写作作为一项对大多数中国考生来说较难的科目,它的难度主要体现在以下三个方面:文章结构的合理安排,论证内容有逻辑的扩展,语言多样准确的使用。缺少其中任何一项都有可能使文章得不到高分。很多参加过考试的考生反映在考场上时间相当的紧,就算掌握了大量的高分词汇句型,对结构非常熟悉,还是无用武之地,因为扩展不出素材。

针对这种现象,专家做了一下总结,绝大多数雅思大作文话题都可以通过以下几个方面进行扩展(简称论据扩展十二大法则),现列举如下:经济(economy)、就业(employment)、时间(time)、空间(space)、心理(psychology)、生理(physiology)、环境(environment)、教育(education)、文化(culture)、科技(technology)、情感(emotion)和个人权利(human right)。

在此,将通过列举一些例题来印证这十二大法则的实战性。

Some people think tobacco should be made illegal in the same way as other drugs because the products containing it are addictive. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

通过审题,此题问是否同意烟草行业被取缔。同意则要列举烟草的一系列缺点,反之不同意,可列举其优点。我们马上来看看十二大法则,当然不是每一项都应用,但是大多数都可以适用。

Advantages

经济:revenue-rising for the country and businessmen concerning this arena,

就业:offer the opportunities of employment in various fronts, including manufacturing, transporting, selling, governing, for residents

时间:killing the time

心理:relieve one’s pressure

文化:forming / shaping cigar culture

Disadvantages

经济:money-consuming for smokers

生理:be addictive to it,

harmful to smokers’ health, leading to lung cancer

环境:air pollution

      potential hazard of fire

空间:passive smoking / second-hand smoking

情感:be overly-dependent on smoking

用了上述办法,扩展出来的论据就能更加全面,有条理。下面我们再列举一个题目,来做brainstorming。

Many people are optimistic about the 21st century and see it as an opportunity to make positive changes to the world. To what extent do you agree or disagree with their optimism?

通过审题,此题无非就是我们21世纪是利大于弊还是弊大于利,所以只要列举21世纪发展的优缺点就可以了。我将通过之前介绍的十二大法则来进行素材的扩展。

Advantages

经济:economy be promoted, efficiency be increased

科技:advanced technology facilitates people’s life

时间:time-saving when conducting various kinds of activities

个人权利:human rights be laid more emphasis on

心理:increasing number of recreational activities to help people relieve from pressure

Disadvantages

就业:growing population,

fierce competition

心理:pressure coming from a range of aspects

环境:environmental pollution continuing getting worse

以上两个题目都运用了十二大原则,可见其具有很强的适用性,能够帮助考生在短时间内扩展话题的素材,且较全面。在长期的使用中,专家发现,在这十二大原则中,有些原则基本可以在几个相近话题的题目中运用,因此我们可以给它们起个名字“万能原则”,如经济和就业原则,则可以应用在只要是牵涉到“工业”的话题,如smoking,tourism,mobile phones,computers,writing letters(post office)等等。老师和学生们都可以在平时的使用中做一个总结,使十二大法则能信手拈来。但是,要提醒大家的是,仅仅记住这些原则是没用的,考生在考前一定要进行大量的练习,而老师也要在课堂上选取典型的例题进行讲解,这样对考生加快Brainstorming的速度和提高Brainstorming的能力才有帮助。