托福改革在即！写作部分新题型剖析！
近期网传托福将于今年7月迎来重大改革，就目前的消息来看，新版托福考试将会对考试内容进行精简，显著降低考生的体力消耗。目前网传托福改革的要点如下：
据传官方将于4月11日正式官宣，新版托福将于7月26日上线。
最新消息：目前托福考试官方视频号上在4月11日确实有一场直播，主题是2023年托福iBT考试全新升级发布会。这就直接证明了之前的网传的改革消息是几乎板上定钉的事儿了，只是改革细节是否如网传所说，咱们还要拭目以待当天的直播~
就网传内容来看，这次所谓的托福改革除了取消加试和删减一篇托福阅读之外，最大的变化就是写作部分。所以接下来着重对写作部分的变化做下分析。
当前写作是综合写作+独立写作两个部分组成，共计55mins，据网传的改版方向，之后会保留综合写作的部分，但是独立写作会变成学术性讨论题（discussion board question），这个题型其实来源于TOEFL Essentials。
以下表格主要是展现独立写作和学术性讨论题之间的差异。
写作新题型样题一
先看油管大神给的例题。
1. 先分析题干要求
The test-taker must read the question posted by the professor and the two student responses. Finally, they should write their own response which addresses the question and adds to the conversation.
教授抛出1个debate，提问大家的立场。接着两个npc学生作为正反方，给出各自的观点。
而我们输出的作文需要的是，不仅表达自己的立场（address the question），而且分析两个npc学生的response（adds to the conversation）。
这样的题型，更注重在这个多元化社会中，针对同一个话题，人们不同意见的表达和讨论。
而在这个过程中，我们不仅要表达自己的观点，同时还要倾听其他人的思考。
2. 再看例题中教授的发言
教授：Today we’re going to talk about the debate between economic growth and protecting the environment. Economic growth creates new jobs and gives people money they can use to improve their lives. On the other hand, if we protect the environment it can be enjoyed both by ourselves and future generations. If you had to choose between prioritizing economic growth or protecting the environment, which one would you choose. Why?
经济和环境，你选哪个？
仔细的你一定会发现，这个题目就脱胎于现行托福的独立写作题：Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Because economic growth is so important for modern societies, economic growth should not be slowed down by concerns about environment.
所以，其实独立写作没有消失，只是换了个方式继续陪伴（zhe mo）大家。
3. 再看两个npc学生的发言
Alex: I would prioritize the environment. We only have one planet and if we don’t take care of it, we won’t have pleasant lives in the future. Economic growth can be important, but not at the expense of the environment. I think we need to shift towards more environmentally-friendly economic practices, such as investing in renewable energy and promoting environmentally-friendly technologies. We’ll all live much healthier lives if the world around us is clean.
Maggie: While I agree with Alex that environmental sustainability is important, I think that economic growth is the only way to solve many of the social and economic problems we face. We need a strong economy to create jobs, reduce poverty, and improve standards of living. Not only that, but if companies grow stronger and more profitable, they might eventually develop new technologies that solve our environmental problems.
Alex同学觉得环境重要，Maggie同学觉得经济重要。
在两位同学的response中，除了观点的statement，还有一些展开elaboration，类似一个小的主体段。
4. 最后分析sample answer
Sample Answer: I strongly agree with Alex’s idea that our lives will be unpleasant if we focus entirely on economic growth. I would add that if the environment is damaged by industrial development we’ll be more likely to suffer from things like cancer and lung disease. Maggie raised the relevant point that we can count on profitable companies to solve problems using new technology, but she doesn’t mention that they might arrive far too late to be of use. For example, it might take decades for a company to create a clean energy source, but people are suffering from environmental problems right now. Overall, then, I’d say that companies and governments should prioritize the environment right now.
结构非常清楚：
1. 表明自己的立场
2. 补充argument
3. 指出反方的逻辑漏洞
4. 重申立场
5. 总结
可以再次看出，这个过程模拟了真实课堂讨论中，我们倾听他人的观点，消化吸收，然后给出自己的想法。
相比现行考试，这种考法更凸显了整合多方观点的重要性，而不只是自我表达。
此外，通过对两个npc学生response的整合，新题型体现出了对考生的阅读能力更高的要求。除了读懂外，还要提炼出他们的观点和论证过程，以及逻辑上的缺陷，找到可以反驳的点。
写作新题型样题二
TOEFL Writing Academic Discussion Question NO.2: Artising
The test-taker must read the question posted by the professor and the two student responses. Finally, they should write their own response which addresses the question and adds to the conversation.
