新托福口语黄金80题
万能理由之五:Let’s get emotional…
我们先来看下上期的答案:
(第36题Do you prefer to do your school assignments alone or in a group?
Doing school assignments with a group is much better than doing them alone
It is more interesting ▪doing assignments alone is very bor ing
▪exchanging ideas and feelings is full of fun
▪it also enhances your relationships with peers
点评:中国古话说的好,“独乐乐不如众乐乐”。
当题目里面出现“一和多”的对立时,我们一般总是选择“多”,而其中的一个强大理由就是full of fun或more interesting.
(第42题Would you like to attend class regularly or study by oneself?
I think attending class regularly is much better than self-studies
Interacting with people is fun ▪can often have interesting discussions
▪have frequent face to face communication
▪make friends with classmates or even professors
点评:该题的出题和解答思路跟上题完全一样,仍旧是选择“多”的模式,在分支理由中加入了face to face communication和make friends等思路。
(第60题Describe the favorite room in your home.
The living room of my home is my favorite as there is a big TV screen
A place where all the family
happiness takes place ▪my father and I often play games on TV
▪we discuss everything from sports to politics ▪some of my birthday parties were held there
点评:一道貌似与happiness无关的考题,却可以通过锁定living room和big TV screen来运用“快乐”的思维模式,而在具体描述时,把play games on TV,discuss sports and politics, hold birthday parties等一一展开。
今天我们的主题是emotion.虽然中国是一个人情社会,但emotion的拓展思维却很难深入人心,以至于很多考生从来都不晓得可以拿“情感”来作为理由或论据。
从同义词和词性延伸的角度来说,我们还可以用feeling,mood,emotional等关键词进行替换,而如果构成词组,则一般会用emotional support,emotional need,emotional bond, emotional problems等。
举两个例子来说明:
(第8题Which of the following has more influence on you:newspaper,TV or teacher?
Teachers have more influence on me
Probably become my mentor ▪tell me how to distinguish right from wrong ▪give me a lot of emotional support
▪help me establish my value and belief systems
(第13题Do you like to eat at home or at a restaurant?
I prefer to eat at home
Eating at home is more comfortable ▪one of the best ways to spend time with family
▪it is easy to create emotional bond between generations ▪can invite relatives,friends and neighbors
以上两例中分别运用了emotional support和emotional bond这两个常用词组。
其实生活、工作、学习中的很多问题都跟emotion有直接或间接的关系,如果我们把这些理由点挖掘出来,可以形成一个强大的答题体系,而其中最基本的一个维度是把所有的emotion分成positive和negative两大类。
举个简单的例
子,pride,enthusiasm,calmness 是积极情感,而loneliness,isolation,depression则为消极情感。
先看一个积极情绪:
(第9题Describe a social celebration or political event in your culture.
National Holiday celebrations
A time to celebrate across the country ▪there are parties,fireworks shows and gala performances ▪the purpose is to celebrate the birth of a new country
▪nationwide celebrations boost our national pride
该回答选择了national holidays(国庆作为话题,通过celebrations来boost our national pride(增进民族自豪感,而该思路还可以运用在international sports competitions中:某国的运动员获胜了,该国民众的national pride就提升了。
相比之下,消极情绪会占的比例更多:
(第17题Do you prefer to live alone or share rooms with other people?
Sharing rooms with other people is a better choice
Having a roommate is fun ▪share personal stories and secrets
▪a good companion can relieve loneliness
▪a great opportunity to develop interpersonal skills
(第19题Do you think computers have improved our lives or caused various problems?
Computers have caused a variety of problems
Reduce the quality of our relationships ▪less face to face communication
▪rely too much on email and the Internet ▪produce a strong sense of isolation
毫无疑问,上两题中的loneliness和isolation都是典型的负面情绪,也是很好的拓展思路。
最后布置今天的练习题:
(第39题Would you choose a subject that brings job opportunities or that is really interesting?
(第51题Describe an important object that is of special value to you.
(第57题When communicating with family and friends,do you prefer letters,emails or phone calls?
友情提示:在两选一的决定中,往往看哪个跟情感更沾边一些。