Question

　　Your professor is teaching a class on sociology. Write a post responding to the professor’s question.

　　In your response, you should do the following.

　　- Express and support your opinion.

　　- Make a contribution to the discussion in your own words.

　　An effective response will contain at least 100 words.

　　Doctor Diaz

　　We’ve been discussing government budgets and the difficult decisions governments must make regarding the use of public funds. Some services are clearly essential and must be paid for by any government. But what about public funding of the arts? Do you believe that governments should provide financial support to artists, for example, painters, sculptors, musicians, or filmmakers? Why or why not?

　　Claire

　　I enjoy art as much as anyone does, but public funds come from taxes, and I don’t think taxpayers’ hard-earned money should be spent on impractical or inessential items and services. Artists should support themselves by selling their work to private individuals and companies. If they can’t find enough buyers, then maybe they should change careers.

　　Paul

　　Personally, I think art actually is essential. Lots of public spaces in my hometown just wouldn’t be the same without artwork. From statues in public parks to murals painted on the walls of government buildings, my hometown really benefits from funding the artists who created these works. The public spaces are simply more enjoyable for visitors because of the artwork.

　　范文正文

　　I believe it is beneficial for governments to offer financial assistance to artists.【宾语从句+it形式主语】This is because arts play a significant role in stimulating economic growth by attracting audiences and creating job opportunities.【表语从句】For example, the Singaporean government provided a grant of approximately USD 3 million for six concerts by American musician Taylor Swift in March this year. On the one hand, the performances drew fans from both Singapore and abroad, leading to a remarkable surge in ticket sales, as well as bookings for flights, accommodations, and tourist attractions.【分词短语】Additionally, attendees spent on music albums, concert merchandise, and dining at nearby restaurants, all of which contributed substantially to Singapore’s economy.【非限定性定语从句】On the other hand, the influx of visitors for the concerts increased hotel occupancy rates and boosted restaurant traffic, prompting local businesses to hire additional staff to meet the heightened demand.【分词短语】It was estimated that the six concerts would generate an economic impact of USD 300 million to USD 400 million.【it形式主语+主语从句】While Claire’s idea is valid to some extent,【让步状语从句】she failed to mention that artists can bring in substantial revenue for themselves and the government without squandering taxpayer money. In conclusion, government funding for the arts yields economic returns and enhances public welfare.

　　写作思路和特色

　　这道题是2024年9月22日托福学术讨论写作真题。同时，这也是托福考试反复出现的学术讨论写作题目之一，出现在2023年8月29日。在这道表明立场类题目中，教授提问：政府是否应该为艺术家(比如画家、雕塑家、音乐家或电影制作人)提供财政支持?Claire表示不应该，她认为公共资金来自税收，不应该被用于不切实际或不必要的项目和服务，艺术家应该自谋出路，自力更生;Paul则表示应该，他表示艺术是必不可少的，政府需要为艺术家创作艺术作品提供资金，从而使社区和游客受益。

　　这篇文章采用了“个人观点+因果论证+举例论证+让步反驳+总结”的写作结构，围绕政府为艺术家提供财政支持的正面影响展开，强调艺术对经济增长的重要贡献。文章通过具体的例子——新加坡政府为泰勒·斯威夫特的六场演唱会提供了约300万美元的资助——论证了这种资助如何带动当地经济。文章首先阐述了这些演唱会吸引了大量本地和外国的观众，导致门票销售火爆，并带动了航班、住宿及旅游景点的预订量。接着，文章进一步详细说明，除了直接的票务收入，观众在专辑、周边商品以及餐饮等方面的花费也为新加坡的经济做出了重大贡献。此外，文章指出，由于游客的增加，酒店的入住率上升，餐馆的客流量增加，当地企业因此需要雇佣更多的员工来应对需求，从而进一步刺激了就业市场。文章用具体的经济数据来支持观点，提到这六场演唱会预计为新加坡带来3亿到4亿美元的经济效益。随后，在反驳部分，文章提及了其中一位同学Claire反对政府资助艺术的观点，Claire认为这种资助浪费了纳税人的钱，但反驳指出艺术家不仅能为自己，也能为政府创造可观的收入。最后，文章得出结论，政府对艺术的资助不仅能带来经济回报，还能提高公众的福利。

　　文章论证简明扼要，论点通过真实案例和具体数据得到了充分支持。逻辑结构清晰，逐步从演唱会的经济影响展开，再过渡到更广泛的公共福利。同时，文章通过反驳他人的观点，展示了文章的辩证性，增强了论证的说服力。

