The Summary(摘要) Essay
The key features of this type of writing are that (1) it is shorter than the source; and that (2) it repeats the ideas of the source in different phrases and sentences.
Obviously, you cannot write a good summary essay of a source that you do not understand. One such technique is thereader's summary, which you write for yourself, as a way of understanding the text you are reading. But there is another type of summary, the summary essay, which is written for an audience other than yourself. The purpose of the summary essay is to convey to others an understanding of a text you have read, without their having to read it themselves. Thus for your readers, your summary essay functions as a substitute for the source that you are summarizing. You do not want to misrepresent your source or mislead your audience. Certainly an important feature of the summary essay, then, is its fidelity to the source; you must represent your source accurately and comprehensively, with as little of your own interpretation as possible. (Anytime you read and repeat a source, of course, you are engaging in interpretation; but the summary essay asks you to minimize your interpretation as much as possible. You should not add your own examples and explanations, for instance.) An alternative purpose of the summary essay, one that is very commonplace in college, is a demonstration of comprehension: teachers sometimes assign summary essays when they want to make sure that students fully understand an assigned source. In this case, your essay does not substitute for the source, for the teacher has read the source, too. Yet your essay will be written in the same way, with fidelity to the source. The following format works well for a summary essay:
a. The introduction (usually one paragraph)-
1.Contains a one-sentence thesis statement that sums up the main point of the source. This thesis statement is not your main point;it is the main point of your source.Usually, though, you have to write this statement rather than quote it from the source text. It is a one-sentence summary of the entire text that your essay summarizes.
2. Also introduces the text to be summarized:
(i)Gives the title of the source (following the citation guidelines of whatever stylesheet you are using);
(ii)Provides the name of the author of the source;
(ii)Sometimes also provides pertinent background information about the author of the source or about the text to be summarized. The introduction should not offer your own opinions or evaluation of the text you are summarizing.
b. The body of a summary essay (one or more paragraphs):
This paraphrases and condenses the original piece. In your summary, be sure that you--
1. Include important data but omit minor points;
2. Include one or more of the author’s examples or illustrations (these will bring your summary to life);
3. Do not include your own ideas, illustrations, metaphors, or interpretations. Lookupon yourself as a summarizing machine;you are simply repeating what the sourcetext says, in fewer words and in your own words. But the fact that you are usingyour own words does not mean that you are including your own ideas.
c. There is customarily no conclusion to a summary essay.
When you have summarized the source text, your summary essay isfinished. Do not add your own concluding paragraph unless your teacher specifically tells you to.
Summary Essay
The key feature of a summary essay is that it's somewhat shorter than the sources, and that it repeats ideas of the source in different sentences and phrases.
Summary essay is a successful essay only in a case when you are able to choose a source that you clearly understand. And since the purpose of this type of writing is to convey to the audience an understanding of a text they haven't read, your writing serves as a substitute for the source you are describing, and is informative. This generally means that you should represent your source comprehensively and accurately adding as little of your own interpretation as possible. For example, you shouldn't add your own explanations and examples.
Alternatively, a summary essay can be assigned to check your comprehension of the source. In this case, your paper doesn't substitute for the source.
The compositional structure for this type of writing is:
- the introduction that should contain a one-sentence thesis statement and introduce the text to be discussed;
- the body that includes important data, several illustrations and examples of the author. It shouldn't however include your own illustrations, ideas or interpretations.
- For summary essay, conclusion is optional. After summarizing the source text your writing is finished. You can leave it as it is or add your own concluding paragraph if required.
Example:
Here is a passage from “Why Fear National ID Cards?” by Alan M. Dershowitz.
Original Source (原文)
Finally, there is the question of the right to anonymity. I don’t believe we can afford to recognize such a right in this age of terrorism. No such right is hinted at in the Constitution. And though the Supreme Court has identified a right to privacy, privacy and anonymity are not the same. American taxpayers, voters, and drivers long ago gave up any right of anonymity without loss of our right to engage in lawful conduct within zones of privacy. Rights are a function of experience, and our recent experiences teach that it is far too easy to be anonymous-even to create a false identity-in this large and decentralized country. A national ID card would not prevent all threats of terrorism, but it would make it more difficult for potential terrorists to hide in open view, as many of the September 11 hijackers apparently managed to do.
Summary
According to Alan Dershowitz, a national ID card would require every citizen to give up a certain degree of anonymity, but it would also make it difficult for people to move anonymously around the country and engage in terrorist activities.
Original Source(原文)
Bruner and the discovery theorists have also illuminated conditions that apparently pave the way for learning. It is significant that conditions are unique to each learner, so unique; in fact, that in many cases, classrooms can’t provide them. Bruner also contends that the more one discovers information in a great variety of circumstances, the more likely one is to develop the inner categories required to organize that information. Yet, life at school, which is for the most part generic and predictable,daily keeps many children from the great variety of circumstances they need to learn well.
