實用英文寫作

Unit13　 Autobiography 　自傳

An autobiography is a story of a person’s life written by the person himself or herself. In an autobiography, first of all, a brief self-introduction is necessary. Following the introduction, family information, educational background, work experience, abilities, hobbies, character, and future plan could be included as well. Since it is a personal biography, emphasize on things concerning about the person. However, because the purpose of this autobiography is for applying for jobs, put the focus on the time period of university.

自傳是個人對自己生平的敘述。首先，當然要對自己有一個簡短的自我介紹。隨之而來的部分，可包括家庭資料、教育背景、工作經驗、能力、嗜好、個性、和未來計畫與抱負。寫自傳時，當然是強調個人的歷史。然而，自傳的目的是應徵工作，因此建議將重點放在大學階段的求學與經歷。

Sample 1

Autobiography

My name is XXX. I am twenty-one years old, living in Taipei. I come from a complete and warm family. My parents are officials. Even though they had to work hard every day, they still looked after me very well when I was little. My parents have been giving me strict education since I was a child. This educational way, however, is really helpful to me; it cultivates me to be independent, and when facing the problems, I am also capable of solving them. Moreover, I have a younger sister, and I am so glad that I can get along well with her like friends.

School life is another important stage in which my personality and interests are cultivated. In elementary school, I was inspired to develop my drawing potential because my school emphasized on students’ talents and skills. The educational style also made me understand how to set up good disciplines. In addition, I had a great time in my high school as well. The high school education molded me a dynamic personality.

Now, I am a junior, studying at Shih Chien University. My major is international business. To be a collegian, I have to face a lot of different and difficult subjects. Even though they are so hard that usually defeat me, I still ask myself to do my best because I know this professional knowledge will be useful when I work in the future. Among them, the subject in which I am interested most is management. It is helpful, and I can get a sense of accomplishment when applying the theory to the reality. Besides studying, learning how to maintain and enforce interpersonal relationships is also an important lesson to me because I can learn many things by meeting new friends who come from different places.

Because the economy is in freefall and it is more difficult to find a job than before, I am going to take the governmental qualification exam after graduation. In order to promote my competitiveness, my short-term plan is to make a study plan to learn more advanced knowledge in the field of business. After I graduate, I will try my best to achieve my long-term plan --- get a good job, have a high score in the governmental qualification exam, and pursue a steady and joyful life. On the other hand, I would like to learn more skills and experiences from my job. To me, it would be worth accumulating experiences and widening my horizon, and consequently, I would contribute myself to my work and country.

Sample 2

Autobiography

My name is XXX, and my nickname is Monster. There are five people in my family: father, mother, a younger sister, a younger brother, and I. In my family, I am the eldest child, so I have been taking care of my younger brother and sister since I was small. I am, as a result, mature and independent in the process of growth. I get along well with my friends, especially when things are committed to my care. Personally, I am very honest and have a strong sense of responsibility. I am an extrovert, so I make friends with people of all kinds. On the other hand, I am hard-working. When it comes to work, I always finish my work efficiently and successfully because I am a team player who likes to cooperate with others well. Beyond question, I am really a patient person with passion and inspiration.

Now, I am a junior student at Shih Chien University, majoring in international business. In my class, I am conscientious, and always trying my best to finish all the tasks. In my college life, I have challenged subjects that are very hard and uneasy to comprehend. Consequently, they give me a good opportunity to broaden my knowledge. For example, learning English is the largest mission for me, but I am happy to face it by consulting with friends and teachers, or looking up for answers in textbooks. Though English is hard to learn, honestly speaking, it is practical and useful. Moreover, I am taking a course --- International Trade Practices --- this semester, and it is useful and helpful in the market place. If I could take advantage of it, I would have one more plus when applying for jobs.

As to the extra-curricular activities, the most impressive one for me is the welcome summer camp for freshmen. Being a group leader in that activity, I really learned how to be independent and how to obtain good communicating skills. It helped me become well-organized and self-confident.

I am a Christian. After school, I attend a cell group and participate in a short-term missionary trip. My church provides help to aboriginal children with their learning and homework every summer vacation. In the project, I teach them installation art, help them to develop their personal characters, and mold their personalities by God’s words. Besides, I have to be aware of their needs, and help them to find fulfillment through the lesson. It is a good way for me to learn how to be a leader.

