学术写作：如何写“引言”
Academic writing: How to Write the INTRODUCTION
刘立军 供稿
QUESTIONS
Listen to the lecture and choose the best answer to each question you hear.
1. What is the primary purpose of defining key terms and concepts in the research topic?
A. It helps clarify what the reader should expect to learn.
B. It aims to show the writer’s understanding of the field.
C. It supports the hypotheses that the writer will test.
D. It illustrates the methods used in previous research.
2. Why should a researcher consider including similarities or differences between studies in a research paper?
A. To highlight their unique research findings.
B. To justify the chosen research question.
C. To outline what has been previously done on the topic.
D. To showcase their analytical skills.
3. What is the purpose of using subheadings in particularly long introduction sections?
A. To make the section more visually appealing.
B. To ensure that all goals are addressed equally.
C. To help organize the content and improve readability.
D. To emphasize important points in the research.
4. Which goal involves specifying any hypotheses you plan to test?
A. Goal 1.
B. Goal 2.
C. Goal 3.
D. The text does not specify.
5. Which of the following is NOT a recommended practice when writing the introduction section according to the passage?
A. Providing definitions of key terms and concepts.
B. Including at least one paragraph for each goal.
C. Using connecting phrases and transition sentences.
D. Presenting all the research findings in detail.
TRANSCRIPT
In a research paper, the introduction section has three main goals. It defines the research topic, tells us what is already known about the topic, and previews how your research is going to help us learn more about the topic. Let’s take a look at each of the three goals.
Goal 1. Define the research topic.
The topic is usually a psychological phenomenon or effect that you are investigating. To fully define it, make sure you provide definitions of key terms and concepts as well as examples.
Goal 2. What is known about the topic?
This includes prior research that is done on the topic or related to it. You should cite relevant sources, describe what was done, and summarize the findings. You might also consider including similarities or differences between the studies.
summarize v. 总结，概述
Goal 3. How is your research going to help us learn more about the topic?
What do we still not know about it, and how will your research help us address it? Be sure to clearly define the research question you are aiming to answer, specify any hypotheses you plan to test, and provide a general overview of the methods.
hypothesis n. 假设，假说
overview n. 概观，总结，概述
Most introduction sections address goals 1-3 in order, with at least one paragraph for each goal. The second goal, or what is already known about the topic, typically ends up being at least several paragraphs. The introduction is generally several pages long.
Tips for writing
As you write the introduction section, make sure you clearly address each of the three goals. You should use connecting phrases and transition sentences to link the different paragraphs together, and if your introduction section is especially long, consider using subheadings.
transition n. 转变，过渡
Thanks for watching. If you have any questions, please comment below. And for more on research papers, please visit the UCSD psychology website.
KEY
1. What is the primary purpose of defining key terms and concepts in the research topic?
A. It helps clarify what the reader should expect to learn.
B. It aims to show the writer’s understanding of the field.
C. It supports the hypotheses that the writer will test.
D. It illustrates the methods used in previous research.
【答案】A
【解析】推理题。问题的答案可以从Goal 1.部分推断出来，虽然原文并没有直接给出答案，但根据“Define the research topic... provide definitions of key terms and concepts”，我们可以推断定义关键词和概念的目的是帮助读者了解他们预期能了解到什么。所以选项A正确。
2. Why should a researcher consider including similarities or differences between studies in a research paper?
A. To highlight their unique research findings.
B. To justify the chosen research question.
C. To outline what has been previously done on the topic.
D. To showcase their analytical skills.
【答案】C
【解析】推理题。在文章的Goal 2.部分有提及“You might also consider including similarities or differences between the studies.”虽然原文并没有明确说明为什么要包括研究之间的相似性或差异性，但我们可以推断这样能够概述已经对主题进行的研究，因此选项C正确。
3. What is the purpose of using subheadings in particularly long introduction sections?
A. To make the section more visually appealing.
B. To ensure that all goals are addressed equally.
C. To help organize the content and improve readability.
D. To emphasize important points in the research.
【答案】C
【解析】细节题。问题的答案在Tips for writing部分找到，对应的文本是“if your introduction section is especially long, consider using subheadings.”根据这句话，可以推断使用小标题的目的是帮助组织内容并提高可读性，所以选择C项。
4. Which goal involves specifying any hypotheses you plan to test?
A. Goal 1.
B. Goal 2.
C. Goal 3.
D. The text does not specify.
【答案】C
【解析】细节题。问题的答案在文章Goal 3.部分有提及，原文是“specify any hypotheses you plan to test”，所以C选项正确。
5. Which of the following is NOT a recommended practice when writing the introduction section according to the passage?
A. Providing definitions of key terms and concepts.
B. Including at least one paragraph for each goal.
C. Using connecting phrases and transition sentences.
D. Presenting all the research findings in detail.
【答案】D
【解析】推理题。问题的答案可以从整篇文章中推断出来。文章讨论了写作引言部分时应遵循的几个步骤，包括定义关键词和概念（Goal 1），为每个目标至少提供一段内容（文章后半部分提到），使用连接短语和过渡句子（在Tips for writing部分提到）。然而，文章并未建议在引言部分详细介绍所有的研究发现，因此D选项正确。
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