Hello, I\'m Oli, from Oxford Online English. In this lesson, we\'re going to look at writing an introduction to an essay or article, with a particular focus on the IELTS exam.

你们好，我是奥利。欢迎来到牛津在线英语。本节课，我们来看看主要针对雅思考试的写作文章开头。

If you\'re writing an essay or something in English, knowing how to write a good introduction is super important, and it\'s something that a lot of students really find difficult. In this lesson, you can learn how to write an effective introduction to your essay; we\'ll look at some simple dos and don\' ts.

如果你写论文或其他英语文章，了解如何写好开头很重要，而很多同学觉得很难。你会在本课学到如何写出有效的文章首段，我们看看什么是可以写的，什么是不可以写的。

Let\'s start with an example question. This question is from paper 2 of an IELTS exam. Pause the video and read it if you need time.

让我们看一个样题，这个问题来自雅思考试试卷二。如果需要时间，可以暂停视频读题目。

So, our question: "In cities and towns all over the world the high volume of traffic is a problem. What are the causes of this and what actions can be taken to solve this problem?"

我们的问题是：在全世界的城镇，拥挤的交通是一个问题。引发的原因是什么，该如何解决该问题？

It\'s from a real past IELTS exam. OK, so let\'s start with a question: what does a good introduction need to do?

这是以往雅思考试的一道真题。从问题入手，好的开头应该怎么写？

A good introduction should do four things: grab your reader\'s attention and explain why your reader should care about this topic; address the question directly; give background information or general examples to make the topic more relevant; and four, you need to explain how you are going to approach the topic. Let\'s consider these points one by one.

好的开头包括4件事：抓住读者注意力，解释为什么读者要关心这个话题，直接提出问题，给出背景信息或事例使之与主题更相关。第四，你要解释如何论证该话题。一个个来考虑这些要点。

Number one: grab your reader\'s attention. I think this is the most important part of an introduction.

第一：抓住读者注意力。我认为这是文章开头最重要的部分。

If someone reads your first paragraph and doesn\'t care about the topic, and doesn\'t want to read what you have to say, you\'ve done something wrong. After reading your introduction, your reader should want to know more about the topic and what you have to say.

如果有人读了第一段后并不对话题感兴趣，不想继续读下去，就是你的问题了。读过首段后，你的读者应更想了解该话题和你所说的。

This is important for any essay, even in an exam like IELTS.Your essay will always be marked by a human, not a robot or a computer.

这对任何写作都重要，甚至是雅思考试。你的文章都由考官打分，而不是机器或电脑。

Think about it: if you like someone, if someone\'s friendly and nice to you, you\'ll try harder to help them, right? In the same way, if your essay starts with an interesting introduction, your reader will want to like your essay.

想一想，如果你喜欢某人，如果某人对你很友好，你会尽力帮他们，对吗？同样，如果你的文章以有趣的序言为开头，你的读者会喜欢你的文章。

Making a good first impression and getting your reader\'s attention is ALWAYS a good idea; it can only help you. So, how can you grab your reader\'s attention? Here are some possibilities.

赢得好印象并引读者的注意总是一个好主意，对你有利。如何抓住读者的注意？这里有一些方法。

You could ask a question to make your reader think, for example: "All over the world, people waste hours of their lives in traffic jams. How can we deal with this problem?"

你可以提出问题引发读者思考，如：全世界，人类浪费了很多时间在交通拥堵上。我们如何处理这个问题？

Another idea is to relate the topic to the reader: "Do you drive?

另一个想法是使话题与读者相关：你开车吗？

If so, how much time do you think you spend in traffic jams every year?" Also, you could use an interesting statistic or fact: "In Washington D. C. , the average driver spends 68 hours a year stuck in traffic."

如果是，每年你在交通拥堵上浪费了多少时间？另外，你可以用有趣的数据或事实：在华盛顿，司机平均一年花费68小时堵在路上。

Of course, there are many other ways you could do this. The most important thing is to try to make your reader think about something, or feel something.

当然还有很多其他方式。最重要的是让读者思考或体会这些。

You want your reader to engage actively with your ideas, not just read them passively. Point two: address the question directly.

你要让读者尽力去理解你的想法，而不是被动的读取。第二，直接提问。

This is also really important, but it can be difficult to get this right. Here are two important points: DON\'T repeat the question word-for-word.

这也很重要，但是难以准确表达。有两个要点：不要一字字的重复问题。

If you want to include the question in your introduction (or, actually, anywhere in your essay) , you should use your own words. Point two: addressing the question does not mean answering the question.

