| 内容摘要 | 第1-8页 |
| Abstract | 第8-13页 |
| Introduction | 第13-15页 |
| Chapter One Writing and Testing Writing | 第15-25页 |
| ·Nature of Writing | 第15-16页 |
| ·The Writing ability | 第16-20页 |
| ·The cognitive model | 第17-18页 |
| ·The inclusive model | 第18-19页 |
| ·The context-specific model | 第19-20页 |
| ·Approaches to writing tests | 第20-22页 |
| ·Indirect test of writing | 第21页 |
| ·Direct test of writing | 第21-22页 |
| ·The writing task difficulty | 第22-25页 |
| ·Facts and problems | 第22-23页 |
| ·Importance of controlling task difficulty | 第23-25页 |
| Chapter Two Task and Task Difficulty | 第25-38页 |
| ·Tasks in language teaching | 第25-31页 |
| ·Definition of language learning task | 第25-27页 |
| ·Factors influencing language learning task difficulty | 第27-31页 |
| ·Tasks in language testing | 第31-32页 |
| ·Definition of testing task | 第31页 |
| ·Considerations in task design | 第31-32页 |
| ·Writing tasks | 第32-35页 |
| ·Factors influencing writing test result | 第33页 |
| ·Writing task dimensions | 第33-35页 |
| ·Writing task difficulty dimensions | 第35-38页 |
| ·Grouping of writing task dimensions | 第35页 |
| ·A more comprehensive model | 第35-38页 |
| Chapter Three Language Proficiency and Writing Task Difficulty | 第38-62页 |
| ·Language proficiency and writing ability | 第38-43页 |
| ·Language proficiency | 第38-39页 |
| ·Writing ability as part of language proficiency | 第39-41页 |
| ·Development of writing ability and language proficiency | 第41-43页 |
| ·Development of language proficiency and English writing ability among Chinese students | 第43-50页 |
| ·Language proficiency development of Chinese students | 第43-48页 |
| ·Development of English writing ability among Chinese students | 第48-50页 |
| ·Empirical studies | 第50-57页 |
| ·Study One: The TEM4 survey | 第50-54页 |
| ·Study Two: The entrance examination survey | 第54-57页 |
| ·Framework to evaluate linguistic difficulty | 第57-62页 |
| ·A language-oriented framework for writing task design | 第57-60页 |
| ·Framework to evaluate linguistic difficulty of writing tasks | 第60-62页 |
| Chapter Four Topical Knowledge and Writing Task Difficulty | 第62-93页 |
| ·Topical knowledge and language testing | 第62-63页 |
| ·Topical knowledge and writing performance | 第63-65页 |
| ·Research on writing topic | 第65-73页 |
| ·Topic selection practice in writing task design | 第65-66页 |
| ·Suggestions on selecting topics for writing assessment | 第66-69页 |
| ·Efforts made by some international tests to ensure topic quality | 第69-71页 |
| ·Research in China | 第71-73页 |
| ·Empirical studies | 第73-88页 |
| ·Study One | 第73-80页 |
| ·Study Two | 第80-87页 |
| ·Study Three | 第87-88页 |
| ·A proposed model for Topical Knowledge Difficulty evaluation | 第88-92页 |
| ·Conclusion | 第92-93页 |
| Chapter Five Discourse Mode and Writing Task Difficulty | 第93-126页 |
| ·Defining discourse mode | 第93-94页 |
| ·Genre | 第93-94页 |
| ·Other important concepts | 第94页 |
| ·Classifying English writing according to discourse mode | 第94-99页 |
| ·General classification by discourse mode | 第94-97页 |
| ·Fine distinction by patterns of exposition | 第97-98页 |
| ·Chinese study of discourse mode | 第98-99页 |
| ·Importance of discourse modes for language testing | 第99-103页 |
| ·Discourse modes and test authenticity | 第99-100页 |
| ·Discourse modes and actual writing performance | 第100-103页 |
| ·Empirical studies | 第103-124页 |
| ·Study One | 第104-110页 |
| ·Study Two | 第110-114页 |
| ·Study Three | 第114-122页 |
| ·An exposition-argumentation discourse difficulty model | 第122-124页 |
| ·Conclusion: A model of discourse-mode difficulty | 第124-126页 |
| Chapter Six Prompt, Time Limit and Writing Task Difficulty | 第126-163页 |
| ·Rhetorical condition | 第126-136页 |
| ·Definition of rhetorical condition | 第126页 |
| ·Significance of rhetorical condition for writing | 第126-128页 |
| ·Rhetorical specification in testing of writing | 第128-131页 |
| ·Empirical studies | 第131-135页 |
| ·Model to evaluate rhetorical condition difficulty | 第135-136页 |
| ·Stimulus material | 第136-148页 |
| ·Types of stimulus material usually used in writing tests | 第136-137页 |
| ·Significance of stimulus material for writing tests | 第137-139页 |
| ·Empirical studies | 第139-148页 |
| ·Prompt wording | 第148-159页 |
| ·Significance of prompt wording | 第148-150页 |
| ·Suggestions on prompt wording | 第150-152页 |
| ·Empirical studies | 第152-155页 |
| ·Model to evaluate prompt difficulty | 第155-159页 |
| ·Time allowed | 第159-161页 |
| ·Impact of time allowed on test performance | 第159-160页 |
| ·Empirical studies | 第160-161页 |
| ·Model to evaluate time difficulty | 第161页 |
| ·Conclusion | 第161-163页 |
| Chapter Seven Conclusion | 第163-170页 |
| ·The general writing task difficulty (WTD) framework | 第163-167页 |
| ·Suggestions for using the framework | 第167-168页 |
| ·Studying test purpose | 第167页 |
| ·Studying students | 第167-168页 |
| ·Suggestions for future research | 第168-170页 |
| ·Expanding scope of discourse mode | 第168页 |
| ·Including more aspects of test situation | 第168-169页 |
| ·Conducting more validation studies | 第169-170页 |
| Bibliography | 第170-177页 |
| Appendix | 第177-207页 |
