An Ambition You Haven't Achieved Yet

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 think society generally rewards ambitious people in a fair way?

   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 contrastive 'but' and 'while' to hold the two designers' stories together, and closes with a short 'so' clause stating the conclusion directly.用平实的转折词'but'和'while'把两位设计师的故事串在一起,并以一句简短的'so'从句直接得出结论。

   Not very fairly, I think. Two people I trained with were equally ambitious and talented, but one was born in Ho Chi Minh City with parents who knew people, while the other came from a village and spent five years catching up on things the first one already had. I think ambition is rewarded, but the reward depends a lot on where you started. Society also rewards ambition differently depending on the field, like founders getting more support than teachers. Luck and timing matter a lot too, so ambition alone isn't enough for success.

   查看中文翻译

   我认为不太公平。和我一起受训的两个人当时同样有抱负、同样有才华,但其中一个出生在胡志明市,父母认识不少人脉,而另一个来自乡下,花了五年时间才追上前者十八岁时就已经拥有的东西。我认为抱负确实会得到回报,但回报的多少在很大程度上取决于你的出身。社会对不同领域的抱负给予的回报也不一样,比如创业者得到的支持就比老师多得多。运气和时机同样非常重要,所以光靠抱负本身是不够的。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“I think ambition is rewarded, but the reward depends a lot on where you started.” — A single 'but' clause states the main judgement plainly. The 7.5 answer fuses a similar idea directly onto the end of the anecdote with a dash instead, avoiding a separate sentence for the conclusion.一个单独的'but'从句平铺直叙地陈述了核心判断。7.5分的答案用破折号把类似的想法直接接在故事的结尾上,而不是另起一句作为结论。
   • LR“the reward depends a lot on where you started” — This is workable but fairly plain phrasing. The 7.5 answer sharpens the same idea into 'the reward gets multiplied by where you started', replacing the vague 'depends on' with the more precise, almost mathematical verb 'multiplied'.这是可行但相当平淡的措辞。7.5分的答案把同样的想法磨得更犀利,变成'the reward gets multiplied by where you started',用更精确、近乎数学化的动词'multiplied'取代了模糊的'depends on'。
   • GRA“Luck and timing matter a lot too, so ambition alone isn't enough for success.” — A short 'so' clause draws the conclusion. The 7.5 answer expresses a related idea across two separate, more developed sentences — 'Ambition is necessary for the reward — it's far from sufficient, and the missing part is often inherited' — building a longer chain of reasoning.一句简短的'so'从句得出了结论。7.5分的答案则用两个更完整、更充分发展的独立句子表达了一个相关的想法——'Ambition is necessary for the reward — it's far from sufficient, and the missing part is often inherited',构建出一条更长的推理链条。

   7.0 分

   Uses 'yet' instead of a plain 'but' to link the two contrasting biographies, and adds the specific comparison between founders and teachers as its own dash-set-off example.用'yet'而不是平实的'but'来连接两段对比的人生经历,并把创业者和老师之间的具体比较单独作为一个用破折号隔开的例子。

   Honestly, not very fairly, I'd say. Two people I trained with were equally ambitious and equally talented, yet one was born in Ho Chi Minh City with parents who knew the right people, while the other came from a village and spent five years catching up on things the first one had by eighteen. To be fair, ambition genuinely is rewarded, but the reward seems to get multiplied by where you started. Society also rewards ambition unevenly across fields — ambitious founders get capital and admiration, while ambitious teachers just get a slightly better classroom. I'd say luck and timing matter almost as much as effort does.

   查看中文翻译

   说实话,不太公平,我想说。和我一起受训的两个人当时同样有抱负、同样有才华,可其中一个出生在胡志明市,父母认识对的人;另一个来自乡下,花了五年时间才追上前者十八岁时就已经拥有的东西。说句公道话,抱负确实是真正会得到回报的,但回报似乎会因出身而被放大。社会对不同领域的抱负给予的回报也不均衡——有抱负的创业者能得到资本和赞誉,而有抱负的老师得到的只是一间稍微好一点的教室。我想说,运气和时机几乎和努力一样重要。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“To be fair, ambition genuinely is rewarded, but the reward seems to get multiplied by where you started.” — 'To be fair' introduces the concession as a considered admission, a more connected move than the 6.5 answer's plainer 'I think ambition is rewarded, but...' opener.'To be fair'把这个让步作为一种经过深思熟虑的承认引入,比6.5分那种更平铺直叙的开头'I think ambition is rewarded, but...'更有连贯性。
   • LR“get multiplied by where you started” — 'Multiplied' is a more precise, almost mathematical verb for how starting position compounds the reward of ambition, a sharper word choice than a vaguer verb like 'depends on'.'Multiplied'是一个更精确、近乎数学化的动词,用来描述出身如何复合放大抱负所带来的回报,比像'depends on'这样模糊的动词选词更犀利。
   • GRA“Society also rewards ambition unevenly across fields — ambitious founders get capital and admiration, while ambitious teachers just get a slightly better classroom.” — A dash introduces a two-part 'while' comparison inside one sentence, more elaborate than the 6.5 answer's simpler 'like founders getting more support than teachers' phrase.一个破折号引出了一个嵌在同一句话里的两部分'while'比较,比6.5分那种更简单的短语'like founders getting more support than teachers'更精细。

   7.5 分

   Closes with a compact, aphoristic two-part sentence — 'necessary for the reward... far from sufficient' — a rhetorical structure neither lower band builds toward.以一句紧凑、格言式的两部分句子收尾——“是获得回报的必要条件……但远非充分条件”——这是两个较低分数段都没有铺垫过的一种修辞结构。

   Not very fairly, no. Two people I trained with were equally ambitious and equally talented; one was born in Ho Chi Minh City with parents who knew people, and one came from a village and spent five years catching up on things the first one had at eighteen — ambition is rewarded, but the reward gets multiplied by where you started. Society also rewards ambition unevenly by field: ambitious founders get capital and admiration, ambitious teachers get a slightly better classroom. Luck and timing matter as much as effort, and the ambitious people who fail simply get forgotten, which makes the successful ones look more deserving than they really were. Ambition is necessary for the reward — it's far from sufficient, and the missing part is often inherited.

   查看中文翻译

   不太公平,不。和我一起受训的两个人当时同样有抱负、同样有才华;一个出生在胡志明市,父母认识不少人脉,另一个来自乡下,花了五年时间才追上前者十八岁时就已经拥有的东西——抱负确实会得到回报,但回报会因出身而被放大。社会对不同领域的抱负给予的回报也不均衡:有抱负的创业者能得到资本和赞誉,有抱负的老师得到的只是一间稍微好一点的教室。运气和时机和努力一样重要,而那些有抱负却失败的人往往就这样被遗忘了,这反而让成功的人显得比他们实际应得的更值得。抱负是获得回报的必要条件——但远远不是充分条件,而那缺失的部分往往是继承来的。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“which makes the successful ones look more deserving than they really were” — This trailing clause adds a further layer of critique after the main observation about forgetting failed ambitions, a cohesive extension neither lower band includes after making the same basic point.这个拖尾的分句在关于“被遗忘”这一主要观察之后又加了一层批判,是两个较低分数段在得出同样观点后都没有加入的连贯延伸。
   • LR“Ambition is necessary for the reward — it's far from sufficient, and the missing part is often inherited.” — This closing pair of clauses uses the precise, almost formal vocabulary of 'necessary' and 'sufficient' as a matched contrast, a more abstract and deliberate word choice than either lower band's plainer concluding sentence.这对结尾分句用'necessary'和'sufficient'这类精确、近乎正式的词汇构成一个匹配的对比,比两个较低分数段中较平淡的结尾句在用词上更抽象、更用心。
   • GRA“one was born in Ho Chi Minh City with parents who knew people, and one came from a village and spent five years catching up on things the first one had at eighteen — ambition is rewarded, but the reward gets multiplied by where you started.” — The dash fuses the entire two-person comparison directly onto the general claim within one long sentence, a tighter connection than the 6.5 and 7.0 answers, which both keep the anecdote and the conclusion in separate sentences.这个破折号把整个两人对比直接接到了一般性的论断上,构成了一个长句,比6.5分和7.0分中把逸事和结论分开写成两个句子的做法更紧凑。

2. 2. What do people gain from having high aspirations and ambitions?

   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 contrastive 'but' at the start of the anecdote and closes with a short 'but' sentence naming the trade-off directly.开头用平实的转折词'but'引出逸事,并以一句简短的'but'句直接点明这一取舍来收尾。

   I think people gain more than they might lose, even if the goal itself isn't reached yet. My picture book still doesn't exist, but it has already given me nine years of drawing practice and conversations with older people I'd never have met otherwise. High aspirations give life a direction, so people keep improving instead of settling. They push people to try things beyond their current ability, which is really the only way ability grows. They also make setbacks feel bearable, since one failure inside a bigger goal is just a small step. The cost is some anxiety, but I think most people would take that trade.

