2016年8月5日 星期五

Samples for Picture Guided Writing

學測衝刺教學:103年度學測英文作文分享 - 看圖寫作


今天和大家分享英文學測衝刺教學同學們以 103年學測英文看圖寫作題 為本,兩次上課所完成的作文練習。從以下並陳的三篇作文,不難看出透過一次次修改,同學已一步步地累積出英文寫作的能量。


初稿:老師於課堂上講解寫作方向,提示詞彙片語後,請同學於週間完成初稿,並寄至學測衝刺教學指定信箱。



It was such a leisure afternoon that people in the city came out and took a breath of the fresh air. It was just the time that students started to enjoy their summer vacation . Undoubtedly, people that were in uniforms were all walking in a bounce in their steps. (評)鋪梗鋪太長,且和圖中主角無直接相關,無加分效果,建議精簡成一句帶過,然後直接切入圖中主角。At the same time, Jonathan and his best friend Anna walked together shoulder by shoulder. Different from others, they were not even saying a word to each other, on the contrary, they were both busy with their cellphone. 評)拉長句子後,同學們常犯的錯誤之一:缺連接詞,光靠逗號無法連接different from …each other on the…cellphone這兩句。Anna was keeping up a running conversation with a Internet friend instead of the friend just standing by her side. Jonathan, as well as Anna, was busy on his cellphone. He was enjoying the music with the volume up to the maximum level in his normal routine.

Just at that time, something terrible happened. Anna screamed with a bloody nose and sat on the ground with tears in her eyes. 
(評)先寫 Anna 撞到樹,再寫尖叫和受傷,這樣邏輯比較順。She just bumped into the tree but how exaggerated Jonathan is that he wasn't conscious about this. 評)用字不妥—exaggerate 意指 stretch the truth (誇大事實)How…is 為感嘆句,he wasn't…又是一句,兩句無重疊之處,所以用 that 關代連接為錯誤的寫法。He kept walking with the headphone covering his ears. He didn't care about anything that was happening around him even when he was walking across the street. He didn't appear to hear the anxious driver sounding his horns, he just kept walking in a slow path. 評)缺連接詞,光靠逗號無法連接He…horns he…pace這兩句。Suddenly, Jonathan disappeared from the pedestrians' sight, he just fell into a enormous hole on the road and was sent to the hospital in a hurry.評)缺連接詞,光靠逗號無法連接Jonathan…sight he…road 這兩句。且之前未提到有路人注視 Jonathan,所以disappeared from the pedestrian's sight 有些突兀。

After this incident, Jonathan and Anna stay away from their smartphones. 
(評)stay away from N(離遠遠的)這結論太嚴厲了些,建議提出正確使用手機的方式。They were aware that electronic devices are impacting their safety. They had learnt their lessons in a hard way.

一修:針對初稿,老師親自批閱,不逐字修,以劇情鋪陳是否合理,初步句構是否正確為批改重點。批閱後寄回給同學,請同學再次改寫。


It was such a relaxing afternoon that people in the city all went to the center park for a breath of fresh air. It was just the time that students started to enjoy their summer vacation. Undoubtedly, students were all prancing about with delight and chatting with their best friends on the street. (評)鋪梗部分還是太長,people in the city…等說法和圖上主題無關,可刪去。undoubtedly較常用在論說文,放在看圖說故事裡感覺語氣較生硬。Different from others, Jonathan and his best friend Anna were not even saying a word to each other; on the contrary, they seem to be keeping their smartphone near them from the moment they woke up until the moment they went to bed. (評)on the contrary用在論說文,放在看圖說故事裡語氣較生硬。說完雖是好友卻未交談後,應接著說為何沒交談(例如:忙著玩手機),keeping…went to bed 這句顯然多餘,反而切斷說故事的流暢度。Anna was keeping up a running conversation with an Internet friend instead of the friend just standing by her side. Jonathan, and also Anna, was listening to blaring music through his headphones. 評)Anna 是玩手機,而非聽音樂,所以不需用and also AnnaEven when his headphones were clamped to his head others could hear every single lyric of his favorite song.

Just at that time, something terrible happened. Anna screamed with a bloody nose and sat on the ground with tears in her eyes. 
(評)建議事件陳述順序如下:Anna撞樹 > Anna受傷 > Jonathan 沒注意到,因為他正大聲聽音樂 > 描寫音樂有多大聲 > 所以沒聽到喇叭聲 > 差點被輾過。She just bumped into the tree but Jonathan was immersed in the lead singer's raspy vocals, the band searing guitars solos catchy, and the rock tunes with heartfelt lyrics. He kept walking with the headphone covering his ears. He didn't care about anything that was happening around him even when he was walking across the street. He didn't hear the anxious driver sounding his horns. All of the pedestrians were looking at him with a strange look. Suddenly, he disappeared from the pedestrians' sight, he just fell into an enormous hole and all the people who award this came to him and reached him out. (評)award (授予/ 判定)為單字誤用,可改成 witness (目擊)reach out (伸出)為片語誤用,可改成lend him a helping handJonathan was then treated in the hospital emergency room. (評)從 reach out was then treated 過程有斷層,建議:Jonathan was then rushed to the emergency room. After this incident, they were aware that electronic devices are impacting their safety and made them learnt their lesson in a hard way (評)邏輯不順。不是手機讓他們 learn a lesson the hard way,而是自己不良的手機使用習慣造成受傷送醫的結果。so that they limit the frequency of using cellphones and turning off the alert signals while walking.

