来自网络 李笑来
1.Why people attend college?
People attend college or university for many different reasons (for example, new experiences, career preparation, increased knowledge). Why do you think people attend college or university? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
『分析』
说明人们选择上大学的具体原因(一个或者多个)：
增加经验、拓展知识、开阔视野
为了实现理想(ideal; idealistic)(如，周恩来就是为中华之崛起而读书)
为了保证将来的就业机会 父母要求子女上大学 别人都上大学了，所以自己也选择读书 找不到工作
("无知"，总是一部分人做出某个选择的理由。上大学如是[1]，去博物馆如是[12]，从事危险运动亦如是[43]。)
相关题目：[168]
『范文』（341）
After graduating from high school many young people have the option to directly enter the work force. Most students who have the opportunity, however, decide to go to college before finding jobs (They attend college to obtain more choices, higher salaries, and more opportunities for advancement in an increasingly competitive job market. Before attending college, students have a limited opportunity to specialize. After obtaining a specific college degree a job applicant can be competitive for previously unavailable jobs. For instance, applicants with Computer Science degrees would not only be qualified for jobs in high-tech companies, they would also be well prepared for any job with computer skills as a prerequisite. With a larger range of potential jobs to choose from, degree holders are more likely to find a job that suits their particular needs and interests.
Additionally, employers are willing to pay a premium for highly qualified applicants. For example, many companies desire employees who are competent in more than one language and offer higher salaries to attract them. Even if a job applicant without a college degree has high standardized test scores, employers may still place a higher value on an applicant with similar test scores who also possesses credentials from a well-known university. Because of the extent to which a college degree is accepted by employers as proof of competence in a given field, college graduates are not only more likely to receive more job offers, they can also command higher salaries than applicants who lack college diplomas.
Finally, in addition to offering more choices and higher salaries, a college degree offers access to jobs with a clear path towards professional advancement. A B.S. in biology, for example, could allow a student to find a job in a lab after graduation, a first step on the road towards a career in scientific research. The same major could also be used to apply to medical school, and a career as a doctor. Both of these avenues would be unavailable without taking the first step of an undergraduate degree in biology.
2.Are parents the best teachers? Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the best teachers. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
『分析』
因观点绝对而不能同意。
不是所有的父母都是好老师
最好的老师不仅仅是父母
有些父母尽管善良，但对教育孩子一无所知
有些父母不配做孩子的老师，对孩子有不良影响
『范文』（410）
Obviously, in most cases the earliest teachers that people have are their parents, and parents are generally most concerned about the development of their children. However, it is not completely true to say that parents are the best teachers.
First of all, not all parents are good teachers. As normal individuals, some parents more or less have some bad habits. Even though parents almost instinctively devote themselves to cultivating their offspring, the outcome might turn out to be disappointment, for all children tend to unconsciously or subconsciously copy everything including bad ones from their parents. Another deficiency of parents as teachers is the fact that most parents are lack of common senses of education. All too often we observe some parents tend to pursue their cherished but failed dream by forcing their children to develop in a prearranged direction. Ironically, when their children do not follow the instructions, the children will be regarded as disobedient or allegedly rebellious. In fact, it is parents rather than their children that virtually disobey common senses.
Moreover, some parents are qualified as good teachers, but not all of them are the best ones. When children are in the preliminary school, it is not surprising that parents are perhaps capable of teaching their children almost every subject even better than professional teachers in the school. But the situation will not last long. We live in a world where knowledge is accumulated by multiplying and at the same time becomes more and more specialized. Therefore, to be a professional in a certain field today takes much longer time than has ever been before. No parent is able to be professional in all fields, though they might be experts in one or more fields. Wise parents often release rather than charge their children as early as possible. They are aware of the possibility outside the family.
Parents may, nevertheless, help their children much more than do good teachers. Most parts of children education are virtually beyond teachers' reaches. It is parents that supplement. Psychology studies have shown us that parents' love sometimes has astonishingly magic power to their children. Albeit Einstein's mother and that of Forrest Gump are both good examples. On the other hand, parents might do their children harm more than do bad teachers as well. The natures of those children whose parents have divorced are often severely distorted.
In a word, it is rather superficial to simply say that parents are the best teachers.
3. Does easier-prepared food improve the way people live?
Nowadays, food has become easier to prepare. Has this change improved the way people live? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
『分析』
总体上，“食物变得越来越容易准备”是一种进步[37]，所以自然会带来improvement。使人们的生活方式发 生了一些变化：
好的：
节省时间，越来越方便，一定程度上把妇女从繁杂的家务中解放了出来
不好的：
准备食物是一种重要的家庭活动，可是食物变得容易准备一定程度上使家人在一起的时间减少了，比如“速冻饺子”[quick-frozen dumpling]
快餐业的高速发展的一个直接结果是，人们普遍变胖了，尤其是孩子
相关题目：[13]
『范文』(420)
People today can prepare their meal much easier than has ever been before. To prepare a single dinner, provident housewives usually had to work for hours in the past: they had to buy home dirty vegetables which had to wash, meat which had to slice, and so on so forth. Each and every step of preparation was a time-consuming task. But now, things are entirely different. Supermarkets provide vegetables and meat clean and neat, some of them even have relevant ingredients and need only a few minutes to be made into delicious meals. And this change has indeed greatly improved the way people live. In a sense, food preparation is no longer a tedious task, at least much easier to tolerate. Such a change has liberated many women and given them chance to do more meaningful things, for example, a higher pay job or a more respectful one. On the other hand, more men are becoming willing to do the thing that they once hated so much, and in some cases such transformation of men brought dramatic positive impact on the family. Today, it's not hard to imagine a wife comes home after a day's hard work and how delightful she is to find out his husband has already prepared her several her favorite dishes! Children can more easily become independent—at least they can make themselves breakfasts or dinners when parents are occasionally not present. But such a change has also brought some unexpected consequences. Girls nowadays are becoming more and more reluctant to deem household work as their responsibility. The reason is quite straightforward: it was once really ridiculous to insist men do trivial household work rather than go work and earn money to support family, but conditions have altered now, girls might think: "I can work as well, or maybe I can earn a higher salary than you do, dear boyfriend, if you want to marry me, answer me one question first, will you prepare me breakfast and dinner every day?" And some boys, on the other hand, are becoming hesitant to get married, or simply remain solitary, among miscellaneous reasons they do so is one thing: "I can take care of myself, at least I don't really need someone prepare me dinner!" Anyway, such a change is positive and it did improve the quality of people's life. At least it has brought girls, boys, husbands, wives, children and everyone else who has to prepare food an opportunity, no matter what kind of opportunity it is.
4. Which is more important, book knowledge or experience?
It has been said, "Not everything that is learned is contained in books." Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why?
『分析』
注意一定要先进行比较 从书本中获取的知识
优点：
题材、范围更多
有更多的深度
更加的系统
缺点：
有时过于教条
也不见得完全准确
从经验中获取的知识
优点：
获取直接、简单明了
更加地实用
有些知识无法从书本中获得
缺点：
不系统，很大的随意性
很容易产生片面理解
不一定要说A比B更重要，或者B比A更重要。也可以选择在不同的情况下，有不同的比较。学习抽象的知识，书本是最好的来源。学习游泳，这只能靠经验。另外，大多数的知识要书本经验相结合才可以。
相关题目：[116]
有些科目或者知识适合通过实践学习，比如，语言，体育
有些科目或者知识适合通过阅读学习，比如，物理、化学、历史、地理
有些科目或者知识适合通过与别人交流来学习，比如销售技巧；管理技巧
所以不能一概而论(treat different things/problems/matters] as the same)，要看学什么，以及学习的阶段。
『范文』(346)
In general, knowledge gained from books has a wider range than that gained from experience. We now live in a world that typophile is no longer exorbitant, and that printed matters are readily available. In libraries, we can learn nearly everything only if we have already acquired basic reading skills, philosophy, history, literature, physics, mathematics, chemicals, biology, geography, anthropology, and the list will go on. Unlike the experience of an individual that is limited by the range of that individual, books seem to have almost no limitation. Sitting in the local library, we virtually can travel everywhere through an interesting geographic encyclopedia, and certainly, with nearly no expense at all. On the other hand, it can be argued that sometimes knowledge gained from experience is much deeper and more comprehensive than that gained from books. It is quite true that not everything is contained in books. How to deal with personal finance, how to cope with current social trends, even how to most effectively organize our own mind, and numerous other things can seldom be found thoroughly and comprehensively discussed in books, we have to gain the knowledge by our own experience. And the sad news is that even some knowledge that is contained in books usually needs further comprehension, mainly through experience. As to which source is more important, the answers vary. Some knowledge can be acquired only through books. It's hard to imagine we can have a good understanding of history without reading books. On the other hand, some knowledge can be obtained only through experience. When we try to learn to swim, merely a detailed manual of swimming skills, even abundantly filled with illustrations, is at most useless. We have to jump into the water and then gain the knowledge with experience. We have to use books and experience as source simultaneously to get what we want to know. Take learning physics for example, both books and experiences are equally important sources, and examples as such are numerous. Therefore, I think whether one source is more important than the other depends on circumstances.
