as well as good writing practice. A summary has two aims:
(1) to reproduce the overarching ideas in a text, identifying the general concepts that run through the entire piece.
(2) to express these overarching ideas using precise, specific language.
When you summarize, you cannot rely on the language the author has used to develop his or her points, and you must find a way to give an overview of these points without your own sentences becoming too general. You must also make decisions about which concepts to leave in and which to omit, taking into consideration your purposes in summarizing and also your view of what is important in this text. Here are some methods for summarizing: First, prior to skimming, use some of the previewing techniques.
1. Include the title and identify the author in your first sentence.
2. The first sentence or two of your summary should contain the author’s thesis, or central concept, stated in your own words. This is the idea that runs through the entire text--the one you’d mention if someone asked you: “What is this piece/article about?” Unlike student essays, the main idea in a primary document or an academic article may not be stated in one location at the beginning. Instead, it may be gradually developed throughout the piece or it may become fully apparent only at the end.
3. When summarizing a longer article, try to see how the various stages in the explanation or argument are built up in groups of related paragraphs. Divide the article into sections if it isn’t done in the published form. Then, write a sentence or two to cover the key ideas in each section.
4. Omit ideas that are not really central to the text. Don’t feel that you must reproduce the author’s exact progression of thought. (On the other hand, be careful not to misrepresent ideas by omitting important aspects of the author’s discussion).
5. In general, omit minor details and specific examples. (In some texts, an extended example may be a key part of the argument, so you would want to mention it).
6. Avoid writing opinions or personal responses in your summaries (save these for active reading responses or tutorial discussions).
7. Be careful not to plagiarize the author’s words. If you do use even a few of the author’s words, they must appear in quotation marks. To avoid plagiarism, try writing the first draft of your summary without looking back at the original text.
Summary如何写(V)----说明文
Human Nature
For most thinkers since the Greek philosophers, it was self-evident that there is something called human nature, something that constitutes the essence of man.There were various views about what constitutes it, but there was agreement that such an essence exists -- that is to say, that there is something by virtue of which man is man. Thus man was defined as a rational being, as a social animal, an animal that can make tools, or a symbol-making animal. (第一段文字主要讲述对人性的传统的看法。)
More recently, this traditional view has begun to be questioned.(这句话是承上启下哦。接下来开始分析传统看法被challenge的原因)One reason for this change was the increasing emphasis given to the historical approach to man. (原因之一:主题句,其中关键字眼是historical approach)An examination of the history of humanity suggested that man in our epoch is so different from man in previous times that it seemed unrealistic to assume that men in every age have had in common something that can be called "human nature." The historical approach was reinforced, particularly in the United States, by studies in the field of cultural anthropology. The study of primitive peoples has discovered such a diversity of customs, values, feelings,and thoughts that many anthropologists arrived at the concept that man is born as a blank sheet of paper on which each culture writes its text. Another factor contributing to the tendency to deny the assumption of a fixed human nature was that the concept has so often been abused as a shield behind which the most inhuman acts are committed. In the name of human nature, for example, Aristotle and most thinkers up to the eighteenth century defended slavery. Or in order to prove the rationality and necessity of the capitalist form of society, scholars have tried to make a case for acquisitiveness, competitiveness, and selfishness as innate human traits. Popularly, one refers cynically to "human nature" in accepting the inevitability of such undesirable human behavior as greed, murder, cheating and lying.
Another reason for skepticism about the concept of human nature probably lies in the influence of evolutionary thinking. (原因之二:主题句:关键字眼是evolutionary thinking) Once man came to be seen as developing in the process of evolution, the idea of a substance which is contained in his essence seemed untenable. Yet I believe it is precisely from an evolutionary standpoint that we can expect new insight into the problem of the nature of man.
Summary:
The article reviews two reasons why traditional views about human nature by thinkers since the Greek philosophers are being challenged. One reason is that historical perspectives on man are increasingly emphasized, the other being the influence of evolutionary standpoint on human nature.
