提起托福寫作,不少考生都覺得頭疼。有些考生的英語水平達不到考試要求,有些考生無法將中式思維轉化為英式思維,有些考生的表述不夠清晰且不合邏輯,這些都是考生在備考托福寫作時遇到的瓶頸和難題。為幫助考生解決這些難題,筆者在下文中將結合托福寫作的題型特點提出幾點備考建議。
題型簡介
托福寫作共包括兩種題型:綜合寫作(Integrated Writing)和獨立寫作(Independent Writing)。綜合寫作部分要求考生在三分鐘內閱讀一篇230~300詞的學術文章,再聽一段與文章相關的、時長約兩分鐘的講座錄音,這段錄音主要是駁斥閱讀文章中的觀點。然后,考生可用約20分鐘的時間寫一篇短文,總結文章和錄音中的要點,并闡述兩者如何互相駁斥。該部分要求的寫作字數在150~225詞之間。聽錄音時,考生可以做些筆記來輔助答題。獨立寫作部分要求考生根據題目給出的觀點(statement)提出自己的看法,并結合已有的知識和自身經驗進行分析闡述,同時進行充分的論證。該部分的答題時間為30分鐘,字數在300詞以上。
備考建議
綜合寫作部分將聽、讀、寫融為一體,集中考查考生積累詞匯、聽講座和寫總結摘要的能力。獨立寫作部分則主要考查考生的論證能力。下面筆者就針對上述各項能力提出幾點備考建議。
建議一:積累詞匯,地道表達
托??荚噷懽鞑糠忠罂忌莆?500~2000個單詞。很多考生誤以為只要能記住這么多單詞就能應對托福寫作,但這里所說的“掌握”并非如此簡單。托福寫作要求考生掌握的是“積極詞匯”,即不僅要認識,還要恰當、靈活地運用,體現出詞匯的多樣性。這就需要考生平時注意積累,悉心收集,有意識地練習和使用背過的單詞。
背單詞時,考生可以好好利用詞匯書中的同義替換詞表,并在寫作時練習同義替換,有意識地用高級詞匯替換初級詞匯,以避免出現詞匯匱乏的情況。例如,在做綜合寫作題時,考生如果想表達錄音和閱讀文章中都“說”了什么,都表明了哪些觀點,除了最簡單的say和think以外,還能用下列單詞:state、point out、suggest、support、assert、prove、identify、show、demonstrate、argue、illustrate和claim等。掌握詞匯最有效的辦法就是在不同的語境中頻繁使用。如果考生能正確使用一個單詞至少三次,就能將其轉化成“積極詞匯”。
此外,考生平時還應注意積累固定短語和地道表達。畢竟考生的母語不是英語,難免會寫出不符合英文習慣的中式英語。例如,筆者的一個學生就曾將“開闊眼界”寫成open ones eyes,而地道的英文表達應為expand ones outlook或broaden ones horizons。詞匯積累的來源很多,最直接的來源就是托福練習題和同義替換詞表。除此之外,考生還可通過閱讀英文小說、瀏覽英語新聞、看英文電影等方式來積累詞匯。
建議二:勤練聽力,抓住重點
在托福考試中,聽力的比重是相當大的。與托??荚嚶犃Σ糠值目疾榉绞铰杂胁煌?,綜合寫作中的錄音材料一般為學術講座,結構清晰,論點明確,論證細節(jié)多。因此,在備考過程中,考生除了要練好基本的聽力技能,還要結合綜合寫作中聽力的考查形式和考查重點,重點記錄錄音中的反駁理由和論證細節(jié)。
綜合寫作中的講座錄音通常分為四段:第一段介紹主論點,后三段皆為分論點。由于講座錄音要駁斥閱讀文章的觀點,考生需要注意,錄音開頭表轉折或否定含義的信號詞(如but、however、whereas等)的后面往往會出現主論點。此外,序數詞及表列舉的詞(如first、second、third、furthermore等)后面出現的通常是分論點,考生在遇到時應提高警惕,集中精力聽后面的內容。
考生平時在練習聽力時,可以選擇聽英文演講、講座或公開課,以熟悉學術講座的詞匯和風格。就練習方法而言,考生可將泛聽和精聽結合起來。泛聽是可以隨時練習的,比如在等公交時,考生可以用手機聽一段TED講座,大致了解講座內容即可。相對而言,精聽則需要考生定點定時地練習,同時輔以聽寫訓練。托福綜合寫作的講座音頻和英語專業(yè)四級考試的聽寫題都是練習精聽的好材料。起初,考生可以每周聽一次,在聽第一遍時掌握文章大意;聽第二遍時逐句聽寫;最后再完整聽一遍,同時補充、修改細小的錯誤。精聽需要考生聽懂至少80%的內容,而泛聽只需聽懂大意即可。在這里,筆者提一個小小的建議:考生可以在進考場之前做一小段泛聽,找找感覺,以便早點進入考試狀態(tài)。
建議三:條理清晰,學會總結
考生在總結綜合寫作部分閱讀文章和講座錄音的要點時,首先要抓住閱讀文章的邏輯框架和主要觀點,然后帶著疑問去聽錄音,看看錄音中的觀點究竟是如何駁斥閱讀文章中的觀點的,最后將兩者結合起來,寫一篇總結性的短文。閱讀文章和講座錄音均為四段的“總—分”結構:第一段為總論點,后三段為分論點。因此,考生在寫作時最好也遵循上述結構,在第一段總述講座的觀點,然后在后三段的前半部分依次闡述講座的分論點,并在后半部分補充與講座論點相對的閱讀文章的分論點。這樣一一對應,既清晰又有條理。下面筆者將結合TPO 15的綜合寫作題目做具體分析。因篇幅有限,筆者只選取了閱讀文章和講座錄音的主要內容。
