TPO 第8套 综合写作题目重新选题
阅读材料
收起Toward the end of his life, the Chevalier de Seingalt (1725-1798) wrote a long memoir recounting his life and adventures. The Chevalier was a somewhat controversial figure, but since he met many famous people, including kings and writers, his memoir has become a valuable historical source about European society in the eighteenth century. However, some critics have raised doubts about the accuracy of the memoir. They claim that the Chevalier distorted or invented many events in the memoir to make his life seem more exciting and glamorous than it really was.
For example, in his memoir the Chevalier claims that while living in Switzerland, he was very wealthy, and it is known that he spent a great deal of money there on parties and gambling. However, evidence has recently surfaced that the Chevalier borrowed considerable sums of money from a Swiss merchant. Critics thus argue that if the Chevalier had really been very rich, he would not have needed to borrow money.
Critics are also skeptical about the accuracy of the conversations that the Chevalier records in the memoir between himself and the famous writer Voltaire. No one doubts that the Chevalier and Voltaire met and conversed. However, critics complain that the memoir cannot possibly capture these conversations accurately, because it was written many years after the conversations occurred. Critics point out that it is impossible to remember exact phrases from extended conversations held many years earlier.
Critics have also questioned the memoir's account of the Chevalier's escape from a notorious prison in Venice, Italy. He claims to have escaped the Venetian prison by using a piece of metal to make a hole in the ceiling and climbing through the roof. Critics claim that while such a daring escape makes for enjoyable reading, it is more likely that the Chevaliers jailers were bribed to free him. They point out that the Chevalier had a number of politically well-connected friends in Venice who could have offered a bribe.
听力材料
收起写作题目
收起Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they support/contradict specific points made in the reading passage.
答题辅导
收起1.阅读要点概括
Main point:
Some critics doubts that the Chevalier’s memoir is not accurate
Subpoint 1:
As the Chevalier needed to borrow money, he was not rich
Subpoint 2:
The Chevalier's conversations with Voltaire were not accurately recorded in the memoir
Subpoint 3:
The Chevalier was actually freed by his friends’ help rather than by escaping froma hole
2.听力要点概括
Point 1: Loan; parties and gambling; convert assets into money; waiting for arrival
Point 2: Each night immediately after, wrote down everything, many years; witnesses,consulted notes and journals
Point 3: More powerful friends, none, bribe; government documents, soon after,ceiling, repaired