SAT写作官方样题考生范文：Why Literature Matters（6）
- 2017年04月26日14:02 来源：小站教育作者：小站SAT编辑
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Sample 6 Scores: 3/3/4
Stepping outside, a person in the United States can instantly see how prevalent a role technology has in our lives. From the smart phones that connect people globally trough a few touches on the screen, to the airplanes roaring across the sky, the astounding capabilities and convenience that technology offers is unmatched. In “Why literature matters”, an article from the New York Times Corporation by Dana Gioia, Gioia explores how living in the high-tech 21st century has unfortunately deteriorated the percentage of Americans who read literature. Gioia is able to sway his audience to devote more time to the simple task of reading works of intellectual value through fearful diction and compelling consequences associated with being illiterate.
Through his article, Gioia implements fearful diction to express his concern that America’s future is in the hands of those who are less informed and comprehending of situations; economic and social. By labeling the diminished percentage of those who read as “worrisome” and “troubling” Gioia is able to convey the negativity of the lack of literacy. Upon reading the article, and mulling over how Gioia feels about America’s current reading levels, a reader is inclined to acknowledge that illiteracy is detrimental to American society and something that needs to be repaired; the point Gioia was trying to impose.
Also in the article, Gioia reveals to the audience the consequences of this trend. By exposing the domino effect of illiteracy into other large aspects of American society such as electing leaders, and the business world, Gioia succeeds in alarming the audience to the seriousness of the issue and instilling a sense of urgency to mend the problem. Although the facts alone are eye-opening to any reader, by backing the facts up with big name organizations like “The National Association of Manufacturers” and the “National Conference of State Legislatures”, Gioia is able to cement his argument and therefore be more empowered in persuading his audience on the importance of reading.
Lastly, Gioia’s target audience plays a major role in achieving the goal to propel his argument into a plan of action. Writing for the New York Times, Gioia can likely expect his audience to be educated and even have some influence in American society. By appealing his argument to people who are in control of others who are a part of the illiterate population, Gioia can put faith into the hope that his audience will make the problem he presented a solution. An example of this would be if a school board official were to read his article, and then decided the matter to be so pressing that he/she took the necessary actions to propose rules for his/her respective school district. Due to the profound impact Gioia’s article can have on a large quality of Americans, his argument is strengthened exponentially.
Ultimately, Gioia is able to relay a strong and persuasive argument regarding the decline of Americans reading and why it needs to be fixed through concerned word choice, compelling consequences, and masterfully writing to inspire a specific audience.
This paper scored a 3/3/4.
Reading—3: This response demonstrates effective comprehension of the source text in terms of both the central ideas and important details in Gioia’s piece. The writer accurately paraphrases the main idea of Gioia’s text (living in the high-tech 21stcentury has unfortunately deteriorated the percentage of Americans who read literature). The writer also includes important details from the text that illustrate an effective comprehension of the passage, such as when the writer summarizes the consequences of the decrease in reading on American society (the domino effect of illiteracy into other large aspects of American society such as electing leaders, and the business world). The response is free from errors of fact and interpretation, and the writer’s ability to paraphrase accurately the main ideas and supporting details of Gioia’s piece indicate proficient reading comprehension.
Analysis—3: The response offers an effective analysis of the source text, demonstrating a proficient understanding of the analytical task. In the second body paragraph, for example, the writer effectively analyzes Gioia’s use of what the writer callsfearful diction, coming to the conclusion that Upon reading the article, and mulling over how Gioia feels about America’s current reading levels, a reader is inclined to acknowledge that illiteracy is detrimental to American society and something that needs to be repaired. The writer is thus able to articulate the effect of Gioia’s diction on his audience, signaling an understanding of the analytical task. This effective analysis continues when the writer discusses Gioia’s use of eye-openingfacts about the consequences of the decline in reading and when the writer suggests the potential effect of Gioia’s argument on his target audience via a hypothetical scenario (By appealing his argument to people who are in control of others...Gioia can put faith into the hope that his audience will make the problem he presented a solution. An example of this would be if a school board official were to read his article, and thentook the necessary actions). Although providing this scenario indicates strong analytical skill on the part of the writer, the discussion is elaborated only enough to demonstrate proficiency and does not demonstrate the thoroughness and insightfulness expected at the advanced level.
Writing—4: This response is cohesive and demonstrates highly effective use and control of language. The writer presents a generally skillful introduction, opening with a brief narrative about the pervasiveness of technology in twenty-first-century life before summarizing the passage and then providing a thoughtful central claim: Gioia is able to sway his audience to devote more time to the simple task of reading works of intellectual value through fearful diction and compelling consequences associated with being illiterate. The writer demonstrates precise, original word choice and phrases throughout the response (astounding capabilities, the domino effect, mulling over, instilling a sense of urgency, strengthened exponentially). The body paragraphs are each tightly focused and are deliberately structured to advance the writer’s analysis of Gioia’s use of diction,consequences, and audience. The response maintains a formal style and objective tone, contains clear transitions (also, lastly,ultimately) to guide the reader, and ends with a concise and precise summary conclusion (Ultimately, Gioia is able to relay a strong and persuasive argument regarding the decline of Americans reading and why it needs to be fixed through concerned word choice, compelling consequences, and masterfully writing to inspire a specific audience). Overall, this response demonstrates advanced writing.