Reading:
The cane toad (蔗蟾) is a large (1.8 kg) amphibian (兩棲動物) species native to Central and South America. It was deliberately introduced to Australia in 1935 … Unfortunately, the toad multiplied rapidly, and ... threatens small native animals … Several measures have been pro-posed to stop the spread of the cane toad in Australia.
One way to prevent the spread of the toad would be to build a national fence. A fence that blocks the advance of the toads will prevent them from moving into those parts of Australia that they have not yet colonized….
Second, the toads could be captured and destroyed by volunteers…. If the Australian government were to organize a campaign … to join forces to destroy the toads, the collective effort might stop the toad from spreading.
Third, researchers are developing a disease-causing virus to control the cane toad populations. This virus will be specially designed: … it will not harm most of the infected species …
Listening:
The cane toad wont be as easy to get rid of as the reading suggests. The measures proposed by the reading are likely either to be unsuccessful or to cause unwanted environmental damage.
First of all, a national fence probably wont stop the spread of the toad. Thats because young toads and toad eggs are found in rivers and streams…. These waterways will be able to carry the young toads and their eggs to the other side….
Secondly, … untrained volunteers would inadvertently destroy many of Australias native frogs. Some of which are endangered. Its not always easy to tell the cane toad apart from native frogs ...
Third, using the virus is a bad idea because it could have terrible consequences for cane toads in their original habitat in Central and South America.... Australian reptiles (爬行動物) and amphibians are often transported to other continents by researchers or pet collectors for example. Once the animals infected by the virus reach Central and South America, the virus will attack the native cane toads and devastate their populations. That would be an ecological disaster because in the Americas cane toads are a native species and a vital part of the ecosystem….
