A Tall Building You Like or Dislike

Part 3 追问

这些是考官在该题卡之后提出的讨论题，已编写范文的题目附有参考答案。

1. 1. How usual is it in your country to live in tall buildings?

   2026年9–12月
   查看这道题的6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5三档对比

   6.5 分

   The 6.5 answer gives a direct assessment ("becoming more usual, but still quite new") and supports it with one plain contrast between the family house and a colleague's new flat, using simple connectors like "but" and "because".6.5分的答案给出了一个直接的评估("becoming more usual, but still quite new"),并用一个平实的对比来支持它——家里的房子和同事的新公寓,用了简单的连接词"but"和"because"。

   It is becoming more usual, but it is still quite new. My parents live in a typical Vietnamese house in Hue, which is narrow and has four floors, with a door onto the street. That is what most people still think of as a home. But in cities like Hanoi and Da Nang, tall apartment buildings with twenty or thirty floors are appearing quickly. A colleague of mine just bought a flat on the eighteenth floor because houses in the city cost too much now. Older people often dislike them, since living without ground feels strange to them.

   查看中文翻译

   这变得越来越普遍了,但仍然算是相当新的现象。我父母住在顺化一栋典型的越南房子里,又窄又有四层楼,大门直接开向街道。这仍然是大多数人心目中"家"的样子。但在河内、岘港这样的城市,二三十层的高层公寓楼正在迅速出现。我一位同事刚在十八楼买了一套公寓,因为市区的房子现在太贵了。老年人往往不喜欢这种住宅,因为脚不沾地生活让他们觉得很奇怪。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“That is what most people still think of as a home.” — This short sentence restates the previous point plainly rather than folding it into the surrounding description. A 7.0 answer would more likely attach this idea directly onto the sentence about the house instead of stating it separately.这句简短的话平实地重述了前一点,而不是把它融入周围的描述里。7.0分的答案更可能把这个想法直接接到关于房子的那句话上,而不是单独陈述。
   • LR“tall apartment buildings with twenty or thirty floors are appearing quickly” — This is a plain, literal description using the basic verb "appearing" rather than a more vivid or specific one. A higher band would likely choose a more image-based verb for the same idea.这是一个平实、直白的描述,用了基础动词"appearing",而不是更生动或具体的动词。高分段更可能为同样的想法选用更有画面感的动词。
   • GRA“My parents live in a typical Vietnamese house in Hue, which is narrow and has four floors, with a door onto the street.” — A single relative clause ("which is narrow and has four floors") is added onto the main sentence, along with a trailing prepositional phrase, accurate but structurally plain compared to higher bands.一个定语从句("which is narrow and has four floors")被加到主句上,后面还跟了一个介词短语,虽然准确,但相比高分段而言结构比较平实。

   7.0 分

   The 7.0 answer adds the reflective hedge "I'd say" and uses a dash-linked list ("four narrow floors, one family, a door onto the street") to describe the house, giving the answer a more natural spoken rhythm than the 6.5 version.7.0分的答案加入了有思考感的缓和语"I'd say",并用破折号连接的清单("four narrow floors, one family, a door onto the street")来描述房子,比6.5分版本更有自然的口语节奏。

   Increasingly usual, but still fairly new, I'd say. My parents live in a typical Vietnamese 'tube house' in Hue — four narrow floors, one family, a door onto the street — and that's still what most people picture when they think of home. In Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and now Da Nang, apartment towers of twenty or thirty floors have gone up fast, and young couples, like a colleague of mine who just bought a flat on the eighteenth floor, choose them because an actual house in the city has become almost impossible to afford. Older people often dislike them, since a home without any ground under it feels somehow wrong to them.

   查看中文翻译

   我觉得这越来越普遍了,但仍然算相当新。我父母住在顺化一栋典型的越南"筒子屋"里——四层窄楼,一户人家,大门直接开向街道——这仍然是大多数人一想到"家"就会浮现的画面。在河内、胡志明市,现在还有岘港,二三十层的公寓大楼迅速拔地而起,而年轻夫妇——比如我一位刚在十八楼买了套公寓的同事——选择住这种房子,是因为市区一套真正的房子现在几乎买不起了。老年人往往不喜欢这种住宅,因为脚下没有土地的家,对他们来说总觉得哪里不对。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“Increasingly usual, but still fairly new, I'd say” — The hedge "I'd say" is attached to the opening claim as a spoken qualifier, softening a direct assessment in a way the flatter opening of a 6.5 answer does not.缓和语"I'd say"作为口语化的限定语附加在开头的论断上,以6.5分平淡开头所没有的方式软化了这个直接的评估。
   • LR“apartment towers of twenty or thirty floors have gone up fast” — "Gone up fast" is a more natural, idiomatic phrasal verb than the plain "appearing quickly" a 6.5 answer would use for the same idea."Gone up fast"是一个更自然、更地道的动词短语,比6.5分对同样想法使用的平实的"appearing quickly"要好。
   • GRA“young couples, like a colleague of mine who just bought a flat on the eighteenth floor, choose them because an actual house in the city has become almost impossible to afford” — A non-restrictive example ("like a colleague of mine who just bought a flat on the eighteenth floor") is inserted between the subject and the verb, a moderately complex structure beyond the simple sentences of a 6.5 answer.一个非限定性的例子("like a colleague of mine who just bought a flat on the eighteenth floor")被插入到主语和谓语之间,是一种超越6.5分简单句的中等复杂结构。

   7.5 分

   The 7.5 answer uses the precise phrase "shot up in a matter of years" and the specific cultural detail about "the ancestral altar", ending with the compact closing line "largely out of necessity, and mostly among the young".7.5分的答案用了精确的短语"shot up in a matter of years",以及关于"祖先神龛"的具体文化细节,以简洁的结尾句"largely out of necessity, and mostly among the young"收尾。

   Increasingly usual, though still relatively new. My parents live in a typical Vietnamese 'tube house' in Hue — four narrow floors, one family, a door straight onto the street — and that remains most people's mental picture of home. In Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and now Da Nang, apartment towers of twenty or thirty storeys have shot up in a matter of years, and young couples, a colleague of mine among them, are choosing them simply because a house in the city has slipped out of reach financially. Older people, meanwhile, tend to resist the shift; a home with no ground beneath it feels wrong to them, and there's nowhere left for the ancestral altar to face the street. So it's common now, largely out of necessity, and mostly among the young.

   查看中文翻译

   越来越普遍了,不过仍然算相对较新。我父母住在顺化一栋典型的越南"筒子屋"里——四层窄楼,一户人家,大门直接开向街道——这仍然是大多数人心目中"家"的画面。在河内、胡志明市,现在还有岘港,二三十层的公寓大楼在短短几年内拔地而起,年轻夫妇——包括我一位同事在内——选择住这种房子,原因很简单,市区的房子已经贵到他们经济上够不着了。与此同时,老年人往往抵触这种转变;一个脚下没有土地的家对他们来说不对劲,而且再也没有地方能让祖先神龛面朝街道。所以现在这已经很常见了,主要是出于无奈,而且大多是在年轻人当中。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“and there's nowhere left for the ancestral altar to face the street” — This specific, culturally precise detail is added almost in passing as a second reason within the same sentence, a more compact and knowing way of building an argument than a 6.5 answer's plain single-reason sentences.这个具体、有文化精确度的细节几乎是顺带地作为同一句话里的第二个理由加进来的,比6.5分那种单一理由的平实句子,是一种更紧凑、更有见地的论证构建方式。
   • LR“apartment towers of twenty or thirty storeys have shot up in a matter of years” — "Shot up" is a vivid, less-common phrasal verb choice compared to the plainer "gone up fast" a 7.0 answer would use, painting a sharper image of rapid change."Shot up"是一个生动、不太常用的动词短语选择,相比7.0分会用的更平淡的"gone up fast",描绘出了更鲜明的快速变化形象。
   • GRA“young couples, a colleague of mine among them, are choosing them simply because a house in the city has slipped out of reach financially” — The appositive "a colleague of mine among them" is inserted without a relative pronoun, a more compressed construction than the "like a colleague of mine who..." relative clause a 7.0 answer would use for the same idea.同位语"a colleague of mine among them"在没有关系代词的情况下被插入,比7.0分对同样想法会用的"like a colleague of mine who..."定语从句是更凝练的结构。

2. 2. What are the disadvantages of living in a very tall building?

   2026年9–12月
   查看这道题的6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5三档对比

   6.5 分

   The 6.5 answer leads with one clear problem ("everything depends on things working properly"), tells one short story to prove it, then lists two more problems using the plain connector "also".6.5分的答案先给出一个明确的问题("everything depends on things working properly"),讲一个简短的故事来证明它,然后用平实的连接词"also"再列出两个问题。

   The biggest problem is that everything depends on things working properly. During a power cut last summer, my colleague on the eighteenth floor had no electricity, so there was no lift and no water. She had to carry her shopping up eighteen flights of stairs in very hot weather. Fire is also a worry, because it is slow to escape from a high floor. There is also less contact with neighbours, because you meet them in the lift instead of outside. The building also depends on a management company to fix problems like the water pump.

