SAT写作素材系列

SAT 写作资料1. 概要介绍SAT 写作考试2. SAT写作材料分析3. SAT 写作prompt 归纳4. SAT 写作素材5. SAT 写作满分作文Chapter One 概述SAT 写作部分SAT 写作部分在SAT 考试满分2400分中占有800分的比值。足以看出SAT写作部分的重要性。另外作文部分不仅有一篇限时作文外，同时还包含多项选择语法题的测试项目。写作部分的测试目的就在提高学生的写作能力。写作SAT考试时间60分钟35分钟多项选择部分25分钟作文部分考试题型多项选择包括改错，改写句子和段落作文类型是议论文需有立论和例证分值200-800作文单独评分：2-12多项选择评分：20-80这个新增加的作文测试部分由两部分题组成分别是35分钟的多项选择部分，考察的是语法和用法，类似于TOEFL考试中的结构部分，主要考察的是考生发现句子中有错的部分的能力和改正句子和段落的能力。考察语法的项目对中国学生来说不是很难的项目。在拿到新SAT考试写作部分的多项选择题的样题之前，建议考生可以用TOEFL 真题中的语法题作为重要的复习材料。对语法部分也应该树立拿高分的信心，争取取得高分。作文的要求是这样的：测试一个考生发掘和支持一个论点的能力，考生需要先分析一个主题并找到自己对该主题的观点，随后通过逻辑推理和举例例证来论证自己的观点，而推理和举例则可来自于考生的阅读，学习，经验和观察。有关作文的评分是采取人评分，两位教授本科或高中的老师将各自独立评分按照的标准是1-6分，而作文的评分则是两者的相加，故此作文的单独评分是2-12分，两分最低，两位评卷人均给一分；12分是满分，两位评卷人均给6分。作文的评分对象有如下一些：观点的发展，支持例子，全文的组织，用词的选择和句子的结构等。作文部分的增加也可以令各位读者发现写作能力的重要性，在美国本科大学和学院的学习过程中，学生的写作能力十分的重要，是关系到能否比较好适应大学学习生活的重要能力。SAT 写作字数和答题时间分析：在SAT 写作部分学生要求在25分钟时间内写出大于三百字的作文，如果字数不够会扣较多的分数。写作部分出题方准备了两页纸，一般来讲要写到第二页中下部分。Heres the sample prompt again:Consider carefully the following quotation and the assignment below it. Then plan and write an essay that explains your ideas as persuasively as possible. Keep in mind that the support you provideboth reasons and exampleswill help make your view convincing to the reader. “Theres no success like failure.”What is your view on the idea that success can begin with failure? In an essay, support your position using an example (or examples) from literature, the arts, history, current events, politics, science and technology, or from your personal experience or observation.Learning the lessons taught by failure is a sure route to success. (THESIS STATEMENT) The United States of America can be seen as a success that emerged from failure: by learning from the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, the founding fathers were able to create the Constitution, the document on which America is built. (BEST SUPPORTING EXAMPLE 1) Google Inc., the popular Internet search engine, is another example of a success that arose from learning from failure, though in this case Google learned from the failures of its competitors. (NEXT BEST SUPPORTING EXAMPLE 2) Another example that shows how success can arise from failure is the story of Rod Johnson, who started a recruiting firm that arose from Johnsons personal experience of being laid off. (NEXT BEST SUPPORTING EXAMPLE 3) The United States, the first great democracy of the modern world, is also one of the best examples of a success achieved by studying and learning from earlier failures. (TOPIC SENTENCE FOR EXAMPLE 1) After just five years of living under the Articles of Confederation, which established the United States of America as a single country for the first time, the states realized that they needed a new document and a new more powerful government. In 1786, the Annapolis convention was convened. The result, three years later, was the Constitution, which created a more powerful central government while also maintaining the integrity of the states. By learning from the failure of the Articles, the founding fathers created the founding document of a country that has become both the most powerful country in the world and a beacon of democracy. (FOUR DEVELOPMENT SENTENCES TO SUPPORT EXAMPLE 1) Unlike the United States, which had its fair share of ups and downs over the years, the Internet search engine company, Google Inc., has suffered few setbacks since it went into business in the late 1990s. (TOPIC SENTENCE FOR EXAMPLE 2) Google has succeeded by studying the failures of other companies in order to help it innovate its technology and business model. Google identified and solved the problem of assessing the quality of search results by using the number of links pointing to a page as an indicator of the number of people who find the page valuable. Suddenly, Googles search results became far more accurate and reliable than those from other companies, and now Googles dominance in the field of Internet search is almost absolute. (THREE DEVELOPMENT SENTENCES TO SUPPORT EXAMPLE 2)The example of Rod Johnsons success as an entrepreneur in the recruiting field also shows how effective learning from mistakes and failure can be. (TOPIC SENTENCE FOR EXAMPLE 3) Rather than accept his failure after being laid off, Johnson decided to study it. After a month of research, Johnson realized that his failure to find a new job resulted primarily from the inefficiency of the local job placement agencies, not from his own deficiencies. A month later, Johnson created Johnson Staffing to correct this weakness in the job placement sector. Today Johnson Staffing is the largest job placement agency in South Carolina, and is in the process of expanding into a national corporation. (FOUR DEVELOPMENT SENTENCES TO SUPPORT EXAMPLE 3) Failure is often seen as embarrassing, something to be denied and hidden. But as the examples of the U.S. Constitution , Google, and Rod Johnson prove, if an individual, organization, or even a nation is strong enough to face and study its failure, then that failure can become a powerful teacher. (THESIS STATEMENT REPHRASED IN BROADER WAY THAT PUSHES IT FURTHER) The examples of history and business demonstrate that failure can be the best catalyst of success, but only if people have the courage to face it head on.Why This Essay Deserves a 6First, we need to assess whether this essay contains the four essential ingredients of a great SAT essay. Here they are, just to refresh your memory:1. Positioning: The strength and clarity of the position on the given topic. 