從二月考題談寫作十大原則 

  來源: 環(huán)球教育網(wǎng) www.ielts.com.cn 2005-4-21

   著名雅思專家 吳建業(yè)
   在多年的雅思培訓教學中，筆者被學員追問最多的經(jīng)典問題是：吳老師，能否預測雅思作文考題？臨考前，考生往往寄希望于老師壓中考題，重點準備幾個話題；而最令考生恐懼的是所謂的每半年一次的“換題”。我們完全理解考生的心情和顧慮――數(shù)百個題材廣泛的雅思作文話題對于大多數(shù)中國雅思考生而言，實在太恐懼了。要解決這樣的問題就要從兩個方面著手：第一是跟隨老師輔導，縮小復習范圍，盡可能地提高復習的針對性。另外一個方面就是要提高自己的實際水平和能力，降低沒有壓中題的風險。

   之所以要跟隨老師的輔導是因為面對茫茫題?？忌恢耄喝繙蕚洳磺袑嶋H；不全面準備，心中沒底。因此，我在《朗文雅思沖刺2》中特別給出完整的寫作機經(jīng)，讓學生在復習的時候更有針對性。此外，考生在使用機經(jīng)的時候最好是選擇專業(yè)老師給出的機經(jīng)，因為這樣的機經(jīng)才具有完整性和可訓練性。例如，很多學生對著中文的“警察是否應該配槍”作訓練，出來的文章和實際題目中的“Unlike other countries, police in Britain do not carry guns. Some people believe that it will leave citizens unprotected, but some suggest that it reduces the overall violence in society. Discuss those two views.（見《朗文雅思沖刺1》）”在要求上頗有偏差，在考場上容易出現(xiàn)“偏題”的現(xiàn)象。

   除了老師的話題輔導，在寫作的時候，考生普遍感到困難的是寫作思路的問題。大家知道，雅思作文話題題材異常廣泛，包括科技、教育、健康、環(huán)保、犯罪、文化傳統(tǒng)、時尚、體育運動、動物保護、政府職能等等，其實不少話題我們中文寫作課都罕見，如“強迫人們50歲退休是否合情合理？”，“分析語言文化消失的成因，提出相應對策”，“警察是否應該配槍？”。難怪不少同學感嘆道：“這些題材用漢語也不見得能飛灑自如，有感而發(fā)！” 即使老師壓中了題目，是否能夠準備出高分作文都是難題。

  因此，筆者一直主張“授人以魚，不如授人以漁?！睆娬{提升學員的寫作實力，而非單純的應試。筆者通過對200多個雅思作文話題的深入研究，筆者獨創(chuàng)了“寫作十大原則”，旨在幫助雅思考生擺脫“無米下炊”的困境，徹底消除對所謂新題的恐懼，做到“以不變應萬變”。下面簡單介紹十大原則的由來，并結合2005年的考題詳細講解如何利用十大原則備戰(zhàn)雅思寫作。

  “寫作十大原則”其實是筆者通過研究眾多雅思寫作話題的“共性”，歸納出來的萬用觀點，是屬于“精”的那一類觀點。換句話說，是英語作文必備觀點，屬于“萬金油”、“救命稻草”和“保底”類的觀點。對已出現(xiàn)的作文考題稍作分析，筆者發(fā)現(xiàn)，盡管雅思作文話題多達數(shù)百題，不少話題的論據(jù)其實是類似，相近或者是相通的。例如，“遠程教育是否將取代傳統(tǒng)學校”=“電腦是否將取代老師”，“是否應該按照學生學習能力分班”=“智商高的學生是否應該和智商一般的學生同班學習”，“動物園有沒有必要”=“該不該保護瀕危動物”，“政府該不該資助藝術家”=“政府該不該投資藝術項目如音樂廳、博物館等”。 “寫作十大原則”包括以下方面：（1） ECONOMY (2) TIME (3)HEALTH (4) EDUCATION (5) EMOTION (6) PSYCHOLOGY (7) RIGHT (8) ENVIRONMENT (9)CULTURE (10) MORALITY。大部分雅思話題的正反論據(jù)都涉及到“十大原則”中的其中幾個方面。只要掌握了十大原則及其核心詞匯，不管考試中遇到什么話題，都能夠說出個所以然，不會出現(xiàn)思維短路現(xiàn)象，或者有感而發(fā)不出來。

   下面我們通過分析2005年2月部分考題來驗證十大原則的高效性。2月5號的A類考題為：“現(xiàn)代科技促進食品行業(yè)的發(fā)展，提供了各種美味食品如轉基因食品等。但是有人卻擔心這將對人的健康構成潛在威脅。你的看法如何？”本題與《朗文雅思沖刺2》中的作文題目基本吻合。做題的第一步驟是判斷該題屬于DISCUSSION還是ARGUMENTATION。從題目我們可以斷定，該題屬于ARGUMENTATION型（FOR AND AGAINST）。然后按照十大原則進行BRAINSTORMING，看看正反方的論據(jù)有幾方面涉及到十大原則，按照FOR 和AGAINST 羅列出來。最后利用十大原則核心詞匯把各個觀點有機地串起來。下面筆者根據(jù)十大原則羅列出該話題的正反論據(jù)。

