【甚解小组】【Task II】 AWintro FROM Coffee

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沙发之上是神马？

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Overview of the Analytical Writing Section

The analytical writing section is a new section of the GRE General Test introduced beginning in October 2002 that testsyour critical thinking and analytical writing skills. It assesses your ability to articulate and support complex ideas, analyze an argument, and sustain a focused and coherent discussion. It does not assess specific content knowledge.
嗯...由此可以看出，ETS对于AW的要求主要在于批判性思维和分析写作的能力（不是写叙事型的作文，更偏向于议论文）。同时呢，不需要任何相关的专业知识，也即是说ETS并不考察题目以外的任何知识，更多的是就事论事，以题目为基础展开论述。

The analytical writing section consists of two separately-timed analytical writing tasks:
• a 45-minute "Present Your Perspective on an Issue" task
• a 30-minute "Analyze an Argument" task

You will be given a choice between two Issue topics. Each states an opinion on an issue of broad interest and asks you to discuss the issue from any perspective(s) you wish, so long as you provide relevant reasons and examples to explain and support your views.
考试的时候issue的题目都是二选一，有很大的自由发挥空间。每一篇issue都是非常开放的，让我们可以选择任意自己喜欢的角度去展开论述，只要我们的理由和论据能够支持我们的观点，即能够自圆其说。
tip: 任意角度，说明issue并没有正确答案，不存在对与错，也没有固定的套路，关键是我们要能够清晰并且充分地表述自己的观点，让readers能够信服。

You will not have a choice of Argumenttopics. The Argument task presents a different challenge from that of the Issuetask: it requires you to critique a given argument by discussing how wellreasoned you find it. You will need to consider the logical soundness of theargument rather than to agree or disagree with the position it presents.
argument 没有选择，给我们神马题目就必须写神马题目，所以将题库所有242道题目过一遍很重要，写不完全文至少要将所有的逻辑进行一番梳理，不能到时候两眼一抹黑，短短30分钟，真的是一摘眼就过去啦~~~~珍贵的题库要好好利用起来。
对于argument的考核形式，我们要对给出的文章从逻辑上进行辩驳，而不是单纯的同意或者不同意。

The two tasks are complementary in that one requires you to construct your own argument by taking a position and providing evidence supporting your views on the issue, whereas the other requires you to critique someone else's argument by assessing its claims and evaluating the evidence it provides.
issue的目的是我们要去立论，给出自己的立场并加以论证，使其具有说服力；argument是要去辩驳别人的立论。

Preparing for the Analytical Writing Section

Everyone—even the most practiced and confident of writers—should spend some time preparing for the analytical writing section before arriving at the test center. It is important to reviewthe skills measured, how the section is scored, scoring guides and score level descriptions, sample topics, scored sample essay responses, and reader commentary.
ETS自己也说了，让我们多花点时间在题目上。即使是最牛的写手，也需要花些时间。可见其题目是很客观的，不需要任何其他特殊知识，只要我们愿意花时间去准备都能够达到标准。

The topics in the analytical writing section relate to a broad range of subjects—from the fine arts and humanities to the social and physical sciences—but no topic requires specific content knowledge. In fact, each topic has been field-tested to ensure that it possesses several important characteristics, including the following:
• GRE test takers, regardless of their field of study orspecial interests, understood the topic and
could easily discuss it.GRE考生，不需要用到任何所学的领域知识，只要懂得话题内容就可以进行简单的论述
• The topic elicited the kinds of complex thinking and persuasive writing that university faculty
consider important for success in graduate school.毕业生需要具备复杂的思考能力和具有说服力的写作能力
• The responses were varied in content and in the way the writers developedtheir ideas.考生可以用任何手法和内容区充实他们的观点

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Test-Taking Strategies for the Analytical Writing Section

It is important to budget your time. Within the 45-minute time limit for the Issue task, you will need to allow sufficient time to choose one of the two topics, think about the issue you've chosen, plan a response, and compose your essay. Within the 30-minute time limit for the Argument task, you will need to allow sufficient time to analyze the argument, plan a critique, and compose your response. Although GRE readers understand the time constraints under which you write and will consider your response a"first draft," you still want it to be the best possible example of your writing that you can produce under the testing circumstances.

