讲课用的textbook: College Writing Skills with Readings, Ninth Edition (美国大学英语写作第九版) by John Langan (available on jd for less than RMB70)。
这是一本不需要老师就可以自学的教科书。才两杯星巴克咖啡的价格。（我一般不光顾中国的星巴克。）
没有教科书，你只是路过看热闹。（就像我路过中国的星巴克。）
You can get a free copy for the 7th edition:
https://blaw05.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/english-skills-with-readings-7th-edition.pdf
but it is a very old version.
Part I: Essay Writing （如何写短文）
Preview:
1. An Introduction to Writing （引言）
2. The Writing Process （写作本身是个过程）
3. The First and Second Steps in Essay Writing
4. The Third Step in Essay Writing
5. The Fourth Step in Essay Writing
6. Four bases for Revising Essays
Chapter 3: The First and Second Steps in Essay Writing
This chapter will show you how to
· Start an essay with a point, or thesis
· Support that point, or thesis, with specific evidence
Step 1: Begin with a Point, or Thesis (从一个观点／论点开始)
You can do so by using one sentence.
“Your first step in writing is to decide what point you want to make and to write that point in a single sentence. The point is commonly known as a topic sentence. As a guide to yourself and to the reader, put that point in the first sentence of your paragraph. Everything else in the paragraph should then develop and support in specific ways the single point given in the first sentence.” (Copied from p64 of the 7th edition)
Understanding Thesis Statements
A good thesis statement does two things: essay’s topic, and writer’s attitude, opinion, idea, or point about that topic. This is often referred to as the author’s claim.
For example,
Eating brown rice has several important benefits.
In this thesis statement, the topic is eating brown rice. The author’s main point is that it has several important benefits.
谁能写一篇科普文章： 少吃白米饭
Activity on p47-p48.
Writing a Good Thesis I
Make sure your thesis is neither too broad nor too narrow, for a 300-word essay.
Examples and activity on p48-p49.
How to Limit Your Thesis
One way to do this is by clustering. See p25 if you need to review this prewriting technique.
An example on Physical Exercise is given on p50.
Next, using another prewriting technique to determine which “main point” to focus on, that is, by making a list (see p23-p24).
You can write several different thesis statements about the same topic. (p51-p53)
今天就讲这些。有问题，请留言。
如果你想提高科技英语写作能力，请跟我来...
http://blog.sciencenet.cn/blog-306792-1146577.html
