本文作者│劉弋,領航學院學術導師,兼托福聽力及口語老師。
英語專業本科,后赴美國佛羅里達大學攻讀教育學碩士,托福及GRE高分。
畢業后在美國公立小學教學三年后回國,具備良好的課控能力,了解學生心理,教學嚴謹,掌握先進的低齡段學生的教學經驗。
通過本科四年的系統專業學習和美國五年時間的工作生活,功底扎實,發音純正,對美國校園文化及風土人情非常了解。
▲托福 & 口語
在托福考試中,口語部分可能是很多學生覺得最為緊張的一個單項。
題型多變,題目內容更是涉及生活的各個方面。
口語部分一共有六道題,前面兩道題因為不要求結合任何聽力和閱讀材料內容,直接要求學根據題目所給出的話題進行理由論述,而被稱為口語獨立題。
獨立題主要分為四大題型:列舉題,三選一,評價類,和描述題,然而不管是哪一種題型,題目都明確表示要 “Use details and examples in your response.”
大多數中國考生在回答這兩個題的時候都會遇到一個問題:段落過于空泛,答案明顯不充實,很多時候說出的論據其實都只是在反復解釋重申自己的主旨句,而不是在按照題目所要求的用細節支撐自己的觀點。
那我們今天就來講幾種用細節支撐自己的觀點的方法!
用數據說話:
我們來看這個范文:
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement that parents should put more pressure on students than before?
I disagree with the statement that parents should put more pressure on their children for the following reasons.
First, students are already under tremendous pressure as they are.
For example, in China, a typical high school student takes eight hours of class a day, Monday through Friday.
After school, they have to face a mountain pile of homework assignments.
Not to mention all the quiz, exams and presentations they have to be ready for.
In my opinion, parents should encourage their kids to participate in activities that are not school related, things like traveling and volunteering.
我們在講學生學習壓力大課業負擔重的時候,可以用具體的數字來表示他們每天花非常多的時間在學校作業上,如范文中的“eight hours”。
相似的類型比如:
在交通工具的選擇上,坐地鐵到底有多方便呢,與其空談地鐵多好多方便,不如給出具體的數字來對比:I used to spend about an hour on my way to work but now, it only takes me twenty minutes and I don't need to worry about the risk of traffic jams.
再舉一個例子:
職業類型的題目中,警察的工作到底壓力多大呢,反反復復強調他們壓力大工作辛苦和無私付出,不如用直觀的數字:“My dad used to be a police officer and I remember there were several times he left home at 3 o’clock in the morning after answered emergency phone calls.”
我們在用細節支撐自己的觀點時,可以在論據中加入適當的數字。
用數據說話,使你的論點更有說服力。
抽象的東西具體化:
我們來看這篇范文:
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is better to live at a place there the climate stays the same all year around.
I think it’s better to live at places where the climate changes all year around.
First, we get to do some different activities during different seasons.
Take Beijing for example.
The temperature and climate changes from season to season pretty dramatically here.
That means I can fly a kite in spring, swim in an outdoor pool and enjoy the sunlight in summer, take beautiful pictures of leaves during autumn and ski with friends when snow builds up in winter.
Also, when the temperature fluctuates, our life style changes with it, our body adapts too.
I believe this is good for our immune system.
我們在表述一些比較寬泛的主題的時候,比如“do some sports” 或者“relax ourselves”的時候,可以用具體的活動,動作,將這些抽象的概念具體化。
像范文中,具體舉例了“fly a kite”還有“swim in the pool”等等。
相似的類型比如:
在介紹“my favorite restaurant”的時候,如果只是反復說“their environment is good and the food there is delicious” 是不是顯得很空洞呢。
我們來積累一些較細節的詞匯讓我們在介紹餐館的時候可以更加細節更加生動:
Happy hour
Buy one get one free
Tender and juicy
Chef’s recommendation
Tuesday Special
Main course
Side dish
balanceddiet等等
這就是我們在準備口語過程中非常重要的環節,語料積累。
語料(pre-assembled chunk)的積累讓你不再“囊中羞澀”。
大量的有意義的短語和固定搭配最終會形成你自己的語料庫,在考試時根據題目類型調配組合,那么自然可以在短短的口語考試規定時間內,給出高質量的答案。
你永遠的好朋友 Tony!
在舉例時我們最經常用的一句話就是“take myself for example”, 但是不要忘記我們永遠都可以有一個imaginary friend,比如Tony,在需要的時候為我們成為任何人。
來看這篇范文:
20170917 北美
What do you think is the worst quality a roommate could have? Being messy, or being noisy?
I think the worst quality a roommate could have is being messy.
Take my roommate Tony for example.
When I was in college, I had this roommate whose name is Tony and he was a really messy person.
He kept a dog in our room but he never walked his dog, so his dog peed and pooped in the dorm.
It was really messy and stinky.
Everyday when I go back to the dorm and look at this mess, I can’t put myself in a good mood.
Also, when someone is messy, you might have pest problems.
When I was living with Tony, he never put away his leftover food, so within just a couple of months, we’ve got cockroaches and rats in out apartment.
It was a horrible experience.
Tony就是這么萬能。
看題:
“說一次你不小心傷害了別人情感的事”: 那么我可能一次口不擇言傷害了Tony
“說一次難忘的旅行”:那么我和Tony在旅行路上糗事百出但互相照顧
“成功經營一家公司需要什么品質呢”:那么我曾經認識一個成功的企業家Tony
當然啦,Tony只是舉一個例子,在自己的親身經歷或者親身感受不適用的時候,我們可以用他人的經歷來充實我們的段落。
一個滿意的答案,形成往往分三步:1.
形成構思,想法:conceptualize,2.
再用自己的語言能力支撐:formulate,3.
最后用語言表達出來:articulate
在口語獨立題的備考過程中,最開始我們可以采用背誦優秀段落的形式,大量的輸入是一切一切的基礎。
一些高質量的答案我們拿來背誦,反復錄音練習,是一種很有效很重要的起步訓練。
漸漸你就會發現在復述的過程中你會有自己的想法,刪掉或替換掉一些別人生活中的例子,同時加入支撐自己論據的細節,還有一些自己習慣使用的短語,最終形成自己覺得舒服且可以自如使用的答案啦。
看完這篇,寶寶們是否還有其他不清楚的地方呢,歡迎來翰林咨詢我們

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