话题分析

首先不得不说这次的题目出得有些欠考虑，它没有考虑到法律体系本身的问题，而采取简单用年龄划分来讨论是否不同年龄的人应承担同样法律责任。就这个话题我和我们家那天才美籍犹太人讨论了近一小时还是没能达成共识(英联邦法系VS美国)。这样导致考生在分析题目时会考虑诸多不相关背景因素(尤其是那些总是想太多的考生)，比如是否要讨论法律体系对于未成年的定义、成年人有哪些判刑方式等，从而浪费时间甚至跑题。再者，在犯罪量刑上，不同犯罪的处罚各有不同，而题目中只笼统给出了crime这个词，虽然有举例，但是却并不能打消思维体系比较成熟的考生们的疑虑。

这周范文就同一个话题我写了两篇。第一篇是典型的“避重就轻”回答问题的范文，因为它只是从青少年自身的角度来论证是否应该被和成年人一样惩罚，但却忽略这些犯罪行为会对社会带来的影响(虽然我实在忍不住在主体段第二段最后一句小提了一下)。这样并不是不对，起码在雅思写作的评分体系下，这篇文章各个方面都非常出彩甚至超出雅思作文的要求。但是把它提高标准当作一篇学术论文来看的话，难免会有不周全之处。作为本人来说，要写这样一篇无视问题后果，只一叶遮目地描写某个方面的文章，是比较憋屈也不符合我自身的写作习惯的。但这样做的目的很简单，把同意和不同意分成两篇范文可以让大家更好累积素材并对论点有更深刻的了解。

第二篇则是从我个人角度比较赞成观点的论述，我相信“法不容情”，在对他人人身和财产造成重大伤害的情况下，我们要辨别的首要信息应是当事人是否有基本明辨事理的能力，如果有，则严惩；如轻微犯罪，则拨乱反正，感化引导。当然这是我个人观点，不足以引起有专业背景的考生讨论，请将重点放在“雅思考试强调的是语言的应用”这个大环境下。

很多同学在写论文时(不管什么类型的论文)，其实很明了有哪些不足之处，但基于各种原因也就听之任之，或许你再多花点时间精力，你的文章就能挤进优秀之列。在判断是非的问题上，同情心往往会屏蔽真相。在雅思考场上，第一直觉也不见得能发散出好文章。这个题目就是最好的例子，很多同学开始发散时，都觉得应该未成年人罪犯和成年人罪犯区别对待，但从目前各位累积的知识和阅历来看，翻来覆去就是有限的两三点；但如果把犯罪类型区分下，再从社会影响、受害人心理等几个方面分论，会发现观点源源不断。这也是我写两篇文章的原因。

素材来源

这周素材来源主要为法学和教育学，其实通过今年来好些文章我们可以看出，雅思作文并不能单纯地被归于某一类话题。从研究的角度来讲，尤其是社科人文类话题，它们的涵盖领域往往是彼此相关且互相重叠的(Interdependency)。当某个现象不能在某一特定领域被解释时，那么就需要从不同层面才分析，这也是为什么现在很多研究都由不同领域的学者合作完成的原因，也是近代不断普及的跨领域研究的动机。

请大家在阅读范文时一定要随时记忆不熟悉的词组和表达，但不要停留在某一个词伙上太久，差不多5秒左右即可，然后再继续。原因稍后便知。

Introduction

Whether juveniles (n. 青少年) who commit crimes (犯罪) should be punished as adults is a question plaguing (vt. 使苦恼；烦忧) many countries’ legal systems (法律体系) today as the violent acts (暴力行为) of juvenile offenders (青少年罪犯) continue to make headlines (成为头条新闻). I think sentencing judges (量刑) could be more lenient (adj. 宽大的；仁慈的) with teenagers for several reasons.

Body paragraph 1 (主要论点1)

Firstly, studies have shown that based on adolescents’ brain development (脑发育), they are more likely to act on impulse (意气用事), misread (vt. 误解) social cues and emotions (社会暗示或情感), and/or engage in (从事；参加) risky behaviour and may commit a crime. Also, some reports indicate that teenagers are more capable of (更有…能力的) learning from their mistakes and as they are in the early stages of their life, they can more easily be rehabilitated (被改造). Under these circumstances (在这种情况下), the community (社会) should be lenient with them and the court should give them easier sentences.

