学术写作范文17篇

Sample 1Native American Influences on Modern U.S. CultureWhen the first Europeans came to the North American continent, they encountered the completely new cultures of the Native American. Peoples of North America, Native Americans, who had highly developed cultures in many respects, must have been as curious about them. As always happens when two or more cultures come into contact, there was a cultural exchange. Native Americans adopted some of the Europeans’ ways, and the Europeans adopted some of their ways. As a result, Native Americans have made many valuable contributions to modern U.S. culture, particularly in the areas of language, art, food, and government.First of all, native Americans left a permanent mark on the English language. The early English-speaking settlers borrowed from several different Native American languages words for places in this new land. All across the country are cities, towns, rivers, and states with native American names. For example, the states of Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, and Alabama are named after Native American tribes, as are the cities of Chicago, Miami, and Spokane. In addition to place names, English adopted from various Native American languages the words for animals and plants found in the Americas, Chipmunk, moose, raccoon, skunk, tobacco, and squash are just a few examples.Although the vocabulary of English is the area that shows the most Native American influence, it is not the only area of U.S. culture that has been shaped by contact with Native Americans. Art if another area of important Native American contributions. Wool rugs woven by women of the Navajo Tribe in Arizona and New Mexico are highly valued works of art in the United States. Native American jewelry made from silver and turquoise is also very popular and very expensive. Especially in the western and southwestern regions of the United States, native crafts such as pottery, leather products, and beadwork can be found in many homes. Indeed, native art and handicrafts are a treasured part of U.S. culture.In addition to language and art, agriculture is another area in which Native Americans had a great and lasting influence on the peoples who arrived here from Europe, Africa, and Asia. Being skilled farmers, the Native Americans of North America taught the new comers many things about farming techniques and crops. Every U.S. schoolchild has heard the story of how Native Americans taught the first settlers to place a dead fish in a planting hole to provide fertilizer for the growing plant. Furthermore, they taught the settlers irrigation methods and crop rotation. Many of the foods people in the United States eat today were introduced to the Europeans by Native Americans. For example, corn and chocolate were unknown in Europe. Now they are staples in the U.S. diet.Finally, it may surprise some people to learn that citizens of the United States are also indebted to the native people for our form of government. The Iroquois, who were an extremely large tribe with many branches called “nations”, had develo ped a highly sophisticated system of government to settle disputes that arose between the various branches. Five of the nations had joined together in a confederation called “The League of the Iroquois.” Under the league, each nation was autonomous in running its own internal affairs, but the nations acted as a unit when dealing with outsiders. The league kept the Iroquois from fighting among themselves and was also valuable in diplomatic relations with other tribes. When the 13 colonies were considering what kind of government to establish after they had won their independence from Britain, someone suggested that they use a system similar to that of the League of the Iroquois. Under this system, each colony or future state would be autonomous in managing its own affairs but would join forces with the other states to deal with matters that concerned them all. This is exactly whathappened. As a result, the present from of government of the United States can be traced directly back to a Native American model.In conclusion, we can easily see from these few examples the extent of Native American influence on our language, our art forms, out eating habits, and our government. The people of the United States are deeply indebted to Native Americans for their contributions to U.S. Culture. Exercise: Complete the outline by filling in the missing parts.Native American Influences on Modern U.S. CultureI. IntroductionThesis statement: ___________________________________________________________II. BodyA. Native Americans left a permanent mark on the English language.1. Names of places-cities, towns, rivers, and statesa. States: Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Alabamab. Cities: Chicago, Miami, Spokane2. Names of animals and plantsa. Animals: chipmunk, moose, raccoon, skunkb. Plants: tobacco, squashB. _____________________________________________________________1. Navajo rugs2. Silver and turquoise jewelry3. ______________________________________________________________a. Potteryb. _____________________________________________________c. _____________________________________________________c. ______________________________________________________________1. Farming techniquesa. _________________________________________________b. ________________________________________________2. _____________________________________________________a. _________________________________________________b. ________________________________________________D. _1. Iroquois-large tribe with many branches ("nations")Needed to settle disputes among various branches2. Five nations formed League of Iroquoisa. _________________________________________________b. Acted together when dealing with outsiders3. After independence, 13 colonies adopted similar system.a. Each colony (future state) was autonomous in managing own