   查看中文翻译

   最大的问题是,一切都依赖于设备能正常运转。去年夏天停电的时候,我那位住在十八楼的同事没有电,所以没有电梯,也没有水。她得在酷热的天气里把买的东西扛上十八层楼梯。火灾也是一个令人担忧的问题,因为从高楼层逃生很慢。邻里之间的接触也变少了,因为你是在电梯里而不是在外面遇到他们。整栋楼还依赖一家物业公司来修理水泵之类的问题。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“She had to carry her shopping up eighteen flights of stairs in very hot weather.” — This is a short, plain narrative sentence with a simple past structure, stating the fact directly without much colour. A 7.5 answer would likely fold this detail into the previous sentence with a participial phrase instead.这是一个简短、平实的叙事句,用简单过去时直接陈述事实,没有太多色彩。7.5分的答案更可能用分词短语把这个细节融入前一句话里。
   • LR“There is also less contact with neighbours, because you meet them in the lift instead of outside.” — "Less contact with neighbours" is a plain, general phrase rather than a more vivid or specific description of the same idea. A higher band would likely name this loss more precisely."Less contact with neighbours"是一个平实、笼统的短语,而不是对同一想法更生动或更具体的描述。高分段更可能更精确地点出这种损失。
   • GRA“During a power cut last summer, my colleague on the eighteenth floor had no electricity, so there was no lift and no water.” — This sentence uses a simple cause-and-result structure with "so", accurate but structurally plain compared to the dash-linked constructions of higher bands.这句话用了带"so"的简单因果结构,虽然准确,但相比高分段用破折号连接的结构,在句式上比较平实。

   7.0 分

   The 7.0 answer names the problem abstractly first ("the dependence on things working") before the story, and uses the natural connector "Beyond emergencies" to move to a second category of problem, adding shape the 6.5 list lacks.7.0分的答案先抽象地点出问题("the dependence on things working"),再讲故事,并用自然的连接词"Beyond emergencies"过渡到第二类问题,给6.5分那份缺乏结构感的清单增添了形状。

   Mostly, it's the dependence on things working. During a power cut last summer, my colleague on the eighteenth floor discovered that no electricity meant no lift and no water pump, and she ended up carrying her shopping up eighteen flights in thirty-five-degree heat. Fire is the fear underneath that, since escape from a high floor is genuinely slow. Beyond emergencies, there's the daily distance from the street — a neighbour becomes someone you occasionally meet in a lift rather than over a fence, and the whole building depends on a management company that may or may not actually fix the pump. Add the noise from the lift shaft and higher fees, and the view starts to feel expensive.

   查看中文翻译

   主要是对设备正常运作的这种依赖。去年夏天停电的时候,我那位住十八楼的同事发现,没有电就意味着没有电梯、没有水泵,结果她得在三十五度的高温里把买的东西扛上十八层楼梯。火灾是这背后更深的恐惧,因为从高楼层逃生确实很慢。除了紧急情况之外,还有一种日常的疏离感,离街道很远——邻居变成了一个你偶尔在电梯里遇到、而不是隔着篱笆碰面的人,而整栋楼都依赖一家未必真的会去修水泵的物业公司。再加上电梯井的噪音和更高的物业费,这样的风景开始让人觉得代价不小。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“she ended up carrying her shopping up eighteen flights in thirty-five-degree heat” — The phrasal verb "ended up" adds a natural, spoken sense of unintended consequence, something the flatter "had to carry" of a 6.5 answer does not convey.动词短语"ended up"增添了一种自然、口语化的"非本意后果"感,这是6.5分更平淡的"had to carry"所没有传达的。
   • LR“a neighbour becomes someone you occasionally meet in a lift rather than over a fence” — "Over a fence" is a mild, image-based collocation standing in for the plain phrase "less contact with neighbours" a 6.5 answer would use for the same loss."Over a fence"是一个温和的、有画面感的搭配,代替了6.5分对同样的损失会用的平实短语"less contact with neighbours"。
   • GRA“Add the noise from the lift shaft and higher fees, and the view starts to feel expensive.” — This imperative-plus-result construction ("Add X, and Y happens") is a moderately complex way of summarising several small problems at once, beyond the simple listed sentences of a 6.5 answer.这个祈使句加结果的结构("Add X, and Y happens")是一种中等复杂的方式,能一次性总结几个小问题,超越了6.5分简单的列举句。

   7.5 分

   The 7.5 answer opens with the compact fragment "Dependence on things working, mostly" and closes with the vivid summary line "the view starts to look expensive", using the reduced passive "a neighbour is someone met in a lift" for economy.7.5分的答案以简洁的片段"Dependence on things working, mostly"开头,以生动的总结句"the view starts to look expensive"结尾,用了简省的被动结构"a neighbour is someone met in a lift"来省字。

   Dependence on things working, mostly. During a power cut last summer, my colleague on the eighteenth floor discovered that no electricity meant no lift and no water pump, and she carried her shopping up eighteen flights in thirty-five-degree heat. Fire is the fear underneath that; escape from a high floor is slow by nature. Beyond emergencies, there's the daily distance from the street — a child can't just run outside, a neighbour is someone met in a lift rather than over a fence, and the whole building leans on a management company that may or may not bother fixing the pump. Throw in wind, noise from the lift shaft and steeper fees, and the view starts to look expensive.

   查看中文翻译

   主要是对设备正常运作的这种依赖。去年夏天停电的时候,我那位住十八楼的同事发现,没有电就意味着没有电梯、没有水泵,她只好在三十五度的高温里把买的东西扛上十八层楼梯。火灾是这背后的恐惧;从高楼层逃生天生就慢。除了紧急情况之外,还有一种日常的疏离感,离街道很远——孩子不能随便跑到外面去,邻居变成了一个在电梯里遇到、而不是隔着篱笆碰面的人,而整栋楼都靠着一家未必愿意去修水泵的物业公司撑着。再加上风、电梯井的噪音和更贵的物业费,这样的风景开始显得代价高昂。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“Dependence on things working, mostly.” — This two-word-plus-fragment opener states the whole answer's thesis before any explanation, a highly compressed construction beyond the full opening sentence a 6.5 or 7.0 answer would use.这个两个词加短语的开头,在任何解释之前就点出了整个回答的论点,是一种高度凝练的结构,超越了6.5分或7.0分会用的完整开头句。
   • LR“the whole building leans on a management company that may or may not bother fixing the pump” — "Leans on" is a vivid, slightly idiomatic verb choice replacing the plainer "depends on" a 7.0 answer would repeat, avoiding word repetition while adding character."Leans on"是一个生动、略带地道色彩的动词选择,取代了7.0分会重复使用的更平淡的"depends on",既避免了重复用词,又增添了特色。
   • GRA“a neighbour is someone met in a lift rather than over a fence” — The reduced passive participle "met in a lift" replaces a full relative clause like "someone you meet in a lift", a more compact construction than the fuller relative clauses of lower bands.简省的被动分词"met in a lift"取代了完整的定语从句,比如"someone you meet in a lift",比低分段更完整的定语从句是更紧凑的结构。

3. 3. Will more people live in tall buildings in the future?

   2026年9–12月
   查看这道题的6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5三档对比

   6.5 分

   The 6.5 answer states a direct "Yes" opinion, gives one clear example, and explains the reason in a simple because-clause before mentioning one exception with "but".6.5分的答案直接给出"Yes"的观点,举一个清楚的例子,用一个简单的because从句解释原因,再用"but"提到一个例外。

   Yes, I think so, especially in cities like mine. The rice fields on Da Nang's edge became apartment towers in just three years. The reason is simple: land is limited, but more people keep moving to cities, so the only way to fit them near jobs is to build upward. Governments prefer this too, since roads and pipes are cheaper to build for one tower than for many houses. Some people might choose to work from home in a small town instead, but for most young families, the choice will be a high floor or a long journey to work.

