描述一次你不得不等很久的经历
一张关于无聊的卡,必须描述无聊却不能讲得无聊——这正是它比看上去更难的原因。
话题卡
Describe a time you had to wait a long time for something.
You should say
- what you were waiting for
- how long you waited
- what you did while waiting
- and explain how you felt about it
准备1分钟 · 最多说2分钟
如何说满两分钟
是四个节拍,不是四个答案。卡片上的提示只是脚手架——一段自然流过这些提示的讲述,比四个互不相连的回答得分更高。
- 你在等什么,为什么花了那么久。
- 场景:你在哪里等,待在那里是什么感觉。
- 你怎么打发时间,等待过程中心情如何变化。
- 最后怎么结束的,那样东西值不值得等。
这张卡适合用的词汇
词汇丰富度占你分数的四分之一,而7分的标准明确允许偶尔用错词——一味求稳、只用简单词汇,正是很多人卡在6分的原因。
drag on
用于时间过得很慢
kill time
表示等待时找事做的准确习语
lose patience
用于心情的转变
there was no telling how long
用于不确定要等多久
in the end
引出结局的顺序标记词
worth the wait
或者它的否定形式,那往往是更有意思的回答
这张卡的陷阱
说“I waited a long time”,然后就讲不下去了。
追踪你状态的变化——耐心,然后坐立不安,然后烦躁,然后听天由命。这个递进过程就是这张卡想要的结构。
一个8分回答,以及它为什么有效
读它是为了看清其中的技巧,而不是背下这些话。考官每个工作日都会听到背诵的答案,这会体现在你的流利度分数上——背诵者的停顿方式和真正在思考的人完全不同。下面的细节都是虚构的,你的回答应该讲你自己的故事。
The wait I'd describe is four hours in a hospital corridor while my father had a procedure that we'd been told was routine, and which I'd been telling myself was routine right up until the moment I was actually sitting there. It was a Tuesday afternoon. The corridor had those chairs that are bolted together, a vending machine that took my money without producing anything, and a window at the far end that I looked at a great deal. What I found difficult wasn't the length of it. It was that there was nothing to do that felt appropriate. I'd brought a book and reading felt wrong. I couldn't work. I ended up mostly just sitting, which I'm very bad at. He was fine, and the surgeon came out and said so in about eight words and then left, which at the time felt brusque and afterwards seemed completely reasonable. I've been more patient with waiting rooms ever since.拿到这个分数的关键
- 自动售货机和用螺栓固定在地上的椅子,比任何对感受的描述都更能确立场景。
- “Nothing to do that felt appropriate”点出了那种等待非常具体的特点,而准确地点出它正是拿到分数的原因。
- 对外科医生态度生硬的重新评价,展现了判断随时间变化,这是引出更复杂时态的自然途径。
第三部分接下来会问什么
第三部分和你的长篇独白有松散的联系,但问题会变得抽象——问的是一般人,而不是你自己。这张卡之后通常会谈到:
- whether people are less patient than they used to be
- how technology has changed expectations of speed
- situations where waiting is unavoidable
其他“事件与经历”话题卡
Describe a journey or trip that you remember well.
关键词是journey(旅程),不是目的地——这个区别值一分。
Describe an important decision you have made.
这张卡建立在一个人生岔路口上。如果当时并没有真正的另一个选择,就换一个决定来讲。
Describe a celebration you enjoyed.
文化细节在这里是白送的分——考官可能真的不知道这个节日是怎么过的。
Describe a time when you were late for something.
一个自带张力的叙事——只要按顺序讲,这是最容易讲得流利的话题卡之一。
Describe a time when you helped someone.
与“帮助过你的人”那张卡互为镜像,同样的规则适用:先把问题铺垫好。
Describe a problem you solved.
这张卡奖励过程。你尝试过又放弃的方法,比最终奏效的方法更有价值。
把这张卡说出来
Oliver会给你读一张卡,等你准备满一分钟,然后整整两分钟一句话也不说——这正是你一个人没法练的部分。之后的报告会分别给流利度、词汇、语法和发音打分。第一次测试免费。
本指南依据公开发布的IELTS口语评分标准,用我们自己的话写成。官方原文请参阅 British Council的评分标准。MockLive AI是独立的练习工具,与IELTS、British Council、IDP及Cambridge University Press & Assessment均无关联。