2008.12.13ML /2007.5.18ML
Spend money on long last thing or spend on short-term pleasure; e.g. buying jewelry or taking vacations.
There are some that argue that spending money on long-lasting things is more worthwhile than spending money on short-term pleasures. While I can see why people may think this, I have to disagree.
First of all, the enjoyment derived from “things” does not necessarily outlast the enjoyment that comes from experiences. We might feel a sort of rush when we first buy something, but that pleasure fades very quickly. Experiences, on the other hand, seem to stay with us long into the future in the form of memories. Though few studies on this particular topic have been conducted, there are studies showing that giving gifts to others offers a longer-lasting boost to one’s happiness than buying the same gift for oneself. This seems to confirm that people can get more out of experiences than they can get out of owning things. If we apply the same logic to spending money on oneself, then it would be reasonable to assume that one could get more overall joy from, say, taking a trip to Peru than from buying an expensive pair of earrings. Second of all, because the pleasure we get from buying objects lasts for such a short time, preferentially spending money on “long-lasting things” can cultivate materialism and compulsive spending. We will chase the satisfaction of buying things much like an addict chases a high. We will also start to measure our happiness and our worth by the quantity of our possessions. This is surely an unhealthy way to live, not only because of how shallow it is, but also because of how unsustainable it is. Studies have shown that material wealth is only loosely correlated with self-reported feelings of fulfillment; after one’s basic needs are met, the happiness one gets from buying things shows severely diminishing returns. Thus, we should avoid placing too much value on objects and learn to cherish experiences instead.
Granted, in certain situations, buying objects can have a deep and lasting impact on a person. Specifically, it tends to happen when people buy meaningful things for others. For example, a friend once bought me a ring that I had had my eye on for a long time but could not afford. The ring itself did make me very happy, but I was even happier to have received such a thoughtful gift from my friend. It strengthened our relationship greatly. However, one could argue that even is such situations, it is really the experience of giving or receiving the gift that brings happiness, and not necessarily the object itself. So I would still maintain that spending money on experiences is generally better than spending money on objects. (441)
2011.8.27NA
Patient is usually not a good thing, we should take actions at once. “Patience is a virtue” is a frequently used saying. In many cultures and society, patience is considered an important principal of good manners and social customs. However there are many circumstances where immediate action is required and patience can be a detriment.
Another expression about patience goes, “Good things come to those who wait.” The philosophy behind this is that if you are patient and wait to assess the situation before you act, you will be rewarded. There are many instances where this principle does not apply. Take people who invest in business for example. When Facebook was first started, it was seen as an underdog compared to the other internet networking giants like Yahoo. When the company started up, many people did not invest because they wanted to wait and see how the company got along. There were a few people that did not wait, and now they are worth billions of dollars. Sometimes while waiting for the opportune moment, you miss the biggest opportunities. In the case of business ventures, good things come to those who act.
Politics and international relations is another area that most people say require patience. However there are several instances in history that prove a patient country sometimes regrets waiting. During the 1930s, for example, Hitler became increasingly aggressive towards Germany’s neighboring countries. All of Europe and even the League of Nations were reluctant to act, thinking that if they waited and appeased Hitler, then Hitler would eventually stop. In retrospect, everybody agrees that rather than patiently appeasing Hitler, countries should have acted. World War II would have been very different if countries had taken immediate action.
There are instances in international relations when quick actions have resulted in disastrous results. Take for example the U.S. War in Iraq. The U.S. Government at the outset of this war regarded this as a “pre-emptive strike” against Iraq and its Weapons of Mass Destruction program. The reasoning behind this was that if the U.S. waited to see if Iraq was actually developing these programs, then the consequence would be Iraq attacking the U.S. So the U.S. and its allies went to war in Iraq and they did not find any weapons. Their hasty actions resulted in the deaths of thousands of Iraqi civilians and a long drawn out war. Sometimes being patient is a good thing when it comes to military actions.
Although there are many instances when patience is necessary, there are many occasions when immediate action is required. (415 words)
2010.3.6NA
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: People should try to have goals that are challenging, rather than goals that are safe and practical.
Life is full of challenges and unexpected things. When we think about the future, sometimes it’s hard to tell what lies next. The important thing to do is to keep a goal in mind and try to accomplish it if you can. I believe that we should challenge ourselves in the goals we make for ourselves, but at the same time we should be realistic.
First, I think goals should not be unrealistic. For example, I like acting, but I have no plans to try and be a movie star. I am not that talented and even if I thought I was, it is very hard to find success being an actor. Take Penny from The Big Bang Theory for instance. She moved to Hollywood to become an actress and ended up being a waitress. I know she is just a fictional character, but the same thing happens in real life I am sure. So, it is important to make your goals realistic.
This does not mean that you should not set high expectations for your goals. I believe that you should try to be as successful as you can in the career that you choose. The important thing is to make sure you have ambition. People should try and find a job they love, they should not just settle for any job they can find. If you do not set a challenging goal, you might end up like Jim from The Office, who has a boring job selling paper. Even though Jim met Pam at the office, he could have found a much better job working somewhere else. I think that is a waste of potential.
