2019-02-14 TOEFL: integrated writing

Greg Malivuk
[email protected]
http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk - notes from all classes
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Writing Section: fourth and final section, after the speaking; 2 tasks
1 integrated: 3 minutes to read a passage, listen to a lecture, 20 minutes to write about how they compare
2 independent: take 30 minutes to answer a choice question and support your answer with reasons and details
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ETS 2.2
Take 3 minutes to read about otters. Remember, you will see the text again while you write, so the important thing during these 3 minutes is to identify the key points.
- [something] on the Alaskan coast in recent years
- 2 ways it might have happened: predation and pollution (text says pollution makes more sense)
Listening
- decline that happened in Alaska
- the woman says it’s caused by predation more than pollution
Text again (but now your 20 minutes have started)
Topic: sea otter population decline
R0 (main point) = pollution is probably the cause of sea otter decline
R1 (first reason for this opinion) = there are sources of pollution on that coast
R2 = many other animals are also declining; only a widely occurring predator like orca could do that; orcas prefer to eat whales, not these small mammals
R3 = otters declined more in some places than others; this could be because of different amounts of pollution in each place
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If the text is in support of one explanation for something and the lecture supports the opposite explanation, each point of the text will usually include an observation or piece of evidence, and an explanation of how that supports the main idea of the text.
The lecture, in this case, will usually agree that the evidence is true, but argue that it doesn’t really support the main idea of the text (and possibly supports the opposite idea more).
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R1: evidence - there are pollution sources on the Alaskan coast
    connection - some of the chemicals make otters less resistant to infections
R2: evidence - other small mammals (seals and sea lions) are also decreasing, not just otters
    connection - has to be something widespread like pollution; common predators like orca prefer whales
R3: evidence - otters declined more in some places than others
    connection - pollution concentrations could be different in different locations
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L0: predation is more likely than pollution
L1: we can’t find any dead otters, which we expect if they’re dying from disease, but not predation
L2: humans have hunted most of the big whales, so now orcas are eating smaller animals like otters
L3: populations declined more in places orcas could go more easily, and didn’t decline in places where orcas are too big to go
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If you don’t catch the points from the lecture, you can still try to guess what they might be (if you know whether the lecture supports or contradicts the text).
- If you just copy sentences from the text, you’ll get 0 (out of 5) on this task.
- If you have no points from the lecture (but you accurately paraphrase the text), you’ll get 1.
- If you’re correct about the main idea and one key point, you can get 2.
- If you’re correct about two key points, you can get 3.
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DELTA 7.6 - Read the text about workplace friendships.
R0 = close friendships in the workplace are bad
R1 = friends are less engaged in their work when they are with friends
R2 = friendships affect the whole workplace; some other workers might feel excluded; it can be awkward if they stop being friends
R3 = can increase dissatisfaction, especially if friends get together to complain about work

L0 = workplace friendships are good
L1 = 7x more engaged at work if they have friends there
L2 = healthy workplace and people will feel more involved in their work if they have friends; more loyal to the company and more appreciated
L3 = having a friend at work can increase satisfaction by 50%
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BREAK
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The most straightforward type of response is point-by-point:
paragraph 1: Introduction - explain the topic and summarize R0 and L0 (the main ideas of both)
paragraph 2: First point - summarize R1 and L1 and be clear about how they relate (e.g. contradiction)
paragraph 3: Second point - summarize R2 and L2 and be clear about how they relate
paragraph 4: Third point - summarize R3 and L3 and be clear about how they relate

Example:
	The third point from the reading is that friendships between workers can make them less satisfied, especially if they complain to each other about work or about their boss. The speaker challenges this idea, and says that a study has shown that having a friend at work can actually increase job satisfaction by 50%.
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Practice with ETS 1.4 and G.2
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Look at the sample responses to the second topic (about professors appearing on TV).
Using the score descriptions on p. 573-574 of your book, what score do you think each response earned?
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First line of A:
The question which is asked is to know if the apparition of a professor on television
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B - Misunderstanding of the main point of the lecture (that it contradicts the text). Explains just the ideas from the text, none of the ideas from the lecture. The grammar isn’t great but it’s understandable.
	1 out of 5 - This doesn’t include any of the points from the lecture.
D - Many incorrect words (“interessante” instead of “interesting”, “advertising” instead of “warning”, “becarefully” instead of “care” or “caution”). Correct summary of only one point from the lecture: that students can lose out if their professors are on television.
	2 out of 5 - This includes one correct point from the listening, but the connections are unclear.
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Homework: decide on scores for the other three responses, predict what scores your responses will get