一、作文满分

　　改革后的评分仍然是两个考官阅卷，但是他们需要从论点和分析、发展与支持、文章组织和语言使用和规范这四个维度内按照1-6分评价，即每个维度得分区间2-12分，然后汇总，总分为48分。接着用分数换算表，将48分制度转换成36分制的写作分数。即为写作成绩。

二、考试时间

40分钟至少要写两页半以上，才能拿高分。

三、题目形式

　　更为广泛的社会话题+三个不同观点的呈现的三点式。

四、作文难点

　　新ACT的话题增加了一些抽象的话题。比如说：Intelligent machines (智能机器)，这个话题就比较抽象和所指代的范围更广泛。 文章必须针对给到的三方观点进行评析，也就是说，对观点的详细分析成为评分或考察的一个重点。由于论点已经确定，同学们不可再随意的找观点或给出例子进行论证，必须围绕给出的观点进行逐一论证以及组织好几个观点之间的逻辑结构和论证其存在的合理性。

　逻辑要求的提高要求学生对新信息结尾的链条模式或者归纳、演绎的角度设想问题。

新ACT官网样题：

Intelligent Machines

Many of the goods and services we depend ondaily are now supplied by intelligent, automated machines rather than humanbeings. Robots build cars and other goods on assembly lines, where once therewere human workers. Many of our phone conversations are now conducted not withpeople but with sophisticated technologies. We can now buy goods at a varietyof stores without the help of a human cashier. Automation is generally seen asa sign of progress, but what is lost when we replace humans with machines?Given the accelerating variety and prevalence of intelligent machines, it isworth examining the implications and meaning of their presence in our lives.
Read and carefully consider these perspectives.                 Each suggests a particular wayof thinking about the increasingpresence of intelligent machines.

PerspectiveOne       Perspective Two        PerspectiveThree



Essay Task

Write a unified, coherent essay in which youevaluate multiple perspectives on the increasing presence of intelligentmachines. In your essay, be sure to:
•analyze and evaluate the perspectives given
•state and develop your own perspective on the issue
• explain the relationship between your perspective and thosegiven

Your perspectivemay be in full agreement with any of the others, in partial agreement, orwholly different. Whatever the case, support your ideas with logical reasoningand detailed, persuasive examples.

      新版样题给了三个perspective!其中，一个偏against，另外两个偏for. 要在文中对所有perspective的观点全部进行评价，还要求explain the relationship between yourperspective and those given。三个perspective中某些可能和学生的立场相反counterargument,而另一些和学生的部分或完全立场相同。

推荐的结构

  第一段：引言

　　第二段：两个相似论点

　　第三段：一个不同论点

　　第四段：总结

 Sample Essay 5

Ideas and Analysis: Score = 5
Development and Support: Score = 5
Organization: Score = 5
Language Use and Conventions: Score = 5

BeginWRITING TEST Here.

Itis no secret that today’s workforce no longer consists entirely of people.Rather, machines are being developed to complete many of the tasks which humanshave traditionally done. This can greatly increase productivity and efficiencyof simple, repetitive tasks. Many people view this as a great positive andpoint out that it leads to a more uniform and less expensive product which isbetter for everyone. However, some people are more wary of this popular trendof automating the workforce and question whether this progress is truelypositive. Their concerns, though, are outweighed by the benefits these machinesoffer.

Itis the popular view among companies which are moving toward automation thatrobots can do many tasks better than humans. For example, in the automotiveindustry, most of a car’s individual components are manufactured bypre-programmed robots which have much greater and more precise output thanwould be possible for a human. In addition, robots cut down the cost ofproduction by a considerable amount. If a company hires an employee to completea simple task for $50,000 per year but could instead buy a machine for a onetime purchase of $30,000, it is far more cost effective to buy the machine.Lower cost of production means that the goods produced can now be sold at alower pricepoint which passes the savings on to the consumer. Companiesproducing goods rightly contend that the use of machines to complete low-skilljobs has only positive impact for everyone.

