概要写作专题精讲I.DefinitionA summary is a brief restatement of the essential thought of a longer composition. It reproduces the theme of the original with as few words as possible. When one writes a summary, one should not interpret or comment. All one has to do is to give the gist of the authors exact and essential meaning. How to write a summary1. Skim the textSkim the text, noting in your mind the subheadings. If there are no subheadings, try to divide the text into sections. Try to determine what type of text you are dealing with. This can help you identify important information.2. Read the text, highlighting important information and taking notes.3. Write down the main points in your own words, write down the main points of each section.4. Write down the key support points for the main topic, but do not include minor detail.5. Go through the process again, making changes as appropriate. Tips(1)A summary should usually be about one-third to one-fourth as long as the original passage.(2)The summary should be all in your own words.(3)You should follow the logical order of the original passage if possible.(4)The summary should be self-contained.(5)Summary writing is an exercise in compression.a. omit the details.b. reduce the examples.c. simplify the descriptions.d. eliminate all repetitions.e. compress wordy sentences and change phrases to words.f. use general words instead of specific words.g. use the shortest possible transitions.h. put the main points of a dialogue in indirect speech.【课堂精讲】Directions: Please read the following passage and write a summary of it in no more than 60 words.In the United States, employees typically work five days a week for eight hours each day. However, many employees want to work a four-day week and are willing to accept less pay in order to do so. A mandatory (法定的) policy requiring companies to offer their normal pay will benefit the individual companies, the economy as a whole as well as the employees who decide to take the option.The shortened workweek will increase company profits because employees will feel more rested and alert, and as a result, they will make fewer costly errors in their work. Hiring more staff to ensure that the same amount of work will be accomplished will not result in additional payroll cost (工资成本) because four-day employees will only be paid 80 percent of the normal rate. In the end, companies will have fewer overworked and error-prone (容易出错的) employees for the same money, which will increase company profits. For the economy as a whole, one of the primary benefits of offering this option to employees is that it will reduce unemployment rates. If many full-time employees started working fewer hours, some of their workload would have to be shifted to others. Thus, for every four employees who went on an 80 percent week, a new employee can be hired at the 80 percent rate. Finally, the option of a four-day workweek will be better for individual employees. Employees who can afford a lower salary in exchange for more free time can improve the quality of their lives by spending the extra time with their families, pursuing private interests, or enjoying leisure activities.Summary_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _(1) Paragraph 1Q: One minute to find the topic and writers viewpoint.A: Topic: many employees want to work a four-day weekWriters viewpoint: A mandatory (法定的) policy requiring companies to offer their normal pay will benefit the individual companies, the economy as a whole as well as the employees who decide to take the option.Q:Is the writer FOR or AGAINST the topic? Why?A:FOR. The word “benefit”.Q:Which sides will the policy benefit?A:The individual companies, the economy as a whole as well as the employees.(2) Paragraph 2Divide the paragraph into three parts.The shortened workweek will increase company profits because employees will feel more rested and alert, and as a result, they will make fewer costly errors in their work. Hiring more staff to ensure that the same amount of work will be accomplished will not result in additional payroll cost (工资成本) because four-day employees will only be paid 80 percent of the normal rate. In the end, companies will have fewer overworked and error-prone (容易出错的) employees for the same money, which will increase company profits. / / For the economy as a whole, one of the primary benefits of offering this option to employees is that it will reduce unemployment r