雅思首考8分经验（推荐4篇）
考任何试，真题都是最最权威和最最高效的复习材料。
我是这句话坚定的推崇者。从小到大，经历过无数考试的洗礼，无数次的经验教训无不验证了这句话的价值。而雅思的真题，就是每个应试者都会人手一套的剑桥雅思真题。看上去不过薄薄四本练习册，区区十六套练习题，但它的价值却是市面上任何其他参考书不能望其项背的。关于剑桥雅思怎么用，我个人的实践是这样的：首先，一定要怀着非常认真和珍惜的心情对待珍贵的真题。充分研究每一个知识点。
//听力//
关于听力部分，我的做法是先精听，踏踏实实当自己在考试，做一遍题。然后查缺补漏之后，就做听写。听写可能是一项很让人厌烦的工作，就连我自己也不过做了五六个section的听写之后就半途而废了。我的替代方法是在心里默想，就是把写在纸上的过程放在心里。然后再对照原文，把听力原文都学会了，听不懂的部分和听错的部分，甚至可以学习其中好的习语和叙述方式。
//阅读//
至于阅读，不管任何老师向我传述任何神乎其神的方法，我始终坚信一点：看得懂，才做的对。理解了，自然能做出题来。我不相信任何所谓不读文章就能做对题的方法。那绝对不是提高阅读水平的长久之计，在实践过程中也往往导致分数上的失误。我的四六级阅读满分都是遵循这个黄金定理。真正要下功夫的，无非就在阅读的速度上。而这一点的提高，也是要靠精读真题来达到。
开始阅读，我没有强调阅读的速度，也没有定时间，遇到不懂的词，就先用铅笔标记，然后通读完整篇。之后，再对标记的生词和不理解的搭配进行查询。其实，我渐渐发现，很多不认识的词根本不会影响到对文章有效内容的把握。但是，查过之后再读一遍，语感会有很大的提高。听力和阅读，真的是一日曝，十日寒。
//写作//
至于写作，由于分数不算高，也谈不上有什么经验，我考试前就精读了剑桥雅思的小作文。至于大作文，基本可以说是裸考。以至于总结出惨痛的教训，要想写得好，不能练得少。像我这样从不练笔，是写不出好文章的。写作不能离的就是模仿和背诵，外加练习。而背诵的最好材料，无非还是真题中较容易加以利用，举一反三，适合自己文风的范文篇章。
//口语//
关于口语，之前也背了几篇part 2的话题，结果一坐到面试官的面前，脑子一片空白，信马由缰的乱说一通，也是真真实实表现了平时的水平。结果意外的得到7.5，还是很开心的。我觉得口语考试，态度永远是第一位的。虽然我很紧张，但我牢牢记住我的口语老师说过的“抽筋都要笑，豁出去了!”我真的从这句话中获益很大，整个人就是一种拼了的感觉。而且，我不得不说，以我的经验，好听的发音对整个考试真的会有大加分。
我的口语老实说离流利表达绝对还差的很远，但是我在上大学之后，比较注重我的语音语调，也有刻意把我的口音雕琢成美音。口音纯正，对整体印象和打分都还是起到很大影响的。而口音的练习，国际音标要能发准以外，模仿是我唯一的途径。至于口语话题和素材，21世纪报是个很不错的来源。
其实内容比不上思路重要，材料比不上逻辑重要。与其说一些很炫的高分词汇和短语，不如用自己熟练掌握的话语把问题回答的全面、可信、深入。我考试时几乎还是平常会说的那些很普通的话，组织的好，力量就很大。
以上就是我一点学习经验，其实在英语学习和雅思考试的路上，我还是一个刚上路的菜鸟，路漫漫其修远兮，我将和大家一起上下而求索。
口语和写作都是特别需要积累的，可以说，写作突破的周期，最短也要一两个月。但是听力和阅读，既是中国考生的强项，有容易通过考前突击提高，就特别多写了一些。关于写作，我问了很多强人，大家总结的经验就是背诵+模写。
我的小作文是流程图，但是之前我把剑桥雅思上其他范文小作文都背过几遍，所以小作文的篇幅，大体结构，心中有数，没有那么慌乱，我认为小作文的背诵是必须的。至于大作文，精读范文之外，我推荐模写。我看过《剑桥雅思写作高分范文》，那里的范文和翻译质量都不错，在每个大话题中，选两三篇对照中文释义模写，然后不断改正，直到和范文一致。很多写作达人都是这么推荐的。毕竟学书面语言，背诵和模仿永远是最有效的。
其实努力是一方面，还要用巧劲，阅读和听力我完全就是着重真题!真题!这是我觉得最有价值的一条，复习迎考的一个半月，我每天耳朵上只听英语，听剑桥，听强化我口语美音的一些脱口秀，听英文歌，总之脑子里绷着的弦就是英文英文英文!整个状态就提上来了。
今天由于时间仓促，所以寥寥几笔，之后如果大家需要，会详细的写下各项具体的备考经验。本人不是牛人，不是强人，一直以来是默默仰望别人，羡慕别人，觉得自己英语很差的一个小小的我。只要付出不多的努力，任何人都会比我强。考的成还可以，有必然更有偶然。说不上什么经验，只是写了自己的一些实践，供大家仅作参考。
雅思口语Part2话题范文:interesting tourist attraction
Describe an interesting tourist attraction
You should say
Where it is
What you can do there
And explain why you think it is interesting
高分范文：
Ok then, well the tourist attraction that I’d like to talk to you about is West Lake, which is here in Hangzhou. And I apologize if you’ve already heard a lot of other candidates talk about it, but out of all the tourist attractions I know, West Lake is the one I’m most familiar with, and I really do think it lives up to its reputation as being one of the most beautiful lakes in China.
But anyway, as for where it is, well as I mentioned just now, it’s here in Hangzhou, but to be more specific, it’s actually right in the heart of the city, so um… yeah, it’s very accessible, and also very easy to find. For example, it’s only, like, a five-minute taxi ride from the train station, and you can also get the subway there.
And um… regarding what you can do there, well, a good way to take in all the scenery is to just wander around the lake. And there are also quite a few teahouses dotted around the lake, some more expensive than others, I might add, so if you do go to one, it’s a good idea to take a quick look at the prices before you sit down and make yourself comfortable, otherwise you might be in for a bit of a shock!
What else? Um..…. Oh yeah, of course, you can go on a boat on the lake, and if it’s your first time there, then it’s something you should definitely do, because I’d say it’s probably the best way to experience the beauty of the lake and its surroundings.
So yeah, it’s a really interesting place to visit, and if you haven’t been there yet, you should definitely go if you ever have the chance!
Notes:
lives up to - If someone or something lives up to what they are expected to be, they are as good as they are expected to be.
right in the heart of the city – in the centre of the city (地方、位置或时间)准确地，恰当地，精确地 You can use “right” to emphasize the precise place, position, or time of something)
it’s very accessible -易到达的(If a place or building is accessible to people, it is easy for them to reach it)
take in the scenery -看风景
dotted around -散落 (If things are dotted around a place, they can be found in many different parts of that place.)
I might add - 我应该补充一下
make yourself comfortable - 让自己舒服些
you might be in for a bit of a shock - 你可能会大吃一惊!
雅思口语Part2话题范文:good service
Describe an experience on good service in a shop or a restaurant.
When
Where
What
And explain why you think it was good service.
范文：
Let me talk about the experience in an Apple Store. I had a small Mac Mini which I had used for three years. One day in April, the machine could not boot without warning. I tried various methods but couldn’t solve the problem, so I sent it to the nearest Apple Store which was located in the Wangfujin. That shop was newly open and it was quite spacious and there were not many people in there. There was a young man who took my mac, and checked it thoroughly. He asked several questions politely about when the machine was black screen, and what I was doing the last time the computer was fine. After a couple of minutes, he advised me that the hardware of the machine was good, and there was something wrong with the software, and it was best to reinstall the operating system, which would take me ten minutes before it was finished and reminded me that all the data in the computer would be erased. After I agreed with his suggestion, the young man immediately started to install the latest operating system for me. Several minutes later, thanks to the young man, my Mac Mini was reborn.
I was quite satisfied with the service the young man provided, he was obviously well-trained, and he was quite patient to fully understand what problem was with my mac and used his professional skills to deal with it. Besides, he was very proficient in his field, and seemed very reliable to me.
雅思单边类作文具体实例
题目
Telecommuting refers to workers doing their jobs from home for part of each week and communicating with their office using computer technology. Telecommuting is growing in many countries and is expected to be common for most office workers in the coming decades.
How do you think society will be affected by the growth of telecommuting?
分析
这是一篇谈论在家上班的议论文，题目的论述中谈到在家上班的含义及其不可阻挡的趋势，要求我们探讨其对当今社会的影响。 毫无疑问，这是一个单边支持型的结构，即在引言段进行重述和表达观点以后，主体段落的任务就是一一陈述在家上班的趋势对社会造成的种.种影响。
主体范文
The most obvious changes may be apparent in the normal offices of companies, governments and other organizations. If even half the working week is spent telecommuting from home, then we would initially expect many desks in the office. As offices grow smaller, workers coming in for the day would be expected to share with their absent colleagues. This, in turn, may affect the social atmosphere of an organization, however, as less social contact with one’s colleagues could harm morale and loyalty.
(主体段落之第一段：阐述在家上班对于许多公司，政府和其他结构的办公室的影响，一是有空荡荡的感觉，二是对组织的凝聚力有破坏作用。)
For the individual office worker, telecommuting would mean spending more time at home. For a parent with young children, this may be a blessing. Moreover, many telecommuters would be able to work the hours they wished, having a nap in the afternoon, for example, but working some hours in the evening. One substantial benefit for all telecommuting workers is that there will be no need to travel to work, allowing more free time.
(主体段落之第二段：阐述在家上班对于职员个人的益处，一是他们可以有更多的时间照料家庭，二是工作时间可以自己随意安排，三是不必浪费时间在上下班的路上。)
The structure of urban life is also likely to be affected by telecommuting. We would expect to see fewer cars on the road during peak hours and, eventually, a smaller concentration of offices in cities’ central business districts. In short, people will have less reason to travel to city centers from outlying areas. As more people work and live in the same location, shops and cultural events will likely relocate themselves out of the city center.
1词汇简约，但不简单
同学们千万不要觉得写作高分是所谓 “高级词汇开会，亮眼大词荟萃”。恰恰相反，真正的好词是 “表面上没有太大阵仗，但内部充满技术含量”。
来看一例：
The player is usually the ‘hero’ of the game and too much exposure can encourage children to be self-centered and insensitive to others .