写摘要的技巧
1) 删除细节。只保留主要观点。
2) 把长段的描述变成短小、简单的句子。如果材料中描述某人或某事用了十个句子,那么你只要把它们变成一两句即可。
3) 避免重复。在原文中,为了强调某个主题,可能会重复论证说明。但是这在摘要中是不能使用的。应该删除那些突出强调的重述句。
4) 压缩长的句子。如下列两例:
“His courage in battle might without exaggeration be called lion-like.”
可以概括为:”He was very brave in battle.”
“He was hard up for money and was being pressed by his creditor.”
可以概括为:“He was in financial difficulties.”
5) 你还可以使用词组代替整句或者从句。请看下面的例子:
“Beautiful mountains like Mount Tai, Lushan Mountain, and Mount Huang, were visited by only a few people in the past. Today, better wages, holidays with pay, new hotels on these mountains, and better train and bus services, have brought them within reach of many who never thought of visiting them ten years ago.”
可以概括为:”Beautiful mountains like Mount Tai, once visited by only a few people, are today accessible to many, thanks to better wages, paid holidays, new hotels and better transportation services.”
6) 使用概括性的名词代替具体的词,比如:
“She brought home several Chinese and English novels, a few copies of Time and Newsweek and some textbooks. She intended to read all of them during the winter vocation.”
可以概括为:”She brought home a lot of books to read during the vocation.”
7) 使用最短的连接词。
比如,可以使用but, then, thus, yet, though,不能使用at the same time, in the first place, because of these, on the other hand等较长的连接词。通常,使用分号就能够达成使用连接词的效果。
8) 文章中的第一人称说的话通常在摘要中转换成第三人称,从而把大段的对白简化,比如:
Kate looked at Paul disapprovingly: You use too much salt on your food, Paul — it’s not good for you!” Paul put down his knife and frowned:”Why on earth not! If you didn’t have salt on your food it would taste awful… like eating cardboard or sand… just imagine bread without salt in it, or potatoes or pasta cooked without salt!” Kate was patient. She didn’t want to quarrel with Paul. She wanted to persuade him. She said firmly:”But too much salt is bad for you. It cause high blood pressure and
latter on, heart-attacks. It also disguises the taste of food, the real tastes which are much more subtle than salt, and which we have lost the sensitivity to appreciate any more.”
可以用第三人称概括为:
Kate suggested to Paul that he should eat less salt. She thought that eating too much salt would do harm to Paul’s health and that it could reduce the real tastes of food. But Paul disagreed. He said that food without salt would be tasteless.
原文译文:
对于自希腊哲学家以来的大多数思想家而言,很明显的一点是,存在一种叫做人的天性的东西,它是构成人之本性的一种东西。对于是什么构成了人的本性的观点有很多,但是大家都一致地认为,这样一种本性是确实存在着的,也就是说,确实有这样一种东西,由于它人才成为其为人。因而,人就被 定义为一种理性的生物,一种社会动物,一种能制造工具的动物或者一种会制造符号的动物。
最近,这种传统观念开始受到质疑。导致这种变化的原因之—是人们越来越注重通过历史的方法对人类进行考察。对人类历史的考察表明,我们这个时代的人与早先时代的人大不相同,因而如果假定所有时期的人都存在着某种相似的可以称之为。人性的东西似乎是不切实际的。尤其是在美国,这种观点被许多文化人类学领域的研究所证实。对原始民族的研究发发现,风俗、价值观,情感以及思想是如此的多样化,以至于许多人类学家得出这样的概念,即人生下来只是一张白纸,但是每一种文化都在这张纸上写下各自不同的文章。导致人们倾向于否定一成不变的人性假说的另一个因素是,人性这个概念常常被滥用作一块盾牌,在它的保护下,一些最不人道的行为才得以发生。比如说,从亚里士多德直到18世纪,大多数思想家都以人性的名义维护奴隶桃而为了证明资本主义社会形态的合理性及必要性,学者们试图证明贪婪,竞争和自私是人类天生的特点。通常,人们在承认贪婪,凶杀,欺诈和说谎等不良的人类行为不可避免时,时常带着嘲弄的态度把它们称之为“人性”。
对人性概念产生怀疑的另一个原因很可能是由于进化论思想的影响,一旦把人类看作是在进化论的过程中不断发展的。那么,这种认为在人性中存在着某种一成不变的东西的想法就站不住脚了。然而我相信,正是从进化论的角度,我们可以对人性这个问题有新的思考。
Summary怎么写?(VI) -- 遇到抽疯文章怎么破
下面我们来看一篇2014上海高考中的文章,是关于企业社会责任(Corporate social responsibility)
More and more corporations are taking an interest in corporate social responsibility (CSR). CSR is made up of three broad layers. (主题句----企业社会责任有三个层面构成)The most basic is traditional corporate charity work. (第一层面:传统的企业慈善工作)Companies typically spend about 1% of pre-tax profits on worthy projects. But many feel that simply writing cheques to charities is no longer enough. In some companies, share holders want to know that their money is being put to good use, and employees want to be actively involved in good works.