   FOR （涉及經(jīng)濟、健康、環(huán)保、文化等原則）

   1. 經(jīng)濟原則：Genetically modified (GM) food is a key area of agricultural biotechnology. Supporters of GM food believe the technology could offer cheaper, safer and more nutritious food. 
   2. 健康原則：Genetically modified food activists promise gene technology will supply plentiful amounts of food to starvation stricken areas in the Third World.
   3. 健康原則：Genetically modified crops (transgenic crops) are best known for their abilities to resist pests (weeds, insects, and diseases) or for produce containing high nutrient levels.
   4. 經(jīng)濟和健康原則：Transgenic crops may provide increased profits to the farmer while providing cheaper and more nutritious food.
   5. 環(huán)保原則：Genetic engineering also has helped make crops available that could not otherwise tolerate adverse environmental conditions (drought, cold, high salt levels in the soils, etc.). 
   6. 經(jīng)濟、環(huán)保和健康原則：Such crops are capable of resisting pests, generating higher yields, and producing food with high nutrient content. They are considered an effective means of dealing with pest problems while reducing production costs.
   7. 經(jīng)濟原則：A possible benefit of transgenic crops or animals is that they can be bred for desirable traits very precisely and much faster than when traditional methods are used.
   8. 健康原則：Certain transgenic crops (e.g., "golden rice" capable of synthesizing the precursor of Vitamin A) are capable of producing higher amounts of nutrients and vitamins, which could be have a great impact on solving nutrition problems in heavily populated and underdeveloped countries.
   9. 文化原則：GMF technology provides us with a rich variety of foods that enrich our diet and may introduce new culture of eating and diverse cuisines. 
   10. 經(jīng)濟原則：According to its proponents, genetic engineering could improve the growth rate and yield from crops, and so feed more people from the available land, in the face of the expansion of the world's population.
   11. 環(huán)保原則：It may be possible to develop genetically modified plants to be more resistant to the vagaries of climate, or to grow on marginal land prone to drought or erosion, or highly salt or acid conditions.
   12. 健康原則：GM food increases the nutritional qualities of food from crops and animals.
   13. 環(huán)保和健康原則：The environmental advantages of reducing chemical inputs to the land, the possibility of growing crops in hitherto marginal regions of the Third World, and the improvements in nutritional qualities of food are excellent goals, and would be welcomed by most people.

    AGAINST （涉及健康、經(jīng)濟、環(huán)保、倫理道德和權利等）
   1. 健康、倫理、環(huán)保和權利原則：Concerns about deploying genetically modified crops include food safety, ethics, environmental risk, loss of landrace biodiversity, and the lack of appropriate biosafety regulations.
   2. 健康原則：Giant transnational companies are carrying out a dangerous global experiment by introducing large numbers of genetically engineered foods into our diet.
   3. 健康原則：Opponents argue that there are still many unknowns, despite the absence of problems so far. 
   4. 健康和環(huán)保原則：Genetic manipulations can result in unanticipated harmful effects, and because genetically engineered foods are not tested sufficiently, this experiment not only jeopardizes the health of individuals, but could also lead to global food shortages and extensive ecological hazards.
   5. 健康原則：Due to genetically modified food's unique and unknown nature, there is potential for adverse health side effects. It is impossible to predict the impact of genetic food; it is a matter of waiting for and observing future consequences.
   6. 健康和環(huán)保原則：The cross-species transfers being made, such as between fish and tomatoes, would not happen in nature and may create new toxins, diseases, and weaknesses.
   7. 健康原則：An example of a possible health detrimental effect is resistance to widely used antibiotics.
   8. 倫理道德和權利原則：Transferring animal genes into plants also raises important ethical issues for vegetarians and religious groups. It may also involve animal experiments that are unacceptable to many people. Some Christians object in principle to genetically modified food, as an unacceptable intervention in God's creation violating barriers in the natural world.
   9. 環(huán)保原則：Once a genetically modified organism has been released into the environment it can reproduce, move and even mutate.
   10. 環(huán)保原則：After its release, it cannot be recalled. Unlike chemical or nuclear contamination, genetic pollution is perpetual. It can never be reversed or cleaned up; genetic mistakes will be passed on to all future generations of a species.
   11. 環(huán)保原則:The huge areas of genetically identical crops will influence the evolution of local pests, plants, wildlife, and disrupt surrounding ecosystems.
   12. 環(huán)保原則：What would happen if the genes for insect and weed killer resistance, which have been introduced to crop plants, found their way into weeds? The result could be 'super weeds' which would force the development of more toxic herbicides.
   13. 健康原則：If we allow the development of genetically modified food to continue we are consequently handing our lives over to the Biotech companies.
   14. 健康原則：Eating certain transgenic foods has occasionally led to the development of allergies.
   15. 健康和環(huán)保原則：Opponents of the technology argue that transgenic crops would increase our dependence on pesticides.
   16. 環(huán)保和健康原則：The flow of transgenes into other organisms through pollution (termed "genetic pollution") may pose unknown risks to the ecosystem. Once these genes are released, it is difficult to recall them.
   17. 環(huán)保原則：Because genetic engineering focuses on crops with certain highly desirable traits, genetic diversity within the crop could be diminished.
   18. 環(huán)保和健康原則：This can make crops more susceptible to natural calamities such as disease outbreaks.
   19. 環(huán)保原則：Fruits and vegetables may be changed for the worse and may spread these changes to wild organisms, ruining the Earth's environment.