Task 2 解方段——寫「減輕貧窮、緩解壓力、減少痛苦」時，考生反覆寫 reduce——文法對，但平淡。專門寫「減輕負面狀態」的學術動詞：alleviate。

字義

Alleviate (v.) — to make a difficult or unpleasant situation, especially pain, suffering, or pressure, less severe.

***Exacerbate* 的反義詞**——一個讓問題變糟，一個讓問題變輕。Task 2 議題段成對學會超划算。

5 個 Band 7+ 例句

  1. Targeted welfare programmes can alleviate child poverty in the short term.
  2. Mindfulness practices have been shown to alleviate workplace stress.
  3. The new ring road has done little to alleviate traffic in the city centre.
  4. Cash transfers proved effective in alleviating immediate household hardship.
  5. Listening sympathetically can alleviate, though never erase, a person's grief.

常見錯誤

搭配限制：alleviate 接負面狀態——poverty, stress, suffering, pain, pressure, hardship, congestion。別寫 alleviate happiness（用 enhance）。

意義偏移：別把 alleviate 當 eliminate——alleviate 是「減輕」（沒有完全消除），eliminate 是「徹底消除」。寫政策時 alleviate 通常更務實。

Register 偏書面：Speaking 用 alleviate 略嚴肅；Task 2 解方段、Part 3 思辨題是它的主場。

同等級替換（Band 7+）

  • Ease — The new policy may ease the strain on hospital staff.（最安全、書面口語都自然）
  • Mitigate — Measures to mitigate the effects of climate change are urgent.（強調「降低衝擊」）

試試看

下次 Task 2 解方段，把 reduce poverty 換成 alleviate poverty；把 make stress less 換成 alleviate stress——兩處立刻 Band 7+。

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