在第一部分,考官会介绍自己并确认考生身份,然后打开录音机/笔,报出考试名称、时间、地点等考试信息。考官接下来会围绕考生的学习、工作、住宿或其他相关话题展开提问。
1. Where do you buy most of your clothes [Why?]
Well, I do almost all my shopping online. I just love that you can easily shop from the comfort of your home , and find anything from budget clothes to designer labels . It’s so convenient. But it’s easy to overspend too.
shop from the comfort of your home 舒服地在家购物
designer labels 设计师品牌
budget clothes 便宜的衣服
2. How often do you buy new clothes for yourself? [Why?]
Well, I buy new clothes seasonally or when there’s a good sale. I try to stick to my budget and not to splurge on every latest fashion item , although it’s not been easy.
buy new clothes seasonally 每季买新衣
latest fashion item 最新时尚单品
splurge on 在…上挥霍
3. How do you decide which clothes to buy? [why?]
For me quality always comes first. I believe the trick to looking polished is to get hold of a few classic , high-quality essentials that never go out of style . So I always go for the best quality within my price range.
look polished 着装考究
go out of style 过时
classic, high-quality essentials 必备的经典、高品质单品
4. Have the kinds of clothes you like changed in recent years? [Why?/Why not?]
Yes I think so. I used to find myself standing in front of a closet full of clothes while not being able to find the right piece to wear. But now I feel much clearer about my personal style and I always have a few outfits on standby .
a closet full of clothes 满柜子的衣服
have a few outfits on standby 有一些常备的整套搭配
personal style 自我风格
考官给考生一张话题卡(Cue card)。考生有1分钟准备时间,并可以做笔记(考官会给考生笔和纸)。之后考生要作1~2分钟的陈述。考生讲完后,考官会就考生的阐述内容提一两个相关问题,由考生作简要回答。
Describe an interesting discussion you had about how you spend your money.
You should say:
who you had the discussion with
why you discussed this topic
what the result of the discussion was
and explain why this discussion was interesting for you.
描述一场谈话是雅思口语中常见的话题卡,金钱也是核心的主题。本题意味着考生需要展现对谈话和金钱相关词汇的掌握,使用以下策略可以有意识地增加语法结构的丰富度。
financially savvy 有理财头脑
impulse shopper 冲动型消费者
go back a long way 认识很久
on the spur of the moment 一时冲动
a precocious child 聪明早熟的孩子
set aside 留出(一些钱)
spend money wisely 合理消费
name brand 名牌商品
get one’s money’s worth 钱花得值
generic brand 普通商品
this topic came up 聊起这个话题
invest in 投资于
create a budget 作预算
第三部分:双向讨论(4~5分钟)。考官与考生围绕由第二部分引申出来的一些比较抽象的话题进行讨论。第三部分的话题是对第二部分话题卡内容的深化和拓展。
1. Why do some parents give their children money to spend each week?
Well, I think there’re a couple of reasons why parents give their children allowances , but the most important one is to teach their children financial literacy . Allowances are a child’s first exposure to money management and they can also be a powerful tool to teach them about patience and decision making. For example, if they really want an expensive toy, they have to decide whether they should save up to buy it or they should rethink its value. I understand some parents are worried that free money could spoil children , but I believe it’s really up to what kind of strategies the parents use; for example, tying allowances to chores is a great way to teach children responsibility.
give allowances 给零花钱
save up 存钱
financial literacy 理财常识
spoil children 宠溺孩子
first exposure to money management 对理财的第一次接触
tie allowances to chores 把零花钱和完成家务挂钩
2. Do you agree that schools should teach children how to manage money?
Absolutely. In fact, I’m outraged that money management is not featured in most of the schools in China. I mean, if the purpose of public schooling is to raise sensible, functioning members of society , then financial literacy should definitely be part of the curriculum . And I also strongly believe that this education should start early when children are forming their good habits . If some parents or schools are uncomfortable with letting their children handle money at an early age , they could use alternatives or games, like the board game Monopoly to teach children the basics of personal finance.