   查看中文翻译

   是的,我这么认为,尤其是在像我所在的这种城市。岘港边缘的稻田仅仅三年就变成了公寓大楼。原因很简单:土地有限,但越来越多的人不断涌入城市,所以要让他们住得离工作地点近,唯一的办法就是往高处建。政府也更喜欢这样,因为给一栋大楼修路、接水管,比给很多栋房子修要便宜得多。有些人或许会选择在小城镇远程办公,但对大多数年轻家庭来说,要面对的选择就是住高楼,或者忍受漫长的通勤。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“The reason is simple: land is limited, but more people keep moving to cities, so the only way to fit them near jobs is to build upward.” — This sentence announces "The reason is simple" and then lists the reason directly, a plain, slightly repetitive way of introducing an explanation. A 7.5 answer would more likely fold the same idea into a metaphor rather than labelling it as "the reason".这句话先宣告"The reason is simple",然后直接列出理由,是一种平实、略显重复的引出解释的方式。7.5分的答案更可能把同样的想法融入一个比喻里,而不是标注为"the reason"。
   • LR“the only way to fit them near jobs is to build upward” — "Build upward" is a plain, literal phrase for the idea of increasing density, described directly with no figurative colour."Build upward"是一个平实、直白的短语,用来表达增加密度的想法,直接描述,没有任何比喻色彩。
   • GRA“Some people might choose to work from home in a small town instead, but for most young families, the choice will be a high floor or a long journey to work.” — This sentence uses "but" to join a simple contrast, accurate but structurally plain, without any embedded clause or fronted phrase.这句话用"but"连接了一个简单的对比,虽然准确,但结构上很平实,没有任何嵌套分句或前置短语。

   7.0 分

   The 7.0 answer uses the natural image "a forest of apartment towers" and hedges its prediction with "I'd say" and "There'll be a bit of a counter-trend", giving the argument more nuance than the flat 6.5 version.7.0分的答案用了自然的形象"a forest of apartment towers",并用"I'd say"和"There'll be a bit of a counter-trend"来缓和预测,比6.5分平淡的版本更有细腻的层次。

   Almost certainly, I'd say, in cities like mine at least. The rice fields on the western edge of Da Nang turned into a forest of apartment towers in about three years, and the reason really is just arithmetic: land is finite, populations are still moving to cities, and the only way to fit more people near jobs is upward. Governments prefer it too, since dense housing is cheaper to serve with roads, pipes and transport. There'll be a bit of a counter-trend, since remote work now lets some people choose a house in a small town instead, but for most young families in Asia, it'll come down to a high floor or a long commute.

   查看中文翻译

   我觉得几乎可以肯定,至少在像我所在的这种城市是这样。岘港西边的稻田大约三年就变成了一片公寓大楼的森林,而原因其实就是简单的算术题:土地有限,人口仍在不断涌入城市,而让更多人住得离工作近的唯一办法就是往高处建。政府也更喜欢这样,因为高密度住宅的道路、管道、交通配套成本更低。会有一点反向趋势,因为现在远程办公让一些人得以选择在小城镇买房,但对大多数亚洲的年轻家庭来说,最终还是要在高楼层和漫长通勤之间做选择。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“Almost certainly, I'd say, in cities like mine at least” — The double hedge "I'd say" and "at least" softens a confident opening claim in a natural, spoken way, more textured than the flatter "Yes, I think so" of a 6.5 answer.双重缓和语"I'd say"和"at least"以一种自然的口语方式软化了一个自信的开头论断,比6.5分更平淡的"Yes, I think so"更有质感。
   • LR“turned into a forest of apartment towers” — "A forest of apartment towers" is a natural, image-based collocation, more vivid than the plain description "became a whole area of apartment towers" a 6.5 answer would use."A forest of apartment towers"是一个自然、有画面感的搭配,比6.5分会用的平实描述"became a whole area of apartment towers"要生动。
   • GRA“the reason really is just arithmetic: land is finite, populations are still moving to cities, and the only way to fit more people near jobs is upward” — A colon introduces a list of three clauses explaining the metaphor "arithmetic", a moderately complex structure beyond the simple "the reason is" sentence of a 6.5 answer.冒号引出了一份三个分句的清单,解释了"arithmetic"这个比喻,是一种超越6.5分简单"the reason is"句的中等复杂结构。

   7.5 分

   The 7.5 answer uses the compact appositive "the reason is arithmetic, plain and simple" and ends with the sharpened contrast "not whether, but whether the towers are built well enough", a more pointed closing than the plainer bands.7.5分的答案用了简洁的同位语"the reason is arithmetic, plain and simple",并以更犀利的对比"not whether, but whether the towers are built well enough"结尾,比更平淡的分数段呈现出更一针见血的收尾。

   Almost certainly, in cities like mine. The rice fields on the western edge of Da Nang became a forest of apartment towers in three years, and the reason is arithmetic, plain and simple: land is finite, populations are still moving to cities, and the only way to fit more people near jobs is upward. Governments prefer it too, since dense housing is cheaper to serve with roads, pipes and transport. There'll be a counter-current — remote work is letting some people choose a house in a small town instead — but for most young families in Asia, the choice will come down to a high floor or a long commute. The real question isn't whether, but whether the towers are built well enough to be good places to grow old in.

   查看中文翻译

   几乎可以肯定,至少在像我所在的这种城市是这样。岘港西边的稻田三年就变成了一片公寓大楼的森林,而原因就是纯粹简单的算术:土地有限,人口仍在不断涌入城市,而让更多人住得离工作近的唯一办法就是往高处建。政府也更喜欢这样,因为高密度住宅的道路、管道、交通配套成本更低。会有一股反向的潮流——远程办公正让一些人得以选择在小城镇买房——但对大多数亚洲的年轻家庭来说,最终还是要在高楼层和漫长通勤之间做选择。真正的问题不在于会不会发生,而在于这些高楼是否建得足够好,能成为一个适合老去的好地方。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“The real question isn't whether, but whether the towers are built well enough to be good places to grow old in.” — This closing sentence uses a parallel "not X, but Y" structure to reframe the whole question, a more sophisticated rhetorical move than the simple contrastive "but for most young families" sentence a 6.5 answer ends on.这个结尾句用一个对称的"not X, but Y"结构重新框定了整个问题,比6.5分结尾使用的简单转折句"but for most young families"是更精巧的修辞手法。
   • LR“the reason is arithmetic, plain and simple” — "Plain and simple" appended to "arithmetic" is an idiomatic intensifying phrase, more distinctive than the flatter "the reason really is just arithmetic" a 7.0 answer uses for the same idea.附加在"arithmetic"后面的"plain and simple"是一个地道的加强语气短语,比7.0分对同样想法使用的更平淡的"the reason really is just arithmetic"更有特色。
   • GRA“There'll be a counter-current — remote work is letting some people choose a house in a small town instead — but for most young families in Asia, the choice will come down to a high floor or a long commute.” — A dash-bracketed clause interrupts the main sentence to add a qualifying idea before the sentence continues, a flexible construction beyond the simple "but"-joined sentence a 6.5 answer would write.一个用破折号括起的分句打断了主句,在句子继续之前加入了一个限定性的想法,是一种超越6.5分"but"连接的简单句的灵活结构。

4. 4. Can a country's climate influence the design of its buildings?

   2026年9–12月
   查看这道题的6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5三档对比

   6.5 分

   The 6.5 answer gives a direct "Yes" opinion with one clear before-and-after contrast (old Hue houses vs. modern towers), joined with plain connectors like "but" and "because".6.5分的答案直接给出"Yes"的观点,配上一个清楚的前后对比(顺化老房子对比现代高楼),用平实的连接词"but"和"because"连接。

   Yes, and it did in the past. The old houses in Hue have deep verandas, high ceilings and courtyards, which let air move through and keep the heat out without any machines. People who built them understood the weather well. But modern glass towers are the opposite; they are sealed boxes that need air conditioning all year, as if they were built for a cold country. Climate also affects buildings elsewhere, like snowy roofs or houses on stilts in flood zones. Cheap electricity let architects forget about the weather, but that is now changing because energy costs are rising.

   查看中文翻译

   是的,过去确实是这样的。顺化的老房子有深深的走廊、高高的天花板和庭院,让空气能流通、把热气挡在外面,而不需要任何机器。建造它们的人非常懂得如何应对天气。但现代的玻璃大楼恰恰相反;它们是封闭的盒子,一年到头都需要空调,就好像是为寒冷国家建造的一样。气候也会影响别处的建筑,比如积雪地区的陡屋顶,或者洪水地区的高脚屋。廉价的电力让建筑师忘记了天气,但现在这种情况正在改变,因为能源成本在上涨。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“People who built them understood the weather well.” — This short sentence restates the previous idea plainly as a separate sentence rather than integrating it into the description of the houses. A 7.5 answer would more likely compress this into an appositive phrase instead.这句简短的话平实地把前面的想法重述成了一句独立的话,而不是把它融入对房子的描述里。7.5分的答案更可能把它压缩成一个同位语短语。
   • LR“Cheap electricity let architects forget about the weather” — "Let architects forget about the weather" is a plain, direct description without any figurative language. A higher band would likely use a more vivid verb for the same idea."Let architects forget about the weather"是一个平实、直白的描述,没有任何比喻性的语言。高分段更可能为同样的想法使用更生动的动词。
   • GRA“modern glass towers are the opposite; they are sealed boxes that need air conditioning all year, as if they were built for a cold country” — This sentence uses a semicolon and an "as if" clause, which is a slightly more advanced link, but the overall structure still relies on straightforward description rather than compression.这句话用了分号和一个"as if"从句,是一种略微高级一点的连接方式,但整体结构仍然依赖直白的描述,而不是压缩。

   7.0 分

   The 7.0 answer adds the reflective "honestly it used to" and the summarising clause "What's changed is that...", giving the historical contrast a more natural, spoken shape than the 6.5 list of facts.7.0分的答案加入了有思考感的"honestly it used to",以及总结性的分句"What's changed is that...",比6.5分那种事实清单,给这个历史对比带来了更自然、更口语化的形态。

   It should, and honestly it used to. The old houses in Hue have deep verandas, high ceilings, tiled floors and courtyards, all of which pull air through and keep the heat out without a single machine — they were designed by people who genuinely understood the monsoon. Modern glass towers are pretty much the opposite: sealed boxes that need air conditioning twelve months a year, built to a design that would make more sense in a cold country. Climate shapes buildings elsewhere too, like steep roofs in snowy places or stilts in flood zones. What's changed is that cheap electricity let architects ignore the weather, and now rising energy costs are forcing them to remember it.

