IELTS Speaking Part 2

A Time When Something in Your Home Broke and You Tried to Repair It

最近一次出现于 2026年5–8月

题卡

Describe a time when something in your home broke and you tried to repair it

You should say:

  • what thing broke
  • why this thing broke
  • what you did to try to repair it
  • and explain how successful you were at trying to repair this thing

范文：6.5、7.0、7.5 三档

同一题目的三个版本，分别写到对应分数的真实水平——对比着看，能清楚看到分数之间到底差在哪里。

6.5 分

The answer relies on plain, safe vocabulary ('a bit mixed', 'a bit disappointed') and simple chained sentences joined with 'but' and 'and', giving a clear but unremarkable account typical of Band 6.5.这段答案依赖的是简单、保险的词汇('a bit mixed'——有点复杂的感受、'a bit disappointed'——有点失望),以及用'but'和'and'连接的简单句,叙述清楚但并不出彩,是典型的6.5分表现。

The thing that broke in my home was the kitchen tap. It happened about three months ago, one evening when I came home from work.

It broke because it was quite old, and I think the small rubber part inside had worn out after years of use. When I turned the tap on, water started leaking from underneath, not from the top, and it wouldn't stop, even when I turned it off completely.

What I did first was try to fix it myself. I turned off the water under the sink, then used a small wrench to open the tap and see what was inside. I found the old rubber part I mentioned and tried to replace it with a new one I bought nearby. I had watched a short video online to help me understand what to do.

How successful I was is a bit mixed. I managed to stop the leaking for that night, but the next morning it started dripping again, just a little. In the end, I called a plumber, who fixed it properly in about twenty minutes. I felt a bit disappointed that I couldn't finish the job myself, but at least I understood the problem before he arrived, and I saved a little time and money.

查看中文翻译

我家里坏掉的东西是厨房的水龙头。大概是三个月前，一天晚上我下班回家的时候发生的。

它坏掉的原因，我觉得是因为用得太久了，里面的小橡胶垫应该是磨损了。我打开水龙头的时候，水开始从下面漏出来，不是从上面，而且就算完全关掉水龙头，水也不停地漏。

我先做的是自己试着修一下。我先关掉水槽下面的总水阀，然后用一个小扳手把水龙头打开，看看里面是什么情况。我找到了刚才说的那个旧橡胶垫，想用新买的一个换上。修之前我还在网上看了一段简短的教学视频。

我修得成不成功，其实挺一般的。那天晚上我算是暂时止住了漏水，但第二天早上又开始一点点地滴水了。最后我叫了一个水管工，他大概二十分钟就修好了。我有点失望自己没能完全修好，但至少在他来之前，我已经搞清楚问题出在哪了，也算省了一点时间和钱。

212 词 · 约 2 分钟

为什么是这个分数

  • LR“the small rubber part inside had worn out” — 'Worn out' and 'small rubber part' are both plain, high-frequency phrases used descriptively rather than technically — a 7.0 or 7.5 answer discussing the same tap might name the part more specifically or use a more precise verb for degradation. Here the vagueness is functional rather than a weakness: it conveys exactly enough mechanical understanding to make the story plausible without requiring specialist vocabulary the speaker likely wouldn't naturally have, matching the 6.5 lexical target. The past-perfect 'had worn out' correctly marks the cause as prior to the leak, showing basic grammatical accuracy even within plain vocabulary.'Worn out'和'small rubber part'都是平实的高频短语，用于描述而非技术性表达——Band 7.0 或 7.5 的答案在谈论同一个水龙头时，可能会更具体地说出那个部件的名字，或用一个更精确的动词来描述老化过程。这里的模糊是有功能性的，而不是一个弱点：它传达出恰好足够的机械理解，让这个故事显得可信，而不需要说话者很可能本来就不会自然掌握的专业词汇，这正符合 Band 6.5 的词汇目标。过去完成时"had worn out"正确地标记出这个原因发生在漏水之前，即便是在平实的词汇范围内，也展现出基本的语法准确性。
  • FC“How successful I was is a bit mixed.” — The sentence functions as a minimal topic sentence, flagging that a mixed outcome is coming before the details are given, which is a basic but genuine coherence device — it helps the listener follow the shift from 'what I did' to 'how well it worked'. It's plainer than the equivalent 7.0 line from a similar home-repair story ('How successful I was, honestly, was only partly'), lacking the mid-sentence spoken connector that would add rhythm and nuance; here the phrasing is flat and functional rather than natural-sounding hesitation.这句话起到了一个极简主题句的作用，在细节展开之前，先预告了一个喜忧参半的结果即将出现，这是一种基础但真实的连贯性手法——它帮助听者跟上从"我做了什么"到"效果如何"的转折。它比一个类似家庭维修故事里对等的 Band 7.0 句子（"How successful I was, honestly, was only partly"）更平淡，缺少了那种能增添节奏感和细微差别的句中口语连接词；这里的措辞是平板、功能性的，而不是听起来自然的犹豫停顿。
  • GRA“I felt a bit disappointed that I couldn't finish the job myself, but at least I understood the problem before he arrived, and I saved a little time and money.” — Three ideas — disappointment, a partial consolation, and a practical benefit — are strung together using only the coordinators 'but' and 'and', with a single subordinate clause providing the sentence's only layer of embedding. This coordinate-chain pattern is accurate and easy to follow but avoids the kind of varied subordination a 7.0 answer would likely use to link the same three ideas more tightly. It fits the 6.5 grammar target precisely: mostly simple sentences plus a few basic complex ones, prioritising clarity and correctness over structural range.三个想法——失望、一点点安慰、一个实际的好处——只用并列连词"but"和"and"串联在一起，只有一个从属从句构成这句话唯一的一层嵌套。这种并列连锁的模式准确又容易理解，但回避了 Band 7.0 答案很可能会用来把这三个想法联系得更紧密的那种多样化从属结构。它精准地符合 Band 6.5 的语法目标：大部分是简单句，加上少数基础复杂句，把清晰和正确放在结构范围之上。
7.0 分

The answer develops the repair with one concrete visual detail ('almost like a layer of grey fur') and comfortably strings together complex clauses in sentences like the cleaning description, giving fluent, natural development that goes beyond 6.5's short, plain statements without yet reaching 7.5's more polished imagery.这段答案通过一个具体的视觉细节('几乎像裹了一层灰色的绒毛')来展开维修过程,并且在描述清理这类句子中从容地串联起多个复杂分句,呈现出流畅自然的展开方式,超越了6.5分那种简短朴素的陈述,但还没有达到7.5分那种更精致的意象表达。

The thing that broke in my home was the ceiling fan in my bedroom, and it happened about five months ago, right in the middle of a really hot week.

It broke, I think, because the motor hadn't been cleaned in years and dust had built up inside it, which made it work harder than it should. One night it started making a strange grinding sound, and by the next morning it had stopped spinning completely, even though the light on it still worked fine.

What I did was take it apart myself, mainly because I didn't want to wait days for a repairman during such hot weather. I switched off the power at the wall first, then unscrewed the cover and found the blades were thick with dust, almost like a layer of grey fur. I cleaned everything with a cloth and a bit of oil I found online was supposed to help the motor turn more smoothly, then put it back together, which took a lot longer than I expected because I'd forgotten which screw went where.

How successful I was, honestly, was only partly. The fan turned again once I switched it back on, and the grinding noise was gone, but it wobbled slightly and was clearly not spinning quite as fast as before. I lived with that for a couple of weeks, but eventually I called an electrician, who told me the motor itself needed replacing, not just cleaning. He fixed it properly within half an hour. I was a little disappointed I couldn't solve it completely on my own, but at least the noise part was down to me, and I definitely learned more about how a fan actually works.

查看中文翻译

家里坏掉的东西是我卧室里的吊扇,事情发生在大约五个月前,正好是一个特别热的星期当中。

我猜它坏掉是因为马达好多年没清理过,里面积了一层灰尘,让它转动起来比正常情况更费力。有天晚上它开始发出一种奇怪的摩擦声,到第二天早上就完全停转了,尽管上面的灯还是好好的。

我当时的做法是自己把它拆开,主要是因为这么热的天气不想等师傅上门修好几天。我先在墙上的开关处断了电,然后拧开外壳,发现扇叶上积了厚厚一层灰,几乎像裹了一层灰色的绒毛。我用抹布和网上说能让马达转得更顺滑的一点油把每个部件都清理干净,再重新装回去,这一步花的时间比我预想的久很多,因为我忘了哪颗螺丝该配在哪个位置。

说实话,我只能算是部分成功。重新打开开关后风扇确实又转起来了,摩擦声也没了,但它转动时略微晃动,明显没有以前转得快。我就这样将就了几个星期,但最后还是叫了电工,他告诉我其实是马达本身需要更换,不是清理一下就够。他半小时之内就把它彻底修好了。没能自己完全解决这个问题,我多少有点失望,但至少噪音那部分是我自己解决的,而且我确实对风扇到底是怎么运作的了解了更多。

285 词 · 约 2 分钟

为什么是这个分数

  • LR“almost like a layer of grey fur” — The simile compares built-up dust to 'a layer of grey fur', giving a visual, almost tactile image rather than the plain description ('very dusty') a 6.5 answer would use, while staying light-touch — a single comparison rather than an extended or elaborated image. It's dropped naturally into the middle of a practical, step-by-step repair narrative, showing the figurative language genuinely helps the listener picture the fan blades rather than performing for its own sake. This matches the 7.0 lexical scale — noticeably more vivid than plain vocabulary, but a single touch rather than the denser imagery a 7.5 answer might build.这个明喻把积攒的灰尘比作"a layer of grey fur"，带来了一种视觉上、几乎可触摸的画面感，而不是 Band 6.5 答案会用的干巴巴的描述（"very dusty"），同时又保持轻巧——只是一个单一的比较，而不是被延展或精心构建的意象。它很自然地被放进一段实际的、按步骤展开的维修叙事中间，说明这种比喻性语言真正帮助听者想象出风扇叶片的样子，而不是为了表演而存在。这与 Band 7.0 的词汇水平相吻合——明显比平淡词汇更生动，但只是一个单一的点缀，而不是 Band 7.5 答案可能构建出的那种更密集的意象。
  • FC“How successful I was, honestly, was only partly.” — Placing 'honestly' between the topic ('How successful I was') and the verdict ('was only partly') rather than at the start or end of the sentence breaks up the rhythm the way real spoken hesitation does, making the admission of partial failure sound considered rather than pre-scripted. This mid-sentence insertion is a small but genuine spoken-fluency device that a 6.5 answer, which tends to place connectors at clause boundaries, would be less likely to attempt. The honest, qualified self-assessment it introduces also keeps the whole answer credible rather than presenting an implausibly complete DIY success.把"honestly"放在话题（"How successful I was"）和结论（"was only partly"）之间，而不是放在句首或句尾，打破了句子的节奏，就像真实口语中的犹豫停顿那样，让承认部分失败这件事听起来像是经过思考的，而不是事先编排好的。这种句中插入是一种细微但真实的口语流利度手法，而 Band 6.5 的答案往往习惯把连接词放在从句边界处，不太可能去尝试这种手法。它所引入的那种诚实、有所保留的自我评价，也让整个答案显得可信，而不是呈现一个不太可信的、完美无缺的 DIY 成功故事。
  • GRA“I cleaned everything with a cloth and a bit of oil I found online was supposed to help the motor turn more smoothly, then put it back together, which took a lot longer than I expected because I'd forgotten which screw went where.” — The sentence chains an embedded relative clause ('oil... was supposed to help'), a second main-verb clause, a further relative clause ('which took a lot longer'), and a reason clause ('because I'd forgotten') — four clauses stacked in sequence while still tracking the same subject through each step of the repair. A 6.5 answer would more likely break this into two or three shorter sentences; here the length is functional, mirroring the drawn-out, fiddly nature of the repair itself. It stays within familiar connector patterns rather than the more marked constructions that would push it toward 7.5.这句话把一个嵌套的定语从句（"oil... was supposed to help"）、第二个主谓从句、又一个定语从句（"which took a lot longer"）和一个理由从句（"because I'd forgotten"）串联在一起——四个从句依次叠加，却依然在维修的每一步中追踪着同一个主体。Band 6.5 的答案更可能把这拆成两三个更短的句子；这里的长度是有功能性的，映照出维修过程本身那种拖沓、繁琐的性质。它仍然停留在熟悉的连接词模式内，而不是会把它推向 Band 7.5 的那种更醒目的结构。
7.5 分

The rhetorical question 'How successful was I? Completely, in the end.' and the vivid simile 'a quantity of lint that looked like a small animal' show the flexible, idiomatic control and narrative flair characteristic of Band 7.5.反问句'How successful was I? Completely, in the end.'(我到底成功了多少?最后可以说是完全成功了)以及生动的比喻'a quantity of lint that looked like a small animal'(一团看起来像只小动物的绒毛),展现出7.5分特有的那种灵活、地道的语言掌控力和讲故事的技巧。

The thing that broke was my washing machine, about eight months ago, on a Sunday night with a full load of wet clothes inside it. It stopped halfway through the cycle, showed an error code I'd never seen, and refused to drain, so the drum was sitting full of grey water and my entire week's clothes.

