如今的四六级更注重英语综合能力的考察了。而写作,更是中国学生最最难啃的一块“硬骨头”。面对“硬骨头”,我们要么选择背诵模板,要么死抱着“写作秘笈”紧紧不肯松手,结果还是不甚理想。那是因为我们都忽略了写作书的弊端:模板太过单一,句式太过一致,很容易使得文章太过刻板,而缺乏独创性和生动性。那到底怎么办才能提高写作能力呢?基于此,我们就要“自己动手、丰衣足食”,创建独属于自己的模板库,这样才能保证我们自己能写出与众不同、且又地道流畅的英文。 这里,与其说我是以老师的身份来讲话,不如说我是以一个英语学习者的身份来和大家分享一下新概念如何教你备考四六级写作。
就拿2013年12月六级真题作文来看,写作要求如下:
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay on happiness by referring to the saying “Happiness is not the absence of problems, but the ability to deal with them.” You can cite examples to illustrate your point and then explain how you can develop your ability to deal with problems and be happy. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.
仔细分析题干,就可看出:首先会提到某“名人名言”,其次需要列举出例子以证明自己的观点,然后再落实到自身如何去应对问题、如何享受幸福。 而这三面恰恰形成了大家非常熟悉的“三段论模式”:提出问题 - 分析问题 - 解决问题;只不过这次的“问题”,是对一句话的阐释和理解。诚然写作书会帮助我们许多,但咱们再一起看看新概念是否能更好地如何帮助我们攻克这三段吧:
开门见山、直抒胸臆一定是第一段的首要任务;落到本题中,就是引出这句名言,即“提出问题”。若稍加留心,新概念便已教会了我们许多新颖又地道的表达了:比如第9课中“… is the popular belief that …”,第24课中“The English language possesses a vivid saying …”。此外,还可以看到许多不同种的开篇引题的方式,比如第9课开头双重否定引出主题:“Cats never fail to fascinate human beings.”;第35课更是阐释某抽象名词很好的范例:“The word justice is usually associated with courts of law.”;第40课则半推半就地讲道:“It has never been explained why university students seem to enjoy practical jokes more than anyone else.”等等。各色的开篇方式,都会让阅卷老师、甚或普通的读者耳目一新。
结束开头,根据题干指示,需要引用例子以证实自己的观点和认识,以更好地“解决问题”;那么如何引出例子呢?太直接过渡到例子会显得生硬,毫无衔接连贯性,直接导致分数下降。而新概念中,引出例子的句型信手拈来,如第4课“This can give rise to curious situations, as it did in the case of Aflred Bloggs who ....”,第7课“A recent case concerns Jane Butlin whose ...”,第29课“The following example of 'sick humor' will enable you to judge for yourself.”,第33课“Things can go wrong on a big scale, as ...”等。当然,也有许多直接引出例子的优美句型,如:第9课“One of the things that fascinates us most about cats is the popular belief…”,第21课“One of the most colorful figures in boxing history was Daniel Mendoza, who was born in 1764.”, 第31课“…, Richard Colson was one of the most notable figures in our town.”以及第34课“My old friend, Frank Halliday, is just such a person.”等等。而这些都是顺承列举正面例子的过渡句;如若需要,列举反面例子的过渡句也比比皆是。比如:第22课“Yet this is not always the case.”第24课“It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction.”等。这些句型地道又经典,不费吹灰之力就能写出与众不同且又亮点多多的高分句子。
最后的“解决问题”也是绝对不能放松;同样,新概念也提供了许多精彩的结论总结句式、提出建议、表达愿景的句式。比如:第9课“Apparently, there is a good deal of truth in this idea.”,或者第4课强调某抽象概念“Such is human nature, that ...”等可以直接提炼并总结出自己的观点。第26课“They devise hundreds of competitions which will enable us to ... Radio and television have made it possible for advertisers to ...”, 第41课“Why people are prepared to tolerate… is beyond me. 以及It has always been a mystery to me why city dwellers ...”都可稍作修改,以提出自己的建议或意见。当然,整本书中也不缺乏表达愿景的句型,如:第1课“It is disturbing to think that ...”第59课“Collecting, by occupying spare time so constructively, makes a person contented, with no time or boredom.”或者学习第27课(或54课)用反问句以结束自己的观点“…, but how many of us can honestly say that …?”等。这些优美的“解决问题”的句型就清楚明晰地躺在新概念的字里行间,俯拾即是,只等你用心去发现、去累积。
当然,一篇好的作文并不是这么几个句子就能搭建起来的;其内部的逻辑、衔接和连贯更是尤为重要。如何将已然完美的句子有逻辑、有衔接、有连贯地连起来,拼成一幅流畅完整的起承转合,则更是新概念每一篇字字珠玑的小故事所呈现给我们的。因而,当你还“不知写作为何物”,抱怨写作太难太棘手,不妨拿出这本经典,静下心来“寻章摘句”,累积出独属于自己的模板库,那么就一定再也不用担心“无从下笔”了。
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