TOEFL TWE Topic 2011-11-20

>Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The most important characteristic for a politician or a leader is good communication skill.

--談領導人物與高級政客的優(yōu)勢特質(zhì)，一定與口才息息相關，然而傳播能力并非首要，作者的立場是口才應該是居第二，德行第一，因為唯有言行一致，群眾才會產(chǎn)生信心。
--這一舊真題在雅思出現(xiàn)過，在新托福TWE重現(xiàn)于2011-10-22，全然相似無疑。話說托福與雅思兩家對頭于生意，卻是同樣的考英語的使用能力水平。我們培訓寫作單項，千萬不可浪費時間在分雅思分托福的真題。昨日的雅思與托福寫作試題相似。今日亦同。真正內(nèi)行與真正外行的人都是一同承認不好分。其實，連題型都不需要分類，全部應該歸于一類：沖突題型。
--英文作文很難，所以是一般考生的弱項，成績普遍落在閱讀，聽力與口語之后。外行人說難，內(nèi)行人也一樣叫難。十天突破寫作的神話，信之則有，不信則無。把寫作說成容易的是補習班教練。困難的寫作不可能變成容易，卻又可能變得簡單，所謂悟其禪。作文舞其圓，簡單的起承轉(zhuǎn)合，繞一圈。英文練其道，常習作，道在其中也。
--答題可以打高空，不可以跑題?；卮鸫说涝囶}何其難，是以謝振禮老師打高空，扯出信心為沖突的焦點?？诓艗鞄洠嗄芊?，可是未必令人產(chǎn)生信心。好的領導言行一致，德行服人，群眾肯定對他信心十足。偉大的領導，進一步能制造群眾自己對自己有信心。結(jié)論是德行勝于口才。

Contrary to the common belief that good communication skill is vital to becoming a leader, actually leadership is practiced not so much in words as in actions that inspire confidence. It may be said that leaders are usually good talkers but the reverse is not necessarily true. A leader had better be recognized as a dealer in confidence, one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way and, in addition, is good at the art of communication as the language of leadership.

A leader's right actions plus perhaps effective words can do magic to get the message carrying confidence across to others and guide them to hope more, dream more, become more, and even fly higher. This refers particularly to an extraordinary leader as a politician whose better ideas lead to popular trust, as often happens in more difficult times. Remember a Chinese proverb to that effect? "Not the cry, but the flight of a wild duck, leads the flock to fly and follow." One's good communication skill, like talking more and speaking louder, might otherwise be just hollow words, should one's deeds not match that kind of virtue which wins trust from followers. Accordingly, it stands to reason that the greater one is in power above others, the more one ought to excel them in virtue since none ought to lead who is not better than others.

To do justice to good communication skill, it is better to look at it as a big advantage rather than a great virtue in the moral sense of the word. As can be seen ever so often, what matters to the audience is the singer and not the song, meaning a crafted talker can move the mob, even though the message may be far from correct politically. And that is probably why so many ordinary leaders are seen, who represent the power of persuasion and not the real aspirations of their followers. From this viewpoint, good communication skill alone may actually make an ordinary leader, but may still be short of making a good leader, let alone a great leader. The difference lies in that a good leader can inspire people to have confidence in the leader. And a great leader can further inspire people to have confidence in themselves as well.

The confidence factor aside, good talkers have always ruled and will continue to rule, with the results of some cases ending well and some ending badly. Therefore it is desirable having the combination of the virtue of leadership and the art of eloquence. Nevertheless, the ultimate truth must be acknowledged that true leadership is always associated with virtuous actions rather than simply with skillful communication in words.