高中英语记叙文写作技巧（20篇）

一、审题

我们拿到作文后第一件要做的事就是审题。审题的作用在于使你写作不跑题(如果跑题，条理和语言再好，也得不到及格分，甚至0分。)那末审题要审什麽呢?

1.体裁(议论文，说明文，描述文)

审题就是要审作文的题材和体裁。因为什末样的体裁就会用什末样的题材去写。那末体裁包括那些呢?它包括议论文，说明文和描述文。从近些年看，四级作文不是单一的体裁，而是几种体裁的杂合体。例如： Directions: For this part ,your are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition on the topicTrying to Be A Good University Student .You should write at least 100 words and you shouldbase your composition on the outline (given in Chinese ) below :

1.做合格大学生的必要性

2.做合格大学生的必备条件(可以从德智体方面谈)

3.我计划这样做

很多人说这种类型的作文是议论文。这是片面的，因为，第一段要求写"...必要性"，这说明本段体裁是议论文;第二段要求写"

...必备条件"，这说明本段要求写说明文;儿地三段要求写"...这样做"，这说明本段要求写描述文。所以在大多数情形下，四级作文是三种体裁的杂合体。

2.根据不同体裁确定写作方法

我们审题的目的就是根据不同体裁确定不同的写作方法。通过审题，我们可以看出四级作文大都是三段式。如上例第一段为议论体，第二段为说明体，地三段为描述体。而各种文体又不同的写作方式： 议论文;要有论点和论据，而且往往从正反两方面来论述。例如上面第一段的思路是：做合格大学生，会怎末样(这是从正面论述);不能做合格的大学生，会怎末样(从反面论述);所以我们要做合格的大学生(结了论)。

说明文：可以从几方面或几条来说明一个问题，就上作文而言，可以从方面(德智体)来说明合格大学生的必要性。

描述文：一"人"为中心描述一个"做"的过程。与上两段相比，本段的主语多为人称代词，他要与第二段相互应进行描述。 二 确定主题句

通过审题，我们知道该如何确定正确的写作思路。下边我们就谈如何些。第一部就是要写主题句。主题句是确保不跑题的前提，只有不跑题才有可得及格分。写主题句嘴保险的方法就是把中文提纲的各句译成英语。例如上述三段主题句分别为：

1.It is very necessary to be a good university student . (议论体的主题句)

2.There are several respects of necessities to be a good university student .(说明体的主题句)

3.What I will do in the future is the following .(描述体主题句)

如果要求句是英语就可以把它变成主题句，例如这样一篇作文：

Good Health

1.Importance of good health

2.Ways to keep fit

3.My own practice

这样的作文的要求句就可以扩充成主题句。扩充后三段的主题句分别为：

1.It is very important to have good health .(将名词 importance变成形容词important)

2.There are four ways to keep fit for me .(用 there be 句型)

3.My own practices are the following .(采用原词)

二、条理清楚

保证不跑提示写作当中第一任务，第二个重要任务就是要做到条理清楚。对于议论文来说，正反面要清楚，对于说明文来说条理要清楚，对于描述文来说，谁干什么要清楚。就拿上例Good health 来说，第一段保持正反面要清楚救应这样写：正面(With good health ,we can...)，反面(Without good health ,we cando nothing .We cant do...)

为了使文章更具有条理性，我们可以用first(ly) second(ly) third(ly)等副词，他们可以是文章的条例性更加突出。作文是主观题，想得告分就必须引起老师的主意，老师的时间很短(每篇作文只有一两分钟就要阅完)，所以我们在列调试最好不用: To be with,... after that ,...And then, ... The next , ... Thefollowing , ... As last ... 。因为用这样的词语不利于老师看出你作文的条理性。

三、保证作文符合字数要求的十二句作文法

考生一般都希望作文达到字数而又不至于写得太多，因为写得太多一方面暴露自己语言上的弱点，另一方面又会占用过多的时间。写得太多还易跑题，一个有效的方法就是十二句作文法。

我们知道，四级作文都是三段式。我们算一下，如果我们在每一段中写上四句，即主题句加两三句扩展句和一个结论句就可以了。这样全片在十二句左右，每一句十多个词，就又120-150个字。大家可以试图找一些作文题练一练。

导语：你还在为孩子不会写作文而烦恼吗？认真看看这篇文章，然后教给孩子吧。下面是考场作文的写作技巧，欢迎参考！

1、字数三四五

这个技巧说白了就是学习写短句。学了一段时间写作的孩子容易在作文中写长句，而长句写不好就变成病句。家长要提醒孩子注意控制每句话的字数，建议把十几个字几十个字的长句改成只有三四五个字的短句，孩子们会发现这样的作文有语感会舒服很多。

如某学生的原文：“高高的绿绿的草散发着诱人的清香。一根一根都看得那么清楚，很挺拔的样子。”经指导后改成：“草绿了，高了，散发着清香。一根一根，看得清清楚楚，很挺拔的样子。”是不是很有节奏感？

2、一秒钟的事写三百字

还是针对作文写不长的一种技巧训练：用三百字来描写1秒钟内发生的事。如关于破校运会跳高纪录瞬间的描写原本只有几十字：只见某某纵身一跳，一下子飞过横杆，新的校运会纪录诞生了！

怎么变成三百字？可以有条理地加上动作解剖：如何助跑、起跳、翻越、落地；加上联想：往届校运会有人挑战失败，平时如何一次次练习等等；还可以加上细节来充实，起跳前如何与同学们进行眼神交流，成功后同学如何向他祝贺……家长可以找一些1秒钟的素材让孩子进行写作练习，学会了这个技巧还怕考试写不出四五百字吗？

3、遇到“很”和“非常”想一想

对于文章写不长的孩子，可以训练的另一个技巧是：遇到“很”和“非常”想一想。看过无数学生习作，蒋老师发现出现频率最高的字眼包括“很，非常”，请家长提醒孩子，遇到要写这几个字时不要轻易下笔，停下来想一想，是不是非要出现这个字眼？

比如写热，别出现“很热”两个字，学会用其他的描写来体现热：骄阳似火，没有一丝风，树叶低垂毫无生气……文章自然就能写长。

4、环境里面有“真”“情”

到了五六年级孩子都要学习环境描写。如有的孩子会写：“早上天气还挺好的，放学回家时，却哗哗下起雨来。雨珠在下，泪珠在滴，老天也好像在为我哭泣。”

孩子能用环境衬托自己的心情首先要表扬。但是很多孩子只要一写环境，肯定就是小花微笑，小草点头、小鸟歌唱、小雨哭泣，成了套路，难道世界上只有小草、小鸟、小花吗？为什么不能写身边更真实的东西呢？云、雾、桌子，哪怕是电线杆都可以写，这个技巧是提醒孩子不仅要让人活在环境里，还要让人活在真实的环境里。

5、不用成语

作文为什么写不长？都是成语惹的祸！

不是说多用成语才显得有文采吗？其实不然，在“就是不用成语”写作技巧中，蒋老师指出：当作文中只会按照套路使用成语时，文章细节就没了，还不如让孩子老老实实把自己看到的感受都写出来。什么天高云淡、风和日丽、桃红柳绿、炯炯有神、心旷神怡……这些被用滥的成语还是少出现为妙。

比如，写春天别用“风和日丽”，而是这样写：“风儿拂过林梢，原本平静的湖面漾起了圈圈涟漪，湖边的柳树轻摇着身姿，我也忍不住张开双臂，任风抚过我的每一寸肌肤，暖暖的，痒痒的。”想办法用具体的句子替换掉别人用滥的成语，解决孩子作文写不长写不细的难题。

6、写说不单写“说”

让孩子比较以下三句话。

张三说：“……”；

张三无可奈何地说：“……”；

张三摊了摊手，一副无可奈何的样子：“……”

显然，让人物说话有多种方式，写语言可以不用出现“说”而是在语言前面加上动作和神态，通过一定的训练掌握这样的技巧让孩子的写作水平切实得到提升，让他们学会细节描写，不会仅干巴巴的地写“某某说”。

7、一段话里至少出现6个标点

很多孩子不会用标点，习作中常只有逗号句号逗号句号，甚至逗号都没有，把老师读到断气为止。针对这个现象，可以让孩子进行“一段话至少出现6种标点”的技巧训练。比如，。？！……：“”

这些标点你的作文中都有吗？没有的话请尝试用起来。经过几次训练后，你会发现孩子的惊人变化：意味深长的句子会写了、人物语言会加进去了，心理活动结合进去了，还会用反问句了，这些句子加进去后，文章当然生动起来。一位作家就曾用这种方法对自己作文写不好的孩子进行训练，收效明显，进步很快。

8、写外貌不用“有”

作文如何写外貌？孩子的作文里总会看到类似这样的名子：“XX可漂亮了，她有一头卷卷的黄头发，有一双乌黑的葡萄般的大眼睛，有一个高高的鼻子，还有一张樱桃小嘴。”

如果你试着让他们去掉文中的“有”，把文字重新串联一遍，会发现作文顺了很多。写上段文字的同学经蒋老师指导后修改如下：“XX可漂亮啦。一头卷卷的黄头发自然地披在肩上。她的眼睛太吸引人了，乌黑乌黑葡萄一般。高高的鼻子，和樱桃小嘴配合起来，有点混血的味道，同学们可喜欢她啦。”是不是读起来舒服多了？

在小学阶段，以写一个人为主。那你知道写人类作文的写作技巧有哪些呢？以下是小编整理的关于写人类作文的写作技巧，欢迎阅读参考。

⒈交代清楚他是什么人如他的年龄、性别、外貌、职业、性情，及与自己的关系。

⒉要写出人物的特点。就是要写出这个人与其他人不同的地方。只有把特点写出来了，才能给读者留下深刻的印象，文章也才能与众不同，有了新意。

⒊要通过具体的事件来表现人物，决不能象老师给你写品德评语那样来写人。所选的事件要能充分表现这人性格和品质。当你把事情写好了，人物也就写好了。就像当你读完《董存瑞舍身炸暗堡》以及《我的战友邱少云》以后，你对这两位英雄就有了深刻的印象了。

⒋要抓住人物细微的动作及其变化，给予具体，生动的描写。即抓住细节刻画人物，使原来比较平板、模糊的形象变得栩栩如生，有血有肉。如《一夜的工作》中，周总理扶正转椅就是一个细节描写，它表现了周总理有条不紊的工作作风。

⒌在进行人物语言描写时，要符合人物的身份和性格，因为不同的年龄、职业、性格等的人物，他们所讲的话是不同的，即使是同一个人，在不同的情况下所讲的话也是不同的。

⒍要紧紧扣住人物的特点和文章所要表达的中心思想来写人，不要想到什么就写什么，马虎拼凑，拉拉杂杂，更不能重复罗嗦，画蛇添足，使人看了不知在说什么。

写人作文口诀

写人作文并不难，开头概括写特点。

对照特点找事例，具体描述一两件。

一个特点多事件，巧妙构思出特点。

结尾抒情或总结，呼应开头称佳篇。

叙事写人分三段，重在突出人特点。

描写人物抓外貌，突出一点特征显；

人物语言要逼真，动作描写要周全；

心理活动细腻写，真实感人是妙篇。

总分写人抓特点，首尾照应成一篇。

对比写人方法巧，选择事例很重要。

并列写人容易学，分写事例特点多。

外号写人最有趣，对照外号选事例。

写己要写真情感，喜怒哀乐在心间。

写人多选新鲜事，新人新事最有趣。

“张冠李戴”会构思，描写人物最实用。

引用诗句赞美人，锦上添花能出神。

总结成公式就是：

写人作文 = 外貌 + 事件

一、外貌描写

我们就先来说说怎么描写外貌，描写一个人的外貌一般只要抓住外貌特点重点刻画就行，下面看几个针对不同外貌特点的例句：

１.脸形特点

①姐姐的脸是鸭蛋形的，也像鸭蛋一样光滑透亮。

②妈妈是瓜子脸，每次画她我都先画一颗大瓜子。

眼睛特点

①老师的眼睛又大又黑，每次看到我的时候，我觉得那眼睛里的我都是闪亮亮的呢！

②爸爸的眼睛很小，一笑起来，就变成了一条线，人家说，那就是“眯缝眼”。

２.嘴巴特点

①哥哥是个大嘴巴，平时还有个不好的习惯，动不动就张着嘴。

②云云的嘴巴很小巧，肉嘟嘟的，看上去很可爱。

３.耳朵特点

①点点的耳朵可大了，特别是耳垂，听奶奶说这样大耳朵的人有福气。

②阿姨的耳朵不大，可是耳朵上吊了一个很大的耳环，看上去很漂亮！

表情特点

①小强最喜欢做鬼脸了，谁一惹了他，他就对着人家做好几个鬼脸。

②何老师半笑不笑地看着我，看得我一阵心慌。

怎么样，这些例子是不是描写得又细致又准确，就像是把这个人带到了别的面前一样？如果每个人都写成“两只大眼睛，一个弯嘴巴……”那就谁也分不清是谁了！所以描写一个人的外貌，一定要写出这个人的独特的地方。