如果你想在开头中或文章其他部分包括问题的内容，你要用自己的话来说。第二点，提出问题不意味着回答问题。

This is your introduction; you don\'t want to start answering the question yet. So, when you write an essay, read the introduction and for every sentence ask yourself: how is this sentence relevant to the topic?

这是你的序言，你不用先回答问题。当你写文章时，读一读简介和每句话并问自己是不是句子都能切题？

If you can\'t answer, that\'s a sign that maybe this sentence shouldn\'t be there. You should consider taking it out. Let\'s look at some examples: "In cities and towns all over the world the high volume of traffic is a problem."

如果你回答不了，就意味着可能这句话不适合，你应考虑删去它。让我们看一些例子：在全世界的城镇，拥挤的交通是一个问题。

Not so good, because it repeats the question word-for-word. "Traffic problems are a worldwide phenomenon, affecting millions of people in many different countries."

这样不好，因为一字字的重复了该问题。交通问题是一个世界现象，影响了许多国家中的数百万人。

That\'s better, because you are using your own words. My words but it\'s ok, you can keep it. All right, another example.

这样更好，因为你用的是自己的词汇。我的话，但是没关系，你可以用，好，看下一个例子。

"The main reason for traffic problems is that. . ." Not so good - this is trying to answer the question. You don\'t want to answer the question in your introduction; you\'re trying to address it, discuss it, not answer it.

交通问题的主要原因是……不好，这是试图回答问题。你不应在开头部分就回答问题，你要试着提出问题并讨论，而不是回答。

How could we make it better? Well: "There are many reasons why cities suffer from traffic problems, such as. . ."

我们要如何写得更好？为什么城市有交通问题的原因有很多，如……

OK, that\'s better. You are addressing the question and giving general examples. "Overuse of cars causes air pollution, which damages people\'s health."

这样更好，你提出了问题并给出了事例。汽车过度使用引发空气污染，危害人类健康。

No good, it\'s not relevant to the question. The question is not about overuse of cars, or problems which that causes. How could we improve it?

不好，与问题无关。问题不是过度使用汽车或其引出的问题。我们如何改进它呢？

How about this: "Traffic problems can cause stress, pollution and lost productivity." Better - you are talking about traffic problems and showing why this topic is important.

这样怎么样：交通问题可以引发压力、污染和生产力损失。好点了，你谈论的是交通问题并比体现出该问题的重要性。

OK, point three: give background information or general examples. In your introduction, you don\'t want to go into a lot of detail, or repeat points that you are going to make later in your essay.

第三点，给出背景信息或事例。在你的序言中，你不应涉入许多细节或重复之后文章中的论点。

However, you should add some general examples to help your reader understand the topic, and to stimulate your reader\'s interest. For example, you could include a statistic: "The average commuter spends around 90 minutes a day driving to and from work."

然而，你应添加一些事例帮助读者明白主题，激发兴趣。例如你应包括统计数据。平均通勤者一天在路上花费的时间约90分钟”

A trend: "The frequency of traffic jams in major cities has almost doubled in the last ten years." Or, a personal example: "In my city, the traffic is so bad that even a short journey can take two hours."

一种趋势：在过去的10年里，大城市的交通拥堵频发率几乎增了两倍。或用个人例子：在我的城市，交通很差，甚至短途旅行都要花两小时。

Obviously, if you\'re writing in an exam, you may not be able to check statistics or other information, so for exams like IELTS, using personal examples is often a good idea. Lastly, point four: explain how you are going to approach the topic.

显然如果你在考写作，你不能查数据或信息，所以像在雅思考试中，使用个人例子常是一个好主意。最后第四点，解释你如何论证该话题。

If your introduction is well-written, your reader should have an idea of what you\'re going to say in the rest of your essay. This will make your essay clearer, because your reader already understands what you\'re going to do, and your reader can anticipate your next paragraph, your next point, which makes your essay easier to understand.

如果你的开头写得很好，读者应对你之后文章写的内容有概念。这会让你的文章更清晰，因为你的读者已经明白你要讲的，他可以预测到你下一段要写的内容，你的要点，这让你的文章更易读懂。

To do this, of course you need to know what you\'re going to say in the rest of your essay, and how your ideas are going to be organised. This means you need to plan your essay before you write your introduction.