   查看中文翻译

   应该会,说实话过去确实是这样的。顺化的老房子有深深的走廊、高高的天花板、铺砖的地板和庭院,这一切都能让空气流通、把热气挡在外面,而不需要一台机器——它们是由真正懂得季风的人设计的。现代的玻璃大楼几乎恰恰相反:封闭的盒子,一年十二个月都需要空调,这种设计放在寒冷国家反而更说得通。气候也会影响别处的建筑,比如积雪地区的陡屋顶,或者洪水地区的高脚屋。改变的是,廉价的电力曾让建筑师忽视天气,而现在不断上涨的能源成本正迫使他们重新记起它。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“It should, and honestly it used to.” — The spoken connector "honestly" turns a plain factual claim into a reflective aside, something the flatter "Yes, it should, and in the past it did" of a 6.5 answer does not do.口语化的连接词"honestly"把一个平实的事实陈述变成了一种有思考感的插入语,这是6.5分更平淡的"Yes, it should, and in the past it did"所没有做到的。
   • LR“they were designed by people who genuinely understood the monsoon” — "Genuinely understood the monsoon" is a more precise, evocative phrase than the plain "understood the weather well" a 6.5 answer would use for the same idea."Genuinely understood the monsoon"是一个比6.5分对同样想法会用的平实短语"understood the weather well"更精确、更有共鸣感的表达。
   • GRA“What's changed is that cheap electricity let architects ignore the weather, and now rising energy costs are forcing them to remember it” — A cleft construction ("What's changed is that...") introduces the closing explanation, a moderately complex structure beyond the simple "but that is now changing because" sentence a 6.5 answer would use.一个强调句结构("What's changed is that...")引出了结尾的解释,是一种超越6.5分会用的简单"but that is now changing because"句的中等复杂结构。

   7.5 分

   The 7.5 answer uses the vivid phrase "understood the monsoon down to the angle of a roof" and closes with the evaluative sentence adverb "tellingly" in "look a little more like the old ones again".7.5分的答案用了生动的短语"understood the monsoon down to the angle of a roof",并用带评价色彩的句子副词"tellingly"来收尾——"look a little more like the old ones again"。

   It should, and it once did. The old houses in Hue have deep verandas, high ceilings, tiled floors and courtyards, all of which pull air through and keep the heat out without a single machine, built by people who understood the monsoon down to the angle of a roof. Modern glass towers are the opposite — sealed boxes needing air conditioning twelve months a year, designed as if the local weather were an inconvenience rather than a fact. Climate shapes roofs in snowy places, stilts in flood zones, thick walls in deserts. What changed is that cheap electricity let architects ignore the weather for a while, and rising energy costs and heat are now quietly forcing them to remember. The best new buildings here, tellingly, look a little more like the old ones again.

   查看中文翻译

   应该会,而且过去确实曾经如此。顺化的老房子有深深的走廊、高高的天花板、铺砖的地板和庭院,这一切都能让空气流通、把热气挡在外面,而不需要一台机器,建造它们的人对季风的理解,精确到了一个屋顶的角度。现代的玻璃大楼恰恰相反——封闭的盒子,一年十二个月都需要空调,设计得好像当地的天气只是个麻烦,而不是一个事实。气候会塑造出积雪地区的屋顶、洪水地区的高脚屋、沙漠里的厚墙。改变的是,廉价的电力曾一度让建筑师忽视天气,而如今不断上涨的能源成本和高温正悄悄迫使他们重新记起。说来意味深长,这里最好的新建筑,又开始有点像那些老房子了。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“The best new buildings here, tellingly, look a little more like the old ones again.” — The sentence adverb "tellingly" inserted mid-sentence adds a small evaluative comment as the answer closes, a more idiomatic touch than the plain final sentence a 6.5 answer would write.插入句中的句子副词"tellingly"(说来意味深长)在回答结尾处增添了一点评价色彩,比6.5分会写的平实结尾句更有地道感。
   • LR“built by people who understood the monsoon down to the angle of a roof” — "Down to the angle of a roof" is a vivid, less-common idiom expressing precision, well beyond the plain "understood the weather well" a 6.5 answer would say."Down to the angle of a roof"是一个生动、不太常见的习语,用来表达精确,远超6.5分会说的平实的"understood the weather well"。
   • GRA“designed as if the local weather were an inconvenience rather than a fact” — This "as if" clause uses the subjunctive "were" and a contrastive noun pair ("an inconvenience rather than a fact"), a more flexible, literary construction than the simpler "as if they were built for a cold country" a 6.5 answer would use.这个"as if"从句用了虚拟语气的"were"以及一对对比性的名词("an inconvenience rather than a fact"),比6.5分会用的更简单的"as if they were built for a cold country"是更灵活、更有文学性的结构。

5. 5. Why do some people decide to design their own house?

   2026年9–12月
   查看这道题的6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5三档对比

   6.5 分

   The 6.5 answer opens with one clear example (the uncle's graph paper), states the main reason in a because-clause, and lists two more reasons briefly using "or".6.5分的答案以一个清楚的例子开头(叔叔的方格纸),用一个because从句陈述主要理由,再用"or"简短地列出另外两个理由。

   My uncle in Hue drew his own house on graph paper because no builder would agree to put the kitchen at the front, where he actually cooks and talks to the street. So some people design their own home because normal designs are made for a normal life, but they do not live that way. Other people want to save the money they would pay an architect, or they enjoy having full control over the design. For some people, it is a way to show who they are. The results can be wonderful, or sometimes a bit strange.

   查看中文翻译

   我叔叔在顺化用方格纸画出了自己家的设计图,因为没有一个建筑商愿意把厨房设在前面——而那正是他真正做饭、跟街坊聊天的地方。所以有些人自己设计房子,是因为普通的设计是给普通生活准备的,但他们过的不是那种生活。还有些人想省下请建筑师的那笔钱,或者他们就是喜欢完全掌控设计。对有些人来说,这是一种展示自我的方式。结果可能很棒,也可能有点奇怪。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“The results can be wonderful, or sometimes a bit strange.” — This short closing sentence gives a plain, direct judgement using "or", without any elaboration. A 7.0 answer would more likely widen the range with a stronger contrast instead of the mild "a bit strange".这句简短的结尾句用"or"给出了一个平实、直接的判断,没有任何展开。7.0分的答案更可能用一个更强烈的对比来拓宽范围,而不是温和的"a bit strange"。
   • LR“they enjoy having full control over the design” — This is plain, general vocabulary ("full control") rather than a more specific or vivid phrase for the same idea.这是平实、笼统的词汇("full control"),而不是对同样想法更具体或更生动的表达。
   • GRA“So some people design their own home because normal designs are made for a normal life, but they do not live that way.” — This sentence repeats the word "normal" twice and uses a simple "but"-clause, accurate but not varied in vocabulary or structure.这句话重复使用了两次"normal"这个词,并用了一个简单的"but"分句,虽然准确,但在词汇和结构上都缺乏变化。

   7.0 分

   The 7.0 answer uses the dash to link the example directly to the general point ("some people design their own home simply because...") and adds the reflective closing "but I understand the impulse".7.0分的答案用破折号把例子和普遍观点直接连接起来("some people design their own home simply because..."),并加上了有思考感的结尾"but I understand the impulse"。

   My uncle in Hue drew his own house on graph paper because no builder would put the kitchen at the front, where he actually cooks and talks to the street — some people design their own home simply because standard designs are built for a standard life they don't lead. Others want to save the architect's fee, or they enjoy the control, or they've lived in enough bad houses to know exactly what they want. For some, honestly, it's an expression of identity, maybe the one big creative act of their life. The results range from wonderful to structurally alarming, but I understand the impulse.

