英语，文化和交流

测试各位英语水平的小Quiz

取材自 about.com

每做完一题，按下"Next question",就会显示该题的正确答案。 还是很有意思的，各位试试吧。

Confusing words

1. Confusing words1
2. Confusing words2

Beginning Grammar Quiz

1. Beginning Grammar Quiz 1
2. Beginning Grammar Quiz2
3. Beginning Grammar Quiz3
4. Beginning Grammar Quiz4

Intermediate Grammar Quiz

1. Intermediate Grammar Quiz
2. Lower intermediate Grammar Quiz

Advanced Grammar

1. Advanced Grammar Quiz

Toefl  Grammar

1. Toefl Grammar Practice Quiz

Idiom Quiz

1. Action Idiom quiz1
2. Common Idiom Phrases Quiz1
3. Common Idiom Phrases Quiz2
4. Common Idiom Phrases Quiz3
5. Common Idiom Phrases Quiz4

推荐我收藏的英语学习Feed

本来说好这次要写英文简历的帖子的，不好意思爽约了，下次肯定补给大家，迟早会看到的啦（众：扁你没商量）

我推拿的只是我喜欢的一些feed, 带个人观点的色彩比较浓，有什么好的，我这里没有的，你也可以补充。

• 每日一句： http://sl.iciba.com/dailysentence/dailysentence.xml
  每日一句英语，不会让你感觉有压力，有任务。每天都有惊喜等着你。
• 每日英语  http://english-feed.beanwoo.com/
  这位仁兄（姐?)比较拽，我联系过他，为数不多的几个把握拒之门外的。每天一则英语寓言故事，或是诗歌，俚语等
• 沪江英语   这个太出名了，就不用我多说了，几乎每个推荐英语学习的网站里都有它的身影
  • 沪江口译  http://feed.feedsky.com/hjtr
  • 沪江音乐电台 http://bulo.hjenglish.com/rss/podchannel/228/
  • 沪江英语听说  http://feed.feedsky.com/hjts
• 爱词霸Yahoo合作频道  http://news.iciba.com/outer/rss/yahoo.php
  这里有雅思，有托福，有英语4，6级，也有美国VOA...
• Dictionary.com word of the day http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/wotd.rss
  每日一个新词，充实你的词汇量
• Daily writing tips  http://feeds.feedburner.com/DailyWritingTips
  这个博客我很喜欢，博主看得出是我的同行，都念过Linguistics。写的东西很实用， 也很专业。

概括，引用，改写文章的有用动词

不好意思，说好上个周末更得，结果食言而肥了。。。

我是个罪人。不过从今天开始恢复一周至少2篇的更新。

这次的更新也有点糊弄大家的意思，随便看看吧。对于概括文章大意，引用和改写都有很大帮助。

 acknowledges   contrasts
agrees                declares
analyzes             demonstrates
argues               denies
asks                  describes
asserts              develops
balances           discusses
begins               distinguishes/between/among
claims             comments
emphasizes    compares
endeavours to  complains
establishes        concedes
estimates          concludes
explains            confirms
expresses         connnects
finds                 considers
focuses on       contends
grants              contradicts
illuminates      illustrates
recommends   implies
refutes             indicates
rejects               informs
remarks            insists
reports             introduces
reveals            maintains
says                means
sees                 negates
shows              notes
signals              notices
specifies         observes
speculates     offers
states            organizes
suggests       points out
supports       prepares
supposes       promises
thinks            proves
wishes          questions
writes           recognizes

如何为作文考试备战

很多人，面对多少考试都不紧张，可一对作文考试就傻眼了，两眼一抹黑，一片空白。我也碰到过这种情况，不知如何下笔，下笔了，也是一团乱麻，思维混乱，整体框架没有逻辑可言。

那我们如何为作文考试做准备呢？我这里说的不是单纯的英文命题作文，而是考试里要求500字-1000字答案长度的题目。除了英文的写作，很多文科学生都会碰到essay questions，那我们该如何为essay questions做充分的准备呢？最重要的一点是我们不能做一个被动的学生，上课的时候要积极主动，好好做课堂笔记，那样才能准确把握课程的重点，因而推测出老师可能考你的题目。作文考试不像你平时的写作，你有时间限制，所以需要掌握一些技巧性的东西。