二、事件描写

1.抓语言特点

（1）口头禅，这是一个人语言上最突出的特点。

①奶奶的口头禅是“我的乖乖”，我做完一件好事，比如洗了袜子，她会说：“我的乖乖！你真是了不得！”我要是做了一件坏事情，比如弄脏了衣服，她会说：“我的乖乖！你就不能让我省点心吗？”

②王老师的口头禅是：“明白了吗？”一节课上，每讲完一个问题，她都要问一句：“明白了吗？”我和同学们也快有口头禅了，那就是一直回答她：“明白了。”

（2）声音特点，包括语音、语调、语气等等。

①妹妹的声音脆生生的，我一进家门，她就大声喊：“姐姐，姐姐！”满屋子的人都知道我到了。

②妈妈的声音很好听，特别是讲故事的时候，我觉得她的声音里面加了冰糖，让人心里甜滋滋的。

2.抓动作特点

每个人都会有自己的习惯性动作，这些习惯性动作往往能表现人物的性格特点。

（1）手势

①我请妈妈讲故事，妈妈一挥手：“一边去，我忙着呢！”

②下课时，老师指指我：“快过来，我有中找你呢！”

③瞧瞧音乐老师指挥的时候，手舞来舞去的，多神气！

（2）身体动作

①我问爸爸能不能带我去游乐园，爸爸耸耸肩膀：“这个我做不了主呀，你得问问妈妈同意不同意。”

②爸爸碰碰妈妈的胳膊，妈妈不理他，爸爸又踢踢妈妈的脚，妈妈站起来就走。

3.抓心理活动

心理活动一般是从人物的语言、表情、动作等展示出来。要学会“察言观色”，才能写好人物的心理活动。

（1）喜

①听了这件事，明明的心里乐开了花，脸上也露出了得意的样子。②刚刚比赛完，小乐就笑嘻嘻地走了过来，一定是得了个好名次。

（2）怒

①听我说完，妈妈皱起眉头，肯定是为我偷吃冰棍生气了。

②我一回到家，就看到爸爸一声不吭地收拾自己的文件，脸上阴沉沉的，一看就知道他心里正冒着火，趁着火山还没爆发，我赶紧躲他远点！

（3）哀

①小鸟病了，站都站不稳，我看着心里难过极了。

②这次考试考砸了，心情当然也不好。

（4）乐

①小弟弟最爱出去玩儿了，他总是蹦蹦跳跳地跟着我，话多得不得了。

②站在高高的山顶上，我觉得心旷神怡，忍不住大声喊：“大山，我来了！”

[写人类作文的写作技巧

篇章的修辞风格，也叫篇章的语言风格，是篇章中表现出来的一系列表现手法、艺术技巧的总和，是篇章修辞艺术所表达出来的独特的风貌和格调。篇章的修辞风格，是在语言的实际运用中产生的，是在语音、词语、句子、修辞等要素的基础上形成的各具特色的综合表现。下面先来看看语音的风格表达：

汉语语音的基本结构单位是音节，一个音节一般由声、韵、调三部分组成。在语言实践中，声、韵、调的合理配置，叠音结构、平仄对仗格律、合辙押韵技巧的巧妙运用等，都会形成不同的修辞风格。如诗人穆旦的《在寒冷的腊月的夜里》中：

风向东吹，风向南吹，风在低矮的小街上旋转，

木格的窗纸堆着沙土，我们在泥草的屋顶下安眠，

谁家的儿郎吓哭了，哇——呜——呜——从屋顶传过屋顶

他就要长大了渐渐和我们一样地躺下，一样地打鼾，

从屋顶传过屋顶，风这样大岁月这样悠久

我们不能够听见，我们不能够听见。

这首诗的风格是深沉，收敛，感情浓厚。“风向东吹，风向南吹，风在低矮的小街上旋转”，通过不停地重复“风”的状态，造成迫人、迷乱的气势。从风写到木格、窗纸，然后又到我们、儿郎，把人的声音加入到自然的声音中去，最后又是深沉的自语。“我们不能够听见，我们不能够听见”，反复两次，像摇了两下头，表达的意思是闭上眼睛，捂住耳朵，不再想下去和不再听下去。

[写作技巧之语音的风格表达

下面的材料旨在丰富学生在是非问题写作方面的思想和语言，考生在复习时可以先分类阅读这些篇章，然后尝试写相关方面的作文题。

对于素材中用黑体字的部分，特别建议你熟读，背诵，因为它们在语言和观点上都值得吸收。学习语言的人应该明白，表达能力和思想深度都靠日积月累，潜移默化。从某种意义上说，提高英语写作能力无捷径可走，你必须大段背诵英语文章才能逐渐形成语感和用英语进行表达的能力。这一关，没有任何人能代替你过。

因此，建议你下点苦功夫，把背单词的精神拿出来背诵文章。何况，并不是要求你背了之后永远牢记在心：你可以这个星期背，下个星期忘。这没有关系，相信你的大脑具有神奇的能力。背了工具箱里的文章后，你会惊讶的发现：I can think in English now！

1.?????? Proverbs

1. A graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that individuality is the key to success.

2. The primary purpose of a liberal education is to make one’s mind a pleasant place in which to spend one’s time.

3. Next in importance to freedom and justice is popular education, without which neither freedom nor justice can be permanently maintained.

4. The classroom--not the trench--is the frontier of freedom now and forevermore.

5. Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.

6. It is the purpose of education to help us become autonomous, creative, inquiring people who have the will and intelligence to create our own destiny.

7. You see, real ongoing, lifelong education doesn’t answer questions; it provokes them.

8. People will pay more to be entertained than educated.

9.the most important function of education at any level is to develop the personality of the individual and the significance of his life to himself and to others. This is the basic architecture of a life; the rest is ornamentation and decoration of the structure.

10. The essence of our efforts to see that every child has a chance must be to assure each as equal opportunity, not to become equal, but to become different-to realize whatever unique potential of body, mind, and spirit he or she possesses.

11. A great teacher never strives to explain his vision-he simply invites you to stand beside him and see for yourself.

12. If you can read and don’, you are an illiterate by choice.

2. Damaging Research

A study by National Parent-Teacher Organization revealed that in the average American school, eighteen negatives are identified for every positive that is pointed out. The Wisconsin study revealed that when children enter the first grade, 80 percent of them feel pretty good themselves, but by the time they get to the sixth grade, only 10 percent of them have good self-images.

3. Education and Citizenship

An important aspect of education in the United States is the relationship between education and citizenship. Throughout its history this nation has emphasized public education as a means of transmitting democratic values, creating equality of opportunity, and preparing new generations of citizens to function in society. In addition, the schools have been expected to help shape society itself. During the 1950s, for example, efforts to combat racial segregation focused on the schools. Later, when the Soviet Union launched the first orbiting satellite, American schools and colleges came under intense pressure and were offered many incentives to improve their science and mathematics programs so that the nations would not fall behind the Soviet Union in scientific and technological capabilities.

Education is often viewed as a tool for solving social problems, especially social inequality. The schools, t is thought, can transform young people from vastly different backgrounds into competent, upwardly mobile adults. Yet these goals seem almost impossible to attain. In recent years, in fact, public education has been at the center of numerous controversies arising from the gap between the ideal and the reality. Part of the problem is that different groups in society have different have different expectations. Some feel that children should be taught basic job-related skills; still others believe education should not only prepare children to compete in society but also help them maintain their cultural identity (and, in the case of Hispanic children, their language). On the other hand, policymakers concerned with education emphasize the need to increase the level of student achievement and to improve parents in their children’s education.

Some reformers and critics have called attention to the need to link formal schooling with programs designed to address social problems. Sociologist Charles Moscos, for example, is a leader in the movement to expand programs like the Peace Corps, Vista, and Outward Bound into a system of voluntary national service. National service, as Moscos defines it, would entail “the full-time undertaking of public duties by young people whether as citizen soldiers or civilian servers-who are paid subsistence wages” and serve for at least one year. In return for this period of service, the volunteers would receive assistance in paying for college or other educational expenses.

Advocates of national service and school-to-work programs believe that education does not have to be confined to formal schooling. In devising strategies to provide opportunities for young people to serve their society, they emphasize the educational value of citizenship experiences gained outside the classroom. At this writing there is little indication that national service will become a new educational institution in the United States, although the concept is steadily gaining support among educators and social critics.

4. The Teacher’s Role

Given the undeniable importance of classroom experience, sociologists have done a considerable amount of research on what goes on in the classroom. Often they start from the premise that, along with the influence of peers, students’ experiences in the classroom are of central importance to their later development. One study examined the impact of a single first-grade teacher on her students’ subsequent adult status. The surprising results of this study have important implications. It is evident that good teachers can make a big difference in children’s lives, a fact that gives increased urgency to the need to improve the quality of primary-school teaching. The reforms carried out by educational leaders like James Comer suggest that when good teaching is combined with high levels of parental involvement the results can be even more dramatic.

Because the role of the teacher is to change the learner in some way, the teacher-student relationship is an important part of education. Sociologists have pointed out that this relationship is asymmetrical or unbalanced, with the teacher being in a position of authority and the student having little choice but to passively absorb the information provided by the teacher. In other words, in conventional classrooms there is little opportunity for the students to become actively involved in the learning process. On the other hand, students often develop strategies for undercutting the teacher’s authority: mentally withdrawing, interrupting, and the like. Hence, much current research assumes that students and teachers influence each other instead of assuming that the influence is always in a single direction.

5. Education Philosophy

For the past fifty years our schools have operated on the theories of John Dewey (1859-1953), an American educator and writer. Dewey believed hat the school’s job was to enhance the natural development of the growing child, rather than to pour information, for which the child had no context, into him or her. In the Dewey system, the child becomes the active agent in his own education, rather than a passive receptacle for facts.

Consequently, American schools are very enthusiastic about teaching “life skills” –logical thinking, analysis, creative problem--solving. The actual content of the lessons is secondary to the process, which is supposed to train the child to be able to handle whatever life may present, including all the unknowns of the future. Students and teachers both regard pure memorization as an uncreative and somewhat vulgar.

In addition to “life skills”, schools are assigned to solve the ever growing stoke of social problems. Racism, teenage pregnancy, alcoholism, drug use, reckless driving, and are just a few of the modern problems that have appeared on the school curriculum.

This all contributes to a high degree of social awareness in American youngsters.

6. Student Life

To the students, the most notable difference between elementary school and the higher levels is that in junior high they start “changing classes”. This means that rather than spending the day in one classroom, they switch classrooms to meet their different teachers. This gives them three or four minutes between classes in the hallways, where a great deal of the important social action of high school traditionally takes place. Students have lockers in these hallways, around which thy congregate.

Society in general does not take the business of studying very seriously. Schoolchildren have a great deal of free time, which they are encouraged to fill with extracurricular activities—sports, clubs, cheerleading, scouts—supposed to inculcate such qualities as leadership, sportsmanship, ability to organize, etc. those who don’t become engaged in such activities or have afterschool jobs have plenty of opportunity to “hang out”, listen to teenager music, and watch television.