5. The advantages and disadvantages of a new factory near your community
A company has announced that it wishes to build a large factory near your community. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this new influence on your community. Do you support or oppose the factory? Explain your position.
『分析』
先讨论“假设工厂真的落成了，而带来的好处和坏处”，而后发表看法。
好处：
直接增加了就业机会(到工厂去上班)；间接增加了就业机会(会有很多服务业，比如饭店、商店、 超市等等跟着开业)
如果工厂规模足够大，物流规模也足够大，那么将最终成为交通改善的起点
大的工厂可以缴纳很多税，对地方财政有好处，进而促进社区的繁荣
坏处：
带来各种污染，比如，噪音、废气、污水等等
工厂不一定会赢利
相关题目： [16]、[25]、[26]、[30]、[79]
『范文』 （331）
I live in a primarily agricultural community, and most of the population lives hand to mouth. Parents keep children home from school to work in the fields. If there is a flood or a drought, people starve. A new factory would mean regular monthly salaries as well as protection against natural disasters or a sudden drop in the price of our main agricultural product, say, corn. Regular salaries would allow families the confidence to make investments in their futures. The locals would be able to plan their finances accurately and free themselves from debt. This in turn would encourage entrepreneurship and further develop the local economy. People could begin to open shops, restaurants, dormitories, and entertainment facilities to serve the factory workers with their savings. Profits from these small enterprises would further enrich the local community and turn our relatively poor farmland into a truly profitable development zone. Perhaps more parents could then afford to send all of their children to high school and maybe even college.
There would certainly be negative effects as well. If the area becomes prosperous, immigrants from poorer regions will come here looking for work. Because of their relative poverty they will work harder for less money than the locals and drive wages down. There might be more immigrants than factory jobs available, leading to an unemployment crisis with a rising crime rate as a potential negative side effect. On the other hand, the proposed factory would almost certainly have adverse effects on the local environment, particularly in regards to polluting the water. This is perhaps the most serious concern, because without clean water the area cannot sustain life of any kind, com, livestock, or human.
However, because of the relatively desperate economic situation of my hometown, I believe the potential benefits of opening a new factory would outweigh the risks. If we take the proper precautions, such as imposing strict environmental standards and providing adequate social services for immigrants, the whole area stands to（ to be likely to do or have something）benefit.
6. The most important thing you want to change about your hometown
If you could change one important thing about your hometown, what would you change? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.
『分析』
改变其环境，因为一个好的环境会使人们
更加快乐
更加健康
更加有效率
相关题目：[52]、[141]、[165]都可以选择改变其环境。这些题目实际上可以用一篇文章应对。
『范文』 (385)
I was born in a small town named Hailin, located in the North-East of China. The most serious problems in my hometown are the backward ideas about a woman's place in the family, school, workplace, and society. These negative stereotypes hurt not only women, but all of society as well. If possible, I would change the attitudes of the people in my hometown so they would view men and women equally. Discrimination against women in my hometown begins before they are even born. Because people here believe that only a man can carry on the family line, every family wants to have at least one son. Each family is only supposed to have one child because of the overpopulation problem. This means that if a family can find out a fetus is female before it is born, they might abort it. Or in other cases, people will have many female babies before they have a son, which only makes the population problem worse. If female babies were considered as important as male babies, then these two problems probably would not exist. Discrimination against girls continues as they go to school and work. The prevalent stereotype is that women are not as smart as men and we shouldn't waste time and money educating them. Families often insist that their daughters stay at home and help with housework while sending their sons to school. Girls are born every bit as smart as boys and equally deserve to reap the benefits of education. Many of the world's famous scientists and leaders are women, from Marie Curie to Margaret Thatcher. We need to eliminate the stereotype that women are less intelligent than men so that our community can benefit from the achievements that women are capable of making when armed with education. In fact, women need to be respected enough to hold professional and leadership jobs in our community. This would mean that in the classified section of newspapers, there would no longer be jobs for "men only." We will never know how many women could have done those jobs better than a man could have until the parents of every baby girl decide that their daughter is worth as much as their son. This is probably the most important thing that I want to change about my hometown.
7. The influence of movies or television on people's behavior
How do movies or television influence people's behavior? Use reasons and specific examples to support
your answer.
『分析』
电影、电视等大众传媒(mass media)往往可以对人们的行为产生影响
通过改变人们的价值观、世界观、审美观而改变人们行为
通过制造“社会热点”而使大众不停地讨论一件事情
通过满足人们的幻想，或使人们处于平衡状态，或使人们一定程度上失衡
『范文』(409)
The impact that movies or television has had on our daily life, and society in general, is undeniable. No doubt it will become even greater as the scope of which continues to grow, and as the relevant technologies become more and more sophisticated, and so fascinating that virtually nobody will be able to escape. Already, it can be seen how western movies are exercising influence on our youth generation: they grow long-hair regardless of their gender, commonly part of which is dyed in gold; they wear jeans in each and every season, usually the knees of which are deliberately tattered; boys are fond of earrings or other odd pendants; and girls are keen on Marlboros and weird bad words. The major means that movies and television influence the public is by creating topics of discussion in the society. Movies offer people (the consumers) issues to talk and think about. Titanic had brought a worldwide uproar by its extolling (to praise something very much) of fascinating immortal love; Prime Color and Wag the Dog met the national debate on right and duty of the president of the United States. Antiwar movies such as Tears of the Sun and All Quiet on the Western Front among numerous others have been raising the question that is any war really to uphold justice or is it really worthy that an individual makes sacrifices to his country and at the same time ignores his own family or his personal values? Television also shapes our understanding of what is important and what is not important (to know). The "important" issues are being discussed over and over or in the beginning of a program. The "not important" stories are the ones that are not being told at all. The "not very important" stories are probably very short and hidden in the last part. By prearranging public issue, movies and television make decisions for us. Even though there are critical thinking individuals in any society, they are definitely in minority; the public in whole indeed lack skills of critical thinking, and therefore they are often led by the movies and television.
In brief, movies and television, by offering topics and affecting the ways in which we discuss "the important issues", has a strong influence on our perception of the truth, of the world or of the structure of our society. We have to admit that it has a role in our lives as a source of information, experiences, entertainment, amusement and relaxation.
8. Has television destroyed communication among people?
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Television has destroyed communication among friends and family. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
『分析』
不．能．同．意．这．个．观．点．。一方面人们看电视的时间越来越多；另外一方面人与人之间的关系越来越冷漠。但是
这两个现象并不是完全、直接的因果关系。造成人们关系冷漠的原因很多，比如，来自方方面面的压力：
工作、生活。
『范文』 （410）
While television has been somewhat harmful in its effects, it has hardly "destroyed" communication among friends and family, although for some people, the assertion that television has destroyed communication among friends and family seems pretty plausible. Television, invented in last century, with its wide availability, increasingly prosperous programs, becomes one of the most powerful means of communication in the history, and is more and more difficult to ignore. Television is as much a part of our lives as are our meals, work, or school; studies consistently show that the average American child spends almost as much time watching television does as he or she in school. We all have only 24 hours a day and it is clear that the more time one spends on watching television, the less time one does with his or her family and friends. Hence the passage printed in the newspaper or magazine titled "Television took my husband away." Tempting as such claim might be, it is hardly true. Instead of television, it is the increasing pressure of modern life that took her husband away. We have no definite evidence to say people nowadays endure more pressures than did their counterparts in the past, but it is absolutely true that people nowadays undergo great pressures that come from various directions, including work, school, economy, and so forth. Investigations show that people who earn more than RMB 50, 000 annually spend at least 60 hours on work per week, much more than those who earn RMB 20,000 annually.
Today a bachelor's degree may no longer guarantee a decent pay, more and more companies post their want ads claiming that applicants must have at least master's degrees, which take two or three years longer. People nowadays have very little time for anything; television is merely among many other factors that affect communication, and is definitely not the main cause of degradation. It seems that the more one is educated, the more one is aware of the deleterious effects that excessive television causes, and either deliberately avoid it or actually do not enjoy it. On the other hand, there really are many people addictive to television. But the fact is, were television not existent, surely these people would have found other escapes, such as alcohol or gambling for example. In other words, people always find a way to do what they want to do. Therefore, I can hardly agree that television has destroyed communication among friends and family.
9. Live in a small town or in a big city?
Some people prefer to live in a small town. Others prefer to live in a big city. Which place would you prefer to live in? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
『分析』
生活在大城市的优缺点：信息发达，工作机会多，生活设施完善；人情淡薄
生活在小城市的优缺点：温馨，安静，空气好；人们相互了解、友善；信息闭塞；没有好工作
陈述自己的偏好(可以采取"it depends"的策略，不同的阶段有不同的偏好)
相关题目：[20]
『范文』（392）
People seldom agree with each other even in such trivial issues as preference between a big city and a small town. It's a little bit haste to say that it is better to live in a big city than in a small town, or vice versa.
Living in a big city has several benefits. First, there're more job opportunities readily available in big cities than in a small town. Moreover, not merely are there more job positions in big cities but the qualities of the position are much higher as well. In addition, the pay is more decent. Second, children are supposed to be able to receive an education with a higher quality compared with their counterparts who live in a small town. For families, children's education is always put in the first place. Finally, living in a big city usually has a superior living standard to that in a small town. There are more commodities and services in city markets; there are more public utilities available in big cities; there are even much more television channels in big cities.