2. Examples: The relevance and development of the examples used to support your argument. 3. Organization: The organization of each paragraph and of the essay overall. 4. Command of Language: Sentence construction, grammar, and word choice.This essay serves up all four SAT essay ingredients. It takes a very strong and clear stance on the topic in the first sentence and sticks to it from start to finish. It uses three examples from a very diverse array of disciplinesfrom Internet technology to history and politics to a pro an entrepreneurand it never veers from using these examples to support the thesis statements position. The organization of the essay follows our Universal SAT Essay Template perfectly, both at the paragraph level (topic sentences and development sentences) and at the overall essay level (intro, three meaty example paragraphs, a strong conclusion). The command of language remains solid throughout. The writer does not take risks with unfamiliar vocabulary but instead chooses a few out of the ordinary words like beacon, deficiencies, and innovate that sprinkle just the right amount of special sauce throughout the essay. Sentence structure varies often, making the entire essay more interesting and engaging to the grader. Finally, no significant grammar errors disrupt the overall excellence of this SAT essay.Heres a quick-reference chart that takes a closer look at this 6 essay based on the actual SATs evaluation criteria for graders and based on our Universal SAT Essay Template.SAT CRITERIA FOR 6 ESSAYSYES OR NO?Consistently excellent, with at most a few minor errors. YESTakes a clear position on the topic and uses insightful relevant examples to back it up.YESShows strong overall organization and paragraph development.YESDemonstrates a superior command of language, as shown by varied sentence structure and word choice.YESOUR UNIVERSAL SAT ESSAY TEMPLATE CRITERIAYES OR NO?Thesis statement in first sentence of paragraph 1.YESThree examples listed in paragraph 1 in order from best to worst.YESTopic sentence for example in paragraph 2.YES34 development sentences to support paragraph 2s example.YESTopic sentence for example in paragraph 3.YES34 development sentences to support paragraph 3s example.YESTopic sentence for example in paragraph 4.YES34 development sentences to support paragraph 4s example.YESConclusion paragraph contains rephrased thesis statement.YESAbout 15 sentences total.YESA 4 Essay Failure can sometimes lead to success. (THESIS STATEMENT) Many Internet commerce businesses have learned from the terrible failures of the dot-com boom and bust, and today are in much stronger more successful positions than they were just a few years ago. (SUPPORTING EXAMPLE 1). Another example proving that failure sometimes leads to success is that of Arnold “Arnie” Wagner, a heavy metal drummer who learned to play the drums in a better different style after a crippling car accident almost killed him and his band. (SUPPORTING EXAMPLE 2) Not all Internet businesses vanished when the dot-com boom went bustsome picked up the pieces, learned from their mistakes, and moved on.The Internet boom was good to online shoppers but not so great to online businesses. Shoppers reaped the benefits of all kinds of great deals and online promotions, while e-commerce businesses did themselves in. Some Internet companies realized the mistakes others were making, such as offering too deep discounts and not charging for shipping, and they now have benefited by not suffering the same pitfalls. Only the failure of other business made this happen. (FOUR DEVELOPMENT SENTENCES TO SUPPORT EXAMPLE 1) Arnold “Arnie” Wagner is one of the best drummers alive today. (NO TOPIC SENTENCE TO SUPPORT EXAMPLE 2) Hes sure lucky to be alive! Arnie lost his right arm in a car crash just as his band Darkness Falls was beginning to establish success. Rather than give up and fail with his one arm, Wagner took the problem on courageously and decides to view it as an opportunity to change his drumming style. He has a special drum kit designed for him, complete with electronic pedals controlled by foot, which leads him to a new style and his band to even greater heights of success. (FIVE