Why it broke, I found out later, was entirely my fault. Somewhere in a pocket I'd left a ten-thousand-đồng coin and, apparently, a hair clip that wasn't mine. They'd worked their way through the drum and jammed the drain pump.

What I did first was look up the error code, which led me to a video by a man in a garage who'd clearly repaired a thousand machines and had no patience for people like me. He showed that there's a small round filter cover at the bottom front of the machine, behind a panel, and that if you unscrew it, whatever's blocking the pump usually falls out. He also said, quite clearly, to put a tray underneath and drain the machine first. I skipped that part.

So at ten at night I unscrewed the filter and roughly thirty litres of grey water came out across my bathroom floor, under the door and into the hallway. I spent an hour with every towel I owned. Then I reached into the filter and found the coin, the hair clip, and a quantity of lint that looked like a small animal.

How successful was I? Completely, in the end. I screwed the cover back on, restarted the cycle, and by midnight the machine was draining like new; it's worked perfectly since. I'd also learned two things — that most household machines are simpler inside than their panels suggest, and that repair videos are right about the tray. My downstairs neighbour, who had water coming through her ceiling light, learned something about me as well.

查看中文翻译

坏掉的东西是我的洗衣机,大约八个月前,一个周日的晚上,里面还装着满满一桶湿衣服。它在洗涤程序进行到一半时停了下来,显示出一个我从没见过的错误代码,还拒绝排水,于是滚筒里就那样装着一桶灰水和我一整周要穿的衣服。

后来我才知道,它坏掉完全是我自己的错。我不知在哪条裤子的口袋里落下了一枚一万越南盾的硬币,而且显然还有一个不属于我的发夹。它们一路进了滚筒,卡住了排水泵。

我做的第一件事是去查那个错误代码,结果查到了一个视频,视频里一个在车库里修东西的男人,显然已经修过上千台机器,对我这种人完全没什么耐心。他演示说机器前下方有一个小小的圆形过滤盖,藏在一块面板后面,只要把它拧开,卡住水泵的东西通常就会掉出来。他还非常明确地说,要先在下面放个托盘,并且先把机器里的水排掉。这一步我跳过了。

于是晚上十点,我拧开了过滤盖,大约三十升灰水一下子涌了出来,流满了整个浴室地板,又从门缝渗到了走廊。我用光了家里所有的毛巾,花了一个小时才处理完。然后我伸手进过滤器里,找到了那枚硬币、那个发夹,还有一大团看起来像小动物的绒毛。

我成功了吗?最终完全成功了。我把盖子重新拧上,重启了洗涤程序,到午夜时机器排水已经和新的一样;从那以后它一直运转正常。我也因此学到了两件事——大多数家用电器内部其实比面板看起来的样子简单得多,还有维修视频关于那个托盘的提醒是对的。而我楼下的邻居,天花板灯那里被水漏进去的那位,也因此学到了关于我的一件事。

318 词 · 约 2 分钟

为什么是这个分数

  • LR“a quantity of lint that looked like a small animal” — Rather than a flat, functional description ("a lot of lint"), this simile compares the retrieved lint to a small animal, a vivid and mildly comic image that a Band 6.5 or 7.0 answer would be unlikely to attempt, more likely settling for a plain quantifier. The formal-sounding noun "quantity" juxtaposed against the casual, almost absurd comparison also creates a small comic contrast in register, a genuinely idiomatic, controlled use of humour rather than functional description. It lands as the punchline of the whole repair anecdote, following the coin and the mysterious hair clip that wasn't the speaker's.这个比喻没有采用平淡、功能性的描述("a lot of lint"),而是把清出来的绒毛比作一只小动物,一个生动、略带喜感的画面,是Band 6.5或7.0答案不太可能去尝试的,更可能只用一个朴素的量词代替。听起来很正式的名词"quantity"(数量)与这种随意、近乎荒谬的比较并置,也制造出一种微妙的语域喜剧反差,是一种真正习语化、掌控得当的幽默运用,而非单纯功能性的描述。它恰好落在整段维修轶事的笑点位置,紧接在那枚硬币和那个不属于说话人的神秘发夹之后。
  • FC“How successful was I? Completely, in the end.” — Posing a rhetorical question and then answering it immediately is a deliberate coherence device that creates emphasis and a small dramatic pause before revealing the outcome, rather than simply stating the result directly ("In the end, I fixed it completely"), which is what a Band 6.5 or 7.0 answer would more likely do. The clipped two-word answer "Completely, in the end" also mimics natural spoken rhythm, delivering the resolution with confidence after building tension through the flood and the late-night repair. This device mirrors the earlier rhetorical question in the same story ("Did I fix it?"), showing the speaker using the same technique twice with control rather than by accident.提出一个反问句然后立刻回答,是一种刻意的连贯手法,在揭晓结果之前制造出强调感和一个小小的戏剧性停顿,而不是像Band 6.5或7.0答案更可能做的那样,直接陈述结果("In the end, I fixed it completely")。简短的两个词回答"Completely, in the end"也模拟了自然的口语节奏,在经历了洪水和深夜维修所积累的紧张感之后,自信地交代了结局。这个手法与同一个故事前面出现的反问句("Did I fix it?")相呼应,表明说话人是有控制地两次使用同一种技巧,而不是偶然为之。
  • GRA“I'd also learned two things — that most household machines are simpler inside than their panels suggest, and that repair videos are right about the tray.” — A dash introduces a parallel two-part structure, with two "that"-clauses functioning as the objects of "learned," each stating a distinct lesson from the story -- this kind of coordinated, embedded clause structure shows flexible, well-controlled complex grammar beyond what a Band 6.5 or 7.0 speaker would typically manage in a single sentence. The second lesson also has a self-deprecating edge, referring back to an earlier admission ("I skipped that part") about ignoring the video's advice to use a tray, so the grammar is tied to a specific narrative payoff rather than existing as an abstract list. "Panels suggest" is itself a slightly more precise phrase than a plainer alternative like "machines look complicated".一个破折号引出了一个并列的两部分结构,两个"that"从句共同充当"learned"的宾语,各自陈述了从这个故事中得到的一条独立教训——这种并列、嵌套式从句结构展现出灵活、掌控良好的复杂语法,超出了Band 6.5或7.0考生通常能在单个句子里驾驭的水平。第二条教训也带有一丝自嘲的意味,呼应了前文的一句坦白("I skipped that part"),关于没有按照视频建议使用托盘,所以这里的语法是与一个具体的叙事回报绑定在一起的,而不是作为一份抽象清单存在。"Panels suggest"本身也是一个比更平淡的替代说法(如"machines look complicated")略微更精确的短语。

各考试时段出题记录

  • Describe a time when something in your home broke and you tried to repair it2026年5–8月

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. Do you agree with the view that some companies design their products to last only a short time?

    2026年5–8月
    查看这道题的6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5三档对比
    6.5 分

    States the closing charge plainly, without the more pointed final clause about company intent the higher bands add.平实地陈述了结尾的指控,没有加上高分段所添加的、关于公司意图的更尖锐的结尾从句。

    I agree, and I've paid for it myself. My old phone's battery faded after two years, and the shop said it was glued under the screen, which had to be broken to reach it — the quote was half the price of a new phone. That's not an accident; it's a decision. Sealed cases, parts you can't buy, and updates that slow old phones all point the same way. Not every company does this, and some is customers choosing cheap over durable. A lot of what's in my home is designed to be replaced, not repaired.

    查看中文翻译

    我同意,而且我自己就为此付出过代价。我的旧手机用了两年后电池开始衰减,维修店说电池是粘在屏幕下面的,要拿到它就得先把屏幕弄坏——报价是买台新手机的一半。这不是意外,而是一种设计上的决定。密封的外壳、买不到的零件,以及会拖慢旧手机速度的系统更新,都指向同一个方向。不是每家公司都这么做,而且有一部分原因也是消费者自己选择了便宜货而不是耐用品。但我家里的很多东西,设计初衷就是被替换掉,而不是被修好。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“I agree, and I've paid for it myself.” — This opening states agreement and personal stake in one short sentence, fitting 6.5's plain style. 7.0 drops 'myself' and adds 'Honestly', and 7.5 extends to 'more than once', both giving the same opening slightly more weight or nuance.这个开头用一个简短的句子陈述了赞同的态度和个人切身经历,符合6.5分平实的风格。7.0分去掉了'myself',加上了'Honestly',7.5分则延伸为'more than once',两者都让同样的开头多了一点分量或细微差别。
    • LR“That's not an accident; it's a decision.” — This is a clear, punchy contrast already at 6.5. 7.0 and 7.5 both extend the same phrase to 'not an accident of engineering, it's a decision', a more precise, technical qualifier for the identical claim.这在6.5分已经是一个清晰、有力的对比。7.0分和7.5分都把同样的短语延伸为'not an accident of engineering, it's a decision',为同一个论断加上了更精确、更具技术性的限定语。
    • GRA“Sealed cases, parts you can't buy, and updates that slow old phones all point the same way.” — A three-item list joined by commas and 'and', correct and clear. 7.5 extends this to a four-item list adding 'fashion cycles that make a working product feel embarrassing', showing a longer, more developed sentence for the same point.一个用逗号和'and'连接的三项列表,正确而清晰。7.5分把它延伸为四项列表,加入了'fashion cycles that make a working product feel embarrassing',展现出为同一观点写出的更长、更完整的句子。
    7.0 分

    Adds 'Honestly' up front and extends the punchy contrast with 'of engineering', giving the opening a more considered edge.在开头加上'Honestly',并用'of engineering'延伸了那个有力的对比,让开头多了一层深思熟虑的意味。

    Honestly, I agree, and I've paid for it. When my previous phone's battery faded after two years, the repair shop explained the battery was glued under the screen, which had to be broken just to reach it, and quoted half the price of a new phone — that's not an accident of engineering, it's a decision. Sealed cases, parts that can't be bought, and updates that slow old devices all point the same way. Not every company does it, admittedly, and some of the short life is customers choosing cheap over durable. But a lot of what's in my home is designed to be replaced rather than repaired.

    查看中文翻译

    说实话,我同意,而且我自己就为此付出过代价。我上一部手机用了两年后电池开始衰减,维修店解释说电池是粘在屏幕下面的,光是拿到它就得先把屏幕弄坏,报价是买台新手机的一半——这不是工程设计上的意外,而是一种决定。密封的外壳、买不到的零件,以及会拖慢旧设备速度的系统更新,都指向同一个方向。诚然,不是每家公司都这么做,产品寿命短也有一部分原因是消费者自己选择了便宜货而不是耐用品。但我家里的很多东西,设计初衷就是被替换掉,而不是被修好。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“Honestly, I agree, and I've paid for it.” — The hedge 'Honestly' gives this opening a more personal, spoken quality than 6.5's flatter version. 7.5 drops the hedge but extends 'paid for it' with 'more than once', achieving a similarly personal effect through added detail instead.缓和语'Honestly'让这个开头比6.5分更平淡的版本多了一份个人化、口语化的特质。7.5分去掉了这个缓和语,但把'paid for it'延伸为'more than once',转而通过增加细节来达到类似的个人化效果。
    • LR“quoted half the price of a new phone” — This is a clear, functional detail. 7.5 keeps this exact phrase, showing that at the top two bands a precise detail can recur while the surrounding sentence grows more elaborate.这是一个清晰、功能性的细节。7.5分保留了完全相同的短语,说明在最高的两个分数段,一个精确的细节可以重复出现,而周围的句子会变得更加繁复。
    • GRA“Sealed cases, parts that can't be bought, and updates that slow old devices all point the same way.” — This three-item list is correct and fluent. 7.5 extends the same list to four items, adding the phrase about fashion cycles, and inserts the adverb 'quietly' before 'slow', showing marginally denser description within a similar structure.这个三项列表正确而流畅。7.5分把同样的列表延伸到四项,加入了关于'时尚周期'的短语,并在'slow'前插入了副词'quietly',在类似的结构中展现出略微更密集的描述。
    7.5 分

    Closes by quoting the earlier phrase back as a verdict and naming the companies' intent, giving the ending more rhetorical force.结尾时把之前用过的短语当作一句判词引用回来,并点明了公司的意图,让结尾更具修辞力度。

    I agree, and I've paid for it more than once. When my previous phone's battery faded after two years, the repair shop explained that the battery was glued under a screen that had to be broken to reach it, and quoted half the price of a new phone — that's not an accident of engineering, it's a decision. Sealed cases, parts that simply can't be bought, updates that quietly slow old devices, and fashion cycles that make a working product feel embarrassing all point the same way. Not every company does it, and some of the short life is customers choosing cheap over durable. But 'designed to be replaced rather than repaired' describes a lot of what's sitting in my home, and the companies know exactly what they're doing.

