第二十二单元 篇章的统一性、支撑性、连贯性和一致性
22.1 篇章的统一性(Unity of an Essay)
篇章的统一性是指各推展段落都必须紧扣主题思想,不包含与主题思想无关的任何部分。如果包含与主题思想无关的部分或出现多层意思,就会导致主旨不清,思路混乱。
22.2 篇章的支撑性(Support of an Essay)
只有通过具体的实例、事实、细节或事件对篇章中的主题思想加以充实和发挥,才能使文章的主题更加明确具体。例如:在Unit 21-2范文中的四个Supporting Paragraphs(SP1,SP2,SP3,SP4)都是通过具体的实例、细节,来进一步明确本篇文章的主题思想—To be successful in a job interview,you must demonstrate cetain personal and professional qualities.
22.3 篇章的连贯性(Coherence of an Essay)
篇章的连贯性是指句子与句子,段落与段落的排列组合必须合乎逻辑(意连);句子间以及段落间的过渡必须自然流畅(形连)。篇章的意连有三种:a.Time Order or Chronological Order(时间顺序);b.Space or Spatial Order(位置或空间顺序);c.Logical Order(逻辑顺序)。其中,逻辑顺序又可分为三种:
1)Order of Importance(重要性顺序)
2)Specific-to-General(从具体到总论)
3)General-to-Spacific(从总论到具体)
例如,在Unit 21中的Model Essay中,作者就是以General-to-Specific的逻辑顺序来推展文章主题的。作者先是给出一个Topic Sentence,然后通过四个具体的“You should……”对主题加以支撑、充实,从而达到了意连。
而转换此词语(Transitions)则是篇章形连的重要手段。
Unit 21中的Model Essay也正是通过许许多多的转换词语使文章达到了自然流畅。以下让我们就此范文的首段(TP)和第一支撑段(SP1)为例,来看看转换词语承上启下之作用。
22.4 篇章的一致性(Sentence Skills in an Essay)
若要读者完全、正确地领会我们所要表达的思想内容,在写作篇章时,我们必须简洁明白,写出合乎语法规范的句子,正确的语法包括(nouns;pronouns;verb tenses;fragments(不完整的句子);dangling modifiers(垂悬修饰语);run-ons(用错逗号的句子或乱加从句的冗长句子),etc.
Exercise 22-1
Directions:Two versions of a passage are given below.Both are unified,supported,and organized,but one version communicates more clearly and effectively its ideas than the other.Which one,and why?
There are times when people are so tired that they fall asleep almost anywhere.For example,there is a lot of sleeping on the bus or train on the way home from work in the evenings.A man will be reading the newspaper,and seconds later it appears as if he is trying to eat it.Or he will fall asleep on the shoulder of the stranger sitting next to him.
Another place where unplanned naps go on is in the lecture hall.In some classes,a student will start snoring so loudly that the professor has to ask another student to shake the sleeper awake.Amore embarrassing situation occurs when a student leans on one elbow and starts drifting off to sleep.The weight of the head pushes the elbow off the desk,and this momentum carries the rest of the body along.The student wakes up on the floor with no memory of how he got there.
The worst time to fall asleep is when driving a car.Police reports are full of accidents that occur when people fall asleep at the wheel and go off the road.If the drivers are very lucky,they are not seriously hurt.One woman's car,for instance,went into the river.She woke up in four feet of water and thought it was raining.When people are really tired,nothing will stop them from falling asleep—no matter where they are.
(1)There are times when people are so tired that they fall asleep almost anywhere.(2)For example,on the bus or train on the way home from work.(3)A man will be reading the newspaper,seconds later it appears as if he is trying to eat it.(4)Or he will fall asleep on the shoulder of the stranger sitting next to him.
(5)Another place where unplanned naps go on are in the lecture hall.(6)In some classes,a student will start snoring so loudly that the professor has to ask another student to shake the sleeper awake.(7)A more embarrassing situation occurs when a student leans on one elbow and starting to drift off to sleep.(8)The weight of the head push the elbow off the desk,and this momentum carries the rest of the body along.(9)The student wakes up on the floor with no memory of how he got there.
(10)The worst time to fall asleep is when driving a car.(11)Police reports are full of accidents that occur when people conk out and go off the road.(12)If the drivers are lucky they are not seriously hurt.(13)One womans car,for instance went into the river.(14)She woke up in four feet of water.(15)And thought it was raining.(16)When people are really tired,nothing will stopthem from falling asleep—no matter where they are.
Exercise 22-2
Directions:Compare the second version with the first one,and choose the correct answers from the following choices(The exercise is mainly for sentence skills)
1.In sentence(2), 2.In sentence(3),
a.missing comma a.run-on
b.missing apostrophe b.sentence fragment
c.sentence fragment c.mistake in subject-verb agreement
d.dangling modifier d.irregular verb mistake
3.In sentence(5), 4.In sentence(7),
a.sentence fragment a.misplaced modifier
b.spelling error b.dangling modifier
c.run-on c.mistake in parallelism
d.mistake in subject-verb d.run-on
agreement
5.In sentenc(8), 6.In sentence(11),
a.nonstandard English verb a.irregular verb mistake
b.run-on b.sentence fragment
c.comma mistake c.slang phrase
d.missing capital letter d.mistake in subject-verb agreement
7.In sentence(12), 8.In sentence(13),
a.missing apostrophe a.mistake in parallelism
b.missing comma b.irregular verb mistake
c.irregular verb mistake c.missing apostrophe
d.sentence fragment d.missing capital letter
9.In sentence(13), 10.In sentence(15),
a.missing comma around an a.missing quotation mark
interrupter
b.dangling modifier b.irregular verb mistake
c.run-on c.sentence fragment
d.cliché d.mistake in pronoun point of view
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