DEVELOPMENT SENTENCES TO SUPPORT EXAMPLE 2) Failure doesnt have to end there. Often people and businesses use others failures or even their own to learn from mistakes and try not to repeat them. Proof? Today Arnie Wagner is still on top of the drumming world, and many online businesses continue to thrive. (THESIS STATEMENT TOUCHED ON, BUT NOT REPHRASED IN BROADER WAY THAT PUSHES IT FURTHER) The examples of history and business demonstrate that failure can be the best catalyst of success, but only if people have the courage to face it head on.Why This Essay Deserves a 4This essay does an adequate job serving up all four SAT essay ingredients. Its competent overall but not exceptional. Thats the key difference between 4 essays and 6 essays. The 4s are like average students: They do the work the night before, turn it in, and get back a passing grade that keeps their parents off their back. The 6s are above excellent students: They do their homework days in advance, turn it in early, and impress teachers with the superior quality of their work. More specifically, this 4 essay takes a stance on the topic in the first sentence and sticks to it, but the stance is not resoundingly clear from the start: “Failure can sometimes lead to success.” The thesis statement is vague and makes the essays positioning wishy-washy, which makes it weaker overall than the 6 essays unwavering stance. It does use examples to support its position, but its examples are not as sophisticated or as varied as the examples in the 6 essay. Theyre also not linked together with transitions and occasionally veer slightly off topic. The organization of the essay follows our Universal SAT Essay Template closely, but not perfectly. For starters, it contains only two examples. Though not disastrous, including only two examples limits the breadth of your support. It also makes the strength and quality of your examples all the more crucial, since having only two will make the grader scrutinize them more closely than if your support were spread over three examples. At the sentence level, this essay does include a thesis statement and a topic sentence in the first example paragraph, but the structure begins to derail at the beginning of the second example paragraph. The writer introduces the drummer Arnie Wagner, but not in a way that is directly related to proving the thesis statement. The paragraph meanders toward a topic sentence, but never regains a sure footing. The conclusion refers back to the thesis statement in broad terms (“Failure doesnt have to end there”), but it does not tie the essay together as well as the broadening conclusion found in the 6 essay. The command of language remains acceptable throughout. Compared to the 6 essay, this 4 essay contains significantly more spelling and grammar errors, most notably the jarring tense shift in paragraph 3. The entire passage is written in the past tense, but suddenly shifts into the present tense with the sentence that begins, “He has a special drum kit. . . .” This essay also features repetitive sentence structure that makes it a much duller read than the 6. The 4 contains no special sauce whatsoever, another contributing factor to its average quality overall.Heres a closer look at this 4 essay based on the SATs evaluation criteria for graders and based on our Universal SAT Essay Template. Pay special attention to the difference in criteria for 4 essays and 6 essays, and to the deficiencies in the 4 essay as compared to the 6 (the NOs in the YES/NO column). The 4 essays NOs pinpoint its weaknesses, which we just discussed.SAT CRITERIA FOR 4 ESSAYSYES OR NO?Consistently solid, with at least several minor errors and a few more serious weaknesses or mistakes.YESAddresses the topic presented adequately.YESUses examples to support a position on the topic.YESShows acceptable organization and development throughout. YESCompetent but not consistent command of language, with several errors in grammar and usage and only slight sentence variation.YESOUR UNIVERSAL SAT ESSAY TEMPLATE CRITERIAYES OR NO?Thesis statement in first sentence of paragraph 1.YESThree examples listed in paragraph 1 in order from best to worst.NOTopic sentence for example in paragraph 2.YES34 development sentences to support paragraph 2s example.YESTopic sentence for example in paragraph 3.NO34 development sentences to support paragraph 3s example.NOTopic sentence for example in paragraph 4.NO34 development sentences to support paragraph 4s example.NOConclusion paragraph contains rephrased thesis statement.YESAbout 15 sentences total.YES学生应该准备的材料：1. Dont forget to bring three sharpened pencils and a watch. I know how dumb that sounds. But I have found myself in situations where I had to write something in a short period of time and lacked those important tools. It was traumatic. During my first SAT test, I couldnt