A 版本: These images highlight a notable trend in modern society: pets replacing children as family members. On the left, we see a woman pushing a stroller—but instead of children, two little puppies are peering out from inside. Across from her, two people are each carrying a dog over their shoulder, much like an infant. The man on the right side of the group is pushing two children in a small cart. He is the only person with human companions. The center image offers a scene of traditional parenting: a mother is bottle-feeding her baby while the father is sitting at the table helping their older son with his homework. The right-hand image completes the comparison: a woman with a puppy on her lap is spoon-feeding another “fur baby” in the pet bed next to her, as a seated man watches.
This shift toward treating pets more as family members reflects changing life priorities in contemporary society. Modern culture emphasizes personal freedom and career fulfillment, making the demands of child-rearing less appealing, particularly for those with limited time and resources. Pets offer a middle ground: they provide companionship and emotional connection without the immense time and energy that childcare requires. As pets increasingly take the place of children, one consequence is clear: the already thriving pet economy will continue to grow, with more specialized shops and clinics continuing to spring up to cater to the needs of pets—or rather, to the desires of their owners. Whether this pets-over-children trend contributes to declining birth rates remains a question for experts, but one thing is certain: the cultural shift is undeniable.
B 版本: These images capture some familiar sights in modern society. In the image on the left, a man and a woman are standing with their backs to the camera, each holding a small dog over their shoulder. Facing them is another couple. The man steers a pushcart carrying two small children, while the woman pushes a stroller—with two puppies in it. Echoing the contrast between actual children and pets treated as children, the other two images show young couples spending quality time with their loved ones. The woman in the center image is bottle-feeding a baby in her arms, while the man is helping his son with homework. Instead of a child, the woman in the right-hand image has one dog on her lap while spoon-feeding another sitting next to her in a cozy pet bed, as the man leans toward it, his hand gently resting on its shoulder. Both humans watch over their “fur babies” with as much affection as any parents would their young children.
What these images convey is a growing preference for pets over children. A primary driver of this shift is our changing life priorities: contemporary culture stresses personal freedom and self-fulfillment, which often clash with the devotion and sacrifice required for child-rearing. While pets also need care, they are less demanding and more affordable. Compared to children, their core requirements—food, shelter, and affection—are far simpler to meet. Expenses such as tuition and other costs of raising kids are never an issue when raising a pet. Furthermore, dogs and cats have another distinct advantage: they don’t talk back—at least not in the way human children often do. All of these factors make pets an invitingalternative to parenthood. One obvious implication of this trend is that the already thriving pet economy will continue to grow, as stores and clinics catering to the needs of pets and their owners keep springing up around the city. Combined with the declining birth rate, it’s no wonder that when we see strollers, they are as likely to contain a puppy as a baby. It is an ironic trade: human babies are losing their strollers to dogs, while those same dogs are losing their natural freedom to run on their four legs.