The best kinds of goals are ones that are challenging, but still realistic. A goal that I have set for myself is to study in the United States. I know it is very hard to get into a good school in the U.S., but my English scores have always been pretty good and I am a good student all around. I know I have the potential and that if I work hard enough, this goal is possible to achieve.
There is a saying that you should reach for the stars. I like this saying, but you should not forget to bring your jet pack with you. When creating a goal for yourself, it is important to make it challenging. However, it is also important to make it a practical goal. (407 words)
2010.8.28ML/2009.7.25NA
Movies and TV programs made in your own country are more interesting comparing to movies and programs made in other countries, agree or disagree. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Movies and TV programs made in your own country are more interesting comparing to movies and programs made in other countries.
Every country has a special blend of movies and television programs specially tailored to the tastes of its people. Aside from the obvious linguistic differences between media of different countries, there are also numerous cultural differences that mark each country’s media as distinct. Given these particularities, are native movies and TV programs always more interesting to watch than foreign ones? I do not believe so. Granted, we have to acknowledge that while foreign TV and movies have a lot of offer, there are certain barriers to entry that prevent them from being consumed more widely. The first is simply linguistic. Having to read subtitles and watch the action onscreen at the same time can be difficult, and many feel that the extra effort required kills their enjoyment. Dubbed audio is one way to address this, but dubs are not always available and sometimes the quality of dubs is so bad as to be comical. A second issue is that you have to understand the quirks of each country’s media before you can get the most out of it. Someone who watches Japanese animation for the first time, for example, will be very confused by the characters’ flamboyant personalities and exaggerated expressions. At the end of the day, it comes down to effort: Are you willing to work a little for your entertainment? If not, then foreign media may never appeal to you. But if you are, then you will discover foreign media to be as rewarding and interesting as domestic media, if not more so.
First of all, foreign shows and movies can be interesting particularly because they are so foreign and different. They can offer something that domestic productions do not. The long-time popularity of kung-fu movies in the United States is a great example of this. Kung-fu has a special place in the American imagination precisely due to how uniquely Chinese it is. It is exotic and somewhat mysterious, and these characteristics help it stir the imagination of American audiences. The Chinese concept of honor, for instance, is especially well-received among foreign viewers. Audiences cheer when a hero finally overcomes the villain and restores their master’s honor. Such foreign concepts are so popular that they have become tropes even western cinema. Second of all, because we live in an increasingly globalized world, foreign shows and movies are also becoming more culturally uniform and accessible. So while some foreign media will appeal to audiences because they are different, some will also appeal to audiences because they have stories and concepts we are already familiar with. Just the other day, I watched a Bollywood (Indian) action movie in which the plot and characters could have easily been extracted from an American action movie. Though I did not understand the language, I immediately recognized archetypes like “hero with a dark past” and tropes like “making the ultimate sacrifice to gain
redemption.” Aside from the fact that I had to read subtitles, the experience was very much like watching any American blockbuster production. What this means is that foreign movies no longer have to have to get by on foreign appeal alone—they can compete with domestic movies along similar criteria. And measured against those criteria, some foreign movies will just inevitably be more interesting. Ultimately, while foreign works can be off-putting to some, they can be immensely interesting for those who are willing to put up with their quirks.
2011.12.18ML
Do you think it is better for government to spend money on building future housi ng or preserving historic or traditional buildings and homes?
2011.06.10 ML
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It's more important for the government to build new housing than preserve old and historical buildings. Please include specific examples and details in your explanation.
Before replacing old buildings with modern ones, cities and towns should think about adapting historic buildings to modern uses. Preserving historic buildings is important because it is environmentally sustainable, a reminder of our historical and cultural identity, and a means of strengthening communities.
Renovating a building, rather than tearing down it and using new resources to build another building, helps recycle materials. Sometimes people tear down old buildings, assuming they are completely useless because they are old. However if you take a closer look, you can see that with a few small repairs, these buildings can be good as new. The construction of new buildings requires huge amounts of natural resources. Even cement is mined from mountains. The rapid development of cities and towns has literally wiped out entire forests and mountains. Before we entirely devastate the landscape of our nations, we should try harder to reuse the materials we have already mined and logged from nature. Instead of making new buildings and using more resources, we should focus on restoring and refurbishing buildings we already have.
In addition, historic buildings have served the test of time and are a living memory of our cultural history. In this age of commercialization, I think it is even more important to maintain our cultural and historical identity. Not only can we remember our own cultural history, but we can share this aspect of our national identity with the world. One of the best known examples of the importance of preserving cultural relics is the Forbidden City in China. In the past century, China has gone through many significant changes, but we can still connect today’s China with its 5,000 year old history by the preservation of historic buildings like the Forbidden City. Preserving historic buildings and sites is an important factor in preserving national identity and culture. Furthermore, I believe there is something about preserving and maintaining historic buildings that helps unite members of a community, city, and nation. Even in my small town, there are historic buildings which are the pride of our community. Recently our town community joined together to help preserve a historic stone sanctuary that was built in 1876. When it was found to be structurally unsound, the building was slated for destruction. There was an outcry from the community to save this sanctuary, because it is an iconic image of our town. Then the community pulled together and organized fundraisers to help restore the building. Today the sanctuary is completely restored and is now used as a community center where people hold concerts and other social
events. The building’s function might have changed, but its importance in our community has not. Even though this historic building does not have the same importance as famous sites like the Forbidden City, it is still important to our town, because it helped bring our community together.