Money alone is not the answer when companies come under attack for their behavior. Hence the second layer of CSR, which is a branch of risk management. (第二层面:风险管控)Starting in the 1980s, with environmental disasters such as the explosion at Bhopaland the Exxon Valdez oil spill, industry after industry has suffered blows to its reputation.
So, companies often responded by trying to manage the risks. They talk to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and to governments, create codes of conduct and devote themselves to more transparency in their operations. Increasingly, too. they, along with their competitors, set common rules to spread risks.
All this is largely defensive, but there are also opportunities for those that get ahead of the game. The emphasis on opportunity is the third layer of CSR: the idea that it can help to create value. (第三层面:强调机遇能创造价值)If approached in a strategic way, CSR could become part of a company's competitive advantage. That is just the sort of thing chief executives like to hear. The idea of "doing well by doing good" has become popular. Nevertheless, the business of trying to be good is bringing difficult questions to executives. Can you measure CSR performance? Should you be cooperating with NGOs and you’re your competitors? Is there any really competitive advantage to be had from a green strategy?
Corporate social responsibility is now seen as a mainstream. Big companies want to tell the world about their good citizenship with their devotion to social responsibilities. Done badly, CSR is often just window-dressing and can be positively harmful. Done well, though, it is not some separate activity that companies do on the side, a corner of corporate life reserved for virtue:it is just good business. (最后一段,强调了企业社会责任对企业的重要性。)
Summary:
The article discusses the three main layers of corporate social responsibility, to which big companies are committed. Specifically, the three layers include traditional corporate charity work, managing risks by setting common rules and the emphasis on opportunity to create value. As a mainstream, CSR can make or break companies.
Summary 常用句式
1)This paper deals with..
2)This article focuses on the topics of (that, having, etc).
3)This essay presents knowledge that...
4)This thesis discusses...
5)This thesis analyzes...
6)This paper provides an overview of...
7) This paper elaborates on ..
8)This article gives an overview of...
9)This article compares...and summarizes key findings.
10)This paper includes discussions concerning...
11) This paper presents up
12) This article covers the role of chemicals in...
13) This paper addresses important topics including...
14) This paper touches upon...
15) This paper strongly emphasizes..
17) This article not only describes...but also suggests...
18) This paper considers...
19) This paper provides a method of ...
20) This paper introduces an applicable procedure to analyze...
21) This paper offers the latest information regarding...
22) This paper is devoted to examining the role of...
23) This article explores...
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44)The author of this article reviews(or: discusses, describes, summarizes, examines) something
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Summary如何写(VIII)----问题解决型文章
Why McDonald's Sales are Falling?
