小作文参考：纽约时报的一篇关于收视率调查文章，使用了包括列数据，对比，描述变化等小作文常用语言。

TURIN, Italy, Feb. 16 — NBC Olympic broadcasts have always turned back challenges to their ratings dominance, but the Turin Games have shown that strong counterprogramming can succeed.

"American Idol" on the Fox network has trounced the Winter Games twice and will face them three more times next week starting Tuesday, the first night of the women's figure skating.

Last Tuesday, two days after ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" outrated the Olympics, "Idol" attracted 27 million viewers from 8 to 9 p.m. Eastern, crushing NBC's 15.4 million. The next night, when they met again from 8 to 9, "Idol" expanded its lead in the second half-hour with 31.1 million viewers to NBC's 15.4 million.

Despite the invigorated competition, NBC is still dominating prime time during the Olympics in terms of total viewers. But the audacity of ABC and Fox underscores their belief that NBC, the No. 4 network in prime time, is vulnerable, even during the mighty Olympics.

CBS has chosen the more traditional policy of running repeats against the Games.

Although NBC officials said they fully expected "Idol" to defeat the Olympics by wide margins, they were surprised that "House," the medical drama on Tuesday, retained as many "Idol" viewers as it did. The 20.1 million "House" viewers nearly tied NBC's 20.9 million from 9 to 10 p.m.

The Games are a valuable franchise for NBC Universal, which has committed $5.7 billion for the Olympic television rights from 2000 to 2012, including $613 million for the rights to carry the Turin Games.

"The Olympics define us," said Randy Falco, the president and chief operating officer of the NBC Universal Television Group.

Through six nights, NBC's average Nielsen rating of a 12.5 was down 24 percent from the 16.4 that CBS recorded during the same period in 1998 for the Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. That drop is in line with the ratings slide for other major sports and entertainment events in the same time span.

It is also 36 percent lower than the rating for the Salt Lake Games four years ago, but a domestic Olympics is always a magnet for viewers.

In previous Olympics, NBC had lost a total of four half-hours to its competitors, and had never lost a night to any network.

NBC has promised its advertisers a final rating in Turin between 12 and 14; if the rating is lower, NBC will have to provide them with free commercial time.

Mr. Falco is unusually calm about the competitive ardor of Fox and ABC, which are showing original episodes from seven of this season's top 10-rated prime-time shows against the Olympics. In the past, rival networks have shied from such gamesmanship, but not now, during the February sweeps, with NBC having fallen from the prime-time throne.

"There is a very tight race for No. 1 between ABC, Fox and CBS," Mr. Falco said Thursday in a telephone interview from his office in Turin. "You can't discount that. That's why they decided to go with original programming. This is about the competitive nature of our business."

Preston Beckman, an executive vice president of the Fox network who is its chief scheduler, said: "We just decided we weren't going to lay down this time. We're just sticking to our knitting."

ABC's and Fox's salvoes against the Olympics come at a time when NBC is hoping to overcome the absence of the American figure skater Michelle Kwan and disappointing performances by United States skiers.

Among viewers 18 to 49, the category most networks care most about, the 11.7 rating for "Idol" on Wednesday beat NBC's 4.1. In addition to the two "Idols," "House" and "Grey's Anatomy," ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" surpassed the Olympics with viewers 18 to 49.

"Idol," "Housewives," "Lost" and "Grey's Anatomy" are linked by having rabid followings among women 35 and older, an audience that NBC counts on for the Olympics.

"People have relationships with these programs," Stacey Lynn Koerner, an analyst for Initiative Media, said. "They are like their close friends or relatives."

She added: "You don't get that very visceral connection to the content of the Olympics. It's a two-week-long event with a lot of people you don't really know."

Mr. Falco acknowledged that NBC would be in a better position to promote the Olympics if it were in first place in prime time and that its ratings would be better if the American team were doing as well as it did in Salt Lake City and in the Summer Games in Athens in 2004.

But he said he was not worried about NBC's Olympic investment. "I'm on top of $900 million in advertising revenues that I have to protect with ratings and performance, and I feel very good about it," he said.

Mr. Falco said that prime time is only one element of NBC Universal's Olympic picture. He said that the strategy of spreading coverage to its USA, CNBC and MSNBC cable channels, and of expanding its Internet presence on nbcolympics.com, was succeeding.

"This is about realizing that the Olympics is more than about network television now, and the future is about being a content provider," Mr. Falco said. "In the future, it's going to be about going deeper with audiences."

The cable networks have reached 36.5 million viewers since the start of the Olympics, 35 percent more than they attracted for their regular programming in the same month last year. For example, curling on CNBC from 5 to 8 p.m., Eastern, Monday through Wednesday generated a rating that is 67 percent above what CNBC produced for various sports during the 6 p.m. to midnight period during the Salt Lake Games.

Internet users have downloaded 2.9 million video streams since the Winter Games began.

But even as NBC looks toward an even broader Olympic future — into broadband and possibly pay-per-view — so much focus remains on prime-time. Prime-time is where advertisers pay $500,000 to $700,000 for a 30-second commercial.

As NBC approaches its next smackdown on Tuesday with "American Idol," what will it do? Dick Ebersol, the chairman of NBC Universal Sports and Olympics, who oversees the production, is quiet about his intentions.

"I haven't discussed this with Dick," Mr. Falco said. "But I suspect we'll go on that night and program it the way we normally would, using our best stuff, as we build toward midnight." Would NBC shuttle any part of its ladies' figure skating coverage past 10 p.m. to avoid a possible third defeat by Fox's talent show?

"We won't back down to anything," Mr. Falco said.

Richard Sandomir reported from Turin for this article, and Bill Carter from New York.

题目：到国外的人应该accept the new culture，还是form a separate minority with different values and lifestyle.

Recently, the debate over whether people who have been in a foreign country should accept the new culture or form a separate minority with different values and lifestyle has aroused wide concern. People retain diverse attitudes towards this hot issue. Before presenting my view, I intend to explore both sides of the argument.

Many people claim that people living in a new country should accept the new culture and adapt to their new environment. To begin with, by accepting the new notions and lifestyle, you can easily survive and enjoy a comfortable life and be well adaptable. Moreover, it is a necessity for overseas students to adapt to the new culture and society, because it may impose an adverse influence on their living and study if they cannot be socially adaptable. Furthermore, to form a separate minority may bring out negative outcomes such as hostility and resentment. It will undoubtedly exert a negative impact on relationship between people from different nations.

Some other people, however, strongly hold that it is necessary to form a group with their own values and lifestyle for several sound reasons. Firstly, they are in a foreign country and are actually a minority with little power, many of which even have no equal rights. Therefore, it is wise for them to join together to enhance their strength to cope with social problems. Secondly, by helping each other in the group, people can more easily adapt to the new community and society and lead a better life. Thirdly, students in a new environment may more or less have physical or psychological problems, so it is helpful for students to get together to help each other.

From the above discussion, we can see that there is actually some truth in both statements. Personally, I am in favour of the former view. Adaptability is an important quality for people especially students who are going abroad to further their education. After all, even if you form a separate minority, you still have to accept the new culture and adapt to the new settings.