Beyondthese benefits for industry, some believe that machines will shape the futurefor the human race. Innovation and invention of new more intelligent machinescan push us as humans toward new, unimagined possibilities. For example, beforethe first airplane was invented, people could only dream of human flight, butat the moment of takeoff, a whole new world of unimaginable possibilities wassuddenly within our grasp. Through even just that one invention, an entiremulti-billion dollar a year industry was born, and our lives improved andadvanced in a multitude of ways. Who can know what great advancements may bebrought about by a more intelligent machine than what we possess today? Thepossibilities are endless.

Thereare those who are less enthusiastic about all this progress and advancement.They argue that by not having to interact with fellow humans, we no longer arerequired to be courteous and have tolerance for others. While this may be true,this is a minor cost for a major increase in efficiency. Take the example ofself checkout systems in grocery stores. Self checkout permits consumers toprocure their goods and get out of the store quickly. This might seem like asmall time-saver, but considering how often this experience is repeated revealsa cumulative effect. Across time, consumers end up saving hours, which improvesthe efficiency of their daily lives, allowing them to spend time on things thatare of greater interest and meaning to them.

Whetherhumans like it or not, machines are becoming more and popular in the workplaceand are decreasing the need for humans to work those jobs. This can lead toadvancement of society, a greater end product or service, and even a lowerconsumer cost of goods. Many people are frightened of change, but unfortunatelyfor them, the past is gone and now we must look to the future.

Scoring Explanation

Ideas and Analysis = 5
This argument engages productively with multiple perspectives. By viewing eachperspective through the lens of a particular ideology, the writer establishesand employs a thoughtful context for analysis. Within this context, the writerarticulates and addresses implications that range from benefits for industry toefficiencies for consumers. Competing views are also evaluated within thisframework of capitalist ideals. The writer grants that intelligent machinesreduce human interactions in places like the grocery store but argues that thisis a good thing, as it allows for a more efficient experience for the consumer.In this way, the writer has addressed two values in tension, and an evaluationof the conflict serves to advance the argument.

Development and Support = 5
The essay is focused on its purpose throughout; the entire response works inservice of the larger argument. The reasoning and illustration in each body paragraphfunction to deepen understanding of why the writer believes that the benefitsof intelligent machines outweigh potential drawbacks. In using hypotheticals toexplain her thinking, the writer responds to anticipated questions. Forexample, when she claims that robots cut down the cost of production by a considerable amount,she answers the question of how with an example that illustrates the differencebetween the ongoing salary of a regular employee and the one-time cost of amachine. She extends the idea further by noting that decreased costof production means that the goods produced can now be sold at a lowerpricepoint which passes the savings on the consumer,making clear the larger significance of this point. This careful thoughtprocess makes for a compelling, well-developed argument.

Organization = 5
The writer employs a productive organizational strategy. The introductionpresents a roadmap for discussion, and this outline serves as a unifying forcefor the argument. The argument progresses logically: the writer firstestablishes benefits of the increasing presence of intelligent machines andthen attempts to strengthen her case by acknowledging and rebutting acounterargument. Transitions are used when necessary and appropriate, making theconnections among ideas readily apparent and contributing to a smooth,pleasurable read.

Language Use = 5
This response exhibits several markers of advanced language use. Word choiceand sentence structures are precise and diverse, and are used to communicatecomplex ideas with relative concision. A formal, academic tone demonstratesstrong comprehension of the rhetorical situation and works in service of thewriter’s measured argument.

Sample Essay 6

Ideas and Analysis: Score = 6
Development and Support: Score = 6
Organization: Score = 6
Language Use and Conventions: Score = 6

BeginWRITING TEST Here.

 Advances in technology havebecome so widely accepted in today’s culture that very few people are willingto pause to consider the consequences. People get so excited about what newtechnologies can offer that they forget to question whether there might be anynegative effects. Without caution and deliberation, replacing the natural withthe mechanical would undoubtedly be disasterous.

 The economic implicationsof the potential mechanical takeover alone should be enough to dissuade anyonefrom moving too fast. In the event the robots are more widely used in theworkplace, humans would surely be replaced. At first, businesses would benefitfrom the efficiency of robots, but eventually a depressed job market would leadto a population that struggles just to feed themselves and their families, letalone purchase the products these robots make. In the long run, society willsuffer if it does not take care to prevent the economic consequences of givingeverything over to machines.

