专业八级历年写作真题及范文
20xx年八级作文题目 作文题目：my views on working from home（网友回忆版）
作文范文：仅供参考，作文自己写
探讨工作是在家里好还是在办公地点好
[范文]
My Views on Working from Home
On weekdays, as people wake up and make the commute to work, hundreds of people dream of the day when they can work from home. With the integration of technology and innovation into work and home lives, it is delighted to find that we are now able to turn this dream into a reality. Gone are the days when people have to attend meetings in person. Now, those who work at home can communicate with colleagues via mobile phone, computer, and other digital devices.
Regarding working from home, what firstly comes to our mind? Apparently, the reduction of congestion. In most cities, especially those metropolises, it is a commonplace that people squeeze in and out of a crowded bus or metro in rush hours. Let's imagine what amount of time can be saved when those people choose or are encouraged to work from home. The saved time can be devoted to precious work time, and thus, elevating efficiency. Furthermore, working at home eases the troublesome of some people working in the downtown while living in the suburb. It is also believed that a lot of people, whose representatives are working parents with childcare responsibility, may benefit from the changing work pattern. Moms, in particularly, may don't have to struggle to juggle their careers and their families any more.
But each new thing is always accompanied by potential dangers. The same is true for the trend of working from home. Though embodied with lots of advantages, it also brings about some negative impacts. For instance, the reduction of face-to-face communication may affect team spirits. There are much more distractions at home than in offices, especially for working women with babies. Besides, from the perspective of employers, it is hard for them to monitor the performance of workers at home.
Therefore it is advisable that people take everything into consideration, balancing merits and demerits. Sometimes the job nature has a say in which work pattern fits you. Many people make a combination of working from home and at office, which helps to solve the dilemma. In a nutshell, working from home has both advantages and disadvantages, and the key always lies in how to make the best use of it.
1
20xx年八级作文题目
WRITING (45 MIN)
Is our society hostile to good people? According to a recent survey by China Youth Daily,
76.1 percent of the respondents say that our current society provides a “bad environment” for good people doing good things. On the other hand, the more optimistic would argue that each individual should try his or her best to do good things and be nice to others, instead of waiting for the “social environment” to improve. So, what do you think? Is a sound social environment necessary for people to have high moral standards and be good to others?
Write an essay of about 400 words on the following topic:
Is a sound social environment necessary for people to be good to others?
In the first part of your essay you should state clearly your main argument, and in the second part you should support your argument with appropriate details. In the last you should bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or make a summary.
Marks will be awarded for content, organization, language and appropriateness. Failure to follow the above instruction may result in a loss of marks.
Write your essay on ANSWER SHEET FOUR.
[范文]
Recently the issue of providing a sound social environment for people to be good to others has been bought into focus among the general public. Depending on personal experience, personal type and emotional concern, some people hold the idea that our current society provides a “bad environment” for good people doing good things, and it is surely that a sound social environment is necessary, while others prefer to the view that each individual should try his or her best to do good things and be nice to others instead of waiting for the “social environment” to improve. In my opinion, I think it is important to provide a sound social environment for people to be good to others. There are many reasons explaining this case. As for me, I consider the following as the typical ones. First of all, with the rapid growth of the society, the gap between good and bad has become increasingly important in our daily life. Many people need other’s help deeply. They are vulnerable groups just as the olds. But in nowadays, many social problems have affected the consciousness of helping each other or being good to others. Why? For example, one day, on a young man’s way home, he saw an old woman falling onto the ground; he went over to help her instantly. You know what? Just because his kindness, he had put him into a desperate trouble. The old woman insisted that it was the young man who had knocked her down. Of course it is not a happy ending. Things like this often happened in our society. Maybe there are many people wanting to be good to others, but the world is just not so good to them. What’s worse, sometimes they even have to pay for their
2
kindness just like the young man above. Apart from this, another aspect is that in modern society, more and more people live alone in tall buildings now. And this is usually the case that makes people ignore the friendship between neighbors. Those people who lives in these buildings usually go to work in the morning and back home at night. They often live in their own world. This phenomenon resulted in the degrading of the consciousness of helping each other, not to speak of being good to others. Furthermore, People have to pay more time and attention to their own lives now because completions in our society have grown stronger and stronger. And they probably will claim that they have no time or energy when it comes to lending a helping hand to others. To sum up, there is nothing useful for us to complain or blame others; the most important thing is that we should call the world to provide us a healthy environment. And of course it is necessary for the government and related organizations to improve the social environment for people to be good to others.