Rather than building new and more modern structures to replace historic buildings, cities and towns should strive to preserve the buildings that have stood the test of time. (504 words, Anna)
2008.7.12ML/2007.1.14ML Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Drivers should pay a
certain amount of fees so that they can be permitted to drive out in traf?c busy
time.
A Traffic congestion is becoming an enormous problem in urban areas nowadays. As
incomes rise, cars become more affordable, and more and more people rely on them
to get to work, city roads are becoming clogged with commuters during morning and
evening rush hours. One proposed solution is to turn driving during rush hour into a
privilege that must be bought. While there are certain downsides to this idea, I think it
has some merit.
One advantage of this system is that it would help the environment by reducing fuel consumption. Many who commute by car do not actually need to. They just prefer it
because it saves them from having to squeeze up against other people on the bus or
subway. But if driving during peak traffic hours became more expensive, it would
encourage more commuters to use public transportation systems, thereby largely
reducing per capita gasoline usage. As a result, air pollution would be reduced a great
deal, and everybody could enjoy cleaner air.
Another advantage of this system is that it could serve as a large source of funding for
the government for developing infrastructure. While many would likely switch over to
public transportation under such a scheme, inevitably there will also be many who
choose to pay for the privilege of driving to work. With this steady stream of income,
the government can spend more money on developing roads and additional public transportation infrastructure in order to lessen congestion and pollution even further.
As time goes on, more efficient public transportation systems can be put in place, and eventually, driving privileges during rush hour will not have to be taxed because most
people will want to use subways or buses anyway.
Of course, such a system is not without flaws, especially in the early stages of its implementation. One issue is that it would be difficult to ensure fairness. Some people
have no choice but to commute by car because there are no bus or subway stations
where they live. For these people, the fee would be unfair. Another issue is setting the appropriate prices. If they are too high, public transportation systems could be
overwhelmed by the influx of new passengers. If they are too low, traffic may hardly decrease. The first issue might be addressed if the government coordinated with
companies to verify work and residence addresses. Those who have to commute to or
from areas without public transportation access can be exempt from paying for driving privileges. The second issue could be resolved by setting a low starting price, and then gradually adjusting upwards until a “sweet spot” is found. Even if the price starts too
low, the worst thing that could happen is that traffic levels stay the same.
Overall, though using fees to discourage peak-hour driving has its shortcomings, the advantages seem to outweigh these issues. With some time and effort, such a scheme could lead to a cleaner and more efficient commuting experience.
2013.2.23NA
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? In order to attract good students, universities should spend money on social activities.【2013.2.23NA】
Some universities today spend money on social activities as a way of attracting good students. Social activities can be an important part of the university experience, but I think there are more important things that schools can spend their money on in order to make themselves more enticing to students.
One thing that universities can direct their funding toward is improving facilities. A school with cutting-edge scientific laboratories, for example, is much more likely to attract scientifically-minded students than a school that throws a few dances a year or hosts a few parties. I know that many of my friends picked their universities based on what kind of science equipment the schools had—in fact, one friend interested in astronomy even pointed out that they chose a certain university almost solely because of its expensive observatory. So spending money on school facilities can be a solid investment for pulling in students.
Another thing that universities can spend their money on is hiring renowned staff. Students go to university to learn new things, and having the right teachers is crucial to giving students a quality education. If you have a school with great social activities but mediocre teachers, then students will only have fun and not learn anything. I actually saw this when I visited my sister’s university. Known as a “party school,” the university always had events like concerts and parties, and the students were generally very relaxed and happy. However, my sister said she learned very little in class because the professors weren’t passionate about teaching and the students weren’t interested in learning. In the end, she transferred to a school with better teachers, and she was able to grow more academically.
That’s not to say that universities should completely ignore social activities. The four years of university are also a time for students to develop socially and emotionally, and social activities can help students do that. But it’s important not to place so much emphasis on social activities that we lose sight of why we go to university in the first place. Universities are places of learning. If we focus too much on fun, it sends the wrong message. It may even attract the wrong kinds of students—the school may end up filled with people who just want to party. For these reasons, social activities are probably not the best way to attract students.
University is a place of learning first and foremost, so they should prioritize the “tools” of learning—in other words, the teachers and the facilities. Putting too much emphasis on social activities will negatively impact a university’s ability to educate its students. (439)
2012.9.23/2011.10.14NA
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The ability to adapt to a new job and environment is more important than having the training and expertise for a speci?c job.
There are many jobs that require a special training in a specific area, such as medicine and technology. Regardless of the type of job, all jobs require you to do something beyond the scope of your training. While specific training is necessary to get certain jobs, the ability to adapt to changes and work demands is vital to success.
Doctors spend many years preparing to practice medicine. Each doctor also picks a specific field, so in addition to understanding general medicine they must be experts in a specific area of medicine. Even though it takes many years of hard study to become a doctor, once a doctor dons the white coat, her training is not over. Medicine is not a static field. New medical breakthroughs occur every year and doctors must keep pace with the latest medical technology and treatments. Medical emergencies also come in all shapes and sizes. Someone who has spent eight years studying medicine, but who cannot keep up with the progress of medicine, or even the chaos of medical emergencies, will not be a very successful doctor.
