关于如何能够提高
准备托福等考试的同学可能会碰到这样的问题：平时好像背了不少单词，也记了不少短语和句型，但是一写起应试作文来还是无从下笔，平时学的东西似乎都派不上用场。
出现这种现象的一个原因是对所写的话题不熟悉，平时对这一话题也没有相关的词汇和论据论点积累，所以难以打开思路。
举个例子，这是一道作文题目：
While it is important to protect the environment, little effort has been made by individuals. Why has this hAPpened? What can individuals do to protect the environment?
要想写好这个话题，掌握一些主题相关词汇表达以及背景知识是有必要的。
比如：对于上面的题目我们可能会用上 conserve natural resources, discharge waste into rivers, promote the use of renewable energy, avoid single-use items, reduce our carbon footprint 这些表达。
同时会涉及到一些论据论点，比如：
1.步行或骑车去上学上班(walk or cycle to school or work);
2.避免使用白色餐具，抛弃型剃须刀等一次性产品(avoid disposable products such as disposable utensils and throw-away razors);
3.利用好自然光线，减少家庭照明用电(take advantage of natural light whenever possible to lower electricity consumption at home) .
应试作文备考的一个常见方法是，针对常见话题准备相应的论点论据以及表达，打造一个素材库。
那么，怎么打造素材库呢?
阅读外刊就是一个很好的方式。
我们在经济学人，时代周刊，卫报等外刊上经常可以看到针对某一特定话题而撰写的文章，比如：教育，环境保护，犯罪，媒体，全球化等。
通过阅读这些话题领域题材，我们不仅可以学习相关主题词汇和表达，还可以积累论据论点，而这对于提升写作水平具有很大帮助。
下面狮姐会用一个例子来说明怎样通过阅读外刊寻找素材来顺利完成一篇作文。
这是一个关于 gap year(间隔年)的题目：
In some countries, young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school and starting university studies. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for young people who decide to do this.
似乎没什么思路?不妨看看经济学人和卫报是怎样写 gap year 这一话题的，从这些主题文章中我们可以借鉴一些思路。
打开谷歌，查找“关键词+刊物名”，比如"gap year the guardian","gap year the economist"，得到搜索结果
点击其中的搜索结果，可以看到对应的文章。接下来我们需要从这些文章中提炼出对我们有用的素材。这是卫报上的几个文章段落，加粗部分为重点表达
经济学人的文章里面也有写得很不错的段落，比如这三段：
1. RICH young aristocrats in the 18th century went on a Grand Tour of Europe to further their education. Nowadays even moderately well-off students often take a break between school and university to go round the world. Some teach in Thailand, others trek in Tanzania. Most combine fun with some sort of do-gooding.
2. Employers are keen on the working gap year too. More than half of the 500 companies polled in 2005 by I-to-I, a firm that organises gap years, considered students who took a year out to work more “rounded” job candidates than those who went straight from school to university. Some employers run special schemes for them.
3. Working before applying to university gives students a chance to try out the labour market before choosing what they want to study. It can also enhance their chances of getting accepted for a popular course. Delyth Chambers, director of admissions at Manchester University, says that experience is particularly attractive in applicants for crowded vocations such as medicine and dentistry.:
加粗的素材都可以应用到作文当中，同时，我们可以从这些材料中提炼出以下论点：
参与间隔年的好处：
1. be more adaptable and are able to embrace change and learn to adjust to different cultures
2.give students valuable time to consider different career paths.
3.enhance their chances of getting accepted for a popular course.
参与间隔年的坏处：
1.Readjusting to an academic timetable after spending time abroad can be a shock.
2.Students also need to consider the practicalities, from financing your gap year to surviving without home comforts.
接下来只要通过逻辑把文章串联和填充就可以完成一篇分数还不错的文章了。
比起单纯背单词，我们更需要明确词汇的使用语境，以及建立词汇与词汇之间的联系。仅仅是“认识”单词本身并不能让你写出好文章，和单词之间建立连接，深刻理解其语境，才能做到学以致用。
阅读外刊的作用也在于此。通过对同一主题同一领域内的多篇文章进行对比阅读，我们可以积累大量主题相关的词汇和表达，并深刻理解词汇的使用场景，这样写起作文来才能游刃有余。