Midterm Examination: Writing an Expository or Argumentative Essay This midterm exam asks you to write an expository or argumentative essay in a standard essay length of about 600 words on an issue or a topic of your own choice. You will have THREE weeks to finish and submit the paper. However, you are required to apply one or more writing strategies we have discussed and will soon discuss in class. Peer Review Grading Rubrics for the Argumentative Essay Essay Structure (短文结构, 20 points); Central Claim/Thesis Statement (中心论点, 20 points); Paragraph Development/Coherence (段落扩展与连贯, 20 points); Description, Exposition, and/or Reasoning (描述、说明和/或论证, 20 points); Grammatical Accuracy & Variety (语法准确性与多样性, 10 points); Range of Vocabulary (词汇丰富程度, 10 points). Note:　 No more than 15 % of your essay is allowed to quoted from others; scholastic dishonesty is definitely not acceptable. The essay would deserve a "0" if proved of plagiarism (剽窃), e.g. 30% and more, or even 100% of the essay found to be “copy-and-pasted” from others.