新托福写作讲义
新托福写作讲义
TOEFL Internet Based Test
Writing
Lecture Notes
Hope Wang
1
王希
王希
新托福写作讲义
Part 1.
王希
Introduction
1.1 Test Format
The Writing Section consists of two writing tasks:
<1> The Integrated Writing Task
(20 min)
<2> The Independent Writing Task
(30 min)
In the Integrated Writing Task (writing based on Reading and Listening),
you read a short passage for 3 minutes (about 230 to 300 words), you
listen to a short lecture that directly addresses the points made in the
reading (2 minutes), and you write a summary of what the speaker said
about the reading passage.
In the Independent Writing Task (writing based on knowledge
experience), you are asked to give an opinion about a general topic
topic of interest to students. You are asked to support your opinion
specific reasons and examples. The task is very similar to the essay
(Test of Written English, TWE) on the TOEFL CBT and PBT.
and
or a
with
task
1.2 Writing Task 1: The Integrated Task
Direction:
For this task, you will read a passage about an academic topic. You may
take notes on the passage while you read. The passage will then be
removed and you will listen to a lecture about the same topic. While you
listen, you may also take notes.
Next, you will then have 20 minutes to write a response to a question that
asks you about the relationship between the lecture you heard and the
reading passage. Try to answer the question as completely as possible
using information from the reading passage and the lecture. The question
does not ask you to express your personal opinion. You will be able to see
the reading passage again when it is time for you to write. You may use
your notes to help you answer the question.
Typically, an effective response will be 150 to 225 words. Your response is
judged on the quality of your writing and on the completeness and
accuracy of the content. If you finish your response before time is up, you
may click Next to go to the second writing task.
Now you will see the reading passage for 3 minutes. Remember it will be
2
新托福写作讲义
王希
available to you again when you write. Immediately after the reading time
ends, the lecture will begin, so keep your headset on until the lecture is
over.
How the Integrated Task is phrased
If the lecture challenges the information in the reading passage, the writing
task will usually be phrased in one of the following ways:
/ Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they
cast doubt on specific points made in the reading passage.
/ Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they
challenge specific arguments made in the reading passage.
/ Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to specifically
explain how they answer the problems raised in the reading passage.
If the lecture supports or strengthens the information in the reading
passage, the writing task will usually be phrased in one of the following ways:
/ Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they
support the explanations in the reading passage.
/ Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they
strengthen specific arguments made in the reading passage.
1.3 Writing Task 2: The Independent Writing Task
Direction:
For this task, you will write an essay in response to a question that asks
you to state, explain, and support your opinion on an issue. You will have
30 minutes to write your essay.
Typically, an effective essay will contain a minimum of 300 words. Your
essay will be judged on the quality of your writing. This includes the
development of your ideas, the organization of your essay, and the quality
and accuracy of the language you use to express your ideas.
If you finish your response before time is up, you may click Next to end this
section.
3
新托福写作讲义
王希
When you are ready to continue, click on the Dismiss Directions icon.
How the Independent Task is Phrased
Typically, the writing task will be phrased in the following way:
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
< A sentence or sentences that present an issue appear here.>
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Also, the question can be composed in other ways, such as the following:
Some young adults want independence from their parents as soon as
possible. Other young adults prefer to live with their families for a
longer time. Which of these situations do you think is better? Use
specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
Part 2 Score Information
The responses to all Writing tasks are sent to ETS’s Online Scoring
Network. Each task is rated by two human raters on a score scale of 0 to 5
according to rubrics below. If the two ratings differ by more than one point,
a third rater evaluates the response and resolves the score. The sum of
the scores on the two writing tasks is converted to a scaled score of 0 to
30.
The response to the integrated writing task is scored on the quality of the
writing (organization, appropriate and precise use of grammar and
vocabulary) and completeness and accuracy of the content. The
independent writing essay is scored on the overall quality of the writing:
development, organization, and appropriate and precise use of grammar
and vocabulary.
4
新托福写作讲义
王希
2.1 Integrated Writing Scoring Rubric
Score 5
A response at this level successfully selects the important information from
the lecture and coherently and accurately presents this information in relation
to the relevant information presented in the reading. The response is well
organized, and occasional language errors that are present do not result in
inaccurate or imprecise presentation of content or connections.
Score 4
A response at this level is generally good in selecting the important
information from the lecture and in coherently and accurately presenting this
information in relation to the relevant information in the reading, but it may
have minor omission, inaccuracy, vagueness, or imprecision of some content
from the lecture or in connection to points made in the reading. A response is
also score at this level if it has more frequent or noticeable minor language
errors, as long as such usage and grammatical structures do not result in
anything more than an occasional lapse of clarity or in the connection of ideas.
Score 3
A response at his level contains some important information from the
lecture and conveys some relevant connection to the reading, but it is marked
by one or more of the following:
Although the overall response is definitely oriented to the task, it conveys
only vague, global, unclear, or somewhat imprecise connection of the points
made in the lecture to points made in the reading.
The response may omit one major key point made in the lecture.
Some key points made in the lecture or the reading, or connections
between the two, may be incomplete, inaccurate, or imprecise.
Score 2
A response at this level contains some relevant information from the
lecture, but is marked by significant language difficulties or by significant
omission or inaccuracy of important ideas from the lecture or in the
connections between the lecture and the reading; a response at this level is
marked by one or more of the following:
The response significantly misrepresents or completely omits the overall
5
新托福写作讲义
王希
connection between the lecture and the reading.
The response significantly omits or significantly misrepresents important
points made in the lecture.
The response contains language errors or expressions that largely
obscure connections or meaning at key junctions, or that would likely obscure
understanding of key ideas for a reader not already familiar with the reading
and the lecture.
Score 1
A response at this level is marked by one or more of the following:
The response provides little or no meaningful or relevant coherent
content from the lecture.
The language level of the response is so low that it is difficult to derive
meaning.
Score 0
A response at this level merely copies sentences from the reading, rejects
the topic or is otherwise not connected to the topic, is written in a foreign
language, consists of keystroke characters, or is blank.
2.2 Independent Writing Scoring Rubric
Score 5
An essay at this level largely accomplishes all of the following:
Effectively addresses the topic and task
Is well organized and well developed, using clearly appropriate
explanations, exemplifications, and/ or details
Displays unity, progression, and coherence
Displays consistent facility in the use of language, demonstrating
syntactic variety, appropriate word choice, and idiomacity, though it may have
minor lexical or grammatical errors.
Score 4
An essay at this level largely accomplishes all of the following:
6
新托福写作讲义
王希
addresses the topic and task well, though some points may not be fully
elaborated
Is generally well organized and well developed, using appropriate and
sufficient explanations, exemplifications, and/ or details
Displays unity, progression, and coherence, though it may contain
occasional redundancy, disgression, or unclear connections.
Displays facility in the use of language, demonstrating syntactic variety
and range of vocabulary, though it may probably have noticeable minor errors
in structure, word form, or use of idiomatic language that do not interfere with
meaning
Score 3
An essay at this level largely accomplishes all of the following:
addresses the topic and task using somewhat developed explanations,
exemplifications, and/ or details
Displays unity, progression, and coherence, though connection of ideas
may be occasionally obscured
May demonstrate inconsistent facility in sentence formation and word
choice that may result in lack of clarity and occasionally obscure meaning
May display accurate but limited range of syntactic structures and
vocabulary
Score 2
An essay at this level largely accomplishes all of the following:
Limited development in response to the topic and task
Inadequate organization or connection of ideas
Inappropriate or insufficient exemplifications, explanations, or details to
support or illustrate generalizations in response to the task
A noticeably inappropriate choice of words or word forms
An accumulation of errors in sentence structure and/or usage
Score 1
An essay at this level largely accomplishes all of the following:
Serious disorganization or underdevelopment
Little or no detail, or irrelevant specifics, or questionable responsiveness
to the task
Serious and frequent errors in sentence structure or usage
Score 0
7
新托福写作讲义
王希
An essay at this level largely accomplishes all of the following:
An essay at this level merely copies words from the topic, rejects the topic,
or is otherwise not connected to the topic, is written in a foreign language,
consists of keystroke characters, or is blank.
2.3 Converting Rubric Scores to Scaled Scores
Writing Rubric Mean
5.00
Scaled Score
30
4.75
29
4.50
28
4.25
27
4.00
25
3.75
24
3.50
22
3.25
21
3.00
20
2.75
18
2.50
17
2.25
15
2.00
14
1.75
12
1.50
11
1.25
10
1.00
8
8
新托福写作讲义
-----
7
5
4
0
2.4 Percentile Ranks
Scaled Score
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Percentile
97.9
95.9
93.4
90.5
90.5
87.2
82.9
82.9
77.4
72.4
66.9
66.9
60.2
53.6
53.6
46.3
37.3
37.3
30.0
21.4
14.9
14.9
5.4
5.0
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.1
-9
王希
新托福写作讲义
王希
* N =2720, Mean= 16.5, Standard Deviation=6.67
Part 3.
Practices for Integrated Task
1. Teamwork
In many organizations, perhaps the best way to approach certain new
projects is to assemble a group of people into a team. Having a team of
people attack a project offers several advantages. First of all, a group of
people have a wider ranger of knowledge, expertise, and skills than any
single individuals is likely to possess. Also, because of the numbers of
people involved and the greater resources they possess, a group can work
more quickly in response to the task assigned to it and can come up with
highly creative solutions to problems and issues. Sometimes these
creative solutions come about because a group is more likely to make risky
decisions that an individual might not undertake. This is because the group
spreads responsibility for a decision to all the members and thus no single
individual can be held accountable if the decision turns out to be wrong.
Taking part in a group process can be very rewarding for members of the
team. Team members who have a voice in making a decision will no doubt
feel better about carrying out the work that is entailed by that decision than
they might doing work that is imposed on them by others. Also, the
individual team member has a much better chance to “shine”, to get his or
her contributions and ideas not only recognized but recognized as highly
significant, because a team’s overall results can be more far-reaching and
have greater impact than what might have otherwise been possible for the
person to accomplish or contribute working alone.
Narrator: Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.
10
新托福写作讲义
王希
Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture you just heard,
explaining how they cast doubt on points made in the reading.
2. Altruism
Altruism is a type of behavior in which an animal sacrifices its own interest
for that of another animal or group of animals. Altruism is the opposite of
selfishness; individuals performing altruistic acts gain nothing for
themselves.
Examples of altruism abound, both among humans and among other
mammals. Unselfish acts among humans range from the sharing of food
with strangers to the donation of body organs to family members, and even
to strangers. Such acts are altruistic in that they benefit another, yet
provide little reward to the one performing the act.