Professor: Today, we’re discussing the ethics of targeted advertising. Some people argue that online advertising which uses personal information to target specific people is an invasion of privacy. Others argue that it’s simply an acceptable way to reach consumers with products and services they’re interested in. What’s your take? Do you think targeted advertising is ethical, or is it an invasion of privacy?
Jessica: I think targeted advertising is an invasion of privacy. Advertisers shouldn’t be able to track and use our personal information to sell us products. It’s not fair to consumers, and it’s a violation of our rights. Instead, advertisers should focus on creating high-quality ads that appeal to a broad audience.
Mike: I disagree with Jessica. I think targeted advertising is ethical. It’s a more efficient way to reach consumers with products and services that are relevant to their interests. Plus, consumers can always opt-out of targeted advertising by adjusting their privacy settings. As long as advertisers give users a choice, I think targeted advertising can be beneficial for both businesses and consumers.
「Sample Answer」
I really like Mike’s idea thatwe can just opt-out of targeted advertising if we don’t like it.I’d add thatit is extremely easy to do this nowadays, as Internet browsers are very user friendly.Jessica raised the relevant point that companies should create advertisements that appeal to a broad audience, but she didn’t mention how difficult it is to make advertisements like that. Society is more diverse than ever before, so it is almost impossible to create messages that everyone finds attractive. Small companies without large advertising and research budgets might go out of business if they are prevented from using cheap and effective targeted advertising. Overall, then, I would say that targeted advertising is perfectly acceptable.
从两篇参考范文来看，新的学术性讨论都是一段式的写作，字数大概在100多一点。写作内容需要包括教授提出的话题，两个学生各自的观点等内容。关于写作结构，文章开头第一句需要提出自己的观点，表明立场支持哪一方，并且概括该方的观点。接着建议增加一点自己支持该观点的理由，这样可以做到比较深入的论证。紧跟下来是概括反方的观点，并且对反方观点进行反驳，并提出反驳的理由，以便更好支持自己的观点。最后，需要重申自己的观点，做到跟开头照应，使得整篇文章前后照应，混为一体。
其他可能的话题
最后，除了环境和经济的话题外，油管大神还给出了其他可能考到的话题：
1. Social Media社交媒体（脸书，推特，ins，以及我们的微博，pyq等，是好是坏）
2. Grading Students学生成绩评定（要不要给学生打分，脱胎于TPO71独立写作：Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Grades (marks) encourage students to learn.）
3. Taxing Unhealthy Products给不健康的食物征税（TPO53综合写作讨论过类似问题，阅读部分给出三个支持的理由，听力部分反对）
4. AI人工智能（是有用的工具，还是对人类社会有伤害）
5. Longevity长寿（哪些因素促进人类平均寿命增长）
6. University Spending学校开支（投资建设图书馆等学术项目，还是运动馆等体育项目。脱胎于现有独立题：Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Universities should give the same amount of money to their students' sports activities as they give to their university libraries.）
7. City Spending市政开支（如何支出可以提升居民生活质量，脱胎于现有独立题：Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is more important for the government to spend more money on art and music museums than on facilities (like playgrounds, public swimming pool. ）
8. Corporate Impact企业对社会的影响
加上我们分析过的两道例题（经济与环境，定向广告），一共10个例题，脱胎于现有独立题的数量大概是5-6个。
其他的，则对考生们的knowledge of the world提出更高要求，包括人工智能，企业影响，人类寿命，社交媒体等。如果缺乏这些话题相关的知识储备，恐怕很难在10分钟内写出有逻辑且有内容的作文。
最后，补充一些写作新题型的模板表达：
I strongly agree with [student]’s idea that [mention one point made by the student].
I’d add that [expand on the point with your own idea].
[Other student] raised the relevant point that [mention one point made by the other student], but he/she didn’t mention that [challenge that point].
For example [elaborate on your challenge].
Overall, then, I’d say that [directly answer the question].
鉴于以上所有信息都还需要官方确认（4月11日），在此之前，建议大家按兵不动。已经报名好考试的，不管7月还是8月，就放着。还没报名的，建议7月底的先报了，8月留给SAT和其他活动。
