Part 3

Giving and supporting opinions

1. introduce your opinion clearly
2. support it with examples and reasons

客观题-抽象的东西-温水煮青蛙似的具像化-慢慢地讲道理-顾左右而言他

表态-观点句（正向/负向支持）-给原因-进一步说明（举证）-总结/展望/反思/提出解决

方案

表达观点的句子

Agreement/disagreement
Sure
Certainly
Certainly not
Absolutely
Absolutely not
Not really
I am not sure if I agree with it.
Opinion phrases
I believe that/I think that
I don’t believe that/I don’t think that
I really think that
I strongly believe that
For me…
The way I see it…

Eg. Do you think that children should wear uniforms to school?

Yes, I think they should. I strongly believe that it is essential for giving children a sense of

identity and unity. Young children can be very snobbish about fashion sometimes and they

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might pick on children who don’t wear expensive or designer clothes. (Avoid bully event) for

example…

正向支持

It is good for…
It is essential for…
It is vital for…
It is very important for/that…
People should all…
It gives us the opportunity to…
People should make an effort to…

负面支持

It would be quite inappropriate to…

It could have a bad effect on…
It is not good for society if people…
It is unfair to…
It is not necessary to…
It is unethical to…
It is unreasonable to…

其他技巧

1. 举例

For instance
For example
Let me give you an example…

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2. 常识

Everyone knows…
It is common knowledge that…

3. 数据

The statistics show that…

The number of…
The population…
The rate of…

4. 专家

According to…
To quote…
The book says…
I heard/read/saw somewhere that…

彼此独立/层层递进

牛津辩论：传统男性气概遗害无穷？

Do you think…?
Do you think well-developed tourism will have negative effects on local people?
Yes, it will have negative effects on local residents. I personally think that it is not good for

them to live in a noisy environment. In famous scenic spots, it can be very crowded. Tourists

always make noises and hang around. Even at midnights, they will celebrate and have fun.

Because for most of them, they come here to travel during their vacation. But for the local

people, they may need to work and sleep. So, this will cause troubles for them.

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Do you think it is good to communicate when eating with your family?
Sure, I totally agree. I strongly believe that it is a good way for family to strengthen our

relationship. For most young people, they are too busy with their work. They don’t spend

much time with their family. Things are the same for middle-aged people. Most of them need

to work outside to feed the family. So, I guess talking while eating is the best way for us to

communicate. We can enjoy the meal while sharing our daily lives.

Do you think language learning is important? Why?

Do you think younger people should be lower paid than older people?
Do you think people should pay for higher education? Why?
Certainly yes, I think it is beneficial for people to receive higher education and it is essential

for people to be responsible for their own tuition. Paying for higher education means that

people are intelligent enough to go to college. Going to college can provide people with much

knowledge they need. On the other hand, people should make contributions to the society by

pay for their bills. If the government has to pay for everyone’s tuition, it could be a problem.

in conclusion, it is better for people to pay it themselves.

Do you think parents should buy more toys for their kids or spend more time with them?

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Josephine Lesson 10

Evaluating two different opinions

比较两种东西，对人的分类

Eg. Why do some people prefer listening to the news on the radio, while others prefer tv

news?

Today, not many people like listening to the radio. Pretty much everyone has a tv now. For

most people, tvs are very appealing because you can always see real footage of what’s being

reported. However, there are many people that don’t share the same opinion. While some say

the television is better, more visual and more modern, others feel the radio has a certain

charm, and is more soothing and relaxing. It also depends on the lifestyle of the individual---

many taxi drivers love listening to the radio because it is very convenient to hear news

without distracting them from driving.

形容人的数量

Nearly everyone
Almost everybody
The vast majority of people
Most people
A large percentage of people
Some people
A few people
A handful of people

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年龄分类

The elderly
White collars
Job seekers

行为分类

Active people/sporty people/energetic people

Religious people
Animal lovers/food lovers
Vegetarians
Lazy people

特殊分类

People with creative talent believe…

People with strong political views think…
People who have an interest in…
People who have their own pets are…

加上之前的数量词

Most people with a lot of energy are…

A handful of people who have lots of free time…
A large number of teenagers have problems…

连接词

While
Some people…while the others…

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Yet
Some people…yet other people…

However
People who believe in animal rights think that we should…however, people who think we are

superior to animals believe…

Although
Although some people hold the opinion that…others believe that…

Conversely
Most people feel that…conversely, others believe that…
On the one hand…on the other hand

Some people think sth is good/important/useful for + verb-ing

Cultivating one’s mind
Developing a greater sense of social responsibility
Maintaining social control
Keeping people happy and content

真题

Why do some young people like to live in cities?

