In a world where your iPhone comes with a woman who answers your questions, reads your texts aloud, and gives directions, it may not seem like a big deal that computers are now writing stories．In fact, it is．A software company has essentially taught computers to write short news stories through artificial intelligence．If we can teach a computer the elements of story telling, why can't we teach our students the same thing?
Remember the five-paragraph essay? It's still around, still being promoted as if it were a literary form．In fact, it is an unnatural invention, one that must have been produced by academics who don't write much themselves．
Writers engaged in the act of trying to say something on paper don’t write artificial thesis statements(中心论点)．They needn't avoid using "I," especially when telling about a personal experience or expressing an opinion．Yet many English teachers forbid the use of our favorite pronoun in expository(说明文)writing．These are the folks who teach kids not to use the same word twice, so that if you've described a box as "small" in paragraph one, it must become "diminutive" if it shows up in paragraph two．
Many teachers also disapprove of using dialogue in essays．But why so? The problem with teaching writing as if it were disconnected from speech is that students start to see it simply as an unnatural activity they do in school．And yet we all tell stories and engage in long "he-said/she-said" conversations．
If we start from it with students, we can help them see the links that exist between speech and text．Students can learn a lot, for example, by being asked to tell a family story aloud and then to write it down．
Daniel Pink, in his bestselling book, "A Whole New Mind" says that American society' s enthusiasm with left-brained rational thinking is finally giving way to a more balanced approach, one where we start to value and reward right-brain thinkers －the artists, the designers, the entertainers－the people who know how to tell stories, the future belongs to the storytellers．
So let's give kids an early start．Let1 s help them learn the craft of writing in a way that's natural, expressive, and human．It will be a lot of fun．And if we have to break up a few topic sentences along the way to allow a story to come into being, so be it．And that, dear reader, is my thesis statement．
(1)
The writer believes that the five-paragraph essay is ________．
[ ]
A．
an unnatural writing
B．
an effective writing method
C．
written by scholars
D．
used by storytellers
(2)
The example of "small" and "diminutive" is used to show ________．
[ ]
A．
how a good essay uses words
B．
how different a speech is from text
C．
how students should use words in storytelling
D．
how ridiculous some school rules of writing are
(3)
What does "it" in Para．5 refer to?
[ ]
A．
An essay．
B．
Storytelling．
C．
Writing．
D．
A thesis statement．
(4)
The writer intended to tell the readers that ________．
Student Date of Birth：19/08/1988 Department of Education and Training
International Students Centre
Hong Xue 827-839 George Street PO Box 707
60 Waratah Street Broadway NSW 21007
Croydon Park NSW 2133 Phone：(612)9217 4801 1300 302 456
Fax：(612)9212 6721
http：//www.tafensw.edu.au/international/
WARNING LETTER
Dear Hong Xue,
As you are aware, your student visa regulations set out a number of conditions applying to your visa．It has come to our attention that you are failing to meet the following conditions：You must maintain accommodation, support and general welfare arrangements that have been approved by your education provider if you：
●have not turned 18; and
●are not staying in Australia with：
－a parent
－a custodian(监护人); or
－a relative who has been nominated(指定)by your parent or a custodian, is aged at least 21 and is of good character．
Note：You must not change those arrangements without the written approval of your education provider．
You must obey the following rules：
1．During term time you must：
a)remain in your homestay during the school term;
b)come home every night; and
c)inform your guardian at all times of your whereabouts．
2．On weekends you must：
a)have your guardian's permission to stay with friends; and
b)inform your guardian of the name, address and phone numbers of people you are visiting．
3．You must return your guardian's telephone calls．
This will be your only warning．If you continue to breach(违反)your student visa regulations we will report you to the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs．Such action may lead to the cancellation(取消)of your student visa．Please contact me on(612)9217 4801 or fax(612)9212 6721 if you have questions about your enrolment．
Yours sincerely
Tracey Carlon
Student Advisor
International Students Centre
NSW Department of Education and Training
(1)
What's the purpose of writing this letter?
[ ]
A．
To remind the recipient of the conditions for applying for a student visa．
B．
To warn the recipient not to do anything against his student visa regulations again．
C．
To tell the recipient how to contact his student advisor．
D．
To inform the recipient of the student visa regulations．
(2)
What can be learned about the recipient from this letter?
[ ]
A．
He is under 18 and studies in Australia with his parents．
B．
He is required to come home every night according to the rules．
C．
He can stay with his friends on weekends if permitted．
D．
His student Visa has been cancelled．
(3)
To which address should the recipient reply if he feels like answering the letter?
[ ]
A．
Hong Xue at 60 Waratah Street, Croydon Park NSW 2133．
B．
Tracey Carlon at the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs．
C．
Hong Xue at NSW Department of Education and Training．
D．
Tracey Carlon at 827-839 George Street, PO Box 707, Broadway NSW 21007．
阅读理解
Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel．Green said,“Clearly I am the most important．I am the sign of life and hope．I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves．Without me, all animals would 1 ．”
Blue interrupted,“You only think about the 2 , but consider the sky and the sea． 3 the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea．Without my peace, you would all be 4 ．”
Yellow chuckled(笑道),“You are all so serious．I bring laughter, fun, and 5 into the world．”
Orange started next to blow her trumpet,“I am the color of health and strength．I may be 6 , but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life．When I fill the sky 7 , my beauty is so striking that no one gives another 8 to any of you．”
Red could stand it 9 and he shouted out,“I am the ruler of all of you．I am the color of danger and of bravery．I am willing to 10 truth．I am also the color of passion and of love．”
Then came Purple and Indigo(深蓝)…．
The colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own 11 ．Their quarreling became louder and louder．Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening thunder．Rain started to pour down 12 ．The colors crouched(蜷缩)down 13 , drawing close to one another for comfort．
In the midst of the clamor(叫嚷), rain began to speak,“You foolish colors, fighting 14 yourselves, each trying to dominate 15 ．Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose, 16 ?Join hands with 17 and come to me．”
Doing as they were told, the colors 18 and joined hands．They formed a colorful rainbow．From then on, whenever a good rain 19 the world, a rainbow appears in the sky．They remember to 20 one another．
