The Writing section tests your ability to write essays in English similar to

游客2024-01-04  6

问题     The Writing section tests your ability to write essays in English similar to those that you would write in college courses.
    During the test, you will write two essays. The integrated essay asks for your response to an academic reading passage and a lecture on the same topic. You may take notes as you read and listen, but notes are not graded. You may use your notes to write the essay. The lecture will be spoken, but the directions and the questions will be written. You will have 20 minutes to plan, write, and revise your response. Typically, a good essay for the integrated topic will require that you write 150-225 words.
    The independent essay usually asks for your opinion about a familiar topic. You will have 30 minutes to plan, write, and revise your response. Typically, a good essay for the independent topic will require that you write 300-350 words.
    A clock on the screen will show you how much time you have to complete each essay.
    Integrated Essay "Jet Streams"
    You have 20 minutes to plan, write, and revise your response to a reading passage and a lecture on the same topic. First, read the passage and take notes. Then, listen to the lecture and take notes. Finally, write your response to the writing question. Typically, a good response will require that you write 150-225 words.
    Reading Passage
    Time: 3 minutes
    The jet stream is an irregular band of wind that occurs in high altitudes at about 20,000 feet, that is, between 6 and 9 miles above the surface of the Earth. Consequently, the jet stream wanders near the top of the Earth’s troposphere, and, coincidentally, that is exactly where most of the Earth’s weather patterns occur. It is helpful to think of the jet stream like a river of air that occurs at several different locations, but in general flows from west to east over the middle latitudes. Technically, to be called a jet stream, the winds should be moving faster than 57 miles an hour, but it can have average core speeds of 190 miles per hour, and in the winter, when the jet stream is strongest, winds have been clocked at 300 miles an hour. For the most part, the winds are stronger in the winter because during the winter months the surface temperature contrasts more with the temperature in the troposphere. To put that another way, the greater the contrast in the temperature of the Earth and the atmosphere, the stronger the jet stream winds will blow.
    In general, there are two jet streams between the equator and the North Pole. The subtropical jet stream tends to hover around the southern border of the continental United States, whereas the polar jet stream blows over Idaho and Montana. The condition that causes these two streams is the difference in the temperature between the tropic and the arctic regions of the Earth, which tends to concentrate in small zones called fronts. It is along these fronts that storms tend to develop. The jet streams blow the storms along their path. When the jet stream is over an area, strong storms may move into it, but when the jet stream has dipped out of the area, calm, dry weather will probably be forecast.
    Model Test 4, Writing Section, Audio-07, Track 2