    查看中文翻译

    我同意,而且我不止一次为此付出过代价。我上一部手机用了两年后电池开始衰减,维修店解释说电池是粘在一块屏幕下面的,要拿到它就得先把屏幕弄坏,报价是买台新手机的一半——这不是工程设计上的意外,而是一种决定。密封的外壳、根本买不到的零件、会悄悄拖慢旧设备速度的系统更新,以及会让一件还能正常使用的产品显得寒酸的时尚周期,都指向同一个方向。不是每家公司都这么做,产品寿命短也有一部分原因是消费者自己选择了便宜货而不是耐用品。但'设计初衷就是被替换,而不是被修好'这句话,描述了我家里很多东西的现状,而这些公司对自己在做什么心知肚明。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“But 'designed to be replaced rather than repaired' describes a lot of what's sitting in my home, and the companies know exactly what they're doing.” — This closing quotes the very phrase used earlier in the argument as if it were a verdict, then adds a pointed final clause about the companies' intent, giving the ending more rhetorical force than the plainer closings at 6.5 and 7.0.这个结尾把论证中先前用过的那个确切短语当作判词引用回来,再加上一句关于公司意图的犀利结尾从句,这比6.5分和7.0分更平实的结尾更具修辞力度。
    • LR“fashion cycles that make a working product feel embarrassing” — This is a precise, evaluative phrase capturing a specific mechanism, well beyond the plainer list items at 6.5 and 7.0. It shows the kind of exact, topic-appropriate vocabulary expected at 7.5.这是一个精确、具有评价性的短语,捕捉到了一个具体的机制,远超6.5分和7.0分更平实的列表条目。它展现出7.5分所要求的那种精确、贴合话题的词汇。
    • GRA“Sealed cases, parts that simply can't be bought, updates that quietly slow old devices, and fashion cycles that make a working product feel embarrassing all point the same way.” — This sentence manages a four-item list, each with its own modifying clause, within one unit — considerably more loaded than the three-item lists at 6.5 and 7.0. That capacity to sustain a long, evenly balanced list without losing clarity is a hallmark of 7.5 grammar.这个句子在一个整体单位内驾驭了一个四项列表,每一项都带有自己的修饰从句——这比6.5分和7.0分的三项列表内容密度大得多。这种能在不失清晰度的前提下维持一个长而均衡的列表的能力,是7.5分语法的一个标志。

  2. 2. Do you agree or disagree that society values computing skills more than other practical skills?

    2026年5–8月
    查看这道题的6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5三档对比
    6.5 分

    Places the hedge 'honestly' mid-sentence rather than at the very start or end, as the higher bands do.把缓和语'honestly'放在句中,而不是像高分段那样放在最开头或最结尾。

    It does, and I'm honestly on the wrong side of that comparison. The plumber who fixed my neighbour's ceiling is a skilled man, and he earns less than I do for moving rectangles on a screen. I can't really argue that my work is harder or more necessary. Salaries, schools, and parents' hopes point children toward computers and away from trades, so we end up with a shortage of people who can fix things and too many people who can make slides. But we've decided sitting-down skills are worth more, and that's a mistake.

    查看中文翻译

    确实如此,说实话,我自己就站在这个对比中比较尴尬的一边。修好我邻居天花板的那位水管工是个很有技术的人,而他挣的钱却比我少——我不过是在屏幕上挪动一些矩形而已。我实在没法说自己的工作更难,或者更有必要。薪资、学校教育,以及父母的期望,都把孩子们推向计算机、推离手艺行业,结果就是会修东西的人越来越少,而会做幻灯片的人却太多了。但我们已经默认了'坐着完成的技能'更值钱,而这是个错误。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“It does, and I'm honestly on the wrong side of that comparison.” — This opening states agreement and self-implication together in one plain sentence, suiting 6.5's style. Both higher bands move the hedge 'honestly'/'if I'm honest' to a different position, giving the same opening a slightly more natural, spoken rhythm.这个开头用一个平实的句子把赞同和自我牵连结合在一起,符合6.5分的风格。两个高分段都把缓和语'honestly'/'if I'm honest'移到了不同的位置,让同样的开头多了一点自然的口语节奏。
    • LR“I can't really argue that my work is harder or more necessary.” — This is a plain, direct concession. Both higher bands extend it with 'honestly' inside the clause and 7.5 adds 'than his' at the end, a more precise, comparative completion of the same idea.这是一个平实、直接的让步。两个高分段都在从句中加入'honestly'进行延伸,7.5分还在末尾加上'than his',对同一个想法做出了更精确的比较性补全。
    • GRA“so we end up with a shortage of people who can fix things and too many people who can make slides.” — This uses 'so' plus a simple parallel structure, correct and clear. Both higher bands replace this with 'and the result is a shortage of... and a surplus of...', a more formal, precisely balanced parallel structure.这里用了'so'加一个简单的平行结构,正确而清晰。两个高分段都把它替换成'and the result is a shortage of... and a surplus of...',这是一种更正式、更精确均衡的平行结构。
    7.0 分

    Moves the hedge 'Honestly' to the very front of the answer, a more spoken, emphatic framing than 6.5's mid-sentence placement.把缓和语'Honestly'移到整个回答的最前面,这比6.5分放在句中的方式更具口语化和强调的效果。

    Honestly, it does, and I'm on the wrong side of the comparison myself. The plumber who fixed my neighbour's ceiling is a skilled man who earns less than I do for moving rectangles around a screen, and I can't argue that my work is harder or more necessary. Salaries, school priorities and parents' hopes point children toward computers and away from trades, resulting in a shortage of people who can fix things and a surplus of people who can make slides. There's some correction coming, admittedly — good electricians are now hard to find and their rates show it. But we've decided sitting-down skills are worth more, and that's a mistake.

    查看中文翻译

    说实话,确实如此,而且我自己就站在这个对比中比较尴尬的一边。修好我邻居天花板的那位水管工是个技术精湛的人,他挣的钱却比我少——我不过是在屏幕上挪动一些矩形而已。我没法说自己的工作更难,或者更有必要。薪资、学校的教育重点,以及父母的期望,都把孩子们推向计算机、推离手艺行业,结果就是会修东西的人短缺,而会做幻灯片的人却过剩。诚然,情况也在悄然发生一些修正——如今好的电工已经很难找了,他们的收费水平也说明了这一点。但我们已经默认了'坐着完成的技能'更值钱,而这是个错误。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“Honestly, it does, and I'm on the wrong side of the comparison myself.” — The hedge 'Honestly' at the front gives this a more personal, spoken quality than 6.5's version, which places 'honestly' mid-sentence. 7.5 moves a similar hedge to the very end of the sentence, a subtly different but equally natural placement.把缓和语'Honestly'放在最前面,这比6.5分版本(把'honestly'放在句中)多了一份个人化、口语化的特质。7.5分把类似的缓和语移到了句子最末尾,这是一种微妙不同、但同样自然的位置安排。
    • LR“a shortage of people who can fix things and a surplus of people who can make slides” — 'Surplus' is a precise, formal counterpart to 'shortage', reused identically at 7.5. It shows that at the top two bands a well-chosen technical pairing can recur while the surrounding sentence grows more demanding.'Surplus'是'shortage'精确、正式的对应词,在7.5分中被原样沿用。这说明在最高的两个分数段,一对精心选择的专业术语可以重复出现,而周围的句子会变得更加复杂。
    • GRA“There's some correction coming, admittedly — good electricians are now hard to find and their rates show it.” — This sentence uses a dash to add supporting evidence after a concessive opener, a fairly advanced structure. 7.5 keeps an almost identical structure but adds 'under way' and 'plainly', small intensifiers that sharpen the same closing evidence.这个句子用一个破折号在让步性的开场白之后加入支持性证据,是一个相当高级的结构。7.5分保留了几乎相同的结构,但加上了'under way'和'plainly'这两个小小的强调词,让同样的结尾证据更加犀利。
    7.5 分

    Closes with the added adverbs 'quietly' and 'simply', giving the final claim more pointed, confident rhetorical bite.结尾加上了副词'quietly'和'simply',让最后的论断更具犀利、自信的修辞力度。

    It does, and I'm sitting on the wrong side of the comparison myself, if I'm honest. The plumber who fixed my neighbour's ceiling is a genuinely skilled man who earns less per hour than I do for moving rectangles around a screen, and I can't honestly argue that my work is harder or more necessary than his. Salaries, school priorities and parents' hopes all steer children toward computers and away from trades, and the result is a shortage of people who can actually fix things and a surplus of people who can make slides. There's some correction under way, admittedly — good electricians are now hard to find and their rates show it plainly. But as a society, we've quietly decided a skill is worth more if it's done sitting down, and that's simply a mistake.

    查看中文翻译

    确实如此,说真的,我自己就站在这个对比中比较尴尬的一边。修好我邻居天花板的那位水管工是个真正有技术的人,他每小时挣的钱却比我少——我不过是在屏幕上挪动一些矩形而已,我实在没法诚实地说自己的工作比他的更难,或者更有必要。薪资、学校的教育重点,以及父母的期望,都把孩子们引向计算机、引离手艺行业,结果就是真正会修东西的人短缺,而会做幻灯片的人却过剩。诚然,情况也正在发生一些修正——如今好的电工已经很难找了,他们的收费水平清楚地说明了这一点。但作为一个社会,我们已经悄悄地默认了:坐着完成的技能就更值钱,而这就是一个错误。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“But as a society, we've quietly decided a skill is worth more if it's done sitting down, and that's simply a mistake.” — The added adverbs 'quietly' and 'simply' give this closing claim more rhetorical bite than the plainer versions at 6.5 and 7.0, framing the societal decision as both unconscious and clearly wrong. It reads as a more pointed, confident final judgement.加入的副词'quietly'和'simply',让这个结尾论断比6.5分和7.0分更平实的版本更具修辞力度,把社会的这种决定刻画成既是无意识的、又是明显错误的。读起来更像是一个犀利、自信的最终判断。
    • LR“steer children toward computers and away from trades” — 'Steer' is a more precise, directional verb than the plain 'point' used at 6.5 and 7.0 for the same idea, suggesting active guidance rather than passive influence. It shows the kind of exact word choice expected at 7.5.'Steer'是一个比6.5分和7.0分用来表达同一想法的平实动词'point'更精确、更具方向性的动词,暗示的是主动引导,而非被动影响。它展现出7.5分所要求的那种精确的用词选择。
    • GRA“There's some correction under way, admittedly — good electricians are now hard to find and their rates show it plainly.” — This sentence extends the 7.0 structure with 'under way' replacing 'coming' and the added adverb 'plainly' at the end, packing more precision into an already complex shared frame. This kind of incremental refinement is characteristic of the top band's control.这个句子在7.0分结构的基础上加以延伸,用'under way'替换了'coming',并在末尾加上副词'plainly',在一个已经很复杂的共享结构中装入更多精确度。这种渐进式的打磨是最高分段驾驭能力的特征。

  3. 3. Why is it sometimes not a good idea to pay for a repair?

