最近作文的开头一般用以下几种表达方式：

Recently,
Lately,
In recent times,
In recent years,

这些表达方式都表示“最近”的意思。其中“Recently”和“Lately”是来自英语，而“In recent times”和“In recent years”是来自拉丁语。

下面是一些带有这些表达方式的例句：

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about the future.
Lately, I have been spending more time outdoors.
In recent times, there has been a lot of debate about cpmate change.
In recent years, the use of technology has increased dramatically.

对应的中文翻译是：

最近，我一直在想未来。
近来，我一直在外面呆更长时间。
最近，关于气候变化的讨论很激烈。
近年来，技术的使用大幅增加。