Question

【题目】Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

Clearly if we are to participate in the society in which we live, we must communicate with other people. A great deal of communicating is performed on a person-to-person basis by the simple means of speech. If we travel in buses, buy things in shops, or eat in restaurants, we are likely to have conversations where we give information or opinions, receive news or comment and very likely have our views challenged by other members of society.

Face-to face contact is by no means the only form of communication and during the last two hundred years the art of mass communication has become one of the dominating factors of current society. Two things, above others, have caused the enormous growth of the communication industry. Firstly, inventiveness has led to advances in printing, telecommunications, photography, radio and television. Secondly, speed has revolutionized the transmission and reception of communications so that local news often takes a back seat to national news, which itself is often almost eclipsed (失去优势) by international news.

No longer is the possession of information restricted to a wealthy minority. In the last century the wealthy man with his own library was indeed fortunate, but today there are public libraries. Forty years ago, people used to go to the cinema, but now far more people sit at home and turn on the TV to watch a program that is being channeled into millions of homes.

Communication is no longer merely concerned with the transmission of information. The modern communication influences the way people live in society and broadens their horizons by allowing access to information, education and entertainment. The printing, broadcasting and advertising industries are all involved with informing, educating and entertaining.

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Answer 1

【答案】The passage talks about some changes of communication. First, the art of mass communication promoted by inventiveness and speed is one of the determining factors in the form of communication. Second, the possession of information belongs to the masses, not wealthy minority only. Third, modern communication is crucial to people’s lifestyle and broadens people’s horizons.

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文。主要讲述人生活在社会就需要交流，及交流的方式的变化。

符合概要写作的常规思路：

第一句总结文章的中心思想。用到的词汇或句型有: talk about， changes of communication 等。接下来从三点阐述了沟通交流的变化，用到的词汇或句型有：in the form of，belong to，be crucial to等。

文中promoted by inventiveness and speed 过去分词作定语，相当于定语从句 which is promoted by inventiveness and speed。

文章结构上用first，second， third 来解释要点，使文中结构更加清晰，概括全面，结构严谨。