浅谈雅思议论文如何抓关键字眼并举实例论证

北京朗阁海外考试研究中心
一、论证中缺乏关键字眼
 
雅思写作大作文的考查形式均为议论文，朗阁海外考试研究中心的通过对学生作文的批改看出了一个普遍的规律：学生在论证时不能很好地对题目中字眼进行段落的展开，比如下面这个题目：
 
Some people think that it is necessary to travel abroad to learn about other countries, but other people think that it is not necessary to travel abroad because all the information can be seen at TV and the internet. Discuss both opinions and give your own opinion.
 
大多数的烤鸭在写这个题目时候仅仅论证了“it is necessary to travel abroad...”而这个字眼“abroad”在全篇一个内容也没有。同样，下面这个题目：
 
Today there is a great increase in anti-social behaviors and lack of respect to others. What are the causes of this? Who should take responsibility for dealing with it?
 
烤鸭们在书写时也貌似地论证了犯罪的原因（家庭因素，学校因素，…），而题目中具体能够显示出烤鸭们丰富知识面方面的字眼anti-social behaviors却不见踪影。很显然所有这些现象都是在学生审题不仔细或根本不知道要写清这些关键要素的情况下完成的作文。事实上，就Task 2的评分细节中，这样的书写显然是违背了这样的一条：“presents a fully developed position in answer to the question with relevant , fully extended and well supported ideas.”
 
二、如何分析题目中的关键字眼？
 
朗阁海外考试研究中心的在这里给烤鸭们一个比较容易掌握的审题方法：
 
A: 如果这个题目是由背景和考题构成，那这个背景中的名词就可以作为烤鸭们要进行头脑风暴的切入点。就2013年5月16日的雅思考试题目来举个例子吧：
 
Advertising is all around us. It is an unavoidable part of individual life. Some people say that advertising has positive and negative development. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
 
在这个题目中的背景部分“Advertising is all around us, it is an unavoidable part of individual life.”就有个关键的字眼“advertising”、“individual life”，一旦学生找到这些关键字自然就会从广告所带来的实用性信息，包括求职、购物、生活常识；还有教育类内容，比如说环保意识的增强、对他人的尊重和对长辈的孝顺等这些方面入手。再从消极方面，有学生会联想到广告的夸大其词，其现象在我们的生活中较为普遍：快餐中的套餐、保健品、化妆品、甚至是求职中的陷阱等等。可见在这个题目中背景的认真诵读并找出关键词是多么地重要。
 
B: 如果一个考题没有这样的一个背景交代，朗阁也烤鸭们运用同样的办法：努力找到题目中的一些重要名词，可以利用它们在平时的练习中或者考场上顺利地进行提纲的编纂。拿下面的这个题目举个例子：
 
Some people think that young people should follow the traditional values of the society. Others think that young people should be free to act as individuals. Discuss both views and give your opinions.
 
本题目中的关键名词“traditional values of the society (striving for the future, dedication to the community, comply with ethnic codes…)”、“free individuals (living on one’s own, cherishing life is very important before sacrificing one’s own interests or life for others… )”是这个题目成功的关键。括号中的信息是朗阁给烤鸭们的一些拓展。
 
三、如何进行举实例论证呢？
 
拿下面的这个题目来举个例子：
Some people think that personal happiness is directly related to economic success. Others argue that happiness depends on completely other factors. What is your opinion?
 
显然运用以上找关键字眼的办法：economic success和other factors这两个词组是整个题目的重点，他们是直接与题目中的success相关的部分。打开前一个字眼（economic success）学生可以得到以下提纲内容：be likely to satisfy people’s demands related to comfortable housing、vivid recreational activities, such as regular tourism、frequent cinema attendance、extra training、enjoying luxury automobiles、be able to afford study abroad cost。烤鸭们就可以根据这些单词运用相关语法和连接手段完成一个段落。为了给烤鸭们一个直观的段落片段，朗阁海外考试研究中心的给烤鸭们一位学员（写作7分）拓展本题目中的第二个字眼other factors associated with happiness( whether to love others, setting practical goals rather than challenging oneself, enjoying voting rights being recognized )。在这么多的拓展词组中，烤鸭们可以选择自己擅长的方面，不必把上面所有列出的全写出。之所以在这里列出这么多仅仅是朗阁给予烤鸭们的参考。接下来呈现相关段落：
 
Opponents, however, mention that there are three other major elements associated with people’s happiness. First and foremost, willingness to help others seems to be easily to have access to happiness. For example, some celebrities, such as Jacky Chen, YaoMing, frequently take an active part in charity activities, donating money to people who live in poverty or propaganda to protect wild animals in that they believe in this way can they achieve happiness. Beyond that, people may be happy for the reason of being freedom and relaxation. To illustrate, currently, an increasing number of workers quit their decent jobs, moving out of the crowded and competitive cities to the peaceful countryside or grassland, searching for their happy life. What is more, making efforts to enjoy the rights to vote is likely to become individuals’ happy cause. Typical example is in the USA, whose residents irrespective of their working in the local or exotic areas are extremely willing to get together for their favorite president election because they regard voting rights as a category of happiness.
 
很显然，找对了议论中的关键字眼并且以此作为突破口展开思路，再辅之以恰当的举例、常用的连接词，烤鸭们就会轻松地在短时间内完成的任务要求。