托福写作备考的建议与技巧

2022-05-25 17:32:38

       占据了托福写作题型的分析总结了一些写作技巧和建议,希望对考生们有所帮助。

  题型简介

  托福写作共包括两种题型:综合写作(Integrated Writing)和独立写作(Independent Writing)。综合写作部分要求考生在三分钟内阅读一篇230~300词的学术文章,再听一段与文章相关的、时长约两分钟的讲座录音,这段录音主要是驳斥阅读文章中的观点。然后,考生可用约20分钟的时间写一篇短文,总结文章和录音中的要点,并阐述两者如何互相驳斥。该部分要求的写作字数在150~225词。听录音时,考生可以做些笔记来辅助答题。独立写作部分要求考生根据题目给出的观点(statement)提出自己的看法,并结合已有的知识和自身经验进行分析阐述,同时进行充分的论证。该部分的答题时间为30分钟,字数在300词以上。

  备考建议

  综合写作部分将听、读、写融为一体,集中考查考生积累词汇、听讲座和写总结摘要的能力。独立写作部分则主要考查考生的论证能力。下面笔者就针对上述各项能力提出几点备考建议。

  建议一:积累词汇,地道表达

  托福考试写作部分要求考生掌握1500~2000个单词。很多考生误以为只要能记住这么多单词就能应对托福写作,但这里所说的“掌握”并非如此简单。托福写作要求考生掌握的是“积极词汇”,即不仅要认识,还要恰当、灵活地运用,体现出词汇的多样性。这就需要考生平时注意积累,悉心收集,有意识地练习和使用背过的单词。

  背单词时,考生可以好好利用词汇书中的同义替换词表,并在写作时练习同义替换,有意识地用高级词汇替换初级词汇,以避免出现词汇匮乏的情况。例如,在做综合写作题时,考生如果想表达录音和阅读文章中都“说”了什么,都表明了哪些观点,除了最简单的say和think以外,还能用下列单词:state、point、suggest、support、assert、prove、identify、show、demonstrate、argue、illustrate和claim等。掌握词汇最有效的办法就是在不同的语境中频繁使用。如果考生能正确使用一个单词至少三次,就能将其转化成“积极词汇”。

  此外,考生平时还应注意积累固定短语和地道表达。毕竟考生的母语不是英语,难免会写出不符合英文习惯的中式英语。例如,笔者的一个学生就曾将“开阔眼界”写成open one’s eyes,而地道的英文表达应为expand one’s outlook或broaden one’s horizon。词汇积累的来源很多,最直接的来源就是托福练习题和同义词替换表。除此之外,考生还可通过阅读英文小说、浏览英语新闻、看英文电影等方式来积累词汇。

  建议二:勤练听力,抓住重点

  在托福考试中,听力的比重是相当大的。与托福考试听力部分的考查方式略有不同,综合写作中的录音材料一般为学术讲座,结构清晰,论点明确,论证细节多。因此,在备考过程中,考生除了要练好基本的听力技能(如听重点、记笔记等),还要结合综合写作中听力的考查形式和考查重点,重点记录录音中的反驳理由和论证细节。

  综合写作中的讲座录音通常分为四段:第一段介绍主论点,后三段皆为分论点。由于讲座录音要驳斥阅读文章的观点,考生需要注意录音开头表转折或否定含义的信号词(如but、however、whereas等)的后面,往往会出现主论点。此外,序数词及表列举的词(如first、second、third、furthermore等)后面出现的通常是分论点,考生在遇到时应提高警惕,集中精力听后面的内容。

  考生平时在练习听力时,可以选择听英文演讲、讲座或公开课,以熟悉学术讲座的词汇和风格。练习方法上,考生可将泛听和精听结合起来。泛听是可以随时练习的,比如在等公交时,考生可以用手机听一段TED讲座,大致了解讲座内容即可。相对而言,精听则需要考生定点定时地练习,同时辅以听写训练。托福综合写作的讲座音频和英语专业四级考试的听写题都是练习精听的好材料。起初,考生可以每周听一次,在听第一遍时掌握文章大意;听第二遍时逐句听写;最后再完整听一遍,同时补充、修改细小的错误。精听需要考生听懂至少80%的内容,而泛听只需听懂大意即可。在这里,笔者提一个小小的建议:考生可以在进考场之前做一小段泛听,找找感觉,以便早点进入考试状态。