二修:下週上課,老師領著同學一起完成細部調整,調整方向涵蓋用字 /文法 / 句型 / 文章結構 / 劇情邏輯等等,二修即最終定稿。定稿後,學生接著背誦自己的文章,將單字句構進一步內化。


Celebrating the start of the summer vacation, students pranced about with delight, chatting fervently with friends along the road. Unlike their peers, Jonathan and his best friend Anna walked side by side without exchanging a look or a word with each other. Both of them were heavy smartphone users with eyes glued to the screen at any given moment. As usual, Anna was busy switching between keeping up a running conversation with her Internet friends, scrolling through enthusiastic updates on Facebook, and playing a few rounds of cellphone games. The lure of the cellphone was too powerful for her to concentrate on whoever she was with in person and what was happening in her surroundings. Suddenly, she bumped into a tree in front of her, lost her balance, and landed head first on the ground. With blood and bruises all over her face, she let out a shrill cry that summoned passersby. A kind woman offered to give Anna a ride to a nearby hospital. 

Meanwhile, Jonathan was totally unaware of Anna’s tragic accident. Wearing his headphones and cranking up the volume on his favorites, he was immersed in the lead singer's raspy vocals and the band’s searing guitars solos. When walking across the street, he didn't avoid the oncoming car. He didn't hear the anxious driver sounding his horns. All of the pedestrians looked at him curiously. In the next second, he fell into an enormous hole and disappeared from everyone’s sight. Several people scrambled to come to his rescue. Jonathan was then rushed to the hospital emergency room. Both Anna and Jonathan learned their lessons from the incidents the hard way. Aware that cellphones may impact their safety greatly, they decided to reduce cellphone use and turned off the alert signals while walking.

2016年8月4日 星期四

Samples for Picture Guided Writing

學測衝刺教學:102年度學測英文作文分享 - 看圖寫作

繼前一篇 103 學測英文作文分享,今天再賞析一篇學測衝刺教學同學就 102 年學測英文看圖寫作為題所寫成的作品。


初稿:老師於課堂上講解寫作方向,提示詞彙片語後,請同學於週間完成初稿,並寄至學測衝刺教學指定信箱。
After finishing a long school day, finally could I take the MRT to go home.(評)否定字放句首才需倒裝。When I walked on the car, (評)上車 get on / 下車 get offI was so lucky to find a seat. Though it was a priority seat, I still sat down without hesitation because I was really tired. As soon as I sat down, I had my cellphone out and started to scroll through enthusiastic updates on Facebook and responded messages on Line. While I was busy typing text messages to my friends, I noticed a weak man with white-haired stand behind me. He suffered from shaking in legs when standing and seemed to collapse at any moment. I knew I should yield the seat to him, but fatigued as I was, I decided to pretend that I wasn't aware of him.(評)Adj as S + V = Though S + V,這句型意指「雖然」,用在這,句意不順,需修改,且fatigue 多做名詞使用。Therefore, I kept typing my messages and also played a few rounds of my favorite cellphone games, Candy Crush.(評)上一句pretend that I wasn’t aware…和這一句kept typing 沒有因果關係,故可刪除thereforeI ignored the dirty looks and whispers from other passengers. Although I felt a little ashamed, I still did nothing until I got to my destination.(評)不是沒做事,而是持續玩手機玩到下車。

After a few days, I played a basketball game during the PE class. Just at the moment that I ran to guard against Johnny that I badly bumped with someone.
(評)沒有主詞和動詞,無法構成句子,建議改成:Just at the moment that I ran to guard against Johnny, I bumped into…It was such a hard hit that I bloodied my nose and sprained my ankle. I was asked to walk on crutches until my ankle was healing.

On that day, when I walked on the MRT difficultly, I found there is no spare seats.
(評)difficultly 不常用,建議善用動詞描繪上車情況,讓讀者明白腳傷有多嚴重。同時可描寫一上車發現沒位子坐時當下的心情。After standing for few minutes, I felt acute pain in my ankle. I started to look around to find seat again and found a girl sitting on the priority seat. She seemed to be absorbed in her novel and was insensitive to whatever happened around her.(評)重整架構,讓文句更俐落緊密。建議改成:站了一會,我的腳開始發疼。我多麼希望坐在我前方博愛座上專心看書的女孩可讓座給我。My ankle got more and more painful that I stood closer to the girl and hoped she could discover my hurt feet. Before long, the girl saw me and quickly yielded the seat to me. As soon as I sat down, the situation that I occupied the priority seat and neglected the old man's pain came up to my mind.(評)回憶發生的「景象」需用scene of N。「湧上心頭」需用came to my mindNot until that moment did I come to realize it was cold-hearted of me to turn a blind eye to the vulnerable. Since then, I have made a decision of lending a helping hand to the weak instead of ignoring them.