However, living in a small town also has some advantages. People who live in a small town often have a much comfortable life style. Most of them do not have to suffer high working stress. Although the average pay is much less than that of big cities, the price of daily necessities, such as vegetables or meat, is usually less expensive. Instead of suffering loneliness which is prevalent in big cities, children might grow up more healthily because of harmonious relationship among residents in small town. People in a small town do not have to get up so early in the morning because there has been no traffic jam, and nobody drive so fast in a small town as to cause car accidents. They might have fewer channels in television, but they have more friends readily available to chat or entertain with.
According to my current situation, although I am longing for the cozy atmosphere and relationship among neighbors and friends which almost only exist in small cities, I have chosen to live in one of the biggest cities in my country—Beijing, since I have found a pretty good job here, and a decent pay. I think I would prefer living in a small town when I get retired one day.
10. Does luck have anything to do with success?
“When people succeed, it is because of hard work. Luck has nothing to do with success.” Do you agree or disagree with the quotation above? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your position.
『分析』
nothing是一个绝对词，所以，不能完全同意也不能完全不同意。选择“很大程度上同意”。 指出luck确实存在指出可能导致人们成功的若干原因：诚实、睿智、幽默；执著；肯于做不喜欢的事情[27]； 相关题目：[27]、[63]
『范文』 (384)
Here is a true story, a story about an African man called Cinque who slew a most terrifying beast that any one has ever seen, a lion. His siblings in the village who know about this anecdote gave him great respect and call him the big man. However, he told the truth later. "It had killed several people, even hunters among us. Everyone including me was afraid. "I was lying down with my family, when out of nowhere it appeared. "As it came for me, I picked up a big rock and I threw it. And that wasn't bravery, because any man would do the same to protect his family. "But by some miracle, you see, I hit it. I don't know how that killed it, but it did. A rock, you see, a rock. "I received the gratitude of everyone in the village. I was given respect. They treated me as if I was a prince. They gave me the finest country cloth. All these things they gave me, I took them all. But I knew I didn't deserve it, for when I threw that rock at that beast, if I missed it, I wouldn't be sitting here today trying to explain these things to you or somebody else, I'd just be dead. I'm not a big man, just a lucky one." You see, luck does exist. When it appears, mathematicians describe in such a way that something has an extremely small probability but it does happen. People often say, one has to have an opportunity to succeed. In this case, luck is the opportunity, and to some extent is an indispensable factor to achieve success.
When people say luck has nothing to do with success, I wonder it is not their intention to deny existence of luck, but to encourage. Because luck in fact is a factor that one cannot and should not count on, even though we know people who have succeeded have their own luck. It is somewhere, but nobody knows where. It happens sometime, but we don't know when. By contrast, hard work is something that everyone can count on, and as is often the case, hard work might bring luck. Therefore, luck itself is of no hope, and lack of luck should not be an excuse to failure.
11. Should universities finance students' sports activities equally as libraries?
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Universities should give the same amount of money to their students' sports activities as they give to their university libraries. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
『分析』
不能完全同意。"same"是一件做不到的事情。
普通大学，应该或更多的钱在图书馆上;体育专科大学，当然应该花更多的钱在体育设施上
资金分配的重要原则：产出应该大于投入
大学的办学原则：要better brains；也要better bodies.
相关题目：[Related
Topics: 147. Some relevant issues about public investments:
1) investment vs. profit;
2) immediate needs vs. long-term benefits;
3) profit-making organization vs. nonprofit-making organization.
Topics
about money allocation: 11. 19. 56. 95. 100. 167*)
personal attitudes of money: 32. 33. 48. 53.131. 173. 177.185.]
资金分配问题：资金的有效运用(efficiency of money allocation)的重要体现是投入产出比
(input-output ratio)。
即便是nonprofit-making organization也要保证资金的投入产出的平衡(balance of input and output)。
『范文』(326)
The main responsibility of a university is to develop a student's academic ability. While physical health is an important prerequisite for mental health and academic achievement, sports should play a comparatively small role in college student's lives.
Since a student's main activity outside of the classroom is studying, occupying from four to eight hours of their day, a peaceful studying environment plays an important role in a student's academic development. College dorm rooms can have up to eight students sleeping in one small room and are not good environments for students to study in. To provide excellent studying environments for their students, universities must build large libraries designed to accommodate students as well as books. Since sports should occupy a much smaller part of the student's time, perhaps only an hour a day, sports facilities need not be as extensive or well-equipped as libraries. In addition to the costs of building adequate library faculties, a university must also pay every year to keep its collection well organized and up-to-date. The goal of every university library should be to have the most current books and materials its students need in order to study and do cutting edge research. The larger the student body, the more comprehensive a library's collection must be. A well-trained staff must also care for the materials and help the students. Continuing costs for sports, on the other hand, are relatively low, requiring only a few part-time staff and maintenance routines. For the most part, students are happy to organize their own sporting events and exercise routines quite independently of the school. Although a student's health is critical to their academic success, the investment that a school needs to make to ensure a physically fit student body is relatively small. Considering that the main mission of the school is to develop a student's mind and not their body, the school should put more of its resources into its libraries and not its sports activities.
12. Why people visit museums?
Many people visit museums when they travel to new places. Why do you think people visit museums?
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
『分析』(349)
个人偏好，或者习惯，比如喜爱历史。
可以短时间内了解一个地方的历史、文化。[85]提提供了一个线索：因为他只有一天的时间！ 可以看到珍贵的艺术、文化、历史、科学等收藏。
著名的博物馆周边，由于游客众多，一般也会有很多其他值得参观的地方，也会有很好吃的餐馆。
另外，也有些人去博物馆，没有什么特别的理由。别人都去，于是他也去了[1]、[42] 。 『范文』
People travel to new places for many different reasons. One of the most common reasons is to see a new place, culture, or way of life. For a total outsider with only a short amount of time, museums offer a glimpse into these ways of life through specially designed education, cultural insights, and entertainment.
People come to museums to learn about the world. The educational experience in a museum is quite different than that of reading or studying. In a museum, learning experiences are direct and thrilling. Reading books about primitive history might seem boring, but seeing the huge skeleton of a terrifying dinosaur in person is a thrilling experience. Reading history books about the Nanjing Massacre are horrifying, sad, and yet abstract, but a trip to the Memorial Museum in Nanjing is an experience that has moved many students to tears. Museums can make otherwise distant and mundane educational experiences come to life.
The museums of a place tell an outsider much about what the people of that place value culturally. A trip to the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art would tell the visitor that Americans are interested in art from all over the world, but by comparing the size of the European Art collection with that of the Asian Art collection, one might conclude that Americans feel a strong cultural affinity with European Art. Similarly, a tourist to a place like San Francisco, where there is a large museum devoted solely to Asian Art, might conclude that people from San Francisco have a stronger affinity to Asian culture.
Meanwhile, many people who travel simply want to relax and be entertained, and museums also provide an excellent venue for leisure. Even most nominally educational museums provide exciting attractions like movie theaters and special cultural performances such as dances, gourmet dinners, lectures, and musical performances from jazz to rock and roll. Many museums in the United States hold special nights once a week where young people can drink and socialize. Museums are not only spaces for education and culture, but have also become important entertainment and social venues (a place where an organized meeting, concert etc takes place).
13. Eat at home or out?
Some people prefer to eat at food stands or restaurants. Other people prefer to prepare and eat food at home. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
『分析』
不要急于作出选择，先进行比较，然后根据情况选择
去餐馆或者吃快餐的优缺点：方便、快捷、多种口味；昂贵、卫生可能得不到保障、快餐使人发胖[3]
在家吃饭的优缺点：干净、可以做出自己喜欢的口味、节省、与家人和朋友共同准备食物很开心；花
费时间、可能做的没有餐馆那么好吃；
在不同的情况下会有不同的选择。周末休息应该跟家人在家里吃饭。与老朋友久别重逢应该找一家安静的餐馆……
相关题目：[3]
『范文』 (336)
After a hard day of work or study, many people feel like cooking for themselves is too much trouble. They prefer to grab a quick bite to eat at a restaurant and go home for rest as quickly as possible. But for me cooking at home is worth the time and trouble because it is cheaper, healthier, and more enjoyable.
Buying my own groceries and cooking for myself is much less expensive than eating in a restaurant. I find that a meal that I cook myself on average costs half to two-thirds less than a comparable meal in a restaurant. Restaurants have to rent space, hire chefs, waiters, and managers, as well as buy food and make a profit. When I cook, I have no overhead. The only extra expense I have to pay is the time it takes for me to cook the food.
In addition to being less expensive, when I buy my own groceries, I can be sure I am buying the freshest and cleanest meats and vegetables available. Restaurants might think it's more important to buy the cheapest food possible in large quantities to make a higher profit. I also try and buy the healthiest food possible. For instance, when I buy meat, I try and buy the meat with the least fat on it. In a restaurant they add more fat and oil to dishes to make them taste better, but for me, health is more important.
