记得在大学时代,各个大学的BBS上包括我们华工就广为流传着“作文魔板”这个名词,没有自己体会过用套路写作的人其实根本不可能理解到这其中的奥秘,因为有的人说背“魔板”是不可能得到高分的,而另一些人却说不背“魔板”得到的高分是没有“性价比”的。
实际上,就我个人而言,我认为魔板的背诵是非常必要的,但绝对不是能是盲目的!
大家都知道,我们中国人其实在英语的听说读写四个环节上最薄弱的就是输出的两个能力:说和写;而最强的就是输入的两个能力:读和听。而如果我们想在出国的道路上成为佼佼者,那么在保持传统强项的同时是否应该特别加强一下我们的口语和写作能力呢?
而根据我考TSE(TEST OF SPOKEN ENGLISH)的经验,其实口语考试分数的高低(注意这里仅仅是指考试分数)几乎完全取决于你到底背了多少段落。因为口语的TOPIC是覆盖面非常广泛的:教育、文化、历史、生物、科技、艺术等等,所以这就从客观上决定了考生必须背大量的段落,而实际上背的过程中也就是把不涉及过于具体内容的话背下来,到考试的时候再把听到或看到题目要求的具体内容往里面加。一定要注意是从背具体的段落到提炼抽象的魔板最后再回到具体的段落:
·具体
·抽象
·具体
下面我就分别以新TOFEL的综合部分和GRE/GMAT作文的“阿狗”部分为例分别给大家分享一下我个人对于满分的一些理解。
TOEFL iBT
其实新托福加了综合部分以后,我个人认为是降低了难度。因为原来老托福的作文作为新托福作文的独立部分并没有什么太大的改变,而且大家都知道作文水平的提高不是一朝一夕的事情,那么我刚才说的不能盲目就是指大家不能在这个需要体现真正写作水平的部分去背段落,因为这个是会被认为是舞弊行为的。那么在综合、独立各占15分的时候,我们如果能把握住任何一个部分的高分实际上平均下来的分数就不会低。而综合部分由于是先读一篇文章,再听一段录音,然后让我们谈文章与录音的相互关系,而不用发表自己的观点这一题目本身的客观要求就决定了它是可以背由固定标准语句组成的“魔板”的。这正如研究生入学考试英语写作的小作文和雅思写作的小作文一样是有固定套路的。比如录音讲座要么就是质疑或者反驳了阅读段落;要么就是支持或者加强了阅读段落,所以只需要把相关描述质疑或者反驳与描述支持或者加强的固定语句背下来就可以得到一个相对较高的分数,如果考生同时又把相关要点表达准确和清楚了的话,那么满分是完全可能的。当综合部分有15分在手的时候,独立部分只要及格那么就能至少获得24分的作文高分!
比如以下两个“魔板“是分别描述质疑或者反驳以及支持或者加强的:
Integrated Writing Task
How the Integrated Writing Task is phrased:
If the lecture challenges the information in the reading passage, the writing task will usually be phrased in one of the following ways:
?Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they cast doubt on specific points made in the reading passage。
?Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they challenge specific claims/arguments made in the reading passage。
?Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to specifically explain how they answer the problems raised in the reading passage。 接下来,我将以如下例子来告诉大家如果提炼“魔板”:
Getting the Templates
The first point the professor makes that casts doubt on the reading is his point about the behavior of stags。 The professor shows how the actions of animal can be interpreted in different ways。 For example, some people interpret the stag’s actions as being for the “good of the species,” but the professor shows that the stag is actually acting in self-interest。 This casts doubt on the reading because it appears that the crickets’ behavior can be interpreted as helping only individual crickets and not the group as a whole。 The professor then talks about the results of the experiment, which seems to indicate the crickets are acting only in self-interest。
Another point the professor makes that casts doubt on the reading is his point about the intelligence of animals and insects。 As he states, it would seem to require a lot of intelligence to evaluate how a behavior will affect an entire species。 This makes the explanation in the reading seem less likely; a cricket is probably unable to think of the consequences of its actions。 It is more likely that the cricket is only acting out of self-preservation, as the professor indicates。
The first point the professor makes that casts doubt on the reading is his point about__________________________________。
The professor shows that_____________________________________。
For example, ______________________________, but the professor shows that_______________________________________。
This casts doubt on the reading because it appears that_________________________________。
The professor then talks about_________________________, which seems to indicate that___________________________。
Another point the professor makes that casts doubt on the reading is his point about__________________________________。
As he states, it would seem to___________________________。
This makes the explanation in the reading seem less likely;_____________________________________。
It is more likely that________________________, ad the professor indicates。
实际上,大家从上面这个例子就可以发现“魔板”的提取过程就是这样的:
·先认真读完一篇满分范文
·再用笔划掉其中涉及题目具体内容的部分
·最后把余下来的部分抄写下来即可
但“魔板”做出来后只是做了一小半工作,大家还必须学会如何往里面填空,实际上最简单的方法就是看着题目把具体内容自己填进去,然后跟范文对比,找出填空的精华技巧所在,因为在后半部分的GRE/GMAT中我还会详细讲解,所以这里只是先告诉大家这样一个简单方法。