(选自剑6 P172 考官满分范文，关于电脑使用对孩子的利弊)。
本句中“ too much exposure” 表示 ”打电脑游戏打得太多”。“exposure”的本意是“暴露”，很多中国同学可能都认识这个词本身，但只有极少数同学能够在这个语境下调用到这个词。
这里的技术含量在于：“exposure”表示“在量或度上，密集地，频繁地接触某物”。如“exposure to smoggy weather”表示“暴露于或置身于雾霾中”, 准确形象地表达了“雾霾特别多”这样的语义。
同样，例句中的 “too much exposure” 也巧妙地传达了“玩电脑游戏太多(在量或度上)”这个含义。按以上分析，如果要表达“每天都会接触到好多广告”就可以写成“daily exposure to advertising”, 而“接受外国文化的熏陶”就可以写成“exposure to foreign cultures”。
由此可见，用词的最高境界是“准”和“巧”。为此，我们需要花功夫去了解很多常见词的内在引申含义，并在特定的语境中刚好用到能最准确传达特定含义的那个词。一般来说，这样的词往往都是很大众，甚至是极其初级的。
再看一例，如果想表达 “详细的反馈(如考试后)让学生更容易知道自己哪些地方掌握得好，哪些地方有不足”，会用词的写作者会这样翻“Giving detailed feedback makes it easier for students to know where they did well and where they might have struggled”。
大家可以好好体会本句中“struggle”一词的妙用，这样地道的用词功力才是高分写作真正需要的!!!!!
写作贵在 “用词巧”，绝对不是“表面屌”。要做到这一点，需要长期的积累以及好的教材和老师指导。
2语法服务逻辑，但绝不刻意
说到语法，很多同学错误地认为“作文要比从句多，句型复杂肯定过”，甚至刻意地在写作时使用一些牛头不对马嘴的复杂句。换个角度想，我们中国人自己在写作时会故意加入所谓定语从句，同位语从句等等吗?其实，本土人写作根本没有特意的语法概念，考官打分也绝对不是在定位一篇作文各种从句的所在和统计从句的数量。
从句的作用到底是什么?来看剑9 P167页考官范文中的节选(此文要论证“提供更多的体育设施是否能促进大众健康”)：
①Today’s sedentary lifestyle and stressful working conditions mean that physical activity is no longer part of either our work or our leisure time.
②If there were easy-to-reach sports centers, we would be more likely to make exercise a regular part of our daily lives, rather than collapsing in front of a screen every evening.
从语法角度来看，句子一是宾语从句，句子二是条件状语从句。但为什么在这两个位置要分别用到这两个从句呢?句子一的核心结构是“…意味着…”, 如：“考不过雅思就意味着申请不到学校”，“年龄大了就意味着对象很难找”，这样的结构显然是在表示一个客观事实(如“考不过雅思”和“年龄大了”)所造成的结果的推测，而非刻意使用所谓“宾语从句” (我也不认为这个老外考官知道他自己所写的这个句子叫宾语从句!)。同样，句子二也是因果关系的推理，但为啥用了“if”引导的条件状语从句呢?这显然是因为“there were easy-to-reach sports centers”不是客观事实(很近的体育中心还没有修呢)。所谓条件状语从句，不就是表示“还没有发生事件的推理”么?
因此，从句的使用和穿衣服一个道理，面试穿正装，就寝穿睡衣，是因为场景需求不同，而导致从句的类型不同，而绝对不是像放电视剧插播广告一样，刻意穿插，胡乱使用!
3思路平实大众，却准准命中
除用词地道，语法使用得当外，高分的作文一定要非常切题，让读者阅读后有一种“懂且认同”的感觉。如：要论证“现代社会的人更加依赖他人”这个论点, 一篇高分作文这样写道：“people seem to be more ambitious nowadays, and they want a better quality of life for their families. This means that both parents usually need to work full-time, and they depend on support from grandparents and babysitters for child care”.
这个思路其实算几乎所有人都知道的生活常理，虽然浅显易懂，但却说到了点上，不仅恰到好处地论证了主题，且让人读后觉得“我怎么就没想到这样说”。
所以，好的思路往往是替别人说出了他们自己无法表达的心里话，让人读后有一种共鸣感。要做到这一点，需要考生大量积累写作各个话题相关的思路和语料。
4行文不求酷炫，却彰显思辨
好的文章就是实现了有效的交流，它并不是要去标新立异，揭示某个不为人知的深刻道理，惊艳到读者。而是通过逻辑的阐述，准确的话语，最终劝服读者，让读者认同文章主旨。要做到这一点的核心能力就是“思辨能力”。
所谓“思辨能力” 就是“解释说明，分析评估和推理论证的能力”。当你决定要出国留学，你需要向家人解释说明留学的目的，分析评估出国的利弊，最终让他们同意你的决定，这就是思辨能力。当你在工作中提出新的项目规划，你需要论证你所提方案的可行性，评估其可能带来的效应，让客户认同你的计划，让公司通过你的提议，这个过程就需要思辨能力。
雅思写作恰恰就是在考验中国同学的这个能力。它用“权衡利弊”，“判断选择”和“调查报告”三大核心题型为依托，来检验考生对教育，科技，环境，生活，工作等社会问题的思考和辨析能力。这就需要考生平时勤积素材，肯于思考，并动笔练习。
此文只是给你“什么是好的写作”这个方向感。但写作能力的本质提升绝非一日之功，而要靠日积月累。可以说，8.5分表面上来得措不及防，但背后却是每天付出的蓄谋已久!
雅思小作文饼图写作技巧有哪些
饼形图与柱形图或者是线形图所截然不同的是它没有了横轴与纵轴，而以饼形的分割来表示百分比，但我们仍可以依照三步的审题分析法来进行观察：
Step 1: 观察共有几张饼图，以及它们之间的关系是什么(一般说来，雅思图表题中极少见到单饼图);
Step 2: 观察每张饼图中有哪几个区域，以及各个区域分别代表什么;
Step 3: 观察单个饼图中各区域间的百分比差异，以及相同区域在各个饼图间的百分比的比较或发展。
现在我们就来分析一下下面的饼形图：
Many women want or need to continue working even after they have children. The charts below show the working patterns of mothers with young children to care for.Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information on the charts below.
Step 1: 一共有四张饼图，它们分别按照由母亲照料的最年幼孩子的年龄大小来进行排列，从0 ~ 2岁到10岁以上;
Step 2: 每张饼图中都有三种区域：白色区、深色区和浅色区。它们分别表示母亲的工作状态：白色区为“没有工作”，深色区为“兼职工作”，浅色区为“全职工作”;
Step 3: 白色区在0 ~ 2岁时处于绝对优势，占70%，而随着孩子年龄的增长，白色区渐渐地变小，在10岁以上时只有26%;深色区在孩子年幼时比例很小：0 ~ 2岁时只有19%。随着孩子的长大，深色区急剧扩张，在5 ~ 9岁时达到顶峰，占48%，但在10岁以后却轻微下降到45%;而浅色区的变化则是在同一时期内分别占到了11%，11%，14%和29%。
当然，在开始写文章之前，我们还必须决定文章所用的时态。在这张图的要求里，并没有说是过去的时间里做的调查，因此我们就默认为是一般现在时。
做完了审图的工作后，我们就可以着手开始选词了。在饼图中，表示百分比的句子是必不可少的。一般表示百分比有两种比较容易掌握的句型。我将用上图中第一张饼里的11%来举例。
a. The full time working mothers with 0 to 2 year old child to care for make up 11%.
b. The percentage of the full time working mothers with 0 to 2 year old child to care for makes up 11%.
大家可以明显看出这两句话的区别，即主语选用的对象不同。那么，如果所有的句子都这样写的话，是不是会造成很多的重复呢?这点考生不用担心，因为就象我们可以用“go up”来代替“increase”一样，表示占多少百分比也有一些动词词组来替换“make up”。比如说，“account for”和“constitute”，甚至可以用“be”动词。但是，有的培训老师会告诉学生，“occupy”也可以，因为它的意思是“占据”，但实际上在英文里，表示百分比是不可以用这个词的，这点大家要注意。除了谓语可以替换以外，“百分比”这个词本身也可以有同义词，比如说 “proportion”和“rate”，但是大家要注意，有的考生会用“ratio”(比率)，甚至是“number”和“figure”来代替 “percentage”，这样一来表达就不确切了，是会失分的。
这幅图中还有一个难点，就是信息量大。一个百分比不仅跟妇女的工作模式相关，而且还要搭上需要照顾的小孩的年龄。一共12个百分比，发生重复是不可避免的。但是怎样才能使得文章比较不乏味呢?我们不妨来动动脑筋。刚才的11%的那群妇女我用的是分词作定语(full-time working),那么做定语的还有定语从句，那么我也可以用mothers who choose to work full time来代替，甚至是full-timers,或者是full-time employees 等等，都是可以用的。说到小孩的年龄，我们刚刚用的是with，那么表示伴随的非限制性定语从句也一定能奏效，也就是说，我们能这样来表示:
Those full-timers, whose child is 0 to 2 years old, account for 11%.
这样一来，句型就多变了。
另外我们不应该忽视一个有趣的现象，上次我们在柱形图的分析中曾经讲过，如果是按照时间顺序变化的柱形图，我们完全可以用表示上升，下降，不变，或者是最高点和最低点的词语，也就是线形图中的基本表达方法来表达。那么看这幅图，是不是也有着一样的特点?虽然是孩子的年龄而不是具体的年份，但是也是按照年份在走的图，因此我们完全可以用线形图的基本表达方法来表达。下面我用全职工作的妇女来举例。
As can be seen from the chart, those full-timers, whose child is 0 to 2 years old, account for 11%. The percentage remains unchanged when their baby grows two years older. However, mothers of 5 to 9 -year -old child witness a slight increase by 3% and the rate nearly doubles when their child reaches 10 -year -old. (58 words)
综上所述，这幅饼图中用到的是表示百分比和线形图的基本表达方法，这样写出来不会只是报流水账，而是使得饼图变化的趋势变得非常的明显和生动。当然不要忘记加上适当的路标词，也就是连词，使文章中的句子更加的平滑，通顺。
当然，不是每个饼图都是时间走势的。针对这样的图，我们只需要用上次介绍过的在柱形图中的“more than”或者“twice as much as”等的表示数据差异的短语加上百分比就可以了。
雅思写作中需要注意避免性别歧视
随便翻开一张英美的报纸，或瞧一下五花八门的宣传广告，就会发现supervisor(工头，领班)替代了原来的foreman， workman‘s compensation(工人赔偿金)变成了worker‘s compensation; sales rep， sales associate或seller(推销员)取代了常用词salesman等。为此，笔者将有关资料整理如下，供英语学习者参考。请注意，所选用的例句，除个别注明外，均选自Rosalie Maggio编写的The Nonselist Word Finder： A Dictionary of Gender-Free Usage (Maggio， 1989)。
1.尽量不用通性代词he，除了明确地指代一个男性人物时，都要设法避免使用之。可以根据语境需要，选用下列替换方式：
采用复数形式：
Sexist： When bathing a baby， never leave him unattended.
