雅思写作备考素材学习！助你掌握雅思写作技巧！
The Economist经济学人这本杂志受到了无数英语学习者的赞誉，不仅因为它对世界各地发生的各大事件进行了报道，而且文章观点犀利，笔法轻松幽默，时不时有让人感到眼前一亮的表达。借鉴和积累这些表达，对我们的英语学习显然帮助巨大。
经济学人杂志是一个周刊，涉及对各个领域最新时事的评论，还包括读者来信，名人讣告和一些热门书评等，特别是其中的leaders社论和Science and technology科技类评论文章中有很多表达和句型值得借鉴，而Economic and financial indicators财经指数解读对雅思图表类作文有很好的指导作用。
下面我们就以一段科技类的评论展开学习吧
Motown V the Valley: driverless cars
Driverless cars are coming. The question in America is where from: Silicon Valley or Detroit? The latter gets a fillip today with the opening of a new test track in Ann Arbor, a short hop up the freeway from the home of America’s car industry. The University of Michigan’s new facility will mimic an urban jungle complete with traffic lights, roadworks, complicated junctions and robot pedestrians ready to step in front of self-driving vehicles. This may strengthen the case that Detroit, with its expertise in motor vehicles’ mechanics, will rule the road. Tech giants, which hope to wrest control by developing software to steer the car of the future, believe California is the better test-bed. Google’s latest prototype is expected to hit the state’s roads this summer.Despite the rivalry, each needs the other: Google’s cars are built in Detroit while Ford, GM and other carmakers have research facilities in the Valley.
图片来源网络
句型借鉴
1. The question in…is: A or B? 可以用到写作开头段的双方观点描述中：
实战练习：
The question in…is: 也可以用到写作开头段的双方观点描述中：
The importance of University education needs no particular explanation. The question is the emphasis: on job-related skills or theoretical knowledge?
2. This may strengthen the case that 用于强调某个事实带来的意义或影响,强调结果。
3. Despite the rivalry, each needs the other. 可用于作文结尾强调双方虽然有竞争，但也互不分离，相互需要。
词汇借鉴
Motown：汽车工业城，指底特律
Get a fillip: 受到刺激，受到推动
Mimic：模仿
Wrest: 费力取得
Rivalry: 竞争，对抗
文章解析
文章虽短，但结构严谨，首尾呼应。
首先来看开头，非常典型的背景+问题描述：
背景：Driverless cars are coming. 无人驾驶汽车的时代来了。
问题描述：The question in America is where from: Silicon Valley or Detroit?
在美国，问题其实是在于车从哪里来：硅谷还是底特律？
接下来的内容就描述底特律和硅谷的双方表现：
The latter gets a fillip today with the opening of a new test track in Ann Arbor, a short hop up the freeway from the home of America’s car industry.
第三句开头的the latter表示后者，也即是Detroit(美国三大汽车巨头的大本营：底特律)。底特律的汽车制造巨头开始测验一条新的测验跑道（test track）。
接下来是具体描述测验跑道的设置：The University of Michigan’s new facility will mimic an urban jungle complete with traffic lights, roadworks, complicated junctions and robot pedestrians ready to step in front of self-driving vehicles.
模仿城市丛林，配齐交通灯，道路施工，复杂的交叉路口和随时跑到自驾车前面的机器行人等等各种仿真的道路状况。
紧接着就是对底特律方面的总结：This may strengthen the case that Detroit, with its expertise in motor vehicles’ mechanics, will rule the road. 这也许能更加明确底特律作为汽车机械的专家将要一统汽车江湖的事实。
This may strengthen the case that是个可以借鉴的句型，用于强调某个事实带来的意义或影响，表示的是因果关系。
接下来笔锋一转，硅谷方面也没有示弱：Tech giants, which hope to wrest control by developing software to steer the car of the future, believe California is the better test-bed.
Tech giants(科技巨头们)却认为加州才是最好的测试温床（the better test-bed）。这句话中wrest control指的是抢夺控制权，非常精准地描绘了两方对立的局面，东部底特律掌握着汽车工业的控制权，而西边加州的硅谷想通过开发驾驶软件来争夺这控制权也非易事。
下一句具体描绘硅谷公司的行动：Google’s latest prototype is expected to hit the state’s roads this summer.谷歌的最新样品（the latest prototype）预计今年夏天上路（hit the state’s roads）。
文章的最后是点睛之笔：Despite the rivalry, each needs the other: Google’s cars are built in Detroit while Ford, GM and other Carmakers have research facilities in the Valley. 尽管有竞争，但他们彼此相互需要。谷歌的汽车是在底特律制造的，而三大汽车巨头制造商在硅谷也有研究机构。所以双方本就是互不分离，灵魂在硅谷，身躯在底特律才是最好的安排。这对全文进行了总结，结构严谨。
