最近雅思考试出现了一个很奇怪的现象: 让无数考生非常惧怕的流程图迟迟没有出现. 一般来讲, 流程图出现的机率大概是每两个月出现一次, 而且年初出现的概率很大. 但是纵观去年12月至现在最近一场考试(3月8号)的考试, 流程图居然没有出现过一次, 这让很多考生和雅思老师都感到非常吃惊.
从一月开始一直到现在, 每次雅思考试前网上就有很多雅思预测专家都预测流程图即将出现了. 而当每次考试的题目公布后, 考生们都如释重负: 幸好没有出现流程图! 但是与此同时, 大家都感到更加的担忧: 这次没有出, 难道是下次? 结果, 后面日期的考生就更加紧张, 大家都觉得下次必出流程图了, 于是都在紧锣密鼓地复习流程图的写法, 但是结果又是让人既兴奋又担忧: 流程图还是没出现. 我记得这几个月每次考雅思的前几天就有不少学生发流程图的作文给我看, 可见大家都对此感到胆战心惊.
一般来讲, 根据我的经验, 考试一旦出现流程图, 大部分考生的分数会比预期低0.5-1分. 对雅思不了解的朋友可能会觉得这是个微不足道的分数, 其实这个分差对很多考生来讲却是致命的, 因为雅思总分才9分. 那流程图为什么这么难写呢? 我觉得有以下几个原因: 第一, 也是最重要的原因: 读懂流程图很难. 流程图的题目只是大概告诉你图形的内容, 并没有仔细告诉你每个图的具体含义, 这就需要你结合题目和自己的常识来判断每个图讲的是什么, 以及理解每个图之间的关联. 只有你弄清楚了图与图之间的脉络关系才可以写出精彩的文章. 考生们都熟悉的莫过于真题集里面的从养蚕到收集蚕丝以及用蚕丝制成衣服的图, 以及石灰和混泥土的制作过程图; 第二, 考生的词汇缺乏. 很多考生反映, 哪怕他们看懂了图, 可是还是写得不好, 因为他们要么不会表达某种情形或者动作, 要么就只会反复地用同一个动词来表达各种情况; 第三, 无法准确提炼信息以及组织语言. 流程图和一般的图表题不同. 一般的图表题会有大量的数据, 而考生只要引用里面的重要数据来描述现象或者趋势即可. 而流程图并没有数据在里面, 所以考生不知道该从何入手, 也不知道应该如何对信息进行取舍, 以致于写出来的文章非常用冗长罗嗦, 包含了大量不必要的信息, 让考官读得云里雾里. 这就是为什么大部分考生的流程图只能得4.0-5.0这个分数段.
流程图在今年迟迟未出现的原因, 我想, 是因为剑桥大学的考官想与广大考生 “捉迷藏”. 考官们可能知道大家都在猜年初会出流程图, 所以考生们肯定都只会专注于流程图的复习而忽视了常规图表题的练习, 因此考官们总是通过躲避流程图来警醒各位考生: 一般的图表题比流程图更重要. 事实也的确如此. 在国外读书期间, 我们还真没有什么机会遇到像流程图那样的东西. 相反, 我们却常常会遇到一般的数据图表来进行分析. 所以就实用性来讲, 一般的图表题肯定会比流程图实用得多. 不过雅思考试既然有流程图, 说明了它必有其存在的理由, 比如说考察学生的理解能力和逻辑思维能力等等, 所以考生们也不能忽视对它的练习, 只是重心还是得放在一般图表题上.
总而言之, 我觉得与其去猜考官会出什么作文题, 不如自己扎扎实实地把英语学好, 这才是根本的解决方法. 把写作功底练好了, 再掌握一般雅思的常规写作思路, 那么, 不管出什么样的题, 你都能从如应对并且考出好成绩. 而如果你一直只是指望通过猜题或者背一些模板和范文来应对考试的话, 那么你成功的机率就会渺茫多了. 再者, 哪怕真的被你侥幸成功了, 你的实力之单薄仍然是铁板钉钉的事实, 不会随着你分数的上升而改变, 所以将来出国读书后, 你也会遇到空前的困境, 到时你就会感到度日如年! 所以, 很多学生问我考雅思有没有什么技巧, 我都忍不住叹一声气, 心里想: 要是真有这么多技巧, 我曾经还需要每天勤学苦练吗?
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2012年3月8日雅思作文:
Topic: Many people fail to achieve work and other parts of life. What causes the situation? How to overcome this problem?
正文(赖小琪):
Balancing work and other parts of life has long been a headache for a large number of people, particularly for those white-collar workers in big cities who take overwork as a common meal. Imbalance between work and life may probably trigger a series of problems in every aspect of our lives ranging from family to our circle of friends that may ruin our well-beings.
There are an array of reasons contributing to this phenomenon. For the company’s side, quite a few companies assign too much workload for their staff that would deprive them of most of their spare time which could be otherwise used to attend their families or socialize with their friends. For the individual’s side, many workaholics, out of the pressure of making a living in high-inflation and ever-fierce competitive society, are inclined to work overtime so as to make sufficient fortunes to facilitate housing and their children’s education. They have long been persecuted by the house mortgage and after-retirement social welfares, which in turn pushes them to work overtime.
To tackle this problem, I hold that the company, our government and our individuals should take joint efforts. Companies should not merely focus on reaping profits regardless of the staff’s family lives. Instead, they should encourage their staff to strike a balance between work and life by rendering them enough spare time, launching some laid-lack and entertaining activities for them, etc. In terms of our government, they should enact some efficacious policies to regulate the job market, discourage illegal overwork and protect workers’rights and benefits. Also, the government should further perfect our social welfare systems that can assure people of a worry-free retired life. As for our individuals, we should realize that work is not all about our lives and a loving family and a group of good friends count even more.
Balancing work and life is by no means easy, but it does not necessarily mean that we cannot reach it. So long as we have a clear picture of what we want and bear our families, friends and other parts of our lives in mind, we would for sure know how to achieve the balance we desire. |
