?????? ETS宣布將于2011年8月1日實行改革以后的GRE考試，其中作文部分也有不小的變化，詳述如下：

?????? 一、目前的GRE作文

?????? 目前的GRE作文包含兩篇，一篇是issue（是非題），要求就題目發表自己的看法，另一篇是argument（論證題），要求指出一個段落中的三個主要邏輯錯誤。由于ETS事先公布了題庫，所以考生可以在考前列好寫作提綱，甚至背誦自己寫好的文章（背誦他人的文章屬于抄襲）。而且ETS的題庫多年來很少變化，一方面增加考生文章雷同的風險，另一方面隨著考生對題庫研究的深入，GRE作文考查考生實際分析能力與評判能力的目的很難實現，因為考生們如果針對題庫進行充分的準備，取得較高的分數并非難事。針對上述種種弊端，ETS對GRE作文進行了較大的改革。目前的GRE作文的情況如下表所示：

?????? 下面是目前的GRE作文題的形式：

?????? Issue:

?????? Present your perspective on the issue below, using relevant reasons and/or examples to support your views.

?????? "A nation should require all its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college rather than allow schools in different parts of the nation to determine which academic courses to offer."（通用題庫中的第五題，屬于issue高頻題之一。）

?????? Argument:

?????? Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument.

?????? The following appeared in an editorial in the Mason City newspaper.

?????? "At present, Mason City residents seldom use the nearby Mason River for any kind of recreational activity, even though surveys of the region's residents consistently rank water sports (swimming, fishing, and boating) as a favorite form of recreation. Since there have been complaints about the quality of the water in the river, residents must be avoiding the river because they think that it is not clean enough. But that situation is about to change; the agency responsible for rivers in our region has announced plans to clean up Mason River. Therefore, recreational use of the river is likely to increase, so the Mason City council will need to increase its budget for improvements to the publicly owned lands along the Mason River."（通用題庫中的第137題，屬于argument高頻題之一。）

?????? 二、改革后的GRE作文

?????? 簡而言之，改革后的GRE作文對寫作的要求更加具體化，而不是籠統地要求就一道是非題（issue question）發表看法或指出一個段落中的主要邏輯錯誤（argument），這樣可以在一定程度上避免背誦事先準備的答案。首先，ETS是否仍然公布題庫值得注意。即使公布題庫，對原來的題庫也會做一些內容上或至少是措詞上的修改。其次，要注意ETS對每道題的具體寫作要求。

?????? 例如，以上述的issue題為例，目前的寫作要求只是發表自己的看法并加以論證，等于寫一篇一般的議論文。同一篇文章，在ETS對新GRE作文的說明中，從措詞到寫作要求都發生了較大的變化。

?????? 首先，題目的措詞變了（刪去了原題的后半部分）：

?????? A nation should require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college。

?????? 其次，寫作要求變了（變為三個具體的要求）：

?????? Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the recommendation and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, describe specific circumstances in which adopting the recommendation would or would not be advantageous and explain how these examples shape your position。

?????? 再以上述的argument題為例，目前的寫作要求只是找出段落中的三個主要邏輯錯誤并加以分析，文章非常格式化。同一道題，在ETS對新GRE作文的說明中，從措詞到寫作要求都發生了較大的變化。

?????? 首先，題目的措詞變了（變成了一道新題）：

?????? In surveys Mason City residents rank water sports (swimming, boating, and fishing) among their favorite recreational activities. The Mason River flowing through the city is rarely used for these pursuits, however, and the city park department devotes little of its budget to maintaining riverside recreational facilities. For years there have been complaints from residents about the quality of the river’s water and the river’s smell. In response, the state has recently announced plans to clean up Mason River. Use of the river for water sports is, therefore, sure to increase. The city government should for that reason devote more money in this year’s budget to riverside recreational facilities。

?????? 其次，寫作要求變了（以分析原文的假設為核心）：

?????? Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on the assumptions and what the implications are if the assumptions prove unwarranted。

?????? 以上是對新GRE作文的簡要介紹。關于新GRE作文的有效應對策略，請繼續關注我們的系列文章——“狼真的來了嗎”。

?????? （來源：北京新航道學校 作者：李傳偉)