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A short essay, also called a theme or a composition, refers to a variety of nonfiction prose of varying length and purpose, whose common aim is usually to express a writer’s viewpoint or reasoned opinion on a topic.It may be as short as three paragraphs with about 150 words, or as long as 300 to 500 words with five to eight paragraphs.To a large extent, the length is decided by the complexity of the subject matter.

Organizational Structure of a Short Essay

A short essay usually consists of three parts: introduction part, body part, and conclusion part.Introduction part may consist simply of the thesis statement, and it may contain a few more sentences relating to the subject or introducing the background information.The body part develops and supports the thesis statement.It contains topic sentences and supporting sentences.The conclusion part contains the concluding sentence.It may restate or sum up the main points and brings the passage to a close.

See the following diagram of the short essay.

The diagram shows that a short essay usually has three parts: introduction part, the body and conclusion part.Each part contains some necessary elements.The following part will introduce them one by one.

The purpose of the opening is to introduce the body of the essay.A good opening establishes a context for the message the writer wishes to convey.With a proper context, the reader will be more likely to understand the intended message.Look at the following opening:

I have always enjoyed my visits to the zoo, no matter what zoo I visit.All zoos offer me many enjoyable sights, but the three things I enjoyed most are the animals, the special exhibits, and my fellow visitors.Zoos give me a place to go when I am tired of dealing with this over-complicated world, a place that cannot be found anywhere else．

An opening has at least two major functions.First, it announces the writer’s central topic.Second, it stimulates the reader’s interest.The above example is typical of many openings where the writer begins by merely announcing his statement of message (Zoos give me a place to go when I am tired of dealing with this over-complicated world, a place that cannot be found anywhere else.) without trying to engage the reader’s interest.This, therefore, may not prove effective, for the reader might not be interested in the essay.Therefore, it may be necessary to rework it with the possible reactions of the readers in mind.Read the following revised opening.

I have just had six days of screaming headlines that have announced murders，increased international tension，and unimaginable suffering.I have also had six days of huge electric bills，rising food costs，and boring work．Six days are enough．It is time to go to the zoo．Zoos give me a place to go when I am tired of dealing with this over-complicated world．It is not that 1 will be able to permanently escape the world’s and my problems，but it will give me a rest.And an occasional rest does help．

With more information added, the reader might be more prepared to read further.He may even be able to predict most of the points to be presented in the body of the essay to support the message.The message was equally clear in the original example.What differs noticeably is that in the revised opening a more interesting context is created for the reader, who will be able to understand the desire for a rest because the problems mentioned here are those faced by everybody.Most people would like a rest to avoid these problems.Perhaps a visit to a zoo could help.

It should be noted that the purpose of an opening is to introduce the body of the essay.The opening presents the topic, and the topic is then left for the body to develop.

In addition to announcing the topic and engaging the readers’ interest, the opening may also provide necessary background information that readers will need in order to understand what follows.The opening may also preview the main points to be covered in the body of the essay.Here is the opening paragraph in a paper about education in England:

The fact that less than 5 percent of the British population graduate from universities may seem surprising，especially when viewed beside the American percentage of over 30 percent．To understand this contrast，one needs to consider social differences between the two countries，as well as differences in their theories of education．

In the above example, it can be expected that the discussion to follow focuses on the“social differences” and “differences in their theories of education” that give rise to the“contrast”—the central point.

Strategies for opening an essay can be varied, depending upon the subject, length, and purpose of the essay.Some of the strategies are to be recommended in the next chapter.

The following are some of the most frequently used possibilities for beginning compositions:

(1) Thesis statement

One of the surest ways to begin an essay is to place your thesis statement in the first paragraph.In the example that follows, the writer leaves little doubt about his firm stand against the threatening supremacy of machines over man.The thesis is direct.In art article about computers:

The uneasy, half-embarrassed rivalry between man and machine has reached a peak with the thinking machine.We have become used to machines that are more powerful，more durable, more accurate, and faster than we are, but machines that challenge our intelligence are hard to take.At this point the competition becomes uncomfortable.

(2) Brief narration or description

Using a brief narrative or descriptive passage to open an essay eases the reader into the main body, establishing some background and setting the mood for what is to come.Here is a particularly dramatic narrative opening.

