On Power Failure

Recently, every morning when I wake up, I find my air-conditioner automatically turned off. I didn’t understand why at first, but soon I learned that there was a great shortage of electricity supply in our city C my air-conditioner turned off because of a power failure midnight.

With the rapidly developing industry and the ever-increasing population, demand for electricity supply is soaring. Besides, summers in recent years are much hotter than before, so most working places and households are air-conditioned, which consumes additional electricity.

Face with such a hard nut, we have to find ways to crack it. Above all, in western areas China, there is surplus of electricity supply. So, cities that are thirsty for electricity may ask for remote help. Then, when we have electricity, we should remember to save it. Set your air-conditioners at 27C and you won’t feel less comfortable than when they are at 26C. In fact, some factories already shift their working hours to avoid the peak time of electricity consuming. My parents don’t work from Monday to Friday as before C they work form Saturday to Wednesday and have the following two days off instead. This is also a way out, isn’t it?

On University Tuition System in China

Tuition system has become one of the hottest topics in China since it was put into effect. Different people have different opinions on it. Some people think that there is no university in the world which is open to students without tuition.

As far as China is concerned, it is a developing country with the largest population in the world. The government is unable to allocate enough funds to pay for various teaching facilities and many different kinds of expenses. One of the ways to relieve the problem is for students to pay tuition. The money raised in this way can be used to improve the conditions for running schools.

Others, however, are opposed to the tuition system. They argue that the living standard of the Chinese people, especially of those in the poor rural areas, is still low, compared with that in the Western World. The university tuition will certainly add to the already heavy burden of the parents, who live on their salaries or wages.

Moreover, tuition may become an obstacle to the development of China's higher education. This is because it hinders some talented people from entering the university just on account of their poverty.

Honesty

Honesty is the chief and most honored virtue in this country. Being dishonest is, for Chinese, a shameful thing. But, to my dismay, more and more people are seen engaged in open and rampant dishonest activities nowadays. It seems that people no longer cherish honesty. Students devise various strategies to cheat in examinations, write false resumes in job-hunting, etc.. Businessmen wouldn’t stop selling fake and inferior commodities unless they are caught. Athletes desire to get an advantage over competitors by adopting stimulants. In a word, dishonest phenomena exist in every corner of the society.

However, I still value honesty because being honest benefits all of us. For instance, if businessmen are honest in product promotion or sale, their customers will get genuine satisfaction and will return to buy more, which is a win-win situation. We are partners in this interdependent world. If we could compete and cooperate in an honest manner, that is to say, on an equal footing, all of us would reap huge benefits and achieve greater success sooner or later.

In conclusion, it pays to be honest. I sincerely hope that people from all walks of life would be honest in their daily lives.

The cultural exchanges

There is no denying that the cultural exchanges are playing a more and more important role in the modern world. People from foreign countries are interested in our traditional Chinese culture. They not only appreciate the traditional Chinese paintings, music, costume, etc, but also begin to learn to how to make them. In this way, they hope to gain a better understanding of Chinese culture and thus can know the country better.

Since our country became more open, our Chinese government has made great efforts to promote all kinds of exchanges with the outside world. These exchanges range from economics and education to culture. The cultural exchanges play a more and more important part in our life. Many channels are open for the foreigners to learn our traditional art. They can take some courses in some special schools and many professionals can be their teachers.

In my opinion, the cultural exchange is good to all of us. It is an efficient way to introduce our Chinese culture to the world. In this way, people in the foreign countries can know more and more about China. Some biased views about our country can be dispelled.

A small Fish or a Big Fish

Just as there are distinct differences between being a small fish is a big pond and a big fish in a small pond, so it is with working as a subordinate in a large enterprise and presiding in a small firm.

With the former, you can derive a deep sense of satisfaction from being a member of a well-known organization such as General Motors, or the Bell Telephone System. You have the opportunities of learning from experienced executives and knowing about the standard working process.

With the latter, you have greater responsibilities and your decision may bring immediate effect. Normally you are expose to various experiences and expected to do a great many thing without much help or guidance.

Personally I prefer to work in a small enterprise, where my prospect of promotion is good as long as I work hard. To tell the truth, I’d rather become a well-known and important figure within my own small pond.

