VOA慢速英语 Education Report - Studying in the US: Writing Colle
时间：2018-12-07 作者：英语课 分类：VOA慢速英语2009年（四）月
This is the VOA Special English Education Report.
Today in our Foreign Student Series we discuss writing college papers. Writing a term paper, research paper or essay for a college class is a kind of academic writing. Academic writing among professionals is a way to create new knowledge.
A professor assigns 1 students to write a paper. The students examine an issue, review what is already known, think about what they have learned 2 and come to some conclusion.
A student-writer must present information and also take a position
This means that each student-writer must present information and also take a position. The student might support an idea, question it or even disprove it. Or the writer could show how the subject may be understood better or in a different way than it has been. And the student must support the position with evidence.
Cultural differences may interfere 3 when international students try to write this way. Writing teachers say students in many countries have learned to write beautiful descriptions about something without ever stating the main idea. American college students are expected to state their main idea at the beginning of the paper.
In other cultures, paragraphs may be organized to build toward 4 the main idea, which is revealed 5 at the end. But in the United States, the main idea of each paragraph should be in the first sentence. Another difference is about writing style. Other cultures may use lots of descriptive words. But American English values short, strong sentences.
Teachers at the writing center at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana work with students to improve their writing. Graduate tutor 6 Lars Soderlund says non-native English speakers generally have some trouble with English grammar.
He says their sentences may be too long. Or they incorrectly use articles such as "a", "an" and "the." He also says non-native speakers generally use too much emotional 7 language and give too many details before getting to the main idea.
The associate director of the writing center, Tammi Conard-Salvo, says international students should look online for materials that explain the kind of writing they will be required to do. They should ask their professors for help. Most colleges have a writing center where they can get free individual help with their work.
Links to writing center materials can be found on our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. I'm Jim Tedder 8.
- Every year a national plan outlines and assigns special problems for research. 每年国家规划并分配特别的研究题目。
- Your teacher assigns you work to be done at home. 你的老师会分配家庭作业给你。
- He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
- In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。
- If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
- When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。
- Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
- Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。
- They revealed to me that the experiment had failed. 他们向我透露试验失败了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- His insincerity is revealed by the quick goggle of his eyes. 他眼睛的快速转动泄露了他的不诚。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- I think you should get her a tutor.我认为你应该替她请个家教。
- What do you think of your tutor?你觉得你的家庭教师怎么样？