Finally, cooking food with my friends and family brings me a special kind of joy. In a world that has increasingly focused on turning everyone into consumers, I enjoy being creative and producing something good. I enjoy learning and inventing new recipes and sharing them with friends. Even though it takes more time to shop, cook, and clean up when I cook for myself, in the end I have a sense that I did not waste the time so much as I truly enjoyed life for an hour in the end of the day.
14. Attending classes: required or optional?
Some people believe that university students should be required to attend classes. Others believe that going to classes should be optional for students. Which point of view do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer.
『分析』
不要急于选择哪一个观点。因为两个观点都有些片面。尽量多地列举两种观点的优缺点，然后进行比较，最终选择一个立场。
上课的好处 [17]
自学的好处[17]
在培养大学生时，是否应该以培养学生的自主能力为主？
如果强制所有的学生去上课，是否真的会提高所有学生的学习效率？有些学生可能在某些课堂上得不 到有效的帮助。
如果允许所有的学生都可以自由选课，是否会有些学生失去目标？
有没有这种的办法？比如：选修课(optional course)/必修课(compulsory course)的设置
相关题目：[17]；[137]
『范文』 (342)
The most important responsibility of college students is to pursue their course of study to the best of their ability. In most cases, this would mean attending every class. In reality, however, not every student is the same, and not every class is the same. If a student can study more effectively in another way, then that student should be allowed to pursue his/her studies to the best of his/her abilities, and not be required to attend classes that are not helpful to him/her.
Some students find it difficult to concentrate in large lecture classes and find reading quietly a more effective way of studying. If a student can achieve more by reading in the library and meeting with a professor during office hours than students who attend every class, he/she should not be prevented from studying in the most effective way for him/her.
The most important measures of a college student's academic progress are tests. In the weeks before exams, college student's need to arrange their own schedules becomes critical. For instance, if a student is very good at math but very poor at English, it might make more sense for that student to skip math class and spend the extra time preparing for an English test. If students are required to attend classes whose content, they are already familiar with, at best they will be bored by redundant material, at worst they will fail tests in subjects they are less proficient in.
The argument might be made that it is the school's responsibility to organize its curriculum so that students are always challenged and therefore truly need to be at every class. I contend that it is impossible to tailor an entire school's curriculum to the individual needs of every single student. The best that can be hoped for is a well thought out curriculum with enough flexibility to handle the differences between individual students. Schools should trust the students to make choices that are in their own best interests, and use testing as the final arbiter of academic excellence.
15. What makes a good neighbor?
Neighbors are the people who live near us. In your opinion, what are the qualities of a good neighbor?
Use specific details and examples in your answer.
『分析』
共有8道题问及各种人的qualities或者characteristics。[103]提供了最好的答案：intelligence; honesty; a sense of
humor。这些都是所有的人都应具备的基本优点。类似的还有optimistic and positive; politeness; loyalty; perseverance; justice等等。[46]要求回答Have these qualities changed or remained the same over time in your culture?而以上提到的各个特征都是remained unchanged in any culture, and any period of time的——相对容易 回答(只需要说"从来就没有变过"就可以了)。
相关题目：[18]、[22]、[46]、[62]、[93]、[103]、[179]。另外，174题的作文中(这一代人与上一代人有什 么不同？)可以用一段的篇幅来描述一些不曾改变过的东西。
『范文』 (320)
Neighbors are extraordinarily important people in our lives. Many people make a decision about what place they want to live in based on their future neighbors. People most want to live near neighbors who are respectful, vigilant, and community-minded.
The foundation of any relationship, whether among neighbors or friends, colleagues or family members, is mutual respect. Respect between neighbors means that when they see each other they will be warm and polite.
Neighbors don't have to be friends, but they need not be strangers either. Because neighbors live close together, sometimes it is unavoidable that they will learn personal details about their neighbors. A respectful person will not intrude upon their neighbor's privacy, or share these private details with anyone else.
Another important aspect of being a good neighbor is to be vigilant. If people see a robber trying to break into their neighbor's house, then they should call the police. If they see a neighbor's young child in a dangerous situation, they should help the child, or at least give the alarm. If the government posts new regulations, they will help inform their neighbors of the new laws. If everyone in a neighborhood watches out for each other's safety, then the neighborhood will be a safer and more pleasant place.
Moreover, good neighbors are community-minded. They care about their local environment. Good neighbors will not throw trash on the ground, and if they see trash on the ground, they will pick it up. They will make decisions based with consideration to their neighbors. They won't play loud music late at night or get drunk and fight in public. They want to live in a happy, peaceful community and they believe that their personal actions have a direct effect on the happiness of all of their neighbors. If all the people in the community think about the good of the community when they make decisions, the whole community will benefit.
16. What's your opinion on a new restaurant built in your neighborhood?
It has recently been announced that a new restaurant may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
『分析』
社区内的餐馆越多，竞争就越激烈，那么价钱就会更公道；可能会出现卫生问题；也可能有客人酗酒闹事
(excessive drinking; get drunk and create a disturbance; make trouble after getting drunk.)。
参见：[5]。
『范文』
Until recently our neighborhood hasn't had any restaurants. We have a local food market and several small convenience stores, and even several street side food stands, but no real restaurants. I'm personally in favor of opening a new restaurant in our neighborhood, and believe it will make people's lives more convenient, support the local economy, and create a healthier community spirit.
Cooking at home every night is time-consuming and tiring for local families. After a long day at work, local people have to spend at least one hour to shop for groceries, and even more for cooking dinner, and cleaning up after the meal. By the time all is finished, they almost have no time to enjoy the company of their families. Eating out would save time if there were a restaurant nearby, but the closest restaurant is a 30-minute walk away. If a restaurant opened in our neighborhood it would allow local people to relax for a night or two every week and enjoy more time with their families.
A new restaurant would also help the local economy. Building the restaurant would require the labor of local carpenters, plumbers, and electricians. The new restaurant would need to buy a great deal of food and produce from local markets and supplies like furniture, cooking utensils, and everyday items from local merchants. It would also create jobs for waiters, managers, and chefs. Perhaps most importantly, a new restaurant could also potentially attract business from the surrounding neighborhoods, bringing more investment into our community.
Finally, a new restaurant would give local people a public space to gather and talk in. Our community has few suitable open spaces for people to meet and have conversations. The streets and markets are too noisy, and the shops have no place to sit down. People who were once strangers could meet in this restaurant and become better acquainted with one another; new friendships could be forged while old friendships could be strengthened. The benefits of a restaurant to community life are harder to measure than are its economic benefits, but in my opinion are sorely needed in our community.
17. Learn by yourself or with a teacher?
Some people think that they can learn better by themselves than with a teacher. Others think that it is always better to have a teacher. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons to develop your essay. 『分析』
不要急于选择哪一个观点。因为两个观点都有些片面。
有老师的好处：系统的指导；提供疑难解答；更快、更有效率
自学的必要性：自学能力应该是追求知识的过程中最重要的能力之一。
任何科目都应该指导和自学相结合。
不同的科目、不同的阶段有不同的选择。
『范文』 (418)
Whether we need a teacher or not depends on circumstances. The relationship between a teacher and a new subject is somewhat similar to that between a tour guide and an unknown city.
When we come to an unknown city for the first time, we definitely need a tour guide. We might have a detailed map, but it is unlikely functional—it isn't surprised that we can hardly interpret those mysterious symbols. Likewise, when we are beginners, it is wise to learn with teachers. They can tell us where to begin with, what we should do, and which reference we should choose. When we confront difficulties, we can ask them for help, and their advice will always be tremendously helpful. With teachers' assistance, we might learn easier, faster, and more interestingly.
After a period of time, we have learned a lot. We now know the city pretty well, even though there are still many places we haven't been to. It doesn't matter. Now that we are able to recognize those mysterious symbols on the map, what we need perhaps is not a tour guide but a more detailed map. Similarly, we need richer references for learning. Yes, there are still many fields unexplored; they are, nevertheless, no longer puzzling. The task is simple: we will explore them one by one, little by little. If we are working on a certain skill, practice more; if we are preparing a test, practice more; whatever we are learning, what is always to bear in mind is that, like people always say, practice makes perfect.
After another period of time, we might have become others' tour guide, but we still want to make out more. We want to know which restaurant is the most decent, which bookstore is the most professional, which coffee shop is the most classical. Even the most comprehensive map doesn't have adequate information. We again need experts. In learning, it's much the same. We need experts to consult for specific problems. Furthermore, the most beneficial merit of consulting experts is that we cannot merely refer to them but even discuss with them in depth. As is often the case, a solution for a complex matter is not waiting for us right there and then, sometimes it comes out of inspirations of discussion.
In short, having a good teacher is always better than having none, but the importance of a teacher varies from period to period, and more often than not depends on different stage in which we are learning.
18. What makes a good boss?
What are some important qualities of a good supervisor (boss)? Use specific details and examples to explain why these qualities are important.
参见：[15]
『范文』
A good boss is imperative to a successful workplace. The best bosses are serious, creative, and flexible. If a boss lacks any of these qualities, problems are certain to arise in the workplace.