In a book telling of the discovery of gold in California in 1849：

A January morning, crisp and clear.The sawmill foreman was up early.He was a loner-moody, and hard to get along with.But he was a good builder, anxious to complete the new structure.While his men dallied over breakfast, he was already busy down at the river.Each day the men cut the mill race ditch deeper,and each night the foreman let the river rush through it to sweep away the debris.Soon the current would be strong enough to power saws.James Marshall closed the sluice gate and waded down the drained, muddy ditch, checking its depth．Then something caught his eye.Stooping, he reached into the shallow water.What he found changed the course of American history.

(3) Definition of terms

Often a writer may need to define essential terms before launching into the main development of his essay.In the following example, it is necessary to tell the reader what a fraction is before telling him how to work with fractions.

In a college mathematics textbook:

Fractions are also numerals.In the same way that the Hindu-Arabic numeral 50 names the number of states in the United States, the numerals, 1/2, 2/4, 3/6,10/20, are four equivalent names for the number that is exactly midway in value between 0 and 1.Although our language is often loose on this point, a fraction is actually a three-part symbol consisting of two numerals and a bar or mark between them.The numeral above the bar is called numerator, and the numeral below the bar is called the denominator.Thus 1/2, 3/4, 2/5 are fractions.In arithmetic we are concerned primarily with numbers whose fraction names can be expressed by whole, number numerators and whole-number denominators.Such numbers belong to a set of numbers called the rationals.

To begin an essay with statistics is an effective way to gain the reader’s confidence;specific figures tend to establish the writer as an authority on the subject or at least as someone who knows what research is all about.Though useful in general writing, statistics are the lifeblood of scientific and technical writing.

In a paper about education in England:

The fact that less than 5 percent of the British population graduate from universities may seem surprising, especially when viewed beside the American percentage of over 30 percent．To understand this contrast, one needs to consider social differences between the two countries, as we do the differences in their theories of education.

One way to give punch to an opening is to put in it a strong contrast for facts or ideas.The following example is more dramatic, using contrast to attract the reader.

In an essay about existentialism：

Dostoevsky faced a firing squad but lived; Camus crashed his automobile into a tree by accident and died.Does man’s experience with death prove the existentialist point that life has no pattern and no purpose?

(6) Rhetorical question

One sure thing about the role played by a rhetorical question as an opener is that it makes your reader think; he reads on to find the answer to the question you have raised.

In a composition about art：

Do most people really know how to look at a painting? Many art critics,Professors, historians, and even artists themselves would say no.The critic Bernard Berenson went as far as to say that people need a whole new set of responses to look at an art work with understanding.They have to be taught to look.

Like a rhetorical question, a quotation used to begin a composition catches the reader’s attention.He becomes curious to know what is being said and who said it.An opening quotation should normally be related to the thesis statement of the essay.

In a composition about psychology:

“The proper study of mankind is Man,”said Alexander Pope.Most psychologists have carried this idea further than Pope would have imagined.

The ideas, facts, details, and examples enclosed in the body paragraphs are designed to support and develop the central point stated in the opening.The body paragraphs in an essay may vary in number depending on the subject matter and the purpose for writing.While the body paragraphs relate directly to the thesis statement in the opening, each paragraph has its own main idea to highlight and information to support that main idea.

Essays employ a number of rhetorical strategies, each of which describes a particular form of development or arrangement of ideas.Only rarely is any one of these strategies employed alone.Instead, they are almost always used in a combination suited to the subject matter---often along with one or another of the primary modes of discourse as well.Remember, the aim of an essay is invariably a clear presentation or explanation of ideas.

You may base your choice of a strategy or strategies upon several factors: your writing purpose, the central point of your essay, your intended audience, and your viewpoint as a writer.

An essay of multiple paragraphs makes it possible for you to decide flexibly how to apply and blend strategies when you write an essay.For example, suppose you wanted to compare life in a large city with that in a small town.In only a single paragraph, you would have to focus on a few major similarities and differences and cover these briefly.However, in an essay, you might devote an entire body paragraph to similarities and other differences.You might even devote a third to another strategy—drawing an analogy, for instance, or relating an anecdote.

When you write an essay, you can combine strategies to suit your purpose, content, and audience.Use the following guidelines to choose a strategy or combination of strategies wisely.