   查看中文翻译

   我叔叔在顺化用方格纸画出了自己家的设计图,因为没有一个建筑商愿意把厨房设在前面——而那正是他真正做饭、跟街坊聊天的地方——有些人自己设计房子,单纯是因为标准设计是为一种他们并没有在过的标准生活准备的。还有些人想省下建筑师的费用,或者他们享受这种掌控感,又或者他们住过足够多的烂房子,清楚地知道自己想要什么。说实话,对有些人来说,这是一种身份的表达,或许是他们人生中唯一一次重大的创造性行为。结果从令人惊艳到结构上令人担忧的都有,但我理解这种冲动。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“For some, honestly, it's an expression of identity, maybe the one big creative act of their life” — The spoken hedges "honestly" and "maybe" are inserted into the sentence to soften a fairly strong claim, a natural conversational move a 6.5 answer's plain statement would not include.口语化的缓和语"honestly"和"maybe"被插入到句子里,软化了一个相当强烈的论断,这是6.5分平实陈述不会包含的自然对话手法。
   • LR“The results range from wonderful to structurally alarming” — "Structurally alarming" is a moderately elevated, slightly wry collocation, more specific than the plain "a bit strange" a 6.5 answer would use for the same idea."Structurally alarming"是一个稍微提升、略带诙谐的搭配,比6.5分对同样想法会用的平实的"a bit strange"更具体。
   • GRA“some people design their own home simply because standard designs are built for a standard life they don't lead” — A relative clause without a relative pronoun ("a standard life they don't lead") is embedded at the end of the sentence, a moderately complex structure beyond the repeated "normal...normal" phrasing of a 6.5 answer.一个省略了关系代词的定语从句("a standard life they don't lead")被嵌入到句子末尾,是一种超越6.5分重复"normal...normal"表述的中等复杂结构。

   7.5 分

   The 7.5 answer uses the precise verb "relish" and closes with the compact, reflective observation "a house is the only object most of us will ever shape entirely around ourselves" as its evaluative final touch.7.5分的答案用了精确的动词"relish",并以简洁、有思考感的观察"a house is the only object most of us will ever shape entirely around ourselves"作为带评价色彩的收尾。

   My uncle in Hue drew his own house on graph paper because no builder would put the kitchen at the front, where he actually cooks and talks to the street — some people design their own home precisely because standard designs are built for a standard life they don't lead. Others want to save the architect's fee, or relish the control, or have lived in enough bad houses to know exactly what they want. For some it's an expression of identity, the one big creative act most people ever get. The results range from wonderful to structurally alarming, and yet the impulse behind them makes complete sense to me; a house is the only object most of us will ever shape entirely around ourselves.

   查看中文翻译

   我叔叔在顺化用方格纸画出了自己家的设计图,因为没有一个建筑商愿意把厨房设在前面——而那正是他真正做饭、跟街坊聊天的地方——有些人自己设计房子,恰恰是因为标准设计是为一种他们并没有在过的标准生活准备的。还有些人想省下建筑师的费用,或者享受那种掌控感,又或者住过足够多的烂房子,清楚地知道自己想要什么。对有些人来说,这是一种身份的表达,是大多数人一生中唯一能拥有的重大创造性行为。结果从令人惊艳到结构上令人担忧的都有,但这背后的冲动对我来说完全说得通;房子是我们大多数人一生中唯一能够完全按照自己的意愿塑造的物品。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“the impulse behind them makes complete sense to me; a house is the only object most of us will ever shape entirely around ourselves” — This closing observation uses a semicolon to attach a small generalising insight to the personal reaction, a more reflective, compact move than the flatter closing sentence a 6.5 answer would write.这个结尾观察用分号把一个概括性的小洞见附加到个人反应上,比6.5分会写的更平淡的结尾句是更有思考深度、更紧凑的手法。
   • LR“Others want to save the architect's fee, or relish the control” — "Relish" is a precise, less-common verb choice in place of the plain "enjoy" a 6.5 or 7.0 answer would use for the same idea, adding a slightly more vivid register."Relish"是一个精确、不太常用的动词选择,代替了6.5分或7.0分对同样想法会用的平实的"enjoy",增添了略微更生动的语域。
   • GRA“For some it's an expression of identity, the one big creative act most people ever get” — An appositive noun phrase ("the one big creative act most people ever get") is attached directly after a comma with no linking word, a compact construction more flexible than a full relative clause.一个同位语名词短语("the one big creative act most people ever get")在逗号后直接附加,没有任何连接词,是一种比完整定语从句更紧凑、更灵活的结构。

6. 6. How challenging do you think the job of an architect is?

   2026年9–12月
   查看这道题的6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5三档对比

   6.5 分

   The 6.5 answer gives a direct opinion ("more difficult than it looks"), supports it with one clear example, and lists two further points using "also", each in its own sentence.6.5分的答案直接给出一个观点("more difficult than it looks"),用一个清楚的例子来支持它,再用"also"各自成句地列出两个进一步的点。

   I think it's more difficult than it looks. An architect friend of mine redesigned one house eleven times in a year because the client's mother-in-law kept changing her mind about the stairs. This shows a normal problem: an architect has to please the client, the budget, the building rules, the site and the weather all at the same time, and they do not always agree. The technical side is also serious, because a mistake in a building could hurt people. Also, most buildings that get built are not as good as the architect first designed, which must be frustrating.

   查看中文翻译

   我觉得这比看起来要难得多。我一个做建筑师的朋友,一年内把一栋房子重新设计了十一次,因为客户的岳母一直在为楼梯这件事改主意。这体现出一个常见的问题:建筑师得同时讨好客户、预算、建筑法规、地皮和天气,而这些往往并不一致。技术层面也很棘手,因为建筑上的一个失误可能会伤害到人。而且,大多数最终建成的建筑,都不如建筑师最初设计的那样好,这肯定挺令人沮丧的。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“This shows a normal problem: an architect has to please the client, the budget, the building rules, the site and the weather all at the same time, and they do not always agree.” — This long sentence lists five things joined with commas and "and", which is accurate but relies on simple listing rather than a more compressed structure. A 7.5 answer would likely turn this list into a single vivid image instead.这个长句用逗号和"and"列出了五样东西,虽然准确,但依赖的是简单的列举,而不是更凝练的结构。7.5分的答案更可能把这份清单变成一个生动的形象。
   • LR“The technical side is also serious, because a mistake in a building could hurt people.” — This is a plain, direct statement of consequence using the basic verb "hurt" rather than a more precise or formal term for serious harm.这是一个平实、直接的后果陈述,用了基础动词"hurt",而不是更精确或更正式的、表示严重伤害的词。
   • GRA“Also, most buildings that get built are not as good as the architect first designed, which must be frustrating.” — A relative clause ("which must be frustrating") is tacked onto the end of the sentence, accurate but structurally basic, without any fronting or compression.一个定语从句("which must be frustrating")被附加到句子末尾,虽然准确,但结构上很基础,没有任何前置或压缩。

   7.0 分

   The 7.0 answer opens with the reflective "honestly" and moves through its points with the natural connectors "too" and "Then there's", giving the list more spoken flow than the 6.5 version.7.0分的答案以有思考感的"honestly"开头,并用自然的连接词"too"和"Then there's"逐一展开论点,比6.5分版本的清单更有口语化的流畅感。

   More than it looks from the outside, honestly. An architect friend of mine redesigned one family's house eleven times over a year because the client's mother-in-law kept changing her mind about the stairs, and that's the ordinary challenge really: an architect serves the client, the budget, the building code, the site, the neighbours and the weather all at once, and they don't all agree. The technical demands are heavy too — a mistake in a building can genuinely kill people, and the liability lasts for decades. Then there's the frustration that most of what actually gets built is a compromise, while the beautiful version stays on paper.