Revised： When bathing babies， never leave them unattended.
给婴儿洗澡时，一定不能让他们无人照料。
2) 用we/us/our改写原句：
Sexist：From each according to his abilities， to each according to his needs.
Revised：From each of us according to our abilities, to each of us according to our needs.
雅思大作文资料之开头固用模式
开头固用模式
Nowdays, there is a growing tendency for people to do sth.
These days more and more people find that…
There is a growing awareness over…
It is a common sense that…
There is a common belief that…
It is not uncommon for people to do sth.
Nowdays, there is a heated discussion as to whether or not the relationship between family members is as close as before.
There has long been a debate about whether the old people should be forced to retire from their work at the age of 60 or 65, regardless of their own wishes.
A debate often heard these days is that…
A much debated issue these days is…
The debate about… is one that has been going on for centuries. (long-lasting)
The issue of … is a complex and sensitive one.
It is an inescapable problem that…
…The question is , is the price worth paying?
…seems to be an inceasingly widespread problem and I think … is/ are prbably responsible for that.
Altough it is not a particularly widely discussed topic , there has been some dicussion about the idea of …
A large number of people shoule hold the idea that…
A great many people should argue that…
A large number of people have begun to question…
Many other insist that…
They emphasize that…
It means so many different things to different people.
It varies from people to people.
Different people hold different opinions about…
Different people have different understanding on…
This essay will show some reasons of argument for and qrgument against.
In this essay, I’d like to explore this issue from both perspectives.
It is necessary to look at this isusse on both sides before giving my opinion.
The following passage will present the pros and cons of it, along with my personal veiws.
In this essay I will give the explaination for that phenomenon, along with my suggestion to solve the issue.
In this issus I will argue that…
Environmental Protection
1.Environmental hazards are often too great for particular countries or individuals to tackle.We have arrived at a point in time where the only way to lessen environmental problems is at an international level.Environmental problems have reached such proportions that people feel international organizations must be set up to intervene in world affairs to resolve these problems.Whether this will resolve the problem is very unlikely as international organizations are just an extension of human behavior.That is, if human conflicts cannot be resolved at home, then they are unlikely to be resolved at the international level.Nevertheless, international organizations do attract attention to the growing problem of aims of the international community to resolve the issue of environmental pollution and support their cause, I do not believe it is the best or only way to protect the environment;in fact, it is only a small part of what is needed in a global initiative.All world problems, whether it is environmental pollution, war, energy insufficiency, or famine, arise from the abusive behavior of all individuals.Therefore, the solution to all these problems is the need for a collective consciousness.What is meant by this is that each individual must be aware of the impact he or she has on the world and their unique part to play in this world.After all, if one is happy with his life, he will surely not endeavor to harm the environment or anyone else.His behavior will be that of a responsible individual.What is needed, therefore, is education.Education is the key to all problems and it starts from pregnancy all the way to adulthood and beyond.Furthermore, education means that children all over the world should be allowed to go to schools with good teachers and where teaching materials and methods can be adapted to each individual.Education means raising children to be responsible individuals.This may sound like utopia, but it is not: if a country had important problems in its educational system, then it should realize that it is contributing to the world’s problems.These are perhaps long term solutions, but they are more realistic solutions than setting up yet another international organization.2.As a result of countries becoming more and more industrialized, pollution has become a serious problem.Discuss some ways that can mitigate the pollution problems.To ensure the protection of our scenic global village from environmental degradation by mass-production and mass-consumption(mostly in developed and partially in developing countries)for ourselves and for future generations, it is the obligation of every individual and people to take an active part in environmental protection.We have often heard that here are dangerous levels of air pollution in major cities of the world all the way form Los Angeles to Seoul.Yet little has been done to solve to solve this problem worldwide.Researchers are telling us that it will certainly cost money to clean up overcrowded cities, but if we do not, there will be a greater price to pay---the price of shortening our own life expectancy.As a result of continued pollution, we can anticipate higher outlays in health care in the future, not to mention the extra costs of cleaning up our water, and protecting our food supply.Scientists are trying to inform us that in the long run, we will save money and our natural resources by doing what it takes to wipe out trends in pollution now.It seems to me that it is really a matter of having a sufficiently long term vision so that the activities of societies take into account any damages to the environment.In particular, it is for those economists in government to incorporate the costs of harming the environment.Once we do that, it will be clearer to everyone that it will pay to change the way we currently go about functioning in society.To make one final point, technologies exist now, clean technologies that produce a lot less pollution.It is just a matter of cost.This is why I think it will be very important for the industrialized world to collaborate very closely with the developing world so that the rich countries do not just export old, obsolete, and dirty technologies.3.Forests are the lungs of the earth.Their destruction will accelerate extinction of animals and ultimately mankind.For this reason, logging in the world’s rainforests should be phased out over the next decade.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? The world’s forests sample the best scenery and incredible natural diversity available on earth.They provide homes for indigenous wildlife, special historic sites and places of cultural interest.Many of the world’s forests have been developed for tourism and public recreation.The government of the world therefore have the responsibility to decide how best to manage international logging industries and forests in order to protect their special value to animals’ and ultimately to mankind’s survival.One of the biggest problems facing native forests such as the Amazonian rainforests is illegal logging.The first and most obvious problem associated with the illegal felling of native forests is that it denies a livelihood to many poor people living in forest areas.This in turn robs poor governments of billions of dollars as the revenue created around the sale of native trees is sucked out of the local economy into the bank accounts of those few who are involved in such illegal operations.A further problem is the environmental degradation that we are witnessing in forested areas of the developing world which are now being stripped bare of trees without any replanting schemes in place.As anyone who knows anything about the laws on nature will agree, forests like any living species must be adequately stocked with healthy tree saplings, or planted with replacement native seedlings.Moreover, forest operators must ensure that young trees are well established and are able to grow freely following reforestation procedures.Only if such measures are carried out can we allow logging to continue into future decades.The final point that I would like to raise is that wide-scale illegal logging provokes and sustains conflicts in many regions of the world.As much of the logging occurring in developing countries is a consequence of poor governance, at local, national and international levels, governments need to band together to ensure this does not continue to denude our planet.In order to combat illegal logging at an international level we must ensure that trade in timber species is conducted in agreement with international trade laws in endangered species.Only through applying stricter measures in the trade of forests should we be able to protect species that all our lives depend on.4.Aquariums and wildlife sanctuaries are seen as sources of education and entertainment for families.They are also essential to conduct life-saving research.However, there is opposition to confining animals in this way.Discuss some of the arguments for and against the maintenance of zoos and present your opinion.The confinement of animals and marine life has always generated mixed feelings from the general public including those who consider themselves to be staunch environmentalists.In this essay, I will try to reflect the positions of those who support the continuation of wildlife sanctuaries and aquariums alongside those who would like to see such institutions removed from society.As a child, I remember visiting the local aquarium quite frequently with my family to enjoy dolphin and seal shows which were truly entertaining.In retrospect, however, I cannot recall the aquarium staff ever trying to teach the spectators how to protect marine life.That type of thinking was not so popular back then but things have changed in recent decades with the advent of environmental activist groups, such as Greenpeace and eco-friendly zoos and aquariums which have been designed to simulate natural habitats for those animals living in confinement.Needless to say, it is difficult to generalize about zoos and aquariums because to this day, places which are little more than prisons for animals still exist.Recently, I read the 2002 Booker Award winning novel, Life of Pi, by Yann Martel which enabled me to understand this complex debate over the role of zoos and aquariums at a deeper level.In his book, Martel disclaims the widely held belief that animals living in captivity have a shorter life expectancy than those living in the wild.Instead, the main protagonists in his novel who is a zoologist, claims that the opposite is true and that in fact animals have a higher chance at survival when taken into captivity.This is largely due to the fact that natural habitats are diminishing because of man’s ongoing expansion into what were once un-peopled environments.Experts in the field of animal and marine research are currently making it possible for mankind to conserve many species that are currently at risk in their natural habitats due to rising environmental hazards such as illegal poaching, water pollution and deforestation.Perhaps we should look on zoos and aquariums as a temporary solution until a time when man can see to the conservation of the world’s ever decreasing natural habitats and the wildlife that should rightfully inhabit them.5.Tourism is seen as a major industry for many countries.However, it tends to have a deleterious effect on the environment and should be strictly monitored.