Technology is another area which expertise alone is not enough. Today’s most valuable gadget will be tomorrow’s paper weight. In such a quickly changing environment, keeping ahead of the game is vital. Many companies and employees have found this out the hard way. Take Kodak for example. In the past film photography was the only way to capture an image. Kodak made millions selling and developing camera film. Since the advent of the digital camera, Kodak struggled to keep pace with the other companies that successfully entered the digital camera market. Kodak managers and employees, although experts in photography technology, were not able to keep pace with their competitors and the company has gone under. My neighbor worked for Kodak for forty years and now he cannot find a new job, because he does not have a lot of experience doing various jobs and is subsequently unqualified for many jobs for which he applies.
The downturn of the economy is a perfect example of why being able to adapt and learn how to do many different kinds of jobs is more important than being trained in one specific skill. As with Kodak, companies and jobs can be lost overnight. A varied resume indicating that you are not only trained, but also experienced in many different things is much more competitive than a person who has gone to school and trained for years for just that one job. Companies downsizing have made it so that every employee has to do the jobs of many. To get ahead in the competitive world, one must learn to go beyond the requirements of one’s work contract. Employees who are flexible and take initiative on new projects are valuable. They help companies innovate and grow.
Being adaptable in the workplace is the biggest asset in improving ones position at work. Of course certain jobs require a degree of training, but this training is meaningless if an employee cannot change and grow with experience. (509 words)
2008.8.9/2007.7.7
即使学?生的专业和basic science?无关，也要让所有?大学?生在university?里学basic science 课
2010.10.29NA
你同意或不同意，那些成功的?人的character，communication skill 是最重要的。2012.6.15
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The most important characteristic of a successful politician or leader is good communication skills.
2011.11.13
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? We can know a person’s character based on the type of friends he has.
There is a saying that you can tell a lot about a person by the types of friends he has around him. While it is true that many people have friends that are different from themselves, all in all I believe you can tell the quality of a person bye the qualities of his friends.
One of the main reasons you can tell the character of a person by his or her friends is because friends have a great influence over your general behavior. Mothers always warn their children not to get caught hanging out with the wrong crowd, because the basic fact is that I child will more likely do something bad if his friends pressure him to. When this happens the child will either overlook this misbehavior, or he will decide that these are not the kinds of people he wants to be around. Since so much of your character is determined by your actions, and your friends influence your actions, one can deduce that a person who associates with bad people is bad and a person and one who associates with good people is good.
When that child grows up, it becomes a bit harder to tell. As people grow up they change. Children who might have been friends in middle school rarely remain close through college and beyond, but there are always a few exceptions. While their interests and general habits might be different, they still share the basic foundations of their character. Maybe one friend has fallen on hard times and has not been so successful in life, but he remains friends with a middle school classmate who has become a successful lawyer. I believe it is a more accurate judge of this man’s character if we examine not his career, but his long-lasting friendship.
Understanding the quality of a man’s character is rather difficult. One cannot simply understand the entire character of a man based on his friends, but one can get a general idea. However, we must keep in mind a few things. With adulthood come many obligations. Some of those obligations include beings friends and acquaintances with people you would not typically associate with outside of certain situations. Business friends, for example, may be people that you can socialize and spend time with, but many of them you might not consider close friends. Discerning a man’s true character based on this type of company is very difficult. Therefore we can know a man’s character only by looking at his close friends.
There are many ways in which we can understand the quality and character of a man. One of the best ways to arrive at a general conclusion about a man’s character is to examine his close friends. After all, the measure of a man is not the quantity, but the quality of his friends. (473 words)
2008.3.30ML
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Students could receive a better, more ef?cient education if they spend 11 months a year studying.
In our current education system, students are in school about eight to nine months out of the year, with a few months each year of accumulated break time. Some think that the time off is excessive, and that we should study something like eleven months out of the year instead. But I think this is excessive and harmful.
Firstly, young people need to grow not only intellectually but also emotionally, and focusing only on school for such long, uninterrupted periods can be detrimental to a young person’s emotional development. Youths need time to go on adventures, learn about the world, and strengthen social relationships, all of which can be difficult things to do when school is in session. At the very least, lengthy school years will certainly reduce the possibility of meaningful travel experiences, which can be some of the most formative experiences in a person’s youth. For example, as a teenager I once spent a summer traveling around South America, and it was an experience that still defines me to this day. It would not have been possible without the 3 months that we had off from school.
Secondly, even ignoring that consideration, attending school for 11 months in a row would be a bad idea just from an efficiency standpoint. Current research on productivity in the workplace suggests that restorative breaks are actually a crucial factor in achieving a sustainable level of productivity, and that our standard 8-plus-hour workdays and 40-plus-hour workweeks are very inefficient. Productivity tends to peak in the first few hours of work and then quickly declines—by the 8th hour of a typical workday, productivity has dropped to a tiny fraction of the maximum level. The same kind of drop is also observable from day to day. What this implies is that after a certain threshold, any type of taxing pursuit, be it work or study, becomes less efficient the more you do it. If that is the case, 11 months of study per year would likely be a big waste of time.