Save a few minutes at the end of each timed task to check for obvious errors. Although an occasional spelling or grammatical error will not affect your score, severe and persistent errors willdetract from the overall effectiveness of your writing and thus lower your score.
ETS强调了检查，这是很重要的一点。虽然拼写和语法错误老米们不关注，但是也不能容忍我们出现太多的这类stupid error. 这也就是所谓的印象分，一个连英语拼写和语法都错误百出的人，又怎么会使人相信其文章很有深度呢？

Following the analytical writing section,you will have the opportunity to take a 10-minute break. There is a one-minute break between the other test sections. You might want to replenish your supplyof scratch paper during each scheduled break.

How the Analytical Writing Section is Scored

Each response is holistically scored on a 6-point scale according to the criteria published in the GRE analytical writing scoring guides (see pages 27 and 28). Holistic scoring means that each responseis judged as a whole: readers do not separate the response into component parts and award a certain number of points for a particular criterion or element suchas ideas, organization, sentence structure, or language. Instead, readersassign scores based on the overall quality of the response, considering all ofits characteristics in an integrated way. Excellent organization or poor organization, for example, will be part of the readers' overall impression ofthe response and will therefore contribute to the score, but organization, as a distinct feature, has no specific weight.
很重要的评分板块！俗话说知己知彼百战百胜，知道了老米怎么去评判我们的文章，才能写出更符合老米口味的文章！太功利了~~~不好不好不好.....言归正传，ETS对于AI的评分要求是从整体上出发来进行考评的，并不单独会去看重文章中单一的哪一个论点、结构、句式或者语言之类的东东，这些只是整体评分中的加分项；这么说吧，一篇文章，即使里面有不少灰常灰常出彩的句子，语言也灰常的地道，但是如果整篇文章木有逻辑联系，那么一切都是零。逻辑联系是所有元素的基石，即如果那些东西对我们来说是杯具的话，那么逻辑关系就是承载这些杯具的茶几。
Tip:由总体的评分形式可以看出，老米很讲究文章的整体性，那么，时下流行的背模板，背句子神马的都不是正途，这些后天的东西自然会和自己脑中原汁原味的idea有着种种的不切合，那么势必会破坏文章的流畅性，或许我们看不来，但老米的academic reader肯定会有着种种的不适应，本来我们的语言就有些磕磕绊绊，再去加入强记的东西岂不是自毁长城？内化于自己记忆中，融会贯通的才是最好的。

In general, GRE readers are college anduniversity faculty experienced in teaching courses in which writing andcritical thinking skills are important. All GRE readers have undergone careful training, passed stringent GRE qualifying tests, and demonstrated that they areable to maintain scoring accuracy.
评分人都是专业的，投机取巧是逃不过人家法眼的。

To ensure fairness and objectivity inscoring

• responses are randomly distributed to the readers试卷都是随机分发给评卷人的


• all identifying information about the test takers isconcealed from the readers看不到考生信息


• each response is scored by two readers由两名评卷人对试卷进行评定


• readers do not know what other scores a response may havereceived评分是相互不影响的


• the scoring procedure requires that each response receiveidentical or adjacent scores from two readers; any other score combination isadjudicated by a third GRE reader

The scores given for the two tasks are thenaveraged for a final reported score. The score level descriptions, presented onpage 29, provide information on how to interpret the total score on the analyticalwriting section. The primary emphasis in scoring the analytical writing sectionis on critical thinking and analytical writing skills.
再次强调主要评分点


Your essay responses on the analyticalwriting section will be reviewed by ETS essay-similarity-detection software andby experienced essay readers during the scoring process. In light of the highvalue placed on independent intellectual activity within United States graduateschools and universities, ETS reserves the right to cancel test scores of anytest taker when there is substantial evidence that an essay response includes,but is not limited to, any of the following:

• text that is substantially similar to thatfound in one or more other GRE essay responses;
• quoting or paraphrasing, withoutattribution, language or ideas that appear in published or unpublished sources;
• unacknowledged use of work that has beenproduced through collaboration with others without citation of the contributionof others;
• essays that are submitted as work of theexaminee when the ideas or words have, in fact, been borrowed from elsewhere orprepared by another person.

