我的TOEFL 写作构思方式

之前写作一个推送说过TOEFL 独立写作话题归类的来源

下面的分类原则对于大家在构思的时候也会有一定的参考价值。

首先我们比较少从话题本身去分类，更多是从构思/写的角度去分类。比如下面两个题目

Some charitable organizations (groups that help people in need) allow people who give money to charity to choose how their donations will be used. (For example, people can decide whether their donated money is spent directly on goods and services for people in need or on advertising by the charity. If you were to give money to charity, would you prefer to choose how your donation is going to be used, or do you think it is more effective to leave that decision to the organization? Why?

At some universities, students take part in making decisions about many issues that affect daily life for everyone on campus, such as how many hours the library should be open each day or what types of food should be served in the cafeteria. At other universities, experts are hired to make those decisions, and students are almost never involved. Which approach do you prefer, and why? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

一个是charity 的事情，一个是university 的事情，从题面看没什么关系。但从构思来说都和时间安排会有关系。因为你要不要去管charity money 怎么花，有一个理由可以是“比较忙，可能没有时间去打理。” 而对于学生要不要参与学校决策，也可以是一个类似的理由：学生比较忙，可能没有时间顾及学校运营。

因为上面两个题目的构思的思路是类似的，所以都在Busy & Rest 的类型下面。

同理，下面的几个题目从题面看可能是“学校”和“旅游”， 但都归类在 Diverse & Focus 下。

At many universities, the administration provides help to new students who may be unfamiliar with university life. If you were a new student who wanted to learn how best to succeed at your school and adjust to university life, which ONE of the following activities do you think would be most useful to you? Why?

-Attending a one-week orientation or introductory program on the university campus, during which you would live on the campus and participate in activities there before your classes began

-Meeting regularly during your first year with a student in your major field of study who has attended the university for several years

第一个选项diverse 的意思是可以见到不同专业的同学。

Imagine that you are given the opportunity to spend one week on an educational school trip, after which you will write a paper about what you learned during the trip. Would you prefer to spend that week in a location in your own country that you have not visited before, or would youprefer to spend the week in a location in another country? Why?

去另外一个国家体验当然更为diverse 一些。

顺着这个思路，TOEFL 独立写作里很多话题是问我们觉得怎么花时间，比如

#1

Imagine that you attend a university where undergraduate students must complete a special requirement in their final semester (term of study) before graduation. Students have the following two options.

-They can complete an intensive research project on an interesting topic that is related to their major field of study and then write a paper on that topic. OR

-They can complete an internship, meaning they will receive university credits for temporarily working at a company where they will have an opportunity to learn about the business and gain professional experience.

Which ONE of these options do you believe would be best for students, and why? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

#2

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? At university, students get as much benefit from participating instudent organization or club activitiesas they do from their academic studies.

#3

E-mail has become the most used method of communication in workplaces. Employees use it to communicate with one another and their superiors, or the people who manage their work.But there are employees who are suggesting that workers should spend more time talking to one another in person or on the telephone instead.Which view do you agree with? Why?

#4

Recently several cities have made it a rule that teachers will give primary school students (aged 5 to 10)no more than 30 minutes of homework per night, because the students get enough instruction during the regular school day. Do you agree or disagree with this rule? Why?

#5

A university has money in its budget to do ONE thing to improve its facilities for students:

it can either improve the quality of the technology (for example, computers and printers) that it provides for students.

OR

it can redesignspaces where students hold club meetings and gather with friendsin their spare time to make these areas more comfortable and appealing.

Which idea do you prefer, and why?

#6

Imagine that students at your school are asked to spend one week away from school as volunteers (working without pay) to help the local community. Which of the following experiences would you choose? Why?

-Volunteering at a hospital

-Volunteering at a museum

-Volunteering at a nature conservation area to protect wildlife and the environment

题目当然本身选什么角度都是无所谓的，也都是可以展开的，只是我们都希望自己的备考是比较高效的，构思是可以举一反三的。所以从构思的可复制性上（所谓可复制性，就是一个题目的思路，可以用到另外一个，或者一类题目）来说，建议大家判断怎么花时间的依据是：

1. 选择花精力少的，论证的理由很简单: 因为“累”有各种不好...
2. 选择跟人接触多的，比如在group 和individual 之间，我们会选择group。选择这个角度的原因是ETS的题目一定符合普世价值，而“与人友爱”一定的普世价值，所以这个角度的可复制性会比较强

按照这个原则

#1 选intern， 因为写paper 太累了

#2 同意，因为student organization 和club里的提高的是social/ communication 的能力，也是很重要的。

#3 选多面对面沟通的吧，这样团队归属感强，稳定度也高。（当然让步段落可以去说email 的各种好。）

#4 是的，作业不能多于30min，不然太累了

#5 同#2， 要多与人social

#6 museum 吧，相对没有那么累

当然如果能保证论证内容的可复制性，选择其他的角度也是OK的。只是上面的两个选择的原则真的很好用。可以试试。