20xx年八级作文题目
WRITING (45 MIN)
A recent survey of 2,000 college students asked about their attitudes towards phone calls and text-messaging (also known as Short Service) and found the students’ main goal was to pass along information in as little time, with as little small talk, as possible. “What they like most about their mobile devices is that they can reach other people,” says Naomi Baron, a professor of linguistics at American University in Washington, D.C., who conducted the survey. “What they like least is that other people can reach them.” How far do you agree with Professor Baron? In this first part of your essay you should state clearly your main argument, and in the second part you should support your argument with appropriate details. In the last part you should bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or make a summary. You should supply an appropriate title for your essay. Marks will be awarded for content, organization, language and appropriateness. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.
Write your essay on ANSWER SHEET FOUR.
[范文]
“We have in our mortal hand a power to destroy poverty and all forms of human life.” John F. Kennedy said in his Inaugural Address some 50 years ago. Indeed, science and technology has always been a mixed blessing. The same is true of cell phones, one of spectacular gadgets ever invented by humans in the past perhaps 100 years or so. Cell phones have two ambivalent faces, mostly benevolent, lovely and grim, even macabre sometimes. That is exactly what Naomi Baron, a professor of linguistics at American University in Washington, D.C. described, when he said, “What people like most about their mobile devices is that they can reach other people. What they like least is that other people can reach them.” Professor Baron’s conclusion cannot be too true.
While mobile devices today are facilitating our life in ways unimagined, they pose problems, too. One of these is that our private life can be encroached at any
3
time and place. For example, suppose one is taking hard-earned holidays at a seaside resort when he receives a call from his boss, who told him that something goes wrong with his work or his client runs into trouble. All of a sudden, his pleasure is totally spoiled. At this moment, modern devices of communications show their gloomy and ghastly face. Blockage to such calls can be hardly possible unless you have decided to leave your present job for good.
The second quandary brought about by the mobiles and the Internet is that people are cut off from contract with one another. This is a paradox. This happens most often in the world of business. With the help of these gadgets, many people stay home on workdays. At the click of their fingers, they can receive and send their work on the Net or cell phones. With a mobile, even their salaries can be automatically credited to their accounts. Few people nowadays stand in line receiving their paychecks. They don’t have to see people in person to do all these and other things. Economical and convenient as it is, people are more isolated from each other.
Regrettably, the gloomy paradoxical aspect of mobiles goes beyond the field of our work. It also happens in our almost every facet of life. Music used to be a very good social event. But now, most people build a wall of music around them by listening to on-line music or songs downloaded and saved in their cell phones. Watching a film also becomes a detached process. Modern phones are almost almighty, with which they can enjoy the latest box hits in the isolation of the living room. They don’t have to go out, let alone joining with friends. Communications in person are saved when, with omnipotent ‘i-phone’, students can learn a lot of subjects alone instead of discussing problems with their classmates, friends and brothers and sisters and parents. They even don’t have to go classes to acquire all these things where rich human communication can occur.
“Every coin has two sides” is an old cliché. But it applies ideally to the case of cell phone today. Cell phones, on the one hand, render our life more convenient and enrich our treasure trove of existence. At the same time, however, they stymie our life. They encroach our privacy and meanwhile, make us reluctant to partake the rich real social life.
20xx年八级作文题目
According to a recent newspaper report, many famous sites of historical interest in China have begun or are considering charging tourists higher entry fees during peek travel seasons. This has aroused a lot of public attention and also public debate. What is your opinion? Should famous Chinese sites of historical interest charge higher fees during peek travel seasons? Write an essay of about 400 words.
In the first part of your essay you should state clearly your main argument, and in the second part you should support your argument with appropriate details. In the last part you should bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or make a summary.
4
You should supply an appropriate title for your essay.
Marks will be awarded for content, organization, grammar and appropriateness. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.
[范文]
We have witnessed many reports both in newspapers and on the Internet that quite a few number of famous historic sites and natural resorts are considering charging tourists higher entry fees during peak travel seasons. Many experts and managers of these sites all believe that charging higher entry fees will lead tourists to travel less in peak seasons and come more often in other time. According to them, higher fees serve as a tool to balance the number of people visiting these famous resorts, as well as a source of fund that can provide for the protection of historic resorts. In addition, higher entry fees will also create profits for these historic sites. However, I strongly believe that higher entry fees in peak travel seasons are unreasonable and unfair, and thus should not be adopted.