functioning members of society 在社会中发挥作用的人
at an early age 小时候
part of the curriculum 教学大纲的一部分
alternatives 替代品
form one’s good habits 形成良好的习惯
3. Do you think it is a good idea for students to earn money while studying?
Well generally, I don’t think students should work unless the circumstances force them to , like they have other family members to support. Of course you can argue that having a job builds character and helps the students gain experience so that they are better prepared for the real world , but trying to work a full time job, or even a part time job while attending college will almost inevitably lead to inferior results in both areas . Studying for a degree is already a full time job. And education is supposed to be students’ focus and top priority at this stage, not just a hoop to jump through . Plus, what’s the point of listing on your resume the experience of working part time at a grocery store that has nothing to do with your career goals? I believe it’s way more beneficial for college students to volunteer in fields that are related to their future career.
the circumstances force one to 形势所迫
inferior results in both areas 两样都做不好
build character 锻炼品格
a hoop to jump through [习语]随便应付的任务
gain experience 积累经验
what’s the point of ...? …有什么意义呢?
better prepared for the real world 为更好地适应现实社会做准备
way more beneficial 有更多好处
1. Do you think it is true that in today’s society money cannot buy happiness?
Wow, this is a question that never gets old, isn’t it? For me, I’m convinced that money does make us happier, but only up to a certain point . I certainly don’t think we can be truly happy when we struggle to make ends meet , especially if we cannot afford our children’s education or the medicine that can save our loved ones . However, I’m skeptical of the idea that more money will bring more happiness. I admit that today’s society has become more materialistic , but it still can’t change the fact that we are social animals and we crave love and affection , which money cannot buy. Money can even undermine your happiness level , as I’ve heard some people who had won the lottery ended up faring worse . I think happiness has a lot to do with your health, self-esteem, social support and money is not always a positive factor here.
up to a certain point 到一定的程度为止
undermine one’s happiness level 破坏幸福感
make ends meet [习语]捉襟见肘,入不敷出
win the lottery 中彩票
loved ones 亲人朋友
fare worse 生活得更不好
materialistic 物质至上的
social support 社会支持
crave love and affection 渴望爱和真情
2. What disadvantages are there in a society where the gap between rich and poor is very large?
Well, a huge wealth gap will definitely lead to a lot of social problems. It seems to me that we are wired to value equality above growth . We are more satisfied with ourselves if we know our neighbors and old schoolmates are earning just as much as we do. On the contrary, growing income inequality will generate a widespread sense of injustice among people of lower class . And even the upper class will feel less secure because there is a breakdown of community ties . What’s worse, as more and more wealth gets concentrated in the hands of a few powerful individuals , there will be less and less social mobility , which will result in an even greater wealth gap and the vicious circle kicks in .
we are wired to value equality above growth 我们天生的思维方式就是不患寡而患不均
a breakdown of community ties 社区失去凝聚力
growing income inequality 不断加剧的收入差
wealth gets concentrated in the hands of a few powerful individuals 财富聚集到少数有权势的人
sense of injustice 不公平的感觉的手里
lower class 低收入阶层
social mobility 社会流动性
upper class 中高收入阶层
the vicious circle kicks in 恶性循环开始
3. Do you think richer countries have a responsibility to help poorer countries?
Yes, I think it’s not only a moral obligation but it’s also beneficial for the global economy as a whole . Just as the wealth gap within a country will lead to social issues, global economic inequality also has detrimental effects on world peace and international trade. However, by help I don’t mean simply “aid”. Humanitarian aid is no doubt necessary when disaster strikes, but regular, continuous economic aid is likely to do more harm than good, because it will easily disrupt the local economy and corrupt the government . In my opinion, richer countries should offer poorer countries help in the form of education programs, medical and technological support, which has a better chance of translating into social progress.
moral obligation 道德义务
disrupt the local economy 破坏当地经济
as a whole 作为一个整体
corrupt the government 导致政府腐败
have detrimental effects on 对…有严重危害
translate into 变成
humanitarian aid 人道捐助