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合理对待GRE高频作文

时间: 楚薇20 分享

遇到不少考生,总会有很多人问我们关于“GRE高频作文题”的问题,其中包括“高频”该如何使用,“高频”的题号和官方的题号对不上怎么办诸如此类的问题。在此,我们学习啦就GRE作文高频试题的问题,也来谈谈具体的看法。

合理对待GRE高频作文

高频作文的魔力

很多同学在备考GRE作文的时候,之所以对“高频”情有独钟,实际上思想根源还是希望能减少工作量,说得通俗一点,也就是还是抱有“投机取巧”的心理。这些同学的想法往往是:GRE官方的题库给出的200多道题太多了,看高频可以减低我的工作量(也就是不需要把200多道题目都看完),如果在考试的时候遇到高频题目,而我正好写过的话,那么分数就是有保证的。或者,至少比写一篇完全没有看过的文章要强。如果我们把这些同学的看法当做一个论证的过程来找找其中的逻辑问题的话,大家就能明白为什么说“高频只是个传说了”。

作文的论证和结构

在这个论证过程中,同学首先假设了一个前提,就是“写一篇已经写过的文章得到高分的可能性大于写一篇没有写过的文章”。可是,我们考虑一下,如果本身这篇文章从一开始按照这个同学的分析思路,包括写作的语言就存在巨大问题的话,那么,即使是考试的时候照着抄一遍,分数也仍然会是很低的。因此,只有当你的写作思路正确,分析过程正确,语言表达正确这几个条件都满足的时候,对于题目的熟练程度,或者是否写过某个题目的作文,才会影响到最后的分数。当然,我们还同时忽略了考场上的临场状态的变化问题。

而反之,如果一个考生有正确的分析思路和写作思路,有比较好的语言表达能力,那其实考试的时候是否写过某个题目就变得不重要了,因为最终他的能力会很好地解决题目熟悉程度的问题。比如我们所熟悉的高考语文中进行的作文测试,我们实际上是完全不知道考试会出现什么题目的,我们平时练习的时候,也基本上不会考虑考试的时候是否会遇到同样的题目,但是最终,写作能力比较好,思维方式比较正确,知识面比较宽的同学往往会在作文中得到高分。

从这个角度来看,实际上在准备作文的过程中,练习的题目是否是高频并不重要,而重要的是,是否通过练习形成了正确的分析思路,写作思路,并且让语言的表达正确。

高频作文真的会考?

另外,很多人也认为“高频”题目在考试时被抽到的可能性更大,并且还有人会计算题目出现的概率。为了让大家都能看明白,我不会在这里建立一个模型来计算什么题目出现的概率较大,我们只考虑如下的一些问题。首先,ETS在从开放题库中抽取题目给考生的时候,是一种随机的选择方式,那么,每个题目被抽取到的概率是完全一样的。而现在并没有证据表明ETS在抽取题目的时候采用了任何优先级策略,所以我们不能对此作出主观假设。第二,从目前的高频统计方式来看,存在着很大的漏洞。

大家不妨计算一下每天有多少人去参加GRE的作文考试,一年下来又有多少人参加作文考试,其中在网上发布题目的人的比例有多少,而发布出来的题目被统计的又有多少。如果这些数据本身都没有确切值的话,那么统计的样本首先就是存在问题的。而“高频”的出现,很可能是“马太效应”的结果,即在很长一段时间里面,A题目被大多数人关注,于是成为了“高频”的一部分,于是,有人考到了这个题目,在网上发了帖子,那么这个题目的关注度继续上升。而那些“低频”的题目,即使有人发了,也没人去关注,但是很可能在一段时间后,某个“低频”的题目其实出现的频率很高了,但是却依然没有人去关注它。因此,要想得到科学的统计,必须有一个平台,来随时完整统计大多数人在考试中遇到的题目的情况,并且实时更新,才能得到较为准确的数据。

因此,在备考GRE作文的过程中,其实是否准备网络流传的“高频”题目并不重要,而重要的是,无论准备什么题目,都能有正确的思考路径和分析方法,并且能够用正确的语言来表达自己的想法。当系统化的思维方式和准确的语言表达习惯形成的时候,无论什么题目都没有问题。此外,如果希望消除题目熟练度的影响,大量阅读题目,并且写作提纲是必要的,其中也包括对题目的分析和简单的逻辑结构梳理。

GRE写作满分范文1

"Both the development of technological tools and the uses to which humanity has put them have created modern civilizations in which loneliness is ever increasing."

Technology, broadly defined as the use of tools, has a long history. Ever since Erg the caveman first conked an animal with a rock, people have been using technology. For thousands of years, the use of tools allowed people to move ever closer together. Because fields could be cultivated and the technology to store food existed, people would live in cities rather than in small nomadic tribes. Only very lately have Erg's descendants come to question the benefits of technology. The Industrial Revolution introduced and spread technologies that mechanized many tasks. As a result of the drive toward more efficient production and distribution (so the ever larger cities would be supported), people began to act as cogs in the technological machine. Clothing was no longer produced by groups of women sewing and gossiping together, but by down-trodden automation's operating machinery in grim factories.