自我评价：说实话，考完感觉很糟糕就没敢再想了，现在还哪回忆得起来。事后怎么写都感觉比当时写的要好。我的写作再好也不过如此了，这个8分，我至今还想不出什么合理的解释。如果说我的作文有什么可取之处的话，我觉得就只有模版和一些套句了。（欧扬）

雅思高分作文欣赏赖敏玲（商务英语专业学生9月10日雅思考试获总分八，听力、阅读九分；写作八分）

Recent years have witnessed a worsening trend in road safety. According to statistics from the local authority, the number of traffic accidents in 2004 was 20% greater than that of the previous year. The issue is gaining more and more concern of the public, some of whom propose that stricter punishment on traffic offenders should be the only way to ensure road safety. As far as I am concerned, I hold that punishment should not be only solution to the problem.

There is certainly no denying that stricter penalties may to some extent bring down the number of accidents on motorways as a deterrent to driving offences. Besides, the government may enjoy a greater revenue from severer fines, which can in turn be used to improve road conditions.

However, we shall never overlook the other side of the coin: punishment has its downsides. Fines, as the most common penalty for driving violations, tend to instill in people the misconception that money can pay off their guilt and resolve the problem. As a result, we can see many cases where the traffic offender commits the same or another mistake even after having been fined a lot. In spite of heavier punishment, road safety cannot be enhanced unless drivers are equipped with sufficient driving skills and knowledge. Recently there have emerged many irresponsible driving schools that have produced a host of unqualified drivers, contributing to more traffic offences. Thus tight control on driving schools and the driving testing system is needed as well to improve road safety. Furthermore, advertisements and campaigns concerned should be launched to raise the public awareness. When people are fully aware of the importance of abiding traffic rules, accidents may hopefully be eliminated.

From the above discussion, it is clear that only stricter punishment is not enough to enhance road safety. Instead, it should go hand in hand with closer control on driving schools and the testing system as well as higher public awareness.

 罗巾如（8月6日雅思考试获总分7.5，听力8，阅读8.5，写作、口语7）
The roads are dotted with trash, the railways are littered with decaying garbage and our cities are disgraced by plastic bags. Lately, the worsening rubbish problem has aroused people’s wide concern. Some hold the belief that it is an overstatement to claim that people have formed a “throw away” society, and that they just discard the used items, which is necessary. Others, however, firmly contend that people do develop a habit of throwing things away. Personally, I firmly side with the latter.

It is no doubt that our cities are on the way towards becoming a huge landfill. To begin with, people are in the habit of littering. Nowadays, people tend to discard old items like outdated furniture and worn-out appliance, which are actually recoverable. Furthermore, due to the inadequate facilities of garbage collection, people throw away their refuse everywhere at will. In addition, rubbish is in rapid increase. In the first place the quickening tempo of modern lifestyle gives rise to people’s favor of disposable items for sake of convenience, which greatly adds the amount of rubbish. In the second place, the development of science and technology also contributes to it. It generates new product in a more frequent way, which makes the old ones cast aside as rubbish at a quicker pace. Consequently, our cities are decorated with trash..

In view of the severity of the issue, we should adopt immediate measure to address it. First of all, the government should play a leading role. It ought to bring in strong anti-littering laws, backed by heavy penalties and effective enforcement, to tackle the littering behaviors. Also, officials should make good use of mass media to promote the public’s awareness of environmental protection, making sure that everyone will become a conscious environment protector. Additionally, scientists can develop efficient technologies to degrade and recycle the rubbish. Research findings reveal that 63% of the refuse nowadays are recycled. Finally, it is essential for schools to attach importance to environmental education, so that every child will become environmentally friendly and get rid of the littering habit.

In conclusion, people’s littering habit is turning our communities into a rubbish holder. It is high time that we took joint effort to solve the rubbish problem. Otherwise, we will live with rubbish in the future.

When people need to complain about a product or poor service, some prefer to complain in writing and others prefer to complain in person. Which way do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

When I want to make a complaint about a defective product or poor service, I would rather make my complaint in writing. Writing a complaint allows me to organize my points of argument in a logical manner. If I'm really unhappy with the way I'm being treated, I want to present my reasons clearly. I don't want there to be any confusion about why I'm complaining. I like to list my complaints and then list supporting examples. That's the best way of making sure everyone is clear about what I'm saying.

Putting my complaint in writing also ensures it won't seem too emotional. If you feel that you're been treated badly or taken advantage of, it's easy to lash out. Losing your temper, though, is a sure way to lose your argument. Yelling is very satisfying at the moment, but it only makes the person you're yelling at mad at you. It doesn't get them to agree with you or to offer help.

There's also the issue of the person you're dealing with. If you complaint in person, you have to talk to whoever is there. Chances are that he or she isn't the person responsible for the defective product or the poor service. Often the people who take complaints are not the people in change, unless you're dealing with a very small business. Yelling at them isn't fair, and doesn't do anything to get a refund or satisfaction for you. You need to reach the person in charge. The best way to do that is in writing.

Writing about your complaint and sending the letter by registered mail also gives you written proof. It's clear that you tried to settle the matter in a reasonable manner  within a certain time period. This way, if you need to take further action, you have physical evidence of your actions.
Writing a complaint has the advantages of organization, effectiveness, and fairness. That's why I prefer to write rather than personally present my complaints.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task

With the pressures on today’s young people to succeed academically, some people believe that non-academic subjects at school (eg: physical education and cookery) should be removed from the syllabus so that children can concentrate wholly on academic subjects.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

You should write at least 250 words.

What young people should study at school has long been the subject of intense debate and this is a question that certainly does not have one correct answer.

We need to provide young people the best possible chance of doing well at school. In traditional curriculum there is a wide variety of subjects with a mix of academic and non-academic subjects. In this way a young person is formed with a rounded education. Non-academic subjects would include sports, cooking, woodwork and metalwork. I believe this is the best form of education. A young person should learn things other than academic subjects. Sport is particularly important. Young people have to learn to love sport so that they can be fit and healthy later in life. If not we will be raising an obese and unfit generation.

I totally understand the point of view that education is so important that students must be pushed as hard as possible to achieve their best. It sounds a good idea to only expose the students to academic subjects as then they can spend all of their school hours on studying areas that will get them into university and good jobs later in life. I just feel a more rounded education would produce a better individual. We must remember too that a lot of people, maybe even most people, aren’t academically minded and would benefit more from a more vocationally based education. Forcing academic studies onto them would lead to failure and the student leaving school too early.

Therefore I agree that although a wholly academic curriculum would suit and benefit some young people, I believe that for most students non-academic subjects are important inclusions still in today’s syllabuses.

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.

People attend colleges or universities for a lot of different reasons. I believe that the three most common reasons are to prepare for a career, to have new experiences, and to increase their knowledge of themselves and the world around them.

Career preparation is becoming more and more important to young people. For many, this is the primary reason to go to college, They know that the job market is competitive. At college, they can learn new skill for careers with a lot of opportunities. This means careers, such as information technology, that are expected to need a large workforce in the coming years.

Also, students go to colleges and universities to have new experiences. This often means having the opportunity to meet people different from those in their hometowns. For most students, going to college is the first time they’ve been away from home by themselves. In additions, this is the first time they’ve had to make decisions on their own. Making these decisions increases their knowledge of themselves.

Besides looking for self-knowledge, people also attend a university or college to expand their knowledge in subjects they find interesting. For many, this will be their last chance for a long time to learn about something that doesn’t relate to their career.