一修:針對初稿,老師親自批閱,不逐字修,以劇情鋪陳是否合理,初步句構是否正確為批改重點。批閱後再寄回給同學,請同學再次改寫。
After finishing a long school day, I took the MRT to go home. When I got on the car, I was so lucky to find a seat. Though it was a priority seat, I still sat down without hesitation because I was really tired.(評)tired和接下來一直玩手機有衝突。As soon as I sat down, I had my cellphone out and started to scroll through enthusiastic updates on Facebook and responded messages on Line. While I was busy typing text messages to my friends, I noticed a white-haired old man stand in front of me. He suffered from shaking in legs when standing and seemed to collapse at any moment.(評)再重整文意會更漂亮。建議:He couldn't stop his legs from shaking or twitching and seemed to collapse at any momentI knew I should yield the seat to him, but tired as I was, I pretended that I wasn't aware of him.評)tired 這個梗不適用,要修。I kept typing my messages and also played a few rounds of my favorite cellphone games, Candy Crush. I ignored the dirty looks and whispers from other passengers. Although I felt a little ashamed, I was busy refreshing my Facebook feeds and “likes” friends’ posts until I got to my destination.

A few days later, I played a basketball game during the PE class. Just at the moment that I ran to guard against Johnny, I bumped into Robert. It was such a hard hit that I bloodied my nose and sprained my ankle. After receiving careful examination and treatment, I was told to walk on crutches by the doctor until my ankle was healing.

This morning, I dragged my feet to get on the MRT and walked clumsily on crutches. Looking around, I was disappointed to find all the seats were occupied. After standing for few minutes, I felt acute pain in my ankle. I started to look around to find seats again and found a girl sitting on the priority seat. My ankle got more and more painful that I stood closer to the girl and hoped she could discover my difficulty.  However, she seemed to be absorbed in her novel and was insensitive to whatever happened around her.
(評)劇情先後順序有些錯亂,句子需重整。建議:發現女孩坐在博愛座 > 女孩全神貫注看小說 > 你心中祈禱能引起女孩注意。Fortunately, my prayers were soon heard. Seeing my miserable suffering, the girl leapt to her feet and yielded the seat to me. As soon as I sat down, the scene of my neglecting the frail old man and occupying the priority seat came to my mind. Not until this moment did I come to realize it was cold-hearted of me to turn a blind eye to the vulnerable. Since then, I have made a decision of lending a helping hand to those in need instead of ignoring them.

二修:下周上課,老師領著同學一起完成細部調整,調整方向涵蓋用字 / 文法 / 句型 / 文章結構 / 劇情邏輯等等,二修即最終定稿。定稿後,學生接著背誦自己的文章,將單字句構進一步內化。

After finishing a long school day, I went home by MRT. When I got on the car, I was so lucky to find a seat. Though it was a priority seat, I sat down without hesitation anyway. As soon as I took the seat, I had my cellphone out, switching between scrolling through enthusiastic updates on Facebook and responding messages on Line. While I was busy typing text messages to my friends, I noticed a white-haired old man stand in front of me. He couldn't stop his legs from shaking and twitching and seemed to collapse at any moment. I knew I should yield the seat to him; however, I was reluctant to give up the comfort of sitting back and using my cellphone. I pretended he was invisible, keeping playing a few rounds of my favorite cellphone games, Candy Crush. I ignored the dirty looks and whispers from other passengers. Although I felt a little ashamed, I then immersed myself in refreshing my Facebook feeds and “likes” friends’ posts until I got to my destination.

A few days later, I played a basketball game during the PE class. Just at the moment that I ran to guard against Johnny, I bumped into Robert. It was such a hard hit that I bloodied my nose and sprained my ankle. After receiving careful examination and treatment, I was told to walk on crutches by the doctor until my ankle was healing.

This morning, I dragged my feet to get on the MRT and walked clumsily on crutches. Looking around, I was disappointed to find all the seats were occupied. After standing for few minutes, I felt excruciating pain in my ankle. In front of me was a priority seat. The girl sitting in it seemed to be absorbed in her novel and was insensitive to whatever happened around her. I prayed wholeheartedly that she would notice me struggling on crutches and kindly offered me her seat. Fortunately, my prayers were soon heard. Seeing my miserable suffering, the girl leapt to her feet and yielded the seat to me. As soon as I sat down, the scene of my neglecting the frail old man and occupying the priority seat came to my mind. Not until this moment did I come to realize how cold-hearted I was to turn a blind eye to the vulnerable. Since then, I have made a decision to lend a helping hand to those in need instead of ignoring them.