affairs.b. ______________________________________________________III. Conclusion___________________________________________________________Sample 2:At the MoviesYou Are Where You Sit: Seating Choice Can Tell a Lot about a Person!1 When he goes to the movies, Ravel Centeno likes to sit on the aisle and stretch his feet out-a fact that by itself speaks volumes about his personality, according to a new study. The study, commissioned by the British movie theater company Odeon, examined how theater seating habits reflect personality. And as the summer movie season reaches its zenith, the research says you are where you sit. Psychologist Donna Dawson divided moviegoers into four different personality types based on their seating preferences and cited examples of movie characters who fit those types.2 Those who sit on the aisle, like Centeno, are "detached observers"-people who like to have their own space, who are observers and tend to be quieter. "That's funny, because I'm a writer," Centeno said Thursday as he waited to see AI. at the Cineplex Odeon at Universal CityWalk. "So that's what I do (observe people)." One celluloid example of a detached observer, said Dawson, is Jack Nicholson's Melvin Udall character in As Good as It Gets.3 Other personality types, according to Dawson:4 The "front row film fanatic": Extroverted, assertive, and competitive, these are people who like to see movies with others, not on their own. An example from the movies might be Mike Meyers's Austin Powers or Julia Roberts's Erin Brockovich.5 The"middle-of-the-roaders": These are the people who like to sit in the middle, fittingly. They are people who are flexible and try to get along with others, such as Gwyneth Paltrow's Emma. Gloria and Tom Candelaria of Redlands say that seems to fit them. "We like the middle because it's not too far back and not too close to the front," Gloria Candelaria said as she scanned the marquee at CityWalk. Tom Candelaria said the "middle-of-the-roader" label seems to fit them because "we're easygoing."6 The "invisible rebels": Those who sit far in the back are people who are rebellious and like excitement but don't necessary seek the limelight, the study said. A typical example is Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name and Sigourney Weaver's Lt. Ripley in the Alien films. "The back row is,where things happen; it's an exciting area of danger and lots of passionate smooching," Dawson said in the Odeon report. "It tends to attract people who are rebellious."7 For some people, though, sometimes a chair is just a chair. "I don't knowwherever there's an empty seat," said filmgoer Chris Marshall of Lake Hollywood, when asked where he likes to sit. "That works for me."Questions About the Organization1. What kind of introduction does this newspaper article have?a. It is a funnel introduction-it begins with a general statement and narrows down to the thesisstatement.b. It begins with an example and ends with the thesis statement.c. It explains the reasons for the study and ends with the thesis statement.2. What kind of conclusion does it have?a. It summarizes the four main personality types.b. It gives the writer's opinion on the study.c. It gives an example that contrasts with the main points.3. What words in the thesis statement indicate that the article uses logical division of ideas as a pattern of organization?About the Support4. What two kinds of supporting details are used in this article?_________ and _________5. The psychologist who made the study used one kind of support, and the writer of the article reporting the results of the study used another kind. Which person used which kind?a. The psychologist used _b. The writer used _About the Content6. How do we know if the psychologist is correct? Does the article mention the methods she used in her study to match seating preference and personality type, or does it report only the results?Sample 3Culture ShockMoving to a new country can be an exciting, even exhilarating experience. In a new environment, you somehow feel more alive: seeing new sights, eating new food, hearing the foreign sounds of a new language, and feeling a different climate against your skin stimulate your senses as never before. Soon, however, this sensory bombardment becomes sensory overload. Suddenly, new experiences seem stressful rather than stimulating, and delight turns into discomfort. This is the phenomenon known as culture shock. Culture shock is more than jet lag or homesickness, and it affects nearly everyone who enters a new culture-tourists, business travelers, diplomats, and students alike. Although not everyone experiences culture shock in exactly the same way, many experts agree that it has roughly five stages.In the first stage, you are excited by your new environment. You experience some simple difficulties such as trying to use the telephone or public transportation, but you consider these small challenges that you can quickly overcome. Your feelings about the new culture are positive, so you are eager to make contact with people and to try new foods.Sooner or later, differences in behavior and customs become more noticeable to you. This is the second stage of culture shock. Because you do not know the social customs of the new culture, you may find it difficult to make friends. For instance, you do not understand how to make "small talk," so it is hard to carry on a casual, get-acquainted conversation. One day in the school cafeteria, you overhear a conversation. You understand all the words, but you do not understand the meaning. Why is everyone laughing? Are they laughing at you or at some joke that you did not understand? Also, you aren't always sure how to act while shopping. Is this store self-service, or should you wait for a clerk to assist you? If you buy a sweater in the wrong size, can you exchange it? These are not minor challenges; they are major frustrations.In the third stage, you no longer have positive feelings about the