01
我没有看过六级的考试题。上面是我在网上看到的一个六级的写作范文。实在是。。。
题目是:‘对过度使用网络应予以重视’
‘近年来,中国人的无知在学生中表现得最为明显。一些学生拒绝上课,一些很少读经典著作。却有越来越多的学生对外语的学习看得很重。这种现象主要是由于三个原因。第一条,也是最重要的一条,全球化促使学生们疯狂地。。。‘
看到这里,我就实在是看不下去了。总的来讲,语言生硬,用词过激,表达牵强。完全是一副为赋新诗强说愁的感觉。
这种表达方式在国外的新闻中你都很少看到。比如说,BBC, CNBC等。他们的文章总体来讲,读起来是很舒服的。上面的这个范文,讲的是一个很平常的话题:如何适度使用网络。这么简单的议题,可以用相对轻松的写法。但是,我感觉,写作人为了表现其词汇量,凸显其笔力,硬要拿出鲁迅批《乏走狗》的模式,予以批判。给人的感觉是过激,用语不当。
我在想,如果大家使用这种范文来学习英语,真是白费力气的。
现在已经有很多证书被取替了,比如说,会计从业证,职称英语?等等。我不知道英语四、六级是否会被取替。如果按照这种模式学习写作的话,就算你四、六级都过了,你写出的东西也没法读的。不用说读,你用这种方式与人交流,人家都不爱理你。
从四六级的习题,再次验证了,我们学习的英语,准备应付的英语考试,完全是按照理工科课程的方式操作的。我们不是在学习语言的精华。读完这个范文,你能感受到英语之美吗?
02
想知道真正的英语是什么样的吗? 请大家跟我一起读一下莎士比亚:
Shakespeare's "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" (III.i.170-187)
VALENTINE
And why not death rather than living torment?
To die is to be banish'd from myself;
And Silvia is myself: banish'd from her
Is self from self: a deadly banishment!
What light is light, if Silvia be not seen?
What joy is joy, if Silvia be not by?
Unless it be to think that she is by
And feed upon the shadow of perfection
Except I be by Silvia in the night,
There is no music in the nightingale;
Unless I look on Silvia in the day,
There is no day for me to look upon;
She is my essence, and I leave to be,
If I be not by her fair influence
Foster'd, illumined, cherish'd, kept alive.
I fly not death, to fly his deadly doom:
Tarry I here, I but attend on death:
But, fly I hence, I fly away from life.
学会了上面这段诗歌,是很有用的。再向女友表白遇挫时,不防模仿一下莎翁。管保让她当时就五迷三道,不知所以。
03
从这里,我不由得想到了学习的方法论。
怎么样学习才不累?如何养成一个亦玩亦学的习惯。
比如说,莎翁的这首诗歌,如果硬要你背记,你会背上三天也记不住。反过来,如果你一小时后要会女友,要借这首诗来讨得她的爱情,我估计二,三十分钟你一定会记得滚瓜烂熟。
动力不同,决心就不一样,效果呢自然也就不可同日而语。
我在教ACCA的时候,告诉我的学生们,不要死记硬背,要不断的将自己置于所学内容之中。比如说,想象一下如果你去审计,你会怎么做?如果你去查税,你又如何能防止偷漏税等。这样一来,大家的出发点就不同了,不再是背记,而是象演戏一样的,将自己置身于那一款款条例之中了。
04
下面是我从CNBC中找到的一段话,做为一个学以致用的例子:
题目是:China has now become the biggest fear for markets
Stocks are at record highs(创历史记录), the VIX (Volatility Index) is at a 10-year low(十年最好低), and while investors are relieved the XXX presidency did not go to an anti-euro candidate(反对欧盟的候选人), new risks are filling the void(填补空白).
Topping the list of (最大的担心)market worries is China, which has been on the back burner (次要地位)for months now. Some weaker-than-expected (比想明中的还要弱的)data, however, has put spotlight on(引起了关注)the country's economy.
Last week,PMI manufacturing data showed signs of slowing(呈现缓势), and China's trade data overnight was weaker than expected, with misses both on imports and exports. Chinese inflation data was due Tuesday.
"I'm more concerned about the risks stemming from(引发的) a China slowdown," said XXX, a chief global investment strategist
上面这些加黑的词,都是常用的习语。你会经常听到人们这样讲。那怎么能够将这些短语记住呢?看看下面的例子,我只是用这些词想了一下我的生活,编了下面一个小故事:
Title: The biggest fear for my family.
I have become the biggest fear for my parents.
The money I spent are at record high, but my achievement is at 20-year low. My parents were glad that I finally left home. However, a new contender emerged, my baby sister is filling the void.
Topping the list of all their worries is money, , which has been on the back burner for months now. My parents' lower than expected salary has been put on spot light after the birth of my baby sister.
Still, they are more concerned about the worries stemming from my spending habit.
如果你能将想学的单词,短语都编成一个以你为主的小故事,没有什么是很难记的。这只是一个例子,你还可以想一下你或你的家人,你的朋友,你的学校还有什么 Fear或是 Joy。多有意思啊!
同意吗?