   查看中文翻译

   我认为人们获得的往往比可能失去的更多,即使目标本身还没有实现。我的图画书至今仍不存在,但它已经给了我九年的绘画练习,以及和一些老人的交谈机会,这些是我原本根本不会有的经历。远大的抱负给生活指明了方向,让人不断进步,而不是原地止步。它们逼着人去尝试超出自己当前能力范围的事情,而这其实是能力得以成长的唯一方式。它们也让挫折变得可以承受,因为在一个更大的目标里,一次失败只是一小步而已。代价是一些焦虑,但我认为大多数人愿意接受这样的交换。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“My picture book still doesn't exist, but it has already given me nine years of drawing practice and conversations with older people I'd never have met otherwise.” — The plain 'but' opens the anecdote directly as a contrast. The 7.5 answer instead fuses the whole anecdote onto a longer list with a dash before naming the conclusion — 'the ambition has paid off before it's even been fulfilled' — a more integrated structure.平实的'but'直接以对比的方式引出了这段逸事。7.5分的答案则把整段逸事用破折号并入一个更长的列表,之后再点出结论——“the ambition has paid off before it's even been fulfilled”——是一种更整合的结构。
   • LR“one failure inside a bigger goal is just a small step” — This is workable but plain phrasing. The 7.5 answer sharpens 'bigger goal' into the more precise 'larger purpose', and adds 'along the way' at the end, giving the same idea a slightly more polished shape.这是可行但平淡的措辞。7.5分的答案把'bigger goal'磨得更精确,变成'larger purpose',并在末尾加上'along the way',让同样的想法呈现得更精致一些。
   • GRA“The cost is some anxiety, but I think most people would take that trade.” — A short 'but' sentence closes the answer. The 7.5 answer extends a similar idea across two clauses — 'The costs are anxiety and the occasional disappointment — most people, I'd guess, would still take that trade' — adding a second cost and a softening hedge.一句简短的'but'句收尾。7.5分的答案则用两个分句延展了一个类似的想法——'The costs are anxiety and the occasional disappointment — most people, I'd guess, would still take that trade',又加上了一个代价,并用一个软化语气的让步语。

   7.0 分

   Adds the phrase 'not the whole story' onto the point about setbacks, extending a single clause into a small contrastive pair that the plainer version doesn't include.在关于挫折的观点上加上了短语'not the whole story',把一个单独的分句扩展成一组小小的对比,而这是更平实的版本所没有的。

   Honestly, I think people gain more than they lose, even before the goal itself is achieved. My picture book still doesn't exist, and yet it's already produced nine years of drawing practice and conversations with older people I'd never otherwise have met. To be fair, high aspirations give life a direction and a standard, so a person keeps improving rather than simply settling. They also push people to attempt things beyond their current ability, which is honestly the only way ability actually grows. And they make setbacks more bearable, since a failure inside a larger purpose is just one step, not the whole story. The cost is some anxiety and the occasional disappointment, but I'd say most people would still take that trade.

   查看中文翻译

   说实话,我认为人们获得的比失去的更多,即使目标本身还没有实现之前也是如此。我的图画书至今仍不存在,可它已经带来了九年的绘画练习,以及和一些老人的交谈机会,这些是我原本根本不会有的经历。说句公道话,远大的抱负给生活一个方向和一个标准,让人不断进步,而不是简单地安于现状。它们也逼着人去尝试超出自己当前能力范围的事情,而这说实话是能力真正得以成长的唯一方式。而且它们让挫折变得更能承受,因为在一个更大的目标里,一次失败只是一步,而不是全部的故事。代价是一些焦虑和偶尔的失望,但我想说大多数人还是会接受这样的交换。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“And they make setbacks more bearable, since a failure inside a larger purpose is just one step, not the whole story.” — The connector 'And' opens this sentence, continuing a chain of parallel points ('They also push...', 'And they make...'), a slightly more fluent list-building device than the 6.5 answer's simpler repeated 'They' sentences.连接词'And'引出了这句话,延续了一连串并列的观点('They also push...'、'And they make...'),比6.5分那种更简单、重复使用'They'的句子略微更流畅,是一种更善于构建列表的手法。
   • LR“a larger purpose” — This is a more precise, slightly formal noun phrase than the plainer 'a bigger goal' used at 6.5 for the same idea.这是一个比6.5分平淡的'a bigger goal'更精确、略显正式的名词短语,用来表达同样的意思。
   • GRA“My picture book still doesn't exist, and yet it's already produced nine years of drawing practice and conversations with older people I'd never otherwise have met.” — The connector 'and yet' replaces the 6.5 answer's simple 'but', a slightly more formal and emphatic way of marking the same contrast between the unfinished book and its real benefits.连接词'and yet'取代了6.5分中简单的'but',是一种略微更正式、更有力的方式来标示未完成的书和它带来的真正好处之间的对比。

   7.5 分

   Opens with the fronted fragment 'Even unachieved, I'd say', answering the question before the full sentence structure even begins, a bolder opening than either lower band's complete subject-first sentence.开头用前置的片段'Even unachieved, I'd say'来回答问题,而完整的句子结构甚至还没有开始展开,这比两个较低分数段那种以主语开头的完整句子更大胆。

   Even unachieved, I'd say, more than they lose. My picture book doesn't exist, and yet it has produced nine years of drawing practice, conversations with old people I'd never have met, and a reason to look at the river every morning — the ambition has paid off before it's even been fulfilled. High aspirations give life a direction and a standard, so a person keeps improving rather than settling for less. They push people to attempt things beyond their current ability, which is really the only way ability ever grows, and they make setbacks bearable, since a failure inside a larger purpose is just a step along the way. They also create a story a person can tell about themselves. The costs are anxiety and the occasional disappointment — most people, I'd guess, would still take that trade.

   查看中文翻译

   即使没有实现,我想说,人们获得的也比失去的更多。我的图画书还不存在,可它已经带来了九年的绘画练习、和一些从未有机会认识的老人的交谈,还有一个每天早上去看河的理由——这份抱负,在它甚至都还没有实现之前,就已经有了回报。远大的抱负给生活一个方向和一个标准,让人不断进步,而不是安于现状。它们逼着人去尝试超出自己当前能力范围的事情,而这确实是能力真正得以成长的唯一方式,它们也让挫折变得可以承受,因为在一个更大的目标里,一次失败只是沿途的一步。它们还创造出一个人可以讲述给自己听的故事。代价是焦虑和偶尔的失望——大多数人,我猜,还是会接受这样的交换。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“the ambition has paid off before it's even been fulfilled” — This dash-fused closing phrase draws the paradox of the whole anecdote into a single compact clause, a more integrated cohesive device than the 6.5 and 7.0 answers, which state the anecdote and its lesson in separate parts of the sentence.这个用破折号连接的结尾短语,把整段逸事的悖论浓缩成一个紧凑的分句,比6.5分和7.0分那种把逸事和它的教训分别放在句子不同部分的做法更整合、更具连贯性。
   • LR“a reason to look at the river every morning” — This is a precise, evocative detail that neither lower band includes at all — both stop their list of gains at 'conversations with older people', missing this more personal, sensory addition.这是一个精确、富有画面感的细节,两个较低分数段都完全没有提到——两者列举获得的好处时都止步于'conversations with older people',都没有加入这个更个人化、更具感官色彩的补充。
   • GRA“They push people to attempt things beyond their current ability, which is really the only way ability ever grows, and they make setbacks bearable, since a failure inside a larger purpose is just a step along the way.” — Two parallel 'which' and 'since' clauses are chained together with 'and' into one long sentence, the most layered version of this idea across the three bands, compared to the 7.0 answer's two separate 'They' sentences.两个平行的'which'和'since'从句被'and'连接成一个长句,是三个分数段中这个想法层次最丰富的版本,相比之下7.0分的答案是用两个独立的'They'句子来表达的。

3. 3. Why are some people ambitious at work?

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

   6.5 分

   Introduces each person's motive with a plain 'because' clause, repeating the same short pattern three times before generalising at the end.用平实的'because'从句引入每个人的动机,连续用了三次同样简短的句式,最后才归纳出一个总体的观点。

   I think it's for different reasons, and they're rarely the ones on a CV. Đức, for example, is ambitious because he grew up poor and never wants to feel that way again. Linh is ambitious because she genuinely cares whether patients can understand their results. A former boss of mine once admitted he was ambitious because his father wasn't, and he'd watched what that cost the family growing up. Money, security and status drive a lot of people too. Some just love the work and ambition is simply wanting more of it. I think workplace ambition looks like one thing from outside, but it's usually a private story underneath.

   查看中文翻译

   我认为原因各不相同,而且这些原因很少写在简历上。比如阿德,他之所以有抱负,是因为他小时候很穷,再也不想有那种感觉了。玲有抱负,是因为她真心在乎病人能不能看懂自己的检查结果。我以前的一位老板曾经承认,他有抱负是因为他父亲没有,而他在成长过程中亲眼见证了这带给家庭的代价。金钱、安全感和地位也驱使着很多人。有些人就是单纯喜欢这份工作,而抱负不过是想拥有更多这样的工作而已。我认为职场上的抱负从外表看起来是一回事,但内里往往是一个私人的故事。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“Đức, for example, is ambitious because he grew up poor and never wants to feel that way again.” — 'For example' opens this first case plainly. The 7.5 answer removes this connector entirely and simply states each person's motive as its own short sentence, letting the list flow without an explicit signpost.'For example'平实地引出了第一个例子。7.5分的答案完全去掉了这个连接词,直接把每个人的动机当作一个独立的短句来陈述,让这份列表自然流淌,不需要明显的信号词。
   • LR“he'd watched what that cost the family growing up” — This is plain, adequate phrasing. The 7.5 answer condenses a similar idea to 'he'd spent his childhood watching what that cost', a more economical and slightly more literary way of saying the same thing.这是可行、恰当的措辞。7.5分的答案把类似的意思浓缩成'he'd spent his childhood watching what that cost',这种说法更经济,也更具文学色彩地表达了同一件事。
   • GRA“I think workplace ambition looks like one thing from outside, but it's usually a private story underneath.” — A single 'but' clause closes the answer. The 7.5 answer extends the ending with two further short sentences about competitiveness and proving something to someone, before reaching a nearly identical final judgement — a longer chain of reasoning before the same conclusion.一个单独的'but'从句收尾。7.5分的答案在得出几乎相同的最终判断之前,又用两句简短的话延伸了结尾,分别谈到了竞争心和向某人证明自己,构建出一条更长的推理链条。

   7.0 分

   Links Đức's and Linh's motives inside one 'while' sentence rather than two separate ones, and inserts 'he once admitted' as a small aside breaking up the sentence about the former boss.把阿德和玲的动机放进同一个用'while'构成的句子里,而不是分成两句,并插入了'he once admitted'作为一个打断句子的小插入语,来讲述前老板的事。

   Honestly, I think it's for quite different reasons, and they're rarely the ones written on a CV. Đức, for instance, is ambitious because he grew up poor and never wants to feel that way again, while Linh is ambitious because she genuinely cares whether patients can actually read their own results. A former boss of mine, he once admitted, was ambitious because his father never was, and he'd spent his childhood watching what that cost the family. To be fair, money, security and status drive plenty of people too, and some simply love the work, so ambition is just wanting more of it. I'd say workplace ambition looks like one thing from the outside, but it's almost always a private story underneath.