I would recommend that people not be so focused on a career. They should go to college to have new experiences and learn about themselves and the world they live in.

When people visit other countries they often find the customs of dressing and behavior are different than in their home country. Should visitors adopt the customs of the country they visit or should they follow the customs of their own country?

Many people wonder what to do when they visit other countries. Some people think it is best for them to adopt the local customs. However, other people think it is best to follow the customs of their own countries. This is not an easy question to answer but in this essay we will look at this issue.

Some things that visitors may do are immoral or even illegal according to the customs of the local country. For example, in certain countries it is considered bad to show affection in public like men and women kissing or holding hands. It may also be very bad for women to wear revealing clothing such as a short skirt or see-through blouse. In these countries it may also be illegal to drink alcohol.

Adopting to the local customs can show respect. Wearing a suit and tie can show respect if that is what the people of the country wear at a meeting or formal event. Men will take their hat off or women will cover their heads to show respect when entering a ‘holy’ place.

However, people in many countries understand if their visitors don’t follow their local customs or practices. They know their customs may be strange or difficult for foreign visitors to follow. They know foreigners may unknowingly break some of their rules. These people are understanding and forgiving.

As we can see, there are many aspects to this question. I feel that visitors should follow the customs of the country if it shows respect to the local people or is required by law.

~262 words~

Which kind of courses should universities provide: theoretical knowledge or practical training? Some people prefer the later one and assert that the practical training can benefit our society. Personally, I strongly disagree with their point of view for three reasons.

Among countless factors which influence my propensity, there is a most conspicuous one: practical experience should be accumulated in society, not in universities. I can think of no better illustration than the saying: “society is another kind of university” (Mao Zedong). Literarily, in society people can study practical knowledge as well as studying theoretical knowledge in universities. Besides, campus is full of academic atmosphere, and there is Idontknowlly different from the circumstance in society. Thus, it is difficult for students to accumulate the real practical experience in campus.

The second aspect relates to the importance of theoretical knowledge. Apparently, it would seem that some academic subjects, such as mathematics or sociology, cannot benefit companies or society directly. In fact, however, they are the basis of practical subjects, such as management or finance. For example, it is almost impossible to talk of economics without mentioning the fundamental roles played by statistics and mathematics.

Furthermore, universities are where theoretical knowledge is handed down from generation to generation. As we know, form Oxford University to Yale University, from Beijing University to MIT, universities congregate a lot of preeminent scholars and professors whose main jobs are the academic research. They are responsible to impart the academic knowledge to the young generation in case of they are faded from our memory.

In summary, from what has been discussed above, we may safely arrive at the conclusion that the theoretical courses are not as obsolete, profitless and unimportant as some people believed. And our universities should be responsible to provide the theoretical knowledge 

IELTS Writing  13th May ,2006     

Nowadays people in urban areas are confronted with severe housing problems such as shortages of spaces and the inferior quality of buildings. These problems will no doubt lead to moral or economical crimes and increase the insecurity of citizens. As to whether only the government should take on the responsibilities to cope with the problems there arises a controversial discussion that draws the public’s great concern.

Advocates hold the opinion that it is only the government’s obligation to deal with housing problems. For one thing, only the government has the ability to call for experts in relative fields to get together and present their ideas on this issue. The government can also provide enough funds and equipments when necessary during the process of problem solving. For another, one of the government’s unique functions is legislation. The government can standardize behaviors in constructing and purchasing so that the serious situation will be controlled to some extent. Besides, it is generally believed that policies of housing made out by government are authorized and convincing. Therefore they are much easier to be implemented.

Opponents, however, argue that the government shouldn’t be the only one to work out housing problems. To start with, government officers have to deal with problems in all aspects of the development of local area every day. If the government is required to concentrate on solving housing problems, its workload will be increased and many other problems cannot be solved effectively. Additionally, other professional institutions like real estate companies may have more professional and practical views on this issue. It is essential to make full use of their functions. Moreover, solving problems together will increase the awareness of social responsibility and sense of belonging among the citizens. Unity is an extremely important factor for the development of the whole society.

Personally, I side with the latter because a satisfied situation of housing is closely related to the benefits of individuals. Thus our joint effort is urgently needed.

In many countries, good schools and medical facilities are available only in cities. Some people think new teachers and doctors should work in rural areas for a few years. But some others think everyone should be free to choose where they work .Discuss and give your own opinion.

In this day and age, it can be generally observed that the disparity  between cities and the country has been aggravated by relentless urbanization. With respect to educational and medical facilities, a  yawning gap has emerged between those in cities and the rural ones. This manifest chasm has prompted some to suggest that teachers and doctors fresh out of university work in the country for a few years.Yet many are opposed to this view on the grounds that it infringes upon individual freedom to choose where they work.Personally, I think both these two views have merit and demerit.

Granted,assigning new teachers and doctors to the countryside may create certain benefits.To begin with,this practice can help foster a strong sense of obligation in many teachers and doctors.They can experience first-hand how the rural residents are held back by the out-moded teaching and medical facilities and this, in turn, can inspire a host of professionals to commit themselves to the alleviation of this disturbing situation. Moreover,the inferior living and working conditions in the country can temper many of these young professionals’ soul.They are very likely to be more tenacious and determined and hence more successful than their urban counterparts in later careers.

However,there are even more drawbacks that this practice can engender.In the first place,many young teachers and doctors will feel unmotivated or frustrated if they are sent to rural areas against their own will.They may have a hard time getting accustomed to the shabby housing and primitive facilities and slack off at work.In the second place,if new teachers and doctors are coerced to work in the countryside, a considerable proportion of them may find it daunting when it comes time for them to relocate to cities after a few years in the country.They will feel intense occupational stress when they cannot operate efficiently equipment much more advanced than the devices they are used to back in the country school or hospital. Last but not least, given the inferiority of the rural educational and medical facilities,it is highly probable that the inexperience of new teachers and doctors will lead to unsatisfactory job performance in rural schools and clinics.We really cannot expect fresh recruits to work wonders with outdated tools.

In the final analysis,I concede that sending teachers and doctors fresh out of college to the countryside may produce specific advantages. However,if we enforce this indiscriminately,that will surely generate even more banes. On balance, I am convinced we should optimize our workforce and honor the individual freedom in determining where they work.

Essay Question: 8/6
Many people say that we have developed into a “throw-away society”, because we are filling up our environment with so many plastic bags and rubbish that we cannot fully dispose of. To want extent do you agree with this opinion and what measures can you recommend to reduce this problem?

In present-day society, plastic containers and utensils are extensively used in big cities and the countryside alike. They are so ubiquitous I would hazard the guess that each one of us has seen, at one time or another, the unsightly scene of plastic bags swirling in the wind. These plastic shopping bags, chopsticks, to-go boxes and mineral-water bottles, to name but a few, when not properly disposed of, create a colossal amount of non-biodegradable refuse. Therefore, some people argue that we have embarked upon a “throw-away” era when plastic trash is largely dumped indiscriminately and irresponsibly (this practice is often labeled “white pollution” on account of the color of plastic wastes). Personally  , I wholeheartedly support their view.