直接破題:A 版本第一句話就明確指出圖片所強調的現代社會趨勢:「寵物取代小孩成為家庭成員 (pets replacing children as family members)」。 空間引導:運用清晰的空間標記(如 On the left, The center image, The right-hand image),有條理地帶領讀者看過每一張圖片。 動作刻畫:生動描寫細節,例如小狗從推車中「探出頭來 (peering out)」。
策略 2 :情感帶入,對比人物互動(參考 B 版本)
觀察互動:B 版本更注重人物動作與畫面的對稱性,例如精準描寫人們「將小狗扛在肩上 (holding a small dog over their shoulder)」的畫面。 營造對比感:除了描寫傳統家庭(餵奶、陪小孩寫作業)之外,更著重描寫寵物主人對待寵物的情感,強調主人照顧毛小孩的愛「絲毫不亞於父母對待親生孩子 (with as much affection as any parents would their young children)」。
探討現象主因 (Causes) 兩版皆精準指出核心原因在於「人生優先順序的改變 (changing life priorities)」。 現代文化強調個人自由與職涯成就 (personal freedom and career fulfillment/self-fulfillment),這與養育孩子所需的奉獻與犧牲產生了衝突。
分析寵物勝出的優勢 (Advantages of Pets) A 版強調「折衷方案」:將養寵物視為一種 middle ground(折衷方案),既能提供陪伴與情感連結,又不需要耗費龐大的時間與精力。 B 版強調「具體現實考量」:進一步比較兩者差異,指出寵物需求簡單(只需食物、住所和關愛),且不用負擔學費等開銷。甚至幽默地提到「狗和貓有一個明顯的優勢:牠們不會像人類小孩那樣頂嘴 (they don’t talk back)」。
預測社會影響 (Implications) 當越來越多人選擇養寵物,最直接的結果就是「寵物經濟的蓬勃發展 (thriving pet economy)」,城市中將湧現更多專門滿足寵物與飼主需求的商店和診所。
結尾反思與亮點 (Conclusion) A 版以客觀角度總結:無論此趨勢是否導致生育率下降,這種文化轉變已經是不可否認的事實 (the cultural shift is undeniable)。 B 版展現了高超的「諷刺修辭 (irony)」技巧:結尾點出這是一個諷刺的交換 (ironic trade)——「人類嬰兒失去了嬰兒車,而同樣地,這些狗也失去了用四條腿奔跑的自然自由」。這種帶有哲學意味的結尾能讓閱卷老師留下極深刻的印象。
關鍵三 :大師級亮點單字與句型統整
要讓文章更有說服力,必須使用精確的學術與敘述詞彙。以下整理自範文的實用詞彙與句型:
描述圖表與對比必備
highlight a notable trend 突顯一個顯著的趨勢 echoing the contrastbetween A and B 呼應 A 與 B 之間的對比 bottle-feeding /spoon-feeding 瓶餵 / 湯匙餵食(生動的動詞使用)
分析趨勢與現象必備
changing life priorities 改變中的人生優先順序 offer a middle ground 提供一個折衷方案 a primary driver of this shift is... 造成這種轉變的主要驅動力是... an invitingalternative to parenthood 成為為人父母的誘人替代方案 thriving pet economy 蓬勃發展的寵物經濟
寫作高分金句精選
"Modern culture emphasizes personal freedom and career fulfillment, making the demands of child-rearing less appealing, particularly for those with limited time and resources." (現代文化強調個人自由與職業成就,使得養育子女的要求變得較不具吸引力,特別是對那些時間和資源有限的人來說。) 解析: 利用 V-ing (making...) 作為結果分詞構句,使句子結構更加緊湊高級。
B 版本
這些圖片捕捉了現代社會中一些熟悉的景象。在左側的圖片中,一男一女背對著鏡頭站立,各自用手托著一隻趴在他們肩上的小狗。面對他們的是另一對男女,男子推著一輛載著兩個小孩的手推車,女子則推著嬰兒車——裡面是兩隻小狗。另外兩張圖片都顯示了年輕伴侶和親子摯愛共度美好時光的畫面,呼應左圖中真正的小孩和被當作小孩的寵物之間的對比。中間圖片的女子正在瓶餵懷中的嬰兒,而男子則在指導兒子做功課。右側圖片的女子膝腿上坐著的不是小孩而是一隻小狗,正一面用湯匙餵食身旁另一隻舒舒服服坐在寵物床上的小狗;男子則身子前傾,手輕輕放在被餵食小狗的肩膀上。這兩人看顧他們「毛小孩」時所流露出的愛,絲毫不亞於父母對待親生孩子。
這些圖片傳達的是人們越來越偏好養寵物而不是生小孩。造成這種轉變的主要原因,是我們人生的優先順序正在改變:當代文化強調個人自由與自我實現,這往往與養育孩子所需的奉獻和犧牲產生衝突。雖然寵物也需要照顧,但牠們的要求較低且比較容易負擔。與小孩相比,寵物的核心需求——食物、棲所和關愛——要容易滿足得多。像是學費等養育小孩的開銷,在養寵物時從來不會成為問題。此外,狗和貓還有一個明顯的優勢:牠們不會頂嘴——至少不會像人類小孩常見的那樣頂嘴。所有這些因素都使得寵物成了為人父母之外很誘人的替代方案。這種趨勢的一個明顯影響是,已然蓬勃發展的寵物經濟將持續成長,滿足寵物及飼主需求的商店和診所會持續在都市裏冒出。此趨勢和不斷下降的生育率相互加成,也難怪我們現在看到嬰兒車時,裡面裝載著小狗的機率和裝載著嬰兒的機率一樣高。這是一個諷刺的交換:人類嬰兒的嬰兒車讓給了狗,但這些狗也失去了他們天生用四條腿奔跑的自由。
單字片語整理
Words in Use
●
highlight
[ˋhaɪ͵laɪt]
n. 最精彩的部分
vt. 突顯,強調
=
emphasize
Our stay in Paris was certainly the highlight of our trip.