Compared to other nations, American students do not have much homework. Studies also show that American parents have lower expectations for their children’s success in school than other nationalities do. (Historically, there has not been much correlation between American school success and success in later life.) “He’s just not a scholar”, the American parents might say, content that their son is on the swim team and doesn’t take drugs. (Some of the young do choose to study hard, for reason of their own, such as determining that the road to riches lies through Harvard Business School.)

What American schools do effectively teach is the competitive method. In innumerable ways children are pitted against each other—whether in classroom discussion, spelling bees, reading groups, or tests. Every classroom is expected to produce a scattering of A’s and F’s (teachers often grade A=excellent; B=good; C=average; D=poor; and F=failed). A teacher who gives all A’s looks too soft—so students are aware that they are competing for the limited number of top marks.

Foreign students sometimes don’t understand that copying from other people’s papers or from books is considered wrong and taken seriously. Here, it is important to show that you have done your own work and are displaying your own knowledge. It is more important than helping your friends to pass, whom we think do not deserve to pass unless they can provide their own answers. Group effort goes against the competitive grain, and American students do not study together as many Asians do. Many Asians in this country consider their group study habits a large contributor to their school success.

7. Adult Education

After complaining about many aspects of American life, a 40-year-old woman from Hong Kong concluded, “But where else could someone my age go back to school and get a degree in social work? Here you can change your whole life, start a new business, do what you really want to do.”

So at least to this person, school requirements weren’t inhibiting. And to millions of others, adult education is the path to a new career, or if not to a new career, to a new outlook. Schools generally encourage the older person who wants to start anew, and besides regular classes, schedule evening classes in special programs. Today there are so many people of retirement age in college that it is no longer remarkable.

8. Moral Relativism in American

Improving American education requires not doing new things but doing (and remembering) some good old things. At the time of our nation’s founding, Thomas Jefferson listed the requirements for a sound education in the Report of the Commissioners for the University of Virginia. In this landmark statement on American education, Jefferson wrote of the importance of education and writing, and of reading history, and geography. But he also emphasized the need “to instruct the mass of our citizens in these, their rights, interests, and duties, as men and citizens.” Jefferson believed education should aim at the improvement of both one’s “morals” and “faculties”. That has been the dominant view of the aims of American education for over two centuries. But a number of changes, most of them unsound, have diverted schools from these great pursuits. And the story of the loss of the school’s original moral mission explains a great deal.

Starting in the early seventies, “values clarification” programs started turning up in schools all over America. According to this philosophy, the schools were not to take part in their time-honored task of transmitting sound moral values; rather, they were to allow the child to “clarify” his own values (which adults, including parents, had no “rights” to criticize). The “values clarification” movement didn’t clarify values; it clarified wants and desires. This form of moral relativism said, in effect, that no set of values was right or wrong; everybody had an equal right to his own values; and all values were subjective, relative, and personal. This destructive view took hold with a vengeance.

In 1985 The York Times published an article quoting New York area educators, in slavish devotion to this new view, proclaiming, “They deliberately avoid trying to tell students what is ethically right and wrong.” The article told of one counseling session involving fifteen high school juniors and seniors. In the course of that session a student concluded that a fellow student had been foolish to return one thousand dollars she found in a purse at school. According to the article, when the youngsters asked the counselor’s opinion, “He told them he believed the girl had done the right thing, but that, of course, he would not try to force his values on them. ‘If I come from the position of what is wrong,’ he explained, ‘then I’m not their counselor.’”

Once upon a time, a counselor offered counselor, and he knew that an adult does not form character in the young by taking a stance of neutrality toward questions of right and wrong or by merely offering “choices” or “options”.

In response to the belief that adults and educators should teach children sound morals, one can expect from some quarters indignant objections (I’ve heard one version of it expressed countless times over the years): “Who are you to say what’s important?” or “Whose standards and judgments do we use?”

The correct response, it seems to me, is, is we ready to do away with standards and judgments? Is anyone going to argue seriously that a life of cheating and swindling is as worthy as a life of honest, hard work? Is anyone (with the exception of some literature professors at our elite universities) going to argue seriously the intellectual corollary, that a Marvel comic book is as good as Macbeth? Unless we are willing to embrace some pretty silly position, we’ve got to admit the need for moral and intellectual standards. The problem is that some people tend to regard anyone who would pronounce a definitive judgment as an unsophisticated Philistine or a closed-minded “elitist” trying to impose his view on everybody else.

The truth of the real world is that without standards and judgments, there can be no progress. Unless we are prepared to say irrational things—that nothing can be proven more valuable than anything else or that everything is equally worthless—we must ask the normative question. It may come, as a surprise to those who fell that to be “progressive” is to be value-neutral. But as Matthew Amold said, “the world is forwarded by having its attention fixed on the best things” and if the world can’t decide what the best things are, at least to some degree, then it follows that progress, and character, is in trouble. We shouldn’t be reluctant to declare that some things, some lives, books, ideas, and values are better than others. It is the responsibility of the schools to teach these better things.

At one time, we weren’t so reluctant to teach them. In the mid-nineteenth century, a diverse, widespread group of crusaders began to work for the public support of what was then called the “common school”, the forerunner of the public school. They were to be charged with the mission of school felt that the nation could fulfill its destiny only if every new generation was taught these values together in a common institution.

The leaders of the common school movement were mainly citizens who were prominent in their communities—businessmen, ministers, local civic and government officials. These people saw the schools as upholders of standards of individual morality and small incubators of civic and personal virtue; the founders of the public schools had faith that public education could teach good moral and civic character from a common ground of American values.

But in the past quarter century or so, some of the so-called experts became experts of value neutrality, and moral education was increasingly left in their hands. The commonsense view of parents and the publicthat schools should reinforce rather than undermine the values of home, family, and country, was increasingly rejected.

There are those today still that claim we are now too diverse a nation, that we consist of too many competing convictions and interests to instill common values. They are wrong. Of course we are a diverse people. We have always been a diverse people. And as Madison wrote in FederalistNo.10, the competing, balancing interests of a diverse people can help ensure the survival of liberty. But there are values that all American citizens share and that we should want all American students to know and to make their own: honesty, fairness, self-discipline, fidelity to task, friends, and family, personal responsibility, love of country, and belief in the principles of liberty, equality, and the freedom to practice one’s faith. The explicit teaching of these values is the legacy of the common schools, and it is a legacy to which we must return.

9. Schools Should Teach Values

People often said, “Yes, we should teach these values, but how do we teach them?” this question deserves a candid response, one that isn’t given often enough. It is by exposing our children to good character and inviting its imitation that we will transmit to them a moral foundation. This happens when teachers and principals, by their words and actions, embody sound convictions. As Oxford’s Mary Warnock has written, “You cannot teach morality without being committed to morality yourself; and you cannot be committed to morality yourself without holding that some things are right and others wrong.” The theologian Martin Buber wrote that the educator is distinguished from all other influences “by his will to take part in the stamping of character and by his consciousness that he represents in the eyes of the growing person a certain selection of what is, the selection of what is ‘right’, of what should be.” It is in this will, Buber says, in this clear standing for something, that the “vocation as an educator finds its fundamental expression.”

There is no escaping the fact that young people need as example principals and teachers who know the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, and who themselves exemplify high moral purpose.

As Education Secretary, I visited a class at Waterbury Elementary School in Waterbury, Vermont, and asked the students, “Is this a good school?” They answered, “Yes, this is a good school.” I asked them, “Why?” Among other things, one eight-year-old said, “The principal Mr. Riegel, makes good rules and everybody obeys them.” So I said, “Give me an example.” And another answered, “You can’t climb on the pipes in the bathroom. We don’t climb on the pipes and the principal doesn’t either.”

This example is probably too simple to please a lot of people who want to make the topic of moral education difficult, but there is something profound in the answer of those children, something education should pay more attention to. You can’t expect children to take messages about rules or morality seriously unless they see adults taking those rules seriously in their day-to-day affairs. Certain must be said, certain limits lay down, and certain examples set. There is no other way.

We should also do a better job at curriculum selection. The research shows that most “values education” exercises and separate courses in “moral reasoning” tend not to affect children’s behavior; if anything, they may leave children morally adrift. Where to turn? I believe our literature and our history are a rich quarry of moral literacy. We should mine that quarry. Children should have at their disposal a stock of examples illustrating what we believe to be right and wrong, good and bad—examples illustrating what are morally right and wrong can indeed be known and that there is a difference.

What kind of stories, historical events, and famous lives am I talking about? If we want our children to know about honesty, we should teach them about Abe Lincoln walking three miles to return six cents and conversely, about Aesop’s shepherd boy who cried wolf if we want them to know about courage, we should teach them about Joan of Arc, Horatius at the bridge, and Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. If we want them to know about persistence in the face of adversity, they should know about the voyages of Columbus and the character of Washington during the Civil War. And our youngest should be told about the Little Engine That Could. If we want them to know about respect for the law, they should understand why Socrates told Crito: “No, I must submit to the decree of Athens.” If we want our children to respect the rights of others, they should read the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the Gettysburg Address, and Martin Luther King, Jr.’ “Letter from Birmingham jail.” From the Bible they should know about Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi, Joseph’s forgiveness of his brothers, Jonathan’s friendship with David, the Good Samaritan’s kindness toward a stranger, and David’s cleverness and courage in facing Goliath.

These are only a few of the hundreds of examples we can call on. And we need not get into issues like nuclear war, abortion, creationism, or euthanasia. This may come as a disappointment to some people, but the fact is that the formation of character in young people is educationally a task different from, and prior to, the discussion of the great, difficult controversies of the day. First things come first. We should teach values the same way we teach other things: one step at a time. We should not use the fact that there are many difficult and controversial moral questions as an argument against basic instruction in the subject.

After all, we do not argue against teaching physics because laser physics is difficult, against teaching American history because there are heated disputes about the Founders’ intent. Every field has its complexities and its controversies. And every field has its basics, its fundamentals. So they are too with forming character and achieving moral literacy. As any parent knows, teaching character is a difficult task. But it is a crucial task, because we want our children to be healthy, happy, and successful but decent, strong, and good. None of this happens automatically; there is no genetic transmission of virtue. It takes the conscious, committed efforts of adults. It takes careful attention.

10. College Pressures

Mainly I try to remind that the road ahead is a long one and that it will have more unexpected turns than they think. There will be plenty of time to change jobs, change careers, change whole attitudes and approaches. They don not want to hear such liberating news. They want a map—right now – that they can follow unswervingly to career security, financial security, Social Security and, presumably, a prepaid grave.

What I wish for all students is some release from the clammy grip of the future. I wish them a chance to savor each segment of their education as an experience in itself and not as a grim preparation for the next step. I wish them the right to experiment, to trip and fall, to learn that defeat is as instructive as victory and is not the end of the world.

My wish, of course, is na?ve. One of the national gods venerated in our media—the million-dollar athlete, the wealthy executive—and glorified in our praise of possessions. In the presence of such a potent state religion, the young are growing up old.

I see four kinds of pressure working on college students today: economic pressure, parental pressure, peer pressure, and self-induced pressure. It is easy to look around for villains—to blame the colleges for charging too much money, the professors for assigning too much work, the parents for pushing their children too far, and the students for driving themselves too hard. But there are no villains: only victims.

“In the late 1960s.” one dean told me. “The typical question that I got from students was ‘Why is there so much suffering in the world’ or ‘how I can make a contribution?’ Today it’s ‘Do you think it would look better for getting into law school if I did a double major in history and political science, or just majored in one of them?’” many other deans confirmed this pattern. One said: “They are trying to find an edge—the intangible something that will look better on paper if two students are about equal.”

