Тема 10. Написание абзаца и истории.

Writing A Story.

The main features of a good story are that it tells the events clearly and has a beginning, middle and end, and that it is interesting to read. When writing a story, remember to:

• organize your ideas into clear paragraphs,

• be imaginative,

• begin by setting the scene; give some details about when and where the story takes place and who the main characters are,

• use a variety of past tenses,

• use a mixture of direct and reported speech,

• use sequencing words and linking expressions,

• use interesting and varied vocabulary (generally adjectives and adverbs to make the story more exciting),

• bring your story to a definite conclusion.

Before you write your story, do the following exercises.

Упражнение. Complete this story using the appropriate form of the verbs in brackets.

It was a wild, stormy night in December. The road l) ____ (be) empty, and there were no streetlamps. She 2) ____ (drive) for only a few minutes, when she 3) _____(notice) a car following her, flashing its headlights. She 4) ____ (drive) faster. She 5) _____ (attack) once before on a lonely road at night. However, the car behind 6) _____ (be) still close. In a panic, she 7) ____ (reach) her house as the car 8) _____ (try) to overtake her. In the driver's seat there was a shadowy figure, waving his hands around wildly. She 9) ____ (stop) the car, 10) _____ (jump) out and 11) _____ (run) to the front door. The man in the other car 12) ____ (leap) out and shouted “Wait! I 13) ____ (try) to warn you! When you stopped on the motorway, someone 14) ____ (get) in the back of your car.” The woman 15) ____ (look) round and 16) ____ (see) a dark figure running away down the road.

Find examples of these features in the story: * set the scene, * varied use of past tenses, * descriptive adjectives, * direct speech, * interesting ending.

Упражнение. Connect the following sentences with the sequencing words in brackets. Make any changes necessary.

1. I was just getting into bed. I heard a tap at the window. (when)

2. I decided to ignore it. I heard it again. (but/after a while)

3. I switched the light off. I heard a scratching sound coming from the wall. (as soon as)

4. I got up. I went over to the window. The sound had stopped. (by the time)

5. I tried to wake the neighbours up. I decided to call the police. (later/finally)

Упражнение. Rewrite these sentences to make them more vivid and interesting for the reader. Replace the underlined words with the following words: notice, push, scream, march, bang, dash, grab. Make any changes necessary.

1. I looked out of the window and I saw something strange. 2. I quickly ran to the door. 3. He took me by the arm. 4. The stranger opened the door. 5. Suddenly, she heard a loud noise. 6. She walked angrily out of the room. 7. She shouted as loud as she could.

Упражнение. Read the story below and complete the gaps using these sentences.

a).I started to run, afraid to look back.

b). On a cold winter evening, we were driving through the forest, high up in the mountains.

c). Soon I was alone and could not any longer see the lights of the car.

d). we were beginning to feel worried.

l). __. It had been snowing all day. Suddenly, the engine started to make a strange noise and five minutes later it stopped. At first, we thought we had run out of petrol, but then we still had a little bit left. We tried pushing the car, but it wouldn't start. 2) __. It was already dark and cold. We waited, in case a car came past. An hour later, we decided one of us should go on ahead and get help, while the other two stayed behind in case a car turned up. A few minutes, later, torch in hand, I started walking. 3) __. I felt afraid. At first, I whistled to cheer myself up but after a while I stopped. I thought I could hear something or someone following me. Perhaps there were wild animals in the forest. 4) __.

Упражнение. Read the story again and underline any sequencing words. A good story also uses expressions which tell us when things happened and in what order they happened. Decide which of these phrases tell us when or in what order the events in a story took place. Add them to the box below.

in my opinion, finally, by then, that evening, moreover, a few years ago, an hour later, by contrast, in a few minutes, on a hot summer's day, eventually, as soon as, however.

at first, soon, five minutes later, after a while, in the beginning, later, previously, the previous week, in the meantime, when, during, on a cold winter evening, ________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Упражнение. Complete these sentences using appropriate sequencing words from the previous exercise.

