VIP Class Notes (Maddie)

IELTS WRITING TASK 2

QUESTION TYPE1: Agree or disagree

立场一定要清晰，且贯穿文章始终——建议写一边倒

E.G.,Some people believe that it is more important to teach children the literature of their own country, rather than that of other countries. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

QUESTION TYPE2: discuss both views

两个观点所占篇幅相当，不要一详一略；记得给出自己的观点

e.g., Some people believe that developments in the field of artificial intelligence will have a positive impact on our lives in the near future. Others, by contrast, are worried that we are not prepared for a world in which computers are more intelligent than humans. Discuss both of these views and give your own opinion.

QUESTION TYPE3: two part questions

QUESTION TYPE4: advantages and disadvantages

QUESTION TYPE5: problem and solution

structure: 

共13句话

paragraph1 – introduction : 两句话：1）paraphrase the question/state the background of the issue in question, and 2）respond to the task（agree/disagree? your opinion?）

paragraph2 – body paragraph: 5句话 – topic sentence + elaboration + example + elaboration

paragraph3 – body paragraph: 5句话

paragraph4 – conclusion: 一句话概括本文主要内容

sample essay: (agree/disagree)

People have different views about the teaching of national versus global literature and history in schools. Personally, I support the idea that children should study first and foremost the great books and historical events of their own countries.

There are several reasons why I believe that schools should focus on teaching national literature and history. Firstly, children enjoy learning about where they live, and by studying the ideas, culture and history of their own countries they begin to develop a sense of identity. At the same time, this approach is appealing to parents, who studied the same books and historical events and can therefore help their children with school work. English children, for example, read Shakespeare and learn about the Battle of Hastings just as their parents did, and there is educational continuity across the generations. Finally, an emphasis on national literature and history gives educators a narrower teaching scope, making curriculum design an easier task.

By contrast, the study of global events and foreign novels could cause unnecessary difficulty and confusion for school pupils. For example, I do not see the point in presenting Russian or Chinese history to a British child who has not yet studied the history of his or her own country in detail. Surely the child would be more able to comprehend(=understand) historical events that took place in London than those that happened in Moscow or Beijing. Similarly, any exposure to international literature is likely to require the teaching of a foreign language or the use of translations. Young people at primary or secondary school age are simply not ready for such complications.

In conclusion, I would argue that it is undesirable=unfavourable 不利的，不好的  for schools to cover aspects of foreign history and literature; they should ground their pupils in the local culture instead.

(297 words, band 9)

IELTS SPEAKING

PART 1

FARMING

Have you visited a farm?
no –> well actually i don’t think i’ve ever visited a single farm.

what kind of farms do you like?
想不到说什么/没想过这个问题：well this is a tricky question as i never really thought about it before; but if i have to say what kind of farms appeals to me the most, i would say those where you can grow a lot of plants.

do you think farming is important?
of course yes because if there are were no farms we will would not get any fruit or vegetables to eat; and planting some trees or vegetables can also help the farmers to make more money – generate more income.

would 还可以表示让步、缓和语气

让表达变得更加生动形象：多用形容词副词

i don’t think anyone does to be honest.

are there any flowers that have special meanings in china?
well there’s this type of flowers which i don’t know the name of,   which are quite common when it’s the time to sweep tombs every year in china, and i think it’s like a gift for dead people.

it doesn’t like clothes or shoes which are more practical
it doesn’t is not like clothes or shoes which are more practical

Vocabulary

insect 昆虫

inland 内陆的 inland city versus coastal city

discrimination; discirminate against black people

racism 种族歧视

the only child 独生子女