“定义”的习得与运用
【英语学习】这个系列的文章，共99篇，这是第25篇！
逻辑是个好东西。掌握它，我们就能准确理解信息间的关系。
结构是个好东西。掌握它，我们就能迅速识别句子、段落或文章布局，更好地理解主旨和细节。
“总分总”是一种结构；
“金字塔”是一种结构；
“比较”是一种结构；
“时间顺序”是一种结构；
“T字形利弊分析”是一种结构；
“矩阵分析”是一种结构；
“问题－解决”是一种结构；
“假设－实验”是一种结构；
“现象－原因”是一种结构；
......
假如我们脑海中本来就储有以上种种逻辑结构，那么，我们读或听英文时，只需要匹配这些逻辑结构就可以迅速准确地理解；我们在写和说英文时，只需要调用这些逻辑结构，就能够准确有效传递信息。
上篇为逻辑结构系列文章中的第一篇：定义！
此篇从实操层面讨论“定义”的习得，及其在写作中的运用。
1
定义的习得：
1. 网站：https://www.definitions.net
Christmas
Christmas is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ and a widely observed holiday, celebrated generally on December 25 by millions of people around the world.
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, businessman and philanthropist. Often referred to as the "King of Pop", or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades.
Canada
Canada is a country in the northern part of North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering 9.98 million square kilometres (3.85 million square miles), making it the world's second-largest country by total area. Its southern border with the United States, stretching some 8,891 kilometres (5,525 mi), is the world's longest bi-national land border. Canada's capital is Ottawa, and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. As a whole, Canada is sparsely populated, the majority of its land area being dominated by forest and tundra. Its population is highly urbanized, with over 80 percent of its inhabitants concentrated in large and medium-sized cities, and 70 per cent residing within 100 kilometres (62 mi) of the southern border. Canada's climate varies widely across its vast area, ranging from arctic weather in the north, to hot summers in the southern regions, with four distinct seasons.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is technology and a branch of computer science that studies and develops intelligent machines and software. Major AI researchers and textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents", where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chances of success. John McCarthy, who coined the term in 1955, defines it as "the science and engineering of making intelligent machines".
2. 阅读材料（如：托福/雅思阅读）
选自剑桥雅思4阅读文章第一段，介绍了Archaeology；若我们能以学习概念为目的来阅读，而不是以做题为目的来阅读，相信阅读雅思真题中的文章将会很有趣。
选自剑桥雅思10阅读文章stepwells，文章第二段详细介绍了stepwells
选自托福TPO3阅读文章，文章第一段介绍了Architecture.
3. 词典
（1）上篇提到的 “韦氏可视化在线词典”
http://www.visualdictionaryonline.com/index.php
（2）必应词典
可结合必应的图片搜索来区分单词，如：
（3）朗文在线词典（英英解释）
4. 维基百科（前一篇提到过）
2
定义在写作中的运用：
剑桥雅思4 Test2 Task2
考官范文开头段：
当题目中出现happiness等抽象名词时，题目本身就要求考生解释“为何难定义”。
考官范文中，开头段第一句直接回答，“幸福难定义因为它因人而异”，接着用while来引出不同的两方，并将幸福的定义divide成“物质和精神”这两个对立方。
托福独立写作
题目: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Participating in sports is worthwhile only when you win something.
范文开头段：Participating in sports can certainly be more rewarding if a player wins, but it can be fun even in the face of defeat. The word “only” in the question needs to be examined. In addition, the term “sports” should be defined more clearly. Without looking at these two words more closely, the statement may be illogical.
范文中，开头段即表明"only"需要仔细考究，"sports"需要定义清楚。
3
习得与运用相结合：
托福独立写作
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The government should give priority to healthcare rather than envirronmenal problems.
很多同学在备考写作时，只关心完成这道题，或考试中取得高分。其实高分不是目的，它只是结果。
以这道题为例，高分学生本身对 the government, healthcare, environmental problems这些主题词的理解就很深刻，对么？换句话说，即便是要求他们针对这三个词“胡扯”，他们就是能滔滔不绝地讲下去，而且还让听众听上去有道理。
所以，我们在备考时，可以尝试不以完成这道题为目标，而是以基于这道题去acquire相关主题信息为目标。例如，这道题中的healthcare让我们用中文“胡扯”可能都有些费劲，那我们就去搜索它的定义呗！
以下是我从维基百科中整理的关于healthcare的相关内容（删除了其中比较专业或偏僻的内容）：
Healthcare is the maintenance or improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people.
Healthcare is delivered by health professionals in allied health fields. Physicians and physician associates are a part of these health professionals.
An efficient healthcare system can contribute to a significant part of a country's economy, development and industrialization. Healthcare is conventionally regarded as an important determinant in promoting the general physical and mental health and well-being of people around the world. An example of this was the worldwide eradication of smallpox in 1980, declared by the WHO as the first disease in human history to be completely eliminated by deliberate healthcare interventions.
Many countries, especially in the west, are dealing with aging populations, so one of the priorities of the healthcare system is to help seniors live full, independent lives in the comfort of their own homes. There is an entire section of healthcare geared to providing seniors with help in day-to-day activities at home such as transportation to and from doctor's appointments along with many other activities that are essential for their health and well-being.
看完这些内容之后，我们可以想象一下自己面对一个学生，然后尝试用英文向对方解释我们刚刚对healthcare的理解；过程中有疑虑的地方，我们可以再翻看文本，直至可以清楚流畅地解释。
这个过程即有趣味又有挑战，更重要的是对我们的口语和写作均大有裨益。
总结
关于定义，我们需要有意识有技巧地用心发现，可以从网站、阅读、词典等各个途径获得。写作等输出端，我们需要多尝试定义和解释。最初，可能会觉得有些困难；不过，如果没有困难，我们天生就具备定义的能力，那想必整个学习过程也便没有了意义。所以，不要畏惧困难或不舒适，它们是一步步前进的奠基石和见证者！