Finally, 11 months of education per year may just be impractical from a funding perspective. In most countries, education is paid for by the government. If academic years were increased to 11 months, there would be a corresponding increases in costs: teachers’ salaries, staff salaries, utility bills, etc. would all go up. Even with our current 8-month school years, governments in many countries already routinely cut funding for education. It thus seems implausible that they would be able or willing to assume the higher costs associated with longer semesters.
Increasing the length of the school year to 11 months may sound like a good idea on the surface, but given the problems discussed above, it is ultimately a harmful and impractical plan. (461)
2012.5.20ML
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? When you choose a university，是prefer毕业?生就业好的，还是有famous professor
Nowadays tertiary education is taking on a crucial importance for young people. Some pragmatics go for universities with high employment figures while other may settle for those with famous lectures and professors. As for me, my favor goes to the former view.
Admittedly, celebrities, to some extent, make a school more appealing. It is widely believed that famous professor tend to be more knowledgeable and authoritative in the field. As a result, students are supposed to learn more from such mentors. However, it is not always the case. Famous teachers frequently get quite a few invitations for seminars or speeches. It is not hard to imagine a well-known econ professor swamped with speech preparation and thesis writing can hardly make time for real connection with a large crowd of wall-street-dreamers. Students would probably end up feeling ignored.
Universities with satisfactory employment, on the other hand, come with a lot more merits. Firstly, it is a good career that makes the higher education counts. If a college manages to send most the graduates to suitable job positions, its staff have already done an excellent job, no matter they are famous or not. Most young people go for college in hopes of a successful career, instead of famous personality shows. Therefore, the sole role a college plays is to equip the individuals with sound expertise and engaging characters so that they can fully tap their potential in the future job market. Secondly, the alumni/alumnae provide more potential job opportunities. Through the school faculty, the undergraduate can easily find an intern opportunity or access some, thanks to the school’s high employment tradition. Take my sister for example. She used to attend New Oriental College, a local school for language lovers. The graduates go to all trades of life, mostly respectable ones with decent salaries, like ambassadors or simultaneous interpreter. My sister interned in one of the World’s Top 500 enterprises when she was still a sophomore. It was a great opportunity provided by a former student of her department. Later she became an officer employee. So it seems clear to me that it is because of the good choice in university that opens up more life opportunities for students.
To sum up, universities with famous professor may sound appealing but when it comes to future benefits, a pragmatic choice is more reasonable. (389w)
2008.12.7NA
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The best way to truly relax and reduce stress is to spend time alone.
I completely agree with the following statement. The best way to truly relax and reduce stress is to spend time alone. While there may be exceptions to this rule, I think it is true. This is because it is other people who cause me the most stress and never let me relax. So I need to be alone in order to relax and reduce stress.
Other people are the source of my stress. There are so many examples of this, I don’t know where to begin. My parents, for example, are always trying to tell me what I should do. Every time they say a word such as “responsibility,” “duty,” or “get out of bed” I immediately feel myself becoming stressed out. And that is before I even leave the house. All day I have teachers, peers, and even some people’s pets doing and saying things that increase my stress. So it is clear to me that I need to get away from these people or I will not be able to reduce my stress.
Other people also stand in the way of my relaxation. Whenever when my stress level increases, I try to manage it by taking some time to sit back, close my eyes, and truly relax. But again the authority figures of my life restrict me. There is always more homework or housework, but never an opportunity to sleep in on a weekday or take a nap at school. Obviously I need to be alone or I will have no chance to relax.
While being alone is necessary for rest and relaxation, sometimes even being alone isn’t enough for us to be relaxed and stress free. For example, last week during lunch no one was in the classroom but myself. I thought I could reduce my stress from math class and relax myself by taking a nap. But still there was a problem. My shoes are too small for my feet so they began aching. Indeed, I felt very stressed and not relaxed at all.
There is no disputing that the best way to reduce stress and truly relax is to be alone. By being alone we can avoid those who would interrupt our sleep, give us stressful things to do, or say things that will increase stress. Of course, even when alone it might not be easy to rest and relax. So it seems that by nature life is stressful, and that other people are the biggest cause.
should never be impolite to another person.
People today enjoy great material wealth due to hard work, but some complain that people today are less polite than they used to be. Extremists argue that people do not need to have the conventional social norms, such as saying hello to other people, because those manners are a waste of time. However, I think politeness is important in many aspects of modern life.
First, in dealing relationships with family and friend, people need to be polite and considerate. Many young people today claim that they are too busy to call their parents and contact their friends. Once, I refused to spend time talking with parents, using the excuse that I had too much work. The consequence was that my mother got angry and hung up the phone. Our relationship was strained, but I soon realized my rudeness and apologized to my mother. My mother forgave me because I showed my respect and concern for her. This situation is also true for friends. Politeness is a bond in relationships with close family members and friends.
Second, in a working environment, one needs to obey the basic social norms of courtesy for interpersonal communication. Consider a rude colleague who is always short and unpleasant with his coworkers. Not many people are willing to work with him, because he does not show any basic skills or ability to deal with people. On the contrary, a coworker who smiles and acts respectfully towards others will certainly be more popular and easier to work with. Obviously, politeness will never be outdated, no matter how busy the world becomes.
