原来雅思写作的奥秘都在阅读里

　　英语作为绝大多数同学的第二语言，是一种天然的挑战。但我们总是突出强调阅读是培养其他英文能力的基础。尤其对于雅思考试而言更是如此。雅思阅读的深厚功底代表了写作中英文句型基础的熟练，以及雅思听力中短语词汇的掌握程度。所以，雅思阅读不仅只是读文章，更是提高其他项目的手段和方法。比如下文，来自《ECONOMIST》(经济学人)的文章，简洁地描述了sex-orientation(性取向)与incomes(收入)的关系，不正是图表小作文的典范吗?

　　Labour markets are hotbeds of inequality. For every dollar a white American man in full-time work earns, the average white woman earns 78 cents and the average Latina only 56cents. Marriage is a boon for male earnings; motherhood drags female earnings down. Likewise, gay men earn about 5% less than heterosexual ones in Britain and France, and 12-16% less in Canada and America, even after controlling for things like education, skills and experience. Yet one minority appears immune to this scourge: lesbians.

　　hotbed n.温床。

　　boon n.好处，非常有用的东西。

　　heterosexual adj. 异性恋的

　　immune adj.免疫的

　　scourge n. 祸害

　　Marieka Klawitter of the University of Washington looked at 29 studies on wages and sexual orientation last year. On average, they found a 9% earnings premium for lesbians over heterosexual women, compared with a penalty of 11% for gay men relative to straight men. This discrepancy has been borne out by research on America, Britain, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands.Even after adjusting for the fact that lesbians are on average more educated than straight women, and less likely to have children, the gap persists.

　　premium n.附加费;加价。

　　penalty n.处罚。

　　discrepancy n.差异。

　　bear out 证实;支持。

　　persist v. 持续存在。