Pat's Answers
1 口语考试是不是只能回答“积极”的答案？口试是不是一定要回答“新颖”的答案？（Do I have to sound positive or optimistic? Do I have to give the examiner completely original or creative answers?）
国内考生甚至一些培训教师普遍相信下面的错误观点：
A 你不能给考官“I don't like…”“Actually, I don't know much about…”“Well, I disagree…” 这类否定语气的答案。
B 你必须要给出非常有创意（original）、与众不同（unique）、引人入胜（engaging）的答案才能拿高分。
我们来看看一位真实的口语考官是怎样理解这个问题的（Clark: 29）：
One important point to emphasize（强调）here is that the marking system does NOT include references to the following points:
Interesting content
Funny answers
Body language
Appearance or dress
更加发人深思（thought-provoking）的是，这位考官同时还给出了自己的评分实例（Ibid，29）:“I interviewed a young lady who was arrogant（傲慢的），impolite, impatient and quite rude—but I awarded this lady a score of 8 because her spoken English matched the descriptions in the marking system（评分体系）for band score 8.”
像这样一个已经集所有讨厌于一身（obnoxious, intolerable），而且并没有为了讨好考官而展示“事业线”（cleavage）的女士，因为英语说得并没有明显问题，还是从考官那里拿走了口语8分的高分。显然，在真实考官的眼里，IELTS口试并不是“主要看气质”（It's not about whether the examiner finds the candidate attractive or not.）。
而Pat在北京时的同事，口语考官Martin Renner就更加直白地说：“It's not what you say. It's how you say it!”
两位货真价实的考官的肺腑之言完全符合Pat自己对学生口语成绩的长期跟踪调查：口语的分数，只看你的英语水平和答案是否具体、充实，和所谓的“别出心裁”或者是否“积极”完全没有关系。说得更直接一点：考官坐到口试的小房间里的任务不是检测智商，也不是做“心理分析”，主办方交给他/她的唯一任务是要确定考生的英语口语水平到底怎样。我们需要做的，只是努力去说正确、流利的英文，但是实在没必要给自己再强加更多的条条框框了（hard and fast rules）。
British Council官方给出的这段话是对这个问题的解答最权威的结束语：“Examiners are only interested in your language and your ability to communicate. That is all they are assessing and judging.”
2 口语考官的评分依据到底是什么？（How should I interpret the rating system?）
同学们都知道口语有四项评分标准，但是那个标准很学术，一般考生难以望其项背。通过下面的这个表格，我们可以总结出一个更好理解的“草根版”口语评分标准。
Pat总结的“草根版”雅思口试评分标准
（续表）
下面我们用《剑14》Test 2里面的一道考题来说明低分与高分口语答案的区别：
Is there anything you don't like about social media?
典型的5分答案：
Some people always chat. They don't have time for other things.
典型的6分答案：
Social media can make young people addicted. They spend a lot of time chatting with their friends but don't spend enough time with their parents.
典型的7分答案：
Yes. The main thing I don't like about social media is the loss of privacy. Even strangers can see what I've shared with my friends. Some social media companies also gather their users' personal information and sell it to other companies.
我们还可以通过《剑14》Test 3的这道考题来体会低档、中档与高档分数之间的差异：
Do you think you are a good neighbour?
典型的5分答案：
I'm good. I'm quiet and nice.
典型的6分答案：
Yes. I'm always ready to help my neighbours. And I don't make noise or play loud music in my flat.
典型的7分答案：
Yes. I'm friendly to my neighbours and I offer help when they need it. I also respect their privacy and avoid asking them questions that are too personal.
再来看《剑13》Test 3里的例题：
When you go shopping, do you prefer to pay for things in cash or by card?
典型的5分答案：
I pay by card. Card is fast and easy.
典型的6分答案：
I prefer to pay by card because it saves time. Counting cash is slow and a bit boring.
典型的7分答案：
I prefer to pay by card because it's a more convenient way to pay. A card is also easier to carry around than cash. And sometimes I can get reward points for paying by card.
继续看《剑13》里的一个5→6→7的三级跳（hop, skip, jump）：
What are the ways that social media can be used for positive purposes?
典型的5分答案：
We can chat with friends and classmates.
典型的6分答案：
Chatting on social media is very relaxing. And we can find useful information on social media.
典型的7分答案：
We can keep in touch with friends on social media or make new friends who have the same interests and hobbies as we do. Governments and companies can also share information with the public on social media.
再来看《剑12》Test 5里不同分数段的答案：
What could you do to have a healthier lifestyle?
典型的5分答案：
Many things, swim, ride my bike, not eat junk food.
典型的6分答案：
I could exercise every day, watch less TV and drink more water to make my lifestyle healthier.
典型的7分答案：
I could be more active and go to the gym regularly. I could also eat more vegetables，like carrots and tomatoes，so I could have a balanced diet.
还有《剑12》里的这个实例：
Did you enjoy doing art lessons when you were a child?
典型的5分答案：
Yes, I like art lessons and I draw very well.
典型的6分答案：
No, they were boring. The art teacher just let us draw things by ourselves.
典型的7分答案：
Yes，I did because our art teacher taught us to draw，paint and make simple sculptures. Those activities were fun and interesting. They also made me more creative.
我们还可以通过《剑11》Test 1里面的考题来看看口语7分到底是怎样炼成的：
Do you watch cookery programmes on TV?
典型的5分答案：
Yes, I watch cookery programmes. They are interesting.
典型的6分答案：
Yes, I do. They teach me how to cook well. The food cooked on TV shows looks beautiful and the hosts are very funny.
