雅思口語難題之學(xué)科類話題解析

朗閣海外考試研究中心簡真真

關(guān)于學(xué)科類的話題，很多考生最為熟悉的莫過于Describeyourfavoritesubject了，這類話題自2008年以來就一直是考生的心玻盡管在一定程度上表達(dá)自己對某事物的喜愛聽上去沒有那么難——只要抓住該事物的優(yōu)秀本質(zhì)及其帶來的好處就行，然而對于大部分不善于表達(dá)自己，尤其是不善于發(fā)現(xiàn)美、享受美、盡情表達(dá)美的考生們來說，說好話的本領(lǐng)原本就因缺乏培養(yǎng)而顯地生澀，更不用說在雅思口語考試第二部分的短短兩分鐘里，從主客觀方面有理有據(jù)地闡釋自己的喜愛之情了。

然而，正當(dāng)考鴨們絞盡腦汁地為此類話題消得人憔悴時，另一個更大的悲劇從天而降了。從2013年9、10月開始，此前陽光、正面、積極、向上的學(xué)科類話題，來了個180度大轉(zhuǎn)彎，改變常態(tài)考法，出現(xiàn)讓考生叫苦不迭的新題，如Describeasubjectyoudislikedinhighschool/Describeasubjectyoudislike，真是一波未平一波又起。作為與烤鴨們共同奮戰(zhàn)在雅思口語一線的朗閣專家們也緊鑼密鼓地準(zhǔn)備并整理出考題變化，及時在課堂上解說考試動態(tài)、更新考題應(yīng)對方案，結(jié)合學(xué)生口語的能力現(xiàn)狀給予思路點(diǎn)撥。下面是朗閣海外考試研究中心的專家針對本類話題的備考分析：

拿到CueCard，首先要做的是仔細(xì)審題，將題目審清楚是合理展開思路的第一步，題目中的動詞時態(tài)體現(xiàn)出話題描述的時間限制。本題的時態(tài)要求非常明確，即結(jié)合卡片上的三個問題描述高中時期不喜歡的一門課程，因此，需注意單純敘述過去事件的時態(tài)。在表達(dá)的過程中，除了cover卡片的三個問題和最后的解釋總結(jié)部分，還應(yīng)注意每個問題的闡述時間及問題間的邏輯連貫性。

談到高中階段學(xué)地不開心、不享受的一門課，很多考生在腦海里一閃而過的多是Science類的科目，如Physics,Chemistry,Math,Geography等等。筆者在這里就選一個幾乎人人聞之色變的難度級別較高的學(xué)科——Mathematics。這里附例文一則：

Whenbacktohighschool,IstruggledinMathclassthemost.TheFatherofSciencesgavemequiteadifficulttime,especiallyalgebraandgeometry.IwastheexactconverseofthoseMathgeekswhenIgotintotrigonometryandprecalculusinthelastyearofseniorhigh.IstudiedveryhardtosqueakbycalculusexamsandIpletelygotmessedupwiththeformulasalmosteverytime.

Mathwasverypoorlytaughtinmyteenageyears.Myteachersthemselvesdidn’tlikeit,didn'thaveadeepunderstandingofit.Theydeliveredtheirclassesinacrammingwaywithoutenlighteningusthebeautyofthesubject.Weweresimplyrequiredtomemorizetheoremsandpropertieswithoutinspiringguidanceandexplanations.Andafterdoingassignments,wewereaskedtocopytheanswerspresentedontheblackboard.Mathwasn’ttaughtasatoolforbreakingdownproblemsandsearchingforanswers.Itwastaughtinaratherabstractwayinstead.Itwasnevermadefun.Icouldn’tfindtheconnectionwithMathinreal-timelife.Iwasnotaquickmathproblemsolver,butIoftengotanearlyimpressionthatifIwasnotfast,Iwasnotgoodatit.Sopokeytypeslikemesometimesgotdiscouragedandfocuselsewhere.Asaslowlearner,Ididn’tgetadditionalhelpand"special"attentionandalmostboredtodeathinMathclass.Finally,Ilostmytasteforitordidn'tcatch“themathybug”.

Interestingly,inChina,itisapulsoryupuntiltheageof16.Therefore,Iwouldsay,exceptbasicarithmeticmethodstaughtbeforehighschool,thatI’dearnedMathforroughlysixyears.IfeltIwasbeatupwithMathwhichmademededicatedagoodpartofmydaytoitandbecamethemajorhomeworkload.However,aftertwoyearsofmygraduationfromuniversity,myMathskillshavegotveryrustyastimegoesbyexceptbasicaccountingability.

whatIalwaysfoundappealingaboutmathwasthattherewasnearlynothingtomemorize.Itwasallaboutunderstandinghowitallfittedcoherently.Butafterapoint,Ididneedtoremembertheoremsandpropertiesandmultiplicationtablestoproceedfortably.WhenIdidnotknowthemanddidn'thaveaccesstoacalculator,IstruggledwithmostMathsthatfollowed,anditmadethewholethingunpleasant.Thatmanymathproblemshaverightandwronganswersisaproblemformetofeelufortableaboutmakingmistakes.

