经济学作为A-level考试中最热门的essay based科目之一,每年都让无数考生头大无比,到了A2阶段果断drop;同时也给了很多人轻松获得A*的机会。十月份AS马上就要开始,接着就是紧张的A-level阶段。为了让大家对A-level经济有更全面的了解,本篇文章将从三个方面介绍CIE A-level A2部分:
2. Essays常考话题解读
A-level分为两个部分(AS和A2),虽然难度系数相差很大,但是两个部分分数占比是一样的(最终成绩=AS+A2,无加权)所以说,如果各位考生在AS阶段可以拿到90/100 +的分数,在A2考试中会轻松很多。
上图是分数分布图,A-level考试指AS+A2。
在AS考试中(Paper1和Paper2),最好得分的选择题占了整个AS的40%,而在A2考试里(Paper3和Paper4),选择题只占了30%的分(15%是指在整个考试里的占比),而70%都在考data和essay,对考生的写作能力、手速、耐力、逻辑思维能力和知识点运用的要求都非常的高。
A-level在AS的基础上,包含五个topic:
B. The price system and the micro economy
C. Government microeconomic intervention
D. The macro economy
E. Government macroeconomic intervention
经济考试中考试最重要的就是syllabus!上面的详细内容在syllabus里都会有哦。所以一定要打印下来或者存在笔记本上经常看!
建议大家对照syllabus在课本上找到相应的知识点并标记出来,就像这位油管上分享A-level A*经验的姐姐一样
根据syllabus上面的五个topic制作五张思维导图,也可以电子版的做成一份~下面是我之前做的一部分思维导图:
除了syllabus之外,我还参考了经济课本、z-notes、很多有关A2备考的文章以及视频。
因为essay里面引用一些重要的定义是必不可少的,理解着去写出来肯定没问题,但用课本上给的似乎更专业些。我会参考教科书的用法,然后去google一下定义再做结合。
很多课本还有revision book给的定义用语相差很多。我会选择自己记忆顺畅、表达全面的摘录在记忆卡片上,每天早晨抽取着读背写。这种记忆卡片可以用本子代替,也可以去文具店里买小学生记英语单词的硬纸片卡
Paper 4:essay and data
技巧:正面反面都要说,举例子+配图。A2重题概率很高,虽然不是完全一样的题,但是考察的知识点差不多。而且是可以选择自己擅长的topic,和AS一样。我个人会侧重于重点准备两个topic,其他的把主要的记一下过一下。比如A2时我选的是GDP, developing/developed countries有关的问题和utility&indifference curve等有关的问题。
1. unemployment- causes&influences&policies to correct. 12分或13分
需要记忆的重点:
Different types of unemployment (cyclical, frictional, structural, etc);
Ways to correct for different types of unemployment ( indirect or direct taxation, corporate taxes; stimulate investment, increase in govt. Spending. Etc.)
需要记忆会画的图:
常用的conclusion & evaluation:
2. GDP, economic growth & economic development, developed and developing countries.12分或13分
需要记忆的重点:
Economic development和economic growth的区别;
Types of economic growth( real growth and potential growth);
Advantages and disadvantages of using GDP as an indicator of economic growth and development;
Other methods: definition and pros&cons;
Methods of calculation
下面是我之前整理的关于GDP的知识点,正如上文提到的,这一个topic是我感觉简单所以精心准备的备考话题。大家可以把这些当作参考,进行整理笔记。例子一定要从课本里面都看一遍,自己想也ok,只要有就行,合理的例子真的非常非常重要:
Measurement of GDP—measurement of the flow of income in an economy over a particular period of time.
# the value of output is equal to the incomes that it generates
# 假设:income=expenditure
(1)OUTPUT method: avoid counting the same output twice; ONLY FINAL GOODS
例子:If the value of cars sold by manufacturers is added to the value of output of the tyre firms, double counting will occur. so only add up value added(= revenue - material input)
(2)INCOME method: payments received in return for providing good/services.
(primary income)TRANSFER PAYMENTS are NOT included=payments made to factors of production =profit+wages+interest+rent…
(3)EXPENDITURE method= C+I+G+X-M - indirect taxes + subsidies
inventory: 存货(算在investment,商家没卖出去自己买下来,使output=expenditure)
Investment包含:
1. Machine
2. Building Structure
3. Inventory
买房子是investment,租房子是consumption
3. Money, interest rate theory 12分或13分
需要记忆的点:
list of some characteristics of money;
how money supply can be changed;
details of two theories: loanable funds theory and Liquidity
preference:
explanation of three motives of liquidity preference;
Liquidity trap mentioned
需要记忆并会画的图:
1. Labor Market
需要记忆的点:
Demand factors of labor
Supply factors of labor
MRP theory
Changes in demand and supply of labor
Imperfections in labor market
Graphs:
常用总结:there are many factors that determine he wage rate in labor market. There are many imperfections influencing the market as well such as mobility of labor monopsony..
2. Utility&Indifference curve& Budget line-- link between/with demand 12或13分
Market structure: perfect competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly and monopoly.
需要记忆的点:
Full definition of budget line and indifference curve.;
equi-marginal principle; diminishing marginal utility;
law of demand;
how demand curve is derived;
limitations of the theory in explaining consumer demand;
details of normal good, inferior good and giffen good (explain with indifference curve and budget line)
Graphs:
3. market structure-perfect competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly,monopoly.. 13’or12’
需要记忆的点:
definition of particular market structure from aspects of barriers of entry,nature of product, interdependence, influence over price; details link to what mentioned in the title; different types of efficiency.
注意:一定要分清不同类型market的图。