2019-12-10 TOEFL: writing feedback, bio vocab

Greg Malivuk
gmalivuk@staffordhouse.com
http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk - notes from all classes
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Homework: write a response to this independent prompt:

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Technology has made children less creative than they were in the past.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
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Edit the writing response.
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- Be careful to use the correct forms of words (adjective vs. adverb, for example).
- You can decide which age of technology to write about and how far “in the past” you’re comparing.
- “despite” = “in spite of”
	These are prepositions, so they need to be followed by noun phrases.
	If you want to use a sentence, you must say, “Despite the fact that [sentence],...”
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The independent response should “look like” a persuasive essay, which tries to convince the reader to agree with your own answer to the question. You need to explain your own reasons for answering the question that way.
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Integrated Writing - This is the first task (before the independent writing)

- 3 minutes to read a text and note the main points (usually main idea and 3 supporting points)
- listen to a lecture that (almost always) presents the opposite point
- 20 minutes to write about the points from the lecture and how they relate to the text
	(During the writing time, you will again see the reading passage.)

ETS 1.3
	- explanation of what communal online encyclopedias are
	- statement that they have problems and are less valuable than traditional encyclopedias
	- 3 paragraphs that each explain one of the problems with online encyclopedias
	(You should predict that the listening will say these aren’t serious problems and communal online encyclopedias are as good as or better than traditional encyclopedias.)

ETS 1.1
	- explanation of what endotherms are
	- statement that dinosaurs were probably endotherms (unlike modern reptiles)
	- three reasons to believe they were endotherms
	(Predict that the listening will argue that these aren’t strong reasons to believe that.)

ETS 1.2
	- description of the “great houses” in Chaco Canyon
	- statement that although there’s no universal explanation, there are three main theories
	- descriptions of each theory
	(Predict that the listening will describe problems with each theory.)
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ETS Guide test 2 - Take 3 minutes to read the text.
R0 (main idea) = there are great benefits when professors appear on TV
R1 = benefits to professors: + reputation as authorities, gain importance as scholars w/ large audience
R2 = benefits to universities: good publicity for universities, + reputation, may get donations
R3 = benefits to public: chance to learn from experts and gain real insight on academic topics

You should be able to predict some basic things about the lecture now:
P0 = there are problems when professors appear on TV (or, at least, the benefits aren’t so great)
P1 = problems for professors:
P2 = problems for universities:
P3 = problems for the public:

Listen and take notes on the lecture:
L0 = there are problems when professors appear on TV
L1 = problems for professors: don’t look like serious professionals; not invited to academic conferences
L2 = problems for universities: professors spend time traveling and being on TV, instead of meeting with students and doing other university work
L3 = lack of benefits for the public: usually not much depth in TV programs, so professors don’t give any more information than a good reporter can give; it’s quite superficial
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Your response can be organized the same way as the text you read at the beginning:
paragraph 1: Introduction - state the topic and the main position of the reading and the listening
paragraph 2: First point - summarize R1 and L1, and be sure to explain how they relate
paragraph 3: Secont point - summarize R2 and L2, and be sure to explain how they relate
paragraph 4: Third point - summarize R3 and L3, and be sure to explain how they relate
(You don’t need a conclusion. If you have extra time, go back and make corrections.)
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BREAK
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Look at sample responses from the guide.
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Integrated: “Typically, an effective response will be 150 to 225 words.”
Independent: “Typically, an effective essay will contain a minimum of 300 words.”
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Biology Vocabulary handout - In each sentence, find words that have the given meanings.
1 distinguish (v) - distinguished (adj), distinguishing (adj), distinguishable (adj)
2 evolved (adj) - evolve (v), evolution (n), evolving (adj), evolutionary (adj)
3 estimate (n or v) - estimated/ing (adj), estimation (n)
4 cell (n) - cellular (adj)
5 vary (v) - varied/varying (adj), variation (n), variable (adj), variability (n)
6 genetic (adj) - gene (n), geneticist (n), genome (n), genetically (adv)
7 factor (n or v)
8 identify (v) - identity (n), identification (n), identifying/identified (adj), identifiable (adj)
9 DNA (n) (sequence of chemicals that make up genes)
10 process (n or v) - processed/ing (adj), processing (n)
11 nutrient (n) - nutritive (adj), nutrition (n)
12 adapt (v) - adapted/ing (adj), adaptation (n), adaptable (adj), adaptability (n)
13 system (n) - systematic (adj), systematicity (n),  systematize (n), systematization (n)
14 survive (v) - survival (n), survivor (n), survivable (adj), survivability (n), surviving (adj)
15 layer (n or v) - layered (adj), layering (n)
16 classify (v) - classified/classifying (adj), classification (n)
17 characteristic (n or adj) - characterize (v), charactierized/ing (adj), characterization (n)
18 organism (n) - organic (adj)
19 microscopic (adj) - microscope (n)
20 link (n or v) - linked/ing (adj)
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Collins p. 25 - Choose the correct words in part A, and then in part B choose the correct form of each word in the box.
part A
1 a
2 c
3 a
4 b
5 c
6 a
7 c
8 b
part B
1 cellular/microscopic
2 microscope
3 identification
4 survival (This is the “-ation” noun.)
5 characterized
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Nominalization = using the noun forms of words that are normally other parts of speech

The size can vary a lot. -> (The size is variable.) -> There is variability in the size.
New methods have been developed to identify species. -> ...developed for the identification of species.
	-> There has been development of new methods...
We need to uniquely identify each person. -> We need unique identification for each person.
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After you understand the vocabulary and general meaning of a text, you can go through it more carefully to note things like nominalizations, use of prepositions, gerunds vs. infinitives, etc.
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Ambiguous sentences:
I saw the boy with the telescope.
	- I used the telescope to see the boy.
	- I saw the boy. He had the telescope.
She killed the man with the gun.
	- She used the gun to kill him.
	- He had a gun, so she killed him.
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When young adults live with their parents, they can help them pay the rent.
	- Who’s helping whom?
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Homework: choose a text to read carefully and identify all the prepositions. Do you understand in each case why that preposition was used?