Economist
MCDONALD’S restaurants stand among American capitalism’s greatest success stories. Starting out with just one burger stall in 1948, the fast-food chain’s emphasis on quick service and a standardised menu has helped it to grow to more than 35,000 outlets across the world. It has been profitable: after a wobbly period in the early 2000s, the firm’s share price went from $12 in 2003 to more than $100 at the end of 2011. But now McDonald’s has lost its sizzle. Global sales have been declining since at least last July. When the company announces its annual results on January 23rd, analysts think it will reveal its first full-year fall in like-for-like revenues since 2002. What’s gone wrong? (通过一些数据表明麦当劳的销量在下降,为什么会出现此现象呢?----提出问题)
Some of McDonald’s problems stem from operational mishaps across the world. (原因之一:海外的麦当劳店出现的灾难性问题) In particular, its business in Asia—where it makes nearly a quarter of its global revenues—has been hit by several health scares. Sales in China fell sharply after one of its suppliers was discovered last July to be using expired and contaminated chicken and beef. More recently, several Japanese customers have reported finding bits of plastic and even a tooth in their food. Geopolitics has not helped. Last year some Russian outlets were temporarily closed by food inspectors, seemingly in retaliation for American and European sanctions against Russia over its military intervention in Ukraine. Some politicians in Russia have even called for the chain to be thrown out the country completely.
But McDonald’s also has problems at home. (原因之二:麦当劳国内的店也存在一些问题)It faces competition from other fast-food chains such as Burger King, which has been gaining market share with a simpler and cheaper version of the McDonald’s menu. And it is being squeezed by more upmarket "fast-casual" restaurants such as Shake Shack and Chipotle Mexican Grill, which are rapidly growing. They have been luring customers—particularly younger ones—away from McDonald’s chicken nuggets and chips by offering slightly better quality food, a high level of customisation (such as the option to choose the ingredients in a burrito or burger) and some table service. (以上两段文字分析了麦当劳销量下降的原因----分析问题)
McDonald’s seems to have two options: (可能的解决方法)to emulate the likes of Burger King and go back to basics, or to spruce itself up to compete with the likes of Shake Shack. The chain seems to be trying to do both. It now has two new formats, one offering a simpler menu, and another called “Create your taste”, letting customers customise their burgers. Similarly, it has opened “McCafés” in several countries. In France, one of the few parts of the world where McDonald’s sales are still rising, these offer macarons, tea and coffee in china cups and saucers, as well as some limited waitress service. It hasn't always gone smoothly: some of the restaurants in Paris were forced to put signs on the bins saying “please do not throw away the
crockery”. As McDonald’s tries to reinvent itself, it may find that disposing of its traditional image will prove much harder.
文章的结构思路:
提出问题
McDonald’s has lost its sizzle. What has gone wrong?
分析问题
1. Some of McDonald’s problems stem from operational mishaps across the world;
2. But McDonald’s also has problems at home.
可能的解决方法
McDonald’s seems to have two options:
1. to emulate the likes of Burger King and go back to basics;
2. to spruce itself up to compete with the likes of Shake Shack.
Summary:
The article explores why McDonald's sales are falling, which is the combined consequence of operational disasters from both its home and international shops. Two possible solutions are offered: to imitate businesses like Burger King and to reconstruct itself to rival stores like Shake Shack.
Summary如何写(IX)
There are now many products and services on the market which are similar in content though produced by different companies. It is vital, therefore, for a company to distinguish itself from its competitors by having a strong company image which is immediately recognizable.
Logos are part of this image. They are symbols which often include a name or initials to identify a company. The logo establishes a visual identity for the company, just as different groups of young people express their identity through hairstyles and clothes. All groups from all cultures and throughout the ages have used colors and symbols to show their identity.
第一两段文字引出了logo这一概念,何为logo以及logo有啥功能。其中关键的语言包括 a visual identity for the company和distinguish itself from its competitors.
In different cultures, different colors carry different meanings. Some colors may be connected with coldness in one culture and with warmth in another; some colors represent life in one culture but death in another. International companies have, therefore, to make sure that their logos will not be misunderstood in different countries.