There are numerous reasons for this worrisome phenomenon coming into being. To begin with , at present the bulk of people who shop and/or eat out regularly are still poorly-informed, uninformed or misinformed about the pernicious influence that non-biodegradable pollutants exert on the ecosystem, which is the main culprit in the global-scale mishandling of the plastic wastes. The chief component of such trash is polythene, which cannot decompose on landfill sites over the process of the next hundreds of years if no major scientific breakthrough comes along in polythene treatment. Thus, such trash must be dealt with collectively rather than be scattered like tumbleweeds.   Secondly, the proliferation of plastic shopping bags and eating ware is largely fuelled by the surging, headlong consumerism. Plastic containers and utensils are lighter in weight, cheaper(often free of charge) in price and water-resistant in performance. These superior properties make them preferable to their paper and cloth counterparts in customers’ eyes; and as consumer satisfaction reigns supreme in contemporary society, compared with superb portability, affordability and utility, how to dispose of them is the last thing the customers are concerned about. Additionally, plastic bags, wrap and containers are also commercially feasible since they are cheaper to manufacture, ship and store. These mercenary considerations also have prompted the good old cloth or paper bags to be supplanted by plastic bags but over the phasing-out process, few stores and restaurants advocate or encourage the use of environmentally—benign disposal of plastic trash, hence the whole slew of non-biodegradable garbage. And environmental hazards ensue.

Given the scale and severity of “white pollution”, we must take immediate steps to address this scourge. In the first place, we must do our utmost to enhance people’s awareness of how persistent and devastating non-biodegradable trash can be to our environment and our posterity’s. Secondly, retail stores and dining establishments should spare no effort in encouraging their customers to reuse plastic packing items. Furthermore, indiscriminate and irresponsible dumping of household garbage or personal junk should be outlawed by the legislature and heavy fines or even jail terms must be imposed on those compulsive litterbugs who fail to get their act together. Then , on the part of the biochemical researchers and technologists , scientific research must be launched here and now in pursuit of effectual ways to convert non-biodegradable refuse to biodegradable refuse. Last but not least, the government must not shirk its obligations in mobilizing scientific resources and rallying popular support in the crusade against “white pollution”. Neither should it pay just lip service to relevant research and campaigns if no enough funding can be obtained otherwise. Additionally, I am convinced a customer tax levied by the government on the use of plastic bags will also help to curb this massive “white pollution”.

The havoc non-biodegradable refuse can wreak on the ecosystem is beyond our imagination. It can eventually devastate soil, water and the aquatic and terrestrial biota. We must start combating this environmental catastrophe before the ecosystem irretrievably breaks down under the reign of the minute plastic debris.

We are now really ambivalent about private cars because they, despite contributing greatly to our life, are also the root causes for chains of aftermaths: intensification of congestion, worsening air quality, and even the decrease of public physique. Being afraid that the situation will go further, we are now putting public transportation again in our sights. However, because of some subtle reasons, instancing vanity or self-esteem, some of us turn their backs to accepting short-distance buses or interstate coaches. Thus, several approaches should be adopted to encourage them.

The re-organization of bus routes and improvement of infrastructure should come first. Local authorities always focus their attention on some “hot spots”, such as downtown, prestige neighborhoods, and the districts with dense population but are deaf to the strong demands from those “less important” areas, including suburb areas and the ones of complicated geographical conditions, where eventually become “blind spots”. Failing the access to public transportation, the grass-roots in these places have perforce to choose private cars. If bettered roads and reformed traffic arrangement allow buses to reach these people and they will not shrug this way off because it is so environmentally-friendly and, more importantly, can also ease their economic burden.

Another strategy for stirring the public to use public transportation should be related to governmental propaganda and some special services should also be provided aboard. The practice of France can teach us a lot. The local authorities of Paris organize an activity called “Busing Your Dream”, the mileages of a passenger will be exchanged to his credit and this credit will be very helpful for a passenger to apply for personal loan or jobs because banks and companies believe that the citizen loving environment is trustworthy, and vice versa. Meanwhile, bus companies also provide weather forecast and exclusive news. It is obvious that the carrot and stick approach is also powerful in this aspect.

In conclusion, the popularity of public transportation can only be fulfilled by the government and public, thus, the key to this problem is that the two parties must spend collective efforts, both in hardware and awareness. (350)

Advantages and disadvantages of private cars.

    With the fantastic spur both in industry and in economy in China, the number of people who own private cars is on the rise. Some people have bought cars of their own, and others are planning to buy cars. But there have been two quite different views on this phenomenon.

     Some claim that there are many advantages brought about by cars. First, the automobile industry provides jobs for countless workers and strong support for other industries. Second, if conditions permit, owning a car can make us work more efficiently. Finally, life will become more convenient. A car allows one to move freely and with a car there is no need to wait for the bus in the cold or under the burning sun.

       However, others strongly object to the increase in developing private cars. They hold that automobiles will give rise to a series of problems. In the first place, as more and more cars are produced and run in the street, a large volume of poisonous gas will be given off, polluting the atmosphere and causing actual harm to the health of people. Next, private cars contribute to traffic congestion so greatly that the advantages gained in comfort and freedom are often cancelled out by the frustration caused by traffic jams. The last problem is the increasing number of car accidents that have killed and will kill a lot of people in a friction of a second.

     In my opinion, although automobiles have been playing a vital part in the daily activities of our society, they also bring us numerous troubles such as more serious environmental pollution, more traffic accidents and more energy consumption. They drink up huge amounts of fuel and throw out huge amounts of pollutants. Traffic accidents kill thousands and thousands of people each year and cripple more. Jams waste our precious time. Therefore I am against developing private cars.

Traditional arts civilized a nation. Do you think government should subsidize musicians, artists, actors or drama companies? What should a government do?

Traditional arts, as valuable cultural relics of a nation, are disappearing far away from the modern society. China, as one of the highly-civilized countries in the world, abound in various forms of traditional arts, such as painting, calligraphy, music, architecture and dramas, which are not only our national cultural treasures, but also a rich fortune of the world. (58 words)

As essence of a local culture, traditional arts reflect a nation’s artistic talents and traditions. For example, water-color painting depicts a harmony between people and nature. Architecture illustrates a nation’s aesthetic value and religious belief. Cathedrals, highlighted by Gothic style in the Medieval, represent Christianity. Pagodas, totally different from cathedrals stylistically, are a symbol of Buddhism. Peking Opera describes the history of our country. (65 words)

However, traditional arts are leaving contemporary people further and further away, one of the main reasons for which is that the authorities concerned and some institutes lack funds and professionals, which are quite essential to the research and promotion of traditional culture. Another radical reason should be attributed to the impact of western cultures on traditions. Young people, especially youngsters, are addicted to western music like rock and roll, without any knowledge about traditional musical instruments. With the economic globalization, traditional culture and arts will be in the danger of assimilation. How to maintain and develop traditional arts becomes the biggest concern of a government. (105 words)

Firstly, the government should lay a fund for the research and promotion of traditional arts. Secondly, the research institutes and universities should work out a long-term developing scheme, organizing systematic research on traditional arts. Arts belong to a nation and the whole world as well. The prosperity of traditional arts will diversify the culture of the world. (57 words)

Some reports have discovered the incidence of violence for young women is increasing. Give possible reasons and recommendations to the situation.

It is reported that the proportion of young female criminal unfolds a steady increasing trend, and women crime, especially the young female's delinquency has become a serious social problem indeed. Young women, as the most peaceable parts of human, are always regarded as the last aim by the police office. Why they go astray is mainly due to the two following reasons: one is their own character peculiarity, the other is from social pressure.