The benefits of the new technology of today, computers and the internet, are particularly ambiguous. They have made work ever more efficient and knit the world together in a web of information and phone lines. Some visionaries speak of a world in which Erg need not check in to his office; he can just dial in from home. He won't need to go to a bar to pick up women because there are all those chat rooms. Hungry? Erg orders his groceries from an online delivery service. Bored? Download a new game. And yet...

Many people, myself included, are a little queasy about that vision. Erg may be doing work, but is it real work? Are his online friends real friends? Does anything count in a spiritual way if it's just digital? Since the Industrial Revolution, we have been haunted by the prospect that we are turning into our machines: efficient, productive, souless. The newest technologies, we fear, are making us flat as our screens, turning us into streams of bits of interchangable data. We may know a lot of people, but we have few real friends. We have a lot of things to do, but no reason to do them. In short, the new technology emphasizes a spiritual crisis that has been building for quite some time.

As I try to unravel which I believe about the relative merits of technology, I think it is instructive to remember technology's original result. A better plow meant easier farming, more food, longer lives, and more free time to pursue other things such as art. Our newest technology does not give us more free time; it consumes our free time. We are terminally distracted from confronting ourselves or each other. We stay safe, and lonely, in our homes and offices rather than taking the risk of meeting real people or trying new things.

While I am certainly not a Luddite, I do believe we need to look for a bit more balance between technology and life. We have to tear ourselves away from the fatal distractions and go out into the world. Technology has given us long lives and endless supplies of information. Now we need to apply that information, use the time we're not spending conking our dinner with a club, and find our reasons for living.

Comments:

This outstanding response displays cogent reasoning, insightful, persuasive analysis, and superior control of language. The response immediately identifies the complexities of the issue and then playfully explores both the benefits and the drawbacks of technological developments over the course of human history. The writer maintains that a "balance between technology and life" is necessary if humans are going to abate the loneliness that is part of modern existence.

In contrasting the intended purpose of technology at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution with the end result of the use of today's technology, the writer skillfully expands the initial position and makes a sound point: "While technological developments have helped society in a practical way, they have contributed to a spiritual crisis that has been building for quite some time."

The analysis is tightly organized. With well-chosen examples and a character called Erg, the response moves well beyond a listing of examples, developing the analysis over five focused paragraphs, each building on the previous one. The conclusion -- that as a result of technology the individual begins to lose sight of the need to connect with fellow citizens in a meaningful way -- follows directly from the preceding paragraphs, while adding substantive analysis.

This writer is clearly in command of language and syntax, varying the sentence structure to express concepts succinctly. Word choice is generally precise and often highly effective, as in the following examples: "down-trodden automation," and "haunted by the prospect that we are turning into our machines: efficient, productive, soulless."

GRE写作满分范文2

"Both the development of technological tools and the uses to which humanity has put them have created modern civilizations in which loneliness is ever increasing."

I disagree with the argument that "Both the development of technological tools and the uses to which humanity has put them have created modern civilizations in which loneliness is ever increasing."" Arguments can be made for this thesis, but they depend largely upon what I believe to be a poor definition of "loneliness".

If one defines loneliness as the absence of as much physical, face-to-face contact with other people, then this argument is probably true. The invention of modern telecommunications devices such as telephones, fax machines, and computers has definitely cut down on the amount of physical contact with other people. This is especially true in recent times due to the extremely rapid expansion of the Internet. E-mail and tele-conferencing are direct substitutes for physical contact, especially in the business world.

However, I believe that loneliness can be better measured by intellectual contact with other individuals. Unarguably, modern technology makes this faster and easier, with better communication with a larger number of people. Some employers have argued that productivity is lessened since they have had computers linked to the Internet, as the employees spend much of their time "chatting" with friends, acquaintances, or business contacts across the country. This is probably not a good thing for the employers, but it demonstrates the increased degree of communication due to modern technology.

Of course, some technologies have increased loneliness by any standards, such as the automobile or other transportation mechanisms. These encourage substantially longer commutes between home and work. Automobiles have made possible the pattern of suburbanization that has been in place in the United States since immediately after World War Two. Time spent commuting is generally unproductive and spent alone, unless the individual in question is car-pooling or using mass transit. The contribution of the commuting culture to loneliness may actually be changing now due to new technology that is being invented and used by the general public. Popular new devices, such as the cellular phone, the laptop computer, and the combination thereof may actually convert commuting time to a period of increased communications between people, to "pass the time". This will be especially true as use of mass transit grows, which will probably happen, due to problems with gas shortages, air pollution, and the creation of further mass transit by federal and local governments.

