石小军
雅思学术类考试中的大作文（INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE TESTING SYSTEM Academic Writing Practice Test, Task 2）和我国英语专八（TEM 8）中的作文均系水平较高的面向英语非母语者的权威英语写作测试。但二者在具体特征和对考生能力要求上的侧重和偏好又各有不同，孰难孰易也一直众说纷纭。小编在此以实际的真题范文为例，对两类作文的题型、行文结构和内容思路等做一个梳理和总结，以帮助考生根据不同的受试目标，做好不同的应考准备，最终完善好自己的语言和思辨能力。
雅思学术类大作文系话题作文，题面非常简单，要求考生根据提供的话题或针对某一观点，提出自己的看法并展开讨论。所涉范围虽覆盖至政治科技经济教育等多个方面，但均为日常社会生活中关系民生的热点议题，保证了考生基本都有话可说。如范文A，题面仅用两句话要求考生围绕政府是否应该为国民的教育和医疗买单来明确观点发表意见。雅思考试中心明确规定考生的作文需要有明显的开头段和结论段，因此，接下来的行文结构就是典型的“介绍段-主体论述-结论段”的三段式模板。
其中介绍段一般包括背景介绍，点明论题和个人立场三部分。如范文A的起始段，首句就引出了国民健康和教育的话题，第二、三句即直奔论题，在二者出资上，政府与国民的角色，第四句则明确提出个人主张，表明官民应联合承担责任。
主体论述一般为两至三段，分别给出两到三个具体的支持或反对理由，然后充分展开相应的论证。每段多为四到五句话，结构也大体固定。首句为中心句（topic sentence），给出一个支持/反对的观点；之后再用三到四句话来拓展、解释和论证中心句。为了体现西文写作中尤为看重的批判性思维，有时候主体第三段的中心句也会是一个同作者相左的观点，然后一破一立，通过后面若干几句来推翻该观点，从而更进一步证明己方意见的正确性和全面性，为文章增色。此部分最能体现出考生的实际水平，因此是考官评分的主要判断依据。范文A的主体段为非常典型的三个段落，各为五、六和四句的长度。段落间平衡有序，整齐划一。前两段从政府角度阐述了其分别在国民健康及教育中的职责和由此带来的积极影响，第三段则进一步补充了国民在之中也应尽的责任和自律义务。此处以主体第一段的五句话来做一个简单说明。中心句明言政府在国民教育上的资金支持系利民利国的明智之举。之后的四句扩展句则以无力支付高额学费的家庭为例，说明没有接受良好教育的子女很有可能还会在今后的知识社会中处于不利位置，而政府的教育出资可以有效改变这一双重窘境，教育也才能彰显其最大价值，有理有据地论证了政府在教育支持上的深远意义。
最后的结尾段为全文的一个归纳总结。与起始段形成首尾呼应，但长度往往略短于前者，多为两到三句话，既包括对上述若干中心句的高度整合，又有对议题的一些建设性意见和展望。范文A的结尾仅有两句话，一句用于重申教育及医疗对国民的重要性和政府对此应承担的责任，一句指明了政府在此的非万能性和国民应具备的能动性。简明扼要，流畅自然。
由此可见，雅思学术类大作文的结构行文非常模式化和固定化，总长度在18到22句话之间，字数在400字以内。加之司空见惯的日常话题，对考生写作内容的创新性并无更多要求，换言之，其更注重考察学生的显性语言能力---如何表达，表达的清晰度、流畅度和逻辑连贯性，而非隐性的思辨能力---表达什么。因此雅思写作的应试突击空间较大。但与此同时，作为国际权威英语语言测试项目之一，雅思作文对考生的语言规格质量又要求极高，其更强调语言的规范正式，不仅句式措辞、甚至连更细微的标点符号都有具体规定，因此考生在短期内经过强化训练取得理想分数也非易事。
雅思推荐范文A
Some people think the government should pay for health care and education, but there is not agreement about whether it is the government’s responsibility. What is your opinion?
(1) Not surprisingly, health care and education are two areas of government priority in most, if not all, of the countries around the world. (2) However, many tend to see the both areas as citizens’ individual responsibilities. (3) This belief is partly right. (4) The government and the citizens should be jointly responsible for the cost od education and health care service.
