LSAT写作全面解析及练习

广文馆博士

【写作时应注意的问题】
　　　　
　　写作部分时间为　30　分钟，其内容是，就给定的题目中的两种观点选择一个，并加以阐述。写作部分不计入总分，只作为参考。
　　写作时应注意以下问题:
　　(1)　选择一种观点。在两种观点中选定一种，围绕这种观点展开论述。就好像是扔一枚硬币，随机的选择一种观点即可。
　　(2)　阐述观点时，既要陈述支持所选择观点的理由，也要陈述反对另一种观点的理由。在两方面的对比申说明该选择的观点正确。
　　(3)　文章应包括五个段落。第一段说明两者之中选择其一，中间三段阐述选择的理由，最后一段作出结论。每段都要写出主题句，以告知读者你的观点。应记住所列出的观点选择多于对事实的陈述。
　　(4)　写作应自然流畅，观点要明确，不要使用简写或缩写词。

【写作练习】
　　　　
　　Valerie,　a　first-year　graduate　student　in　mathematics,　needs　a　part-time　job,　and　competition　for　jobs　in　the　small　town　where　her　university　is　located　is　keen.　With　the　following　considerations　in　mind,　write　an　argument　supporting　one　of　Valerie's　two　job　offers　over　the　other:

　　Valerie　wants　the　income　from　her　job　to　minimize　the　money　she　must　borrow　for　living　expenses.
　　Valerie　wants　the　job　to　interfere　with　her　graduate　program　as　little　as　possible.

　　The　university's　Undergraduate　Learning　Center　has　offered　Valerie　a　job　tutoring　groups　of　students　taking　introductory　mathematics　courses.　Valerie　has　been　assigned　five　1:00　PM　to　5:00　PM　sessions,　for　which　she　will　receive　$160　per　week.　The　ULC　also　provides　free　individual　tutoring　for　students　in　advanced　mathematics　courses　who　request　it.　As　a　graduate　student　employee,　Valerie　would　be　eligible　to　serve　as　an　individual　tutor,　in　addition　to　her　regular　sessions,　for　which　she　would　receive　$15　per　hour.　The　schedule　of　this　job　will　require　her　to　make　changes　in　the　courses　she　had　planned　to　take　this　semester.　She　will　also　miss　the　afternoon　office　hours　that　most　professors　set　aside　to　work　individually　with　graduate　students.
　　Milano's,　a　local　restaurant　has　offered　Valerie　a　job　as　a　food　server.　She　will　work　Tuesday,　Thursday,　Friday,　and　Saturday　nights　each　week,　starting　at　5:00　PM.　The　salary　is　$130　per　week　plus　tips,　which　can　range　anywhere　from　$80　to　$140　for　four　nights　of　work.　Milano's　is　often　crowded　on　Friday　and　Saturday　nights　but　rarely　during　the　week.　A　server　at　Milano's　told　Valerie　that　although　the　restaurant's　kitchen　closes　at　11:00　PM,　servers　must　stay　until　all　customers　have　left,　which　can　be　midnight　or　later.　Valerie's　most　demanding　class　meets　at　8:00　AM.　Wednesdays　and　Fridays　and　cannot　be　rescheduled.　Taking　this　job　also　means　that　she　must　give　up　the　evening　meetings　of　her　study　group.

【写作范例】
　　Topic
　　The　English　department　at　a　university　must　choose　a　text　for　its　first-year　composition　course.　Write　an　argument　in　favor　of　selection　either　of　the　following　texts　with　these.　Considerations　in　mind:

　　The　department　has　a　strong　commitment　to　teaching　basic　writing　skills,　such　as　grammar　and　essay　organization.　
　　The　department　wants　to　increase　the　students'　enthusiasm　for　and　interest　in　writing.　

　　During　the　three　years　that　the　department　has　used　The　Standard　Textbook　of　English,　instructors　in　other　departments　have　reported　significant　improvement　in　students'　writing　skills.　Nicknamed　\"The　Best　and　the　Dullest\"　the　text　contains　classic　essays　from　both　ancient　and　modern　authors　and　is　organized　to　illustrate　the　various　forms　of　the　essay-　such　as　narration,　exposition,　and　persuasion.　The　essay　average　more　than　10　pages　and　almost　all　are　written　in　a　formal　style.　While　students　find　some　of　the　subjects　foreign,　they　feel　the　materials　covered　are　often　useful　in　their　other　coursework.

