2018年9月15日
雅思大作文题目
“In many countries today, women as well as men work full-time, so it is logical for women and men to share household tasks equally. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.”
解析&审题
本次考题是2014年5月1日的原题重现。
本题问的是：现在女性和男性都一样全职工作，那么在家里，夫妻是不是应该共同分担家务呢？我们应该注意，原题里有一个词 “logical”，因此准确地说，本题问的是，你是否同意“从逻辑上讲，夫妻是否应该分担家务”这个观点？
对于本题，我们的写作思路可以是这样的：我同意夫妻应该分担家务，首先由于妻子也有事业，如果所有家务都由妻子承担，那必然会影响她的事业发展；其次，如果夫妻共同承担家务，会促进家庭和谐，对于在这样家庭成长起来的孩子也有好处；最后，夫妻共同承担家务也是两性平等的具体体现。这是多数同学选择的写作思路。
当然，我们可以选择另外一条道路（也许是很少同学会选择的道路）：首先回应题目的要求，承认“从逻辑上讲”夫妻应该分担家务，然后转折回来，论证共同分担家务并不一定是家庭幸福的保证，两性平等也不一定体现在分担家务方面。和多数同学选择的论证思路相比，这一思路可能更新颖，也更能体现批判性思维这一雅思高分作文特征。
以下范文就是按照这个思路来写的，供各位烤鸭参考。
老师笔记
01
With dual-income families, it seems logic that the domestic burdens should be equally shouldered as an issue of gender equality as well as happy relationships. These days, there is evidence that the gender gap in housework has been narrowed gradually. Men are increasingly getting involved in housework, particularly if both men and women are employed in full-time jobs. For example, some husbands are having their share of household duties, such as cleaning, cooking, washing, and looking after children. In appearance, the zero gender gap is becoming a reality, in the sense that, since both men and women are equally the family’s bread-earners working from nine to five, both should share the housework equally.
对于双收入家庭，家庭负担应该作为一个两性平等和幸福关系的问题而平等地承担，这似乎是合乎逻辑的。现在，有证据表明家务劳动的性别差距逐渐缩小。男性越来越多地参与家务劳动，尤其是当男性和女性都从事全职工作的时候。例如，一些丈夫分担家务，如打扫卫生、做饭、洗衣和照看孩子。男人和女人都在朝九晚五地供养家庭，因此家务应该分担，在这个意义上，零性别差异表面上正在成为现实。
解析
（1） 本段直接进入正题，讨论在夫妻双方都在工作的前提下，分担家务是非常符合逻辑的，而且事实上好像也的确是按照这个逻辑在发生。本段回应的是题目中“夫妻分担家务是符合逻辑的”这个观点。
（2） domestic 家庭（内）的
（3） as an issue of... 作为......问题
（4） gender gap 性别差异
（5） in appearance 表面上看
（6） bread-owner 挣钱养家的人
02
For happy relationships, however, men and women equally sharing the housework is often not as important as what it seems. Ironically, the main reason for the persistence of inequality at home may be women themselves. Even in relationships in which the dual-earner couple aims to share the domestic burdens, most women would like to keep their men away from traditional tasks and childcare-giving activities. So, despite the best intentions of men, their women might think that, although sharing household chores may do no harm, it may do little to contribute to a happy marriage. On this issue, there may be no need to seek 50/50 gender equality because men will always be men and women will always be women. Given that both males and females are created equal, the two genders are not meant to share housework equally. Believe it or not, most women at heart may not expect this to happen.
