Ⅳ.开头段
要写好开头段首先要明确开头段的定义。合理的开头段可以包括背景介绍、点明话题、阐明观点。开头段作为一篇文章的开始部分，字数既不能太多也不能太少，在写了三四行之后就必须结束，不然会显得仓促或者累赘。开头段一般有两部分组成：引子和主题句。为了吸引读者的注意力，我们通常在开头段使用一个有趣的事实、一个问题或一段引语作为引子，通过对引子的表面描述，引出自己的观点。主题句就是这篇文章的主旨，即作者的观点，接下来的整篇文章都是围绕这个主题句来写。下面介绍几种写开头段的方法。
1.使用引语法
英文作文的开头段我们可以使用一段名人名言，或人们常用的谚语、习语，以确定文章的写作范围和方向。如：
“Great minds must be ready not only to take the opportunity，but to make them. ” Colton， a great writer once remarked. But it still has a profound significance now. To a person， whose lifetime opportunities are not many， to make opportunities is more essential to his success.
文章开头引用Colton的名言说明“创造机会”对于成功的重要性，点明主题。再如：
“Man cannot live by bread alone. ” That is a Bible quotation，the truth of which has been recognized for thousands of years. It means that food and drink are not enough to sustain man， that practical things are not sufficient to make man content， and that man has a soul and dreams to the finer things in life.
文章开头引用了《圣经》当中的句子说明“人不能仅仅靠事物和水维持生命”，人得有灵魂和梦想，从而引出文章的主题。
以下是此类开头方式的一些常用句型：
（1） “Knowledge is power”. Such is the opinion of/remark made by one of the great men. This view/remark has been shared/confirmed by more and more people/many historical events.
（2） The same idea/complains/attitude is voiced/echoed/shared by...
（3） One of the great men/writers/philosophers/scientists said/wrote/remarked that .... If this is true/the case， then the present/current view/value/attitude/situation should make us wonder whether/ponder over ...
（4） There is much truth in the old saying... In other words，nothing is more important than ...（on one's way to ... ）
（5） One of the greatest men （scientists/philosophers/writers）once remarked， it is true that ...
（6） Just as the old saying goes， ...
2.提出问题法
文章开头可以提出有争议或探讨性的具体问题，然后对此加以简要回答或展开引导性简短讨论。如：
What do you want from your work？ Money， promotions，interesting， challenges， continual learning， work-based friendships，and the opportunity to develop your own idea and potentials. Though we are all individuals and so our answers will differ， all agree that work provide more than material things.
文章开头提出“你想从工作中得到什么”这一问题，然后自问自答，指出工作除了物质利益，还可以给我们带来很多其他收获这一结论。再如：
How do we think of the heavy burden a student has to carry from kindergarten through graduate school？ How dowe measure success in education？ How does education affect not only labor skills but the quality of life？ In seeking answers to such questions，there is much room for consideration and robust debate.
文章开头通过三个问题：你如何看待学生从幼儿园到研究生阶段所面临的压力？怎样衡量教育的成功与否？教育是通过何种方式影响我们的劳动技能及生活质量？从而指出目前教育现状的严重性，接着文章就可以通过回答这三个问题指出目前教育的现状，教育的目的和意义。
以下是此类开头方式的一些常用句型：
（1） How do you （What do you/Do you ever） think of... ？ /How do you （What do you/Do you ever） see... ？ Your answer to these questions will differ （reflect.../reveal...）but....
（2） “Why do （have） ...？” Many people often ask （pose） the question like this.
3.具体实例或报道法
文章开头可以给出具体生活实例或新闻报道，从而引出要讨论的话题。如：
As regards the stress for college students， there has been a heated discussion among the public in the society. It was reported that a student killed four of his classmates just because of a trivial matter. It can be easily seen that pressure has become a serious issue we cannot neglect.
文章通过引用新闻报道的一个实例，说明了大学生心理问题的严重性。再如：
As is demonstrated in the table， more and more college graduates are out of a job in our country， which is a serious problem to our economic development and social security. It is estimated that in 2004， there are 500,000 unemployed graduates ，more than 30% higher than in 2002.
