雅思口语难题之学科类话题解析
 
朗阁海外考试研究中心  简真真
 
关于学科类的话题，很多考生为熟悉的莫过于Describe your favorite subject了，这类话题自2008年以来就一直是考生的心病。尽管在一定程度上表达自己对某事物的喜爱听上去没有那么难——只要抓住该事物的本质及其带来的好处就行，然而对于大部分不善于表达自己，尤其是不善于发现美、享受美、尽情表达美的考生们来说，说好话的本领原本就因缺乏培养而显地生涩，更不用说在雅思口语考试第二部分的短短两分钟里，从主客观方面有理有据地阐释自己的喜爱之情了。
 
然而，正当考鸭们绞尽脑汁地为此类话题消得人憔悴时，另一个更大的悲剧从天而降了。从2013年9、10月开始，此前阳光、正面、积极、向上的学科类话题，来了个180度大转弯，改变常态考法，出现让考生叫苦不迭的新题，如Describe a subject you disliked in high school / Describe a subject you dislike，真是一波未平一波又起。作为与烤鸭们共同奋战在雅思口语的朗阁们也紧锣密鼓地准备并整理出考题变化，及时在课堂上解说考试动态、更新考题应对方案，结合学生口语的能力现状给予思路点拨。下面是朗阁海外考试研究中心的针对本类话题的备考分析：
 

Describe a subject you didn’t enjoy in high school    You should say:    What the subject was    How the teacher taught this subject    How long you studied this subject And explain why you didn’t like it.

 
拿到Cue Card，首先要做的是仔细审题，将题目审清楚是合理展开思路的步，题目中的动词时态体现出话题描述的时间限制。本题的时态要求非常明确，即结合卡片上的三个问题描述高中时期不喜欢的一门课程，因此，需注意单纯叙述过去事件的时态。在表达的过程中，除了cover卡片的三个问题和最后的解释总结部分，还应注意每个问题的阐述时间及问题间的逻辑连贯性。
 
谈到高中阶段学地不开心、不享受的一门课，很多考生在脑海里一闪而过的多是Science类的科目，如Physics, Chemistry, Math, Geography等等。笔者在这里就选一个几乎人人闻之色变的难度较高的学科——Mathematics。这里附例文一则：
 
When back to high school, I struggled in Math class the most. The Father of Sciences gave me quite a difficult time, especially algebra and geometry. I was the exact converse of those Math geeks when I got into trigonometry and precalculus in the last year of senior high. I studied very hard to squeak by calculus exams and I completely got messed up with the formulas almost every time.
 
Math was very poorly taught in my teenage years. My teachers themselves didn’t like it, didn't have a deep understanding of it. They delivered their classes in a cramming way without enlightening us the beauty of the subject. We were simply required to memorize theorems and properties without inspiring guidance and explanations. And after doing assignments, we were asked to copy the answers presented on the blackboard. Math wasn’t taught as a tool for breaking down problems and searching for answers. It was taught in a rather abstract way instead. It was never made fun. I couldn’t find the connection with Math in real-time life. I was not a quick math problem solver, but I often got an early impression that if I was not fast, I was not good at it. So pokey types like me sometimes got discouraged and focus elsewhere. As a slow learner, I didn’t get additional help and "special" attention and almost bored to death in Math class. Finally, I lost my taste for it or didn't catch “the mathy bug”.
 
Interestingly, in China, it is a compulsory up until the age of 16. Therefore, I would say, except basic arithmetic methods taught before high school, that I’d earned Math for roughly six years. I felt I was beat up with Math which made me dedicated a good part of my day to it and became the major homework load. However, after two years of my graduation from university, my Math skills have got very rusty as time goes by except basic accounting ability.
 
what I always found appealing about math was that there was nearly nothing to memorize. It was all about understanding how it all fitted coherently. But after a point, I did need to remember theorems and properties and multiplication tables to proceed comfortably. When I did not know them and didn't have access to a calculator, I struggled with most Maths that followed, and it made the whole thing unpleasant. That many math problems have right and wrong answers is a problem for me to feel uncomfortable about making mistakes.
 
范文解析：
由于两分钟内要完成的任务较多，时间较少，在开始时，考生应立即进入话题描述，避免过多迂回曲折、热身式的导语。When back to high school, I struggled in Math class the most. 句直接点题。The Father of Sciences gave me quite a difficult time, especially algebra and geometry. 第二句进一步解释大学科下的小分类。I was the exact converse of those Math geeks when I got into trigonometry and precalculus in the last year of senior high. I studied very hard to squeak by calculus exams and I completely got messed up with the formulas almost every time. 与者相比，引出“我”的学习问题。
 
谈到教师对这门课的教授，不仅仅要从教师角度，更要从“我”的角度看待教师的教学所带来的困惑和心得。Math was very poorly taught in my teenage years. 句大体描述问题症结所在。My teachers themselves didn’t like it, didn't have a deep understanding of it. They delivered their classes in a cramming way without enlightening us the beauty of the subject. We were simply required to memorize theorems and properties without inspiring guidance and explanations. And after doing assignments, we were asked to copy the answers presented on the blackboard. Math wasn’t taught as a tool for breaking down problems and searching for answers. It was taught in a rather abstract way instead. It was never made fun. I couldn’t find the connection with Math in real-time life. 数学的教授方式缺乏启发和老师的教学激情低都是导致中学时学生对数学的排斥、恐惧甚至厌恨的原因。I was not a quick math problem solver, but I often got an early impression that if I was not fast, I was not good at it. So pokey types like me sometimes got discouraged and focus elsewhere. 对学生的引导方式不当，容易令学生失去对学习数学的信心。As a slow learner, I didn’t get additional help and "special" attention and almost bored to death in Math class. Finally, I lost my taste for it or didn't catch “the mathy bug”.
 
第三个问题偏简单。除了回答问题之外，还需进一步阐释长时间学习数学后是否给生活带来影响和改变。Interestingly, in China, it is a compulsory up until the age of 16. Therefore, I would say, except basic arithmetic methods taught before high school, that I’d earned Math for roughly six years. I felt I was beat up with Math which made me dedicated a good part of my day to it and became the major homework load. However, after two years of my graduation from university, my Math skills have got very rusty as time goes by except basic accounting ability.
 
最后的解释，要注意客观中肯及收尾的干净利落。An appealing thing about math was that there was nearly nothing to memorize. It was all about understanding how it all fitted coherently. 反面对比，褒贬兼顾。But after a point, I did need to remember theorems and properties and multiplication tables to proceed comfortably. 客观审视学习数学的好处的同时，及时转折回来，重回自己的立场，进一步解释自己的看法。For another, that many math problems have right and wrong answers is a problem for me to feel uncomfortable about making mistakes. 数学非对即错的解题模式令诸多解不出题而又不想犯错的学生倍感压力，进一步解释不享受数学课的原因。
 
关于“不喜欢”的精彩表达：
1. I struggle in Maths class the most.
2. Give sb. a difficult time.
3. I am the exact converse of those Math geeks.
4. squeak by
5. real-time life
6. pokey types
7. lost my taste for
8. beat up
9. my Math skills have got very rusty as time goes by
10. after a point
11. I'm not much of a big math fan.
12. I’m not a big lover of mathematics
13. It always makes my brain overwork
14. It bored me to death in math class.
15. I was not a really quick solver of math problems.
16. My least favorite class was probably Math.
17. I had a tough time in my math class.
18. It didn’t allow me to think creatively.
19. Math gets no love from me.
20. We are not particularly wired for it beyond basic counting.
21. I’m math-bashing.
22. a pain in the neck
 

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