Body paragraph 2 (主要论点2)

Secondly, punishing youngsters as adults, as some research demonstrates (vt. 论证), is not an efficient resolution (有效解决方法). Evidence is increasing that housing juveniles in adult facilities (把少年犯置于成年人的环境中) is detrimental to (对…有害) not just their futures, which are limited by restrictions on where they can live, but also what jobs they can do and who they can associate with. Treating juveniles as adults increases the number of crimes they commit as adults, making everyone less safe.

Body paragraph 3 (过渡段)

Some may argue that adolescents (n. 青少年) should be held accountable for (对…负责) their actions and tried (v. 审判) as adults mainly because violence should never be an option, and this needs to be reinforced (暴力永远不是解决问题的最好方法这一概念应该被强化) for everyone irrespective of (不管；不顾) age. Somehow (从某种角度来看), age does not seem reason enough to justify (vt. 证明…是正当的) or dilute (vt. 削弱；冲淡) the intensity (n. 强度) of crime committed. These people argue that those who commit violent offences (暴力犯罪) should be answerable (adj. 应负责任的), regardless of (不管；不顾) their age, as even teenagers know what is wrong.

Conclusion

To conclude, juveniles should get a second chance to rectify (vt. 矫正) their errors as they might have grown up in a tough environment (艰苦环境) (e.g. poverty (n. 贫困)). Although some insist that adolescent criminals (青少年罪犯) should get the same punishment as adults, I personally suggest they should be helped instead of being punished.

(317 words)

Introduction

The idea of holding juvenile criminals, specifically those between their ages of 13 and 18 teenagers less responsible for their crimes has been common law for centuries. However, many current trials (目前的实验) served to heighten (vt. 加强；强化；增强) the public conception (公共观念) that juvenile violent crime is on the rise. I think that the sentencing judge on serious crimes committed by adolescents, e.g. murder (n. 谋杀), homicide (凶杀), rape (n. 强奸), etc., should be less lenient than they are currently.

Body paragraph 1 (过渡段)

Some would argue that juveniles, especially those under 16, do not have the mental capability (智力) to plan or carry out crimes, or to understand the consequences of their actions. They have low impulse control and act on emotions like anger and fear. If they are punished as adults, e.g. putting them in adult prison, both they and their families will suffer. In this way, they should be treated as people who need to be rehabilitated and be given less punishment. These people believe that treating adolescent and teenage prisoners by educating them and giving them love would be a more effective way to ensure less juvenile crime.

Body paragraph 2 (主要论点1)

However, many others believe that more heinous crimes (十恶不赦的大罪) committed by juveniles should and must be treated in the same regard (在相同的方面); not necessarily to punish heinous acts, but to provide justice to the families of victims (而是为受害者的家庭伸张正义). Studies show that trying adolescents as adults has coincided with (符合；与…相一致) lower rates of juvenile crimes. When crimes like murder and rape have been committed, the age of the criminal does not matter - juvenile offenders who commit these inherently (adv. 固有的；内在的) adult crimes should be tried as adults. Therefore, harsh (adj. 严厉的) sentencing should be seen as a deterrent (n. 威慑) to potential juvenile criminals.

Body paragraph 3 (主要论点2)

Additionally, children today are more sophisticated (adj. 富有经验的；久经世故的) at a younger age; for example, they understand the implications of violence (暴力暗示) and how to use violent weapons. It is absurd (adj. 荒谬的) to argue that a modern teenager/child, who sees the effect of violence around them in the news every day, does not understand what killing really is. The fact that young killers know how to load and shoot a gun is an indicator (n. 指示) that they understand exactly what they are doing. In this case, there is a false dichotomy (错误的两分法) between childhood and adulthood that should be addressed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, although some believe that juvenile offenders should not be held to adult standards, I insist that for adolescents and teenagers who commit heinous crimes, light sentencing does not properly impart (vt. 给予) the lesson that committing violent crime comes with consequences onto them.

(407 words)