new culture. You feel that you have made a mistake in coming here. Making friends hasn't been easy, so you begin to feel lonely and isolated. Now you want to be with familiar people and eat familiar food. You begin to spend most of your free time with students from your home country, and you eat in restaurants that serve your native food. In fact, food becomes an obsession, and you spend a lot of time planning, shopping for, and cooking food from home.You know that you are in the fourth stage of culture shock when you have negative feelings about almost everything. In this stage, you actively reject the new culture. You become critical, suspicious, and irritable. You believe that people are unfriendly, that your landlord is trying to cheat you, that your teachers do not like you, and that the food is making you sick. In fact, you may actually develop stomachaches, headaches, sleeplessness, lethargy, or other physical symptoms.Finally, you reach the fifth stage. As your language skills improve, you begin to have some success in meeting people and in negotiating situations. You are able to exchange the sweater that was too small, and you can successfully chat about the weather with a stranger on the bus. Your self-confidence grows. After realizing that you cannot change your surroundings, you begin to accept the differences and tolerate them. For instance, the food will never be as tasty as the foodin your home country, but you are now able to eat and sometimes even enjoy many dishes. You may not like the way some people in your host country dress or behave in public, but you do not regard their clothes and behavior as wrong-just different.Concluding Paragraph ATo sum up, culture shock is a very real phenomenon that has been studied for more than 30 years by psychologists and anthropologist$. Its five phases are (1) positive feelings toward the new culture, (2) awareness of small differences, (3) growing discomfort and need for contact with home culture, (4) negative feelings, and (5) acceptance and adjustment. Symptoms may vary, and not all people experience all five phases. In the end, however, people who suffer culture shock are stronger from having overcome the difficulties and frustrations of adapting to life in a new land. Concluding Paragraph BIn conclusion, nearly everyone moving to a new country feels some degree of culture shock. Symptoms may vary, and not all people experience all five stages. Newcomers with a strong support group may feel at home immediately in the new culture, while others may take months to feel comfortable. Staying in touch with friends and family, keeping a positive attitude, and, above all, learning the language as soon as possible are ways to overcome the difficulties and frustrations of adapting to life in a new land.Exercise:1.Which concluding paragraph best suits the passage and why?2.Which concluding paragraph is a summary of the subtopics? Which one paraphrases the thesisstatement?3.Which concluding paragraph gives suggestions? Which one makes a prediction?Sample 4: Cause and EffectSample 5: Cause and EffectSample 6: ComparisonCLASSROOM LEARNING AND INTERNETBASED TEACHING Since the late 1990s internet-based teaching (also known as e-education) has emerged as a potential rival to traditional classroom learning. It normally involves having access to a secure site on the internet where a graded series of lessons are available, and which have assignments sent and returned by email. Although on-line courses are now offered by many institutions, it is by no means clear that they offer real advantages compared to classroom education. Little research has been done so far on their effectiveness, but this essay sets out to examine the arguments on both sides and attempts to draw conclusions from them.Two main advantages of internet use in education are put forward. Firstly, it is seen as more economical, in that once a course is prepared, it can be used by large numbers of students. The savings made by not having to employ so many teachers should be reflected in cheaper course fees. The second benefit is convenience; instead of having to attend classes at fixed times and places, students are free to study when they choose and progress at their own pace. Furthermore, by studying from home there is no need to travel to the college or university, saving both time and money. A student living in a small town in China, for example, can now study a course at an American college without the worry of travelling, accommodation or homesickness.Despite the considerations mentioned above, classroom learning shows no signs of being replaced by e-learning. It seems that face-to-face contact with a teacher is still widely regarded as the best way for students to make progress, despite the expense and inconvenience involved. Not only the personal contact with a teacher, but also the support and encouragement gained from being part of a class may be one reason for this. Membership of a group may also create a useful spirit of competition, which stimulates learning.Given the increasing pressure on university places in many countries, internet-based teaching is often seen as a convenient development. However, e-learning eliminates personal contact and travel from education, which are possibly the aspects many students value. Sitting at home working on a computer may be economical, but clearly cannot replace the social experience of attending courses. However, there are many people who are unable, either through work or family commitments, or due to lack of funds, to go to classes, and who would clearly find internet learning beneficial. On-line courses can also be used to support taught courses, for instance by providing access to extra materials. In many ways these kinds of courses are similar to‘universities of the air’, such as Britain’s Open University, which have developed distance learning so successfully in the last 40 years.Faced by growing demand for university places, more institutions are likely to developon-line courses, but the apparent benefits of e-learning may be less than are generally believed. Students seem to value the personal contact of the classroom highly, despite its cost and inconvenience. There may be a role for internet-based courses to supplement teacher-taught ones, and certainly for people with other commitments they will be the only practical option. There is an urgent need for research on the effectiveness of this type of learning, which should help maximise its advantages in the future.