In fact, many species of animals appear willing to sacrifice food, or even
their life, to assist other members of their group. The meerkat, which is a
mammal that dwells in burrows in grassland areas of Africa, is often cited
as an example. In groups of meerkats, an individual acts as a sentinel,
standing guard and looking out for predators while the others hunt for food
or eat food they have obtained. If the sentinel meerkat sees a predator
such as a hawk approaching the group, it gives an alarm cry alerting the
other meerkats to run and seek shelter. By standing guard, the sentinel
meerkat gains nothing- it goes without food while the others eat, and it
places itself in grave danger. After it issues an alarm it has to flee alone,
which might make it more at risk to a predator, since animals in groups are
often able to work together to fend off a predator. So the altruistic sentinel
behavior helps ensure the survival of other members of the meerkat’s
group.
Narrator: Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.
Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture you just heard,
specifically explaining how they cast doubt on points made in the reading.
11
新托福写作讲义
王希
3. Space Tourism
Soon there will be something new for the tourist who has been everywhere
and seen everything on Earth. Spacecraft being developed by private
commercial companies will soon enable private citizens to buy their own
tickets to travel into space, thereby creating a space tourism industry. So
far, space travel has been undertaken only by governments, but the new,
privatized spaceflight industry will bring great benefits to both science and
the public.
First, private space travel will benefit serious exploration by making
spaceflight cheaper. Privatization of space technology will bring
technological costs down very fast because it will allow competition- and
competition is one of the strongest motivators to cut costs. Thus, lowering
the cost of space travel will benefit not only space tourists but also
scientists, who will be able to use private space flights for research
purposes.
Furthermore, privatization of space travel will accelerate the rate at which
important scientific discoveries occur. The aerospace industry already
sponsors a lot of groundbreaking scientific research, and adding private
spaceflight companies to it will make the industry as a whole grow in size,
thereby employing more scientists than it does now. That increased
number of working scientists means not only that more discoveries are
likely to be made but also that those discoveries are likely to be made
more quickly than in the past.
Finally, when governments are the sole providers of space travel, the costs
are paid for by the whole taxpaying public, but with privatization, the
expenses of space travel will be born by the customers of the industry. The
fact that private spaceflight operators will be able to raise funds through
ticket sales means that the financial burden on taxpayers will be eased
significantly.
Narrator: Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.
Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to
specifically explain how they cast doubt on points made in the reading.
12
新托福写作讲义
王希
4. School Uniforms
Educators have long recognized that high school can be a difficult
experience for many students. Along with the stress of challenging
academic work, high school can also be a source of social, emotional, and
even financial stress. One effective way of decreasing these nonacademic
kinds of stress is to require students to wear a school uniform so that all
students wear basically the same clothing.
One of the most obvious benefits of such a policy is that it makes high
school more affordable for both students and their parents. Clothing,
especially trendy, fashionable clothing, is very expensive, and teenagers
usually want to have several different outfits in their wardrobe- for some,
the more the better. When there is no possibility of dressing fashionably at
school, a student’s clothing bill will go down drastically.
Furthermore, wearing the same uniform as everyone else eliminates a
significant source of discomfort and self- consciousness for many
teenagers: the uncertainty that what they are wearing is “right”. Such
anxiety interferes with a student’s ability to act in ways that show his or her
personality to advantage.
Finally, a mandatory school-uniform policy will reduce the amount of
teasing and bullying among students. Currently, many students are teased
or put down simply because they dress differently from everyone else or
because they can’t afford to dress like the majority. Once all students wear
the same uniform, there will be much less opportunity for these kinds of
intimidating behaviors.
Narrator: Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.
Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to
specifically explain how they cast doubt on points made in the reading.
13
新托福写作讲义
王希
5. Changes in Charitable Giving
Donating part of one’s income to public causes, known as charitable giving,
used to be a common practice. But, in the United States charitable giving
has declined substantially in recent years, and, for several reasons, it is
unlikely to increase in the future.
One reason that charitable giving has fallen is simply that there is less
need for charitable giving, because the United States government now
provides most of the important public services. The government assumes
much of the responsibility for feeding the poor, providing health care, and
taking care of the victims of natural disasters- functions those charities
used to perform. These government institutions of social welfare are
permanent, and so the diminished need for private charitable giving will
also be permanent.
Another reason people are, and will be, give less to charities is that in the
past few years there have been highly publicized disclosures that the
managers of some prominent national charities were receiving huge
salaries and other benefits as large or larger than salaries of heads of
major for-profit corporations. These salaries and expenses for travel, fancy
offices, and advertising significantly reduce the percentage of donated
money that went to charitable purposes. Naturally people have been
turned off by these excesses and inefficiencies.
Finally, beyond the shortcomings of legitimate charities, there has been an
increasing number of fraudulent solicitations by organizations or
individuals who merely pose as charities. As a result, people are now
becoming skeptical even about what are in fact legitimate appeals for
support. So potential donors are starting to give less and give less
frequently. And since the incidence of charity fraud seems to be increasing,
we can expect further declines in charitable giving as people become
more concerned that they are being taken advantage of.
Narrator: Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.
Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to
specifically explain how they cast doubt on points made in the reading.
14
新托福写作讲义
王希
6. School- year Vacations
It used to be that parents took their children on vacation during the summer,
when school was out of session. But today, much more often than in the
past, many parents take their children on vacation during the school year.
Although these children are away from school, sometimes for several
weeks, travelling itself serves a valuable educational function.
The most important educational benefit of taking children on vacation is
that travelling exposes children to new places and cultures. It is good for
children to read about distant countries, but it is even better to take them
there. What students learn by meeting the people and absorbing the
culture of these places is something they could not learn in their
classrooms.
Moreover, the benefits to the children who have been away from the
classroom for several weeks travelling continue after they have returned to
their classes. Students who are in school every day of the school year can
easily lose enthusiasm for their studies. But students invigorated by time
away with heightened excitement.
The trend of students taking vacations during the school year also has
benefits for teachers. When these students return to school, their
knowledge and enthusiasm contribute positively to the entire class.
Teachers can ask the children to share stories of their travels with their
peers and can incorporate what they have learned from travelling into
writing and reading projects. This makes lesson development easier for
teachers because the returning students’ experiences provide a ready
basis for classroom discussions and projects.
Narrator: Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.
Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to
specifically explain how they cast doubt on points made in the reading.
15
新托福写作讲义
王希
7. Easter Island
Easter Island, a small, remote island in the Pacific Ocean, was once home
to a flouring culture. But about 500 years ago (A. D. 1500), its society went
into a steep decline. History teaches us that events like this are often
caused by outside influences. So it is not unreasonable to consider
whether there are facts about the decline of Easter Island’s society that
would be explained by a hypothesis of an invasion.
One such fact has to do with trees. Most Pacific island societies have
managed to find an ecologically balanced way of living by using – but not
overexploiting – natural resources such as trees. Most Pacific islands,
therefore, remain lush – but not Easter Island. Although it was once
densely forested, most of its trees had disappeared by about 500 years
ago. Environmental destruction of this sort has often been caused by
invaders who deplete an area’s natural resources without any concern for
the future.
Facts about the large stone statues on Easter Island could also support the
idea of an invasion. There are about 900 of these statues on the island; the
largest is over 20 meters tall. The native society clearly placed a great deal
of importance on their production. Yet about the same time that the island
became deforested, islanders stopped making these huge statues. An
invasion would help explain why this traditional practice came to a sudden
end.
Furthermore, we know that around the time these other changes were
taking place, a new religion developed on Easter Islander: the “Birdman”
worship. There is no convincing evidence that the Birdman religion existed
before 1500, which suggests that this new religious practice may have
been introduced by outsiders.
Narrator: Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.
Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to
specifically explain how they cast doubt on points made in the reading.
16
新托福写作讲义
王希
8.
External versus Internal Hiring
When a company needs to hire someone for a managerial position, there is
often a choice between promoting an employee who is already working inside
the company or bringing in a person from outside. Hiring a qualified outsider is
often to a company’s advantage for several reasons.
An important reason for hiring outsiders as managers is that they bring a new
perspective. This contributes to the diversity of ideas and allows company
practices to be seen in a new light. Often, an outside hire will ask, “What’s the
reason for doing things this way?” This question may lead to a reevaluation of
practices that are actually inefficient but have become so much a part of the
routine that it’s difficult for insiders to question them.
Another major factor to be considered is the cost of on-the-job training. Hiring
outsiders allows a company to look for people who already have the particular
skills and experience required for the job. The company will not have to spend
time and money training an internal employee for the new job- something that
has to be done when, for example, an employee is promoted from a technical
position to a managerial one. In such a case, usually the employee would be
sent to classes to help learn needed managerial skills.
Finally, managers hired from the outside will often have business contacts with
suppliers, customers, and technicians that they have developed in their
previous job. Clearly these contacts can be a valuable asset for the company
that hires managers from the outside.
Narrator: Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.
Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to specifically
explain how they cast doubt on points made in the reading.
17
新托福写作讲义
Part 4
王希
Listening Scripts
1. Teamwork
Professor: Now I want to tell you about what one company found when
it decided that it would turn over some of its new projects to teams of
people, and make the team responsible for planning the projects and
getting the work done. After about six months, the company took a look at
how well the teams performed.
On virtually every team, some members got almost a “free ride”…they
didn’t contribute much at all, but if their team did a good job, they
nevertheless benefited from the recognition the team got. And what about
group members who worked especially well and who provided a lot of
insight on problems and issues? Well… the recognition for a job well done
went to the group as a whole, no names were named. So it won’t surprise
you to learn that when the real contributors were asked how they felt about
the group process, their attitude was just the opposite of what the reading
predicts.
Another finding was that some projects just didn’t move very quickly. Why?
Because it took so long to reach consensus…it took many, many meetings
to build the agreement among group members about how they would
move the project along. On the other hand, there were other instances
where one or two people managed to become very influential over what
their group did. Sometimes when those influencers said” That will never
work” about an idea the group was developing, the idea was quickly
dropped instead of being further discussed. And then there was another
occasion when a couple influencers convinced the group that a plan of
theirs was “highly creative”. And even though some members tried to warn
the rest of the group that the project was moving in directions that might
not work, they were basically ignored by other group members. Can you
guess the ending to *this* story? When the project failed, the blame was
placed on all the members of the group.
18
新托福写作讲义
2.
王希
Altruism
Professor: You know, often in science, new findings force us to re examine earlier beliefs and assumptions. And a recent study of meerkats
is having exactly this effect. The study examined the meerkat’s behavior
quite closely, much more closely than had ever been done before. And
some interesting things were found… like about eating habits…it showed
that typically meerkats eat before they stand guard – so the ones standing
guard had a full stomach! And the study also found that since the sentinel
is the first to see a predator coming, it’s the most likely to
escape…because it often stands guard near a burrow, so it can run
immediately into the burrow after giving the alarm. The other meerkats, the
ones scattered about looking for food, are actually in greater danger.
And in fact, other studies have suggested that when an animal creates an
alarm, the alarm call might cause the other group members either to gather
together or else to move about very quickly, behaviors that might actually
draw the predator’s attention away from the caller, increasing that animal’s
own chances of survival.