文章引用2004年找不到工作的毕业生达到50万这一数据来说明大学生找工作难这一现象的严重性，很有说服力。
4.定义法
文章开头可以先就要讨论的主题或问题加以定义，然后进行深入探讨。如：
As we all know， practice makes perfect. This is an accumulated experiencewe inherit from our forefathers， and now it is still widely applied to our daily life. It means that the more we practice， the more likely we are going to do things perfectly.
文章用It means that这一句型，说明了practice makes perfect的含义。再如：
Money is something generally accepted as a medium of exchange， a measure of value， or a means of payment. How to use money wisely is a technical thing concerning its urgency，effectiveness and appropriateness. Considering these factors， I would strongly prefer to purchase a business but a house， if I had enough money.
文章先指出钱是什么，然后就提出如何有效地用钱是一门技术，进而就会讨论我们该如何用钱。
以下是此类开头方式的一些常用句型：
（1） ...means that....
（2） ...refers to...
（3）...is...（ that）...
5.主题句法
文章一开始就以主题句点明全文主题，然后围绕主题内容进行发展。如：
Nowadays， one of the serious problems China is faced with is the increasing illiteracy among the adolescents. According to a recent survey by Dr. Li， dean of Educational Department of Beijing Normal University， about 18% of the children between 8 and 15 years old have dropped out of school across the country.
文章开头即提出中国的文盲现象日益严重这一问题，然后再用实例数据加以佐证。再如：
Nowhere in the world has the issue of birth control been more evident than in China. The nation is faced with such serious situation as the one in which its population is increasing much faster than the supply of food and available resources.
文章一开头就指出中国比世界上任何地方计划生育的问题都明显，并进一步指出目前中国面临一个严峻的境况，即人口迅速增长快于事物及资源的增长速度。
以下是此类开头方式的一些常用句型：
（1） Never/Nowhere in the history/the world/China has the issue/change/idea of ... been more/as visible/evident/popular than/as...
（2） It is about/high time we exploded/shattered/freed ourselves from the myth/illusion/fiction about...
（3） Perhaps/Maybe we should/it is time to rethink/ reexamine/have a fresh look at the idea/value/attitude that...
（4） Currently （In recent years/In the past few years/For many years now） ， there is （has been） a（ n） general（ widespread/growing/widely held ） feeling towards （ concern over/attitude towards/trend towards/ awareness of/realization of/illusion of/belief in）....
（5） Now in many big cities/countries/colleges， an overwhelming majority of/a significant proportion of/a sizable percentage of the public/college population/ people .... What accounts for/explains/lies behind the phenomenon/problem？
（6） Whenever you see （find）...， you cannot help being struck（surprised/astonished/disappointed/impressed） by （at）...
6.比较法
文章开头可以通过对过去与现在两种不同倾向，态度和观点的比较，引出文章要讨论的主题。如：
Until recently the general attitude toward day-dreaming remained hostile. Day-dreaming was viewed as a waste of time.Or it was considered an unhealthy escape from real life and its duties. But now some people are taking a fresh look at daydreaming. They think it may contribute to intellectual growth and lead to the attainment of actual goals.
文章一开头便指出，直到目前为止，人们对白日梦都持否定的态度。然后指出在过去，人们认为白日梦是浪费时间，或是逃避现实和责任的一种手段，而目前人们对白日梦则采取一种完全新的态度，认为白日梦有助于智力的发展和现实目标的实现。通过两种观点的对比，引出文章要讨论的主题。
以下是此类开头方式的一些常用句型：
（1） For years/Until recently... had been/was seen/viewed/regarded as... But that is changing now/people are taking a fresh look at it. With the growing/mounting demand for/interest in/concern over... ， people...
（2） People used to think/It was once thought that ... In the past/old days ... But things are quite different/few people now share this view...
（3） Historically/ Traditionally we tend to ... But most scientists/researchers/doctors have now found that...
（4） There is a public controversy nowadays over the issue of ... Those who object to ... argue that ... But people who favor ...， on the other hand， argue that...