Unit Four : Earthquake Period Four: Writing

2.What are the elements of a News Article? Step one How to read News articles 1.What is a News Article? 2.What are the elements of a News Article? 3.How to read a News Article.

You are going to write an article for a Writing You are going to write an article for a newspaper about a special event that happened in your hometown. Before you write a newspaper story, you should write an outline. An outline will prepare you to write a better story. It helps you too.

1.Choose a topic 2.Decide what you want to say about the topic 3.Organize your ideas and write clearly.

A newspaper outline should have: 1.a headline 2.A list of main ideas 3.a list of important details

Attention! When you write a newspaper story you want the readers to notice it. So you give the reader a headline which is an interesting title that tells the reader what your topic is. Then you organize your ideas into paragraphs.

Each para has a different main idea or purpose Each para has a different main idea or purpose. Next put some details into each para. These details help the reader to better understand the main idea. One other thing to remember: a newspaper story gives the most important first and the least important news last.

A newspaper story needs a headline to attract the reader’s attention since the reader may not have bought the newspaper before they read the headline.

Newspaper stories and short stories are organized very differently. Usually a short story begins with small details and includes details later. A newspaper does the opposite. Both kinds of stories use para with the main idea.

Point of view In a good newspaper story it is objective. In a short story it is subjective.

Ex.(P31) Read the example of a newspaper story and find the headline, main ideas and details of each paragraph.

假如你是一名记者,20多年前7月28日凌晨3点钟, 当你由于写稿子在熬夜,经历了那场唐山大地震.请用英语写一篇报道,写出你当时的感受.提示: 1. what you heard 2. what you saw 3.what you felt 4.the result/loss 5. the rescue

It was early in the morning, at about 3 o’clock It was early in the morning, at about 3 o’clock. As I had to finish a report for the newspaper, I stayed up. I was about to sleep when there was a terrible earthquake. At first I heard a strange noise. It sounded like a train going under the house. Then I realized it was an earthquake.

I was trying to wake up my families when I felt the floor move I was trying to wake up my families when I felt the floor move. I saw glasses on the table fall off onto the floor. I felt like being on a boat and I couldn’t stand firm. It lasted about 10 minutes or so. Luckily, the government came to our rescue immediately.

Because of the earthquake, a great number of people lost their lives Because of the earthquake, a great number of people lost their lives. I was a lucky one. The moment the earthquake ended, the people in Tangshan were determined to rebuild their hometown. Now Tangshan takes on a new look.

Check the answers on Page 32 Homework: Now prepare the outline for a short newspaper story for China Daily, Use the example to help you organize your outline