Sustainable 是 IELTS Task 2 的萬金油——環境、經濟、農業、城市規劃、社會政策都用得上。但九成考生只會它的環保意義，錯失了「可長期維持」這個更廣的用法。

字義

Sustainable (adj.) — (1) able to be maintained at a certain level over time; (2) causing little or no damage to the environment and able to continue for a long time.

兩個意思密切相關——核心都是「能撐得久」。

5 個 Band 7+ 例句

  1. Sustainable agriculture relies on practices that protect soil for future generations.
  2. The current rate of public spending is simply not sustainable.
  3. Cycling infrastructure is a sustainable answer to urban congestion.
  4. The company shifted to sustainable packaging in response to consumer pressure.
  5. No economy can deliver sustainable growth without investing in education.

常見錯誤

意義偏移：學生常用 sustainable 當「永續的」直譯——其實英文母語者更常想到「可維持的」。所以 a sustainable workload（可長期負荷的工作量）、a sustainable diet（可長期堅持的飲食）都自然——別只想到環保。

搭配僵化：除了 sustainable development（已過度使用），試試 sustainable growth / sustainable practices / sustainable lifestyle / sustainable investment。

同等級替換（Band 7+）

  • Viable — Renewable energy is now a commercially viable alternative.（強調「可行」）
  • Long-term (adj.) — Long-term solutions require political courage.（強調「長期」）

試試看

寫 Task 2 結論段時，少寫 good for the environment，改寫 both sustainable and economically viable——一句話帶兩個 Band 7+ 字。

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