Primarily, tourists who aim at visiting a historic site will not be deterred by the relatively higher entry fees. In this sense, the goal of balancing the number of visitors cannot be achieved with higher fees. For example, tourists who come to Beijing all consider the Palace Museum, the Great Wall, and the Summer Palace as their must in travelling. They would come to these historic resorts no matter what the entry fees are. In addition, many tourists may have leisure time only during the peak season. Hence, they are forced to pay higher fees whereas the total number of visitors does not come down at all.
Moreover, higher entry fees should not be considered as an option for protection of the historic sites. As is known to all, world-renowned historic resorts are all protected and maintained by local government. It is the government’s duty to protect and provide funds for the historic sites and the relative maintenance. Funds for the protection of historic sites should come from taxes, not from the visitors. Therefore, to say that higher entry fees can provide funds for the protection of historic sites is unfair for the visitors.
Finally, higher entry fees during peak travel seasons harm the right of the relatively poorer people who wish to travel during that time. To set the entry fees higher in peak travel seasons means that only those who can afford the tickets can have the right to visit those historic resorts. However, everyone is entitled the same right to enjoy the historic sites. There is no reason that these poorer people cannot visit these resorts as others do in peak travel seasons.
In conclusion, higher entry fee cannot help balancing the number of visitors during peak travel seasons. It is also unfair for the visitors and harms the right of the relatively poorer people. Viewed in this light, charging visitors with higher entry fees during peak travel seasons is unreasonable, unfair and unjustified at best.
2010 年八级作文题目
5
Part Ⅵ Writing (45 min)
Recently newspapers have reported that officials in a little-known mountainous area near Guiyang, Guizhou Province wanted to turn the area into a “central business district” for Guiyang and invited a foreign design company to give it an entirely new look. The design company came up with a blueprint for unconventional, super-futuristic buildings. This has triggered off different responses. Some appreciate of the bold innovation of the design, but others held that it failed to reflect regional characteristics or local cultural heritage. What is your view on this? Write an essay of about 400 words.
[范文]
No one can have failed to notice the fact that Chinese culture has become increasingly diversified in the past decades. This can be embodied by evidences in many fields, one of which is architecture. Recently newspapers have reported that officials in a little-known mountainous area near Guiyang, Guizhou Province wanted to turn the area into a “central business district” for Guiyang and invited a foreign design company to give it an entirely new look. The design company came up with a blueprint for unconventional, super-futuristic buildings. This has aroused a heated debate. Some approve of the bold innovation of the design while others claimed that it failed to reflect regional characteristics or local cultural heritage. When asked of my opinion, I am inclined to agree with the former one, and I base my point of view on the following reasons.
In the first place, an unconventional or exotic design is in accordance with the primary function of this area. As we are told, this lot of land is meant to be a “central business district”. As the name indicates, this area is intended for business, most possibly international business, which is imaginable in the context of the nation’s move of reform and opening-up to the outside world. Such being the case, an innovative and super-futuristic design of the areas is quite understandable, for it may demonstrate local people’s wish to embrace and integrate with other cultures around the world. More foreign investors might be attracted here, which is just the aim of this program.
In the second place, allowing space for novel things is essential for the development of an area. The concept of ancient and modern or that of local and alien is relative. What seems ancient now used to be modern centuries ago; similarly, what looks exotic today might be deemed natural tomorrow. A person needs to accept new knowledge to grow and the same is true with an area or a country. While new things often meet with objections at first, they are mostly accepted and loved later. A number of examples can be listed, with the most striking ones being the art museum in Paris designed by Bei Luming, a Chinese architect, and the Opera House in Sydney, whose designer only received due respect years after his death.
Admittedly, we should respect and treasure traditional and regional culture, inherit it and carry it on. However, preserving the old and traditional should not be the reason to refuse the new and modern.
6
Bringing what has been discussed into conclusion, we may claim that it is understandable and acceptable for people in the above-mentioned area to adopt the foreign design.
2009 年八级作文题目
Part Ⅵ Writing (45 min)
Mandarin, or putonghua, is the standard service sector language in our country. But recently, employees at a big city's subway station have been busy learning dialects of other parts of the country. Proponents say that using dialects in the subway is a way to provide better service. But opponents think that encouraging the use of dialects in public counters the national policy to promote putonghua. What is your opinion? Write an essay of about 400 words on the following topic: Are dialects just as acceptable in public places?