   查看中文翻译

   说实话,这比外表看起来要难。我一个做建筑师的朋友,一年内把一户人家的房子重新设计了十一次,因为客户的岳母一直在为楼梯这件事改主意,而这其实就是日常挑战的缩影:建筑师得同时服务于客户、预算、建筑法规、地皮、邻居和天气,而这些往往并不一致。技术要求也很繁重——建筑上的一个失误确实可能会致人死亡,而这份责任会延续几十年。而且还有一种挫败感,即大多数最终建成的建筑都是妥协的产物,而美丽的那个版本永远停留在纸上。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“More than it looks from the outside, honestly.” — This clipped opening answers the question in a fragment before the reflective "honestly", a more conversational rhythm than the full opening sentence a 6.5 answer would write.这个简短的开头用一个短语先回答了问题,然后才接上有思考感的"honestly",比6.5分会写的完整开头句有更对话化的节奏。
   • LR“a mistake in a building can genuinely kill people, and the liability lasts for decades” — "Genuinely" and "liability" are more precise, weightier word choices than the plain "could hurt people" a 6.5 answer would use for the same point."Genuinely"和"liability"是比6.5分对同样这一点会用的平实的"could hurt people"更精确、更有分量的用词。
   • GRA“Then there's the frustration that most of what actually gets built is a compromise, while the beautiful version stays on paper” — An existential construction ("there's the frustration that...") introduces a noun clause, followed by a "while"-contrast, a moderately complex structure beyond the simple relative clause a 6.5 answer would use.一个存在句结构("there's the frustration that...")引出了一个名词性从句,后面还跟了一个"while"表达的对比,是一种超越6.5分会用的简单定语从句的中等复杂结构。

   7.5 分

   The 7.5 answer uses the precise idiom "by some distance" and "in miniature", then closes with the self-deprecating contrast "As a designer of screens, I have it easy" as an evaluative final touch.7.5分的答案用了精确的习语"by some distance"和"in miniature",然后以自嘲式的对比"As a designer of screens, I have it easy"作为带评价色彩的收尾。

   More than it looks from the outside, by some distance. An architect friend of mine redesigned one family's house eleven times in a year because the client's mother-in-law kept changing her mind about the stairs, which is the ordinary challenge in miniature: an architect answers to the client, the budget, the building code, the site, the neighbours and the weather all at once, none of whom agree with each other. The technical demands are unforgiving — a mistake can genuinely kill someone, and the liability follows an architect for decades. Then there's the quieter frustration that most of what actually gets built is a compromise, the beautiful version left behind on paper. As a designer of screens, I have it easy; my mistakes get fixed with an update.

   查看中文翻译

   这比外表看起来要难得多,差得不是一星半点。我一个做建筑师的朋友,一年内把一户人家的房子重新设计了十一次,因为客户的岳母一直在为楼梯这件事改主意,而这正是日常挑战的一个缩影:建筑师得同时回应客户、预算、建筑法规、地皮、邻居和天气,而这些没有一个能彼此达成一致。技术要求也毫不留情——一个失误确实可能致人死亡,而这份责任会跟随建筑师几十年。而且还有一种更隐性的挫败感,即大多数最终建成的建筑都是妥协的产物,美丽的那个版本永远留在了纸上。作为一个做屏幕设计的人,我的日子要轻松得多;我的错误靠一次更新就能修复。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“As a designer of screens, I have it easy; my mistakes get fixed with an update.” — This closing sentence uses a fronted participial phrase ("As a designer of screens") and a semicolon to add a self-deprecating comparison, a more idiomatic, reflective close than the plain relative clause a 6.5 answer ends on.这个结尾句用了前置的分词短语("As a designer of screens")和一个分号,加入了一个自嘲式的比较,比6.5分以平实定语从句结尾的方式更地道、更有思考感。
   • LR“More than it looks from the outside, by some distance.” — "By some distance" is a genuinely idiomatic intensifying phrase, more distinctive than the plain "honestly" a 7.0 answer uses in the same position."By some distance"是一个真正地道的加强语气短语,比7.0分在同样位置使用的平实的"honestly"更有特色。
   • GRA“which is the ordinary challenge in miniature: an architect answers to the client, the budget, the building code, the site, the neighbours and the weather all at once, none of whom agree with each other” — The closing phrase "none of whom agree with each other" replaces a separate clause like "and they do not always agree", a more compact, flexible construction folding the contrast into the same noun phrase.结尾短语"none of whom agree with each other"取代了一个像"and they do not always agree"这样的独立分句,是一种更紧凑、更灵活的结构,把对比融入了同一个名词短语。

7. 7. Should new buildings not be constructed in historical city centres or downtowns?

   2026年9–12月
   查看这道题的6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5三档对比

   6.5 分

   The 6.5 answer gives a clear position in the first sentence ("should be allowed, but not any kind") and develops it with one example and one plain "so" conclusion.6.5分的答案在第一句话就给出了明确的立场("should be allowed, but not any kind"),再用一个例子和一个平实的"so"结论来展开。

   New buildings should be allowed, but not any kind of building. A glass hotel was built a few years ago near Hue's old citadel walls, and it looks like a mistake that will stay there for a hundred years. After that, the city made stricter rules, but those rules should have existed before. Historical centres are places where people still live, so if we stop all building, they become like museums where nobody can afford to live. So building should continue, but with limits on height and materials, and with the best architects, not the cheapest ones.

   查看中文翻译

   应该允许新建筑,但不是什么样的建筑都行。几年前,一家玻璃酒店在顺化古城墙附近建了起来,它看起来就像一个会在那里留存一百年的错误。在那之后,这座城市制定了更严格的规定,但那些规定本该更早就存在的。历史中心是人们仍然居住的地方,所以如果我们完全停止建设,它们就会变成博物馆那样的地方,谁也住不起。所以建设应该继续,但要有高度和材料上的限制,而且要请最好的建筑师,而不是最便宜的。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“So building should continue, but with limits on height and materials, and with the best architects, not the cheapest ones.” — This closing sentence lists three qualifications joined with "and" and "but", stating the position directly and plainly. A 7.0 answer would more likely vary the connectors across this list instead of repeating the same pattern.这个结尾句用"and"和"but"列出了三个限定条件,直接、平实地陈述了立场。7.0分的答案更可能在这份清单里变换连接词,而不是重复同一个模式。
   • LR“it looks like a mistake that will stay there for a hundred years” — This is a plain, literal way of expressing permanence ("stay there for a hundred years") rather than a more vivid or idiomatic phrase for the same idea.这是表达"永久性"的一种平实、直白的方式("stay there for a hundred years"),而不是对同样想法更生动或更地道的表达。
   • GRA“Historical centres are places where people still live, so if we stop all building, they become like museums where nobody can afford to live.” — This sentence uses a simple "so if...then" cause-and-result chain, accurate but built from basic clauses rather than a more compressed structure.这句话用了一个简单的"so if...then"因果链,虽然准确,但是由基础分句构成,而不是更凝练的结构。

   7.0 分

   The 7.0 answer opens with the balanced fragment "New buildings, yes; any building, no" and closes with the sharper contrast "The problem isn't newness; it's carelessness", giving the argument more shape than the plainer 6.5 version.7.0分的答案以对称的短语"New buildings, yes; any building, no"开头,以更犀利的对比"The problem isn't newness; it's carelessness"结尾,比更平淡的6.5分版本更有论证的形状。

   New buildings, yes; any building, no, I'd say. A glass hotel went up a few years back within sight of Hue's old citadel walls, and it looks like a mistake that'll last a century — after which the city brought in stricter rules that really should have existed first. Historic centres are living places, and honestly, freezing them turns them into museums where nobody can actually afford to live. So construction should continue, but with limits on height, materials and scale that respect what's already there, and with the best architects rather than the cheapest. The problem isn't newness; it's carelessness.

   查看中文翻译

   我觉得,新建筑可以,但不是什么样的建筑都行。几年前,一家玻璃酒店在顺化古城墙的视线范围内建了起来,它看起来就像一个会持续一个世纪的错误——之后,这座城市引入了更严格的规定,而这些规定本该更早就存在的。历史中心是人们仍在生活的地方,说实话,把它们冻结起来只会把它们变成博物馆,谁也住不起。所以建设应该继续,但要有尊重现有环境的高度、材料和规模限制,而且要请最好的建筑师,而不是最便宜的。问题不在于"新",而在于"粗心"。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“New buildings, yes; any building, no, I'd say.” — This semicolon-linked fragment states the position in a balanced, economical way before the hedge "I'd say", a more natural spoken rhythm than the full opening sentence of a 6.5 answer.这个用分号连接的短语,在缓和语"I'd say"之前以一种平衡、省字的方式陈述了立场,比6.5分完整的开头句有更自然的口语节奏。
   • LR“freezing them turns them into museums where nobody can actually afford to live” — "Freezing them" is a more vivid, figurative verb choice than the plain "if we stop all building" a 6.5 answer would use for the same idea."Freezing them"是一个比6.5分对同样想法会用的平实的"if we stop all building"更生动、更有比喻色彩的动词选择。
   • GRA“The problem isn't newness; it's carelessness.” — This closing sentence uses a semicolon to join two short parallel clauses, a compact contrastive structure beyond the fuller "but"-joined sentence a 6.5 answer would end on.这个结尾句用分号连接了两个简短的对称分句,是一种超越6.5分会用的更完整的"but"连接句的紧凑对比结构。

   7.5 分

   The 7.5 answer sharpens the timeframe with "will outlast most of the people alive when it was approved" and closes with the past-tense echo "was never newness; it was always carelessness" for extra emphasis.7.5分的答案用"will outlast most of the people alive when it was approved"锐化了时间框架,并以过去时呼应的"was never newness; it was always carelessness"结尾,增添了额外的强调。

   New buildings, yes; any building, no. A glass hotel went up a few years ago within sight of Hue's old citadel walls, and it looks like a mistake that will outlast most of the people alive when it was approved — after which the city passed stricter rules that should have existed first. Historic centres are living places, and freezing them turns them into museums nobody can afford to live in. So construction should carry on, but under limits on height, materials and scale that actually respect what's already there, built by the best architects rather than the cheapest. Some cities manage this well, letting the old and new sit together comfortably. The problem was never newness; it was always carelessness.

