1、托福（写作）历年真题试卷汇编 4及答案与解析 Writing Based on Knowledge and Experience 1 Writing Based on Knowledge and Experience Directions: For this task, you will write an essay in response to a question that asks you to state, explain, and support your opinion on an issue. Typically, an effective essay will contain
2、a minimum of 300 words. Your essay will be judged on the quality of your writing. This includes the development of your ideas, the organization of your essay, and the quality and accuracy of the language you use to express your ideas. You have 30 minutes to plan and complete your essay. Write your e
3、ssay in the space provided. Question Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People now are more interested in politics than those in the past. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. 2 Writing Based on Knowledge and Experience Directions: For this task, you will wri
4、te an essay in response to a question that asks you to state, explain, and support your opinion on an issue. Typically, an effective essay will contain a minimum of 300 words. Your essay will be judged on the quality of your writing. This includes the development of your ideas, the organization of y
5、our essay, and the quality and accuracy of the language you use to express your ideas. You have 30 minutes to plan and complete your essay. Write your essay in the space provided. Question Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Young people now are more willing to help others than th
6、ose in the past. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Writing Based on Reading and Listening 3 Writing Based on Reading and Listening Directions: For this task, you will read a passage about an academic topic and you will listen to a lecture about the same topic. You may take no
7、tes while you read and listen. Then you will write a response to a question that asks you about the relationship between the lecture you heard and the reading passage. Try to answer the question as completely as possible using information from the reading passage and the lecture. The question does n
8、ot ask you to express your personal opinion. You may refer to the reading passage again when you write. You may use your notes to help you answer the question. Typically, an effective response will be 150 to 225 words. Your response will be judged on the quality of your writing and on the completene
9、ss and accuracy of the content. You should allow 3 minutes to read the passage. Then listen to the lecture. Then allow 20 minutes to plan and write your response. Write your response in the space provided. Reading You will have 3 minutes to read the passage. Pterosaurs were flying reptiles of the or
10、der Pterosauria. They existed from the late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous Period. Pterosaurs are often referred to as flying dinosaurs by the popular media and general public, but this is incorrect. The reasons are as follow: First, pterosaurs are known to be among the earliest vertebrates,
11、meaning they must be classified as reptiles. After studying their anatomy, scientists have discovered that, like snakes, pterosaurs also belonged to the cold-blooded animal family, and we have never seen any coldblooded airborne animals in nature before. Second, unlike the light bones of birds, the
12、pterosaurs bones were heavy. Based on the fossils collected already, we can see that the size of the pterosaur was in no way small, which suggests a much greater weight. Therefore, though they may possess large wings, pterosaurs could never have flown in the air due to their heaviness. Third, Japane
13、se scientist Katsufumi Sato did calculations using modern birds and decided that it was impossible for a pterosaur to stay aloft. Bearing a similar constitution to that of birds, pterosaurs should have been able to fly into the air with the help of their strong and powerful hind legs. However, the f
14、ossils discovered suggest that the muscles of this animals hind legs were quite underdeveloped. Then you will hear: Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about. Lecture Question Summarize the points made in the lecture you just heard, explaining how they cast doubt on points mad
15、e in the reading passage. 4 Writing Based on Reading and Listening Directions: For this task, you will read a passage about an academic topic and you will listen to a lecture about the same topic. You may take notes while you read and listen. Then you will write a response to a question that asks yo
16、u about the relationship between the lecture you heard and the reading passage. Try to answer the question as completely as possible using information from the reading passage and the lecture. The question does not ask you to express your personal opinion. You may refer to the reading passage again
17、when you write. You may use your notes to help you answer the question. Typically, an effective response will be 150 to 225 words. Your response will be judged on the quality of your writing and on the completeness and accuracy of the content. You should allow 3 minutes to read the passage. Then lis