As far as the former, for one thing, the female is sensitive to the trifles and sentimental to the reins and loves. Sensitivity often puts them to the edge unnecessarily and forms extreme ideas, which frequently leads to direct criminal. Frangibility of sensibility makes them so depressed and despaired that they have a high probability to do the illegal behavior when they slip down in loves.

As for the latter reason, the social pressure comes of traditionally sexual discrimination and survival competition. It is no denying the fact that the contemporary including the women are confronted with the more severe competition than their ancestors were, and in addition to this point, females still have to struggle with the deep-booted discrimination.

When young women make their debut in the society, all kinds of crises, trouble and pressure lay them into flat, which compels them to avenge and relieve their feeling with lawless methods in unassisted situation. Ponderance of young female criminal reveals long-term negligence to the female's inner and outer circumstance. It is almost impossible to change female's nature, so the society should take more care of women, especially for the young women. For example, some psychological courses and the methods of solving problem are effective measures to adjust the mood of women. In the meantime, prejudice to women should be out of the social stage and fair, equal and friendly atmosphere should be set up, which can help women to take part in the formal and rational contention. Additionally, the society should approbate the female's indispensable position of community and encourage them to show their special aptitude and intelligence.

Undisputablely, the rising criminal rate of young women has relation to both females themselves and irrational social phenomena. Care and equity are the best way to solve this increasing problem, after all, they are less aggressive.

As for elderly, living in caring house is better than living at home with young children. Present your argument to illustrate whether you agree or disagree.

Nowadays more and more elderly choose living in caring house. Some people are of the opinion that caring houses provide old people with a better environment than homes. Personally I agree with this opinion for the following reasons.
In the first instance, caring house provides the elderly with comparatively first-rate facilities and services, which the family is lacking in. Nowadays working couple need to face intense competition, they need to make more money to support their family. As a result, working couple have less time to care for old people especially when the elderly suffer from serious disease. On the contrary, when old people live in caring houses, nurses can attend their need and advanced facilities also provide a good treatment.

Secondly, in caring houses the older people can meet people of similar age group, taste and hobby who know more about the elderly. The young generation often has a different life style from old generation. Young people many feel other’s presence would upset. Besides, the older people need more serenity and rest while the young need more activities when the elderly choose living in caring house they need not worry about this problem.
Last but not least, elder people living in caring house can maintain harmony of family atmosphere. It is quite obvious that there is a generation gap between the older people and adult children. For example, old people fear change. They adhere to the traditional principle and customs while young people welcome new idea. They are always trying new things. It is inevitable that older people and adult children might have different opinions on something. These differences might result in the disagreement even discord.

From what has been discussed above, we may draw the conclusion that elderly people living in caring house is a good practice not only for adult children but also for older people. However, it does not mean children will give up the responsibility to care older people.（上海新东方 张驰新）

Individual greed and selfishness has been the basis of the modern society. Someone think that we must return to the olds, more traditional values of respect for the family and the local community in order to create a better world to live in. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

We are in a selfish world today. We are so busy looking out for number one, so saturated by our own problems, our own issues and our own little and often petty concerns that we failed to see how all could grow and being benefited by working together as a team. As far as I am concerned, the reason of the individual greed and selfishness were actually caused by the faster and faster development and more and more competition of the society.

Some people yearn to return to the old and traditional values of respect for the family and the local community in order to create a better world to live in. According to them , people were more honest and warm-hearted and the manner of traditional treating each other was simple and selfless in the past.

Personally, I do not support this view . Even in the past, greed and selfishness existed in our society. These two factors never disappeared since human have instinctive material needs, individual wants and desires would swell surely with the advances of life and society. Moreover, old tradition has its own limit and could only adapt for a certain period. I believe that the key point here is to create a better world is the way of formulating moral criteria and improving the spiritual education. For example, religions play a significant role in respect for the family and the community.

To sum up, selfishness and greed cannot be avoided and eliminated, because they exist, more or less, in everyone’s heart, even sometimes they contribute to the prosperity. To control them depends on the well basic education from every part of our society, such as family, communities, academic institutions, etc.

Task: Motorized flight is the greatest invention in the history. No other inventions exerts greater impact. do you agree or disagree.

New scientific inventions have dramatically changed the way people live. Motorized flight is one of the key inventions in the history of technology. However, as far as I am concerned, the impact of motorized flight can be not considered the greatest among all inventions.

Apart from the motorized flight, other inventions have contributed enormously to our everyday life as well. Especially since the “industrial revolution” took place, our lives have been made much more convenient by inventions such as trains , computers and internet. Each invention has its different functions and works in different fields. As a result, it is hard to compare that which one exerts greater impact. Even a pair of chopsticks has impacted for almost 5000 years on the habit how people eat in China.

In addition, we should not only focus on the motorized flight itself to announce that it is the most important invention. Admittedly, it made the dream of human being become true, which people had been dreaming for so long to fly in the sky. From thunder and lightning to the electrical light, from the invention of the wheel to the car,and of course, without the invention of the screw; nail; hammer and motor, there will be no airplane.

In conclusion, the steps of inventing new products will never stop in our fast-developing society. Without suggesting all the inventions are equally good, I think we should not ignore other small inventions as well, because every invention can be our friends and support our way of life.

Some people think that machine translation is highly developed in today’s society. Therefore it is not necessary for children to learn a foreign language. What’s your opinion?

(Sample 1)
With the rapid development of modern science, computers have been playing a more important role in our daily lives. It is such a worldwide trend that there is no exception for Chinese.

Many people regard the computer as the magic machine. It can solve many problems quickly and efficiently, and best of all, it can translate all kinds of languages. By using the computer you can just put ail the original versions into it and then you will get the fast translation. So some parents raise doubts about the necessity for their children to learn foreign languages so hard any more.

At first thought, it seems that the computers can really help us to do so. But if you look in- sue the matter deeply, you may find a different answer. First of all, machines can never replace mankind. Computers are created by man and are controlled by human brains. We can never rely too much on machines; otherwise we will become the slave of them one day. On the contrary, we need to enrich our knowledge as much as possible so that we can catch up with the fast pace of the world. It is very necessary to learn more languages so as to upgrade our abilities to follow the progress of the world.

And furthermore, it will do good to children if they learn more languages. Both their brain and their thinking modules can benefit from it. When they grow up, they can easily accept various kinds of cultures and communicate with foreigners, which can favorably enhance the mutual understanding and develop international brotherhood.

So, we can clearly see that, though computers can be good translators, people still need to learn more languages with a view to improving their abilities and facilitating their future communication with people from other cultures.

(Sample 2)
An argument occasionally these days is that some people often think machine translation can take place of the children's study of a foreign language. As far as I am concerned, I can't totally agree with this opinion.
It first comes to the point that machine translation is not high efficiency. The human language is so complex that nowadays no such machine can translate one language to another sufficiently and totally. The machine can only provide some words or pieces of half-baked sentences. So we human beings, especially children, may not rely on this kind of machine, at least recently.

On the other hand, if the real machine that the whole sentence can be translated completely turn to reality, children should not be taught not study a foreign language.  The reason is the language (especially speaking) is made up of not only the grammar and words but also tones and mood. And when children are studying a language, he is not discovering an unknown area, but wild his logic and ideation. Additionally, even if the machine will be out of work one day occasionally in future, he can talk with other foreigners freely.

