绝密★考试结束前

全国20xx年4月高等教育自学考试

英语写作试题

课程代码：00603

请考生按规定用笔将所有试题的答案写在答题纸上。全部题目用英文作答。

注意事项：

1．答题前，考生务必将自己的考试课程名称、姓名、准考证号用黑色字迹的签字笔或钢笔填写在答题纸规定的位置上。

2．用黑色字迹的签字笔或钢笔将答案写在答题纸上，不能答在试题上。

I. Supply the missing paragraph. (20 points)

The following passage is incomplete with one body paragraph missing. Study the passage carefully and write the missing paragraph in about 100 words.Make sure that your tone and diction are in unity with the passage provided.

The Positive Effects of Owning a Dog on Children

Dogs are the best friend of children. The dog and the child teach each other things and they look after each other.

Owning a dog can have positive effects on a child’s development. Having a dog develops a child’s sense of responsibility, broadens his capacity for empathy, and teaches him the nature of friendship.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Another lesson that a child can learn from having a dog is how to be empathetic. A dog cannot express itself with

speech, so its owner must learn to understand what the dog’s behavior means. Is the dog frightened, aggressive, or sick? The child needs to understand what is going on in the dog’s mind. The result of learning to read a dog’s behavior is that the child develops mpathy. By learning how to empathize with a dog, the child also learns how to empathize with other people. This leads to the child becoming a more considerate and caring person.

Being considerate and caring are important characteristics in a good friend.One of the most significant benefits of

owning a dog is the example of true friendship that a dog provides. A dog gives unconditional love to its owner. A dog will not stop loving its owner because of a little anger, indifference, or neglect. A dog will wait patiently for its owner to pat its head and say a few kind words. This acceptance of the negative qualities and appreciation for the positive qualities of its owner provide a wonderful model of how to be a good friend. A child who has learned to be as good a friend to others as his dog is to him will have learned one of the most valuable lessons in life.

These are some of the most important lessons a child will ever learn. The benefits of owning a dog will last in the

child’s entire lifetime. The understanding and appreciation of responsibility, empathy, and friendship that a child develops from the experience of having a dog will help him or her grow into a reliable, caring, and mature adult.

II. Write an outline. (20 points)

Read the following passage carefully and compose a “topic outline” for it.

Acting out Metaphors Encourages Creative Thinking

It happens in schools, offices, and boardrooms everywhere: someone working on a project hits a mental block. A boss or teacher might resort to a metaphor like “think outside the box” or “put two and two together,” encouraging a creative solution to the problem. As it turns out, this isn’t just abstract advice. According to an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, literally working outside of a box or putting two halves of something together just might help those creative juices start flowing again.

Since physical metaphors regarding creativity are so common and appearing in several different languages, a group of researchers hypothesized that they may extend beyond mere metaphors. Their study indicates that acting out metaphors literally can affect how our minds work.

In the first part of the study, the researchers asked 102 undergraduates to perform a Remote Associates Test (RAT), in which the subjects were given three seemingly unrelated words and asked to come up with a word that relates to each one. For example, the subject might be given “measure,” “worm,” and “video,”and the correct response would be “tape.”

The participants were divided into three groups; one group was asked to perform this task while sitting inside a 5’ by 5’ cardboard box, another group sat outside the same box, and those in the third group performed the task without a box in the room at all. None of the participants knew the hypothesis behind the study; they were merely told it was an experiment on different working environments.

There was no difference in performance between those inside the box and those with no box at all. However, the participants that were seated outside the box did much better on the RAT than the other two groups. Apparently, something about literally “thinking outside the box” encourages creativity.

A second experiment looked at another well-known piece of advice: to “put two and two together” to come up with an answer. In the study, 64 subjects were divided into two groups. The first group had to perform a RAT while joining halves of cut paper cards from piles on each side of a desk. The second group performed a similar task, but only had to move card halves from one side of a desk to the other side. Those “putting two and two together” by uniting the two halves of the cards did far better on the RAT than those that were merely moving the cards from one pile to another.

So, acting out metaphors linked to creativity really can help us think creatively. In fact, it does more than let us access the knowledge we presently have; it encourages us to come up with new, unique and creative ideas. Next time you’re stuck on a problem, take a minute to ponder—or even act out—your favorite metaphor, and you might happen upon a great solution. IIl. Compose an essay. (60 points)

People are more and more concerned about the environment. Write a 300-word expository essay stating your opinion about what we can do as individuals to improve our environment.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

第二篇：20xx年高等教育自学考试《英语写作》模拟试题

选择题部分

I. Write an outline. (20 points)

Read the following passage carefully and compose a “sentence outline” for it.

