本周考题重复2017年4月8日原题
题目
In some countries around the world men and women are having babies late in life. What are the reasons? Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
解析
连续4周教育类话题之后，这周的雅思作文终于来到社会生活类。我们现在经常看到一种现象，那就是年轻夫妇结婚后却不急着要孩子，一直等到30岁，甚至40岁以后才要孩子。这是什么原因呢？
这个题目是2015年5月21日的原题翻版【Nowadays men and women in many countries decide to have babies at an older age. What are the reasons? What effects does this trend have on society and family life? 】，只不过那次在分析完原因之后要求考生分析晚育对社会和家庭的影响，而本次要求考生分析晚育的好处和坏处。两次作文貌似略有差异，但若仔细思考，其实并无多大区别。
那么造成晚育越来越流行的原因有哪些呢？唐老师经常谈及的“物质/心理/社会”三个思维层次，这时候就可以派上用场了。
从物质来说，很多年轻夫妇没有足够的时间和金钱来养孩子；
从心理来说，很多年轻夫妇希望在生孩子之前享受更多自由时间，比如全世界去旅游，去发展自己的兴趣；
从社会来说，工作晋升的压力使年轻夫妇无法要孩子。同样，晚育的好处和坏处也可从这几个层次来考虑：富裕的父母对孩子养育更有利；世界经验丰富的父母能更好地教育孩子；社会地位高的高龄父母更有可能制定有利于晚育父母的政策。
当然，晚育有可能对父母的身体造成压力，但发达的现代医学技术能有效解决这个问题。
总体来说，这个晚育的题目是比较好写的。但是，如何写出个性，写出具体的内容，还需要考生有广泛的社会知识和正确的写作策略。
本篇作文如果往简单里写非常容易。
高分范文
When Laura Wade-Gery, the boss of Marks and Spencer gave birth to a baby at 50, it immediately made headline news. As a matter of fact, quite many men and women in some countries nowadays have made up their mindto have babiesonly late in life. To my mind, this trend of the older parents brings more benefits than harms to both the baby and the parents.
(1)本段以一个著名的晚育例子引出话题，然后提出自己的观点。当然，你也可以选择用数据来开头，比如A recent survey shows that globally over 40% young couples decide to have kids late in life, while this figure was only 15% twenty years ago. 以这种方式来开头，要好于模板式的开头，比如Nowadays many young people decide to have kids late in life and people have different opinions on this. Some think..., but others believe....
(2)本文需要不断表达中文里“晚育”的意思，老雅用了几种不同的表达：to have kids late in life; older parents; wait to have kids; put off having kids; delay having kids; delayed parenthood.
(3)Make headline news 成为头条
(4)Make up their mind 决定；决心
(5)To my mind 在我看来；我认为
Couples take their timehavingbabiesfor many different reasons. To begin with, many young couples are not financially ready for a new member coming to the family.
More often than not, the newly married couples have just started their career and are still struggling to make their ends meet, and an additional member would be a great burden.
But even if free fromfinancial problems, many young couples still refuse to start a family with kids because they wish to develop their various potentialsor experience the world before they havekids. Most importantly, many young people put off having babies because the society has very strong parenthood penalties.
A mom, for instance, is less likely to stay up in her office to get aheadif she has a baby at home, the consequence of which is that her chances of promotion become slimmer.
（1）本段讨论很多人推迟要孩子的三个原因：经济原因，个人心理原因和社会原因，遵循由浅入深的论证顺序。
（2）More often than not 经常
（3）Make (both) ends meet 量入为出；收支相抵
（4）Free from... （=without）没有......；免于......
（5）Potential 潜力
（6）Penalty 惩罚
（7）Get ahead 出人头地
（8）Slim 纤细的
Many people argue that the delayed parenthood may pose physical challenges to couples, especially the older mom, and it is quite unfair on the child to have old parents because they probably won’t live long enough to see the child grow up.
This may be true, but modern medical technology has significantly reduced the risks involved in birth-giving and equally significantly prolonged our life span so that the older parents, like their younger counterparts, can just as well accompany their kids in their life’s journey.
But on top of that, having kids later in life can be beneficial in unique ways: it is good to the baby because its parents are now financially and emotionally better conditioned ; it is good to the parents because now they have been well established so that they have more time for their kids; it is good to the society because those parents who delay having kids and advance to positions of authorityat work now have the power to set policies other older parents would benefit from, like offering paid maternity and paternity leaveor allowing flexiblework schedules.
（1）本段讲晚育的优势。先驳斥反对晚育的两个理由，然后正面提出晚育的三大优势。
（2）Prolong 延长
（3）Counterpart 对应的人或物
（4）On top of that 除此之外
（5）Position of authority 有权的位置
（6）Maternity leave 产假
（7）Flexible 灵活的
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