Advanced Academic Writing: Flyers

Lesson 3: Summary – Getting more in-depth

Practice 1: General text-analysis

Where do emotions come from?
For many centuries, the question of how our minds work was left to theologians and
philosophers. But at the beginning of the twentieth century, a new science, experimental
psychology emerged, in which the speculative theories of the past were confirmed or disproved
by the scientific method. At the forefront of this research was J B Watson. His area of interest
was the origin of human emotions. Do we learn them, or do we have them when we are born?
In particular, Watson wanted to study fear, and was prepared to go to whatever lengths to
study his theory.
Watson’s subject was a 9 month old infant, Albert. During the experiment, Watson presented
the child with things which are often considered frightening – a rat, fire, a clown mask. At first,
Albert was unafraid of these things. But then Watson tormented the child with loud,
unexpected noises as he was playing with them. Sure enough, Albert learnt to associate these
things with the unpleasant experience. Even when the noises were stopped, Albert withdrew
his body and puckered his face when presented once more with the rat and mask.
Such abusive and disturbing experiments would never be permitted nowadays. The film which
Watson made of the experiment makes discomforting viewing, as the child is interminably and
cold-heartedly tortured by the items which he has been taught to fear. Nonetheless, this was a
landmark work with profound influence. Through it, Watson confirmed that humans learn fear
by association, and as a result they can ‘un-learn’ it, a discovery that still impacts the work of
behavioural therapists today.
Study the following example:
Paragraph Purpose Key points Key evidence
01 To introduce the - As a scientific method, None
emergence of psychological experiments gave
experimental evidence to confirm or disprove past
psychology and theories.
its pioneer -
- A renounced example of
Watson
researchers in this field was J.B.
Watson, whose research interest
was on the origin of human
emotions, especially that of fear.

A summary sample:
At the turn of the twentieth century, there witnessed the emergence of psychological
experiments as a research method, which could provide empirical evidence to justify previous
theories about the underlying mechanism of human minds. A pioneer of the research as such
was J.B. Watson, whose research interest was placed on the origin of human emotions,
especially that of fear.
Can you do the same with the remaining paragraphs? However, remember to complete the
following table first.
Paragraph Purpose Key points Key evidence
02 Report the Research participant: ……………………
procedure and
Initial stimulus: ………………………. E.g.: a rat, fire, a
outcome of a
clown mask
psychological First Reaction: ……………………….
experiment
Added stimulus: ……………………….
Final Reaction: ……………………….
→ Fear ……………………….

03

Practice 2: Rhetorical organization

Tourism is now among the world's most important industries, generating jobs and profits worth
billions of pounds. At the same time, however, mass tourism can have dire effects on the
people and places it embraces - both tourists and the societies and human environments they
visit. We are increasingly familiar with some of the worst effects of unthinking, unmanaged,
unsustainable tourism: previously undeveloped coastal villages that have become sprawling,
charmless towns. Their seas poisoned by sewage, denuded of wildlife, their beaches stained
with litter and empty tubes of sun cream. Historic towns, their streets now choked with traffic,
their temples, churches and cathedrals seemingly reduced to a backdrop for holiday snaps that
proclaim, 'Been there, Done that'. Some of the world's richest environments bruised by the
tourist onslaught, their most distinctive wildlife driven to near-extinction, with wider
environmental impacts caused by the fuel-hungry transport systems used to take holidaying
travelers around the world and back again.
Less appreciated, perhaps, is the social dislocation unsustainable tourism can cause: once-
cohesive communities disrupted as the holiday industry replaces old crafts, turning fishermen
into tour boat operators, farmers into fast-food store waiters or hotel cleaners. Even the
tourists are affected, the most placid and tolerant of us becoming short-tempered and
exploitative. All too often, clutching our soon-to-be-discarded souvenirs and cursing late flights
and anybody who doesn't speak our language, we arrive home muttering: 'After that, I need a
holiday’.

Although its strongest critics view the tourism industry as a rapacious predator - moving on to
fresh conquests after one environment has been spoiled, and forever fueling the desires of
holidaymakers with the prospect of a new paradise that must be enjoyed 'before it's gone' -
there are many within the industry who reject the claim. They are at least partly right. There
are examples where the travel trade is doing better. Of course, reforming initiatives often come
after the damage has been done and in some cases for public relations purposes rather than
from a commitment to sustainability. In addition, the growth of the travel industry puts
increasing strain on natural and social environments by its sheer size and volume.