我們在巴黎停留的期間絕對是此行最精彩的部分。
You should highlight your work experience in the resume.
你應該在履歷表中突顯你的工作經驗。
多益藍色
英檢中高
高中 Level 5
●
notable
[ˋnotəb!]
a. . 值得注意的;著名的
The Mona Lisa is one of the notable paintings on display at the Louvre museum.
《蒙娜麗莎》是羅浮宮展出的著名畫作之一。
Among the notables at the event were several Hollywood actors, some popular singers, and a few
politicians.
此活動中的名人包括幾位好萊塢演員、一些流行歌手和幾位
政治人物。
多益金色
英檢中高
高中 Level 6
●
priority
[praɪˋɔrətɪ]
n. 優先考慮的事(可數);優先權(不可數)
You need to get your priorities right so you can get things done on time.
你得搞清楚事情的優先順序,以便能把事情準時完成。
You need to get your priorities straight so you can get things done on time.
你得搞清楚事情的優先順序,以便能把事情準時完成。
Our top priority is to improve quality control on the assembly line.
我們的首要任務就是提升裝配線上的品質控管。
Pedestrians at intersections have priority over vehicles.
相較於車輛,行人在十字路口有優先權。
多益藍色
英檢中高
高中 Level 4
●
middle ground
中間立場
Let's try and find the middle ground.
讓我們試著達成協議吧。
●
thriving
[ˋθraɪvɪŋ]
a. 欣欣向榮的,繁榮興盛的
Local businesses are thriving thanks to the increasing number of tourists.
由於遊客數不斷上升,當地的商家欣欣向榮。
●
economy
[ɪˋkɑnəmɪ]
n. 經濟;節儉
The economy of this country seems to be improving.
這個國家的經濟似乎正在好轉。
Several decisions about the economy were made by us in order to save money.
為了節省開支,我們做了好幾樣省錢的決定。
多益藍色
英檢中級
高中 Level 4
●
echo
[ˋɛko]
vt. 重複;呼應
n. 回音
=
repeat
=
reiterate
I heard vague echoes of someone’s footsteps.
我隱約聽見某人腳步聲的回音。
Our teacher echoed what the report stated.
我們老師把報告上寫的東西重述一遍。
The novel echoes the struggles of workers in that era.
這部小說映照出那個時代勞工的掙扎。
高中 Level 3
●
contrast
[ˋkɑn͵træst]
n. 對比,差異
vt. 對比
Tom is introverted. By contrast, his brother John is extroverted.
湯姆很內向。相對之下,他哥哥約翰就很外向。
The puppy appears small in contrast to its mother.
這隻小狗和母狗比起來模樣小多了。
When you contrast Edward with Henry, you’ll find a big difference between them in terms of personality.
你將愛德華與亨利對比時,會發現兩人的個性有很大的差異。
多益藍色
英檢中級
高中 Level 4
●
bottle
[ˋbɑt!]
vt. 將……裝入瓶中
n. 瓶子
There is a bottle of juice on the table.
桌上有一瓶果汁。
Jim bottles fresh mountain spring water.