Note the emphasis on looking better. The transcript has become a sacred document, the passport to security. How one appears on paper is more important than how one appears in person. A is for Admirable and B is for Borderline, even though, in Yale’s official system of grading, A means “excellent” and B means “very good.” Today, looking very good is no longer good enough, especially for students who hope to go on to law school or medical school. They know that entrance into the better schools will be an entrance into the better law firms and better medical practices where they will make a lot of money. They also know that the odds are harsh. Yale Law School, for instance, matriculates 170students from an applicant pool of 3,700; Harvard enrolls 550 from a pool of 7,000.

It’s all very well for those of us who write letters of recommendation for our students to stress the qualities of humanity that will make them good lawyers or doctors. And it’s nice to think that admission officers are ready reading our letters and looking for the extra dimension of commitment or concern. Still, it would be hard for a student not to visualize these officers shuffling so many transcripts studded with As that they regard a B as positively shameful.

The pressure is almost as heavy on students who just want to graduate and get a job. Long gone are the days of the “gentleman’s C.” when students journeyed through college with a certain relaxation, sampling a wide variety of courses-music, art, philosophy, classics, anthropology, poetry, religion—that would send them out as liberally educated men and women. If I were an employer I would rather employ graduates who have this range and curiosity than those who narrowly pursued safe subjects and high grades. I know countless students whose inquiring minds exhilarate me. I like to hear the play of their ideas. I do not know if they are getting As or Cs, and I do not care. I also like them as people. The country needs them, and they will find satisfying jobs. I tell them to relax. They cannot.

Nor can I blame them. They live in a brutal economy. Tuition, room, and board at most private colleges now come to at least $7,000, not counting books and fees. This might seem to suggest that the colleges are getting rich. But they are equally battered by inflation. Tuition covers only 60 percent of what it costs to educate a student, and ordinarily the remainder comes from what college receives in endowments, grants, and gifts. Now, the remainder keeps being swallowed by the cruel costs—higher every year—of just opening the doors. Heating oil is up. Insurance is up. Postage is up. Health-premium costs are up. Everything is up. Deficits are up. We are witnessing in American the creation of a brotherhood of paupers—colleges, parents, and students, joined by the common bond of debt.

Today it is not unusual for a student, even if he works part time at college and full time during the summer, to accrue $5,000 in loans after four years—loans that he must start to repay within one year after graduation. Exhorted at commencement to go forth into the world, he is already behind as he goes forth. How could he not feel under pressure throughout college to prepare for this day of reckoning? I have used “he,” incidentally, only for brevity. Women at Yale are under no less pressure to justify their expensive education to themselves, their parents, and society. In fact, they are probably under more pressure. For although they leave college superbly equipped to bring fresh leadership to traditionally male jobs, society has not yet caught up with this fact.

Along with economic pressure goes parental pressure. Inevitably, the two are deeply intertwined.

I see many students taking pre-medical courses with joyless tenacity. They go off to their labs as if they were going to the dentist. It saddens me because I know tem in other corners of their life as cheerful people.

“Do you want to medical school?” I asked them.

“I guess so,” they say, without conviction, or “Not really.”

“Then why are you going?”

“Well, my parents want me to be a doctor. They are paying all this money and …”

Poor students, poor parents, they are caught in one of the oldest webs of love and duty and guilt. The parents mean will; they are trying to steer their sons and draughts toward a secure future. But the sons and daughter want to major in history or classics or philosophy—subjects with no “practical” value. Where’s the payoff on the humanities? It’s not easy to persuade such loving parents that the humanities do indeed pay off. The intellectual faculties developed by studying subjects like history and classics—an ability to synthesize and relate, to weigh cause and effect, to see events in perspective—are just the faculties that make creative leaders in business or almost any general field. Still, many fathers would rather put their money on courses that point toward specific profession—courses that are pre-law, pre-medical, pre-business, or, as I sometimes heard it put, “pre-rich.”

But the pressure on students is severe. They are truly torn. One part of them feels obliged to fulfill their parents’ expectations; after all, their parents are older and presumably wiser. Another part tells them that the expectations that are right for their parents are not right for them.

I know a student who wants to be an artist. She is very obviously an artist and will be a good one—she has already had several modest local exhibits. Meanwhile she is growing as a well-round person and taking humanistic subjects that will enrich the inner resources out of which her art will grow. But her father is strongly opposed. He thinks that an artist is a “dumb” thing to be. The student vacillates and tries to please everybody. She keeps up with her art somewhat furtively and takes some of the “dumb” courses her father wants her to take—at least they are dumb courses for her. She is a free spirit on a campus of tense students—no small achievement in it—and she deserves to follow her muse.

Peer pressure and self-induced pressure are also intertwined, and they begin almost at the beginning of freshman year.

“I had a freshman student I’ll call Linda,” one dean told me, “who came in and said she was under terrible pressure because her roommate, Barbara, was much brighter and studied all the time. I could not tell her that Barbara had come in two hours earlier to say the same thing about Linda.”

The story is almost funny—except that it is not. It is symptomatic of all the pressure put together. When every student thinks every other student is working harder and doing better, the only solution is to study harder still. I see students going off to the library every night after dinner and coming back when it closes at midnight. I wish they would sometimes forget about their peers and go to a movie. I hear the clacking of typewriters in the hours before dawn. I see the tension in their eyes when exams are approaching and papers are due: “Will I get everything done?”

Probably they won’t. They will get blocked. They will sleep. They will oversleep. They will bug out.

Part of the problem is that they are expected to do. A professor will assign five page papers. Several students will start writing ten page papers to impress him. Then more students will write ten page papers, and a few will raise the ante to fifteen. Pity the poor student who is still just doing the assignment.

“Once you have twenty or thirty percent of the student population deliberately overexerting,” one dean points out, “It’s bad for everybody. When a teacher gets more and more effort from his class, the student who is doing normal work can be perceived as not doing well. The tactic work, psychologically.”

Why cannot the professor just cut back and not accept longer papers? He can, and he probably will. But by then the term will be half over and the damage done. Grade fever is highly contagious and not easily reversed. Besides, the professor’s main concern is with his course. He knows his students only in relation to the course and does not know that they are also overexerting in their other courses. Nor is it really his business. He did not sign up for dealing with the student as a whole person and with all the emotional baggage the student brought along from home. That’s what deans, masters, chaplains, and psychiatrists are for.

To some extent this is nothing new: a certain number of professors have always been self-contained islands of scholarship and shyness, more comfortable with books than with people. But the new pauperism has widened the gap still further, for professors who actually like to spend time with students do not have as much time to spend. They are also overexerting. If they are young, they are busy trying to publish in order not to perish, hanging by their figure nails onto a shrinking profession.

If they are old and tenured, they are buried under the duties of administering departments—as departmental chairmen or members of committees—that have been thinned out by the budgetary axe.

Ultimately it will be the students’ own business to break the circles in which they are trapped. They are too young to be prisoners of their parents’ dreams and their classmates’ fears. They must be jolted into believing into themselves as unique men and women who have the power to shape their own future.

“Violence is being done to the undergraduate experience,” says Carlos Hortas. “College should be open-ended: at the end it should open many, many roads. Instead, students are choosing their goal in advance, and their choices narrow as they go along. It’s almost as if they think that the country has been codified in the type of jobs that exist-that they’ve got to fit into certain slots. Therefore, fit into the best paying slot.”

“They ought to take chances. Not taking chances will lead to life of colorless mediocrity. They’ll be comfortable. But something in the spirit will be missing.”

I have painted too drab a portrait of today’s students, making them seem a solemn lot. That is only half of their story; if they were so dreary I wouldn’t so thoroughly enjoy their company. The other half is that they are easy to like. They are quick to laugh and to offer friendship. They are not introverts. They are usually kind and are more considerate of one another than any student generation I have known.

Nor are they so obsessed with their studies that they avoid sports and extracurricular activities. On the contrary, they juggle their crowded hours to play on a variety of teams, perform with musical and dramatic groups, and write for campus publications. But this in turn is one more cause of anxiety. There are too many choices. Academically, they have 1,300 courses to select from; outside class they have to decide how much spare time they can spare and how to spend it.

This means that they engage in fewer extracurricular pursuits than their predecessors did. If they want to row on the crew and play in the symphony they will eliminate one; in the ‘60s they would have done both. They also tend to choose activities that are self-limiting. Drama, for instance, is flourishing in all twelve of Yale’s residential colleges, as it never has before. Students hurl themselves into these productions—as actors, directors, carpenters, and technicians—with a dedication to create the best possible play, knowing that the day will come when the run will end and they can get back to their studies.

They also cannot afford to be the willing slave of organizations like the Yale Daily News. Last spring at the one-hundredth anniversary banquet of that paper—who’s past chairmen include such once and future kings as Potter Stewart, Kingman Brewster, and William F. Buckley, Jr.—much was made of the fact that the editorial staff used to be small and totally committed and that “newsies” routinely worked fifty hours a week. In effect they belonged to a club; Newsies is how they defined themselves at Yale. Today’s students will one or two articles a week, when he can, and he defines himself as a student. I’ve never heard the word Newsie except at the banquet.

If I have described the modern undergraduate primarily as a driven creature who is largely ignoring the blithe spirit inside who keeps trying to come out and play, it’s because that’s where the crunch is, not only at Yale but throughout American education. It’s why I think we should all be worried about the values that are nurturing a generation so fearful of risk and so goal-obsessed at such an early age.

I tell students that there is no one “right” way to get ahead—that each of them is a different person, starting from a different point and bound for a different destination. I tell neither them that change is a tonic and that all the slots are not codified nor the frontiers closed. One of my ways of telling them is to invite men and women who have achieved success outside the academic world to come and talk informally with my students during the year. They are heads of companies or ad agencies, editors of magazines, politicians, public officials, television magnates, labor leaders, business executives, Broadway products, artists, writers, economists, photographers, scientists, historians—a mixed bag of achievers.

I asked them to say a few words about how they got started. The students assume that they started in their present profession and knew all along that it was what they wanted to do. Luckily for me, most of them got into their field by a circuitous route, to their surprise, after many detours. The students are startled. They can hardly conceive of a career that was not pre-planned. They can hardly imagine allowing the hand of God or chance to nudge them down some unforeseen trail.

11. To Err Is Wrong

In the summer of 1979, Boston Red Sox first baseman Carl Yastrzemski became the fifteenth player in baseball history to reach the three thousand hit plateaus. This event drew a lot of media attention, and for about a week prior to the attainment of this goal, hundreds of reports covered Yaz’s every more. Finally, one reporter asked, “Hey Yaz, aren’t you afraid all of this attention will go to your head?” Yastrzemski replied, “I look at this way: in my career I’ve been up to bat over ten thousand times. That means I’ve been unsuccessful at the plate over seven thousand times. That fact alone keeps me from getting a swollen head.”?

Most people consider success and failure as opposites, but they are actually both products of the same process. As Yaz suggest, an activity that produces a hit may also produce a miss. It is the same with creative thinking; the same energy that generates good creative ideas also produces errors.

Many people, however, are not comfortable with errors. Our educational system, based on “the right answer” belief, cultivates our thinking in another, more conservative way. From an early age, we are taught that right answers are good and incorrect answers are bad. This value is deeply embedded in the incentive system used in most schools:

Right over 90% of the time = “A”

Right over 80% of the time = “B~”

Right over 70% of the time = “C~” Right over 60% of the time = “D~” Less than 60% correct, you fail.

From this we learn to be right as often as possible and to keep our mistakes to a minimum. We learn, in other words, that “to err is wrong.

Playing It Safe

With this kind of attitude, you aren’t going to be taking too many chances. If you learn that failing even a litter penalizes you (e.g., being wrong only 15% of the time garners you only a “B” performance), you learn not to make mistakes. And more important, you learn not to put yourself to situation where you might fall. This leads to conservative thought pattern designed to avoid the stigma our society puts on “failure”.

I have a friend who recently graduated from college with a Master’s degree in Journalism. For the last six month, she has been trying to find a job, but to no avail. I talked with her about situation, and realized that her problem is that she doesn’t know how to fail. She went through eighteen years of schooling to try any approaches where she might fail. She has been conditioned to believe that failure is bad in and of itself, rather than a potential stepping-stone to new ideas.

