Topic：
Which do you think is the most important factor for a student to succeed at college or university?
（你认为学生在大学成功最关键的因素是什么？）
1. Tutors in university. （大学的导师）
2. The encouragement from family. （来自家庭的鼓励）
3. High-quality education from high school. （高中时期接受的优质教育）
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
（理由具体的原因和例子来支撑你的答案）
题目解析：
三选一的托福独立写作题目让考生困惑，也许因为不理解题目到底问什么。
这种情况对于老师来说也是差不多。没有借口，不管如何，一定要回答。
答错或答对都不是写作评分标准。高分作文的表现是全面答题，逻辑连贯，辞汇资源，文法精确。
本文作者选择第二个因素：家庭的经济鼓励是学生在大学期间能够成功获得文凭的主要关键。
既然选了第二，那么第一和第三怎么处理呢？一般不完全置之不理，而是并入到第二的讨论中 。
你的选择是哪一道？答得来或答不出来，一样都得回答，自圆其说即可，不必考虑是否符合主流标准。
以下范文是作者心血来潮的结果，别具一格，欢迎读者回馈。
重点词汇和短语，在文末均有备注。
In today’s society of the growing opportunity gap, a tremendous amount of a student’s success at college or university is determined by the encouragement from that student’s family. Precisely, college success and graduation are more likely for students who have parents financially involved. Believe it or not, the wealth of the family is the most important factor for a student to get a degree.
当今社会，机会不均等的情况日益扩大。无数大学生的学业成功都取决于家庭的鼓励。确切来说，得到家长经济支持的学生，更有可能获得学业成功，顺利毕业。信不信由你，学生能否取得学位证，最关键的因素，还是家庭的财富值。
Believe it, for a student to get a college degree, parental contributions in terms of money should not be overlooked due to some hard realities. While a post-secondly credential has never been more demanding than ever before, college has never been more expensive. It is true that college remains the best investment a student can make in the future, but the problem now is money, or the lack of it. For this reason, many students are forced to drop out from colleges and fail to complete degrees. Unfortunately but truly, hard work and academic talent often matter less than the ability to pay the cost of a higher education. If a degree is a marker of a student’s success in college, a student would find it difficult or even impossible to make it without the financial encouragement from the more privileged family backgrounds.
相信我，大学生想要拿到学位，永远不要忽略了父母的经济支持，实事就是如此残酷。随着大学文凭条件越来越苛刻，学费也变得更贵了。对于学生来说，最佳的投资依然是读大学，但是，问题在于有没有钱去读。因为缺钱的缘故，很多学生被迫辍学，无法完成学业。不幸但真实的是，努力学习和聪明才智往往不如有能力去交学费。如果学位是衡量大学生成功的标志，那么，学生会发现，没有来自优越家境的经济支持，你将很难，甚至根本无法成功。
Believe it again! The most important factor for a student to succeed in college is more directly related to sufficient money provided by the family, than to professional advice from tutors in university, or to high-quality education from high school. The basic argument is that some people happen to be born to families that are better off, better educated, and better situated, and that matters a lot and that puts them at a natural advantage. Accordingly in real life, rich dull students are more likely to get a college degree than smart poor students. Considering all that, it is as if to say that much of a student’s success in college depends on what is called the “birth lottery,” and people have no say in the card they draw. It has become evident that, without the financial substance from the family, neither academic performance from a student since high school, nor tutoring from university can be a decisive factor leading to a degree.
再一次相信我，对于大学生的成功来说，最重要的因素是家庭能够提供足够的经济支持，而不是来自大学导师的专业意见，或者高中时期接受到的良好教育。最基本的一条就是，有些人恰巧出生在富裕、书香之家，这给了他们一个天然的优势。同样，在现实生活中，富家子弟比穷人家的孩子更加容易拿到学位。综上所述，就在说学生的成功绝大部分取决于他们的“出生彩票”，而人们无法决定自己会抽到什么样的彩票。很明显，如果没有家庭的经济支持，无论是高中的学业成绩，还是大学导师都不是学生拿到学位的决定性因素。
Whether people believe it or not, the most important factor contributing to a student’s success in college must be directly related to the family richness. Strictly speaking, parents’ financial involvement can make or break it. Those who think otherwise, think again!
信或不信，大学生在校取得成功最主要的因素，一定是家庭的富裕程度。严格地说，家长的资金支持起到决定性作用。如果你不同意的话，可以再思考思考。
--the growing opportunity gap 机会不均等的情况日益扩大
--a tremendous amount of 大量的
--precisely 精确地说
--believe it or not 信不信由你
--in terms of 就...来说
--overlook 忽视
--a post-secondly credential 大学文凭
--demanding 苛刻
--to drop out 中途退学
--unfortunately but truly 不幸，但是又千真万确
--matter less than 没...重要
--the more privileged family background 更优越的家庭背景
--sufficient 足够的
--the basic argument is that 最基本的一条论点就是
--better off 比较富裕
--put sb at an advantage 让某人处于有利地位
-- it is as if to say that 这就好比在说
--depends on 依靠
--“birth lottery” “出生彩票“，抽到大户人家或贫困家庭
--have no say in... 对...没有发言权
--It has become evident that 很明显
--academic performance 学业成绩
--strictly speaking 严格地说
--to make or break it 决定成败
注意：该篇文章是托福作文的示范文章，不要用现代的价值观去看待此文，毕竟托福的评分标准，不是你的价值观是否正确，而是你的文笔够不够出色，逻辑够不够严谨。如果你能成功地指鹿为马，同样也会得高分。
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