Nowadays, it is much more convenient for people to live in cities than living in countryside.

Young people in particular loves the city vibes. For most young people who want to find a

decent job, they would definitely stay in the cities. Because there are more job opportunities

in the cities. However, not everyone agrees with this opinion. For a few young people who

believe in do-it-later Buddhism, they don’t want to spend all their lives in a rush. They would

rather live in peace and love, away from the city. But I would say most young people

nowadays are very confident and keen on competitions, including me.

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Why do some people have better memory?
It is a common knowledge that younger people can remember things faster than older people.

And they can even remember things for a long period time. That’s because most of the young

generations are trained at school to recite things. For a variety of students, their daily routine

is to memorize texts and vocabs. When they practice every single day, their brains get enough

exercise. However, for older people who retire from work. They don’t spend much time on

learning anymore. So, it is usual for them to forget things easily.

Which can help people remember things better, words or photos?
I believe photos can remind people what happened in the past. But words may not be able to

do so. For older people like my grandparents, they really enjoy going through the photo

album from time to time. When they get older, it is hard for them to read or write. The photos

can offer them images that they are familiar with. In some photos, people can even tell the

story. Such as why this person in the photo was crying or why she was laughing. Through this

process, people can remember and regain their precious past and memory.

Which do people give on traditional festivals, red envelopes or other kinds of gifts?
We have many traditional festivals in China, and we send different gifts to people

accordingly. During the spring festival, people often give red envelopes to younger kids. They

hope that children can be blessed in the coming year. Many people send expensive gifts like

wine and health care products to their parents or grandparents. While on mid-autumn festival,

people usually buy moon cakes and send to their friends and relatives. In general, people only

give red envelops in spring festival. But I think it is favored more than other forms of gifts.

What are the differences between special food in China and other countries?
There are huge differences in between. China has many special foods and in different areas

people eat quite differently. People from the south love to eat rice and desserts. We have a

dessert called sweet dumpling which is made from sticky rice with sweet stuffing inside. The

stuffing can be peanuts or red beans. In other countries like Britain or the US, they love to eat

potatoes and meat. They also love to eat turkey on special festivals. The dessert in the west is

mainly made from wheat and flour. So, I think it is quite different in comparison.

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What are the differences between live concert and online concert?
I think there are many differences. Live concerts always have a better vibe than online

concert. Firstly, if one goes to a live concert, she/he can celebrate with other audience in the

stadium. It feels way better to party with many people. However, things are very different

when it comes to online concert. When we go to an online concert, we can’t see each other

and can only hear the sound. It could be a bit boring. In addition, people pay for the live

concert for its great sound effects. The reverberation in the stadium is definitely better than

the laptop. What’s more, people can see their idols in person in a close distance when they go

to a live concert.

作业

Do most elderly people live in the city or in the countryside?

Which is better, to study alone or to study in a group? Why?
What are the differences between houses that young people and old people like?
What are the differences of apartments and houses?
Which is easier, making a decision by yourself or making a decision after group discussion?

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Josephine Lesson 11

Agreeing or disagreeing

赞同或不赞同的程度

表达同意

Yes, I agree wholeheartedly.

I completely/totally/fully agree.
I couldn’t agree more.
Sure, I too/do believe that is true.
Yes, I have the same opinion.
Yes, I share the same opinion with you.

部分不赞同

I can see the point, but…

I can see what it is trying to say, but…
I agree up to a point, but…
I understand what you are saying, but I don’t really agree because…

完全不赞同

I absolutely/definitely disagree, because…

I can’t possibly agree with this because…
I can’t share your opinion on this case, because…

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Cause & Effect 句型

观点+原因+后果+评价

I can’t agree with that + because if we don’t take care of the environment + then we will

regret it in the future

I can’t possibly agree + that we should give children more holidays + as it will have a

detrimental effect on their studies

真题

Are the rules at school good or bad? Why?

