2016-11-04 TOEFL: point-by-point int. writing

Greg Malivuk
[email protected]
http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk - notes from all classes
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A man who doesn’t know how to swim is alone on a small island. He has no food or water and there are not enough animals on the island to feed him. However, he is not worried. Why?
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not A or B = neither A nor B = not A and not B
not A and B = not both together, but it could be one or the other
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Writing section - last section (after speaking), includes two sections
- integrated writing: 3 min to read a text, then listen to a lecture, then 20 minutes to write
- independent writing: 30 minutes to write about a prompt
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Integrated writing: always about an academic topic, the lecture usually disagrees with the reading


Your answer can be block format or point-by-point.
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DELTA p. 370 - Take 3 minutes to read the text and take notes. (You’ll have the text when you do your writing, so your notes should include the overall position and main supporting points from the text. You don’t need to include specific details.)


Points from the Reading:
R0 - psychology is a natural science
R1 - studies the human mind as a function of the brain
R2 - it uses objectively verified facts and experiments
R3 - subfields - primarily concerned with the biological basis of behavior


Listen to the lecture and take notes.
Main points from the Lecture:
L0 - psychology is a social science
L1 - relations between the mind and social behavior, the environment, and communities
L2 - subjective interpretation of phenomena (not objectively verified facts), quantitative and qualitative methods
L3 - subfields - study the interaction between mental processes and social behavior
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Point-by-point:
paragraph 1 - Introduction: state the topic and summarize the main idea of the reading and the listening
	“The reading and lecture are both about psychology, and about what type of science psychology is. According to the reading, psychology is a natural science, but the lecture states that psychology is a social science.”
par. 2 - the first main point of the reading, then the first point of the lecture and how it relates
	“According to the reading, psychology studies the human mind as a function of the brain. Thoughts are caused by physical processes within the brain which we can observe and measure. In contrast, the professor states that psychology studies the relationship between the mind and social behavior. This contradicts the claim in the reading that the mind can be studied through the physiological and sensory aspects of behavior.”
par. 3 - the second main point of the reading, then the second point of the lecture and how it relates
	(etc.)
par. 4 - the third main point of the reading, then the third point of the lecture and how it relates
	(etc.)
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Transitions to show contrast:
This contradicts the claim/the point from the reading that…
This contrasts with the point in the reading that…
This casts doubt on / challenges / refutes the point in the reading that…
	(You can recycle words from the prompt, and it’s okay to be a bit repetitive.)
In contrast to...
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Signals to cite the source of information:
According to the text / the reading / the author / the listening / the lecture / the professor, …
In contrast to the reading, the lecture states…


If you start a new paragraph or you switch between sources, you need to be clear about where the following information comes from.
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Paraphrase information from the reading, do not just copy it directly.
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Point-by-point format
- R0/L0 (introduction)
- R1, L1, L1/R1 (summary of the first point of each, AND how they relate)
- R2, L2, L2/R2
- R3, L3, L3/R3
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BREAK
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“I have three big eyes and one leg. You have to obey me. Who am I?” (This is a riddle.)
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Handout (Oxford p. 124-127) - Summary of steps for the integrated writing.
p. 125 - What are some benefits and risks of drinking alcohol?
p. 126 - Take three minutes to read the passage and identify the main idea and supporting points.
Then listen to the lecture and take notes.
With your partner, compare your notes and put together a short outline for a point-by-point response.
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The points in the reading are:
- Alcohol causes weight gain
- Alcohol causes other more serious health problems
- Alcohol has a negative impact on social behavior
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The points in the listening are:
- moderate alcohol reduces the risk of serious health problems like heart attacks and strokes as well as dementia
- moderate alcohol leads to health weight because it speeds up metabolism
- moderate alcohol improves social interactions
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MAKE SURE that you match the corresponding points correctly. This reading and listening didn’t present the points in the same order, but you need to connect them correctly in your response.
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Correlation does not imply causation.
The lecture states that moderate drinkers are more likely to be married.
Does this mean drinking helped them find a spouse, or does it mean married people need to drink because their lives are more stressful?
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p. 128 - Sample response to the alcohol task. Note that it doesn’t spend a lot of words explaining the points from the reading. The task is primarily about the points made in the lecture, so that’s what most of the response should be.
This sample includes a conclusion, which is optional if you have a bit of time after writing the rest of your response.
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p. 129 - Take 3 minutes to read the passage and take notes. Then listen to the lecture.
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	Genetically modified foods are a new generation of super crops that have been enhanced through biotechnology. They vastly increase crop yields and deliver staples that offer improved nutritional quality to the developing world, where over eight million are suffering from hunger and malnutrition. With world population levels expected to rise to 9 billion by 2050 and the bulk of that growth expected in Third-World nations, biotechnology is heralded as the savior of the poor and undernourished.
	The DNA technology used in these super crops is a modern adaptation of the traditional cross-breeding of plants, which famers have been refining for centuries in an effort to develop better crop yields. This new technology offers many advantages over the conventional method, which is both time-consuming and inaccurate. First, scientists can isolate the desired gene from one crop and simply insert it into another plant’s DNA. What’s more, they need notlimit themselves to cross-breeding plants of the same species. Instead, they can select genes from a diverse range of organisms. For instance, scientists can extract the antifreeze gene in coldwater fish and insert it into a potato. In this way, they can create a new variety that will thrive in cold climates.
	Finally, certification procedures for genetically modified foods guarantee these products are safe for human consumption. In fact, to enter the marketplace, a DNA-modified item must pass a substantial equivalence test. This test compares the new food to a similar non-modified product in terms of standards such as its chemical and nutritional properties. Even if the modified food is deemed equivalent, additional safety checks in the form of animal testing are enforced.
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listening: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BzQTAtJHmfaIQ0xwMTlYS0dhcUU
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Homework: write a point-by-point response to the question
“Summarize the main points in the lecture, being sure to explain how they oppose points made in the reading passage.
email or share your response with me at [email protected]