(1) Consider your writing purpose

Certain strategies are especially appropriate for accomplishing particular purposes.For example, for informative or persuasive essays, facts and examples can support your ideas and a compare/contrast or cause/effect strategy can help to explain them.For a descriptive essay,you will want to use description, perhaps in combination with analogy.

(2) Consider the complexity of your ideas and information and the knowledge level of your audience

Examples and definitions help to clarify difficult content.Classification, too, can make complicated content easier to follow.An analogy can be helpful as long as the analogy is clear and sound.

(3) Stay focused on your central point

Strategies should help to convey the central point of an essay without distracting readers.For example, narration can effectively reveal aspects of someone’s personality, if you choose a relevant story or anecdote.However, if the central point of your essay is how kindhearted your cousin is, then, stories or anecdotes should reflect this trait.An anecdote that deals with,say, your cousin’s love of music will blur the focus of your essay at this point.

(4) Put yourself in the reader’s place

If you are not sure whether the strategy or strategies you have chosen are the “best” to use, try to view your content as a reader rather than as the writer．Suppose，for example，you are planning an essay to persuade readers that college courses be graded on a pass/fail basis.What approach would be most likely to convince a reader? Facts and examples? An analogy?Some other strategies? Viewing matters from the reader’s vantage point may help you choose your approach.

Make your writing richer and more expressive by experimenting with different strategies and different combinations of strategies.For example, in an informative essay about how exercise improves muscle tone even in elderly people, you might use narration to tell about a specific elderly person’s improved strength after beginning an exercise program.

Coherence in an essay can be created by carefully organizing main ideas and supporting information in the body paragraphs.Methods of organization include chronological order,spatial order, and order of importance or interest.You can also create coherence in an essay by using transitions to join ideas and information to create a smooth flow.

Closing an essay effectively is essential to achieving both unity and coherence.Both openings and closings demand emphasis on the context of the message.However, you also need to remember that an opening introduces the context to your readers, while a closing winds up the context.The wording in each should thus be different.In addition, the closing of an essay must be complete and whole within itself.This does not mean that the first and final paragraphs are the most important.An effective opening or a fine closing does not salvage an otherwise foolish or badly organized theme.It does mean that an essay must begin well and must end well.

Read the following opening and closing paragraphs, and notice how the writer applies a closing technique.

No one perhaps has ever felt passionately towards a lead pencil.But there are circumstances in which it can become supremely desirable to possess one; moments when we are set upon having an object, an excuse for walking half across London between tea and dinner．As the foxhunter hunts in order to preserve the breed of foxes, and the golfer plays in order that open spaces may be preserved from the builders，so when the desire comes upon us to go street rambling a pencil does for a pretext，and getting up we say.“Really I must buy a pencil,’ as if under cover of this excuse we could indulge safely in the greatest pleasure of town life in winter-rambling the streets of London．

That is true: to escape is the greatest of pleasures；street hunting in winter the greatest of adventures.Still as we approach our own doorstep again, it is comforting to feel the old possession, the old prejudices, fold us round; and the self, which has been blown about at so many street corners, which has battered like a moth at the flame of so many inaccessible lanterns, sheltered and enclosed.Here again is the usual door; here the chair turned as we left it and the china bowl and the brown ring on the carpet.And here—let us examine it tenderly,let us touch it with reverence—is the only spoil we have retrieved from all the treasures of the city, a lead pencil.

In the above example, we notice that the patterns of development in these two paragraphs are reversed.The first began with a lead pencil and ended with street rambling; the second began with street hunting and ended with a lead pencil.Thus the essay neatly completed a full circle and ended where it had started.This is a more subtle signal of closing than dull or overused expressions such as “finally”, “in conclusion”, “to sum up”, “as I said”, or “let me repeat”.

A number of techniques that are workable for openings can also be employed in closings.Here are some techniques for writing effective closings, which, in actual practice, can be used individually or in combination to bring your essays to a smooth and logical ending.

(1) Restating the main idea

You repeat the basic idea of the topic sentence but in different words.This helps to achieve emphasis and remind the reader of what the paragraph is about, especially when the paragraph is a long one.In using this technique, resist the temptation of copying the entire topic sentence.

Compare the topic sentence and the concluding sentence in the following paragraph.