这段文字讲到了好的logo要运用准确的颜色,不能引起歧义或误解。 “Logos that won’t be misunderstood in different countries.” 我们不能原封不动照抄文中的语句吧,这里有几个paraphrase的方法,比如用misinterpreted替换misunderstood.或者使用它的名词词组 logos that won’t cause misunderstanding.
The logos of large international companies are instantly recognizable throughout the world. One of the most famous logos is that of Coca-Cola. The design of the words “Coca-Cola” has not changed since 1886, although the surrounding design has been changed from time to time. Many companies have, over the years, renewed their logos to fit in with contemporary design and to present more powerful images.
这段文字提到了logo使用的symbols应该是instantly recognizable. 我们也可以通过改变词性来避免照抄。比如改成 symbols that can be easily recognized. 或者symbols that allow for easy recognition.
Logos are used on packaging and brochures as well as on the product itself. They may also appear in newspapers or on television as part of an advertising campaign, Companies need to have a strong corporate identity. The logo helps to promote this image and to fix it in the minds of the consumers. Logos, therefore, need to be original and to have impact and style.
最后一段文字采用了分总的段落发展方式,最后一句话才是关键的,logos need to be original and to have impact and style. 我们可以考虑通过把original形容词换成名词,然后用三个名词来替换表达,logos should display originality, impact and style.
Summary:
The article is about the logo, a visual identity of a company, which helps the company to stand out above its rivals. Successful logos require right colors that won’t be misinterpreted/that won’t cause misunderstanding and symbols that can be easily recognized. Besides, winning logos should display originality, impact and style to ensure the company its strong corporate identity. (58 words)
Summary如何写?(X)----记叙文
记叙文的概要写作
讲到记叙文,当然要关注记叙文的几要素,如时间,地点,人物,时间的起因,经过,发展,高潮,结尾等等。
我想谈的是,记叙文中的conflict,比如自我的冲突(曾经的我和现在的我,表象的我和内心的我),人和人(社会)的冲突,人与自然的冲突等。这篇文章中,也有冲突,冲突让时间的发展产生戏剧效果(dramatize)。这里的冲突主要表现在,作者想要帮忙但被拒绝,之后又被另一人接受;记叙文通常会传递一个message,也是作者写作的意图:abilities are more important than disabilities.
NOT long ago, I was at a state conference with a group preparing for a week of meetings. I walked into the room where a handful of volunteers were busy collating (装订整理) handouts. I asked if I could help. One of the ladies politely said “Oh, no, thank you” and offered me a chair to just sit while they worked.
Then, another volunteer came into the room, saw me sitting there doing nothing and said: “Hey, Larry, come on over here. There’s work to do, and you can help.” He put a couple of chairs together, placed two stacks of handouts on them and instructed: “OK, the left sheet goes on top of the right one.”
“Fine. I can handle that,” I said. And just like that, I was now part of the team.
This member of the group saw that my disability did not mean an inability to help. Later, I thanked him for having included me, and asked what motivated his action. He said: “Well, I figured with one more set of hands we’d finish more quickly. I was just using common sense.”
I’m sure that the kind folks who initially turned down my offer of help did not mean to offend me. It just seemed more appropriate to them to say “No, thank you” than to stop their work and try and figure out how to include me. And that’s the real issue here. Too often, people with disabilities are excluded – within their community or within a social setting – because of their disability and not because of their inability.
It’s important for all of us to feel part of the group and to feel that we belong. It’s important to our self-esteem. And it is even more important for people with disabilities. Inclusion means we are accepted, appreciated and valued as a full and equal member of the group. It sends a message that states: “To us, your abilities are more important than your disability.”
Summary:
The article is about the author's experience of being treated differently when he tried to offer help as a disabled volunteer for a state conference. Turned down because of his disability in the first case, he was later treated equally and included in the working team. The article shows disabled people do not necessarily lack the abilities
to do things.