2016年8月3日 星期三

Samples for Writing English Letters

學測衝刺教學:101年學測英文作文/ 書信寫作分享


今天我們再接再厲來看看學測英文作文的第三種出題形式—書信寫作吧。書信寫作可概分成正式和非正式兩類。前者包括一般商業信函、求職信和推薦信等。而後者則以私人社交信函為主。兩者在格式和標點符號上稍有不同,請見下表。
正式書信
非正式書信
正式信函右上角需加註寄信人住址及日期
日期需置於信函右上角,年與月日之間用逗號隔開
稱呼上方需加註收信者姓名(或單位名稱)及住址
稱呼之後加逗號
稱呼之後加冒號
結尾詞第一字字首大寫,其後加上逗號。書信寫作中可用的結尾詞有:[親近的人] (With/ In) Love, [表關切真誠] Sincerely yours,/ Yours truly,/ Warm regards,/ Your friend,
不可用縮寫字
信件儘可能打字,簽名部分先親筆簽名下方再搭配打字



接下來和大家分享衝刺教學同學以101年學測英文作文為題所寫成的非正式書信一篇。

題目:你最好的朋友最近迷上電玩,因此常常熬夜,疏忽課業,並受到父母的責罵。你(英文名字必須假設為 Jack Jill)打算寫一封信給他/她(英文名字必須假設為 Ken Barbie),適當地給予勸告。注意:必須使用上述的JackJill在信末署名,不得使用自己的真實中文或英文名字 


初稿:老師於課堂上講解寫作方向,提示詞彙片語後,請同學於週間完成初稿,並寄至學測衝刺教學指定信箱。
Oct. 25, 2014
Dear Ken,
Recently, every waking moment, you always sit in front of the computer and play your favorite LOL. On weekends, you would play for over twenty hours straight, skipping meals. Besides, you even avoid using the bathroom and taking a shower, only not to miss one second of the game. 
(評)信件一開頭就應明確點出寫這封信的動機為何?接著鋪陳事情的來龍去脈。又 weekends 做什麼這些訊息是打從哪兒來的呢?Your mom was worried about you because she saw you pound your ten fingers upon your pillow in search of a keyboard in the middle of your sleep. I was worried about you, too. You used to do well at school but since you became addicted to online games, your school grades suffered. In addition, you either missed homework deadlines or turned in lousy homework. What bothered me most was that you isolated yourself from friends. You didn’t play basketball or go shopping with us anymore. You spent all your time trying to advance to next level in the game. You became irritated when we called you while you were using computer. (評)詞彙完整,但句子多以 you 開頭,看來較單調,行有餘力可做些句式變化。

(評)第一段的弱點在於陳述邏輯有些零亂,建議調動句子順序,如:我寫這封信是因為我很擔心你 你最近沉迷於線上遊戲,因而在學校(點出不對勁的項目)>你爸媽也很擔心你 從你爸媽那得知你在家(點出不對勁的項目)。 

I know that you are a perfectionist. When you can’t attain excellence, you become anxious and depressed. And when your performance can’t meet your parents’ high expectations, you seem to lose confidence in yourself. That is why you turn to the Internet for temporary release of pressure. However, after you get off the computer, you face the same problems. As your friend, I think you don’t have to be the best every time to be successful. We all learn through trials and errors. 
(評)加入一句 「失敗只是暫時的,只是通往成功的道路上的小插曲」這樣會更好,進而建議朋友要學著容忍暫時的不完美。I think there are other ways to relieve pressure such as playing basketball or seeing a movie. (評)突然從上ㄧ句「接受不完美」到這一句「抒壓」太過跳躍,要加過渡。Why not take up your old hobbies that give you a great sense of achievement? To fight your Internet addiction, you might try setting reasonable Internet use time and stick to it. The offline world offers much more interesting activities for you to experience and explore. (評)結尾太弱。Why 那句著重「抒壓」,To fight 這句提到「力抗沉迷網路遊戲的方法」,最後The offline 這句又點到「真實世界比線上虛擬世界更有趣」,三個分散且不連貫的點,結尾顯得雜亂無力。 

Your friend,
Jack

二修:下周上課,老師領著同學一起完成細部調整,調整方向涵蓋用字 / 文法 / 句型 / 文章結構 / 劇情邏輯等等,二修即最終定稿。定稿後,學生接著背誦自己的文章,將單字句構進一步內化。 

Oct. 25, 2014
Dear Ken,
I was worried about you. You used to do well at school but since you became addicted to online games, your school grades tumbled. Not only did you doze off in class but you turned in shoddy homework or missed assignment deadlines. Besides, you isolated yourself from friends. I can’t think of the last time you hung out with us. After school, you simply withdrew from all activities and spent every waking moment trying to advance to next level in League of Legends. You seemed to turn into everything that you said you would never be.

Also, I heard from your parents that on weekends, you would play for over twenty hours straight, as if possessed by some mysterious outside force. You skipped meals altogether and avoided bathing or using the bathroom for fear of missing one second of the game. When they shut the game off, you freaked out and went ballistic. Obviously, you have lost yourself within a virtual world and neglected many of your real-world priorities. I am concerned that constant gaming would eventually take a heavy toll on your health, studies and relationships.

