雅思口语考试中很少直接问到关于“传统”(tradition)的考题，但“传统”之所以作为八大魔鬼话题的最后一个出现在我们的备考清单上，其原因就在于该话题具备了三大特性：隐蔽、广博、深度。首先，隐蔽是指涉及传统的考题往往用其它话题来隐藏自己，或者换句话说，很多其它话题中会隐含有传统的意味。举例来说，关于history, culture, arts，甚至关于wedding, handicraft, food的话题中，都有可能藏有“modern vs. traditional”的对立。
其次，广博的意思是该话题涵盖的领域极为宽泛，无论是谈论人物、描述事物、还是论证原因、阐述规律，tradition都是一个很活跃的展开点。比如要谈论老年人(old people)，那么老年人具有的传统观念(traditional views)及固定思维模式(fixed mindsets)是一个必讲的要点;再比如谈论教育类的话题，传统教育模式(traditional teaching methods)和远程教育(distance learning)之间的差异和互补就是一个较好的切入点。
至于传统类话题的深度，可以说是不言而喻的 — 没有一定的词汇根底、没有驾驭复杂句型的能力、缺乏对社会现状的思考，这样的考生是很难把该话题说好的，不少人甚至都没有想到传统竟然可以作为一种有效的答题思路。下面将针对这三大特性进行一一列举，给出真题实例及参考答案，并指出“传统”在其中扮演的角色。
特性之一：隐蔽
先来看一道关于历史的考题，是如何隐藏“传统”的：
【真题实例】 Why do you think people nowadays dislike visiting a historical site?
【答题思路】 该题问的是为什么现在的人都不喜欢去参观历史古迹。由于历史古迹本身就是一种文化遗产(cultural heritage)，因此参观历史古迹其实是对传统的一种继承形式。可以从两方面找原因：一是现代科技的发展速度过快，导致人们产生“重科技、轻人文”的思维倾向;二是对历史古迹的保护力度不够，其本身已经丧失了吸引力。
【参考答案】 Well, that’s right. Less and less people nowadays are showing interest in visiting a historical site. I think one reason is that modern science and technology is developing with a faster pace than ever before. So many high-tech products and devices are available for modern consumers that they tend to think science and technology is what life is all about, and they tend to care less and less about the humanities, histories and traditions. Another important reason is to be found in historical sites themselves, which are being damaged or even ruined due to the lack of protection and preservation. For many young people like me, these places no longer hold any appeal.
很显然，该回答把人们不爱去参观历史古迹的原因归结为“科技发展 VS 人文传统”的两元对立。于是，在我们阐述原因的同时，就很巧妙地把隐藏在深处的humanities, histories and traditions推到了台前，显示出讲话者的人文关怀。而在谈到年轻人不再对历史古迹感兴趣的时候，也折射出对于传统文化渐渐式微的一种忧虑之心。
特性之二：广博
“传统”的广博性既体现在一些较为学术的考题中，也体现在许多生活类的题目里面。请看下面一道关于人们阅读习惯的问题：
【真题实例】 Do you think people’s reading habits have changed in recent years?
【答题思路】 此题考的是人们阅读习惯有否变化。如果说不变，一定会演变成一个不知趣的回答;只有说变，才能正中考官的下怀!那么“传统”在这里的作用是什么呢?我们可以同样考虑把传统的阅读习惯(比如读书、看报)和现代的阅读方式(比如浏览网络新闻、看网络小说)做一个今昔对比。
【参考答案】 You bet they are! From my point of view, the most significant change is in the way people read. Thirty years ago, most people used to read newspapers and magazines and books as a lifetime habit because they didn’t have a TV or computer. But nowadays, few of us are doing this. Instead, we have got used to surfing the Internet for quick news and downloading mini-novels to our cell phones or iPods. In short, traditional reading habits are being replaced by modern ones that focus on speed and quantity rather than quality.
为了阐明人们阅读方式的改变，我们把30年前的读书、看报、看杂志和如今的网上新闻及手机迷你小说进行了鲜明的对比。(请大家特别关注其中used to和get used to的用法。)最后一句画龙点睛式地指出传统的阅读习惯正在被取代，并一针见血批判了现代人只重速度和数量、而不重质量的阅读习惯。类似的批判风格及批判话语可以用于很多其它考题，比如education, shopping, friendship等等。
特性之三：深度
深度的含义并不仅仅局限于考题本身的深度或难度，它更在于我们如何把一道貌似平凡的考题的深度挖掘出来。以下这道其貌不扬的口语题目就是一个很好的例子：
【真题实例】 What kind of skill do you think is the most important for young people?
【答题思路】 考官这次问的是对于年轻人来说最重要的技能。这是一道很容易陷入俗套的考题 — 如果你甘愿随大流地去讲什么掌握电脑技能、学好外语、甚至学会开车等，就毫无新意可言，更不用说深度了。相反，如果你从传统的角度入手，会很容易发现该题所蕴含的深度。
【参考答案】 Young people today generally don’t have traditional social skills, which may include writing letters, giving a presentation and maintaining friendships. This is understandable because they have grown up in the so-called Information Age. But the importance of these skills can be seen in many aspects of our daily lives. For example, if you know how to give a powerful speech at a meeting or how to write a persuasive letter to your boss, your chances of getting promoted are much higher than those of your colleagues.
该回答彻底抛弃了俗不可耐的“现代必备技能”的窠臼，从传统的角度另辟蹊径，找到了traditional social skills(传统社交技能)这一崭新方向，并成功地开辟了writing letters, giving a presentation, maintaining friendships三条拓展道路。最后以两个生活中的例子证明了这些技能对于现代年轻人的重要性。