   查看中文翻译

   说实话,我认为原因各不相同,而且这些原因很少写在简历上。比如阿德,他之所以有抱负,是因为他小时候很穷,再也不想有那种感觉了;而玲有抱负,则是因为她真心在乎病人是否真的能看懂自己的检查结果。我以前的一位老板,曾经这样承认过,说他有抱负是因为他父亲从来没有过,而他从小就目睹了那给家庭带来的代价。说句公道话,金钱、安全感和地位同样驱使着很多人,也有人纯粹就是喜欢这份工作,所以抱负不过是想拥有更多这样的工作而已。我想说,职场上的抱负从外表看是一回事,但内里几乎总是一个私人的故事。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“A former boss of mine, he once admitted, was ambitious because his father never was” — The aside 'he once admitted' is dropped into the middle of the sentence between commas, a more natural spoken placement than the 6.5 answer's plainer 'once admitted he was ambitious' construction.插入语'he once admitted'被放在逗号之间、嵌入句子中间,这种位置比6.5分中更平铺直叙的写法'once admitted he was ambitious'更自然、更接近口语。
   • LR“he'd spent his childhood watching what that cost the family” — This phrasing frames the experience as an extended period rather than a single act of watching, a slightly more vivid way of putting it than the 6.5 answer's 'he'd watched what that cost the family growing up'.这种措辞把这段经历描绘成一个持续的过程,而不是一次单独的观看行为,比6.5分的说法'he'd watched what that cost the family growing up'略微更生动。
   • GRA“Đức, for instance, is ambitious because he grew up poor and never wants to feel that way again, while Linh is ambitious because she genuinely cares whether patients can actually read their own results.” — The subordinator 'while' links two separate 'because' clauses about two different people into a single sentence, more complex than the 6.5 answer's two separate short sentences making the same two points.从属连词'while'把两个关于不同人物的'because'从句连接成一个句子,比6.5分中两个表达同样两点内容的独立短句更复杂。

   7.5 分

   Opens with the fragment 'For different reasons' rather than a full sentence, and adds two further short cases (competitiveness, proving something to someone) that neither lower band includes.开头用片段'For different reasons'而不是一个完整的句子,并加入了两个较低分数段都没有的额外简短案例(好胜心、向某人证明自己)。

   For different reasons, and they're rarely the ones on the CV. Đức is ambitious because he grew up poor and never wants to feel that again. Linh is ambitious because she genuinely cares whether patients can read their results. A former boss was ambitious, he once admitted, because his father never was, and he'd spent his childhood watching what that cost. Money, security and status drive many people; some simply love the work, and ambition is just wanting more of it. Others are competitive, and the workplace is where the scoreboard happens to be. Some, honestly, are still proving something to a person who isn't even watching anymore. Work ambition looks like one thing from outside and is usually a private story underneath.

   查看中文翻译

   原因各不相同,而且这些原因很少写在简历上。阿德有抱负,是因为他小时候很穷,再也不想有那种感觉了。玲有抱负,是因为她真心在乎病人能不能看懂自己的检查结果。一位前老板有抱负,他曾承认,是因为他父亲从来没有过,而他从小就目睹了这带来的代价。金钱、安全感和地位驱使着许多人;有人单纯就是喜欢这份工作,而抱负不过是想拥有更多这样的工作而已。还有些人则是天生好胜,而职场恰好就是那个能让人一较高下的地方。说实话,还有些人至今仍在向一个早已不再看着他们的人证明着什么。职场上的抱负从外表看是一回事,内里往往是一个私人的故事。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“Some, honestly, are still proving something to a person who isn't even watching anymore.” — This additional case, inserted with the hedge 'honestly' mid-clause, extends the list of motives one step further than either lower band, which stop after money, status, and loving the work.这个额外的案例,用让步语'honestly'插入在分句中间,把动机的列表进一步延伸,超出了两个较低分数段的范围,两者都止步于金钱、地位和热爱工作。
   • LR“the workplace is where the scoreboard happens to be” — 'Scoreboard' is a vivid, figurative noun for competitive ranking that neither lower band reaches for, both settling for the more literal 'money, security and status'.'Scoreboard'是一个生动、比喻性的名词,用来形容竞争性的排名,而两个较低分数段都没有想到用这个词,两者都满足于更字面的'money, security and status'。
   • GRA“Money, security and status drive many people; some simply love the work, and ambition is just wanting more of it.” — A semicolon joins the first clause to a further coordinated pair without a connector, a more compact structure than the 6.5 and 7.0 answers' separate sentences covering the same two points.一个分号在没有连接词的情况下,把第一个分句和后面并列的一对分句连接起来,比6.5分和7.0分中对同样两点内容使用独立句子的做法更紧凑。

4. 4. What do you think the world would lose if there were no ambitious people?

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

   6.5 分

   Chains a series of short, plain sentences beginning 'The world would also lose...' and 'It would lose...', repeating the same subject-verb pattern through the middle of the answer.把一连串平实、简单的句子串联起来,都以'The world would also lose...'和'It would lose...'开头,在答案的中段反复使用相同的主谓句式。

   I think the world would lose the bridges, and everything like them. Three bridges now cross the river where a ferry used to run, and each one was someone's ambition against a lot of sensible doubt. Without ambitious people, my city would probably still be waiting for a boat. The world would also lose most invention, most medicine, and most art that takes years to make, along with institutions that somebody had to be stubborn enough to found. It would lose momentum too, since things would get maintained but never improved. Some of what we'd lose is actually bad, since wars are also ambitions, so a fully content world might be gentler, but it would also be stuck.

   查看中文翻译

   我认为世界会失去那些桥。现在有三座桥横跨那条曾经靠渡船通行的河,而每一座桥都曾经是某个人的抱负,对抗着大量理性的质疑。如果没有有抱负的人,我的城市大概现在还在等一艘船。世界也会失去大多数发明、大多数医学成就,以及大多数需要花费数年才能完成的艺术作品,还有那些必须有人固执到愿意去创立的机构。世界也会失去前进的动力,因为事物只会被维护,却永远不会被改进。我们会失去的一些东西其实是坏事,因为战争也是一种抱负,所以一个完全知足的世界或许会更温和,但也会因此陷入停滞。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“The world would also lose most invention, most medicine, and most art that takes years to make” — The repeated subject 'The world would' opens two consecutive sentences plainly. The 7.5 answer varies this by dropping the subject in the equivalent sentence and starting directly with 'The world would lose most invention...' only once, using a colon later to avoid repeating the same sentence opener.重复的主语'The world would'平实地开启了两个连续的句子。7.5分的答案则通过在对应的句子里省略主语来做出变化,只用一次'The world would lose most invention...'作为开头,后面用冒号来避免重复同样的句子开头。
   • LR“institutions that somebody had to be stubborn enough to found” — 'Stubborn' is a reasonable but slightly negative-sounding adjective. The 7.0 and 7.5 answers use 'unreasonable enough to found' instead, a more deliberately paradoxical and idiomatic word choice for describing founders.'Stubborn'是一个合理但略带负面色彩的形容词。7.0分和7.5分的答案都改用'unreasonable enough to found',这是一种更刻意悖论式、更地道的措辞,用来描述创立者。
   • GRA“Some of what we'd lose is actually bad, since wars are also ambitions, so a fully content world might be gentler, but it would also be stuck.” — A chain of 'since... so... but' clauses is packed into one long sentence. The 7.5 answer achieves a similar chain but sets 'wars are also ambitions' off with dashes as a self-contained aside, a different and slightly tighter way of inserting the same qualification.一连串'since... so... but'从句被塞进一个长句里。7.5分的答案实现了类似的链条,但用破折号把'wars are also ambitions'设置成一个独立的插入语,是插入同样这个限定说明的另一种、略微更紧凑的方式。

   7.0 分

   Fuses the bridge anecdote and its conclusion into one sentence with a dash, rather than the 6.5 answer's two separate sentences for the same content.用破折号把桥的逸事和它的结论融合成一句话,而不是像6.5分那样分成两个独立的句子来表达同样的内容。

   Honestly, I think it's the bridges, and everything like them. Three bridges now cross the river where a ferry once ran, and each one was somebody's ambition set against a great deal of sensible doubt — without ambitious people, my city would probably still be waiting for a boat. The world would also lose most invention, most medicine, and most art that took years to make, plus the institutions somebody had to be unreasonable enough to actually found. It would lose momentum too, since things would keep being maintained but never improved. To be fair, some of what we'd lose is genuinely bad — wars are also ambitions — so a fully content world might be gentler, though it would also be permanently stuck.

