2. 外语
  3. The Writing section tests your ability to write essays in English similar to those that you would write in college courses.

The Writing section tests your ability to write essays in English similar to those that you would write in college courses.

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问题     The Writing section tests your ability to write essays in English similar to those that you would write in college courses.
    During the test, you will write two essays. The integrated essay asks for your response to an academic reading passage and a lecture on the same topic. You may take notes as you read and listen, but notes are not graded. You may use your notes to write the essay. The lecture will be spoken, but the directions and the questions will be written. You will have 20 minutes to plan, write, and revise your response. Typically, a good essay for the integrated topic will require that you write 150-225 words.
    The independent essay usually asks for your opinion about a familiar topic. You will have 30 minutes to plan, write, and revise your response. Typically, a good essay for the independent topic will require that you write 300-350 words.
    A clock on the screen will show you how much time you have to complete each essay.
    Integrated Essay "Problem Solving"
    You have 20 minutes to plan, write, and revise your response to a reading passage and a lecture on the same topic. First, read the passage and take notes. Then, listen to the lecture and take notes. Finally, write your response to the writing question. Typically, a good response will require that you write 150-225 words.
    The origin of life was highly speculative until a graduate student at the University of Chicago, Stanley Miller designed and conducted an empirical research project under the guidance of his graduate advisor, Harold Urey. In this classic experiment, the researchers tried to simulate the chemical evolution process that generated life. Miller and Urey took a five-liter flask half filled with water and connected it with glass tubing to another flask into which they inserted tungsten electrodes. They then mixed methane, hydrogen, and ammonia into the water in the lower flask and heated it to induce evaporation, while at the same time subjecting it to continuous electrical charges that jumped across the space between the electrodes in the upper flask. The atmosphere was cooled again so that the water could condense and trickle back into the first flask in a continuous cycle. In this way, they sought to recreate the conditions in the early atmosphere of Earth, which they speculated was probably subjected to powerful electrical storms. In about an hour, the water turned orange. At the end of the first week, they observed that almost 15 percent of the carbon was converted into organic compounds. After several weeks, the liquid in the flask clouded and then gradually turned a dark brown. When they analyzed it, Miller and Urey found that it contained a large number of amino acids, which form one of the basic structures of living organisms. They then hypothesized that the amino acids that they had created in the laboratory might be typical of the chemical mixture of the early oceans on Earth, and further, that additional amino acids could have been added to the mixture in the early oceans by carbon enriched meteorites or comets.
    When the scientific results were popularized, the mixture became known as "primordial soup." However, much was still unknown about the process that caused the first cell to develop within the soup. The molecules produced were relatively simple organic molecules, not a complete living biochemical system. Nevertheless, the experiment established that natural processes could produce the building blocks of life without requiring life to synthesize them in the first place. The experiment served as inspiration for a large number of further investigations.
    Model Test 6, Writing Section, Audio-09, Track 3

    Now listen to a lecture on the same topic as the passage that you have just read.
    Question
    Summarize the main points in the reading passage, explaining how the lecture casts doubt on the ideas.
    Independent Essay "Learning a Foreign Language"  
[Narrator] Now listen to a lecture on the same topic as the passage that you have just read.
[Professor]
    Most textbooks that have been published within the past fifty years include the Miller-Urey experiment because it was such a groundbreaking discovery at the time, and researchers honestly believed that they were on the verge of discovering the origin of life. But the current view of the Miller-Urey experiment is, let’s say, skeptical. And there are several serious objections that we really need to deal with before we move on. First, the laboratory atmosphere that Miller and Urey created was charged with continuous electrical energy, but even though the atmosphere of early Earth was subjected to frequent electrical storms, they were probably not continuous. So, some scientists argue that, although amino acids and other organic compounds may have been formed in the early history of Earth, they probably would not have been produced in the amounts seen in the experimental environment. Some scientists are also concerned about the fact that oxygen was reduced from the atmosphere in the Miller-Urey experiment. What if the premise that the mixture of gases simulated that of early Earth were false?Then, of course, everything else in the experiment is flawed.
    And here’s another problem. Because several meteorites have fallen to Earth since the publication of the Miller-Urey experiment, there has been interest in analyzing them for amino acid content, and amino acids have been found in them. Well, that proves that amino acids are able to survive in severe conditions in space. So what does that mean? Some scientists think that the early Earth was similar to asteroids and comets that contain amino acids so they may have been present from the moment that the Earth was formed. Others point to the possibility that organic compounds escaped from within meteorites in impact sites where they hit the surface of the newly forming planet Earth.
    The truth is that we just don’t know how the first cell was formed, and we really aren’t sure how that
cell reorganized into larger living structures. So, although the Miller-Urey experiment is interesting, it
probably does not hold the promise of unlocking the mystery of life on our planet.