    Now listen to a lecture on the same topic as the passage that you have just read.
    Question
    Describe jet streams by using the information in the reading, and provide examples of the way that they affect air travel by drawing on the material that you heard in the lecture.
    Independent Essay "Lifestyle"
INTEGRATED ESSAY "JET STREAMS"
    First, read the passage on pages 361-362 and take notes.
    Model Test 4, Writing Section, Audio-07, Track 2
    Narrator: Now listen to a lecture on the same topic as the passage that you have just read.
    Professor:
    In North America, the jet stream usually separates cold air from the polar region in the north from warmer air to the south, so it’s called the polar jet stream. Okay, when it’s cold in the United States, the polar jet stream often dips south into Texas or even as far as Mexico, and when it’s hot, the jet stream retreats into Canada. Now, think about some of the trips you may have taken across country. Did you notice that the airline schedules factor in the effect of the jet stream on flight times? For example, if you were flying from Los Angeles to New York, the flight would be more than one hour shorter than your return trip from New York to Los Angeles. Why would this be so, do you think? Well, because a particularly strong jet stream can provide a strong tailwind that moves the plane along faster as it travels with the wind, but on the way back, the plane will encounter a headwind, and it will have to travel against the wind. So the flight will take longer. And the plane will also consume more fuel when it’s traveling against the jet stream, and you’ll probably also feel more turbulence. Besides that, the weather for your flight can also be affected by the jet stream because this strong current of air moves weather systems and storms around the world by pushing them forward, just like the tailwind that pushes your plane.
    Example Answers and Checklists for Speaking and Writing
    Model Test 4, Example Answers, Audio-07, Track 3
    EXAMPLE ANSWER FOR INDEPENDENT SPEAKING QUESTION 1 "A CITY"
    If I could visit any city in the world, I’d like to see Rome because I’m an architecture major, and it would be exciting to see the structures in the old city like the Colosseum and the Forum and, uh, temples. I’d also want to inspect the arches that define the perimeter of the old city. I think one of them is almost 2000 years old, but it’s still supposed to be quite beautiful and strong. In a book about Rome, I read that the streets in the old city are made of the original cobblestones laid in ancient times. So besides seeing the architecture, it would be exciting to walk on the stones. I have a good imagination, and I’m sure I could visualize soldiers and philosophers even if I’m looking at a lot of other tourists.
    Checklist 1
    The talk answers the topic question.
    The point of view or position is clear.
    The talk is direct and well-organized.
    The sentences are logically connected.
    Details and examples support the main idea.
    The speaker expresses complete thoughts.
    The meaning is easy to comprehend.
    A wide range of vocabulary is used.
    There are only minor errors in grammar.
    The talk is within a range of 125-150 words.
    EXAMPLE ANSWER FOR INDEPENDENT SPEAKING QUESTION 2 "SCHOOLS"
    I think a coeducational school is a better environment for both men and women because it’s mere representative of the... the, uh, world that they’ll live in after they finish school. In modern society, men and women will compete for employment opportunities so it’s good practice to compete in classes. And men and women need to learn how to interact socially, and a coeducational school provides activities and social events where they can associate with each other in a somewhat supervised environment. So I think if men and women are separated throughout their school life, it might be harder for them to work together and develop social relationships after they finish school.
    Checklist 2
    The talk answers the topic question.
    The point of view or position is clear.
    The talk is direct and well-organized.
    The sentences are logically connected.
    Details and examples support the main idea.
    The speaker expresses complete thoughts.
    The meaning is easy to comprehend.
    A wide range of vocabulary is used.
    There are only minor errors in grammar.
    The talk is within a range of 125-150 words.
    EXAMPLE ANSWER FOR INTEGRATED SPEAKING QUESTION 3 "ENGLISH REQUIREMENTS"
    The college is considering a change in the TOEFL requirement. It would allow international students who score five points below the cut-off score of 80 to take a credit class while they’re finishing their English courses in the English Language Institute. Um, the student thinks that the new policy is a good idea because... some students have problems taking a test but they still have the... the capacity... to succeed in their credit classes, especially in their major field. And students who qualify will have an academic advisor so they’ll be more likely to take a class they can handle. So she also suggests that a part time schedule would give students a smoother transition into a full-time academic schedule and, uh, it would also motivate students who have been in the Institute for a long time and they’re getting tired of studying English.
    Checklist 3
    The talk summarizes the situation and opinion.
    The point of view or position is clear.
    The talk is direct and well-organized.
    The sentences are logically connected.
    Details and examples support the opinion.
    The speaker expresses complete thoughts.
    The meaning is easy to comprehend.
    A wide range of vocabulary is used.
    Errors in grammar are minor.
    The talk is within a range of 125-150 words.
    EXAMPLE ANSWER FOR INTEGRATED SPEAKING QUESTION 4 "MYTHS AND LEGENDS"
