新托福综合写作：2012年10月19日北美真题再现

Task 1：Writing Based on Reading and Listening

Directions: You should allow 3 minutes to read the passage. Then listen to thelecture. Then allow 20 minutes to plan and write your response.

Passage：

Essential Air Service (EAS) is a U.S. government grant program. Its aimis to ensure that small communities once served by commercial airlinesdo not lose air services. The EAS now plans to build airports in remoterural communities that are more than 110 km away from a commercialairport. Several benefits are stated in support of the program.

First, the service is aimed at farmers, fishermen, small miners, loggersand others working in remote areas. Without air connections, some ofthese towns have noconvenient connection with the outside world. Theair subsidy program attempts to make it possible for people living inrural areas to enjoy the same access to air travel as people in cities.

Second, the service can also boost the local economy. Communities oncedistant from population and transport centers now become local touristdestinations. Skagway, Alaska, for example, is a day’s sail from the statecapital of Juneau. But, by a small plane, it is only a half-hour trip. Withthe advent of a small local passenger service, the little burg turned froma ghost town in the early 1980’s to a tourist destination receiving nearlya million visitors a year by the year 2000. The vast majority were cruiseship tourists brought from Juneau by air.

Finally, the program provides a modest economic stimulant as itencourages the purchase of small aircraft and the development of localairports. Also, the sales of fuel and aircraft maintenance provide an extrashove to seasonal and sluggish local economies.

Listen

Narrator: Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.

Summarize the points made in the lecture you just heard, explaining how they cast doubt on points made in the reading passage.

You must finish your answer in 20 minutes.