When one ormore of the above circumstances occurs, your essay text, in ETS’s professionaljudgment, does not reflect the independent, analytical writing skills that thistest seeks to measure. Therefore, ETS must cancel the essay score as invalidand cannot report the GRE General Test scores of which the essay score is anindispensable part.

Test takerswhose scores are cancelled will forfeit their test fees and must pay to takethe entire GRE General Test again at a future administration. No record of thescore cancellations, or the reason for cancellation, will appear on theirfuture score reports sent to colleges and universities.

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嗯，关于两部分的详细要求，全部研读之后再整合发上

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Present Your Perspective on an Issue Task
ability: to think critically about a topic of general interest and to clearly express your thoughts about it in writing
尽管ETS说不严格拼写和语法，但要清楚地表达我们的观点，如果连拼写和语法都错误百出，谈何表达呢？其次，就是ETS还表示所有的主题都是很general的，不会有什么冷门的信息，所有题目都是可以说上两句的，只要愿意去思考，不存在没有花讲的地步。

task: to present a compelling case for your own position on the issue
我们的issue立意要新颖。如何去吸引目光？表达上我们无法和native speakers去比较的，残酷的现实必须要面对滴~~既然形式上我们存在劣势，那么只好在内容上创出新意了。我们要吸引的是评分人员，换位思考下，评分人员每天评判众多考卷，现在主流提倡的是平衡观点，而其中最容易的就是求同存异咯~即比较性和比较性题目双方各有特色，应该并重。每天看上千份同样立场的东东，谁都会抓狂的，如果突然出现一个非主流观点，必然会给人一种耳目一新的感觉吧？Issue并没有对错，有的只是分析的中分性，那么任何见解都可以奉上，只要能自圆其说。即使我们认为平衡观点是对的，其他的都是违背自己立场的，但如果能将我们自己认为不对的立场说的有理有据，不是更能突显我们的分析能力和表达能力么？


为了更清晰的表达，ETS列出了几种认可的表达形式：
1. 完全同意；完全不同意；部分同意
2. 质疑题目的假设
3. 如果你觉得定义和运用一个名词对建立观点起到重要作用，可以去限定它
4. 指出陈述的条件为何在一些场合有效，其他场合无效
5. 评论与你的意见相左的观点
6. 通过相关的例子或拓展展开你的观点

The GRE readers scoring your response are not looking for a "right" answer—in fact, there is no correct position to take. Instead, the readers are evaluating the skill with which you articulate and develop an argument to support your position on the issue.

不在乎对错，只要说的通就是好文章。我们都知道人是猿类进化而来的，但在Issue中可以把人说成是由恐龙或者其他神马进化而来都没问题，只要有理论依据，能前后呼应形成有力佐证。
Tip：ETS强调的很重要的一点就是对范文和评论的理解，尤其是6分和5分的范文，在ETS的标准中这两类是能成功表达立意的文章。从中我们可以很清晰的了解到ETS的口味究竟怎么样。全面对这些文章从结构，语言，展开的程度还有与题目的联系上进行一个分析和了解，势必会使我们心中对ETS认可的文章有一个底子。我觉得1分，2分，3分，4分的文章也应该好好看看，可以帮助我们了解其不足的地方，哪些会是我们放的一些错误，还有值得注意的的地方，高分的文章相比低分的文章要难以理解。其次，范文之后的点评也是重点关注对象，其对原文亮点的分析就是文章的得分点。