I know that you are sort of a perfectionist. Stress accumulates when you don’t attain excellence. With the college entrance exam fast approaching, you shoulder even more pressure than ever. Therefore, you turn to those thrilling online games for temporary stress relief. Yet, I think there is a fine line between entertainment and a full-blown addiction. As your best friend, I would like to see you overcome your Internet addiction and get your life back in order. I can’t tell you how much I miss the witty old Ken, who struck a good balance between study, leisure, and social life. Above all, there are many better ways to keep stress at bay other than indulging yourself in online gaming. Why not take up your old hobbies that give you a great sense of achievement? Why not resume practice with the school basketball team? All your teammates and fans who nickname you “The Savior” await anxiously for your return. Promise me that you would start setting reasonable Internet use time and wane yourself off gaming as soon as possible. And I want you to know that you can always count on me. Whenever you need someone to confide in or share your burden, I will always be on your side because this is what friends are for. Once you break the vicious cycle of the Internet addiction, you are sure to find that the offline world offers much more interesting activities for you to explore, experience and enjoy!

Your friend,
Jack

2016年8月2日 星期二

Samples for Writing English Letters

學測衝刺教學:101學年度北模 - 書信英文作文分享


105 學年度第一次學測英文模擬考中,沉寂一陣子的書信作文體裁又重出江湖,殺得許多同學措手不及。今天就以101 台北學測模擬考作文「園遊會」為題,讓同學了解基本的書信格式,也和大家分享「學測衝刺」成功高中 黃同學 迸發的活動創意 : D


提示:從小到高中,大家都有參加園遊會的經驗。請寫一封邀請函,請你的親朋好友來參加學校園遊會。第一段說明園遊會的時間和主題,你將要賣什麼產()品或辦什麼活動,同時說明其特色。第二段說明如何抵達會場及園遊會所得用途。請注意:信頭稱謂請用 Dear All,信末署名需用 John Jane

初稿:老師於課堂上講解寫作方向,提示詞彙片語後,請同學於週間完成初稿,並寄至學測衝刺教學指定信箱。

Dear All, (註:書信作文開頭,人名稱呼後要打「逗號」

This year, our school fair is decided to be hold on 10/30. It will be opened at 4:00 p.m. and finish approximately at 9:30 p.m.. Different from the past event which just sold some snacks and played some boring games(註:關代 which 代替前面的名詞 past eventevent 不會 sold / played,文法錯誤,建議刪除這節。), this time, our subject is "Brave." (註:活動主題 theme,非 subject (學科 / 話題 / 受測者)。)The event features 3 parts. First, in the entrance is the ghost house. Every guest has to get through the ten-minute-long dim tunnel, and along the way, there are plenty of "surprises" waiting for you. (註:這是一般大家想像的鬼屋,文法上都正確,但就是缺了亮點,可多加點創意。)In addition, as soon as you pass the tunnel, several peddlers exhibit in front of you, and they are all in Halloween styles. (註:將 exhibit (展示) 改成 show up / appear (出現)。要仔細描寫小販所販售的食物,食物也應扣緊 Halloween / 恐怖片這主軸。)Beside the food and drink, we also have many club performance like guitar, drama, magic, and honor guard. (註:Beside (= next to) 要換成 Besides (除…以外) many 後方的 performances 應為複數。表演節目和內容還是要扣緊 horror 這主軸。)Moreover, there will be a horrible movie 註:horrible (adj.) 可怕的。應換成 horrible movieplaying in the auditorium at 7:00. If you want to challenge your bravery, just come! (註:換成 test your mental limitation 更好)


And how to go to our school? (註:how to…這句非完整句子,應避免在作文中出現。)The most convenient way is that taking he MRT to the Shandao Temple station and go out from exit 5. 註:關代 that 後方要加完整句子,要有完整動作,taking 需改成 take。又或去掉 that,改成 takingand going…。)Once you leave the station, go straight for about 100 meters and on your left hand side is our school. Apart from taking the MRT, you can also take bus 208, 262, 304, which directly reach there. By the way, our school fair ticket cost 300 dollars. It is mean that you wont spend any money while entering the place. (註:ticket 應該搭 costsis / mean 雙動詞,文法錯誤。實際上參加者花了 300 元買入場券,而不是不花一毛錢入場。反而應說明入場券可抵園遊會中的哪些項目。)All our profits will donate to ICRC. (註:profits 應搭配被動式 be donated。)You will not only attend a sensational celebration but also make charities. (註:中式英文,應改成 make charitable contributions。)Dont you want to experience a different and interesting Halloween? Dont hesitate. We all welcome you to come.                                           
Sincerely,
John
(註:信尾署名 (John) 和敬語 (Sincerely) 不在同一行。Sincerely 後方需打逗號。)

二修:下周上課,老師領著同學一起完成細部調整,調整方向涵蓋用字/ 文法/ 句型/ 文章結構/ 劇情邏輯等等,二修即最終定稿。定稿後,學生接著背誦自己的文章,將單字句構進一步內化。

