1、Unit 3: 说明文和描写文（Exposition and description）必做题1. What is an exposition?Exposition means explaining or expounding something, the purpose of which is to inform or instruct, to make the reader understand what he reads. It is a kind of writing that is used often by a scientist, a specialist, a professio
2、nal or a college student. In expository writing, the writer may present a concept, a process or a fact, and explain it by using the ways of listing the elements or steps, which make up the concept, the process or the fact. It deals with processes and relationships mainly.2. What are the common metho
3、ds of writing an exposition?1) illustration by example2) Division and classification: the purpose of division is to divide a thing into parts and it is used to deal with one thing.3) Classification is used to organize things sharing certain qualities and the purpose of which is to group these things
4、 systematically.4) Comparison and contrast: a comparison means the way to explain how things are similar; but contrast explains how things are different.5) Cause and effect: it means a piece of expository writing which shows or explains the cause and effect of something.6) Definition: it means the w
5、ay that a writer uses when he wants to introduce to the reader a new and unfamiliar term or concept.3. What is a Description?Description is painting a picture in words of a person, place, object, or scene.4. Write a composition on the following title:My favorite ColorWhen referring to colors, we hav
6、e certain aspects of them. For instance, red may stand for passion, white for peace and purity, black for mystery, and so on. As far as I am concerned, blue is my favorite color, and there are a brief story and reasons behind it.The story could be traced back to my childhood. At the age of 8, I rece
7、ived a gift from my dear grandparents who paid their first overseas visit to Japan. It was a blue Mickey Mouse watch. The watchband was made of leather dyed in navy blue, and the watchcase was also of navy stainless with inside a cute navy-uniformed Mickey mouse whose hands pointed at the hours and
8、minutes. At that time, about 22 years ago, this kind of watch was rare and Mickey Mouse seemed to me fairytale which I could only imagine instead of possessing the real object; therefore, every time I put the watch on, I gained jealousy from my peer and classmates. In other words, this behavior sati
9、sfied my childish vanity then. However, since it was a delicate and beautiful watch, I seldom put it on. On one rainy evening, my younger sister, Wen-fang, had a serious fever. Having decides to take her to see a doctor, my mother had my brother on her back, held my other 2 sisters hands and asked m
10、e to embrace my sick young sister, and we walked half an hour to the clinic. After coming home, I found my Mickey Mouse watch disappeared. I hurried to seek for my lost watch in the exact path that we walked through, but couldnt find it. I was quite sad about it, but fortunately, my sister soon reco
11、vered under the doctors treatment. Till now, I still remember that lost blue watch vividly and from then on, I made a special and favorable impression on blue.Moreover, it is magical that blue shy and blue sea have enchanting and amazing power over me. Whenever I am depressed, I especially enjoy loo
12、king up the blue sky and if it is allowed, I like going to see the deep blue oceans as well. Its a great relief to see the blue color, and it really soothes my nerves. Under this enormous blue vault, I, myself, and my depression are too tiny to be compared to it; the peaceful deep blue seas with the
13、 touchable melody of which the waves compose is the best cure for my unhappiness or sadness.To sum up, my definition of blue stands for relief and freedom of soul. Though some may consider blue is a sign of gloom, since I am an optimistic and independent person, when I am blue, I will tell myself to
14、 look on the bright side instead of including myself into being over sorrowful. I favor blue for its fine distinction and definition as mentioned above. Hence, I consider that no other colors are more suitable to me than blue.5. Write a composition on the following title ：The Pet I KeptMany people h
15、ave an experience of raising a pet. They may have different feeling and sensations towards their pets. No matter how they feel, the same feeling of having a pet is love. People treat their pets with love and the pets also spend their whole lives companying with their masters. When we have pets, we h
16、ave to take care and love them. Therefore, keeping a pet is not a tough work but as a good learning experience to learn how to be responsible and patient.I kept a dog as a pet when I was in elementary school. Its name was “little white” because it was white in color. I got the puppy from my classmat
17、e because there were too many dogs after his mother-dog reproduced. He wanted me to pick up one from 7 puppies. I choose “little white” because it has a pair of beautiful and bright eyes and a very cute face. I happily brought it home and cleaned it and fed with milk. From that moment, the puppy bec
18、ame one of my family members.Few months later, when it grew up, it became a big dog with a short month, sharp teeth, bright eyes, a small black nose, fox-like ears and a feather duster-like tail. It had bad temper and was interested in biting anything, especially people. I was been one of the victim
19、s. Although it got a terrible temper, it gave me the unforgettable and happy moments during my childhood.After possessing “little white”, I could have a little realization about how difficult of being parents. The puppy could have faces anywhere in the house and I got to clear them up. The defecatio
20、n smelt bad and made me feel vomitive. Every time after I cleaned the feces, I shout to the puppy to release my bad emotion of cleaning the stink shit. Besides, I had to catch the fleas, which are too small to be caught on the puppy. Moreover, I had to clean the puppy regularly. The puppy was so hat
21、ed to be scrub that it ran away when it heard “taking washing”. Therefore, every time I had to chase the dog on the street and catch it back and then tie it up and give a rinse. Thus, cleaning dog is not only a hard work but also an exhausted exercise.However, having a pet did not mean having a trou
22、ble. Sometimes, a pet can play an important role in our mental health. For example, when I was in bad mood, the puppy became my royal listener and stayed with me and never could not “complain” because it could not speak “human language” to grumble at me. When I was in good mood, I played with the do
23、g and shared my happiness through having good time on the playground or giving some special abundant meals. On the contrary, the dog also had its own emotions and would have many special method of expressing its feeling. For instance, when “little white” was in good mood, it would ask me to play wit