    2026年5–8月
    查看这道题的6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5三档对比
    6.5 分

    States the sentiment-versus-sense contrast in plain everyday words, unlike the higher bands' more compressed, alliterative phrasing.用平实的日常词汇陈述了'情感'与'理智'之间的对比,不同于高分段更为紧凑、押头韵的措辞。

    When the repair costs more than the thing is worth, or when it won't be the last one. My mother has paid to repair a fifteen-year-old fan four times, and the total is now more than a new, more efficient fan — some repairs are about feeling, not sense. Old products also fail one part at a time, so fixing one just reveals the next weak one. Safety matters, since gas or wiring repairs can be risky. My rule is: repair if it's well made and the fault is simple; replace if it's cheap and tired.

    查看中文翻译

    当维修的花费超过物品本身的价值时,或者当这次维修根本不会是最后一次时。我母亲已经花钱修过一台用了十五年的风扇四次,累计花费如今已经超过了买一台更省电的新风扇的价钱——有些维修其实是出于感情,而不是理智的考量。老旧产品也常常是一个零件接一个零件地坏,所以修好一个,只会暴露出下一个薄弱环节。安全性也很重要,因为燃气或电线维修可能存在风险。我的原则是:如果东西做工好,故障又简单,那就修;如果东西便宜又老旧不堪,那就换。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“some repairs are about feeling, not sense.” — This states the contrast plainly with everyday vocabulary, suiting 6.5's style. Both higher bands compress it to 'sentiment, not sense', a more precise, alliterative pairing that reads as more deliberately crafted.这里用日常词汇平实地陈述了这一对比,符合6.5分的风格。两个高分段都把它压缩成'sentiment, not sense',这是一对更精确、押头韵的词组,读起来更像是刻意雕琢过的。
    • LR“Old products also fail one part at a time, so fixing one just reveals the next weak one.” — 'Fail one part at a time' is a functional, plain description. Both higher bands replace it with 'tend to fail in sequence', a slightly more formal and precise phrase for the same process.'Fail one part at a time'是一个功能性的、平实的描述。两个高分段都把它替换成'tend to fail in sequence',这是描述同一个过程时略微更正式、更精确的短语。
    • GRA“My rule is: repair if it's well made and the fault is simple; replace if it's cheap and tired.” — This closing uses a colon and a semicolon to structure a compact rule, an already strong technique at 6.5. Both higher bands keep this exact structure, showing a good punctuation choice can recur while small word-level refinements accumulate around it.这个结尾用冒号和分号来构建一条紧凑的规则,这在6.5分已经是一个很强的技巧。两个高分段都保留了完全相同的结构,说明一个好的标点选择可以重复出现,而周围会不断积累一些词汇层面的小打磨。
    7.0 分

    Compresses the plain contrast into 'sentiment, not sense', a tighter, more alliterative version of 6.5's fuller phrase.把平实的对比压缩成'sentiment, not sense',这是6.5分更完整短语的一个更紧凑、更押头韵的版本。

    When the repair costs more than the thing is worth, or when it won't be the last repair. My mother has paid to repair a fifteen-year-old fan four times, purely out of loyalty, and the total is now well past the price of a new, more efficient fan — some repairs are sentiment, not sense. Old products also tend to fail in sequence; fixing one part just reveals the next weak one. Safety matters, since gas or wiring repairs can be risky. The rule I use is: repair if it's well made and the fault is simple; replace if it's cheap and tired.

    查看中文翻译

    当维修的花费超过物品本身的价值时,或者当这次维修根本不会是最后一次维修时。我母亲已经花钱修过一台用了十五年的风扇四次,纯粹是出于一种情感上的忠诚,而累计花费如今早已超过了买一台更省电的新风扇的价钱——有些维修是出于情感,而不是理智。老旧产品也往往是按顺序一个个零件坏掉;修好一个零件,只会暴露出下一个薄弱环节。安全性也很重要,因为燃气或电线维修可能存在风险。我用的原则是:如果东西做工好,故障又简单,那就修;如果东西便宜又老旧不堪,那就换。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“some repairs are sentiment, not sense.” — This compressed, alliterative phrase reads as more deliberately crafted than 6.5's plainer 'about feeling, not sense'. 7.5 keeps this exact phrase, showing that a well-chosen formulation can recur across the top two bands unchanged.这个压缩、押头韵的短语读起来比6.5分更平实的'about feeling, not sense'更像是刻意雕琢过的。7.5分保留了完全相同的短语,说明一个精心选择的表达方式可以在最高的两个分数段中原样重复出现。
    • LR“purely out of loyalty” — 'Purely' is a precise intensifier for the motive being described. 7.5 keeps this exact phrase, showing that at the top two bands a well-chosen intensifier can recur while the surrounding sentence grows more demanding.'Purely'是一个精确的强调词,用来描述所述的动机。7.5分保留了完全相同的短语,说明在最高的两个分数段,一个精心选择的强调词可以重复出现,而周围的句子会变得更加复杂。
    • GRA“Old products also tend to fail in sequence; fixing one part just reveals the next weak one.” — This sentence uses a semicolon to join two closely related clauses, more advanced than 6.5's looser 'so' link. 7.5 keeps this identical semicolon structure but extends the final clause with 'waiting behind it', a small addition that deepens the same image.这个句子用分号连接两个关系紧密的从句,这比6.5分更松散的'so'连接更高级。7.5分保留了完全相同的分号结构,但用'waiting behind it'延伸了最后的从句,这个小小的添加让同样的意象更加深刻。
    7.5 分

    Adds the word 'this' before the colon and 'already' before 'tired', giving the closing rule slightly more deliberate framing.在冒号前加上'this',在'tired'前加上'already',让结尾的规则多了一点刻意雕琢的框架感。

    When the repair costs more than the thing is worth, or when it won't be the last one needed. My mother has paid to repair a fifteen-year-old fan four times, purely out of loyalty, and the total is now well past the price of a new fan that would use half the electricity — some repairs are sentiment, not sense. Old products also tend to fail in sequence; fixing one part simply reveals the next weak one waiting behind it. Safety matters too, since a repaired gas appliance or worn wiring can be a risk that's simply not worth saving money on. The rule I use is this: repair if it's well made and the fault is simple; replace if it's cheap and already tired.

    查看中文翻译

    当维修的花费超过物品本身的价值时,或者当这不会是所需要的最后一次维修时。我母亲已经花钱修过一台用了十五年的风扇四次,纯粹是出于一种情感上的忠诚,而累计花费如今早已超过了买一台耗电量只有一半的新风扇的价钱——有些维修是出于情感,而不是理智。老旧产品也往往是按顺序一个个零件坏掉;修好一个零件,只会暴露出等在后面的下一个薄弱环节。安全性也同样重要,因为一个修过的燃气设备或老化的电线可能带来一种根本不值得为省钱而去冒的风险。我用的原则是这样的:如果东西做工好,故障又简单,那就修;如果东西便宜又已经老旧不堪,那就换。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“The rule I use is this: repair if it's well made and the fault is simple; replace if it's cheap and already tired.” — The added word 'this' before the colon and 'already' before 'tired' give this closing rule slightly more deliberate framing than the identical structure at 6.5 and 7.0. It reads as a more consciously stated, personal principle.在冒号前加上'this'、在'tired'前加上'already',让这条结尾规则比6.5分和7.0分相同的结构多了一点刻意雕琢的框架感。读起来更像是一条有意识陈述出来的个人原则。
    • LR“the next weak one waiting behind it” — 'Waiting behind it' is a vivid, almost personifying image for a mechanical fault, well beyond the plain 'the next weak one' used at 6.5 and 7.0. It shows the kind of natural, figurative vocabulary that marks 7.5.'Waiting behind it'是一个生动、近乎拟人化的意象,用来形容机械故障,远超6.5分和7.0分平实的'the next weak one'。它展现出标志着7.5分水准的那种自然、富有比喻性的词汇。
    • GRA“Old products also tend to fail in sequence; fixing one part simply reveals the next weak one waiting behind it.” — This sentence keeps the semicolon structure from 7.0 but extends the final clause with an additional participial phrase, adding a further layer of description within an already complex shared frame. That incremental extension is characteristic of the top band's grammatical range.这个句子保留了7.0分的分号结构,但用一个额外的分词短语延伸了最后的从句,在一个已经很复杂的共享结构中又增添了一层描述。这种渐进式的延展是最高分段语法范围的特征。

  4. 4. When is it better to ask an expert to repair something?

    2026年5–8月
    查看这道题的6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5三档对比
    6.5 分

    Joins the final two instructions with a semicolon in one sentence, unlike the higher bands' punchier two-sentence version.用一个分号把最后两条建议连接在一个句子里,不同于高分段更有力的两句式版本。

    When getting it wrong could hurt someone, or when a failed attempt would be expensive. The bathroom light started to flicker, and I called an electrician rather than a video, because electricity and water together aren't a learning opportunity. Gas, electrics, anything structural, brakes belong to people with training and insurance. Experts make sense for anything expensive to damage, since an amateur camera-lens repair can turn a cheap fault into a write-off. If it's under warranty, opening it yourself voids it. For a jammed pump, a video is fine; for anything that can catch fire, pay.

    查看中文翻译

    当做错了可能会伤到人的时候,或者当失败的尝试代价高昂的时候。浴室的灯开始闪烁,我叫了电工,而不是看视频自己修,因为电和水放在一起可不是什么学习的好机会。燃气、电路、任何结构性的东西、刹车,都应该交给受过培训、有保险的人来处理。对于那些一旦损坏代价高昂的东西,请专家是明智的,因为业余爱好者修相机镜头,可能会把一个便宜的小故障,变成一台报废的相机。如果还在保修期内,自己拆开就会使保修失效。堵住的水泵,看视频修修就行;而任何可能引发火灾的东西,还是花钱请人吧。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“When getting it wrong could hurt someone, or when a failed attempt would be expensive.” — This opening states two conditions in a plain parallel sentence, suiting 6.5's style. Both higher bands intensify the first clause with 'actually'/'genuinely', and 7.5 upgrades 'expensive' to 'steep', giving the same conditions slightly more emphasis.这个开头用一个平实的平行句陈述了两个条件,符合6.5分的风格。两个高分段都用'actually'/'genuinely'强化了第一个从句,7.5分还把'expensive'升级为'steep',让同样的条件多了一点强调力度。
    • LR“electricity and water together aren't a learning opportunity” — This is a clear, dry understatement. Both higher bands add 'exactly', sharpening the same ironic tone into a slightly more idiomatic, confident phrasing.这是一个清晰、冷幽默式的轻描淡写。两个高分段都加上了'exactly',让同样的讽刺语气变得更加地道、自信。
    • GRA“For a jammed pump, a video is fine; for anything that can catch fire, pay.” — This closing uses a semicolon to balance two short, parallel instructions, an already effective structure at 6.5. Both higher bands split this into two separate short sentences instead, a punchier, more deliberate rhythm for the same final contrast.这个结尾用分号来平衡两条简短的平行建议,这在6.5分已经是一个有效的结构。两个高分段都把它拆成两个独立的短句,为同样的最终对比营造出更有力、更刻意的节奏。
    7.0 分

    Splits the closing contrast into two short, separate sentences, a punchier rhythm than 6.5's semicolon-joined version.把结尾的对比拆成两个独立的短句,节奏比6.5分用分号连接的版本更有力。

    When getting it wrong could actually hurt someone, or when the cost of a failed attempt is high. The bathroom light began to flicker after my flood, and I called an electrician rather than another video, since electricity and water together aren't exactly a learning opportunity. Gas, electrics, anything structural, brakes on a vehicle — those belong to people with training and insurance. Experts also make sense for anything expensive to damage further; an amateur camera-lens repair can turn a cheap fault into a write-off. And when the item's under warranty, opening it yourself usually voids it. For a jammed pump, a video is fine. For anything that can catch fire, pay.

