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2017年大陆雅思考试情况分析及2018考试趋势、备考重点

1.雅思学术类考试适用性

目前全球超过10,000所机构认可雅思成绩,包括英国,澳大利亚,新西兰,美国,加拿大,荷兰,法国,德国,瑞士,瑞典,新加坡,香港,马来西亚,日本,南非等。并且近几年,美国也有越来越多的院校认可雅思成绩。截止到2017年10月,雅思官方网站统计了认可雅思成绩的美国院校近3500所。下表例举了受中国考生青睐的五所美国顶尖大学的雅思要求:

2.近两年中国大陆学生雅思考试成绩汇总和分析

2015年全球雅思学术类考试学生成绩汇总和排名

根据上表数据,中国大陆以总成绩5.7位居世界第33名;与2014年相比,总排名下降了4名,与同年排名第一的德国(7.3分)差距较大;相比较而言,其他亚洲国家如韩国,日本,越南和泰国平均成绩排名均比中国大陆平均成绩排名靠前,与这些国家相比,中国大陆考生的雅思口语和写作考试成绩拉低了平均成绩,均分都没有超过5.5分。同时值得一提的是中国大陆学生从2012年到2016年雅思成绩平均分数取得了近0.1分的提升,但口语和写作成绩的进步较小,依然停留在均分5.5以下。如下表所示:

中国大陆学生雅思学术类考试近5年分数比较

与此同时雅思官方统计出了入围QS 世界大学排名前500名的中国大陆高等院校雅思考试总成绩。从入围QS世界大学排名前500名的21所中国高校对比来看,有17所大陆高校雅思平均成绩高于6.0分,低于6.5分,其中排名第一的复旦大学平均成绩为6.45分。

雅思官方数据同样统计了这几所高校的单项成绩,由表格数据可以看出,中国高校考生展示出了较硬的阅读和听力能力,而口语和写作的平均成绩较拖后腿,如下表数据所示。

基于以上对近两年来中国大陆雅思考生的成绩分析,这篇文章针对中国雅思考生的最短板科目口语和写作进行2017年年度盘点总结和提出相应备考建议。

2017年雅思口语年度盘点

雅思口语考试总时长是11到14分钟,包括三部分:第一部分是Answer Questions(回答问题) (总时长4到5分钟),主要内容与日常生活相关;第二部分是The Long Run(个人描述),考生会发到一张话题卡,一分钟准备,一到两分钟描述,主要描述对象包括人,地,事,物(总时长3到4分钟);第三部分形式也是Answer Questions, 但主要是由第二部的话题描述衍生出的社会问题的讨论,3到4个问题(总时长4到5分钟)。

1.2017年雅思口语考试第一部分

回顾2017年雅思口语考试,第一部分仍旧保留了之前几年的高频话题,其中包括:

同时也衍生出了一些相似的较新话题,包括:snacks (小吃),camping (野营),maths (数学),dreams (梦),shoes(鞋)。

Snacks

Camping

Maths

Shoes

由此可见,考生不必对新话题过分恐慌,平时练习时多注意表达思路的拓展和练习巩固,以及对话题词汇的输入储备和输出训练,便可以以不变应万变。针对雅思口语考试第一部分,建议考生,第一:听清听懂考官的问题,及时自然做到应答;如果没有听懂题目,可以让考官重复问题,例如“Could you repeat the question, please?”,不会影响到分数;第二:在直接回答问题的基础上,做到两到三句拓展,例如解释原因或举例说明,不宜过长,尽量用话题相关的词汇(topic vocabulary)进行拓展说明,用连接词将句子之间的逻辑关系连接起来。

2.2017年雅思口语考试第二部分

与第一部分相似,雅思口语考试的第二部分依旧保留了之前的一些常规考题,例如:

1.Describe a person who helped you in your studies or work.

2.Describe someone who said positive comments to you

3.Describe a happily married couple

4.Describe a group of people who made you smile

5.Describe a person you admire who is not from your country.

6.Describe a disagreement with a decision that someone made

7.Describe a good news about a person you know well.

8.Describe an occasion you helped someone

9.Describe something you planned to do but haven’t done yet.

10.Describe a time you were happy to have a mobile phone

11 Describe an English lesson

12.Describe a conversation with someone you don’t know

13.Describe a car journey.

14.Describe your ideal home.

15.Describe a place you visited as a child.

16.Describe a piece of art.

17.Describe a special cake.

18.Describe a time you teamed up with an old person

19.Describe something you got for free

20.Describe a big company/organization near year.

在原有常规题目的基础上,考生也遇到了一些较新话题,参考如下:

1.Describe an occasion you received a good service from a company or shop.

2.Describe a beautiful person that you know.

3.Describe a holiday you recently had.

4.Describe a place where you can learn.