[范文]
Dialects Are Acceptable in Public Places
As is well known, mandarin, or Putonghua, is the standard service sector language in China. Lately，however, some employees of a metropolitan subway company start using dialects to cater to the needs of people from different areas. This act gave rise to a heated debate around the country. Advocates deem it as an effort to render better service while opponents see the countering effects of such a movement to the national policy of promoting Putonghua across China.
When asked of my opinion, I truly find it difficult to offer because I am not adequately informed of the way those employees of the subway company use the dialects. If they just learn dialects in an effort to understand customers better, while insisting speaking Mandarin at the same time, I believe it is absolutely acceptable. However, if they voluntarily talk to customers in dialects, I believe it is unnecessary and really goes against the national policy of promoting Putonghua around the country. Basically, I believe, the former is the case. So, it can be said that I am of the opinion that dialects should be tolerated in public places.
Truly, mandarin, which means "common language", is the country's predominant language and is widely used in China, but dialects still enjoy popularity in most parts of the country. Except for some residents in metropolises like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, people in most parts of the country communicate in dialectical Chinese in their daily life. For those less educated people in underdeveloped areas, their dialect is their only language. If it were forbidden in public places, they could not communicate at all.
Of course, we should promote the use of Putonghua in public places, but we should understand that it takes time. We cannot expect that everyone in the countryside automatically has the ability to speak Putonghua when he or she steps into the big city. They need a process of learning, while subway or bus stations are usually their first class to learn Putonghua. As primary students, they should be allowed the chance to learn step by step. While trying to communicate in Putonghua
7
with customers, workers in service sectors should first learn to understand their customers. So it is nothing to blame for them to learn some daily expressions in various dialects.
Therefore, it can be said that the opponents of the practice mentioned above are just making a fuss. And, most possibly, they failed to realize the fact that subway companies are just service sectors, whose primary task is to provide service instead of promoting a language.
2008 年八级作文题目
Part Ⅵ Writing (45 min)
In a few months’ time you are going to graduate from university. How do you think your college years have prepared you for your future life? Write an essay of about 400 words on the following topic: What I have learned from my years at university
[范文]
What I have learned from my years at university
As my college life is drawing to an end, it is about time to raise the question “what have I learned from my years at university？”.
To be frank, I did not learn too much.
First, as to my professional knowledge, I just followed the flow of curriculum, neither lagged behind nor excelling in the class. I only find myself better in English than in high school or than most of those non-English-majors. I can speak English, but not very fluently; I can write in English, but just some easy articles; I can understand most of the materials in the textbooks, but not very professional or colloquial expressions; I can read in English, but often need to look up words in dictionaries.
Secondly, I did not improve myself a lot in other qualities, such as leadership, team-spirit or communicative skills. The only society I joined was a so-called “Broadcast Art League”, in which I worked for only half a year. The only one substantial working experience was interviewing a first-prize winner in a singing contest on campus. The unreasonable pride of the singer offended me and discouraged me from working on.
Nor did I acquire any other abilities. I cannot work on computer skillfully. I learned nothing more than English and my second foreign language Japanese. I didn’t win any prize except one to encourage students who have made progress in their study---I once promoted my position in the class from beyond 20 to within 10.
So, you may say I am one of those idlers in college and may despise me. But my performance is justifiable.
About four years ago, an excellent high school graduate with a fairly high score in the national exams for college admission missed his target in college enrollment. He was denied the chance to enter his first-choice university and was even deprived of the chance to study his first-choice major. He was allocated to his present university to study English, which even did not happen in his dream. Coming from a
8
poor rural family, he had neither the vision nor the power to change his fate. That student is me.
Therefore, I may conclude that the greatest harvest in my years in college is depression. But I do not deem it a totally negative thing. Actually, it is a kind of pressure and will transform into motivation in the future. The day I am freed from the present cage, I will utilize my freedom and choose a profession I truly like and make up for all the time I have idled away in college.
Behind all this is a lesson I learned from my life in college, that is, however grave a setback one meets, he should not sigh over it for too long. Instead, he should collect himself in time and find out all advantages around him or find a new target and head for it with all his strength.
2007 年八级作文题目
Part Ⅵ Writing (45 min)
Some people think that financial disparity affects friendship. What do you think? Write an essay of about 400 words.