This group of students wants beauty from sports.(Topic Sentence) Boys want to become strong; girls want to be slim and graceful.Those who consider sports the only way of reducing weight also belong to this group.They are very careful in choosing the kind of exercise they do, and are afraid that certain sports may ruin their figures.Horizontal bars and parallel bars are the boys’ choice, and the hula hoop is now the girls’ favorite.The appropriate name for this group may be beauty-oriented sports participants.

(2) Summarizing the main points

Sometimes, the topic sentence does not exactly specify the main points.They are discussed in the support part.It is helpful to give the reader a clear idea of what they are in the concluding sentence.In the sample paragraph below, practical abilities are mentioned in the topic sentence, but what are they exactly? After a brief discussion, the writer states them clearly at the end: my secretarial skills, my experience, and my evaluations.

My application was deigned to draw the employer’s attention to my practical abilities.(Topic Sentence) Specifically, I noted that I type ninety words per minute and take dictation at one hundred and thirty words per minute.Next, I indicated my past work experience on three similar jobs.Finally, I give a summary of the evaluations of my immediate superiors on the three previous jobs.In short, I stressed my secretarial skills, my experience, and my evaluations in the letter of application.

Another example: “Whether you are buying a car or investing in a mutual fund, learn the facts before you spend your money.Never rely solely on the word of a salesperson, a friend or acquaintance, or even a relative without doing your own research.You work hard to earn your money.Work equally hard to spend it wisely.’’

(3) Showing a result

When a paragraph presents a situation or a sequence of actions, the reader expects to know what happens eventually.The easiest way to end the paragraph is telling the reader the final result.

My brother and I went to Lake Kenilworth today, as we usually do on the fourth of July,to do a little fishing off the boat of our dad’s boss, Mr.Ciatti.Since Mr.Ciatti was out of town on a business trip, he asked us to use his boat so that someone would be keeping track of it.Excited about the prospect of spending the day on Mr.Ciatti’s cabin cruiser, we hoped into our dad’s new Old mobile and drove off to pick up our friends Robert and Charles.We were beginning to count our fish already and were making bets about who would catch the biggest.Little did we know that we would not be able to do any fishing that day.When we got to the lake, we discovered that Mr.Ciatti’s boat had come unmoored.Though the damage was slight,we had to spend the rest of the day getting it tied up again and repairing the damage.

(4) Putting the most important point last

Sometimes a paragraph discusses several points or several aspects of an idea.You can arrange them in climactic order and save the most important or the most striking for the conclusion.It will bring the paragraph to a smooth end.In this case, there is no need to bother writing an extra concluding sentence.

In the sample paragraph, the writer discusses the popularity of the Walkman in terms of its size and price.The writer stresses the pleasure that Walkman users get by putting it at the end.It serves the purpose of concluding the paragraph.

New technology has made possible the development of miniature cassette recorders.(Topic Sentence) The Sony Walkman, for instance, is small enough to fit into a pocket or handbag.It has become the constant companion of millions of Americans who walk, shop, jog,and commute to the music of their choice.The wide availability Walkman and its moderate price have made it so popular that it can be found in many public places.The muffled sound of music, a smiling face, and tapping feel reveal the Walkman’s presence.There is no use shouting hello or good-bye at Walkman users because they won’t hear you.They are in a musical world of their own.

(5) Drawing an inference

After presenting the details, you may want to come to a definite conclusion about the subject.The inference must be based on the information already given; otherwise, it is not valid.

Claudia is destined to be an excellent long-distance runner.(Topic Sentence) First, there are her physical attributes.She is long-legged and has a tremendous stride.She also has great natural endurance and an at-rest heart rate of sixty beats per minute.Next comes her mental toughness.She is a tremendous competitor who will extend herself to exhaustion to win a race.She has the strength to block out pain and concentrate on her race during those last few hundred yards where most runners tend to wilt.Finally, Claudia surpasses most athletes in dedication.She runs five to ten miles a day in morning and evening sessions at least five days a week.She maintains this schedule ten months out of the year, and while most high school athletes sit out the summer, Claudia trains and competes in AAU competition.If she can maintain this dedication for another two years, she has an outside chance f being invited to the Olympic trials.

(6) Calling for action

If you want to feel better and work more productively, get up off the couch and exercise!

(7) Making a final point

The ultimate irony is that some actors become so closely identified with the characters they play that audiences have difficulty accepting them in any other roles.