And what about people—what about some human acts that might be
considered altruistic? Let’s take an extreme case, uh, suppose a person
donates a kidney to a relative, or even to a complete stranger. A selfless
act, right? But … doesn’t the donor gain an increased sense of self
worth? Couldn’t such non- material rewards be considered very valuable to
some people?
19
新托福写作讲义
3.
王希
Space Tourism
Professor: Well, it looks as though we’ll soon see private spaceships
carrying tourists into space. But will it really provide great benefits for
serious science and for the public? I don’t think so.
First, privatized space travel, which is extraordinary expensive, is likely to
stay that away. For one thing, commercial space travel will require an
elaborate space traffic- control system to prevent collisions—and the
development and operation of such a system won’t come cheap either.
Another thing that’ll keep costs high is tested and retested—and that also
tends to be a very expensive process. Both of those costs will be reflected
in the prices of the spaceflight tickets, so no one should expect the cost of
space flights to go down fast.
Second, if commercial spaceflight has any effect at all on the rate of
scientific discovery and innovation, it will be to delay or even prevent such
discovery and innovation. If the best and the brightest engineers get lured
away from government space programs by the high salaries offered by
private, for-profit companies, they might end up working on commercial
stuff that doesn’t have much scientific value. And as a result, serious
space research might actually suffer.
And finally, will the taxpaying public get off the hook financially? No chance!
The fact is that so- called private space tourism isn’t possible without huge
public tax subsidies. It will take billions and billions of dollars to build space
stations, space airports, and so on, and private investors simply cannot
raise such huge amounts. So the burden on taxpayers won’t be
significantly eased with the development of the private spaceflight industry.
In fact, all taxpayers will be paying more to subsidize the vacations of the
space tourists.
20
新托福写作讲义
王希
4. School Uniform
Professor: What you’ve just read really is way too optimistic. It’s rather
easy to poke holes in the reasoning. First off, school uniforms are
themselves often quite costly—usually they only available from certain
select stores. Plus, what kind of clothes will students put on after school
when they go meet their friends? Well, if you can’t dress trendy at school,
it’s even more likely you’ll want to do that after school. So kids will still
demand a full wardrobe of fashionable after-school clothes in addition to
their uniforms.
To take up another point, doing away with differences in dress can affect
some students quite negatively. Many students may feel very
uncomfortable ----- might even feel self-conscious ------about how they
look when they are not allowed to select the clothes that they wear. For
many, choosing clothing is not a matter of making a fashion statement; it is
simply a way of presenting themselves in ways they feel will call attention
to what they consider their attractive features ----- plus they feel they can
also select clothing to de-emphasize other features they perhaps like less
about themselves. So school uniforms can actually end up increasing
self-consciousness and discomfort among students.
Finally, students will always pick on other students. Dividing into groups,
teasing and bullying other for being different ---- these are things
teenagers everywhere do because they are at that particular stage of life.
If students cannot pick on differences in dress, they will surely find other
things to pick on---- things like choice in music or the kind of backpack
brought to school---- any of these can easily take on as much importance
as clothing.
21
新托福写作讲义
王希
5. Changes in Charitable Giving
Professor: There’s no doubt that giving to charities has declined in recent
years, but there are good reasons to think it’ll soon begin to go up.
Consider, for example, the fact that the number of elderly and retired people
in our society keeps growing. Right now, elderly citizens who can’t afford
health care often rely on government programs to pay for it. But as the
elderly population grows, government programs probably won’t be able to
cover the health assistance, Americans respond to that need. And since the
need will be increasing, we should expect to see charitable giving rise
accordingly.
There’s another reason to be optimistic about the future of charitable giving.
The disclosure of waste and bad management at major charities, and
people’s anger at this waste, are producing significant reforms. Overpaid
managers have been forced to resign by the bad publicity. Charities are
reducing their expenses and are now subject to closer public scrutiny. As a
result, people are regaining confidence that the money they donate will
support the causes they care about.
People’s reaction to charity fraud is also evolving. In the short run, people
don’t want to donate because they’re concerned with whether charities are
honest. But in the long run, such skepticism makes people careful, not stingy.
For example, many people now refuse to give money when they’re asked to
do so over the telephone. They insist on receiving proof and documentation
before they donate. Just as people learn how to be careful consumers, most
people are acquiring the skills needed to guard against charity fraud without
stopping their support for worthwhile causes.
22
新托福写作讲义
王希
6. School- year Vacations
Professor: Now let’s consider how taking children on vacation when school
is in session impacts their education. I believe the impact on children and
their teachers can be quite negative.
While students have been traveling, their fellow students have been working.
What do you think happens when they return to school? Well, they have to
spend a lot of time “playing catch-up”, you know, doing work that fellow
students have already done. It’s one thing to miss a day or two of school, but
many parents take their children on vacation for weeks on end, and it’s very
difficult for any child to make up that much missed time. So, the missed
learning has to be weighed against the benefits of travelling and learning
about other cultures. On balance, what is lost is greater than what is gained.
When children come back to class after a long trip, they’re excited about
their recent adventures. Sounds good, but this enthusiasm can have a
downside. Their excitement can make it difficult for them to fit back into the
routine of the school day. School seems a little boring to them, so they’re not
attentive to their studies, and their restlessness can distract other students.
When a student is distracted or has to catch up on missed work, there’s a
negative effect on the teacher too. Teachers have lesson plans that detail,
day by day, what they are going to teach. When a student is absent from the
classroom, this interferes with a teacher’s plan for that student. And if
teachers spend time helping a few students catch up, they have less time for
other students… so they suffer too.
23
新托福写作讲义
王希
7. Easter Island
Professor: The idea considered in the reading is not unreasonable in the
abstract, but all the concrete evidence points to internal causes for the
decline of Easter Island’s culture 500 years ago. It’s a sad story of a native
culture that did not have the foresight to sustain itself.
In the centuries before 1500, the inhabitants of Easter Island were
prosperous… so prosperous that they were able to invest extra time and
energy in building giant statues, which became important signs of status.
Now here’s where the problem for trees comes in: archaeological evidence
shows that the islanders used tree logs to move the statues into position.
So, as the number of statues increased, more and more trees had to be
cut, until finally, 500 years ago, there were no more left.
Of course, once the trees were gone, the islanders could no longer build
rafts to fish at sea, and so they could no longer catch big fish. As the
necessities of life became harder and harder to get, the islanders no longer
had the time and energy to create big statues. Without logs, of course,
they couldn’t move the statues anyway, so naturally the interest in making
the statues declined.
Finally, it would not be surprising if the islanders lost confidence in their old
gods when life on the island became a struggle for survival. I mean, the old
gods wouldn’t seem to be protecting them any more. So it would be natural
for the islanders to have developed a different religious idea, hoping that
the new god would ensure them a better life.
24
新托福写作讲义
王希
8.
External versus Internal Hiring
Professor:
For some the reasons presented in the reading, many companies have a
policy of hiring outsiders to fill managerial positions. However, a closer
examination will show that the policy is misguided.
First of all, the new perspective an outsider brings into the company’s
corporate structure often leads to conflict in the managerial team. Companies
often have specific corporate philosophies… (for example, about how
decisions are to be reached and how work is to be organized). So when
outsiders bring with them a significantly different philosophy, this can create
serious disagreement and conflict… and make it difficult for the managerial
team as a whole to function smoothly and efficiently. An internal employee, by
contrast, is more likely to know company tradition.
Another point to note is that hiring outsiders may entail an additional cost that
perhaps isn’t obvious. It’s true that outside hires may come with required
managerial skills and experience. But to become effective as managers in a
new company, they also have to establish personal relationships with their new
colleagues- get to know them and win their trust. This can often take more time
than one would expect, and an uncomfortable settling-in period between a new
boss and workers can also be more costly in lost productivity than on-the-job
training for an internal employee.
Finally, suppose a company makes a point of hiring outsiders as managers
instead of promoting insiders. Well, that company will soon find that its own
best employees will have not choice but to look to advance their own careers
outside the company. And when these key employees leave, they will also take
their valuable business contacts away with them to their new employer.
25
新托福写作讲义
Part 5
Expressions in Integrated Writing
1）指代人：
L: The speaker/lecturer/professor/listening material/lecture/talk
R: The writer/author/reading material/writing/passage
2）转述原文信息
According to the lecture / passage,
According to the theory in the reading / lecture,
The reading states that …
the passage is about…
the passage discusses/introduces/concludes/argues/ …
3）总结 L/R 观点
The professor/reading makes the point that / points out / says / tells
The lecture supports / illustrates the idea that
The lecture contradicts / refutes the idea that
The speaker disagrees /disapproves / refutes / opposes
The speaker suggests / implies / puts forward
The professor explains / exemplifies/ shows / illustrates
4）表达比较关系
by comparison, compared to, but, yet, although,
in contrast, on the contrary, contrary to, on the other hand,
however, conversely, is the opposite of, while, whereas,
nevertheless, although, meanwhile, after all,
although this may be true, in spite of, despite
5）表达因果关系
Because, since, for,
thus, therefore, hence
6）指代文章信息的抽象名词
原因 reason; cause; basis; ground; motive; motivation
例子 example; instance; paradigm
证据 evidence; data; fact; proof; basis; foundation
解释 explanation; account
定义说明 definition; description; clarification
假设 assumption; premise; presumption; supposition;
postulation; hypothesis; guess; conjecture
结论观点 conclusion; belief; idea; opinion; judgment; view;
26
王希
新托福写作讲义
王希
notion; argument; theory
话题 issue; matter; topic; problem; subject; concern
推测预测 observation; prediction
建议 advice; appeal; proposal; plan; scheme; recommendation
好处 benefit; advantage; improvement;
6）指代听力信息的抽象名词 Listening
（进一步）研究 (further/closer/other) studies; researches
（新）发现 (new) finding; discovery
其他理论 alternative explanation/theory
相反例子 counter-example/evidence
断言
allegation; claim; assertion
辩驳 charge; objection; refutation
评论 remark; comment
SENTENCES 句型
※The professor made the point that…on the contrary/in contrast/however, the
writer demonstrated a different/challenge/contradictory idea that…
※
Contrary to the belief in the passage that…the professor says that…
※
The professor refutes the viewpoint showed in the passage that…by saying
that…
※
The professor made the point that… The reading, in contrast, held a different
view by stating that…
※
The listening material contradicts the reading material regarding the
issue/problem of …
※
As regards/ In terms of …the listening material contradicts the reading
material.
※
According to the lecture…on the other hand/while the reading states
that…These two ideas are contradictory to each other.
27
新托福写作讲义
Part 6
王希
Modular Template and samples
In the lecture, the professor made several points about ________________.
The professor argues that____________________________. However, the
reading contends that_______________________________. The lecture
contradicts the reading regarding several points.
Firstly, the lecturer points out that___________________________ which
differs from the reading in that the reading states_______________________.
The professor proves his idea with an example that___________. The point
made by the professor casts doubt on the reading.
Secondly, contrary to the belief in the passage that___________________,
the professor claims that_________________________________ by showing
that____________________. The point undermines the claim made in the
reading.
