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. Did you enjoy doing art lessons when you were a child? [Why?/Why not?]
Yes I did. I was really fond of drawing when I was little. And I guess the art lessons were one of the few times in a day when we didn’t have to sit still and try to remember everything the teacher said. It’s great fun to get my hands dirty and make a mess of the paint and brushes.
fond of 喜欢
make a mess of 把…弄得一团乱
get one’s hands dirty 把手弄脏
2. Do you ever draw or paint pictures now? [Why?/Why not?]
Almost never ... oh wait a minute, I just remembered that I have just finished one page of a coloring book that is all the rage these days, you know, the kind of book full of intricate patterns that you can fill with colors. Technically it’s just coloring not painting, but I did find it very therapeutic .
all the rage [习语]非常流行
therapeutic 有解压治愈作用的
intricate pattern 精细复杂的图案
3. When was the last time you went to an art gallery or exhibition? [Why?]
Well, last month maybe? I do enjoy looking at artsy stuff , these days meaning Instagram or other photo apps. But going to the exhibitions, I can take it or leave it . My best friend is quite keen so I go with her from time to time.
artsy stuff [非正式]有艺术感的东西
take it or leave it 无所谓
4. What kind of pictures do you like having in your home? [Why?]
What kind of pictures? I would have to say photography. I’m not a good photographer myself, but I would love to have some tasteful black and white photos hanging on the wall . I think they really bring an artistic touch to the space.
hanging on the wall 挂在墙上
bring an artistic touch 带来艺术气息
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 a time when you visited a friend or family member at their
workplace.
You should say:
who you visited
where this person worked
why you visited this person’s workplace
and explain how you felt about visiting this person’s workplace.
本题融合了“拜访”和“工作”两个常考话题。考生需要展现出对这两方面的词汇掌握水平,同时使用以下策略可以有意识地增加语法结构的丰富度。
open house day 开放参观日
shipping container 集装箱
set up one’s own business 自己创业
blow one away 让某人彻底震惊
an avid traveller 热爱旅行的人
create a contrast against... 与…形成对比
an office job 办公室工作
patio 露天可供休息的庭院
monotony 单调枯燥
knick-knack 小玩意
as luck would have it 幸运的是
resourcefulness 才干
the “wow”factor 令人赞叹的特点
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. What things make an office comfortable to work in?
First of all, the physical environment: lighting, air quality, noise and the level of upkeep , they all affect our performance at work. Of course everyone loves to have an office that is bright, airy, quiet and clean. Color is also a huge factor. People doing creative job may prefer to have bright, bold colors in their office, while others may find it hard to concentrate in such a place, and prefer traditional opaque walls and neutral color furniture. So I think it really depends on the nature of the work and the personality of the employee.
lighting 照明采光
opaque wall 不透光的墙壁
air quality 空气质量
neutral color 中性色彩
the level of upkeep 整洁程度
the nature of the work 工作性质
bold color 鲜明的色彩
2. Why do some people prefer to work outdoors?
Well, I know I would like to work outdoors if I could. It’s proven that sunlight exposure releases endorphins that make us feel good. And many people also like to have the freedom of moving around while they’re working, instead of feeling confined to a small cubicle . I, for one, find taking a walk a much better way to clear my mind and work out problems than sitting at my computer all day.
sunlight exposure releases endorphins 晒太阳身体会释放内啡肽
be confined to a small cubicle 被关在小隔间里
work out problems 解决问题
clear one’s mind 理清思路
sit at one’s computer 坐在电脑前
3. Do you agree that the building people work in is more important than the colleagues they work with?
Not really. I do admit the physical environment we are in has a profound effect on us, and we’re really susceptible to environmental cues - that’s what supermarkets have been doing to make us shop more. But I still believe ultimately it’s the people we’re working with, the morale of the company, and the social support at the workplace that determine our work efficiency and job satisfaction . It’s hard to imagine we could enjoy our work even if we’re in our dream office, when we are teamed with people we despise .
have a profound effect on 对…有深刻影响
social support 社会支持
be susceptible to environmental cues 容易受环境暗示的影响
job satisfaction 工作满意度
morale 士气
despise 厌恶
1. What would life be like if people didn’t have to work?
That’s an interesting question. In fact, some philosophers have imagined a society where people don’t have to work for an income while products are distributed based on needs . Personally I don’t think such a system will ever be viable because we’re programmed to be opportunists, to take every advantage that’s available. This is how we survived evolution. So if we didn’t have to work for a living, we’d happily become free riders who will soon exhaust whatever the wealth that other hardworking people might have created. For me, work is social justice and therefore is indispensable.
products are distributed based on needs 产品按需分配
free riders “搭便车”的人
viable 可行的
exhaust 耗尽
take advantage of ... 占…的便宜
social justice 社会公正
2. Are all jobs of equal importance?
Well, I guess to answer this question we have to first define “importance”. If it means how much wealth the job generates then clearly some jobs are more important than others. And you can also argue that a teacher’s job is more important than a hedge fund manager ’s because education can not be measured by money . However, in terms of the intrinsic value of work, which is to serve a purpose and make an honest living, I believe all jobs are equal.
how much wealth the job generates 工作创造多少财富
can not be measured by money 不能以金钱衡量
hedge fund manager 对冲基金经理
the intrinsic value 内在的价值
3. Why do some people become workaholics?
Well, I tend to think there’re two kinds of workaholism . The first kind is when people really adore their work and they get a tremendous sense of achievement from it. As a result, they often seem very absorbed in their work and may have a tendency to overwork. However, I’m not sure if this should really be considered workaholism, because isn’t this what people need to do to become successful? Being driven and willing to work hard? On the other hand, there’re other workaholics who use work as an escape from other social or emotional pressure that they don’t want to deal with. In this case, they may display more obsessive-compulsive behaviors that will take a toll on not only their health but also their career.
workaholism 工作狂
an escape from other social or emotional pressure 一种逃离其他社会和情感压力的方式
sense of achievement 成就感
be absorbed in... 全心投入于…
obsessive-compulsive behaviors 强迫性的行为
driven 积极进取的
take a toll 对…产生负面影响
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