While humor and kindness are important characteristics for bosses to have, work is a serious business, and must be approached with a serious attitude. A boss must be able to keep his/her employees working hard and on schedule. He/She must set down rules, enforce them, and also personally adhere to them. If the boss comes in late to work, leaves early, or spends all day joking with the co-workers, then the employees will neither respect nor work hard for him/her. A boss must have a serious and professional attitude that sets an example for all of the employees in the workplace.
To confront the countless problems that arise every day in the workplace, a boss must be extremely creative. If a client needs the company to meet a deadline earlier than expected, a boss must find ways to motivate employees to work faster and harder. A boss who lacks creativity might force his/her employees to work overtime. In this case, the employees might be very tired and upset; they might work slower or produce lower quality work as a result. A creative boss might spend a small amount of money, and treat everyone to dinner at the office to encourage employees to stay late. In this way the company might meet the deadline, preserve quality, and keep employee morale high.
Finally, the most important quality that a good boss must possess is flexibility. While needing to set serious, strict rules, he/she must also recognize that at times the rules need to be bent or broken. For instance, a boss should strictly enforce attendance policies in the workplace. But if an employee with an excellent attendance record needs to take a day off for personal reasons, the boss should let him/her do it. In this way employees' loyalty to the company will be strengthened, and they will be happier and more productive in the workplace.
19. Highways or public transportation, which should be given preferential financing?
Should governments spend more money on improving roads and highways, or should governments spend more money on improving public transportation (buses, trains, subways)? Why? Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.
『分析』
资金运用的基本原则a higher input-output ratio is desirable。参见：[11]分析。
政府也需要盈利
高速公路，是有盈利的。并且有利于促进经济繁荣，进一步增加税收。
公共交通，是政府开销。但是市政府的职责。
结合我国情况选择立场。比如：可以认为目前要大力发展高速公路，而其收入可以用来开发公共交通。
『范文』 (365)
As China continues along the road of economic development, new demands are being put on the transportation infrastructure of the country. This is particularly evident in the cities, where daily traffic jams are unavoidable facts of life. Faced with a mounting traffic crisis, I believe the government should focus on improving public transportation instead of improving roads and highways. Public transportation is cheaper, better for the environment, and a better long-term solution for meeting the transportation demands of the future.
The traffic crisis in large cities is mainly due to the increase in the number of private cars on the road. If 30 people each drive their own private cars to work in the morning, polluting emissions from these 30 cars pollute the air. Having 30 extra cars on the road not only means more traffic, it also means that all cars on the road will run their engines longer to produce more pollution while they idle in traffic jams. On the contrary, if those same 30 people take the bus to work, there would be less traffic, and even less pollution. More bus and subway lines would also save much space now wasted on parking lots, which makes sense from both environmental and city-planning perspectives.
Investment in public transportation also makes sense for the customer. The most expensive public transportation in the city costs about 5 yuan. Two trips across the city every day for a whole year would still be less than a fifth of the cost of a new car, not to mention the inevitable expenditure of maintaining a good performance of the car. Taking into account the considerable upkeep expenses of a car, gas, insurance, and repairs, owning a car is much less economic and convenient than is taking the bus or the subway.
While some people would argue that investing money on highways is imperative for holistic benefits of our country, I personally believe the need for solving current traffic disasters that are prevalent in most such major cities as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou is more urgent. The problem has already become the biggest headache of local governments and their residents, and would cost even more if not handled promptly.
20. Big city or countryside, which is better for children to grow up in?
It is better for children to grow up in the countryside than in a big city. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to develop your essay.
『分析』
不要急于同意或者不同意这个观点。因为哪个回答都有些片面。地点并不是影响孩子成长的唯一因素，也不是众多因素中最重要的因素。
生活在城市的优缺点
生活在乡村的优缺点
也可以用一系列“不一定”的事实来反驳题目中观点，比如：
在乡村长大的孩子不一定比在城市长大的孩子淳朴(honest; simple; simple sentiments)；
在乡村长大的孩子不一定比在城市长大的孩子健康(healthy)；
不同的阶段有不同的选择：
学龄前儿童，小学生在哪里都无所谓
初中、高中就可能在大城市更好一点
『范文』 (338)
Having grown up in the country myself, I can say without a doubt that I want my own children to grow up in the city. Life in the city is incomparably better for children than life in the country.
The city has better schools, health care, jobs, and more exposure to the outside world. The two most important things in any child's life are health and education. In the country, if children get sick, there are no good hospitals to take them to. Families are often so poor that they can't afford to send all of their children to school, and the schools are usually of low quality anyway. In the cities, on the other hand, health care facilities and schools are of excellent quality.
Children from cities also have a much higher chance of getting into excellent universities. City universities have large numbers of spaces reserved for local residents while they have relatively fewer spaces for students from the countryside. If I want my child to have a good chance of getting into a good university, I would raise them in a city.
City salaries are significantly higher than salaries in the country. Jobs in the city are also much easier, on average, than jobs in the country. A worker in the country might spend 14 hours a day laboring outdoors in the fields and make much less money per month than the city worker who typically works only eight hours a day. I want my child to grow up and get a good, high-paying job. A better place to find those jobs is in a city.
Finally, I want my children to grow up into a world that is larger than just their immediate surroundings. In a city they will have a chance to meet people from all over the country and all over the world. They will have chances to absorb history and culture from the cities’ parks, theatres, and museums. Only in the city will they have the chance to be truly global citizens.
21. The causes of people's longevity today
In general, people are living longer now. Discuss the causes of this phenomenon. Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.
『分析』
现象描述：20世纪初全球平均年龄(life expectancy)大约45岁。到20世纪末，这个数字已经增长到70岁左右。
人们越来越长寿的原因：
越来越好的饮食条件，饮食卫生，越来越科学的饮食模式
越来越发达的医疗技术、越来越完善的医疗保健系统
经济稳定、社会稳定。
极端的例子：前苏联(the previous Soviet Union)解体(disintegration/breakup) 后，俄罗斯的平均年龄大幅度下降
『范文』 (293)
Among various factors that contribute to today's longevity of people are three most obvious ones: the improvement of food conditions, the development of modern medical technology, and finally current stability of economy in our country. Food conditions are better than before and are still being developed with a rapid pace.
First of all, foods are more hygienic. People today drink untainted mineral water, sterilized skim milk, which are cheaply supplied in supermarkets. Furthermore, foods are more nutrient. Not to mention various carefully designed nutrient products. People can just ignore the possibility of being dystrophic, since they can keep nutrient balance by simply taking a cheap pill of vitamin compound every day.
Another essential improvement that contributes to people's longevity is swiftly developing medical technology. Development of modern medical technology has always been amazing. Certain diseases such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, and dysentery are now easy to remedy with low expenses, but in the past, they are all probably lethal ones. The dental technology seems developed little except its exorbitantly charged bill, yet the simplest technology contributes to people's longevity most. It is not difficult to imagine that if an individual who lived in the past got a toothache, without certain dental care which is common today, he was certainly in an awful prospect: he might even die of a toothache!
Current societal and economic stabilization is also a very indispensable factor. People have less pressure in a more stable society, the less pressure they suffer, the healthier they are. Today's ideal stabilization even provides people an opportunity to secure their future—buy insurances. Various types of insurances are readily available, which make people feel safe, and have to a large extent reduced people' anxieties, and therefore indirectly contribute significantly to the longevity of people.
22. What makes a good co-worker?
We all work or will work in our jobs with many different kinds of people. In your opinion, what are some important characteristics of a co-worker (someone you work closely with)? Use reasons and specific examples to explain why these characteristics are important.
参见：[15]
『范文』 (355)
Healthy co-worker relations are crucial for the success of business. Since average workers spend at least 8 hours a day with their co-workers, their relationships with their co-workers are among the most important relationships in their lives. The best kinds of co-workers will possess team spirit, be hard working, and have a sense of humor.
Co-workers with team spirit will put the needs of the company and their co-workers before their own needs. For instance, an employee with team spirit might put in uncompensated overtime to help a co-worker finish a project before a tight deadline. If the worker who needs help does not meet the deadline, the whole company might lose an important client. If co-workers help each other, even though the rewards might not be immediately apparent, each individual will gain more than if they worked separately.
A good co-worker needs to be hard working. This is the responsibility of every worker in any company. Just as the failure of employees to cooperate will hurt each member of a company, failure of each worker to perform to the best of his/her ability will hurt the company. It will not only lower that particular worker's productivity, it will also damage the coworkers' morale. If I see a co-worker of mine slacking off, I might begin to think to myself, "Why should I work hard? I can slack off like my co-worker and still make the same amount of money!" Hard work is not only important for productivity; it is also a crucial prerequisite of team spirit.
Finally, good co-workers need to have a sense of humor. Working at any company can be very stressful. Even though it is necessary for everyone to work hard, that does not mean that work cannot be fun. Since co-workers spend so much time together, being able to joke and laugh each other is also important. If an employee is perceived by his/her co-workers as a humorless workaholic, then they might not want to go along with him/her. His/her lack of humor hurts team spirit, and not only irritates the people around him/her, but also damages the whole company.