吉姆將新鮮的山泉水裝入瓶中。
高中 Level 1
●
spoon
[spun]
n. 湯匙
I need a spoon to eat my soup.
我需要一根湯匙來喝湯。
高中 Level 2
●
feed
[fid]
vi. 以……為食
n. 飼料(不可數)
vt. 餵食
三態
feed / fed [fɛd] / fed [fɛd]
Don’t forget to feed the baby.
別忘了要餵小寶寶。
Cattle feed on grass.
牛以草為食。
We need to get some feed for the horse.
我們得去買一些飼料給馬吃。
高中 Level 1
●
primary
[ˋpraɪ͵mɛrɪ]
adj. 主要的,首要的;初級教育的
=
fundamental
Trevor’s primary reason for going to the party was to meet girls.
崔佛去參加派對的主要原因是要去認識女孩子。
Many people believe in the importance of primary education.
許多人深信初等教育的重要。
Many primary school students in this country exercise less than 2 hours a week.
很多這國家的小學生每週運動不到 2 個小時。
Blue is my favorite primary color.
藍色是我最喜歡的基本色。
多益藍色
英檢中級
高中 Level 2
●
shift
[ʃɪft]
.vt. 轉移,轉變,改變
n. 輪班;轉變
Don't try to shift the blame to me.
不要試圖把責任推到我身上。
What can I do to shift my son'sattention from computer games to his studies?
我該怎麼做才能把我兒子的注意力從電動玩具轉移到課業上?
I work on the night shift this week.
我這星期輪夜班。
The invention of the internet caused a major shift in human communication.
網路的發明使得人類的溝通方式產生重大轉變。
多益藍色
英檢中級
高中 Level 4
●
inviting
[ɪnˋvaɪtɪŋ]
a. 吸引人的
The aroma of freshly baked bread was inviting.
剛出爐麵包的香氣相當誘人。
英檢中高
●
alternative
[ɔlˋtɝnətɪv]
n. 選擇,可供替代/選擇的事物;替代方案(常與介詞 to 並用)
a. 替代的;另類的,非傳統的
A huge typhoon is coming, so we have no alternative but to cancel the trip.
強烈的颱風即將來臨,因此我們只有取消行程別無選擇了。
An alternative way would be to travel by plane. 另一種可供選擇的方式就是搭飛機。
Instead of giving a speech, Paula chose an alternative way to demonstrate her ideas.
寶拉不是用演講,而是選了一種非傳統的方式來呈現自己的想法。
There is no practical alternative to delaying the project.
除了延後專案之外,並沒有實際可行的替代方案。
多益藍色
英檢中級
高中 Level 4
●
fulfillment
[fʊlˋfɪlmənt]
n. 實現;成就(感)(= fulfilment〔英〕)
=
achievement
=
accomplishment
=
realization
The release of this book marks the fulfillment of a lifelong ambition.
出版這本書代表實現了一生的抱負。
Being a doctor gives me a sense offulfillment.
當醫生讓我有成就感。
高中 Level 4
●
appealing
[əˋpilɪŋ]
a. 吸引人的
Bangkok has an appealing atmosphere at night.
曼谷夜晚的氣氛很吸引人。
●
particularly
[pɚˋtɪkjəlɚlɪ]
adv. 特別地;尤其
The basketball game was exciting, particularly during the fourth quarter.
那場籃球賽令人非常興奮,尤其是第四節時。
英檢中級
高中 Level 2
●
resource
[rɪˋsors]
n. 資源(常用複數)
We must use natural resources wisely―many of them cannot be replenished.
我們必須善用天然資源─它們有很多是無法再補足的。
多益藍色
英檢中級
高中 Level 3
●
emphasize
[ˋɛmfə͵saɪz]
vt. 強調,重視
=
stress
The study emphasizes the importance of a balanced diet.
這份研究強調均衡飲食的重要性。
多益藍色
英檢初級
高中 Level 2
Practical Phrases
●
between A and B
在A與B之間
The post office is between the bank and the grocery store.