Frankly, the loss of language sensitivity is much popular these days. Many people's speaking and grammar is terrible. Children often study wrong speaking from annoying TV programs and untrained broadcasters. The invention of translation machine will make it worse. The problem whether to teach the boys and girls foreign languages or not needs to be treated seriously.

In a word, in modern society the translation machine is stealing our sensitivity of the language. People should do something to prevent the loss of language ability, especially in the childhood.（张驰新）

Since cities have changed a lot, the size of the cities has grown enormously. Discuss the causes and consequence of the enormous size of cities.

Nowadays, the maps of cities are updated frequently. With the development of city, more and more suburbs become parts of the city. When the cities in the world are amplifying constantly, people discuss the topic hotly, the causes and consequence of the enormous cities. Different people have different answers by their respective views.

In my opinion, the evolution of society and the development of economy result in the growth of the vast size of cities. Since the number of population in every city is increasing continually, people need a large amount of space to live in. With the progress of the technology, the output of crops rises sharply. Fewer and fewer farmers are required, as a result, more and more villages urbanize. The growth of the cities brings us many huge changes.

There are more job opportunities in the cities. For instance, China will hold the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008. The government is amplifying the size of Beijing to build new gyms in order to hold it excellently. Obviously, people in the cities could gain a lot of new jobs.

Of course, the enormous size of cities also has bad effects. Pollution is becoming more and more serious all over the world with the amplification of the cities. For example, the poisonous gas sent off by factories and automobiles has made the air unhealthy for people to breathe. Water waste keeps pouring into rivers and lakes; as a result, many water species are dying out. Furthermore, more people the city have, more rubbish we can find.

In a word, since each coin has two sides, we should be acquainted clearly with the reasons why the size of the cities has grown enormously and what it will bring us. Thus, we could make full use of the positive effects and overcome the negative effects

Today the way we consider human psychology and mental development is heavily influenced by the genetic sciences. We now understand the importance of inherited characteristics more than ever before. Yet we are still unable to decide whether an individual’s personality and development are more influenced by genetics factors (nature) or by the environment (nurture).

Research, relating to identical twins, has highlighted how significant inherited characteristics can be for an individual’s life. But whether these characteristics are able to develop within the personality of an individual surely depends on whether the circumstances allow such a development. It seems that the experiences we have in life are so unpredictable and so powerful, that they can boost or over-ride other influences, and there seems to be plenty of research findings to confirm this.

My own view is that there is no one major influence in a person’s life. Instead, the traits we inherit from our parents and the situations and experiences that we encounter in life are constantly interacting. It is the interaction of the two that shapes a person’s personality and dictates how that personality develops. If this were not true, then we would be able to predict the behaviour and character of a person from the moment they were born.

In conclusion, I do not think that either nature or nurture is the major influence on a person, but that both have powerful effects. How these factors interact is still unknown today and they remain largely unpredictable in a person’s life.

Companies should encourage old employees (55 years old) to retire, in order to give opportunities to the new generation. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Nowadays, plenty of employees who are more than 55 years old must retire because of company policy; therefore, many people think that the development of a company cannot be separated from the number of young employees. The above point is certainly true; this essay will outline three reasons.

The main reason is that plenty of young employees mean that the company is infused with lots of young blood. With the development of technology, more and more new technological products have been developed. The new generation masters advanced technology and have the energy to exploit. They have learned lots of knowledge in the university; therefore it is definitely useful for the development of companies.

Another reason is that old employees cannot adapt themselves to the rapid pace. Old employees find it difficult to learn new things rapidly. With their limited physical strength, they are not capable of heavy manual work. So old employees are not a patch on young employees, it means not only intellect but also physical strength.

Last but not the least reason is that old employees have already worked for more than half of their lifetime, so they should retire to enjoy life. The old employees have already paid out too much in order to look after their families and careers. So they should pursue their hobbies.

In conclusion, old employees shouldn’t continue working for themselves. Moreover, advancement of society needs a new generation.

companies should encourage old employees (55 years old) to retire, in order to give opportunities to the new generation. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Nowadays, plenty of employees who are more than 55 years old must retire because of company policy; therefore, many people think that the development of a company cannot be separated from the number of young employees. The above point is certainly true; this essay will outline three reasons.

The main reason is that plenty of young employees mean that the company is infused with lots of young blood. With the development of technology, more and more new technological products have been developed. The new generation masters advanced technology and have the energy to exploit. They have learned lots of knowledge in the university; therefore it is definitely useful for the development of companies.

Another reason is that old employees cannot adapt themselves to the rapid pace. Old employees find it difficult to learn new things rapidly. With their limited physical strength, they are not capable of heavy manual work. So old employees are not a patch on young employees, it means not only intellect but also physical strength.

Last but not the least reason is that old employees have already worked for more than half of their lifetime, so they should retire to enjoy life. The old employees have already paid out too much in order to look after their families and careers. So they should pursue their hobbies

In conclusion, old employees shouldn’t continue working for themselves. Moreover, advancement of society needs a new generation.

In recent years, more and more advertisements have been flooding into our lives. Some advertisements exert negative effects on the youth. Therefore some people suggest that advertisements be banned. Do you agree or disagree with this? Give your reasons.

Along with the rapid progress of society, the advertising industry has undergone remarkable development. Every day we are surrounded by all kinds of ads and commercials, which have a profound influence on our daily lives. As a result, there arises a fierce debate concerning the proposal that we should ban all kinds of advertisements.

On one hand, some people are in favor of the idea that advertisement should not be banned; instead it should be further developed. They are of the opinion that advertisement is a good channel which helps promote the exchanges of information. In an era of information, everyone can benefit a lot from the advertisements, not only the manufacturers but the customers. Moreover, the advertisement enables people to catch up with the amazing advance in all fields. From the mushrooming advertisements, people get to know some newest products and the trend of consumption. Thirdly, advertising, to some extent, is not only an industry but an art. Many advertisements are elaborate works of art full of ingenuity and originality, which render great spiritual pleasure to the viewers and add to the picturesque cityscape. In a word, the advertisement is a blessing for modern people.

Despite the benefits advertisement has brought us, many people strongly condemn it, saying that they have been fed up with all kinds of rubbish ads. They call for a comprehensive ban on the advertisement based on the following reasons. First of all, a majority of advertisements are fictitious and misleading, causing confusion in people’s daily life and even leading to the injury and death of some customers. Secondly, they bring many inconveniences and troubles to us. For example, are you pleased with a mailbox stuffed with unwanted ads or a wonderful film on TV being interrupted frequently? Furthermore, the non-standard use of language in advertisement brings about irreparable damage to the integrity and purity of our language. Consequently, it will exert a disastrous impact on the literacy of our younger generations. In some people’s eyes, the advertisement is just a Genie out of the bottle.

To be frank, it is quite impossible for people to reach an absolute consensus on most controversial issues. To my mind, a total ban on advertisement is not an ideal and practical choice. How can we imagine all advertisements vanishing overnight? The demerits should by no means make us lose sight of the benefits advertisements have brought to us. A more workable and rational attitude should be adopted; that is, to eliminate the false and retain the true. Always bear in mind the old saying:“never throw away the baby with bath water.”