 Our careless use ofautomation has already taken a toll on our culture. People have beeninteracting with automation in nearly every aspect of their lives, whether itbe shopping, banking, or the use of a telephone. The effect of this is obvious:basic respect for our fellow man is all but absent today because of increasedinteraction with automation. Why treat a machine with kindness? It suffers noemotional or psychological damage. In a culture saturated with automation, weget used to treating machines rudely, and we begin to treat each other rudely.This of course leads to all sorts of issues, like intolerence and incivility,and in the long run, results in the complete degradation of culture.

 Even in the face of theseobstacles, some people argue that the increasing intelligence of today’smachines is a good thing. After all, machine power can decrease the human workload. Computer processers double in power and ability every year. Computers areprojected to reach human intelligence by as soon as 2025. The implications ofthis shift are unknown, but one thing is for certain. We are moving into thischange too fast to anticipate and prevent damage to the human species. We areapproaching this change too quickly for any sort of safety net to be built.Because of this, it is important that we as a species slow down ourtechnological development so that we might consider all the implications of achange this big. We must figure out how to handle negative societal andcultural consequences before we embrace total integration of automated,intelligent machines.

 Decreasing the speed withwhich we incorporate mechanical influence is important because of the potentialdangers that lurk in blind acceptance. Not only does the preference of themechanical over the natural interfere with the job market and the economy, butits use also has the potential to seriously degrade our culture as a whole. Incombination with the uncertainty surrounding the increasing intelligence ofmachines, it is most assuredly better for the human species that technologicalprogress be slowed so that we can, if necessary, prevent additional damage.

Scoring Explanation

Ideas and Analysis = 6
By framing the issue as a matter of reckless technological abandon, thewriter establishes an insightful context for analysis of the issue and itsperspectives. This context informs a nuanced, precise thesis: Though we areinclined to welcome technological advancement with open arms, “the potentialdangers that lurk in blind acceptance” necessitate “caution and deliberation”as we determine how to make use of intelligent machines. In advancing thisthesis, the writer examines the economic and cultural implications of movingtoo quickly into the age of automation. In doing so, the writer has generatedan argument that critically engages with multiple perspectives on this issue.

Development and Support = 6
An integrated line of reasoning and illustration effectively conveys theargument’s significance by exploring the economic and cultural implications ofthe mindless incorporation of intelligent machines. Hypothetical examples (In the event the robots are more widely used in the workplace)and skillful reasoning (The implications of this shiftare unknown, but one thing is for certain. We are moving into this change toofast to anticipate and prevent damage to the human species)develop and support the thesis by drawing out and making persuasive its meaningand importance. The final body paragraph complicates the argument by concedingboth the benefits of machine power and the unprecedented sophistication ofmodern technologies, using these concessions to reinforce the call formoderation and deliberation—as we reach new technological heights, it is even more important that we“figure out how to handle” potential unintended consequences.

Organization = 6
As with its development and support, a persistent focus on exploring the thesisbenefits the organization of this response. This skillful strategy is driven byits controlling idea, which shapes the argument as it progresses logically froma discussion of future economic implications to a treatment of present-daycultural conditions to an examination of opposing viewpoints. Effective transitionsbetween paragraphs reflect this organizing principle (The economic implications of the potential mechanical takeover;Our careless use of automation has already taken a toll on our culture; Even inthe face of these obstacles, some people argue that the increasing intelligenceof today’s machines is a good thing), while transitions withinparagraphs serve to clarify and strengthen the writer’s reasoning (At first, but eventually, This of course, After all).All told, this strategy increases the effectiveness of the argument.

Language Use = 6
Precise vocabulary (societal and culturalconsequences, intolerence and incivility, emotional or psychological damage)and a variety of clear sentence structures reflect advanced skill in the use oflanguage. So too does the prose itself, which is largely free of errors. Ofparticular note are the writer’s strategic stylistic choices. Words like degrade,depressed, and damagework to establish a sense of alarm or dread, which underscoresthe writer’s call for consideration of the potential consequences sheperceives. In the final body paragraph, the writer uses repetitive sentenceconstructions (We are, We are, We must)as the argument moves into its call for action. These rhetorical flourisheswork to clarify the thesis and make persuasive its implications, thus enhancingthe argument.