Third, in the political realm and entertainment industry, celebrities need to show a gracious and friendly manner in order to maintain a positive image. All politicians have a hectic agenda. But when they are giving a speech to the public, politicians need to dress appropriately and speak in a certain way. Patience when answering questions is also a must. Similarly, a famous movie star or a pop singer needs to show a friendly attitude towards any crazy fan. Otherwise, the printing media will make a big deal out of his/her unappreciative manner towards fans.
In conclusion, though the world today drives people to work like machines, politeness is a prerequisite for people to have a satisfying home life and a fulfilling career. (Anna, 386 words)
much healthier than in the past.
Food is a basic human necessity. As time has passed, people have raised their expectations that food is not just something that keeps away hunger. I believe that the food we eat at present is not as healthy as it was in the past.
First, the fast pace of life makes our food less healthy than before. Fast food is a good example. In the past, life was relatively easy for people. They did not need to go to all the way to their companies, transferring buses and trains several times on the way. Their daily schedules were not as filled with meetings and business trips as today. They could all go home to enjoy dinners prepared at home by their family members. However, presently, almost everyone has to focus most of their hours on studying or working, while still trying to squeeze in time for dinner. That is where fast food comes in. The sad truth today is that knowing about the risk of eating junk food, people still rush into KFC and McDonald’s to grab a bite in order to keep their timetable.
What is more, the development of modern agriculture has contributed to unhealthy food. Before modern agriculture developed, every farmer just used natural fertilizer and focused on their limited farmland. However, the population explosion inevitably led to a revolution in modern agriculture technology, which greatly increased crops yields, and meanwhile, generated many food security risks. For instance, widespread usage of chemical pesticide and fertilizer to protected crops from harmful insects and increased production, but the residue of these chemicals directly caused many diseases, such as food poisoning, cancer, malformation and mutation.
Finally, but most importantly, overeating fatty foods has also affected our health adversely. The increase in material wealth of the entire population has created an environment of gluttony and overindulgence in food. For instance, meat, egg and milk now makes up a larger proportion of people’s diet than before, increasing the average person’s intake of calories, oil and salt. In many hospitals, rich man’s diseases, like overweight, high blood pressure and diabetes are now commonly seen. This phenomenon, though people are aware of the problem, will continue to last, for we still continue to eat unhealthy food every day.
In conclusion, our diets are less healthy than before. The faster pace of life, the development of modern agriculture and the overeating of unhealthy food has contributed to this situation. (404 words)
2014.11.9托福独立写作范文+解析 2014-11-10谢侃Kevin英语课堂 文/谢侃（公众号：kevinenglishclass） 【题】Which factor influences you the most when it comes to a major purchase: 1) recommendations from your friends or colleagues;2) information from media; 3) salesman in the market 题型分类：对比题 论证角度：原因挖掘 观点选择：让步 开头：朋友同事的推荐影响最大。（话题引入+他人观点+明确立场+过渡）When people plan to buy something that costs a great deal of money, they will think twice before making the final decision. Factors that will affect the decision might be recommendations from friends and colleagues, information on media
and words of salesman in the market. Among all those factors, I believe that what friends and colleagues say play the most important role in helping us with the decision-making. I am going to elaborate my point of view in the following paragraphs. (75 words) 中间段1：同事朋友比较靠谱。（主题句+说理论证+细节例子） My first reason is that friends or colleagues’ words are reliable. When offering recommendations for us to make a purchase, friends and colleagues are highly unlikely to lie to us about the quality of the goods while TV commercials and salesmen will try to convince customers to make the deal by any possible means out of commercial purposes. Imagine that I want to buy a car, a salesperson probably recommend me an expensive car that is beyond my purchasing power. Conversely, if I have a friend who is a car-lover, he will guide me to buy a car with a high quality-price ratio. (103 words) 中间段2：朋友的建议能给我们完整的信息。（主题句+说理论证+细节例子）In addition, friends or colleagues’ recommendations provide us with complete information about the product, which is beneficial for making a wise decision. When friends or colleagues can recommend us something, they must have bought or tried this product so that they have a deeper understanding of the features of the product including its quality, price and value. In this sense, their advice is very helpful for our decision. For example, I am very satisfied with the computer that I have bought recently. Expect for its reasonable price, the performance far exceeds my expectation. It is attributed to the recommendation from my friend--Jack, who has already bought one before. (109 words) 让步段：当然，朋友和同事的推荐也不一定全部正确，因为其中或许有他们的个人偏好，并不适合我们，但是比起销售人员或电视广告的商业性而言，朋友同事的推荐还是值得参考的，但是最后还得自己做决定，也不能盲从。（承认漏洞+堵漏） Admittedly, I am not saying that recommendations from friends and colleagues are absolutely correct. They may involve their personal preferences when buying the goods, and therefore what they recommend to us may not be totally appropriate for our own situations. However, as long as we can fully realize our
托福独立写作高分范文4 ● 绝对词型 185题库 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the best https://www.doczj.com/doc/d05492806.html,e specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Obviously, in most cases the earliest teachers 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. 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. Forest Gump's mother is a good example. 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 misbehaviors are often severely distorted. In reality, 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. In a word, it is rather superficial to simply say that parents are the best teachers.(403)