Dear All,
This year, we will hold a fair to celebrate our schools 80th anniversary and Halloween. And we would like to invite you, along with your family and friends, to join us on Oct. 30th, from 4 pm to 9:30 pm. We promise to have something for everyone, so get ready to have great fun. Different from the past celebrations, this time, we make bravery the main event theme. For those of you who love some thrills and chills, you can sign up for the haunted house. Unlike the typical 5-minute walkthrough maze with sickly corpses jumping out at you, our Gates of Hell is created by hardcore terror fanatics and employs movie-quality props and special effects. The house features various horror elements that get inside your head in ways too horrible to describe. For example, you might be unexpectedly stuffed into a coffin or trapped in scary illusions such as being attacked by something invisible and then left soaked in your own blood. In addition, if you are more a food lover than thrill-seekers, there are 100 stalls offering a great variety of spooky, mind-blowing delicacies inspired by well-known horror movies. Among the snacks is green slime popcorn. Rumor has it that if you eat a whole bowl in front of the mirror in a dark room and say Bloody Murray three times, the busters will appear. Besides, if you are willing to venture to a vampire diet, you can sample those blood orange pops to see how Cullens in the movie Twilight quench their blood cravings. Another highlight of this fair is an afternoon live concert, which boasts student artists singing the creepy theme songs of classic horror movies or put on shows adapted from popular thrillers. Moreover, there will be a horror movie playing in the auditorium at 7:00. If you want to test your mental limitation, just come! 

As for the transportation, the most convenient way to get to our campus is to take the MRT to the Shandao Temple station and get out at exit 5. Once you leave the station, go straight for about 100 meters, and on your left-hand side is our school. Apart from taking the MRT, you can also take bus 208, 262, 304 and get off right in front of the school gate. The admission fee is $300 per person and it includes unlimited access to the haunted house, the concert, shows, and exhibitions. All our profits will be donated to the charities including the ICRC. This means that by attending this sensational celebration, you are also making a big difference to the lives of those in need. Above all, dont you want to experience Halloween in different ways? Dont hesitate! The tickets are expected to sell out soon so you had better sign up now.  
        
Sincerely,
John


2016年8月1日 星期一

Tips for English Composition

學測指考英文作文秘笈(一)

2017 學測馬拉松已鳴槍,校內模考也接踵而至。剛升上高三的你們,或許正對如何在 20 ~ 25分鐘內寫出一篇達意的英作感到茫然、焦慮或挫折。你們的「哀嚎」,我們聽到了。本著我們自身學習和輔導家教學生的經驗,今天就從修正大家對「什麼才算得上好的英文作文」的錯誤想像開始吧!觀念正確後,後續再就提升英文寫作的「質」和「量」給大家一些建議。

 你有這三大英文寫作迷思嗎?
迷思一、詞彙越深奧,分數越高?
當絞盡腦汁依舊下不了筆時, 我們總認為是因為「文法太弱」或「字彙量太少」 的緣故。但熟悉了語法,且奮力記誦單詞後,卻發現在寫作上還是看不出明顯突破。原因就在於「背誦單詞」和「活用詞彙」是截然不同的兩回事。由於不知活用已知詞彙,寫作時總找不到合適的表達方式。又或因沒仔細了解單字用法和該單字適用的主題及情境,而誤用單字。又或因誤信艱澀單字可讓作文看來「高級」,而將「堆疊難字」視為提升作文成績的靈丹妙藥。後面兩項加乘,考生更可能寫出謎一般的英文作文,讓閱卷老師看得滿頭霧水。

擴增「常用詞彙」的量是很重要的,但更重要的是,熟悉如何運用已學會的詞彙。在此我想節錄文風素以幽默機智、簡潔風趣聞名的馬克吐溫,在《湯姆歷險記》中的幾個句子為例:

Tom made a sign to mekind of a little noise with his mouthand we went creeping away on our hands and knees. When we were ten foot off, Tom whispered to me, and wanted to tie Jim to the tree for fun. But I said no; he might wake and make a disturbance, and then theyd find out I wasn't in. 
譯文:
Tom
給了我暗號—像是用嘴巴發怪聲,然後我們便手腳並用地爬出去。當我們離家門十英呎遠時,Tom 對我輕聲說他想捉弄 Jim,把他綁在樹上。但我說不行。Jim 可能會醒來,引發騷動,然後他們就會發現我不在家。

細看馬克吐溫所使用的詞彙和句式文法,都是「國中英文等級」的,相當平易近人。但這些看似「不起眼」的詞彙,卻也造就了畫面豐富的故事情節。

迷思二、句子越複雜,分數越高?
下方以 2013 大考中心公告的「學測英文佳作」中的一小段為例:

The sound in Stephens headphones had been cranked up to a deafening level. He wanted it at the loudest possible configuration so that he could enjoy hearing the bass reverberating in his head. The insanely fast tempo of the music made his blood run wild. Stephens attention was absorbed into his dance routine. 
仔細看看,不難發現當中根本沒有所謂的「超級長難句」吧。大致上都是謹守基本的句型架構:主詞 + 動詞 + (地點 + 時間)。應考時,若能流暢地寫出較複雜的句子,的確有加分的效果。但許多時候,一昧地拉長句子,反而容易模糊句意,且大大增加結構錯誤的機會。實際上,提升句子的三個面向:結構嚴謹、句意清晰、句型多樣,才是考生們該努力的目標。

