I. Examination of questions

The biggest difference between college entrance examination composition and free composition is that there is a unified proposition, and if there is a proposition, the composition is required to meet the meaning of the question. Therefore, the first step of exam-oriented composition is often to examine the questions. A college entrance examination composition test can be divided into three parts: title, materials and requirements (precautions). Of course, not every question has these three parts. Among them, the "propositional composition" may have no materials, and the "material composition" may also require us to make our own titles. Although the "topic composition" gives topics, it also advocates testing our own titles. If the composition is to meet the meaning of the question, it is necessary to read and understand all the components displayed in the test accurately and comprehensively, and write the composition without bias or omission. If you miss a reading or understand it wrong, you may miss it by a mile or a thousand miles. However, in recent years, the trend of college entrance examination composition proposition is that there are fewer and fewer "restrictions" and more and more "autonomy". In recent years, the topic composition test questions only give materials and topics as the content scope, and we choose our own angles, ideas, styles and topics. It's easier to do this in line with the meaning of the question.

The topic of composition examination can be roughly divided into three categories: one is propositional composition, the other is material composition, and the third is topic composition. Let's talk about their main points respectively.

First, the main points of proposition composition examination:

(1) Grasp the elements and determine the content. Generally speaking, we can put forward some questions around this word, and then concretely implement the people, things, things, scenery and other elements involved in this word to determine the specific content of the composition; You can also adopt the method of supplementing and modifying hedges to narrow the scope of writing and bring the topic into your familiar writing scope.

(2) Analyze the symbolic words of the topic and determine the genre of the article. Those with the title of "I" can be written as narratives, and those with the title of "Say", "Comment", "Refute", "Analysis" and "Debate" can be written as argumentative essays.

(3) Grasp the key points. The topic is biased towards phrases, and the focus of writing often falls on additional elements; The topic is verb-object phrases, so when writing, we should seize the verbs to make a fuss; The topic is tied with phrases, so don't forget the relationship between them when writing; The topic is a sentence, so we should pay attention to the predicate when writing.

(4) Grasp the connection between the background and the topic, and determine the conception angle. Background materials are intrinsically related to the topic. You know, no matter which angle you choose, thinking in combination with the background is the most reliable.

In addition, we must also pay attention to the reality, dialectics and uniqueness of the purpose of the examination.

For example: 1994 national college entrance examination questions

Write a narrative with the title of "Try", no less than 700 words.

First of all, we should make clear the meaning of "trying". "Try" means practice, experience and experience.

Then we think about the selection of materials, and it is not difficult to think that the topic is to ask us to write our own new life experience and experience. In this case, the range of materials can be school life, family life and social life. We can write about our new experiences and experiences in moral, intellectual and physical aspects (or on the one hand) in a certain scope of life. From the perspective of conception, you can write about the success and experience of an attempt, the failure and lessons of an attempt, and the practice and feelings from failure to success; Of course, no matter from which angle we cut into the topic, we must write its positive significance to the growth of teenagers.

In addition, from the genre point of view, the test questions have been clearly required to be written as narrative, which needs to be further pointed out: it is a narrative for remembering.

From the writing point of view, narrative should be given priority to, supplemented by discussion and lyricism. As far as this topic is concerned, it is not appropriate to simply describe the process of things, without the discussion and lyricism, and without the experience and feelings. We should not only grasp the elements of narrative, but also integrate discussion and lyricism.

From the perspective of language, we should pay attention to the fact that language is full of life interest and intriguing under the premise of accuracy and vividness.

Another example: 1994 Shanghai college entrance examination questions

Introduce a street (or country) shop and write an explanatory essay of less than 200 words.

As far as the topic is concerned, it is in the form of a radical phrase structure, the head word "shop" is the object of explanation, and the attributive "street (or country)" and "small" limit the scope:

No matter what store, the scale must be "small", and "small" is a key point in the explanation;

② In addition to the introduction of "orientation", "location" and surrounding environment, there should also be the style and characteristics of "small shop", which is the center of this article.

1996 Shanghai college entrance examination questions

Title: My Wealth

Wealth can be material or spiritual; It can be concrete or abstract. You can choose your favorite books, stamps, paintings, ball games, long-distance running and so on. You can also write "poverty" is my wealth. A student wrote "Poverty made me understand the hardship of life and the meaning of labor, and made me understand that being a man should have backbone and dignity", and so on, which made me outstanding.

