Part 1新题讲解: puzzles, geography

Part 1 新题

✔ birthday 

✔ writing

✔ names

✔ snacks

✔ singing

✔ geography

✔ social media

✔ puzzles

✔ weather

✔ public transportation

✔ technology

关于puzzles的问题：

① Did you do puzzles in your childhood?

② When do you do puzzles, during your trip or when you feel bored?

③ Do you like doing word puzzles or number puzzles? Which is more difficult for you?

④ Do you think it is good for old people to do puzzles?

很多同学可能不太清楚“puzzles”的定义：

puzzle: a game that tests your knowledge or intelligence. 

根据概念，大家可以谈论的有：

jigsaw（拼图），crossword to solve a clue/ to solve a crossword puzzle（填字游戏），sudoku（数独）:He passes the time doing sudokus. Chinese rings（九连环）。

举个例子：Did you do puzzles in your childhood?

建议回答“Yes”，老师示例：

Yes, I did. When I was little, my parents often encouraged me to do puzzles like jigsaws, crosswords, sudokus, and the like. They thought that puzzles could help to develop my cognitive function and problem-solving skills. Errm, as I recall, on my 8th birthday, my dad sent me a 500-piece jigsaw of Monet’s water lilies, which was reaaaally（语气、感情） difficult to assemble.

and the like：诸如此类

cognitive function and problem-solving skills：认知功能与问题解决技能

recall → remember 同义替换

assemble：安装

举个例子：Do you think it’s good for old people to do puzzles?

老师示例：

Without a doubt. Doing puzzles is beneficial to elderly people in multiple ways. For example, it’s a great way for them to get rid of boredom and loneliness. Plus, once I read an article which said that doing puzzles regularly can reduce the risk of suffering from dementia.

Without a doubt：毋庸置疑

multiple → a lot 同义替换

get rid of boredom and loneliness：摆脱无聊和孤独

Plus：除此以外

dementia：老年痴呆

关于“geography”的问题：

① Do you like geography? 

② Have you ever studied geography at school?

③ Are you good at reading maps？

④ Would you visit a country because of its geographical location?

老师建议：多用关于地理的词汇

latitude

longitude

equator

meridian

the Tropic of Cancer

the Tropic of Capricorn

terrain:plain, plateau, basin...

举个例子：Do you like geography?

老师示例：

Yeah. I find it absolutely fascinating. In my geography class, I’ve acquired tons of knowledge about various terrains, climates, how different regions form and change over time, how to use latitude and longitude to find a place in the world, so forth and so on. Besides, mastering geography can give me a rich sense of accomplishment and help me know much more about the world that I live in.

老师示例：

I wish I did. The thing is, I feel totally out of my depth in it. I mean, memorising names of places is tedious and difficult. To make things worse, my geography teacher makes no effort to arouse our interest in this subject. I often sleep through an entire geography class.

举个例子：Would you visit a country because of its geographical location?

老师示例：

Definitely. If I were to have the opportunity I would love to visit Norway, which is a country on the West of the Scandinavia peninsula. It has got a long coastline and a vast number of islands. Plus, I’ve always been captivated by the fjords and the aurora borealis.

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Part 2新题思路讲解以及如何新题变旧题

Part 2新题

Describe 

a person who likes to dress fashionably/well

a popular place for sports that you’ve been to 

the home of someone you know well and you often visit

a disagreement you had with someone

a problem you had while shopping online or in a store

an outdoor activity you did in a new place recently

a photo you took that you are proud of

a program you like to watch

an object you think is beautiful

something you had to share with others

a person who likes to dress fashionably/well

an interesting neighbour

a person you follow on social media

synonyms for fashionable

chic

stylish

trendy

a fashion icon

He/She has got an impeccable taste in clothing.

举个例子：

Describe a photo you took that you are proud of.

You should say:

When you took it

Where you took it

What is in this photo

And explain why you are proud of it

老师示例：

Well, I'm not very good at photography. But, once I did take a stunning photo. It ...

lies quietly on my desk/in the bookshelf

is hanging on the west-facing wall

is beautifully/elegantly framed in a wooden/gilded frame

How you got it

It was taken about 3 years ago, when my parents and I went on a trip to Maldives, which is an absolutely breath-taking place, a real paradise, with sandy beaches, the sea, palm trees.... On the 2nd day of our trip, in the evening, as my mum and I were taking a stroll on a beach, admiring the sea and the spectacular view of the sunset, I took loads of pictures, including selfies. And the one I mentioned above is my favourite.

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Part 3的相关问题

Part3: Are women more fashionable than men?

My initial knee-jerk reaction to that question would be to say yes. However, I’m not sure that’s entirely true. （可做开头句模板）

By and large（= Generally speaking）, compared with men, women do place a greater emphasis on clothes and pay more attention to how others judge the way they look. Additionally, women are more into shopping, which helps them keep abreast of the latest fashion, while for most men, shopping is a total waste of time.

在回答Part 3的时候，老师建议回答问题时辩证一点，不要太过绝 对。

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总结：给成绩加buff的四个tips

话题词汇让答案更加扣题，展示词汇量与知识面：jigsaw, crossword, sudoku, the Tropic of Cancer...

有意识地进行同义替换：fashionable, chic, trendy, stylish...

实现语法多样性：I wish I did; I wish I were brilliant at geography...

说话有感情，注意抑扬顿挫和升降调