  建议三:条理清晰,学会总结

  考生在总结综合写作部分阅读文章和讲座录音的要点时,首先要抓住阅读文章的逻辑框架和主要观点,然后带着疑问去听录音,看看录音中的观点究竟是如何驳斥阅读文章中的观点的,最后将两者结合起来,写一篇总结性的短文。阅读文章和讲座录音均为四段的“总―分”结构:第一段为总论点,后三段为分论点。因此,考生在写作时最好也遵循上述结构,在第一段总述讲座的观点,然后在后三段的前半部分依次阐述讲座的分论点,并在后半部分补充与讲座论点相对的阅读文章的分论点。这样一一对应,既清晰又有条理。下面笔者将结合TPO 15的综合写作题目做具体分析。因篇幅有限,笔者只选取了阅读文章和讲座录音的主要内容。

  例:Reading:

  The cane toad (蔗蟾) is a large (1.8 kg) amphibian (两栖动物) 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 proposed 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 won’t 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 won’t stop the spread of the toad. That’s 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 Australia’s native frogs. Some of which are endangered. It’s 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 (爬行动物) 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 America cane toads are a native species and a vital part of the ecosystem.

  分析:结合阅读文章和讲座录音的主要内容,考生可以分别总结出这两部分的主论点和分论点。阅读文章主要提出了抑制澳大利亚蔗蟾繁衍的三种方法:第一种是在全国范围内建围栏;第二种是组织志愿者来捕杀蔗蟾;第三种是研制某种病毒来控制蔗蟾的数量。针对阅读文章,讲座录音提出,上述方法不但不会奏效,还可能对环境造成损害。随后,讲座依次阐述建围栏的方法为何无效,志愿者的方法有何不妥,以及新型病毒的研制会对生态环境造成什么不良后果。考生只需将上述论点结合起来,无一遗漏地进行论述,同时合理运用过渡句和表示逻辑关系的连接词,就能写出一篇合格的短文。

  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.

  Beside the first measure, recruiting a large group of volunteers could not be a satisfied 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 Australia’s 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 with the claim in the reading passage that an infectious virus could be developed to stop the reproduction of cane toads without harming other species.

  建议四:理由充分,论证有力

  论证能力是托福独立写作重点考查的能力,其实质是一种思维能力。中式思维是一种“竹式思维”,讲求一步一步深入论证;而英式思维是“树式思维”,论证时要先确定“主干”(即论点),再添加“枝叶”(即论证细节)。备考独立写作时,考生要注意转变思维方式,形成“树式思维”,进而培养论证能力。

  论证能力的培养有两种方法。一种方法是多读英文议论文,然后做英文摘要,理清论点和论据间的逻辑关系,同时研究文中的论证方法,并在练习时多加应用。英文议论文中常用的论证方法包括:举例论证、对比论证、事实论证等。举例论证是是用自己或某位名人的一个具体事例来论证观点;对比论证也可理解为反证,即先提出主论点,然后论述如果不这么做会产生怎样的负面结果;事实论证是要通过人们公认的事实或具体数据来论证观点。

  论证能力的另一种培养方法是要多积累论证素材,尤其是事例,以避免在写作中出现“假大空”的现象。论证所用的事例既可以是自己的,也可以是名人的。在搜集和使用名人事例时,考生需注意以下两点:①尽量使用西方人熟知的事例,如果一定要举中国名人的例子,最好选那些比较有国际影响力的人;②尽量少用爱因斯坦、爱迪生这种写滥了的名人,多积累一些新鲜素材。积累素材时, York Times)、,形成素材库,以备不时之需。

  除了上述两种方法,考生还要培养发散型思维,开拓思路,学会从不同角度进行论述。例如,在《托福考试官方指南》第221页有这样一道题:“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.”该题提出的观点是跟随有导游的旅行团出行是最佳的旅行方式。无论考生支持还是反驳上述观点,论证时都倾向于从个体出发,比如支持上述观点的考生往往会想出如下理由:导游可以介绍当地文化,导游可以设计合理的行程,导游可以带领游客购物等。其实,考生完全可以换个思路,从旅游业的角度出发,比如跟随导游可以让旅游业更加规范化,更有利于旅行目的地的文化保护等。

       以上便是网对考生们关于托福写作备考的一些建议,希望考生们可以掌握这些方法,在接下来的考试中取到理想的成绩。


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