Finally, the professor states that______________________. This is contrary to
the claim in the passage that_________________. Also the professor
exemplifies his/her opinion by showing that__________________________.
This directly challenges what the reading passage indicates.
In conclusion, the points made in the lecture contrast with the reading.
Sample 1
In the lecture, the professor made several points about how “Zimbabwe
houses” were used. The professor’s lecture disagrees with the three theories
that the reading passage points out. The lecture contradicts the reading
regarding following three points.
28
新托福写作讲义
王希
Firstly, the professor argues that the inside of the Zimbabwe houses
contradicts the idea that many people live there, as there were very few
fireplaces, where each family performed everyday cooking, not sufficient for
hundreds of families. This is different from the reading, which states that
Zimbabwe houses were merely residential; shows dramatic similarity to
apartment buildings.
Secondly, as the listening demonstrates, there were not many proof of food
containers discovered in the Zimbabwe houses. The reading passage’s point
is different from the professor, which states that the Chaco structures were
used to store food supplies.
Finally, According to the lecture, lots building materials, such as sand, stone,
and tools have been found inside the Zimbabwe houses; this differs from the
points in the reading that the houses were used as ceremonial centers.
In conclusion, the points made in the lecture contrast with the reading.
Sample 2
Both of the reading passage and the listening part talk about the topic of
changes in charitable giving. In the reading part, the writer thinks the
charitable giving will reduce; the lecturer considers that it will increase in the
several years.
First, the writer thinks that the charitable giving can be given by the
government. However, in the listening part, the speaker mentions that the
number of elder citizens is increased and the need of the money is going up so
that the government is not able to afford all the health care in the future.
Also, the author of the reading gives an example that the managers of the
charity always receive high salaries and gain too much benefits from the
charities so that the donors do not trust them. Nevertheless, the speaker
thinks that it may be the problem, but the leaders of the bad organizations can
be changed and the donors can return.
29
新托福写作讲义
王希
Finally, the reading material provides that there is fraudulent solicitation in
some charities cheating money. People are skeptical about it so they will
reduce the charitable giving. But the speaker says that donors will not reduce
their giving. They will become more careful when giving the donations.
In conclusion, the points made in the lecture contrast with the reading.
Part 7. Writing Topics for Independent Task
185 TOPIC POOL
1. People attend college or university for many different reasons (for
example, new experiences, career preparation, and increased knowledge).
Why do you think people attend college or university? Use specific reasons
and examples to support your answer.
2. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the
best teachers. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
3. Nowadays, food has become easier to prepare. Has this change
improved the way people live? Use specific reasons and examples to support
your answer.
4. It has been said, "Not everything that is learned is contained in books."
Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge
gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why?
5. A company has announced that it wishes to build a large factory near
your community. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this new
influence on your community. Do you support or oppose the factory? Explain
your position.
6. If you could change one important thing about your hometown, what
would you change? Use reasons and specific examples to support your
answer.
7. How do movies or television influence people's behavior? Use reasons
and specific examples to support your answer.
8. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Television has
destroyed communication among friends and family. Use specific reasons and
examples to support your opinion.
30
新托福写作讲义
王希
9. Some people prefer to live in a small town. Others prefer to live in a big
city. Which place would you prefer to live in? Use specific reasons and details
to support your answer.
10.“When people succeed, it is because of hard work. Luck has nothing to
do with success.” Do you agree or disagree with the quotation above? Use
specific reasons and examples to explain your position.
11. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Universities
should give the same amount of money to their students' sports activities as
they give to their university libraries. Use specific reasons and examples to
support your opinion.
12. Many people visit museums when they travel to new places. Why do
you think people visit museums? Use specific reasons and examples to
support your answer.
13.Some people prefer to eat at food stands or restaurants. Other people
prefer to prepare and eat food at home. Which do you prefer? Use specific
reasons and examples to support your answer.
14. Some people believe that university students should be required to
attend classes. Others believe that going to classes should be optional for
students. Which point of view do you agree with? Use specific reasons and
details to explain your answer.
15. Neighbors are the people who live near us. In your opinion, what are
the qualities of a good neighbor? Use specific details and examples in your
answer.
16. It has recently been announced that a new restaurant may be built in
your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific
reasons and details to support your answer.
17.Some people think that they can learn better by themselves than with a
teacher. Others think that it is always better to have a teacher. Which do you
prefer? Use specific reasons to develop your essay.
18. What are some important qualities of a good supervisor (boss)? Use
specific details and examples to explain why these qualities are important.
19. Should governments spend more money on improving roads and
highways, or should governments spend more money on improving public
transportation (buses, trains, subways)? Why? Use specific reasons and
details to develop your essay.
20. It is better for children to grow up in the countryside than in a big city.
Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to develop
your essay.
21. In general, people are living longer now. Discuss the causes of this
phenomenon. Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.
22. We all work or will work in our jobs with many different kinds of people.
In your opinion, what are some important characteristics of a co- worker
(someone you work closely with)? Use reasons and specific examples to
explain why these characteristics are important.
31
新托福写作讲义
王希
23. In some countries, teenagers have jobs while they are still students.
Do you think this is a good idea? Support your opinion by using specific
reasons and details.
24. A person you know is planning to move to your town or city. What do
you think this person would like and dislike about living in your town or city?
Why? Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.
25.It has recently been announced that a large shopping center may be
built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use
specific reasons and details to support your answer.
26. It has recently been announced that a new movie theater may be built
in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific
reasons and details to support your answer.
27. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People should
sometimes do things that they do not enjoy doing. Use specific reasons and
examples to support your answer.
28. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Television,
newspapers, magazines, and other media pay too much attention to the
personal lives of famous people such as public figures and celebrities. Use
specific reasons and details to explain your opinion.
29. Some people believe that the Earth is being harmed (damaged) by
human activity. Others feel that human activity makes the Earth a better place
to live. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons and examples to support
your answer.
30. It has recently been announced that a new high school may be built in
your community. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific
reasons and details in your answer.
31. Some people spend their entire lives in one place. Others move a
number of times throughout their lives, looking for a better job, house,
community, or even climate. Which do you prefer: staying in one place or
moving in search of another place? Use reasons and specific examples to
support your opinion.
32. Is it better to enjoy your money when you earn it or is it better to save
your money for some time in the future? Use specific reasons and examples to
support your opinion.
33. You have received a gift of money. The money is enough to buy either
a piece of jewelry you like or tickets to a concert you want to attend. Which
would you buy? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
34. Businesses should hire employees for their entire lives. Do you agree
or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
35. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Attending a
live performance (for example, a play, concert, or sporting event) is more
enjoyable than watching the same event on television. Use specific reasons
and examples to support your opinion.
36. Choose one of the following transportation vehicles and explain why
32
新托福写作讲义
王希
you think it has changed people's lives. O automobiles O bicycles O airplanes
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
37. Do you agree or disagree that progress is always good? Use specific
reasons and examples to support your answer.
38. Learning about the past has no value for those of us living in the
present. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to
support your answer.
39. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? With the help
of technology, students nowadays can learn more information and learn it
more quickly. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
40. The expression "Never, never give up" means to keep trying and never
stop working for your goals. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Use
specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
41. Some people think that human needs for farmland, housing, and
industry are more important than saving land for endangered animals. Do you
agree or disagree with this point of view? Why or why not? Use specific
reasons and examples to support your answer.
42. What is a very important skill a person should learn in order to be
successful in the world today? Choose one skill and use specific reasons and
examples to support your choice.
43. Why do you think some people are attracted to dangerous sports or
other dangerous activities? Use specific reasons and examples to support
your answer.
44. Some people like to travel with a companion. Other people prefer to
travel alone. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to
support your choice.
45. Some people prefer to get up early in the morning and start the day's
work. Others prefer to get up later in the day and work until late at night. Which
do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.
46. What are the important qualities of a good son or daughter? Have
these qualities changed or remained the same over time in your culture? Use
specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
47. Some people prefer to work for a large company. Others prefer to work
for a small company. Which would you prefer? Use specific reasons and
details to support your choice.
48. People work because they need money to live. What are some other
reasons that people work? Discuss one or more of these reasons. Use specific
examples and details to support your answer.
49. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Face-to-face
communication is better than other types of communication, such as letters,
email, or telephone calls. Use specific reasons and details to support your
answer.
50. Some people like to do only what they already do well. Other people
prefer to try new things and take risks. Which do you prefer? Use specific
33
新托福写作讲义
王希
reasons and examples to support your choice.
51. Some people believe that success in life comes from taking risks or
chances. Others believe that success results from careful planning. In your
opinion, what does success come from? Use specific reasons and examples to
support your answer.
52. What change would make your hometown more appealing to people
your age? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
53. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The most
important aspect of a job is the money a person earns. Use specific reasons
and examples to support your answer.
54. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? One should
never judge a person by external appearances. Use specific reasons and
details to support your answer.
55. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? A person
should never make an important decision alone. Use specific reasons and
examples to support your answer.
56. A company is going to give some money either to support the arts or to
protect the environment. Which do you think the company should choose? Use
specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
57. Some movies are serious, designed to make the audience think. Other
movies are designed primarily to amuse and entertain. Which type of movie do
you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
58. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Businesses
should do anything they can to make a profit. Use specific reasons and
examples to support your position.
59. Some people are always in a hurry to go places and get things done.
Other people prefer to take their time and live life at a slower pace. Which do
you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your
answer.
60. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Games are as
important for adults as they are for children. Use specific reasons and
examples to support your answer.
61. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents or
other adult relatives should make important decisions for their older (15 to 18
year-old) teenage children. Use specific reasons and examples to support your
opinion.
62. What do you want most in a friend - someone who is intelligent, or
someone who has a sense of humor, or someone who is reliable? Which one
of these characteristics is most important to you? Use reasons and specific
examples to explain your choice.
63. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Most
experiences in our lives that seemed difficult at the time become valuable
lessons for the future. Use reasons and specific examples to support our
answer.
34
新托福写作讲义
王希
64. Some people prefer to work for themselves or own a business. Others
prefer to work for an employer. Would you rather be self-employed, work for
someone else, or own a business? Use specific reasons to explain your
choice.
65. Should a city try to preserve its old, historic buildings or destroy them
and replace them with modern buildings? Use specific reasons and examples
to support your opinion.
66. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Classmates
are a more important influence than parents on a child's success in school.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
67. If you were an employer, which kind of worker would you prefer to hire:
an inexperienced worker at a lower salary or an experienced worker at a
higher salary? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
68. Many teachers assign homework to students every day. Do you think
that daily homework is necessary for students? Use specific reasons and
details to support your answer.
69. If you could study a subject that you have never had the opportunity to
study, what would you choose? Explain your choice, using specific reasons
and details.
70. Some people think that the automobile has improved modern life.
Others think that the automobile has caused serious problems. What is your
opinion? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
71. Which would you choose: a high-paying job with long hours that would
give you little time with family and friends or a lower-paying job with shorter
hours that would give you more time with family and friends? Explain your
choice, using specific reasons and details.
72. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Grades (marks)
encourage students to learn. Use specific reasons and examples to support
your opinion.
73. Some people say that computers have made life easier and more
convenient. Other people say that computers have made life more complex
and stressful. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons and examples to
support your answer.
74. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The best way
to travel is in a group led by a tour guide. Use specific reasons and examples
to support your answer.
75. Some universities require students to take classes in many subjects.
Other universities require students to specialize in one subject. Which is better?
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
76. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children
should begin learning a foreign language as soon as they start school. Use
specific reasons and examples to support your position.
77. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Boys and girls
should attend separate schools. Use specific reasons and examples to support
35
新托福写作讲义
王希
your answer.
78. Is it more important to be able to work with a group of people on a
team or to work independently? Use reasons and specific examples to support
your answer.
79. Your city has decided to build a statue or monument to honor a famous
person in your country. Who would you choose? Use reasons and specific
examples to support your choice.
80. Describe a custom from your country that you would like people from
other countries to adopt. Explain your choice, using specific reasons and
examples.
81. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Technology
has made the world a better place to live. Use specific reasons and examples
to support your opinion.
82. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Advertising
can tell you a lot about a country. Use specific reasons and examples to
support your answer.
83. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Modern
technology is creating a single world culture. Use specific reasons and
examples to support your opinion.
84. Some people say that the Internet provides people with a lot of
valuable information. Others think access to so much information creates
problems. Which view do you agree with? Use specific reasons and examples
to support your opinion.
85. A foreign visitor has only one day to spend in your country. Where
should this visitor go on that day? Why? Use specific reasons and details to
support your choice.
86. If you could go back to some time and place in the past, when and
where would you go? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your
choice.
87. What discovery in the last 100 years has been most beneficial for
people in your country? Use specific reasons and examples to support your
choice.
88. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Telephones
and email have made communication between people less personal. Use
specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
89. If you could travel back in time to meet a famous person from history,
what person would you like to meet? Use specific reasons and examples to
support your choice.
90. If you could meet a famous entertainer or athlete, who would that be,
and why? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.
91. If you could ask a famous person one question, what would you ask?
Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
92. Some people prefer to live in places that have the same weather or
climate all year long. Others like to live in areas where the weather changes
36
新托福写作讲义
王希
several times a year. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and
examples to support your choice.
93. Many students have to live with roommates while going to school or
university. What are some of the important qualities of a good roommate? Use
specific reasons and examples to explain why these qualities are
important.
94. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Dancing plays
an important role in a culture. Use specific reasons and examples to support
your answer.
95. Some people think governments should spend as much money as
possible exploring outer space (for example, traveling to the Moon and to other
planets). Other people disagree and think governments should spend this
money for our basic needs on Earth. Which of these two opinions do you agree
with? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
96. People have different ways of escaping the stress and difficulties of
modern life. Some read; some exercise; others work in their gardens. What do
you think are the best ways of reducing stress? Use specific details and
examples in your answer.
97. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Teachers
should be paid according to how much their students learn. Give specific
reasons and examples to support your opinion.
98. If you were asked to send one thing representing your country to an
international exhibition, what would you choose? Why? Use specific reasons
and details to explain your choice.
99. You have been told that dormitory rooms at your university must be
shared by two students. Would you rather have the university assign a student
to share a room with you, or would you rather choose your own roommate?
Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer.
100. Some people think that governments should spend as much money
as possible on developing or buying computer technology. Other people
disagree and think that this money should be spent on more basic needs.
Which one of these opinions do you agree with? Use specific reasons and
details to support your answer.
101. Some people like doing work by hand. Others prefer using machines.
Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your
answer.
102. Schools should ask students to evaluate their teachers. Do you agree
or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
103. In your opinion, what is the most important characteristic (for example,
honesty, intelligence, a sense of humor) that a person can have to be
successful in life? Use specific reasons and examples from your experience to
explain your answer. When you write your answer, you are not limited to the
examples listed in the question.
104.It is generally agreed that society benefits from the work of its
37
新托福写作讲义
王希
members. Compare the contributions of artists to society with the contributions
of scientists to society. Which type of contribution do you think is valued more
by your society? Give specific reasons to support your answer.
105. Students at universities often have a choice of places to live. They
may choose to live in university dormitories, or they may choose to live in
apartments in the community. Compare the advantages of living in university
housing with the advantages of living in an apartment in the community. Where
would you prefer to live? Give reasons for your preference.
106. You need to travel from your home to a place 40 miles (64 kilometers)
away. Compare the different kinds of transportation you could use. Tell which
method of travel you would choose. Give specific reasons for your choice.
107. Some people believe that a college or university education should be
available to all students. Others believe that higher education should be
available only to good students. Discuss these views. Which view do you
agree with? Explain why.
108. Some people believe that the best way of learning about life is by
listening to the advice of family and friends. Other people believe that the best
way of learning about life is through personal experience. Compare the
advantages of these two different ways of learning about life. Which do you
think is preferable? Use specific examples to support your preference.
109. When people move to another country, some of them decide to follow
the customs of the new country. Others prefer to keep their own customs.
Compare these two choices. Which one do you prefer? Support your answer
with specific details.
110. Some people prefer to spend most of their time alone. Others like to
be with friends most of the time. Do you prefer to spend your time alone or with
friends? Use specific reasons to support your answer.
111. Some people prefer to spend time with one or two close friends.
Others choose to spend time with a large number of friends. Compare the
advantages of each choice. Which of these two ways of spending time do you
prefer? Use specific reasons to support your answer.
112. Some people think that children should begin their formal education
at a very early age and should spend most of their time on school studies.
Others believe that young children should spend most of their time playing.
Compare these two views. Which view do you agree with? Why?
113. The government has announced that it plans to build a new university.
Some people think that your community would be a good place to locate the
university. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of establishing a new
university in your community. Use specific details in your discussion.
114.Some people think that the family is the most important influence on
young adults. Other people think that friends are the most important influence
on young adults. Which view do you agree with? Use examples to support your
position.
115. Some people prefer to plan activities for their free time very carefully.
38
新托福写作讲义
王希
Others choose not to make any plans at all for their free time. Compare the
benefits of planning free-time activities with the benefits of not making plans.
Which do you prefer - planning or not planning for your leisure time? Use
specific reasons and examples to explain your choice.
116. People learn in different ways. Some people learn by doing things;
other people learn by reading about things; others learn by listening to people
talk about things. Which of these methods of learning is best for you? Use
specific examples to support your choice.
117.Some people choose friends who are different from themselves.
Others choose friends who are similar to themselves. Compare the
advantages of having friends who are different from you with the advantages of
having friends who are similar to you. Which kind of friend do you prefer for
yourself? Why?
118. Some people enjoy change, and they look forward to new
experiences. Others like their lives to stay the same, and they do not change
their usual habits. Compare these two approaches to life. Which approach do
you prefer? Explain why.
119. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People
behave differently when they wear different clothes. Do you agree that different
clothes influence the way people behave? Use specific examples to support
your answer.
120. Decisions can be made quickly, or they can be made after careful
thought. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The decisions
that people make quickly are always wrong. Use reasons and specific
examples to support your opinion.
121. Some people trust their first impressions about a person's character
because they believe these judgements are generally correct. Other people do
not judge a person's character quickly because they believe first impressions
are often wrong. Compare these two attitudes. Which attitude do you agree
with? Support your choice with specific examples.
122. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People are
never satisfied with what they have; they always want something more or
something different. Use specific reasons to support your answer.
123. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People
should read only those books that are about real events, real people, and
established facts. Use specific reasons and details to support your opinion.
124. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is more
important for students to study history and literature than it is for them to study
science and mathematics. Use specific reasons and examples to support your
opinion.
125. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? All students
should be required to study art and music in secondary school. Use specific
reasons to support your answer.
126. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? There is
39
新托福写作讲义
王希
nothing that young people can teach older people. Use specific reasons and
examples to support your position.
127. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Reading
fiction (such as novels and short stories) is more enjoyable than watching
movies. Use specific reasons and examples to explain your position.
128. Some people say that physical exercise should be a required part of
every school day. Other people believe that students should spend the whole
school day on academic studies. Which opinion do you agree with? Use
specific reasons and details to support your answer.
129. A university plans to develop a new research center in your country.
Some people want a center for business research. Other people want a center
for research in agriculture (farming). Which of these two kinds of research
centers do you recommend for your country? Use specific reasons in your
recommendation.
130. Some young children spend a great amount of their time practicing
sports. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this. Use specific
reasons and examples to support your answer.
131. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Only people
who earn a lot of money are successful. Use specific reasons and examples to
support your answer.
132.If you could invent something new, what product would you develop?
Use specific details to explain why this invention is needed.
133. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? A person's
childhood years (the time from birth to twelve years of age) are the most
important years of a person's life. Use specific reasons and examples to
support your answer.
134. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children
should be required to help with household tasks as soon as they are able to do
so. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
135. Some high schools require all students to wear school uniforms.
Other high schools permit students to decide what to wear to school. Which of
these two school policies do you think is better? Use specific reasons and
examples to support your opinion.
136. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Playing a
game is fun only when you win. Use specific reasons and examples to support
your opinion.
137. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? High schools
should allow students to study the courses that students want to study. Use
specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
138. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is better to
be a member of as groups than to be the leader of a group. Use specific
reasons and examples to support your answer.
139. What do you consider to be the most important room in a house?
Why is this room more important to you than any other room? Use specific
40
新托福写作讲义
王希
reasons and examples to support your opinion.
140. Some items (such as clothes or furniture) can be made by hand or by
machine. Which do you prefer - items made by hand or items made by
machine? Use reasons and specific examples to explain your choice.
141. If you could make one important change in a school that you
attended, what change would you make? Use reasons and specific examples
to support your answer.
142. A gift (such as a camera, a soccer ball, or an
animal) can contribute to a child's development. What gift would you give to
help a child develop? Why? Use reasons and specific examples to support
your choice.
143.Some people believe that students should be given one long vacation
each year. Others believe that students should have several short vacations
throughout the year. Which viewpoint do you agree with? Use specific reasons
and examples to support your choice.
144. Would you prefer to live in a traditional house or in a modern
apartment building? Use specific reasons and details to support your choice.
145. Some people say that advertising encourages us to buy things we
really do not need. Others say that advertisements tell us about new products
that may improve our lives. Which viewpoint do you agree with? Use specific
reasons and examples to support your answer.
146. Some people prefer to spend their free time outdoors. Other people
prefer to spend their leisure time indoors. Would you prefer to be outside or
would you prefer to be inside for your leisure activities? Use specific reasons
and examples to explain your choice.
147. Your school has received a gift of money. What do you think is the
best way for your school to spend this money? Use specific reasons and
details to support your choice.
148.Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Playing
games teaches us about life. Use specific reasons and examples to support
your answer.
