VOA慢速英语2014 Expand Your Skills for Writing College Papers

 

Expand Your Skills for Writing College Papers

This is the VOA Learning¹ English Education Report.

Many students say there is no easy way to write college papers. This may be especially true if English is not your first language.  Most teachers agree that there is no single “correct” way to create a personal essay or a research paper.  But there are methods to help you structure your papers.

One way often used to structure writing is the traditional five-paragraph essay. Many students learn this form in middle and high school.  The paragraphs follow conventions³, or established rules. 

The first paragraph is introductory. It tells the reader what the paper is about. It is followed by three paragraphs containing evidence that support the writer’s argument.  The final paragraph is the conclusion.  It provides a reasoned opinion based on the evidence. 

Allison Cummings teaches English at Southern New Hampshire University.  She is among many professors who find this form too simple for college work.

Still, on the positive side, Ms. Cummings says the five-paragraph essay form teaches a student some tools for writing a paper.  She says the form teaches the need for the opening statement, or thesis⁴.  This thesis tells the reader what will come next. In addition, students who have learned⁵ to write a five-paragraph essay know they must provide evidence. And Ms. Cummings says the writer will know a conclusion is required.   

But she also says the five-paragraph essay falls far short of college writing needs. 

“Most of the subjects that students are asked to write about are going to involve more paragraphs, and more points, and more complexities⁶.”            

So, if a traditional method for structuring a research paper does not work, what steps can help you structure your writing?  Ms. Cummings’ students learn several ways learn to organize their papers. The pace at which they learn differs. 

Ms. Cummings says doing research for a paper helps some students in their writing. The teacher says noting the way the research is structured can help students organize their own writing. 

“They’ll read articles and see what other people argue about, whatever issue they’re writing on, and get a sense of what the points are out there, what the debates are out there, and then let that structure what they come up with.”

Allison Cummings offers sample outlines – examples for organizing papers. 

“If they want to use them, they are free to follow that kind of standard template…”

Ms. Cummings also provides her students with examples of successful and unsuccessful student papers. That way, her class can see what works⁷ in a piece of writing and what does not.

Words in this Story      

convention² – n.  a custom or a way of acting⁸ or doing things that is widely accepted and followed

introductory – adj. providing information about something that is about to begin

conclusion – n. a final decision or judgment⁹: an opinion or decision that is formed after a period of thought or research

positive – adj. good or useful

thesis – n. a statement that someone wants to discuss or prove

pace – n. the speed at which someone or something moves

article – n. a piece of writing about a particular subject that is included in a magazine, newspaper, etc.

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 convention   

n.惯例，习俗，常规，会议，大会

参考例句：

• How many delegates have checked in at the convention?大会已有多少代表报到？
• He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。

3 conventions   

（某一职业、政党等的人士召开的）大会( convention的名词复数 )； 协议； 习俗； （美国）全国代表大会

参考例句：

• They broke away from conventions. 他们打破了常规。
• They disregard social conventions without being conscious that they are doing anything extraordinary. 他们不顾社会习俗，并未意识到自己在做些与众不同的事。

4 thesis   

n.论题，论点，论文

参考例句：

• His thesis is being finished off.他的论文快写完了。
• He argued his thesis well.他为他的论点进行了有力的辩论。

5 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

6 complexities   

复杂性(complexity的名词复数)； 复杂的事物

参考例句：

• The complexities of life bothered him. 生活的复杂使他困惑。
• The complexities of life bothered me. 生活的杂乱事儿使我心烦。

7 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

8 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

9 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。