18、ten to the lecture. Then allow 20 minutes to plan and write your response. Write your response in the space provided. Reading You will have 3 minutes to read the passage. The American burying beetle is one of natures most efficient scavengers, breaking down dead animals and recycling their nutrients
19、 back into the environment. However, recently, their numbers have been on the decline, which can be explained by the following three reasons: insecticide use, depleted habitats, and unfit species for long-term survival. Firstly, burying beetle populations have been adversely affected by the increase
20、d use of pesticides in modern farming. One of the biggest challenges farmers have ever faced is the ever-present menace of parasites that, like an unwelcome guest, live on their hosts, the farmers crops. By sucking nutrition from the plant, the parasites will cause it to shrivel, rot, and eventually
21、 die. Insecticides were created to combat these kinds of pests, and with them in tow, farmers finally have the ability to eradicate all kinds of troublesome insects, which of course includes the burying beetle. Secondly, burying beetles have fewer and fewer natural habitats left to sustain them. We
22、are living in a world suffering from a population explosion. With the development of modern medical technology, peoples life spans have been lengthened and the birth rate of babies is high. To cope with this increase in global population, authorities have to make much more room available as living s
23、pace for the extra people, often by clearing more farmlands and forests, which are actually already the home of many creatures. It is due to land development that the burying beetles habitat is destroyed; therefore, with this increased land development, the burying beetle populations are likewise be
24、ing destroyed. Thirdly, according to Darwins theory of survival of the fittest, only the strongest creatures are capable of surviving on this planet. It is quite possible that due to unfavorable conditions for the burying beetle and increased competition from other species, it cannot find enough foo
25、d, and is therefore slowly inching towards extinction. Then you will hear: Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about. Lecture Question Summarize the points made in the lecture you just heard, explaining how they cast doubt on points made in the reading passage. 托福（写作）历年真题试卷汇编
26、4答案与解析 Writing Based on Knowledge and Experience 1 【正确答案】 Politics was once something that mostly interested older people, and which young people often ignored in favor of other life pursuits. This trend is changing, however, and young adults now have more interest in politics than they might have i
27、n the past. This is probably because politics affects young people more today; there is more exposure to politics via social media, and young people have more access to politics than they once did. First, politics tends to affect young people today more than they might have in the past. When people
28、lose their jobs due to economic recession, or suffer because of unjust laws, they will have a tendency to care more about those policies that influence them in daily life. A good example of this is the ongoing struggle for marriage equality that young homosexual men and women face in the world today
29、. In America today, many of the pressing issues (and the ones receiving constant news coverage) are issues that directly concern young people: fighting for gay marriage rights, for changes in student loan laws, for legalizing marijuana, etc. This is because issues like these tend to have a great eff
30、ect on young adults today. When the government is not serving the interests of the young, they will always take action. Second, it is almost impossible for the youth not to have exposure to politics these days, and they are therefore more prone to getting involved. Most young people today are comfor
31、table using technological products, and are the main users of social media. On QQ, Facebook, and Twitter, political messages, memes, and other opinionated commentary are so commonplace that youngsters have no choice but to take notice. Every day on QQ and Facebook, people are sharing memes, pictures
32、, and videos that are related to politics. When young people are exposed to constant political opinions, it is natural for them to start taking sides. In the modern world of internet and technology, its almost impossible to stay away from politics. Lastly, young people today have much greater access
33、 to both local and national politics than they once did. In the past, it took thousands of young people banding together to get their government to take any notice. Today, thanks to social media, one terrific blog entry, tweet, opinion piece, or petition can quickly gain national attention. The poli