(8) Asking a question

If you continue to squander our natural resources, what we will remain for our children?

The following are the models for you to write the opening part, try to use them in your compositions.

Different people have different views on ...Some people think that...while others argue that...As far as I am concerned, I agree with the...opinion.

Different people have different views on opportunity.Some people think that there are few opportunities in the world, while others argue that everybody will have some kind of opportunity along his life route.As far as I concerned, I agree with the latter opinion.

2.In recent years, college students are allowed to… In my mind, I welcome this practice with applause.

In recent years, college students are allowed to join the army during their academic years.After two years of military service they can return to their original universities.In my mind, I welcome this practice with applause.

3.Nowadays more and more people voice growing concern over…some people argue that …in that … while others firmly hold that …Personally, I think this question should be probed in depth.

Nowadays more and more people voice growing concern over college students’ taking part-time jobs.Some people argue that it is unquestionably beneficial to the students in that it can enlarge their horizon and enrich their experience, while others firmly hold that part-time jobs of all kinds are harmful so as to hinder the students’ normal college study.Personally, I think this question should be probed in depth.

4.Nowadays…is playing a more and more important role in people’s daily life.However, people’s opinions are still divided on this point.Those who are in favor of…claim that it has a lot of advantages.Those who are opposed to…hold that disadvantages are many.Like anything else…has both advantages and disadvantages.

Nowadays, the Internet is playing a more and more important role in people’s daily life.However, people’s opinions are still divided on this point.Those who are in favor of the Internet claim that it has a lot of advantages.Those who are opposed to the Internet hold that disadvantages are many.Like anything else the internet has both advantages and disadvantages.

5....is such a common matter that every one of us may meet it from time to time.People hold different views towards…Some people…Other people view…as… Personally,I agree with the second group of people.

Failure is such a common matter that every one of us may meet it from time to time.People hold different views towards failure in their life.Some people are so sad and frustrated at their unsuccessful attempts that they will never accumulate the courage to have another try.Other people view repeated failure as most natural on the way towards a achievement—they will keep on trying until they succeed in the end.Personally, I agree with the second group of people.

Use the methods and the models to write the introduction part for the following topics.

1.My Idea of Internet

2.Is Money All Powerful?

3.My View on Advertising

4.The Advantages of Social Practice

Read the following paragraphs, and answer the following questions.

Internet surfing has attracted college students like magnets because it is the world of Internet and the world of globalization.First, with the global coverage of Internet, we can reach out and touch anyone at any place of the world.Via Internet, we can send and receive E-mails at any time much faster, cheaper and more effective than conventional means such as telephone, telex and fax.Next, via access to the home pages of libraries, universities, journals and news agencies, and research organizations, we can easily acquire all kinds of information,to know what is going on all over the world.Finally, by clicking the mouse, we are capable of doing such important things as shopping, finding jobs, making friends, down-loading files and programs, doing business, publishing papers and freely airing our opinions on all sorts of interesting issues.What is more, Internet offers many opportunities.For example, we can work, educate ourselves and communicate with others at home via Internet.

1.What’s the main idea of this paragraph?

2.Are all the details used to support the main idea?

3.How does the paragraph achieve unity?

The first reason is that when a person has self-confidence he believes in himself.He believes that he can and will succeed, and this gives him the courage to try new things.In order to be successful we must be willing to take some risks, so having self-confidence is very important.Another reason is that a confident person rarely gives up.When he fails he tries again and again until he wins.A final reason is that confident people are not afraid to show off their achievements.This is not to say that they should brag, but that they should gracefully and confidently accept the compliments of others.When their achievements are noticed more by others at school or work, they are more likely to succeed.

1.What’s the main idea of this paragraph?

2.Has the paragraph achieved unity?

3.Write the outline of this paragraph.

Complete the following unfinished body part.

Summer and winter are two seasons I like the most among the four seasons.I enjoy diversity in my life, and these two seasons provide me with just that.

First Body Paragraph:

In the summer season, the world is full of life.

Second Body Paragraph:

In winter, on the other hand, the world is quiet.

Concluding Paragraph:

Summer and winter are so different: they offer us god feelings and a variety of opportunities to engage in activities of our interests.Of course, I like all seasons.But I like summer and winter the best.

Write out the topic outline of the following essay.