149. Imagine that you have received some land to use as you wish. How
would you use this land? Use specific details to explain your answer.
150. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Watching
television is bad for children. Use specific details and examples to support your
answer.
151. What is the most important animal in your country? Why is the animal
important? Use reasons and specific details to explain your answer.
152. Many parts of the world are losing important natural resources, such
as forests, animals, or clean water. Choose one resource that is disappearing
and explain why it needs to be saved. Use specific reasons and examples to
support your opinion.
153. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? A zoo has no
useful purpose. Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer.
154. In some countries, people are no longer allowed to smoke in many
41
新托福写作讲义
王希
public places and office buildings. Do you think this is a good rule or a bad rule?
Use specific reasons and details to support your position.
155. Plants can provide food, shelter, clothing, or medicine. What is one
kind of plant that is important to you or the people in your country? Use specific
reasons and details to explain your choice.
156.You have the opportunity to visit a foreign country for two weeks.
Which country would you like to visit? Use specific reasons and details to
explain your choice.
157.In the future, students may have the choice of studying at home by
using technology such as computers or television or of studying at traditional
schools. Which would you prefer? Use reasons and specific details to explain
your choice.
158. When famous people such as actors, athletes and rock stars give
their opinions, many people listen. Do you think we should pay attention to
these opinions? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
159. The twentieth century saw great change. In your opinion, what is one
change that should be remembered about the twentieth century? Use specific
reasons and details to explain your choice.
160. When people need to complain about a product or poor service,
some prefer to complain in writing and others prefer to complain in person.
Which way do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your
answer.
161.People remember special gifts or presents that they have received.
Why? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
162. Some famous athletes and entertainers earn millions of dollars every
year. Do you think these people deserve such high salaries? Use specific
reasons and examples to support your opinion.
163.Is the ability to read and write more important today than in the past?
Why or why not? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
164. People do many different things to stay healthy. What do you do for
good health? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
165. You have decided to give several hours of your time each month to
improve the community where you live. What is one thing you will do to
improve your community? Why? Use specific reasons and details to explain
your choice.
166.People recognize a difference between children and adults. What
events (experiences or ceremonies) make a person an adult? Use specific
reasons and examples to explain your answer.
167.Your school has enough money to purchase either computers for
students or books for the library. Which should your school choose to buy —
computers or books? Use specific reasons and examples to support your
recommendation.
168.Many students choose to attend schools or universities outside their
home countries. Why do some students study abroad? Use specific reasons
42
新托福写作讲义
王希
and details to explain your answer.
169. People listen to music for different reasons and at different times.
Why is music important to many people? Use specific reasons and examples
to support your choice.
170. Groups or organizations are an important part of some people's lives.
Why are groups or organizations important to people? Use specific reasons
and examples to explain your answer.
171. Imagine that you are preparing for a trip. You plan to be away from
your home for a year. In addition to clothing and personal care items, you can
take one additional thing. What would you take and why? Use specific reasons
and details to support your choice.
172. When students move to a new school, they sometimes face
problems. How can schools help these students with their problems? Use
specific reasons and examples to explain your answer.
173.It is sometimes said that borrowing money from a friend can harm or
damage the friendship. Do you agree? Why or why not? Use reasons and
specific examples to explain your answer.
174. Every generation of people is different in important ways. How is your
generation different from your parents' generation? Use specific reasons and
examples to explain your answer.
175. Some students like classes where teachers lecture (do all of the
talking) in class. Other students prefer classes where the students do some of
the talking. Which type of class do you prefer? Give specific reasons and
details to support your choice.
176. Holidays honor people or events. If you could create a new holiday,
what person or event would it honor and how would you want people to
celebrate it? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
177.A friend of yours has received some money and plans to use all of it
either
•to go on vacation
•to buy a car
Your friend has asked you for advice. Compare your friend's two choices and
explain which one you think your friend should choose. Use specific reasons
and details to support your choice.
178. The 21st century has begun. What changes do you think this new
century will bring? Use examples and details in your answer.
179. What are some of the qualities of a good parent? Use specific details
and examples to explain your answer.
180. Movies are popular all over the world. Explain why movies are so
popular. Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.
181. In your country, is there more need for land to be left in its natural
condition or is there more need for land to be developed for housing and
industry? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
182. Many people have a close relationship with their pets. These people
43
新托福写作讲义
王希
treat their birds, cats, or other animals as members of their family. In your
opinion, are such relationships good? Why or why not? Use specific reasons
and examples to support your answer.
183. Films can tell us a lot about the countrys where they were made.
What have you learned about a country from watching its movies? Use specific
examples and details to support your response.
184.Some students prefer to study alone. Others prefer to study with a
group of students. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to
support your answer.
185. You have enough money to purchase either a house or a business.
Which would you choose to buy? Give specific reasons to explain your choice.
185 Topics Classified by Content
名人：158，162
朋友：54，62，110，111，117，121
人品：15，18，22，46，62，93，103，179
父母、孩子、成长：20，23，61，112，126，130，134，135，142，174
教育与学习：2，4，14，66，68，72，75，76，77，107，116，124，125，
157，175，184
个人成功：10，40，42，51，63，103，115，131，143，164
生活习惯：3，9，13，24，27，31，44，46，47，50，59，64，71，92，97，
105，118，119，139，101， 140，144，146，160，172
生态：29，41，151，152，153，154，155，181，182
技术与进步：36，37，39，70，73，81，83，84，87，88，149，178
媒体：7，8，28，35，57，82，127，145，180，183
体娱休闲：60，74，80，106，128，136，148
人文历史：38，65，94
建造：5，16，25，26，30，79，113，129，149
44
新托福写作讲义
王希
假设：6，52，67，69，79，85，86，89，90，91，98，132，141，147，165，
167，171，176
消费：19，100（政府）
；56（公司）；32，33（142，161 相关），177（36，70，
106 相关），185（个人）
WHY：1，12，21，43，48，53，163，169
企业决策：34，55，58，78，120，138，170
Part 8
FOUR ESSAY TYPES for Independent Task
1. Agree or Disagree
Do you agree or disagree?
eg.Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
The most important aspect of a job is the money a person earns.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. (53)
Do you support or oppose?
eg.It has recently been announced that a new movie theater may be built
in
your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use
specific reasons and details to support your answer.(26)
Why or why not ?
eg.It is sometimes said that borrowing money from a friend can harm or
damage the friendship. Do you agree? Why or why not? Use specific
reasons and examples to explain your answer. (172)
一般选择不同意的
·有绝对词
·有绝对意思
例如：8, 37, 38, 53, 54, 55, 58, 74, 120, 122, 123, 125, 126, 131, 133, 136,
153
8. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Television has
destroyed communication among friends and family. Use specific reasons and
examples to support your opinion.
37.Do you agree or disagree that progress is always good? Use specific
45
新托福写作讲义
王希
reasons and examples to support your answer.
38. Learning about the past has no value for those of us living in the
present. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to
support your answer.
53. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The most
important aspect of a job is the money a person earns. Use specific reasons
and examples to support your answer.
54. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? One should
never judge a person by external appearances. Use specific reasons and
details to support your answer.
55. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? A person
should never make an important decision alone. Use specific reasons and
examples to support your answer.
58. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Businesses
should do anything they can to make a profit. Use specific reasons and
examples to support your position.
74. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The best way
to travel is in a group led by a tour guide. Use specific reasons and examples
to support your answer.
120. Decisions can be made quickly, or they can be made after careful
thought. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The decisions
that people make quickly are always wrong. Use reasons and specific
examples to support your opinion.
122.Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People are
never satisfied with what they have; they always want something more or
something different. Use specific reasons to support your answer.
123. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People
should read only those books that are about real events, real people, and
established facts. Use specific reasons and details to support your opinion.
125. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? All students
should be required to study art and music in secondary school. Use specific
reasons to support your answer.
126. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? There is
nothing that young people can teach older people. Use specific reasons and
examples to support your position.
131. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Only people
who earn a lot of money are successful. Use specific reasons and examples to
support your answer.
133. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? A person's
childhood years (the time from birth to twelve years of age) are the most
important years of a person's life. Use specific reasons and examples to
support your answer.
46
新托福写作讲义
王希
136. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Playing a
game is fun only when you win. Use specific reasons and examples to support
your opinion.
153. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? A zoo has no
useful purpose. Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer.
2. Preference
Some do A; others do B; which do you prefer?
eg.Some people like to travel with a companion. Other people prefer to
travel alone.
Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to
support your choice.(44)
Some say A; others say B; which opinion do you agree with? Discuss the
advantages and disadvantages
eg. Some people say that physical exercise should be a required part of
every school day. Other people believe that students should spend the whole
school day on academic studies. Which opinion do you agree with? Use
specific reasons and details to support your answer.(128)
3. Compare and Contrast ：such as, 105, 108, 111, 112, 115, 117, 118, 121,
130
105. Students at universities often have a choice of places to live. They
may choose to live in university dormitories, or they may choose to live in
apartments in the community. Compare the advantages of living in university
housing with the advantages of living in an apartment in the community. Where
would you prefer to live? Give reasons for your preference.
108. Some people believe that the best way of learning about life is by
listening to the advice of family and friends. Other people believe that the best
way of learning about life is through personal experience. Compare the
advantages of these two different ways of learning about life. Which do you
think is preferable? Use specific examples to support your preference.
111. Some people prefer to spend time with one or two close friends.
Others choose to spend time with a large number of friends. Compare the
advantages of each choice. Which of these two ways of spending time do you
prefer? Use specific reasons to support your answer.
112. Some people think that children should begin their formal education at
a very early age and should spend most of their time on school studies. Others
believe that young children should spend most of their time playing. Compare
47
新托福写作讲义
王希
these two views. Which view do you agree with? Why?
115. Some people prefer to plan activities for their free time very carefully.
Others choose not to make any plans at all for their free time. Compare the
benefits of planning free-time activities with the benefits of not making plans.
Which do you prefer - planning or not planning for your leisure time? Use
specific reasons and examples to explain your choice.
117.Some people choose friends who are different from themselves.
Others choose friends who are similar to themselves. Compare the
advantages of having friends who are different from you with the advantages of
having friends who are similar to you. Which kind of friend do you prefer for
yourself? Why?
118. Some people enjoy change, and they look forward to new
experiences. Others like their lives to stay the same, and they do not change
their usual habits. Compare these two approaches to life. Which approach do
you prefer? Explain why.
121. Some people trust their first impressions about a person's character
because they believe these judgements are generally correct. Other people do
not judge a person's character quickly because they believe first impressions
are often wrong. Compare these two attitudes. Which attitude do you agree
with? Support your choice with specific examples.
130. Some young children spend a great amount of their time
practicing sports. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this. Use
specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
4.
Description
此类题目要求解释、描述事物；如何发生；为何发生，即what, how, why。
解释类题题干中会出现：
Describe…
Explain…
What do you consider the most important…?
What have you learned by (doing something)?
Why do you think (something happens)?
What are the qualities of (something)?
