一、开头段写作方法详解
为了解决大家面对电脑屏幕上的Independent writing task题“无从下手”、“头脑空白”乃至“思绪乱如麻”的问题,我们向大家介绍8种常见的开头段具体写作方法,辅以翔实的例子,让大家能从低门槛迈入托福写作的大门,为流畅地完成托福写作开个好头。
1. 背景法
背景法,顾名思义是通过介绍题目的社会背景来引出主题。所谓背景可以是社会发展状况,经济文化乃至政治局势等等。这种写法的好处在于简便易行,为题目论题设置合理的情境,便于读者理解。
具体写作方式:背景+重述题目+(反对方观点+理由)+自身观点+理由
请参考以下范例进行理解:
例1:Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Drivers should pay a certain amount of fee to drive on the city streets during the busiest hours of a day.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
开头段:
With the Internet and high-tech devices becoming increasingly developed, there is a growing concern over the anxiety about information explosion. Therefore, quite a number of people doubt whether we need to pay our precious time and limited energy to care about numerous events happening in other places, especially those that seem irrelevant to our lives. As far as I am concerned, to learn what happen around the world would benefit us in some aspects.
例2:Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Governments should focus its budgets more on environmental protection than on economic development.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
开头段:
Nowadays, people are becoming increasingly concerned about the contradiction between rapid economic development and environmental protection. It is always a dilemma for governments. As far as I am concerned, in terms of sustainable development, environmental preservation is more important than economic growth.
在书写背景式开头段时,请同学们掌握以下固定句型:
背景句常用句型:
(1)with 类
① With the fastunexpected developmentprogresspromotionwidespread use of sth, …
② With sth developingbeing promotedbeing criticizedbecoming increasingly popular …
(2)growing 类
① Nowadayscurrentlypresently, there is a growing concern over sth, which…
② Nowadays, sth is drawingarousingleading tocausing increasing concern among sb.
③ Nowadays, people are becoming increasingly concernedworrieddelighted over the widespread use ofthe popularity ofthe potential harmbenefits…may causelead to bring about.
④ The popularitytrend towards…leads to a…
(3)dilemmacontroversy 类
① Itsth has always been a dilemmacontroversy for…to do sth.
② It is never an easy task for sb to do sth.
③ Whether we should do a. or b. has never been an easy choice. As a matter of fact, people are easily swayed by many other factors, such as…
【练习题】
练习用背景法完成以下题目开头段:
(1)Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Business should hire employees for their entire lives.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
(2)Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
The public need not pay for public transportation.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
2. 举例法
举例法是在文章开头讲述事例从而引出主题内容,同学可以通过平时所读的报纸,杂志,以及在网络平台上所了解的一些真实的案例,或者也可以是周围人身上所发生的事件来引出所争论的题目。通过事例法引出论题,通常能引起读者的兴趣,同时也会使文章的主题更容易理解。
具体写作方式:举例+论题+(反对方观点+理由)+自身观点+理由
例1:Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
It is important for families to regularly eat their meals together.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
开头段:
Last evening, I had dinner with my parents, and last family get-together was three months ago. Although my parents and I live in the same city, we do not often have meal together because I am so busy with my personal business and my work. I know that my story is not rare, and it is actually one of thousands of cases. From my perspective, having meal with families regularly is quite significant for strengthening family bonds and compensate for our lack of communication.
例2:Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Strict parents will make kids more successful in the future?
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
开头段:
The other day, I met Jenny, my schoolmate, who told me that she had no weekends at all since her parents required her to play the piano and then take TOEFL lessons. She said that she had an extremely tight schedule, and her parents had high expectation on her and zero tolerance for any sign of laziness. Jenny’s story is not unusual, but it is a rather typical case instead. However, I believe that being strict is not a right way that can lead to children’s success.
在书写举例法开头段时,请同学们掌握以下固定句型:
举例法常用句型:
① Last SundayThe other daySome months ago, Ia friend of mine … The casestoryincident is not rareunusual. It is onetypical of thousands of…
② I have a friendA friend of mine who… Such a choicedilemmaproblem we often meetfaceconfront in our daily life.
③ Once in a hospitalschoolstreetnewspaper, I sawread oflearnt...
④ Once upon a time, there lived a man who ... This story may be unbelievable , but it still has a realistic significance now.
【练习题】
练习用举例法完成以下题目开头段:
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Teachers are appreciated and valued nowadays not as much as they were before.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
(2)Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
The best way to travel is in a group led by a guide.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.