然而，对于幸福的关系，男女平等分担家务往往并不像看上去的那么重要。具有讽刺意味的是，家庭中不平等现象长期存在可能主要是女性自己的原因。即使在双收入夫妇愿意分担家庭负担的关系中，大多数女性也希望让她们的男人远离传统的家务和照看孩子的工作。所以，尽管男人的本意是好的，但她们的妻子可能会认为，虽然分担家务活不会有什么害处，但却基本无助于幸福婚姻。在这个问题上，也许没有必要追求50/50的两性平等，因为男人永远是男人，女人永远是女人。诚然，男女生而平等，但这并不意味着他们必须平等地分担家务。不管你信不信，大多数女性内心或许也不这样期待。
解析
（1） 本段表达对“分担家务”的看法：分担家务并不一定带来婚姻幸福，并认为多数女性并不真正期待与丈夫平分家务。这个观点不一定正确，但肯定与多数同学的观点不一样，因此从某种程度上会给阅卷人带来一定的新鲜感。当然，这种内容的新鲜感不一定能提升考生的分数，但至少可以让考官看出学生在思维上的独特性，在语言水平同等的情况下，可能会给考生带来一个令人意想不到的分数。
（2） ironically 讽刺的是......
（3） persistence 坚持；持续
（4） intention 意图
（5） given that... 尽管......
（6） believe it or not 无论你信还是不信
03
It is proper to conclude that happy relationships have little to do with sharing the same amount of housework, even when women like men have full-time jobs. In this regard, gender equality and a happy marriage may have a logic different from equally sharing the housework.
这样总结是正确的：幸福的两性关系与分担同样数量的家务活没有什么关系，即使女人和男人一样有全职工作。在这方面，两性平等和幸福婚姻的逻辑可能不同于平等分担家务。
解析
（1）本段对前文的观点进行总结。
（2）to have little to do with... 与......没有什么关系
（3）in this regard 在这一方面
本范文中可背诵的句子
1. In appearance, the zero gender gap is becoming a reality, in the sense that, since both men and women are equally the family’s bread-earners working from nine to five, both should share the housework equally.
男人和女人都在朝九晚五地供养家庭，因此家务应该分担，在这个意义上，零性别差异表面上正在成为现实。
2. Even in relationships in which the dual-earner couple aims to share the domestic burdens, most women would like to keep their men away from traditional tasks and childcare-giving activities.
即使在双收入夫妇愿意分担家庭负担的关系中，大多数女性也希望让她们的男人远离传统的家务和照看孩子的工作。
3. Despite the best intentions of men, their women might think that, although sharing household chores may do no harm, it may do little to contribute to a happy marriage.
尽管男人的本意是好的，但她们的妻子可能会认为，虽然分担家务活不会有什么害处，但却基本无助于幸福婚姻。
4. Given that both males and females are created equal, the two genders are not meant to share housework equally.
诚然，男女生而平等，但这并不意味着他们必须平等地分担家务。
5. It is proper to conclude that happy relationships have little to do with sharing the same amount of housework, even when women like men have full-time jobs.
这样总结是正确的：幸福的两性关系与分担同样数量的家务活没有什么关系，即使女人和男人一样有全职工作。
7分范文
With dual-income families, it seems logic that the domestic burdens should be equally shouldered as an issue of gender equality as well as happy relationships. These days, there is evidence that the gender gap in housework has been narrowed gradually. Men are increasingly getting involved in housework, particularly if both men and women are employed in full-time jobs. For example, some husbands are having their share of household duties, such as cleaning, cooking, washing, and looking after children. In appearance, the zero gender gap is becoming a reality, in the sense that, since both men and women are equally the family’s bread-earners working from nine to five, both should share the housework equally.
For happy relationships, however, men and women equally sharing the housework is often not as important as what it seems. Ironically, the main reason for the persistence of inequality at home may be women themselves. Even in relationships in which the dual-earner couple aims to share the domestic burdens, most women would like to keep their men away from traditional tasks and childcare-giving activities. So, despite the best intentions of men, their women might think that, although sharing household chores may do no harm, it may do little to contribute to a happy marriage. On this issue, there may be no need to seek 50/50 gender equality because men will always be men and women will always be women. Given that both males and females are created equal, the two genders are not meant to share housework equally. Believe it or not, most women at heart may not expect this to happen.
It is proper to conclude that happy relationships have little to do with sharing the same amount of housework, even when women like men have full-time jobs. In this regard, gender equality and a happy marriage may have a logic different from equally sharing the housework.
(313 words)