    查看中文翻译

    当做错了真的可能会伤到人的时候,或者当失败尝试的代价很高的时候。我那次水灾之后,浴室的灯开始闪烁,我叫了电工,而不是又去看一个视频,因为电和水放在一起,可真不算是什么学习的好机会。燃气、电路、任何结构性的东西、车辆的刹车——这些都应该交给受过培训、有保险的人来处理。对于那些一旦进一步损坏就代价高昂的东西,请专家也是明智的;业余爱好者修相机镜头,可能会把一个便宜的小故障,变成一台报废的相机。而且如果东西还在保修期内,自己拆开通常会使保修失效。堵住的水泵,看视频修修就行。而任何可能引发火灾的东西,还是花钱请人吧。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“When getting it wrong could actually hurt someone, or when the cost of a failed attempt is high.” — The intensifier 'actually' gives the first clause more emphasis than 6.5's plain version. 7.5 replaces 'actually' with 'genuinely' and 'high' with 'steep', small but deliberate upgrades to the same two-part opening.强调词'actually'让第一个从句比6.5分平实的版本更具强调力度。7.5分把'actually'换成了'genuinely',把'high'换成了'steep',对同样的两段式开头做出了小而刻意的升级。
    • LR“electricity and water together aren't exactly a learning opportunity” — 'Not exactly' is a precise, understated idiom for firm disagreement, reused almost identically at 7.5. It shows that at the top two bands a well-chosen ironic phrase can recur while the surrounding sentence structure grows more demanding.'Not exactly'是一个精确、含蓄的地道表达,用来表示坚定的不认同,在7.5分中几乎原样沿用。这说明在最高的两个分数段,一个精心选择的讽刺短语可以重复出现,而周围的句子结构会变得更加复杂。
    • GRA“For a jammed pump, a video is fine. For anything that can catch fire, pay.” — This splits the closing contrast into two short, parallel sentences instead of one semicolon-joined sentence, a punchier rhythm than 6.5's version. 7.5 keeps this identical two-sentence structure but adds 'someone' to the final sentence, a small but deliberate completion.这里把结尾的对比拆成两个短的平行句,而不是一个用分号连接的句子,这比6.5分的版本节奏更有力。7.5分保留了完全相同的两句式结构,但在最后一句加上了'someone',做了一个小而刻意的补全。
    7.5 分

    Adds the object 'someone' to the final instruction, making the closing advice more concrete and complete than the elliptical versions below.在最后的建议中加上宾语'someone',让结尾的建议比下面省略式的版本更具体、更完整。

    When getting it wrong could genuinely hurt someone, or when the cost of a failed attempt is steep. After my flood, the bathroom light began to flicker, and this time I called an electrician rather than trusting another video, since electricity and water together are not exactly a learning opportunity. Gas, electrics, anything structural, brakes on a vehicle — those belong to people with proper training and insurance. Experts also make sense for anything expensive to damage further; an amateur repair on a camera lens can turn a cheap fault into a write-off in seconds. And when the item's under warranty, opening it yourself usually voids it anyway, whether you fix it or not. For a jammed pump, a video is fine. For anything that can catch fire, pay someone.

    查看中文翻译

    当做错了真的可能会伤到人的时候,或者当失败尝试的代价高昂的时候。那次水灾之后,浴室的灯开始闪烁,这一次我叫了电工,而不是再去信一个视频,因为电和水放在一起,可真不算是什么学习的好机会。燃气、电路、任何结构性的东西、车辆的刹车——这些都应该交给受过正规培训、有保险的人来处理。对于那些一旦进一步损坏就代价高昂的东西,请专家也是明智的;业余爱好者修相机镜头,几秒钟内就能把一个便宜的小故障,变成一台报废的相机。而且如果东西还在保修期内,不管你修没修好,自己拆开通常都会使保修失效。堵住的水泵,看视频修修就行。而任何可能引发火灾的东西,还是花钱请人来处理吧。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“For anything that can catch fire, pay someone.” — Adding the object 'someone' to this final instruction makes the advice concrete and complete, a small but deliberate refinement beyond the elliptical 'pay' used at 6.5 and 7.0. It gives the closing instruction more finality and clarity.在最后的建议中加上宾语'someone',让建议变得具体、完整,这是一个超越6.5分和7.0分省略式'pay'的小而刻意的打磨。它让结尾的建议更有定论感、更清晰。
    • LR“can turn a cheap fault into a write-off in seconds” — The added phrase 'in seconds' intensifies the speed and severity of the risk, a more vivid completion than the plainer version at 6.5 and 7.0. It shows the kind of precise, emphatic vocabulary expected at 7.5.加入的短语'in seconds'强化了风险的速度和严重性,比6.5分和7.0分更平实的版本更加生动完整。它展现出7.5分所要求的那种精确、有力的词汇。
    • GRA“And when the item's under warranty, opening it yourself usually voids it anyway, whether you fix it or not.” — This sentence adds a concessive trailing clause onto an already complete sentence, extending the reasoning further than either lower band. That capacity to keep building a sentence with additional, precisely judged qualification is a hallmark of 7.5 grammar.这个句子在一个已经完整的句子后面加上一个让步性的尾随从句,把论证延伸得比两个较低分段都更远。这种能够不断用精确判断出的限定语来构建句子的能力,是7.5分语法的一个标志。

  5. 5. What impact would it have on society if people lost all practical skills?

    2026年5–8月
    查看这道题的6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5三档对比
    6.5 分

    Uses the plain adverb 'just' in the central claim, where the higher bands both reach for the more formal 'simply'.在核心论断中使用了平实的副词'just',而两个高分段都用了更正式的'simply'。

    We'd be helpless in exactly the moments that matter most. During a power cut at Tết, my father got the neighbour's generator running with a screwdriver, and none of the younger relatives would have known where to begin. A society without practical skills is fine until something breaks, and then it just waits. Everything would depend on a shrinking group of professionals, who could charge whatever they liked. Waste would rise, since anything faulty would be thrown away. And something in people's confidence would go, because fixing things is part of feeling capable in the world.

    查看中文翻译

    我们恰恰会在最关键的时刻变得束手无策。春节停电的时候,我父亲只用一把螺丝刀就让邻居的发电机重新运转起来,而家里年轻一辈没有一个人知道该从哪里下手。一个没有实用技能的社会,只要没东西坏,一切都好;可一旦有东西坏了,它就只能干等着。一切都要依赖于一个日渐萎缩的专业人士群体,而他们想怎么收费就能怎么收费。浪费会增加,因为任何出故障的东西都会被直接扔掉。人们的自信心中也会失去某种东西,因为能修东西本身就是让人觉得自己在这个世界上有能力立足的一部分。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“We'd be helpless in exactly the moments that matter most.” — This opening states the core claim in one plain sentence, suiting 6.5's style. 7.0 adds 'Honestly' before a slightly less emphatic version, while 7.5 keeps 'most' but adds 'if I'm honest' at the end, both giving the same claim a more personal framing.这个开头用一个平实的句子陈述了核心论断,符合6.5分的风格。7.0分在一个稍不那么强调的版本前加上了'Honestly',7.5分保留了'most',但在末尾加上'if I'm honest',两者都为同样的论断赋予了更个人化的框架。
    • LR“A society without practical skills is fine until something breaks, and then it just waits.” — This sentence states the consequence plainly with the everyday adverb 'just'. Both higher bands replace 'just' with 'simply', a marginally more formal and precise intensifier for the same idea.这个句子用日常副词'just'平实地陈述了后果。两个高分段都把'just'换成了'simply',这是表达同一想法时略微更正式、更精确的强调词。
    • GRA“Everything would depend on a shrinking group of professionals, who could charge whatever they liked.” — This sentence uses a relative clause to add a consequence, correct and reasonably developed. Both higher bands extend 'whatever they liked' to 'more or less whatever they liked', a more nuanced, hedged version of the same claim, and 7.5 further adds 'come to' before 'depend', showing a gradual process rather than a fixed state.这个句子用一个定语从句来补充一个后果,正确且发展得相当到位。两个高分段都把'whatever they liked'延伸为'more or less whatever they liked',这是同一论断更细致、更带缓和语气的版本,7.5分还在'depend'前加上了'come to',展现出一种渐进的过程,而非一种固定的状态。
    7.0 分

    Adds 'Honestly' up front and hedges the professionals' power with 'more or less', giving the claim a more nuanced edge.在开头加上'Honestly',并用'more or less'为专业人士的权力加上缓和语气,让论断多了一层细致的意味。

    Honestly, we'd be helpless in exactly the moments that matter. During a power cut at Tết, my father got the neighbour's generator running with a screwdriver, and not one of the younger relatives would have known where to begin — a society without practical skills is fine until something breaks, and then it simply waits. Everything would depend on a shrinking class of professionals, who could charge more or less whatever they liked. Waste would rise, since anything faulty would be thrown away. Ordinary costs of living would climb, too. And something in people's confidence would go — fixing things is part of feeling capable in the world.

    查看中文翻译

    说实话,我们恰恰会在最关键的时刻变得束手无策。春节停电的时候,我父亲只用一把螺丝刀就让邻居的发电机重新运转起来,而家里年轻一辈没有一个人知道该从哪里下手——一个没有实用技能的社会,只要没东西坏,一切都好;可一旦有东西坏了,它就只能干等着。一切都要依赖于一个日渐萎缩的专业人士阶层,他们想怎么收费,基本上就能怎么收费。浪费会增加,因为任何出故障的东西都会被直接扔掉。日常生活成本也会随之攀升。人们的自信心中也会失去某种东西——能修东西本身就是让人觉得自己在这个世界上有能力立足的一部分。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“Honestly, we'd be helpless in exactly the moments that matter.” — The hedge 'Honestly' gives this opening a more personal, spoken quality than 6.5's flatter version. 7.5 achieves a similarly personal effect by moving a nearly identical hedge to the end of the sentence, a subtly more natural placement.缓和语'Honestly'让这个开头比6.5分更平淡的版本多了一份个人化、口语化的特质。7.5分把一个几乎相同的缓和语移到了句末,达到了类似的个人化效果,这是一种微妙地更自然的位置安排。
    • LR“Ordinary costs of living would climb, too.” — This is a clear, functional addition to the list of consequences. 7.5 keeps a very similar sentence but reorders it to 'would rise with it', tying the consequence more explicitly to the previous point about waste.这是对后果列表清晰、功能性的补充。7.5分保留了一个非常相似的句子,但把顺序改为'would rise with it',把这个后果更明确地和前面关于'浪费'的观点联系起来。
    • GRA“Everything would depend on a shrinking class of professionals, who could charge more or less whatever they liked.” — This sentence hedges the claim with 'more or less', a more nuanced structure than 6.5's flatter 'whatever they liked'. 7.5 keeps this identical hedge but changes 'would depend on' to 'would come to depend on', adding a sense of gradual process to the same claim.这个句子用'more or less'为论断加上缓和语气,比6.5分更直白的'whatever they liked'更细致。7.5分保留了完全相同的缓和语,但把'would depend on'改成了'would come to depend on',为同一个论断增添了一种渐进过程的意味。
    7.5 分

    Closes with the added adverbs 'quietly' and 'genuinely', giving the final observation about confidence a more reflective quality.结尾加上了副词'quietly'和'genuinely',让关于自信心的最终观察多了一层反思意味。

    We'd be helpless in exactly the moments that matter most, if I'm honest. During a power cut at Tết, my father got the neighbour's old generator running with a screwdriver and a rag, and not one of the younger relatives, myself included, would have known where to begin — a society without practical skills is fine until something breaks, and then it simply waits. Everything would come to depend on a shrinking class of professionals, who could charge more or less whatever they liked. Waste would climb too, since anything remotely faulty would simply be thrown away rather than fixed. Ordinary costs of living would rise with it. And something in people's confidence would quietly go, since the ability to fix a thing is part of feeling genuinely capable in the world.