Second, the main points of the composition examination:

(1) Read the provided written materials or graphic materials, and carefully analyze the key sentences in the materials. Grasp the key, grasp the essence of the material, and write with a clear aim.

(2) Analysis of images or philosophies in materials. For example, all kinds of images in fables often reflect some philosophy and have certain tendencies, which need to be carefully examined.

(3) Pay attention to the contrast in the materials. If there is contrast in the materials provided, you should pay special attention when writing. If it is multiple materials, it is necessary to carefully analyze them and pay attention to distinguishing their similarities and differences.

(4) Distinguish the types of materials. For a single material, we should pay attention to the connotation and extension of the concepts involved, and pay attention to the tendency of the material. For many materials, we should pay attention to seeking differences from the same, and dig out weighty opinions from the differences; Pay attention to seeking common ground in differences, and refine opinions from the same point; Pay attention to "arguing differences in differences" and refine opinions from differences; Pay attention to the "complementary superposition" relationship between materials and stack the materials reasonably, so as to extract the correct point of view.

(5) Pay attention to the restrictions in the "requirements". Such as word count, genre and so on.

Example of material composition: 1999 Shanghai college entrance examination questions

Topic: read the following words and write an article of 700 ~ 800 words with the enlightenment of "echo"

Echo: There was a child who didn't know what echo was. Once, he stood alone in the wilderness and shouted, "Hello! Hey! " The nearby hill immediately emitted his echo: "Hello! Hey! " He called again, "Who are you?" The echo replied, "Who are you?" He screamed again: "You are a fool!" Immediately from the mountain came the answer of "idiot". The child was very angry and scolded the hill. However, the hill still returned him rudely. When the child came home, he told his mother, and the mother said to him, "Son, that's what you did wrong. If you speak kindly to it, it will treat you kindly. In fact, many things in the world are like this! "

This topic contains two levels of content: first, we must understand the meaning of echo-the relationship between people in social life is causal. You know how to be kind to others, and others will be kind to you, and vice versa. Therefore, it is very important to promote the establishment of harmonious interpersonal relationships in society, family and school. It is one of the basic qualities to learn to be kind to others. Secondly, pay attention to the last sentence in the material: "In fact, everything in the world is like this!" The enlightenment of this sentence is that there is not only an echo relationship between people, but also between people and nature. In this way, we can think that people should be kind to others, and at the same time, they should be kind to the world and nature, otherwise the natural environment will also make their corresponding echoes. With this idea, the article has reached a higher level. Then, the echo covers more than the simple relationship between people.

Another example: read the following materials and write as required.

The dead-leaf butterfly has no beautiful appearance, only two brown, lifeless wings that can't match the "butterfly" in its name at all. It often folds its wings and stands quietly on the branches of the tree, swaying in the wind like a dead leaf, silently enduring the ridicule of other butterflies. However, when the colorful butterfly is caught and made into a specimen, it can lie on the branch, watch all this quietly and be happy for its luck.

Please write an article of not less than 800 words according to your perception of this material, make your own idea, draw up your own title, and choose your own style except poetry.

This material wrote that the dead-leaf butterfly does not have the beautiful appearance that ordinary butterflies have, and it was laughed at by those colorful butterflies, and it took it lightly. When those butterflies are caught by people and made into specimens, they can lie on the branches, watch all this quietly and be happy for their luck. Because it is an allegorical composition, after reading the material, we should thoroughly understand the connotation of the material, jump out of the "butterfly experience" quickly, think of the experience of people similar to "butterfly" from things and people, and list the examples or famous sayings of people similar to dead-leaf butterflies and colorful butterflies on the draft paper; Then sort and ponder the listed examples and famous sayings; The third step is to make an idea from different angles, choose the most easy idea to grasp, draw up an outline, and write it in writing.

Compared with material composition, the biggest change of topic composition is that it breaks through the limitation of material and makes students write more openly.

However, openness does not mean that you can do whatever you want as long as you bring the topic. This point has been reflected in the composition of the college entrance examination in the first four years. The topic composition only stipulates a range, and some people vividly compare it to a target. The closer the bullet is to the center, the higher the number of rings you get. How can you make the idea you want to express closer to the "center" of the composition topic in an hour or so? It is very important to understand the connotation and tendency of materials.

