三问：细节给多少合适?

答：细节的数量取决于论证中解释说明和例证支持的层次。当考生只引用一个例证来支持给出的论点时，细节必然要多给一些、具体一些;然而当考生引用多个例证来支持给出的论点时，每个例证都要给出细节，却不必每处细节都一一详述。例如，考生在论证科技进步使生活变得更轻松时，若只引用微波炉为例，就务必要给出多个细节：

“For instance, microwave oven has been widely used in families. Using a microwave oven for cooking can not only heat up the food faster, but also provide a smoke-free cooking environment. Housewives are able to make use of the extra time saved from cooking to do many other things. Smoke created when cooking in traditional ways is always a threat to people’s health, while a microwave oven will solve the problem easily by using an environment friendly power, radiation power。”

同样是论证科技进步使生活变得更轻松，若引用微波炉、电冰箱、计算机等多个例证时，给出细节可以有详有略，但务必保证每个例证都有细节支持：

“Life abounds with such examples. By using microwave ovens, the process of cooking is cleaner and faster than the traditional way and consequently this makes the dishes more favorable for people’s health and saves a lot of time for people to do more important things. The refrigerator provides an access to the storing of food more conveniently, and thus it is now possible for people to buy many foods at one time instead of purchasing them in small quantities and go to the supermarket every day. No one can deny that people really benefit a lot from the invention of computers. They accomplish a variety of things through computers including searching for the latest information and chatting online with families and friends。”

四问：细节一定要真实吗?

答：当然不是。托福写作真题中明确要求“使用具体的理由和例证支持你的论证(use specific reasons and examples to support your answer)”，但并没有强调支持论证的细节必须真实。因此考生在不违反常识的情况下可以充分发挥想象，切勿画地为牢、作茧自缚。例如考生在论证人际交往中互相理解的重要性时，就可以假设自己是犹太教徒，而邻居是一位五星级大厨，从而展开一番饶有趣味的描述：

“Of course, while friendliness and capabilities are important, without a mutual understanding and consideration, any neighbor can be horribly frustrating. Imagine my neighbor who happens to be a five star chef invites me over for dinner. Though he certainly has the appropriate talents for cooking, and the good will to invite me, if he failed to consider my culture or personal preference, I might not go for the meal at all. More specifically, if I were Jewish and followed my religious limitation on food, I would not be able to eat many different kinds of food. Thus, without consideration for my culture, all of the good-will my neighbor might bring would be useless。”

在此基础上，一些考生还会纠结于是否在例证支持中引用名人轶事做为论证细节。我们不妨再读满分标准，适当和充分显然不等于引经据典。所谓“世上本无事”，名人轶事虽好，但用在托福考试中并不会比描述跟你一起玩耍的小伙伴更加“高大上”，更何况积累素材要占用大量备考时间，得不偿失。退一步说，如果一定要引用名人轶事，在不违反基本常识的前提下，考生也尽可以发挥想象力，细节只要为论证服务，真实与否并不重要。曾记得某位同学举例说他喜欢耶稣，理由是“耶稣”好吃，耶稣和凤梨酥傻傻分不清楚，还是不要引用为好。

五问：给出的细节一定是“正面、积极、向上”的吗?

答：在回答这个问题之前，我们先来看一道独立写作真题：

“Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Students should spend a year on traveling or working before they go to college or university. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer。”

部分考生受中国传统价值观的影响，形成了一些刻板偏见，认为学生就应该以学业为重，放弃学业去旅行显得不够积极进取。事实上在给细节时大可不必为自己设立诸多障碍，一位高分考生针对这一话题展开了如下论述：

“Although it is not common in China, spending a year on traveling is not rare in many western countries and this experience may benefit the students enormously. After devoting themselves many years to academic study, the students may suffer from this learning process. They may burnt out and lose interest in campus life. However, by taking a break for one year, they can certainly evoke their enthusiasm again and motivate their hunger for new knowledge。”

以上细节论证合情合理，因此考生不必担心自己给出的细节不够“正面、积极、向上”，更不必为了刻意渲染所谓的“道理”而“只学习不玩耍”或“只工作不计报酬”。若考生都如此道德高尚，ETS的考官们又情何以堪。

总而言之，给出细节的能力是托福独立写作部分考察的重点之一，直接决定着分数的高低。因此考生在备考过程中务必熟练掌握给出细节的技巧，使整个论证过程适当、充分，同时注意细节的尺度把握和取向性，时刻提醒自己托福写作“赢在细节”。

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