The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance. -Socrates Assignment: Do you think that knowledge is always a good thing or do you think there is a time when having knowledge is not a good thing? Write an essay in which you take a point of view on this topic. Support your point of view with examples from your studies and/or from your experiences. Sample Essay- Score 6 Although there are exceptions when knowledge is used for evil results, the pursuit and acquisition of knowledge is predominantly a positive thing; advanced knowledge is often crucial to success. There are countless examples from history, science, and literature in which having knowledge plays a vital role in success and a lack of knowledge plays a significant role in failure. In the last twenty years, scientists have made dramatic breakthroughs in their understanding of the human genome. This increased knowledge has been a powerful force for good in our world as it has allowed medical researchers to develop drugs that are tailored to a person’s genetic code. Knowledge of genetics has also allowed doctors to understand earlier in a person’s life if that person is predisposed to a certain disease or illness. That person can then begin taking medicine or altering their lifestyle to lead a longer, healthier life. However, there are risks associated with our increased understanding of genetics. Humans are dangerously close to having the ability to produce clones of other human beings. Some people may want to use this ability for selfish purposes. In this case, knowledge, rather than ignorance, may be used for evil. Another example in which an increase in knowledge has led to successful results is the cycling career of Lance Armstrong. As detailed in his autobiographical novel, Its Not About the Bike, Lance Armstrong and his team use an advanced understanding of diet and human physiology to optimize their training regimen. The team also has an advanced understanding of the mechanics of a bicycle and uses this information to build a lighter, more streamlined bike. In addition, Armstrong has a deep knowledge of the physics of motion and the layout of the race course and uses this knowledge to strategize when to exert maximum effort and when to rely on the effort of his teammates. Lance Armstrong has used an abundance of knowledge to capture the most prestigious title in his sport, The Tour De France, a record number of times. Unfortunately, there have also been some downsides to increased knowledge in the world of cycling. Many cyclists have taken advantage of illegal and harmful steroids and blood doping techniques to improve their performance; these steroids and techniques wouldn’t have been created without our advanced knowledge of the human body. The pursuit of knowledge can result in evil or morally ambiguous ends. The exploration of nuclear weapons and subsequent creation of the atomic bomb by J. Robert Oppenheimer has resulted in countless deaths and spiraling nuclear proliferation that could bring about the end of the world. Even its initial purpose, to cripple Japan by killing hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, could hardly qualify as a "success" for humanity. The preoccupation with gaining knowledge in order to assert dominance over our fellow humans is perhaps our greatest weakness,

and ultimately, curbing the impulse to acquire better and more effective information on the extermination of human lives may be in all of our best interests. But despite the ways knowledge can be twisted, as a whole, pursuit of knowledge must remain paramount in our society if we are to continue to advance and evolve. Overall, the acquisition of knowledge has been one of the most powerful forces for progress and positive outcomes in the history of the world. Humans do, however, need to be vigilant. As a society, we will need to constantly balance our pursuit of knowledge with safeguards that ensure that this knowledge is not used for an evil purpose. Why This Essay Received a Score of 6 This essay begins with a strong, clear thesis statement. The writer also acknowledges immediately that there are exceptions to his main thesis. The entire essay is directly relevant to the question; the writer did a good job of sticking to the topic. In addition, the writer used appropriate, detailed examples to support his main idea. The writer uses variety in sentence structure, including complex and compound sentences (“Even its initial purpose, to cripple Japan by killing hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, could hardly qualify as a "success" for humanity.”) The writer also demonstrates a strong command of language and vocabulary. There are also very few grammar, usage or mechanics errors. Overall, this a well-organized essay that progresses smoothly from one idea to the next. The author treats the topic intelligently by discussing both sides of the issue. Score of 5 Although there are exceptions when knowledge is used for evil results, the pursuit and acquisition of knowledge is predominantly a positive thing; advanced knowledge is often crucial to success. There are countless examples from history, science, and literature in which having knowledge plays a vital role in success and a lack of knowledge plays a significant role in failure. In the last twenty years, scientists have made dramatic breakthroughs in their understanding of the human genome. This increased knowledge has been a powerful force for good in our world as it has allowed medical researchers to develop drugs that are tailored to a person’s genetic code. Knowledge of genetics has also allowed doctors to understand earlier in a person’s life if that person is predisposed to a certain disease or illness. That person can then begin taking medicine or altering their lifestyle to lead a longer, healthier life. However, there are risks associated with our increased understanding of genetics. Humans are dangerously close to having the ability to produce clones of other human beings. Some people may want to use this ability for selfish purposes. In this case, knowledge, rather than ignorance, may be used for evil. Another example in which an increase in knowledge has led to successful results is the cycling career of Lance Armstrong. As detailed in his autobiographical novel, Its Not About the Bike, Lance Armstrong and his team use an advanced understanding of diet and human physiology to optimize their training regimen. The team also has an advanced understanding of the mechanics of a bicycle and uses this information to build a lighter, more streamlined bike. In addition, Armstrong has a deep knowledge of the physics of motion and the layout of the race course and uses this knowledge to strategize when to exert maximum effort and when to rely on the effort of his teammates. Lance Armstrong has used an abundance of knowledge to capture the most prestigious title in his sport, The Tour De France, a record