Let's look at a very typical composition question first:

There is a fisherman who is a good fisherman. He has a habit of making an oath before fishing every time. One spring, I heard that the price of cuttlefish was the highest in the market, so I made a vow: I only fished cuttlefish this time and made a good profit from it. But all he caught were crabs. Had to return empty-handed. Only after landing did he know that crabs were more expensive than cuttlefish. He regretted it and vowed to only catch crabs in the future. The second time he went out to sea, all he caught was cuttlefish, so he returned empty-handed. This time cuttlefish is more expensive than crab.

He was very remorseful and vowed to catch crabs and cuttlefish in the future. When he went out to sea for the third time, all he saw was mackerel, and the fisherman returned empty-handed ... Before the fisherman went out to sea for the fourth time, he died of hunger and cold.

We have always advocated a firm goal. So once the goal is set, is it really unchangeable? How does this fable make you think? Please write an argumentative essay on the topic of "established goals and objective reality".

In the above materials, the fisherman's first set goal was cuttlefish, but all he caught were crabs, so the fisherman gave up crabs and returned empty-handed. However, after landing, I found that the price of crabs in the market was higher. Of course, I regretted it, so I changed my goal for the second time. The result was counterproductive, and the same was true for the third time. If the materials are only here, the fisherman seems to be persistent and does not change his set goals because of the reality he meets. Of course, we can say that the fisherman is working unswervingly towards the goals. But at the end of the material, there was another sentence: "Before the fisherman went out to sea for the fourth time, he died of hunger and cold." A man who lost his life for the so-called goal believes that most people disapprove. From the words "not yet" and "already", we can find that the proposer holds a negative attitude towards the fisherman's behavior. From this, we can know that the real intention of the proposer is that people can't live without goals, but when there is a distance between objective reality and goals, we should also learn to change our goals. Only in this way can we gain something, instead of "dying of hunger and cold."

It can be seen that only by really understanding the material can we realize that the proposer does not agree with the unchangeable goal, but prefers the changing relationship between the goal and the reality. Therefore, we should set the theme of the composition as the goal according to the materials and change with the change of objective reality, so as to conform to the proposition intention.

In addition to looking for the proposition intention in the materials, I think it is also very important to grasp the proposition intention by grasping a few suggestive sentences between the materials and the topic in the topic composition.

In the above topic, the proposer said after explaining the materials: "We have always advocated firm goals. So, once the goal is set, is it really impossible to change it? What kind of thinking does this fable inspire you? " This fable may cause you to think a lot, but not every kind of thinking is right. In fact, the previous rhetorical question already contains the answer, which is the direction that the proposer asks us to think: "Once the goal is set, can it really not be changed?" Obviously. Proposers believe that once a goal is set, it can sometimes be changed, and the basis for change is objective reality. According to the fable given, the fisherman went to sea three times and returned empty-handed. In the end, he could only die of hunger and cold. His ending is caused by the fact that his goal does not change with the change of objective reality every time he fishes, which confirms the suggestive words from the opposite side.

Some people may think that since the tip says "What makes you think about this fable story" and the topic is "established goals and objective reality", does it not conform to the proposition intention that "goals should not change with the change of objective reality, but should strive unswervingly"? Besides, in Hemingway's masterpiece "The Old Man and the Sea", Santiago looked for eels, and returned home unshakable for eighty-four days. Didn't he succeed in the end? At first glance, there is some truth, but I think it still doesn't meet the intention of the proposer. First of all, in the first sentence of the prompt, "We have always advocated a firm goal, so once the goal is set, can it really not be changed?" Obviously, the proposer is targeted and his tendency is obvious. Thirdly, contact the materials again. The fisherman hasn't changed. He doesn't know how to change according to the current situation when fishing. He must stick to his established goal before fishing, which is different from Santiago's insistence. Therefore, it is obviously inappropriate to use the example of The Old Man and the Sea to set the story of this fisherman, and sticking to the end is not the main reason to be expounded in this fable. Therefore, please pay attention to several key points of topic composition.