分析:結合閱讀文章和講座錄音的主要內容,考生可以分別總結出這兩部分的主論點和分論點。閱讀文章主要提出了抑制澳大利亞蔗蟾繁衍的三種方法:第一種是在全國范圍內建圍欄;第二種是組織志愿者來捕殺蔗蟾;第三種是研制某種病毒來控制蔗蟾的數量。針對閱讀文章,講座錄音提出,上述方法不但不會奏效,還可能對環(huán)境造成損害。隨后,講座依次闡述建圍欄的方法為何無效,志愿者的方法有何不妥,以及新型病毒的研制會對生態(tài)環(huán)境造成什么不良后果??忌恍鑼⑸鲜稣擖c結合起來,無一遺漏地進行論述,同時合理運用過渡句和表示邏輯關系的連接詞,就能寫出一篇合格的短文。
范文:The lecturer argues against the three measures mentioned in the reading passage to reduce the population of the cane toad, a species introduced to the Australian continent.
The speech argues that the first measure—a national fence would not be a good way to stop the spread of cane toad, as the flow of streams or rivers could carry young toads and toad eggs in the river or streams to the other side of the fence. From this case, the speaker effectively weakens the validity of the reading passage.
Besides the first measure, recruiting a large group of volunteers would not be a satisfactory way. The speech explains that the untrained volunteers often have difficulty distinguishing between cane toads and native frogs, even endangered frog species. Therefore, volunteers would inadvertently kill native frogs. In this aspect, the speech casts a serious doubt on the point of the reading passage that organizing volunteers to destroy cane toads would be an effective way.
Finally the lecturer objects to the third measure of using an infectious virus. She points out that a virus intended to eliminate Australias cane toad population could be transmitted through animal transportation to other continents where cane toads are an essential part of the ecosystem. This is in direct contradiction to the claim in the reading passage that an infectious virus could be developed to stop the reproduction of cane toads without harming other species.
建議四:理由充分,論證有力
論證能力是托福獨立寫作重點考查的能力,其實質是一種思維能力。中式思維是一種“竹式思維”,講求一步一步深入論證;而英式思維是“樹式思維”,論證時要先確定“主干”(即論點),再添加“枝葉”(即論證細節(jié))。備考獨立寫作時,考生要注意轉變思維方式,形成“樹式思維”,進而培養(yǎng)論證能力。
論證能力的培養(yǎng)有兩種方法。一種方法是多讀英文議論文,然后做英文摘要,理清論點和論據間的邏輯關系,同時研究文中的論證方法,并在練習時多加應用。英文議論文中常用的論證方法包括舉例論證、對比論證、事實論證等。舉例論證是用自己或某位名人的一個具體事例來論證觀點;對比論證也可理解為反證,即先提出主論點,然后論述如果不這么做會產生怎樣的負面結果;事實論證是要通過人們公認的事實或具體數據來論證觀點。
論證能力的另一種培養(yǎng)方法是要多積累論證素材,尤其是事例,以避免在寫作中出現“假大空”的現象。在搜集和使用名人事例時,考生需注意以下兩點:①盡量使用西方人熟知的事例,如果一定要舉中國名人的例子,最好選那些比較有國際影響力的人;②盡量少用愛因斯坦、愛迪生這種寫濫了的名人,多積累一些新鮮素材。積累素材時,考生可經常瀏覽《時代周刊》(Time)、維基百科和CNN等網站,形成素材庫,以備不時之需。
除了上述兩種方法,考生還要培養(yǎng)發(fā)散性思維,開拓思路,學會從不同角度進行論述。例如,在《托??荚嚬俜街改稀返?21頁有這樣一道題:“Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The best way to travel is in a group led by a tour guide. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.”該題提出的觀點是跟隨有導游的旅行團出行是最佳的旅行方式。無論考生支持還是反駁上述觀點,論證時都傾向于從個體出發(fā)。比如支持上述觀點的考生往往會想出如下理由:導游可以介紹當地文化,導游可以設計合理的行程,導游可以帶領游客購物等。其實,考生完全可以換個思路,從旅游業(yè)的角度出發(fā),比如跟隨導游可以讓旅游業(yè)更加規(guī)范化,更有利于旅行目的地的文化保護等。
呂倩倩,南京新東方學校優(yōu)秀教師,主講國外考試寫作課程。曾就職于英國雙子集團(Twin Group)。