Look around. How many middle managers, housewives, administrators, teachers, and other people do you see who are to try anything new because of this failure? Most of us have learned not to make mistakes in public. As a result, we remove ourselves from many learning experience except for those occurring in the most private of circumstances.

Different Logic

From a practical point of view, “to err is wrong” makes sense. Our survival in the everyday world requires us to perform thousand of small tasks without failure. Think about it: you wouldn’t last very long if you were to step out in front of traffic or stick your hand a pot of boiling water. In addition, engineers whose bridges collapse, stock brokers who lose money for their clients, and copywriters whose ad campaigns decrease sales won’t keep their jobs very long.

Nevertheless, too great an adherence to the belief “to err is wrong” can greatly undermine your attempts to generate new ideas. If you are more concerned with producing right answers than generating original ideas, you’ll probably make uncritical use of the rules, formulae, and procedures used to obtain these right answers. By doing this, you’ll by-pass the germinal phase of the creative process, and thus spend litter time testing assumptions, challenging the rules, asking what-if questions, or just playing around with the problem. All of these techniques will produce some incorrect answers, but in the germinal phase errors are viewed as a necessary by-product of creative thinking. As Yaz would put it, “if you want the hits, be prepared for the misses.” That’s the way the game of life goes.

Errors as Stepping Stones

Whenever an error pops up, the usual response is “Jeez, another screw up, what went wrong this time?” the creative thinker, on the other hand, will realize the potential value of errors, and perhaps say something like, “Would you look at that! Where can it lead our thinking?” and then he or she will go on to use the error as a stepping stone to a new idea. As a matter of fact, the whole history of discovery is filed with people who used erroneous assumptions and failed ideas as stepping-stones to new ideas. Columbus thought he was finding a shorter route to India. Johannes Kepler stumbled on to the idea of interplanetary gravity because of assumptions that were right for the wrong reasons. And, Thomas Edison knew 1800 ways not to build a light bulb.

The following story about the automotive genius Charles Kettering exemplifies the spirit of working through erroneous assumptions to good ideas. In 1912, when the automobile industry was just beginning to grow, Kettering was interested in improving gasoline engine efficiency. The problem he faced was“knockthe phenomenon in which gasoline takes too long to burn in the cylinder-thereby reducing efficiency.

Kettering began searching for ways to eliminate the “knock.” He thought to him, “How can I get the gasoline to combust in the cylinder at an earlier time?” the key concept here is “early”. Searching for analogous situations, he looked around for models of “things that happen early.” He thought of historical models, physical models, and biological models. Finally, he remembered a particular plant, the trailing arbutus, which “happens early,” i.e., it blooms in the snow (“earlier” than other plants). One of this plant’s chief characteristics is its’ red leaves, which help the plant retain light at certain wavelengths. Kettering figured that it must be the red color, which made the trailing arbutus bloom earlier.

Now came the critical step in Kettering’s chain of thought. He asked himself, “How can I make the gasoline red?” perhaps I’ll put red dye in the gasoline—maybe that’ll make it combust earlier.” He looked around his workshop, and found that he didn’t have any red dye. But he did happen to have some iodine—perhaps that would do. He added the iodine to the gasoline and, lo and behold, the engine didn’t “knock”.

[英语作文写作的需要背诵的部分

读后感是议论文中最常见的文体之一，也是初高中学生必须掌握的一种文体。小编收集了高中写作技巧：如何写好读后感，欢迎阅读。

一、引——围绕感点，引述材料。

读后感重在“感”，而这个“感”是由特定的“读”生发的，“引”是“感”的落脚点，所谓“引”就是围绕感点，有的放矢的引用原文：材料精短的，可全文引述;材料长的，或摘录“引”发“感”的关键词、句，或概述引发“感”的要点。不管采用哪种方式引述，“引”都要简练、准确，有针对性。

二、议——分析材料，提练感点。

在引出“读”的内容后，要对“读”进行一番评析。既可就事论事对所“引”的内容作一番分析;也可以由现象到本质，由个别到一般的作一番挖掘;对寓意深的材料更要作一番分析，然后水到渠成地“亮”出自己的感点。

三、联——联系实际，纵横拓展。

写读后感最忌的是就事论事和泛泛而谈。就事论事撒不开，感不能深入，文章就过于肤浅。泛泛而谈，往往使读后感缺乏针对性，不能给人以震撼。联，就是要紧密联系实际，既可以由此及彼地联系现实生活中相类似的现象，也可以由古及今联系现实生活中的相反的种种问题。既可以从大处着眼，也可以从小处入手。当然在联系实际分析论证时，还要注意时时回扣或呼应“引”部，使“联”与“引”“藕”断而“丝”连。

四、结——总结全文，升华感点。

总结既可以回应前文，强调感点;也可以提出希望，发出号召。不管采用哪种方式结尾，都必须与前文贯通，浑然一体。读后感始终要受“读”的约束，开头要引“读”，中间还要不时地回扣“读”的内容，结尾也要恰当回扣“读”的内容不放松。

当然要写好读后感，关键还要读透材料，抓准感点。怎样读透材料?一般说，如果是记叙文，就要抓住人物最突出的某种品质，最有价值的语言行动或事件所包含的深刻意义;如果是议论文，就要把握中心论点;如果是寓言或哲理性的散文，就要领会其深刻的寓意。当然，读一篇文章，感可能是多方面的，要在分析、思考的基础上，选择最值得发表，感受最深，见解新颖独到，最有针对性和现实感的感受来写，一篇读后感只能容纳一个感点，其他感点无论多么好，都要忍痛割爱。明智之举是抓住一点，不及其余，并围绕一个感点，联系实际，谈深谈透。

读后感，就是读了一本书或一篇文章，或读了一段话，或读了几句名言后，把具体感受和得到的启示写成的文章。所谓“感”，可以是从书中领悟出来的道理或精湛的思想，可以是受书中的内容启发而引起的思考与联想，可以是因读书而激发的决心和理想，也可以是因读书而引起的对社会上某些丑恶现象的抨击。

读后感的表达方式灵活多样，基本属于议论范畴，但写法不同于一般议论文，因为它必须是在读后的基础上发感想。要写好有体验、有见解、有感情、有新意的读后感，必须注意以下几点：

首先，要读好原文。“读后感”的“感”是因“读”而引起的。“读”是“感”的基础。走马观花地读，可能连原作讲的什么都没有掌握，哪能有“感”?读得肤浅，当然也感得不深。只有读得认真，才能有所感，并感得深刻。如果要读的是议论文，要弄清它的论点(见解和主张)，或者批判了什么错误观点，想一想你受到哪些启发，还要弄清论据和结论是什么。如果是记叙文，就要弄清它的主要情节，有几个人物，他们之间是什么关系，以及故事发生在哪年哪月。作品涉及的社会背景，还要弄清楚作品通过记人叙事，揭示了人物什么样的精神品质，反映了什么样的社会现象，表达了作者什么思想感情，作品的哪些章节使人受感动，为什么这样感动等等。

其次，排好感点。只要认真读好原作，一篇文章可以写成读后感的方面很多。如对原文中心感受得深可以写成读后感，对原作其他内容感受得深也可以写成读后感，对个别句子有感受也可以写成读后感。总之，只要是原作品的内容，只要你对它有感受，都可以写成读后感。

第三，选准感点。一篇文章，可以排出许多感点，但在一篇读后感里只能论述一个中心，切不可面面俱到，所以紧接着便是对这些众多的感点进行筛选比较，找出自己感受最深、角度最新，现实针对性最强、自己写来又觉得顺畅的一个感点，作为读后感的中心，然后加以论证成文。

第四，叙述要简。既然读后感是由读产生感，那么在文章里就要叙述引起“感”的那些事实，有时还要叙述自己联想到的一些事例。一句话，读后感中少不了“叙”。但是它不同于记叙文中“叙”的要求。记叙文中的“叙”讲究具体、形象、生动，而读后感中的“叙”却讲究简单扼要，它不要求“感人”，只要求能引出事理。初学写读后感引述原文，一般毛病是叙述不简要，实际上变成复述了。这主要是因为作者还不能把握所要引述部分的精神、要点，所以才简明不了。简明，不是文字越少越好，简还要明。

第五，联想要注意形式。联想的形式有相同联想(联想的事物之间具有相同性)、相反联想(联想的事物之间具有相反性)、相关联想(联想的事物之间具有相关性)、相承联想(联想的事物之间具有相承性)、相似联想(联想的事物之间具有相似性)等多种。写读后感尤其要注意相同联想与相似联想这两种联想形式的运用。

读书笔记：以读促写三类型

读书笔记作为促进读写能力提高的有效途径，越来越受到重视。读书笔记在能力层次上可以划分为三种类型：

一、理解——复述型

这一类型的读书笔记是把对作品的理解用自己的语言复述下来。它有利于提高学生的概括能力、叙述能力和逻辑思维能力。那么如何复述呢?主要有提纲法。提纲法是指阅读作品后，经过综合分析，把作品的内容按照自然段或者意义段提纲挚领地分条列出，针对不同的文体和个人阅读的需要，编写各种类型的提纲。最为常见的是内容提纲，还有把握文章结构脉络的结构提纲和把握故事情节的情节提纲等。关键是条理清晰，使人看了能一下子总揽全局，理清头绪。

例如下面一篇读书笔记就是对高尔基的《童年》做的内容提纲：

“《童年》与其续篇《在人问》《我的大学》共同构成了高尔基自传体小说三部曲，《童年》是首篇。在这部小说中，描写的是作者10岁以前的童年时代的生活。记叙了主人公成长、生活的历程，描写了那令人窒息的、充满可怕景象的狭小天地。阿廖沙四岁时，父亲就死了，于是跟着外祖父、外祖母过着贫寒、艰苦的生活。外祖父有着矛盾复杂的性格，他的内心有善良的一面，但贪婪金钱腐蚀了他的灵魂。在这冷冰冰的世界里，只有外祖母庇护、关心着他，给予他无限的温情和钟爱，并对他进行了有益的教导。

整篇《童年》中所描绘的是一种浓厚的、色彩斑斓的、离奇的难以形容的生活。那段生活，仿佛是由一个善良而且极端诚实的天才美妙的天才讲出来一个悲惨的童话。但尽管作品中描写了那么多目不忍睹的惨事与丑事，整部作品仍然像阳光透过云层一样放射出了乐观主义的思想光辉。主人公阿廖沙没有被艰辛、痛苦和屈辱的生活所压倒，他满怀信心，奋斗拼搏，冲破种种障碍与不幸，不断探索新生活，这种乐观主义精神使作品在思想内容上带上了积极的色彩。”

这一提纲从背景介绍入手，然后概括了作品的大致内容，在第二段中又用概括的语言进行概貌似的总结，让人们从整体上了解这部作品的思想内容和风格，条理清晰，语言凝练，抓住了理解——复述型读书笔记的写作要点。

Spring is my favorite season. In spring days, everything comes out. While

you are walking outside, your eyes will be filled with green.

In spring days, our world is a sunny place, which is covered with green

trees and colorful flowers, so it can be described as a paradise. Especially

when you are in the countryside, you can see green mountains, vast fields, clean

streams, and all the living creatures, coexisting harmoniously. All of them make

up the most beautiful picture in the world.

In spring days, the sun shines brightly, and theres also some pleasant

breeze. So how charming it is while feeling the spring wind blow us. Its also

wonderful to enjoy the beautiful sunshine. You will also get a lot of

refreshments while having a walk outside.

I hope we can enjoy the life of spring every day.