23. Is it advisable for a teenage student to have a part-time job?
In some countries, teenagers have jobs while they are still students. Do you think this is a good idea?
Support your opinion by using specific reasons and details.
『分析』
注意审题。是teenager而不是college students。Teenagers have jobs，这显然是一个BAD idea。 Teenager，意指十几岁的孩子——16岁或者18岁以下(18岁以上就是adult了，16、7的孩子往往被称之为 young adults。 参见：[61])。雇用童工(Employing children labor)目前在很多国家是非法(illegal)的。也违反国际儿童保护条 约(International Children Act )。允许雇用童工，或存在童工现象，都是一个国家落后愚昧的表现。
不要说teenager打工可以锻炼自我，teenager需要的是接受教育，健康成长
不要说teenager打工可以认识社会，teenager还不具备足够的心理承受能力(psychological endurance)，过早步入社会 (early exposure to the real world)，只能导致世界观、价值观(out look of world, value, etc.) 的扭曲(deteriorated; distorted)。
『范文』
People who oppose the idea of students taking part time jobs say that students should use their time to focus on exclusively on studying. I would argue instead that part-time jobs helps students focus on their studies, provides valuable practical experience, and allows them a feeling of success and independence that is a perfect complement to their academic pursuits.
A popular criticism of schools is that they are "ivory towers," or places where study and research are divorced from the "real world". A part-time job related to their major gives students an exciting chance to apply the theories they have learned in school. Chemistry is a notoriously abstract, boring, difficult subject. When a student takes a part-time job in a medical research lab, however, he/she might discover how important studying Chemistry is for saving people's lives. This student might then return to his/her Chemistry studies with renewed vigor. What was an abstract academic pursuit, becomes a concrete and interesting goal with a real relationship to the student's life. (补语句首倒装)
Part-time jobs also help students strengthen their resumes, build important contacts with companies, and familiarize them with the contemporary state of their respective fields. No matter how hard they try, Computer Science textbook publishers cannot keep up with the rapid development of new computer hardware, software, and programming languages. C.S. students who wish to maintain a competitive edge in the job market should find part-time positions where they can learn state-of-the-art techniques. After they graduate from college, they might then return to their part-time employer to look for a full-time position, or approach other employers with good references and cutting-edge work experience.
Finally, the feeling of success that comes from holding a part-time job can build students' confidence. Knowing that they can do a job well and be paid for it is an important character-building experience that many students put off for too long. Learning to manage the money that they make will be a critical part of their future lives. If they make mistakes handling their money in college, the results will probably not be disastrous, but will teach them valuable lessons that they will be sure to remember in the future, when they will be truly independent.
24. The advantages and disadvantages of my city
A person you know is planning to move to your town or city. What do you think this person would like and dislike about living in your town or city? Why? Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.
『分析』
这是一个讨论假设问题的题目。尽量展开想象。注意：不要只说my city，要指出你所在城市的名字， 比如：Beijing, Shanghai等等。
人们会喜欢的有：女人喜欢商场；男人可能喜欢书店；大的公园、动物园；名胜古迹；文化氛围
人们会讨厌的有：交通堵塞；空气不新鲜；大城市的排外主义(exclusivism)、不友善(unfriendly)；
『范文』 （404）
If my friend Joey wants to move to Beijing, I think even though she might find something she dislikes, she will ultimately like this greatest city in our country.
The weather might be one thing that she dislikes. The weather in Beijing is characterized by dry climate and it is much windy and dusty than that of Guangzhou city. Joey is very sensitive about her skin, so she will definitely hate dusty winds in Beijing. Moreover, Beijing's winter is far too much colder than that of Guangzhou, it might take Joey, as many other people came from the South, a very long time to get accustomed to. Nevertheless, she might well enjoy winter in the North, since she has never seen snowflakes in reality before. I remembered the shining of yearning and eager in her eyes when I once told her what the winter in the North looks like.
She might be always irritated by heavy traffic in Beijing, though taxis in Beijing cost much less than in Guangzhou. When I was in Guangzhou, seldom was I trapped by traffic jams. It must be ridiculous for her to have spent more than two hours and still didn't arrive at the destination which is merely 10 kilometers away. And the most ludicrous thing is, even if you possess a private car, it is more likely to be useless, for parking lots are always crowded, which means more time is to be wasted. Good news for her is that the bus system and that of subway in Beijing are well developed and more convenient, and she won't have to bear that odor of bromhidrosis owing to burning weather as she once experienced in buses of Guangzhou.
What she will definitely love is the cultural ethos of the city. Beijing has a history probably longer than any other big city in China. To visit all historical landscapes in Beijing, she will need at least three years, no kidding! Beijing has the most famous and excellent universities, the largest libraries, the richest museums, yet most important of all, her best friend! Amazingly, in this aged city, people are sometimes more international. Joey is especially fond of art, and Beijing is the right place for her, in which concerts of international singers or other musicians are much frequent, and she will even be able to attend Cui Jian's casual private concert in a coffee shop on a rainy autumn weekend.
25. Do you like a large shopping center being built in your neighborhood?
It has recently been announced that a large shopping center may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
参见：[5]
『范文』
While the proponents of the plan to build a large shopping center in my community believe that it will aid economic development, I think that it will possibly do irreparable harm to our neighborhood. The proposed shopping center will damage existing businesses, provide inferior products, and destroy the environment of our peaceful community.
Research indicates that companies with less than 50 workers employ more people and generate more revenue as a percentage of a nation's GDP than large-scale corporations. This is true in America, where small businesses are considered the engine of the economy, as it is in our community where many people own and operate small shops. Large stores can buy large quantities of goods at wholesale prices. While local grocery, that cannot buy products in bulk, will be unable to compete. Once the competition is gone, the large store can raise its prices and lower its employee's wages. This classic example of exploitative monopoly capitalism impoverishes a community while enriching a small number of people.
The goods sold at the shopping center would be mass produced and necessarily of inferior quality to the handcrafted local goods and freshly grown local produce. Cheap products like plastic furniture would lack the character and local flavor of traditional wooden furniture made right here in our town. Cheaply mass-produced food, laden with pesticides and chemical preservatives, would crowd out the healthier, fresher, and tastier local produce on the shelves of the large shopping center. Low prices from the large store might tempt local consumers to eat less healthy food, endangering the health of local people as well as harming the incomes of local farmers and shopkeepers.
Lastly, I must point out that a large shopping center might bring unwelcome development to our small community. Ugly and noisy roads and parking lots would need to be constructed. The volume of people wanting to buy things at the new shopping center would worsen the traffic situation, which is already bad. Pollution from cars and trucks already has a notably degrading effect on the local air-quality and this is also bound to become worse as the traffic to and from the shopping center increases.
26. Do you like a new movie theater being built in your neighborhood?
It has recently been announced that a new movie theater may be built in your neighborhood. Do you
support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
参见：[5]
『范文』 (334)
Many people consider our town a small provincial backwater, lacking both culture and the amenities of modern life. Building the recently proposed movie theater would be a step in the right direction, away from our backwards past, and towards participation in the larger world. It will create jobs, spark economic activity, and provide entertainment and culture for our young people.
Movie theaters are necessarily large-scale affairs, attract a large amount of customers, and accordingly need to employ a fairly large number of people as ushers, concession stand chefs and attendants, ticket sellers, and janitorial staff, as well as projection technicians, managers, accountants, and other higher-level professionals. The employees would be drawn from the local population, and considering the tight job market in the area, the movie theatre would provide much needed full or supplement incomes for at least thirty families in the area.
Going to the movies is usually an evening experience that either precedes or comes directly after eating dinner. For this reason, many restaurants, cafes, bars, music shops, and other leisure and entertainment venues spring up around movie theatres. People who are going to the movies have disposable incomes and have already left their houses in search of a good time. This is an ideal market, and local entrepreneurs are certain to capitalize on the opportunity to open up new business ventures and develop the lucrative area around the movie theater, further invigorating the local economy.
In addition to providing jobs and developing the local economy, a movie theater will bring us a little bit closer to the outside world. We will be able to participate in popular culture. A movie theater is one step in this direction, and if we can successfully transform our sleepy little hamlet into a regional cultural hot spot, we will be able to keep our young people from migrating to larger cities that they consider more developed and sophisticated. Our young people are our most precious resource and we should do everything to keep them here.
27. Should people sometimes do things that they do not enjoy doing?
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People should sometimes do things that they do not enjoy doing. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
『分析』
这个statement里面的限定词是sometimes。应该同意这个观点。[63]可以作为[27]的理由之一，因为，Most experiences in our lives that seemed difficult at the time become valuable lessons for the future。这道题，甚至可以作为[43]的答案。Most successful people have one thing in common: they are capable of doing things that they virtually do not enjoy doing.
『范文』（340）
We live in a world in which everyone wants to be successful. Nothing is wrong about the desire to be No. 1, and there is no doubt that being successful is enjoyable. Nevertheless, it is somewhat childish to think we can be finally successful by only doing what we enjoy doing. People often are amazed by the glorious appearance of a skyscraper, however they at the same time forget the fact that the skyscraper had taken a long time to construct, maybe much longer time to design, and possibly even cost people's lives during the constructing process!
