The Secret Cornor

 AWA 7    2010.8.25

General Strategies:

1. Do you have the "write" (right) stuff?

2. Write or Wrong, Communication Counts.

3. Efficient writing reflects not so much the ability to write as the ability to think.

4. Anyone who wishes to write well must learn to think logically, to organize ideas coherently, and to express them clearly.

Strategies: Understanding the Issue task

The Issue task gives you considerable latitude in the way you respond to the statement or claim made in each topic. Although it is important that you address the central issue, you are free to take any approach you wish. For example, you might

1. （黑白分明）agree absolutely with the claim, disagree completely, or agree with some parts and not others. ( see Issue#31)

Issue#31

"Money spent on research is almost always a good investment, even when the results of that research are controversial."

2. question the assumptions the statement seems to be making. ( see Issue#10, 11, 94, 130, 212)

Issue#130

"How children are socialized today determines the destiny of society . Unfortunately, we have not yet learned how to raise children who can help bring about a better society."

(How we learned how to raise children who can better society?)

Note: *Unfortunately, ...S+V. (central issue)

3. quality any of its terms, especially if the way you define or apply a term is important to developing your perspective on the issue. (Issue #6, 15)

Issue#6

"The subculture of the youth forms the most important part of contemporary culture. Take popular music, popular popular lexicon via msn, and innovative  gadgets for example."

( Define the terms, such as subculture,...etc.)

Issue#15

"The stability of a society depends on how it responds to the extremes of human behavior."

The extremes of human behavior can be defined as behaviors from larceny, arson, rapes, and homicides to crippling sabotage and catastrophic massacre.

(Define extremes of human behavior.)

4. （某些狀況成立，某些則否）point out why the claim is valid in some situations but not in others. ( see Issue#8)

Issue#8

"It is often necessary , even desirable for political leaders to withhold information from the public."

Should political leaders withhold information from the public?

5. （批評對方論點不成立）evaluate points of view that contrast with your own perspective. (see Issue#121)

Issue#121

"At various times in the geological past, many species have become extinct as a result of natural, rather than human, processes. Thus, there is no justification for society to make extraordinary efforts, especially at a great cost in money and jobs, to save endangered species."

 (Our responsibility to save endangered species)

On the one hand, to the extent that endangerment results from clear-cutting of forests or polluting of lakes and streams, we humans have a duty to take affirmative measures to protect the species.