(5) The first point to note is that the government funding for education is of great benefit to families with children and society. (6) There are occasions on which parents cannot afford the cost of their education and their saving are meagre, compared with the formidable tuition fees being charged by a tertiary institution. (7) Poor academic experience can impair one’s employability and put him or her into a seriously disadvantaged position. (8) Government spending addresses this issue by providing aspiring students with access to a comfortable learning experience. (9) In this knowledge-based society, possibly nothing is more valuable than the access to education.
(10) Similarly, an individual should receive health care treatments, especially lifesaving ones, whether he or she has the means to pay. (11) Access to health care is a basic human right and a measure to ensure a decent standard of living. (12) In the event of the need for urgent or emergency treatment, government spending enables sufferers to receive immediate health care services. (13) This is the fulfilment of the government’s responsibility to its members. (14) Needless to say, health care treatment costs are, in general, unaffordable to low income families. (15) Government’s financial support is there required.
(16) Despite these facts, it is immoral that individual shirk responsibility and try to pass all medical costs on to the government. (17) In view of the fact that the government raises financing primarily from taxpayers’ income, individual’s over-exploitation of a health care system will in fact add a heavy burden on those hardworking and goo-hearted citizens. (18) Particular attention should be paid on those people whose health problems are attributed to their poor personal living habits (smoking, drinking, substance use or inactive lifestyle). (19) In such cases, they should not be entitled for public medical services.
(20) As suggested above, education and healthcare services are of primary importance to citizens, and the government has the responsibility to ensure that those services are available and affordable. (21) However, it is not to say that the government should bear the costs of all hearth care and educational services that the citizens currently enjoy.
(398 words)
2016年之前的专八写作测试与雅思大作文非常相似，而在语言规格上甚至还略逊于后者。改革后的专八作文成为材料作文，与老专八和雅思仅短短几句话的题面完全不同，新专八题面已成为300个单词长度的篇章，通常为两篇针对同一话题但观点相左的报刊文章节选（excerpt）。比如2016年真题（即范文C）的题面就是赞成和反对冰桶挑战的两篇新闻报道选段。考生在阅读之后需完成缩写和论述的双重任务。虽然话题仍旧是日常的热点议题，但增加了缩写部分，与此同时，原先45分钟之内的400字也相应减至300字、15句话左右的长度，以保持总体平衡。但很显然新题型对学生的阅读、归纳和阐述能力均提出了要求，在主观意图上开始侧重考察学生对现实问题的思辨和解决能力。这一点在新的评分标准也体现得尤为明显，满分20分中，篇章组织和内容阐述占到13分，语言运用7分。新专八作文也至少在理论上已有别于更注重形式和语言的雅思作文套路。
新专八在行文结构上已不再是较为简单的三段式框架，而是由缩写（1/3）和讨论（2/3）两个基本部分组成。如在范文B中，四句缩写内容全部集中在首段。第二段即进入讨论。该部分一般由论点（多等同于雅思大作文介绍段的最后一句话）和论据组成。在B文中，论点因已出现在题目中---Embrace the Era of Emoji，明确了作者对图形文字的赞成态度，讨论部分即直接开始对其两个支撑要点---绘文字能够促进有效沟通（第五句）和其反应了语言变迁（第十句）的论述：其中第六至九句对前者、第十一至十三句对后者进行了扩展，有效形成两组果因解释，中间又有firstly和Secondly红绿灯式的标识隔开，逻辑结构清晰流畅。此处也似乎更接近雅思作文主体论述部分的简约版。最后结尾的三句话也无外乎总结论点要点和建议展望之类的雅思式收尾。另外，相比较中规中矩的范文B，范文C的行文安排则稍显大胆，缩写和讨论并未完全分开，而是根据内容需要，将讨论论点---对冰桶挑战的观望甚至否定立场（Personally, I think that charitable activities, if inserted with too much entertaining elements, will probably depart from their original intentions）嵌入在了前两段缩写部分的正中位置。但第三、四段又立即回归雅思的简约模式。在第三段的讨论中，第七和第九句系针对论点的两个支撑要点，其后又各自跟进第八和第十句来进行补充。且这两部分论证同样被连接词On the one hand和On the other hand所分开，一目了然。结尾段的两句话又将冰桶挑战的这一个别现象引申到事物的一般规律上来，与雅思式结尾并无二样。尽管如此，新专八在篇章组织上还是较雅思灵活，照顾面较大，有一定的行文难度，也更考察考生的应变和掌控能力。在一些高分作文中，甚至有考生没有给出专门的结尾段落，而将定论性内容与讨论自然融合为一体，更显篇章的紧凑自然。
在新专八的评分标准中，内容分值甚至占到了总分的一半，可见如其所言对“考生论述思辨能力”的偏重。但就B、C两篇高分作文来看，与雅思和老专八相比，新的考试在内容上也就是多了题面材料的缩写部分而已，讨论和结尾部分除了语言的更为简练之外，完全可以沿用前者的老套路。只是此处的难点在于对原材料准确把握的基础上，既要有很强的全面归纳统筹能力，还要保证缩写和讨论间的紧密关联。基于这些相对隐性能力养成的特殊性，备考突击难度虽然较之前有所增大，但好在作文话题均在学生所熟悉的范畴之内，加之又有老规矩可循，考生并非完全被动，在300字里表现出考官所看重的“思辨”和“解决问题”之能力也并非就遥不可及。此外，新专八对语言质量的要求与先前也无大的变化，似乎只是在简洁精炼程度上提出了更多要求。
专八推荐范文B
Embrace the Era of Emoji