    Example Answers and Checklists for Speaking and Writing
    Model Test 6, Example Answers, Audio-09, Track 4
    EXAMPLE ANSWER FOR INDEPENDENT SPEAKING QUESTION 1 "A GOOD SON OR DAUGHTER"
    The role of a good son or daughter changes over the years. Initially, being an obedient child is probably all that a parent requires. But when a child grows up and begins to become independent, then a good son or daughter is a person who has good character—who does well in school or succeeds in a career and demonstrates the personal qualities that the parents have tried to teach. Um... a good son or daughter is also a good parent when they have children of their own. When parents see their grandchildren being brought up well, uh, they know that they have provided a good example. And... and when the parents become old and need care, a good son or daughter won’t be too busy to spend time with them and provide them with help.
    Checklist 1
    The talk answers the topic question.
    The point of view or position is clear.
    The talk is direct and well-organized.
    The sentences are logically connected.
    Details and examples support the main idea.
    The speaker expresses complete thoughts.
    The meaning is easy to comprehend.
    A wide range of vocabulary is used.
    There are only minor errors in grammar.
    The talk is within a range of 125-150 words.
    EXAMPLE ANSWER FOR INDEPENDENT SPEAKING QUESTION 2 "JOB OPPORTUNITIES"
    Although a job that involves travel seems glamorous to people who spend day after day in an office, it really isn’t for me. For one thing, traveling for business usually means going to the same places repeatedly and staying in the same, tired hotel rooms. Besides that, the pace of a business trip doesn’t allow much time to see anything besides the inside of an office building and the road to the airport. And eating in restaurants isn’t that healthy, and traveling all the time is exhausting. No, I’d rather have a job opportunity that... that would let me sleep in my own bed and, uh, eat my own cooking. Um... but ideally, the job would also include a three-week paid vacation so... I could travel to a destination of my choice and relax.
    Checklist 2
    The talk answers the topic question.
    The point of view or position is clear.
    The talk is direct and well-organized.
    The sentences are logically connected.
    Details and examples support the main idea.
    The speaker expresses complete thoughts.
    The meaning is easy to comprehend.
    A wide range of vocabulary is used.
    There are only minor errors in grammar.
    The talk is within a range of 125-150 words.
    EXAMPLE ANSWER FOR INTEGRATED SPEAKING QUESTION 3 "EXCUSED ABSENCE"
    According to the professor’s policy, students can be absent from one class without explaining unless there’s a test scheduled and then the professor expects students to go to her office to give her an explanation for being out of class and arrange for making up the test. Also, being absent more than once could mean that your grade could be lowered by one letter for each time you miss class. The student doesn’t agree with the excused absence policy because he thinks that his grade shouldn’t be affected by absence if he makes up the work. Um ... from his point of view, a valid reason for absence, uh, like an emergency, a family problem, or illness, uh, that shouldn’t jeopardize his grade unless he fails to keep up with the class or his work’s unsatisfactory.
    Checklist 3
    The talk summarizes the situation and opinion.
    The point of view or position is clear.
    The talk is direct and well-organized.
    The sentences are logically connected.
    Details and examples support the opinion.
    The speaker expresses complete thoughts.
    The meaning is easy to comprehend.
    A wide range of vocabulary is used.
    Errors in grammar are minor.
    The talk is within a range of 125-150 words.
    EXAMPLE ANSWER FOR INTEGRATED SPEAKING QUESTION 4 "INSECTS"
    Insects are arthropods with a three-part body structure—a head, a thorax, and an abdomen. The head has a pair of eyes and a pair of antennae, and three pairs of legs and two pairs of wings are usually attached to the thorax. Now, although a spider is also an arthropod, it isn’t considered an insect, uh, because, um, because it only has a two-part body structure. The head and the thorax are joined together on a spider and attached to its abdomen by a thin stem. And a spider doesn’t have antennae but it does have four pairs of eyes. Instead of six legs, it has eight, hairy legs that are used kind of like an insect uses its antennae to explore the environment. A spider doesn’t have wings. It has a unique glandular system that allows it to spin its webs. So, because of this very different body structure, a spider is not really an insect.
    Checklist 4
    The talk relates an example to a concept.
    Inaccuracies in the content are minor.
    The talk is direct and well-organized.
    The sentences are logically connected.
    Details and examples support the opinion.
    The speaker expresses complete thoughts.
    The meaning is easy to comprehend.
    A wide range of vocabulary is used.
    The speaker paraphrases in his/her own words.
    The speaker credits the lecturer with wording.
    Errors in grammar are minor.
    The talk is within a range of 125-150 words.
    EXAMPLE ANSWER FOR INTEGRATED SPEAKING QUESTION 5 "MEETING PEOPLE"
    The man’s problem is that he hasn’t been very successful meeting people and making friends. He’s been on campus for an entire semester, and the woman’s the only friend he has. She suggests that he participate in some clubs, but he’s reluctant to spend the time required for meetings. The woman plays inter-mural basketball. She says that there are a lot of sports options at the Recreation Center. Another possibility that she recommends is for the man to join a study group. That way, he’d meet some serious students and he’d still be using the time to study for classes while he was getting to know people. I think that the man should join a group to play sports for an hour twice a week because he probably needs the exercise, and he should also try to get into a study group because he’ll probably have more in common with the people who are using their time to study for their classes.