    查看中文翻译

    说实话,我们恰恰会在最关键的时刻变得束手无策。春节停电的时候,我父亲只用一把螺丝刀和一块抹布,就让邻居那台旧发电机重新运转起来,而家里年轻一辈——包括我自己在内——没有一个人知道该从哪里下手——一个没有实用技能的社会,只要没东西坏,一切都好;可一旦有东西坏了,它就只能干等着。一切都会渐渐依赖于一个日渐萎缩的专业人士阶层,他们想怎么收费,基本上就能怎么收费。浪费也会随之攀升,因为任何稍有故障的东西都会直接被扔掉,而不是被修好。日常生活成本也会随之上涨。人们的自信心中也会悄悄失去某种东西,因为能修好一件东西,本身就是让人觉得自己在这个世界上真正有能力立足的一部分。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“And something in people's confidence would quietly go, since the ability to fix a thing is part of feeling genuinely capable in the world.” — The added adverbs 'quietly' and 'genuinely' give this closing claim a more reflective, considered quality than the plainer versions at 6.5 and 7.0. It reads as a more carefully weighed final observation about an intangible loss.加入的副词'quietly'和'genuinely',让这个结尾论断比6.5分和7.0分更平实的版本多了一份反思、深思熟虑的质感。读起来更像是对一种无形损失经过仔细权衡后的最终观察。
    • LR“anything remotely faulty would simply be thrown away rather than fixed” — The added phrase 'remotely faulty' and the trailing 'rather than fixed' make this claim more precise and complete than the plainer versions at the lower bands. It shows the kind of exact, fully-specified vocabulary expected at 7.5.加入的短语'remotely faulty'和结尾的'rather than fixed',让这个论断比较低分段更平实的版本更精确、更完整。它展现出7.5分所要求的那种精确、完全具体化的词汇。
    • GRA“Everything would come to depend on a shrinking class of professionals, who could charge more or less whatever they liked.” — This sentence changes 'would depend on' to 'would come to depend on', adding a sense of gradual process to an otherwise identical structure shared with 7.0. That fine-tuned variation within a shared frame is characteristic of the top band's grammatical control.这个句子把'would depend on'改成了'would come to depend on',为一个与7.0分共享的、原本相同的结构,增添了一种渐进过程的意味。这种在共享结构内进行的精细调整,是最高分段语法驾驭能力的特征。

  6. 6. Do you think robots have better practical skills than humans?

    2026年5–8月
    查看这道题的6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5三档对比
    6.5 分

    Opens with a compact semicolon pair that both higher bands keep, adding only small intensifiers around it.开头用一对紧凑的分号句,两个高分段都保留了这一结构,只是在周围加了一些小的强调词。

    At narrow tasks, yes; at practical skill in the human sense, not yet. My parents' robot vacuum cleans a floor more evenly than any person, and loses daily to a sock — it can do one thing perfectly and can't cope with a world that hasn't been arranged for it. Factory robots weld and assemble with unmatched precision. Practical skill is mostly the unexpected — a rusted screw, a misplaced pipe. Humans improvise; robots, so far, follow. Give it a plumber's job and it'll handle routine parts, calling a human for the rest.

    查看中文翻译

    在狭窄、具体的任务上,是的;但在人类意义上的实用技能上,还没有。我父母家的扫地机器人清洁地板比任何人都更均匀,却每天都会败给一只袜子——它能把一件事做得完美无缺,却应付不了一个没有专门为它安排好的世界。工厂里的机器人以无与伦比的精度进行焊接和组装。而实用技能,大部分时候面对的都是意外情况——一颗生锈的螺丝,一根位置不对的水管。人类会随机应变;而机器人,到目前为止,只会照章办事。把水管工的活儿交给它,它能处理常规部分,剩下的就得叫人来。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“At narrow tasks, yes; at practical skill in the human sense, not yet.” — This opening uses a semicolon to give a compact, two-part answer right away, a strong structure already at 6.5. Both higher bands keep this exact structure but add 'definitely' and 'fuller', giving the same balanced opening slightly more precision and confidence.这个开头用一个分号立刻给出一个紧凑的两段式答案,这在6.5分已经是一个很强的结构。两个高分段都保留了完全相同的结构,但加上了'definitely'和'fuller',让同样均衡的开头多了一点精确度和自信。
    • LR“it can do one thing perfectly and can't cope with a world that hasn't been arranged for it” — This is a clear, functional contrast. 7.5 upgrades 'perfectly' to 'flawlessly' and adds 'in advance' at the end, a more precise and complete version of the identical idea.这是一个清晰、功能性的对比。7.5分把'perfectly'升级为'flawlessly',并在末尾加上'in advance',是同一想法更精确、更完整的版本。
    • GRA“Humans improvise; robots, so far, follow.” — This closing uses a semicolon to balance two short, parallel clauses, an already effective structure at 6.5. Both higher bands keep this exact structure but add 'mostly'/'dutifully' before the final verb, a small but deliberate adverbial refinement within the same frame.这个结尾用分号来平衡两个简短的平行从句,这在6.5分已经是一个有效的结构。两个高分段都保留了完全相同的结构,但在最后的动词前加上了'mostly'/'dutifully',在同一个框架内做出了小而刻意的副词打磨。
    7.0 分

    Adds 'definitely' and 'fuller' to the compact opening pair, giving it more precision and confidence than 6.5's plainer version.在紧凑的开头一对句子中加上'definitely'和'fuller',比6.5分更平实的版本多了一点精确度和自信。

    At narrow tasks, definitely yes; at practical skill in the fuller human sense, not yet. Our robot vacuum cleans floors more evenly than any person and is defeated daily by a sock — it can do one thing perfectly and cannot cope with an unstructured world. Factory robots weld and assemble with unmatched precision. Practical skill is mostly about the unexpected: the screw that's rusted, the pipe that isn't where the drawing says, the customer who describes the fault wrongly. Humans improvise; robots mostly follow. Give a plumber's job to a robot and it'll excel at the routine parts and call a human for the rest, which is roughly where things stand.

    查看中文翻译

    在狭窄、具体的任务上,绝对是的;但在更完整意义上的人类实用技能上,还没有。我们家的扫地机器人清洁地板比任何人都更均匀,却每天都会败给一只袜子——它能把一件事做得完美无缺,却应付不了一个没有结构化的世界。工厂里的机器人以无与伦比的精度进行焊接和组装。实用技能,大部分时候都是关于意外情况:一颗生锈的螺丝,一根不在图纸标注位置的水管,一位把故障描述错误的顾客。人类会随机应变;机器人大多只会照章办事。把水管工的活儿交给一个机器人,它会在常规部分表现出色,剩下的就得叫人来,这大致就是目前的现状。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“At narrow tasks, definitely yes; at practical skill in the fuller human sense, not yet.” — Adding 'definitely' and 'fuller' to the already compact semicolon opening gives it more precision and confidence than 6.5's plainer version. 7.5 keeps this exact phrasing, showing that a refined opening can recur unchanged across the top two bands.在本已紧凑的分号开头中加上'definitely'和'fuller',比6.5分更平实的版本多了一点精确度和自信。7.5分保留了完全相同的措辞,说明一个经过打磨的开头可以在最高的两个分数段中原样不变地重复出现。
    • LR“the screw that's rusted, the pipe that isn't where the drawing says, the customer who describes the fault wrongly” — This three-part list of unexpected problems is vivid and specific. 7.5 keeps the same three examples but intensifies each one slightly, showing a wider range of precise modification for identical content.这个由三部分组成的意外问题列表,生动而具体。7.5分保留了同样的三个例子,但对每一个都略作强化,展现出对相同内容更广泛的精确修饰能力。
    • GRA“Give a plumber's job to a robot and it'll excel at the routine parts and call a human for the rest, which is roughly where things stand.” — This sentence uses a relative clause to add a reflective final comment, a fairly advanced structure. 7.5 keeps this identical structure but inserts 'quietly' before 'call', a small but deliberate adverbial addition within the same frame.这个句子用一个定语从句加上一句反思性的结尾评论,是一个相当高级的结构。7.5分保留了完全相同的结构,但在'call'前插入了'quietly',在同一个框架内做出了小而刻意的副词添加。
    7.5 分

    Adds the adverb 'quietly' before 'call a human', giving the closing image a subtle, almost humble quality.在'call a human'前加上副词'quietly',让结尾的画面多了一种微妙、近乎谦逊的质感。

    At narrow tasks, definitely yes; at practical skill in the fuller human sense, not yet. My parents' robot vacuum cleans a floor more evenly than any person alive and is defeated, daily, by a sock — it can do one thing flawlessly and simply cannot cope with a world that hasn't been arranged for it in advance. Factory robots weld and assemble with a precision no human hand can match. But practical skill is mostly about the unexpected: the screw that's rusted solid, the pipe that isn't where the drawing insists it is, the customer who describes the fault entirely wrongly. Humans improvise; robots, so far, dutifully follow. Give a plumber's job to a robot and it will excel at the routine parts and quietly call a human for the rest, which is roughly where things stand.

    查看中文翻译

    在狭窄、具体的任务上,绝对是的;但在更完整意义上的人类实用技能上,还没有。我父母家的扫地机器人清洁地板比世上任何一个人都更均匀,却每天都会败给一只袜子——它能把一件事做得完美无瑕,却完全应付不了一个没有提前为它安排好的世界。工厂里的机器人以任何人类的手都无法匹敌的精度进行焊接和组装。但实用技能大部分时候都是关于意外情况:一颗锈死的螺丝,一根图纸上信誓旦旦标注、实际位置却不对的水管,一位把故障完全描述错误的顾客。人类会随机应变;机器人,到目前为止,只会规规矩矩地照章办事。把水管工的活儿交给一个机器人,它会在常规部分表现出色,并默默地把剩下的叫人来处理,这大致就是目前的现状。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“Give a plumber's job to a robot and it will excel at the routine parts and quietly call a human for the rest, which is roughly where things stand.” — The added adverb 'quietly' before 'call a human' gives this closing image a subtle, almost humble quality — the robot handing off what it cannot do — that neither lower band captures as precisely. It reads as a more carefully observed final image.在'call a human'前加上的副词'quietly',让这个结尾画面多了一种微妙、近乎谦逊的质感——机器人把自己做不到的事情交出去——这是两个较低分段都没有如此精确捕捉到的。读起来更像是一幅经过仔细观察的结尾画面。
    • LR“cannot cope with a world that hasn't been arranged for it in advance” — The added phrase 'in advance' completes and sharpens the idea of a world not pre-arranged for the robot, more precise than the plainer versions at 6.5 and 7.0. It shows the kind of exact, fully-specified vocabulary expected at 7.5.加入的短语'in advance',完善并锐化了'世界没有为机器人预先安排好'这个想法,比6.5分和7.0分更平实的版本更精确。它展现出7.5分所要求的那种精确、完全具体化的词汇。
    • GRA“But practical skill is mostly about the unexpected: the screw that's rusted solid, the pipe that isn't where the drawing insists it is, the customer who describes the fault entirely wrongly.” — This sentence keeps the colon-introduced three-part list from 7.0 but intensifies each item with an added modifier, packing more precision into an already complex shared structure. This kind of consistent, fine-grained intensification across a shared frame is characteristic of the top band's control.这个句子保留了7.0分中用冒号引出的三部分列表,但为每一项都加上了修饰语加以强化,在一个已经很复杂的共享结构中装入更多精确度。这种在共享结构上持续、细致的强化,是最高分段驾驭能力的特征。

  7. 7. What kinds of things can people easily repair by themselves?

    2026年5–8月
    查看这道题的6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5三档对比
    6.5 分

    Ends the closing contrast without the extra relative clause about repair videos that both higher bands add.结尾的对比句没有像两个高分段那样加上关于修理视频的额外定语从句。

    More than most people try, honestly. Since fixing my washing machine, I've kept a list: a bicycle puncture, a loose door handle, a blocked sink, a torn seam, a dripping tap washer, and any appliance whose fault is 'something is stuck in it'. Common features: the part is reachable, the tools are ordinary, and a mistake won't be dangerous or expensive. Furniture, clothes, bikes, and simple mechanical things qualify. Electronics generally don't, and anything with gas or mains wiring never does. The real barrier is rarely skill; it's the belief that you need someone else.

