個人計算機的奇妙結構
【內容提示】
學校要出壁報，約你用英語寫一篇介紹個人計算機的文章。內容包括：
①計算機的工作過程與人的大腦的思維過程相似，所以又叫電腦。
②從外觀看，個人計算機有三部分：主機、鍵盤和顯示器。
③從計算機的工作過程看，計算機系統是由軟體和硬體組成的。硬體好比人的軀體，軟體好比人的靈魂。
④控制計算機的技術叫做軟體，計算機及其各種設備本身叫做硬體。
⑤計算機的工作就是通過其軟體，利用計算機的各種資源，指揮硬體實現無所不能的奇妙用途。
【作文示範】
The Wonderful Structure of a Personal Computer
In Chinese, a computer is popularly known as an “electrical brain”, for the working process of a computer is similar to a human brain very much.
In appearance, a personal computer has three simple and clear parts: the main frame①, the keyboard② and the display③. In other words, if you own these three parts, you would exactly have a computer.
A computer system is made up of software and hardware considering its working manner. If we compare the hardware to a human body, then, the software would be the soul.
Just as a driver cannot drive a car without driving skills or the car it self, you cannot control a computer without controlling techniques or the computer itself. The controlling techniques are called software, while computers themselves and related devices④ such as a mouse⑤ are called hardware.
The work of a computer is just making full use of various resources by a software set in the computer, and directing the hardware to realize marvelous omnipotent⑥ functions.
【詞語解釋】
①main frame 主機（箱）
②keyboard[＇ki:b&:d]n．鍵盤
③display 顯示器
④related devices 相關部件
⑤mouse 滑鼠
⑥omnipotent[&m＇nip+t+nt]a．無所不能的
【寫法指要】
1）本文是知識介紹說明文，或構造介紹說明文。文章主要介紹了計算機結構的簡單知識，順便提及了它的功能。在正文裡，作者採用空間順序寫法，由外部結構寫到內部結構。最後用類比法（analogy）將計算機操作同駕駛汽車作了比較。
2）類比法是一種邏輯推理方法，人們在文章中經常用到。英語中表達類比的方式有多種，本文用到的有“be similar to”，“compare…to…”，“just as”等。但是，類比法有或然性，須慎用。