Choose an event and tell why you enjoyed it.
How has (something) changed?
Why is (something) important?
How does (something) effect (something else)?
How is (something) different?
eg. Movies are popular all over the world. Explain why movie are so
48
新托福写作讲义
王希
popular. Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.（180）
eg.People listen to music for different reasons and at different times. Why
is music important to many people? Use specific reasons and examples to
support your choice. (169)
eg.What are some of the qualities of good parent? Use specific details and
examples to explain your answer.(178)
还有可能会给出一个假设场景。考生要作出选择，决定在该场景下要做什么，
并支持自己的决定。
这类题题干中会有：
If…
How…
In your opinion…
If you could change (something), what would you change?
What is the best way to (do something)?
What should be the main focus?
Which of the following should you do?
Which of the following is most important to you?
What would you give to help someone?
How would you do something?
Part 9
samples of independent essays
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
People should sometimes do things that they do not enjoy
doing.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
1
49
新托福写作讲义
王希
Nowadays, an increasing number of people focus on personal enjoyment, with an ignorance of
things they should do. As for me, people should sometimes do things that they don't enjoy
doing. And things that aren't "fun" are still beneficial for us in the long run.
From personal intends. Hardly anyone does enjoy having their annual check-up with the doctor,
rarely anyone does enjoy changing the oil in their car, seldom anyone does enjoy mowing their
lawns. However, these are all things we do because we have to, not because we want to. We
realize that taking care of our physical health is the sensible thing to do. We know that if we don't
change the oil in our cars, our cars won't run. We understand that grass grows and if we don't mow
it, our lawns will look like tropical forests.
Learning is another part deserves consideration. No students likes to be stuck with a tedius
homework or to be told we have to study with someone no one else gets along with. No students
likes to put up with unfair criticism from parents or resentment from those they costudy with. No
students likes to take numerous tests and exams or obey the order doing homework after school.
None of these are fun things. Unfortunately, they're all part of acquring knowledge, something the
great majority of students have to do.
On the other hand, sometimes doing something we don't enjoy doing can lead to enjoyment.
Simply by trying it again, we may decide we like doing it. For instance, we may have convinced
ourselves we hate to dance. We agree to go to a club only to please someone else. Yet, for some
reason, this time we enjoy dancing. We've been cheating ourselves of enjoyment without even
knowing it. The same can be true of trying new foods or going to a new type of museum.
Doing what we should do even if we don't enjoy doesn't always have to be a bother.
2
It is undeniable that being successful is enjoyable. Nevertheless, it is absolutely
unrealistic to think we can be successful in the long run by only doing what we enjoy
doing. A skyscraper often amaze people by the magnificent appearance, however, at
the same time, people neglect the very fact that the skyscraper had been taken a long
time to construct, maybe much longer time to be designed, and possibly people's lives
were sacrificed during the constructing process.
From all intends and purposes, things that are necessary are not always enjoyable and
things that are enjoyable sometimes may be unnecessary. Doing things that are
necessary rather than those that are merely enjoyable is not only helpful, but might
also be indispensable for individual success. We all admire those who now have
50
新托福写作讲义
王希
attained great achievements, let’s take examples of prominent celebrities like pianist
Lang Lang. We should, however, be aware of the exorbitant prices they have paid for
their present glories. During the interview in THE TIME 100 The world’s Most
Influential People, Lang Lang once told that when he was four years old, he and his
partners were required to practice more than 12 hours a day; and earlier he was sent to
be an apprentice when he was hardly three. Apparently, those seemingly cruel
hardships have turned out to be the best gift years later. But for yesterday's struggle,
today's glories could not exist.
Like a saying goes, ‘No sweet without sweat’. Things that are both enjoyable and
necessary or both unenjoyable and unnecessary virtually seldom exist. We may
dislike some curriculums in university, such as mathematics or history, but they are
necessary; we may prefer leisure times to work days, but the latter are indispensable.
Pursuing a successful life is nothing more than making wise decisions, and by "wise"
we mean the choice of doing the necessary first.
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Life today is easier and more comfortable than it was when your
grandparents were children
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
1
Life today is incomparably better for children than life when my grandparents were
young. The city has better schools, health care, jobs, and more exposure to the outside
world.
The two most important factors coloring children’ lives are health and education.
Before, if children got sick, there were no good hospitals to take them to. Families
were often so down and out that they could not afford to send all of their children to
school, and the schools were usually of low quality anyway. Now, on the other hand,
health care facilities, involving clinics, visiting nurses, specialty hospitals, and
schools are of excellent quality. Children now also have a much higher chance of
getting into excellent universities. Universities have large numbers of spaces reserved
for children while they had strikingly few universities when my grandparents were
kids.
51
新托福写作讲义
王希
The salaries of employees are significantly higher than salaries many years ago. Now
jobs are also much easier, to a large extent, than jobs decades ago. My grandfather
might spend 16 hours a day laboring outdoors in the fields and make much less
money per month than me who typically works only eight hours a day.
Finally, now children are growing up into a world that is larger than just their
immediate surroundings. Every day, they will have an opportunity to meet people
from all over the country and all over the world. They will have chances to absorb
history and culture from the cities parks, theatres, and museums. Unlike my
grandparents, they were plagued with the dull works, limited learning resources, and
even war time instability. Only in the present society will they have the chance to be
truly happy global citizens.
If people had recovered from acute diseases without hospitals, if people had worked
16 hours a day with rather low payments, and if people had only got information from
restricted sources. Then they would have felt comfortable living in my grandparents’
time. But I can not. I need information from as many sources as possible. I need
modern technology such as computers to work with, and I need advanced health care
and schooling system.
2
It is undeniable that life today is amazingly more comfortable than it was when your
grandparents were children; people, nowadays, can enjoy more convenience than ever.
I think continuously developing technologies have brought this tremendous change.
Learning has in many ways become easier than has ever been before. Take learning
English for example，In the past, few students owned tape recorders, and learning
materials were scarce as well. But today, tape recorders get more and more
inexpensive, and diversified learning materials are readily available. On the other
hand, new devices, such as MP3 or MD players, are offered in market, and relevant
learning materials (MP3 files) are easily and freely downloadable from the Internet.
Many years ago nobody knew what words like software, hardware, or network
connection meant.
Due to the improvement of technology, people can enjoy more convenience than ever.
For example, it only takes travelers or businessmen several hours to go to other
countries by jet plane, which makes the world seem to be much smaller. With the help
of Internet, people at different corners of the world can communicate with
significantly high speed and low cost. It is technology that has cleared away the
barriers that once prevented people from leading a convenient life. Computers and the
Internet have become an integral part of everyday life. Today computer owners use
52
新托福写作讲义
王希
their machines not only to communicate and do business but also for entertainment.
What’s more, the advancement of modern transportation, certainly including that of
automobiles, has made more goods available in local markets. For example, in China,
some fruits are only cultivated in the southern part of the country and not in the
northern, such as litchi,—partly due to sheer gradient of temperature. Thanks to the
advancement of modern transportation system, people in the northern part of the
country can now get those southern cultivated fruits readily available in almost every
local market. In the far past when such system didn't exist, when goods could be
transported only by primitive tools such as carts, some fruits such as litchi were the
privilege of royal family.
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Television has destroyed communication among friends and family.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
While television has been somewhat harmful in its effects, it has hardly "destroyed"
communication among friends and family, although for some people, the assertion that
television has destroyed communication among friends and family seems pretty plausible.
Television, invented in last century, with its wide availability, increasingly prosperous
programs, becomes one of the most powerful means of communication in the history, and
is more and more difficult to ignore. Television is as much a part of our lives as are our
meals, work, or school; studies consistently show that the average American child spends
almost as much time watching television as does he or she in school. We all have only 24
hours a day and it is clear that the more time one spends on watching television, the less
time one does with his or her family and friends. Hence the passage printed in the
newspaper or magazine titled "Television took my husband away."
Tempting as such claim might be, it is hardly true. Instead of television, it is the increasing
pressure of modern life that took her husband away. We have no definite evidence to say
people nowadays endure more pressures than did their counterparts in the past, but it is
absolutely true that people nowadays undergo great pressures that come from various
directions, including work, school, economy, and so forth. Investigations show that people
who earn more than RMB 50, 000 annually spend at least 60 hours on work per week,
much more than those who earn RMB 20,000 annually. Today a bachelor's degree may no
longer guarantee a decent pay, more and more companies post their want ads claiming
53
新托福写作讲义
王希
that applicants must have at least master's degrees, which take two or three years longer.
People nowadays have very little time for anything; television is merely among many other
factors that affect communication, and is definitely not the main cause of degradation. It
seems that the more one is educated, the more one is aware of the deleterious effects that
excessive television causes, and either deliberately avoid it or actually do not enjoy it. On
the other hand, there really are many people addictive to television. But the fact is, were
television not existent, surely these people would have found other escapes, such as
alcohol or gambling for example. In other words, people always find a way to do what they
want to do. Therefore, I can hardly agree that television has destroyed communication
among friends and family.
In a short essay, discuss one or two advantages of living with an
American family and then state one or two disadvantages. Tell
whether you are in favor of or opposed to the idea of home-stay.
Give examples to support your opinion.
A foreign student who plans to go to the United States must have some definite goals
in mind. For the student who wants to improve his English quickly and learn about
American family. There may be one or two disadvantages to his living
arrangement; however, I believe that there are far more advantages.
First of all, some minor disadvantages of living with an American family include both
a lack of privacy and little opportunity to be independent. For instance, the foreign
student may find that the family expects him to join them in group activities such as
watching television and going on picnics. At times, however, he might enjoy staying
in his room to read or to write letters to his family or friends. Another drawback to
living in an American home involves who his friends will be and where he will go
during his leisure time away from home.
Even though there may be one or two disadvantages to living with an American
family, the advantages far outweigh them. By taking part in a home stay program,
the student has an excellent opportunity to learn about American customs. He will
find out how to behave in different social situations such as parties and ceremonies
and how to dress on these occasions. Also, he will learn about many other aspects of
the American way of life, such as the way schools are run in the United States. With a
family close by, he can ask questions about attendance rules and school costs. The
54
新托福写作讲义
王希
family will make certain that he becomes acquainted with his new way of life, and
soon he will feel at home.
Another advantage of living with an American family is that the student is in an ideal
environment to improve his English. For example, each time he has a conversation
with someone in the family, this native speaker can help him with the pronunciation
and grammar. Maybe the younger children in the family can help the student with
his homework, too. But the most important thing is that he will be surrounded by
English most of the time during his stay in the United States.
Although I agree that there may be a couple of disadvantages to living with an
American family, I feel that the advantages are more obvious. In a home-stay
program, the student can learn about the American customs in the most native way
possible. In addition, we will find himself in an ideal atmosphere in which his English
will certainly improve. In my opinion, there are the two important goals for him to
consider, and living with a American family is the best way to achieve them.
People attend college or university for many different
reasons (for example, new experiences, career preparation,
increased knowledge). Why do you think people attend
college or university? Use specific reasons and examples to
support your answer.