Air Pollution

We all know that clean air is important to good health. Wherever you go and whatever you do, you are always surrounded by a sea of gases that we call air. If there are impurities in the air, they may be absorbed by our bodies and make us ill. We need clean air, but unfortunately , air pollution is globally present, especially in cities.

Many large cities are anything but pollution-free. Our cities have many factories, which we need to make food, clothing and other things. Every year these factories pour millions upon millions of tons of smog into air. Power plants and houses that burn coal add greatly to air pollution. Besides, there are more cars in cities now. Once out on the streets, they will take in fresh air and replace it with poisonous gases.

Our country is trying hard to prevent and control air pollution. As long as every citizen also realizes its importance and makes join efforts, the day will come soon when people will take in only clean air. Then, the sunlight will no longer be blackened out by smoke and soot.

Away from Net-bar Campaign

It has been reported that a middle school in Xuzhou City has recently launched a campaign named “Away from Net-bar”. More than a thousand students have signed for their solemn promise that they will not spend a single minute in the net-bars. With the nearing of the summer vacation, this campaign is especially meaningful for the healthy development of the minors.

The internet has brought people great convenience in getting information, entertainment and contact with others, and it has also benefited some businessmen, especially the owner of net-bars. While it is true that most net-bars are running legally, it is also true that some are offering unhealthy programs that involve violence and sex content. Since most middle school students are prone to be influenced and they can hardly tell which bars are doing well and which ones are not, it is only advisable that they stay away from all. Besides, staying away from net-bars also does good to students’ physical health. By passively sitting too long in front of the computer screen, both their eyesight and physique suffer.

Obviously, the Away from Net-bars Campaign is an activity that is worth advocating and it merits other schools’ reference

Online Education

Being online is no longer something strange in our life. To some degree, it has become part of our daily life. We can do a lot of things online, such as searching for information and communicating with friends far and near. But recently another helpful online activity has become very “in”. That is online education.

Why could online education be so popular within such a short period of time? Among other reasons, the quick development of the internet should be an essential one, which makes all our dreams of attending class in the distance possible. Another underlying reason is the quick development of both society and technology. Today, modern science and technology is developing with lightening speed. To catch up with this development we all feel an urgent and strong desire to study. However, due to the great pace of modern society, many people are too busy to study full time at school. Online education just comes to their aid.

Personally, I appreciate this new form of education. It’s indeed a helpful complement to the traditional educational means. It can provide different learners with more flexible and versatile ways of learning. Most of all, with online education, we can sick to our jobs and at the same time study and absorb the latest knowledge.

Love on Campus

According to a recent survey, roughly six out of every ten college graduates have the experience of dating with the opposite sex. The number is not a surprise at all, considering that the age of college students is usually between 18 and 24. What is really worth bothering to care for, however, is the serious problems love affairs have presented.

The alarming one is the increase in violent incidents owing to love on campus. When failing to win desirable affection from their lovers, some girl students tend to commit suicide while boys turn to knife and poison for revenge. Besides, it is a painful fact that boys obtain money needed for their love in an improper way. To please their girl friends, boy students always dress smartly, shop generously and eat out frequently; but when finding no other quicker way to make the money needed than by stealing or cheating, they are on the way to imprisonment. Another sensitive problem is the growing pregnancy rate among girl students. The young students are subjected to blame for being too young to put themselves under sensible control, but school authorities cannot escape their share of responsibility.

With regard to universities, they should offer more than practical lectures on education of love; for example, debates about love on campus should be regularly held among the students, thus making themselves clear about the rights and wrongs of their action. Also, they should appoint some special instructors whose job should center round psychology of students in love as well as those with troubles in love affairs. In short, schools should stop acting as onlookers or critics in dealing with those students, and perform full responsibilities as an institution of developing well-rounded talents.

Private Colleges

 Li Ming, one of my former classmates, went to a private college after his failure to pass the College Entrance Examinations last year. Li Ming's case is not unique, and thousands of middle-school graduates are admitted by hundreds of privately-funded colleges each year. The rapid growth of these schools has its own root.

    The reasons lie in many ways. Firstly, state-owned universities are not sufficient to take in all the high-school graduates, and therefore a great number of students are denied the chance to go to college. A recent survey shows that only about 30% of the graduates from high schools can continue their education. Secondly, the rapid economic growth creates a huge demand for well-educated people. To meet the social needs, our government encourages the establishment of new colleges with individual or collective funds. Thirdly, many Chinese families are able to afford higher tuition fee needed to go to a private college. The expense of about 5,000 yuan each year is not beyond the income of most families.

