1. 生活化细节联想法

　　针对大多数相对抽象不好下手的作文题目，我们可以先把作文题同自身联系到一起，把抽象、概括的作文题细化到自己身边，先打开一个突破口，再顺藤摸瓜，进行发散式联想。请看例子：

　　What are your opinions about the advantages and disadvantages of fast food?

　　题目的主体是快餐，方向为利弊处。先不要考虑快餐是好是坏，而应该先考虑你身边的、你知道的快餐究竟有哪些，这些快餐给你或你的家人带来了哪些影响。请看一位同学记录下来的思路。请注意其跳跃性。

　　2. 逆向思维联想法

　　有一些题目从正面不好罗列素材，总结观点，我们可以从命题的对立面去思考问题，这样往往可以达到意想不到的收获。如果问题是一个东西有什么样的好处，也许这个东西是日常生活中常见的东西，我们早已对其失去了敏感，这个时候不妨想一想如果失去了这个东西，我们的生活会受到哪些影响。试举一例：

　　In 1995, an Englishman killed a burglar who broke into his house. He was sentenced. Do you think he should be sentenced? How can we protect our property?

　　文章的关键在于How can we protect our properties?

　　3.分类思考法

　　为了尽快地帮助同学们在尽可能短的时间里熟悉四级作文的命题思路，以及在短时间内能够找到合适的论述理由，我们通过分析历年四级考试真题并研究了命题方向，在此基础上总结了四级作文通用的十大思考方向，很多题目要求考生分析某一现象发生原因或可能产生的影响，我们不妨从以下十个方向进行思考，打开思路：

　　1) 方便：convenient, convenience

　　相关话题：computer, internet，出外吃饭，电话，城市生活，例如：

　　The Internet is far more convenient and efficient than the written word or other conventional means of conveying meaning.

　　Advertisements can bring convenience to people’s lives.

　　Modern means of transportation make it very convenient for people to travel far or near, thus saving a lot of time and energy.

　　2) 效率：efficient, efficiently, efficiency

　　相关话题：计算机和高科技(high-tech devices)减轻了体力劳动(manual labor)，解放了人类(liberate humans)，让人们有更多的时间从事其他的事情(more time are spent on other necessary matters)等，例如：

　　Advertisements build an efficient and direct link between manufacturers and customers.

　　Modern science and technology make our lives more efficient. A phone call, an e-mail or a fax can all bring people closer and make the world smaller.

　　3) 节省和浪费：save time, save money, save space, economical, frugal, frugality; thrift, thrifty waste timemoneyspace, costly, time-consuming, lavish, 例如：

　　This will help them realize that it is not easy to make money and form the good habit of frugality.

　　There are many other ways for people to know commodities, so it is a waste to invest large sums of money in making advertisements on TV.

　　As for the young and middle-aged, they should make better use of their prime years instead of spending so much time raising pets.

　　It’s a costly and time-consuming hobby. China is a developing country and many people are still below the poverty line. Some children of the right age in poverty-stricken areas can’t afford to go to school.

　　… will be great extravagance of time, energy and money.

　　4) 心理与性格：mental health, spiritual health, psychological health, personality, character

　　好的性格 independent, independence, independently, cooperate, cooperative, cooperation, compete, competitive, competition, team spirit, considerate, confident, confidence, confidently, ambition, ambitious, individuality, tolerance, sociable, perseverance, deal with/solve problems by themselves (independent), optimistic

　　坏的性格 overbearing(专横的，傲慢的), selfish, conservative, isolated, conceited(自以为是的), egotistic(自我本位的), arrogant, domineering(作威作福的)，overzealous(过分热心的)，nihilist(虚无主义的)，opportunistic(机会主义的)，pessimistic

　　性格的养成：cultivate, foster, develop, encourage, enrich, improve, enhance