迷思三、作文越長,分數越高?
學測寫作測驗要求考生寫一篇 120 字,約 8 12 個句子的短文。建議考生將作文字數控制在120 180 字。雖然字數足夠確實較容易取得高分,但前提是要「言之有物」,否則內容不夠精彩,卻長篇大論,為湊字而刻意拉長句子,反而會弄巧成拙。大致上,作文評分的主要依據有四︰
  1. 寫作的完成度
    即文章論述是否有「扣緊題目」?是否有完成寫作,寫出結尾段落?當考生寫作字數越多,代表寫作所需時間也越長,更須好好掌控書寫進度。離題和倉促之下未替文章收尾,都是一大致命傷。

  1. 邏輯連貫性和結構完整度
    簡單來說就是文章是否有內容?且內容陳述是否有條有理?面對考題時,考生最容易犯的錯就是浪費時間糾結在哪個觀點或故事情節才是「正確的」或「受評分老師青睞的」。真正該考慮的是哪個方向是自己最擅長,最能充分利用考前準備的內容,且寫起來內容最豐富且順手的。

    此外,遇到命題式作文時,請拋棄中文作文慣用的迴圈式寫作—旁徵博引地兜了一大圈後,最後才切入正題。改用英文近乎科學式的邏輯和寫作方式—開門見山地將結論清楚說出,接下來再添補細節(即證據)以支撐自己的論點。

  1. 詞彙運用能力
    這個項目特別著重下列三個重點—用字遣詞是否恰當? 拼寫是否正確? 詞彙是否多元?

  1. 語法的多樣性和準確度
    語法準確,意思才會清楚;而語法多元,句型長短句交錯,文章看來豐富,讀起來也會有韻律感。


學測指考英文作文秘笈(二)


看完秘笈(一),了解高分英文作文的要件後,今天和大家分享英文作文的基本格式,以及提升英文寫作的「質」和「量」的訣竅。

訣竅一:英文作文格式
英文作文常見的格式有兩種—「齊頭式」和「縮入式」。
顧名思義,「齊頭式」就是每行開頭對齊,而段和段之間空一行。請見下方範文:
Avatar 2, set in the turbulent waters of Pandora, an alien moon, won
t be ready in another four years. The tentative 2016 release means that all the blue paint you've been hoarding for your Na'vi for the opening night will have to sit there just a little longer.

This March, the research for a sequel to Avatar took director James Cameron to Mariana Trench, which could swallow Mount Everest and has been visited by man once only


「齊頭式」特別適合字跡還不夠工整的考生。由於段落間空行,除可讓文章顯得長些,版面看起來也比較清爽易讀。我個人也比較偏好這種格式。

而「縮入式」較接近中文作文格式,每段開頭空4個字母,從第5個字母開始寫,且段和段之間不空行。若將上方範文改用「縮入式」的話,就會變成下面這樣﹕

        Avatar 2, set in the turbulent waters of Pandora, an alien moon, won't be ready in another four years. The tentative 2016 release means that all the blue paint you've been hoarding for your Na
vi for the opening night will have to sit there just a little longer.
        This March, the research for a sequel to Avatar took director James Cameron to Mariana Trench, which could swallow Mount Everest and has been visited by man once only


「縮入式」的優點是可增加寫作空間,適合作文字數較多,答題紙常不夠用的考生。缺點是版面看起來比較擁擠,所以要留意字跡是否清晰。

順帶一提,考試時,字體方面,還是建議用看起來一板一眼的「印刷體」,而非龍飛鳳舞的「書寫體」,原因無他,就是求容易辨識,清楚易讀。

訣竅二:先求有,再求好,踏出寫作的第一步
普遍考生對英文寫作都有信心不足的問題,且習慣先想好中文句子,再將句子翻譯成英文。由於中英文並非一字對應一字,常常寫了幾個字或幾句話就刪了重寫。反覆下來,半小時後,作文紙還是一片空白,興趣和信心因而受了不小打擊。

為踏出英文寫作的第一步,突破寫不出來的困局,建議考生「先求有,再求好」。準備考試初期,每天花個5分鐘,練習「自由書寫」(free writing)。「自由書寫」的三大原則為:不停筆、不修正、不評斷。在限定時間內,繞著主題不間斷地寫。寫得時候,不用顧慮單詞拼寫、文法句型、作文得分,想到什麼就直覺地往下寫,不要停下來查字典或修改文句。即便一瞬間腦袋一片空白,也可寫 "I really don't now what to say" "I am stuck",直到出現下一個靈感。「自由書寫」練習的次數多了,就可有效降低英文寫作時的焦慮感、豐富文章的內容、提升寫作速度並增加作文的「量」,可謂好處多多。接下來,請用下列四個主題開始練習自由書寫吧!