(1) As a popular catchphrase on the Internet claims, “An emoji says a thousand words.” (2) The Oxford Dictionary even chose an emoji depicting the “face with tears of joy” as its “Word of the Year”. (3) Now that we are all used to emoji being shorthand method of communicating our thoughts and emotions, it makes people wonder whether the development of language will be hindered or enhanced by this new zealous trend of using non-verbal ideograms. (4) Experts predict that the wide use of emojis will lead to downfall of both language and interpersonal communication, while young people believe it will bring supplement and efficiency to our communication as a new trend.
(5) In my opinion, firstly, emoji supplements and enhances our communication because it functions in the similar way that body language enriches the verbal speech. (6) As the language we use to communicate with each other tends to be more adaptable than formal language, emojis can vivify our conversation and deliver information in a way that words cannot. (7) Moreover, the sheer diversity of emojis makes them a viable tool for crossing the cultural barriers. (8) Even though people were brought up in different cultures, such as Chinese and American, they can still recognize the smiley face in emojis without any misinterpretation. (9) To some extent, emoji may one day become a universal language that bridges the gap between different languages and cultures. (10) Secondly, emoji reflects the change of language. (11) Language now evolves partly through our interaction with technology. (12) Since our life has been greatly influenced by modern technology, the traditional language has been struggling to meet the rapid change and visually-focused demand of the 21st century. (13) It is no wonder that emoji has risen to become a serious part of daily language in today’s world.
(14) In short, the spread of emoji is the result of the language evolution influenced by the spread of information technology. (15) We should embrace it as we embrace other changes happening in our life. (16) Thanks to emojis, we could witness the new mode of communication and to be part of this revolutionary new era as well.
(347 words)
专八推荐范文C
Challenge or Not
(1) Recently, the Ice Bucket Challenge has gone viral all over the world, particularly in the United States, with people posting videos of themselves online and on TV participating in the event. (2) Despite the increase of donation to fight ALS and more public concern, some are worried about the problems found with this kind of activity which is inserted a sense of entertainment. (3) Personally, I think that charitable activities, if inserted with too much entertaining elements, will probably depart from their original intentions.
(4) This charitable blockbuster, luring hundreds of celebrities, politicians and athletes, has sparked millions of donations to ALS research and raised awareness of the disease. (5) However, there are worries and different voices about it. (6) Environmentalists are concerned about the waste of water on the national level, while doctors warn people of the risks of being poured with icy water from the perspective of health.
(7) On the one hand, we have observed that the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has rubbed some people up the wrong way, especially as participants get caught up in the act of making videos rather focusing on the essence of charity itself. (8) It is said that when Barack Obama, the current American President, was challenged, he chose to make a donation of 100 dollars rather than pouring the icy water over his head. (9) On the other hand, the original purpose of this activity is to provide aid and support for patients suffering from the disease. (10) Accordingly, what we should focus on is whether the ALS association begins immediate funding for families in desperate need of home health care services and other care-related services.
(11) As a matter of fact, after a month in the spotlight, the much-hyped ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is finally starting to show signs of cooling down. (12) Things in moderation are always healthy and lasting, and charitable activities are no exceptions.
(307 words)
综上所述，雅思学术类大作文和新专八作文均系难度较高的两项写作测试。相对而言，前者更注重受试者“怎么说”，而后者正朝着考查学生“说什么”的方向在探索和努力。在现阶段，二者孰难孰易似乎仍难一概而论。
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