- 1. What Is a Good Paragraph Gold, a precious metal,is prized for two important characteristics.First of all,gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion.Therefore it is suitable for jewelry ,coins,and ornamental purposes.Gold never needs to be polished and will remain beautiful forever.For example,a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was made twenty-three centuries ago. Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science.For many years, it has been used in hundreds of industrial applications. The most recent use of gold is in astronauts’ suits. Astronauts wear gold plated heat shields for protection outside the spaceship. In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty, but also its utility. 1)A good paragraph usually has three parts: A. B. C. 2) A good paragraph also has two elements D. E. Topic sentence: Topic /controlling ideas/ complete sentence/not too general, not too narrow/usually the first sentence/state the main idea but not the details Practice 1 : Which of the followings are better topics? *American food is terrible *American food is tasteless and greasy because of canned,frozen,and prepackaged foods * American food is tasteless and greasy * I love city life * Cities attract me for their colorful cultural activities Practice 2. Regular Exercise Topic sentence________________________ 1) to strengthen the heart muscles 2) to improve blood circulation 3) to increase the intake of oxygen B Concluding sentences: signal the end of the paragraph/summarizes the important points briefly : Practice 1. Synomyms,words that have the same basic meaning do not always have the same emotional meaning.For example,the words “stingy” and “frugal”both mean”caerful with money”.However,to call a person stingy is an insult,while the word frugal has a much more positive connotation. Similarly, a person wants to be slender but not skinny, and aggressive but not pushy. Therefore, you should be careful in choosing words because any so- called synonyms are really not synonymous at all. Practice 2. Alternative energy sources are becoming increasingly attractive as the energy crises becomes more severe. Solar heating systems,which use the sun’s radiation as a source of energy ,are a promising energy source.Nuclear power plants, are already in operation in several parts of the country.Government and private industry are even investigating the possibility of capturing the power of ocean waves and tides for conversion into usable energy.Coal is once again becoming an acceptable fuel as the nation searches for the solution to the energy shortage. Even garbage is burnt to heat buildings and light city street._______________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ C. Developing sentences: /description/examplification/effect-cause/cause-to-effect/comparison &contrast /classification/process… Practice 1. Public behavour of sports figures is a poor example for our youth. Q: Why do you say that? What is your evidence Name some examples to prove your points. Method: Examplification 2.My city is actually composed of a group of distinct communities. Q: M: 3.The music that my generation dances to is different from that of my parent. M: 4.The paper-making process is as the follows: M: 5.There are two major differences between the European and American university systems. 6.Raising houseplants involves nearly as much care and knowledge as raising children 7.An understanding of the types of drinks may prove helpful to you when you want to make a choice. 8.Nowadays,some college freshmen are almost illiterates . D .Unity Every good paragraph has unity,which means that in each paragraph,only one idea is discussed.If you start to discuss a new idea, start a new paragraph.Furthermore,every supporting sentence in the paragraph must be directly related to the main idea. Practice 1: Progress is gradually being made in the fight against cancer.In the early 1990s,few cancer patients had any hope for long term survival.But because of advances in medical technology,progress has been made so that currently one in three cancer patients survived.It has been proven that smoking is a direct cause of lung cancer.However the battle has not been won.Although cures for some forms of cancer has been discovered,other forms of cancer are still increasing.Heart disease is also increasing. Practice 2: Learning to outline will improve your writing for three reasons *It will help you organize your ideas *It will help you to write more quickly *It will help you improve your grammar *Someone doesn’t pay attention to outline For these three reasons, learning to outline is well worth the effort. Practice 3: What Would Happen if There Were No Power？ Hints : 1. Ever since early this century , electricity has become an essential part of our modern life , ... . 2. If there were no electric power, ... 3. Therefore , ... E .Coherence In order to have coherence in writing,the movement from one sentence to the next must be logical and smooth ,there must be no sudden jumps. *logical order order of importance general to specific chronological order spatial order *transitional signal Transitional signals are words such as “first, second, next, finally, therefore”, and “however”, or phrases such as “in conclusion””on the other hand”,and “as a result”.Think of transational signals as traffic signs that tell your reader when to go forward,,turn,slow down,and stop.In other words, when you are giving a similar idea,(similarly,moreover,furthermore, in addition),an opposite idea(on the other hand,however,in contrast),an example(for example,),a result(as a result),or a conclusion(in conclusion).Using transitional words to guide your reader makes it easier to follow your ideas.Example: time and sequence:first(ly),second(ly)next,finally,first of all,after that,since then… exemplification: for instance,take…for example cause and effect: due to,because of,owing to,thanks to,because…,since… ,as a result, consequently, hence,thus,therefore… comparison and contrast: similarly,likewise,also,too./on the other hand,in contrast,however,by comparison,on the contrary,whereas,while Practice 1. There are two major differences between the European and American university systems. In European universities, students are not required to attend classes .In fact, professors in Germany do not know the names of the students enrolled in their courses. In the United States,however, students are required to attend all classes and may be penalized if they don’t. Furthermore,in the European system, there is usually just one comprehensive examination at the end of the students’ entire four or five years of study. In the America system, on the other hand, there are usually numerous quizzes, tests, and homework assignments, and there is always a final examination in each course at the end of the semester. … Practice2. The T-bird car and the rabbit car have several similarities.The T-bird is an attractive car ,the rabbit is,too. The T-bird can seat five people comfortably,as can the rabbit.In addition,the seat in the T-bird as well as in the rabbit are unholstered in tough vinyl.Furthermore,both the rabbit and the T-bird have a 12000 mile warranty. Despite the similarities,the two cars have some very important differences in the following areas.Physical dimensions,equipment,and fuel consumption and economy.The first major difference between the T-bird and the Rabbit is in their physical dimensions.The T-bird measures 199 inches in length,whereas the Rabbit measures only 156 inches.The difference in size between the two cars is more than three feet.However,just as the T-bird is longer,,it is much heavier:therefore,the T-bird will give you a much smoother and quieter ride than the Rabbit.Another obvious difference lies in their equipment.The T-bird has more luxury features than the Rabbit.For example,while the the T-bird has power windows,Rabbit has a sunroof… The final difference between the two is in fuel consumption… In conclusion,,then,although there are some superficial similarities between the two,there are quite a number of differences. Practice 3: Accidents in a Large British City Main Accident Cause 1977 number of Accidents Percentage rise(+) Or fall(-) over 1976  1  Drivers turning right without due care  608 (+)10%  2 Pedestrains crossing Road carelessly 442  +8%  3 Drivers failing to give a signal 314 -5%  4 Drivers losing control of vehicles 264 +50%  5 Drivers improperly overtaking other vehicles 257 -7%  6 Drivers misjudging distance 174 -25%   Give a description of the information above: A survey about traffic accidents was conducted by… in 1977 in a large British city .The purpose of the survey was to discover the main accident cause, and the number of accidents different causes lead to, and the percentage of the rise or fall compared with that of 1976. First, turning right without due care ____ 608 accidents in 1977.Secondly,____ pedestrains crossed roads carelessly, 442 accidents occurred.Next,although there was 5% decrease in drivers’ failing to give a signal,nevertheless there was 314 accidents____ this.In 1977,50% more drivers than in 1976 lost control of vehicles.Consequently, there were 264 accidents. In fifth place came drivers improperly overtaking other vehicles: These ___ 257 accidents.Finally,there was a 25% fall in drivers’ misjudging distances;however,they were still the _____ for 174 accidents. Practice 4: There are three kinds of book owners.The first has all the standard sets and best sellers…