   查看中文翻译

   新建筑可以,但不是什么样的建筑都行。几年前,一家玻璃酒店在顺化古城墙的视线范围内建了起来,它看起来就像一个错误,会比它获批时活着的大多数人都活得久——之后,这座城市通过了更严格的规定,而这些规定本该更早就存在的。历史中心是仍有生命力的地方,把它们冻结起来只会把它们变成博物馆,谁也住不起。所以建设应该继续,但要在真正尊重现有环境的高度、材料和规模限制下进行,而且要由最好的建筑师来建造,而不是最便宜的。有些城市在这方面做得很好,让新旧建筑舒适地共存。问题从来都不在于"新",而在于"粗心"。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“The problem was never newness; it was always carelessness.” — Shifting the closing contrast into the past tense ("was never... it was always") adds a small rhetorical emphasis beyond the present-tense version a 7.0 answer uses for the same idea.把结尾的对比转换成过去时("was never...it was always"),比7.0分对同样想法使用的现在时版本增添了一点修辞上的强调。
   • LR“a mistake that will outlast most of the people alive when it was approved” — This is a vivid, precise way of expressing extreme permanence, more distinctive than the plainer "a mistake that'll last a century" a 7.0 answer would write.这是一种生动、精确地表达极端永久性的方式,比7.0分会写的更平淡的"a mistake that'll last a century"更有特色。
   • GRA“Some cities manage this well, letting the old and new sit together comfortably” — A main clause is followed by a participial phrase ("letting the old and new sit together comfortably") rather than a second finite clause, a more compact grammatical choice than lower bands would make.一个主句后面跟着一个分词短语("letting the old and new sit together comfortably"),而不是第二个限定分句,比低分段会做的选择更紧凑。

8. 8. Is it better to extend an existing city or build a new one?

   2026年9–12月
   查看这道题的6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5三档对比

   6.5 分

   The 6.5 answer states a clear preference ("extending... usually works better"), gives one plain example, and explains the reason in a simple because-clause.6.5分的答案陈述了一个明确的偏好("extending...usually works better"),给出了一个平实的例子,并用一个简单的because从句解释了理由。

   Extending an existing city usually works better, I think, because cities grow naturally instead of being planned all at once. A new planned city outside Hanoi stood almost empty for years, with wide roads and no shops, while the old city kept growing around it. This is because people go where other people and jobs already are. Extending a city uses roads, water and culture that already exist, and can happen slowly. New cities can make sense sometimes, like easing pressure on a crowded capital. But they need a lot of time and patience to feel alive.

   查看中文翻译

   我觉得扩建一座现有的城市通常更管用,因为城市是自然生长的,而不是一次性规划出来的。河内郊外一座规划中的新城,好多年都几乎空无一人,道路宽敞却没有商店,而老城区却一直在它周围不断扩张。这是因为人们会去往已经有人、有工作机会的地方。扩建城市能用上已经存在的道路、水源和文化,而且可以慢慢进行。新城有时候是有道理的,比如为拥挤的首都减压。但它们需要大量的时间和耐心才能变得有生气。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“This is because people go where other people and jobs already are.” — This short sentence restates the reason plainly as its own sentence rather than folding it into the example before it. A 7.0 answer would more likely link this reason directly onto the previous sentence with a dash.这句简短的话平实地把理由重述成了一句独立的话,而不是把它融入前面的例子里。7.0分的答案更可能用破折号把这个理由直接连接到前一句话上。
   • LR“cities grow naturally instead of being planned all at once” — This is a plain, direct contrast ("naturally" vs. "planned") without any distinctive vocabulary or imagery.这是一个平实、直接的对比("naturally"对"planned"),没有任何有特色的词汇或形象。
   • GRA“A new planned city outside Hanoi stood almost empty for years, with wide roads and no shops, while the old city kept growing around it.” — This sentence uses a "while"-clause to contrast two situations, accurate and reasonably fluent but not particularly compressed or varied in structure.这句话用了一个"while"从句来对比两种情况,虽然准确、也相当流畅,但结构上不算特别凝练或多样。

   7.0 分

   The 7.0 answer uses the compact contrast "grown rather than declared" and the dash to link the example directly to its lesson, adding more shape than the 6.5 answer's separate reason sentence.7.0分的答案用了简洁的对比"grown rather than declared",并用破折号把例子直接和它所揭示的道理连接起来,比6.5分独立的理由句更有结构感。

   Extending usually works better, I think, because cities are grown rather than declared. A planned new city outside Hanoi stood half-empty for years, with wide roads and no shops, while the old city simply kept growing around it — people go, after all, where other people and jobs already are. Extending an existing city uses infrastructure, culture and momentum that already exist, and it can be done gradually. New cities do make sense in particular cases, like relieving a capital that's become impossible, or building near a new industry. But they need decades and a lot of patience to feel alive, and most governments lack both.

   查看中文翻译

   我觉得扩建通常更管用,因为城市是生长出来的,而不是宣告出来的。河内郊外一座规划中的新城,好多年都半空着,道路宽敞却没有商店,而老城区却一直在它周围不断扩张——毕竟,人们会去往已经有人、有工作机会的地方。扩建一座现有城市能用上已经存在的基础设施、文化和发展势头,而且可以逐步进行。新城在某些特定情况下确实是有道理的,比如为一个已经不堪重负的首都减压,或者在新兴产业附近建城。但它们需要几十年的时间和大量的耐心才能变得有生气,而大多数政府两者都缺乏。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“cities are grown rather than declared” — This "X rather than Y" contrast is a compact, natural way of stating the idea, more fluent than the plain "grow naturally instead of being planned all at once" a 6.5 answer would write.这个"X rather than Y"对比是一种紧凑、自然的表达想法的方式,比6.5分会写的平实的"grow naturally instead of being planned all at once"更流畅。
   • LR“Extending an existing city uses infrastructure, culture and momentum that already exist” — "Momentum" is a more precise, slightly figurative noun choice than the plain list a 6.5 answer would give, such as "roads, water and culture"."Momentum"是一个比6.5分会给出的平实清单(比如"roads, water and culture")更精确、略带比喻色彩的名词选择。
   • GRA“people go, after all, where other people and jobs already are” — The discourse marker "after all" is inserted mid-clause, a natural spoken interruption that a 6.5 answer's separate "This is because" sentence would not attempt.话语标记词"after all"被插入到分句中间,是一种自然的口语化打断,而6.5分独立的"This is because"句不会尝试这种手法。

   7.5 分

   The 7.5 answer drops the verb in "wide roads and no shops" for compression, uses the precise verb "anchoring", and closes with the deliberate near-repetition "I'd extend outward... not just outward in general" as a pointed final distinction.7.5分的答案在"wide roads and no shops"中省略了动词以求凝练,用了精确的动词"anchoring",并以刻意的近似重复"I'd extend outward...not just outward in general"作结,构成一个一针见血的最终区分。

   Extending usually works better, because cities are grown rather than declared. A planned new city outside Hanoi stood half-empty for years, wide roads and no shops, while the old city simply kept growing around it — people go, in the end, where other people and jobs already are. Extending an existing city draws on infrastructure, culture and momentum already in place, and it can happen gradually rather than all at once. New cities do make sense in particular cases: relieving a capital that has become unworkable, or anchoring a new industry. But they need decades and enormous patience to feel alive, and most governments possess neither. I'd extend well before I built new, and I'd extend outward along transport lines, not just outward in general.

   查看中文翻译

   扩建通常更管用,因为城市是生长出来的,而不是宣告出来的。河内郊外一座规划中的新城,好多年都半空着,道路宽敞却没有商店,而老城区却一直在它周围不断扩张——归根结底,人们会去往已经有人、有工作机会的地方。扩建一座现有城市能借助已经就位的基础设施、文化和发展势头,而且可以逐步进行,而不是一步到位。新城在某些特定情况下确实是有道理的:为一个已经无法运转的首都减压,或者依托一个新兴产业。但它们需要几十年的时间和巨大的耐心才能变得有生气,而大多数政府两者都不具备。我会优先选择扩建,而不是建新城,而且我会沿着交通线路向外扩展,而不是漫无目的地向外扩展。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“I'd extend well before I built new, and I'd extend outward along transport lines, not just outward in general” — This closing sentence deliberately repeats "extend outward" to draw a fine distinction, an idiomatic rhetorical device beyond the plain summarising sentence a 6.5 answer would end on.这个结尾句刻意重复了"extend outward"以划出一条精细的区分线,是一种超越6.5分会用的平实总结句的地道修辞手法。
   • LR“relieving a capital that has become unworkable, or anchoring a new industry” — "Anchoring" is a precise, figurative verb choice in place of the plainer "building near a new industry" a 7.0 answer would use for the same idea."Anchoring"是一个精确、有比喻色彩的动词选择,取代了7.0分对同样想法会用的更平淡的"building near a new industry"。
   • GRA“A planned new city outside Hanoi stood half-empty for years, wide roads and no shops, while the old city simply kept growing around it” — The verb is dropped from "wide roads and no shops", turning it into a compressed appositive fragment rather than a full "with"-phrase, a more economical construction than the fuller phrasing of lower bands."wide roads and no shops"中省略了动词,把它变成了一个凝练的同位语片段,而不是一个完整的"with"短语,比低分段更完整的表达是更省字的结构。

9. 9. Why might it be important to consult local residents when planning new developments in a city?