典型的7分答案：
Yes，I do because the hosts have great cooking skills. I can really learn from them and improve my own cooking. They also have a good sense of humour and many of them teach people how to cook healthy food.
下面再用《剑10》Test 2里面的考题来说明一下5→6→7的飞跃（leap）：
Do you think all children should learn to play a musical instrument?
典型的5分答案：
They should because they can enjoy music when they play it.
典型的6分答案：
I think they should. Playing a musical instrument helps children relax. It's also an important skill all children should have.
典型的7分答案：
Yes，they should because playing a musical instrument can reduce stress. It can also help children increase their concentration. Playing a musical instrument，like the piano or a guitar，is also a good way for them to express themselves.
我们的结论
☆ 5分是挣扎着说出来的（或者另一个极端是无比流利地“喷”出来的），和考官的交流要不然就是基本无效，要不然就特别机械生硬，更像“人机对话”
☆ 6分是思考着说出来的，和考官的交流开始有效，但是并不充分而且也不是很流利
☆ 7分是快速思考之后比较连贯地说出来的，但中间仍然会有正常呼吸和短暂思考所需要的自然停顿（natural pauses）。和考官的交流比较充分，而且已经具有一定的层次感，但是偶尔会出现不导致严重误解的语法、用词或者发音错误
3 口语考试要不要“套磁”？（Am I supposed to butter up the examiner?）
像这样“第二十二条军规”（Catch 22）似的问题其实永远会吵个没完。我们这样来看这个问题会更清楚：套磁并不会明显加分，但如果套不好却可能会导致扣分，因为考官被套一点也不影响他/她用自己的母语——英语向你提出问题，而集中精力套磁却会让你没有精力用自己的非母语——英语来好好回答考官的问题。再说，如果考官真的对你的套磁感兴趣了，撇开考试真跟你聊起来了，你能吃得消吗？（Are you really up to it?）
比如，近期有个考生听考官是美国口音，为了实现跟考官“零距离”，她就说自己的“偶像”——罗玉凤——也住在美国。没想到考官正好看过People杂志对“凤姐”的深度报道，连续追问了一大堆相关问题，直到考试结束时还问凤姐是不是已经在美国找到她的dream guy了。我们当然应该尊重考官，但是像这种情况就纯属因为全力套磁而“被套”（get stuck）的闹剧了。
4 考官提出的问题如果我压根儿没听懂怎么办？（What can I possibly do if I don't fully understand a question?）
IELTS口语里的Part 1和Part 3都是问答题。在这两个部分里，如果你遇到有的问题没听清，怎么办呢？
对于Part 1, British Council官方明确规定：You can ask the examiner to repeat a question if you did not hear it clearly.
也就是说：你并不需要跟考官玩“我猜我猜我猜猜猜”的游戏，而是可以直接说：“Sorry, could you please repeat that？”这样说对IELTS口试这种interview是恰当的、而且考官也愿意接受的（但请注意避免过于频繁地要求你的考官重复）。
而且，对于用词更加正式的Part 3, British Council官方还明确规定：You can ask for clarification in Part 3.
主办方这条规定的意思是：如果在Part 3你听不懂一个问题的某个部分，有权请考官替你澄清这个问题（clarify the question），可以跟他/她说，“Sorry, could you please explain what you mean by…（你没听懂的部分）？”考官就会按官方规定，换一种说法为你解释一下，你专注地听他/她的解释就好了。
5 IELTS口语考时事么？（Am I supposed to constantly update my knowledge about current events for the speaking test?）
最近有不少考生发来邮件问Pat如果近期考试的话是否要准备一些关于冠状病毒疫情（the coronavirus outbreak）、中美贸易战（the trade war between China and the United States）、法国政府承诺重建巴黎圣母院（promised to rebuild the Notre Dame Cathedral）、《囧妈》在线直播（was streamed online）、李佳琦带货不粘锅“翻车”（the egg stuck to the "non-stick pan"）等新闻的相关信息。
考生的这种担心是正常的，毕竟IELTS口试属于面对面的交流，很容易让人联想到考官是否会“实时”出题。但令人遗憾（也许是令人庆幸）的是：每一次IELTS口试的考题均是由剑桥统一提供的，IELTS口语并不考查最新的时事知识。
《剑14》里的官方真题最真实地体现了雅思口试“只考社会趋势，但不考具体时事”的准确定位：
How popular are electronic books are in your country?
Will electronic books completely replace printed books in the future?
Do you think homes will look different in the future?
Why has online shopping become so popular in many countries?
所以，IELTS口试的首要任务是考查你的英文口语表达能力，关注时事新闻（follow current events in the news）本身是一种很好的习惯，可以长期保持，但您不必为了准备口试而特意去突击时事新闻“涨姿势”。
6 怎样正确看待口试的Predictions?
对于备考时间很紧的考生们来说，不论英语水平高低，提前看看口语预测里的题目都是高效率的备战方法。而且，由于雅思口试是分阶段更换题库，而不是每次考试都换题库，因此口语预测的命中率还是挺高的。所以客观地说：准备口语预测不算是浪费生命。但有3点，Pat要特别请您注意：（a）对于那些过于简单、你肯定能回答出来的预测题，可以跳过去不必准备，有重点地备考是明智而不是偷懒；（b）话题接近的考题完全可以合并。虽然你不是考官，但考官也不是你，考官就是一般人而不是mind reader。当然，合并话题必须自然，过于牵强那不叫合并，而叫无怨无悔地跑题；（c）Pat坚决鼓励您把自己原创的想法加到预测题的答案里去，即使有点幼稚也比彻底放弃就地卧倒要可贵。至于如何扩展思路，学完Day 8便知。
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Okay，let's get the show on the road.