24、h it by “throwing” its “toys”, such as the fake bones or some clothes it liked to sleep with. Also, the “little white” had emotional reactions and would show its feeling on face. When the dog was happy, it would not only shake its tail but also “smile”. When the dog felt bored, it would ask me to pl
25、ay with it by biting my pants. When the puppy wanted to go out for fun, it would scratch the door and bark. When the dog was hungry, it would bark like “begging”. Although the puppy could not talk, it also could express its feeling through many ways.In addition, the “little white” was also the secur
26、ity guide of family because of its “sharp nose, ears, and bad temper”. The dog almost barked at and bit anyone who tried to get into my house, including my friends, classmates, neighbors, visitors, and even the passerby except my family, therefore, when the visitors came, we had to catch the “little
27、 white” and locked it into the “toilet” until the visitor left. After a long time, all my friends knew that I had a very bad temper dog.As a result, keeping a pet is not a tough work but a good learning experience to learn how to be responsible and patient. After raising a dog, I not only learn how
28、to take care of a dog but also realize that “little white” as a pet is a life, which has feelings and thought as human did and spends all its life with me, and depends on me, and trusts me. Therefore, I shall cherish the relation between us.Unit 4: 实用文（Practical writings）必做题1. What aspects should yo
29、u pay attention to when you design a cover letter?Whether mailing or hand-delivering a resume, always include a short covering letter. The following aspects you should especially pay attention to:1) Address your letter to an individual, not to a title alone.Although you may address your resume to Mr
30、. Patrick Burns, Marketing Manager, dont address your letter (or envelope) to Marketing Manager.The employer may conclude that, because you were unable or unwilling to search out his actual mane, you will demonstrate an equal lack of initiative on the job. He may be instinctively more sympathetic to
31、 the applicant who uses his correct name.2) Stipulate the type of job you are applying for.If you dont mention the specific job or type of work, it implies that you are simply looking for “work”. If so, you may not be the interested. Motivated, and dedicated individual that the employer is looking f
32、or.Tell also what caused you to apply, whether an advertisement, the recommendation of a friend who works there, etc, or your own research, etc. Be direct and to be the point. Dont waste the employers time.3) Be specific and factualMention any personal characteristics that may be relevant to the ope
33、ning. Be specific and factual. Avoid generalities and exaggeration. Back up any claim modestly and succinctly.4) Be direct and naturalWrite as if you were speaking face to face to the employer. Avoid ostentation. Stay clear of complicated grammar.5) Be brief.Keep the letter to one page.6) Propose a
34、next step7) Tailor your letter to different readers.Although you may want to send the same resume to all employers, you probably should wary the covering letter somewhat in order to emphasize different interests or strengths. Certain of your qualifications may be of more importance to one employer t
35、han to another.2. Write on Answer sheet one a note of about 50-60 words based on the following situation:You have heard that your friend, Jack, wishes to sell his walkman. Write him a note expressing your interest in it, asking him about its condition and offering a price for it.April 7, 2003Dear Ja
36、ck,I have heard that you want to sell your walkman. You know, I want to buy a used walkman in order to do some listening practice. I want to know if your walkman functions well. And I offer 200 yuan to buy it. Please give me some detailed information about it as soon as possible.Yours sincerelyHenry
37、3. Write a business letter to your customer to talk about the price your company offers to buy his/her computers. You think that the price he/she offers is too high and you think that 5800 RMB for each computer is better for both sides. Now write a business letter to express this intention. Pay atte
38、ntion to the form of a business letter.English DepartmentZhejiang UniversityHangzhou, 310027ChinaEditorNewsweek International435 Madison EvenueNew York, NY10022U.S.ADear editor:I read in Newsweek (September 14, 1987) that an updated second edition of the unabridged Random House Dictionary of the Eng
39、lish Language is being published. I would be very grateful if you could give me some information on where and how I can get a copy of the dictionary and if there is a less expensive edition than the one described.Thank you for any help you can give me.Yours Sincerely,Ma XiaoxiaoMa XiaoxiaoEnglish De
40、partmentZhejiang UniversityHangzhou, 310027ChinaProf. Rechard MillerNewsweek International435 Madison EvenueNew York, NY 10022U.S.A.4. Suppose now you are a freshman (大一学生 ) in a college. You want to have a part-time job. Yet your parents dont agree with you and urge you to focus your time and energ
41、y on your study. Now write a letter no less than 150 words to tell them the importance and value of part-time job to a college student, ensure them that you can balance your study and the part-time job well, and therefore persuade them to agree with your choice at last.Pay attention to the form of a
42、 letter: the heading, the salutation, complementary ending, and make your letter as powerful as possible.Date: Nov.20, 2012Dear,In our country there are more and more college students undertaking a part-time job or even more than one part-time job. Its becoming quite common to see students busy runn
43、ing errands after lessons.Although it is a truth that for a college student, his most important goal must be to learn well and get a high score in exams, it surely does not need to be the only target. In fact, college life which consists of only study is not balanced and may cause the students to mi
44、ss out o other valuable learning experience. In addition to bringing more balance on students life, part-time work can broaden his social experience. He will have the precious opportunity to meet people from all walks of life and will be faced with a wide variety of problems to solve. Furthermore, w
45、ork helps a student to develop greater independence, and earning his own pocket money can teach him how to handle his finances work. Finally, a part-time job can help a student to develop a greater sense of responsibility and team-work spirit, both for his own work and for that of the team he works
46、with.For all of these reasons above, I firmly believe that most students would benefit from taking a part-time job while they are at college. Of course, they must be careful not to let it take up too much of their time because study is still their primary responsibility. To sum up, living a balanced life is the best way to be successful.SincerelyMa Xiaoxiao
