这个网站不仅可以用来吵架,还能用来练写作

2017年05月21日 荞爸的澳洲来信


亲爱的微友:


四周过去了,有没有人敢在留言区里吼一声:我写了四篇作文了?


如果没有,我深深地理解你,因为动笔写作真的不是件容易的事,比坚持每天不刷微信都不容易。


凡是需要耗时耗力耗脑的事情,都需要兴趣的支撑,否则难免只会有三分钟的热度。


对写作来说尤其如此。怎样才能让自己有持续不断的欲望把想说的话转化成一段段的文字?



我相信很多人都玩过知乎。知乎里面有些问题需要专业的知识和见解才能解答,但是也有很多用普通人的生活经验就能回答的问题。


知乎的问题范围如此之广,以至于几乎每个人都能找到正中下怀问题。所以,这是一个极佳的写作练习平台。


如果换成英文写作,也有一个类似的平台,那就是Quora。



Quora是由Facebook的两个前员工创办的,意思就是Question or Answer。Quora公开投入互联网使用是在2010年6月,而知乎成立是在2011年1月。可以说,知乎是对Quora的成功模仿。


如果你会玩知乎,Quora是类似的,只是把界面换成中文而已。


当你用中国大陆用户的身份注册以后,Quora会推送好多关于中国的问题要你回答。这时候,你会发现——哇,老外居然会问出这样蠢的问题!于是,你就会忍不住给他们科普一番。


写作的兴趣和动力就是这样来的。



比如说,你可以教他们中文:



比如说,你可以告诉他们什么是坐月子:



比如说,告诉他们中国人是怎么起名字的:



你也可以跟他们争论吃狗肉的合理性:



不知你注意到没有,在我名字后面有类似于个性签名的一句话——Don't hesitate to correct mistakes in my written English,每次我回答问题的时候都会出现。真的有人会冒出来纠正你的语法错误哦!




总之,由于Quora用户来自世界各地,这是一个比知乎更好玩的地方。当你沉浸于各种用英文科普与撕逼的快感之中的时候,你的英文写作不知不觉就提高了。




按照惯例,附上本周雅思大作文习作。


Some countries have free health services. However, some people feel that those who live unhealthy lives – smoking, not exercising, being stressed, etc – should not receive free health services. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?


It is argued that people who adopt harmful lifestyles should not be included in free medical care. I disagree with this idea.


People who are in favor of this view may base their argument on the ground that those who live unhealthy lives tend to consume more medical resources than ordinary people. Smoking, sedentary lifestyles and excessive stress often lead to health problems. As a consequence, people with these lifestyles are more likely to go to the hospital to receive medical treatment. It does not seem to make sense for the government to be responsible or their own irresponsible choices.


However, I believe that excluding these people from free health services is against the principle of equality. In an enlightened age we are supposed to be living in, all the people should be treated equally in terms of the right to enjoy pubic services. As we do not deprive slow or lazy children of the opportunity to receive free education, it is unjustifiable to close the door of public hospitals to smokers or couch potatoes.


Furthermore, it is difficult to decide what is an unhealthy lifestyle and whether an illness is caused by these lifestyles. For example, there is a big difference between a moderate drinker and an alcoholic, and alcoholics are also likely to suffer from diseases unrelated to drinking. Taking all certain occasions into account, the government may find it impossible to implement the policy regarding this issue.


To conclude, although the government may spend more money on people with unhealthy lifestyles, it is both unfair and impractical to keep them out of free health services.



荞爸

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