AW备考心得及ETS电子评分器解析
AW备考心得及ETS电子评分器解析终于考完AW了啊(2.8,川大),哈哈哈……
应广大朋友要求,特意把自己的备考过程及心得详细写出,同时把我所知道的关于ETS电子评分器的信息也公之于众,供大家参考。当然现在分数还没有出来,一切都是凭空而论哈。
1.
我的备考过程
1.1
参考资料:GRE作文高分速成(issue及argument两本,附带有官方范文)、ETS寄来的practice book、北美范文、GRE作文5.5(issue及argument两本)
1.2
准备过程
我作文准备的周期比较长,大约3各月了,中间间断过一点,不过平均下来大约每天准备了3-4个小时。前期一直在准备argument,将近一个月后才开始准备issue。
1.2.1
Argument
花了几天时间把高分速成看了一遍,基本熟悉了一下argument,然后写了一个自己的模板。所有题目我都写了一遍提纲,之后每天都坚持看直到考试,前前后后一共过了四五遍吧。在开始准备issue的时候开始写全文,最开始的时候写了几篇没有计时的,然后一直都在AWP上面计时模考。一共写了34篇全文。
1.2.2
Issue
准备的比argument晚一个月左右,先把所有题目浏览了一遍,分了个类。然后根据机经制订了写作计划,前30写全文,后面的根据题材选取了前30没涉及或者涉及得少的题目,大概十道左右吧,也写全文。剩下的根据频率从高到低写了七八十篇提纲,还包括一些我觉得有点难的。先把所有(包括我准备写全文的题目)要写的提纲写了一遍,同时积累了一下词句表达和例子,然后开始写全文。最开始还是没有计时,写了三四篇后开始AWP模考。一共写了41篇全文。
1.2.3
日程
DateMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday11.30-12.06Argument 1 Argument 17 Argument 15012.07-12.13Argument 154Issue 184 Argument 160Issue 195 Argument 16512.14-12.20Argument 174Issue 51 Issue 70Argument 176 Issue 212Argument 17912.21-12.27Issue 103Argument 186 Issue 218ArgumentIssue 8 Issue 138Argument12.28-01.03ArgumentIssue 7 ArgumentIssue 153 Issue 99Argument01.04-01.10Issue 120Argument Issue 180ArgumentIssue 38 Issue 116Argument01.11-01.17Issue 221Issue 131ArgumentIssue 207Issue 56ArgumentIssue 73Issue 88ArgumentIssue 5001.18-01.24Issue 136ArgumentIssue 40ArgumentIssue 17ArgumentIssue 161ArgumentIssue 11ArgumentIssue 48ArgumentIssue 144Argument01.25-01.31Issue 147ArgumentIssue 43ArgumentIssue 28ArgumentIssue 69ArgumentIssue 130ArgumentIssue 208ArgumentIssue 203Argument02.01-02.07IssueArgumentIssueArgumentIssueArgumentIssueArgumentIssueArgumentIssueArgumentIssueArgument大体上我是坚持按这个进度复习的,但是中间因为乱七八糟的事情耽误了一点。
1.3
心得体会
1.3.1
尽早开始写全文,尤其是issue,不要怕自己写的不好;
1.3.2
自己要积累较好的词句,同时要把拼写易错词记下来,每天复习;
1.3.3
官方范文我看了好几篇,但感觉没有看透。大家可以在网上找一些对官方范文分析的帖子看看;
1.3.4
作文指导书意义不是很大,帮助入门而已。我的北美范围和两本5.5都是别人送的,自己就简单的翻了一下,加起来看了不到3个小时。各种指导书用的人太多,完全照书上的思路来很容易落入窠臼,失去自己的风格。反倒是ETS寄来的practice book我觉得很有用,翻来覆去看了好多次,感觉很有帮助;
1.3.5
我没有参加作文评分小组,写过的作文只修改了拼写和语法错误,以及一些比较明显的错误。不过我让在加拿大的亲戚帮我找了几个native speaker简单的修改了一下,同时每篇作文都重新思考过怎么写更好;
1.3.6
考前几天要花时间把写过的作文全部看一遍,这样考场上碰到写过的感觉会更爽;提前把作息时间调整好;
1.3.7
例子不用准备太多,几个就足够了。那些爱迪生爱因斯坦之类的最好别用。我准备的例子一共不到十个(括号里是用于论证的角度),但是很好用:
1.3.7.1
个人的科研经历(理论与实践、挑战权威)
1.3.7.2
瓦格纳与乐剧(艺术与政治、挑战传统、个人奋斗、英雄的完美性、创新、同代人的评价、理想与现实、艺术的价值)
1.3.7.3
沃森和克里克与DNA双螺旋(挑战权威、吸取历史教训、合作、吸取他人长处)
1.3.7.4
青霉素-核电站与核武器-杀虫剂-现代通讯与交通工具(科技的利弊、学习历史教训)
1.3.7.5
基因技术(科技利弊、长远问题、伦理道德、科技发展)
1.3.7.6
阿波罗计划-人类基因组计划(合作、理想与现实)
1.3.7.7
“寂静的春天”-京都议定书(环境保护、长远问题)
1.3.8
我之前的作文水平不高,6级作文53分,雅思作文6分,因此对作文还是有一定心理阴影。但我综合水平不错,语感很好(6级593,考研英语84,雅思7.5),感觉在准备GRE作文的过程中得到了很大提高。 2. 关于TS电子评分器
由于自己的作文基本没有找别人改,自己心里面没底,所以在考前1星期的时候花了13美元在ETS的官方网站上做了一次模考。
https://www.dxrgroup.com/cgi-bin/DxR_GRE/index.pl
感觉这个钱花的很值,因为模考不仅给了我信心,同时给我提供了很多有意义的信息。在这里我把自己的模考作文和ETS电子评分器的反馈发出来跟大家共享。
2.1 issue模考原文
Topic:
Present your perspective on the issue below, using relevant reasons and/or examples to support your views.
"It is important for higher education to challenge established traditions and values."
Your Answer (Score: 5)
We are all granted supreme talent and the ultimate goal of self-improvement is to reach our full potential and make best use of our talent. To achieve this, we have paid much attention to education, especially to higher education.