当然你要知道在文章接下来写什么，并且要如何构思。这意味着你需要在写序言前计划好你的文章。

If you\'re writing an academic essay, for university, for example, and time is not a problem, then it\'s possible to write the essay first, and then write the introduction at the end. Some people prefer this approach, and if you find it easier, use it, go for it; there\'s nothing wrong with it.

如果你在写大学的学术论文，不用担心时间问题，那么可以先写文章最后写序言。有些人喜欢这种方式，如果你觉得这样简单就可以这么做，没有问题。

But, in an exam, it\'s probably not a good idea. So, if you\'re writing an essay in an exam like in IELTS, it\'s really important to spend time planning your answer before you start writing, even if you just spend one minute thinking about it.

但在考试中可能不是一个好主意。如果你要参加雅思写作这种考试，在动笔之前花时间制定计划很重要，即使是花一分钟思考。

So let\'s look. Ask yourself: what points are you going to make in your essay? What order are you going to make your points in?

所以让我们看看。问问自己文章的要点都是什么？这些要点的顺序是什么？

And, what is your conclusion going to be? Your aim in the introduction is to summarise your answers to these questions.

你的结论是什么？序言的目的是对这些问题答案的总结。

I said \'summarise\' because you SHOULDN\'T simply repeat yourself. For example: "In this essay, I will consider the following causes of traffic problems: 1. . .2. . .3. . .4. ."

我说的是总结，因为你不应只是重复。例如，在这篇文章里，我将考虑交通问题的如下原因：1，2，3，4

It\'s not so good — you should summarise your points, rather than listing them. OK, how can we make it better?

不是很好，你应该总结你的要点，而不是列举。好，我们要如何改进？

Well, how about: "In this essay, I will examine the many possible causes of traffic problems, such as…1. . .2. . . (examples)" OK, that\'s better - it\'s a summary.

这样如何：在本文中，我将调查可能引发交通问题的多种原因，如1，2……（事例）。这样的概述更好一些。

"I will discuss traffic problems and how we can solve them." Not so good. Well, it\'s not terrible, but it could be better.

我将讨论交通问题和如何解决。不是很好，虽不是太坏，但可以更好一些。

"After analyzing the causes of traffic problems, I will consider possible solutions." This is better. Why is it better?

在分析完交通问题的成因后，我将考虑可行的解决措施。这样更好，为什么这样好？

It\'s better because it shows your reader how your essay will be structured. It tells your reader: "OK, first I\'m going to talk about problems, then I\'m going to talk about solutions."

这样好的原因是告诉读者文章的结构。这告知了读者：好，第一我要讨论这个问题，然后我将讨论解决方案。

"Who knows how we can solve traffic problems?" Well, no good - It\'s your job to answer the question and provide a conclusion, so don\'t put things like this in your introduction.

谁知道我们要如何解决交通问题？不好。应该是你回答问题并得出结论，所以不要写在序言上。

OK, let\'s make it better: "I will attempt to show that investment in public transport can help to reduce traffic volume." Again, this is better. It shows your reader what your conclusion will be.

好，让我们更进一步：我将要写出可以减少交通拥堵状况的公共投入。这样更好，告诉读者结论将是什么。

It gives your reader an idea without going into too much detail. So remember, all of these are just examples.

告知读者一个概念而不是太多的细节。记住这些都是例子。

In this lesson, I\'m not trying to give you a system for writing, because that\'s impossible. The most important thing is to think about these ideas when you are writing, and when you\'re planning your writing.

我不会在本课告诉你一个写作的体系，因为这是不可能的。最重要的是在写作和打草稿时考虑这些思路。

Even if you aren\'t sure how to use these ideas at first, keep thinking about them, and it will help you to write better introductions. If you\'re watching this on Youtube, you can look in the video description, and there\'s an example paragraph using some of the sentences from this lesson, so this is a possible introduction to the question that we\'ve looked at.

即使你开始不确定如何使用这些想法，把它们记在心里会有助于你写出更好的序言。如果你在Youtube上观看视频，你可以查看视频描述，你会看到有举例段落用到本课的句子，所以这就是针对问题得出的序言。

Also, if you\'re watching on YouTube, you might consider coming to our website: Oxford Online English. You can find many other free English lessons on many other topics. That\'s all for today. I really hope this lesson was useful for you.

另外，如果你在Youtube上观看，可以访问我们的网站：牛津在线英语。你可以看到很多免费的英语课。今天就到这里，希望这节课对你有帮助。

Thanks very much for watching, and I\'ll see you next time. Bye bye!

感谢观看，下次见。