Do people like things of memorial significance?
Are non-social media like tv and newspapers still useful?
Technology
Well, I think they are still useful for most people. Nowadays, with the development of

technology, more and more social apps are invented, like Tiktok and twitter. They can provide

information and news faster than traditional medias. However, I believe traditional medias

like newspaper and tv will never be taken place. For many people including middle-aged

groups and elderly, they don’t want to try out new apps like youngsters. They are used to get

information by reading newspapers or watching real footages. In short, these media will not

and cannot be replaced by the new technology anytime soon.

Do women have more leisure time than men?

Gender
I personally think this is totally untrue. And I can’t agree with this statement. I think it is not

accurate and unfair to judge differences according to genders. People develop their own

personality and specialty base on their personal choice. By saying this, I mean there are so

many business women out there who work from 7 to 9. And at the same time, there are also

plenty of men who take great care of his family and only stay at home. It has nothing to do

with gender differences. Thus, it is never ok to say that women have more free time than men.

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Is there anything special about the villages in China?
Actually, I am a city girl, so I know little about Chinese villages. But I must say Chinese

villages are quite different than those in other countries. I heard from my grandparents, they

told me that there are many traditional customs in the countryside. For instance, during some

special festivals all the villagers will gather up together and hang out lanterns to celebrate.

They will even eat altogether on a long table at the center of the village and dance until

midnight. Despite this, most Chinese villages share a same surname which means all of them

are from a huge family and they are all related by blood.

Are IT-related jobs valued more by society?

Technology
Definitely yes, the society values IT-related jobs way more than other kinds of jobs nowadays.

People who work in the IT industry often get higher salaries comparing to others. I think

that’s because they normally have greater pressure and always need to confront difficulties.

Most of IT-related jobs acquire higher academic qualification and high-intensity work which

means they spend much time at work than at home with their families. The society needs

them to work hard and to push forward the progress of technology as a whole. For example,

we now pay more attention to 5G technology and software technology. Technology can

always give us better life.

Do children have strong opinions?

Independence
Absolutely they do. I think for most children they know exactly what they want. Although

many people say that children are too young to make decisions, what they don’t know is that

children develop their own opinions from infancy. When an infant cries, he or she is trying to

deliver a negative message to others. In most of the times, crying means being hungry or

thirsty. This is the proof that children do have strong opinions. After they grow up a little up,

they will even tell adults what they like or what they don’t like. And so, it is quite hard for me

to agree the point of saying kids are not independent enough.

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Do people have time for themselves nowadays?
Do people usually rent or buy a house? Why?
Do older people spend much time on social media?
Is it hard to choose a gift?
Josephine Lesson 12
Advantages/disadvantages

优势：

One of the main advantages is that…

One of the major benefits is that…
A really good thing about…is that…
Another good thing about…is that…

积极形容词：

Activities: Objects: Habits/customs: Laws:

challenging Environmental- sensible Impartial/just

friendly

inspiring sophisticated educational unjust

refreshing Good for society Culturally rich Sound

Sound and safe

healthy Aesthetically Provides a sense of supportive

pleasing community

exhilarating convenient familial fair

interesting portable atmospheric Can help maintain

social stability

Eg.
The main advantage of the laptop is that it is portable.
The one good thing about the latest law is that it protects the consumer and so I think it is

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sensible and just.
The major advantage of keeping our national customs is that they can provide us with a sense

of community and identity.

劣势：

The main disadvantage of

A bad thing about it is that…
One drawback/shortcoming of…
To damage/harm…
To cause problems/stress/harm to…
To be problematic for…
To be convenient for…

消极形容词：

Activities: Objects: Habits: Laws:

Dull/boring Not user-friendly Out-dated unfair

Tiring/exhausting Overly complicated Old-fashioned Overly restricted

Time consuming unattractive A bit ridiculous oppressive

repetitive impractical unhealthy Narrow-minded

Poorly paid Poorly made Anti-social vague

unstable Over-priced annoying A little harsh

Not productive Low quality A bit sexist/racist unjust

真题

What are the problems if you ask too many people for advice?
What are the positive and negative effects of waiting on society?
Privilege
What are the advantages and disadvantages of distance learning?