[范文]
Money and Friendship
Some people think that financial disparity affects friendship. They may believe that there can be no friendship between the rich and the poor. Their major evidence might be that a rich person and a poor one have different life styles and different tastes for things. At first sight, this argument seems reasonable. However, a careful inspection at it reveals how flimsy it is. In its true sense, friend is not grounded on money.
First, let’s see what true friendship is. True friendship involves recognition or familiarity with another's personality. Friends often share likes and dislikes, interests, pursuits, and passion. True friendship also involves a shared sense of caring and concern, a desire to see one another grow and develop, and a hope for each other to succeed in all aspects of life. Besides, true friendship involves action: doing something for someone else while expecting nothing in return; sharing thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment or negative criticism. Last but not least, true friendship demands mutual trust and respect. All these attributes have little or nothing to do with money.
Actually, we can find numerous examples of friendship immune to financial disparity. That between Carl Marx and Friedrich Engels is a case in point. Though differing a lot in financial statuses, they formed firm friendship during their common pursuit of communism. While Marx was leading a miserable life due to lack of money, it was Engels who gave him a hand. It was common belief and ideal that bound them together. An equally convincing example is the friendship among the numerous revolutionaries in China before the liberation of the country. Though they came from different families and financial backgrounds, they became constant friends and comrades during the fight for the nation’s independence and freedom.
Truly, it often occurs that two friends break up because of changes in their financial status. When one of them suddenly makes a fortune or gets a promotion,
9
he or she may cut off traffic with his or her former friend. The same thing might happen when one of them suddenly falls upon dark days. Such people, however, can not be called friends in its true sense.
To sum up, financial disparity does not necessarily affect friendship; much less can it affect true friendship. True friendship can stand the test of time and adversity.
20xx年八级作文题目
Part Ⅵ Writing (45 min)
Joseph Epstein, a famous American writer, once said, “we decide what is important and what is trivial in life we decide that what makes us significant is either what we do or what we refuse to do but no matter how indifferent the universe may be to our choices and decisions, these choices and decisions are ours to make. We decide. We choose. And as we decide and choose, so are our lives formed. In the end, forming our own destiny is what ambition is about.” Do you agree or disagree with him? Write an essay of about 400 words entitled: Ambition
[范文]
Ambition
What is ambition? Answers to this question may differ from person to person. Joseph Epstein, a famous American writer, gave his reply as he said, “We decide what is important and what is trivial in life. We decide (so) that what makes us significant is either what we do or what we refuse to do. No matter how indifferent the universe may be to our choices and decisions, these choices and decisions are ours to make. … In the end, forming our own destiny is what ambition is about.”
I totally agree with Epstein.
Life is a series of choices and decisions. Of course, you cannot choose your parents, your color, your race or your nationality. Nor can you decide the brand of diaper you use while you are a baby, or the kindergarten you go to as a kid. They are choices and decisions of your parents. But as you grow up, you begin to make your own decisions. You choose the brand and style of your shoes, you choose the girl or the boy you date with, you choose the cat or the lizard you keep as a pet and you choose the college or university you go to.
What is critical here is that you should make sure that you are the decision maker of your own life and do not pass on the right to others, even your parents, because, as Joseph said, ambition is to form your own destiny. A story goes that a disabled young man managed to reach the peak of every famous high mountain in the world before he was 28. He did all this just as his parents told him to do in their will. But the young man committed suicide in the end and his last words were: “now I have nothing to do with all my goals achieved and my fame well established. I have
10
no new goals.” The major cause of the young man’s ruin was, I believe, his lack of consciousness or ability to make his own decisions.
Actually, a number of personalities in history at both home and abroad went against the will of their families and risked being discarded by them, but they had scored tremendous success in the end. Chairman Mao Zedong is a case in point. When he was young, he plunged himself into the tide of revolution in China, though his father objected to his choice. Finally, Chairman Mao fulfilled his ambition and led Chinese people to success.
To sum up, we should not let ourselves easily influenced by others; we should be the master of our own fate.
2005 年八级作文题目
Part Ⅵ Writing (45 min)
Interview is frequently used by employers as a means to recruit prospective employees. As a is your opinion? Write an essay of about 400 words to state your view.
[范文]
Interview: An Essential Step in Recruiting
There is no denying the fact that interview is a frequently used means in recruiting prospective employees. Both employers and job-seekers attach increasing importance to this procedure. The former allocate special time and staff for this task while the latter spend a lot of time and energy figuring out answers to possible questions, not to mention the money spent on dress.