    查看中文翻译

    说实话,比大多数人尝试过的要多得多。自从修好我的洗衣机之后,我就一直列着一份清单:自行车爆胎、门把手松了、水槽堵了、衣服接缝开线、水龙头垫圈漏水,还有任何一台故障是'有东西卡在里面'的电器。共同点是:零件容易够到、工具很普通、而且出错也不会危险或代价高昂。家具、衣物、自行车,以及简单的机械物件,都符合这个条件。电子产品一般不行,而任何涉及燃气或市电线路的东西,永远都不行。真正的障碍很少是技能问题;而是'你需要找别人来做'这种信念。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“More than most people try, honestly.” — This short opening states the claim plainly with the hedge placed at the end, fitting 6.5's direct style. Both higher bands add 'ever' before 'try', a small intensifier that sharpens the same claim without changing its basic shape.这个简短的开头把缓和语放在末尾,平实地陈述了论断,符合6.5分直接的风格。两个高分段都在'try'前加上'ever',这是一个让同样的论断更犀利、但不改变其基本形态的小强调词。
    • LR“a torn seam” — This is a plain, functional list item. Both higher bands add a further item to the list, 'a phone screen protector', showing a slightly wider range of concrete examples for the same category of easy repairs.这是一个平实、功能性的列表条目。两个高分段都在列表中加了一项,'a phone screen protector',为同一类'易修复物品'展现出略微更广的具体例子范围。
    • GRA“The real barrier is rarely skill; it's the belief that you need someone else.” — This closing uses a semicolon to contrast two ideas in a compact final line, an already effective structure at 6.5. Both higher bands drop 'real' and extend the sentence with a relative clause about repair videos, adding a further layer to the same closing contrast.这个结尾用分号在一个紧凑的收尾句里对比两个想法,这在6.5分已经是一个有效的结构。两个高分段都去掉了'real',并用一个关于修理视频的定语从句延伸了句子,为同样的结尾对比增添了一层含义。
    7.0 分

    Adds 'ever' to the opening claim and extends the closing with a relative clause about repair videos, beyond 6.5's shorter ending.在开头的论断中加上'ever',并用一个关于修理视频的定语从句延伸了结尾,超越了6.5分更短的结尾。

    More than most people ever try, honestly. Since the washing-machine night, I've kept a list, and it's grown steadily: a bicycle puncture, a loose door handle, a blocked sink, a torn seam, a dripping tap washer, a phone screen protector, and any appliance whose fault is 'something is stuck in it'. The common features: the part is reachable, the tools are ordinary, and a mistake won't be dangerous or expensive. Furniture, clothes, bikes and simple mechanical things qualify. Electronics generally don't, and anything involving gas or mains wiring never does. The barrier is rarely skill; it's the belief that you need someone else, which one good repair video usually cures.

    查看中文翻译

    说实话,比大多数人曾经尝试过的要多得多。自从那个修洗衣机的夜晚之后,我就一直列着一份清单,而且它还在不断增长:自行车爆胎、门把手松了、水槽堵了、衣服接缝开线、水龙头垫圈漏水、手机贴膜,还有任何一台故障是'有东西卡在里面'的电器。共同点是:零件容易够到、工具很普通、而且出错也不会危险或代价高昂。家具、衣物、自行车,以及简单的机械物件,都符合这个条件。电子产品一般不行,而任何涉及燃气或市电线路的东西,永远都不行。真正的障碍很少是技能问题;而是'你需要找别人来做'这种信念,而这种信念,通常一个好的维修视频就能治好。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“More than most people ever try, honestly.” — This is nearly identical to 6.5's opening, showing that a strong opening structure can recur across bands. 7.5 keeps the same structure but moves the hedge to the end as 'if I'm honest', a subtly more natural variant of the same phrase.这和6.5分的开头几乎一模一样,说明一个强有力的开头结构可以在不同分数段中重复出现。7.5分保留了同样的结构,但把缓和语移到了末尾,变成'if I'm honest',是同一短语微妙地更自然的变体。
    • LR“it's grown steadily” — 'Steadily' is a precise adverb describing gradual accumulation, reused identically at 7.5. It shows that at the top two bands a well-chosen adverb can recur while the surrounding list and closing sentence grow more developed.'Steadily'是一个精确的副词,描述的是渐进积累的过程,在7.5分中被原样沿用。这说明在最高的两个分数段,一个精心选择的副词可以重复出现,而周围的列表和结尾句会变得更加充实。
    • GRA“The barrier is rarely skill; it's the belief that you need someone else, which one good repair video usually cures.” — This sentence extends the semicolon contrast with a further relative clause, a fairly advanced structure. 7.5 keeps this identical structure but changes 'good' to 'decent' and adds 'for good' at the very end, a small but deliberate pair of refinements.这个句子用一个额外的定语从句延伸了分号对比,是一个相当高级的结构。7.5分保留了完全相同的结构,但把'good'改成了'decent',并在末尾加上了'for good',做了一对小而刻意的打磨。
    7.5 分

    Adds 'for good' to the closing line, giving the final judgement a note of finality beyond the identical structure below.在结尾句中加上'for good',让最终的判断比下面完全相同的结构多了一层终结感。

    More than most people ever try, if I'm honest. Since the washing-machine night I keep a rough list, and it's grown steadily: a bicycle puncture, a loose door handle, a blocked sink, a torn seam, a dripping tap washer, a phone screen protector, and any appliance whose fault is essentially 'something is stuck in it'. The common threads are that the part is reachable, the tools are ordinary, and a mistake won't be dangerous or expensive. Furniture, clothes, bikes and simple mechanical things all fall into that category. Electronics generally don't, and anything involving gas or mains wiring never does. The barrier is rarely skill; it's the belief that you need someone else, which one decent repair video usually cures for good.

    查看中文翻译

    说实话,比大多数人曾经尝试过的要多得多。自从那个修洗衣机的夜晚之后,我就一直保留着一份粗略的清单,而且它还在不断增长:自行车爆胎、门把手松了、水槽堵了、衣服接缝开线、水龙头垫圈漏水、手机贴膜,还有任何一台故障本质上就是'有东西卡在里面'的电器。共同的线索是:零件容易够到、工具很普通、而且出错也不会危险或代价高昂。家具、衣物、自行车,以及简单的机械物件,都属于这一类。电子产品一般不行,而任何涉及燃气或市电线路的东西,永远都不行。真正的障碍很少是技能问题;而是'你需要找别人来做'这种信念,而一个靠谱的维修视频,通常就能把这种信念彻底治好。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“The barrier is rarely skill; it's the belief that you need someone else, which one decent repair video usually cures for good.” — The added phrase 'for good' at the very end gives this closing claim a note of finality and confidence beyond the identical structure used at 6.5 and 7.0. It reads as a more assured, rounded-off final judgement.加在最末尾的'for good',让这个结尾论断比6.5分和7.0分相同的结构多了一层终结感和自信。读起来更像是一个更笃定、更圆满的最终判断。
    • LR“The common threads are that the part is reachable” — 'Threads' is a more precise, slightly figurative word for shared features than the plain 'features' used at 6.5 and 7.0 for the same idea. It shows the kind of exact, natural vocabulary expected at 7.5.'Threads'是一个比6.5分和7.0分用来表达同一想法的平实词'features'更精确、略带比喻性的词,用来形容共同特征。它展现出7.5分所要求的那种精确、自然的词汇。
    • GRA“any appliance whose fault is essentially 'something is stuck in it'” — The inserted adverb 'essentially' softens and qualifies the quoted phrase that follows, a small but deliberate piece of hedging within an otherwise identical structure shared with the lower bands. That precise, controlled insertion is characteristic of 7.5 grammar.插入的副词'essentially'软化并限定了后面的引用短语,这是在一个与较低分段共享的、原本相同的结构中,小而刻意的缓和处理。这种精确、受控的插入,是7.5分语法的特征。

  8. 8. Are luxury brands always better quality than cheaper brands?

    2026年5–8月
    查看这道题的6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5三档对比
    6.5 分

    Describes the same-factory point plainly, without the vivid industrial imagery the higher bands use for the identical claim.平实地描述了'共用工厂'这一点,没有使用高分段用来表达同一论断的那种生动的工业意象。

    Not always, and I've tested it by accident. A pair of expensive designer headphones I bought cracked at the hinge within a year; the plain pair from a local electronics shop that replaced them are still working five years later. Luxury prices buy materials, finishing, design and a name — often most of the price. The quality is better, especially leather goods or watches, where craft matters most. But luxury products often share factories with mid-range ones, just relabelled. Price is a weak signal; the honest test is how something looks after three years of use.

    查看中文翻译

    并非总是如此,而我是无意中验证了这一点。我买的一副昂贵的设计师品牌耳机,不到一年铰链就裂了;而后来从本地一家电器店买来替代它的普通款,五年后依然能用。奢侈品的价格买的是材料、做工、设计,以及一个名字——名字往往占了价格的大部分。品质确实更好一些,尤其是皮具或手表,在这些领域,工艺才是最重要的。但奢侈品产品往往和中端产品共用同一家工厂,只是换了个标签而已。价格是一个不太可靠的信号;真正诚实的检验标准是,一件东西用了三年之后是什么样子。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“Not always, and I've tested it by accident.” — This opening states the position and its accidental evidence in one plain sentence, suiting 6.5's style. Both higher bands add 'actually'/'entirely' before 'by accident', a small intensifier that gives the same claim slightly more emphasis.这个开头用一个平实的句子陈述了立场及其偶然获得的证据,符合6.5分的风格。两个高分段都在'by accident'前加上了'actually'/'entirely',这是一个让同样论断多一点强调力度的小强调词。
    • LR“still working five years later” — This is plain, functional vocabulary for durability. Both higher bands upgrade this to 'still going strong five years later/on', a more vivid, idiomatic phrase for the same idea of ongoing reliability.这是描述耐用性时平实、功能性的词汇。两个高分段都把它升级为'still going strong five years later/on',这是表达同一'持续可靠'概念时更生动、更地道的短语。
    • GRA“Price is a weak signal; the honest test is how something looks after three years of use.” — This closing uses a semicolon to balance two short, related claims, an already effective structure at 6.5. Both higher bands keep this exact structure but add 'actual' before 'use', a small but deliberate intensifier within the same frame.这个结尾用分号来平衡两个简短、相关的论断,这在6.5分已经是一个有效的结构。两个高分段都保留了完全相同的结构,但在'use'前加上了'actual',在同一框架内做出了小而刻意的强调。
    7.0 分

    Adds 'actually' to the opening claim, a small intensifier beyond 6.5's plainer version.在开头的论断中加上'actually',这是超越6.5分更平实版本的一个小强调词。

    Not always, and I've actually tested it by accident. A pair of expensive designer headphones I bought cracked at the hinge within a year; the plain pair that replaced them are still strong five years later. Luxury prices buy materials, finishing, design and, above all, the name — often most of the price. Often the quality genuinely is better, especially in things like leather goods or watches, where craft really is the whole point. But plenty of luxury products are made in the very same factories as the mid-range ones, just with a different label. Price is a weak signal; the real test is how it looks after three years of use.

    查看中文翻译

    并非总是如此,而我确实是无意中验证了这一点。我买的一副昂贵的设计师品牌耳机,不到一年铰链就裂了;而后来替代它的普通款,五年后依然坚固耐用。奢侈品的价格买的是材料、做工、设计,以及最重要的——名字——名字往往占了价格的大部分。品质确实经常更好,尤其是皮具或手表这类东西,在这些领域,工艺才真正是重点所在。但很多奢侈品产品都是在和中端产品完全相同的工厂里生产的,只是标签不同而已。价格是一个不太可靠的信号;真正的检验标准是,一件东西用了三年之后是什么样子。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“Not always, and I've actually tested it by accident.” — The intensifier 'actually' gives this opening slightly more emphasis than 6.5's plainer version. 7.5 replaces 'actually' with 'entirely', a marginally stronger and more precise adverb for the same claim.强调词'actually'让这个开头比6.5分更平实的版本多了一点强调力度。7.5分把'actually'换成了'entirely',对同样的论断使用了一个略微更强、更精确的副词。
    • LR“But plenty of luxury products are made in the very same factories as the mid-range ones, just with a different label.” — This is a clear, functional observation. 7.5 rephrases the equivalent idea with the more vivid, industrial metaphor 'roll off the very same production lines as their mid-range cousins, just with a different label stitched on', a noticeably more figurative version of the same claim.这是一个清晰、功能性的观察。7.5分用更生动的工业隐喻'roll off the very same production lines as their mid-range cousins, just with a different label stitched on'重新表述了同样的想法,这是同一论断明显更具比喻性的版本。
    • GRA“Often the quality genuinely is better, especially in things like leather goods or watches, where craft really is the whole point.” — This sentence uses two intensifiers within one structure, correct and fluent. 7.5 keeps this identical sentence unchanged, showing that a well-built sentence can recur across the top two bands while other sentences carry the further development.这个句子在一个结构中使用了两个强调词,正确而流畅。7.5分保留了这个完全相同、未做改动的句子,说明一个构建良好的句子可以在最高的两个分数段中重复出现,而其他句子则承担进一步发展的任务。
    7.5 分

    Replaces the plainer observation about factories with a vivid industrial metaphor, and corrects the verb agreement to the singular 'is'.用一个生动的工业隐喻取代了关于工厂那个更平实的观察,并把动词一致性纠正为单数的'is'。

    Not always, and I've tested it entirely by accident. A pair of expensive designer headphones I bought myself as a treat cracked at the hinge within a year; the plain pair from a local electronics shop that replaced them is still going strong five years on. Luxury prices buy materials, finishing, design and, above all, the name — and the name can be most of the price. Often the quality genuinely is better, especially in things like leather goods or watches, where craft really is the whole point. But plenty of luxury products roll off the very same production lines as their mid-range cousins, just with a different label stitched on. Price is a weak signal; the honest test is how a thing looks after three years of actual use.