• Relax. Never begin writing immediately. Instead, take a deep breath and let it out slowly to relax and focus your thoughts.
  放轻松，不要马上开始提笔写。深吸一口气，专心一致地思考题目。
• Read. Read the test from beginning to end without skimming, so that you understand the questions completely. If you have a choice among topics, and equal credit is given to each, select the topics you know the most about.
  读懂问题。不要目扫问题，要把问题读懂，读透。如果你有几个问题供你选择，选择你最有把握的。
• Plan your time. If the instructor indicates what percentage of your grade each question will affect, allot your time to your greatest advantage。
  计划好时间。如果你的老师告诉你每个问题的分值，选择对你最有利的，分配好时间。
• Underline cue words. These words tell you what you must do in your essay. Look for words such as analyze, classify, and criticize. An essay question might read like this:
  注意提示性单词。这些单词告诉你怎么写你的essay. 注意一些单词类似analyze, classify, criticize.  （列表总结在最后）Essay question示例如下：
  Analyze Socrates' discussion of "good life" and "good death." 分析苏格拉底的"美好的生活”以及“美好的死亡”。
  [separate the concepts of "good life" and "good death" into parts and discuss each part.]
  分开来讨论“美好的生活”以及“美好的死亡”。
• Circle key content words. Look for keywords or major terms in a statement or question. An essay question might ask:
  圈出重点实意词。
  Justify the existence of labor unions in the Canadian economy.证实加拿大经济中工会的存在性。
  [The key content words are labor unions and Canadian economy.]
• Use the time fully. The best writers use every second available to write and polish. 一分一秒也不要放过，检查，检查，再检查。润色，润色，再润色。

CUE WORD                                  MEANING
ANALYZE                                 Separate into parts and discuss each[分成几个部分讨论]
CLASSIFY                              Arrange in groups based on shared
characteristics or functions[ 以特性和功能分类]
COMPARE                               Show similarities and differences[比较相似和不同之处]
CRITICIZE                              Give your opinion and explain why you approve or                                                                 Disapprove of something[给出你的观点，解释你为什么赞同，为什么反对]
DEFINE                                   Tell what something is to differentiate it from similar
things[区分开来什么东西与别的不同]
DISCUSS                                   Consider in an organized way the various issues or                                                    elements involved[系统性的考虑不同的因素和问题]
EXPLAIN                                Make clear a complex thing or process that needs to be
illuminated or interpreted[弄清楚一件复杂的事情或过程]
INTERPRET                         Explain the meaning of something[解释某物的意思]
REVIEW                                 Evaluate or summarize critically[评估或辩证的总结]
SUPPORT                              Argue in favor of something[因支持某事而辩论]

巧妙运用Transitional words and expressions（过渡词）

英文写作，过渡词或者说连接词的运用很重要。过渡词在上下文中起着承上启下的作用，英文中叫coherence.尽量避免文章中频繁出现相同类别的过渡词。你不能每举一个例子，就用一个'or instance' 吧。再者，过渡词如果不能准确应用，就会闹笑话，比如说，in contrast是两个事物间的比较，otherwise则是另一种对比。

以下是一张过渡词的清单, 希望对各位的英文写作有所帮助：

Addition:
also, besides, equally important, furthermore, in addition, moreover, too

Comparison:
in the same way, likewise, similarly

Concession:
granted, naturally, of course

Generalizing:
as a rule, as usual, for the most part,
generally, generally speaking, ordinarily, usually

Example:
as an illustratin, a case in point, for example, for instance, namely, specifically

Result:
accordingly, as a result, consequently, hence, then, therefore, thus

Emphasis
Indeed, in fact, of course

Similarity:
comparatively, coupled with, correspondingly, identically, likewise, similar,  together with

Exception:
aside from, besides, except, excluding, exclusive, other than, outside of
 

Restatement:
in essence, in other words, namely, that is, that is to say,
in short, in brief, to put it differently

Contrast :
at the same time, certainly, despite the fact that, however, in contrast, instead, nevertheless, on the contrary, on the other hand, otherwise, still

Time sequence:
eventually, finally, meanwhile, once, now, next, then, today, tomorrow, subsequently, yesterday

Summarizing:
after all, all in all, all things considered, briefly, by and large, in any case, in any event,
in brief, in conclusion, on the whole, in short, in summary, in the final analysis,
in the long run, on balance, to sum up, to summarize, finally

Diversion:
by the way, incidentally

Place:
here, in the background, in the front, nearby, there

金秋蟹黄，重阳登高

刚刚在我的英语博客上发表了一篇“金秋蟹黄”的文章，有兴趣的，可以去看看。我是苏州人，吃阳澄湖的大闸蟹长大的，很有一番心得，有没有同好？可以互相交流交流。哈哈。

下面，是送给各位重阳登高的一首英文诗，翻译自著名的诗人王维的“九月九日忆山东兄弟”。

Thinking of My Brothers On Mountain-climbing Day
translated by China Daily Sinolingua
独在异乡为异客
Alone, a lonely stranger in a foreign land,
每逢佳节倍思亲
I doubly pine for my kinsfolk on holidays.
遥知兄弟登高处
I know my brothers would, with dogwood spray in hand,
遍插茱萸少一人
Climb up the mountain and miss me so far away.