In spite of the higher tuition fee, private colleges provide a large number of young people with access to higher education. They are, in a sense, doing a great favor to the improvement of civilization, and will move towards greater prosperity.

How To Improve Our Current College Entra

Statistics show that no more than 40% of people who take the college entrance exams pass. Because a college education is regarded as the key to a successful career, this puts enormous pressure on the applicants. It also causes social problems, as those who fail consider that they have disgraced their families.

    It seems to me that the exams are unfair, for three reasons: First, applicants with different abilities are faced with the same type of exam paper, second, the results of a mere three days of examination affect the applicant’s whole future; and third, applicants who can afford private tutors usually score higher marks than those who are poorer, but perhaps more intelligent.

To improve the system of college entrance exams, I suggest the following steps: the exam papers should be graded to take into account the different levels of ability and the different backgrounds of the applicants; in addition to the actual exam, a complete assessment of the applicant’s educational achievements should be made; and tutoring in examination techniques should be made available to all.

BE PATRIOTIC

It is the duty of every citizen to make the country rich and powerful (To make the country rich and strong is...). In order to accomplish this object one must be patriotic (love his country). I consider this an unchangeable truth.

How can a student love his country (be patriotic)? I find my answer very simple and clear. He must study hard and store up knowledge if you are students and work hard and with efficiency if you are employees so as to serve his (the) country in the future.

On the other hand, we should love our country in whatever situation, in poor or rich condition or at war or in disaster. If every student can do according to what I said, the country will certainly be rich and powerful.

It is the duty of every citizen to make the country rich and powerful (To make the country rich and strong is...). In order to accomplish this object one must be patriotic (love his country). I consider this an unchangeable truth.

How can a student love his country (be patriotic)? I find my answer very simple and clear. He must study hard and store up knowledge if you are students and work hard and with efficiency if you are employees so as to serve his (the) country in the future.

On the other hand, we should love our country in whatever situation, in poor or rich condition or at war or in disaster. If every student can do according to what I said, the country will certainly be rich and powerful.

Buying or Borrowing Books?

Books are close friends of humanity. They can arm us with knowledge and information we need to make success of life. Through books we can obtain skills and techniques for survival and development. Through books we can enlighten our spirits and live a fuller life. There are generally two ways in which we can have access to books: borrowing or buying. While millions are borrowing books, I still think buying them best suits me and gives me the greatest enjoyment.

Admittedly, there are a few merits for borrowing books. For one thing, borrowing books can save us huge amounts of money. And of course, with the money saved we can do other more worthy things .And also, as we borrow books from the library and friends, we normally have deadline to finish them, and consequently we can read more books in a limited time. And we can, above all, better our efficiency of our reading, just as a famous Chinese saying goes, “books can not be read unless borrowed.”

However, some advantages for buying books are more obvious and compelling. One of them, definitely not shared by the choice of borrowing books, is the abundance of freedom that buying books can offer us. Since we can keep the books as long as we wish, we can read as much as we want. Another strength of owing books is that we can take whatever notes on the margin of the pages of the books. And finally, the process of selecting and keeping books can be a great fun that borrowing books can by no means offer.　

To Learn English Well By Speaking More

Many Chinese students who have learned English for more than ten years are still unable to speak English fluently when they meet a foreigner. They seem to have mastered the basic language structure, but a conversation in English will make them feel uneasy. They are afraid that other people might find out their mistakes

It is not uncommon that many students, who are bad speakers of English, can write English perfectly. This proves that they are not able to organize their ideas in English. The center of the problem is that they lack practice and confidence.

Why should you be afraid? Do you fear those foreigners with whom you are speaking? Don't be shy, they will not laugh at you just for a small mistake you have made. The best way to get rid of this trouble is to learn to speak by speaking more. I am sure that constant practice will help you to succeed.

Electricity

The modern age is an age of electricity. People are so used to electric lights, radio, televisions, and telephones that it is hard to imagine what life would be like without them. When there is a power failure, people grope about in flickering candlelight, cars hesitate in the streets because there are no traffic lights to guide them, and food spoils in silent refrigerators.