    查看中文翻译

    并非总是如此,而我完全是无意中验证了这一点。我送给自己的一副昂贵的设计师品牌耳机,不到一年铰链就裂了;而后来从本地一家电器店买来替代它的普通款,五年后依然坚挺耐用。奢侈品的价格买的是材料、做工、设计,以及最重要的——名字——而这个名字,可能就是价格的大头。品质确实经常更好,尤其是皮具或手表这类东西,在这些领域,工艺才真正是重点所在。但很多奢侈品产品和它们的中端'表亲'是从完全相同的生产线上下线的,只是贴上了不同的标签而已。价格是一个不太可靠的信号;真正诚实的检验标准是,一件东西经过三年的实际使用之后是什么样子。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“But plenty of luxury products roll off the very same production lines as their mid-range cousins, just with a different label stitched on.” — This closing uses two vivid, industrial metaphors, giving the observation far more concrete, visual detail than the plainer, more abstract version at 6.5 and 7.0. It reads as a more memorable, precisely observed final point.这个结尾用了两个生动的工业隐喻,让这个观察比6.5分和7.0分更平实、更抽象的版本多了很多具体、视觉化的细节。读起来更像是一个令人印象深刻、观察精确的最终论点。
    • LR“their mid-range cousins” — 'Cousins' is a vivid, figurative way of describing related products from the same manufacturer, well beyond the plain 'the mid-range ones' used at 6.5 and 7.0. It shows the kind of natural, image-based vocabulary that marks 7.5.'Cousins'是一种生动、比喻性的说法,用来形容来自同一制造商的相关产品,远超6.5分和7.0分平实的'the mid-range ones'。它展现出标志着7.5分水准的那种自然、以意象为基础的词汇。
    • GRA“the plain pair from a local electronics shop that replaced them is still going strong five years on” — This sentence corrects the number agreement to the singular 'is' rather than the plural 'are' used at 6.5 and 7.0, and replaces 'later' with the more idiomatic 'on'. This kind of precise grammatical control over agreement and register is characteristic of 7.5.这个句子把主谓一致纠正为单数的'is',而不是6.5分和7.0分所用的复数'are',并把'later'替换成了更地道的'on'。这种在主谓一致和语域上的精确语法驾驭,是7.5分的特征。

  9. 9. Do you agree or disagree that products were better quality in the past?

    2026年5–8月
    查看这道题的6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5三档对比
    6.5 分

    Ends on the plain claim about durability, without the reflective final reframing the higher band adds.以关于耐用性的平实论断结尾,没有加上高分段所添加的那种反思性的最终重新框定。

    I partly agree, though I know my own evidence is biased. My grandmother's sewing machine has run for fifty years, and my blender died at three, seemingly proof — but we only see survivors, and the many that broke decades ago were thrown away and forgotten. Some products were built to last, because they were expensive and repairable, and meant to last a lifetime. Today's things are cheaper, more capable and disposable by design. So quality has split: the average product is worse-made and better-featured, and durability is now a luxury rather than the default.

    查看中文翻译

    我部分同意,不过我知道自己举的例子是有偏差的。我祖母的缝纫机已经用了五十年,而我的搅拌机才三年就坏了,这看似是个证据——但我们只看得到'幸存者',那些几十年前就坏掉、被扔掉并被遗忘的东西,我们根本看不到。有些产品确实是为耐用而造的,因为它们价格昂贵、可以维修,并且本来就是打算用一辈子的。而今天的东西更便宜、功能更多,而且是被设计成用完即弃的。所以品质出现了分化:普通产品做工更差、功能更多,而耐用性如今成了一种奢侈品,而不是默认标准。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“I partly agree, though I know my own evidence is biased.” — This opening acknowledges the argument's weakness plainly and directly, suiting 6.5's style. Both higher bands replace 'know' with 'aware', a slightly more formal and precise verb for the same self-aware admission.这个开头平实、直接地承认了论证的弱点,符合6.5分的风格。两个高分段都把'know'换成了'aware',对同一个自我觉察式的承认使用了略微更正式、更精确的词。
    • LR“the many that broke decades ago were thrown away and forgotten” — This is a plain, functional description. Both higher bands add 'quietly' before 'forgotten', a small but evocative addition that gives the same idea a touch more atmosphere.这是一个平实、功能性的描述。两个高分段都在'forgotten'前加上了'quietly',这个小小的、富有画面感的添加,让同样的想法多了一丝氛围感。
    • GRA“So quality has split: the average product is worse-made and better-featured, and durability is now a luxury rather than the default.” — This closing sentence uses a colon to introduce the claim's two halves, correct and effective. Both higher bands extend 'split' to 'split in two', a slightly more emphatic and complete version of the same closing image.这个结尾句用冒号引出论断的两半,正确而有效。两个高分段都把'split'延伸为'split in two',这是同一结尾意象略微更强调、更完整的版本。
    7.0 分

    Replaces 'know' with the more formal 'aware' in the opening admission, a step toward the higher band's fuller intensifier.在开头的承认中把'know'替换为更正式的'aware',朝着高分段更完整的强调词迈出一步。

    I'd partly agree, though I'm aware my own evidence is biased. My grandmother's sewing machine has run for fifty years and my blender died at three, which looks like proof — except that we only ever see the old things that survived, while the many that broke decades ago were thrown away and quietly forgotten. Some products genuinely were built to last, because they were expensive and repairable, and people expected to own one for life. Today's things are cheaper, more capable, and often disposable by design. So quality has essentially split in two: the average product is worse-made and better-featured, and durability is now a luxury rather than a default.

    查看中文翻译

    我会部分同意,不过我知道自己举的例子是有偏差的。我祖母的缝纫机已经用了五十年,而我的搅拌机才三年就坏了,这看起来像是个证据——但事实上我们看到的永远只是那些幸存下来的老东西,而几十年前坏掉的那些,早已被扔掉、被悄悄遗忘。有些产品确实是为耐用而造的,因为它们价格昂贵、可以维修,人们也期待能用它一辈子。而今天的东西更便宜、功能更多,而且往往被设计成用完即弃。所以品质本质上已经分化成两半:普通产品做工更差、功能更多,而耐用性如今成了一种奢侈品,而不是默认标准。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“I'd partly agree, though I'm aware my own evidence is biased.” — This is nearly identical to 6.5's opening, showing that a clear, self-aware opening can recur across bands. 7.5 keeps the same structure but intensifies 'aware' to 'well aware', a small but deliberate upgrade to the same admission.这和6.5分的开头几乎一模一样,说明一个清晰、自我觉察式的开头可以在不同分数段中重复出现。7.5分保留了同样的结构,但把'aware'强化为'well aware',对同一个承认做出了小而刻意的升级。
    • LR“the average product is worse-made and better-featured” — This is a precise, compact contrast using compound adjectives. 7.5 keeps this exact phrase, showing that at the top two bands a well-built compact phrase can recur while the surrounding argument grows more developed.这是一个用复合形容词构成的精确、紧凑的对比。7.5分保留了完全相同的短语,说明在最高的两个分数段,一个构建良好的紧凑短语可以重复出现,而周围的论证会变得更加充实。
    • GRA“we only ever see the old things that survived, while the many that broke decades ago were thrown away and quietly forgotten” — This sentence uses 'while' to balance two groups of objects across time, a fluent and developed structure. 7.5 keeps this identical structure but adds 'happened to' before 'survive', a small but precise addition suggesting chance rather than inherent quality.这个句子用'while'在时间维度上平衡了两组物品,是一个流畅、充实的结构。7.5分保留了完全相同的结构,但在'survive'前加上了'happened to',这个小而精确的添加,暗示的是偶然性,而非内在的品质。
    7.5 分

    Adds a final reflective sentence reframing the whole answer's conclusion, which neither lower band reaches for.加上了一句反思性的结尾句,重新框定了整个回答的结论,这是两个较低分段都没有做到的。

    I'd partly agree, though I'm well aware my own evidence is biased. My grandmother's sewing machine has run for fifty years and my blender died at three, which looks like proof — except that we only ever see the old things that happened to survive, while the many that broke decades ago were thrown away and quietly forgotten. Some products genuinely were built to last, because they were expensive and repairable, and meant to last a lifetime. Today's things are cheaper, more capable and disposable by design, almost as a feature rather than a flaw. So quality has essentially split in two: the average product is worse-made and better-featured, and durability is now a luxury rather than a default. What we've lost is not the ability to make things well, but the habit of paying for it.

    查看中文翻译

    我会部分同意,不过我很清楚自己举的例子是有偏差的。我祖母的缝纫机已经用了五十年,而我的搅拌机才三年就坏了,这看起来像是个证据——但事实上我们看到的永远只是那些恰好幸存下来的老东西,而几十年前坏掉的那些,早已被扔掉、被悄悄遗忘。有些产品确实是为耐用而造的,因为它们价格昂贵、可以维修,并且本来就是打算用一辈子的。而今天的东西更便宜、功能更多,而且被设计成用完即弃,这几乎更像是一种'特性',而不是一个'缺陷'。所以品质本质上已经分化成两半:普通产品做工更差、功能更多,而耐用性如今成了一种奢侈品,而不是默认标准。我们失去的,不是把东西做好的能力,而是愿意为此买单的习惯。

    为什么是这个分数

    • FC“What we've lost is not the ability to make things well, but the habit of paying for it.” — This final sentence reframes the whole answer's conclusion with a 'not... but' contrast that lands on a genuinely reflective, slightly unexpected point, giving the answer a strong sense of closure. Neither 6.5 nor 7.0 reaches this final reframing; both end on the more literal claim about durability being a luxury.这个结尾句用一个'not... but'的对比,重新框定了整个回答的结论,落脚在一个真正具有反思性、略带意外的观点上,给整个回答带来强烈的收尾感。6.5分和7.0分都没有达到这种最终的重新框定;两者都以关于'耐用性是一种奢侈品'这一更字面化的论断收尾。
    • LR“almost as a feature rather than a flaw” — This is a precise, ironic phrase suggesting disposability might be intentional rather than accidental, well beyond the plain 'by design' used at 6.5 and 7.0 alone. It shows the kind of evaluative, natural vocabulary that marks 7.5.这是一个精确、带有讽刺意味的短语,暗示'用完即弃'可能是刻意为之,而非偶然,远超6.5分和7.0分单独使用的平实'by design'。它展现出标志着7.5分水准的那种评价性、自然的词汇。
    • GRA“we only ever see the old things that happened to survive, while the many that broke decades ago were thrown away and quietly forgotten” — This sentence adds 'happened to' before 'survive', a small addition that shifts the meaning to emphasise chance over inherent quality, refining the identical structure shared with 7.0. That precise, deliberate refinement within a shared frame is characteristic of the top band's control.这个句子在'survive'前加上了'happened to',这个小小的添加改变了含义,强调的是偶然性而非内在品质,是对一个与7.0分共享的相同结构的打磨。这种在共享结构内进行的精确、刻意的打磨,是最高分段驾驭能力的特征。

常见问题

这道 Part 2 题应该讲多长？
讲 1 到 2 分钟。考官会在 2 分钟时打断你，因此目标约 220-300 词，覆盖题卡上的每一点，并以你的感受收尾。
这张题卡之后会问哪些 Part 3 问题？
在"A Time When Something in Your Home Broke and You Tried to Repair It"之后，考官提出过 9 个讨论题，见上方列表。问题会从你的个人经历转向同一主题的普遍观点。
这张题卡还在使用吗？
考生最近一次报告它出现在 2026年5–8月。题卡每四个月轮换一次，许多话题会在之后的季度以略有不同的措辞回归。