   查看中文翻译

   说实话,我认为是那些桥。现在有三座桥横跨那条曾经有渡船通行的河,而每一座桥都曾经是某个人的抱负,对抗着大量理性的质疑——如果没有有抱负的人,我的城市大概现在还在等一艘船。世界也会失去大多数发明、大多数医学成就,以及那些需要花费数年才能完成的艺术作品,还有那些必须有人固执到不合理的地步才愿意真正去创立的机构。世界也会失去前进的动力,因为事物只会被维护,却永远不会被改进。说句公道话,我们会失去的一些东西确实是坏事——战争也是一种抱负——所以一个完全知足的世界或许会更温和,尽管它也会因此永久陷入停滞。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“To be fair, some of what we'd lose is genuinely bad — wars are also ambitions — so a fully content world might be gentler, though it would also be permanently stuck.” — 'To be fair' introduces this final concession as a considered point, a more connected move than the 6.5 answer's plainer 'Some of what we'd lose is actually bad...' opener with no hedge.'To be fair'把这个最后的让步作为一个经过深思熟虑的观点引入,比6.5分那种没有任何让步语、更平铺直叙的开头'Some of what we'd lose is actually bad...'更有连贯性。
   • LR“unreasonable enough to actually found” — 'Unreasonable' is a more deliberately paradoxical word choice than the 6.5 answer's plainer 'stubborn', capturing the idea that founders often act against sensible advice.'Unreasonable'是一种比6.5分平淡的'stubborn'更刻意悖论式的措辞,抓住了创立者往往是在对抗理性建议行事这一想法。
   • GRA“Three bridges now cross the river where a ferry once ran, and each one was somebody's ambition set against a great deal of sensible doubt — without ambitious people, my city would probably still be waiting for a boat.” — The dash fuses the anecdote directly to its conclusion within one long sentence, more integrated than the 6.5 answer's two separate sentences making the same two points.破折号把逸事直接接到它的结论上,在一个长句里完成,比6.5分中对同样两点内容使用两个独立句子的做法更整合。

   7.5 分

   Closes by turning the argument back onto the writer's own ambition, a reflective final move neither lower band makes after listing what the world would lose.结尾把整个论证拉回到作者自身的抱负上,这是一种反思性的结尾手法,而两个较低分数段在列举世界会失去什么之后都没有采用这种做法。

   The bridges, and everything like them. Three bridges cross the river where the ferry once ran, and each one was someone's ambition against a great deal of sensible doubt; without ambitious people, my city would still be waiting for a boat. The world would lose most invention, most medicine, most art that took years to make, and the institutions that somebody had to be unreasonable enough to found. It would lose momentum too: things would be maintained but not improved. Some of what we'd lose is admittedly bad — wars are also ambitions — and a world of pure contentment would be gentler in some ways. But it would also be permanently stuck, and I notice the same ambition that ended the ferry is the one that makes me want to write my own book.

   查看中文翻译

   是那些桥,以及所有与之类似的东西。现在有三座桥横跨那条曾经有渡船通行的河,而每一座桥都曾经是某个人的抱负,对抗着大量理性的质疑;如果没有有抱负的人,我的城市现在应该还在等一艘船。世界会失去大多数发明、大多数医学成就、大多数需要花费数年才能完成的艺术作品,以及那些必须有人固执到不合理的地步才愿意真正去创立的机构。世界也会失去前进的动力:事物会被维护,但不会被改进。我们会失去的一些东西确实是坏事——战争也是一种抱负——一个完全知足的世界在某些方面或许会更温和。但它也会永久陷入停滞,而我注意到,让那艘渡船退出历史舞台的那种抱负,正是让我想去写自己那本书的同一种抱负。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“and I notice the same ambition that ended the ferry is the one that makes me want to write my own book” — This closing clause connects the world-scale argument back to the writer's own personal ambition, a reflective cohesive move that neither lower band attempts — both stop at the general observation about the world.这句结尾分句把关于世界规模的论证和作者个人的抱负联系起来,是一种反思性的连贯手法,两个较低分数段都没有尝试——两者都止步于关于世界的这个一般性观察。
   • LR“a world of pure contentment would be gentler in some ways” — 'Pure contentment' is a more precise, almost philosophical phrase than the plainer 'fully content world' used at 6.5 and 7.0 for the same idea.'Pure contentment'是一个比6.5分和7.0分中较平淡的'fully content world'更精确、近乎哲学化的短语,用来表达同一个想法。
   • GRA“It would lose momentum too: things would be maintained but not improved.” — The colon introduces a short explanatory clause directly, a more economical device than the 6.5 and 7.0 answers' 'since' clauses making the same point.冒号直接引出了一个简短的解释性分句,比6.5分和7.0分中用于表达同样观点的'since'从句更经济。

5. 5. How important is it for children to have ambitions?

   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 rule in a short, direct sentence ('It goes wrong when...') rather than building toward it with extra qualifying detail.用一句简短、直接的句子陈述结尾的规则('It goes wrong when...'),而不是通过额外的限定细节层层铺垫才引出这一点。

   I think it's important, as long as nobody takes it too seriously. My niece's current ambition is to be the drummer on a dragon boat, which is silly and specific, but it's made her practise, for the first time, at something with no exam attached. I think that's exactly what ambitions do for children, they turn effort into play. Children with ambitions, however strange, learn to connect today's work with tomorrow's result, which is a skill even many adults never really manage. The ambition itself will probably change many times, and that's completely fine. It goes wrong when the ambition actually belongs to the parents instead.

   查看中文翻译

   我认为这很重要,只要没有人把它看得太重就行。我侄女目前的志向是当一艘龙舟上的鼓手,这个愿望既幼稚又非常具体,但这是她第一次为了一件没有考试压力的事情而主动去练习。我认为这正是抱负对孩子的意义所在,它们把努力变成了一种游戏。有抱负的孩子,不管这份抱负多么奇怪,都会学着把今天的努力和明天的结果联系起来,而这其实是很多成年人一辈子都学不会的技能。这份抱负本身很可能会变很多次,而这完全没问题。真正出问题的时候,是当这份抱负其实属于父母,而不是孩子自己。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“I think that's exactly what ambitions do for children, they turn effort into play.” — This uses a comma splice-like structure joining two clauses loosely. The 7.5 answer instead uses a colon after a dash — 'that's exactly what ambitions do for children: they turn effort into play' — a punctuation choice that more clearly signals the explanation that follows.这句话用一种类似逗号拼接的结构松散地连接了两个分句。7.5分的答案则在破折号后面用冒号——'that's exactly what ambitions do for children: they turn effort into play'——这种标点选择更清楚地标示出了后面即将出现的解释。
   • LR“it's made her practise, for the first time, at something with no exam attached” — This phrase is reused closely across all three bands, but the 7.0 answer adds the intensifier 'oddly specific' to describe the ambition itself, a small but deliberate upgrade in precision over the 6.5 answer's plain 'silly and specific'.这个短语在三个分数段中都被反复沿用,但7.0分的答案加上了强调词'oddly specific'来描述这份抱负本身,相比6.5分平淡的'silly and specific',这是一个虽小但刻意的精确度提升。
   • GRA“It goes wrong when the ambition actually belongs to the parents instead.” — A short single-clause sentence closes the answer. The 7.5 answer extends the ending with a further 'or when' clause about a single ambition becoming the only acceptable future, adding a second condition the 6.5 answer's shorter version leaves out.一个简短的单分句句子结束了答案。7.5分的答案则用一个额外的'or when'从句延伸了结尾,谈到抱负变成唯一被认可的未来这种情况,为6.5分较简短的版本所缺少的第二个条件加了进来。

   7.0 分

   Uses the fronted construction 'Where it goes wrong is when...' instead of the plainer 'It goes wrong when...', giving the closing rule a slightly more formal, essay-like shape.用前置结构'Where it goes wrong is when...'来代替更平实的'It goes wrong when...',让结尾的规则呈现出一种略微更正式、更具书面论说文风格的形态。

   Honestly, I think it's important, as long as nobody takes it too seriously. My niece's current ambition is to be the drummer on a dragon boat, which is silly and oddly specific, and it's made her practise, for the first time, at something with no exam attached at all. To be fair, that's really what ambitions do for children — they turn ordinary effort into something closer to play. Children with ambitions, however strange they are, learn to connect today's work to tomorrow's result, a skill many adults genuinely never manage. The ambition itself will probably change ten times over, and that's completely fine. Where it goes wrong is when the ambition actually belongs to the parents, and the child is just the vehicle for it.