My family consists of five persons.Besides myself, there are my parents, my elder brother and elder sister.

My father is a teacher by profession.He has been teaching at the same school for forty years and will not retire for another five years.He is very happy in his work, which is to collect stories for children.He is in the habit of copying stories on his type-writer in the evening.He calls his type-writer his best friend.I do not know exactly how many stories he has collect.They cannot be fewer than a hundred, however.At his school this has earned him the nickname “Story-teller”, of which he is rather proud.

My mother is a great reader as well as a good housekeeper.She has heavy household work to do every day, but she never complains.After a busy day she always finds an unfailing resource in reading.She often reads far into the night.She is always reads with the mark “I live with the people in my book every evening”.Her favorite books are biographies,autobiographies, and biographical and autobiographical novels.She delights in talking to us about the people in her books as though they were her personal friends.

My elder brother is an ambitious young man.He is a college student, and will graduate next year.Not satisfied with a college education, he will devote years to the study of philosophy after graduation.His ambition is to read all Chinese and English works on his subject and write what he calls “The greatest history of philosophy in the world”.He is fortunate because his fiancée is also keenly interested in his subject, and hopes to help him in achieving his ambition.

My elder sister has her ambition, too, though she is a school-girl of 17.She wishes to become a civil engineer.She has a set of tools, which she uses in a thousand ways after school every day.

My family is like a little community.Mutual love prevails.I do not remember when we have ever had a quarrel.

We are not rich at all.But we can make both ends meet.My father is our only bread-winner, besides the salary from the school he makes some money by writing stories.

We live in a new house, into which we moved only half a year ago.It has pleasant surroundings.There is a small garden in front of the house.Both flowers and vegetables are growing in the garden.Our library is in a small back room upstairs.There are about two thousand books, mostly Chinese and English.

Only a few friends come to see us often.Most of my father’s friends are not in this city.He corresponds with them.One or two neighbors sometimes have a chat with my parents, and their children sometimes play with us.

In writing this account of my family I have been reminded of the phrase “Home, Sweet Home”.Indeed, my home is a very sweet one.

The outline of this essay:

Uses the methods and the models to write the body part for the following given topics.

1.My Idea of Internet

2.Is Money All Powerful?

3.My View on Advertising

4.The Advantages of Social Practice

Read the following three compositions and write an outline for each of them.

Reading is important for us.For English majors, extensive reading is a very important way to improve their English.Actually, we get most of our knowledge from extensive reading.

Extensive reading benefits us in many ways.First, by reading extensively, we can get knowledge about various areas such as culture, education, history, science and literature.For instance, newspapers and magazines can keep us informed of current events.So it is easy for us to know what is going on in the world today.Secondly, extensive reading helps us improve our reading comprehension effectively.The more we read, the better we understand,and the faster our reading speed will be.What is more, extensive reading is the best way to enlarge our vocabulary.Due to frequent contact with unfamiliar words, we find it easy to guess the meaning of them even without referring to the dictionary.We can often find context clues for new words.By and by, we can learn a lot of useful words.Besides, it will widen our outlook on life.

Obviously, we can benefit a lot from reading widely.So, it is advisable to develop a habit of reading extensively.

Since our country adopted the two-day weekend system, there have been many different points of view on it.Some are in favor of it; others think it is a waste of time.I think it is a good system.

I, first, believe that it benefits the workers.With the rapid development of our economy,they are always tense from their daily work on weekdays.In addition, the two-day weekend is of great value for students to relax and be refreshed.With the increasing competition and pressure of study, students are burdened with heavy schoolwork.Both groups live an excessively nervous and regulated life.They really need time to have a rest.Therefore, they can devote themselves to their work or study more energetically in the following week.Next,the two-day weekend system can provide more time for family members to get together.During the weekend, children can communicate more with their parents; husbands can arrange more leisure time to help their wives; old people can gain more chances to get together with their offspring.And this will undoubtedly help establish a closer rapport between family members.Besides, since we have two days, we can prepare our life more properly.For example, we can set aside one day to relax and the other day to learn something we are interested in.This is especially useful to us students since we are mostly absorbed in our major subjects in weekend.

We can take advantage of this leisure to learn more.It will prepare us to be more versatile and competitive people in the future.For all these reasons, I prefer the two-day weekend system to the old one.