We may categorize things into two groups, the enjoyable and the unenjoyable; at the same time, another category can be made: the necessary and the unnecessary. The point is, things that are necessary are not always enjoyable and things that are enjoyable sometimes may be unnecessary. Doing things that are necessary rather than those that are merely enjoyable is not only helpful, but might also be indispensable for individual success. We all admire even envy those who now have attained great achievements, such those famous stars as Jacky Chen, Jet Li. We should, however, be aware of the exorbitant prices they have paid for their present glories. Jacky Chen once told that when he was still a teenager, he and his partners were required to practice more than 12 hours a day; and it was said that Jet Li was sent to be an apprentice when he was hardly four years old! Apparently, those seemingly cruel hardships have turned out to be the best gifts years later. But for yesterday's struggle, today's glories could not exist.
Things that are both enjoyable and necessary or both unenjoyable and unnecessary virtually seldom exist. We may dislike some curriculums in university, such as mathematics or history, but they are necessary; we may prefer leisure times to work days, but the latter are indispensable. Pursuing a successful life is nothing more than making wise decisions, and by "wise" we mean the choice of doing the necessary first.
28. Is it true that media pay too much attention to the personal lives of famouspeople?
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Television, newspapers, magazines, and other media pay too much attention to the personal lives of famous people such as public figures and celebrities. Use specific reasons and details to explain your opinion.
『分析』
不能同意这个观点——因为这样的说法过于片面。
有些媒体(大众传媒mass media)表现得过于关注名人。但是真正的起因(the real cause)却是大众(the public; the broad masses of the people)本身——大众过于关注名人以及名人的私生活。媒体不过是在 迎合大众(cater to the needs of customers; 过去几年里, 电视一直迎合大众的口味， In the past several years, television has been playing to the gallery.)，因为媒体也是商业机构(commercial organization)，也要盈利(profit-driving)。
不是所有媒体都在一味迎合大众，也不是所有的television program, newspaper column都在关注名人。
『范文』
It is true that television programs concerning personal lives of celebrities always receive the highest audience rating. It is also true that newspapers and magazines are constantly reporting stories, which are usually beyond confirmation, about famous people, and that autobiographies written by public figures are always on the top 10 best-sellers' list. It seems that we live in a world where a few individuals are drawing nearly all attentions.
Nevertheless, it is not exactly precise to criticize the mass media, including television, newspapers, magazines and so forth, for paying too much focus on the personal lives of famous people such as public figures and celebrities. In fact, it is the public, to a large extent, rather than mass media, that is paying too much attention on personal lives of celebrities. Most organizations of mass media industry, being inherently commercial, are driven by business motivations. Television program producers, as well as columnists and writers, are always aware of what the public want to see, therefore tend to pander to tastes of the public. To put in another way, the mass media is audience-oriented, and the phenomenon is well interpreted and manipulated that when famous people such as actors, athletes and rock stars give their opinions, many people listen. It is the nature of the public, who are curious enough about personal lives of famous people, since they can never be famous.
On the other hand, it is holistically detrimental for the society if the mass media pay too much focus on famous few so as to ignore the rest of the individuals. After all, the mission of the mass media is not merely to cater to the needs of customers, but has a much wider scope, such as to tell the truth, to define what is good and what is bad; to promote cultural values, and the list could be endless. More popular science programs should be produced by television, more reports on poor rural lives should be publicized, more books concerning not famous but respectable people such as, nurses who are fighting SARS fearlessly, teachers who are performing their duties regardless of poverty of remote villages, journalists who publicize their pieces under political menace, and this is another endless list should be written.
29. Does human activity improve or damage the earth?
Some people believe that the Earth is being harmed (damaged) by human activity. Others feel that human activity makes the Earth a better place to live. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
『分析』
不要急于选择。两种观点都过于含混。Human activity指的是什么？
饮食起居：广东人把某种海豚(dolphin)吃得almost extinct；美国人养宠物鹦鹉(parrot)，导致南美洲很多稀有品种(rare species)濒临灭绝。
科学研究：好的例子很多，比如电的发明。不好的也很多，克隆(clone)技术、基因重组(gene engineering) 技术，可能导致道德(moral value)的沦丧(deteriorated; ruined); 诺贝尔的发明(炸药explosive)究竟杀了多少人？塑料袋(plastic bags)的发明，导致了多少white pollution?
战争：从来都是灾难。生化武器，比如炭疽病毒(anthrax)
结论：人类的行为对地球的影响，有好的，也有坏的。很难说哪一种更多。
相关题目：[37]
『范文』
The environment is usually changed to benefit human life. Cars and roads make transportation fast and easy, factories make products that make our lives more comfortable, public services in cities like water treatment, electricity, and waste disposal make our lives more convenient. All of these advances, however, come with a significant environmental cost. Human activity does significant damage to the Earth.
One of the main effects of human activity on an area is water pollution. Dumping waste materials from human activity into rivers and streams is popular because the waste seems to disappear downstream. The main sources of water pollution are factory waste, oil and gas runoff from highways, and untreated human waste. When this waste dumped into rivers, the water downstream becomes undrinkable and unusable for agriculture, and also kills plant and animal life in the rivers.
Clean air and water, is a prerequisite not only for human life, but also for all life on the planet. But air is now being polluted by modern transportation, notably gas-powered automobiles, as well as electrical generators that burn fossil fuels and pour polluting chemical waste into the air. This makes the air much less healthy to breathe. The air-borne pollution also falls back to the earth in the form of acid rain, which destroys plant life and human buildings.
Another serious long-term effect of air pollution is global warming. For the past several decades scientists have noted a disturbing rise in the average temperature of the earth that caused by the rise of greenhouse gases, air pollutants created by burning fossil fuels, in the atmosphere. Scientists believe that if humans continue to increase the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the temperature of the earth will continue to rise. Eventually, this could melt the polar ice caps and cause devastating coastal flooding all over the world. Major cities like Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Dalian might be totally destroyed. Therefore, I believe human activity has caused serious problems while it has improved the world in which we live. It is time to realize this hazard and take action to prevent further disaster while making progress.
30. Do you like a new high school being built in your community?
It has recently been announced that a new high school may be built in your community. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details in your answer.
『分析』
教育是百年大计(a fundamental task crucial for generations to come)，当然要同意。
社区的孩子就近上学很方便，减少了路上可能发生交通事故的可能性；
可以提高社区文化氛围(将有更多的书店，音像店)；
进而促进社区经济繁荣；提高就业率等等。
尽管社区可能变得嘈杂一些，但是总体上还是应该支持的。
参见：[5]、[113]
『范文』 (341)
The basic prerequisite of success for any community is the education of its citizens. Because the advantages of a high school education in my town are presently available to only a limited number of students every year, I wholeheartedly support the construction of a new school facility to serve our community.
The competition to get into high school in my town is fierce. There are three middle schools in town, but only one high school. Because the number of applicants to the single high school far exceeds the available spaces in the high school, only the richest and most qualified students are able to go to school. The skills taught in high school including advanced math analysis, and high-level reading and writing are important to every citizen, no matter what profession they later choose. Even if they are manual laborers, the ability to critically analyze problems taught in high school will make them better and more highly skilled workers.
Beyond teaching practical skills to more local children, another high school will give children more opportunity to attend college. Holding a college degree is almost the only way a person can be assured of getting a stable, high paying job. Even a degree from a two- or three- year junior college can mean the ability to make a salary thousands of yuan annually higher than a high school diploma. Because our current high school is so small, many bright children with promising college careers ahead of them have no way of even obtaining the high school diploma! We must make sure the road to higher education remains open for as many young people as possible.
Finally, if we cannot afford to open this high school, our town will have a serious problem with the number of unemployed youths who graduate from middle school with nothing to do. If they cannot find good jobs, they might be tempted to commit crimes, use drugs, or, if they are girls, engage in prostitution. Giving these children another option would both save them and help society.
31. Staying in one place or moving in search of another place?
Some people spend their entire lives in one place. Others move a number of times throughout their lives, looking for a better job, house, community, or even climate. Which do you prefer: staying in one place or moving in search of another place? Use reasons and specific examples to support your opinion. 『分析』
选择哪一个都无所谓。直接选择一个立场，文章就变成了罗列三个理由的简单说明文。 后者比较容易操作一些。也可以采取it depends的策略。
小的时候，没有选择，父母在哪里，自己就要在哪里；
长大了，就会不停地寻找合适的地方；
到了老年，就喜欢停留在一个地方了。
『范文』 (410)
While moving to a new place can be a traumatic experience, especially for children, I believe that in the end its benefits outweigh its drawbacks. Moving to a new place to live increases a person's understanding of the world, offers new challenges and opportunities, and does not preclude putting down deep roots at some point in the future.
One of the greatest benefits of traveling is learning about a new and different place. Traveling to a new place to live deepens and enriches the sense of newness and learning that a visitor might feel. A new place means a new, perhaps different job, and new and different friends. Learning the diverse viewpoints of a new place not only presents totally new information; it also casts new light on old viewpoints. ( to provide new information about something, making it easier to understand) Often moving to a new place teaches people more about the place that they are from. Old, seemingly mundane foods, customs, and language are suddenly new again viewed in the context of a radically different environment. Through comparisons of old and new places, friends, and ideas, people become more knowledgeable about the world and about themselves.
