Follow the Instructions

When it comes to writing an English essay on SAT, the most important thing is following the instructions. For example, on Wednesday, I had the three classes write a picture story, a writing task given by 2010 Meow-meow Practice Test. The students were shown only one picture instead of four. In the picture is a man standing in the middle of the road by his car. He seems to get stuck in the middle of nowhere and be talking on the cellphone. The instructions are as follows:

提示:

人生有時會發生一些難以預料的事,遇到了就要設法去解 決,請寫一篇約120字左右的作文,第一段說明圖中的主角發生了什麼事,第二段則敘述他正在做什麼或打算如何處理這件事There is no problem with the students' first paragraph. However, most of them have a big problem with the second one. Instead of just describing what the man is doing or what he is planning and stopping there, they went on to write what happens to the man after some action is taken. Though reading their creative writing was enjoyable and some even made me laugh, they went too far. 

The following are two samples from Meow-meow Practice Test. The blue parts describe what students can see in the picture. How to extend from them and stop at the right place is quite a challenge. 

1. 

On his way home from a business meeting in Phoenix, Ken decided to take a road through the desert to enjoy the dramatic scenery. Unfortunately for Ken, however, he didn’t have sufficient gas for the trip! By the time he realized his mistake, it was too late to turn back, and he came to halt in the middle of nowhere with an empty tank.

He tried calling for help on his cell phone, but he couldn’t get any signal in the remote location. As the nearest town was over 50 km away, and he only had a little water, walking was not an option, either. The only thing left for him to do was to wait by his car in the hope that someone would drive past. (127 words)

2. 

After concluding a business meeting in Phoenix, Ken decided to get off the beaten track and take a scenic detour back home along a desert road. Much to Ken’s annoyance, though, he had forgotten one vital necessity for his journey—a full tank of gas. When his car rolled to a halt, Ken was distraught to find himself stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Dialing for help on his cell phone was fruitless, as the remoteness of his location meant he had no reception. What’s more, with the nearest town being 50 km away and his water supply running extremely low, trekking through the desert would be dangerous. Ken had no choice but to linger by his car and pray that someone drove past before he collapsed from the intense heat. (131 words) 

To see the picture, please open or download the following file. 

writing samples for_ off the beaten track.doc