当我们开始准备托福独立写作的时候，很多考生会面临着一个问题，就是“无话可说”，特别是如果遇到一个自己不熟悉的题目，加之时间又紧，头脑就一片空白了，想到的也只是空泛的东西。在这种情况下，即使是中文也难以写好，更谈何用英语去表达呢。

对此办法就是要善于联想到一些具体的事实、具体的例证以及具体的现象。那么问题来了，具体的事实、具体的例证以及具体的现象到底有哪些呢？考生们的内心是崩溃的，人生过于平淡，阅历太少，书到用时方恨少，那么考生们该如何来准备这些具体的例子呢？

我们就拿《北极星》教材为例，来给大家分析一下如何从平常的阅读中积累托福写作素材～

写作试题

2008.8.3/2007.6.9 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? In twenty years’ time, people will lead a more leisurely life.

写作思路

Main point: Disagree

Sub point1:工作压力比现在更大。

Sub point2:环境问题更为严重。

Sub point3:任何事物更新换代的速度更快，意味着20年之后我们需要不断的学习，更加努力的去适应时代的发展，不被时代所淘汰，所以不是更休闲了，而是更累了。

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第三版北极星4 Unit5 ----Longevity: Too Much of a Good Thing?

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A doubled lifespan

If scientists could create a pill that let you live twice as long while remaining free of infirmities,  would you take it?

If one considers only the personal benefits that longer life would bring, the answer might seem like a no-brainer : People could spend more quality time with loved ones; watch future generations grow up; learn new languages; master new musical instruments; try different careers or travel the world.

……

The workplace

For most people, living longer will inevitably mean more time spent working. Careers will necessarily become longer, and the retirement age will have to be pushed back, not only so individuals can support themselves, but to avoid overtaxing a nation’s social security system.

…

But such changes would carry their own set of dangers, critics say. Competition for jobs would become fiercer as “mid-life re-trainees” beginning new careers vie with young workers for a limited number of entry-level positions. Especially worrisome is the problem of workplace mobility, Callahan said. “If you have people staying in their jobs for 100 years, that is going to make it really tough for young people to move in and get ahead,” Callahan explained.

讲解如何运用

同学们注意，以上内容给了我们非常好的素材（尤其是标绿部分）。当我们要证明sub point1. 工作压力比现在更大。你能想到用什么方法来有效的论证呢？Maybe你会说以后大家都是高学历者（well-educated），那么工作的竞争压力自然会更大。这个理由大部分同学都能想得到，那么怎么让你的素材比较novel? 赶紧学学以上段落吧！！！

20年后我们会变得更加长寿，这就意味着我们的退休年龄push back了，在这种年轻人不断进入职场，而年长者延迟退休的情况下，是不是竞争压力要更大了呢？同时篇章中许多expressions是我们都可以学习的，eg. mid-life re-trainees人到中年再就业者；a limited number of entry-level positions有限的招聘岗位；

写作试题

2015.10.11 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

It is a waste of money for government to fund space travel and exploration.

写作思路

Main point: Disagree

Sub point1: 目前地球存在的问题：环境污染越发严重，能源日益减少，人口激增等。所以我们有必要去探索宇宙，找到新的居住地，发现新能源。

Sub point2: Space exploration是非常practical的一项投资，不能说是a waste of money.

Sub point3: 诚然当今社会还有很多没有解决的问题需要政府来处理。这些问题可能比宇宙探索、旅行迫切多了，但是这并不意味着政府做这件事情就是浪费钱。因为如果政府不做就没有人有这个能力了。

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第四版北极星3 Unit3----Exploring the Red Planet

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MARS: OUR NEW HOME?

If you think you’d like to live on Mars, you may have that possibility by 2023.       A Dutch company called Mars One will soon advertise for people interested in colonizing Mars. If you have all the necessary skills—and there are a lot—you could be one of the first colonists to Mars. Are you ready for the challenge?