　　A　new　text,　The　Modern　Writer,　contains　both　an　introductions　describing　the　basics　of　grammar　and　a　number　of　journalistic　essays　by　contemporary　authors.　The　pieces　are　typically　short　(only　2　to　3　pages)　and　explore　topics　of　interest　to　most　college　students,　such　as　popular　music　and　career　planning.　The　style　of　the　essays　tends　to　be　informal,　even　colloquial.　Each　chapter　contains　several　essays　on　a　given　topic　and　exercises　designed　to　aid　students　in　developing　essays　of　their　own.　Although　the　introduction　provides　an　adequate　overview　of　basic　grammar,　the　text　does　not　discuss　the　essay　form.

范文如下：

　　I　would　urge　the　English　Department　to　change　its　English　composition　textbook　from　The　Standard　Textbook　of　English　to　The　Modern　Writer.　By　helping　to　make　the　students　more　enthusiastic　about　writing,　the　new　textbook　should　ultimately　boost　the　students'　writing　skills　in　general.

　　To　give　credit　where　credit　is　due,　we　must　acknowledge　that　The　Standard　Textbook　of　English　is　not　a　bad　book.　This　textbook　has　shown　itself　to　be　somewhat　effective　in　helping　to　improve　the　students'　basic　writing　skills,　and　it　presents　a　variety　of　essay　forms,　exposing　the　students　to　different　types　of　essays　they　have　to　either　write　or　understand　late　on.　It　would　be　a　safe　choice　for　the　department　to　continue　its　use　of　this　time-tested　book.

　　But　the　past　glories　of　the　old　textbook　cannot　hide　its　problems,　particularly　its　dullness.　The　essays　in　this　textbook　are　obviously　too　long　for　first-year　students　to　appreciate　their　beauty.　While　various　essay　forms　are　illustrated　in　this　textbook,　they　are　often　illustrated　with　content　that　students　find　very　hard　to　relate　to.　Students　using　The　Standard　Textbook　of　English　may　have　improved　their　writing　skills　in　the　past　three　years,　but　if　that　is　true,　they　must　have　had　a　hard　time　doing　so,　to　the　possible　detriment　of　their　performance　in　other　areas.　Such　problems　can　only　be　solved　with　a　new　textbook　like　The　Modern　Writer.

　　The　Modern　Writer　is　such　that　it　should　generate　a　lot　more　enthusiasm　in　students　for　learning　English　writing.　The　essays　in　this　book　are　much　shorter　and　therefore　easier　for　university　beginners　to　grasp.　Moreover,　these　essays　explore　topics　that　are　of　interest　to　most　college　students　such　as　popular　music　and　career　planning.　Given　the　built-in　appeal　in　this　new　textbook,　just　no　student　will　have　to　be　compelled　to　read　and　learn　from　it.　With　this　book,　the　students　can　be　expected　to　learn　while　they　are　having　fun　or　at　least　thinking　of　issues　that　they　care　about.　In　all　likelihood,　the　enthusiastic　student　will　be　a　better　student　than　the　bored　student.

　　The　Modern　Writer　should　be　able　to　reach　students　basic　writing　skills　at　least　as　well　as,　if　not　better　than,The　Standard　Textbook　of　English.　The　new　textbook　contains　not　only　a　good　description　of　the　basics　of　grammar　but　also　carefully　designed　exercises　to　aid　students　in　developing　their　own　essays.　In　contrast,　the　old　textbook　may　load　the　students　with　too　much　grammar　but　give　them　little　chance　to　actually　use　it.　With　their　enthusiasm　and　opportunities　to　practice,　students　should　be　able　to　pick　up　writing　skills　fairly　easily,　even　those　skills　that　are　not　fully　covered　by　the　textbook.　The　interested　students　can,　for　example,　do　their　own　research　on　essay　forms.

　　Although　The　Standard　Textbook　of　English　is　okay　as　a　writing　textbook,　The　Modern　Writer　should　now　be　preferred.　The　new　textbook　can　match　the　old　one　in　strength　bur　does　not　have　its　problems.　Besides,　the　new　textbook　contains　qualities　that　are　not　only　lacking　in　the　old　one　but　also　fundamentally　important　to　the　learning　students.