   查看中文翻译

   说实话,我认为这很重要,只要没有人把它看得太重就行。我侄女目前的志向是当一艘龙舟上的鼓手,这个愿望既幼稚又出奇地具体,而它让她第一次为了一件完全没有考试压力的事情而主动去练习。说句公道话,这确实正是抱负对孩子的意义所在——它们把平常的努力变成了更接近游戏的东西。有抱负的孩子,不管这份抱负多么奇怪,都会学着把今天的努力和明天的结果联系起来,而这其实是很多成年人一辈子都学不会的技能。这份抱负本身很可能会反复变化十次,而这完全没问题。真正出问题的地方,是当这份抱负其实属于父母,而孩子只是承载它的工具。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“To be fair, that's really what ambitions do for children — they turn ordinary effort into something closer to play.” — 'To be fair' introduces this generalisation as a considered point, a more connected move than the 6.5 answer's plainer 'I think that's exactly what ambitions do for children' opener.'To be fair'把这个概括作为一个经过深思熟虑的观点引入,比6.5分平淡的开头'I think that's exactly what ambitions do for children'更有连贯性。
   • LR“something closer to play” — 'Closer to' is a more precise, hedged phrase than the plain 'into play' at 6.5, suggesting a gradual, partial transformation rather than a complete one.'Closer to'比6.5分中直接的'into play'更精确、更带有让步意味,暗示的是一种渐进、部分的转变,而不是一种彻底的转变。
   • GRA“Where it goes wrong is when the ambition actually belongs to the parents, and the child is just the vehicle for it.” — The fronted 'Where it goes wrong is when...' construction is a more formal cleft-sentence structure than the 6.5 answer's plain 'It goes wrong when...' opener, and adds a further coordinated clause about the child being 'the vehicle'.前置结构'Where it goes wrong is when...'是一种比6.5分平实的开头'It goes wrong when...'更正式的分裂句结构,并加上了一个关于孩子是“承载工具”的额外并列分句。

   7.5 分

   Ends with two parallel 'when' clauses joined by 'or', naming two distinct ways ambition can go wrong for a child rather than just one.结尾用两个由'or'连接的平行'when'从句,点出了两种截然不同的、抱负可能对孩子造成伤害的方式,而不是只列出一种。

   Important, provided nobody takes it too seriously. My niece's current ambition is to be the drummer on a dragon boat, which is silly and specific and has made her practise, for the first time, at something with no exam attached — that's exactly what ambitions do for children: they turn effort into play. Children with ambitions, however strange, learn to connect today's work to tomorrow's result, a skill many adults never quite manage. The ambition itself will change ten times over, and that's entirely fine; what matters is the experience of wanting something and working toward it. Where it goes wrong is when the ambition is really the parents' and the child is merely the vehicle, or when a single ambition gets treated as the only acceptable future.

   查看中文翻译

   重要,只要没有人把它看得太重。我侄女目前的志向是当一艘龙舟上的鼓手,这个愿望既幼稚又具体,而且让她第一次为了一件没有考试压力的事情而主动去练习——这正是抱负对孩子的意义所在:它们把努力变成了游戏。有抱负的孩子,不管这份抱负多么奇怪,都会学着把今天的努力和明天的结果联系起来,而这其实是很多成年人一辈子都学不会的技能。这份抱负本身会反复变化十次,而这完全没问题;真正重要的,是那种“想要某样东西并为之努力”的体验本身。真正出问题的地方,是当这份抱负其实属于父母,而孩子只是承载它的工具;或者是当一个单一的抱负被当成了唯一被认可的未来。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“that's exactly what ambitions do for children: they turn effort into play” — The colon here introduces the explanation directly after the dash-fused anecdote, a tighter cohesive chain than the 7.0 answer's separate 'To be fair' sentence making a similar point.冒号在这个用破折号连接的逸事之后直接引出了解释,这种连贯链条比7.0分中用独立的'To be fair'句子表达类似观点的做法更紧凑。
   • LR“the child is merely the vehicle” — 'Merely' adds a note of quiet judgement to 'the vehicle' that neither lower band's plainer 'just the vehicle' quite carries.'Merely'给'the vehicle'（工具）这个说法增添了一丝不动声色的评判色彩,是两个较低分数段中更平淡的'just the vehicle'所没有完全传达出来的。
   • GRA“Where it goes wrong is when the ambition is really the parents' and the child is merely the vehicle, or when a single ambition gets treated as the only acceptable future.” — Two parallel 'when' clauses are joined by 'or' within the fronted cleft structure, a longer and more layered sentence than the 7.0 answer's single 'when' clause covering only one of the two conditions.两个平行的'when'从句在前置的分裂句结构里用'or'连接起来,比7.0分中只涵盖了两个条件之一的单一'when'从句更长、更有层次。

6. 6. What kinds of ambitions do children often have when they are young?

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

   6.5 分

   Closes with a comma-joined chain ('the ambition is basically a costume, and it changes weekly, which I think is exactly right') rather than splitting the final idea into shorter, separate sentences.结尾用一个逗号连接的链条收尾('the ambition is basically a costume, and it changes weekly, which I think is exactly right'),而不是把这个最后的想法拆成更短、更独立的句子。

   My sister asks her class every year, and the list barely changes: footballer, doctor, teacher, police officer, and these days, YouTuber, which has basically replaced astronaut. One child last year said they wanted to be 'the person who drives the ferry', which I took a little personally. I think young children's ambitions are mostly about visible jobs, the ones they've actually seen and can imagine doing, and about heroes, which is why athletes and singers show up so early. Many children just want to be like a parent, or sometimes the opposite. At six, the ambition is basically a costume, and it changes weekly, which I think is exactly right.

   查看中文翻译

   我姐姐每年都会问她班上的学生,而答案的清单几乎不怎么变:足球运动员、医生、老师、警察,而现在则多了YouTuber,基本上已经取代了宇航员。去年有个孩子说他想成为“开渡轮的人”,这让我多少有点心里不是滋味。我认为小孩子的抱负大多是关于那些看得见的职业——他们亲眼见过、能想象自己去做的那些工作——以及关于英雄的,这也是为什么运动员和歌手会这么早就出现在这份清单上。很多孩子只是想成为父母那样的人,或者恰恰相反。六岁的时候,抱负基本上就是一套戏服,每周都会换,而我认为这恰恰是对的。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“One child last year said they wanted to be 'the person who drives the ferry', which I took a little personally.” — 'Said they wanted to be' is a plain reporting structure. The 7.5 answer condenses this to the simpler 'wanted to be', trimming the reporting verb for a slightly more direct, essay-like tone.'Said they wanted to be'是一种平实的转述结构。7.5分的答案把它简化成更简单的'wanted to be',省去了转述动词,让语气略微更直接、更具书面论说文风格。
   • LR“which has basically replaced astronaut” — 'Basically' is a fairly casual hedge. The 7.5 answer drops it for the plainer, more confident 'which has replaced astronaut', a small but deliberate move toward more assured phrasing.'Basically'是一个相当随意的让步词。7.5分的答案去掉了它,改用更平淡、更自信的'which has replaced astronaut',这是朝着更笃定的措辞迈出的一个虽小但刻意的调整。
   • GRA“I think young children's ambitions are mostly about visible jobs, the ones they've actually seen and can imagine doing, and about heroes, which is why athletes and singers show up so early.” — A long comma-chained sentence links several ideas loosely. The 7.5 answer restructures a similar idea using a dash to set off the defining clause ('the ones they've seen and can imagine doing'), a tighter and more controlled way of inserting the same explanation.一个用逗号连接的长句把好几个想法松散地连接在一起。7.5分的答案用破折号重新组织了一个类似的想法,把限定性分句('the ones they've seen and can imagine doing')单独框出来,这是一种更紧凑、更有控制力的方式来插入同样的解释。

   7.0 分

   Adds the self-aware admission 'which I admittedly took a little personally', inserting the hedge 'admittedly' where the 6.5 answer only has the plainer 'a little'.加入了带有自我意识的坦白'which I admittedly took a little personally',在6.5分只有平实的'a little'的地方插入了让步词'admittedly'。

   Honestly, my sister asks her class every year, and the list barely changes: footballer, doctor, teacher, police officer, and these days, YouTuber, which has more or less replaced astronaut. One child last year even said they wanted to be 'the person who drives the ferry', which I admittedly took a little personally. To be fair, young children's ambitions are mostly about visible jobs — the ones they've actually seen and can imagine themselves doing — and about heroes, which is why athletes and singers appear so early. Many children want to be exactly what a parent is, or sometimes the complete opposite. At six, I'd say, the ambition is basically a costume, and it changes weekly, which is exactly right at that age.

   查看中文翻译

   说实话,我姐姐每年都会问她班上的学生,而答案的清单几乎不怎么变:足球运动员、医生、老师、警察,而现在则多了YouTuber,差不多已经取代了宇航员。去年甚至有个孩子说他想成为“开渡轮的人”,这让我不得不承认多少有点心里不是滋味。说句公道话,小孩子的抱负大多是关于那些看得见的职业——他们亲眼见过、能想象自己去做的那些工作——以及关于英雄的,这也是为什么运动员和歌手会这么早出现在这份清单上。很多孩子想成为父母原原本本的样子,或者恰恰相反。我想说,六岁的时候,抱负基本上就是一套戏服,每周都会换,而在这个年纪,这恰恰是对的。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“To be fair, young children's ambitions are mostly about visible jobs” — 'To be fair' introduces the generalisation as a considered point, a more connected move than the 6.5 answer's plainer 'I think young children's ambitions are...' opener.'To be fair'把这个概括作为一个经过深思熟虑的观点引入,比6.5分平淡的开头'I think young children's ambitions are...'更有连贯性。
   • LR“which has more or less replaced astronaut” — 'More or less' is a natural spoken hedge softening the claim, a slightly more careful phrasing than the 6.5 answer's plainer 'basically replaced'.'More or less'是一个软化论断的自然口语让步词,比6.5分平淡的'basically replaced'措辞略微更审慎。
   • GRA“young children's ambitions are mostly about visible jobs — the ones they've actually seen and can imagine themselves doing — and about heroes, which is why athletes and singers appear so early.” — Two dashes set off the defining clause about visible jobs, a tighter structure than the 6.5 answer's comma-chained version of the same explanation.两个破折号框出了关于看得见的职业这一限定性分句,比6.5分中用逗号连接的同一解释的版本更紧凑。

   7.5 分

   Adds an entirely new category — 'ambitions about states rather than jobs' — introduced with a colon, which neither lower band includes at all.加入了一整个全新的类别——“关于状态而不是职业的抱负”——用冒号引出,而这是两个较低分数段完全没有的。

   My sister asks her class every year, and the list barely changes: footballer, doctor, teacher, police officer, and, these days, YouTuber, which has replaced astronaut. One child last year wanted to be 'the person who drives the ferry', which I took personally. Young children's ambitions are about visible jobs — the ones they've seen and can imagine doing — and about heroes, which is why athletes and singers appear early. Many want to be what a parent is, or the opposite. Some ambitions are about states rather than jobs: being rich, being famous, having a dog. The realistic ones come later. At six, the ambition is a costume, and the costume changes weekly, and that's exactly right.