…

As a future colonist in one of the six teams, you will go through years of training. If your team is the first team to travel to Mars, your main responsibility when you get there will be to build a place where humans can live. The atmosphere on Mars does not have enough oxygen for humans, and the land is not good enough to grow food. Colonists will have to create an artificial environment on Mars where there is air to breathe and land to farm. Scientists know Earth-like conditions can be simulated on Mars because something similar has already been done in Antarctica, where humans cannot survive outside the created environment.(对火星环境的具体描述&科学家们如何将其改造的适合人类居住。)

Humans may have another problem in space as well. It takes nearly a year to get to Mars, so travelers would be without the Earth’s gravity for a long time. In addition, Mars One astronauts will not return to Earth. Their mission is to start a colony that can support itself. So, the colonists will live the rest of their lives there. When a human lives in an environment without gravity or with low gravity  for a long time, the systems in the body weaken. For example, muscles and bones lose strength. The heart also gets weaker. The blood in the body gets thicker, and it becomes more difficult for the heart to push blood through the body. Luckily, spinning the spaceship can create artificial gravity, and artificial gravity can ease these problems.（针对情况：我们的身体可能会遇到挑战，例如失重。）

It also will be difficult for Mars colonists to be isolated, far from home, living in small spaces, and seeing the same people over and over. It is important to come up with solutions to possible problems before anyone actually goes on a Mars mission. Colonists with depression could put the mission in danger. Fortunately, a few years ago, a joint Russian and European project called the Mars500 Mission took place. It studied people’s reactions to long-term space travel by following six astronauts in a Mars-like environment. The astronauts spent 520 days in this environment and only had contact with their bosses and their families. The six astronauts “returned” to the Earth in good physical condition—and still talking to each other. Scientists viewed  the Mars500 Mission as a great success because they were able to see how the astronauts handle emotional and physical stresses. Surprisingly, the greatest emotional problem was boredom. The greatest physical problems were not getting enough sleep and gaining too much weight. （针对情况：在太空中我们的心理可能会遇到什么挑战，会不会出现心理疾病呢…）

讲解如何运用

关于这个话题，同学们脑海中应该会浮现中一幅幅宇宙探索的画面，例如近期的《火星救援》（The Martian）相信大家在这个话题上比较能达成共识，那就是政府花钱探索宇宙并非浪费钱的一种行为。

但是如何解释清楚呢？思路已经给大家了。现在我们回到［Sub point2: Space exploration是非常practical的一项投资，不能说是a waste of money.］

同学们想一下，当我们要证明宇宙探索的实效性、是有前景的，是不是应该展现给考官一个画面：在探索宇宙的过程中政府正在克服一个个unavoidable 困难，政府正在为寻找下一个家园而努力着，所以怎么能叫浪费钱呢？！

想清楚这点之后，不够哦！接下来怎么写呢？探索宇宙过程中具体会遇到什么难题呢？又是如何去解决的呢？英文要怎么表述啊？感觉好多专业术语不会讲，怎么办？ ！！！

同学们，那么请再仔细看看以上篇章中标绿的部分，是不是心中豁然开朗了呢，这篇文章简直就是为托福写作量身定做的！

520 days in this environment and only had contact with their bosses and their families. The six astronauts “returned” to the Earth in good physical condition—and still talking to each other. Scientists viewed      the Mars500 Mission as a great success because they were able to see how the astronauts handle emotional and physical stresses. Surprisingly, the greatest emotional problem was boredom. The greatest physical problems were not getting enough sleep and gaining too much weight. （针对情况：在太空中我们的心理可能会遇到什么挑战，会不会出现心理疾病呢…）

写作试题

2015.10.25 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

In the past people were more friendly than they are today.

写作思路

Main point: Agree

Sub point1: 现在人生活节奏快，每天都非常忙碌，没什么时间关注他人，自然不如以前的人friendly。

Sub point2:当今社会诈骗行为很多，加上媒体的曝光，人们的防范心理很强，对陌生人极其警惕；而以前人们对陌生人是比较友善的。

Sub point3:当然不能否认当今社会中依然有很多friendly 的行为举措，很多人也极其warm-hearted.但是整体来说是以前的人比较friendly。其中有个比较重要的因素是现代人相对selfish,尤其在中国 One-Child Policy的影响下,独身子女相对会比较自私。

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第四版北极星3 Unit2----The Consequences of Fraud

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(如下篇章内容围绕思路中的sub point2展开)

同学们，你们现在看到的就是北极星3 Unit2----The Consequences of Fraud的引入部分。其实在这个版块我们就可以学到很多单词： medical fraud(医疗诈骗), Internet fraud(网络欺诈)，Identity theft(身份盗窃)……这些表达在你的作文中都可以用到哦～接下来具体看一个篇章~

