【雅思口语】八大魔鬼话题之五：成功

成功，是雅思口语考试卡片题四类（人物、地点、物品、事件）常考题型中的事件题，又被称作经历题。该题的难点在于较为抽象，难以选材。如果能将“成功”具体化，其难度则大大降低。考生往往把成功二字想得过于高大显赫，总结自己似乎一直经历平平，并没有明显起伏，于是败下阵来，举足无措。殊不知，其实成功的理解可以有多方面，对于该话题的回答也可以灵活多样。

一、话题准备

成功可包括两种：1、他人公认的成功，如学业或工作方面的成就。2、自己认为的成功，这个就灵活了，可以是个人任何一个计划、目标或愿望的实现。

先看前一种，我们将其细化，可以是由于德、智、体、美、劳任意一方面的突出表现，获得了相应的奖励。以智、体、美为例，可以选择的话题如下：

智：

某次考试拿了第一，夺得荣誉（如果你是尖子生）；

某次考试进步飞跃，获得表扬（如果你是普通生）；

某场大型比赛取得成果（演讲，作文，数理化竞赛等）；

体：

某次校级（甚至市级、省级）运动会夺得名次；

某场篮球/足球/乒乓球/羽毛球/网球/游泳等比赛（可以是非正式的，小集体内部的）取得名次；

某节体育课测验（长短跑、球类、体操类）进步明显；

美：

某次校级（市级、省级）才艺大赛夺得名次（个人成功）；

某次组织班集体参加的比赛获得名次（集体成功）；

以上都是针对学生时代的话题，当然也可以稍作修改，变成工作中的成功案例。智方面就是工作表现，一次获得晋升的经历，或是自己的成功创业故事，体和美可以是公司组织的体育或才艺竞赛活动。

再看后一种，可以把a success(一次成功)看作是successfully did sth（成功地做成了某事），那么难题便迎刃而解。如果思路够宽，还有意外的收获，准备成功的话题可以为其他话题储备素材，可谓一石二鸟。建议如下：

成功戒烟/戒酒/戒游戏/减肥/克服羞涩（近似于a change in life）

成功指导或帮助别人戒烟/戒酒/戒游戏/减肥/克服羞涩（素材可用于人物题的故事插入）

成功地维权（素材可用于物品题，something you bought but you were not happy with，讲买的东西有质量问题，不满意，要求索赔，最终成功）

成功地脱险（近似于an unforgettable event）

成功地网上交友（素材可用于科技类话题）

成功地与病魔抗争（素材可用于a change in life, a happy moment, a piece of good news）

二、真题示范

分析：该题要求描述过去的一次成功经历，以上所述话题准备的内容均适用，注意时态的正确选用，讲清楚成功的来龙去脉即可。

Sample Response：

Well, what has been the big success that makes me proud of in my life? It definitely goes to my weight loss story.

I grew up as an overweight kid. I was always tired and had very little energy to do anything. I was depressed and became a person with low self-esteem. As I got older, I knew I had to make some changes.

So I made a weight loss plan when I was in junior high school, adhering to it and couldn’t be happier when I found it worked after two years’ trying. The plan was actually quite simple, eat less and exercise more. I went on a very strict nutritional regimen. I cut out all empty calories from my diet (fast food, sweets, soda, etc.) and really focused on only eating clean nutrient dense foods. On top of that, I went jogging every morning, be it chilly winter or hot summer.

The changes were incredible; I lost ten kilograms within two years. What’s most important is, I am healthier than ever before. I feel much more athletic now. I have an overall sense of well being that I never experienced when I was heavier. I have so much more energy and I sleep better also.

I feel especially flatted when others can hardly believe I was a much bigger girl. It was really a success.

分析：该题与上题的区别在于时态上的限定。话题依然适用，只不过用不上过去式，更多的是条件句和虚拟语气的使用。

Sample Response：

Well, I’ve always had this dream that one day I could be a successful businesswoman. I mean, start my own business and become the boss of my own.

I am totally aware of the difficulty that I will encounter in the process. Lacking capital is the biggest headache. Without money, you can’t hire, you can’t pay yourself, and you can barely eat. But if I started to do it, I would hang in there until I succeed. I believe refusing to give up is a spirit needed when chasing one’s dream. It gives you the kind of strength to conquer. Another challenge might be how to balance work and life. It is not easy for a woman to run a successful business, largely due to the fact that women, more often than not, share a larger responsibility in taking care of the family. But I don’t see that’s a problem as long as you keep everything organized and under control.

The reason why I wanna be a self-supported boss is simple: I am tired of working for others. It would be great to run a business in my own way.

So I am gonna keep my dream in mind and try the best I can to make it come true. As I always tell myself, “Never spend a day off without doing anything that can make your dream comes true.”

希望大家能够对成功类的话题有充分的准备，在雅思口语考试中轻松应对。