托福写作考情解析-陈亚男

作者：陈亚男  新航道武汉学校托福写作讲师、托福词汇讲师。本科和硕士分别就读武汉大学与维也纳技术大学。熟悉托福写作，授课风格亲切活泼，耐心十足，善于引导和启发学生思考，深受学生喜欢。

考情分析：这道题属于托福综合写作的中频考察话题，即考古类，一般涉及古代遗迹的作用、古代帝国衰落的原因等。这篇即是分析一个历史遗迹的用途猜测可靠性，还是惯常的听力反驳阅读套路。考生在积累了相关学科词汇的前提下，训练把握以及提取听力以及阅读关键信息的能力，可以科学有效的突破综合写作的得分。 

题目解析：这是一道相对常规的教育类话题考题，并且已在近年反复出现（重复2010.05.22NA, 2012.02.18NA, 2013.03.16CN, 2016.09.10CN下午）。从话题看，主要包含两个——音乐美术等艺术学科以及科技等实用学科。针对前者，我们可以从艺术类学科给学生提供的好处如学习新的兴趣，提高对艺术的鉴赏力，帮助学生减轻学习压力以及扩展社交能力等方向展开；而科学类学科的益处则可从让学生萌发对科技的兴趣，满足学生的好奇心，更好的适应未来的发展与就业等维度去展开。总的来说，由于话题的熟悉度和生活化，对考生还是较友好的。特别是如果考虑到题目提及的5到11岁学生在创造力、想象力、对知识的接受和吸收能力，写作的时候就更方便有的放矢了。在文章的框架结构上，由于题目中存在一个比较项（more time on…），因此可以使用折中式的结构，对没有选择的另一面进行合理性的让步阐述从而展示思路上的缜密。

下面我们来看一篇范文：

Over the past decades, technological advancement has pervaded and transformed people's lives in various aspects, including education. Many schools nowadays have incorporated into classrooms the innovative use of technology. As a result, some would argue that children should be exposed to high-tech disciplines as early as possible while art and music education are regarded as a luxury. However, in my opinion, art and music are fundamental to enrich primary school students' lives as well as their education.

First off, both art and music feed students’ imaginations and add to the appreciation of art. Children aged 5- 11 are well known for being creative and imaginative. It is no exaggeration to say that no aesthetic appreciation and artistic creation could be made without imagination. Studying art and music at such ages will eventually be priceless for their creativity. Meanwhile, apart from drawing or playing an instrument in class, students usually go to art galleries and concerts, too. By studying the pictures on the museums walls or by reading the program notes at a recital, they learn the essence of the art in human culture. Consequently, the best minds from human histories are very likely to build up students’ comprehension of art.

Moreover, art and music are an extraordinary vehicle for children’s future development. Art helps them to look through the eyes of artists, understand their realities and what is more, assimilate their legacy. For example, Finland, one the best countries of the world in school education, considers arts in general one of the cornerstones of their educative system due to the amount of the dedication and discipline required to practice it, which simply turn out invaluable for the human development of their students. In addition, being exposed to artistic activities and enjoying the process of learning gradually help students cultivate positive characters, resulting in an optimistic attitude towards life.  

Admittedly, technology as a subject taught in school is necessary for students' future academic life. Also, the use of technology has become an indispensable tool for students’ daily life. On the contrary, art and music do not have such practical use in the real world (except for those who follow art as a career). However, the education should not be seen merely from utilitarian aspects, as the aim of which is not simply to raise everyone's prospects. To compare with the merits which teaching art and music brings along, those flaws can be negligible.

To summarize, technology plays an important role in students' future development, but their usefulness in art appreciation and character formation cannot parallel that of art and music. Elementary schools should equip young learners with vital music and art so that they are prepared for the pursuit of art and self-awareness in the years to come. In this regard, attaching more importance to art and music makes perfect sense.