Study the example below:

Sentences Rhetorical organization

Tourism is now among the world's most important industries, Set the scene
generating jobs and profits worth billions of pounds.
At the same time, however, mass tourism can have dire (Lean a contrastive idea against
effects on the people and places it embraces - both tourists the above backdrop)
and the societies and human environments they visit. Highlight the negative effects of
tourism (Main idea)
We are increasingly familiar with some of the worst To exemplify the adversities that
effects of unthinking, unmanaged, unsustainable tourism brings about for human
tourism: previously undeveloped coastal villages that beings and their living
have become sprawling, charmless towns. Their seas environments:
poisoned by sewage, denuded of wildlife, their beaches - Coastal villages
stained with litter and empty tubes of sun cream. - Historic towns
Historic towns, their streets now choked with traffic, - Richest natural
their temples, churches and cathedrals seemingly environments
reduced to a backdrop for holiday snaps that proclaim, (supporting ideas)
'Been there, Done that'. Some of the world's richest
environments bruised by the tourist onslaught, their
most distinctive wildlife driven to near-extinction, with
wider environmental impacts caused by the fuel-hungry
transport systems used to take holidaying travelers
around the world and back again.
A summary sample:
Albeit being a lucrative industry worldwide [setting the scene], tourism also exerts various
adversities on human beings as well as their living habitats [main idea]. Coastal villages spoilt by
poisonous sewage and garbage, historic towns ruined by the widespread of check-in
photographing practice and natural surroundings deteriorated by exhaust fume from transport
systems are just a few examples to name [examples as supporting ideas].
Can you now do the same with the second paragraph of the above reading passage? But
remember to complete the table below first.

Sentences Rhetorical organization

Less appreciated, perhaps, is the social dislocation
unsustainable tourism can cause
once-cohesive communities disrupted as the holiday industry
replaces old crafts, turning fishermen into tour boat
operators, farmers into fast-food store waiters or hotel
cleaners.
Even the tourists are affected, the most placid and
tolerant of us becoming short-tempered and
exploitative. All too often, clutching our soon-to-be-
discarded souvenirs and cursing late flights and anybody
who doesn't speak our language, we arrive home
muttering: 'After that, I need a holiday’.
Practice 3: Paraphrasing skills
Though some of the clothes of the 1950s were childish, or at least youthful, they were usually
the clothes of good, well-behaved, conventional teenagers, suitable for a society that was well-
behaved and conventional, if not particularly good. Then, in the early 1960s, a new wave of
romantic enthusiasm and innovation - political, spiritual and cultural, or rather countercultural -
broke over the Western world. At first, only a few social and aesthetic radicals were involved in
what presently came to be called the Youth Culture. The majority of right-thinking persons
were offended or bored by the new music, the new art and the new politics, but a shrewd
student of fashion, observing what was being worn on the 10 streets of Europe and America,
might have predicted that, in a few years, youth would be adored and emulated everywhere;
that, indeed, simply to be under 30 would be accounted a virtue.
Compare the shaded sentences with the following one:
“The early 1960s saw the rise of Youth Culture spreading throughout western countries that
gradually transformed the political, spiritual and especially cultural aspects of their lives.”
Can you now paraphrase the following sentences? Remember to make your paraphrased
sentences as concise as possible.
“The majority of right-thinking persons were offended or bored by the new music, the new art
and the new politics, but a shrewd student of fashion, observing what was being worn on the
10 streets of Europe and America, might have predicted that, in a few years, youth would be
adored and emulated everywhere; that, indeed, simply to be under 30 would be accounted a
virtue.”
Practice 1
Read the passage below and complete the missing information in the following table.

(Source: De thi chinh thuc HSGQG 2017)

Paragraph Rhetorical purpose Key point Important evidence

3. Flexible language use

Study the following example and identify which passage and paragraph it aims to summarize.
Under a reciprocal mechanism, negative stress is, in nature, stemmed from our past failure,
which, in turn, provokes our fear of a similar scenario in the future. In such a condition, we
often lose control over both behavior and speech and many have to resort to drugs as a way
out. Some typical adversities that negative stress might bring about include, among others,
eating disorder, fatigue and insomnia.
Practice 1
Summarize the key points in the following reading passage with no more than 150 words.

(Source: De thi chinh thuc HSGQG 2019)

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………THE END……