建议考生在备考时,加强对话题关联性的总结。例如Describe a positive experience that you had as a teenager; Describe a place where you can learn; Describe a journey; Describe a holiday you recently had等话题皆可以在同一个核心主题“旅游”的基础上,结合卡片(cue card)上的具体问题进行拓展描述,从而减轻备考负担。同时在第二部分,考生需要加强对话题词汇的积累和运用,例如与旅游话题相关的guided tour(有导游安排的旅行);book ahead of time (提前预定);holiday resort(度假胜地);exotic environment(异域风情)等。同时,在平时备考训练中,建议考生多做计时模考练习,避免在考试时无法充分描述到1到2分钟。

就讨论的旅游和地点话题附雅思考官Simon的高分范文作为参考:

I’m going to describe the best known river in England, the river Thames.

The river Thames is in the south of England, and it is famous because it flows right through the centre of London. It goes winding through all of the most iconic, famous tourist attractions and landmarks of the city. For example, it goes past the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament, with Big Ben, and it goes under Tower Bridge, probably the most famous bridge in London.

So the land around this river, or on either side of this river is hectic, thriving, city-centre London. It ‘s right in the heart of the city, and of course it’s a cosmopolitan mix of cultures, business, tourism all around. It is where everyone goes to do sightseeing in the centre of the capital, and it’s got a lot of the history and heritage of London based around that area, in close proximity to the river itself.

The reason I like this river, the river Thames, is because it is such an iconic location. It’s a backdrop to these great landmarks of the city: the historic buildings and famous tourist sites in the city. And I’ve got good memories of being there on a New Year’s Eve one year recently. In London, New Year’s Eve celebrations are all focused on the river, with the river and some of the landmarks as the backdrop to a big fireworks show. And so the river’s all lit up, and there’s a spectacular fireworks display put on, and lots of tourists and local people all watch it there together. That was really an unforgettable experience, and the river was central to it.

3.2017年雅思口语考试第三部分

雅思口语考试的第三部分和第一部分考试形式较相似,均为考官问问题,考生回答。区别于第一部分,第三部分从内容上,更侧重于对社会问题的辩证性讨论,即具备批判性思维(critical thinking)。因此在备考时,建议考生多从问题形式着手,拓展表达思路和相应句式。其中常见的问题形式(question types)有:

a.观点类 e.g. Do you think students should wear uniform in school?

b.变化类 e.g. How may eating habits change in coming decades?

c.对比类 e.g. Why do some people prefer listening to the news from the internet, while others prefer TV news?

d.优缺点分析 e.g. What are the benefits of playing a sport?

e.问题解决类 e.g. What are the usual ways to dispose of waste in your country?

综上所述,在备考雅思口语考试第三部分时,考生重点需要在表达句型,表达思路和表达方法这三方面进行学习和训练。

4.雅思口语考试的评分标准和备考建议总结

雅思口语考试有四项评分标准:Fluency (流利程度);Vocabulary (词汇);Grammar (语法); Pronunciation (发音),每一项各占25%。

由评分表可以看出,考生在备考上: 第一在流利程度方面,需要做到对话题熟悉,可以流利作答,训练表达思路,灵活应对话题;第二在词汇方面,需要加强话题相关词汇,固定搭配和俚语的积累和输出练习;第三在语法方面,需要对时态和复合句式的正确使用;第四在发音方面,需要注意对连读的处理,以及对语音语调的润色。

2017雅思写作年度盘点

2017年全年46场雅思考试终于在本月16日结束,纵观全年写作考试题目,可以得出这样的结论:小作文的地图题出现更为频繁,大作文的优劣对比题型也更为突出,同时全年大作文题目仍然以重复旧题为主。

Task 1/小作文

1)题型变化

如上图所示,表格题和柱状图依旧是IELTS最青睐的题型,其中柱状图以16场考试稳占第一。虽然表格题今年仍出现了9场,但与2016年度相比出现场次呈大幅下降。另外,饼图的考试频次无变化;同时,估计官方认为折线图太简单了,全年只出现过3场。值得注意的是,流程图和地图共11场,比去年多了7场,并且在12个月中只有3个月里面没有这两种题型。考试比例由去年的1/10上升至1/4!

2)备考建议

针对2018年备考策略,首先对于图表题中的动态图(即包含时间变化的图),笔者始终认为图表作文的基础在于折线图,即描述趋势(也包括各最值);然后熟悉柱状、饼图的描述——横向和纵向比较。学习该部分内容还是要重视基础表达训练(例如常见的上升和下降的多样表达),待冲刺阶段时再重点突破高频图表。而静态图(不含时间变化的图)数据偏繁杂,而且现在的雅思考试不再简单地出静态图,反而是动态,静态图结合考察,所以考生要注意获取有效信息,突出重点信息。

对于地图,考生首先需非常熟悉剑桥系列真题中的地图题以及范文,熟悉掌握各种方位的表达,并注意比较两个图before/after的变化。对于流程图,信息量不会太多,但是难点在于怎么紧密衔接上下句,同时注意主动/被动语态的使用。关于备考,烤鸭们不要再误以为流程和地图考试频率低而大意。由于官方也很想反套路,预计明年这两类作文的比例不会低。

Task 2/大作文

1)题型变化:

与2016年相比,题型比例变化不甚明显,Agree/Disagree出现了18场,占40%。今年Both Views和Report题型比例有所下降,反而Advantage/Disadvantage(优劣势讨论)类题型比例增加。PS: 雅思写作常考题型分为4种,分别为:

a)Agree/Disagree: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

b)Both Views: Discuss both views and give your opinion.

c)Advantage/Disadvantage: Do the benefits outweigh the disadvantages?

d)Report: XX. (一些现象或问题) What are the reasons/effects/solutions?

