In many countries, prison is the most common solution to the problem of crime. However, another effective way is to provide people with better education so that they can not become criminals. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

本题是2012年5月12日的原题重现。如果说2017年雅思写作考试对2014年情有独钟，2018年似乎返祖现象更为严重，已经考过的很多场都是在重复2013年甚至更早的原题，这给我们的复习备考带来了一定的难度。

但万变不离其宗，我们备考雅思写作，首先是要清楚其要求，然后按照要求去逐步落实，而不是把全部希望寄托在押题上。

本次考试是关于犯罪话题，这也是雅思考试每年都会出现几次的题材。总结了一下近几年雅思作文中关于犯罪的话题，列举如下：

• Young people who commit serious crimes, such as a robbery or a violent attack should be punished in the same way as adults. To what extent do you agree or disagree? （2015/4/25；2015/6/18; 2013/11/9）青少年犯罪是否该受到与成年人一样的惩罚？（出现3次）

• Some people who have been in prison become good citizens later. Some people think that they are the best people to talk to school students the danger of committing a crime. Do you agree or disagree? (2015/8/8) 请改造过后的犯人给学生讲犯罪的危害，可否？

• People are afraid to leave their homes for fear of crimes. Some people believe that more action should be taken to prevent crimes while others think that little could be done. Discuss both sides and give your opinion. (2015/8/29; 2012/11/3) 我们已经没有办法阻止犯罪吗？（出现2次）

• Children are committing more crimes. What are the causes? How to punish them? (2014/8/2; 2010/8/5) 儿童犯罪增多的原因，怎样处罚他们？（出现2次）

• Some think most crime is the result of circumstances e.g. poverty and other social problems. Other believe that most crime is caused by people who are bad by nature. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.(2014/11/8) 犯罪的原因到底是社会原因还是人性原因？

• In most countries,prison is an effective solution to the problem of crime. Some people think it is a more effective solution to provide education for those who violate the law. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (2012/5/12) 还有比监狱更好的办法来解决犯罪问题吗？

• A recent newspaper article report that a 14 years old boy who seriously destroyed his school got a punishment to clean streets instead of being sent to the prison, Do you think this is right, or the young criminals should be sent to the jail? (2016/1/14) 青少年损坏公物后被罚扫街，这种处罚合适吗？

回到本次题目，大家首先要弄清楚，题目要求我们讨论的观点是什么。这里，提出了解决犯罪问题的两个措施，一是监狱，二是教育，问的是教育是不是有效，或者教育是不是比监狱更有效。

很明显，监狱和教育都是解决犯罪问题的办法，而且很难比较哪个更有效，但两者在解决犯罪问题时所起的功能还是不同的：监狱更多的是一种补救和威慑，而教育则是预防。

因此，本题就可以沿着这个思路，去论证监狱如何起到一种补救和威慑的作用，而教育如何可以预防人们犯罪。

老师笔记

01

In many parts of the world, people who have violated the law are put into prison, which is a very effective way of preventing them committing more crimes. However, many experts believe that better education is probably an even more effective way of addressing the problem of crime. I would suggest that both prison and education are important and each plays a different role in crime control.

在世界上许多地方，触犯法律的人被关进监狱，这是防止他们犯下更多罪行的非常有效的方法。然而，许多专家认为，更好的教育可能是解决犯罪问题的一种更有效的方法。我认为，监狱和教育都很重要，在控制犯罪方面发挥着不同的作用。

解析

（1）本段是一个标准的雅思作文开头段：、二句引入话题并陈述两方观点（许多国家都把犯人关进监狱，但专家们指出教育对犯罪控制来说更有效），第三句表明自己的观点（两者都重要，但两者扮演不同功能）。

大家可以思考一下这个问题：雅思考试题目中如果给出两个不同观点，那么这两个观点之间可能存在哪些关系？是排斥、互补，还是适用于不同场合，扮演不同功能？

（2）violate the law 犯法 （=break the law; commit crime）, law breaker, law violator就是“犯人”的意思，相当于criminal。关于“犯罪”的表达，本文还用了一个变通的表达：do harm to the society and other individuals（第二段末尾），这是为了避免表达重复。

（3）address 此处当然不是“地址”，作为动词，该词的意思是“解决”（问题），相当于deal with, cope with之类。

02

Prison is certainly a place where criminals can be made to understand what wrong they have done to other people and why what they have done before is not socially acceptable. In this way, these criminals will have a better chance to come back to normal life. On top of the remedial function, prison can serve as a deterrent for those with an inclination to crime. The likelihood of losing freedom in prison can most effectively stop them from doing harms to the society and other individuals.