Volunteering has grown into a fashion these years, with volunteers ranging from college students to white collar workers.It is reported now China has 4.5 million registered volunteers having provided more than 4.5 billion hours of volunteer work.Why would so many people like to do volunteer work? Are there any benefits of volunteering?

The answer is absolutely yes.First of all, through volunteering we can gain more experiences.Whatever volunteering work we do, either being a volunteer teacher for a village school or a volunteer worker in a retired house, we can taste different lifestyles and broaden our horizon.Secondly, through volunteering we can acquire the sense of being needed.Many people feel frustrated with travails in life and empty with the cycling of working and resting.They gradually become numb, losing the sense of being needed.By joining the volunteer group and offering help voluntarily to people who need it, we may feel happy and fulfilled again.Thirdly, through volunteering we can learn more good qualities.Volunteer work is team work, which needs good cooperation.We can know people with different personalities and different background joining in the volunteer group and devoting to the volunteer work together.From our co-volunteers we can absorb many good qualities that could help us be better persons.

In conclusion, volunteering is of great benefit in that we can gain more experiences,acquire the sense of being needed and learn more good qualities.

Study the following statements and point out those that can be used as effective theses.

1.My room is clean, bright and cozy.

2.Though facing many serious problems, our reform is still a successful one.

4.Superstition is a very harmful social practice in China.

5.The person I admire most.

6.The sun is very important.

7.Friendship is important to me.

Work out at least three theses for each of the following topics and then write an outline for at least one of the three theses.

1.The importance of a family.

2.Noise pollution of my hometown.

3.The significance of learning English.

4.The skills of job hunting.

5.Today’s television commercials.

6.Honesty and friends-making.

1.Write a three-paragraph essay in which you explain three of the qualities you admire in a person.The title is: The person impresses me most.

2.Write a three-paragraph essay in which you discuss advantages and disadvantages of borrowing books.

The following are the models for you to write the conclusion part, try to use them in your compositions.

1.Taking all these factors into consideration, we may safely come to the conclusion that...Only if...Can we ..., just as the saying goes...

Taking all these factors into consideration, we may safely come to the conclusion that there are quite a few opportunities in our society.Only if we get prepared can we seize the opportunities instead of letting them slip by, just as the saying goes, “Opportunities are only for the prepared minds”.

2.We are very happy to see smooth implementation of this new policy.Judging from what we have discussed above, we have every reason to look forward to more such policies which are both beneficial to individuals and the whole nation.

We are very happy to see the smooth implementation of this new policy.Judging from what we have discussed above, we have every reason to look forward to more such policies which are both beneficial to individuals and the whole nation.

3.From what has been discussed above, we can see clearly that the key lies in whether …Otherwise…no matter whether…

From what has been discussed above, we can see clearly that the key lies in whether the student in focus is able to strike a successful balance between work and study.Otherwise, the college life will be caught in the so-called vicious circle no matter whether the student takes part-time jobs or not.

4.All in all, we can safely come to the conclusion that the pros outweigh the cons.The past twenty years witnessed the fast development of…along with…A brighter future is awaiting us if we make good use of…

All in all, we can safely come to the conclusion that the pros outweigh the cons.The past twenty years witnessed the fast development of the Internet along with national economy.A brighter future is awaiting us if we make good use of the Internet.

5.No matter which choice a student will finally make, he has to be extremely careful to look into his unique situation and consult the predecessors for their advice.He will make the right choice if he knows…

No matter which choice a student will finally make, he has to be extremely careful to look into his unique situation and consult the predecessors for their advice.He will make the right choice if he knows his goal in life and how to turn it into reality.

6.We can see clearly that although…may brings favorable results, there are still a lot to worry about.It seems necessary for young students to make a careful investigation before…

We can see clearly that although teenagers’ studying abroad may brings favorable results,there are still a lot to worry about.It seems necessary for young students to make a careful investigation before going abroad.

7.In an era when economy develops at such a high speed, …is connected with and vital to every citizen in the city.We can never wish to realize our dream of a…until all of us take actions to…

In an era when economy develops at such a high speed, environmental problem is connected with and vital to every citizen in the city.We can never wish to realize our dream of a cleaner and more beautiful environment until all of us take actions to build, protect and take care of it.

Uses the methods and the models to write the conclusion part for the following given topics.