1. It was very quiet in the room. Then, ________, an extremely loud popping sound broke the silence. 2. I hadn't seen him for a few days; we had met for a coffee ___________________. 3. They waited for what seemed like an eternity, and then _________ she turned up. “You'll never guess what happened to me!” she began. 4. _________ I didn't recognize him, but as he got closer, it became obvious to me that he was the man from the old house. 5. She fell asleep as the sun began to set in the sky. She woke up __________ to find it was dark.

Упражнение. 1. Read the story below. Match the paragraphs (A-D) with these headings.

1) ending to the story, 3) developing the story, 2) setting the scene, 4) what happened to start with.

A. It was a beautiful day in spring and the sun was shining. The night 1 ___, my cousin Sam, my boyfriend Tom and I had decided to go canoeing. We had arranged to meet up at 8 o’clock. I was a bit late and 2 ___ I arrived at the river, Sam and Tom were already waiting.

B. We got everything ready and set off. We had canoed a few miles 3 ___ we noticed that the sky was very cloudy. 4 ___, it started to rain heavily. We carried on and 20 minutes 5 ___ we came to some rapids. I was absolutely terrified. 6 ___, Sam shouted: “Look over there! It’s Tom’s helmet!” 7 ___ that, we saw his canoe floating down the river.

C. We got out of the river and walked back to look for Tom. There was no sign of him anywhere so we decided to get help. 8 ___ I had my mobile phone and I rang an emergency services. Then we heard cries from some bushes. 9 ___, we ran towards them and saw Tim lying on the ground. His canoe had turned over and he had hit the rock. 10 ___, he had managed to swim to the bank.

D. Tom was weak and had hurt his leg so we kept him warm and waited for help to arrive. 11 ___, we saw some people coming towards us. They took us to the local hospital and checked Tom’s injuries. He was O’K and that evening they let him out. 12 ___, our parents came to collect us. 13 ___ we were going home, we talked about how lucky Tom had been. We all felt very happy to be back home.

2. Complete the story with the linking words below. after, at last, before, by the time, immediately, in the end, just then,

later, luckily, somehow, suddenly, when, while.

Упражнение. You are going to write a story following these instructions.

You have decided to enter a short story competition. The rules say that the story must end with the following words: “Finally, I had managed to explain the mystery.” Write between 120 and 180 words.

Упражнение. Now it's your turn. You are going to write a story following these instructions. You have decided to enter a short story competition. The competition rules say that the story must begin or end with the words: “If I had only stayed at home …” Write between 120 and 180 words.

Make notes to help you structure your story. If you want to, include some of these expressions in your story.

• Last year, I went to ...

• A few minutes later, something awful happened ...

• Then, just when I thought the worst was over ...

• By then, I was beginning to feel ...

• As soon as we arrived ...

Упражнение. Each story is written in s definite genre. Rewrite the sroty of the Red riding Hood in different genres. These subtitles may help you:

1. The Red Riding Hood: A Sad Story of the Unequal Love,

2. The Red Riding Hood: The 15^th Century Battle of the Clans,

3. The Red Riding Hood: The Horrifying Massacre In a Village,

4. The Red Riding Hood: The Failed Testing of the WOLF-173,

5. The Red Riding Hood: The Girl-Disaster.

Writing a report.

Упражнение. Read the parts of the report (A - F) and put them in the correct order.

A. There are several positive things that tourists mention.

a). The night life is excellent. There are world famous musicians, classical orchestras plus concerts for all musical tastes.

b). There are many places to eat - and a great variety of international food, too.

c). Travel in the capital can be expensive, although the cheap “saver” tickets, especially for families, are a good idea.

B. To: the London Tourist Office

From: Malcolm Ryan

Date: 15.01.06

Subject: tourists’ options of London

C. To sum up, on the one hand tourists find London an exciting capital city with lots of things to do and see. On the other hand, they think it is too expensive. In addition, they think London can be a dangerous place.

D. The aim of this report is to highlight what tourists like about London and to identify the main problems they have while visiting the city.

