在上一週的Q1Q2助教讀書會中,我和助教Samantha發現,同學們在回答Q1Q2時會遇到一些問題:
1.審題上面不夠切題!
*優先抓住Who:不要看到題目選項就急著想要想出why-how-what,記得要先確認who是誰!另外,如果遇到people、student、teacher等較客觀的who,可以嘗試使用normally、often、usually等避免武斷的副詞作為修飾。
*Describe題型要先切題:此類的題型常常會使用Talk about a time/Describe a gift作為題目的開頭。這時後答題架構使用In my opinion, I prefer/ I choose做為開頭,或是That’s why I prefer/ I choose作為結尾,就離題了。因為題目不是問妳選擇哪一個,而是一個事件,應該先點出確切的time或gift,再說出why作為reason。
2.同時出現兩個who的題型,要用誰作為who?
通常會使用『有決定權』者作為答題架構上的who。
“Agree or disagree? Universities should ask students to leave the school if they were caught cheating in exams. “
在這一題中出現了universities和students,『有決定權』去執行leave the school這個動作的是universities。因此,在who的選擇應先以universities為主,假如I agree,那麼who的why-how就會是:the universities should care about students’ manners-make students have good manners。假如一開始選擇以student當作who,那麼why-how:students should care about manners-have good manners容易偏題,因為關係較為間接,沒有直接提到universities到底應不應該ask students to leave。
“Agree or disagree? We should let children use computers or other electronic devices as early as they can.”
在這一題中出現了we和children,雖然有決定權者是we,但因為we泛指大眾,可以是people、parents、you,因此在這一題可以直接從children的wordbank出發。
3.帶有態度、目的題型卡住!
口說一二題也好、獨立寫作也好,許多題目,有「目的」、「態度」;在審題想點時,除了抓出WHO 之外,也需要優先確認「目的」、「態度」,並優先處理。下面的文章,David顧問針對此類的題型做進一步解答。
“Agree or disagree? For students, studying in groups is more efficient than studying alone.”
以這題而言,應該首先注意到「態度」的”efficient”。在理由句,首先去定義什麼叫做”efficient”,再來解釋學生”studying in groups” 還是”studying alone” 比較好。理由句+關聯句示範如下:
理由句:Because to study more efficiently, students need to get their questions answered quickly,
關聯句:and studying in groups usually allow them to receive answers immediately.
兩句的句型,可簡單整理如下:
Because 態度/目的,WHO + WHY,
And 你的選擇 + WHY.
為什麼需要先定義「目的」、「態度」?試比較下面兩個題目:
1. Agree or disagree? Students should study in groups rather than study alone.
2. Agree or disagree? Students can get better grades by studying in groups than studying alone.
發現了嗎?第二題很明確的規定了「目的」是”get better grades”,所以需要先去思考對於學生而言,”get better grades” 需要的是什麼——可能是completely understand the material, solve all the problems,或是review regularly,接著,再回到題目的WHO 來選擇答案。
那為什麼不好直接從WHO 出發?以上述第二題為例,如果理由和關聯句是:
Because students are lazy,
and if they study in groups, they can save a lot of efforts.
那就離題了——因為題目的「目的」,也就是「規定的結果」是”get better grades”,而不是「怎麼樣對學生來說是好的」。
如果你還是想要從WHO 出發,記得在關聯句後面加上”and at the same time, get better grades”,拉回去切題。
以下兩種版本的示範:
1. (建議)
Because for students to get better grades, they need to completely understand the material,
and studying in groups can better allow them to understand everything.
2. (也可)
Because students are lazy,
and studying in groups can help them save some efforts, and at the same time, get better grades.
不管哪一種,例子中都需要足夠的細節,最後回到”they can get better grades”——題目的要求。
回到機經上的題目:Agree or disagree? For students, studying in groups is more efficient than studying alone. 我來作個示範:
『示範音檔連結』:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8cW-clRKfvUeFhkRHp6MTRVM0k/view?usp=sharing
我們來看看另外一題,也是有「態度/目的」的:
Agree or disagree? Parents should not allow their children to participate in any forms of sports (football, basketball, ice hockey, etc.) in order to protect them from injuries.
這題需要優先處理的,是「目的」的”in order to protect them from injuries”。如果能先想到,”in order to protect them from injuries” 需要的是什麼——例如”to understand their bodies well“,那就能很輕鬆的選邊,並且講出清楚的理由+關聯句:
Because, in order to protect children from injuries, parents should make sure children understand their bodies well,
but if parents don’t allow children to participate in sports, children will not learn how their bodies work.
如果這樣的結構、句子對你來說太長(理由+關聯句講完,最好不要超過20秒!),也可以使用上面提到的第二種方法:
Because children are naive,and if parents allow their children to participate in sports, children will make stupid mistakes, and therefore get injured.
『示範音檔連結』:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8cW-clRKfvUek81alFCS3BMT0E/view?usp=sharing
(記得,題目太長時,開頭說Agree / Disagree 就好,沒有必要去重複題目!)
看到這裡,你應該可以感覺出來,「目的」許多時候會以”in order to V.” 或是”to V.“ 的形式出現;「態度」則許多時候是形容詞,如”efficient”, “important” 等等。
至於”better” ,只是「程度」,不算態度,就不需特別去定義;程度相關的字在一般的題目裡也會出現,例如:
Which do you think is better for the university? To build a library, or to build a gym?
我們上課發的口說機經整理、寫作講義中,都有很多有「目的、態度」的題目。請考試前務必多做練習,找出切題、自己講起來順、時間也可以控制好的方法,以免考試時,遇到此類題目突然卡住!