Styles of Dress as Reflections of Social Conditions

Something that becomes very apparent when we study the topic of fashion is that clothes and style are related to so much more than merely an individual’s appearance. For thousands of years, fashion and style have been primary indicators about a person’s social status, sexuality, wealth, individuality, and overall personality attributes.

In the 20th century alone, each decade has been marked by distinctly different manners for dress for both men and women. Our Halloween tradition exemplifies this very clearly with “costumes” such as a 1920’s “flapper girl” and the 1960’s “hippie.” With deeper consideration, however, these differing fashion styles can be viewed as representative of the related social conditions occurring at the time.

As stated by Pasacoe, “The fashion of the 1920’s reflected the Jazz Age perfectly. It was made for fast automobiles and Charlestondance. For the first time in western fashion the knee was socially acceptable.” Although there are many theories regarding what causes fashion to change, the fact that social climate is reflected in styles of dress has a great deal of support. Perhaps the reason why so much change occurred in women’s dress in the early decades of the century is that so many changes occurred regarding women’s roles and fights within that same time frame.

Another decade in which fashion was strongly indicative of the underlying social conditions is the turbulent 1960’s. One of the most noted developments accredited to this decade is the introduction of the miniskirt. Many social historians relate the introduction of the miniskirt to the introduction of the birth control pill. Women became sexually liberated and the “free love” era began. These miniskirts came to symbolize the new liberation for women and the ssocial climate of the decade. As stated in Vogue at the end of the decade, “The length of your skirt is how you feel this moment.”

Towards the end of the 1960's, younger generations were rejecting the establishment and rejecting the idea of high fashion along with it. Students wore long hair, faded denim jeans, and flamboyant patterns. Many wore combat jackets and surplus shirts to anti-war rallies. As Hoeymaker stated, “By the end of the decade, cheap, flamboyant clothes became expensive designer labels. The hippie style became high fashion; in fact ‘anti-fashion’ became the biggest fashion of all.” In this case, clothes became a form of protest.

Overall, there are countless examples of how fashion is influenced by the social climate of the times. Over the past thousands of years, the socially “appropriate” styles of dress for men and women have varied tremendously. Regardless of what exactly constituted“stylish” fashion during any given time period, one thing that remains constant is that fashion has always been a significant aspect of one's life and the time in which they lived.

II. Supply the missing paragraph. (20 points)

The following passage is incomplete with one body paragraph missing. Study the passage carefully and write the missing paragraph in about 100 words. Make sure that your tone and diction are in unity with the passage provided.

Say No to Blind Optimism

“Is the glass half full or half empty?" This question is often asked to determine whether someone

is an optimist or a pessimist. In my view, even though we need to see the glass half full, we cannot deny the fact that the glass is also half empty. Having a healthy proportion of expectations makes us more realistic. Blind optimism, however, may foster delusions, result in frustrations and spoil relationships.

We all long for accomplishments, but sometimes we overstress the positive outcome of our effort and waste our time with glori ous plans that will never work. We indulge ourselves in delusions and impractical dreams. We fail to see that blind optimism only gives us false promises and clouds our sense of judgment. Ambition without clear directions cannot lead to a victorious experience. We need to understand that wishful thinking and delusions won’t work.

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Balanced optimism helps us to develop healthy relationships whereas blind optimism destroys them. One of the reasons for short-lived friendships is that we tend to expect too much of our friends. However, they may not always live up to our expectations. This gives rise to disappointment and misunderstanding. Friendships or relationships consequently turn sour. Some relationships may be seriously affected, with all parties experiencing much pain. A more realistic outlook helps us to understand human limitations, show more consideration for others and prevent excess expectations. To sum up, blind optimism does more harm than good and should be discarded. Saying no to blind optimism means we can fly but we fly with the safest bet, with the parachute, so that we don’t drop hard. It proves our ability to accept weaknesses and strive for the best. It gives us second options in our lives and alleviates the pains and disappointments that life imposes on us. This holistic attitude, accepting both positive and negative sides, will make us stronger and more mature. After all, a lotus is a beautiful flower that blossoms out of the mud.

IlI. Compose an essay. (60 points)

Some people enjoy playing sports individually while others love to play in groups. Which do you prefer? Write a 300-word expository essay stating your reasons.