    Checklist 5
    The talk summarizes the problem and recommendations.
    The speaker’s point of view or position is clear.
    The talk is direct and well-organized.
    The sentences are logically connected.
    Details and examples support the opinion.
    The speaker expresses complete thoughts.
    The meaning is easy to comprehend.
    A wide range of vocabulary is used.
    Errors in grammar are minor.
    The talk is within a range of 125-150 words.
    EXAMPLE ANSWER FOR INTEGRATED SPEAKING QUESTION 6 "SKINNER BOX"
    A Skinner Box is a small box that’s empty except for a cup and a bar. When the bar over the cup is depressed, a food pellet drops into the cup. An animal that’s placed in a Skinner Box will explore the environment for food, and at some point, will accidentally hit the bar, releasing the pellet. So... after the animal hits the bar about three or four times and it’s rewarded with food, then it learns how to find food, using the bar, and it begins to hit the bar on purpose. The Skinner Box, or something like it, it’s commonly used in psychology experiments that involve behavior modification. By presenting a subject with the opportunity for a reward, the behavior that produces the reward is reinforced. In the case of the classic experiment, the subject’s opportunity for a reward is a food pellet, and the behavior that’s reinforced is pressing the bar, but many types of rewards and behaviors have been used.
    Checklist 6
    The talk summarizes a short lecture.
    Inaccuracies in the content are minor.
    The talk is direct and well-organized.
    The sentences are logically connected.
    Details and examples support the opinion.
    The speaker expresses complete thoughts.
    The meaning is easy to comprehend.
    A wide range of vocabulary is used.
    The speaker paraphrases in his/her own words.
    The speaker credits the lecturer with wording.
    Errors in grammar are minor.
    The talk is within a range of 125-150 words.
    EXAMPLE RESPONSE FOR INTEGRATED ESSAY "PRIMORDIAL SOUP"
    Outline
    Summary reading
    Miller-Urey
    Create conditions life in E’s atmosphere
    Water, methane, hydrogen, ammonia
    Heat + electrical charges
    Weeks amino acids
    Posited
    Simple life forms in oceans
    Comets + meteorites amino acids
    Referred to as "primordial soup"
    Living structures on E ← natural evolution atmosphere
    Lecture
    Criticism → procedure + conclusions
    Procedure
    Constant electrical stimulation
    Acids more concentrated
    Amount oxygen reduced → incorrect proportions
    Conclusions
    E similar to meteorites = amino acids from beginning
    Acids deposited meteorite crash on landmasses
    Map
EXAMPLE RESPONSE FOR INDEPENDENT ESSAY "LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE"
    Outline
    Advantages own country
    Teacher has similar experience—can use L1
     Cheaper than foreign travel
     Less stressful
    Advantages foreign country
    Natural speech—accent + idioms
    Cultural context—behaviors
    Opportunities
    My opinion—intermediate proficiency own country + advanced abroad
    Map
    Checklist for Integrated Essay
    The essay answers the topic question.
    Inaccuracies in the content are minor.
    The essay is direct and well-organized.
    The sentences are logically connected.
    Details and examples support the main idea.
    The writer expresses complete thoughts.
    The meaning is easy to comprehend.
    A wide range of vocabulary is used.
    The writer paraphrases in his/her own words.
    The writer credits the author with wording.
    Errors in grammar and idioms are minor.
    The essay is within a range of 150-225 words.
选项
答案 Example Essay The Miller-Urey experiment was an attempt to recreate the conditions under which life may have evolved in the Earth’s atmosphere. First, water, methane, hydrogen, and ammonia were heated and electrical charges were administered to simulate strong electrical storms that were probably part of early conditions. At the end of a few weeks, amino acids were identified in the liquid. Miller and Urey posited that simple life forms could have been nurtured in the early oceans, and furthermore, that comets and meteorites could have added more amino acids to the oceans. The mixture, referred to as "primordial soup," seemed to suggest that living structures on Earth could have developed from the natural evolution of the atmosphere. Recent criticism of Miller and Urey calls into question both the procedure for the experiment and the conclusions. First, the mixture was subjected to constant electrical stimulation; however, storms in the early atmosphere were probably not continuous. Second, the amino acids that were created in the laboratory were probably more concentrated than those produced in the natural environment. Third, there is some question about the amount of oxygen that was reduced from the experimental mixture, a serious concern since the proportions would have to be the same for a simulation to be achieved. Finally, some researchers suggest the possibility that early Earth was similar to meteorites, and consequently, may have contained amino acids from the beginning or amino acids may have been deposited when meteorites crashed into the landmasses of a young planet Earth.
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