number of times. Unfortunately, there have also been some downsides to increased knowledge in the world of cycling. Many cyclists have taken advantage of illegal and harmful steroids and blood doping techniques to improve their performance; these steroids and techniques wouldn’t have been created without our advanced knowledge of the human body. Despite the fact that having knowledge can sometimes lead to evil, there are probably more examples from history in which a lack of knowledge can lead to terrible outcomes. In the Civil War, General Lee marched his Army of Northern Virginia into the North and made contact with the Union Army near the town of Gettysburg. General Lee normally relied on his cavalry, which was led by General Stuart, for knowledge of the enemy’s strength and location. In this instance, the cavalry was not able to report any information to General Lee about the Union Army. Lacking knowledge about the enemy’s exact position and the strength of its reinforcements, General Lee made a disastrous mistake and attacked the Union Army for three straight days at the cost of thousands of casualties. A lack of knowledge was a direct cause of General Lee’s worst mistake as a general. These examples are just three of an almost infinite number of examples in which an increase in knowledge leads to success and a lack of knowledge can lead to failure. The acquisition of knowledge has been one of the most powerful forces for progress and positive outcomes in the history of the world. Humans do, however, need to be vigilant; knowledge can be used in a negative way. As a society, we will need to constantly balance our pursuit of knowledge with safeguards that ensure that this knowledge is not used for an evil purpose. Why This Essay Received a Score of 5 This is an excellent essay that uses extremely detailed examples from the fields of science, sport, and history to effectively support a main idea. The writer also provides a few exceptions that demonstrate an ability to treat an issue with maturity and intelligence. The essay is extremely well-organized, exhibits a variety of effective sentence structure and a strong command of vocabulary and word choice. There are very few mistakes in grammar, usage, or mechanics.

Score of 4 Knowledge is absolutely crucial to success. There are countless examples from history, science, and literature in which knowledge plays a strong role in success and lacking knowledge plays a role in failure. In the Civil War, General Lee took his Army into the North and made contact with the Union Army near the town of Gettysburg. General Lee normally used his cavalry, which was led by General Stuart, for knowledge of the enemy’s strength and location. The cavalry was not able to report any information to General Lee about the Union Army. As a result, General Lee made an ambiguous mistake and attacked the Union Army and lost thousands of men. A lack of knowledge was a direct cause of General Lee’s worst mistake as a general. Increased knowledge has a tremendously positive impact on the lives of humans. In the last twenty years, scientists have made progress in their understanding of genes. This increased knowledge has been a powerful force for good in our world as it has allowed medical researchers to develop drugs that are based on a person’s genetic code. Knowledge of genetics has also allowed doctors to understand earlier in a person’s life if that person is predispositioned to a certain

