SUMMARIZING.

 
     Much has been written about summarizing in other writing textbooks, and I will not try to compete with this material.  However, in writing class with Classes 0501 / 0503 / 0505 / 0507 / 0509, we did some summarizing of written passages, specifically, from A New English Course, (“Xin Bian Ying Yu Jiao Cheng”), Book Three (ISBN: 7-81046-621-6).  We summarized in two ways: summary of individual sentences, and summary of individual paragraphs.  The following examples are included for your analysis.  Please find the textbook and these summaries with the original texts.          
             
     Discussion. 
 
     Here are some basic principles to bear in mind, as you are summarizing at the sentence level, and at the paragraph level. 
 
     At the sentence level.  When you choose to summarize a paragraph, sentence by sentence, you need to ruthlessly prune out all unnecessary words.  Usually, the only place to start is with the verb of each sentence, as verbs are the heart of sentences.  (Sometimes, it will be a noun.)  Take the verb, or most important verb, of the sentence you want to summarize, and write it down.  Then read the sentence, to understand what it means.  Cover over that sentence with a piece of paper, and try to rebuild it from “zero”, following the main idea of that sentence.  Do not look at the original sentence!  If you do, every noun, every adjective and adverb, every conjunction, and certainly every preposition will cry out to you, and say, “Don’t cut me!  Cut them!”  If you do, you will probably make a copy of the original, or else a close copy.  As with sentence writing (earlier in this book), you need to start from “zero”, and build your language “up” from there.  Remember, summarizing means reducing the original sentence, in your own words; the original language has passed through your brain, kept its meaning, and become something that is smaller, and yours. 
 
     Therefore, you work your way through the entire paragraph, or text, sentence by sentence.  In the end, you will have something that is a “slimmed-down” version of the original, which is in your own language.  (This skill of writing “in your own language” is very important, especially if you are planning to go into graduate school, or practice really serious writing.) 
 
     The first three examples (Shakespeare, The Bermuda Triangle, and The Atomic Car) have been summarized at the sentence level.  As you analyze them, please have the original copy from the textbook beside you.  Perhaps, when you read them, you may feel, “I would have summarized them in a different way, and used different words.”  That is all right; the important things is to see the process, of how an “original” sentence is reduced into a “summarized” sentence. 
 
     Remember, you must be ruthless, and you should try to create your own language, which still catches the general meaning of the original.  You are conveying meaning, in a “reduced” form. 
 
     At the paragraph level.  When you choose to summarize at the paragraph level, you are usually dealing with a text of several paragraphs.  These “paragraph-level” summaries are useful as review tools, especially when you need to prepare for an exam; you can reduce the essential meaning of many textbook articles, and conveniently review the summaries before an exam.  Yes, it is true that the quality of material summarized at the paragraph level is of a “lower grade” than material summarized at the sentence level (like “low-grade copper ore”), but the purpose here is not to remember everything, but to give you “mental triggers” that help you to recall other information.  The brain can carry much more “recall” information, than “pure-memory” information, I think; you can take advantage of this phenomenon here, and load the important “triggers” into your brain, trusting that the power of recall will bring out the rest. 
 
     The examples here (The Channel Tunnel, Tom’s Holiday), have been summarized at the paragraph level.  Please analyze them, not so much for the words chosen, but for the method used.  If you have another way of doing these paragraph-level summaries, that is all right. 
 
 
     Examples. 
 
 
Topic: Shakespeare. 
Source: A New English Course, Book Three, Unit 4, p. 39. 
Written by: Zhao Xiao Qian, 0501. 
Summary: By sentence. 
(1)    In 1616, Shakespeare signed his will. 
(2)    Then, 200 pounds / year was a lot of money. 
(3)    His signatures are his only surviving handwriting. 
(4)    People everywhere respect his writing, as it is the best. 
(5)    Many books have been written about him, but his private life is unknown, and he could have lived at any time. 
(6)    His home town has promoted him for a long time, to tourists from everywhere. 
(7)    It is good to visit his home and watch his plays. 
(8)    Retracing his life is very hard, as we don’t know when he was born, or where he went to school. 
(9)    He married and had children. 
(10) in 1585, he disappeared for seven years; nobody knows what he did, but he probably went to sea. 
(11) we know many play-companies visited his home town; maybe he joined a play company.  
(12) In 1592, he was a well-known dramatist in London. 
(13) He adopted, wrote and performed over 30 plays, and wrote poetry. 
(14) His life is a mystery: how did he know so much, and who was the “dark lady”? 
(15) Why is there so little of his handwriting today? 
(16) Perhaps we will discover more letters. 
 
