2008雅思年终大点评:学术类议论文

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字号: 小 中 大 | 打印 发布: 2009-1-07 www.51ielts.com
来源: 朗阁海外考试研究中心 李正慧

　　从全年看 ,2008 年大作文主要考题仍然以教育为主话题 , 虽然其它话题如居住环境、旅游、高科技、代沟、传媒影响等没有什么大的变化 ,
但具体的题型和出题的侧重点更加变化多端，有些考题，如果要在考场上短时间内要联系到以前准备的话题，的确不是易事。

一，提问方式稳重有变
　　首先从提问方式上看，今年的变化不大，以复杂双边讨论为主。单边议论也有，但不是很多。值得注意的是，今年 3 月 1 日的考题中出现了一道考生
不是非常熟悉的提问形式，给定几门功课，让考生从中选取课改后值得保留的科目。这种多选题形式的考题形式出现的不多，所以可能会给考生造成一定的压
力。

08.03.01

Most countries spend much money on education, as they start to
realize the importance of education. In your opinion which two
subjects are the most important for young people and which one is the
least important?
subjects: Literature Sports
Mathematics Economics
Physics History
Music Geography
Philosophy Foreign languages

　　此外， 08 年 2 月 16 日也出现了一道比较新颖的题目，该题的背景介绍为一句名人名言，也是不多见的形式。不过该题并没有给考生的审题带
来太大的障碍，因为后面的提问句的表述还是非常简洁清晰的。
08.02.16
“Tomorrow is the most important thing in life.”
- US movie actor & director John Wayne
Why is it important for individuals and countries to think about the
future rather than focusing on the present?

二，教育类话题仍为核心考点
　　从话题方面看，以往的高频话题依然是今年的主打，如教育与就业、高科技与发展、环境与污染、犯罪问题等。其中教育类话题就占到了全年所有话题的三分
之一。教育类话题一直是雅思学术类（ A 类）议论文的考场重点，但 08 年所考察的教育类话题与 07 年的教育类话题相比稍有不同： 07 上半
年反复考到教育与高科技的结合，下半年考的多是政策等与教育的关系，而 08 年更侧重于具体的教学方法和青少年的教育问题。前者如 group
study 和 study alone 的选择 (08 年 3 月 30 日 ) 、 rote learning 的利弊（ 08 年 12
月 6 日）、 secondary education （ 08 年 1 月 26 日）或者理论与实践课的取舍和就业的关系（ 08 年 7
月 5 日）等；后者主要有小孩利用电视或 PC 学习的利弊 (08 年 5 月 10 日 ) 、是否要完全服从大人或者老师（ 08 年 6
月 21 日）等。

08.01.26
In countries where there is a high rate of unemployment, most pupils
should be offered only primary education. There is no point in
offering secondary education to those who have no hope of finding a
job. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

08.05.10
Children can learn efficiently by watching television. Some people
think that children should be encouraged to watch TV regularly both at
school and at home. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

08.06.21

Some people say that children should obey the rules set by their
parents and teachers, while other people think children will not be
well-prepared for their adult life if they are given too much control.
Discuss in both sides and give your opinion.

08.07.05
Some people believe that theoretical subjects (e.g. Maths, Philosophy
and Economics) should not be taught in universities because they
should focus on practical subjects (e.g. Computer Technology,
Accounting....) To what extent do you agree or disagree?

08.08.30
Some teachers think it is effective for students to study in a group
while others think it is better to study alone. What are the benefits
of each way and which one do you think is more effective?

08.12.06
Memorization of information by frequent repetition (rote learning)
plays a role in many education systems. Does the usefulness of this
method outweigh the limitations?

三，新话题仍占有一定比例

　　但今年应该是全新题目比较多的一年。如 2 、 3 月份的考题中有评价“ tomorrow is more important and
precious ”，也有问“健康对个人还是对社会有利”，以及“保证健康的生活方式是个人还是政府的责任”等感觉非常陌生的考题；下半年的“社会运
作是基于 rules and laws ”， 08 年最后一次考试的“社会公益节日的意义”等都是以前没有出现过的新题，而且比较抽象，观点不好表
达，词汇也不是很熟悉。此外，以前的旧话题的某个侧面放大化重考也不乏此例。如 3 月 8 日的考题“修路由谁出资”就是以往多次考到的汽车数量增多
造成污染加重的高频话题的一个解决方法； 8 月初的“是否要将大企业搬到乡下去”就是解决污染、就业、住房紧张等话题的政府采取的可行性措施之一；此
外暑期考的旅游更易使人产生偏见还是心胸开阔，也是旅游这个多次考到的话题的一个侧面。

08.02.16

“Tomorrow is the most important thing in life.”
- US movie actor & director John Wayne
Why is it important for individuals and countries to think about the
future rather than focusing on the present?