Yet, people began to understand how electricity works only a little more than two centuries ago. Nature has apparently been experimenting in this field for million of years. Scientists are discovering more and more that the living world may hold many interesting secrets of electricity that could benefit humanity.

All living cell send out tiny pulses of electricity. The electric currents generated by most living cells are extremely small - often so small that sensitive instruments are needed to record them. But in some animals, certain muscle cells have become so specialized as electrical generators that they do not work as muscle cells at all. When large numbers of these cell are linked together, the effects can be astonishing.

The Language of Music

A painter hangs his or her finished pictures on a wall, and everyone can see it. A composer writes a work, but no one can hear it until it is performed. Professional singers and players have great responsibilities, for the composer is utterly dependent on them. A student of music needs as long and as arduous a training to become a performer as a medical student needs to become a doctor. Most training is concerned with technique, for musicians have to have the muscular proficiency of an athlete or a ballet dancer.

Singers and instruments have to be able to get every note perfectly in tune. Pianists are spared this particular anxiety, for the notes are already there, waiting for them, and it is the piano tuner’s responsibility to tune the instrument for them. But they have their own difficulties; the hammers that hit the string have to be coaxed not to sound like percussion, and each overlapping tone has to sound clear.

This problem of getting clear texture is one that confronts student conductors: they have to learn to know every note of the music and how it should sound, and they have to aim at controlling these sounds with fanatical but selfless authority.

Schooling and Education

It is commonly believed in United States that school is where people go to get an education. Nevertheless, it has been said that today children interrupt their education to go to school. The distinction between schooling and education implied by this remark is important.

Education is much more open-ended and all-inclusive than schooling. Education knows no bounds. It can take place anywhere, whether in the shower or in the job, whether in a kitchen or on a tractor. It includes both the formal learning that takes place in schools and the whole universe of informal learning. Education, then, is a very broad, inclusive term. It is a lifelong process, a process that starts long before the start of school, and one that should be an integral part of one’s entire life.

Schooling, on the other hand, is a specific, formalized process, whose general pattern varies little from one setting to the next. Throughout a country, children arrive at school at approximately the same time, take assigned seats, are taught by an adult, use similar textbooks, do homework, take exams, and so on. The slices of reality that are to be learned, whether they are the alphabet or an understanding of the working of government, have usually been limited by the boundaries of the subject being taught

The Problem of Human Population

t has been estimated that a thousand years ago there were less than 400 million people on earth. However, in the recent thousand years human population has increased nearly 20 times. Nowadays the world population has reached more than 7000 million. The population explosion has caused many problems. Generally, they come down to four major ones.

First, a lot of people can't get employment, which is a universal problem in the world. Second, in developing countries there are not enough shelters for too many people and so people are not properly housed and even are exposed to the elements. Third, in underdeveloped countries a lot of people suffer from hunger because of food shortage, which in turn causes many other problems, malnutrition, disease, etc. Fourth, there are not enough schools for so many people and so a lot of people are illiterate.

Therefore, to eliminate these problems, human beings should take effective measures to control population.

Tape recorder

The tape recorder is one of the most welcome and popular electronic devices ever invented. Nowadays, almost every family has a tape recorder. It can record people’s voices or popular songs or some other things that people would like to listen to more than once. Tape recorders have been warmly welcomed since the day they were invented.

This device is useful in many ways. For example, a reporter can use it in interviews instead of the old, less accurate means of writing them in a notebook. Also, in studying foreign languages, students can use it to improve their listening ability. Moreover, they can record their own voice to improve their pronunciation in the foreign language.

However, it can also become a nuisance. Your hearing can be seriously harmed if you listen to a recorder with the volume too high. And, if you can’t control yourself, you can waste a lot of time listening to a recorder. So, if used properly, the recorder will serve you well. If used improperly, it can do harm to you.

Can money buy happiness?

Various people have various answers. Some people think that money is the source of happiness. With money, one can buy whatever he enjoys. With money, one can do whatever he likes. So, in their minds, money can bring comfort, security, and so on. Money, as they think, is the source of happiness.

But there are still a lot of others who think that money is the root of all evil. Money drives people to steal, to rob, and to break the law. A lot of people became criminals just because they were in search of money. And in the Western countries, there is nothing that can’t be bought by money. Many people lose their own lives when hunting it.

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