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? Tourism is vital to many world economies and depends to a certain extent on environmental protection and cultural preservation.The tourism industry like various ecological systems is complex.In this essay I would like to explore how local communities are affected by tourism and what measures can be taken by governments and individuals to monitor and guarantee the conservation of environments of natural and historical significance.There exist considerable differences between tourist and local perceptions of an area.Tourists are often seeing an area for the first time with a certain amount of openness and enthusiasm, whereas local residents tend to take for granted the area that they live in and often do not take the time to appreciate the unique characteristics of their hometown.This difference in perceptions suggests that local tourism officials have to be conscious of the nature of their local area.Tourism has on many occasions affected areas in the world to such an extent that local residents can no longer recognize their hometown because of overwhelming increases in population during peak seasons and large scale development in the form of hotel resorts, international chain restaurants, airports, highways and so forth.So how can a local community pull in tourists and revenue without sacrificing its unique local flavor? First and foremost, local residents must implement sustainable tourism with long-term tactics for economic development and not invite the type of tourism which allows outside investors to quickly take control of an area.Sustainable tourism allows for the preservation and protection of local resources.In reality, the more aware a community is of its unique assets, whether cultural, architectural, or natural, the more visitors it will draw.6.Fresh drinking water is becoming a scarce and all too expensive commodity in many parts of the world.Discuss the causes and give suggestions for how to ensure adequate water supply for the world’s inhabitants.The words of Samuel Taylor Coleridge are revealing when we ponder the issue of water scarcity: “Water, water everywhere”, as the Ancient Mariner said, “ Nor any drop to drink”.It would seem that one of the biggest threats to supplies of fresh drinking water is that, at least in the rich West, it is largely taken for granted.In any case, it is the most frequently-occurring substance with most of the earth’s surface being covered in H2O.Our toughest challenge of the 21st century may not be pandemic diseases such as AIDS or the threat of nuclear war, but may in fact turn out to be a lack of fresh water.If we are not careful, the possibility of water wars in the future may outstrip our reasons for warring on nations who control other naturally occurring resources such as oil.At present many people lack access to clean water and even more people lack access to proper sanitation;nearly all of them reside in developing countries.A continuation in population growth, environmental pollution and climatic changes are all likely to contribute to a devastating decline in water supply in the coming years.Similarly, with rapid urbanization occurring all over, the possibility for concentrated waste matter to reach unmanageable proportions is also highly likely in many regions.Unless we take affirmative action to properly conserve and manage the world’s fresh water supplies, the effects of water scarcity will undoubtedly affect human health and the chances for survival for all of the earth’s inhabitants.Water-related diseases caused by ingesting contaminated water and vector-borne diseases, such as malaria, are spread by insects that use water to breed.Raising much needed awareness about the importance of fresh water supplies and what we can do to further conserve this precious resource will become a top priority to everyone if we wish to survive.Science and Technology
1.In light of the technological route that education is on today there has been some speculation as to the role of teachers in future education.To what extent do you think teachers are being replaced by computers? Information and Communication Technology(ICT)is quickly playing an important part in teaching in schools and other educational institutions.As more and more subjects can be taught via the computer, there would seem to be less and less need for teachers to be present, as self-study and autonomous learning are encouraged with the assistance of a computer.However, computers will never replace teachers because technology is only a tool and can never replace the spiritual element of the teacher.Self-study and independent learning using technology is a means of teaching that can be highly effective for practice drills, the study of factual knowledge, or for pure rote memorization.For instance, computers can help students solve math exercises and memorize historic facts.This type of teaching reduces the need of the presence of a teacher.Online teaching or video conferencing allows a teacher to teach to a greater number of students, optimizing costs for schools.This is already happening at the university levelwhere many universities are offering online degrees, for example.Such teaching is profitable to universities as it optimizes costs by increasing teacher-student ratios.I t would therefore seem that technology is making the teacher more and more redundant.But a crucial element has to be considered with regards to ICT and teaching.Good teaching takes place when the learning is directly associated with our emotions.We learn best when what we are learning has a direct implication on what we believe and what we feel.The computer may communicate concrete knowledge, but only the teacher is able to communicate wisdom, to build self-confidence, and to make one think creatively, which is a more important part of learning.Therefore, no matter how sophisticated technology becomes, a teacher will always be needed, because only with the presence of the teacher is there true interaction.What will happen is that technology will not replace teachers.Instead, teachers will no longer be able to teach students by rote memory or drill type exercises.The computer will take care of that.The teacher will have to stimulate the minds and bring out the creativity in his or her students.The teacher will have to become a better teacher, a real teacher.ICT will improve teaching, and force teachers to be better teachers;it will never replace the teacher, it will only make him or her more important.2.The younger generation is up-to-date with new techniques and advances in science.They are often better able to make important decisions than their parents are.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? The Net-Generation is here and whether we like it or not younger generations are in a position to be able to make significant decisions that will affect us all.What causes this generation to be poles apart from its predecessors is not just its demographic force but that it is the first to mature surrounded by digital media.Computers can be found everywhere and digital technologies such as cameras, video games and DVDs are now commonplace.Increasingly these new media are linked by the Internet, and increasing web of networks which is attracting a million new users monthly, according to popular news sources.For today’s youngsters digital technology is no more frightening than a VCR or a vacuum cleaner.For the first time in history children are more at ease, clued-up and literate than their parents about an innovation of innermost importance to society.I would argue that it is through this use of digital media that the N-Generation will develop and superimpose its culture on the rest of society.Already the Net-Generation is defining itself as a reckonable force for social transformation.Unfortunately, few parents are aware of what their children are doing in cyberspace which intensifies the traditional norms associated with the generation gap.School officials are also struggling with the reality of students often being far more intelligent on cyber-issues and new ways of learning than their teachers.Likewise, corporations are trying to establish what these kids will be like as employees since they are used to very different ways of working, collaborating and creating and they discard many basic assumptions of today’s companies.I believe that there is no single issue more imperative than understanding what the Net-Generation intends to do with its digital expertise.There is a lot we can find out about a whole generation, which is in the process of taking on new media, from the children who are most adept in their adoption of this technology.3.Many are of the opinion that the Internet is inundating our children with dangerous information.There is however no doubt that the Internet represents great advances in communication and the dissemination of information.Discuss the pros and cons of the Internet and present your opinion on this matter.Bearing in mind the likely effects of the Internet on today’s users is important, because it is an issue that is discussed daily nowadays by people in both the private and public sectors.It is an everyday occurrence to come across articles in newspapers and there has been a visible boom in websites devoted to the trend.I would like to argue that the importance of this topic, regarding the pros and cons of the Internet, lies somewhere in the broader framework of questions raised by the Internet debate.The Internet as the name suggests is a complex net of computer.Conversely, it might be more useful to think of the Internet as a network of people who make use of computers.A significant feature of the Internet is that it offers more ways to communicate than any medium in the past;thereby enabling users a variety of ways to retrieve information from the same computerized network system.It is widely accepted by most that education is something that most, if not all people come into contact with at one point or another in their lives.This contact occurs typically and to the greatest degree at an early age.The principle role of schools is to educate people about their nation and the wider world, and also to help prepare them for the job market.The problem of unemployment is a commonly recognized fact.If schools are indeed doing their best to prepare young people for the job market, then their national curriculum needs to reflect the skills considered necessary for the most popular work sectors.Depending on its use, the Internet may or may not contribute to the development of key skills related to critical thinking, group work, and problem solving.Over the course of time, I believe children will most likely adopt a different and possibly greater responsibility as learners when using the Internet.As we are all aware, there is more information offered on the World Wide Web than anyone could possibly need and most of this information is very easily reached.Therefore, students have to act responsibly when choosing what information to use.The risk of being distracted while using the Internet is always there;however, even if young learners do browse off every now and then, they are still using the most hi-tech interactive tool we have in education for today’s world.4.Spending money on scientific research should only be approved when there are economic benefits resulting form the research.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? A primary challenge for developing and post-industrial societies is not only to garner enough funding for scientific research but to go further in their spending for development if they want to secure positions as truly knowledge-based economies.An appreciation for investing in scientific research has matured steadily in recent decades.Having said this however, most would agree that it is not easy to gauge the direct social and economic benefits resulting from scientific research.Many of the features of our modern world are the direct results of scientific research.Computers are but one area that receives a staggering amount of investment as countries compete with one another for stakes in this lucrative market.Medical research, likewise, is well worth the investment that is made for finding new ways to ensure the well-being of those fortunate enough to be able to receive treatment.These are but a few obvious examples.However, what is almost certain is that in many cases the time from scientific discovery to the commercialization of research results may often be long.However, there are many instances of breakthroughs in research that provide additional support for the popular principle that public investment in basic science generates continued economic and social benefits.The evidence presented in research journals available to the public confirms that government-funded research is a vital source of investment for increasing a society’s knowledge and skills.When governments invest in scientific research their funding in trun expands the technological opportunities available to companies who wish to develop new products and processes.Such spending on scientific research also supports the education of students who in turn transfer their competencies in science and technology into the private commercial sector.Due to the widespread understanding that the development of economically viable research projects is often a lengthy and time-consuming process it is natural that some people would be opposed to the idea of further government money being spent on scientific research.However, I believe the rewards from research and development are well worth waiting for in this ever changing world of ours.5.Although many benefits may result from space exploration, the costs involved are enormous.There is some debate as to whether this money could be more wisely spent to provide for the basic needs of mankind such as food, clean water, contraception etc.For this reason space exploration should be restricted.What is your opinion? One giant step forward for mankind: there were the words of American astronaut, Neil Armstrong, the first man to land on the moon.Space exploration is considered by most developed countries and those aspiring to compete in the race for development as the last frontier known to mankind.However, there are many people who belong to nations which have space programs who question the expenditure involved in continued space exploration when it is apparent that money is needed to deal with many of the world’s existing problems, for example, pandemic situations like AIDS and poverty that are always on the increase.A trip to the moon was an incredible success in 1969;however we have plainly taken a step backwards in the last 30 years or so.The dreams of travel to outer lying planets like Mars and Pluto remain as distant as ever, not forgetting the dream of interstellar voyages and exploring new solar systems.A big part of the problem is that our current technology is simply unable to realize these dreams.Even our best chemical rocket would take somewhere between one and two years to reach the closer planets and this is largely due to the fact that before reaching the desired destinations rocket fuel is likely to run out.The amount of money required to fuel space exploration programs of such large proportions begs the question of just how feasible all this spending is.It is clearly prohibitively high and a key objective for the years ahead will be to lower the cost to a fraction of today’s value.In the meantime however, we need to realistically face the problems existing on our earth which are far more pressing and far more concerned with true development.Making dreams come true on this planet, of a better world for everyone to live in, is surely more achievable for mankind than reaching outer lying galaxies which are light years beyond our existing capabilities.6.Technology is making it possible to stay at home and work.Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this and present your opinion on this issue.There is a revolution going on in the developed world whereby the work-from-home dream is becoming more and more of a reality for millions of workers wishing to save time, see their families more, and achieve overall work-life equilibrium.This is made possible for many by advances in information and communications technology, namely with the advent of the Internet and mobile telecommunications such as broadband phone connections.In the following paragraphs I will examine both the potential benefits and downsides of this new phenomenon which allows high-speed transmission of data from your personal computer at home to your clients and work colleagues in different locales.It is true that computers these days have greater processing power than they did just a few years ago, but working from home is not just an issue of cost-saving.People are tired of commuting and the time spent on trains and subways is a precious commodity that could be spent more effectively on work.In many cases working from home is not actually a choice for most business executives who are accountable for business transactions around the clock.For those people with young children, working from home has many incentives.Indeed, one could argue that a lot of flexi-working has evolved around parents’ child-rearing responsibilities.However, those parents who are working from home are now experiencing new pressures in the work-from-home setting.In spite of the paybacks from less travel and more flexibility, there is downside with increased working hours.The reality is that all home workers with children feel that balancing home and work responsibilities is easier said than done.To make one final point, it is important when considering this growing trend in working from home that we do not see it as an easy option.7.With the development of modern science and technology, some aspects of traditional culture being lost, and some people now believe that traditional cultures will eventually be replaced by modern science and technology such as computers and the Internet.What is your opinion on this matter? Digital information technologies are symbolic of the dominant global culture that is currently taking our world by storm.Due to developments in modern science and technology, traditional ways of earning a living, learning something new and even that of existing are rapidly transforming.This transformation in the way we communicate and live is as significant as the invention of writing which altered the course of ancient cultures before us.Nevertheless, up-to-the-minute technologies have the capacity to preserve many aspects of traditional culture.Indeed, if we are to employ information and communications technologies effectively, traditional values and ethics can help us make decisions for the proper use of these new technologies, In this essay I will explore how the negative impact of the Internet on traditional cultures and values can be lessened through awareness-raising exchanges and education.In most parts of the world governments authorities reacted to the introduction of the World Wide Web by prohibiting unlimited access to all Internet sites.They argued that some content found on the Internet would jeopardize traditional cultural and religious values.In the last few years, however, although this issue is still hotly debated among the powers that be, we are now seeing bans lifted on Internet access in all corners of the world.The Internet is changing traditional cultures by offering users new means for voicing their opinions about everything, including politics, religion, and love.For example, in the United Arab Emirates where the two sexes are firmly segregated, the Internet is enabling men and women to communicate in new ways that were not permissible before.Additionally, as a communications medium the Internet is allowing traditional values to be heard alongside more unconventional values as users face up to different ideas and hear other people’s opinions.The networking and awareness-raising potential offered by computers and the Internet about different cultures and values is unlimited.Now that we have people from more traditional cultures communicating online it is almost assured that their values and beliefs will be more readily heard and respected by the all-encompassing global Internet community.8.Does modern technology make life more convenient, or was life better when technology was simpler? What is your opinion? It is difficult to think how we managed our lives before the widespread use of everyday technologies such as the Internet and mobile phones which we now take for granted.Despite this, how often do we stop to question ourselves, before going online to check our email accounts, whether modern technology has really made our lives more convenient? Some people may actually answer to the contrary, that modern technology has made their lives more complicated and even more difficult.The obvious advantages of modern-day technologies are many.For example, if I do not want to go home and wash my laundry and wait for the weather to clear so I can hang it outside to dry, I simply invest in a machine that can both wash and dry my clothes.In addition, I would feel safer in the knowledge that because my clothes are not hanging up outside the possibility of them being stolen is greatly reduced.Inventors throughout the ages have thought of practically every device imaginable to assist humans in conducting their everyday affairs, from baby strollers to life-support machines.In fact, we are inundated with technological contraptions in this modern world and there is no sign of a reversal in this trend occurring.Imagine for a moment, if there were no television or computers.How would you know who had won the latest soccer match? Or what was going on in the news? What would the weather be like tomorrow? The problem with modern technology is not the unlimited choices in gadgetry now made available to us;but instead, it is our increasing inability to tune out from an overload in information and our growing reliance on machines that perform midlesstaskes which we could simply do for ourselves.The use of modern technology does inspire inventors, designers and engineers to speculate on what technology will be like in the future and how it could further mankind’s survival and development.However, before we turn around and say technology is the best thing that ever happened to us, it is vital that we remember who is in control of technology in order for it not to take over our lives completely.9.Modern technology has had a great influence on people’s entertainment choices, making them less creative.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? There exist many different types of entertainment technologies which cause us to behave in a variety of ways.Television, for example, only requires passive viewing and listening and can be looked upon as a form of entertainment which dulls the mind.The Internet, on the other hand, requires users to be interactive through the employment of, for example, different motoring skills i.e.clicking, selecting text etc., to more challenging tasks such as searching, emailing, chatting, and the uploading/downloading of software.A lot of people are still choosing television as their preferred entertainment for relaxing after a hard day’s work, but even more people are getting excited about the on-line world as they discover what it can do for them.The irony of this essay question is that without creativity we could not have the modern technology that we use today.We would not have television or the Internet.Similarly, we would not have MP3 players or DVDs.Every invention known to mankind has always resulted from creative thinking.Arguably, creativity is our most important asset;and information is an inestimable tool.With no electronic databases, PCs, and other supportive networking technology, we would be hard pressed to organize all of our information efficiently and effectively.However, if we examine the example of the Internet closer, we can also discern that the quantity of information on-line is escalating at a staggering rate.This means that it is difficult for individuals to remain up-to-date in their chosen fields.This means that it is difficult for individuals to remain up-to-date in their chosen fields.Due to this increasing pressure in the working world, it is therefore necessary for people to band together, to work collaboratively, and to think creatively and imaginatively to thrive and even to survive.In conclusion, I would like to add that the days of choosing modern technology purely for entertainment purposes are diminishing.It is no longer enough to merely own modern gadgetry.Instead, you must be able to show that you can manipulate technology creatively to suit your every purpose.10.What differentiates one country from another is becoming increasingly difficult to define in today’s world.Nowadays, it is not uncommon for people to have the same consumer products and to experience the same media the world over.To what extent do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? Globalization certainly has the potential to bring about great advances for humankind.On a daily basis, we are eyewitnesses to how borders of time and space that once separated countries and the activities therein appear to be diminishing.In industrialized areas of the developing world we can observe a growing international trend in leisure time pursuits.Chinese youths wearing Nike sneakers in Shanghai hang out in Starbucks over a cup of coffee in much the same way that their American counterparts do in New York.In particular, younger generations the world over who can afford access to media technologies like cable television and the Internet often encounter the same media such as advertisements, films, TV channels, popular brands and so on.However, it is not presently guaranteed that these advances are equally shared by all members of the global community.The truth lies somewhere closer to the fact that global market forces often have negative effects on the distribution of public goods such as social, a clean environment, or diverse cultural expression.Many argue that the costs of globalization are too high and that differences between countries and communities need to be maintained before we quickly and completely lose all sense of who we are, where we came from and what choices are still available to us.Therefore, it is necessary for the global community to place greater emphasis on the impact of globalization on human welfare.In order to achieve a just and equal distribution of the benefits of economic globalization, its negative side effects need to be counteracted by reforms in government at the international, regional and local levels.Only by further developing the way in which we manage our societies can we make sure that those currently not in control of globalization can make their voices heard in the political processes affecting the range of their own personal choices.11.Technology can bring many benefits, but it can also cause social and environmental problems In relation to new technology, the primary duty of governments should be to focus on potential problems, rather than benefits.Please discuss the issues raised here and offer your opinion.It is true that new technologies can create serious social and environmental problems.The question is whether governments should focus on these problems when they are formulating policies related to new technology.Some people would argue that governments have an important watchdog role to play and that they should attempt to establish whether a proposed technology is likely to have any harmful effects.This is seen as an aspect of government looking after public interests and showing concern for the welfare of its citizens.These are the same people who have invested the government with the power to veto the introduction of certain technologies.The problem with this approach, however, is that it is very difficult to know in advance what the full effects of any new technology will be.The history of science and technology has many fascinating examples of unexpected developments.Sometimes a technological advance in one area can lead to a surprising breakthrough in another, seemingly unrelated area.For example, technology which originated from the US space program has been further developed and applied in many other areas of life.And one certainly cannot depend on government bureaucracies to make accurate assessments about these matters.Another problem is that, where one government might decide to ban the use of a new technology, another country may well go ahead with its introduction.In an increasingly competitive global economy, the first country may severely disadvantage itself by such inaction.New technology is essential for a country’s economic development.The best approach is to positively encourage the development of new technologies and to focus on their benefits.Any problems that may arise can be dealt with after implementation.Social problems