范文解析：

由于兩分鐘內(nèi)要完成的任務(wù)較多，時間較少，在開始倒計(jì)時時，考生應(yīng)立即進(jìn)入話題描述，避免過多迂回曲折、熱身式的導(dǎo)語。Whenbacktohighschool,IstruggledinMathclassthemost.第一句直接點(diǎn)題。TheFatherofSciencesgavemequiteadifficulttime,especiallyalgebraandgeometry.第二句進(jìn)一步解釋大學(xué)科下的小分類。IwastheexactconverseofthoseMathgeekswhenIgotintotrigonometryandprecalculusinthelastyearofseniorhigh.IstudiedveryhardtosqueakbycalculusexamsandIpletelygotmessedupwiththeformulasalmosteverytime.與優(yōu)秀者相比，引出“我”的學(xué)習(xí)問題。

談到教師對這門課的教授，不僅僅要從教師角度，更要從“我”的角度看待教師的教學(xué)所帶來的困惑和心得。Mathwasverypoorlytaughtinmyteenageyears.首句大體描述問題癥結(jié)所在。Myteachersthemselvesdidn’tlikeit,didn'thaveadeepunderstandingofit.Theydeliveredtheirclassesinacrammingwaywithoutenlighteningusthebeautyofthesubject.Weweresimplyrequiredtomemorizetheoremsandpropertieswithoutinspiringguidanceandexplanations.Andafterdoingassignments,wewereaskedtocopytheanswerspresentedontheblackboard.Mathwasn’ttaughtasatoolforbreakingdownproblemsandsearchingforanswers.Itwastaughtinaratherabstractwayinstead.Itwasnevermadefun.Icouldn’tfindtheconnectionwithMathinreal-timelife.數(shù)學(xué)的教授方式缺乏啟發(fā)和老師的教學(xué)激情低都是導(dǎo)致中學(xué)時學(xué)生對數(shù)學(xué)的排斥、恐懼甚至厭恨的原因。Iwasnotaquickmathproblemsolver,butIoftengotanearlyimpressionthatifIwasnotfast,Iwasnotgoodatit.Sopokeytypeslikemesometimesgotdiscouragedandfocuselsewhere.對學(xué)生的引導(dǎo)方式不當(dāng)，容易令學(xué)生失去對學(xué)習(xí)數(shù)學(xué)的信心。Asaslowlearner,Ididn’tgetadditionalhelpand"special"attentionandalmostboredtodeathinMathclass.Finally,Ilostmytasteforitordidn'tcatch“themathybug”.

第三個問題偏簡單。除了回答問題之外，還需進(jìn)一步闡釋長時間學(xué)習(xí)數(shù)學(xué)后是否給生活帶來影響和改變。Interestingly,inChina,itisapulsoryupuntiltheageof16.Therefore,Iwouldsay,exceptbasicarithmeticmethodstaughtbeforehighschool,thatI’dearnedMathforroughlysixyears.IfeltIwasbeatupwithMathwhichmademededicatedagoodpartofmydaytoitandbecamethemajorhomeworkload.However,aftertwoyearsofmygraduationfromuniversity,myMathskillshavegotveryrustyastimegoesbyexceptbasicaccountingability.

最后的解釋，要注意客觀中肯及收尾的干凈利落。Anappealingthingaboutmathwasthattherewasnearlynothingtomemorize.Itwasallaboutunderstandinghowitallfittedcoherently.反面對比，褒貶兼顧。Butafterapoint,Ididneedtoremembertheoremsandpropertiesandmultiplicationtablestoproceedfortably.客觀審視學(xué)習(xí)數(shù)學(xué)的好處的同時，及時轉(zhuǎn)折回來，重回自己的立場，進(jìn)一步解釋自己的看法。Foranother,thatmanymathproblemshaverightandwronganswersisaproblemformetofeelufortableaboutmakingmistakes.數(shù)學(xué)非對即錯的解題模式令諸多解不出題而又不想犯錯的學(xué)生倍感壓力，進(jìn)一步解釋不享受數(shù)學(xué)課的原因。

關(guān)于“不喜歡”的精彩表達(dá)：

1.IstruggleinMathsclassthemost.

2.Givesb.adifficulttime.

3.IamtheexactconverseofthoseMathgeeks.

4.squeakby

5.real-timelife

6.pokeytypes

7.lostmytastefor

8.beatup

9.myMathskillshavegotveryrustyastimegoesby

10.afterapoint

11.I'mnotmuchofabigmathfan.

12.I’mnotabigloverofmathematics

13.Italwaysmakesmybrainoverwork

14.Itboredmetodeathinmathclass.

15.Iwasnotareallyquicksolverofmathproblems.

16.MyleastfavoriteclasswasprobablyMath.

17.Ihadatoughtimeinmymathclass.

18.Itdidn’tallowmetothinkcreatively.

19.Mathgetsnolovefromme.

20.Wearenotparticularlywiredforitbeyondbasiccounting.

21.I’mmath-bashing.

22.apainintheneck