 
Topic: The Bermuda Triangle. 
Source: A New English Course, Book Three, Unit 3, p. 33. 
Written by: Yang Qing Ling, 0505. 
Summary: By sentence. 
(1)    The Bermuda Triangle is located in the western Atlantic Ocean, near Florida and Bermuda. 
(2)    It is a very mysterious place. 
(3)    Many planes and ships have vanished, and many people have died without trace. 
(4)    Today, more people disappear, even though their movements are carefully monitored. 
(5)    Many planes have “vanished” under normal conditions. 
(6)    The pilots radioed strange messages–the instruments were not working, and the weather and sea conditions were not normal. 
(7)    Here are two examples of losses. 
(8)    In 1945, five Navy planes, and the rescue plane, disappeared. 
(9)    Some planes have disappeared, even when in radio contact. 
(10)  It seems they entered another “dimension”. 
(11)  Large ships and their crews have vanished, sometimes leaving behind some animal, that could not speak. 
(12)  Disappearances continue today, and most people blame the “Bermuda Triangle”, realizing something is wrong there. 
(13)  A new “folklore” has appeared from some survivors’ stories.   
(14)  We still do not know what is really happening in the Bermuda Triangle.  
 
 
Topic: The Atomic-Powered Car.  
Source: A New English Course, Book Three, Unit 6, p. 65.   
Written by: Yuan Jiang Chun, 0503. 
Summary: By sentence. 
(1)    Drivers dream of a cheap car that needs no petrol–an atomic car. 
(2)    Harnessed atomic energy yields everlasting power. 
(3)    In theory, this works–in a car for twenty years, greatly cutting petrol costs. 
(4)    Is this possible? 
(5)    Theoretically, yes (submarines). 
(6)    However, many problems before reality. 
(7)    What problems?  Radiation. 
(8)    An atom-splitting reactor makes dangerous radiation, as in an atomic bomb. 
(9)    Radiation penetrates almost everything, and kills anything. 
(10) Must construct atomic car in lead, to contain radiation. 
(11) Must invent a light but strong metal to build such a car; metal must be synthetic, and better than lead. 
(12) Then, an atomic car is more possible. 
(13) However, there remain problems of economics and safety. 
(14) Making a cheap engine for a car is unlikely now, but “economy of scale” will change this.
(15) In time, this car will be cheaper than a petrol car. 
(16) However, still problem of safety. 
(17) Imagine a road accident; damage like an atomic bomb. 
(18) Safety is the biggest problem. 
(19) Is a constantly safe atomic engine possible? 
 
 
Topic: The Channel Tunnel. 
Source: A New English Course, Book Three, Unit 5, p. 51.   
Written by: Yuan Jiang Chun, 0503. 
Summary: By paragraph. 
(1)    Britain and France will be connected by tunnel, although cultural misunderstandings will continue. 
(2)    In Britain, a man and his wife complain about bad French food, and French pride. 
(3)    In France, a Frenchman complains about the British. 
(4)    Afer many years of separation, the tunnel will join the two countries. 
(5)    The major features of the tunnel. 
(6)    What the writer saw, when the two “digging crews” came together.  
(7)    The future–who will use the tunnel? 
 
 
Topic: “Tom’s Holiday Away.” 
Source: A New English Course, Book Three, Unit 2, p. 17.   
Written by: Yang Qing Ling, 0505. 
Summary: By paragraph. 
(1)    Tom was angry, because he had to leave his summer garden, and Peter. 
(2)    It was a small and simple garden, where the boys played. 
(3)    Tom had to leave, because Peter had measles. 
(4)    Before Tom got into his uncle’s car, Tom’s mother told him to be good. 
(5)    The mother pushed Tom away, and thanked the uncle for helping. 
(6)    The mother was sorry; Tom was bitter. 
(7)    Tom looked up at Peter, who was in the bedroom window, waving. 
(8)    Tom was silent to the uncle. 
(9)    Tom thought ahead about a summer without a garden, and no good way to escape his aunt and uncle.