1.Should criminals be punished with lengthy jail terms or be re-educated and rehabilitated using, for instance, community service programs, before being reintroduced to society.Present a written case or argument to an educated not-specialist audience on the above topic.Criminal offenders are imprisoned and released too many times.There is no real intercession until criminality is firmly in place and has become and all-encompassing lifestyle.It would appear that our sentencing policies are conflicting, often too soft for violent crimes and too harsh for non-violent crimes.In addition, our public safety arrangements are too shortsighted.It would be better to spend more on concentrated probation and scientifically based rehabilitation programs now, and less on more secure prisons tomorrow.Too many people including decision-makers believe that rehabilitation programs for inmates do not work, although research proves otherwise.We also have the tendency to make convicted felons an untouchable class, isolating them from normal society and meaningful employment, making nonstop criminal activity all the more attractive.I believe that if we were to rate prisons in the same way that we rate schools: by their success, we would establish a far more effective prison system.Achievement would be calculated by the percentage of released prisoners who are not charged with new crimes within a year, and again within two years.Yes, we would need to be in command of such factors as age, past record, and anticipated recidivism rates for the type of crimes each was convicted of.However, this should be fairly easy in today’s computer age.This would persuade prison administrations to develop and endorse job training, anger management classes,release preparation programs,education, and other interventions known to lessen recidivism.Another initiative would be to encourage those rehabilitated former offenders to become involved in teaching others.By bringing them into jails to speak to inmates and tell their own success stories, we would be able to set up a kind of adult “big brother” program where past offenders can be called on for advice or just encouragement.Is not reducing criminal recidivism worth some innovation? 2.Salaries paid to employees are an accurate reflection of their value to society.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? Equal pay for equal work has long been an issue debated mainly in industrialized nations around the world.People argue that varying pay scales for workers in different employment sectors are not a true reflection of their work’s value to society.So, why is it that nurses who work around the clock in hospitals the world over earn staggeringly less than doctors who put in much the same hours? Again, why is it that movie stars and professional sports players like David Beckham earn more money than anyone else whereas those in farming who are essentially feeding the world earn less than most? Reasons why the wage gap exists could be accountable to differences in education, work experience or time in the labor force.Nonetheless, some argue that the wage gap is attributable to discrimination.It is quite evident that certain low-paid jobs in most societies are reserved for women, people of color, and those with limited education.One example is that nursing is primarily carried out by women and when we compare the salaries received by nurses with those of doctors who are primarily men, we are made aware that nursing is among the lowest-paid jobs that present more flexibility.Teaching, for example, has always been considered to be a more flexible profession allowing women to work and have time off for raising children because of the ample vacations that come with the job.Advocates for pay equity do not always applaud the choices that some people make and they do not want people to have to face the consequences of those choices.As far as I can see, the real issue seems to lie with the choices an individual is presented with when he or she ventures into the world of work.More importantly, what choices are available when one wants to change his or her profession later on in life? As most of us would agree, it is often very difficult to break the poverty cycle when all that is on offer are the same jobs that were done by our parents and close neighbors before us.It remains therefore, that through education and a constant re-evaluation of the types of work we do that we will be able to find the trick to balance any disparities in pay.3.Society is experiencing an increase in many problems such as crime and drug abuse due to urbanization.Give some suggestions to control this trend.Cities are growing rapidly.In a recent visit to Manchester’s Urbis museum in the UK which is devoted to cities of the world and their development, I learned that currently almost half the world’s population lives in cities and that in the next twenty to thirty years urban settings will contain up to three quarters of all humanity.However, it would seem that problems associated with rapid urbanization such as crime and drug abuse are growing even faster.Notwithstanding the human misery that crime and drug abuse causes, dangerous urban areas are viewed as holding up much needed development in cities throughout the world.Investors are often unenthusiastic about initiating economic ventures because of the threat of crime and drug related violence.It goes without saying that the security of cities is vital for economic and social development, to say the least.In response to this realization there is a growing trend in urban planning in some countries which is taking aim at wide-scale problems like crime and narcotics abuse.Urban design professionals are now being consulted to identify areas of urban planning which will endorse security.Recreational programs for residents living in crime-ridden areas, and advice on housing management and sanitation are some of the solutions being proposed by city planners for those citizens wanting to live in safer communities.Urban developers are also looking to remodel downtrodden public spaces which are havens for criminal activity by making them more beautiful and by inspiring a sense of pride in local inhabitants.As far as I can see, planners and developers who consult residents systematically about changes in store for the development of problematic urban areas have a far greater chance at success.By keeping those residents informed, who will benefit directly from plans for urban restructuring to reduce crime, will instill a sense of responsibility which is often absent in urban communities.4.Nowadays there are many doctors specializing in profitable activities such as plastic surgery and private health care for privileged patients.Should doctors, however, be concentrating more on the general public’s health, regardless of how rich patients may be? What is your opinion? In most societies doctors are treated with a great deal of respect and there is a vast amount of evidence to support why this is so.First of all, they have dedicated themselves to the medical profession through extended periods of highly rigorous and taxing training.Secondly, the hours they put in at hospitals and clinics are often grueling, and thirdly, the responsibility they have in caring for patients with a multiplicity of health complaints is immense.In many cases doctors are miracle workers in the way that they manage to save lives;although in most cases, I would say that doctors are overworked and that their health may be suffering due to high levels of job-related stress.In my response to the above statement, I would like to emphasize that in the majority of situations doctors around the world are doing their best to serve the general public with the resources made available to them.Nevertheless, in the past decade we have observed a significant surge in the cosmetic surgery industry, especially in developed countries where it is mostly performed on women.This sudden growth in the popularity of plastic surgery has not occurred without criticism, however.Due to the amount of money to be made in cosmetic surgery some doctors are attempting to make a financial killing out of the situation by focusing their energies on this one area alone.As a result, concerns have been raised about the medical background of some doctors, limited regulations and the likelihood of dangerous procedures, along with overkill in money-making promotions.To a larger extent, with this rising trend in catering for the rich, there has been public criticism of the entire medical establishment.It goes without saying, however, that doctors like most professionals are more liable to improve patient care when they are encourage with incentives such as public acknowledgement, improved working conditions and access to proper clinical information systems.Provided these requirements are in place, patients would be more likely to receive the attention, trust and personal care that they seek in a medical practitioner.My final point, therefore, rests with government spending in the area of public health in providing people with the medical services they require while taking car of the professional needs of doctors.5.Some people say that older people should live with their adult children, while others think that they should live in homes specially built for old people.Which do you think is better practice? These days, it is difficult to say whether the practice of living alone or with one’s adult children is more amicable for the elderly.This would depend entirely on the relationship between members within a particular family to determine which option is more suitable.However, I can say that the traditional practice of the extended family where elderly people enjoy love and respect from their family members in addition to food, clothing and shelter appears to be diminishing to a great extent.In this essay, I will examine some of the reasons for this change in the following discussion.In recent times, several factors have created a great impact on family structuring;the replacement of extended families with nuclear families, choosing to have fewer children due to rising population and economic pressures, an increase in the umber of women who go out to work, and the migration of younger family members to cities to find better paying jobs.For those senior citizens caught up in these changing times, expectations that they may have had for their twilight years are now shifting.Family solidarity is valued by most people in every society;therefore it is natural that caring responsibilities between generations should be brought forward for consideration.In our increasingly urbanized world, the occurrence of old people’s homes and silver towns is becoming more commonplace.Living independently from one’s adult children and one’s extended family often requires a lot more autonomy and decision-making in later life.Many grey-haired individuals possess their full mental and physical faculties until they are very old and are quite capable of looking after themselves.Others, however, are not so fortunate and are therefore more dependent on family members and professional care-givers.What remains true, for