For reaching to new heights, I have a short-term plan; that is, to improve my English ability and computer skills. I always read business-related magazines in my free time to become a competitive person in the market place in the future. Moreover, I am going to take advantage of the knowledge I have already had to get a challenging job in a firm and gain much more to compete with others. The most important of all, I would hold every opportunity in my life to make myself outstanding. I believe that I would be an extraordinary businesswoman in the future, and, consequently, become a woman with great influence in Taiwan, and in the world as well.

Sample 3

Autobiography

My name is XXX. I am a native of Taipei City, and I am the youngest child in my family. My parents’ education policy is that I have to learn to respect others. As a result, I am well-organized, and I know how to respect and listen to people. My interests are listening to English music and taking photos. Listening to English music makes my English speaking ability improved, while taking photos makes me become more patient.

In 2008, I went to Canada to study English. Consequently, I speak English fluently, and I become a very independent person. People always tell me that I am very considerate and hardy, and whenever I meet a new challenge, I work as hard as I can to achieve success.

I am going to graduate with a BA degree in international business from Shih Chien University in June 2012. During my educational process, I have taken a lot of business courses, for example, Practice in International Trade, Management, and Business English. Since I am a committed English learner, on the other hand, I have taken some business related classes to enhance my specialty. In addition, it was my honor to be a teaching assistant to help students who had questions on their study. At the same time, I took several international courses, had a good time with exchange students from all around the world, and assisted to hold some outdoor activities. With these experiences, I have developed a global perspective and got along well with foreigners.

I believe I would be an excellent employee for I am responsible, friendly, and willing to work hard. Being a trilingual is my strength; I speak English, Chinese, and Taiwanese. Most of all, I’m extremely hardworking and never back down from a big challenge. My short-term future plan is to work in an international trade company and to apply what I have learned to my work. In ten years, on the other hand, becoming an MBA holder and a professional manager is my long-term plan.

Sample 4

Autobiography

My name is XXX, and my English name is XXX. There are four people in my family, including my parents, my old brother, and I. My parents always teach me to be myself and be brave to overcome any obstacle on my way. These words affect me a lot, and they make me keep realizing my dreams. As to my personality, I am independent and outgoing, so I can get along well with my new friends or new environment. Since my parents focus on cultivating my character and personality, I am honest, responsible, and respectful.

I am a junior student at Shih Chien University, majoring in international business. I was an Applied Foreign Languages major, graduating from New Taipei Industrial Vocational High School in 2011. When I study in university, I find out that languages are the most important tool in the international business, so both languages and knowledge about business are important subjects for me. In addition to English, I push myself to learn Japanese and Spanish. I realize that if I could speak these languages well, I could get many more chances when I am looking for jobs. In my university life, I always try to challenge myself by competing in many contests and doing a lot of reports. I always try my best to finish these contests and get good grades even the contests or reports are easy to complete for I believe that every experience is useful for me in the future.

Moreover, I had one part-time job before becoming a university student. My job was to teach elementary school students, take care of them, and make phone interview. Owing to this job, I have become a responsible and careful person because I had to look after the students and help them with their homework. This job, on the other hand, improves my speaking fluency because I have to talk with the students and the teachers in English. Now, I am an assistant working at a dental clinic. I am a beginner of this job, and there is a lot of professional knowledge I have to learn. This is a challenge for me because everything is new to me. Nevertheless, this job gives me a chance to learn many different things, and I can prove that I can do it successfully. On account of all these jobs, I have become a person who is mature, and well-organized.

To achieve my objective, in the short-term plan, I’m going to get more licenses, such as Certificate of Achievement for International Trade Examination, TOEIC, JLPT N5, and Basic Foreign Exchange Personnel. These licenses are really important for me, especially in my future career. It means that I would have more chances to get more and better opportunities when I am applying for jobs. For getting these licenses and promoting my global vision, I will read newspapers and business-related magazines. I believe, through learning step by step, that I will become a brilliant, tactful, and extraordinary person in the future.

Sample 5

Autobiography

My name is XXX. There are five people in my family: father, mother, two younger brothers, and I. My parents run a company, and they have to manage everything, including negotiating with clients, dealing with sale processes, and so on. They are too busy to take care of us, so I have become a responsible person who is in charge of two younger brothers and housework. My parents give me freedom of choice, but never force me to do anything I don’t like. Because of this, I have my independent thinking and personality.