监狱当然可以让罪犯了解他们对别人做了什么错事，以及他们以前做过的事为什么在社会上是不能接受的。这样，这些罪犯将有更好的机会回到正常的生活。除了补救功能外，监狱还可以对那些有犯罪倾向的人起到威慑作用。在监狱里失去自由的可能性能最有效地阻止他们对社会和其他个人造成伤害。

解析

（1）本段论证监狱的作用，关键词是remedial function（补救功能）和deterrent function（威慑功能）。本段共4句，每个功能均用2句论证。

（2）come back to normal life 回到正常生活

（3）on top of... 除了......（=besides; in addition to)

（4）remedial 补救的

（5）deterrent 威慑（的），震慑（的）

（6）inclination 倾向

（7）likelihood 可能性

03

 

Better education can also bring down the overall crime rate in any community, and it is the most desirable preventive measure against crime. To start with, education improves people’s moral standards which enable them to tell right from wrong so that they will build a robust inner wall against any antisocial behaviors. More importantly, people with better education are always able to find a satisfying career that will reward them with a decent life, and they will never think of committing any crime.

 

更好的教育也可以降低任何社会的整体犯罪率，这是预防犯罪的最理想措施。首先，教育提高了人们的道德水平，使他们能够分辨是非，从而在心里建立起高墙，抵御做任何反社会行为。更重要的是，受过良好教育的人总是能找到满意的事业，这份事业会让他们过上体面的生活，让他们永远都不会想到犯罪。

 

解析

（1）本段讨论教育对控制犯罪的作用，关键词是“moral standard”（道德水平）和 “decent life”（体面的生活），教育能够提高人的道德水平，带来体面的生活，这样人们就不太可能去犯罪了。

（2）bring down 降低（=reduce）

（3）crime rate 犯罪率

（4）preventive measures 预防性的措施

（5）moral standards 道德标准

（6）antisocial behavior 反社会行为（=crime）

（7）robust 牢固的

（8）reward 回报（n.& v.)

（9）decent 体面的

 

04

 

In conclusion, prison with its remedial and deterrent function and education with its preventive function are both needed in order to make this world a safer place for all of us to live in.  

 

总之，具有补救和威慑作用的监狱和具有预防功能的教育都是很需要的，让这个世界变得更加安全。

 

解析

 （1）本段总结。

（2）to make this world a safer place其实也是“降低犯罪率”的另一种表达。

 

 

 

本场考试范文

In many parts of the world, people who have violated the law are put into prison, which is a very effective way of preventing them committing more crimes. However, many experts believe that better education is probably an even more effective way of addressing the problem of crime. I would suggest that both prison and education are important and each plays a different role in crime control.

 

Prison is certainly a place where criminals can be made to understand what wrong they have done to other people and why what they have done before is not socially acceptable. In this way, these criminals will have a better chance to come back to normal life. On top of the remedial function, prison can serve as a deterrent for those with an inclination to crime. The likelihood of losing freedom in prison can most effectively stop them from doing harms to the society and other individuals.

 

Better education can also bring down the overall crime rate in any community, and it is the most desirable preventive measure against crime. To start with, education improves people’s moral standards which enable them to tell right from wrong so that they will build a robust inner wall against any antisocial behaviors. More importantly, people with better education are always able to find a satisfying career that will reward them with a decent life, and they will never think of committing any crime.

 

In conclusion, prison with its remedial and deterrent function and education with its preventive function are both needed in order to make this world a safer place for all of us to live in. 

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