    Myths are stories from ancient times that offer an explanation for why things happened and they often have their origin in religion, but legends are stories about more current heroes who really lived and they represent examples of the best values of their culture. So Paul Bunyan would be considered a legend because there was probably a big lumberjack, and as the stories about him were told, they got more and more exaggerated until he was a giant who used wagon wheels for buttons on his shirt and he could create lakes with his big footprints. The professor says that this legend was appropriate for Canada and the United States during the Westward expansion of these countries because the stories were about recent events and the territories were so vast, a hero would need to be a giant to represent the best values of such a time and place.
    Checklist 4
    The talk relates an example to a concept.
    Inaccuracies in the content are minor.
    The talk is direct and well-organized.
    The sentences are logically connected.
    Details and examples support the opinion.
    The speaker expresses complete thoughts.
    The meaning is easy to comprehend.
    A wide range of vocabulary is used.
    The speaker paraphrases in his/her own words.
    The speaker credits the lecturer with wording.
    Errors in grammar are minor.
    The talk is within a range of 125-150 words.
    EXAMPLE ANSWER FOR INTEGRATED SPEAKING QUESTION 5 "ROOMMATE"
    The woman’s problem is that she’s friends with her roommate but the roommate’s using her cell phone to call a boyfriend long distance and it’s getting expensive and she can’t afford the extra minutes on the bill. Her advisor suggests that she tell her roommate not to use her cell phone anymore and she could even offer to help buy her roommate a cell phone... or another idea was that she could ask her roommate to pay for the extra minutes from previous calls and any future calls. Well, I think the woman should reconsider the friendship because a real friend wouldn’t take advantage of her like that. So, I don’t think the advisor gave her very good advice. In my opinion, the woman should go back to the advisor and ask him to help her find a new roommate in the dorm.
    Checklist 5
    The talk summarizes the problem and recommendations.
    The speaker’s point of view or position is clear.
    The talk is direct and well-organized.
    The sentences are logically connected.
    Details and examples support the opinion.
    The speaker expresses complete thoughts.
    The meaning is easy to comprehend.
    A wide range of vocabulary is used.
    Errors in grammar are minor.
    The talk is within a range of 125-150 words.
    EXAMPLE ANSWER FOR INTEGRATED SPEAKING QUESTION 6 "URBAN WILDLIFE"
    Both man-made areas and artificial structures become habitats for wildlife in cities. One of the most impressive examples of a man-made area is Central Park in New York, which has become a safe haven for hundreds of species of birds, small mammals, and even freshwater animals that live in the streams and lakes. Back Bay in Boston is a marshland environment that was developed to provide habitats for wildlife. Um, artificial structures allow wildlife to adapt to city living by using a space that has similar advantages to those of a natural habitat. For example, the chimney swift is a small bird that makes its home in hollow trees but.., it has adapted itself to the city by nesting in chimneys, and the fish that live in natural harbors often swim into the ditches that connect to urban drainage systems. So, even in cities, wildlife can survive and thrive.
    Checklist 6
    The talk summarizes a short lecture.
    Inaccuracies in the content are minor.
    The talk is direct and well-organized.
    The sentences are logically connected.
    Details and examples support the opinion.
    The speaker expresses complete thoughts.
    The meaning is easy to comprehend.
    A wide range of vocabulary is used.
    The speaker paraphrases in his/her own words.
    The speaker credits the lecturer with wording.
    Errors in grammar are minor.
    The talk is within a range of 125-150 words.
    EXAMPLE RESPONSE FOR INTEGRATED ESSAY "JET STREAMS"
    Outline
    Description
    Rivers of wind
    20,000 feet
    Avg. 190 mph
    Difference temp Arctic/Tropics→storms
    Airline travel
    Flying time W→E 1 hr less bc/tailwind
    More fuel+more turbulence for headwind
    Storms along current
    Map
    Checklist for Integrated Essay
    The essay answers the topic question.
    Inaccuracies in the content are minor.
    The essay is direct and well-organized.
    The sentences are logically connected.
    Details and examples support the main idea.
    The writer expresses complete thoughts.
    The meaning is easy to comprehend.
    A wide range of vocabulary is used.
    The writer paraphrases in his/her own words.
    The writer credits the author with wording.
    Errors in grammar and idioms are minor.
    The essay is within a range of 150-225 words.
    EXAMPLE RESPONSE FOR INDEPENDENT ESSAY "LIFESTYLE"
    Outline
    Comfortable living
     Healthy lifestyle—less pressured, less stress
    Time with family members
    Large amounts of money
     Better standard of living for family
    More opportunities for charities
    My experience
    Busy father
    Prefer time with my children
    Map

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答案                       Example Essay
    According to the reading, jet streams are "rivers of wind" that occur at altitudes of about 20,000 feet and travel at an average speed of 190 miles per hour. Two jet streams are affected by the difference in temperature between the arctic and the tropics, causing storms to develop along their paths. When the jet stream moves out of an area, the weather clears.
    Airlines consider the conditions of the jet streams when they are calculating the flying times for their schedules. For example, on a round-trip flight across the United States, the flying time west to east could be as much as an hour less than the return trip east to west because of a strong tailwind that carries the plane with it, or, conversely, a strong headwind against which the plane has to push. In addition, more fuel is required for a headwind, and more turbulence will be experienced. Furthermore, weather conditions will be influenced by the position of the jet stream relative to the flight pattern because storms will tend to move along with the current of the jet stream.

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