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  3. Writing Based on Reading and Listening Directions: For this task, you will read a passage about an academic topic and yo

Writing Based on Reading and Listening Directions: For this task, you will read a passage about an academic topic and yo

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问题     Writing Based on Reading and Listening
    Directions:
    For this task, you will read a passage about an academic topic and you will listen to a lecture about the same topic. You may take notes while you read and listen.
    Then you will write a response to a question that asks you about the relationship between the lecture you heard and the reading passage. Try to answer the question as completely as possible using information from the reading passage and the lecture. The question does not ask you to express your personal opinion. You may refer to the reading passage again when you write. You may use your notes to help you answer the question.
    Typically, an effective response will be 150 to 225 words. Your response will be judged on the quality of your writing and on the completeness and accuracy of the content.
    You should allow 3 minutes to read the passage. Then listen to the lecture. Then allow 20 minutes to plan and write your response.
    Write your response in the space provided.
    Reading
    You will have 3 minutes to read the passage.
    New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Because of its remote location, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. From the late 18th century, the country was regularly visited by explorers, sailors, missionaries, traders and adventurers. However, the exact time that this country was first settled by humans remains controversial. One theory believed by many people suggests that the first humans settled in New Zealand in 1300 CE.
    The first supporting evidence provided for this theory is the story of the Merit people. According to records, the Merit kept a tradition of recording their ancestors’ deeds in stories, and it was they who first settled in New Zealand. By calculating the years since the story came into being, it can be reckoned that it was in 1300 CE that the first humans settled in New Zealand.
    Second, a piece of evidence found in pollen indicates that large areas of forest were replaced by grasslands in about 1300 CE, which indicates that in that period of time, there were human activities on a large scale. The forest might have been cut down to build houses, or it may have been burnt to cultivate land.
    Last, it can be reckoned from carbon dating that the first humans settled in New Zealand in 1300 CE. Archaeologists often use this method to estimate the age of discovered relics. The result is therefore very convincing, because carbon dating has a strong scientific foundation.
    Then you will hear:
    Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.
    Lecture
   
    Question
    Summarize the points made in the lecture you just heard, explaining how they cast doubt on points made in the reading passage.
New Zealand was one of the last major landmasses settled by humans. Today it enjoys a population of 4,468,200, the majority of which are Europeans. But it is not clear yet when the island was first settled by humans. Recently, a theory has been put forward by some historians suggesting that the first humans settled in New Zealand in 1300 CE. The theory is believed by many people, but it is not the truth.
    First, history is made up of the records of numerous peoples and these records are full of subjective things. It is not logical to say that Merit people first settled in New Zealand just because they have vague records. There is the possibility that other people settled in New Zealand earlier than the Merit but were driven to extinction without any written records.
    Second, it is true that human activity is the main cause of environmental changes, but there are other factors that could change forest into grassland. The transition may be the result of natural phenomena such as the decrease of average rainfall.
    Finally, since carbon dating is very convincing to people, we can consider another piece of evidence. Carbon dating also indicates that a kind of rat lived in New Zealand in 100 CE. These rats might have gotten there in a manmade ship, because they were unable to swim. This suggests that some people had settled in New Zealand in 100 CE, much earlier than 1300 CE.
选项
答案 The reading states that the first humans settled in New Zealand in 1300 CE. On the contrary, the professor casts doubt on the reading’s assertion. First, the reading mentions that, by calculating the years since the stories came into being, it can be reckoned that it was in 1300 CE that the first humans settled in New Zealand. However, the professor suggests that it is not logical to say that the Merit people first settled in New Zealand just because they have records. There is a possibility that other people settled in New Zealand earlier than the Merit but were driven to extinction without any record. Second, the reading cites a piece of evidence found in pollen that large areas of forest were replaced by grasslands in about 1300 CE. But the professor says that the land changes might be the result of natural factors, such as the decrease of rainfall, instead of human activity. Last, the reading says that it can be reckoned from carbon dating that the first humans settled in New Zealand in 1300 CE. The professor rebuts this by saying that carbon dating also indicates that a kind of rat lived in New Zealand in 100 CE. These rats might have gotten there aboard manmade ships, for they were unable to swim, and this suggests that some people had settled in New Zealand in 100 CE, much earlier than 1300 CE.
解析     阅读文章认为人类首次定居新西兰是在公元1300年并说明了三点理由。首先，Merit人关于祖先初次在新西兰安家落户事迹的记录时间为公元1300年。其次，大片森林在公元1300年被改造为草地。最后，碳数据可以推断出此结论。而听力文章则认为三点论据都存在不严谨之处。
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