Preparing for the Issue Task


在平时练习方面，ETS着重强调：
1. 要充分理解题目的含义，如果不清楚，推荐去和老师，朋友一起讨论讨论
可见闷头瞎写一气并不会有好成果，交流才是王道！


2. Issue的思路要和自己平时的经历以及理论联系起来
可见临时抱佛脚式地去死记硬背例子实不可取的，因为这些例子观点都是要服务于我们的立场的，AW讲求一个逻辑的连贯性，试想这些强记而来的东西又怎么可能短时间内很好的融入脑中呢？不仅可能在考场上因为紧张而遗忘；其次，大家都背了例子，评卷人放眼望去满眼都是牛顿，爱因斯坦也会失去耐心的。别人想看的是不一样的东西，神马是最不一样的呢？无疑就是个人经历中的点点滴滴啦。不仅能够融会贯通，运用自如，而且还是别人无法仿照的。也是对我们阅历的考察吧。经历丰富的人无疑很占优势啊。


3. 再次强调了理论的开放性，可以同意，不同意，部分同意


4. 吸引人的论据
少壮不努力，老大徒伤悲的我们，如何能够拥有丰富多变的论据去搏取评卷人的分呢？只有多联系，将例子融会贯通....虽然个人觉得不是很好。


此外对于文章的理解方面ETS也给出了提示：
1. 精准地找出题目的核心
找关键字。也就是对文章的初步分析，简化提炼，有效理解文章的中心


2. 思考立场，究竟是是何种态度，是什么导致了自己会是这样的立场？
文章初步的框架已经有了


3. 观点是否只在某些方面有效？如果是，为什么？
辩证的调调有啦~


4. 对一些用于支持论点的概念进行适当的解释


5. 寻找合适的理由支持自己的立场


6. 运用现实或者假设的例子来使得论证更充分更生动，新颖的例子也就必然会吸引分数
从以上六个步骤来看，其实ETS已经很好了，手把手地把文章的框架传授了一遍，剩下的部分就是大家八仙过海，各显神通。关键是新意，如何推陈出新。


上述的步骤并不算结束！这只是初步的一个提纲雏形，此时我们的issue就像argument的题目，会有漏洞，接下来就是去推敲如何使得issue完善起来，不能受人以把柄。
1. 思考别人会如何来攻击我们
有点像argument，只不过反驳的是自己的理论


2. 我们怎么样去提出改正意见


考场上如何选择Issue：
1. 吸引人的
我想这是除了critical thinking和free position之外出现频率最高的要求了！一定要吸引人！陈词练掉统统地不要。一切模板都是浮云！


2. 接近自己的经历和专业
每一个人的经历都是与众不同的，对专业的理解也是各有千秋。所以，新意！还是新意！看来ETS很看重individual


3. 容易给出理由和例子支持


Tip：45分钟时间要完成从理解题意到理清顺序再写出全文，时间是很紧张的，所以我们不能再选题目上耗费太多的宝贵时间。个人认为第一点就是勤练习，ETS放出的题库就是给我们联系的，不求写完全部，至少也要将所有的题目混个眼熟，能够有那么一点印象。其次，选题上ETS反反复复强调了新意，看来如何让人耳目一新相当重要。就像正轨学术报告，总是有新的发现才会被刊登，谁会愿意每天看些陈词滥丢的东西呢？但是我们的主题是没法改变的，只能在论证中显现不同的地方。


短短三页的Issue简介，ETS反反复复强调了critical thinking, compelling case, persuasive writing, free position，毫无疑问这些就是ETS给分的重要依据，但这些并不是割裂开的，而是融合在一起的。就像骨架，血，肉，经络等构成一个人一样，只有这些元素融合在一起的时候人才可以活动，任何割裂出的部分都是死物，总不能让骷髅架子在外面晃荡吧....毛骨悚然ing....

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明日争取拿下argument....