08.03.13

People should look after their health as a duty to the society they
live in rather than only for their own personal benefits. To what
extent do you agree or disagree?

08.03.29
Some people think that it is the responsibility of the government of
a country to ensure that its people have a healthy lifestyle. However,
others think that individuals should be free to make their own
decisions on living. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

08.10.11
Society is based on rules and laws. It could not function if
individuals were free to do whatever they want. To what extent do you
agree or disagree ？

08.12.20
Nowadays, many charities and organisations publicize their activities
by giving names to a particular day, such as National Children's Day
and National Non-smoking Day. Why do they do so? What effects will
these special days have ？

　　虽然纷繁复杂，但事实上雅思的考题并没有所谓的新题 , 有的只是各个高频话题的排列组合。 只要平时把基础打好 , 多关注一些近期传媒的焦
点 , 就不难找到每个貌似全新的考题的庐山真面目。如上段中的明天是否重要问题，可以联想到当前发展对环境的破坏与可持续发展的关系问题；健康对社会
的作用除了生理健康更好的服务社会以外，还可以联想到心理的健康能够减少暴力案件的发生促进社会的和谐等。这样和以前准备的高频话题联系起来，考场上才
能信心十足。

　　此外一般情况下 , 阅卷人并不是很关注从哪个方面论证 , 相比较而言更侧重的是是否条理清楚并言之有理 , 真正决定考分的永远都是句法和词汇
表达。 所以对于写作的平均分低至接近 5 分的广大中国考生而言，更重要的问题是词汇的恰当和句法的准确以及句式的多样性和客观性。对于即将赴考的考
生，建议大家多看看 VOA 、 BBC 或者其他英文媒体的报道，积累近期的关注焦点的英文对照。面对新题，有一点很重要 ---- 将其具体化到能
够联系上近期发生的事件，空空论述词汇比较难把握。如今年考的政府职能、依法治国等题目，可能要提到各国政府救市 bailout 、三聚氰胺
melamine 等内容，可操作性更高些。

下面让我们一起来回顾一下 2008 年中国考区的 46 道 A 类写作题目。并将其按照话题关联度进行划分，共分以下十大类：

一、教育（共 13 题，占全年 28.3% ）
1.In countries where there is a high rate of unemployment, most pupils
should be offered only primary education. There is no point in
offering secondary education to those who have no hope of finding a
job. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
(08.01.26)

2.Most countries spend much money on education, as they start to
realize the importance of education. In your opinion which two
subjects are the most important for young people and which one is the
least important?
Subjects: Literature Sports
Mathematics Economy
Physics History
Music Geography (08.03.01)
3.School teachers used to be the source of information; however, some
people argue that teachers are not as important as before as the
increasing variety of information resources. What is your opinion?
(08.04.24)

4.Schools should teach children some academic subjects which will be
beneficial to their future careers. Therefore, other subjects such as
music and sports are not important. To what extent do you agree or
disagree with this opinion? (08.05.22 = 04.10.23)

5.University students always focus on one specialist subject, but some
people think universities should encourage their students to study a
range of subjects in addition to their own subject. To what extent do
you agree or disagree with this statement? (08.06.05)
6.Some people think that children should obey the rules or do what
their parents and teachers want them to do. Other people think that
children controlled too much can't deal with problem themselves.
Discuss both views and state your own opinion. (08.06.21)
7.Nowadays, more university students choose to study some practical
subjects ( such as marketing, computer programming, etc.) instead of
theoretical subjects (such as economy, math, chemistry). Some people
suggest that universities should focus on practical subjects, but not
theoretical subjects. What do you agree or not agree? (08.07.05)

8.Some teachers think it is effective for students to study in group
while others think it is better to study alone. What are the benefits
of each way and which one do you think is more effective? (08.08.30 =
05.01.15)

9.Once children start school, teachers have more influence than
parents on their intellectual and social development. To what extent
do you agree or disagree? (08.09.06)

