讀書與考試
　許多人都會在讀書時遇到很多難題，例如不知如何做筆記，寫撮要，結果上完課後，很多課堂內容都忘掉，到考試時，更感恐懼和不知所措，我們特別提供一些有效的讀書方法及考試時的注意事項，令你易於了解課堂內容，並且可以鬆容應付考試。

第四課：寫撮要 Writing A Summary

寫撮要前的閱讀指引 
Guidelines for reading for a summary:

（1）    試想這篇文章或故事的寫作動機 Consider why the article or story was written；

（2）    找尋文中重複的觀點或主題 Look for repetitions of the same idea or theme；

（3）    找出文章的組構部分：人物，事件，時間，地方及因由 Look for the “keys” for the story: who, what, when, where, why.

寫撮要的要點 
Guidelines for writing a summary：

（1）    使用自己的語句，如果要引用文章內容，須用引號Use your own words, and if you quote from the passage, use quotation marks；

（2）    準確地反映出作者的重點，不可加入自己的意見Accurately reflect the author’s emphasis; do not include your own opinion；

（3）    盡量在撮要首段中，寫出作者及作品名稱 Identify the author and title of the work, preferably in the first paragraph of your summary；

（4）    保留原作的排序及重點 Preserve the order and emphasis of the original work；

（5）    假如撮要太長的話，可以引述作者的說話 If the summary is quite long, refer to the author throughout the summary. For example:

例如：

“Dr. Thompson believes that…”

“Thompson recognizes the importance of…”

“He suggests that the solution to the problem is…”

（6）    撮要的寫法：

a)      Be comprehensive.　撮要應該包括每項要點，令讀者可以從你的撮要中準確了解文章內容。Your summary should include everything essential to an accurate understanding of the article for the person who reads your summary.

b)     Be selective.  不須包括無關重要的資料，只選擇文章中最基本的部分，足以讓讀者正確了解作品。Don’t include unimportant details. Choose only basic parts of the passage that are necessary to properly understand the work.

c)      Be brief.  撮要應該少於文章內容的三分之一，雖然這樣做很困難，但最好能在三數句，甚至一兩句撮寫出文章內容。A summary should present the general idea in less than one-third of the work’s original length. It is possible, although difficult, to summarize an article in only one or two sentences.

（7）    重溫撮要：當你完成撮寫後，向自己提出以下問題：

a)      除了引述部分，是否已使用自己的語言？Did I use my own words, unless I quoted from the work?

b)     是否準確反映出作者的意見？Does the summary accurately reflect the author’s ideas?

c)      是否已提及作者和作品名稱？Did I mention the author and title of the work?

d)     是否忘記了任何重點？Did I forget any important points?

e)      是否把無須要的資料也包括在內？Did I include any unnecessary details?

f)       你的撮要是否太短？Is my summary short?

Exercise:

            Hundreds of immigrants were crammed into the Brooklyn courtroom to take the oath of citizenship so they would be able to vote, just as their friends had done before them and their mothers, sisters, uncles, and cousins would do after them. They offer many reasons for deciding to become Americans and, often, Americans who vote. Many worry about bread-and-butter issues: soaring tuition at public colleges, the path to betterment; cutbacks in spending on a health care industry that employs many immigrants, and Republican proposals to strip legal immigrants of benefits like Medicare and food stamps. Some say that more than any specific proposal, it is the harshness of the national debate about immigration that has made them profoundly insecure and has led to the doubling of the number citizenship applications since 1992.

(132 words)

1.     Mark the information you think is important to include in your summary.

2.     How long should your summary be?

3.     Write your summary.

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