雅思范文 01:科技让人更亲近,还是更疏远?

Task 2 题目: Some people believe that modern technology, such as smartphones and social media, has brought people closer together. Others argue that it has made people more isolated. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

一篇约 340 词的”讨论双方观点 + 给出自己看法”类范文。Day 1 的 5 个词(ubiquitous、erode、foster、disproportionately、trade-off)全部用在了里面,可以对照着背。

范文

In an age when smartphones have become ubiquitous, few questions divide opinion as sharply as whether technology connects or isolates us. While some argue that digital tools have brought people closer than ever, others contend that they have quietly eroded the quality of human relationships. In my view, technology itself is neutral; whether it unites or divides us depends largely on how it is used.

Those who celebrate technology point out that it has effectively abolished distance. A student studying abroad can now see her parents’ faces every evening through a video call, something that would have been unimaginable a generation ago. Moreover, online platforms foster communities that could never exist offline: a teenager with a rare illness, or an adult with an unusual hobby, can find hundreds of people who share their experience. For these individuals, the internet is not a substitute for social life but the very place where it begins.

On the other hand, critics argue that this constant connection comes at a price. Because it is always easier to scroll than to talk, many families now sit at the same dinner table while each member stares at a separate screen. Social media, in particular, tends to replace deep conversations with brief likes and comments, offering the feeling of being connected without its substance. Young people appear to be disproportionately affected, as heavy social media use among teenagers has been linked to higher levels of loneliness and anxiety.

In my opinion, both sides describe real effects, but they are describing different uses of the same tool. When technology extends relationships that already exist, or opens doors to new ones, it brings us closer; when it replaces face-to-face contact, it pushes us apart. The real trade-off, therefore, is not between technology and human connection, but between using it actively and consuming it passively.

In conclusion, technology has the power both to unite and to isolate. Rather than blaming the devices in our pockets, we should learn to use them deliberately — as a bridge to other people, not a wall between them.

参考译文

在智能手机无处不在的时代,很少有问题像”科技让人联结还是孤立”这样众说纷纭。有人认为数字工具让人们前所未有地亲近,也有人坚持认为它们在悄无声息地侵蚀人际关系的质量。在我看来,科技本身是中性的;它让我们团结还是疏离,很大程度上取决于如何使用它。

推崇科技的人指出,科技实际上消除了距离。一个在国外留学的学生如今每天晚上都能通过视频通话看到父母的脸,这在一代人之前是无法想象的。此外,网络平台还促成了线下不可能存在的群体:一个患有罕见病的青少年,或一个有冷门爱好的成年人,都能找到成百上千有相同经历的人。对这些人来说,互联网不是社交生活的替代品,而恰恰是社交生活开始的地方。

另一方面,批评者认为这种时刻在线的联结是有代价的。因为刷手机总比交谈容易,如今许多家庭围坐在同一张餐桌前,每个人却各自盯着自己的屏幕。尤其是社交媒体,往往用简短的点赞和评论取代深入的交谈,给人一种联结的感觉,却没有联结的实质。年轻人受到的影响似乎格外严重:青少年大量使用社交媒体,已被认为与更高程度的孤独和焦虑有关。

在我看来,双方描述的都是真实存在的影响,但他们说的是同一工具的不同用法。当科技延伸了已有的关系,或为新的关系打开大门时,它让我们更亲近;当它取代了面对面的接触时,它就把我们推得更远。因此,真正的取舍不在于科技与人际联结之间,而在于主动使用与被动消费之间。

总之,科技既有团结人的力量,也有孤立人的力量。与其责怪口袋里的设备,我们更应该学会有意识地使用它们——让它们成为通向他人的桥,而不是隔开彼此的墙。

文章结构

段落 作用 核心句
开头 引出话题,概括双方,亮明观点 technology itself is neutral
主体 1 支持方:拉近距离、聚集小众群体 it has effectively abolished distance
主体 2 反对方:取代深度交流,伤害青少年 this constant connection comes at a price
主体 3 我的观点:关键在于怎么用 not between A and B, but between C and D
结尾 总结并给出建议 a bridge, not a wall

开头就给出观点,主体先写两方,再单独用一段展开自己的看法,这是讨论类题目最稳的结构,考官一眼就能看清论证思路。

值得背诵的表达

1. few questions divide opinion as sharply as …
很少有问题像……这样众说纷纭。万能开头,比 “Nowadays, there is a debate about …” 高级得多。

2. others contend that …
另一些人坚持认为……。contend 比 argue、think 更正式,表示”据理力争”。

3. whether it unites or divides us depends largely on how it is used
它是团结还是分裂我们,很大程度上取决于怎么用。whether 从句作主语,句式漂亮,可以套用到几乎所有科技类话题。

4. something that would have been unimaginable a generation ago
这在一代人之前是无法想象的。放在例子后面作同位语,突出变化之大。

5. A is not a substitute for B but the very place where B begins
A 不是 B 的替代品,而恰恰是 B 开始的地方。not ... but ... 加 the very 强调,是反驳常见观点的利器。

6. comes at a price
是有代价的。写弊端时的过渡句,比 “has disadvantages” 地道。

7. offering the feeling of X without its substance
给人 X 的感觉,却没有 X 的实质。分词短语作补充说明,一针见血。

8. they are describing different uses of the same tool
他们说的是同一工具的不同用法。用来调和双方观点,几乎所有”科技利弊”题都能用。

9. The real trade-off is not between A and B, but between C and D.
真正的取舍不在 A 与 B 之间,而在 C 与 D 之间。重新定义问题,是拿高分的思路。

10. as a bridge to other people, not a wall between them
成为通向他人的桥,而不是隔开彼此的墙。bridge 与 wall 对比,结尾有画面感,容易给考官留下印象。

背诵建议

  • 先背开头段和观点段,这两段的句式迁移性最强,换个话题改几个词就能用。
  • 主体段不必逐字背,记住”论点 + 具体例子 + 一句总结”的写法即可。
  • 背完后试着把题目换成 “Has the internet made people more or less sociable?” 默写一遍,检验是不是真的会用了。