(1) Read the topic comprehensively. The topic composition proposition is generally composed of four parts: material, introduction, topic and requirements. When examining the topic, you should read it completely and examine it item by item, and you can't neglect it. It is necessary to examine the scope of the topic, make clear what to write and how to write it.

(2) Open your mind with materials and leads. The materials of topic composition can help us to understand the content of the composition positively. Combining the two can quickly open up the writing ideas. When thinking, be good at "seeing the big from the small", and if the topic is suitable, be good at "turning the small into the big".

(3) Use questioning method or lexical addition to deal with the topic, determine the theme, and determine the writing content. Topics in topic composition are generally extended because of their wide adaptability. We should think according to our own accumulation and expertise, and turn them into small ones. We can ask several questions around the topic (each question contains a topic). Such as "buying a mirror"-what kind of mirror to buy? How to buy a mirror? Who buys the mirror? Why buy a mirror? Why are many people willing to buy stun lenses? Wait; Words can also be added before, during and after the topic, such as "buying a mirror"-Tang Taizong bought a mirror, bought a mirror of history, bought a mirror of failure, bought a mirror storm and so on. This not only narrows the scope of writing, but also keeps the topic.

Let's talk about several practical methods of examining questions with examples:

1. Understand the connotation thoroughly and write according to the topic.

The key to writing a topic composition is to examine the topic, and the key to examining the topic is to thoroughly understand the topic connotation. So how can we thoroughly understand the topic connotation?

① Interpret the topic according to the dictionary identification or the meaning formed by social habits.

Take "tolerance" as the topic, and write a composition of about 800 words.

We first understand the meaning of "tolerance", and the word "tolerance", Modern Chinese Dictionary explains two meanings: tolerance and tolerance. "Tolerance" means magnanimity, and things that are detrimental to one's interests, reputation, status, etc. will not be investigated. Accordingly, we can conceive from the following aspects: tolerance is the magnanimity of understanding and understanding others; Tolerance means repaying bad with good, not haggling over every ounce; Tolerance can win the love and respect of others; Tolerance should not lose its principles, and it should be tolerated; Only by tolerating others and severely criticizing them can we learn from the past and save lives. "Accommodate" means to accept (people or things) in a fixed space and scope. According to this, we can conceive from the following aspects: (1) tolerance is great; What heaven and earth can't bear, the mind can accommodate; Accommodate others and develop yourself; Accommodate advanced culture, carry forward national traditions and so on.

② Pay attention to topic modifiers.

Example Write a composition of more than 800 words on the topic of "win-win wisdom". The topic is a formal phrase, "wisdom" is the core of the topic, and "win-win" is a specific restriction on the topic head words. In fact, candidates should understand this topic at two levels: the inner layer of the topic is "wisdom" and the outer layer of the topic is "win-win". You can write what kind of "wisdom" win-win is, and what kind of "wisdom" you can write in exchange for "win-win". Writing a narrative can interpret the "wisdom" in "win-win" through the arrangement of stories.

2. Read the material and understand the metaphor.

For an allegorical and figurative topic, the grasp of the topic connotation must be combined with the understanding of the material, so how can this topic composition understand the material?

(1) search for key words and phrases of topic materials, which are words and phrases that reveal the center of topic materials and contain the scope of the composition set by the proposer.

Example Read the following short poem, and then write as required.

How long is the night in the clam shell?

No more thinking, no more thinking,

I have got rid of my depression and sadness,

If you are drowned by the tears of the past,

My life won't flash.

Please write an article of about 800 words on the topic of "Pearl" according to the meaning of this poem.

Reading the first three lines of the poem, we know that the pearl has survived countless nights in the clam shell, suffered numerous hardships and got rid of countless anguish and sadness. This is the basis of understanding poetry, and the following two lines "If I am drowned by the tears of the past//My life won't shine" are the key, because after reading these two sentences, we will deeply realize that life can't be separated from hardships, and only by experiencing hardships and overcoming them can we win the glory of life.

Reference topic: A. Success and tribulation B. Life and frustration C. Let life shine in tribulation

② Confirm the metaphorical meaning of the topic. The figurative meaning of material-based topic composition is generally implied in topic materials, and the confirmation of this kind of topic figurative meaning should not be based on imagination but on materials; A topic without materials, or a propositional composition, should focus on the topic itself and explore its figurative meaning.