I am a junior at Shih Chien University, and major in international business. I am a faithful and easygoing person. I can get along well with people. In my free time, I like listening to music, baking, and exercising. When doing these, I can not only relax but also relieve pressure from life and school as well. On campus, I am a member of the student association of international business. The most impressive activity I have participated in is English speech contest. I was one of the participants in the contest, and I was very nervous and couldn’t help but shivering on the stage. However, to my surprise, I got the eighth in the end, and it was so unbelievable. Because of attending the competition, I challenged myself, got an unforgettable experience, and learned a lesson─as long as I have faith and confidence in myself, I can do it.

During college life, I have learned a lot of knowledge about international business like marketing, and management. In these classes, I prefer marketing and international trade classes because they are practical and useful in my life. I have learned about related marketing knowledge, and known how to promote products or service to customers. In international trade class, on the other hand, I have learned a lot of practical international trade procedures. I realize that if I would like to find a business-related job in the future, the knowledge I have learned from the courses is very important. In addition, in these three years, I have joined the student association and alumni association of my department, and I have been the cadre of these two associations. From holding the activities of associations, I have learned the importance of cooperation in a team, and got a lot of valuable experiences. All of these experiences have enriched my life, and they have imprinted in my memory.

In my college life, I have learned a lot of knowledge, and valuable experiences. Due to these factors, I have goals and some plans in my future. After graduating, I plan to study abroad to learn more knowledge in the field of international trade. After getting the master’s degree, I hope I would get a job of chief executive officer in a global company to fulfill my ambition. I am confident that I can pursue my goals because I accept challenges of all kinds and never give up.

A checklist of your autobiography: After finishing your autobiography, check whether you include the following information. Be sure that you use the correct punctuation.檢核單：在你寫完自傳後，檢核以下的資料是否都已包含。一定要確認標點符號無誤。

1 your name and personal information

2 family information

3 educational background

4 work experience

5 abilities

6 hobbies and character

7 future plan

習練一

The following draft is a draft of a student’s autobiography. Read it first, and read the revised version of the autobiography.

以下為一個學生所寫的自傳草稿，閱讀此自傳後，再仔細閱讀修正版的自傳。

Student’s version

Autobiography

My name is XXX. I was born on May 8, 19XX and I lived in Yuanli, Miaoli, which is a rustic township. Before going to university, I spend most of my childhood and school years there. I was brought up in a happy family. There are four members in my family. My father who is a factory director of our family company teaches me how to deal with people and possess a positive lifestyle. Beside, my mother always asks me to finish my own job and can share everything with her playing like my sister. And my brother is still a student who owns a sense of justice.

I am a very easygoing and responsible person. I have won in the elementary and high school model student selection. One of the main reason is that I usually get along well with my friends. Another reason is that teachers think I am enthusiastic and amiable. At each stage of the school; what’s more, I have served as any kinds of class positions.

In the course of my schooling, my parents are democratic and open-minded, so I always grow and learn independently. I am also the eldest children in my family. When I was seven years old, I started to learn English. I appreciate that my parents give me a chance to do what I like. My father hopes me to study English well and also encourages me to study trade-related courses in college. Because of childhood learning English, I am interested in learning about the English courses such as Business English, and International Trade Practice. In addition to learning the school curriculum, I also love to participate in outdoor activities like visiting art exhibitions, enjoying the theater and reading newspapers etc. As far as I am concerned, experiencing different activities can bring the fun of life, relieve stress and increase knowledge.

The most impressed activity was held summer camp in my hometown. I was an activity leader and supervised all activities and procedures in order to make the activities successfully. Although we have encountered many difficulties during the preparation, we use teamwork and overcome all obstacles. I realize that team spirit plays a vital role in our success and effectively use of the time to complete all the things.

I like a word very much and it is said: Stay hungry, stay foolish. All young people have to do is work harder and have ambitions. In the future, I have some plans. First of all, I adapt to the company's attitude and do my best to complete all right things. In the second place, I hope that I can continue to enhance all kinds of abilities and obtain some licenses.

Revised version

Autobiography

My name is XXX. I was born on May 8, 19XX, and I live in Yuanli, Miaoli. Before going to university, I spent most of my childhood and school years there. I was brought up in a happy family. There are four members in my family. My father, who is a factory director of our family company, teaches me how to deal with people and possess a positive lifestyle. Besides, my mother, who works as a solicitor, always asks me to finish my own job, and usually shares everything with me like my sister. My brother, moreover, is still a student who owns a sense of justice.

I am a very easygoing and responsible person. I have been elected a model student in the elementary and high school. The main reason was that I usually got along well with my friends; on the other hand, another reason was I was enthusiastic and amiable. At school, I have always served as a cadre member for I was willing to serve and care about other people.

