上海新东方国内部 贾从永

Directions:

For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay based on the picture below. You should start your essay with a brief description of the picture and then comment on the kid’s understanding of going to school. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.

本题说的是科技发展对教育的影响。在本题的漫画中，我们可以看到一个男孩手持手机问他的妈妈：如果我的手机什么都知道，我为什么还要上学呢？诚然，随着通讯技术的飞速发展，现在的孩子动动手指就能轻松获得所需的信息。但这个男孩对上学的理解显然失之偏颇，因为上学的意义并非仅在于获取信息。

这篇漫画作文宜写成三个段落。第一段指出漫画的寓意，并简要描述漫画。第二段阐述为什么上学并非仅仅意味着学会获取信息。为此，我们可以从几个方面阐述上学的重要作用：可以让孩子学会一些基本技能；可以让孩子完成社会化；可以培养孩子的批判思考的能力。第三段给这个男孩提出建议。虽然学校有其缺点，但它是培养孩子成为有用的社会成员的最好地方。因而那个男孩最好回到学校和他的同龄人一起接受教育，这才最有利于他的成长。请看范文：

Does education only means learning to obtain information? According to some, it does. As the picture shows, a schoolboy, holding a smart phone, is asking his mother: “Why am I going to school if my phone already knows everything?”

The answer to his question is that the benefits of going to school go beyond obtaining information. First, children can learn some basic skills at school.  Such skills as reading, writing and computing are indispensable for them to live a meaningful life. More important is socialization. Through interacting with their peers at school children learn the skills of communicating and cooperating with others. Most important of all, it is formal schooling that arms children with critical thinking, which is essential for them to survive and thrive in the 21st century.

In conclusion, for all its flaws, school is the best place to prepare children to be productive members of the society. Therefore it is in the boy’s best interest to join his peers back at school. (165 words)

语言亮点借鉴：

1. As the picture shows, a schoolboy, holding a smart phone, is asking his mother: ---正如这幅图画所显示的，一个手持智能手机的男生正在问他的妈妈：------。holding a smart phone是一个现在分词短语做后置定语，修饰schoolboy。这种定语可以用逗号与所修饰的名词分开，也可不用逗号分开，意思区别不大。

2. The answer to his question is that the benefits of going to school go beyond obtaining information. 他的问题的答案是：上学的好处不只是获取信息。go beyond，超过，大于。

3. More important is socialization.更重要的是社会化。本句倒装，这是加强上下文之间联系的一种重要手段。socialization，社会化，指儿童熟悉和内化所处社会的规范和价值观的过程。

4. Most important of all, it is formal schooling that arms children with critical thinking, which is essential for them to survive and thrive in the 21st century. 最重要的是，正式教育使学生具备批判思考的能力。这种能力对他们在21世纪中的生存和成功至关重要。survive and thrive，生存并成功。这个短语使用了押韵的修辞格，可增加文章的音韵美。

5. In conclusion, for all its flaws, school is the best place to prepare children to be productive members of the society. 总之，尽管学校有其缺点，但它是把孩子培养成有用的社会成员的最好的地方。for all，尽管，相当于despite。

6. Therefore it is in the boy’s best interest to join his peers back at school. 因而，这个男孩回到学校和同龄人在一起对他才最有利。in sb’s best interest，最符合某人的利益。peer n. 同龄人，同辈人。