(Approximately 550 words)Now complete the outline of the model essay:Separating the Sexes, Just for the Tough YearsI. Introduction (explanation of the issue)Thesis statement: _______________________________________II. BodyA. Opposing argument 1Opponents of single-sex education claim that test scores show that there is no advantage to all-girl or all-boy classes.Rebuttal to argument 11. Research is inconclusive-show opposite results2. Other results that cannot be calculateda. Girls_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________b. Boys______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ B. Opposing argument2____________________________________________________________Rebuttal to argument 2_________________________________________________________a.Settling squabbles with siblingsb.Negotiating with opposite-sex parentC. Opposing argument 3_________________________________________________________Rebuttal to argument 3___________________________________________________________a._______________________________________________________b.Teachers call on boys more oftenIII.Conclusion1. Same-sex classes provide a better learning environmentReasonsa. Boys and girls ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________b. Girl_____________________________________________________________________c. Boys ____________________________________________________________________2. ______________________________________________________________________3. _________________________________________________________________________Sample 9A major change that has occurred in the Western family is an increased incidence in divorce. Whereas in the past, divorce was a relatively rare occurrence, in recent times it has become quite commonplace. This change is borne out clearly in census figures. For example thirty years ago in Australia, only one marriage in ten ended in divorce; nowadays the figure is more than one in three (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1996: p.45). A consequence of this change has been a substantial increase in the number of single parent families and the attendant problems that this brings (Kilmartin, 1997).An important issue for sociologists, and indeed for all of society, is why these changes in marital patterns have occurred. In this essay I will seek to critically examine a number of sociological explanations for the 'divorce phenomenon' and also consider the social policy implications that each explanation carries with it. It will be argued that the best explanations are to be found within a broad socio-economic framework.One type of explanation for rising divorce has focused on changes in laws relating to marriage. For example, Bilton, Bonnett and Jones (1987) argue that increased rates of divorce do not necessarily indicate that families are now more unstable. It is possible, they claim, that there has always been a degree of marital instability. They suggest that changes in the law have been significant, because they have provided unhappily married couples with 'access to a legal solution to pre-existent marital problems' (p.301). Bilton et al. therefore believe that changes in divorce rates can be best explained in terms of changes in the legal system. The problem with this type of explanation however, is that it does not consider why these laws have changed in the first place. It could be argued that reforms to family law, as well as the increased rate of divorce that has accompanied them, are the product of more fundamental changes in society.Another type of explanation is one that focuses precisely on these broad societal changes. For example, Nicky Hart (cited in Haralambos, 1995) argues that increases in divorce and marital breakdown are the result of economic changes that have affected the family. One example of these changes is the raised material aspirations of families, which Hart suggests has put pressure on both spouses to become wage earners. Women as a result have been forced to become both homemakers and economic providers. According to Hart, the contradiction of these two roles has lead to conflict and this is the main cause of marital breakdown. It would appear that Hart's explanation cannot account for all cases of divorce - for example, marital breakdown is liable to occur in families where only the husband is working. Nevertheless, her approach, which is to relate changes in family relations to broader social forces, would seem to be more probing than one that looks only at legislative change.The two explanations described above have very different implications for social policy, especially in relation to how the problem of increasing marital instability might be dealt with. Bilton et al. (1995) offer a legal explanation and hence would see the solutions also being determined in this domain. If rises in divorce are thought to be the consequence of liberal divorce laws, the obvious way to stem this rise is to make them less obtainable. This approach, one imagines, would lead to a reduction in divorce statistics; however, it cannot really be held up as a genuine solution to the problems of marital stress and breakdown in society. Indeed it would seem to be a solution directed more at symptoms than addressing fundamental causes. Furthermore, theexperience of social workers, working in the area of family welfare suggests that restricting a