Example: Write an article on the topic "This year's flowers are better than last year's red". (Liaoning topic in 2005 college entrance examination)

It is very difficult to examine this essay topic in Liaoning Volume. The author quoted a famous sentence in the Northern Song Dynasty poet Ouyang Xiu's "Langtaosha": "This year's flowers are better than last year's ... (It's a pity that next year's flowers will be better. Who do you know? ）”。 This is a very sad poem, but people often express a philosophical attitude towards life when quoting it, or people, things and things develop and change in a positive direction. "Flower" is a symbol of people, things and things, which can be a material flower or a spiritual flower.

Therefore, in writing this article, we should not just write flowers, but determine the direction of conception after grasping its figurative meaning. We can conceive from the following angles: ① the process of human growth; (2) the evolution of the mind; ③ Changes of people and things in hometown; ④ Changes in nature; ⑤ Changes in social life.

(3) clarify the relationship, dialectical reasoning.

To write relational topics, we should clarify the relationship between concepts and analyze and reason dialectically, so how can we meet these requirements?

(1) Improve the ability to understand the relationship between things.

A correct grasp of the relationship between things is the premise of dialectical analysis. To discuss two aspects of a thing or two things, we must make clear the direction of their relationship. This relationship between things mainly includes:

(1) dependency. For example, "learning and asking", learning and knowing, asking and wide, diligence and curiosity are always linked. If you can't ask, you can't learn, you can't learn, you can't doubt. When discussing, only by profoundly expounding the interdependence between the two can the topic be thoroughly discussed.

② Primary and secondary relations. For example, "achievements and shortcomings", "dedication and demand" and "individuals and collectives", it is necessary to distinguish between primary and secondary, mainstream and tributary, and avoid using pen and ink on average.

③ Trade-off relationship. For example, "self-abasement and self-improvement", self-abasement will make the spirit languish, and one's brilliant talents and intelligence will be buried in lamentation. Self-improvement is the "catalyst" of the cause and a spirit of perseverance. Only self-improvement can make our life shine. Two things are one positive and one negative, and the emotional color is one positive and one negative. We should be able to analyze their essential differences and affirm one aspect in the analysis.

④ Conditional relationship. For example, "inheritance and development", "trees, forests and climate", many trees form forests, and forests change the climate, which means that forests are the fundamental conditions for changing the climate.

(2) Improve the ability of dialectical analysis.

There is always a certain connection between the two concepts of relational topic, and the proposer also requires candidates to think dialectically about it. If you only say one side and forget the other, you will make one-sided mistakes, which is the most taboo in writing argumentative papers. Therefore, we must cultivate the ability of dialectical analysis of problems, that is, learn to look at problems with a comprehensive, developing and connected perspective. Read the following materials, and then write a composition as required (2003 college entrance examination Zhejiang paper composition topic)

Tang poetry said: "A leaf falls and you know the autumn of the world." Song Poetry says, "Spring can't keep the garden shut, and an almond comes out of the wall."

A leaf falls and knows autumn, and a branch blooms and sees spring. Ordinary subtle things are often the epitome of the world, and infinity is often collected in the limited.

Please write an article on the topic of "one branch, one leaf and one world". Except poetry, the genre is not limited, and it is required to be within 800 words.

Zhejiang college entrance examination composition questions are full of humanistic atmosphere and philosophical connotation. The proposer took great pains in the design of the topic, and did not adopt the topic form of dual concept relationship in the national volume, but contained philosophy in the figurative phrase "one branch, one leaf and one world", which is an innovation and the difficulty of examining the topic is relatively increased. When examining the questions, we must make clear at least two points: ① a branch and a leaf, which is a metaphor for the details and subtle life phenomena in life; The world refers to the overall picture and spiritual essence of things. ② "One branch and one leaf" and "the world" are the whole and local relations, and "one branch and one leaf" is the individuality and the particularity of contradiction; The "world" is universal and contradictory. * * * Sex lies in personality, and personality shows * * *. Be wary of the following mistakes when writing: ① Grasp one point, not as good as the rest. Write the beauty of "a branch and a leaf", but it can't reflect the characteristics of "the world". Empty talk, no specific "branches and leaves". (2) equally divided, no focus. The article wrote "a branch and a leaf" and also wrote "the world", but the two were equally divided and had no primary or secondary importance; Some "branches and leaves" are like water, and "the world" is like "oil", and the two are not integrated. (3) understanding paranoia, argue irrationally. Lack of development vision, separating the relationship between "branches and leaves" and "world"

If these methods still leave you at a loss, you may wish to refer to the following skills of examining questions-reasonably examining topics and breaking the order of propositions.