Moreover, my parents are democratic and open-minded, so I always grow and learn independently in my schooling. I deeply appreciate my parents for they give me a chance to do what I like. My father hopes me to learn more languages, and also encourages me to study trade-related courses in college. Because of my father’s encouragement, I decided to major in international business at Shih Chien University.

At school, I have taken many business courses, and I am very interested in English courses such as Business English and International Trade Practices. Besides, I also did many kinds of reports with my classmates including reports in Marketing, International Business Management, and English courses. In the Marketing course, all students were asked to join a competition game, and, surprisingly, my team got the first prize. In order to win in the game, my team members met and discussed at least once a week on how to make a better decision, and how to make the maximum profit. I really enjoyed the meeting and discussion because I could share my views with my team members in order to win the competition. In addition to the school curricula, I also love to participate in activities like visiting art exhibitions, seeing movies, listening to speeches, joining sports, and sharing with friends and teachers. For me, experiencing different activities brings me fun of life, relieves my stress, and increases my knowledge.

In order to have more work experiences, I had three part time jobs during college. I enjoyed working with coworkers because I could make friends with them and learn a lot from them at the same time. Moreover, I like to participate in some group activities. The most impressive activity was a summer camp in my hometown. I was an activity leader and supervisor responsible for successes of all activities and procedures. Although I encountered many difficulties during preparation, I overcame all obstacles with the help from my team members. I realize consequently that team work does play a vital role in every success.

It is said: Stay hungry, stay foolish. What all young people have to do is work harder and have ambitions. In the future, I would like to work at a business company, and, in five years, become a section manager. I will strengthen my management capabilities through communicating with my coworkers and learning from my supervisors. I would equip myself with all professional skills and practices. I believe that if I devote myself to my job and create company’s value, I will be a skillful and professional person; consequently, I would be a top and competent manager.

Unit13　 Autobiography 　自傳

An autobiography is a story of a person’s life written by the person himself or herself. In an autobiography, first of all, a brief self-introduction is necessary. Following the introduction, family information, educational background, work experience, abilities, hobbies, character, and future plan could be included as well. Since it is a personal biography, emphasize on things concerning about the person. However, because the purpose of this autobiography is for ...

出版心語

Part I　Paragraph Writing段落寫作
Unit1 　Paragraph Structure 　段落結構
Unit2 　Paragraph Outline 　段落大綱
Unit3 　 Coherence and Unity 　連貫性與單一性
Unit4 　Process Paragraphs 　過程段落
Unit5 　 Cause and Effect Paragraphs 　因果段落
Unit6 　 Comparison/Contrast Paragraphs 　比較／對比段落
Unit7 　Classification Paragraphs 　分類段落

Part II Essay Writing五段式文章寫作
Unit8 　Essay Organization 　文章結構
Unit9 　Essay Outline 　文章大綱
Unit10 　Essays 　文章
Unit11 　Letters of Application 　應徵信函
Unit12 　Resume 　簡歷
Unit13 　Autobiography 　自傳

Appendices附錄
Appendix 1 　Guide for Correcting Writing Errors
Appendix 2 　Peer Review Checklist: Paragraph
Appendix 3 　Peer Review Checklist: Essay
Appendix 4 　Punctuation 　標點符號
Appendix 5 　Capitalization 　大寫
Appendix 6 　Sentence Structures 　句型
I. Simple Sentences 　簡單句
II. Compound Sentences 　複合句
III. Complex Sentences 　複雜句
IV. Compound-Complex Sentences 　複合複雜句
Appendix 7 　Noun Clauses 　名詞子句
Appendix 8 　Adjective Clauses/Relative Clauses 　形容詞子句
Appendix 9 　Adverb Clauses 　副詞子句
Appendix 10 　Conditionals 　假設語態

References 　參考書目

出版心語

Part I　Paragraph Writing段落寫作
Unit1 　Paragraph Structure 　段落結構
Unit2 　Paragraph Outline 　段落大綱
Unit3 　 Coherence and Unity 　連貫性與單一性
Unit4 　Process Paragraphs 　過程段落
Unit5 　 Cause and Effect Paragraphs 　因果段落
Unit6 　 Comparison/Contrast Paragraphs 　比較／對比段落
Unit7 　Classification Paragraphs 　分類段落

Part II Essay Writing五段式文章寫作
Unit8 　Essay Organization 　文章結構
Unit9 　Essay Outline 　文章大綱
Unit10 　Essays 　文章
...