写作之图表作文.ppt

The Eight-legged Essay The eight-legged essay was the primary hurdle to overcome in obtaining an official rank in Ming and Qing China. It tested scholars on their knowledge of the Confucian Classics and the ability to write commentaries on them in a very formal, prescribed manner. It gained its name from the fact it had eight sections. These essays may seem silly, pointless and formalistic to us today, and the people of the time were not blind to the fact that these essays often tested nothing more than the writers’ ability to plug in the proper trite phrases at the right places. The novel The Scholars is particularly mocking of the would-be officials, scurrying to write the best eight- legged essays. However, doubts notwithstanding, it still remained the primary way to gain a government job for over 400 years. This could be due to the fact that although it lent itself to a great deal of BS, it could also be used by a talented writer to convey real thoughts if so desired. The phrase eight-legged stayed in the vernacular of China for some time and was used even in communist times to describe someone who spouted communist jargon without thinking. Abolish the eight-legged essay. Let the new learning be the test of scholarship, but include the classics, history, geography and government of China in the examinations. The true essay will then come out. If so desired, the eight-legged essay can be studied at home; but why trouble the school with them, and at the same time waste time and strength that can be expended in something more profitable? -- Chang Chih-tung in China’s Only Hope Basic Rules A) Understanding charts and tables Columns, items, categories Vertical axis/Horizontal axis The general trend The biggest/smallest/same particular points where significant changes took place Years: compare the changes Basic Rules B) Organization: General—Specific—Conclusion Introduction: general info. Brief and comprehensive Key: clever use of direction