However, people’s views differ sharply as to the role of interview as a selection procedure. Some hold the positive view. They claim that it is an essential step in selecting talents, while others think light of this method. Personally, I believe that job interview plays an essential role in recruiting.
First, interview is of vital importance in recruiting employees for such positions as actors or actresses, shopping assistants, air hostesses, models, etc, which have special demands for physical appearances, bearing and presence. These elements cannot be judged only according to self-description in the resume. This is where the proverb “to see is to believe” works.
Secondly, interview reveals more about a prospective employee in such aspects as communicative skills and personalities. There is no doubt that communication is of striking importance in such a society featured by increasingly fine division of labor. Weakness in communication and co-operation would hinder the development and success of an entire team. Some people may be excellent in single work, but they may not be good at coordinating with others. Besides, some may have drawbacks in personalities. Yet this can hardly be seen through the resume. Therefore, interview is needed.
Thirdly, through interview, the employer can have a better understanding of the prospective employee’s level of professional knowledge. In a society of increasingly fierce competition, some are tempted to forge diplomas and certificates or
11
exaggerate their capacities. Interview can work as a guard against these liars. Some companies arrange a written test that goes along with job interview. This serves as an effective touchstone.
It is true that interview may also prove unreliable. For instance, some interviewees may exert every effort to present themselves as knowledgeable and competent during the interview while actually they are not. However, if they can lie during an interview, they may also cheat in exams or be dishonest in their resumes. An interview wouldn’t add to the risk of recruiting a wrong employee. Actually, it serves as a second check against liars.
To sum up, interview is indispensable in recruiting employees in that it can tell more about a candidate.
2004 年八级作文题目
Part Ⅴ Writing (60min)
It was reported in the press some time ago that a few second-and third-year students in a provincial university decided to try their hands at business in order to get prepared for the future. They opened six small shops near their university. Their teachers and classmates had different opinions about this phenomenon. Some thought that the students’ business experience would help them adapt better to society after graduation, while others held a negative view, saying that running shops might occupy too much of the students’ time and energy which should otherwise be devoted to their academic study. What do you think? Write a composition of about 300 words on the following topic: Should University Students go in for Business?
[范文]
Should University Students Go in for Business?
Whether college students should take part-time jobs has been an old topic of debate. Before the issue is settled, a more controversial problem has arisen. In a recent report, some students from a provincial college set up and ran some small shops in the name of helping themselves adapt well to society in the future. To this people’s attitudes differ sharply. Some hold that it is helpful in preparing these students for the future, while others claim that going in for business risks affecting these students’ academic study. Personally, I hold negative view on those students’ deeds.
Admittedly, going in for business for a while may be beneficial to college students. Through the process of buying and selling, they can associate their academic study with social life, thus adopting a more practical approach in taking school courses; through the contact with their suppliers and customers, they can improve their communicative skills, which is conducive to their future work; and, through the bitterness of failure and setbacks, they can appreciate the value of their current chance to study, and treasure it better.
However, like anything else, students going in for business may prove harmful if it is carried to the extreme. Setting up and running shops are far beyond college students. First, most college majors are irrelevant to business. Therefore, setting up and running shops bear no relations with most students’ study. Even for students of business majors, the school courses are much more complicated and professional
12
than buying and selling. They would not gain much from running shops apart from some money and simple social contact, unless their ideal jobs are shopkeepers. Besides, the routine work in a shop is time-consuming. As a shop keeper, one has to concern himself or herself with stocking, selling, accounting, and even cleaning. He or she has to deal with tax collectors, the fire department workers and other government officials.
In view of what has been listed above, going in too much for business would hamper most students’ academic work and have negative effects on their future development. Actually, there are many other ways in which college students can gain insights into society and develop practical skills. For instance, they can take part in some extracurricular programs and social practices in vacations. They can work as part-time shop assistants, accountants or promoters. Or they can just try to set up a shop and run it for a short period of time, then leaving it to their parents or other relatives. Anyway, most of them are expected to be more promising than shop-keepers.
2003 年八级作文题目
Part Ⅴ Writing (60 min)
An English newspaper is currently running a discussion on whether young people in China today are (not) more self-centered and unsympathetic than were previous generations. And the paper is inviting contributions from university students. You have been asked to write a short article for the newspaper to air your views.
