Skill Training
Reading Skill
DISCOURSE MARKERS—LINKING YOUR IDEAS IN ENGLISH
Some words and phrases help to develop ideas and relate them to one another.These words and phrases are often called discourse markers.Discourse markers are essentially linking words.They show how one piece of conversation is connected to another piece of conversation.While some discourse markers are only used in informal language,others are very formal and fit for academic contexts.There are quite a few discourse markers in English.Here,you will find some of the most common among them.
Mind you，still
Mind you is mainly used in an informal style.It is used to suggest that what you are going to say contradicts what has already been said.The linking word still has very similar meanings.
By the way，incidentally
By the way and incidentally are mainly used to indicate a change of topic.They are also used to introduce afterthoughts,but they don’t contradict what has been said before.Incidentally is more formal than by the way.
However，nevertheless
Both however and nevertheless are used to introduce a second statement that contrasts with the first.They can be used in nearly all situations where mind you and still are also possible.However,these two expressions are mainly used in written English.Nevertheless is even more formal.
On the other hand，while，whereas
These expressions give expression to two ideas which contrast but do not contradict each other.
Moreover，furthermore，in addition
We use these expressions to add information to what has been said.The usage of these words is much more elegant than just making a list or using the conjunction “and”.
Therefore，as a result，consequently
These expressions show that the second statement follows logically from the first statement.
Similarly，in the same way
These expressions show the similarities.
On the whole，in general，in all / most / many / some cases,broadly speaking
You can use these expressions when you want to generalize information.
First(ly),first of all,second(ly),third(ly);lastly,finally;to begin with;to start with;in the first/second/third place;for one thing;for another thing
These expressions can be used to structure your text.
In conclusion，to sum up，briefly，in short
These expressions show you are summing up.
Because,since,insofar as
These expressions show why something is the case.
For instance，for example，e.g.，in particular
These expressions show you are giving examples.
Practice 1
Skim the following passage and find out the discourse markers.
Paragraph 1:_________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:_______________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 3:_______________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 4:_________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 5:_______________________________________________________________________________
Read the passage again and do the exercises that follow.
Ieoh Ming Pei
[1]Ieoh Ming Pei was born in Canton,China,on April 26,1917.His early childhood was spent in Canton and Hong Kong,where his father worked as director of the Bank of China.In the late 1920s,after the death of Pei’s mother,the family moved to Shanghai,China,where Pei attended St.Johns Middle School.His father,who had many British banking connections,encouraged his son to attend college in England,but Pei decided to move to the United States in order to study architecture at the University of Pennsylvania.As a youth,Pei watched the growing cityscape in Shanghai,which planted the seeds for his love of architecture.Upon his arrival in 1935,however,he found that the University of Pennsylvania’s course work,with its heavy emphasis on fine draftsmanship,was not well suited to his interest in structural engineering.He enrolled instead in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)in Boston,Massachusetts.
[2]While at MIT,Pei considered pursuing a degree in engineering,but was convinced by Dean William Emerson to stick with architecture.Pei graduated with a bachelor’s degree in architecture in 1940,winning the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal and the Alpha Rho Chi(the fraternity of architects).Pei considered going to Europe or returning to China,but with both regions engulfed in war,he decided to remain in Boston and work as a research assistant at the Bemis Foundation.
[3]In 1942 Pei married Eileen Loo,a Chinese student recently graduated from Wellesley College.After the wedding Pei moved to Cambridge,Massachusetts,where Eileen enrolled in Harvard’s Graduate School of Landscape Architecture.Through her suggestion,Pei enrolled in the Harvard Graduate School of Design in the summer of 1942.There Pei was introduced to the work of Europe’s leading architects.He absorbed their ideas about designing unadorned(without decorations)buildings in abstract shapes—buildings that exposed their systems of support and materials of construction.
[4]In his work,Pei strove to bring together the modern and traditional—what he calls the “impossible dream”.His designs are considered a continuation of the International Style popularized by architects like Le Corbusier.However,he’s also known for Brutalism,an offshoot of the International Style that uses bold forms and utilitarian principles.For instance,Pei’s large,rectangular concrete blocks,like those used for his National Center for Atmospheric Research,completed in 1967,evidenced Brutalism.
[5]In the 1960s,Pei was selected to design the terminal at the John F.Kennedy International Airport,and he gained international recognition in 1974 when he designed the National Gallery of Art’s East Building.He is perhaps best known for the controversial glass pyramids in the courtyard of the Louvre Museum in Paris,built in 1989.
New Words and Expressions
cityscape /ˈsɪtiˌskeɪp/ n.都市风景；城市面貌；城市景观
with emphasis on 侧重于
draftsmanship /ˈdrɑːftsmənʃɪp/ n.制图术
enroll in（使）加入
stick with 坚持；继续支持
engulf /ɪnˈɡʌlf/ vt.吞没；席卷；狼吞虎咽
unadorned /ˌʌnəˈdɔː（r）nd/ adj.朴素的；未经装饰的；不加装饰的
expose /ɪkˈspəʊz/ vt.揭露；揭发；使暴露；使曝光
strive to 力图；力求
offshoot /ˈɒfˌʃuːt/ n.分支；旁系子孙；支流
bold /bəʊld/ adj.大胆的；明显的；勇敢的
utilitarian /juːˌtɪlɪˈteəriən/ adj.功利主义的；实用的
rectangular /rekˈtæŋɡjʊlə（r）/ adj.<数>矩形的；成直角的
Brutalism /ˈbruːtəˌlɪz（ə）m/ n.粗野主义
terminal /ˈtɜː（r）mɪn（ə）l/ n.航空站；终端
controversial /ˌkɒntrəˈvɜː（r）ʃ（ə）l/ adj.有争议的，引起争议的
courtyard /ˈkɔː（r）tˌ jɑː（r）d/ n.庭院；院子；天井
Practice 2
Read the passage and try to replace the discourse markers without changing the meaning of the passage.
but:_________________________________________________________________________________________
however:__________________________________________________________________________________
Instead:____________________________________________________________________________________
for instance:__________________________________________________________________________________
and:_______________________________________________________________________________________
Practice 3
Read the passage in more detail and try to answer the following questions.
1.Why did Pei’s father encourage him to attend college in England?
2.After Pei received a bachelor’s degree,what did he do?
3.What ideas did Pei absorb at Harvard’s Graduate School of Landscape Architecture?
4.What did Pei try to bring together in his designs?
5.What architecture made Pei gain international recognition?
Reading More
Scan the below QR code,read the passage and do the practices online.
New Words
cost-effective /ˌkɒst ɪˈfektɪv / adj.划算的；成本效益好的
animation / ˌænɪˈmeɪʃn / n.活泼；生气
infrastructure /ˈɪnfrəstrʌktʃə（r）/ n.基础设施；公共建设
stereotype / ˈsteriətaɪp / vt.套用老套；使一成不变 n.陈腔滥调；老套
vague / veɪɡ/adj.模糊的；含糊的
resonance /ˈrezənəns / n.共振；共鸣