GRE寫作：萬事“開頭”難
俗話說，好的開始是成功的一半。寫作文更是如此。一個文章的開始是用來開宗明義，并稱述觀點，給全文定下一個基調，也引領讀者進入這個話題。開頭的重要性相信任何一個人都能說得比我好，這里只想跟大家分享一下Mike寫Issue開頭的一些心得。
寫開頭需要做到三個事情，第一件是介紹一下Issue問題的背景，為什么會有這樣的問題？在什么情況下出現了這樣的問題？為什么這樣的問題重要？當然這些問號并不需要全部解答，這只是一種把讀者的思維和引領到你要討論的issue上面的一個方法。這里提供兩個具體的策略：a. 用名人名言開頭。b. 描述issue所出現的時代背景。
策略a. 例如這個題目
So much is new and complex today that looking backfor an understanding of the past provides little guidance for living in thepresent.
開頭前兩句話可以這樣寫
The English Philosopher Francis Bacon once statedHistories make men wise; poets, witty; the mathematics, subtle; naturalphilosophy, deep; moral, grave; logic and rhetoric, able to contend. Accordingto Bacon, history comes before all the other knowledge and provides us with abundantwisdom.
然后可以轉折說，但是在現代社會，人們有了一個新的觀點。
策略b. 例如這個題目
Thereare two types of laws: just and unjust. Every individual in a society has aresponsibility to obey just laws and, even more importantly, to disobey andresist unjust laws.
開頭前兩句話可以這樣寫
Intodays society, the legal system is playing an essential and ultimatelypowerful role in regulating daily activities, maintaining the functions of economyand protecting individuals rights.
然后可以進一步描述有人認為法律分為兩種。
開頭的第二件事需要restate the issue. 用不同于題目的語言描述問題, 這樣的描述體現了你對于問題的理解，也決定了你后文對這個問題的闡述方式。
例如這個題目
Scientists and other researchers should focus theirresearch on areas that are likely to benefit the greatest number of people.
Restate可以是
Scientists and scholars should devote their energy onresearch projects which target at benefiting as many people as possible.
或者更加詳細的分析，例如這個題目
How children are socialized todaydetermines the destiny of society. Unfortunately, we have not yet learned howto raise children who can help bring about a better society.
可以寫
The speakers statement is actually a dualclaim. First, the future of our society is determined by how todays childrenare socialized. Second, our educational system fails to shape our children intosomeone who can improve various aspects of the society.
第三件事情是陳述自己的觀點。這里需要涵蓋下文所出現的所有論點。如果某個論點沒有被包含在內，那么會給讀者surprise，這在學術寫作里面是很不好的。當然將全文的觀點濃縮在1-2句話里是非常困難的。
例如這個題目
Educations should find out what students want included in thecurriculum and then offer it to them.
觀點可以用兩句話說明
Although personal interests can serve as motivationfor students to learn better （觀點1）, its unreasonable for educators to incorporate all the different interestsin any curriculum（觀點2）. Moreover, educations should shape the interests of students and helpthem acquire useful techniques and knowledge （觀點3）.
或者這個題目
It is the artist, not the critic, whogives society something of lasting value.
觀點可以用一句話說明
Although I admit that the virtue of the artlies in the work itself , we should not overlook critics role in discovering, evaluating,and disseminating the work of artists （觀點2）and how theyhelp popularize the arts value in the society （觀點3）.