elderly people living alone or with their families, is that people’s attitudes towards senior citizens have to change in order to promote active citizenship for elderly people.Even in our modern industrialized societies we have to make older people feel valued so they are not looked upon as a liability by their families or their communities.6.With the development of market economies advertising has become a dominant feature in the television industry.Despite the wealth of information that is brought to us by television, there still exists strong criticism against TV advertising.What is your opinion? For the past several decades, advertising on TV has been at the center of heated debate from both within and outside the entertainment and advertising sectors.In no other time in history have we seen a form of entertainment that is so widely accessible to the masses.Oftentimes, television is the only type of entertainment that underprivileged families can afford and it is not unusual to find TV in some of the world’s remotest areas.Notably, children make up a major part of any television audience, a fact that TV advertisers are well aware of.In this essay, I will investigate some of the adverse effects television advertising has on viewers within market economies around the globe.Television has its benefits of which we are all conscious, and no one could deny that it is an educative tool for audiences, especially young viewers.However, television is also a form of communications mass media and is often employed as a manipulative tool by many advertisers working in industry.In fact, TV advertisers are well aware that children are captive audiences who are vulnerable to the hard sell, the flashy images, and the recurring images that implant messages into their receptive minds.Research has shown that there is a direct association between television commercials for junk foods, snacks and candies and mounting levels of obesity among children.Excessive consumption is the hard and fast result of television advertising in market economies all over the world, Researchers are also concerned that TV advertising places excessive pressure on men and women to center undue attention on their appearance.An overemphasis on the importance of physical attractiveness in an attempt to sell products at all costs is another feature of advertising on TV.Many men and women now fear being unattractive or old because of the information relayed to them through television advertising.In addition to the points raised above, television advertising is intrusive into audiences, viewing time.How often have you found yourself captivated by a program on TV to be interrupted by a bombardment of unwanted commercials? Governments should therefore ensure that the amount of television advertising time is kept to a minimum, as it is more often than not an unwanted nuisance factor in our modern market-driven lives.In their hearts, I believe people just want to be able to relax in front of a television.7.Many old buildings are protected by historic trusts and international organizations such as UNESCO.However, some people think that old buildings stand in the way of progress.How important do you think it is to protect old buildings？ Historic buildings provide a physical link to our past.This link allows us to develop a sense of orientation about our place in history.We can learn from the past, and through safeguarding our historic buildings, can continue to benefit from the accomplishments of our ancestors.Of course, most people would be hesitant to knock down a historic building in favor of creating a new apartment complex or an office block to meet the rising needs of a growing population and a changing economy.This is where the question of what is “historic” and of value to a particular community comes into play.Age is a decisive factor for a historic resource, but it must be defined in relative terms.The definition of “old” will differ with a person’s perspective in time and the resource being considered.A convenience store that is 25 years old might be considered historic, while a university campus might not be considered historic until it is 50 or 75 years old.All too often, we have seen and continue to see neighborhoods being bulldozed in the name of progress.Under gentrification, housing prices rise in the previously poor neighborhoods, so that renters there either have to relocate or absorb elevated rental costs.What should stand in the way of progress is not only history but practicality and a thorough assessment of what is more beneficial for everyone concerned.Only when it is more costly to keep up a building or a district should town and city planners consider redevelopment as an option.Historic buildings are an important building block in the flow of our culture through time: a child visits a historic civic building to learn more about what it means to be a native of his or her hometown;a city resident on a historic farm learns about pride and dedication in working the land.Historic buildings are studied to tell us about the use of materials and resourceful solutions in everyday living.Historic buildings are vital for our prospective future.These assets need protection.We cannot afford to lose the physical materials, ideas, skills and understanding of our past.Entertainment
1.Television is a very powerful medium of influence over large populations.There are many positive aspects to television.For example, it is an educational tool.However, many people feel that it is doing irreparable harm.Present an argument to highlight your opinion on this matter.Numerous educators have envisioned television’s possibilities as an instructional tool and have sought acknowledgement throughout the industrialized world.Educational television in the developing world has also included training which directly affects the quality of life of its audience.For example, in areas where televised broadcasts are very low, audiences may gather at community centers to view programs on hygiene, literacy, child care and farming practices.In this respect, educational television equips the group with matter-of-fact information to improve living standards.Such broadcasts best exemplify the global aims of educational television.However, television broadcasting evolved as a profit-making entity.Within this system, efforts to employ the medium for educational purposes have always struggled to stay alive, nearly besieged by the overflow of entertainment intended to attract audiences to commercials that have educated viewers in another way---to become active consumers.Television does not have to be violent or offensive to have a negative effect.Excessive television viewing of any kind has obvious psychological and physiological effects on spectators.We refer to this as the “couch potato” syndrome.Several studies have recorded that even benign television content lessens our creativity and imagination, decreases physical activity, and increases obesity.In the case of young viewers, lowered grades, decreased ability to handle stress and conflict, and higher levels of aggressive behavior with peers have also been clearly documented.The most studied issue that points to the irreparable harm of television has been the impact of media violence on children.Over a thousand academic studies have been completed, with remarkably consistent results: media violence makes our kids more hostile, less tolerant, and more frightened of the world around them.Watching violence desensitizes children to genuine acts of violence.Despite its apparent possibilities and the early visions of pioneer broadcasters, educational television has never reached it fullest capacity as an instructional medium and the negative effects of TV viewing continue to outweigh the benefits.2.Outdoor recreation such as mountain climbing, camping and hiking bring us closer to nature and are ideal activities to encourage family bonding.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? Outdoor recreation can best be described as leisure time which involves the pleasure and use of natural resources.These days, leisure pursuits vary from popular forms of recreation such as walking, swimming, and cycling, to other less-prevalent activities such as nature painting, surfing, and snowboarding.According to many people the most imperative reasons to recreate are fun, fitness and family time.Clearly, many families participate in outdoor recreation as a way to bond.While many families continue to bond over family meals at home or in front of the television, a growing number do so through outdoor activity.These dynamic families are balancing their contribution in recreational activities with work, laundry, house cleaning and homework.Many families make use of outdoor recreation as a means to establish bonds and transmit key values to children.A sizeable number of people feel that recreation strengthens the family as a unit and the children as individuals.Not only does it teach younger family members to appreciate nature but it also helps children to develop important physical skills.More often than not parents say recreation’s capacity to build self-worth and personal growth and help children develop important interpersonal skills are the most important reasons to see children active.In addition to strengthening family bonds, outdoor recreation can be seen as one of the foremost reasons to care for the environment.Indeed, a sizable number say the key driver for environmental protection is to conserve recreation areas and national park.It is generally accepted that the key to environmentally safe recreation is responsible behavior.In addition, people argue that outdoor recreation benefits the environment because it gives them a reason to care about environmental protection.It goes without saying, therefore, that if people would follow the rules in parks and recreation areas, there would be no significant effects of their land use on the environment.All in all, outdoor recreation brings us not only closer to each other but to Mother Nature herself.Environmental Protection
1.Environmental hazards are often too great for particular countries or individuals to tackle.We have arrived at a point in time where the only way to lessen environmental problems is at an international level.P74—5
环境问题现在非常严重了，严重到单个的国家或者是个人没法解决的程度。换言之，我们已经到了一个只有在全世界范围内才可以解决这个问题的地步。从多大程度上你同意或者不同意这种观点？
2.As a result of countries becoming more and more industrialized, pollution has become a serious problem.Discuss some ways that can mitigate the pollution problems.P92—5
随着国家的工业化程度加深，环境污染成了一个严重的问题。请谈一下哪些方法可以减轻环境污染问题。
3.Forests are the lungs of the earth.Their destruction will accelerate extinction of animals and ultimately mankind.For this reason, logging in the world’s rainforests should be phased out over the next decade.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? P107—5
森林是地球的呼吸器。森林被破坏将会加速动物的灭绝并最终导致人类的灭亡。因此，应该逐渐停止热带森林地区的伐木。从多大程度上你同意或者不同意这种观点？ 4.Aquariums and wildlife sanctuaries are seen as sources of education and entertainment for families.They are also essential to conduct life-saving research.However, there is opposition to confining animals in this way.Discuss some of the arguments for and against the maintenance of zoos and present your opinion.P109—6
水族馆和野生动物避难所被视为家庭教育和娱乐的场所。这些地方也是进行救生研究的场所。但也有人反对以这些方式限制野生动物。就支持和反对保留动物园这些场所的论点进行讨论，并阐述你的观点。
5.Tourism is seen as a major industry for many countries.However, it tends to have a deleterious effect on the environment and should be strictly monitored.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? P113—6
旅游业被许多国家视为主要产业。但是这会导致严重的环境污染，应该严格禁止。从多大程度上你同意或者不同意这个看法？
6.Fresh drinking water is becoming a scarce and all too expensive commodity in many parts of the world.Discuss the causes and give suggestions for how to ensure adequate water supply for the world’s inhabitants.P127—7
在全世界范围内，饮用水正在变成一种稀缺而又昂贵的商品。讨论造成这些的原因，并提出建议，如何确保世界居民的水供应。
Science and Technology
1.In light of the technological route that education is on today there has been some speculation as to the role of teachers in future education.To what extent do you think teachers are being replaced by computers? P81—7
当今教育随着技术发展的趋势，确实应该考虑一下教师在未来教育中的角色了。在多大程度上教师会被电脑所取代呢？
2.The younger generation is up-to-date with new techniques and advances in science.They are often better able to make important decisions than their parents are.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? P88—8
年轻一代伴着日新月异的新科技长大。所以他们比父辈更加有能力作出重要的决定。你是否同意？
3.Many are of the opinion that the Internet is inundating our children with dangerous information.There is however no doubt that the Internet represents great advances in communication and the dissemination of information.Discuss the pros and cons of the Internet and present your opinion on this matter.P94—8
许多人认为互联网使青少年陷入了危险的信息当中。但是互联网又毫无疑问地代表了交流和传播信息的进步。讨论一下你对互联网的正面负面影响的看法。
4.Spending money on scientific research should only be approved when there are economic benefits resulting form the research.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? P100—9
