“简明英语” 运动 (‘Plain English’ movement) - 雅思学术阅读题 - 摘要完成题

2024-07-13 23:09   北京  


Academic Reading Sample Task – Summary Completion: selecting words from the text

学术阅读示例任务 – 完成摘要 (Summary Completion) :从文本中选择单词

[Note: This is an extract from a Part 3 text about the ‘Plain English’ movement, which promotes the use of clear English.]

[注:这是关于 ‘简明英语’ 运动第三部分文本的摘录,该运动提倡使用清晰的英语。]

‘The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Language’, David Crystal, 3rd Edition, © Cambridge University Press, 2010.

《剑桥语言百科全书》 (The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Language),David Crystal,第 3 版,© 剑桥大学出版社,2010 年。


The instructions accompanying do-it-yourself products are regularly cited as a source of unnecessary expense or frustration. Few companies seem to test their instructions by having them followed by a first-time user. Often, essential information is omitted, steps in the construction process are taken for granted, and some degree of special knowledge is assumed. This is especially worrying in any fields where failure to follow correct procedures can be dangerous.

DIY产品随附的说明书经常被认为是造成不必要花费 (unnecessary expense) 或沮丧 (frustration) 的根源。很少有公司会通过让首次使用者按照说明书进行测试来测试其说明书 (Few companies seem to test their instructions by having them followed by a first-time user)。通常 (Often),他们会省略基本信息,将构建过程中的步骤视为理所当然,并假定用户具备一定程度的专业知识。在任何不遵循正确程序都可能造成危险的领域,这种情况尤其令人担忧。


Objections to material in plain English have come mainly from the legal profession. Lawyers point to the risk of ambiguity inherent in the use of everyday language for legal or official documents, and draw attention to the need for confidence in legal formulations, which can come only from using language that has been tested in courts over the course of centuries. The campaigners point out that there has been no sudden increase in litigation as a consequence of the increase in plain English materials.

对使用简明英语材料 (material in plain English) 的反对 (objections) 主要来自法律界。律师 (Lawyers) 指出,在法律或官方文件 (legal or official documents) 中使用日常用语存在歧义风险 (the risk of ambiguity),并提醒人们注意对法律表述的信心,而这种信心只有通过使用经过数百年法庭检验的语言才能实现。而倡导者们 (campaigners) 指出,随着使用简明英语材料的增多,诉讼案件 (litigation) 并没有突然增加。


Similarly, professionals in several different fields have defended their use of technical and complex language as being the most precise means of expressing technical or complex ideas. This is undoubtedly true: scientists, doctors, bankers and others need their jargon in order to communicate with each other succinctly and unambiguously. But when it comes to addressing the non-specialist consumer, the campaigners argue, different criteria must apply.

同样,多个不同领域的专业人士也为自己的复杂技术语言 (technical and complex language) 辩护,称其是表达技术或复杂思想的最精确方式 (most precise means)。这无疑是正确的:科学家 (scientist)、医生 (doctors)、银行家 (bankers) 和其他人需要使用专业术语 (jargon) 来简洁 (succinctly)、明确地 (unambiguously) 相互交流。但倡导者们 (campaigners) 认为,当涉及到非专业消费者 (non-specialist consumer) 时,必须采用不同的标准。


Questions 1 – 5

问题 1-5


Complete the summary below.

完成下面的摘要。


Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

从文章中选择最多两个单词作为每个答案。


Write your answers in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.

将您的答案写在答题纸上的1-5框中。

Consumers often complain that they experience a feeling of 1................ when trying to put together do-it-yourself products which have not been tested by companies on a 2.................

In situations where not keeping to the correct procedures could affect safety issues, it is especially important that 3................information is not left out and no assumptions are made about a stage being self-evident or the consumer having a certain amount of 4..................

Lawyers, however, have raised objections to the use of plain English. They feel that it would

result in ambiguity in documents and cause people to lose faith in 5............... , as it would mean departing from language that has been used in the courts for a very long time.

(答案在文末)

---------- 文章分析 ----------

这篇雅思阅读文章讨论了不同领域在语言使用上的争议,尤其是自助产品说明书、法律文件和技术语言的使用。文章可以分为三个主要部分,每个部分讨论一个特定的主题或观点。

第一部分:自助产品说明书的问题


主要内容:

  • 自助产品的说明书常被认为是无谓的开支或引发挫败感的源头。

  • 很少有公司通过让首次使用说明书的用户来测试其说明书。

  • 说明书中经常缺乏必要的信息,安装步骤被认为是理所当然的,并且假设用户有一定的专业知识。

  • 在某些未遵循正确程序可能带来危险的领域,这尤为令人担忧。


分析:这部分主要指出自助产品说明书存在的实际问题,以及这些问题可能带来的潜在风险。作者强调了说明书缺乏有效性测试和对用户专业知识的假设,这在某些危险领域尤其令人担忧。

第二部分:法律界对简单英语材料的反对


主要内容:

  • 反对使用简单英语材料的主要来源是法律界。

  • 律师认为在法律或官方文件中使用日常语言会有模糊风险。

  • 强调只有使用经过数百年法庭检验的语言,才能对法律表述有信心。

  • 倡导者指出,增加简单英语材料并没有导致诉讼突然增加。


分析:这部分讨论了法律界对使用简单英语材料的反对意见。律师担心日常语言在法律文件中的模糊性,强调传统法律语言的可靠性。与此同时,倡导者反驳称,增加简单英语材料并未引起诉讼增加,这暗示简单英语的使用并未如律师所担心的那样产生负面效果。

第三部分:专业领域的技术语言使用


主要内容:

  • 不同领域的专业人士为使用技术和复杂语言进行辩护,认为这是表达技术或复杂思想的最精确方式。

  • 科学家、医生、银行家等需要使用专业术语以简洁明确地进行交流。

  • 倡导者认为,面对非专业消费者时,应使用不同的标准。


分析:这部分探讨了在不同专业领域内使用技术语言的必要性和优点。专业人士认为专业术语能准确地表达复杂思想,而倡导者则认为在面对普通消费者时,应该使用更易懂的语言。文章最后提出了对不同受众应采用不同语言标准的观点。

综合分析:

  1. 主题句和支持细节:每部分都有一个主题句,紧跟着的是支持细节。主题句通常概括了该段的主要论点,而支持细节提供了具体的例子或解释来支持主题句。

  2. 对比和反驳:文章通过对比不同领域的观点,展示了各自的合理性和局限性。例如,法律界的反对意见和倡导者的反驳,专业人士对技术语言的辩护和倡导者对非专业消费者的考虑。

  3. 逻辑结构:文章结构清晰,从具体问题(自助产品说明书)到更广泛的争议(简单英语和技术语言),层层递进,逻辑严密。

---------- 答案 ----------

1 frustration

2 first-time user

3 essential

4 special knowledge

5 legal formulations


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