读写任务中概要写法分类例说

谢倚扬

在读写任务中,summary的写作一直是学生头痛之处。学生普遍存在概括不全、照抄原文等现象。其中,概括不全是个大问题,因这会影响到下文——表述自己的观点。为了保证学生在写作的过程当中不漏掉要点,笔者在教学实践中总结出五种类型阅的读材料,根据各类材料的特点指导学生如何写summary。

一、现象分析型

文章特点:或分析一种现象,或解释一个观点。

文章结构:一般为“总分总”的结构,开头摆出“主题”,接着进行“解释”“说明”(一般包括各种各样相关的例子或者不同的观点和看法),最后“综述”(提出“展望”或者升华主题)。

Summary要点:现象中心内容(注意中心词,即关键词或高频词)+优缺点或者正反面评论(这一部分如果叙写篇幅多时要概述出来;篇幅少时只说文中提到了不同观点就行)+现象中与众不同的地方+“展望”或者“升华”。

Example:

Professor Barry Wellman of the University of Toronto in Canada has invented a term to describe the way many North Americans interact (互动) these days. The term is “networked individualism(网络个体主义)”. This concept is not easy to understand because the words seem to have opposite meanings. How can we be individuals (个体) and be networked at the same time? You need other people for networks. (提出中心词“networked individualism”)

Here is what Professor Wellman means. Before the invention of the Internet and email, our social networks included live interactions with relatives, neighbors, and friends. Some of the interaction was by phone, but it was still voice to voice, person to person, in real time.

A recent research studied by the Pew Internet and American Life Project showed that for a lot of people, electronic interaction through the computer has replaced this person-to-person interaction. However, a lot of people interviewed for the Pew study say thats a good thing. Why?

In the past, many people were worried that the Internet isolated (孤立) us and caused us to spend too much time in the imaginary world of the computer. But the Pew study discovered that the opposite is true. The Internet connects us with more real people than expected —— helpful people who can give advice on careers, medical problems, raising children, and choosing a school or college. About 60 million Americans told Pew that the Internet plays an important role in helping them make major life decisions. (第2-3段解释说明中心词,摆出新旧不同观点)

Thanks to the computer, we are able to be alone and together with other people at the same time. (综述)

▲Summary:Professor Wellman created the term “networked individualism”(主题) which breaks peoples old belief that the Internet isolated us. They find that we can also communicate with more real people.(不同观点)

二、事例道理型

文章特点:叙述一段经历或者一个事件,表达作者从中所受教育,或者说明一定的道理。

文章结构:有先摆道理再举例子或者先说例子再总结道理两种形式。

Summary模式:The author said / told a story that ... And he thought that ...;The author thought that ... and he gave an example...

Summary要点:概述例子的主要内容(一般包括时、地、人、事,其中人和事是主要部分,时间和地点一般可以忽略),注意例子的特殊之处,即与众不同之处,还要包括作者要说明的道理,或作者的态度。

Example:

Last year my beliefs changed.(中心)

Until last summer, I had a very comfortable life. My parents spent a lot of money on a private school, so they could get me into a competitive middle school. We never had to worry about today.

Before last summer, I never thought much about the people in the world whose lives are controlled by poverty and hunger. Then I took part in a two-week program. We lived in a “Tribal Village” in a hot, dry and open grassland in Arkansas. I knew it was only a simulation (模拟), and I could go back to my regular life two weeks later, but the experience gave birth to a belief in helping others.

Today. I am a tribal member in Mozambique. Every meal I make the fire for my family,and I blow to keep the fuel alive. I cook mush (糊状物) with vegetables. This is all my family is ever given.

Growing up comfortably in the U.S.,Ive never had to worry about my dinner. Now I believe in doing whatever I can to help find practical ways to defeat hunger. Today.

If I ever feel tired,I remember laboring in the hot sun and think of the millions who still do. Now,I try to live for today and stop worrying so much about the future. When I eat or feel full,I am grateful for this fortunate life and want to extend the same feeling to others.

I believe in offering help to those who need it. Right now.

▲Summary: The author told us his experience as a tribal member (主要内容),working in the hot sun and eating simple food (特殊之处),from which he got a belief to help those in need (道理).

三、叙述型

文章特点:一段经历或者一个故事。

文章结构:按照事情发展顺序,特殊事件的时间和结果。

Summary要点:时、地、人、事+注意特殊之处或者与众不同的情节+结果或者升华。同时要注意此类文章所特有的“客观性”。

Example:

There once was a happy monkey wandering the jungle,eating delicious fruit when hungry,and resting when tired. One day he came upon a house,where he saw a bowl of the most beautiful apples. He took one in each hand and ran back into the forest.