disease or illness. That person can then begin taking medicine or altering their lifestyle to lead a longer, healthier life. Another example in which an increase in knowledge has led to successful results is the cycling career of Lance Armstrong. Lance Armstrong and his team use an advanced understanding of diet and human body to make the best training regimen. The team also has an advanced understanding of mechanics of a bicycle and uses this information to build a lighter, more streamlined bike. Armstrong has a deep knowledge of the physics of motion and the layout of the race course and uses this knowledge to strategize when to exert maximum effort and when to rely on the effort of his teammates. Lance Armstrong has used an abundance of knowledge to win the most prestigious title in his sport a record number of times. These examples are just three of an almost infinite number of examples in which an increase in knowledge leads to success. Why This Essay Received a Score of 4 This is a solid, well-organized essay that has a clear focus (“Knowledge is absolutely crucial to success”) and discusses the main idea with three competent body paragraphs. Each paragraph contains specific examples (“Lance Armstrong and his team use an advanced understanding of diet and human body to make the best training regimen.”) The writer clearly has a good command of English basics, and the examples make sense in the context he uses them. To earn a better score, the writer should develop each body paragraph more fully. In addition, the writer may want to include a few counterpoints; this would demonstrate a greater degree of critical thinking. Lastly, there are a couple of mistakes in word choice (“predispositioned” and “ambiguous.”) Score of 3 Knowledge is important and related with success. Many examples from history, science, and literature show this to be absolutely true. Increased knowledge has a positive impact on the lives of humans. First, one can discuss the example of science. Scientists have made progress in their understanding of genes. Medical people can develop drugs that are based on a person’s genetic code. Knowledge about genetics has allowed doctors to understand earlier in a person’s life if that person is predispositioned to a certain disease or illness. This is a positive thing. They can then begin taking medicine to lead a longer, healthier life. Another example in which an increase in knowledge has led to successful results is the cycling career of Lance Armstrong. Lance Armstrong and his team use an advanced understanding of diet and human body to make the best training plan. One can see why this is important. Armstrong has a knowledge of the physics of motion and the race course and uses this knowledge to know when to push himself maximumally and when to use his teammates. Lance Armstrong has used an a lot of knowledge to win the most prestigious title in his sport a record number of times. These examples are just three of many number of examples in which an increase in knowledge leads to success. Why This Essay Received a Score of 3 This essay does develop a point of view and contains some critical thinking that supports the main idea (“Armstrong has a knowledge of the physics of motion and the race course and uses this knowledge to know when to push himself.”) The essay does demonstrate some command of vocabulary (“prestigious”) but also shows some

weak or inappropriate word choice (“many number.”) Also, there is a lack of variety in sentence structure and a number of mistakes in grammar and mechanics. To receive a higher score, the essay would need to clear up some of these mistakes and develop the position further. Score of 2 Knowledge is important and related with success. This known fact is true. Many examples from history, science, and literature show this. Knowledge has a positive impact on the lives of humans. First, one can discuss the example of science. We have made progress in understanding of genes. Medical people can make drugs that are based on a person’s genetic code. Knowledge about genetics has allowed doctors to understand. If that person is predispositioned to a certain disease or illness. This is a positive thing. They can then begin taking medicine to lead a longer, healthier life. Another example with successful results is the cycling career of Lance Armstrong. Lance Armstrong and his team use an understanding of diet and human body. They do this to make the best training plan. One can see why this is important. Armstrong has a knowledge of motion and the race course. He uses this knowledge about when to push himself maximumally and when to use his teammates. Lance Armstrong has used an a lot of knowledge to win the most prestigious title in his sport a record number of times. Why This Essay Received a Score of 2 This essay attempts to build a point of view (“Knowledge is important and related with success.”) However, the examples used to support this position are lacking in organization. Also, most sentences are very basic (“This is a positive thing”) and contain errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics. Lastly, the essay contains no conclusion. Score of 1 Knowledge is important and related with success. This known fact is true. Many examples from history, science, and literature show this. First, one can discuss the science. We have made progress in understanding of genes. Knowledge about genetics has allowed doctors to understand. If that person is getting to a certain disease or illness. This is a positive thing. Another example with successful results is the cycling career of Lance Armstrong. Lance Armstrong and his team use an understanding of diet and human body. They do this to make the best training plan. One can see why this is important. Armstrong has a knowledge of motion and the race course. Lance Armstrong has used an a lot of knowledge to win the most prestigious title in his sport a record number of times. Why This Essay Received a Score of 1 This response contains major flaws. First of all, there is very little evidence that supports the writer’s main idea. Secondly, the essay is not organized (contains neither an introductory paragraph nor a concluding paragraph) and not focused. Lastly, there are a large number of grammar and usage mistakes and these mistakes interfere with the meaning of the passage.