E. However, there are many things which tourists would like to improve.

a) Accommodation is expensive but this is probably the same in all capitals.

b) Tourists do not always feel safe, for example in some tube stations at night. Also, they think there should be more police officers on the streets.

c) Public transport costs a lot. Tourists think the underground is old and crowded as well as expensive.

2. Find the linking words in italics in the report.

Which do we use: * to list ideas? *to contrast ideas?

Упражнение.

(A) A report contains facts and information which are often based on some kind of research; it doesn't usually contain any personal opinion. A report should have an informative title and sub-headings for each new section. The following parts usually comprise a report: introduction, background, what to see, advice. Here are some tips on writing a report:

• use an impersonal style - don't express strong personal opinions.

• make sure that all the information you include is relevant to the topic.

• use sub-headings to make your report clearer.

• in the introduction, state the aim and content of the report.

(B) Tick the features which we use when writing a report: headings, short forms, formal style, generalizations, passive voice, facts, informal chatty style.

(C) Read the following extracts from the report on the Hagia Sophia. Match these sentences with the part of the text you think they are from.

THE HAGIA SOPHIA

Introduction.

The aim of this report is to describe the Hagia Sophia. It is one of the most important building in the world and should not be missed.

Background information.

The church of Hagia Sophia was built in 537 AD by the Emperor Justinian I. It was called the Great Church because of its size. Over the years the Hagia Sophia has been damaged by fire and earthquakes and parts of the building have been rebuilt several times. The building has been used as an Orthodox Church, a Catholic Church and a mosque. It was closed for many years and then in 1934 it was re-opened as a museum.

What to see.

It is definitely worth visiting the dome of the church and the mosaic of the Virgin Mary, which are both quite spectacular to see.

Advise to visitors.

The Hagia Sophia Museum can be visited every day 9.00 – 17.30, except Mondays. Visitors are advised to allow at least two hours for their visit as there is a lot to see.

(D) Find phrases in the report which are examples of good features of a report. Consult part B.

(E) Find words or phrases in the text which mean the same as the following: the purpose, during a certain period of time, you should see something, impressive, include a certain amount of time in your plam.

(F) Now complete these sentences using the words you found in part E.

1. The exhibition is ___________. They've got all tht famous pictures there. 2. When waiting to go on a ride at Disneyland you have to ________ at least 40 minutes. 3. _______the pyramids have been damaged by tourists. 4. The architect's _______ was to design the tallest tower in the world. 5. The fireworks we saw last night were ______.

(G) Here are some words which will be useful to you when writing about buildings and monuments. Add them to the table: square, tower, mosaic, church, ruins, architect, temple, plastic, engineer, build, panoramic, design, concrete, modern, stone, wooden, brick, statue, painting, marble, cement, museum, designer, carpenter, stonemason, round, painting, ancient.

BUILDINGS
types of buildings	description	materials	decorations	people

(H) Write this report on the Eiffel Tower by expanding the notes given in each paragraph.

(I) Now it's your turn. Write your report following these instructions. Use some of the vocabulary. Write a report for a travel agency on an important monument in your city, using the topic vocabulary to help you. Write between 120 and 180 words

Упражнение.

Procedure: (report)

1. Underline key words in the question and make sure you do exactly what the question asks you to do. Pay particular attention to the person you are addressing the report to.

2. Begin by stating the purpose of your report; go on to describe how you got your information; then report your results (use lists of points to save space); finally, state your conclusions or make a recommendation.

3. Divide your report into sections and use headings (e.g. Introduction, Results, Conclusions).

1. Before you write a report, join the following two clauses in as many different ways as possible. You should use the linking words and expressions below, paying attention to word order and punctuation.

he is rich and famous/he isn't happy

(but, even though/although, however, in spite of/despite, on the one hand ..., but on the other hand ...)

2. Complete the following sentences in an appropriate way.

a). The seats in the theatre were comfortable, but ... b). He wanted to be a famous actor. However, ... c). She refused to star in his new film despite the fact that ... d). On the one hand he enjoyed being recognised in the street, but ... e). Although the film received good reviews in the press, ... f). In spite of needing a holiday, she decided to ...