This a controversial issue. In our education experience we emphasize our intellectual achievements. That is, we spare no effort to absorb and digest as much concrete knowledge as possible. A pursuit in intellect is nothing wrong. But educators should not simply pour truths and untruths into the minds of students. Students should also be taught how to develop interpersonal skills, how to collaborate with others, how to build self-confidence, how to stand up and draw lessons from failures, and the most important, how to think critically and independently.
In modern times we find this world filled with conflicts almost in all aspects. A person who fails to think independently and critically can hardly get on well in the society. There are established traditions and values. Most people just accept and adhere to them passively. Few have courage and confidence to challenge them. Human beings have created unprecedented material civilization but fall ragged in spirit. If we just follow exactly the same traditions as our forefathers did, dare we say that we have made much progress? I am afraid not.
Admittedly, modern trditions and values are established through the long history of human beings. They have their merits since they have laid the moral and ethic foundations of the society. But a close and thorough examination reveals that in all times of human history, there were conflicts between established traditions and new ideas. Just think of abortion. One century ago it was generally considered as ignoble and immoral. But in modern society an increasing number of people do not think so, although it is still controversial. Actually conflicts between establish values and new ideas come into being as a result of the improvement in material civilization and the lagged intellectual civilization. To settle these conflicts, the best way is to resort to education.
The true value of higher education lies in that it equip people professional skills and indispensable courage and confidence to challege traditions and values. Thus people can make their own choice. Take my personal experience as an example. When I was a university student, I was specialized in biology. In the class of genetics my teacher always talked about genetic technology. The most impressive thing was that once he raised such a question (and I paraphrase) :" Do you think the development and application of genetic technology conflict with human morality?" We had discussed about this for a whole class, and finally almost all of us agreed that although it was difficult to predict the consequences of genetic technology, it seemed that the benefits outweighed the costs. And so long as we could make rational use of this magic power, we could benefit much from it and avoid trouble. But restrictions on some areas, such as human cloning, should be established. Our idea conflicted with the established value that it is wrong to develop and make use of genetic technology, but we all believed that we were right.