   2026年9–12月
   查看这道题的6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5三档对比

   6.5 分

   The 6.5 answer states the main reason directly ("residents know things that planners cannot see") and supports it with one clear example, using simple connectors like "because" throughout.6.5分的答案直接陈述了主要理由("residents know things that planners cannot see"),并用一个清楚的例子来支持,全篇使用了简单的连接词"because"。

   Because residents know things planners cannot see from a drawing. A new park near my flat had a big, open lawn nobody uses, because in Da Nang's heat, people needed shade, seating and space for food stalls. The neighbours could have said all of this in five minutes if anyone had asked them. Consultation brings out practical knowledge, like where water collects or children cross the road. It also makes people care more about a place, because they helped to plan it. It can be slow, and the loudest voices can take over, so it needs to be managed carefully.

   查看中文翻译

   因为居民知道一些规划者从图纸上看不出来的事情。我公寓附近的一个新公园有一大片开阔的草坪,却没人使用,因为在岘港的高温下,人们需要的是阴凉、座位和摆小吃摊的空间。如果有人问过邻居,他们五分钟内就能把这一切都说出来。咨询民意能挖掘出实用的知识,比如哪里会积水,或者孩子们在哪里过马路。它也会让人们更在乎一个地方,因为他们参与了规划。这个过程可能会很慢,声音最大的人也可能会主导一切,所以需要谨慎地加以管理。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“The neighbours could have said all of this in five minutes if anyone had asked them.” — This sentence uses a plain conditional ("could have said... if anyone had asked") stated directly and separately from the example before it. A 7.5 answer would more likely compress this into the same sentence as the example.这句话用了一个平实的条件句("could have said...if anyone had asked"),和前面的例子直接、独立地分开陈述。7.5分的答案更可能把它压缩进和例子同一句话里。
   • LR“It also makes people care more about a place, because they helped to plan it.” — "Makes people care more" is a plain, general phrase rather than a more specific term like "ownership" for the same idea."Makes people care more"是一个平实、笼统的短语,而不是对同样想法用更具体的词,比如"ownership"(归属感)。
   • GRA“It can be slow, and the loudest voices can take over, so it needs to be managed carefully.” — This sentence chains three short clauses with "and" and "so", accurate but structurally simple compared to higher bands.这句话用"and"和"so"把三个短分句连了起来,虽然准确,但相比高分段结构比较简单。

   7.0 分

   The 7.0 answer folds the example and its lesson into one sentence with a dash ("all of which the neighbours would have said...") and introduces the more precise term "ownership", giving the argument more cohesion than the 6.5 list.7.0分的答案用破折号把例子和它揭示的道理融入了同一句话("all of which the neighbours would have said..."),并引入了更精确的词"ownership",比6.5分的清单更有连贯性。

   Because residents know things planners just can't see from a drawing, honestly. A new park near my flat was designed with a beautiful open lawn nobody uses, since what people in Da Nang's heat actually needed was shade, seating and somewhere for the evening food stalls — all of which the neighbours would have said in five minutes if anyone had asked. Consultation surfaces practical knowledge: where the water collects, where children cross, which corner feels unsafe at night. It also builds a sense of ownership, since people look after a place they helped shape. It does slow things down and can be dominated by the loudest voices, so it needs managing.

   查看中文翻译

   说实话,因为居民知道一些规划者从图纸上根本看不出来的事情。我公寓附近的一个新公园设计了一片美丽的开阔草坪,却没人使用,因为在岘港的高温下,人们真正需要的是阴凉、座位和一个能摆晚间小吃摊的地方——如果有人问过邻居,他们五分钟内就能把这一切都说出来。咨询民意能挖掘出实用的知识:哪里会积水,孩子们在哪里过马路,哪个角落晚上让人觉得不安全。它也能建立一种归属感,因为人们会照顾好一个他们参与塑造的地方。它确实会拖慢进度,也可能被声音最大的人主导,所以需要加以管理。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“Because residents know things planners just can't see from a drawing, honestly.” — The spoken connector "honestly" at the end of the opening sentence adds a natural conversational emphasis a 6.5 answer's plain opening would not include.开头句结尾的口语化连接词"honestly"增添了一种自然的对话式强调,这是6.5分平实开头所没有的。
   • LR“It also builds a sense of ownership, since people look after a place they helped shape” — "A sense of ownership" is a more precise, abstract noun phrase than the plain "makes people care more" a 6.5 answer would use for the same idea."A sense of ownership"是一个比6.5分对同样想法会用的平实的"makes people care more"更精确、更抽象的名词短语。
   • GRA“a beautiful open lawn nobody uses, since what people in Da Nang's heat actually needed was shade, seating and somewhere for the evening food stalls — all of which the neighbours would have said in five minutes if anyone had asked” — The dash introduces a which-clause referring back to the whole preceding idea, a moderately complex structure linking example and lesson in one sentence rather than the two separate sentences a 6.5 answer would use.破折号引出了一个回指前面整个想法的which从句,是一种把例子和道理连接在同一句话里的中等复杂结构,而不是6.5分会用的两句独立的话。

   7.5 分

   The 7.5 answer uses the inverted conditional "had anyone thought to ask" instead of a plain if-clause and closes with the neatly parallel aphorism "a development nobody asked for tends to become a development nobody uses".7.5分的答案用了倒装条件句"had anyone thought to ask",而不是平实的if从句,并以工整对称的格言式收尾"a development nobody asked for tends to become a development nobody uses"结束。

   Because residents know things planners can't see from a drawing. A new park near my flat was designed around a beautiful open lawn that nobody uses, since what people actually needed in Da Nang's heat was shade, seating and somewhere for the evening food stalls — all of which the neighbours would have said in five minutes, had anyone thought to ask. Consultation surfaces exactly this kind of practical knowledge: where the water collects, where children cross, which corner feels unsafe after dark. It also builds acceptance, since people tend to look after a place they helped shape and resist one simply imposed on them. It slows things down and can be hijacked by the loudest voices, so it needs careful managing. But a development nobody asked for tends to become a development nobody uses.

   查看中文翻译

   因为居民知道一些规划者从图纸上看不出来的事情。我公寓附近的一个新公园围绕着一片美丽的开阔草坪来设计,却没人使用,因为在岘港的高温下,人们真正需要的是阴凉、座位和一个能摆晚间小吃摊的地方——要是有人想到去问,邻居五分钟内就能把这一切都说出来。咨询民意正能挖掘出这种实用的知识:哪里会积水,孩子们在哪里过马路,哪个角落天黑后让人觉得不安全。它还能建立一种接受感,因为人们往往会照顾好一个他们参与塑造的地方,而抵触一个被强加给他们的地方。这个过程会拖慢进度,也可能被声音最大的人劫持,所以需要谨慎地加以管理。但一个没人要求的开发项目,往往会变成一个没人使用的开发项目。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“But a development nobody asked for tends to become a development nobody uses.” — This closing sentence uses a tight, parallel repetition ("nobody asked for... nobody uses") as a memorable final line, a more polished rhetorical device than the plain summarising sentence a 6.5 answer ends on.这个结尾句用了紧凑、对称的重复("nobody asked for...nobody uses")作为令人难忘的结尾句,比6.5分会用的平实总结句是更精致的修辞手法。
   • LR“It also builds acceptance, since people tend to look after a place they helped shape and resist one simply imposed on them” — "Imposed on them" is a precise, slightly formal verb choice contrasting with "helped shape", more distinctive than the plainer "makes people care more" a 6.5 answer would use."Imposed on them"是一个精确、略微正式的动词选择,与"helped shape"形成对比,比6.5分会用的更平淡的"makes people care more"更有特色。
   • GRA“all of which the neighbours would have said in five minutes, had anyone thought to ask” — The inverted conditional "had anyone thought to ask" replaces the more ordinary "if anyone had asked", a more literary, compressed construction than the standard conditional lower bands would use.倒装条件句"had anyone thought to ask"取代了更普通的"if anyone had asked",比低分段会用的标准条件句更有文学性、更凝练。