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Analyze an Argument Task

ability: to understand, analyze, and evaluate arguments and to clearly convey your analysis in writing
相较于Issue，Argument看似简单了不少，因为Argument有一个明确的目标能够方便我们写作的时候去展开，而Issue有时候却给我们一种摸不着头脑的感觉，不知如何下手。这恐怕就是很多人轻视Argument的原因吧？但是从ETS的要求看，虽然Argument不像Issue那样飘忽不定，但对于理解和表述上要求却比Issue严得多。理解文意，分析文章结构，评价原文观点，清晰地传达自己的分析。那么首先需要我们在阅读上不能存在障碍，Argument不像Issue那样可以free，在一定程度上它还是存在其正误的。不能发现其中的逻辑谬误的话，文章就会很艰难。

task: to discuss the logical soundness of the author's case by critically examining the line of reasoning and the use of evidence
ETS给出清晰的目标告诉我们，要针对原文逻辑链和论据进行辩驳，前期对文章的理解和梳理就灰常重要了。
Tip：多读几遍文章，充分理解文意才动笔。最好take a note ，把文章大致的逻辑顺序写下来，文章的展开。


在研读文章的过程中我们要做到：
1. 找出原文的论据
2. 原文的结论是什么
3. 找出原文中不合理的假设或者推论
4. 有没有隐含的意义
在找出了上述内容之后，接下来就是将这些元素串在一条逻辑链上，整体上考虑该顺序是否能成立。也就是寻找元素与元素之间所隐含的不合理性或者是不充分性。
尤其要注意：however, thus, therefore, evidently, hence, in conclusion, etc. 这些关系词往往就是突破的钥匙。


ETS给出的注意事项：
You are not being asked to discuss whether the statements in the argument are true or accurate; instead, you are being asked whether conclusions and inferences are validly drawn from the statements. You are not being asked to agree or disagree with the position stated; instead, you are being asked to comment on the thinking that underlies the position stated. You are not being asked to express your own views on the subject being discussed (as you were in the Issue task); instead, you are being asked to evaluate the logical soundness of an argument of another writer and, in doing so, to demonstrate the critical thinking, perceptive reading, and analytical writing skills that university faculty consider important for success in graduate school.

1. 不讨论文章的真实性和准确性，看重的是原文所陈述的对于推断结论是否有效
2. 不需要去赞同或者反对原文结论，目的是评价原文立场的充分性
3. 不需要针对题目发表自己的意见，只要验证原文的逻辑关系是否完整
Tip: 对于argument的写作要求是很客观的就事论事，不需要带入任何的外界背景，所有信息都是从给定的文章中进行提取，归纳。隔绝了事实背景，那么文章就会存在很多的隐含的限制，对这些隐含的限制我们要有灵敏的嗅觉，很可能觉得了一篇文章的成败。


Preparing for the Argument Task


尽管在论证中不要求我们具备特殊的分析手段和专业术语，但也必须要熟悉论证的基本方向：
• alternative explanation—a possible competing version of what might have caused the events in question; an alternative explanation undercuts or qualifies the original explanation because it too can account for the observed facts

• analysis—the process of breaking something (e.g., an argument) down into its component parts in order to understand how they work together to make up the whole; also a presentation, usually in writing, of the results of this process

• argument—a claim or a set of claims with reasons and evidence offered as support; a line of reasoning meant to demonstrate the truth or falsehood of something

• assumption—a belief, often unstated or unexamined, that someone must hold in order to maintain a particular position; something that is taken for granted but that must be true in order for the conclusion to be true

• conclusion—the end point reached by a line of reasoning, valid if the reasoning is sound; the resulting assertion

• counterexample—an example, real or hypothetical, that refutes or disproves a statement in the argument


具体的练习建议和Issue一样，同样是对已发布的题目进行练习，方法可以按个人喜好自行决定。具体建议如下：
1. 多读几遍题目
2. 尽可能多地对文中的陈述，结论和假设进行验证
3. 尽可能多地想出其他合理解释或者是反例
4. 多想想其他一些能够削弱或者增强原文支持度的证据
5. 问问自己怎样改变，可以使得文章论据更具说服力



嗯嗯...总体上argument和issue在要求上具有很多的重合点，就不多加赘述啦~argument最重要的一点就是客观性，不夹杂任何主观臆断，以给定条件为根据，练习事实对文章进行辩驳。其次，文章隐含的限定条件灰常关键，不可忽略。
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祝大家新年快乐~~~O(∩_∩)O哈哈~

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写于 Feb 2nd.

周九UID: 2769406

人工置顶，重读ing