英语作文范文
说明文 (Exposition)写作
  (一) 定义说明文是用说明的表达方式来解说事物、阐明事理的文章，以解释、阐述事物的形状、特征、性质、成因、关系、功能、作用为目的。而说明是对事物的发生、发展、结果、特征、性质、状态、功能等进行解释、介绍、阐述的一种基本表达方式。
(二) 分类可用于事物说明的写作手法很多， 鉴于六级写作的趋势，这里着重介绍四种类型的说明文。
1. 举例说明文
通过举例或列举阐明事理的写作方法。为使读者弄清某一事理，或使抽象化概念形象化或具体化，作者拿出文章的较大篇幅 进行举例说明，以进一步证明所述道理的真实性和可行性。
2. 知识性说明文
通过解释说明来阐明事实、道理或介绍知识、信息等的写作手法。从整篇文章看，此类作文
旨在为读者提供并未知晓的知识和信息。读者通过阅读此类文章通达事理，懂得该怎么办。
3. 对比说明文
通过对两种事物进行对比或比较，出两者之间的共同点或对立点的写作手法。为说明某一事物在不同条件下的差异，或此事物与同类或不同类事物的差别，作者往往采用比较和对比的手法来获得分清事理的写作效果。读者从比较或对比说明中获得教益。
4. 定义说明文
通过揭示概念的内涵或下定义的方式来明确概念的写作方法。旨在给事物的性质和特点下定义，回答“什么是……”和“怎样理解……”之类的问题。故此，这类作文要求作者具备科学严谨的文风，定义要下得准确合理，文字说明要全面到位。作者常常会借助举例说明的手法或比较说明的手法达到界定事物的目的。
在实际写作中，作者一般在同一篇文章中运用多种手法达到说明事物的写作目的，运用单一手段者甚少。
(三) 范文评析：Sample 1
The Potential of Internet Education
英语作文范文Internet is getting into people’s life and becoming more and more popular. Experts are now working on setting up a national long-distance educational system in China to provide educational opportunities via Internet.
In reality, the educational via Internet plan has been taking shape. Some universities have already got involved in regional long-distance education, catching the attention of many educators and computer experts worldwide. Others have just connected their campus computers for teaching and research, and provided more opportunities for learner.
The Internet education will be developing dramatically. It’s estimated that computerized long-distance teaching networks will be available by 2010 for postgraduate education, vocational programs, teachers’ training and employees’ tr
aining. Moreover, it will soon cover all the corners of the globe and eventually win the worldwide popularity.
评析：
这是篇知识性说明文。文章作者按三段式行文。首段概括说明远程教育越来越普及而且专家们正致力于建立全国互联网教育系统。正文说明我国互联网教育的现状：一些学校正普及区域性的网络教育，引起全国关注；而另一些学校将教育和科研联网，共同开发，机会多多，潜力巨大。文章最后展望了互联网教育的前景，到2010年我国将基本建成远程教育系统。从互联网教育的发展趋势我们可以断定，不久互联网教育将在世界各个角落普及。文章脉络清晰，结构严谨，行文流畅，语义连贯，顺理成章。
Sample 2
Directions: For this part, you are allowed thirty minutes to write a composition on the topic Good Manners in Different Cultures? You should write at least 150 words, and base your composition on the outline (given in Chinese) below:
i. 在许多社交场合一个人举止的好坏显得十分重要。
ii. 举例对比说明不同文化背景下的良好举止。
Good Manners in Different Cultures
In most cases of social contact, nothing reveals more clearly what kind of person one is than his manners. A person with good manners is more welcome anywhere than one of pleasing appearance but with unrefined manners. Yet in different cultures, there are different manners which it is considered worthwhile to cultivate in social life.
When you meet a friend on your way, for instance, it is common sense to say something like “Where are you going?” or “Where have you been?” in the Chinese culture. In Western societies, by contrast, even though both are close friends, it is good manners to avoid greeting like that, for the first reaction of most English-speaking people to such greetings would probably be “It’s none of your business!”
The same is true of when a person sneezes. On that occasion, it is taken for granted that some Chinese nearby remarks, “ Someone misses you.” Or humorously” Who is cursing you?”, whereas an American or Englishman would rather like to say, “God bless you!” A guest in an Asian house, if offered something to drink, usually leaves a little to indicate that he has had enough, but in England, a gust always finishes up a drink to show that he has enjoyed it.
As for body languages, not all of them in one culture convey the same message in another culture. In China, it is normally seen as signs of affection to touch, hug or even kiss a friend’s baby. In the eyes of western mothers, on the other hand, such actions can arouse dislike and even hostility from them. The cases cited here can serve only as a reminder that one culture’s meat may sometimes be another culture’s position.
Sample 3
Directions: For this part, you are allowed thirty minutes to write a composition on t
he topic Computer Viruses. You should write at least 150 words, and base your composition on the outline (given in Chinese) below:
1. 目前电脑系统时常受到病毒感染。
2. 电脑病毒有许多，试举例说出几种。
3. 我们应千方百计杀毒。
Computer Viruses
Computer virus, whose essence component is a set of instructions, is one kind of threat to the security and integrity of computer sys tem. Nowadays computer systems worldwide are often infected by computer viruses. Some cause the loss of programs and date, erase files or subtly alter data. Others even crash computers or make them useless. In this way, each year they cause tens of billions (US$) of losses.