TOPIC: What do you think is Thomas Edison’s greatest contribution to human progress? The text you should base your composition on is “Edison: Inventor of Invention.”
State what his greatest contribution is.
Explain the reasons.
Draw a conclusion.
Although Thomas Edison is generally remembered as an inventor of innumerous devices, his greatest contribution is that he helped change the mentality of mankind.
From ancient times, people believed that the conditions of life were unchanging. In the 17th and 18th centuries, a small number of intellectuals began to doubt this conception and believe in change. This idea of progress was accepted by more people in the first half of the 19th century when steam-driven machines greatly improved production and transportation. But the accidents these machines caused filled people with fear and doubt. Towards the end of the 19th century, Edison’s wonderful inventions showed concretely and convincingly that man could, by using his intelligence, invent a new way of life and showed how ordinary people could benefit from the progress of science.
Because of his part in convincing people that man should and was bound to move forward, Edison was looked upon as a symbol and creator of a new age. (161 words)
【评分参考】
优秀（13——15分）
（1）内容涵盖参考答案中所提及的要点。
（2）语言通顺，无重大语法结构错误，用词恰当，允许有少量拼写错误。
良好（11——12分）
（1）内容涵盖参考答案中所提及的主要内容，但不够清楚，或不够透彻。
（2）语言较通顺，可有1个重大语法错误，用词较为恰当，不得超过5个拼写错误。
及格（9——10分）
(l）内容基本都能点到，但比较粗浅。
(2）语言尚可，基本能表达思想，但错误较多。
不及格
(6——8分）字数不够，语言质量较差，但尚能表达一些思想。
(2——5分）字数不够，涉及到一些内容，但语言质量较差，表达不清楚。(0——1分）白卷或文不对题。