As the economy and technology develop at an incredible speed in today’s society, there are an increasing number of people believing that the most important problems affecting our society today could be solved within our lifetime. In my view, however, this is out of the question and the three most significant problems affecting the society, namely war, environmental destruction and disease, will still influence us and may not be entirely resolved forever. War is a problem afflicting humans since they took into being in the first place. Wars take place when different countries have conflicting benefits, which is unlikely to be eliminated as long as the boundaries between countries still exist. For instance, in the Middle East where water is extremely scarce, many countries are in conflict in contention for water resources. Since every country acts for the sake of its own benefit, it seems that people in the region are incapable of living together in harmony. Eternal world peace, therefore, is unlikely to be achieved in our lifetime. Environmental destruction emerged not long before but it is becoming increasingly severe and can not be ignored. With the large-scale utilization of fossil fuels and rapid development of industry, huge amounts of pollutants are being produced, contaminating the environment to a large degree. The disposal of these pollutants being a tough task, it is hardly possible that we can completely get rid of them within a short period of time. Furthermore, even if we can come up with optimal methods for dealing with these substances, there remains the problem that these methods may cost too much and obstruct the development of economy. Last but not least, the well-being of people around the world is threatened by a variety of diseases, ranging from AIDS to cancer, the cures for which have not been discovered yet. Diseases set off panics among humans, affect their normal life and leave people badly off with the high medical expenses. There are thousands of scientists devoting themselves to finding cure for diseases, but new types of diseases keep emerging and there is no eliminating all of them. In summary, the problems with the most significance today are going to be passed on to our offspring. To eliminate these problems thoroughly, there is still a long way to go.
托福独立写作满分范文下载 托福独立写作可谓是托福考试中的一道拦路虎，在这里为大家整理一片托福独立写作的满分范文，供同学们参考。 Does technology make children less creative than in the past? Are our kids becoming lazier and less creative, less imaginable than before as a consequence of highlyadvanced technology? My answer is no, and just the opposite, technology has apparently assisted our kids tobecome more creative. First and foremost, technology has provided children with easy access to scientific and liberal art resourceswhich is their best source of inspiration. For example, children could now easily gain access to academic databasesthrough iPad screen, read classical works on Kindle, or watch historic documents on Internet. These great worksare essentially helpful to arousing their curiosity and prepares them with key knowledge necessary for any creation.However, these wonderful equipments and facilities are never as handy in the past, when kids could only reachlimited resources in public libraries or schools. In this sense, technology has provided the possibility for children tobe more creative. Second, technology has equipped children with professional apparatus which could finally realize theirimagination. This takes form particularly as computer softwares and applications, such as Photoshop for creativegraphic design, Overture for easily composing a piece of music, 3DMax for building up a virtual world, etc.. Allthe software were never as handy as they are at present, and this would absolutely provides our children aneffective tool for realizing their creativity. Third, technology itself is a market place where creative ideas are economically encouraged. Steve Jobsearned millions of dollars a year for his unparallel creation, and Mark Zuckberg gained his reputation for thegenius social network. Therefore, technology has provided children the internal motive to develop their creativity. However, it is undeniable that technology might make children become lazier and be comfortable with whatis already available because everything are so convenient nowadays and there seems to be no way to improve them.Children lost in
为了帮助大家高效备考托福，为大家带来托福TPO48独立写作题目文本+满分范文，希望 对大家备考有所帮助。 托福TPO48独立写作题目原文： Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?Because modern life is very complex, it is essential for young people to have the ability to plan and https://www.doczj.com/doc/d05492806.html,e specific reasons and examples to support your answer. 托福TPO48独立写作满分范文1： Increasingly sophisticated technology, explosive information and intricate international relationships all work together to complicate the modern life, which makes our modern people somewhat overwhelmed. Individuals whoever want to have a better control of one’s life must equip themselves with some essential skills or abilities. Planning and organizing, which embodies the skill of anticipating, influencing, and controlling, in my view, is becoming gradually important in coping with today’s complication especially for the young who are always the most passionate but also with less self-control. First of all, planning helps keep one on course in achieving goals and crystallize objectives. Young people always possess some grand dreams which may take years to accomplish. Planning ahead, on the one hand, could effectively put one on the right track thus prevent energy from being scattered or wasted. A survey conducted by experts from Oxford University shows that over 90% of elites and enterprisers had precise objects and made plans for decades later at very young age. Like Bill Gates, one of the most prominent persons I have ever seen, discontinued their studies since he was definite aware of what he should do in order to become the leader of IT field. On the other hand, plans, which are organized step by step, could turn the ultimate goals into several achievable ones. With achievable objective achieved one by one, the ultimate goal will finally be attained. Besides, planning and organizing help to promise one’s best performance in most occasions. Panning means trying to anticipate all the possibilities and arrange things in a scientific order. It clearly tells people what to do currently and what should do the next, which prevents disorder or chaos. Thus, people may feel assured and will be with less stress. For example, a student who sticks to a study plan is less likely to be nervous thus will be more likely to have better performance than those who crams for tests. Today youngsters are exposed with fierce competitions but also abundant opportunities. Good performance is key to hold these opportunities in hand. It is undeniable that our society changes at such a quick pace that we cannot plan everything in previous. But this by no means implies that the ability is not important. Without a plan, complex things will only get more complicated. Abraham Lincoln reportedly once said, “If I had 60 minutes to cut down a tree, I would spend 40 minutes sharpening the ax and 20 minutes cutting it down.” Planning is just like “sharpening the ax”, which will no doubt facilitate a task easy done. All in all, though the ability of planning and organizing may not be omnipotent for people