Summary如何写(XI)----News report新闻报道类文章
新闻报道概要写作
要写好新闻报道类文章的概要,首先要了解新闻报道的文章结构,所以先来介绍下新闻报道的写作方式吧。
新闻报道通常由以下三个不可缺少的部分组成:
1. 标题(headline):浓缩概括全文的中心实质问题。
2. 导语(lead or introduction):通常为文章的第一段。文章的第一段提供主要话题和最主要的事实。
3. 正文(body):在导语的基础上,引入更多的与主题相关的事实,使之更加详实、具体,并展开评论,进而得出结论。
消息报道中的导语十分重要,它位于第一段或第一、二段。通过它点出新闻的主题,这是消息这种新闻文体区别于其它文体的一个重要特征。五个W和一个H(When? Where? Who? What? Why? 和How?)是构成一则完整消息不可缺少的要素。直接的消息报道或纯消息报道一般采用“倒金字塔形式”(the Inverted Pyramid Form),其特点是按新闻报道最重要的五个W和一个H头重脚轻地安排材料,把新闻的高潮和结论放在最前面的导语里,然后以事实的重要性递减的顺序来安排(in the order of descending importance)材料。
A tourism hurting wildlife
Researchers writing in Trends in Ecology & Evolution on Oct 9 said that the interactions between wild animals and friendly eco-tourists who want to take their pictures may put animals at greater risk of being eaten.
第一段十分简要告诉读者,一些研究人员发现生态旅游者与野生动物的互动会让野生动物处于极大危险。
It is clear that many people visit protected areas every year. “Recent data showed that protected areas around the globe have 8 billion visitors per year; that’s like each human on Earth visited a protected area once a year, and then some are underestimated!” said Daniel Blumstein of the University of California, Los Angeles. “This amount of nature tourism and eco-tourism can be added to the long list of ways in which humans cause fast environmental change.”
第二段增加一些细节,出现的研究人员的代表人物Blumstein,增加的生态旅游者导致人类在更快的改变环境。
The basic idea of the report is that humans change the ways animals act and those changes might affect other parts of their lives, according to Science Daily. Those changes in behavior and activity may put animals at risk.
第三段又是细节,人类改变动物的反应,这些行为及活动方面的变化让动物处于危险中。
“When animals spend time in ‘harmless’ ways with humans, they may let down their guard,” Blumstein said. As animals get used to feeling comfortable with humans, they may become braver in other situations, he says. “If this bravery continues when they meet real predators, then they will die more often when they meet them.”
第四段具体讲如何让动物处于危险中,动物会let down their guard. 就是变得没那么警惕了。
Eco-tourism is in some ways similar to making animals live in human homes or in cities. In all three cases, regular interactions between people and animals may lead to animals becoming tame. Evidence has shown that silver foxes that live with people become more laid-back and less fearful; this results from evolutionary changes but also from spending time with humans. Simply put, as Blumstein asked in the Scientific American magazine: “Does ecotourism make animals dumb?”
第五段通过更多的例子说明生态旅游让动物变得麻木,变得温顺。
And that’s not all – humans can also scare away natural predators, creating the so-called “human shield effect” and a safe environment for smaller animals that might make them braver, too. When humans are around, for example, vervet monkeys don’t see as many leopards trying to eat them.
第六段讲人类还会吓走动物天敌,制造出“人类保护效应”。
Blumstein says they hope to do more research into humans’ interactions with wildlife. Scientists will “now have to understand better how different species and species in different situations react to humans and when humans might put them at risk”, he says.
最后一段讲科学教要思考动物是如何对人类做出反应并什么时候人类会让动物处于危险中。
由此可以看出,整篇报道讲了人类的一些所谓的生态旅游活动让动物处于危险中以及为什么会让动物处于危险中,原因包含了 “让动物放松警惕;让动物变得温顺麻木;以及人类保护效应”
Summary:
Researchers like Daniel Blumstein of UCLA wrote in Trends in Ecology & Evolution on Oct 9 that too much contact between wildlife and eco-tourists will endanger animals’ existence. Their contact and interactions make animals tame and
less alert. Moreover, animals’ bravery resulting from human shield effect and a safe environment makes animals less aware of potential life-threatening factors. (58 words)