只有能带来经济回报的科研项目才应该被批准。你是否同意？
5.Although many benefits may result from space exploration, the costs involved are enormous.There is some debate as to whether this money could be more wisely spent to provide for the basic needs of mankind such as food, clean water, contraception etc.For this reason space exploration should be restricted.What is your opinion? P104—9
尽管太空探索可以带来许多好处，但投入的成本也是巨大的。人们就这些钱是应该用在太空探索上还是应该更明智一些，花在人们的基本需求方面（比如食物、纯净的水、避孕措施等）的问题展开讨论。
6.Technology is making it possible to stay at home and work.Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this and present your opinion on this issue.P115—10
科技可以使人们足不出户就可以工作成为可能。请阐述其优点和缺点，并给出你的观点。
7.With the development of modern science and technology, some aspects of traditional culture are being lost, and some people now believe that traditional cultures will eventually be replaced by modern science and technology such as computers and the Internet.P118—10
随着现代科技的发展，传统文化的某些方面必然会失去。有人认为传统文化最终将被电脑等现代科技代替。你的观点是什么？
8.Does modern technology make life more convenient, or was life better when technology was simpler? What is your opinion?P125—11
现代科技真的使生活更方便了吗？还是说过去技术比较简单的时候生活更好些呢？你怎么看？
9.Modern technology has had a great influence on people’s entertainment choices, making them less creative.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? P136—11
现代科技对人们的娱乐有巨大的影响，使得人们缺乏创造性。你是否同意这种观点？
10.What differentiates one country from another is becoming increasingly difficult to define in
today’s world.Nowadays, it is not uncommon for people to have the same consumer products and to experience the same media the world over.To what extent do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? P77—12
当今世界，国家与国家之间的区别越来越难以界定。现在，世界各地的人们使用同样的消费品，接触同样的媒体，已经是习以为常的事情了。全球化优点要比缺点号多少呢？
11.Technology can bring many benefits, but it can also cause social and environmental problems In relation to new technology, the primary duty of governments should be to focus on potential problems, rather than benefits.Please discuss the issues raised here and offer your opinion.P143—12
科技能带来许多好处，但同时也会造成社会和环境问题。就新技术来讲，政府应该主要盯住潜在的问题，而不是带来的益处。请谈谈你的观点。
Social problems
1.Should criminals be punished with lengthy jail terms or be re-educated and rehabilitated using, for instance, community service programs, before being reintroduced to society.Present a written case or argument to an educated not-specialist audience on the above topic.P83—12
罪犯应该长期监禁还是应该对他们进行再教育，并在他们重新进入社会之前，做一些社区服务使他们改过自新为社会所用。谈谈你的观点。
2.Salaries paid to employees are an accurate reflection of their value to society.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? P95—13
工资是个人社会价值的准确体现。你的观点是什么？ 3.Society is experiencing an increase in many problems such as crime and drug abuse due to urbanization.Give some suggestions to control this trend.P116—13
城市化带来越来越多诸如犯罪和吸毒之类的问题。请给出控制这个趋势的方法。
4.Nowadays there are many doctors specializing in profitable activities such as plastic surgery and private health care for privileged patients.Should doctors, however, be concentrating more on the general public’s health, regardless of how rich patients may be? What is your opinion? P131—14
时下许多医生从事与一些很赚钱的活动，比如整形手术或者是为一些有特权的人做私人医生。但是医生是不是应该更多的关注普通大众的身体健康，而不论病人有多富有呢？请谈谈你的观点。
5.Some people say that older people should live with their adult children, while others think that they should live in homes specially built for old people.Which do you think is better practice? P138—14
有人认为老人应该住在年长的孩子那里，也有人觉得老人应该住在专门为老人建的公寓里。你认为哪种方式更合理？
6.With the development of market economies advertising has become a dominant feature in the television industry.Despite the wealth of information that is brought to us by television, there still exists strong criticism against TV advertising.What is your opinion? P132—15
随着市场经济的发展，广告已经成为电视行业的主要特点。尽管电视为我们提供了许多信息，但是对电视广告仍存在强烈的批评。你的观点是什么？
7.Many old buildings are protected by historic trusts and international organizations such as UNESCO.However, some people think that old buildings stand in the way of progress.How important do you think it is to protect old buildings？P79—15
许多古建筑应该受到法律保护，因为它们是国家的历史。而有人却认为老建筑应该都推倒，以便建设新建筑供人们使用。保留老建筑有多重要？历史是不是阻碍了社会的进步呢？
Entertainment
1.Television is a very powerful medium of influence over large populations.There are many positive aspects to television.For example, it is an educational tool.However, many people feel that it is doing irreparable harm.Present an argument to highlight your opinion on this matter.P85—16
电视是对人们影响非常大的一种媒体。电视有许多有利的方面，比如说可以作为教育的工具。但也有人认为电视带来的负面影响也极大。谈谈你的观点。
2.Outdoor recreation such as mountain climbing, camping and hiking bring us closer to nature and are ideal activities to encourage family bonding.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? P87—16
户外娱乐活动如登山、野营以及徒步旅行等可以使我们更接近自然，这类活动是理想的增进家庭团结的活动。你是否同意这种观点？
Education
1.Over the past 20 to 30 years there has been a noticeable trend away from many forms of discipline within the family.A recent survey highlighted the fact that most people feel that parents are too permissive with their children.Present an argument to highlight your opinion on this matter.P90—17 在过去的二三十年中，家庭教育的方式已发生了显著的变化。最近的一份调查指出，大多数人认为家长太过溺爱自己的孩子。请谈谈你的观点。
2.Since reading is important for a good education, we should encourage our children to read extensively.However, as there is an abundance of undesirable reading matter, there should be
heavy censorship to restrict access to it.What is your opinion? P102—17
因为看书对教育很重要，所以我们应该鼓励青少年广泛阅读。但是，由于存在许多内容不好的阅读材料，所以应该施行严格的管制措施。你的观点是什么？
3.Some people think that co-educational schooling is good for students while others hold that single sex education is better than co-educational schooling.What is your opinion? P105—18
有人认为男女同校教育好，而也有人认为男女分开教育的方式好。谈一下你的观点。
4.Although education in many developing countries is not compulsory, an effort should be made to ensure that all children between the age of 5 and 15 years attend some form of schooling.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? P111—18
尽管教育在许多发展中国家不是强制性的，但应该努力确保5-15岁的孩子接受一定形式的学校教育。在多大程度上你同意这种说法？
5.Some people think that if one wants to succeed in life, then one must have a formal university education.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? P121—19 有人认为如果想要成功，必须接受正规的大学教育。从多大程度上你同意或者不同意这个看法？
6.Students who go directly from school to university benefit less from, and contribute less to their courses than those who take a job or travel in order to get more experience in the “real world” before starting higher education.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? P135—19
那些从中学一毕业就升入大学的学生，他们从大学课程里的受益和对学科的贡献都没有那些在上大学之前为了从“现实世界”获得更多经验而去工作和旅游的人多。你从多大程度上同意或者不同意这个看法？
7.Some people say that sports should not be encourages in schools because they cause competition rather than cooperation among students.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? P139—20
有人认为学校里不应该鼓励体育运动，因为体育运动造成学生间的竞争，而不是合作。你从多大程度上同意或者不同意这个看法？
8.Since World War II there has been an increase in cooperation between many Eastern and Western countries.This has led to a desire amongst students to undertake study in foreign countries.Some people believe that this will bring advantages to students while others propose that this will cause some problems.What do you think about this issue? P140—20
二战之后，东西方国家间的合作增多了。这也刺激了学生出国留学。有人认为这能给学生带来好处，也有人反对这种观点。你怎么看待出国留学的？
9.In certain countries children are not allowed to leave school until they reach a certain age, for example, in some countries it is 15 years.Write an essay expressing your point of view on the following topic: Should there be a minimum school leaving age, or should students and their parents be free to decide when they leave school? P142—21
在某些国家，小孩子只有到了一定的年龄才可以离开学校。那么是不是应该设定一个离开学校的最低年龄，还是说这个问题应该留给学生和家长们自主决定？请陈述一下你的看法和观点。
Government responsibilities
1.Although there is no longer an immediate threat of nuclear war, peace seems as elusive as ever.In order to address this problem, the United Nations should be given a stronger role in global affairs in order to bring about world peace.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? P98—21
尽管现在没有了立即就会发生大的核战争的危险，但是和平还是像以前那样捉摸不定。为了处理好这个问题，联合国应该扮演更强大的角色，以带来世界和平。从多大程度上你同意或者不同意这个看法？
2.Some people think that developed countries should fund international aid to poor countries to help developing countries improve domestic health, education and trade.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? P122—21
有人认为发达国家应该资助贫穷国家，以便帮助发展中国家来发展医疗、教育和贸易事业等。从多大程度上你同意或者不同意这个看法？
3.Should developing countries only concentrate on improving industrial skills and modern technology or should they promote education first? Present your opinion.P124—22
发展中国家应该只重视提高工业技能和现代科技，还是应该首先倡导教育。给出你的观点。
4.Nowadays we are seeing more and more exhibitions and sculptures appearing in public places.It is wrong that governments are funding artist projects when there are more important things we could be doing with tax payers’ money.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? P134—22
当今时代，我们在公共场所看到越来越多的展览和雕塑。当纳税人缴纳的税金还有更重要的用途的时候，政府却用来资助艺术项目。从多大程度上你同意或者不同意这个看法？
4月27日走出北语雅思考场时，我当时只觉得Reading部分最有把握。由于深受辅导班上张亚哲灌输的“时间紧迫论”影响，我的Reading部分完成相当快。全部阅读题答完后，还有七八分钟时间来检查答案，按张老师的标准，也像是奔8分的感觉。
5月16日拿到成绩单后，最高分竟然是口语，得了个8分。这个意外的结果让我自己都大跌眼镜。我清楚地记得口语课上李鑫和Nevin都曾说过口语9分基本没有，而能考到8分的大多为参加过国外语言学校学习或是英语国家出生的ABC族同学。可是我，计算机专业毕业5年，最近2年极少接触洋话，利用1个月的业余时间参加晚上辅导班来准备雅思，竟然得到了口试考官的厚爱。有什么秘诀吗？得知我的成绩后，有不少朋友好奇地问我。仔细想想，并无秘诀，自己的语言背景和大多数朋友接近，而能够有幸考好口试，我总结主要是做到了下面的三个轻松，愿与大家交流。
1、准备过程的轻松
由于我只有1个月时间来准备雅思，所以对待准备的要求就是立足现状，尽量轻松，不期望短时间内口语能突飞猛进。
在词汇上，我侧重两个方面。一是根据自己原有的词汇量，尽量熟悉它们的用法。我没有拼命去学习或背诵更多生僻的词。虽然用词的深度和广度能展示你英语的水平，但是冰冻三尺，非一日之寒。生词大多不是短期内就能掌握的，用的不当反而得不偿失。我觉得要达到准确流利地和英语国家的人交流，4级的词汇量基本足矣，关键是要能把简单的词用活。举个例子，风行全球的《Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary》收词8万多，但全部用来解释这8万个单词的只有3千个左右的基本词汇。其次，我注意收集了一些常用的口语表达方法和句式。提醒大家要注意口语和书面语的区别，口试因为侧重交流，所以要尽量使用口语，千万不要总象在背报刊文章，拒人于千里之外。必须熟悉《口语指南》上的基本连接语和表达方法，它们是搭建对话的骨架，能让你的语句之间关系流畅，表达的意思更加准确。
在发音上，因从小在南方受教育，我发个别音有困难，例如，容易混淆l和n的发音。所以，我遇到有这些音的单词时，就特别注意学习它们的发音。有条件的话，可以听听磁带或电脑软件字典里的发音，也可以请别人帮助自己正音。此外，还要学会能灵活地处理发音困难或错误的单词现象(Word Blocks)，当别人听不懂自己的某个单词时，要掌握Paraphrase的技巧，立即换一个没有发音困难的同义词，或换一种说法。这样比反复说一
个不正确的单词要有效的多，不至于使得你的交流陷于停顿。
口试准备离不开练习，好的练习方法能帮助你提升学习的乐趣。我和大多数人一样，没有好的英语练习环境，所以，我选择一些轻松可行的方式来练习口语。例如，要纠正发音和音调，我把自己的说话录音下来自己听，及时发现一些不自然的语言习惯。另外，用磁带请口语好的朋友或老师来帮助你的口语，不会太影响别人的时间安排。再如，为了适应英语对话环境，我就购买经典的原版电影DVD，既可学习英语，又有收藏价值，是个
kill-two-birds-with-one-stone的好方法(具体影片选择可以参考电影口语班清单)。在观看时，我建议尽量不用字幕，或者只用英语字幕观看，这样能帮助我们逐渐熟悉不同情境下的英语对话技巧。要想提高英语说话的速度，还必须做到用英语思考，为加强我的反应和讨论速度，我采用上网英语聊天的方式。国内的263英语角聊天室和国外的Yahoo Messenger都是不错的选择。聊天时不要忘记自己练习英语的目的，可以把《口语指南》上的一些问题拿到网上和网友进行讨论。
根据我的经验，采用轻松有趣的方法来准备，往往有意想不到的收效。值得一提的是，4月27日那次雅思考试阅读部分最后一篇文章就谈的是这个问题。心理学家试验发现，人们习惯于无意识地记住不重要的细节，却忘记原本想记住的东西。例如：老师事先不告诉学生们要背诵单词，而是让学生们欣赏音乐，只在音乐间隔的时间让他们看一些英语单词。结果表明，这种方法下学生掌握的单词量，要比单纯要求他们去枯燥地背单词的效果更好。这个“有心载花花不开，无心插柳柳成荫”的道理，和我所说的轻松准备的体会竟是不谋而合，而老师擅长的在幽默中教英语的模式当也属于此类。
2、考试心情的轻松
轻松的心情是你获得好成绩的重要条件。很多考友去见雅思考官，都是一种硬着头皮去应试的态度。这样，他们在考场上难免表现紧张，影响发挥。还有人总是担心考官会听不懂自己的发音，嘲笑自己的口语，或者猜想考官会对考生百般刁难。其实，根据我的经历，这些想法都是不必要的。
雅思口语考官一般都很和蔼友善，他们善于与人交流，希望能和你多交谈，从而能准确判断你的语言水平。据雅思官方站点的介绍，这些考官的选择有严格的标准，他们大多受过专业的英语教学培训，了解EFL(English as a Foreign Language)人们说英语的特点。即便你的英语发音不是很好，他们也都能判断出你想用的单词和表达的意思。其实大家可能都知道，像任何语言一样，英语也是通过上下文语境(Context)来表达意思。当你有个别单词发音不准或错误时，有经验的考官能根据Context了解你的意思。因此，我们没有必要对雅思考官的公正性进行怀疑，大多数考生也没有必要害怕担心考官听不懂自己的话(除非你的发音太差)。正如Nevin在口语讲座上所说的，将参加口试看成参加Party，把考官当作你学习英语的好朋友，保持一份轻松的心情。
在心情放松的条件下，我建议要充分利用短短的15分钟，大胆地说，主动与考官进行交流，让考官有充分的机会了解你，判断你在英语国家是否能够独立地生活、学习和工作。当然，要顺利地与考官进行交流，必须要掌握一些面试的技巧，因为面试考官对考生的印象将影响你的最后得分。举止礼貌，着装得体，这些虽然都是语言之外的功夫，但是我们也不能漠视。想一想，如果你只顾自己痛快，穿着随便，动作不雅，造成考官心情不畅，自然难得高分。
这里，我谈一下如何对待口试中出错的情况。我的建议是：Don’t cry on the spilt milk。我们都是EFL考生，绝大多数都没有参加过专业的英语口语培训，因此，在口语考试时，出现个别理解错误，发音错误，用词错误或语法错误是难免的。我在面试就有曾有个问题没有听清，请考官重复一遍后还没有听清。最后考官跳过了这个问题，我也没在意。现在看来，这个错误并没有对我的成绩造成很大的影响。所以，我建议大家发生失误后，千万不要死纠不放，影响其后的答题心情和思路，小不忍则乱大谋。
3、回答话题的轻松
不少考友对自己缺乏信心，担心口试时无话可说，所以往往在考前背诵了辅导书上大量的问题答案，以为考官会偏爱“有准备的人”，而结果却是事与愿违。我觉得这样做，其实是犯了大忌。原因很简单，首先，考官最不爱听那些老生常谈的答案。想想考官一天要听那么多考生的回答，如果大家的答案都千篇一律，对考官的心情将是何等“打击”。考官肯定想从不同的考生那里得到不同的答案，这样才有兴趣和你交流下去。其次，《口语指南》书上的参考对话都是精心编写的，看上去很美，但可惜不像我这样非英语专业人士能够脱口而出的。考官听到这样的答案会感到突兀，特别是当你对其它问题的回答风格迥异时。这种情况下，考官将进一步确实你的口语水平，他们会就你的回答深入地问下去。如果此时你无法按照背诵答案的思路和深度来回答问题，考官很可能会判定你是作弊(Cheating)。
因此，我的理解，考官想听到的是考生用符合自己水平的英语来描述自己的故事或观点。你要展现的是一个真实的你，要保证你的答案符合填写在报名表上的背景。比如，对于使用Internet获取信息的利弊，高中毕业生和工作多年的人给出的答案不会一样。回答时，我建议大家最好不要说谎。人在说谎后难免紧张，极容易出现前后所说内容不一致的话；而雅思的口试题目设计的基本上是一环套一环，出现上述前后冲突的情况会影响到你的答题思路，同时也会给考官留下负面印象。所以，要想保持答题轻松，我觉得按实际情况回答最好。当话题都是自己可以随心所欲控制时，你就会感到很自在，自然就有很多话想和考官交流。
对于那些目标在7分以上的考友，我建议要自己课下重视口试的第三部分Discussion。根据雅思的评分规则，第三部分的对话决定你是否能获得7分以上的成绩。换句话说，即使你在前2个部分回答不错，如果在最后一部分表现平平，也难以获得高分。因此，第三部分是考生间拉开成绩档次的关键，对自己有较高要求的考友务必熟悉这个部分的问题特点，尤其是要避免一些陷阱问题(感谢模考的Rainer老师，他曾给我一个Trap并提醒我重视这个问题)。对于这一部分的问题，考官期望的不再是简单的描述，而是陈述自己的观点，我们要做到回答时尽量全面客观。例如，我的口试第三部分主要是讨论媒体和记者的问题，考官曾问我一个问题：“Is it right for a journalist to report people’s privacy?”我当时的回答是：“Well,this is an interesting question.I don’t think we can give a simple Yes or No answer to it.Personally, I don’t like my privacy to be reported to the public.But for others, it depends。”接下来，我继续论述了自己的观点。我想，也许是这样的回答给考官留下深刻印象，使我得以获得好评。
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