   查看中文翻译

   我姐姐每年都会问她班上的学生,而答案的清单几乎不怎么变:足球运动员、医生、老师、警察,还有现在的YouTuber,已经取代了宇航员。去年有个孩子想成为“开渡轮的人”,这让我心里多少有点不是滋味。小孩子的抱负是关于那些看得见的职业——他们亲眼见过、能想象自己去做的那些工作——以及关于英雄的,这也是为什么运动员和歌手会这么早出现在这份清单上。很多孩子想成为父母的样子,或者恰恰相反。有些抱负关乎的是一种“状态”,而不是一份职业:有钱、出名、养一只狗。真正现实的那些愿望会来得更晚一些。六岁的时候,抱负就是一套戏服,而这套戏服每周都会换,而这恰恰是对的。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“Some ambitions are about states rather than jobs: being rich, being famous, having a dog.” — This whole additional category, introduced with a colon, is a cohesive addition neither lower band makes — both stop after visible jobs and heroes, without distinguishing ambitions-as-jobs from ambitions-as-states.这整个用冒号引出的额外类别,是两个较低分数段都没有做到的连贯补充——两者都止步于看得见的职业和英雄,没有把“抱负作为职业”和“抱负作为状态”区分开来。
   • LR“The realistic ones come later.” — This short, almost aphoristic sentence economically implies a whole developmental arc in four words, a more compact evaluative statement than anything either lower band attempts at this point in the answer.这句简短、近乎格言式的句子用四个词经济地暗示了一整条发展的弧线,是一种比两个较低分数段在答案这个位置所尝试的任何写法都更紧凑的评价性陈述。
   • GRA“At six, the ambition is a costume, and the costume changes weekly, and that's exactly right.” — Repeating the noun 'costume' rather than replacing it with a pronoun, then chaining two 'and' clauses together, creates a deliberate rhetorical rhythm — a more stylistically controlled sentence than the 6.5 and 7.0 answers' single 'and it changes weekly, which...' version.重复名词'costume'而不是用代词代替,再用两个'and'从句串联起来,营造出一种刻意的修辞节奏——比6.5分和7.0分中单一的'and it changes weekly, which...'版本更具文体上的控制力。

7. 7. Do you agree or disagree that ambition at work can sometimes cause problems?

   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 'so' clause to link the launch decision to its result, and closes with a single 'since' clause explaining why ambition itself isn't the real problem.用平实的'so'从句把上线的决定和它的结果连接起来,并以一个单独的'since'从句来收尾,解释为什么抱负本身并不是真正的问题。

   I agree, and I've had to clean up after it. A manager at a previous studio was determined to launch before a competitor, so we launched a product that didn't really work, and the six months of repairs afterwards cost more than six weeks of patience would have. I think ambition causes problems when it's really for the person rather than the work, since colleagues become rivals and corners get cut where nobody notices until later. It also burns out the ambitious people themselves, and the people who work for them. None of this makes ambition bad, though, since the same manager also built two genuinely excellent products.

   查看中文翻译

   我同意,而且我曾经亲自去收拾过这种烂摊子。我以前的一家工作室有位经理一心想赶在竞争对手前面上线,于是我们推出了一款实际上并不好用的产品,而之后六个月的修补所花费的成本,比六周的耐心等待要高得多。我认为抱负带来问题,是当它其实是为了这个人自己,而不是为了这份工作的时候,因为这样同事会变成对手,而暗中偷工减料的地方要到很久以后才会被发现。它也会把有抱负的人自己,以及为他们工作的人,都拖垮。不过,这并不意味着抱负本身是坏的,因为那位经理后来也确实做出过两款真正优秀的产品。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“None of this makes ambition bad, though, since the same manager also built two genuinely excellent products.” — The trailing 'though' softens the closing concession. The 7.5 answer achieves the same function with a semicolon-free short sentence — 'None of this makes ambition bad; the same manager built two genuinely excellent products' — punctuated slightly differently for a more compact effect.句末的'though'软化了这个结尾的让步。7.5分的答案则用一个没有分号的简短句子来实现同样的功能——'None of this makes ambition bad; the same manager built two genuinely excellent products'——标点上略有不同,以达到更紧凑的效果。
   • LR“cost more than six weeks of patience would have” — This comparison is already fairly natural. The 7.0 answer intensifies it slightly with 'cost far more than', adding an intensifier that the 6.5 answer's plainer version omits.这个比较已经相当自然了。7.0分的答案把它加强为'cost far more than',加入了一个6.5分较平淡的版本所没有的强调词。
   • GRA“I think ambition causes problems when it's really for the person rather than the work, since colleagues become rivals and corners get cut where nobody notices until later.” — A 'when... since' chain links cause and explanation in one sentence. The 7.5 answer expresses a similar idea with a colon instead of 'since', introducing the list of consequences ('colleagues become rivals, credit gets taken, corners get cut') even more directly.一个'when... since'链条在一句话里把原因和解释连接起来。7.5分的答案用冒号而不是'since'来表达一个类似的想法,更直接地引出了这份后果清单('colleagues become rivals, credit gets taken, corners get cut')。

   7.0 分

   Extends the list of consequences to three items joined by dashes ('colleagues become rivals, credit gets taken, and corners get cut') instead of the 6.5 answer's two-item version with 'since'.把后果清单扩展成三项,用破折号隔开('colleagues become rivals, credit gets taken, and corners get cut'),而不是6.5分那种用'since'连接的两项版本。

   Honestly, I agree, and I've personally cleaned up after it. A manager at a previous studio was determined to launch before a competitor, so we ended up launching a product that didn't actually work, and the six months of repairs afterwards cost far more than six weeks of patience would have. To be fair, ambition causes real problems mainly when it's for the person rather than the work — colleagues become rivals, credit gets taken, and corners get cut where nobody notices until much later. It also burns out the ambitious people themselves, along with everyone who works for them. None of this makes ambition inherently bad, though, since that same manager went on to build two genuinely excellent products afterwards.

   查看中文翻译

   说实话,我同意,而且我曾经亲自去收拾过这种烂摊子。我以前的一家工作室有位经理一心想赶在竞争对手前面上线,于是我们最终推出了一款实际上并不好用的产品,而之后六个月的修补所花费的成本,远远高于六周的耐心等待。说句公道话,抱负确实会带来真正的问题,主要是当它其实是为了这个人自己,而不是为了这份工作的时候——同事会变成对手,功劳会被抢走,而暗中偷工减料的地方要到很久以后才会被发现。它也会把有抱负的人自己,以及为他们工作的所有人,都拖垮。不过,这并不意味着抱负本身天生就是坏的,因为那位经理后来确实又做出了两款真正优秀的产品。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“To be fair, ambition causes real problems mainly when it's for the person rather than the work” — 'To be fair' introduces this claim as a considered qualification, a more connected move than the 6.5 answer's plainer 'I think ambition causes problems when...' opener.'To be fair'把这一点作为一个经过深思熟虑的限定条件引入,比6.5分平铺直叙的开头'I think ambition causes problems when...'更有连贯性。
   • LR“went on to build two genuinely excellent products afterwards” — 'Went on to' is a more idiomatic way of describing a later achievement than the plainer 'also built' used at 6.5.'Went on to'是一种比6.5分平淡的'also built'更地道的方式,用来描述后来取得的成就。
   • GRA“ambition causes real problems mainly when it's for the person rather than the work — colleagues become rivals, credit gets taken, and corners get cut where nobody notices until much later.” — The dash introduces a three-item list of consequences joined by commas and 'and', a longer and more developed structure than the 6.5 answer's shorter two-item version linked with 'since'.破折号引出了一个用逗号和'and'连接的三项后果列表,比6.5分中用'since'连接的更短的两项版本更充分展开。

   7.5 分

   Closes with the quotable phrase 'a few people brave enough to say ‘not yet’', naming a concrete solution rather than just restating that ambition needs balance.以一句令人难忘的短语'a few people brave enough to say ‘not yet’'收尾,给出了一个具体的解决方案,而不是仅仅重申抱负需要平衡这一点。

   Agree, and I've cleaned up after it. A manager at a previous studio was determined to launch before a competitor, so we launched a product that didn't work, and the six months of repairs cost more than the six weeks of patience would have — ambition with a deadline attached can override judgement entirely. Ambition causes problems when it's for the person rather than the work: colleagues become rivals, credit gets taken, corners get cut where nobody will notice until later. It also burns out the ambitious themselves, and the people who work for them. None of this makes ambition bad; the same manager built two genuinely excellent products. It just makes ambition something that needs honesty, and a few people brave enough to say 'not yet'.

