综合写作高分核心要求
业界一直对于托福综合写作拿高分的关键点有所争议,这次培训我们得到了对于公开评分标准的进一步解释材料,综合写作高分标准如下:
selects and presents the relevant main points from both the lecture and the reading
(从阅读和听力材料中选取主要信息点,即我们常说的阅读三个主要信息点和听力三个信息点)
demonstrates the relationship between each of the main points of the lecture and the reading.
(阐述阅读和听力材料各自三个主要信息点的关系)
adds supporting details.
(补充细节信息)
其中,对于第一个要求同学们大多都了解,即在写综合写作的时候,阅读和听力材料的三个主要信息点都要写上。但问题往往出在第二个写作要求上,虽然主要信息点都写了,但是写作方法不对,既未能“阐述”阅读和听力材料各自三个主要信息点的关系。阅读材料和听力材料的关系并不总是那么显而易见,虽然听力材料总是对阅读材料进行反驳,但到底是怎么反驳的呢?这就要求同学们能快速理解、把握(而非靠猜)阅读和听力材料的意思。第三,如果你想在综合写作拿逼近绝对高分的分数,还要在上述基础之上补充阅读和听力材料的细节信息。
我们来看一段ets给出的综合写作高分范文的节选:
the second point of the lecture argues against the reading passage's opinion about the chevalier's conversation with voltaire. (阐述听力和阅读材料的信息点的关系)
the reading passage argues that the conversations may not be accurate, (阅读主要信息点)
because the conversations had taken place long before it was recorded. (阅读补充细节)
however, according to the lecture, the chevalier used to write down every conversation with voltaire, (听力主要信息点) immediately after they had finished conversing. as a result, the chevalier could use his notes and journal s to complete his memories with voltaire. (听力补充细节)
独立写作对于写作思路/内容的要求
在托福独立写作中,很多同学感到疑惑,我文章中用于支撑我观点的理由和写作思路(可被笼统称为论证)到底到达一个什么样的水平才算是满足高分评分标准中“well organized, and well developed, using clearly appropriate explanations…displays unity, progression, and coherence”的要求。
在此次培训中,ets培训师明确指出,托福作为语言考试,虽然文章思路(reason)很重要,但是弱于对语言的要求。考生在阐述支撑自己观点的理由的时候,只要能做到“connects all ideas, and so the reader does not have to guess at intended meaning”即可满足高分要求。也就是说,考生在写作时,应注意自己中间段每句话之间都有联系,并且句子内容是解释、支撑自己理由和观点的即可。
我们来看两段此次ets培训所给出的官方范文节选:
题目:a teacher's ability to relate well with students is more important than excellent knowledge of the subject being taught. (老师和学生处好关系的能力比对自己所教学科有优秀知识更重要)
4分范文中间段(反对题目观点):
first, teachers' job is to educate their student with their knowledge. (老师的职责是传授知识) the ability to relate well with their student is something a counselor should possess, not a teacher. (跟学生处好关系是辅导员而非教师的职责) that's why the board of education gives an award to a teacher with an excellent knowledge of the subject they teach. (这就是为什么教学委员会给拥有优秀知识的教师颁奖) teachers who can get alone with their students but have no knowledge can be popular and be liked by his or her students, however i don't consider a teacher with no knowledge a good teacher. (能和学生处好关系但是没有知识的教师不是好教师)
中间段思路分析:在这个中间段中,作者不同意题目观点的理由是教师的职责是传授知识而非跟学生处好关系– 那是辅导员而非教师的职责。教师因为对自己所授学科了解全面所以获得嘉奖,而那些只会和学生处好关系但是没有知识的老师不是好老师。
5分范文中间段(同意题目观点):
a teacher's primary goal is to teach students the best they can about the things that are in our textbooks and more important, how to show respect for one another. they teach us how to live a better life by getting along with everyone. in order to do that, the teachers themselves have to be able to relate well with students.
中间段思路分析:老师有两个主要职责,一个是传授知识,另一个(也是更重要的)是教学生互相尊重。老师教我们如何跟他人相处而有更好的生活,但这一点的前提是他们自己能和学生处好关系。
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(example)
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knowledge of the subject being taught is something taken for granted, but at the same time, secondary. one must go through and pass a series of courses and tests in order to become a teacher. any teacher is able to have excellent knowledge of their subject but not all teachers can have the ability to relate well with students.
中间段思路分析:教授知识即是理所应当的,也是次要的。每个老师都要经历一系列的测试才能成为老师。任何老师都能对自己所教授的学科拥有良好的知识,但是不是每个老师都能和学生处好关系。
总结:这两个中间段的写作思路很不一样。第一个是通过解释教师的职责是教授学生,所以教师拥有优秀学术能力更重要。而第二个的写作思路则是阐述为什么跟学生处好关系比拥有学术知识更重要而去支撑自己的观点。但是这两个中间段都做到了每句话与每句话之间联系紧密,并且契合题目。
独立写作对于写作语言的要求
此次ets培训对于写作语言要求也给出了较为明确的指导意见。一篇高分独立作文应满足以下要求:
contains a range of grammatical structures 一系列的语法结构
these are (grammatical structures) are appropriately used 语法结构被恰当使用
do not interfere with reader's understanding 小错误不影响读者的理解
从以上评分标准我们可以看出,托福考试写作部分并不要求考生使用复杂的语法结构,而是要求各类语法结构能交替并准确使用。而且非常重要的一点是语言表达不影响考官理解你想表达的句子意思。
我们来看一下上篇4分范文另一个中间段所犯的语言错误:
thirdly, teachers are responsible for conceding (not clear exactly what word is intended here, 此处conceding用词不当) their knowledge to their next generation. teachers already had an experience of getting advantaged education (advanced education or advantaged education? “advantaged education”这个词表意不清) from college. teachers should not let that privilege become useless and workless. we all learn because we want to become the better person that this world needs. (connection between two sentences? 句与句直接没有联系) students will also eventually grow up to be influencing other people and teachers should voluntarily be their students’ role models.
总结:在这个中间段中,考生使用了一系列的语法结构,其中包括动名词,动词不定式,复合句和从句的使用,其中部分句型同时使用了两种语法结构,比如在最后一句话中,考生同时使用了动词不定式和and所连接的复合句,因此满足了一系列的语法结构的要求。但是考生之所以在这篇文章中只拿到4分是因为这段出现数个表意不清和句与句之间没有联系的错位,这说明托福考试对于语言使用的准确性和表意清晰的要求高于语法结构的复杂性。