托福写作辅导：托福考试满分作文欣赏（１） Which one do you prefer, to solve problems on your own experience and knowledge, or to ask others for advice? As knowledge and experience serve as twim towers in problem-solving, one is often presented with two major paths that pave the way for final fulfillment, eitther to wrack his brain, just like what happened to Neuton, siiting for many years under an apple tree and eventually figuring out ond of the greatest universal rules that govern the whole globe, or to seek for others ’ widsom through their advice, just as in the case of Benjinin Franklin, gathering great minds under one roof and then establishing a most world-renown libray. Both ways work. When a practical goal is involved, however, Benjimin Franklin may best be regareded as a role model in this respect and asking people for advice often turn out to be the prime alternative. Experience and knowledge borrowed or learned from others’ advice contribute greatly to effectiveness and effeciency for a goal-accomplishment. Not all experience and knowledge related to problem-solving can be obtained by personal effort alone due to limitations of mind and capabilities of each individual. A single thought in someone’s mind is, more often than not, far less shining compared with group ’s wisdom. That explains the famous old saying that one sees further when standing upon the shoulders’ of past great giants; that explains why a great leader is always with greater minds; that also explains why teamwork in corperation is highly emphasized in the 21st century. Brainstorm and exchange of ideas between different thoughts never fail to enhance capabilities of each individula involved, a team, a company, an institution, a country, or even the entire global village. Asking others’ advice instead of getting everything done on one’s own promotes democracy and communication too. In terms of democracy, it is necessary to give others rights and chances to speak since the problem may concern them in different ways, and their saying in turn reflects our respect toward freedom of speech as well as their wisdom. In terms of communication, idea exchange sometimes focuses more than solutions, and hereby better mutual understanding about perspectives, principles, praticalities and personalities of each other. Admittely turning to others for help and suggestion by no means refers to absolute and irresponsible dependence. Consideration upon different thoughts and ideas broadens our mind, enlarges our vision, furthers understanding, enhances more effective and efficient brainstorm, and stresses mutual respect in groups and communities, which undoubtedly gives rise to better, if not the best solutions. As is paraphrasedfrom John F Kenedy, brainstormed, there is little we cannot do while divided, there is little we can do. 托福写作辅导：托福考试满分作文欣赏(2) Case of Benjinin Franklin, gathering great minds under one roof and then establishing a most world-renown libray. Both ways work. When a practical goal is involved, however, Benjimin Franklin may best be regareded as a role model in this respect and asking people for advice often turn out to be the prime alternative. Experience and knowledge borrowed or learned from others' advice contribute greatly
托福独立写作高分范文 1 ●让步型 2012/2/25 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Two people can become gooe friends enen if one of them has more money than the other. Generally, I disagree with the statement that two people can be friends if one is richer than the other. In many TV, plays and movies, there is often the story of a poor boy and a rich girl eventually becoming friends. However, their fairytales only ever happen in fiction. In the reality, this never happens because rich and poor people have very different goals in life and very different lifestyles. To begin with, different goals in life between the rich and the poor are a vital barrier for them to become friends. Even from the beginning of their lives, they undertake different missions. Po or people’s goal in life is mostly to lead a decent life, and to be able to buy things such as a comfortable house and a functional car. However, rich people’s goal in life is to continue their parents’ business. For example, disadvantaged people are fight ing for survival in the cutting-throat competition of this society, such as paying the mortgage and the credit card, while rich people have to think about how to expand their family business in other countries. So they are not living in the same world and do not bear the same chance to know each other, let alone become friends. Second, the different ways of living prevent the friendship from taking shape between them. On this point, poor people will definitely repel rich people because they feel less confident. For example, when they finish their jobs, what can poor people afford to do every day is to simply go back home and be with their family members. Rich people, on the other hand, have many different choices in how to spend their free time. For instance, rich people can go to gulf club to enjoy the fresh air and indulge themselves in equestrian event or racecourse. Therefore, talking about the similar lifestyle which paves the road of friendship, these two groups of people are speaking different language. Admittedly, exceptions do exist in some special aspects. Basketball players serve as good examples. In NBA, about 50 percent of players were born in slums. However, when they finally earn tons of money, they still are contacting and helping their friends who were not rich at all. Allen Iverson is a NBA player, but he always holds the parties with his friends in slums and does what he can do to help his friend to get rid of poverty. All in all, in most cases, people with huge difference in their economic conditions cannot be friends for lack of lifestyle and life goals in common, despite few exceptions. (431) Collins 原版范文 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Convenience foods will become increasingly prevalent and eventually replace traditional methods of food preparation.