　　用词用语整理

　　【分词短语】

　　“On the one hand, the performances drew fans from both Singapore and abroad, leading to a remarkable surge in ticket sales, as well as bookings for flights, accommodations, and tourist attractions.” 这句话通过提及演唱会吸引国内外观众，带来了门票销售和旅游相关消费的激增，具体说明政府资助艺术是如何带动经济增长的。其中，分词短语起到了修饰和补充说明的作用。它描述了前半句“the performances drew fans from both Singapore and abroad”的结果，强调了演出吸引观众后所引发的经济活动，增强了句子的连贯性和逻辑性。

　　【it形式主语+主语从句】

　　“It was estimated that the six concerts would generate an economic impact of USD 300 million to USD 400 million.” 这个句子通过具体的经济数据支持论点，明确量化了演唱会对新加坡经济的积极影响，从而增强了论证的可信度。其中，“it”作为形式主语，替代了后面的主语从句“that the six concerts would generate an economic impact of USD 300 million to USD 400 million”，使句子更简洁流畅;主语从句提供了具体的信息，明确指出了演唱会对新加坡预计的经济影响，从而为论证提供了量化的支持，增强了整体的逻辑性和说服力。

　　grant(拨款)：通常由政府、组织或机构提供，用于支持某种特定的用途，例如学术研究、项目开发、经济援助或文章中的艺术项目等。这个词强调的是一种官方的、通常是资金上的支持。

　　例句：The charity was awarded a grant to help provide clean water to rural communities.该慈善机构获得了一笔拨款，用于帮助提供清洁饮水给农村社区。

　　surge(急剧上升)：迅速上升、激增或突然的强烈运动。通常用来描述某种数量、情感或力量的突然剧增，常见搭配有：a surge of demand(需求激增)、a surge of emotions(情绪高涨)等。在文章中描绘了观众人数和相关消费的急剧增加，强调了艺术活动对经济的推动作用。

　　例句：There is a surge in energy prices every winter.每年冬天能源价格都会激增。

　　influx(大量涌入)：可以用来形容人口的涌入(比如移民潮)，也可以用来形容资金、信息或资源的突然增加。在文章中描述了由于演唱会而产生的大量游客涌入新加坡的现象。

　　例句：During the National Day holiday, the city sees a huge influx of visitors who come to enjoy the celebrations and festivities.在国庆节假期期间，这座城市迎来了大量前来享受庆祝活动的游客。

　　occupancy(使用，居住)：通常指建筑物、房间或空间被人居住或使用的状态或程度。它常用于酒店、房地产、办公室等场合，表示当前使用率或可用性。

　　例句：The hotel’s occupancy has increased significantly during the holiday season.在假期期间，这家酒店的入住率显著增加。

　　traffic(流量)：熟词僻义，可以用来形容某个地方的交通流量(如车流量、人流量)或网络流量(如网站访问量)。在文章中指餐馆等场所的客流量增加，强调了演唱会对当地商业活动的积极影响，进一步支持了政府资助艺术的经济价值论点。

　　例句：The website experienced a surge in traffic after the advertisement was launched.广告发布后，网站的流量激增。

　　heightened(增加的，增强的)：heightened demand可以形容对某种需求或要求的增加。这种搭配常用于商业、市场或社会科学的语境中。

　　例句：The heightened demand for renewable energy sources has prompted many companies to invest in sustainable technologies.对可再生能源的需求增加促使许多公司投资可持续技术。

　　squandering(浪费，挥霍)：指浪费或不明智地使用金钱、时间或资源，通常用于表达对某种资源的无谓浪费，强调这种行为的不明智或不负责任。在文章中表达了Claire对政府资金使用不当的担忧。

　　例句：He was squandering his inheritance on luxury cars and expensive vacations.他在奢华的汽车和昂贵的假期上浪费了他的遗产。

　　welfare(幸福，福利)：指一个人或一个群体的健康、幸福和生活质量，通常与政府提供的社会服务和经济支持有关，包括医疗保健、失业救济、社会保险等。在文章中强调了政府资助艺术不仅能带来经济效益，还能提升公众的生活质量，强化了对文化投资的社会价值论证。

　　例句：The government has increased funding for welfare programs to help families in need.政府已增加对福利项目的资金支持，以帮助有需要的家庭。

　新航道-用心用情用力做教育!

　　>>点击在线咨询<<

　　400-900-9767