参考翻译

春天是我最喜欢的季节。春天一切都发芽了。在外面散步，眼睛里看到的都是满满的绿色。

在春天，我们的世界是一个充满阳光的地方，到处都覆盖着绿色的树木和色彩缤纷的鲜花，所以它可以说得上是一个天堂。尤其是当你在乡下时，你可以看到绿色的山，广阔的田野，清澈的小溪，和所有的生物和谐共存。所有这些组成了世界上最漂亮的画。

春天，阳光灿烂，还有一些令人愉快的微风。所以感觉到春风吹过我们的时候该是是多么的令人陶醉。也是享受美丽的阳光时候。你也会觉得恢复精力当你到外面走一走时。

我们希望我们可以享受春天的每一天生活。

高考作文最重要的一个技巧，就是卷面工整，字迹清晰。阅卷老师在打分时，第一眼看到的就是考生的字迹，所以作文想要得高分，就要先把字写好。切记不要字迹潦草。

考生在写作文的时候，要注意分段。如果是3、4个段落，则显得过少，8、9个段落，则显得比较琐碎。段落过多和过少都会引起阅卷老师的视觉疲劳，从而会影响分数。其实，对于作文分段中，还是要以五六个最佳。这样的段落分布是最舒服的。

高考作文中，一般都是自命题作文或是半命题作文。如果题目起的好，作文就成功了一半了。考生在平时写作文时，在作文题目上就要多加练习，可以自己去网上搜一些题目写作方法和技巧，多加练习。

考生在写高考作文时，先不要着急动笔，要先列提纲比较好。在写作文的时候，列提纲是很关键的。考生在列提纲的时候，要注意把开头和结尾写的详细一些。另外，高考考试时间有限，所以列提纲的时候，时间要掌握好，5-8分钟最佳。

everything lives with opposite forces。 the same can be said about modern technology， such asInternet。

at first glance internet offers us excitement and a worl of promise。 frankly speaking， people who have some ideas of it can not deny the merits born with the system。 for instance，it can improve proficiency in scientific research， for by means of it scientists and researchers can get a global look at the latest development in the field concerned and accordingly they need spend no time doing what has already been done。 in view of personal communication， the most convenient means could be peculiar to internet， too。

while people speak highly of internet， its drawbacks shouldnt be neglected。 sometimes， alittle fatal breakdown of the system， or a disastrous error could bring us an enormous amount of damage and loss。 meanwhile， with lnternets replacement of hooks or the written work as the main source of information， humans writing abilities are weakened and relations between people are desalinated。

however， every country on this planet should work hard to develop the system to serve us more efficiently and comfortably， because in the net all countries are interrelated。

[关于网络(Internet)高中英语作文

题目：请以“My Class Teacher”为题，写一篇不少于60个单词的作文。

My Class Teacher我的班主任

My class teacher is Mr. Wang. He is strict but kind. He has taught us Chinese for two years.我的班主任是王老师，他是一个要求严格而亲切的老师。他已经教了我们两年语文。

He always tells us to study hard but not all the time. Sometimes he plays with us. He says, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." I think he is a good class teacher.他总是告诉我们要好好学习，但不是时时刻刻学习。有时他会和我们一起玩。他说：“只会用功不玩耍，聪明孩子也变傻。” 我觉得他是个很好的班主任。

点评：这篇文章取材的是身边熟悉的人，作者也有东西可写，更具有可读性。另外，写人时把主语稍作调整，读起来轻松多了。

I am a 15-year-old girl. My name is [ename]Cherry[/ename]. Now I am studying in the middle school. I want to be an actress because I think it is a funny and exciting job...

写人的常见句式如：

This is my friend, Mary.

She is... years old.

She is a teacher/ an artist/ a singer...

She/ He gets up at 6/5... / early/ late.

She/ He has sports at school.

She/ He likes...

She/ He is strong/ fat/ slim/ kind/ thin/...

She/ He looks like...

She/ He is good at English/ maths/ Chinese/ physics...

一、话题作文审题指要

近几年高考全国卷考查的都是话题作文。话题作文为发挥考生的写作才能而缩小了限制性，加大了自主性，相对材料作文而言，题面的要求说得比较明白，所以审题难度有所下降。但是，如果考生审题意识淡薄，既不重视把握题目内涵，也不注意审清要求，还是会造成“一着不慎，满盘皆输”的严重后果。这方面的教训并不少。比如2017年上海卷要求以“忙”为话题写一篇文章，按理说不存在什么审题障碍，但仍有考生出现偏差，例如写成“帮忙”。“忙”的内涵应该是显性的，变成复合词“帮忙”，也就改变了它的本来涵义。另外，有考生由上海方言中的“帮帮忙”、电话术语“忙音”等切入话题，也都偏离了“忙”的原意。2017年高考分省命题，共涌现出九道话题作文，考生审题不准、偏离题意的情况依然突出。像全国卷一的话题为“出人意料和情理之中”，可能是引出话题的玻尔的回答（“因为我不怕在学生面前显露我的愚蠢”）让部分考生难以理解，于是他们就反复考虑这句话，在这句话上大做文章，大谈“愚蠢”“聪明与愚蠢”“天才与愚蠢”“成功与愚蠢”，以致与话题谬以千里。有必要提请考生注意，话题作文审题时应做到三点：

首先要全面。即凡是命题者给出的材料、提示语、要求或注意事项，都要一一看明白，不能遗漏。与材料相比，命题人给出的提示语更应认真阅读。比如2017年高考试题的提示语是“也许不是人人都会碰上这种生死的抉择，但是每个人却常常遇到、见到、听到一些触动心灵需要作出选择的事情”。这就交代得很清楚，试题用登山者的故事作为材料，但并没有限定考生一定要写生死抉择或帮助别人的题材，所以也就不一定按照这个故事的帮人救人的道德观念、价值观念来立意，事实上，许多心灵的选择是不属于帮人救人的，有一大批优秀的考场作文没有写帮助他人，而是从自己的阅读和生活中寻找素材，同样产生了以理服人、以情感人的艺术效果。

其次要吃透话题的内涵。比如面对“假如记忆可以移植”，要明确以下几点：（1）“记忆”是指“保存在脑子里的过去事物的印象”，不是“思维”“性格”“精神”，当然更不是“身份”“地位”“面貌”。（2）“移植”在这里是指“将机体的一部分组织转移到另一机体上的一种医疗手术”，不是“克隆”“复制”，也不是单方面的“删除”，而是有“移”有“植”。通过这样的分析，就不会闹出移植爱因斯坦记忆后自己也长出大胡子之类的笑话，也不会写出“借尸还魂”等荒唐故事了。（3）“假如”，表明这是一个假设的判断，即已经假定这是一种“事实”，接下来只能对由此而产生的结果作出判断和评价，而不必对移植技术本身的可能性、可靠性发表什么意见，决不能死抠住材料中“当然，人的记忆移植要比动物复杂得多，也许永远不会成功”，自说自话地以“记忆是不能够移植的”为观点作文，否则得分必然少得可怜。又如写“纪念”，要弄清：不能把它等同于怀念，因为它不仅仅是内心情感的涌动，还是思想与行动的结合，即“用一定的方式对人对事表示怀念”。

近年来，关系类话题作文是高考测试热点中的热点。对于此类试题，审题时须将两者（甚至三者）之间存在的关系揭示出来，不可偏废，否则就有可能偏离题意。从何处着手呢？搞清各自所属的领域或范畴，搞清各自的本质、特点，更要搞清这两者在何时何地、何情何景下有何联系——是直接影响还是间接影响，是正面作用还是负面作用；是显性关系还是隐性关系，是偶然联系还是必然联系；是单向联系还是多向联系，或者是互动关联、互为条件、互为因果，等等。搞清关系之后，再从中挑选出自己准备准确表达的一种关系，进而形成观点或判断，并以此来构思作文。

最后一点，要围绕话题选材。根据话题范围确立主题后，还要精选材料，充分表现主题，这样才算真正符合题意。有些考生没有注意这一点，作文开头也能抓住话题，但主体部分却不能围绕中心行文，这也是不符合题意的表现。

二、命题作文审题指要

（一）咀嚼含义。即弄清题目的意思。比如2017年北京卷要求“以‘转折’为题”作文，“转折”的意思是“事物在发展过程中改变原来的方向、形式等”（《现代汉语词典》）。可见，这是一个中性的名词性概念，古今中外，称得上有“转折”的人与事都可入文，且不分是向好处转，还是向坏处转——向好处转可以提供经验，向坏处转可以提供教训。但是从审题上看，“转折”不同于“转变”“转化”“挫折”，更不同于一般的“变化”。又如以“自嘲”为题作文，须用辩证的眼光审视题目——自嘲作为一种正视尴尬、自我宽慰的人生态度是值得提倡的，但如果失去了一个度，就会转变为自卑和颓废，会沦落为阿q式的心理麻醉。

（二）明确重点。即要找出“题眼”。比如“我的财富”，重点在“财富”，而财富包括物质财富和精神财富；“近墨者未必黑”，重点在“未必”，不能把“近墨者未必黑”混同于“近墨者不黑”；“今年花胜去年红”，重点在于一个“胜”字，隐含着“今年”与“去年”的优劣比较。

（三）确定范围。即弄清题目对文体、时间、地点、数量、对象和内容等方面的要求。比如“我的财富”，内容上应扣住“我”来展开；“我们生活在同一块土地上”，“同一块土地上”应指比较广大的地域，假如写教室、宿舍、家庭等很小的范围，就不够切题。

三、材料作文审题指要

（一）努力抓住“关键词”。材料作文一般有多项“指令”，这些“指令”往往以“关键词”的面目出现，考生应当努力抓住这些“关键词”。比如2017年福建卷要求“把图给你的联想或感悟写成一篇900字左右的文章”，有三个“关键词”巧妙地“嵌”在试题中——“请你联系提示文字”的“联系”，“对它们加以比较”的“比较”，“联想或感悟要与两幅图都相关”的“都相关”。“联系提示文字”，启发考生准确而深刻地理解“规范”与“新颖”、“稳定”与“多变”、“周长短，面积大”与“周长长，面积小”等彼此间的关系；“比较”“都相关”，则要求兼顾两幅图，而不能只说一幅。那么，怎样抓“关键词”呢？南京师大何永康教授的建议是：一要一个词、一个词地在心中默读考题，强迫自己定下心来，把试题中的每一个字看清楚。二要在找出“关键词”后，先用铅笔把它们圈出来，这样可以有一个“物质依托”，防止在“心里盘算”时丢三拉四；审题结束后，再用橡皮把铅笔圈过的痕迹擦去。

（二）尽可能多地找出材料的含义，准确确定论点。材料作文的材料绝大多数是多义的，单义的材料十分少见。比如“达·芬奇画蛋”的材料，至少有三种含义：一是“天才出于勤奋”，二是“要练好基本功”，三是“名师出高徒”。找出材料的多种含义后，应注意通过比较鉴别，选出你认为最直接、最佳的一条来，作为将写的作文的主旨。试以1995年高考试题为例。这一年所给材料是寓言诗《鸟的评说》（“麻雀说燕子/是怕冷的懦夫/燕子说黄鹂/徒有一身美丽的装束/黄鹂说百灵/声音悦耳动机不纯/百灵说最无原则的/要算那鹦鹉/鹦鹉说喜鹊/生就一副奴颜媚骨/喜鹊说苍鹰好高骛远/苍鹰说麻雀寸光鼠目……”）。本则材料含义甚多，选择时千万不能抓住其中的某一个局部，由此扯开去，讲到其他问题（比如由“黄鹂”“徒有一身美丽的装束”，讲到要追求心灵美）。正确的做法是：由个别到一般，抓住材料中七种鸟共同存在的带有倾向性的问题，那就是——要全面地、辨证地、正确地对待他人和自己，不能“看别人一块疤，看自己一朵花”。这是材料最直接的含义。此外，还可以察“前因”（为什么会这样），探“后果”（这样会带来什么结果），确立“要以正常的心态待人”“要注意调查，实事求是”“要加强团结”等论点。

对于考研英语的应用文写作来说，考生平时复习时不仅要注意应用文写作特点、格式要求，还要有意识的掌握各类应用文的写作方法。考研辅导专家建议广大考生不要简单认为应用文的复习就是复习相应的格式，格式只是应用文写作的最起码要求，除了应用文特定的格式外，还要背诵一些经典的套话，在平时的写作训练中培养迅速构思成篇的能力，注意词句的多样性和准确性训练。下面，我们就针对应用文写作中的私人和公务信函、备忘录、摘要、报告几种形式介绍一下写作技巧。

