Appendix (for reading content...etc)
Writing based on reading and listening
Read the passage. On a piece of paper, take notes on the main points of the reading passage.
Reading time: 3 minutes
Altruism is a type of behavior in which an animal sacrifices its own interest for that of another animal or group of animals. Altruism is the opposite of selfishness; individuals performing altruistic acts gain nothing for themselves.
Examples of altruism abound, both among humans and among other mammals. Unselfish acts among humans range from the sharing of food with strangers to the donation of body organs to family members, and even to strangers. Such acts are altruistic in that they benefit another, yet provide little reward to the one performing the act.
In fact, many species of animals appear willing to sacrifice food, or even their life, to assist other members of their group. The meerkat, which is a mammal that dwells in burrows in grassland areas of Africa, is often cited as an example. In groups of meerkats, an individual acts as a sentinel, standing guard and looking out for predators while the others hunt for food or eat food they have obtained. If the sentinel meerkat sees a predator such as a hawk approaching the group, it gives an alarm cry alerting the other meerkats to run and seek shelter. By standing guard, the sentinel meerkat gains nothing--it goes without food while the others eat, and it places itself in grave danger. After it issues an alarm, it has to flee alone, which might make it more at risk to a predator, since animals in groups are often able to work together to fend off a predator. So the altruistic sentinel behavior helps ensure the survival of other members of the meerkat's group.
Now listen to the passage. On a piece of paper, take notes on the main points of the listening passage.
[audio|src:'\listening\toefl_blue\Test_1_030.mp3?20220415']
Narrator
Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.
Professor
You know, often in science, new findings force us to re-examine earlier beliefs and assumptions. And a recent study of meerkats is having exactly this effect. The study examined the meerkat's behavior quite closely, much more closely than had ever been done before. And some interesting things were found ... like about eating habits ... it showed that typically meerkats eat before they stand guard--so the ones standing guard had a full stomach! And the study also found that since the sentinel is the first to see a predator coming, it's the most likely to escape ... because it often stands guard near a burrow, so it can run immediately into the burrow after giving the alarm. The other meerkats, the ones scattered about looking for food, are actually in greater danger.
And in fact, other studies have suggested that when an animal creates an alarm, the alarm call might cause the other group members either to gather together or else to move about very quickly, behaviors that might actually draw the predator's attention away from the caller, increasing that animal's own chances of survival.
And what about people-what about some human acts that might be considered altruistic? Let's take an extreme case: uh, suppose a person donates a kidney to a relative, or even to a complete stranger. A selfless act, right? But ... doesn't the donor receive appreciation and approval from the stranger and from society? Doesn't the donor gain an increased sense of self-worth? Couldn't such nonmaterial rewards be considered very valuable to some people?
Narrator
Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they oppose specific points made in the reading passage.
You should understand the meaning of altruism and alruistic acts. The delinitions are given in the reading passage: altruism describes behavior that is the opposite of selfishness; it is behavior that benefits another individual or the group with no reward. The lecturer questions whether the examples meet the definition.
A high-scoring response will include the following points made by the lecturer:
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Point made in the reading passage:
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Contrasting point from the lecture:
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| Human organ donors gain nothing from their action. |
The donors receive appreciation and approval from the rest of society. |
| Sentinel meerkats go without food to stand guard. |
Sentinels actually eat before the other meerkats. |
| Sentinel mmerkats place themselves in danger from predators. |
Sentimels are actually the first to escape the predators. |
Responses scoring 4 and 5 discuss altruistic/nonaltruistic aspects of the thrce points in the table: human organ donation, meerkat sentinel eating behavior, and meerkat sentinel ability to escape.
Question:
Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they oppose specific points made in the reading passage.
Sample Answer:
According to the lecture, examinig closely to the eating habits of meerkats, these animals are not altruistic. The fact is that the sentinel, being the first that sees the predator, is able to be the first in escape. Also the other meerkats that are hunting and looking for food are the ones in danger. Considering the altruistic human acts, the donation of body organs shouldn't be considered like that, mainly because when a person donates an organ he or she receives appreciation and recognition of society. Because of this points the lecture might make the reader doubt, mainly because the eating habits of the meerkats have been studied closely, giving arguments in order to justify that meerkats aren't doing altruistic acts. The other argument about human and their altruistic actions sounds logical and a situiation in which a person would donate organs just to get appreciation of society couls be probable. Because of this both, reading and lecture, are completely opposite, might make the user doubt and reflect more about altruism.
Rater Comments
This answer meets the criteria for a high-level response to an integrated task. The writer does a good job of selecting, framing, and interweaving points from the lecture and rcading, explicitly and fluently presenting accurate connections betwcen the relevant points. All three points made by the lecturer are included. Language is used accurately and effectively, and the overall picce is well organized.
The lecture completely refutes the passage. It is said in the lecture that, the perceived acts of altruism are nothing more than sneaky methods of gaining advantage for one's self.Contrary to the belief in the passage that sentinels risk their lives for the cause of the whole group, the professor says that the meerkat sentinels are in fact less prone to outside threats. The alarm sentinels give off causes to group to move rashly which draws the predators attention towards them, thus drawing away the attention from the sentinels. The lecture refutes the fact that these meerkats are altruistic in the sense that they gain nothing in exchange of their services. In fact, researches have shown that they have a full stomach as they perform this "altruistic" duty and have a better chance of escaping from danger because they witness it ifrst Proffesor also offers a different underlying motivation that causes people to believe that acts such as donating an organ or sharing food with someone in need are altruistic. She says that people gain appreciation as a result of such acts, which may be deemed by some much more important than materialistic gains.
Rater Comments
The response includes some of the important information about sentinel meerkats and organ donation from the lecture. However, it is very vague in how it relates the points in the lecture to the points in the reading, There is no clear reference to any explanation of the other meerkats being in danger. The statement commenting on organ donation, "The other argument about human and their altruistic actions sounds logical and a situation in which a person would donate organs just to get appreciation of society couls be probable," is not very clear. The response also completely omits the point about meerkat sentinels and food.
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