couple's access to divorce would in some cases serve only to exacerbate existing marital problems (Johnson, 1981). In those cases where violence is involved, the consequences could be tragic. Apart from all this, returning to more restrictive divorce laws seems to be a solution little favoured by Australians. (Harrison, 1990).Hart (cited in Haralambos, 1995), writing from a Marxist-feminist position, traces marital conflict to changes in the capitalist economic system and their resultant effect on the roles of men and women. It is difficult to know however, how such an analysis might be translated into practical social policies. This is because the Hart program would appear to require in the first place a radical restructuring of the economic system. Whilst this may be desirable for some, it is not achievable in the present political climate. Hart is right however, to suggest that much marital conflict can be linked in some way to the economic circumstances of families. This is borne out in many statistical surveys which show consistently that rates of divorce are higher among socially disadvantaged families (McDonald, 1993). This situation suggests then that social policies need to be geared to providing support and security for these types of families. It is little cause for optimism however, that in recent years governments of all persuasions have shown an increasing reluctance to fund social welfare programs of this kind.It is difficult to offer a comprehensive explanation for the growing trend of marital breakdown; and it is even more difficult to find solutions that might ameliorate the problems created by it. Clearly though, as I have argued in this essay, the most useful answers are to be found not within a narrow legal framework, but within a broader socio-economic one.Finally, it is worth pointing out that, whilst we may appear to be living in a time of increased family instability, research suggests that historically, instability may have been the norm rather than the exception. As Bell and Zajdow (1997) point out, in the past, single parent and step families were more common than is assumed - although the disruptive influence then was not divorce, but the premature death of one or both parents. This situation suggests that in studying the modern family, one needs to employ a historical perspective, including the possibility of looking to the past in searching for ways of dealing with problems in the present.Sample 10Discuss why assignment essays are common assessment tasks in undergraduate tertiary coursework, and evaluate the effectiveness of assignments as an avenue for learning. (Word limit 500 words - 10% leeway) Please note that the APA referencing style is used in this sample essay.Assignment essays are developed from set questions that give students a period of time to research a topic and produce their answer with references to their sources of information. While there are some disadvantages with using assignment essays as an assessment tool, there are sound educational purposes underpinning this practice. This essay examines the reasons why assignment essays are beneficial for student learning and considers some of the problems with this method of assessment.Assignment essay tasks are set to assist students to develop mastery of their study subject. Firstly, assignment tasks enhance understandings about subject matter. Yang and Baker (2005) reason that "to master your learning materials and extend your understandings, you need to write about the meanings you gain from your research" (p. 1). Secondly, research (Jinx, 2004; Zapper, 2006) clearly demonstrates that students learn the writing conventions of a subject area while they are researching, reading and writing in their discipline. This activity helps them to "crack the code" of the discipline (Bloggs, 2003, p. 44). Thus, students are learning subject matter and how to write in that disciplinary area by researching and writing assignment essays. Using assignment essays for assessment supports student learning better than the traditional examination system. It is considered that course-work assignment essays can lessen the extreme stress experienced by some students over 'sudden-death' end of semester examinations:If we insist that all students write about everything theyhave learned in their study courses at the same time and inthe same place (e.g. in examinations), we are not giving allof our students equal opportunities. Some students are notdaunted by the exam experience while others suffer 'examnerves' and perform at the lowest level of their capabilities.(Wonderland University, 2006, p. 4)Additionally, Jones et al. (2004, pp. 36-37) propose that assignment essays can be used to assess student learning mid-course and so provide them with helpful feedback before they are subjected to the exam experience. Exams only provide students with a mark rather than specific feedback on their progress. Therefore, setting assignment essays for a substantial part of student assessment is a much fairer approach than one-off examination testing.As an assessment tool, assignment essays have some disadvantages for lecturers and students. It has been found that assignment essays consume a great deal of staff time and money to mark and student time to prepare (Sankey & Liger, 2005, p. 192). A consequence of this is that feedback to students is frequently delayed, and this is much less useful to students than rapid feedback (p. 294). It is partly because of these disadvantages of time and expense that other assessments such as multiple-choice tests and short answer questions have an enduring place in the tertiary learning environment.To conclude, it seems that assignment essays continue to have a prominent role in tertiary education as an assessment tool. This is mainly because they are very effective in developing knowledge and writing skills for subject areas. Also, assignment essays can be less stressful than。