Book 6 Unit 5

24. \: the person who is curious to get some information

25. that defy a memorable turn of phrase: that oppose an impressive or extraordinary style of

writing

Comprehension

I. Answer the following multiple-choice questions.

1. According to Berke all the following are basic qualities of good writing EXCEPT

_________. A. clarity B. economy C. explicitness D. simplicity

2. The language of the poster produced by an anonymous civil servant at City Hall during

WWII was characterized by all the following EXCEPT _________. A. the use of long words instead of short ones

B. the use of words of foreign origin instead of native ones C. the use of complicated sentence structures D. the use of the direct, imperative mood

3. Technical writing bears all the following features EXCEPT _________.

A. obvious B. emotional C. direct D. human

4. For a writer to be human in his writing, it is of primary importance that he _________.

A. make his writing as readable as possible B. have a clear idea who he is writing for C. know what he is writing about

D. maintain a good relationship with his readers

Key: 1. C 2. D 3. B 4. B

II. Discuss the following questions.

1. What, according to Berke, are the three major qualities of good writing? How does she

explain each of them?

2. How do you interpret the human nature of writing, which Berke emphasizes so much in

para. 10?

3. Berke's article ends with a list of five questions which she thinks a writer should keep in

mind while writing. What do you think her own answers to these questions were when she was writing this article?

4. How would you assess your own writing in the light of the qualities which Berke says

good writing is to possess?

Key:

1. Economy (Refer to para. 4).

Simplicity (Refer to paras. 5, 6, and 7). Clarity (Refer to para. 8).

2. Whatever is written, it is written by a human being to be read by another human being or

other human beings. Thus writing is interpersonal by nature. 3. Probably her answers to these questions would be:

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(1) A professor of English, an instructor of writing.

(2) Those who have a relatively high level of education but nevertheless need help to improve their writing.

(3) To provide some guidelines concerning writing in an essay to be read by the public.

(4) Specialized, someone who is in the field.

(5) Implement the principles in their own writing practice. 4. Individual assessment.

IV. Paragraph Writing

Writing Technique

Process

What Is Process Writing?

When you want to learn how to operate a dish-washer, you may probably have a knowledgeable person show you how or give you a clear explanation of the process. In a process, the writer describes a series of steps or stages by which something is accomplished.

What Is Process?

Baking cookies, following instructions to install a smoke alarm and refinishing a table are all processes. The recipe for a chocolate cake, for instance, presents a classic formula for process writing. It is composed of a list of ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, butter, eggs, chocolate, etc.), followed by a detailed list of instructions for incorporating these materials, step by step, to produce the desired end product: a chocolate cake. A process, therefore, answers the question of how something operates or how something happens.

Characteristics of Process

One major characteristic of a process is that it is composed of different steps, aided by an account of each of the steps so as to direct the readers to go along with the explanation. If one step is omitted or even poorly presented, then the string of connections snaps apart.

Example

Read the excerpt that follows. Notice how the writer describes the steps of the process in the order as they occur.

The ancient pyramids of Egypt continue to fascinate and amaze people nearly five thousand years after the Egyptians built them. Constructing each massive pyramid was difficult and dangerous labor, requiring thousands of workers and years of toil. First, heavy limestone blocks were taken from quarries located near the Nile River. Then, the blocks were transported by wooden boats to a point as close as possible to the intended building site of the pyramid. Next, the blocks were unloaded and slowly hauled to the actual site by means of sledges positioned atop wooden rollers. As construction proceeded, the Egyptians moved each successive block into position using ramps made of bricks of dried mud. Incredibly, the huge pyramids were completed without the aid of bulldozers, cranes, trucks, or other modern-day construction equipment. Even

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Book 6 Unit 5

so, the tallest pyramid rose higher than a forty-story building! Equally remarkable, numerous pyramids still stand today, almost fifty centuries since their construction.

Techniques of Process Writing

In organizing a process, the first necessary part is to list the series of steps, which are to be arranged in their correct order. Most processes are performed step by step in a chronological order: step 1 is usually completed before step 2 is undertaken. A good process should reflect the sequence in which the process is undertaken in order to make the procedure logical and easy for readers to follow.

The second part, then, is to specify the relationships between these steps. Unless we make such relations clear, our readers will be left with the impression that the various steps occur far apart in time and space, or that there is no necessary causal link between them. Since much of the process writing is concerned with how one event or idea leads to another, we can imagine how important it is to be able to show these relationships.

When describing a process, we may use appropriate transitional words and phrases such as first, then, and next (as is done in the above short selection) to link the steps.

What Makes Good Process

The purpose of an essay that describes a process is usually to inform, but the purpose may also be to persuade readers that a process is preferable. Whichever the purpose, a successful process must be clearly explained, with language precisely used, all the important details included, all the steps presented in their exact order of execution, and reasons for steps of the process given, where necessary.

Exercise

Structure an essay that describes a process using chronological order, to show the sequence in which the steps must be performed or the sequence in which the steps occur.

Hints:

An effective way to structure your essay is to list all the steps in their natural order, and use explicit transitional expressions to begin each \

Writing Practice

Write an essay of about 300 words on the topic of \Week\

Hints:

You can focus on one Internet service or tool to tell the process of making online friends. If you choose weibo, for example, include all the necessary steps, including setting up an account, getting to know others, inviting people to become friends, staying in touch with them, sending birthday or holiday blessings, etc.

V. Comprehensive Exercises

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Book 6 Unit 5

Listening Audio Clip

Book 6 Unit 5.mp3 (00:00 – 01:39)

Exercise

Listen to the following talk and fill in the following blanks with information from the talk.

For years, I have listened to students and faculty talk about their (1) _______ program experiences. Recently (2) _______ undergraduate student from Oregon State University talked about their Taiwan (3) _______. According to their (4) _______, Taiwan parents have more (5) _______ over their college student children than American parents. They decide universities, (6) _______ of study, jobs and careers, and even (7) _______ relationships. Female Taiwan students use less (8) _______ than American students, but use (9) _______ more often to (10) _______ themselves.

Key:

(1) exchange (2) three

(3) experience (4) impression (5) influence (6) areas (7) romantic (8) make-up (9) clothes (10) express

Translation

English-Chinese Translation

1. The person to whom I refer is the straight-A illiterate, and the following is written in an

attempt to give him equal time with his widely publicized counterpart.

译文：

我指的是一个全A文盲，写下下面这段文字，让大家同样多地了解到他们不广为人知的一面。

讲解： 原文中的give him equal time with ...如果直译成“给予他们同样……”，将令人费解。这里可以加一个词“大家”，同时在忠于原文意思的基础上，对widely publicized加上否定词并移位，令译文组织起来更为流畅。

2. It attacks the best minds, and gradually destroys the critical faculties, making it impossible

for the sufferer to detect gibberish in his own writing or in that of others.

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