2016年3月26日
Topic 议题whether
Thesis 总论点
Reading：The whitehead’s test flight did not succeed.
Listening：The messages mentioned in the reading are misleading.
Sub-point1
分论点1
Reading：The report about that flight test was not convincing for it only had some draft drawings, without any correspondent photos.
Listening：The reason why the report had no photo lied in two aspects. First, the photography technology at that time was not as advanced as it is now. As the imaging techniques was not good, the quality of the photos was low. In addition, when the experiment was conducted, it was cloudy; in such condition to capture the image of a flying plane was too difficult.
Sub-point2
分论点2
Reading：The design of Whitehead’s plane that only had one wing was not logical, for the plane usually had two or three wings at that time.
Listening：In the recent, some researchers have made a copy of Whitehead’s plane based on his design diagram. They tested the copy planes four times, and each of them was successful.
Sub-point 3
分论点3
Reading：Whitehead had produced many engines and sold them to several aircraft builders, but in fact none of those engines used in the planes had ever succeeded, illustrating that Whitehead had not successfully tested his plane.
Listening：The problem that those engines did not work could not be blamed to Whitehead. It was because the technology was not so developed at that time and aircraft builders knew little about designing planes. The fact that there were people buying Whitehead’s engines actually proved that his design had no problem.
Sample answer:
The reading puts forward three reasons to illustrate the bad effects brought by those prairie dogs. However, the professor refutes these three strongly.
Firstly, the listening argues that the reason why the report had no photo but only draft drawings lied in two aspects. First, the photography technology at that time was not as advanced as it is now. As the imaging techniques was not good, the quality of the photos was low. In addition, when the experiment was conducted, it was cloudy; in such condition to capture the image of a flying plane was too difficult.
Secondly, the reading claims the design of Whitehead’s plane that only had one wing was not logical, for the plane usually had two or three wings at that time. However, the professor disagrees. In the recent, some researchers have made a copy of Whitehead’s plane based on his design diagram. They tested the copy planes four times, and each of them was successful.
Finally, the reading suggests that Whitehead had produced many engines and sold them to several aircraft builders, but in fact none of those engines used in planes had ever succeeded, illustrating that Whitehead had not successfully tested his plane. But the professor argues the problem that those engines did not work could not be blamed to Whitehead. It was because the technology was not so developed at that time and aircraft builders knew little about designing planes. The fact that there were people buying Whitehead’s engines actually proved that his design had no problem.
托福独立写作：
作文题目：
It is often not a good thing for people to move to a new town or a new country because they will lose their friends.
题型类别:利弊类
题材类别：二选一
相关旧题：2014.09.21
写作思路：
“搬到新的城镇或国家不是一个好主意，因为人们会失去朋友。”这个题目其实很好入手，只要结合自己的实际情况想想就可以。试想自己有没有搬过家，为什么搬家，到底有没有失去过好朋友，文章的论点可以很自然的出来。我们总会因为为了更好的教育和工作等，或者为了伴侣等而搬家，我们在做决定的时候总是结合多个因素权衡取舍的。其次，我们会发现我们并不会因为搬家而失去朋友，因为现在沟通交流很方便。上面就是两个理由，第三段可以写个让让步段。
写作指导：
首先，人生不应该害怕失去而不去做改变。人们要搬到另一个城市肯定是有理由的，如为了更好的工作、更和家庭等。人生不只是有友情，还有亲情爱情，自己的人生道路等。所以要权衡后得失weigh the pros and cons carefully，懂取舍。这就像我们不能为了不想离开自己的朋友，放弃上上一个比本地大学好得很多的学校。
再者，搬到另一个城市并不一定会失去以前的朋友，因为科技的介入intervention使人有更多途径沟通 means of communication。现代社会的发展给人们带来很多便利。一方面，通讯工具的发展可以让我们打破空间的障碍obstacle，从最基本的手机和邮件到高科技的软件如微信，Skype等，都让朋友间可以随时随地地联络感情;另一方面，便利快捷的交通打破了时间的障碍，坐高铁和飞机去与朋友面对面所花费的时间其实都和同个城市里的朋友汇合花的时间差不多。
让步：诚然，我们会可能会失去一些朋友，但我认为失去的也是一些泛泛之交 tangentially related。如果是真的意气相投 congenial、真的深交的朋友，并不会因为空间上的分隔而疏远estrangement/alienation。
词汇拓展：
weigh the pros and cons carefully 权衡后得失
intervention介入
means of communication使人有更多途径沟通
obstacle障碍
tangentially related泛泛之交
congenial 意气相投
estrangement/alienation 疏远