最后還有幾點注意事項
1. 開頭的長度：也許你覺得有很多話可以說，也許你想把開頭寫得引人入勝，但開頭的長度是需要控制的。如果有3個觀點段，那么開頭大致不應該超過全文的1/5。因為如果你的開頭過長，那么會顯得頭重腳輕，或者顯得文中的論述不夠充分。
2.寫開頭的訓練：寫開頭是需要訓練的，也很容易訓練。拿到一個題目，很快的問自己，這個題目關鍵在哪里，為什么會有這樣的問題，我的觀點是什么。然后按照前文說的順序寫下來就好了。熟練了以后，可以在5分鐘內把開頭寫好，那么后文時間也能更加寬裕。
俗話說，好的開始是成功的一半。寫作文更是如此。一個文章的開始是用來開宗明義，并稱述觀點，給全文定下一個基調，也引領讀者進入這個話題。開頭的重要性相信任何一個人都能說得比我好，這里只想跟大家分享一下Mike寫Issue開頭的一些心得。
寫開頭需要做到三個事情，第一件是介紹一下Issue問題的背景，為什么會有這樣的問題？在什么情況下出現了這樣的問題？為什么這樣的問題重要？當然這些問號并不需要全部解答，這只是一種把讀者的思維和引領到你要討論的issue上面的一個方法。這里提供兩個具體的策略：a. 用名人名言開頭。b. 描述issue所出現的時代背景。
策略a. 例如這個題目
So much is new and complex today that looking backfor an understanding of the past provides little guidance for living in thepresent.
開頭前兩句話可以這樣寫
The English Philosopher Francis Bacon once statedHistories make men wise; poets, witty; the mathematics, subtle; naturalphilosophy, deep; moral, grave; logic and rhetoric, able to contend. Accordingto Bacon, history comes before all the other knowledge and provides us with abundantwisdom.
然后可以轉折說，但是在現代社會，人們有了一個新的觀點。
策略b. 例如這個題目
Thereare two types of laws: just and unjust. Every individual in a society has aresponsibility to obey just laws and, even more importantly, to disobey andresist unjust laws.
開頭前兩句話可以這樣寫
Intodays society, the legal system is playing an essential and ultimatelypowerful role in regulating daily activities, maintaining the functions of economyand protecting individuals rights.
然后可以進一步描述有人認為法律分為兩種。
開頭的第二件事需要restate the issue. 用不同于題目的語言描述問題, 這樣的描述體現了你對于問題的理解，也決定了你后文對這個問題的闡述方式。
例如這個題目
Scientists and other researchers should focus theirresearch on areas that are likely to benefit the greatest number of people.
Restate可以是
Scientists and scholars should devote their energy onresearch projects which target at benefiting as many people as possible.
或者更加詳細的分析，例如這個題目
How children are socialized todaydetermines the destiny of society. Unfortunately, we have not yet learned howto raise children who can help bring about a better society.
可以寫
The speakers statement is actually a dualclaim. First, the future of our society is determined by how todays childrenare socialized. Second, our educational system fails to shape our children intosomeone who can improve various aspects of the society.
第三件事情是陳述自己的觀點。這里需要涵蓋下文所出現的所有論點。如果某個論點沒有被包含在內，那么會給讀者surprise，這在學術寫作里面是很不好的。當然將全文的觀點濃縮在1-2句話里是非常困難的。
例如這個題目
Educations should find out what students want included in thecurriculum and then offer it to them.
觀點可以用兩句話說明
Although personal interests can serve as motivationfor students to learn better （觀點1）, its unreasonable for educators to incorporate all the different interestsin any curriculum（觀點2）. Moreover, educations should shape the interests of students and helpthem acquire useful techniques and knowledge （觀點3）.
或者這個題目
It is the artist, not the critic, whogives society something of lasting value.
觀點可以用一句話說明
Although I admit that the virtue of the artlies in the work itself , we should not overlook critics role in discovering, evaluating,and disseminating the work of artists （觀點2）and how theyhelp popularize the arts value in the society （觀點3）.
最后還有幾點注意事項
1. 開頭的長度：也許你覺得有很多話可以說，也許你想把開頭寫得引人入勝，但開頭的長度是需要控制的。如果有3個觀點段，那么開頭大致不應該超過全文的1/5。因為如果你的開頭過長，那么會顯得頭重腳輕，或者顯得文中的論述不夠充分。
2.寫開頭的訓練：寫開頭是需要訓練的，也很容易訓練。拿到一個題目，很快的問自己，這個題目關鍵在哪里，為什么會有這樣的問題，我的觀點是什么。然后按照前文說的順序寫下來就好了。熟練了以后，可以在5分鐘內把開頭寫好，那么后文時間也能更加寬裕。
