大家好！从这周开始，我们会学习雅思考官范文。
从 1 月 14 日到 1 月 27 日这两周的“每周一段”段落选自《剑桥雅思官方真题集 9》中第一套题的雅思考官范文。
学习建议：在开始阅读第 2 部分“段落解读”前，先试着自己花 20-30 分钟阅读作文题目、要求，以及文本部分的第 2 段和第 3 段。想一想你会怎样学习这两段考官范文。然后再阅读“段落解读”。
作文题目/Topic：
Some experts say that it is better for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather than secondary school.
Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?
作文要求/Task：
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
一、文本
Traditionally, children have begun studying foreign languages at secondary school, but introducing them earlier is recommended by some educationalists. This policy has been adopted by some educational authorities or individual schools, with both positive and negative outcomes.
The obvious argument in its favor is that young children pick up languages much more easily than teenagers. Their brains are still programmed to acquire their mother tongue, which facilitates learning another language, and unlike adolescents, they are not inhibited by self-consciousness.
The greater flexibility of the primary timetable allows for more frequent, shorter sessions and for a play-centered approach, thus maintaining learners' enthusiasm and progress. Their command of the language in later life will benefit from this early exposure, while learning other languages subsequently will be easier for them. They may also gain a better understanding of other cultures.
二、段落解读
段落选自雅思考官范文的前三段，我们重点学习第二段和第三段。
基本解读：
第二段和第三段写的都是题目要求中的“advantages”。第二段共 2 句话，第 1 句总写，第 2 句从孩子的生理角度具体展开，回答了第一句观点的 how 和 why。
第三段共 3 句话。虽然是另起一段，但这段的第 1 句和第二段的第 2 句平行，仍然是具体回答为什么从孩子开始学外语比从青少年（中学）学习更好。第 1 句说明小学的课时安排灵活，这样的学习环境利于语言学习；第 2 句进一步说理，从纵横两个角度早点学外语的好处：1）时间（纵向）：尽早开始学习外语对后续学习有促进作用；2）其他外语学习（横向/平行）：学好一门外语便于迁移到其他外语的学习中。第 3 句是个短句，简要补充从小学习外语的另一大收获：文化敏感性。
进阶解读：
1）注意分段（“paragraphing”）的技巧。 第二段和第三段都是写“advantages”，可以合并成一段，但考虑到合并后篇幅过长，所以就拆成了两段。雅思写作考官评语中多次提到“paragraphing”，所以能灵活处理分段对分数会有帮助。
2）注意同义或近义替换。primary school children, young children; secondary school children, teenagers, adolescents; pick up, acquire, learn。
3）注意积累语言学习相关的词汇和搭配：pick up languages, acquire one's mother tongue, command of the language, exposure；注意积累教育类话题相关表达：not inhibited by self-consciousness, flexibility of the timetable, a play-centered approach, maintain one's enthusiasm and progress, gain a better understanding of something。
4）从考官范文中学习怎样解决写作时无话可说、展开困难的问题。雅思（托福和 GRE）评分标准中都对观点的展开做了要求（“presents a fully developed position in answer to the question with relevant, fully extended and well supported ideas”）。简单来说，观点的展开就是不断回答 why, how, how so, so what 和 then what 的过程。下面举两个例子：
a) The obvious argument in its favor is that young children pick up languages much more easily than teenagers. Their brains are still programmed to acquire their mother tongue, which facilitates learning another language, and unlike adolescents, they are not inhibited by self-consciousness.
这一段的核心观点是第一句话中的“young children pick up languages much more easily than teenagers”，为什么这样说呢？第二句话就从生理和心理的角度说明，回答读者可能有的疑问。
具体来说，“Their brains are still programmed to acquire their mother tongue”是 why, “which facilitates learning another language”是 so what 或 then what，作用是让论据指向论点。最后的 “and unlike adolescents, they are not inhibited by self-consciousness”又是 why。
b) The greater flexibility of the primary timetable allows for more frequent, shorter sessions and for a play-centered approach, thus maintaining learners' enthusiasm and progress.
同样，“The greater flexibility of the primary timetable allows for more frequent, shorter sessions and for a play-centered approach”是 why，不少学生可能会止步这里。不过想让论证更具体，充分、有说服力，还以再进一步回答 so what 或 then what，补充上 “thus maintaining learners' enthusiasm and progress”。
5）注意学习自己没有想到的或者不在自己认知范围内的概念。比如：
a) unlike adolescents, they are not inhibited by self-consciousness.
很多学习者可能会觉得自己写不出这部分主要是词汇量不够，但其实更重要的是观点。很多人并没有“小学生没有中学生的自我意识强”这一观点。
b) The greater flexibility of the primary timetable allows for more frequent, shorter sessions and for a play-centered approach. Their command of the language in later life will benefit from this early exposure, while learning other languages subsequently will be easier for them. They may also gain a better understanding of other cultures.
这几个点可能看起来比较简单，但很多人压根想不到。其中第 2 句中的写法也有借鉴意义：在写一些有难度的话题的时候，我们不妨从时间（纵向）和同类事物（横向）的角度去拓展思路。
6）注意句子主语的多样性。很多学生的作文句式单调一个很大的原因是句子主语单一，往往用某人做主语。考官范文中的主语分别有：the obvious argument, their brains, the greater flexibility (of the primary timetable), their command (of the language), they。其中只有一个主语是人，其他主语都是一个具体的事物或特征。同时注意主语里面代词的灵活使用。
三、句子学习
我们主要通过“临摹”和“背诵”的方式精学一段话。
临摹：提炼句型+造句
临摹句子1：The obvious argument in its favor is that young children pick up languages much more easily than teenagers.
提炼出句型：The obvious argument in favor of X is that Y.
造句示范：
a) The obvious argument in its favor is that deposits are not revenues and should be managed separately and returned to users upon demand.（场景：ofo 不应该将用户的押金用在其他地方。“its favor”指的是 ofo 绝大部分用户的观点。）
b) The obvious argument in favor of a new airport is that the old 's capacity is hitting the limit.（场景：北京大兴国际机场将于 2019 年年底投入使用。）
c) The obvious argument in favor of a work-life balance is that many people have lived unhappy lives despite pay raises and promotion.
临摹句子2：The greater flexibility of the primary timetable allows for more frequent, shorter sessions and for a play-centered approach, thus maintaining learners' enthusiasm and progress.
提炼出句型：The greater (great) flexibility of X allows for Y, thus Z.
造句示范：
a) The greater flexibility of schedule allows for less stressful and cheaper travels, thus increasing freelancers' happiness.（场景：自由职业者时间相对灵活，可以选择错峰旅行，花销少又能避开人群。）
四、作业
1）参考第三部分的句型造句，造句时可以用中文写出具体的语境。
2）用不同的句式和表达 paraphrase 下面的句子（可以写多个句子）
The obvious argument in favor of starting early is that young children pick up languages much more easily than teenagers.