Education: Losing Its Value

Today, more and more people are attending third level education, and many go on to post-graduate degrees. People specialize in subjects that were not dreamed of a century ago. However, the result has not been an increase in real knowledge, but a cheapening of education. In this essay I will discuss how education has become devalued.

Education is now something that can be purchased. Like a powerful new car or an architect-designed house, a degree or a post-graduate degree has become a luxury that everyone wants. But when everybody has something, that thing becomes worthless. Gold is sought after because it is expensive and hard to find, but if everybody changed their attitude to gold, its value would drop.

In the same way, education, like the currency of a bankrupt country, is becoming devalued as more people have degrees. It takes ever-higher qualifications to get a job. Once a degree-holder was respected and listened to. Now he or she is just another job-seeker or employee.

One effect of the rush towards degrees is that knowledge becomes less important. Other factors, such as influence, are more central in getting a job or a promotion when everyone has a qualification. A further point is that people lose respect for themselves. Since everybody has a degree, even degree-holders feel that what they have is almost worthless. More seriously, the pressure to have degrees results in a drop in quality. When thousands of people study in a college, the professors cannot possibly maintain standards. Furthermore, we need to question whether advanced education is suitable for everyone. Does our entire population really need to spend years in school and college just to do fairly simple jobs?

In conclusion, there are many negative aspects to the increased emphasis on qualifications. If we want to maintain the value of education, we need to examine the emphasis we put on degrees.

313 words

Should rich countries help poorer ones?

Today, the world is becoming more and more closely linked. Trade has increased and the movement of people between countries is greater than ever before. However, billions of people still live in poverty, and in many places, the gap between rich and poor is widening. This essay will look at the arguments for and against helping poor countries.

There are many reasons for helping poor countries. First of all, there are humanitarian reasons. Like individuals who give to charity, many countries feel it is their religious, social, or moral duty to help people in other countries who are suffering from famine, drought, war, or disease. However, many rich countries also donate money for political or diplomatic reasons. They want to maintain a relationship of dependency with the recipient, or simply to influence the government and direction of the country. A further reason why many countries help poorer ones is for economic reasons. The donors may want to control the supply of commodities such as oil, water, or wheat. Alternatively, the richer country may want to ensure markets for their own products, whether these are planes, computers or shoes.

However, aid is not necessarily the best way to help a country. For one thing, billions of dollars of aid often goes missing, into corrupt governments or inefficient administration. A second point is that many foreign aid projects are unsuitable for the target country. Many agencies build huge dams or industrial projects that fail after a few years or that do not involve the local people. Furthermore, much aid returns to the donor. This can be in the form of expensive specialized equipment and experts from the donor country.

There are many other ways we can help poor countries. Opening up trade barriers, so that poor countries can sell their goods is one way. Another is to remove subsidies so that imported goods from poorer countries can compete fairly. A third method is to forgive debts. Many poor countries have huge interest repayments on old loans.

The needs of the poorer countries may seem obvious. However, although our humanity makes us want to help eliminate poverty and suffering, we must examine the real needs of poor countries and implement solutions that will benefit both them and us.

Since cities have changed a lot, the size of the cities has grown enormously. Discuss the causes and consequence of the enormous size of cities.

Nowadays, the maps of cities are updated frequently. With the development of city, more and more suburbs become parts of the city. When the cities in the world are amplifying constantly, people discuss the topic hotly, the causes and consequence of the enormous cities. Different people have different answers by their respective views.

In my opinion, the evolution of society and the development of economy result in the growth of the vast size of cities. Since the number of population in every city is increasing continually, people need a large amount of space to live in. With the progress of the technology, the output of crops rises sharply. Fewer and fewer farmers are required, as a result, more and more villages urbanize. The growth of the cities brings us many huge changes.

There are more job opportunities in the cities. For instance, China will hold the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008. The government is amplifying the size of Beijing to build new gyms in order to hold it excellently. Obviously, people in the cities could gain a lot of new jobs.

Of course, the enormous size of cities also has bad effects. Pollution is becoming more and more serious all over the world with the amplification of the cities. For example, the poisonous gas sent off by factories and automobiles has made the air unhealthy for people to breathe. Water waste keeps pouring into rivers and lakes; as a result, many water species are dying out. Furthermore, more people the city have, more rubbish we can find.

In a word, since each coin has two sides, we should be acquainted clearly with the reasons why the size of the cities has grown enormously and what it will bring us. Thus, we could make full use of the positive effects and overcome the negative effects.

Topic: Function of education. (Academic subjects and other subjects)

Thesis: Schools should make a balance between both rather than only emphasizes on academic learning.

What is the most significant factor in influencing the shaping of characters and personality of a child? Do academic subjects really render everything necessary for children’s all-round development? Most schools put major emphasis on academic teaching because it is believed that academic subjects can guarantee better future careers. However, in fact, other subjects such as literature, music and sports, are more crucial to children’s development for they can give children many things beyond academic learning, including teamwork spirit, endurance and healthy physical body.

It is true that academic subjects can teach children some fundamental knowledge and they can get further education and skills with such knowledge. But I don’t think academic learning can necessarily ensure better future careers. Academic learning is like the fundamental structure of architecture, it can only be improved and perfected by some other decorations, and that means it is supplementary subjects that can refine a child’s development.

Learning literature can make children sensitive to things around them and teach them to be careful observers; music can tell children how to relax them selves and get inspirations through the power of it; sports can build strong wills and bodies for children for it shows to them the spirit of endurance and teamwork. We know that all these qualities are badly needed in children’s social lives in the future, especially when they get along or work with other people, when they confront difficulties or obstacles, and so on.

What our society needs are not people who know nothing besides their textbooks, but people who know how to apply what they learn, know how to appreciate and endure in their lives, that means people with full sensibilities and practical skills; all these are not things children can learn from academic subjects.

In conclusion, I think schools should reach a balance between academic subjects and other ones, so that we can expect new generations with all-round development. （王婷）

Dear professor Moss:

　　I am Sandy Lee, an undergraduate student of the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. At the beginning of this semester, I registered one of your courses, African Literature and Culture. It is a two-hour course held on every Thursday afternoon. Yesterday, I received a notice from my department that a major course, Computer Principle, would be changed to Thursday afternoon. This major course conspicuously influences my credits and it is every important to me. Unfortunately, I can not study your course this semester.

　　Because of your reputation and my enthusiasm in literature, I hope I could study this course in next semester. I also heard that another course of yours, China Literature, is held every Friday afternoon. If the registration of this course hasn't closed yet, I will be so glad to participate in your class.

　　Sorry to bother you, your help will be greatly appreciated.

　　Sincerely yours,

　　Sandy Lee

Many people believe that human activity is causing the earth’s temperature to rise.  They say that this global warming will have dreadful consequences for our environment, such as drought and flooding. 

What should governments do to help prevent global warming?  Give reasons for your suggestions.

The earth’s temperature is rapidly changing.  As a result there has been a lot of climate change such as heat waves, droughts and floods. Scientists believe that this is the result of human activity, which is polluting the Earth’s atmosphere. This could become a disaster if governments do not act to help prevent global warming. They can act in three ways; by supporting research, by making laws and by keeping the general public informed. 

Firstly, governments can support research. For example, they should encourage companies to develop vehicles that cause less pollution.  They should also support alternative sources of electricity from wind and water rather than from oil and coal.  As well, they should sponsor conferences to discuss the effects of greenhouse gas emissions and possible solutions to the problem.  