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What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in the same place?
Comfort zone
Live it to the fullest
What are the advantages and disadvantages of wearing uniforms at work and school?
What advantages can tourism bring to a city?
Josephine Lesson 13

七类问题：why/what/do or can or should/Is or are/how/which/when

How 开头的问题

1. people vs people

问人的区别（不限于任何选择和偏好）

重点在回答不同人群的相似 or 差异

知识点：

学会对不同人群进行定义和区分

区分人群的六大标准为：性别；年龄；性格；兴趣；收入；职业

Age groups: Work-related groups: Social classes:

The older generation Retired people Poor people

The elderly Office workers Rich people

Younger people White-collar workers The working classes

School kids Unemployed people The middle classes

Adolescents/teenagers Job seekers The upper classes

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 人物性格： 人物兴趣：

energetic My interests are manifold, including…

curious Doing sth educate me in various ways

studious Fond of/keen on/obsessed with doing sth

family-oriented Always ready to give others a hand

patient Sth is my cup of tea

creative Have strong passion of doing sth

apathetic Devote my time to sth

女性 男性

Much gentler/more patient/more modest braver/confident/self-assured

Keen on cooking and taking care of others more interested in being the bread winner

More empathetic and can always empathize More apathetic and believe in the

with others supremacy of logos

Accompanied by stereotypes Get all of the gain from masculinity

How do people celebrate traditional festivals?

假设以年龄为标准，people 可以被分为很多种，所以第一句话应该是： Well, talking

about how people celebrate traditional festivals, there are huge differences among different

age groups.

接下来进行拆分老年人/年轻人/中年人/小孩分别怎么样：most elderly spend much of

their time watching galas or tv series. They are not very likely to participate in activities like

playing firecrackers as youngsters may do. They no longer live a hustle and bustle life after

retirement. As far as they concern, the happiest thing on earth would be living their life

without being disturbed by others. These festivals are no exceptions. Even though many of

their descendants may pay them a visit on occasions like this. For them, however, the number

one event is to be a happy coach potato. Since they do enjoy their lonely life to a very large

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extent.

eg. how do young children react when they go to school for the first time?

eg. how do young people react differently to new things?

Conservative

eg. how do leaders get along with their subordinates?

eg. how do you help children stay focused?

eg. how do people find out a new place?

eg. how are people punished when parking at a wrong spot?

eg. how do people tell stories to children?

eg. how do children become smart at school?

eg. how do people/you balance work and life?

eg. how do people make friends in China?

eg. how can parents help children to be organized?

2. item vs people

问无生命物体

重点在回答事物对人的影响

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知识点：

和 people vs people 相似

重点在于赋予物件以一个或两个特性

然后谈它对特定人群造成/产生的影响

形容事物：

therapeutic

relaxing

good for the mind

informative

inspiring

rewarding

satisfying

关于影响的句子：

Have an effect on…

Have an impact on…
Make a difference to…
Reflect on…
Raise the awareness of…/be wary of
Lead to…
As a result…
Live in harmony with…

How has technology changed our living styles?

假设关键词是“convenience”，那么我的重点将放在阐述便利性和科技的关系上，同时

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不要忘记在论述中对 people 进行适当分类

所以第一句话应该是：Frankly speaking, with the rapid development of technology, our life

has become much more convenient than in the past.

接 下 来 需 要 进 一 步 地 对 两 个 东 西 进 行 定 义 ， 第 一 个 是 technology ， 第 二 个 则 是

convenient ： To start with, people didn’t have smart phones in the past. Communication

between long distance used to be a challenging task. But with the invention of mobile phones,

with only one click, we can immediately get in touch with others who are far away from us.

Despite this, the advent of machines has also largely solved our labor issues. In the past,

people needed to carry and transport extremely heavy objects in person which often resulted

in accidents and deaths. However, with the help of machines, people are able to liberate

themselves from tremendous workload and turn to living their life to the fullest.

在大多数情况下事情都是具备两面性的，在提到积极作用的同时，也不要忘记去讨论

它的负面影响：Though technology itself has brought great convenience to our modern life.

It also made damage to our social relations since the majority of people pay less time on their

real-life relationships. They rather spend hours on social apps like tiktok or twitter, trying to

be the social butterfly. I mean there’s no problem with wanting to be trendy. For young

generations, it is part of their culture to feel included by their peers. However, the real

problem is interpersonal relationships are increasingly marginalized. People no longer feel

close or attached to their friends and families.

提出问题的目的是解决问题，所以 最好的总结就是有效的提议： I personally think

technology is a double-edged sword. We should make good use of its convenience but be

wary of its side effects as well. And I do want to suggest young people at my age to get rid of

their phone from time to time if possible.

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eg. how do advertisements influence children?
Psa/commercial

eg. how has technology changed storytelling?

eg. how are the transportation systems in urban areas and rural areas different?

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