   查看中文翻译

   同意,而且我曾经亲自去收拾过这种烂摊子。我以前的一家工作室有位经理一心想赶在竞争对手前面上线,于是我们推出了一款并不好用的产品,而之后六个月的修补所花费的成本,比六周的耐心等待要高得多——附带截止日期的抱负,可能会彻底压倒一个人的判断力。抱负会带来问题,当它其实是为了这个人自己而不是为了这份工作的时候:同事会变成对手,功劳被抢走,暗中偷工减料的地方要到很久以后才会被发现。它也会把有抱负的人自己,以及为他们工作的人,都拖垮。这并不意味着抱负本身是坏的;那位经理确实做出过两款真正优秀的产品。它只是意味着抱负需要诚实,以及少数几个敢于说“还不到时候”的勇敢的人。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“It just makes ambition something that needs honesty, and a few people brave enough to say 'not yet'.” — This closing sentence proposes a solution — honest people willing to slow things down — a cohesive move beyond the 6.5 and 7.0 answers, which both stop after excusing ambition itself as not inherently bad.这句结尾提出了一个解决方案——诚实的人,以及敢于让事情慢下来的意愿——是一种超越6.5分和7.0分的连贯延伸,两者都止步于为抱负本身开脱、说它并非天生就是坏事。
   • LR“ambition with a deadline attached can override judgement entirely” — This is a precise, almost aphoristic diagnosis of exactly what went wrong, more analytical than either lower band's plainer description of the launch decision and its cost.这是一个精确、近乎格言式的诊断,准确说明了问题出在哪里,比两个较低分数段中对上线决定及其代价更平淡的描述更具分析性。
   • GRA“Ambition causes problems when it's for the person rather than the work: colleagues become rivals, credit gets taken, corners get cut where nobody will notice until later.” — The colon introduces the list of three consequences directly, without 'and' between the second and third items, a more compressed parallel structure than the 7.0 answer's comma-and-'and' list.冒号直接引出了三项后果的列表,第二项和第三项之间没有用'and',这是一种比7.0分中用逗号加'and'连接的列表更紧凑的并列结构。

8. 8. What qualities do ambitious people need to succeed in the workplace?

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

   6.5 分

   Repeats the word 'matters' at the start of four separate sentences, a clear but fairly mechanical way of listing each quality.在四个不同的句子开头都重复使用了'matters'这个词,这是一种清晰但相当机械的方式来罗列每一种品质。

   I think patience matters most, which sounds like the opposite of ambition but really isn't. Linh's willingness to rehearse a talk eleven times is what turned her ambition into something real, while ambitious people who fail usually just wanted the result without doing the repetitions. Beyond that, competence obviously matters, since wanting something isn't actually a skill. The ability to work with people matters too, because almost nothing gets achieved alone, and ambitious people who make enemies find every door closed. Honesty also matters, so colleagues can trust the ambition isn't aimed at them. I think talent helps, but patience and people matter more.

   查看中文翻译

   我认为耐心是最重要的品质,这听起来像是抱负的反面,但其实完全不是。玲愿意把一场演讲排练十一遍,正是这份意愿把她的抱负变成了真正的成就,而那些有抱负却失败的人,通常只是想要结果,却不愿意付出反复练习的过程。除此之外,能力显然也很重要,因为单凭“想要”本身并不是一种技能。与人相处的能力同样重要,因为几乎没有什么事能靠一个人独立完成,而那些四处树敌的有抱负者会发现每一扇门都对他们关上了。诚实也很重要,这样同事才能相信这份抱负不是冲着他们来的。我认为天赋有帮助,但耐心和人际关系更重要。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“Beyond that, competence obviously matters, since wanting something isn't actually a skill.” — 'Beyond that' is a simple transitional phrase moving to the next quality. The 7.5 answer drops this connector entirely, using a bare colon after 'Beyond that:' to launch straight into the next quality without a full linking sentence.'Beyond that'是一个简单的过渡短语,用来引出下一个品质。7.5分的答案完全去掉了这个连接词,在'Beyond that:'后面直接用一个裸露的冒号引出下一个品质,而不用一个完整的连接句。
   • LR“find every door closed” — This idiom is used almost identically across the bands. The real variation is in the surrounding vocabulary: the 6.5 answer says people 'make enemies', while the 7.5 answer keeps the same phrase, showing that even at 6.5 this particular idiom is already within reach.这个习语在各分数段中的用法几乎完全相同。真正的差异体现在周围的词汇上:6.5分说人们“make enemies”,而7.5分保留了完全相同的表达,说明这个习语在6.5分时就已经触手可及了。
   • GRA“I think talent helps, but patience and people matter more.” — A short 'but' sentence closes the answer. The 7.5 answer splits this into two separate short sentences — 'Talent helps. Patience and people matter more.' — a more clipped, deliberate rhythm than the single joined sentence at 6.5.一句简短的'but'句收尾。7.5分的答案把它拆成两句简短的话——'Talent helps. Patience and people matter more.'——比6.5分中连在一起的单一句子节奏更简短、更刻意。

   7.0 分

   Adds small intensifying phrases like 'along the way' and 'eventually' onto otherwise similar sentences, giving the same ideas a slightly more developed, considered feel.加入了像'along the way'和'eventually'这类小小的加强性短语,放在其他相似的句子里,让同样的想法显得略微更有发展性、更经过思考。

   Honestly, I think patience matters most, which sounds like the opposite of ambition and genuinely isn't. Linh's willingness to rehearse a talk eleven times is really what turned her ambition into something real, while the ambitious people who fail are usually the ones who wanted the result without the actual repetitions. Beyond that, competence obviously matters, since wanting something on its own isn't a skill. The ability to work with people matters just as much, because almost nothing is achieved entirely alone, and ambitious people who make enemies along the way find every door eventually closed. Honesty matters too, so colleagues can trust that the ambition isn't secretly aimed at them. Talent helps, I'd say, but patience and people matter more in the end.

   查看中文翻译

   说实话,我认为耐心是最重要的品质,这听起来像是抱负的反面,但确实完全不是。玲愿意把一场演讲排练十一遍,正是这份意愿真正把她的抱负变成了一件真实的东西,而那些有抱负却失败的人,通常正是那些只想要结果、却不愿意付出真正反复练习的人。除此之外,能力显然也很重要,因为单凭“想要”本身并不是一种技能。与人相处的能力同样重要,因为几乎没有什么事是完全靠一个人独立完成的,而那些一路树敌的有抱负者最终会发现每一扇门都对他们关上了。诚实同样重要,这样同事才能相信这份抱负不是暗中冲着他们来的。我想说,天赋有帮助,但归根结底,耐心和人际关系更重要。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“The ability to work with people matters just as much, because almost nothing is achieved entirely alone” — 'Just as much' explicitly ranks this quality against the previous one, a more connected comparative move than the 6.5 answer's plainer 'The ability to work with people matters too'.'Just as much'明确地把这一品质和前一个品质进行了排位比较,比6.5分平铺直叙的说法'The ability to work with people matters too'更有连贯性、更具比较意味。
   • LR“wanted the result without the actual repetitions” — The added adjective 'actual' emphasises the gap between wanting an outcome and doing the real work, a slightly sharper phrasing than the 6.5 answer's plainer 'without doing the repetitions'.加入的形容词'actual'强调了“想要一个结果”和“真正做那些工作”之间的差距,比6.5分平淡的说法'without doing the repetitions'措辞略微更犀利。
   • GRA“ambitious people who make enemies along the way find every door eventually closed” — The inserted phrases 'along the way' and 'eventually' add temporal texture to an otherwise identical clause structure, a small refinement over the 6.5 answer's flatter version of the same sentence.插入的短语'along the way'和'eventually'为一个原本结构相同的分句增添了时间上的层次感,比6.5分中同一句话较平淡的版本略有打磨。

   7.5 分

   Drops full subject-verb sentences for most of the list, instead naming each quality as a fragment followed by its justification, a bolder and more compressed structure than either lower band attempts.在列表的大部分内容中都放弃了完整的主谓句,而是把每一种品质命名为一个片段,后面跟着它的理由,这比两个较低分数段的写法都更大胆、更压缩。

   Patience, above all, which sounds like the opposite of ambition and isn't. Linh's willingness to rehearse a talk eleven times is what turned her ambition into something real; the ambitious people who fail are usually the ones who wanted the result without the repetitions. Beyond that: competence, obviously, since wanting something isn't a skill. The ability to work with people, because almost nothing is achieved alone, and ambitious people who make enemies find every door closed. Honesty, so that colleagues trust the ambition isn't aimed at them. Resilience, since ambitious people fail more often simply by attempting more. And judgement about which ambitions are worth the cost. Talent helps. Patience and people matter more.