[范文]
A Self-conscious and Sympathetic Generation
It seems to have become a common consent that young people today are more self-centered and unsympathetic than were previous generations. Many complain that young people are no longer obedient to their parents and always have their own ways of doing things. Some even accuse that young people today seldom show sympathy to others, especially when their own benefits are threatened.
I don’t agree with these kinds of opinions. I think young people today are more self-conscious, not self-centered, as some people say. They have better self-esteem and therefore they are able to respect and sympathize with others better.
For many older people, they were taught to always put others interests first and ignore their own feelings, even to the sacrifice of their own families. Self-value was unheard of for most of them. Young people today, however, are very blessed to realize that they were born first as individuals and then members of the society. They are supposed to love and respect themselves first and thus learn to love and respect others. They love their parents but don’t agree that they belong to their parents. They have their own wills and own ways of living.
Owing to awakening of self-consciousness, young people today show more respect to other people’s choices. One of the many ways by which they express their sympathy is to respect other people’s privacies, encouraging but never prying. They are also very willing to give material and financial supports to the poor. I know two
13
young ladies who have been helping different kids in remote countryside pay their tuition fees for many years and I’ve also worked as a volunteer to help the orphans. Thousands of young volunteers for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games are another case in point for the spirit of devotion in the younger generation.
Being self-centered and being self-conscious are two different things and sympathy can be expressed in many different ways. In every generation, there are people who are self-centered and never sympathize with others. Generally speaking, most of the young people today are not like that. Besides respecting their own value, they are kind and sympathetic.
20xx年八级作文题目
Part Ⅴ Writing (60 min)
All of us would agree that in order to be successful in the present-day society, we university graduates have to possess certain personal qualities that can enable us to realize our aim. What do you think is the most important personal quality of a university graduate? Write a composition of about 300 words on the following topic: The most important personal quality of a university student
[范文]
Sociability: the most important personal quality of a university sutdent
It is generally acknowledged that university students have to be in possession of certain personal qualities so that they can be successful in modern society. Among these qualities are diligence, courage, honesty and leadership. Personally, I believe that the sociability, or the disposition to communicate well with others, is the most important personal quality that a university student has to have.
There is no denying the fact that the society today is featured by increasingly fine division of labor. It is hard for one to accomplish anything solely on himself or herself. Therefore, co-operation is indispensable in almost everyone’s daily life and work. To cooperate well with our workmates and other teams, we have to be able to communicate with them in an effective way. We should know how to think from the perspective of our partners and even our opponents; we should know when to insist and when to concede; and we should know how to make ourselves understood and how to persuade others.
Sociability is of equal importance for a student’s sound growth in college. Actually, the four or five years in college are the crucial period of time in a person’s development. It can even decide his or her eventual success. It is during this period that a student accumulates the bulk of knowledge to be used in his or her future job; it is during this period that a student absorbs life experience and lessons to be drawn upon in his or her future life; and, more important, it is during this period that a person establishes his or her basic network of friends. All this calls for sociability or the ability to communicate effectively with people. Lack of the ability to associate with others would not only result in failure in these aspects but also contribute to psychological problems and even committing suicide.
14
Admittedly, other qualities are of great value in a person’s success, but they all need communication as the basis. We can hardly imagine a courageous and diligent person achieving anything entirely by himself or herself. Without communication, honestly seems to go no where. And leadership definitely goes with communication.
Taking all the above-mentioned into consideration, we may safely reach the conclusion that sociability is the most important personal quality that a university student has to possess if he or she wants to succeed in the present-day society. To develop the sociability, one has to be conscious of its importance and purposefully join some societies, clubs or associations, and participate actively in their activities. Besides, leaders and teachers in colleges should also attach importance to this quality and create as many chances as possible to enhance it.
All of us would agree that in order to be successful in the present-day society, we university graduates have to possess certain personal qualities that can enable us to realize our aim. What do you think is the most important personal quality of a university graduates? Write a composition of about 300 words on the following topic:
2001 年八级作文题目
Part Ⅴ Writing (60 min)
The Internet is about to take off in China. As many as 9 million people are online, a number that is estimated to hit 20 million by the end of 2000. It is predicted that this phenomenal growth will have great impact on our society and economy. Choose ONE aspect of our society or economy where you think the impact will be most strongly felt, and write an essay of about 300 words entitled: The impact of the internet on…
[范文]
The impact of the internet on people’s daily life
No one could have failed to notice the fact that the Internet is gaining increasing popularity in China. Statistics manifest that the number of netizens is soaring at an alarming speed. It is estimated that the Internet will have a tremendous impact on society in this country. The impact may be seen in such aspects as politics, economy, education, etc. Personally, I believe that it will be most evident in people’s daily life.
