Part VII Writing (30 minutes, 20 points)

　　【试题综述】

　　大学英语竞赛的最后一题的"图表式作文"。这类作文有其独特的写作特点。图表作文是一种将数据、形象信息转化为文字信息的过程,它要求作者用文字说明图表或对图表中所给数字进行比较,从中找出规律并得出结论,或对图表所反映的结果进行评论。图表式作文的写作步骤如下:1)仔细阅读作文标题和写作要求。同样的图表,在不同的写作要求下会写出迥然不同的短文。2)仔细观察图表。如果表中有大量数据,要注意分析,找出其中的变化规律加以说明并归纳总结。3)深入领会图表所传达的信息和说明的问题。不要忽视文中提示部分。图表中的提示往往有助于确定文章的思路。4)写作时,考生可采用先描述后议论或夹叙夹议的方法。叙述一般是在为议论打基础,所以除了直接引用表中有关典型数据外,有必要做些简单计算,指出增减的百分比、倍数或绝对数字等。切忌毫无目的地引用表中过多或全部的数据。

　　竞赛题的作文设计立意新颖、贴近生活。但提供的图表有一定的难度,考生只有正确解读这一图表,才能写出符合要求的作文。其中有两个难点,首先要知道图表中的数字,这是一周平均休闲时间的小时数;其次图表所展示的共5组数字,不但要逐一进行描述,更重要的是总结这些数字的意义或所反应的现实。例如,past-time employed没有反映男性情况的数字,full-time employed女性和part-time employed女性的休闲时间差别不大,对这一现象,似乎可以这样描写:There were no figures given for male part-time workers, but female part-timers had thirty-nine hours of leisure, only slightly more than women in full-time employment, perhaps reflecting their work in the home.

　　失业和退休者的情况是,男女的休闲时间都有大幅度增加,但女性的休闲时间仍少于男性,在作文中最好也有所反映:In the unemployed and retired categories, leisure time showed an increase for both sexes. Here too, men enjoyed more leisure time-over eighty hours, compared with less than seventy hours for women, perhaps once again reflecting the fact that women spend more time working in the home than men.

　　当然,写作是最个性化的行为,如果说其它试题都有所限制的话,同学们可以充分利用这个机会一展自己的英语才华,写出有独特风格的佳作美文。最后还是要提醒一句:千万不要跑题。

　　【原题】

　　Directions:The chart below shows the amount of leisure time enjoyed by men and women of different employment status.Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.You should write at least 150 words.

　　Leisure time in a typical week:by sex and employment status,1998-99

　　【参考范文】

　　The chart shows the number of hours of leisure enjoyed by men and women in a typical week in 1998-99,according to gender and employment status.

　　Among those employed full time, men on average had forty-seven hours of leisure, whereas women had approximately thirty-seven hours. There were no figures given for male part-time workers, but female part-timers had thirty-nine hours of leisure time, only slightly more than women in full time employment, perhaps reflecting their work in the home.

　　In the unemployed and retired categories, leisure time showed an increase for both sexes, as might have been expected. Here too, men enjoyed more leisure time-over eighty hours, compared with less than seventy hours for women, perhaps once again reflecting the fact women spend more time working in the home than men.

　　Lastly, housewives enjoyed approximately fifty-four hours of leisure, on average. There were no figures given for househusbands! Overall, the chart demonstrates that in the categories for which statistics on male leisure time were available, men enjoyed at least ten hours of extra leisure time.

　　(文/李树德 朱秀娥；英语辅导报大学教师版2003-2004学年第44期；版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)