see the clock at the back of the room and heard the proctor call out TIME long before I was done. As for those pencils, I dont think they should be TOO sharp. When mine have too fine a point, they tend to break, and these days a sharp-pointed anything can get you hauled off to the security office, where all your essay-writing preparations will do you no good at all. 2. Dont overthink it. The bleary-eyed SAT reader, probably a high school teacher earning some extra money, will look not for brilliance, but for clarity. If you are one of those very few people who can see at a glance all the implications and subtexts of an essay question, like Voltaire or some of my favorite modern essayists such as Michael Kelly, Malcolm Gladwell or Christopher Hitchens, then swing for the fences. But for those of us who can barely manage one original thought in a decade the best course is to embrace the obvious. I am looking at a sample essay question in the Princeton Reviews 11 Practice Tests for the New SAT and PSAT. It asks if unsuccessful ventures can still have value. The guide offers two examples, the Vietnam war and the Columbia space shuttle disaster, which are fine, but almost too fancy. Dont be afraid to think small. In this case, I might go with a bad grade on a paper that made me work harder in that course, a loss in the Little League championship that taught me how to handle defeat or even that wardrobe disaster at the Junior Prom that helped me see the value of careful inspection of oneself in a mirror before any public event. In fact, I like that last one much better than wars or shuttle explosions. At least one historical or literary example is probably a good idea. It is always good to demonstrate, to a teacher-reader, that you were paying attention in some teachers class. But having a little fun is not so bad. Check tip number 6 below to see why. 3. Use short sentences with active verbs. I am that dorky parent who kept asking his childrens English teachers why they didnt use Strunk and Whites Elements of Style any more. It is my pet peeve, and I dont expect everyone to understand. But Mr. Strunk and Mr. White taught me the power of simplicity. I am often too lazy to adhere to their good advice, but you ought to consider it in this instance. The two readers scoring your essay are likely to be exhausted by the time they get to you. They will be rubbing their eyes and wondering when they can take a dinner break and thinking about giving a 1 (out of a possible 6) to the next essay, no matter how good, that mentions Holden Caulfield. If they find you have blessed them with clear, readable prose in short, easily digestible sentences, they will be grateful. Lets try some out: The United States entered the Mexican War to win territory, not honor. General Grant said later he loathed that war. It created the cynicism that would trouble Lincoln two decades later. See? Its not so hard. But it requires that you take one more step that may be difficult for you: 4. Dont be afraid to cross out bad stuff. I know that you only have 25 minutes to write this piece. It seems wasteful to cross out words already committed to paper. But your readers will applaud any sign that you reread what you wrote, and tried to make it better. It may look messy to you, but to an English teacher it will signify a student trying to get the words just right. 5. Be personal. The guidebooks tend to favor academic examples when making essay points. The essay question will likely suggest you borrow from history or literature or science. But personal experience is also likely to be on the list of suggested sources. I think for at least one of your examples, something that happened to you would be best. The Sparknotes guidebook, The New SAT and PSAT, said writing the essay is like cooking a Big Mac. You have to be consistent. And they are right. You write an introduction making your point, give three examples and then write a conclusion. Thats five paragraphs. If you are sure of your facts on the context of the Magna Carta or the critics of Mendel, and they fit the topic, go for it. But the chance of messing up the details of an example from your schoolwork is much greater than failing to get the facts right on something that happened to you. And even if your personal example is inaccurate, how will the reader know? They are told not to give much weight to small errors in detail or spelling or grammar, but each mistake leaves a scar. Remember they are grading these essays holistically - which essentially means they are using their first impression without any intricate preliminary scoring. If they spend much more than a minute on each essay, they are going to fall behind. 6. Entertain. This is a bit of advice I did not see much in the guidebooks. Dont take it if it scares you. But I think you should have some fun. Give the fried brains of the