When digging in the dirt, Jim found an old dirty lamp. He started to wipe the dirt off when suddenly a genie appeared and promised to grant him three wishes
當挖土時,Jim 發現了一個老舊的油燈。他開始擦去油燈上的泥土。突然之間,有個精靈出現了,並承諾實現他的三個願望。
Alice finishes typing her last report and was ready to leave. As she headed for the office door, all the light suddenly went out
Alice
打完最後一份報告,正準備好離開。當她朝辦公室門口走去時,所有的燈突然熄滅…
寫一封給隔壁鄰居的抱怨信,請她管好她家的狗,別再四處撒野。
I am concerned about the way your dog runs loose in the neighborhood. I understand that

我很擔心你讓家裏的狗在附近亂跑。我了解 …
Do you agree that the only way to improve road safety is to impose severe punishment on driving offenders?
你同意提升道路安全唯一的方法就是重罰違規的駕駛人嗎?
訣竅三、練習替換單詞,舉一反三
單純背誦一個單字的中文意思,遠稱不上是學會了這個單字。因為詞彙學習中最重要的環節在於知道如何在不同語境中靈活運用它。正如語言學家呂叔湘所言︰詞語嵌在上下文裏才有生命,才容易記住,才知道用法。下方三個例句說明了 picture 這個單字在不同語境中的詞性及意思上的變化。

If a picture is worth a thousand words, this photo editing software has helped people everywhere to expand their vocabulary.
若一張照片勝過千言萬語,那麼這修圖軟體已幫助各地的人擴展了他們的語彙。
photo editing software 可知句中的 picture 為名詞,意思為「照片」。
The kid is coloring the picture with crayon.
小孩正用蠟筆幫圖畫上色。
coloring 可知句中的 picture 為名詞,意思為「圖畫」。
I am deeply in love with Amy. I can't picture life without her.
我深深地愛上了 Amy。我無法想像沒有她的生活。
句中的 picture 為動詞,意思為「想像」。
由此可知,多閱讀,從句子中認識單字,遠比死背單字中文意思有效多了。

有了紮實的詞彙底子,才能夠流暢地「替換單詞」及「換句話說」。這兩項是寫好作文的必備條件。那麼,該如何養成這種能力呢? 建議大家備好筆記本,從練習替換單字、列出同反義詞開始,熟練後再進階到替換短語,最終再搭配文法句構概念,達成「換句話說」的目標。請見下方例子。

 替換單字
The storm caused flight cancellation at the airport.
暴風雨導致機場航班取消。
[
相似詞彙] create 製造;induce 引起
[
相關詞彙] lead to Nresult in Nbring about Ngive rise to N導致引發…
[
反義詞彙] prevent 避免;result from N 起因於…

 替換短語
The knowledge gained through internship provides a solid foundation for my future career.
透過實習所獲得的知識為我未來的職涯提供穩固的基礎。
[
相似詞彙] lay the groundwork for N 奠下基礎
[
相關詞彙] pave the way for N 為…發展鋪路
[
反義詞彙] undermine 削弱;is ill-prepared for N 對…準備不充份

 調整詞彙,變化句構,換句話說
Tom didn't call 911 but tried to fight the apartment fire himself.
Tom
沒打911,而是試著自己想辦法滅火。
[
詞彙+句型] Instead of calling 911, Tom tried to extinguish the apartment fire.
將「不是 A 而是Bnot A but B句型改成 instead of Ving
[
相似詞彙] battle the fire 對抗火災
[
相關詞彙] put out the fire 滅火
[
反義詞彙] N catch fire … 著火;set fire to N / set N on fire 對 … 縱火 

訣竅四、熟悉五大文法和句構
寫作文就像蓋房子般,詞彙就是一塊塊磚,而文法則是撐起房子的鋼筋水泥骨架。光有詞彙,缺了文法骨架,只見堆疊如山的磚塊,哪來房子呢?而光有文法骨架,卻少了詞彙,只見房子雛形,但和舒適居家「遮風避雨」的概念相差甚遠。因此,「詞彙」和「句構文法」兩要素缺一不可。建議大家進行自由書寫時,多多練習以下五個可讓無趣作文起死回生的文法和句構。
句構1關係代名詞關係副詞複合關係代名詞 
句構2Ving 和 p.p. 分詞構句
句構3if 假設語法
句構4倒裝句
句構5︰負責起承轉合的連接詞、副詞和介系詞,如:although / because (of) / unless / despite / however / therefore 

訣竅五、如何修改自己的作文
建議大家自行修改文章時,將文章讀出來,一邊念、一邊聽有助於了解文句是否長短穿插,分布恰當,更重要的是可測試文章是否清楚易懂。此外,也可請別人幫忙看,看完之後再給你一些建議。你可請對方回答以下問題:
1. 
你看得出我的文章的大意嗎?
2. 
文章裏有意思不清楚或邏輯不順的地方嗎?
3. 
文章裏引用的證據夠充分有力嗎?
4. 
文章裏有不相關的、離題的訊息嗎?
又或者你可請他們讀一小段,接著問問他們還有興趣往下讀嗎?若答案是Yes,那就恭喜你囉,你的英文作文又往前躍進了一大步了!