After graduating from high school many young people have the option to directly enter the
work force. Most students who have the opportunity, however, decide to go to
college before finding jobs (They attend college to obtain more choices,-higher salaries,
and more opportunities for advancement in an increasingly competitive job market.
Before attending college, students have a limited opportunity to specialize. After obtaining
a specific college degree a job applicant can be competitive for previously unavailable jobs.
For instance, applicants with Computer Science degrees would not only be qualified for
jobs in high-tech companies, they would also be well prepared for any job with computer
skills as a prerequisite. With a larger range of potential jobs to choose from, degree holders
are more likely to find a job that suits their particular needs and interests.
Additionally, employers are willing to pay a premium for highly qualified applicants. For
55
新托福写作讲义
王希
example, many companies desire employees who are competent in more than one
language and offer higher salaries to attract them. Even if a job applicant without a college
degree has high standardized test scores, employers may still place a higher value on an
applicant with similar test scores who also possesses credentials from a well-known
university. Because of the extent to which a college degree is accepted by employers as
proof of competence in a given field, college graduates are not only more likely to receive
more job offers, they can also command higher salaries than applicants who lack college
diplomas.
Finally, in addition to offering more choices and higher salaries, a college degree offers
access to jobs with a clear path towards professional advancement. A B.S. in biology, for
example, could allow a student to find a job in a lab after graduation, a first step on the road
towards a career in scientific research. The same major could also be used to apply to
medical school, and a career as a doctor. Both of these avenues would be unavailable
without taking the first step of an undergraduate degree in biology.
Part 10
Samples of body paragraphs in independent writing
Children, still at the forming stage of their personalities and interests, need more
time to challenge themselves and explore their potentials. As a famous saying in the
movie Forest Gump goes, “life is a box of chocolate, you will never know what you
are going to get.” Since there are many uncertainties in the long journey of life, the
primary goal of early development of children is to figure out their talents by giving
them freedom to try new things rather than restrict them in fixed plans. Making a
decision of what to focus too early without sufficient experiences, they may miss lots
of great opportunities to find out their gifts and the fields they belong to. As what is
mentioned above, an increasing number of children in China, for example, are
compelled to learn playing musical instruments, dancing or drawing according to the
plans that their parents made for them. However, some of them may feel very
frustrated in learning these because they do not have initial interests. Worse still, their
intelligence in other fields such as biology and literature might be killed.
Young children lack the ability to decide what they are cutting out for (cut out:
56
新托福写作讲义
王希
to suit or fit by nature), and they even do not know what they want. Rarely can
a child have a clear understanding about him/herself, the long-term insight on
the developing trends of society and maturity to think about the life plan.
Therefore, it is virtually impossible for children to make a considerate decision.
As a result, most ideas of the plan may come from their parents, teachers or
other family members. However, it is not good for them to make decision on
their children’s behalf rather than provide valuable suggestions and directions.
On one hand, the performance in the early age is not enough for them to judge
their children. On the other hand, adults may think from their standpoints and
usually impose their attitudes and expectations on their children that may be
totally different from the young people’s perspective. Obviously, these plans
will cause problems when the children grow up. Even worse, the relationships
between these people and the children will be hurt.
Strong personalities are built when people have to deal with tough situations.
When facing a trouble, people can develop many qualities that will lead to
future success, the most important one among which is perseverance.
Since it is much harder to conquer difficulties than do work in a favorable
condition, more efforts are needed to get out of the troublesome situation.
Beethoven, for example, lost his hearings in his fifties. Hardly can we imagine
that as a musician, he could not work without his ears any more. However, he
realized the value of continuous struggle in people's life, and thus successfully
created the 9th Symphony "March of Fate" which is one of his most famous
works. Beethoven’s experience demonstrates that rather than decrease
the confidence and morale, difficulties encourage people to stick to their
dreams and work even harder.
New enlightenments are inspired and experiences are gained when we fail
something. It might be true that difficulties have negative impact on our mood
at first, but later they will bring us remarkable treasures that cannot be found in
good situations. For example, Thomas Edison tried and failed nearly one
thousand times to find the right material for bulbs. However, after the
numerous failures, he achieved success finally and is remembered as the one
of greatest inventors in the last century. He said in those failures he was not
frustrated because at least they prove him that those materials are not suitable
for making bulbs.
57
新托福写作讲义
王希
Experiences out of school play an indispensable role in helping us apply
what we learned in school into practice. Universities are often called “Ivory
Towers” by people because there is a significant gap between researches and
what is happening in the real world. For example, in a management class
called “multi-culture communication”, I learned that we should respect other
people’s culture and specific habits in a multi-cultural context. However, I did
not really understand it thoroughly until I worked with some teammates from
South America. They prefer to stay up very late rather than begin work a little
earlier; however, in my culture, it is better to be an early bird who follows
exactly a different schedule. From this experience, I came across the cultural
difference in person and reach further about “multi-culture communication”.
Although we can learn a wide range of knowledge from lectures and books,
hardly can some knowledge be thoroughly understood without experience.
For instance, communication skills such as how to deal with different kinds of
people in real business world are not available in school. In schools, there are
only several kinds of people we meet such as teachers, fellow students and
school service staffs. In general, these people are kind and easy to get along
well with. In workplaces, however, we meet more people with various kinds of
vested interests. For example, I did an internship in a finance corporation last
summer in charge of customer relationship. I found significant efforts were
needed to deal with the customers because they had different backgrounds,
personality and education levels, some of who were easily to get angry.
Other people can offer valuable suggestions and unexpectedly great ideas.
Researches have demonstrated that facing difficult situation; people are
inclined to add emotions into their opinions. Those helping people, one the
other hand, can view the situation more clearly and objectively. For example,
when I had quarrels with my boyfriend and neither of us was willing to
compromise, I often turned to my roommate for help. Usually she consoled me
to make me feel less worried and helps me to calm down to think about the
issue in depth.
Formed through hundreds of years in different societies, hardly can the core
values in specific cultures, especially those with historical or religious
58
新托福写作讲义
王希
backgrounds be easily changed only because of the convenient exchanges
among cultures. For example, it is impossible for people in eastern countries
to understand the Christian origin of Christmas Day deeply, although they can
buy Christmas trees and enjoy Christmas dinners in restaurants that offer
western food. It is on a superficial level that cultures exchanges happen on
rather than the level of core value. Chinese people, for instance, celebrate
Christmas and Valentine’s Day just for fun, while they keep their traditional
Spring Festival as Chinese New Years’ Day and Qing Ren Jie on July 7th as
Chinese Valentine’s Day.
Instead of making all cultures the same, in the process of culture exchanges,
technology help people realize the importance of cultural differentiation and
cherish their own cultures as valuable heritages from their ancestors. Rather
than indiscriminately taking everything from others, people learn from each
other, seeking common points while reserving differences in communication.
For instance, my hometown Suzhou is one of the most developed city
nationwide in terms of people’s living standard, and also a small city with two
thousand and five hundred years history. Although the government pays much
attention to the economic development, it has devoted lots of efforts and
money into the protection of our classical gardens and traditional Operas
because an increasing number of tourists from other countries make them
understand the value of our culture.
The world is a great and varied place, from the immense mountains of the
Himalayas to the deserts of America. By watching movies, one can gain insight
as to what these beautiful places are like. For example, I recently watched a
number of movies filmed in America. I learned about the beautiful beaches of
California, national parks such as Yellowstone and Niagara Falls, as well as
man-made wonders such as the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, and the
Golden Gate Bridge. Watching foreign movies is an excellent way to deduce
where one wants to travel, if he/she has such an opportunity.
59
新托福写作讲义
王希
Adding: Paraphrasing words
1. accelerate, speed up, advance, hasten, quicken,
2. modern, contemporary, current, present, recent, up-to-date
3. similar, alike, identical, resembling
4. important, pivotal, significant, seminal, critical, vital, essential, crucial,
indispensable, necessary, key, weighty
5. manufactured, artificial, synthetic, man-made,
6. associate, connect, link, unite, attach, bind, relate, tie,
7. adequate, abundant, ample, enough, sufficient, plenty of, considerable
8. separation, isolation, detachment, disconnect, insulate, loneliness
9. fragile, vulnerable, frail, weak, susceptible
10. attractive, appealing, tempting, charming, good-looking, inviting
11. fall, decline, descend, dive, drop, plummet, plunge, sink, decrease, go down,
slump, dip
12. depend on, rely on, count on, lean on, reckon on, rest on, bank on
13. fund, finance, pay for, subsidize
14. again, once more, anew, afresh, in addition
15. first, earliest, initial, original, pioneer
16. hazard, danger, risk, threat, jeopardy, peril
60
新托福写作讲义
王希
17. usual,normal,common,general,habitual,ordinary,regular,routine,typical
18. impossible, out of the question, unachievable, unobtainable, impracticable,
unattainable
19. extra, additional, added, supplementary
20. ignore, overlook, neglect, pass over, turn a blind eye to, disregard
21. change, modify, alter, shift, vary, convert, reorganize
22. easy, child's play, effortless, a piece of cake,
23. damp, wet, moist, humid
24. object, oppose, argue against, protest, disagree, dispute, quarrel,
contradict, anti
25. breed, produce, arouse, bring about, cause, generate, give rise to, lead to,
result in, contribute to, be responsible for,
26. extinct, vanish, gone, die out
27. diversity, difference, variety, diverseness, range, variation,
28. inevitable, unavoidable, certain, sure, inescapable,
29. complaint,illness,disease,sickness,upset,affliction,ailment,malady,
30. because(of),due to, by reason of, in that, on account of, owing to, thanks to,
since, for
31. unique, unparalleled, incomparable, unequalled, unrivalled
32. identify, recognize, spot
33. damage, harm, hurt, impair, ruin, destroy, weaken, spoil
34. stop, inhibit, hinder, impede, obstruct, hamper, block, ban, forbid
61
新托福写作讲义
王希
35. sole, only, alone, exclusive, single, solitary
36. stress, burden, pressure, tension, strain
37. agree, in favor of, consent, comply, approval
38. by chance, by accident, accidentally, unintentionally, incidentally
39. benefit, improvement, advantage, profit, aid, reward
40. small, tiny, miniature, minute, trivial, insignificant, marginal
negligible, minor
41. no, without, none, absence, lack, deficiency, nothing, zero
42. complex, complicated, intricate
43. simple, easy, plain, uncomplicated
44. settle, inhabit, dwell, live, reside
45. measure, gauge, calculate, calibrate, weigh, quantify
46. exceed, beyond, surpass
47. be aware of, appreciate, realize, recognize
48. quick, fast, rapid, swift, in no time, immediately, at once, right away,
instantly, express, without delay,
49. large, big, considerable, ,substantial, vast, enormous, gigantic
50. dominant, popular, ruling, fashionable, prevalent, prevailing, common
51. the elderly, the aged, advancing years, senior citizen
62