-David Guterson, Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Senses, p. 172
Acceptable Paraphrase(釋義)
According to Guterson, the “discovery theorists,” particularly Bruner, have found that there seem to be certain conditions that help learning to take place. Because each individual requires different conditions, many children are not able to learn in the classroom. According to Bruner, when people can explore information in many different situations, they learn to classify and order what they discover. The general routine of the school day; however, does not provide children with the diverse activities and situations that would allow them to learn these skills (p.172).
True Courage
By Amra Skocic
It is not very often that we hear about, read about, or experience a truly courageous act. Indeed, do we really even understand what a courageous act is? According to Webster’s Dictionary, courage is defined as “the ability to control fear when facing danger or pain.” But there is much more involved. A courageous act is an unselfish gesture taken on a voluntary basis which involves some risk. An example is Oscar Schindler, the real-life hero of the movie Schindler’s List, who performs a courageous act by saving thousands of Jewish lives during the Second World War.
Oscar Schindler is a German factory owner who employs Jewish people and rescues them from death in the concentration camps. In the beginning, he is primarily motivated by the opportunity to start production and earn a high profit using forced labor. As time goes by, Schindler’s motivation changes from greed to selflessness. As he witnesses the mass execution and torture of the Jews in Poland, he realizes that he has the ability to save innocent lives. Gradually this realization overcomes his desire for money. Led by unselfish motivation, his action meets the first criterion for courage.
A courageous act must be voluntary, meaning that the person performing the act must have the full opportunity to walk away and avoid risk. Schindler understands his choices, but the one that he makes is to employ Jewish people. He could just as well have employed German workers or used other options without taking any risk. The voluntary nature of employing Jewish people in his factory meets the second criterion for courage.
A courageous act involves risk and sacrifice. How much the goal is worth determines the price of risk. From the moment Oscar Schindler decides to save those innocent lives, he is aware of the danger to his own life. If discovered by the Nazis, he will inevitably be killed. This risk completes the third and the final criterion for a courageous act.
Is there anything worth risking our own lives for? For most of us, probably not, but for a courageous person like Oscar Schindler, obviously there is. This points out the great difficulty of true courage, which the world rarely sees. Today it is more common for people to act out of selfishness, to avoid any danger, and to let others volunteer. Schindler sets himself apart when he accepts a great risk without potential reward and without hesitation. Schindler stands as a beacon of courage in a world that still has many dark corners. We would all do well to emulate the courage of Schindler.
辛德勒的名單Schindler's List: 1939年，波蘭在納粹德國的統治下，黨衛軍對猶太人進行了隔離統治。 德国商人奥斯卡·辛德勒（阿姆·内森饰）来到德军统治下的克拉科夫，开设了一间搪瓷厂，生产军需用品。德國商人奧斯卡·辛德勒（阿姆·內森飾）來到德軍統治下的克拉科夫，開設了一間搪瓷廠，生產軍需用品。凭着出众的社交能力和大量的金钱，辛德勒和德军建立了良好的关系，他的工厂雇用犹太人工作，大发战争财。憑著出眾的社交能力和大量的金錢，辛德勒和德軍建立了良好的關係，他的工廠僱用猶太人工作，大發戰爭財。
1943年，克拉科夫的犹太人遭到了惨绝人寰的大屠杀，辛德勒目睹这一切，受到了极大的震撼，他贿赂军官，让自己的工厂成为集中营的附属劳役营，在那些疯狂屠杀的日子里，他的工厂也成为了犹太人的避难所。 1943年，克拉科夫的猶太人遭到了慘絕人寰的大屠殺，辛德勒目睹這一切，受到了極大的震撼，他賄賂軍官，讓自己的工廠成為集中營的附屬勞役營，在那些瘋狂屠殺的日子裡，他的工廠也成為了猶太人的避難所。
1944年，德国战败前夕，屠杀犹太人的行动越发疯狂，辛德勒向德军军官开出了1200人的名单，倾家荡产买下了这些犹太人的生命。 1944年，德國戰敗前夕，屠殺猶太人的行動越發瘋狂，辛德勒向德軍軍官開出了1200人的名單，傾家蕩產買下了這些猶太人的生命。 在那些暗无天日的岁月里，拯救一个人，就是拯救全世界。在那些暗無天日的歲月裡，拯救一個人，就是拯救全世界。
Assignment: Summary of Amra Skocic’s “True Courage” (100 words)
Topic Sentence: In his paper, Skocic tried to define what the true courage is.
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