This experience has convinced me that students as colleges or univesities should be encouraged to challenge established traditions and values. Although individual activities cannot lead to much change in the tradition, the joint efforts and combined result is conspicuous.
2.2 argument模考原文
Topic:
Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument.
Six months ago the region of Forestville increased the speed limit for vehicles traveling on the region's highways by ten miles per hour. Since that change took effect, the number of automobile accidents in that region has increased by 15 percent. But the speed limit in Elmsford, a region neighboring Forestville, remained unchanged, and automobile accidents declined slightly during the same six-month period. Therefore, if the citizens of Forestville want to reduce the number of automobile accidents on the region's highways, they should campaign to reduce Forestville's speed limit to what it was before the increase.
Your Answer (Score: 5)
I find this argument problematic. The author has committed several serious fallacies in reasoning and his/her recommendation is unwarranted.
To begin with, the author fails to make a distinction between accidents in the region and those on the highways. He/She just mentions that the number of automobile accidents in the region of Forestville has increased 15 percent but does not tell us whether the number of accidents on the highways increased. Thus it is entirely possible that there were the same number of accidents on the highways but accidents happened in other regions of Forestville rocketed dramatically. Consequently the author should not conclude that the increased number of accidents is a result of the change in speed limit.
Even if we accept that the number of accidents on the highways of Forestville did increase, the author still fails to convince us that the increase could be exclusively attributed to the change in speed limit. There are many other factors that can result in more accidents. For example, it is possible that after the change took effect, the highways in Forestville have been much more heavily used than ever before and it is therefore not strange that the number of accidents increased. It is also possible that the increase of accidents is due to some changes in climate. Without ruling out these possibilities the author could not draw a sound conclusion.
In addition, the analogy drawn between Forestville and Elmsford cannot give strong support to the author's conclusion that it is the different speed limits on highways that give birth to different accident numbers. There is no information concerning the similarities and differences between these two regions. It is not impossible that these two region vary dramatically in climate and terrain. It is common sense that climate and terrain are closely related with accidents. Thus the analogy drawn between Forestville and Elmsford is unconvincing.
Last but not least, six months may not be long enough to guarantee the reliability of the statistics cited by the author. Maybe drivers need a longer period of time to get accustomed to the change in speed limit on highways. Maybe most car accidents occurred in winter and the six months used for statistics happened to include winter. Thus the statistics cited by the author are not so cogent. Perhaps the author could find the accident number on the highways of Forestville remains steady or even falls throughout a longer period of time.
In conclusion, the author's viewpoint, though seemingly well-supported, is not persuasive as it stands. To strengthen the argument, the author should prove that it is the increased speed limit that caused the increased accident number with more concrete and specific evidences.
2.3 关于模考的总结
机器评分器的评分标准主要包扩了五个方面:
1. Grammar:
1.1 Fragments 句子要结构完整
1.2 Run-on sentence 句子要有适当的停顿和连词,或者拆成几个句子
1.3 Proofread this 拼写或者其它错误造成句子歧义
1.4 Subject-verb agreement 主谓一致
2. Usage
2.1 Preposition error 介词错误
2.2 Confused words 引起歧义的词
2.3 Missing or extra article 缺少或者多余的冠词
3. Mechanics
3.1 Spelling 拼写错误
4. Style
4.1 Too many sentences beginning with coord. conj. 以and、but、or开头的句子适当和上一句合并
4.2 Too many short sentences 短句太多
4.3 Repetition of words 同义词替换
5. Organization and development
5.1 Thesis statement 第一段阐明全文主题,暗示全文结构
5.2 Main ideas 每段第一句总起该段,围绕主题
5.3 Supporting ideas 全段围绕主题句展开
5.4 Transitional words and phrases 适当的过渡词
5.5 Conclusion 结尾段要点题深化
5.6 Introductory material 介绍背景与话题(开头)
以上要点是电子评分器给我的反馈内容的分类汇总。可以看出其实电子评分器主要还是关注文章的谋篇布局及语法、拼写的。我估计启用电子评分器后阅卷人和机器应该分别着重于思想和表达两方面。说实话我模考的两篇作文应该没达到5分的水平,但在表达上没有明显的大问题,所以被评分器判了5分。
值得一提的是,两篇文章评分器都统计分析了下列项目:Word Count • Sentence Count • Words per Sentence • Unique Words。其中尤为显眼的是Unique Words一项。这似乎暗示ETS还是有一个高等词汇的pool,而我们写作的时候还是应该适当注意用漂亮的词汇。有Word count一项则表明文章还是需要一定的长度。 3. 我的考场作文
很幸运,我抽到的两篇issue中一篇是不久前才写过的,是政府应该更关注当前问题还是未来可能出现的问题(No。56)。另一篇issue我瞄了一眼,感觉很难写,没多想就选政府那道题了,后来题目忘了……argument是蝾螈卵被紫外线伤害的那道,不难,应该能得4分或者5分。
Issue我写的很顺利,整体文章思路和结构与之前联系的时候差不多,不过感觉考试的时候写的更好,文章层次也更鲜明,我还是比较有信心冲5分。
附上我练习时写的issue:
题目:ISSUE56 - "Governments should focus more on solving the immediate problems of today rather than trying to solve the anticipated problems of the future."