34、tical revolutions of Egypt, Lebanon, and many other countries began as discussions online and quickly gained momentum, which ended with the fall of entire governments. One great Internet comment on American politics can easily become national news. Young adults are interested in politics because the
35、ir voice is more easily heard nowadays. Whether the government likes it or not, young people are more involved in politics than ever. When politics affect their daily lives, and there is an outlet to express their views, youngsters will always insist on being heard. 【试题解析】 题目涉及到政治，看上去有点难以下笔，但依旧是讨论当下
36、年轻人的观念问题。政治是怎么进入年轻人视野的呢 ?这得益于现代社交网络的发展，它使得消息的传播更加广泛，也给年轻人提供了表达自己看法的机会。这是一个良性的循环，在这一过程中，年 轻人越来越多地参与到了政治中。 2 【正确答案】 Willingness to help others plays an important role in our everyday life, but whether or not young people now are more willing to help others than those in the past is still controversial
37、. Despite what some people may believe that young people in this day and age may be innovative and accepting of differences, I believe young people today are often inherently selfish and tend to be more self-centered than previous generations, and it is far rarer to see them helping others than my p
38、arents generation. Young people help others less because technology isolates them; the culture encourages selfishness, and modern society is far more competitive. One reason why youth are not as helpful is that modern culture actually encourages selfishness at times. Young adults born after 1990 are
39、 often referred to as the “Me Generation,“ because they exhibit a strong sense of entitlement, and can be self-centered. Modern music and film reflects this attitude. For example, the youth today are known for constant self-promotion, “selfie“ photos, blogs, and other activities that promote themsel
40、ves. Even when young people get involved in a cause like a marathon, a ball game, etc., they strive to bring more attention to themselves than the activity itself by showing off their pictures on the moments of their personal WeChat. When the entire culture seems obsessed with self-promotion and the
41、atrics, young people seem less helpful than older generations. Another reason for the increasing self-centeredness of todays youth is that the modern world is highly competitive, and young people feel they cannot afford to help others. There are more young adults fighting for fewer jobs today, and t
42、he living standard is quite high nowadays. With this in mind, young people are often hesitant to help others, especially those from their own age groups. For instance, my youngest brother explained that he would not help a friend to find a job, unless his friend was in a totally different line of wo
43、rk. Whats more, he made it clear that he feels no need to help others if his own life is not that satisfying. In a highly competitive society, there is less assistance available from young people than in the past. Young people today are less likely to help others than past generations, because the w
44、orld is a different place now. With isolating technology, an inherently selfish culture, and a competitive market surrounding them, young people today do not feel the need to help others when they themselves are living a life that is not very satisfying. 【试题解析】 我们的长辈在我们小的时候总会和我们讲雷锋的故事，讲他们那一代人共同生活与工作
45、的场景。而如今，我们沉溺在手机中，反而疏远了和周围人的关系。机器让人变得冷冰冰的，文化氛围和价值观念推崇个人主义，激烈的竞争下我们更懒得去管别人。这些都是社会变化所不可避免的结果。 Writing Based on Reading and Listening 3 【听力原文】 Pterosaurs are the earliest vertebrates known to have attained powered flight during their evolution. Their wings were formed by a membrane of skin, muscle, and
46、other tissues stretching from the ankles to a dramatically lengthened fourth finger. Therefore, those who claim that pterosaurs never developed flying capabilities are mistaken in their findings. To begin, scientists argued in the reading passage that pterosaurs belonged to a cold-blooded class of a
47、nimals. However, more careful study of their anatomy proves that pterosaurs were actually warm-blooded. If they had been warm-blooded, unlike snakes and other reptiles, pterosaurs would actually be able to fly. Furthermore, the anatomy of pterosaurs was highly modified from their reptilian ancestors
48、 by the demands of flight. Pterosaur bones were hollow and air-filled, like the bones of birds. They had a keeled breastbone that was developed for the attachment of flight muscles and an enlarged brain that, when studied by modern scientists, revealed specialized features associated with flight. In
49、 some later pterosaurs, the backbone over the shoulders fused into a structure known as a notarium, which served to stiffen the torso during flight, and provide a stable support for the scapula. We can draw the conclusion that the pterosaurs weight was actually not heavy, and their wings could support their cruising through the air. Finally, there was considerable debate about whether pterosaurs ambulated as quadrupeds or as bipeds. In the 1980s, paleontologist Kevin Padian suggested that smaller pterosaurs with longer hind limbs, such as dimorphodons, might have walk