一、私人和公务信函

信函是很重要的一种应用文。私人和公务信函是用以交涉事宜、传达信息、交流思想、联络感情、增进了解的重要工具，与同学们的生活、学习比较密切，也是以后工作中用的最多的一种沟通方式。所谓私人信函就是给家人、朋友或者同学等写信，谈事情的同时又交流感情，是四级考试(专业课历年考研试卷)中常见的一种信函，研究生英语考试(专业课历年考研试卷)中常考的是公共信函。所谓公务信函就是给亲朋好友之外的人写信，主要是为了办事，比方说给老板或是客户写信都属于公共信函。

信函一般都是由写信时间、信内地址、称呼、信的主要内容和信尾几个主要部分组成。收信人地址要写在左上角，寄信人地址要写在右上角，寄信人地址也可以不写，姓名写在地址上面，地址排列顺序依次为门牌号、街区名、城市和国名。在信的开头人名前一定要加Mr.,Mrs.,Dear等比较尊敬的称呼，信的结尾注意使用常用的客套话如：sincerelyyours,faithfullyyours或者yourssincerely,yoursfaithfully。英文书信写作要遵循五个原则，即正确、清晰、简洁、礼貌和体贴。

正确是指信中所谈的事情要准确、具体，不用含糊抽象的词如：本月、明天等。清晰要求的是主题要明确，层次要清楚，让读者看后了然于心。简洁是现代英语发展的一大趋势。书信写作要做到行文简洁流畅，避免迂回冗长的长句，使书信尽可能写得明白清晰。书信交往，同样需要以礼待人，因而在写信过程中，要避免伤害对方感情，措辞上多多使用would,could,may,please等词，要自然得体，彬彬有礼。体谅对方也是写书信时要注意的一个原则，不能以自己为中心，要尊重对方的习俗爱好，即便是拒绝，也要委婉而不失去友谊。书信的写作也要注意格式，避免语法、拼写、标点错误，信中所引用的史料、数据等也应准确无误。

二、备忘录

备忘录是一种录以备忘的公文，主要用来提醒、督促对方，或就某个问题提出自己的意见或看法。包括书端、收文人的姓名、头衔、地址，称呼，事因，正文，结束语，和署名，备忘录上一定要说明什么时间，谁写的？写给谁？什么事？并且正文、结束语和署名等项与一般信件的格式相同。

三、摘要

接着谈谈摘要。摘要分成两种，一种是文章摘要，一种是论文摘要。

文章摘要就是给一篇文章让写一个摘要，文章摘要是对文章主要内容的简练概括，内容上要涵盖全文，语言上要尽量简练。写摘要前一定要仔细阅读全文，弄懂文章大意；摘要涵盖原文的主要观点并与原文的观点保持一致；摘要应该简明扼要，字数在规定的字数范围内；摘要最好不要照搬原文，应该用自己的话概括原文的主要观点；并且注意千万不要照抄，也千万不要评论，只需要写出中心思想或者段落大意即可。

第二种摘要是论文摘要。比方说是大家写一篇学术论文，硕士博士论文需要写一个英文的摘要。相对来讲我们认为考论文摘要的可能性稍微大一点。写这种摘要时要注意时态和语态。叙述研究过程，多采用一般过去时；说明某课题现已取得的成果，宜采用现在完成时。摘要中多数情况下可采用被动语态。但在某些情况下，特别是表达作者或有关专家的观点时，又常用主动语态。英文摘要有一些常用句型，比如表示研究目的，可以用Inorderto……Thispaperdescribes……Thepurposeofthisstudyis……，表示表示结论、观点或建议可以用Theauthors[suggest/conclude/consider]that……。

四、报告

最后一种是报告。报告其实也分为两种，第一种是读书报告。比如读一本书或者看一本小说写一个读书报告。读书报告中首先要交代背景知识，比如作者生平，时代简介等，接下来对书的内容做一个简单的概括，与摘要不同的是读书报告最后一段可以发表评论。与摘要相同，读书报告也要注意时态，比如像科普类的知识应该用现在式。另一种报告就是书面报告，书面报告考试(专业课历年考研试卷)的可行性和可能性更大一些。书面报告与备忘录的写法很类似，所不同的就是书面报告一般是下级写给上级，它也需要交代清楚四件事：什么时间？谁写的？写给谁？什么事？

当然，应用文写作能力的提高必须经过长期的实践锻炼。在复习阶段，首先要熟悉不同类型的应用文写作格式，注意事项，写作特点等。其次要背诵大量的优秀范文，要整段整段的背，不仅是背会而且要脱口而出，并且转换成自己的语言，写作时可以随心所欲支配。再次，是要多动手写作，要写出属于自己的文章，多动手写作才能快速写出好文章来。写好的文章要注意检查，看有无语法错误，有无用词不当，能否用其他的句式表达相同的意思，可以让同学帮忙检查，让同学提一些宝贵的意见和建议。总的来说，虽然大家对应用文的写作还比较陌生，但是只要认真对待，只要花时间背范文了，花时间写文章了，就一定能取得理想成绩。

过年，当然就少不了拜年，拜年是中国民间的传统习俗，是人们辞旧迎新、相互表达美好祝愿的一种方式。古时"拜年"原有的含义是为长者拜贺新年，包括向长者叩头施礼、祝贺新年如意、问候生活安好等内容。遇有同辈亲友，也要施礼道贺。听爸爸妈妈讲，改革开放以前，每到大年初一的早上，小孩子们就穿上一身土里土气的衣裳，到晚辈那里磕三个头，说句：“给你老拜年了！”就可以得到的压岁钱改革开放之后，人们的经济条件不断提高，拜年时还带一些礼物，以表寸心，近几年，几乎家家户户都安上了电话。每到过年的时候，各家的电话都响个不停，虽说祝福的话语不长，但表达了人们那颗真诚的心。如今，大部分人都买了手机，短信拜年这一新时尚潮流席卷面来。

大年初一到街上，街道上仿佛变了个样，大街上张灯结彩，热闹非凡，家家户户贴着挂灯笼。“倒福”、人们穿着节日的盛装，亲戚、亲友们相邀做客，即是“拜年。我先来到奶奶家，“奶奶过年好。身体健康，万事如意！”我高兴地说。说罢，奶奶就将以个红包塞进了我的口袋。又走了几家，大家都互相恭贺新春，好不热闹，这时我想起外公外婆，准备来个电话拜年。我拿起话筒，。外公外婆年纪已老，但身体仍然硬朗。每天给我做可口的饭菜，让我十分感动，觉得心里暖和和的。不知不觉中，我按下了号码。"您好，外婆是我"。"喔，有什么事情吗""我想给您和外公拜个年，祝您们身体健康，万事如意。“谢谢你，我也祝你新年快乐！学习进步！”外婆高兴地说。

我想，以后的拜年方式可能还会变化。明年可能用可视手机直接对话。还可能是网上拜年等。通过拜年方式不断变化，让我们看到了我国人民的生活水平正在不断提高，国家经济和科技飞速发展，更让我们看到了祖国灿烂似锦的明天。

用介词短语替代从句，例：

原句：While they were playing tennis, she started an argument that lasted all morning.

修改后：During tennis she started an argument that lasted all morning.

原句：When you come to the second traffic light, turn right.

修改后：At the second traffic light turn left.

Seeing mywhole education history, I have many teachers. But my favorite teacher is onlyone. He is Mr Lu. He is my middle Chinese teacher and head teacher. He is aboutfifty years old. Maybe he works too hard, so his back is a little bent.

He alwayswears a black glasses. He looks amiable but serious in study.

He always thinks us before everything. His class isvery interesting and full of different kinds of encouraging stories. He is verystrict to us in study. But whoever has difficulties, he would help us withouthesitation.

Sometimes he plays the role of a strict teacher, sometimes he takesthe place of a kind father.

纵观我整个受教育史，我有过很多老师。但我最喜欢的老师只有一个。他是陆老师。

他是我的初中语文老师兼班主任。他大约五十岁。也许是因为工作辛苦，所以他的背有点弯了。

他总是戴一副黑色的眼镜。他看上去很和蔼可亲，对学习却是很严格的。他总是把我们放在第一位。

他的课是非常有趣的，也经常讲各种不同励志故事。他对我们学习很严格。但无论谁有困难，他都会毫不犹豫地帮助我们。有时他是一个严格的老师，有时候他是一个慈祥的父亲。

摘 要：从生活体验、增加阅读量、思想角度、表达能力和文章结构等方面阐述了如何写好命题作文的方法和技巧。围绕命题作文的趋势和特点，对高中生如何写好命题作文提供了很好的参考方向。

关键词：命题作文；感悟；阅读个性；表达能力

近些年话题作文一直是高考的作文主流，可以说是称霸“考坛”，因此，是平时作文训练的重点。笔者认为，话题作文大大增强了对学生语言表达能力、分析概括能力以及个性思维能力的要求。只有敏锐的洞察力、较高的概括与表达能力以及真正属于自己的思想与体悟，才能较好地具体操作一个话题，因此，对处于对人生理解还在起步阶段的中学生来说，如何写好话题作文是一个很有研究价值的课题，在此笔者简单提供以下几点写作方法与技巧以供参考。

一、体味生活，感悟人生

我们都知道思想离不开生活，一切皆从生活中来，一切也皆将回归生活，话题作文中的话题也更是如此，它们有的是对世界本质的反思，有的是要表达人们的一种愿望或想象，在课改教材中，这一部分内容也倍受重视，更有对人生经历、生命内涵的体悟。

话题作文是要求学生对身边的一切都有敏锐的感悟力的一种作文形式，虽然它看似没有任何硬性要求，但学生的分数这些年来却呈下降趋势，这说明话题文比人们想象中的要难得多，中学生还处在人生旅程的起始阶段，必须培养自己在这个人生阶段的独特视角与感悟力。每个人只要细心观察，都可以轻易地从中领会出自己的真谛。因此，想写出一篇出彩的话题文，就必须善于观察生活、分析生活、总结生活。

二、认真阅读教材，同时尽量增加课外阅读量，从而积累词汇与语言，善于调遣各种知识储备

积累词汇的方法有许多种，当然最主要同时也是最重要的途径莫过于阅读书籍。书籍是人类的精神食粮，是千百年来人类圣哲思想的经典总汇，因此，要尽量增加自己的课外阅读量，多读些经典名著，陶冶自己的情操，认识这个世界。

有的学生课业繁重，对于课外阅读恐怕是有心无力，这也不要紧，每个学生身边都有一份非常好的阅读资料，那就是人手必备的语文教材。教材可以说是无数教育学家按照学生心理年龄与认知水平而打造出的完全符合其自身智力与能力发展的呕心之作，因此，只要能够有效地利用好自己的教材，调动多年学校学到的知识，那么成为一个有思想且能够出口成章的儒林学士则不成问题。

三、要有质疑与批判精神，只要思想积极，就要忠于自己的情感与体悟，勇敢、尽情地表达自己对世界、社会、历史、人生以及未来等的见解

这一点可以说是话题作文的本质所在，它没有固定的要求，却有最佳的选择角度，那就是理智、积极、个性、真实，而这所有的种种却又都取决于真实，如果你敢于把自己真实的想法付于笔纸，那么“文情并茂”中的“情”就可以轻易地表达了，而一篇优秀的文章也会“接近”完成。

但要注意的是个性并不等于不同，批判也并不是叛逆，两者不可混淆，不能一味地用“异于常人”作为个性的最佳代言，也切忌用叛逆来代替批判精神，这样很容易步入阅读与写作的误区。对理解文意毫无帮助，也最终会导致思维的一种批判模式，一旦这种模式在其心中根深蒂固，那么不仅会影响其阅读写作，其一生也终将活在吹毛求疵的误区中。

四、发挥自己形象思维的特长，经常练笔，挖掘自身的述说能力，从而写出真正符合自己特点的话题作文

在现实的作文写作中经常有这样一种怪现象，有很多学生在进行写作时，心中明明已满载乾坤，等到真正落笔时却词不达意，文章显得苍白无力，这种表达能力的缺乏必须经过“艰苦”的练笔来克服。我们现在的学生一般在小学阶段就开始接触作文，而所写的作文一般都是具有强烈叙事色彩的记叙文，因此，对于一个学生来说形象思维能力在小学阶段就得到了一定的锻炼，相对于议论思辨等能力来说具有更多的优势，因此，学生只要有意识地练习写作或诵读片段式记叙文（或称作叙事散文）、微型小说、故事、童话、寓言以及抒情散文等，就能够比较轻松地增强自己的表达能力，从而达到“我手写我口”的境界。

五、掌握最基本的一种话题作文结构，即“三段式”结构

在初中阶段学生在尽量提升作文布局的同时，必须掌握话题文，也同样适用于议论文与记叙文的一种基本结构形式，那就是

“总—分—总”结构，也可以说是“凤头、猪肚、豹尾”结构。初中语文教材上的课文范文，70%以上都是这种三段式结构，熟练地掌握这种文章结构，不但可以作为写文章的基本保证，而且当学生随着年龄的增长，认知能力进一步发展，对文章的理解达到更高一层的境界时，自然就会举一反三，以此为基础写出更多优异结构的美文了。

总的来说，提高话题作文的写作能力，只有教师平时多关注社会动态，感悟生活，再综合多方面的方法和技巧，方能写出精彩，写出创新！

参考文献：

［1］何雨蓉。高考语文作文命题分析与对策研究［D］。东北师范大学，2012.