字数:628 用时:00:45:00 日期:2010-1-21 11:29:31
I agree that some immediate problems should be concentrated on and solved as soon as possible. The anticipated problems of the future, however, should be paid as much - if not more - attention to as current problems did.
It is reasonable to argue that many existing problems should be settled in a short time with the joint efforts of both governments and individuals. These problems, such as famine and disease, may threaten the stability of a society. Governments of all nations, states and regions at both national and local levels should therefore spare no effort to solve these immediate problems. The reason is obvious. Without stability, a society can hardly survive and thrive. If a government fails to satisfy the current needs of its people and fails to settle urgent social problems, it is dooms to failure and the society's future is gloomy. A perfect example concerns with the Soviet Union. Its government focused on the development of industry and military equipment but did not pay attention to immediate problems such as the shortage of food and other material needs of its people. Finally the Soviet Union got bankrupted and became the loser in its competition with America and other western countries. It it therefore of extreme significance for governments to focus on immediate problems of today.
Concentrating on existing problems may ensure the survival of a society at current time, but this alone cannot guarantee the thrive of the society in the long run. If governments fail to take into account potential problems that may arise in the future and fail to take necessary steps to prevent them, then when these problems finally come true, it is quite possible that it is a bit late to solve these problems. We do not have to go back very far to see this. Just think of the environmental problems of today. Air and water pollution, depletion of ozone layer, deforestation and desertification, as well as the extinction of a overwhelming number of species are all the children of the ignorance and indifference of governments several decades ago. When Carson's "Silent Spring" got published, this book aroused much public response to environmental problems and protection. But just like many other governments in the world, the Whitehouse just sit back and did little for help. As environment deteriorates, the whole world began to recognize the seriousness of environment problems and turned to international collaboration and cooperation in the hope of solving these problems. Unfortunately almost all current strategies fail to make a significant different because the best time for settling environmental problems has already passed. Is not this a perfect case to demonstrate that government should also keep an eye on the anticipated problems of the future?
Fortunately, governments seem to have drawn lessons from this experience. Nowadays one of the most controversial issues is the genetic technology. With this magic power people may settle various social problems - such as famine and disease. But governments all over the world are not too optimistic and people do not run into raptures at the mere mention of genetic technology. They have already stopped to think the potential negative impacts that genetic technology may bring to us in the future. Are we making another Frankenstein? Have we opened another Pandora's Box? Is genetic technology another sword of Damocles? All these questions have been taken into consideration by many governments and a number of regulations on the development and application of genetic technology have been worked out. And I just feel glad that we have learnt from our past that anticipated problems of the future should also be cared about.
In conclusion, governments should cast an eye on the immediate problems of today and keep another eye on potential problems of the future. 很宝贵的分析资料 谢谢分享
期待楼主考后的信息分享 很珍贵的资料 嗯,确实很珍贵,谢楼主分享。 LZ好牛啊~
话说为啥我一直没有收到ETS寄的材料呢。。 谢谢分享。 学习了!机器评分标准 lz RP好得高分啊~ 谢谢分享! 感谢分享 {:3_57:}很有用啊! Mark!这种东西一定要留着看 学习。
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