Some people believe that international news should be included into the subjects in secondary schools. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Step1: 首先确定本文的subject(主体，即topic讨论的对象)－The practice of including international news into the subjects of secondary schools.
Step2: 构思所有能够想到的subject的pros and cons (优点和缺点)
Pros: 让中学生上国际新闻这门课有什么好处呢？一般应该马上会想到通过观看国际新闻，聆听专家关于国际时事的看法可以开拓学生的眼界，并有利于提高他们透过现象认识事件本质的分析能力(即我上课讲的分论点四大黄金原则当中的“能力原则”)。
关键词：widen one's horizon, analysing ability
Cons: 这种做法可能会带来什么问题呢？首先马上想到分论点四大黄金原则当中的“因小失大”原则在这种青少年教育类的话题当中一定可以得到运用：学生的priority永远是study,而开设国际新闻课会占据课业压力原本就很大的学生们的大量时间，影响他们的academic performance。好，反方第一个supporting idea (分论点)有了！
接下来从学生和国际新闻的特点入手：学生年龄层较低，理解能力还不够强。而国际新闻的内容往往是纷繁复杂的国际局势，对于受众的阅历，理解能力要求较高。比如你让一个10多岁的小孩去分析美国当年攻打伊拉克的深层次动机对于他来说肯定是很吃力的一件事情。因此可以得出结论: 国际新闻的很多内容超出了普通学生的理解能力范围，不适合在中学推广。
关键词: complicated, beyond one's level of comprehension
第二个分论点搞定！
最后还需要一个反方分论点来构成全文的“3对1结构”，还是从国际新闻的特点入手：国际新闻讲的事儿跟学生的生活关系不大，导致学生很难对其产生真正深入的兴趣。试想，每天繁重的功课都搞得我焦头烂额了，哪里还有兴趣去探究以色列和巴勒斯坦那些事情......
关键词: be of little relevance to sth (与......关系不大)， surplus (多余的事物)
至此supporting ideas全部搞定，接下来就是确定分论点的具体设置了！
Step3: 确定全文使用“3对1结构”，具体结构如下
3对1结构 (全文分为4段)
第一段 (开头段/Introduction):
第一句+第二句： Background Information－Introduce the topic
(1). What is the subject? (Paraphrase or Summarize)
(2). What is the public opinion on the subject? (Paraphrase)
第三句： Statement－State your opinion on the topic
第二段 (让步段)
第一句：过渡句 (Topic Sentence)
第二句+第三句: 分析弱势分论点X1 (Theoretical Evidence/Case Evidence/Self-evident)
第三段（重点段）
第一句: 过渡句 (Topic Sentence)
第二句+第三句: 强势分论点1 + Evidence (Theoretical)
第四句+第五句: 强势分论点2 + Evidence (Case)
第六句: 强势分论点3 (Self-evident)
第四段 (结尾段)
第一句+第二句：主体定性/Summarize the nature of the subject
第三句: 重申观点/Restate your opinion on the topic
根据以上结构，发现正方分论点（即弱势分论点）国际新闻课程有利于提高学生的分析能力，开拓眼界属于self-evident（显而易见的）的分论点，也就是说基本没有必要在分论点后面进一步拓展论证国际新闻课程为什么能够开拓学生眼界，为什么能够提高其分析能力。
接下来确定3个强势分论点的分配，如上所示，理想的情况是把3个强势分论点设置成一个self-evident无需证明的，一个适合举例使用case evidence (实例论证)来证明，剩下一个适合theoretical evidence (理论论证)来证明的。这样能保证写出来的字数基本在280字左右(雅思作文最理想的字数)，论证手法又不会让人感觉重复。
先找三个反方分论点当中哪一个的内容是最最显而易见，无需证明的呢？
我这里选择的第三个分论点：国际新闻的内容和学生生活关系不大，难以引起他们的兴趣。
接下来找哪个分论点最适合举例......应该是第二个吧:国际新闻内容纷繁复杂，年幼的学生理解上会有困难。要举一个具体例子应该不难吧？
那么剩下的第一个分论点：“增加国际新闻课占用学生学习时间影响学习”就用theoretical evidence了，要把这个道理讲清楚应该不难吧？
至此准备工作全部完成，接下来就是按照上面“3对1结构”的具体设置一句一句去写了，应该不用花很多时间就能把文章写完了(我写的时间30分钟不到就写完了)。
Some educationalists propose that it is necessary to include international news as part of school curriculum. The effectiveness, nevertheless, is questionable from my point of view.
Admittedly, the introduction of international news into curriculum in secondary schools does have certain benefits to the students. Indeed, to young people, it is evident that watching international news is beneficial to the improvement of their capability in certain fields like the broadening of their horizons and the enhancement of their analysing ability, which both help them to be equipped with a global perspective.
Despite the benefit, some probelms that the practice may lead to should not be overlooked. Firstly, the practice is likely to affect the students' study. Indeed, it could be time-consuming for students to read or watch these news stories and the more time they spend on international news, the less time is available for study, which is their priority.Secondly, the complicated contents of international news might be beyond the students' level of comprehension. For example, students might be confused with a great variety of conflicting arguments produced by different commentary experts. Last but not least, some international news actually have little relevance to the students' lives and thus it is highly possible that students would regard the subject as a surplus which is of little value to them.
In conclusion, the introduction of international news into secondary schools has the benefit to develop the students' certain capabilities. This only benefit, nevertheless, is evidently dwarfed by the more prominent problems the practice may lead to. For this reason, I reaffirm my conviction that it is not advisable to introduce international news into the subjects in secondary schools.
posted @ 2008-07-07 11:16
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