He smelled the apples but smelled nothing. He tried to eat them,but hurt his teeth. They were made of wood,but they were beautiful,and when the other monkeys saw them,he held on to them even tighter.

He admired his new possessions proudly as he wandered the jungle. They glistered (闪耀) red in the sun,and seemed perfect to him. He became so attached to them that he didnt even notice his hunger at first.

A fruit tree reminded him of his empty stomach,but he felt the apples in his hands. He couldnt bear to put them down to reach for the fruit. In fact,he couldnt relax,either,if he was to defend his apples. A proud,but less happy monkey continued to walk along the forest paths.

The apples became heavier,and the poor little monkey thought about leaving them behind. He was tired,hungry,and he couldnt climb trees or collect fruit with his hands full. What if he just let go?

▲Summary: A monkey got some beautiful wooden apples (时地人事) and became so attached to them that he forgot to eat food (特殊之处). Then he became hungry and weak,yet he still didnt want to throw them away. (结果)

四、论说观点型

文章特点:议论文或者论说文。

文章结构:一般为“总分”或者“分总”的结构。如果分段叙述,注意每段的中心句(一般为第一句);如果没有分段,注意过渡词(however,otherwise,therefore,thus,on one hand,on the other hand, the opposite...)。注意最后是否有提出解决办法或者作者态度。

相关话题:成功与失败、乐观与悲观、竞争与压力、诚信……

Summary要点:论题+不同观点+解决办法或作者态度。

注意:如果文章用一些例子进行证明,例子不用概述进去。

Example:

In our modern society marked by competition, people have to be faced with various kinds of pressure, the pressure from work, from family, from study and even from your heart. And a lot of people are afraid of the pressure. They keep complaining about every thing and appear very anxious.However, a certain measure of pressure is not necessarily bad. Just suppose without pressure how a high school student can pass the entrance to the university? And the fear of losing ones job keeps a worker working hard.Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that pressure runs the world around. Of course too much pressure is harmful to our life. He who cannot handle the pressure might collapse someday if it is too much to endure. Weve already heard too many examples of this.Thusthe question is that we must learn how to relieve ourselves of the burden of work and study at the same time, let the stimulus continue to rive us to efforts.

▲Summary: Living in a competitive world, people suffer from pressures from different aspects (论题). Some people dont like pressure while others believe that proper pressure is necessary (不同观点). Faced with pressure, we must learn how to relax (解决办法或作者态度).

五、概述针对型

文章特点:文章类型多样,但是题目只要求针对其中某些方面进行概述,例如2007年高考题。

写概要时应注意审题,根据试题要求有针对性地进行概述。

Example:

An Internet war of words is violent between Chinas younger generations - the 1980s and the 1990s - commonly known as the “Strawberries” and the “Jellies”. Its about values and identity, whos patriotic and responsible, whos spoiled.

The Strawberries see the Jellies as “self-centered and irresponsible, materialistic, spoiled kids”, while the Jellies see the Strawberries as “out-of-date”.

Retired English teacher Paul Wang has taught both the 1980s and 1990s students andworries more about kids the latter.“I worry more about the 1990s because kids from the 1980s, although naughty and rebellious, would still listen to teachers, if not fear teachers. They have different opinions and would argue with me, but there was still respect.” Kids today are different, says Wang. “They know your salary, they know that you wont criticize them andmany of them dont respect us anymore.”

Since the earthquake on May 12th, media have shown a greater appreciation of the 1980s generation. “We used to feel disappointed about the 1980s, but they showed unbelievable courage and energy after the earthquake and proved they are patriotic and responsible enough to support this nation. However, the 1990s generation is listless. They dont know what they want because they have everything.They dont care about anything else except themselves.”

▲Summary 要求:概述文中对90后的观点。

▲Summary: The 1990s generation is generally thought to care only about themselves, show no respect for teachers and lack responsibility. Meanwhile they focus too much on materials and are spoiled too. (集中全力找出关键词及其相关描述,即注意文中划线部分即可)

如果抓住以上材料的五种类型,就可以加快阅读速度,写概要时也不至于漏掉要点。同学们应该在此基础上多加练习,善于把学习中阅读到的文章进行归类,才能更有效地利用五种类型,完成质量更优的summary。

另一方面,教师可以在平时的教学当中,注意篇章结构的训练,使学生对文章结构更为熟悉,那么学生的概述能力将得到更好的培养。

责任编校蒋小青