SAT写作满分范文：popularity

Think carefully about the following passage and the assignment below.

William Penn said, “Avoid popularity; it has many snares, and no real benefit.”A century later, Abraham Lincoln said, “Avoid popularity if you would have peace.”Do you agree or disagree that popularity is best not pursued since it has no benefits nor gives a person peace?Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, experiences or observations.

Eric的SAT作文范文

I wholeheartedly agree with President Lincoln’s statement, but I only partly agree with William Penn’s. Being popular does press on a person’s personal space and freedom. While popularity does have many snares it does have some real benefits.
　　Whenever you go shopping or to the grocery store, almost always there will be a magazine news stand by the checkout lane. It’s usually full of tabloids and pop magazines that feature the latest craze and what all the hit stars have been up to. A recent movie called “Paparazzi” is about an action star who is constantly harassed by photographers who follow his every footstep.

While the movie may not be entirely accurate, it does bring to light at least some of the power and freedom the press has. Stars are followed everywhere.Reporters know a star’s favorite restaurant, favorite store and even their favorite color sometimes. Granted none of these things seem very intrusive, but thousands possibly millions of people know them. The star has very little if any privacy. It is there that Lincoln’s statement holds truth.

William Penn mentioned snares and no real benefit. Yes there are many snares that come with popularity. Peer pressure is a major one. All across the country kids dress, talk and act a certain way to try to be popular. Kids feel like they can’t be accepted as they are. They have to change themselves to how magazines, movies, or their friends tell them they should look or act. Kids have turned into imperfect clones of their favorite movies star or singer instead of being accepted for who they are.

Another snare of popularity is coping with it and the attention it draws (to use the example of stars again) many stars have died or have been in rehab for drug or alcohol abuse. The popularity and benefits it brings weren’t brought on in a way as to learn how to cope. Mel Gibson, for instance, was a severe alcoholic for many years and then went to rehab. Elvis and many others have died of drug overdose.

Despite its many snares and problems, popularity can bring benefits. Popularity can bring job opportunities that might not be available otherwise. Michael Jordan switched from a pro-basketball player to a pro-baseball player. To be totally honest, he was pretty bad. That would not have been possible to him had people not known him, had he not been popular. Likewise, many singers have started out as singers then transformed over to being actors or actresses for the same reasons.
Popularity does have many negative sides and effects to it. However, it does have some positives. I personally enjoy my obscurity, but that’s a thing everyone needs to accept.

Comments SAT作文范文点评

This is a nice response, isn’t it? Eric has addressed both prompts individually as well as commented on the overall concept of popularity. His discussion is effective and insightful. He does not skimp with details and support; in fact, he has done a lot of development within his 25-minute time limit.
　　This clearly focused essay is well organized and easy to follow. Sentences are clear and varied. His support examples are also varied—from typical teenage example having to deal with clothing and behavior clones to broader, more speculative and almost psychological analysis of popularity and the power of the media.
　　The final paragraph especially allows the reader to hear Eric’s voice as he brings this outstanding response to a close. This is what SAT readers are hoping to see—a response worthy of a 6.

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Megan的SAT作文范文

I agree that popularity is not something worth pursuing. The benefits are minimal and all have notable drawbacks. Plus, popularity increases drama in life for both the popular and the unpopular.

There are really no real benefits that popular people get. They don’t automatically get good grades just because they are well liked by their peers. Because they are considered popular in the first place, people are often scrutinizing the little details such as the popular one’s reaction to a comment, from another person. To be dissected and watched like an animal in a zoo certainly does not seem like a benefit. Also, what “popular” people say is heard by all. One wrong slip of the tongue can send rumors spiraling out of control and destroy friendships, and cause much unneeded drama.       

I do not believe “popularity” can give someone a sense of peace. There is a quote that says something like, “I would rather have a few close friends than a thousand acquaintances.” A popular person may, on the outside, seem to have all the friends in the world. On the  inside, however, he or she may be screaming for one true and loyal friend to talk to.
　　It seems almost as if “popular” people have a certain “authority” over others. The popular kid always seems to have his/her “close friends” who are nothing more than attention-starved followers. Popularity can not be determined by how many friends one may have or who the coolest dressed person is. Abraham Lincoln’s quote about avoiding popularity in order to gain peace is quite true today. A self-peace is there for the taking and can be reached without the title of being “popular.” 

点评

Megan’s response, although not as rich as Eric’s is still quite adequate. Most SAT readers would respond to this essay with a 4 and possibly a 5. Remember that each essay has at least two readers. Both scores are added to make a final score out of 12. Megan would probably fall into the 8–9 range.

She does not make direct mention of the quotes or their authors. However, she opens the second paragraph with the comment about popularity affording a sense of “peace,” which is a reference to the quotation by Lincoln.
　　Although Megan does not explore the quotes themselves as directly as Eric did, she does some insightful speculation. She mentions the pitfalls of popularity and what damage a careless slip of the tongue can bring. In addition, the third paragraph does some psychological analysis of the popular person’s real emotions.

She completes her better-than-average analysis by mentioning the need for self peace and how attaining that is far more valuable than possessing the label of being popular.