3. Now write each of your sentences again, using one of the other linking expressions.

1. Read the following question, which asks you to write a report.

You recently started to work in local tourism and you had to visit a new tourist attraction (for example, theatre, museum or disco) in your area. Now you must write a report for your boss. Write your report in 120-180 words describing the attraction, what it has to offer to tourists and commenting on its good and bad points.

2. Look at the following answer to the question and fill in the gaps with appropriate linking words.

To: Michael Fenton

From: Sandra Woods

Re: The Leicester Square Disco Palace

As requested I visited the new disco, which is becoming increasingly popular with young foreign tourists. Below is the summary of the most important relevant points with some recommendations.

1. The general facilities in the disco are extremely good. There is a large dance area with a video screen, adjoining bar and upstairs restaurant. (1) ____, given the large numbers of customers, the number of toilets (at present one men’s and one women’s) need to be increased.

2. (2) _____ the actual music is played at a reasonable volume and seems to be appreciated by the audience, I was concerned that it was very limited in range (only current hit singles).

3. The restaurant was rather expensive, but (3) ___ this, the quality of food was not at all good and the service was slow and occasionally rude.

Conclusions.

This is a generally well-run and attractive disco. I predict it will become increasingly popular in time. I do recommend, (4) ____, that we speak to the director about:

a). the range of music (perhaps suggest a “60’s night” or a “70’s night”).

b). the prices and general standards of the restaurant.

3. Now you are going to write a report on a local tourist attraction in your area. Follow this procedure:

1. Underline the key words in the instructions. (Remember you were asked what it has to offer to tourists and to comment on its good and bad points.)

2. Think of the various areas to consider (for example, if it's a theatre, how close to the centre of town, general condition of theatre, price of tickets, frequency of performances, types of plays performed, comfort of seats, interval facilities, etc.).

3. Note the good and bad points under each area.

4. Write your report in 120-180 words following the layout in the presented report. Start each numbered paragraph with a general point and use the various expressions you practised above to link good and bad points. Finish with your conclusion and recommendations.

5. Check to see that you have covered the main points in the instructions and that you have written about the right number of words.

Задания для самостоятельной работы

Упражнение.

Champions

It's time once again for our annual Champion of the Year award. Every year we invite you, our readers, to write and tell us about someone who you think has helped to make life better for other people. We don't want famous people, but ordinary men and women, boys and girls, who in some small way have made the world a happier place. It might be a member of your family, a neighbour, a friend, a teacher. If you would like to nominate someone, we want to hear from you. Write and tell us who you would like to nominate and why.

Write to: Valerie Stubbs, Editor Teen Scene, 16 Harwood Place, London SW18 4BK.

All letters must be received by 19 October.

Read the text again. Answer these questions.

1. How often is the award given? 2. What do readers have to do? 3. What kind of people can't you nominate?

4. What should the people you nominate have done? 5. Who must you write to? 6. When is the closing date?

Green Bank Farm

Wellet

Kent

CT4 2LR

5 October

Valerie Stubbs

Editor Teen Scene

16 Harwood Place

London SW18 4BK

Dear Ms Stubbs,

I would like to nominate someone for the

Champion of the Year award. The person I would like to nominate is a teacher at our school. Her name is Sharon Lynch.

' This summer Mrs Lynch spent her summer holiday walking from our school to Land's End and back -about 600 miles - in order to raise money for charity. With the Ј5000 that she raised, the local community centre was able to buy a minibus, which will be used to take sports teams to competitions and to bring old and handicapped people to the centre.

Mrs Lynch's walk has helped to make a lot of people's lives easier and more interesting. That's why I think she should be Champion of the Year.

Yours sincerely, Angela Barton

The letter has three paragraphs. Put these in the correct order to match the paragraphs.

A. What has the person done? B. How do the person's actions justify the nomination? C. Who would you like to nominate?