218 Appendix XI

Strategy #2

a) Read each question quickly.

b) Read the entire passage carefully.

c) Reread each question and scan back for the answer.

Test of written English (twe)

Since 1986 the TOEFL examination has included a writing test — a thirty-minute essay. The examinees are asked to write on a specific topic (express or support an opinion, defend a point of view, or interpret information presented in a chart or graph).

A good essay is

— well-organized and well-developed;

— effectively addresses the writing task;

— uses appropriate examples and details to support and/or illustrate ideas;

— demonstrates syntactic variety, range of vocabulary, appropriate word choice;

— shows unity and progression.

Tips on twe

An essay has three parts:

1. An introduction (where the main idea is stated).

2. Body paragraph(s) (made up of topic sentence and supporting sentences).

3. Conclusion (restatement of the main idea, writer's opinion/viewpoint on the topic).

Body	Introduction Topic sentence Supporting sentence 1 Supporting sentence 2 Conclusion

The number of paragraphs depends on the number of points you want to discuss.

Outlining is a way of organizing your thoughts before you write. There are several steps that precede the outlining

1) brainstorming (writing down as many ideas and details as possible);

2) grouping the ideas.

Make use of transitions (logical connectors). You may begin the essay with such phrases as:

Many people think that ... (but others believe that ... ) It goes without saying that ... X is important because ...

USE

one the one hand ... on the other hand ...

First ... second ... third ...

for instance ...

in addition ...

also ...

moreover ...

likewise ... /similarly ...

(yet) conversely/by turns

despite/ in spite of

In my opinion ...

Personally, I think that ...

NOTE

The clause marker therefore occurs after a Semicolon (;) or period (•), NOT a comma (,)

Appendix XI 219

Sample essay

The key to protecting the environment is action. We all must work together to make the environment as clean and healthy as possible. Give specific reasons why.

Environmentalists say that protecting the health of our planet will help us all. However, it is realty hard to change our lives enough to prevent global pollution. The biggest- trouble, for example, with most air pollutants is that they are invisible. That makes it difficult to see 'how dangerous they are.

Consider such dangerous pollutant as carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide comes from things we do every day like driving cars. A gallon of gasoline weight eight founds. If you burn it in the engine of a car it releases more than five founds of carbon in the form of carbon dioxide. Even our gas stoves give off carbon dioxide.

New kinds of cars and furnaces that run on solar power or wind power or some other kind of renewable energy will help conserve scarce fuel and reduce the amount of pollutants being released into our air, land, and water. But while we an waiting for those kiwis of things to come along, we need to use less gas, oil and coal It’s true that we probably can’t give up cars altogether — hut we can use them less. People could walk and bike many more places than they do now. At least, they could drive small cars that use less gas.

Now тапy people are fighting for the environment, but despite the work of many people, each year the health of our earth get worse. Unless we are willing to work on saving the environment, it will probably keep getting worse. But if we choose to care about our planet, we could leave the world greener than we found it