A new place offers interesting possibilities for personal and professional development. Even though in a new place people lacks deep connections, they also lack prejudices and rivalries. Often people move to new places to escape uncomfortable situations that have hampered their personal growth. If I have a long-standing feud with my neighbor, I might eventually move to a new place to start over in peace. New places naturally have their own local politics, but learning about them and finding a way to prosper is like starting life with a clean slate. Every opportunity is available to newcomers to pursue because the local people do not have preconceived ideas about them.
Some people would say that truly settling down in one place and making deep and lasting connections is preferable to moving every few years. I say that true friendships can be maintained over distance, and that people will be happiest when they discover a place that is truly the best for them. How can people really know what place is best for them if they have only lived in one place and have no basis for comparison? Moving once, or even several times does not mean that a person can never settle down in one, but it does ensure that he/she truly like and understand the place that he/she does settle down in.
32. Spend your earned money immediately or save it for future?
Is it better to enjoy your money when you earn it or is it better to save your money for some time in the future? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
『分析』
先讨论一下储蓄的必要性以及及时享乐的好处。
然后可以采取it depends策略进行选择。
是花钱及时享乐好呢还是把钱存起来好，要看钱的数目是多少。如果一个月赚
800块，只有一个选择，花掉。
2000块，就可以花掉一些，存起来一些。
20000块，就多花一些，也可以多存一些。
『范文』 （394）
My mom used to tell me: "You can only spend money once." What she meant is that if you spent money frivolously, you might really need it later and regret your earlier careless spending. After several years of managing a small amount of my own money, I have come to the conclusion that my mom was right, saving is better than spending.
No one knows what tomorrow will bring, the only thing we can do is to try to be prepared. When disaster strikes, perhaps a sudden illness in the family, having money on hand can mean the difference between life and death. When opportunity knocks, a surprise acceptance to a top university for instance, money is needed for tuition, board, and books. This is not to say that one should not spend any money because they have to prepare for every possible contingency. It simply means that one should not spend recklessly without having a substantial amount of money to guard against an unpredictable future.
The importance of saving money when young cannot be overstressed. This is because young people can tolerate higher-risk, higher return investments, and can let their investments mature longer, allowing interest on savings to compound. If invested well, $5,000 today could become $20,000 in 15 years. This concept is so powerful because the investor does not have to work for the money, the money works for the investor. Saving is not only a bulwark against an unpredictable future, it is also a way to generate future wealth.
At last, while it is true that spending money can be enjoyable, it is not the only way to have fun. The idea that we must always be consuming things in order to have a good time is a lie told to us by advertisers. These companies tell us that only when we drive the right car, wear the right clothes, and drink the right beverages will we be truly happy. In reality, each person determines the standard of his/her own happiness. For my part, I have decided that creating things, writing, painting, making music, is what truly makes me happy. The amount of money I need to spend doing these things is almost nothing, but the happiness they bring me is immeasurable. I would prefer to save money for unavoidable expenses and enjoy life by being a producer, not a consumer.
33. How to deal with a gift of money?
You have received a gift of money. The money is enough to buy either a piece of jewelry you like or tickets to a concert you want to attend. Which would you buy? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
『分析』
选择哪一个都无所谓，只要列出三个理由。
比较偷懒的方法是，“根据不同的时间，有不同的选择”。参见：范文。
相关题目：[142]、[161]
『范文』
It seems not a difficult decision for me. But if I was given the gift of money in different time, I would have different answers.
If I was given the money when I was in my high school, I would buy a ticket to a concert. I had been longing for attending concerts of famous artists to enjoy those transcendent pieces such as saxophone of Kenny G. , rock and roll of Cuijian, and romantic songs of Luo Dayou. Unfortunately, I just was not able to afford those exorbitant prices. The given amount should be better if it is enough for several tickets so that I could take along my best friends, whose situations were much similar to mine.
If I was given the money when I was in the university, I would buy a fine piece of jewelry, and give it to my girlfriend as a casual present, for we might enjoy a certain concert, but hardly could it be permanently impressive. Memories are always not reliable. We tend to simply forget anything— at best, memories are somewhat distorted—if time past long enough. But if I bought my girlfriend a piece of jewelry, not costly though it might be, it would be a perfect reminder, being never changed.
If I was given the money recently, it would only make me feel funny. I don't want to go to concerts anymore, because I became more and more reluctant to present in crowd public places, and besides, I have bought a super Hi-Fi which always brings me identical pleasure. And I don't want to buy any jewelry either, for it is meaningless for a man who is now solitary. Nevertheless, if I was forced to accept some money as a gift—it hardly happens—I might buy some books, after all, reading always makes me relaxed and amazed.
34. Should businesses hire employees for their entire lives?
Businesses should hire employees for their entire lives. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
『分析』
不同意比较好写一些。Entire是一个过于绝对的修饰词。
雇用人员的原则是：The employees should be able to create more than they are paid.
但是，The business also has responsibility to support those old employees, especially when they have contributed a lot to the business.
『范文』 (371)
The decision to hire an employee for life is a serious commitment on the part of both parties. For the employee, such an arrangement means lifetime job security. From the perspective of an employer, however, the deal is not so sweet. Guaranteed lifetime employment, or tenure, at a company, can promote bad work habits, prevent innovation, and lead to potentially disastrous personnel problems.
When a workers' employment is contingent upon their job performance, they will tend to work diligently. On the other hand, if workers know that no matter how hard they work, they will receive the same amount of money and have no chance of being fired, there are no incentives for them to work. For people to be model workers they need compelling reasons to work hard and produce work of the highest quality. A tenure-system promotes laziness, inefficiency and low-quality work because it fails to offer incentives for good work, and fails to offer compelling deterrents against bad work.
Secondly, companies that offer lifetime positions to employees cannot adapt to a rapidly changing world. For instance, if an employee who was hired by a company twenty years ago might be too old to effectively learn new computer-related skills. In today's modern office environment, companies that cannot make effective use of new technology are at a severe disadvantage to those that can. In this case, a company that does not have the freedom to restructure, hiring and firing employees, in accordance with shifting demands is likely to fail. A company that provides its employees with tenure effectively locks out new blood and runs the risk of being paralyzed by a staff unable to change with the times.
Finally, offering tenure to employees is a major risk because of unforeseeable personnel problems. Every office, no matter how well managed, is bound to have personality conflicts. In many cases, personality conflicts can lead to one of the feuding parties leaving the company. But if the conflict involves two tenured employees, the business might be seriously affected, even destroyed. Despite the uncertainty it brings to workers lives, the company must look out for its own best interests first and not allow this disastrous situation to occur by not instituting a tenure policy.
35. Live performance or television broadcast, which is more enjoyable?
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Attending a live performance (for example, a play, concert, or sporting event) is more enjoyable than watching the same event on television. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
『分析』
同意或者不同意都是片面的。讨论现场的好处(比如气氛好air of excitement；投入感强 getting involved)和电视转播(television live show)的好处(比如，有解说commentary/commentator；多镜头various angles of view; 镜头组接 montage)，至于选择，要视情况而定。
如果是中国甲A足球赛，才不去现场呢！生气。可是如果是有机会去看欧洲杯的话，不知道要比看电视过瘾(to one's heart's content)多少倍！
如果是F4的演唱会，是绝对不能去的，电视也不看！可是如果是the rolling stones的演唱会，就一定要去了——可惜，因为SARS取消了。
『范文』 (387)
While watching live performances on television is convenient, it cannot compare to attending a live performance in person. Live performances, whether artistic, sporting, or entertainment, offer unique sensations apart from the performance itself, and encourage a greater level of participation I as well as a better understanding of the event than a television broadcast could.
The wonderful sensory experience of a soccer match begins before the game starts. The smell of popcorn and street food wafting through the air, the crowd roaring and waving like an ocean, and the excited songs of the fans are all part of the experience that adds to the enjoyment of watching the game in person. A rock concert is not just hearing the music; it is the feeling of standing in a crowd: that is moving together like one living body to the beat of the drums. These experiences are all important parts of the experience of an event, and cannot be felt when watching the same event on television.
When watching a performance in person, a viewer feels a closer sense of connection to the event. Every fan in the stadium will always leap to their feet when they see their favorite team score a goal in a soccer match, while only a few people might jump up watching the same goal at home. Watching a music performance on television wouldn't necessarily make people want to start dancing, but hearing a jazz band play live would start every foot in the room tapping, just itching to dance. Live events seem to invite the active participation of the viewing audience, while television is a medium that encourages passivity on the part of the viewer.
The understanding of a performance viewed on television is usually limited. A rock performance viewed live has ear-shatteringly loud music. While some people might not enjoy this, it is a part of the experience that television filters out. At any given time during a sporting event there are many different things going on at once.Because television cameras can only focus on one event at a time; a live viewer can take in a larger field of vision, and potentially understand more about the events. Finally, live viewers' understanding of live performances is increased because live performances are not interrupted with commercial breaks every 12 minutes.