TYPES OF FRAUD

（注意：本文通篇可用，就不标注重点内容）

Fraud has been increasing around the world because of computer technology. One example is the Nigerian Bank Fraud. People are contacted by email and asked to help transfer money from Nigeria or other African countries by allowing the money to be placed temporarily in their bank accounts. The real motive is not to transfer money but to obtain personal banking information.（本段结合具体实例来说明当今世界，计算机的广泛使用、网络的普及让Fraud影响更大。可作为sub point2的素材。）

Another type of computer fraud is known as “phishing,” or trying to obtain financial information by impersonating a bank employee. When this kind of fraud takes place, you receive email messages from someone pretending to represent your bank. You are then asked to provide your account number or other identifying information. This kind of deception seems so real that many people respond to it and give away their financial and personal information.（本段提到的网络欺诈，大家是否很熟悉呢？里边的表达phishing, impersonate, deception这些好用的词汇学到手了吗？）

The telephone is also used by con men and women who try to impress people with amazing prizes and offers. Sometimes they will call and ask for your banking information so that they can put prize money into your account. If you do not trust a person contacting you by phone, ask for his or her name, business phone number, and company address. You can then contact the company yourself to learn whether or not you have reason to be suspicious.（电话诈骗有碰到过吗？在我们的日常生活中是不是很常见？这是不是让你不再那么相信陌生人了呢？“骗子”这个词可以用con men and women来表达，了解吗？所以本段内容也可以作为素材。）

Modern communications technology has made it easier for people to trick you with fake deals and requests for information. When you go online, you find many websites offering products and services such as medical treatment and legal advice. How can you know if something is real? Fortunately, there are many organizations that can help you make sure that companies and individuals are treating you with honesty. If you believe that you are involved in a case of fraud, be sure to report it and ask for help.

讲解如何运用

同学们，相信大家看完全文会发现基本整个篇章拿过来全是supporting materials.其实对于sub point2欺诈行为这点，同学们根据个人的经历以及网络、报纸上的新闻都可以想到具体的例子，关键的是不知道怎么表达，所以上文对于填补大家表达上空缺是非常有效的。

写作试题

2015.11.15 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The more money a person has, the more he or she should give away to the charities

写作思路

Main point: Disagree

Sub point1: Money越多在一定程度上意味着能帮助越多的人，而当今社会还有很多人温饱问题都解决不了，所以应该出更多的钱给慈善机构。可以用Bill Gates的例子。

Sub point2:对自身也有好处，自己在帮助他人的过程中可以更好的认识自己，变得更加快乐，更加自信，更加知道生命的意义。

Sub point3:可以让这个世界更加美好。许多问题的出现都是因为贫富差距过大导致的，如果富了之后会拿更多的钱出来帮助他人，那么这个世界必将更加美好。

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第三版北极星4 -Unit6----Give and Learn

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This 1979 Nobel Peace Prize winner spent many years working with the extremely poor in India. Though not a rich person, Mother Teresa was able to personally help thousands of people. disagree with the following statement? The more money a person has, the more he or she should give away to the charities.

This business person is one of the richest people in the world. Bill Gates is also a very generous philanthropist and has created a foundation focusing on education and healthcare.

This movie star is reported to give away 1/3 of his/her income to several charities. Angelina Jolie is also the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

This wealthy talk show host has created a foundation “to support the education and empowerment of women, children and families”. Oprah Winfrey has also established a school for girls in South Africa.

讲解如何运用

本文的展开需要有大量的实例来说明做慈善是必要的，本单元中的Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Mother Teresa都是慈善的好例子。toefl听力试题

结语

托福写作时“无话可说”乃是因为平时缺乏素材积累，输入太少呐。对于素材，同学们要注意以下几点：一是素材最好是英文表达，不然考试时，即使心中满满的例子写的时候却发现好多意思不知怎样用英文表达；二是素材在表达上不宜太难，否则难以理解和记忆。三是好的素材要熟悉到位，同学们面对好的素材不能只是记在本子上或是存在电脑中，一定要记在脑子里！如何确定已经记在脑子里了呢？找个一起考托福的小伙伴，把例子用英文讲一遍给他/她听；或者找张纸，写一遍。当你说完或者写完，对方听了或者看了惊叹你的表达或者例子好棒时，说明你是真的掌握了这个例子！不然没有记在脑子里，再好的素材也是枉然~