First, focus on topic language.

We often look at the materials first, then at the topic, and finally at the requirements. In fact, this practice is not necessarily the most suitable for topic composition. We know that the first impression is very important. It is precisely because we read the material first that we were locked in by a few words in the material, so we began to feel and write close-ups, and forgot to take into account the topic. For example. The topic of college entrance examination in 2002 was "The Choice of Mind". After reading the materials, some people immediately positioned the center of the article as "Helping others for pleasure" and "Helping others equals helping themselves". In fact, this topic is "The Choice of Mind", and the writing focus should be "How does the mind choose". Therefore, the first step in the examination of the topic should first look at the topic language and make clear the object, scope and focus of writing. In order to deepen the impression before writing, and to be "aware" before writing.

Secondly, use material language to understand the meaning of the topic.

After defining the content of the topic, we have to consider what this topic means and how to correctly understand it. This requires the second step of examining the topic: understanding the meaning of the topic through material language. Material language plays a great role in composition, which can reveal the connotation of the topic and make it concrete and visual. With the help of it, we can accurately understand the intention of the proposer. Take the college entrance examination questions in 2003 as an example. At first glance, "emotional closeness" and "cognition of things" seem to be "irrelevant". One is about the emotional relationship between people, people and things, and the other is about people's cognition of things. How to unify the two? How to establish the central point of the article on this basis? If we only look at the topic language in isolation, it may take some brains, but after reading the material language carefully and thinking a little, we can "sit in the right place." "Emotional closeness" refers to the three characters in the fable: the "rich man" is close to the "son" and alienated from the "old man next door". Because of this, in the face of heavy rain, although the "son" and "neighbor's old man" have the same advice: "If it is not repaired, someone will steal it." Look, when the rich lose things at night, the rich can't handle the problem correctly. He didn't think that both "son" and "neighbor's old man" were smart, and he didn't doubt that "son" and "neighbor's old man" were thieves. Instead, he treated them separately according to their feelings: the son with close feelings, he thought "smart" and the old man with distant feelings, and he suspected that he was a thief. In this way, with the help of material language, we can initially understand topic language: people's cognition of things is not necessarily objective, and in real life, the closeness of feelings often determines the depth of right and wrong cognition of things. From this, the meaning of the topic will suddenly become clear.

Third, rely on hints to open writing ideas.

Although we can correctly understand the meaning of the topic, we may be at a loss because of emotional tension when writing, and we don't know how to open our minds. Never mind, at this time, you can look up our "shortcut key in the composition computer"-prompt. The hints in the topic are carefully conceived by the proposer, which can stimulate our writing inspiration, make us cut into the writing scope faster and better, and determine the writing angle. Look at the prompt of the 2003 college entrance examination composition: "Until today, we can still hear similar stories in real life;" However, many different and even opposite situations are also common. When we know things and deal with problems, is there a relationship between the closeness of feelings and the depth of right and wrong cognition of things? What kind of relationship is it? " This hint can give us the following enlightenment: 1. We can write stories in real life today; 2. You can write about things in which feelings have a negative binding effect on the cognition of things; 3. Contrary to the above idea, you can also write about things that feelings play a positive role in promoting cognition; 4. The relationship between the two can be deeply analyzed, or the reasons for this phenomenon can be analyzed, written in an argumentative paper, and so on. On this basis, we can also quickly judge which content we have something to say, which content is most in line with the meaning of the question, and which is an innovative theme.

Fourth, grasp the course by the required language.

Of course, before you start writing, please don't forget to read the final requirements, and the title, style and number of words are not sloppy. Only in this way can we write an excellent composition that meets the requirements.

In a word, we can't treat the four major parts of topic composition in isolation, and simply intercept a certain part and then write down. Only by reading all the topics reasonably can we not only ensure that the theme, viewpoint and emotion of the article are consistent with the original intention of the proposer, but also publicize our own personality and talents, so as to write a good article that is satisfactory to both the author and the reader.