中国考生几乎存在同样一个问题(这也是在授课中经常发现的)：Part 1的回答过于简单和抽象，忽视了‘specific’(具体化)这一个重要的思维方式。汉语经过了几千年的沉淀后很多句子都“言简意赅”的，但西方人的回答总是具体并有细节的。比如问到‘你喜不喜欢运动?’，如果考生只回答运动可以‘make me healthy’或者‘keep me fit’，虽然说明了运动的好处，却不够具体，也没有任何让人眼前一亮的词汇，更无法展示语言的连贯性与流利度。如果你能够运用具体化思维可以给出这样说：‘Absolutely yes. I am a huge fan of doing sports. I love jogging, swimming, playing Ping-pang and badminton. Those sports not only build up my strength and endurance, but improve my agility as well’。这种回答不仅表现出你很爱运动，也用了一些big words来说明运动带来的具体好处，分数一定不可能低。下面，我就总结一下在教学过程中发现的一些学生常用的简单而抽象的表达，并且把这些回答具体化。
1. broaden my mind and outlooks on life
【雅思真题】What kinds of museum are more popular in China?
【抽象回答】As far as I know, art museums are the popular ones. Art museums really broaden my mind and outlooks on life.
【具体化】Well, as far as I am concerned, art museums are the popular ones in China. They exhibit paintings, sculptures and other art forms that are pleasing to the eyes. People really need this kind of relaxation after a long day’s work.
2. strengthen our relationship
【雅思真题】Do you love parties?
【抽象回答】Oh I am a huge fan of parties. I feel happy to chat with my friends in the parties, which strengthen our relationship.
【具体化】Oh I am a huge fan of parties. Throwing parties with good friends is a good way to relieve my pressure at work. It also provides me with a good chance to socialize with other friends. In parties, we always burst into laughter when we chat and drink.
3. get extra knowledge out of textbook (extracurricular knowledge)
【雅思真题】Do you love to watch foreign TV programmes?
【抽象回答】Of course, watching foreign TV programmes gives me extra knowledge out of the textbook and help me to learn English.
【具体化】Oh I’m a huge fan of them. I usually watch foreign TV shows or sitcoms online. Watching those programmes enables me to understand more about the western culture and soak up a foreign language easily. I can imitate the pronunciation, the intonation and the way they talk, which is an effective way to learn English.
4. It is convenient for me to …
【雅思真题】What do you think of the benefits of gyms?
【抽象回答】Well, it is convenient for me to do exercises and sports in my neighborhood.
【具体化】Well, a good gym enables people to have access to various exercise equipments, such as weight machines, treadmills and stationery bikes. Besides, gyms always offer us some fascinating classes, such as aerobics, kick boxing, yoga and other types of classes. Those training classes are really attractive and helpful to my body.
【雅思真题】Which one do you prefer, paper maps or electronic maps?
【抽象回答】 I love electronic maps because it is convenient for me to find the place I want to go to.
【具体化】I generally prefer to use electronic ones as they have more user-friendly functions. For example, if you’re not sure how to get somewhere, you can type the name of the position and then search for it. Not just that, electronic maps would highlight the best route and give you detailed timings between each station.
5. It is good for… / It plays an important role in …
【雅思真题】What do you think of parks?
【抽象回答】Oh, parks play an important role in protecting our environment and we can do exercises in the parks.
【具体化】Oh, parks play an important role in purifying the air in the cities. It is known that trees in the parks breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. It is also a perfect place for us to have a walk and enjoy the beauty of nature.