托福考试的写作部分主要有两类任务:综合写作(task1)和独立写作(task2)。相比于更强调信息整合能力、不需要太多个人观点表达的task1,task2考察考生对特定话题的独立观点表达,需要考生用顺畅地道的书面英语来阐述自己的观点并给出有说服力的理由。托福写作task2最让大部分考生感到头痛的并不是语言表达本身,而是话题展开,很多同学往往是看着题目却感觉无话可说。其实如果大家学会了思路转换那么托福写作task2话题展开并不难,下面我们就通过一道真题:Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?Young people enjoy life better than older people.带大家分析一下托福写作task2的话题如何展开。
在时间的大背景下可以考察很多内容,比如时代变迁,年龄衰老,社会改变等等。我们应该在小文本背景下挖掘信息,比如这道例题可以从enjoy life的角度思考,运用“视角”的不同来进行拓展。
Perspective 1: life essence
生命的内涵在年轻人和老年人的眼里是有很大不同的,也许年轻人认为“充满激情”(full of passion)才是生命的价值,可是老年人早已历经沧桑,认为“淡看红尘”(regarding secularity as unimportant)才是生命的本质(essence)。
Sample sentences:
1. Life is viewed quite differently to young and old; as a consequence, how to enjoy life is a debatable issue.
2. Young people may think that to enjoy life one must be energetic, however, older people may hold the opinion that the essence of enjoying life is to be together with family members.
Perspective 2: spare time and money
享受生活是需要时间的,而年轻人由于工作繁忙而没有时间,但是老年人却不一样。
Sample sentences:
1. Spare time is a luxury to young people, because they may be busy with work, however, older people has large amount of time to squander.
2. In most cities of the country, old people over sixty became the major consumers of the tourist market.
Perspective 3: a variety of ways
享受生活的方式可以是多种多样的,所以认为年轻人比老年人更会享受生活是有失公允的(partial).
Sample sentences:
1. I think it is partial to say that young people enjoy life much better than older people, because there are a variety of ways to enjoy life.
2. More experiences will give old people much more tips to possess a high-quality life.
总结一下,上面这道题我们可以转换视角,从享受生活的不同维度去展开话题。大家在备考托福写作的时候一定要学会触类旁通,不要死记硬背所谓的“模版”,要多进行托福写作task2话题展开的练习与反思,以后遇到任何话题都可以轻松应对。