Secondly, they should make laws that limit the amount of greenhouse gases that companies can emit.  Private companies should be rewarded for following these laws.  They should also be punished for creating pollution. 

Finally, everybody is affected by global warming.  Therefore, it is important that governments involve individuals in the problem solving process. For example they should encourage households to save as much energy as possible by using more efficient light bulbs or less hot water.  They should also encourage the public to recycle, and this should be compulsory for everyone.  Another way of saving energy is by public transport systems.  Governments should spend money on public transport to make it as easy as possible for the public to save energy. 

In summary, it is clear that there are a lot of things that governments can do to prevent global warming.  They should involve companies, support scientists and encourage individuals to protect the planet.

Nowadays, international tourism is the biggest industry in the world. Unfortunately, international tourism creates tension rather than understanding between people from different cultures. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

International tourism is booming: millions of tourists go to other countries to explore the outside world.  Tourism enhances the mutual understanding between the local people and tourists. Some people hold opposite opinions.  They think that international tourism causes tension rather than promoting understanding between people from different cultures. 

The people holding the latter view suppose that tourists are likely to offend the local people because of the lack of knowledge of the local customs, which differ from their own.  Moreover, tourism inevitably harms the natural resources and the cultural legacy, which may lead to the resentment of the local people.

However, I can hardly assent to this idea: the above mentioned rarely happens.  In my opinion, international tourism does encourage the understanding between people from different countries.  For one thing, without going to see for themselves, people may never know what other countries are really like and thus can be misled by hearsay or films and TV programmes, which, more often than not, are one-sided.  For instance, one of my American friends told me that most Americans had a strange bias against the Russian people until some young Americans traveled to Russia and saw with their own eyes that the Russians are human beings just like them.  Another example is that, with the development of Chinese tourism, people outside China start to realize that Chinese men no longer have long braids and Chinese women’s feet are of normal size now. Secondly, having seen the fine scenery or experienced the rich culture of other countries, tourists will have the desire to develop a good relationship with the locals, which certainly contributes to the understanding between them.

In conclusion, instead of causing tension, international tourism furthers the understanding of people from different countries. (281 words)

Dear General Manager,

　　As a staff of Sales Department, I'm very glad to see the rapid development of our hotel. With the coming of New Year, I am writing to you to pre I think more on the further improvement of our hotel-to establish a website of our own to attract more clients.

　　Firstly, with the development of Internet, more and more people are willing to go to the outside world through the information on Internet. Thus if we could establish our own website and introduce ourselves on it, more friends, especially foreign friends, could know our latest promotion at home whenever they want. Secondly, according to the statistics of World Hotel Association, 33% of clients made hotel reservation through the Internet last year. And the proportion will largely increase in year 2000. Thus if we could introduce reservation system on our homepage, clients could contact us and make reservation directly. Finally, hotel promotion on Internet could reduce our operation cost greatly.

　　As someone says that Internet shorten the distance of the world, I believe that the one who could make use of Internet effectively today will be the winner tomorrow. We will get a lot and have a brilliant future.

　　Yours sincerely,

　　Livia Lim

Topic: Should government invest poor population or hi-tech research.

Thesis: Government should invest poor population rather than hi-tech research, for it better fits long-term interest and realistic aims.

Today governments more and more intend to invest hi-tech research because it is believed that better hi-tech development can push forward a nation’s development and improve its national strength. However, I don’t think the poor population of a nation should be neglected in this way; instead, I think government should invest the money on improving its people’s living standard.

First, speaking of realistic aims, it is more sensible and practical to invest on nation’s poor population rather than on hi-tech research. As is known to all, nowadays hi-tech researches have reached a certain height and it is not so easy to achieve a breakthrough in a short period of time. Hi-tech researches are both time-consuming and expensive; especially it is a heavy burden for developing countries to spend so much money on them. No matter how advanced and developed in hi-tech research it is for a country, if its people are living in poverty and suffering from hunger ever day, I don’t think it worth all the money and efforts in doing so and it won’t be understood and appreciated by the people.

Second, when we consider long-term interests, I think makes more sense to invest poor population. A country is governed by its people and it needs their contributions; if we are able to spend the money on ensuring poor people’s education and improving their living standards, the reward a country is likely to get is priceless. When children in poor areas get opportunities to be educated, more talents are likely to be discovered and used, and also when poor people get enough money to sustain their lives, the whole nation can develop and move forward in a safer and much more harmonious environment; both can bring the nation immeasurable benefits.

In summary, I think if a government is to make wise investment and create harmonious environment, it should invest poor population instead of hi-tech research. （王婷）

用纳税人的钱修路，改善交通状况

To construct and maintain roads is a public service administered by the government. However, swheresdoes the money come from? Somebody believe that the government should allocate money from national finance on the road construction; but others think that the roads are constructed for people, so every tax-payer has the responsibility for constructing and maintaining the roads. It is so called"What is taken from the people is used in the interests of the people."

　　To the first opinion, since government is the administrative organ, it has responsibility to do overall plan on those public services of city construction, including constructing the road. They think that the government should do plan and allocate every penny on all things concerning people's life.

　　However in reality, the government cannot do all specific plans and money allocations on every detail concerning the society running. It only has the right of macro-adjustment and control. To be specific on the road construction, many people believe that based on the principle above, since the road is constructed for the convenience of people themselves, every tax-payer has duty to devote a little on the road construction, which is not only for the city overall plan, but also for their own use fundamentally. Once the constructions finish, the roads will be wider and longer, the facilities along the roads will be better in use, by then people could further improve their working efficiency, etc..

　　As I know, the second opinion is more reasonable and feasible, because it has two advantages: 1. The government could reduce heavy burdens, simplify and make clear the usage of money; 2. Tax-payers are clear about the usage of money they turn over, thus improve the transparency. Therefore, it is a good measure for both sides to allocate money from the tax paid by people on the road construction.

What can education bring us? Is “high mark” the real destiny of education? As researchers and scholars are investigating this subject, the accurate definition of education begins to have slight difference from what was in people’s mind before. Education, the bridge between teachers and students, the mediator between individual and society, means more than knowledge transmit, but being a wholly developed person in the society.

First, education brings us basic knowledge and skill to survive. From primary school on, students learn subjects like Maths, Physics, English, or in other words, academic subjects to gain the initial knowledge of the nature and world, which are extremely useful for our future career. Upon this, students also learn skills like sewing, cooking, and mending bicycles, which help them a lot in their future family life. To this extend, education provided us with fundamental concepts of living.

Second, education can cultivate our sentiment. Apart from academic subjects, art subjects such as music and art seems more interesting toward students. From these subjects, one can enjoy the pleasure of listening to music, try to guess a composer’s emotion when writing a music chapter, or understand the meaning of a piece of drawing, from which process they themselves are edified and assimilated, and finally have their own clear opinion on what is beauty.

Third, education makes an individual adapted to the society. Being innocent and naive, young people always find it hard to immerge into the complicated environment, and feel frustrated. Through education like communication skills, students may know the essence of getting on with other people. This kind of education influences our personality and views everyone as a whole individual in the big family of society.

Above all, knowledge, emotion, and personality form the most important part of the content of education. The aim of education is to teach a per son become a completely developed individual. 

遗失信----<