The motivation for the declaration that loneliness is increasing may be due to the fact that many people, especially blue-collar workers, are unable to afford or use these new devices. However, since the advent of the personal computer, the price per computing power has continually lowered rapidly, and this trend shows no sign of changing. Several companies, such as Sun Microsystems and Oracle have announced that they are attempting to develop terminals with little computing power, but a full capability to access the Internet. These devices will be in approximately the $500 price range, which is much more reasonable than the price of the current top of the line PC. In addition, to cater to a larger mass of the public, software companies have been carefully making their products easier to use by non-"computer nerds". This trend is not likely to cease.

In conclusion, although early development of modern transportation may have increased loneliness, I believe that more recent technologies are actually doing the opposite, stimulating interpersonal contact and encouraging intellectual expansion. The perception that the opposite is true derives from what I believe is poor definition of loneliness and the difficulty that the working class has in acquiring and using modern telecommunications devices.

Comments:

This strong response analyzes the complexities of the issue. In disagreeing with the prompt, the writer makes a distinction between two types of loneliness -- loneliness caused by "the absence of??? physical contact" and loneliness brought about by a lack of "intellectual contact" with others. The writer reasons that while "the automobile and other transportation mechanisms" originally kept passengers physically and intellectually isolated from one another, modern technology, such as the cellular telephone and laptop computer, has made intellectual contact "faster and easier" and has benefited users by allowing them to communicate with "a larger number of people."

Using clear and relevant examples of cell phones and the internet, the writer examines the impact of user-friendly telecommunications on the individual's ability to interact with others even when physical distance separates the communicating parties.

The organization is clear, yet transitions between paragraphs are not always smooth. The body of the response lacks the focus that would help move it to a score of 6. It is not always clear how the information given relates to the writer's initial position (e.g., the discussion of current prices for personal computers in paragraph five). The conclusion, while clearly relevant, attempts to impose order on the somewhat loosely connected paragraphs, yet fails to add substance to the analysis.

On the whole, the paper displays clarity and control, but the language is sometimes imprecise and less tightly controlled than it would be in a 6 essay. The following sentence is one such example: "The motivation for the declaration that loneliness is increasing may be due to the fact that many people, especially blue-collar workers, are unable to afford or use these new devices."

GRE写作满分范文3

"Both the development of technological tools and the uses to which humanity has put them have created modern civilizations in which loneliness is ever increasing."

Looking at the above statement, I see a lot of truth to the statement . There are many ways that society has used the advanced technology in order to isolate themselves. It may or may not be a consious move, but the results are all the same. The isolation occurs in a variety of ways and in all different areas. By computerizing factories, there are more and more people working long hours by themselves, with there only companion as a computer monitor. Although the company may be getting better production, the question that needs to be ask is at what cost to their employees.

It is not only the management of big factories that are responsible for this isolation. This lonliness can be seen in many other settings. With the growing popularity of the television, the nation is seeing a decline in families talking and an increase in watching the television. Not only can this result in a generation of "coach potatoes", it is also causes less communication and a feeling of isolation from everyone that a person cares about.

So far technology has entered the work place and the home, it has also entered the social relm. When you go to order food in the drive-thru, who is or better yet what is it that you talk to? It is a machine, although there is a person on the other end, you are still reciting your order to a machine. If it is ten o'clock at night and you need money, there are ATM's. All of these gadgets may be very nice and convient, but they result in lack of human contact.

Although it might be easy to blame technolgy for our feelings of loneliness, it is just a cop out. By looking at all the ways technology causes isolation, it is still people who choose to use these convenient methods. If a person wants to have human contact, all they have to do is go inside to the bank or go inside the resturaunt to order. What it basically boils down to, is that it is our choice whether or not we use technology. It is a scary thought to think maybe one day we might live in a society where you will never have to leave your house. That by using FAX machines, computers, modems, and the telephone a person would never have to have human contact to get their job done. The thing is that if that is not what we as a society wants, we are the ones to speak out and change the outcome.

Comments:

This is a competent discussion of the issue. The position presented in the first paragraph -- that "there are many ways that society has used the advanced technology in order to isolate themselves" -- is adequately sustained, but the examples are not always clearly relevant (e.g., in the case of paragraph one's "computerizing" of factories, the decision to use the technology is not made by the individual worker.) Also, the reasoning is not developed as fully as it would be in a response at the score level of 6 or 5.

While organization is adequate, the response lacks the organized coherence of ideas that exemplify a 5 essay. Transitions, within and between paragraphs, are not always logical. The last paragraph could be much more clearly focused: since several sentences repeat the same idea -- that "it is our choice whether or not we use technology" -- and the purpose or meaning of others (e.g., the last) is not immediately clear.

In general, ideas are presented clearly, although awkward phrasing sometimes contributes to vagueness (e.g., "By looking at all the ways technology causes isolation, it is still people who choose to use these convenient methods"). Lack of sentence variety seems to inhibit the communication of ideas (e.g., many short sentences are often used where one or two compound ones could make the points more effectively). Overall, however, this is an adequate response to the topic.


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