10.Students from poor background such as rural areas often find it
difficult to access to university education, so people think
universities should make it especially easy for them to study at. To
what extent do you agree or disagree? (08.09.27)

11.Many people use distance-learning programmes (study material post,
TV, Internet, etc.) to study at home, but some people think that it
cannot bring the benefit as much as attending college or university.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? (08.10.23 =
04.11.13)
12.Memorization of information by frequent repetition (rote learning)
plays a role in most education systems. Does the usefulness of this
method of learning outweigh its limitations? (08.12.06)

13.Some people believe that a country benefits greatly with a high
percentage of young people who go to university, while others argue
that it only leads to graduate unemployment. Discuss both views and
give your opinion. (08.12.13)

二、工作生活与意识形态（共 8 题，占全年 17.4% ）
14.The older generations have very traditional ideas about the correct
ways of life, thinking and behaviour. However, some people think that
these ideas are not helpful for the young generation to prepare for
modern life. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this
opinion? (08.01.19)
15.People living in big cities face many problems today. What are the
problems? Should the government encourage people to live in regional
towns? (08.02.14)

16.“Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. ” - US movie actor
& director John Wayne
Why is it important for individuals and countries to think about the
future rather than focusing on the present? (08.02.16)
17.People should look after their health as a duty to the society they
live in rather than personal benefits. To what extent do you agree or
disagree? (08.03.13)

18.Some people think it is the responsibility for government to ensure
that people have healthy lifestyles. Others think people should have a
free for their own lifestyles decisions. Discuss both views and give
your own opinion. (08.03.29)
19.Many people are busy with work and do not have enough time to spend
with families and friends. Why does this happen? What are the effects
of this on family life and society as a whole? (08.04.12)
20.Some people believe that the fittest and strongest individuals and
teams always success in sports. Others think that success in sports
depends on mental attitudes. Discuss both views and give your
opinions. (08.05.31)
21.In modern society, fashion is becoming more and more popular in
people's choice of clothes. Why? Do you think it is positive
development or negative development? (08.11.08)

三、环境与动物保护（共 5 题，占全年 10.9% ）

22.Some people think it is acceptable to use animals for the benefit
of humans. Other people think it is wrong to exploit animals for human
purposes. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. (08.02.02)

23.One long-distance flight consumes fuel which a car uses in several
years' time, but they cause the same amount of pollution. So some
people think that we should discourage non-essential flights, such as
tourist travel, rather than to limit the use of cars. To what extent
do you agree or disagree with this view? (08.04.05=06.03.25)

24.Many people think cheap air travel should be encouraged because it
gives ordinary people freedom to travel further. However, others
think this leads to environmental problem, so air travel should be
more expensive in order to discourage people from having it. Discuss
the both sides and give your own opinion. (08.06.14)

25.Some people think international cooperation has brought benefits to
world environment protection, while some people think more benefits
has been brought to international business. Discuss both views and
give your own opinion. (08.07.26)
26.Many people think it is very important to protect environment but
they make no effort to do it themselves. Why does it happen? How to
solve this problem? (08.09.13)

四、科技（共 4 题，占全年 8.7% ）
27.Mobile phones and the Internet are very useful. However, it is rare
for old people to use them. What ways could mobile phone and the
Internet be useful to old people? How does the old people to be
encouraged using this new technology? (08.06.28)
28.Some people support the developments in agriculture such as factory
farming and creations of new types of fruits and vegetables, while
others oppose this view. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
(08.07.12)
29.There are more workers to work from home and more students to study
from home. This is because the computer technology is more and more
easily accessible and cheaper. Do you think it is a positive or
negative development? (08.11.15)

30.Some people say modern children's games do not develop a wide range
of skills, while traditional games can be much better for developing
such skills. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (08.11.29)

五、犯罪（共 4 题，占全年 8.7% ）

31.Some people think the best way of reducing crime is to give longer
prison sentences. Others, however, think there are other better ways
to reduce crime. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
(08.01.12)
32.Putting criminals into prisons is not so effective in dealing with
them. Instead, education and job training should be offered to them.
To what extent do you agree or disagree? (08.09.18 = 05.06.18)

33.Many people are afraid to leave home because of crime. Some believe
that more action should be taken to prevent crime, but others feel
little can be done. What's your view? (08.10.04)
34.Society is based on rules and laws. It could not function if
individuals were free to do whatever they want. To what extent do you
agree or disagree? (08.10.11)

