青年和老年的比较属于在雅思大作文社会类范畴中考频不低的一个维度，今天我们就以2019年11月7号这道写作真题来谈谈青年和老年这个话题。
谈到青年和老年，大家都不陌生，但大多数同学的个反应就是年轻人的优点和老年人的优点。 比如年轻人更容易接受新鲜事物（are more likely to adopt new things）, 老年人则因为丰富的人生阅历（rich life experience）而更加的成熟(more mature). 但今天我们要谈论的这个题目却和大家熟悉的内容有一点点不同：
Task 2:
In some cultures old age is highly valued, while in other cultures youth is highly valued.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
类似：c9p130
Some people think that the teenage years are the happiest times of most people’s lives. Others think that adult life brings more happiness, in spite of greater responsibilities.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
拿到这个题目，很多同学的反应就是去写老年人和年轻人各自的优势。请注意：今天题目的关键词是old age VS youth，不是old people 和young people。
和之前考题略微不同的，11月7号这个题目给出了新的范围：old age 和 youth。
在Collins 词典里面查找old age和youth的意思发现：
‘Your old age is the period of years towards the end of your life.’
而youth的释义则为：
‘Someone’s youth is the period of their life during which they are a child, before they are a fully mature adult.’
分析完不同的定义之后，我们可以很明显发现这个题目的侧重是在比较人生不同阶段的好坏，而并非年轻人和老年人的优势和劣势，这其实也是雅思考官非常善用的一种出题方法：旧题翻新，抓住这个关键点，就可以避免掉入陷阱，导致TR（task response）丢分
那正如我们常常挂在嘴边：
我年轻的时候想要做xxx，但是我没有钱
我现在想做xxx，可是我没有时间
可见不同的人生阶段会有不同的好处，也同样会有不同的局限，所以这个题目是一个典型可以使用折中，也就是双边支持的写法，那就是：
不管是人生的哪个阶段，青春或是老去，都是珍贵的，需要被珍惜
本文我们重点通过分析不同人生阶段的好处再配上范文加以讲解：
青春是人人向往并且所追求的，年轻最直接的一个好处就是身体更好（good fitness），更有精力（energetic），所以可以做很多需要体力或精力的事情，比如学习新知识（acquire new knowledge ）、旅游（traveling）和创业（embark on one’s own career）。同时。因为年轻，所以有很多的可能和选择（many possibilities and choices），不用害怕失败（failures）, 因为可以重新开始（restart）。如果考虑到现在大多都是三口或最多四口之家（nuclear family）， 一个孩子可能通常有6个人疼爱，除了爸爸、妈妈，包括爷爷、奶奶，外公、外婆（are supported by their family including their grandparents），所以几乎不用承担什么压力（take responsibilities）
但当人渐渐老去，也并不意味着生活不再经常和有意义。老去的同时，也意味着生活更加稳定(enjoy a secure life)，关系稳定（long-lasting friendships），有一定的物质基础（material foundation）, 不必再为生活操劳（struggle for living），可以有更多的钱和资源去做自己想做的而年轻的时候不能做或做不了的事情。同时，成熟（maturity）也意味着有自己的价值观（own judgment），不会被别人轻易的动摇或者被利用（be exploited）. 甚至在有的国家， 比如中国，我们有尊老爱幼的传统，年长意味着可以获得更多的尊重和认可（win great respect）。
范文展示（观点来源于c9p173考官范文）：顺便一起来积累一些好的表达吧～
Nearly all life on the earth will pass through several distinct stages throughout the whole life period. People’s opinions differ as to whether teenager years early life/ young days/ boyhood or girlhood/ adolescence/juvenescence or advancing years/ declining years/ senility should be valued more.
Those who appreciate the joys of maturity are convinced by the benefits that growing old can generate. These may include a contented family life, long-lasting friendships and a career. Especially, these long-term relationships may not have the fireworks of adolescence, but always tend to be stronger because of the wealth of shared experience. The greatest benefit, however, is that maturity gives people greater confidence in their own judgment in all areas of life. They are not afraid to express their opinion when others disagree and, unlike a teenager, being old means people are more likely to make sensible decisions, like when to let things go. Even in some cultures, like China, where respecting the old is advocated, the ideas that elder people hold are often emphasized and wished to be continued.
However, the reverse is also true. Some may see declining years as boring and stressful because young people are prone to have an active social life with their friends, including the excitement of first love and first heartbreak. Youth is believed to be the most valuable period also because adolescents are on the threshold of adult life, their future and career lie ahead and they can enjoy their first taste of independence. Besides, youth means more opportunities. Young people have more time and energy to learn whatever they like and try different professions until they finally find their true niches. While they may fail sometimes, this age privilege will bring a second or a third chance for those teens to start over again.
In my opinion, different stages of life have different experience and meanings. Both girlhood or boyhood and declining years should be appreciated equally, old age may be less dramatic, but fireworks of youth cannot last. We do not need to look back or wish for being old. It is better to live in the present and enjoy your age no matter how old you are.