   查看中文翻译

   耐心,首先是耐心,这听起来像是抱负的反面,但其实不是。玲愿意把一场演讲排练十一遍,正是这份意愿把她的抱负变成了一件真实的东西;那些有抱负却失败的人,通常正是那些只想要结果、却不愿意付出反复练习的人。除此之外:能力,显然,因为单凭“想要”本身并不是一种技能。与人相处的能力,因为几乎没有什么事是靠一个人独立完成的,而那些四处树敌的有抱负者会发现每一扇门都对他们关上了。诚实,这样同事才能相信这份抱负不是冲着他们来的。韧性,因为有抱负的人单纯是因为尝试得更多,所以失败的次数也更多。以及判断力,判断哪些抱负值得付出代价。天赋有帮助。但耐心和人际关系更重要。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“Beyond that: competence, obviously, since wanting something isn't a skill.” — The colon after 'Beyond that' launches straight into the next quality as a fragment, without a full linking sentence — a more compressed transition than the 6.5 and 7.0 answers' complete 'competence obviously matters' sentences.'Beyond that'后面的冒号直接以片段的形式引出下一个品质,没有一个完整的连接句——这比6.5分和7.0分中完整的'competence obviously matters'式句子更压缩、更精简。
   • LR“Resilience, since ambitious people fail more often simply by attempting more.” — This quality — resilience — is an addition neither lower band includes at all, along with the precise explanation that failing more often is simply a consequence of attempting more.这个品质——韧性——是两个较低分数段完全没有的补充,还附带了一个精确的解释:失败次数更多只是因为尝试次数更多这一自然结果。
   • GRA“Talent helps. Patience and people matter more.” — Two short, clipped sentences replace the single longer 'but' sentence both lower bands use to close, a more deliberate, aphoristic rhythm achieved through fragmentation rather than coordination.两个简短、干净利落的句子取代了两个较低分数段用来收尾的那个更长的'but'句,这是一种通过分句实现的、更刻意、更近乎格言式的节奏。

9. 9. Do you agree or disagree that being too ambitious may not be good for children?

   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 commas to chain the three 'said so' clauses together loosely, rather than separating the boy's ambition into its own more compact structure.用逗号松散地串联起三个'said so'从句,而不是把关于这个男孩的抱负单独组织成一个更紧凑的结构。

   I agree, and I think of a boy from my class in Hue. At eight he was going to be a surgeon, his parents said so, his teachers said so, and he said so too, and at fourteen one bad maths mark broke something in him that I don't think was ever fully repaired. I think the ambition had become his whole identity, and it had no room left for failure. Ambition in children should be large and loose, more like a direction than a contract. When it becomes rigid, it produces anxiety and a fear of even trying. Children need to be allowed to want things badly and still lose them sometimes without it meaning the end.

   查看中文翻译

   我同意,而且我会想起顺化我们班上的一个男孩。他八岁的时候就要当外科医生了,他父母这么说,他的老师也这么说,他自己也这么说,而到了十四岁,一次不及格的数学成绩打碎了他心里的某个东西,我觉得那个东西从未真正被修复过。我认为那份抱负已经变成了他的整个身份,而这份身份里再也容不下失败。孩子身上的抱负应该是宽泛而松散的,更像是一个方向,而不是一份合同。当它变得僵化时,就会产生焦虑,以及对尝试本身的恐惧。孩子们需要被允许去强烈地想要一些东西,并在有时候失去它们之后,依然知道这并不意味着一切都结束了。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“I think the ambition had become his whole identity, and it had no room left for failure.” — This is a plain, separate sentence stating the diagnosis. The 7.5 answer fuses a nearly identical diagnosis directly onto the anecdote sentence using 'because', avoiding a new sentence for the same idea.这是一个平实、独立的句子,陈述了诊断结果。7.5分的答案则用'because'把一个几乎相同的诊断直接接到逸事上,不再另起一句来表达同样的意思。
   • LR“one bad maths mark broke something in him” — This phrase is used closely across all three bands, but the surrounding description shifts: 6.5 says it 'was ever fully repaired', while 7.5 uses the plainer, slightly more understated 'was ever repaired', trimming the intensifier for a more controlled tone.这个短语在三个分数段中的用法很接近,但周围的描述有所变化:6.5分说'was ever fully repaired',而7.5分用了更平淡、略显克制的'was ever repaired',去掉了强调词,语气更有控制力。
   • GRA“At eight he was going to be a surgeon, his parents said so, his teachers said so, and he said so too, and at fourteen one bad maths mark broke something in him that I don't think was ever fully repaired.” — A long chain of comma-joined clauses runs through this sentence without much internal punctuation variety. The 7.5 answer punctuates a similar list with dashes to set off the repeated 'said so' clauses more clearly, giving the sentence more visible structure.这句话贯穿着一长串用逗号连接的分句,内部标点变化不多。7.5分的答案给类似的列表加上破折号,把重复出现的'said so'分句框出来,更清楚地展现出句子的结构。

   7.0 分

   Sets the three 'said so' clauses off between dashes rather than commas, and extends the list of what rigid ambition produces to three items instead of two.用破折号而不是逗号来框出三个'said so'从句,并把僵化抱负带来的后果清单扩展成三项而不是两项。

   Honestly, I agree, and I think of a boy from my class in Hue. At eight he was going to be a surgeon — his parents said so, his teachers said so, he said so himself — and at fourteen one bad maths mark broke something in him that I don't think was ever properly repaired. To be fair, the ambition had become his entire identity by then, and it simply had no room for failure. Ambition in children should stay large and loose — a direction, not a contract. When it becomes rigid instead, it produces anxiety, a fear of even trying, and a childhood spent as preparation rather than as childhood itself. Children need to be allowed to want things badly and lose them without it meaning the end.

   查看中文翻译

   说实话,我同意,而且我会想起顺化我们班上的一个男孩。他八岁的时候就要当外科医生了——他父母这么说,他的老师也这么说,他自己也这么说——而到了十四岁,一次不及格的数学成绩打碎了他心里的某个东西,我觉得那个东西从未真正妥善地被修复过。说句公道话,到那个时候,那份抱负已经变成了他的整个身份,而这份身份里根本容不下失败。孩子身上的抱负应该保持宽泛而松散——是一个方向,而不是一份合同。而一旦它变得僵化,就会产生焦虑、对尝试本身的恐惧,以及一整个把童年当成“准备阶段”而不是童年本身来度过的经历。孩子们需要被允许去强烈地想要一些东西,并且失去它们,而不必觉得这意味着一切都结束了。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“To be fair, the ambition had become his entire identity by then, and it simply had no room for failure.” — 'To be fair' introduces the diagnosis as a considered judgement, a more connected move than the 6.5 answer's plainer 'I think the ambition had become his whole identity...' opener.'To be fair'把这个诊断作为一个经过深思熟虑的判断引入,比6.5分平铺直叙的开头'I think the ambition had become his whole identity...'更有连贯性。
   • LR“a childhood spent as preparation rather than as childhood itself” — This is a precise, almost paradoxical phrase — 'childhood... rather than... childhood' — that neither the 6.5 answer includes at all, which stops its list at 'anxiety and a fear of even trying'.这是一个精确、近乎悖论式的短语——'childhood... rather than... childhood'——是6.5分完全没有的,后者的列表止步于'anxiety and a fear of even trying'。
   • GRA“When it becomes rigid instead, it produces anxiety, a fear of even trying, and a childhood spent as preparation rather than as childhood itself.” — A three-item list follows the 'when' clause, longer than the 6.5 answer's two-item version of the same list, adding the extra clause about childhood as preparation.在'when'从句之后跟着一个三项列表,比6.5分中同一份列表的两项版本更长,加入了关于童年被当作“准备阶段”的额外分句。

   7.5 分

   Closes with the compact final sentence 'Too much ambition, too early, takes that permission away', echoing the earlier word 'allowed' from a distance to tie the whole answer together.以紧凑的结尾句“Too much ambition, too early, takes that permission away”收尾,从远处呼应了前面用过的词'allowed',把整个答案串联起来。

   Agree, and I think of a boy from my class in Hue. At eight he was going to be a surgeon — his parents said so, his teachers said so, he said so — and at fourteen one bad maths mark broke something in him that I don't think was ever repaired, because the ambition had become his entire identity and it had no room for failure. Ambition in children should be large and loose: a direction, not a contract. When it becomes rigid, it produces anxiety, fear of trying, and a childhood spent as preparation rather than as childhood. Children need to be allowed to want things badly and to lose them without it meaning the end. Too much ambition, too early, takes that permission away.

   查看中文翻译

   同意,而且我会想起顺化我们班上的一个男孩。他八岁的时候就要当外科医生了——他父母这么说,他的老师也这么说,他自己也这么说——而到了十四岁,一次不及格的数学成绩打碎了他心里的某个东西,我觉得那个东西从未真正被修复过,因为那份抱负已经变成了他的整个身份,而这份身份里再也容不下失败。孩子身上的抱负应该宽泛而松散:是一个方向,而不是一份合同。当它变得僵化时,就会产生焦虑、对尝试的恐惧,以及一整个把童年当作“准备阶段”、而不是童年本身来度过的经历。孩子们需要被允许去强烈地想要一些东西,并且能够失去它们,而不必觉得这意味着一切都结束了。太多的抱负,来得太早,会把这份允许收走。

   为什么是这个分数

   • FC“Too much ambition, too early, takes that permission away.” — This closing sentence deliberately echoes the earlier word 'allowed' with 'permission', tying the ending back to an idea stated two sentences before — a cohesive callback neither lower band attempts.这句结尾故意用'permission'呼应了前面的'allowed'一词,把结尾和两句之前提出的一个想法联系起来——这是一种两个较低分数段都没有尝试过的连贯性回扣手法。
   • LR“the ambition had become his entire identity and it had no room for failure” — Fusing this diagnosis directly onto the anecdote with 'because', rather than stating it as a separate sentence, is a more economical way of connecting cause and consequence than either lower band's separate diagnostic sentence.用'because'把这个诊断直接接到逸事上,而不是把它当作一个独立的句子来陈述,这是一种比两个较低分数段中各自独立的诊断句更经济的方式来连接原因和结果。
   • GRA“Ambition in children should be large and loose: a direction, not a contract.” — The colon introduces a compact appositive pair ('a direction, not a contract') directly, a more economical structure than the 7.0 answer's dash-set-off version of the same phrase.冒号直接引出了一个紧凑的同位语对句('a direction, not a contract'),比7.0分中用破折号引出的同一短语的版本更经济。