TPO2是ETS官方发布的托福备考材料中的第二套题目,其综合写作部分非常经典，清晰地展示了“阅读”和“听力”之间的对立关系，是备考托福写作的绝佳材料。

下面我将为你提供一个完整的范文、结构分析、核心词汇和备考建议。

题目分析

综合写作任务要求： 阅读部分和听力部分就一个话题提出了相反的观点，你的任务是总结阅读和听力的主要观点，并解释听力是如何反驳阅读的观点的。

话题： 灭绝的猛犸象

• 阅读观点： 为什么猛犸象会灭绝？
• 听力观点： 驳斥阅读的三个原因。

阅读原文 (Reading)

The Extinction of the Mammoth The mammoth, a relative of the modern elephant, became extinct around 10,700 years ago. Scientists have proposed several theories to explain this extinction. The three most widely accepted theories are the changing climate theory, the overkill theory, and the disease theory.

First, some scientists believe that a significant change in climate led to the extinction of the mammoths. At the end of the last Ice Age, the Earth’s climate became warmer. This caused the grasslands, which were the mammoths' primary food source, to be replaced by forests. Without sufficient food, the mammoth population could not survive.

Second, another theory suggests that early humans hunted the mammoths to extinction. This is known as the overkill theory. As human populations grew and they developed more sophisticated hunting weapons, they could have killed mammoths faster than the animals could reproduce. This overhunting would have quickly depleted the mammoth population.

Finally, some scientists propose that a widespread disease wiped out the mammoths. It is possible that a new virus or bacteria was introduced to the mammoth population by humans or other animals. The mammoths would have had no natural immunity to this disease, and it could have spread rapidly, causing a massive population decline.

听力原文 (Lecture)

Professor: Now, these theories about why mammoths went extinct are interesting, but I think they all have serious flaws. Let me explain why.

First, the climate change theory doesn't hold up. We know that mammoths had survived through previous climate changes. In fact, they had adapted to much colder conditions during the Ice Ages. The warming at the end of the last Ice Age was not as sudden as some people think. It was a gradual process that took place over thousands of years. This slow change should have given the mammoths plenty of time to migrate to new areas with suitable grasslands or to adapt to the new forest environment. So, climate change alone can't explain their sudden disappearance.

Second, the overkill theory is also unlikely. While it's true that humans hunted mammoths, there's no solid evidence that they were responsible for the extinction. For example, we have found very few spear points or other hunting tools made from mammoth bones at archaeological sites. This suggests that humans did not hunt mammoths on a large scale. Also, mammoths were huge, dangerous animals. It would have been very difficult and risky for early humans to hunt them in large numbers. So, the idea that humans could have wiped them out seems far-fetched.

Finally, the disease theory has a major problem too. If a disease had caused the extinction, we would expect to see a very sudden and dramatic drop in the mammoth population. However, the fossil record shows that the mammoth population declined gradually over a long period, hundreds of years. This slow decline is not consistent with a catastrophic event like a plague. Therefore, a widespread disease is probably not the cause.

高分范文

The reading passage and the lecture both discuss the potential causes for the extinction of the mammoth, which occurred approximately 10,700 years ago. While the reading passage presents three main theories—climate change, overhunting by humans, and disease—to explain this phenomenon, the lecture challenges each of these theories by pointing out their respective weaknesses.

First, the reading passage posits that a significant warming climate at the end of the last Ice Age led to the replacement of grasslands with forests, depriving mammoths of their primary food source. However, the lecturer refutes this by explaining that mammoths had survived numerous previous climate changes and were well-adapted to cold conditions. Furthermore, the lecturer points out that the climate shift was a gradual process that occurred over thousands of years, which should have provided ample time for the mammoths to migrate to new habitats or adapt, making climate change an insufficient explanation for their sudden disappearance.

Second, the reading passage suggests that early humans hunted mammoths to extinction through a process known as "overkill." The lecturer, however, casts doubt on this theory by citing a lack of substantial evidence. She mentions that few hunting tools made from mammoth bones have been found at archaeological sites, indicating that human hunting was not on a large scale. Additionally, the lecturer argues that hunting such large and dangerous animals would have been extremely difficult and risky for early humans, making it improbable that they could have wiped out the entire mammoth population.

Finally, the reading passage proposes that a widespread disease introduced by humans or other animals could have wiped out the mammoths. The lecturer challenges this idea by stating that if a disease were the cause, the fossil record would show a rapid and catastrophic population decline. In contrast, the lecturer notes that the evidence indicates a gradual decline over several hundred years, which is inconsistent with the effects of a deadly plague. Therefore, the lecturer concludes that a disease epidemic is an unlikely cause of the extinction.

In conclusion, while the reading passage offers three plausible theories for the extinction of the mammoth, the lecture effectively counters each of these arguments by highlighting flaws in the evidence and logic, suggesting that the true cause of their demise remains unknown.

范文结构分析

这篇范文是典型的“四段式”结构，清晰、高效。

1. 第一段（引言段）：

   • 任务： 概括阅读和听力的核心话题。
   • 写法： 首先点明双方讨论的共同主题（猛犸象灭绝），用一句话简要总结阅读的三个观点（用 while 或 although 引导），明确指出听力的核心作用是反驳（challenges/refutes/casts doubt on）这些观点。
   • 句式： Both A and B discuss... While A presents..., B challenges...

2. 第二、三、四段（主体段）：

   • 任务： 分别对应阅读的三个论点，逐一进行反驳。
   • 结构（黄金模板）：
     • (1) Topic Sentence (主题句): 重述阅读的第一个观点，并用 However, Nevertheless, In contrast 等转折词引出听力对该观点的否定。The reading passage posits that... However, the lecturer refutes this by...
     • (2) Reading's Point (阅读观点): 简要、准确地总结阅读部分的理由。The reading argues that...
     • (3) Lecture's Counter-argument (听力反驳): 详细阐述听力是如何反驳的，包括听力的理由和证据。The lecturer counters that... / The lecturer points out that...
     • (4) Concluding Sentence (小结句 - 可选但推荐): 用一句话总结该段落的逻辑关系，强调听力的反驳是有效的。Therefore, the lecturer's argument casts doubt on the reading's climate change theory.

3. 第五段（总结段）：

   • 任务： 总结全文，再次强调听力的反驳作用。
   • 写法： 首先用 In conclusion 或 In summary 开头，重申阅读的观点是“plausible”（看似合理的），但听力通过指出其逻辑和证据上的缺陷（flaws in the evidence and logic）成功反驳了它们，可以像范文一样，给出一个开放性的结论，表明问题尚无定论。

核心词汇与短语

表示“观点/理论”：

• theory / hypothesis / proposition
• explanation / account
• argument / claim / assertion
• line of reasoning

表示“反驳/质疑”：

• refute / rebut / contradict / challenge / question / cast doubt on / take issue with
• point out a flaw / weakness / inconsistency / problem in
• argue against / disagree with / be skeptical of

表示“证据”：

• evidence / proof / data
• fossil record / archaeological findings
• substantial / concrete / solid / insufficient / lack of evidence

表示“逻辑关系”：

• according to / based on
• however / nevertheless / in contrast / on the other hand
• therefore / thus / consequently / as a result / hence

备考建议

1. 精读精听，做笔记： 做TPO时，不要只满足于听懂，阅读部分要划出每个段落的中心句和关键词，听力部分要记下教授反驳的三个核心点，以及他用来反驳的关键词（如 gradual, lack of evidence, inconsistent with）。
2. 模仿范文结构：