［2］郝玲君。高中作文有效教学指导策略和原则［D］。河北师范大学，2012.

（作者单位 西藏自治区拉萨市第四高级中学）

Today is the National Day, but also our 30th anniversary of the founding of China. I am bored after a morning, in the afternoon, I went to my sisters house to play.

I am happy to the sister, but to her home I was disappointed, the original sister did not think what to play, we racked our brains, and finally thought of a game: grab the bench.

We found ten children to play, the rules of the game is this: Please the five children (including me and my sister) with the music around four bench circle. Music stop, we must immediately grab a bench to sit down. Who did not grab, who would be eliminated. The second round is four and three bench. The last round only two people and a bench, and who grabbed the last bench who would win. By aunt when the referee.

Big aunt first invited Wang Yue, Lai Yun, Yu Jing and my sister to play. The rest of the children on the side when the cheerleaders. I saw the two of them relatively standing, Yu Jing children did not show weakness, raised his head, Tingzhuo, not afraid of the way; look at Lai cloud students, half open eyes, hands into the trousers, are not See Yu Jing this skinny monkey. With the big aunt whistle, the game began.

When the music sounded, they turned around the bench. When they are spinning, we are seeing the gods. Music and suddenly stopped. Lai Yun seems to have no response over, standing on that look at my sister and grab the bench. But I do not know ye engage in, her eyes light up, found an empty bench. Lai Yun immediately ran to sit. Later, my sister was eliminated. The second round, three rounds of Lai and my two children were eliminated in turn.

The last round only two female students. As soon as the music sounded, they turned slowly around the bench. Their eyes staring at the only Zhang bench, and my heart is also very nervous. Our cheerleaders shouted: "Wang Yue Come on! Wang Yue will win! Wang Yue Come on!" Yu Jing did not hear the students to their own voice, it seems more tense. Tension is useless. Music stop, Wang first grabbed the bench more than half, Yu Jing grabbed only a small half.

Wangs victory, so that we are happy and jump again and again.

Through this game, our actions are more agile. I am so happy today

写作的文学底蕴的差距的确是没有办法在短时期内弥补的，但是学生可以用技巧来弥补才华的不足，下面是小编整理的高考作文写作高分技巧，一起来看看！

一：作文要注重真情，把握真实是关键

构思是文章的骨架，内容是血肉，而情感则是神经。阅卷老师认为文章不是无情物，一篇好文章，就应该具有良好的情感态度，换言之，即使文章的内容很平实，但情感却足够真挚，就像朱自清先生的《背影》，同样也能憾人心魄。在考场作文中，写人记事发议论，心中饱藏真情，让现实生活的境与溢出纸外的真情相呼应，则自成佳境。没有情感的境，如同行尸走肉，令人生厌。用真情关照生活，虽一花一草，一人一物，也熠熠生辉!

二：开头结尾要简练，最好首尾两行半

大头作文要不得。除非特殊情况，建议考生在写作文的时候，开头结尾占两行半的格子，顶多不能超过三行半。

三：动笔之前要拟题，漂亮标题如美女

准备题目的办法有2个，你可以去网络上搜索作文题目，归纳作文老师讲述的类似技巧;二是翻阅最近一年的《读者》或《青年文摘》等杂志，根据题材选择一些比较精彩的标题，记下来，也许考试的时候灵光一现可以类比运用。

四：适当克隆和借鉴，考前备课攒信息

考试前，建议考生翻阅大量的范文，积累一些佳作的结构。如果写记叙文，最好翻阅《读者》和《青年文摘》，其中一些散文的结构是很好的，适当对其归纳总结，到考试的时候，你采用别人的筐，把自己的东西向里面装就可以了。

另外要关注去年至今年的社会热点。

五：篇幅争取要写满，多写一点是一点

一般来说，如果作文要求600字左右，那就顶多写到700字。如果是不低于多少字，建议考生合理安排卷面，把卷面写满到95%左右。

有人问：考试作文如果不限文体，那么写诗歌，写顺口溜，写三句半行不行?这个谁也不敢作主，你无法揣测阅卷老师的标准，冒险的收益也许只留给准备最充分的人。

六：动笔之前不要慌，想好题目列提纲

列提纲很关键。比如写记叙文，要设计好开头结尾，同时要把你叙述的事情分成几个层次，中间如果能设置一个过渡句或过渡段更好。

一个训练有素的考生，列提纲大约需要5~8分钟。如果时间紧张，提纲可以简练些。

七：作文成绩看字迹，得分要素是第一

任何形式的作文考试，阅卷老师在打分时，第一眼看的是字迹。因此，必须要把字写好，不需要多美，但一定不要潦草。

八：考试作文五六段，干净整洁看卷面

考试作文要注意分段，三四个段落有些少，八九个段落则显得琐碎。除非有特殊情况，段落应以五六个为好。切忌在一段中写八九行字，写成大肚子作文，这样会让阅卷老师产生视觉疲劳。

九：想好主题和文体，非驴非马不可取

无论记叙文还是议论文，一般来说，多是总分总结构。议论文最好是131或者141结构，当然也可以灵活地采用夹叙夹议的手法。注意，议论文不能说了那么多事例却不归纳主题，而记叙文不能议论过多而忘记说事例。

十：作文首尾要精彩，丰富多彩出亮点

考试作文的开头方法很多：六要素开头法、题记开头法、悬念开头法、引名句开头法、排比句开头法、拟人式开头法、设问式开头法、对偶式开头法、合用修辞开头法、巧述典故开头法、解题式开头法、诗文引用开头法希望考生们准备好一些关于道德、学习、礼仪、爱国、美德等方面的典故、名人名言，用得上。

一般来说，结尾是总结全文。如果是记叙文，要注意抒情;如果是议论文，要注意归纳。无论如何，最好要扣准标题。

When the young people start their career, they will do everything to get

the chance to help their career to make breakthrough, such as follow the

business rules. They choose to drink as much as possible, which is over the

limitation of their bodies. The coming wealth is based on the loss of health.

The media reported the news about how the young people died of drinking a lot of

alcohol. Their ambition made them to undertake the limitation. As a result, they

died at the young age. There is no doubt that health overweighs wealth. If a

rich people didnt have a sound body, how he can enjoy life. A man who has been

badly ill will take special attention to the health. No matter how much money he

is paid, he will turn down the invitation that hurts his body.

Which is better, shopping online or traditional shopping? Different people have different attitudes towards it. Some people think that online shopping is very convenient, for it can save them a lot of time and energy. It’s especially helpful for those who are always busy with their work. Besides, through the internet, they can get more information about the commodities they want to buy and buy a lot of things that cannot be bought in local places.

网上购物还是传统购物，那种方式更好呢？每个人对这事的看法都不一样。有些人认为网购十分方便，因为这种方式可以节省许多的时间和精力。特别是对那些工作十分繁忙的人来说，网购帮了大忙。此外，通过网络他们可以知道关于他们想购买的产品的信息，还能卖到当地没有卖的商品。

Nevertheless, I’m not keen on online shopping at all, since most commodities which are bought online are of poor quality. Once we are cheated, we may find it difficult to make a complaint. Thus we should take more cautions when shopping online.

尽管如此，我还是不太热衷于网购，因为大多数我们网购而来的产品的质量劣质。一旦我们上当受骗，我们会发现我们无处投诉。因此我们网购时要非常的谨慎。

In my eyes, I prefer traditional shopping, because I can choose what I really need. Also, I can know the quality of every commodity more clearly. Even if there’s something wrong with the commodities, I can still ask the sellers to compensate for my loss.

在我看来，我更喜欢普通的购物方式，因为我只需要选购我所需要的，而且我还能很清楚的知道商品的质量如何。假如我买的东西出现问题，我还能让卖家赔偿我的损失。

[高中英语作文：网上购物还是传统购物？

高考英语任务型写作训练练习（一）

读写任务（满分25分）

请阅读以下的短文，然后根据提供的任务说明和写作要求， 写一篇150字左右的英语短文。

（任务说明）

1.概括短文的内容要点（该部分的字数大约60-80）；

2.清楚地陈述你自己的看法；

3.提供具有一定说服力的论据或实例来支持你的观点，可以参照文中的内容，但不能抄袭文中的句子；

4.文章体裁不限，但必须结构合理，内容连贯，有条理性。

（阅读材料）

Almost everyone knows that water covers three-fourths of the earths surface. Most of it， however， is in the oceans and is too salty to drink. Also， some of it is frozen and cannot be used. In fact， less than one percent is left for the use of people， animals and plant life. All through history men have tried to build their homes near the sources of fresh water. Now fresh water is becoming scarce， but more and more is needed because of the increasing number of people in the world. Some industries also use large amounts of fresh water in the production of things such as steel， petroleum， paper and rubber and so on. Scientists estimate that the need for fresh water will have doubled by the year 2003. If they are correct， we must find new ways of saving it or producing it. Some nations have worked on the problem and are already sharing their information with others. They are trying to keep their rivers from becoming polluted. Deep wells are also being dug， and rain water is being collected in huge artificial lakes. In one way or another， they hope to provide enough water to satisfy the needs of their people.

参考范文

With the worldwide increase of population， more and more water is needed. Meanwhile，the water sources are getting polluted by human beings in one way or another. Some nations are taking measures to solve this problem. They even communicate with each other hoping to find better ways to save and produce water to meet the needs of their people.

随着世界范围内的人口增长,越来越需要更多的水。与此同时,水源被污染,人类以一种方式或另一种方式。一些国家正在采取措施来解决这个问题。他们甚至相互沟通希望能找到更好的方法来保存并生成水来满足人民的需要。

On a personal level， to solve the problem with fresh water， both the government and inpiduals should make every effort. For example， for the government， it is urgent to make detailed laws that require businesses and inpiduals to stop polluting the environment and to save water while it is not necessarily used. Besides， education should be offered to all the citizens to raise their awareness of the importance of protecting environment and saving water. As inpiduals， we need to take action to play our own part in our everyday life.

在个人层面上,用淡水来解决这个问题,政府和个人都应该尽一切努力。例如,对于政府来说,迫在眉睫的是做出详细的法律,要求企业和个人停止污染环境,节约用水,而不一定是使用它。除此之外,教育应该提供给所有的公民提高他们的意识保护环境和节约用水的重要性。作为个人,我们需要采取行动来扮演自己的角色在我们的日常生活。