六、文化与旅游（共 3 题，占全年 6.5% ）
35.International travel sometimes makes people more prejudiced rather
than board-minded. Give out reasons why it cannot bring benefits to
those visitors. Do you have ways to improve people's understanding of
the countries they visit? (08. 08.21)

36.International travel is becoming cheaper, and more and more
countries open their door and with more and more tourists. Do the
advantages of the increased tourism outweigh its disadvantages?
(08.11.20)
37.Nowadays, a lot of charities and organisations publicize their
activities by setting up a number of special days, like 'National
Children's Day', for encouraging good care of children, and 'National
Non-smoking Day', for encouraging people to pay more attention to
healthy. Why do these organisations take these activities, and what
will the effect be? (08.12.20)

七、媒体（共 3 题，占全年 6.5% ）

38.Some people believe that time spent on television, video and
computer games can be valuable for children. Others believe this has
negative effects on a child. Discuss both views and give your own
opinion. (08.01.10)
39.Children can learn efficiently by watching television, so they
should be encouraged to watch television regularly both at home and in
school. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (08.05.10)

40.Detailed description of crimes on newspaper and TV can have bad
consequences on society, so this kind of information should be
restricted on media. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this
statement? (08.08.16 = 05.07.23)

八、经济（共 3 题，占全年 6.5% ）
41.In some countries, it is now possible for people to buy a wide
variety of foods transported from all over the world. To what extent
do the benefits of this development outweigh the drawbacks? (08.02.23)
42.Economic progress is one way to measure the success of one country,
while some people think there are other factors. What other factors
should be considered? Within these factors, do you think anyone is
more important than the others? (08.10.25)

43.As global trade increases, many goods, even some daily goods, are
exported to another country, which includes long-distance transport
during shipping. Do you think its benefits outweigh its drawbacks?
(08.12.04)

九、政府（共 2 题，占全年 4.3% ）

44.As the number of cars increases, more money has to be spent on road
systems. Some people think the government should pay for this. Others,
however, think that the user should pay for the cost. Discuss both
views and give your own opinion. (08.03.08)

45.In some countries, governments are encouraging industries and
businesses to move out of large cities and into regional areas. Do you
think the advantages of this development outweigh its disadvantages?
Give reasons for you answer and include examples from your knowledge
or experiences. (08. 08.09 ≈ 04.04.17)

十、社会（共 1 题，占全年 2.2% ）
46.Some countries have an ever-increasing proportion of population who
are aged 15 and younger. What is your opinion of the current and
future effects it may have in those countries? (08.04.19)

我们不难发现以下规律 ：

1.教育类话题占绝大多数，并且在 08 年稳中有升；
2.工作生活与意识形态类话题跃居第二，数量比 07 年增长了一倍；

3.传统的热门话题环境与动物保护、科技类话题等仍然比较重要；
4.犯罪类话题虽然题量不大，但 08 年题量增长迅速，但仍处在正常水平。
　　需要提醒广大考生的是， 2008 年的话题分布并不能完全代表 2009 年的话题走向，但有以下两点是肯定的：
　　第一，作为历年雅思 A 类写作的主导话题，教育类（包括青少年教育和儿童教育类话题）仍然将会占绝对数量。不管参加哪次考试，考生切不可放弃教育
类话题的复习。

　　第二，工作生活与意识形态话题的大量增加，反映了雅思写作与日常生活的日益密切。而其中的意识形态类话题因内容抽象，且多为新题，故成为了考试的一
个难点。考生应对这些已考话题进行认真思考和准备。
　　第三，切不可迷信所谓“预测”。很多考生考前不认真准备，而将最后的希望 “ 押宝 ” 在最后的考前预测上面，但是进入考场发现真题往往与预测大
相径庭，结果反而造成恐慌。雅思考试一共只有十大话题，网上预测每次选取三个话题左右，并配部分例题，话题因为概率较高的原因有时可以预测正确，但是具
体的题目往往相差十万八千里。所以提醒考生结合历年真题，熟悉话题并认真进行分类总结，总结出可以共同准备的论据，以做到以不变应万变。

　　最后，衷心祝愿所有参加 2009 年雅思考试的考生都能在考试中取得理想的成绩，实现出国梦想！