编者按：雅思考试一点都不神秘，它切切实实地在很多相关人的生活中每周每周的发生。但是，因为这场考试关乎着数十上百万的考生的出国命运，同时也支撑了一个庞大的雅思培训服务市场。坊间关于它的传说可并不少。请看一位雅思资深培训师对于一些传说的一一破解吧。
Ten Myths about IELTS
As a teacher, I hear many strange things about IELTS. Here is my top 10 list of IELTS myths. These myths are all false, so don’t let these ideas or stories about IELTS disrupt your practice and preparation for the test!
作为一个老师，我听说过很多关于雅思考试的怪事。以下是我列出的雅思十大迷思。这些迷思都是假的，所以切莫让这些稀奇古怪的想法或故事打乱了你的雅思备考。
1. Non-native speakers can’t get a band 9 on IELTS
Many students have said this to me - that it’s impossible for a non-native speaker to get a band 9. Of course, this just isn’t true. The test is based on how good your English is, not where you come from. The band 9 rating is described by IELTS as ‘expert user’. It’s perfectly possible for people who are non-native speakers and who are excellent speakers of English to get a band 9. Not only that, but the opposite is true too. Not all native speakers can get a band 9, even on speaking!
1.非native的考生拿不到雅思9分
很多学生对我说过这样的话——要拿到雅思9分对于一个非母语的人是不可能的。毫无疑问，这种说法是错误的。雅思考试的评判标准是你的语言水平，而不是你来自何地。9分的分段在评分标准中被描述为“专家级的使用者”。对于非英语母语但英语非常优秀的人，9分是绝对可能的。不但如此，即使是母语使用者也同样适用。不是多有的母语使用者能拿到9分，甚至口语单项9分。
2. I have to keep practising tests to improve my score
This is a big myth but a very common one. IELTS is a test of English, not a test to test how well you know the test! The only way to improve your score, once you are familiar with the test, is to improve your English in all 4 macro-skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking. Doing more and more tests doesn’t really help you to improve. It just fills your head with answers. I know students who know all the answers to certain listening tests and can get 39 out of 40 but this doesn’t help their listening and on the real test they may only score 24 or 25 out of 40. Listening intensively to a variety of things - conversations, radio, news or even songs is the answer to improving your listening.
2.要提高分数，我必须不断的操练雅思测试题。
这是一个特大号的并且十分普遍的迷思。雅思是英语语言水平的测试，而不是你对雅思考试的了解程度的测试。一旦你了解了这个考试，唯一提升你的分数的方法就是强化你的英语四大基本技能：听，读，写和说。做太多太多的模拟题并不能真正地提升语言水平，而只是往脑子里塞满了各种答案。我知道有些烤鸭能记住剑桥雅思的测试题40题中的39道，但是这对于他们的听力水平无益。真实考试中只能答对24或25. 大量的听各种题材的语聊——对话，广播，新闻，甚至是歌曲，才是真确的听力提升方法。
3. I need to learn long lists of vocabulary to be successful
Of course vocabulary is important for IELTS to get a good score but you don’t need to learn long lists. You need to be familiar with words in all their forms and be able to use them accurately and appropriately. This is far more important than knowing a long list. Knowing a good variety of words and using them well and correctly will be enough for most people to get the score they need. Common topics in IELTS include education, environment and culture. Look at IELTS course books which will give you a good idea of what kind of words you need.
3.我需要学习大量的单词才能屠鸭成功。
当然词汇量对于雅思高分很重要，但是你不需要一个恐怖的词汇量。你需要的是对词汇的各种形式很了解，并能够准确恰当的运用它们。这是要远比一个庞大的词汇量重要。知道广泛题材的词汇，并能正确合理地运用，足够大多数人拿到理想的分数。雅思的常考话题包括：教育、环境和文化。参考一些合适的雅思辅导书，他们能告诉你需要掌握哪些类型的单词。
4. They make the IELTS test too hard so overseas students can’t get into university
The IELTS test is an independent test of English used by governments and educational institutions to get information about a person’s English level. The governments and colleges or universities set the level themselves independently so that is why different universities have different IELTS test score requirements. IELTS is not connected with them in any way and has no influence on what band scores are required for different tasks or institutions.
4.雅思官方故意把雅思考试设置得太难，这样海外学生就没办法进入当地大学。
雅思考试是一个独立的英语测试，被政府或教育机构用来评判一个人的英语水平。政府或大学独立地设置语言标准，这就是为什么不同的大学会有不同的雅思分数要求。雅思官方与其物任何联系，也自然干预不了他们所提出的语言水平要求。
5. If I don’t understand the examiner in the speaking test, I will get a low band
The speaking test is only about your speaking proficiency and listening is tested in the listening test. If you don’t understand what the examiner says, ask them to repeat or ask the meaning of a word. The speaking test only measures speaking proficiency, not listening.
5.如果我没听懂口语考官的话，我的分会很低。
口语考试只是考察你的口语掌握程度，听力水平是在听力考试中进行考察。如果你没有听懂考官的话，你可以要求他们重复或者询问某个单词的意思。口语考试仅仅是关于口语水平而非听力水平。
未完待续，这就是小站老师给大家翻译的关于雅思十大迷思的文章，希望能帮助大家更好的了解雅思考试。本文的下篇传送门，点击即可进入。
