Well begun is half done是大家耳熟能详的英语谚语。也就是说，一个漂亮的开头，往往是文章写作成功的一半。尤其在雅思和新托福写作考试中，好的开头往往能够在瞬间吸引考官眼球，留下良好的第一印象。那么，我们怎样才能写漂亮的引言段呢?首先，我们要做到开门见山，明确写作话题和目的。如何才能做到开门见山?我们可以采用以下几种方式：
1. 采用统计数字引出话题，把问题呈现在读者面前;
2. 提出有争议性的问题，激发读者兴趣，使其积极参与讨论;
3. 以新颖的观点，吸引读者注意力;
4. 呈现该话题正反方的观点;
5. 引用名人名言、谚语等作为文章的开头;
6. 对将要讨论的话题进行定义。
其次，要善于运用复合句，从而使引言段简洁明了，开宗明义。下面我们将探讨雅思与新托福各种题材和体裁文章引言段的写作方法。 引用数据呈现讨论的话题，说明问题的严重性或者重要性，引起读者的关注。下面我们结合几道雅思和新托福作文话题进行实战演练。
我们在写关于体罚的话题文章时，可以这样开头：It is reported that a boy in Zhuhai was beaten to death by his father on Father’ Day. Ample evidence also shows that children who are frequently abused by their parents or teachers tend to be introverted, pessimistic, indifferent and even world-weary. Recently, there has arisen a fierce argument on whether corporal punishment should be abolished. Teachers, parents and experts take diverse attitudes towards this issue.(据报道，在父亲节那天，珠海有个小男孩被老爸揍死了。充分的证据也显示，经常遭父母或老师虐待的小孩往往比较内向、悲观、冷漠甚至厌世。近来，关于是否应该废除体罚出现了一场激烈的争论，老师、家长和专家各执一词。)
而我们在写关于该不该禁烟的话题时，可以这样开头：A recent study conducted by Zhongshan University has found that the number of smokers has been increasing sharply over the past five years. Research findings also reveal that the incidence of smoking-related conditions has soared. As a result, the ban on smoking has been in the spotlight. (中山大学最近做的一个研究表明，在过去五年里，吸烟者人数急剧上升。研究结果同时显示，吸烟导致的疾病发病率也急剧增长。因此，禁烟成了个热点话题。)