2)话题变化

关于旧题重复率问题,估计同学们看完这幅图就崩溃了!全年46场考试中28场是原题照搬过去三年的旧题,其中2014年的原题占了19场。尽管官方多走了一步,勾兑了2015和2016年的题,也依然难掩其之懒惰。而从另一个侧面可以看出,大作文的话题题库相对固定,更有利于考生备考。

关于话题内容变化,总的来说,2017的写作题目符合雅思写作一般话题的范围,仍然以社会类为主。写作题目中社会类话题(包括:政府、城市建设、政府资助、工作等话题)总共24场,所占比例较大;教育类次之(10场),科技类(7场),剩下是其他话题。今年还考了一个关于小语种保护的“千年老题”。下面我们通过各类话题例题来看下一般的破题思路。(篇幅有限,只能列举代表题目)

社会类例题:

(CN 2017.01.21) The best way for governments to solve the problem of traffic congestion is to provide free public transport in 24 hours per day, and seven days a week. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

(CN 2017.02.25) Some people think that government should spend money on looking for life on other planets, while other think it is a waste of money when some problems are not solved on the Earth. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

(CN 2017.05.06) Some people believe that young people who commit serious crimes should be punished in the same way as adults. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

教育类例题:

(CN 2017.01.07) Art classes, such as painting and drawing, are as important for children's development as other subjects, so they should be compulsory in high school. Do you agree or disagree?

(CN 2017.03.25) In the past, the role of teacher was to provide information. Today, students have access to wide sources of information. There is, therefore, no role of teacher in modern education. Do you agree or disagree?

(CN 2017.06.17) Some people think that a country benefit from a large proportion of young people university educated. Others think that sending young people to universities leads to graduate unemployment. Discuss both views and your opinion.

科技类例题:

(CN 2017.02.18) Some people think that the development of technology has made our life more complex, and the solution is to live a simpler life without that technology. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

(CN 2017.03.30) In the past, people stored knowledge in the books. Nowadays, it is stored on the Internet. Do the benefits outweigh the drawbacks?

(CN 2017.08.12) Some people have benefited from modern communication technology, but some people have not benefited from it at all. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

3)备考建议

从以上题型变化和话题变化2部分内容中,我们可以怎么做才能更高效备考2018年的雅思写作呢?首先,题型上来说,2018年的题目仍然会以Agree/Disagree题型为主。考生注意此类题目要注意避免简单一边倒——例如,对于“(CN 2017.05.06)Some people believe that young people who commit serious crimes should be punished in the same way as adults. To what extent do you agree or disagree? ”这道题,假设考生同意该观点,写出2个分论点之后要加上对于反面的让步和反驳论述(让步:部分青年人会受到过重判罚;反驳:但是严重罪行对于社会的危害很大,像成年人去判罚更警醒青年人避免犯严重罪行,毕竟预防危害才是更有效的治理方法。),这样会更符合评分标准中Task Response中对于“addresses all parts of the task”(7.0分)的要求。

然后,因为从内容上来说,社会类题目一直都很常考,所以建议考生要重点复习2014-2017年社会类真题的解题思路。该类题目一般包含“政府和公民”2大主体,所以思考的时候建议也从这2个角度去思考。最后,建议考生一定要按照老师所给的真题汇总去总结一般思路以及对应表达,为什么这点非常重要?首先评分标准中对于Coherence and Cohesion的要求是这样的:“logically organises information and ideas; there is clear progression throughout”(7.0分)—— 老师课上能带着你去把一个观点讲清楚,避免跳跃或者含糊不清。例如“(CN 2017.06.17)Some people think that a country benefit from a large proportion of young people university educated. Others think that sending young people to universities leads to graduate unemployment. Discuss both views and your opinion. ”这道题,对于第2个方面的解释,很多学生直接说:“学生毕业出来,工作很难找,所以降低就业率”。但是,这个观点其实没有讲清楚“为什么会难找工作”——可以这么来修改:某些学生在大学所学专业不能够对接现在社会所需要的人才,而且这些学生也不够努力去学习必须的工作技能,所以企业不给她们工作offer,所以社会就业率下降。

总结

2017年大陆雅思写作总体难度稳定,虽然题型出现小变化,不过没有出现大的变动,大作文真题仍然以重复旧题为主。小作文部分请注意复习地图题的写法,大作文部分仍然要以近几年的真题为练习材料,同时仍然要熟悉各话题的常规思路,尤其是社会类,教育类和科技类。

本文由沃邦雅思教研组编写,未经授权不得转载。

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