1、Unit 3 Festivals and customs Reading (II) How to develop a passage with contrast What is contrast? It is a method of organization with which a writer highlights the differences between two people, places, things or ideas. Why do we use contrast in writing? We often use contrast to draw the readers a
2、ttention and make the description more vivid and interesting to read. Contrast . the show was about to begin as I took my place in the merry crowd. I could see a group of around 20 Brazilian dancers and a band in fancy costumes standing in the street. Some of them carried flags, which blew in the wi
3、nd. The crowd waited with excitement. (page 31, para. 2) Then there was an explosion of bright colours and lively music, and the group jumped into action. The band started playing an energetic samba beat, the dancers twisted and turned, and the crowd began to cheer, clap and sing. The whole group st
4、arted marching down the street . (page 31, para. 3) The contrast from the text Various types of contrast Subject-by-subject contrast Point-by-point contrast Contrast The structure of subject-by-subject contrast Aspect A1 Introduction Body Subject 1 Body Subject 2 Aspect B1 Aspect C1 Aspect A2 Aspect
5、 B2 Aspect C2 Conclusion Sloppy people cant bear to part with anything. They give loving attention to every detail. When sloppy people say theyre going to tackle the surface of a desk, they really mean it. Not a paper will go unturned; not a rubber band will go unboxed. Four hours or two weeks into
6、the excavation, the desk looks exactly the same, primarily because the sloppy person is meticulously (一丝不苟地) creating new piles of papers with new headings and scrupulously (小心谨慎地) stopping to read all the old book catalogs before he throws them away. A neat person would just bulldoze (推倒，铲平) the de
7、sk. Neat people are bums and clods at heart. They have cavalier ( 漫不经心地) attitudes toward possessions, including family heirlooms (传家宝). Everything is just another dust-catcher to them. If anything collects dust, its got to go and thats that. Neat people will toy with the idea of throwing the childr
8、en out of the house just to cut down on the clutter. Neat people dont care about process. They like results. What they want to do is get the whole thing over with so they can sit down and watch the rasslin (摔跤) on TV. Neat people operate on two unvarying principles: never handle any item twice, and
9、throw everything away. “Neat People vs. Sloppy People” in Show and Tell, Morning Owl Press, 1983, by Suzanne Britt, The structure of point-by-point contrast Introduction Part I. Introduction Part III. Conclusion Part II. Body Aspect A: A1 and A2 Aspect B: B1 and B2 Aspect C: C1 and C2 Both cities ar
10、e rich in world and national history, though they developed on very different timelines. London, for example, has a history that dates back over two thousand years. It was part of the Roman Empire and known by the similar name, Londinium. Washington, DC, on the other hand, has only formally existed
11、since the late eighteenth century. Though Native Americans inhabited the land several thousand years earlier, and settlers inhabited the land as early as the sixteenth century, the city did not become the capital of the United States until the 1790s. Both Washington, DC, and London offer a wide arra
12、y of museums that harbor many of the worlds most prized treasures. While Washington, DC, has the National Gallery of Art and several other Smithsonian galleries, Londons art scene and galleries have a definite edge in this category. From the Tate Modern to the British National Gallery, Londons art r
13、anks among the worlds best. This difference has much to do with London and Britains historical depth compared to that of the United States. London has a much richer past than Washington, DC, and consequently has a lot more material to pull from when arranging its collections. Both cities also share
14、and differ in cultural diversity and cost of living. Both cities share a very expensive cost of livingboth in terms of housing and shopping. A downtown one-bedroom apartment in DC can easily cost $1,800 per month, and a similar “flat” in London may double that amount. Perhaps the most significant di
15、fference between the resident demographics is the racial makeup. Washington, DC, is a “minority majority” city, which means the majority of its citizens are races other than white. In 2009, according to the US Census, 55 per cent of DC residents were classified as “Black or African American” and 35
16、per cent of its residents were classified as “white.” London, by contrast, has very few minoritiesin 2006, 70 per cent of its population was “white”, while only 10 per cent was “black”. The racial demographic differences between the cities are drastic. Writing for Success, 1950, by Scott McLean A is
17、 stylish, while B is old-fashioned. A is stylish, whereas B is old-fashioned. while, whereas A is stylish, but B is old-fashioned. A is stylish; however, B is old-fashioned. A is stylish; nevertheless, B is old-fashioned. but, however, nevertheless Unlike A, B is old-fashioned. Compared with A, B is
18、 old-fashioned. unlike, compared with, by contrast, on the other hand It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch ( 时代) of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Dark
19、ness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us; we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other wayin short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on i
20、ts being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens What type of contrast is it? It is point-by-point contrast. It is obvious that living in the city centre is becoming less attractive. For one thing, the soaring prices of h
21、ousing in the city centre force more and more people to move to the periphery (边缘，外围). For another, the city centresnow full of petrol fumes and toxic gases, and torn by the roar of buses and lorriesare increasingly perceived as among the least desirable areas to live in despite the social and cultu
22、ral advantages city life can offer. On the other hand, suburbs are no longer suburbs in a traditional sense. Living in the suburban rings, one can fulfil the desire to be close to nature, to enjoy the clean air and a quiet, peaceful life. Highways and subways have been constructed to make travel fro
23、m suburb to city much easier. The provision of social services such as supermarkets and big hospitals has been extended too. The result is that living in a suburb is nearly as convenient as living in a city. What type of contrast is it? It is subject-by-subject contrast. Write a short passage about
24、the changes in your hometown. My hometown is quite different from what it used to be. Just a little more than ten years ago my hometown was a small quiet place. The houses were small and shabby. The streets were for the most part narrow and winding. There were few people in the streets and shops. No
25、w, everything has changed. Looking in every direction from the centre of the town, one sees a long succession of giant, imposing buildings. The streets, whether long or short, are straight, spacious, and well-shaded. Crowds of people can be found here and there, hurrying, noisy, and well-dressed. From a dull little village with clusters of shabby houses in the past, my hometown has now transformed into a big city, cheerful, colourful, and prosperous. Write a short passage about the changes in your hometown.
