Task 2 寫到「強化論點、支撐經濟、鞏固信心」時，考生反覆寫 strengthen / support——文法對，但平淡。畫面感更強的字：bolster。

字義

Bolster (v.) — to support, strengthen, or reinforce something, often by adding something underneath or behind it; to give it added substance or credibility.

字面源自 bolster（長枕、支撐墊）——所以 bolster 含有「從下方撐起」的具象感，比 strengthen 更生動。

5 個 Band 7+ 例句

  1. Tax cuts were introduced to bolster the struggling retail sector.
  2. The witness's testimony bolstered the prosecution's case.
  3. Government scholarships are designed to bolster confidence in the public university system.
  4. Recent data bolsters the argument for stricter air-quality regulations.
  5. International aid helped to bolster the economy during the post-war recovery.

常見錯誤

搭配記住四組：bolster confidence / bolster the economy / bolster an argument / bolster a case。其他名詞要小心——bolster a person 通常不自然（人不是物件）。

Register 偏書面：Speaking Part 1/2 用 bolster 略生硬；Part 3 思辨題與 Task 2 立論段才上場。

意義偏移：別把 bolster 當 create——它是強化已存在的東西，不是從零打造。Bolster a new policy 不自然；introduce a new policy 才對。

同等級替換（Band 7+）

  • Reinforce — The findings reinforce earlier concerns about screen time.（更中性）
  • Shore up (informal-ish) — Emergency funding shored up the failing bank.（更口語但生動）

試試看

下次 Task 2 立論段，把 strengthen the argument 換成 bolster the argument——一句話 Band 7+。

延伸閱讀：