美國總統奧巴馬于2009年11月16日首次訪華，第一站來到了中國的經濟中心及金融之都上海。在他風趣幽默的講話中，我們時時發現他的遣詞造句就像是在回答一道道雅思口語的問題，在談笑之間把很多看似艱深的考題一一揮斥，并不斷激起聽者的共鳴。現聊舉數例，以供各位“烤鴨”在玩味中學習。

【雅思考題一】 What aspect of your hometown has changed a lot in recent years?
【奧巴馬答曰】 Here in Shanghai, we see the growth that has caught the attention of the world – the soaring skyscrapers, the bustling streets and entrepreneurial activity.
【朗閣小點評】 由于中國的大部分城市都在迅猛發展，因此就算你的家鄉不是上海也一點兒沒關系，只要很方便的把Shanghai改成你任意指定的家鄉就是了。該回答最后的entrepreneurial是一個高難單詞，可簡單地替換成business或commercial，基本不影響原意。

【雅思考題二】 What do you think of American people?
【奧巴馬答曰】 This is a common American impulse – the desire to reach for new horizons, and to forge new partnerships that are mutually beneficial.
【朗閣小點評】 建議把開頭部分改成：I think most Americans have this impulse …，這樣更能切題回答。如果覺得forge new partnerships比較難的話，你完全可以說build new relationships，也是非常地道的講法。

【雅思考題三】 Do you think China has undergone great transformations? In what ways?
【奧巴馬答曰】 China has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty – an accomplishment unparalleled in human history – while playing a larger role in global events.
【朗閣小點評】 如果能在該回答的前面加上：Yes, of course. Within six decades, … 那就錦上添花了，把新中國建國60年來的偉大成就以奧巴馬式的口吻描繪出來。雅思考官一聽保管大跌眼鏡！

【雅思考題四】 What should be done about climate change and global warming?
【奧巴馬答曰】 The United States and China are the world’s two largest emitters of greenhouse gases, of carbon that is causing the planet to warm. So unless both countries are willing to take critical steps in dealing with this issue, we will not be able to resolve it.
【朗閣小點評】 最好能在這一回答的開始部分加入一個引子，來說明climate change and global warming與greenhouse gases的關系。你可以說：Well, as we all know, greenhouse gas emissions are largely responsible for climate change and global warming, and …，如此巧妙的過渡使奧巴馬的話語成為我們攻克雅思口語的利器。

另外，在他的講話中充斥的外交辭令，如果能被我們學到一二，便足以和雅思考官進行周旋了。我列出幾條，供大家參考：

 It is a great honor for me to be here …
 I am looking forward to this chance to have a dialogue.
 I believe that each country must chart its own course.
 And I’m absolutely confident that …
 So let me give you a specific example, and that is the issue we were just discussing …
Now, what is also true is that each country in this interconnected world has its own culture and its own history and its own traditions.

朗閣海外考試研究中心http://www.ielts.org.cn/