| Acknowledgements | 第5-6页 |
| 摘要 | 第6-8页 |
| Abstract | 第8-9页 |
| 1. Introduction | 第12-16页 |
| 1.1 Background of the study | 第12页 |
| 1.2 Significance of the study | 第12-14页 |
| 1.3 Research questions | 第14页 |
| 1.4 Thesis structure | 第14-16页 |
| 2. Literature Review | 第16-22页 |
| 2.1 Previous studies on Rhetorical Structure Theory | 第16-19页 |
| 2.1.1 Rhetorical Structure Theory for discourse analysis | 第16-18页 |
| 2.1.2 Rhetorical Structure Theory for cross-linguistic studies | 第18-19页 |
| 2.2 Previous studies on Contrastive Rhetoric | 第19-20页 |
| 2.3 Previous studies on disaster news discourses | 第20-21页 |
| 2.4 Summary | 第21-22页 |
| 3. Theoretical Framework | 第22-27页 |
| 3.1 Rhetorical Structure Theory | 第22-24页 |
| 3.1.1 Relations, spans, schemas and structure | 第22-23页 |
| 3.1.2 Relation, hierarchy and function | 第23-24页 |
| 3.2 Contrastive Rhetoric | 第24-26页 |
| 3.3 Combining Rhetorical Structure Theory and Contrastive Rhetoric | 第26-27页 |
| 4. Methodology and Data Collection | 第27-32页 |
| 4.1 Methodology | 第27页 |
| 4.2 Instruments-RST Tool 345 and SPSS Statistics 19 | 第27-28页 |
| 4.3 Data collection | 第28-32页 |
| 4.3.1 Sources of raw data | 第28页 |
| 4.3.2 Principles of data selection | 第28-30页 |
| 4.3.3 Filtering of selected data | 第30-32页 |
| 5. RST Analytical Procedures and Statistical Analysis | 第32-56页 |
| 5.1 RST analytical procedures | 第32-34页 |
| 5.1.1 Segmentation of texts into units | 第32-33页 |
| 5.1.2 Identification of relations between text spans | 第33-34页 |
| 5.1.3 Drawing schemas | 第34页 |
| 5.2 Sample analyses | 第34-42页 |
| 5.3 Statistical analysis and data test | 第42-56页 |
| 5.3.1 Types, frequency and distribution of rhetorical relations | 第43-46页 |
| 5.3.2 Dominant relations and their distribution | 第46-47页 |
| 5.3.3 Patterns of RST tree diagram | 第47-50页 |
| 5.3.4 Internal structures | 第50-56页 |
| 6. Contrastive Analysis and Discussions | 第56-62页 |
| 6.1 Differences and similarities in terms of rhetorical relations | 第56-58页 |
| 6.2 Differences and similarities in terms of dominant relations | 第58页 |
| 6.3 Differences and similarities in terms of diagram patterns | 第58-59页 |
| 6.4 Differences and similarities in terms of internal structures | 第59页 |
| 6.5 Underlying causes for the RST differences between English and Chinese disaster news discourses | 第59-62页 |
| 6.5.1 Different linguistic features of English and Chinese languages | 第60页 |
| 6.5.2 Different thinking patterns of Chinese and westerners | 第60-61页 |
| 6.5.3 Different highlights for disaster news reporting | 第61-62页 |
| 7. Conclusion | 第62-65页 |
| 7.1 Summary of the study | 第62-63页 |
| 7.2 Implications of the study | 第63-64页 |
| 7.2.1 Implications for RST studies on disaster news | 第63页 |
| 7.2.2 Implications for disaster reporting for China's news industry | 第63-64页 |
| 7.2.3 Implications for disaster news teaching and learning | 第64页 |
| 7.3 Limitations of the study | 第64-65页 |
| Bibliography | 第65-69页 |
| Appendices | 第69-73页 |
| Appendix A | 第69-73页 |
| Appendix B | 第73页 |
