SAT考试作为美国的“高考”已经成为中国学生申请美国大学的敲门砖。为了进入一个好的大学,他们必须拿到一个好的分数。然而,SAT考试的第一个 task——写作——就给中国学生设置了一个障碍。众所周知,写作,不管是SAT写作、美国GRE写作还是TOEFL写作,一直以来都是中国学生的一个弱项。(中国考生的美国GRE写作平均分在3.2左右,满分6分;托福写作平均分20分,满分30分)
那么如何才能取得一个写作高分呢?首先我们需要研究一下SAT作文的评分标准。
一、逻辑分
SAT写作6分标准里第一个项目是这样说的“effectively and insightfully develops a point of view on the issue and demonstrates outstanding critical thinking, using clearly appropriate examples, reasons and other evidence to support its position.”从这里我们可以看到,SAT满分标准最强调和重视的是众考生的逻辑思维以及他们对特定事物的思辨性的考虑。Insight是指大家对事物深入而深刻的看法,中文可以理解成洞察力。Critical thinking则是辩证性的思考。Using clearly appropriate examples, reasons and other evidence to support its position是要大家用例子,理由或者其他证据去证明自己的观点。需要注意的是在例子、理由和证据前面有一个clearly,也就是说考官的要求是要大家清晰的表达自己的看法。这个清晰其实就是强调大家的一种逻辑性。例子理由要与你的观点密切相关。例子理由如何支撑文章的观点要非常清晰的得以体现。
我们来看一篇学生习作的开头段:In our world, truth and lie exist in a way the same as that of the black and white. It’s obviously for us to see that one of them is opposite to the other. So[e1] many people think directly[e2] that they are not same at all. But in fact, they are the same things in the whole, because both of them are little [e3] parts compared to the integration. Their function is to make the integration execute fluently and effective, which can benefit more people. So my idea is that truth or lie is just a kind of formation. [e4] What determines our choice is the result can really help people rather than tangle with the apparent formation.[e5]
学生习作的题目是Do circumstances determine whether or not people should tell the truth。我们看到上面的习作中有一些逻辑连接词so,but,because等。明显的,在这一段中,学生的逻辑非常混乱。看到第一个批注中的内容: “注意此处的逻辑关系。‘明显的他们有区别,但是,一些人。。’注意是转折应该用however或者but等。但是,再接着看到后面一句你用的but,也就是说前面不能用转折关系了,要改用although的让步关系。而且,后面解释的时候已经表达了第一段第二句的意思,所以建议删掉第二句话。”(该段落的其他问题见旁边的批注)
再来看一下学生根据修改意见修改后的开头段:In our world, truth and lie exist in a way the same as that of the black and white. So many people consider that they are not the same at all. In fact, both of them are parts of the integration. That is, they are the same things. And the reason of their existence is that it can supply more ways for people to release their emotion. As far as I am concerned, I vote that people don’t have to always tell the truth, because sometimes it can hurt people, whom maybe you would have helped. 修改后的内容在表达上清晰了许多。英语作文
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