環境題是 Part 3 最「口號化」的區塊。考生容易掉進 "Everyone should protect the environment" 這種 Band 5 陳述句。Band 7 的環境題要能做責任歸屬的層次區分——誰該做什麼、誰比誰更重要、哪個先做。
環境 Part 3 的經典題型
| 角度 | 題目 | |------|------| | 責任歸屬 | Who is more responsible for climate change — individuals or governments? | | 日常行為 | Do people in your country care about recycling? | | 政策 | Should governments tax polluting industries? | | 世代公平 | Are younger people more environmentally conscious than older ones? |
5 題代表題 + Band 7+ 範例
Q1. Who do you think is most responsible for climate change?
I'd say the honest answer is "not equally". Historically, industrialised countries and major corporations account for the overwhelming share of emissions. On the other hand, individual choices do add up — a billion people making slightly greener decisions isn't trivial. So my framing would be: governments and corporations first, individuals meaningfully second.
Q2. Do people in your country genuinely care about the environment?
It really depends on which generation you're asking. From what I've seen in Taiwan, younger people are visibly more engaged — plastic-free campaigns, climate protests, sustainable fashion. Older generations tend to be more focused on day-to-day economic pressures, which is fair. So there's real concern, but it's unevenly distributed.
Q3. Should governments tax products that harm the environment?
On the whole I'd say yes, provided the taxes are well-designed. A carbon tax or plastic levy can shift behaviour in ways that voluntary appeals can't really match. That said, poorly designed environmental taxes can hit lower-income households hardest — France's yellow-vest protests were essentially triggered by that — so the policy has to include a dividend or rebate to stay politically sustainable.
Q4. Can small individual actions actually make a difference?
It depends on what you mean by "a difference". In pure emissions terms, my turning off a lightbulb is negligible compared to a coal plant. But arguably small actions have a second effect — they shift norms and expectations, which eventually shows up in politics and corporate strategy. So the "drop in the ocean" framing misses the cultural side.
Q5. Are younger people more concerned about climate than their parents?
Broadly speaking, yes — polling in most countries shows a clear generational gap. I'd attribute that partly to the fact that younger people will live with the consequences, and partly to education: climate science is now embedded in school curricula in a way it wasn't 30 years ago. On the other hand, concern doesn't always translate to behaviour change, which is a separate problem.
三層結構提醒
Claim — I'd say / The honest answer is... / It depends on...
Reason — historically / because of / tied to the fact that...
Example — France's yellow-vest protests / Taiwan's plastic-free campaigns...主題詞彙（Band 7 級）
| 詞彙 | 中文 | 範例 chunk | |------|------|------------| | carbon footprint | 碳足跡 | reduce your carbon footprint | | greenhouse gas emissions | 溫室氣體排放 | cut greenhouse gas emissions | | renewable energy | 再生能源 | the shift to renewable energy | | fossil fuels | 化石燃料 | phase out fossil fuels | | carbon tax | 碳稅 | introduce a carbon tax | | net-zero target | 淨零目標 | a 2050 net-zero target | | sustainable consumption | 永續消費 | promote sustainable consumption | | circular economy | 循環經濟 | a move towards a circular economy | | biodiversity loss | 生物多樣性喪失 | accelerating biodiversity loss | | climate resilience | 氣候韌性 | build climate resilience | | environmental degradation | 環境惡化 | severe environmental degradation | | greenwashing | 漂綠 | corporate greenwashing is rampant | | climate anxiety | 氣候焦慮 | climate anxiety among young people | | tipping point | 臨界點 | approaching a dangerous tipping point | | adaptation vs mitigation | 適應與減緩 | balance adaptation and mitigation | | polluter-pays principle | 污染者付費原則 | applying the polluter-pays principle | | just transition | 公正轉型 | ensure a just transition | | intergenerational equity | 世代公平 | a question of intergenerational equity |
台灣考生常見陷阱：空喊口號
"We should protect the Earth. Everyone needs to recycle. Government should do more." ——這是 Band 5 的空話三連發。Band 7 的答案必須有具體機制 + 責任區分 + 承認 trade-off。
修正示範：
Before: Government should stop pollution. People should recycle.
After: On the whole I'd say the heavy lifting has to come from regulation — carbon pricing, stricter industrial standards — because individuals can't really out-recycle a coal-fired power station. On the other hand, consumer pressure genuinely shifts what corporations offer, so individual action isn't pointless; it's just the smaller lever.