First and foremost, the Internet changed people’s ways to gain information. Traditional ways, such as newspapers, magazines, radio and TV, are facing severe challenges with the wide use of the Internet. A growing number of people tend to scan news and search information useful for daily life on the net. Actually, there has appeared a group of people dependent on searching the Internet. Whatever they do not know or are not sure of, they prefer seeking answers on the net to asking people around them or reading papers. Compared with traditional means of information delivery, the Internet proves more timely, detailed and wide-covering. Besides, it is the one that best combines words, sounds, pictures and videos.
Similarly, the Internet has brought a change to people’s ways to express themselves. Previously, they resort to face-to-face talks with their workmates or relatives; nowadays, more of them choose to put forward their views on matters in
15
the comment column of news or various forums on the net. While they usually reserved their personal views in case they might sound absurd or radical, they hold no reservations in their comment on the Internet. If they like, people can establish blogs of their own to let their voices heard by a lot more people. This is something almost unimaginable in the past.
In the third place, the Internet is emerging as a major “place” where people meet and communicate. It is something interesting if we think about it: we spend less time calling or meeting our friends or relatives in person; instead, we spend more time chatting with them on the Internet, through such tools as QQ, MSN, E-mail and the like. We can even see them on line through video. Though seeming less personal, communication through the Internet is more at our own convenience.
On the basis of the three changes above, the Internet has effected changes in others facets of people’s daily life. For instance, they can do online shopping, play online games and even see doctors through the net.
To sum up, the impact of the Internet will be most strongly felt in people’s daily life. We should get ourselves ready for the changes and make reasonable use of the Internet.
2000 年八级作文题目
Part Ⅴ Writing (60 min)
Some people simply see education as going to schools or colleges, or as a means to secure good jobs; most people view education as a lifelong process. In your opinion, how important is education to modern man? Write a composition of about 300 words on the following topic: Education as a lifelong process
[范文]
Education: a lifelong process
What is education? Answers to this question may differ sharply from person to person. Some people simply see education as going to schools or colleges, or as a means to secure good jobs. Many others, however, see education as a lifelong process. Personally, I totally agree with the second group of people.
It is true that we can easily think of school, colleges and young people when education is mentioned. However, education means far more than that. Those who treat education merely as a means to secure good jobs either do not work really hard in school or just focus their attention and energy on passing exams or obtaining high scores. This has resulted in exam-oriented education and students of low quality. Such students lack the habits of study after they start their jobs, and thus are left behind the trend of times.
In fact, education is a lifelong process. As the saying goes, “one lives to learn.” This is especially true in such an age of information explosion. One would easily find himself ignorant confronted with the ever updating knowledge if he did not keep studying. For instance, a person who completed his education at school in 1970s or 1980s may have encountered new problems when he is working now. One of them might be that he must master the skills of working on computer. Otherwise, he might
16
risk losing his job.
Our modern society has provided everyone the chance to accept education. As long as you wish you could get education by attending night-schools, adult colleges, training centers and even long-distance education through the Internet and TV.
To sum up, education means far more than going to schools or colleges. Instead, it should be a habit accompanying us throughout our life if we want to keep up with times and be winners in competitions of all kinds. One should constantly update his knowledge and try to stand on the top of the tide.
1999 年八级作文题目
Part Ⅴ Writing (60 min)
Some people claim that competition more important than co-operation in the present-day society. How far do you agree with these people? You are to write a composition of about 300 words on the following topic: Competition or co-operation
[范文]
Competition and co-operation: two sides of a coin
There is no denying the fact that competition and co-operation are two terms most frequently mentioned by modern people. However, views differ a lot as to their relative importance. Some people say that competition is more important than co-operation in the present-day society. Others, however, may hold the contrary view. Personally, I believe that competition and co-operation are equally important in the present-day society.
Truly, competition is a great impetus to the development of the society. Through competition, one can be stimulated to do his best; employers can select the best employees; through competition, through competition, customers can be provided with the best products and service; through competition, the world will become a prosperous one. Actually, the current society sees fiercer and fiercer competition. Less competitive individuals or companies will be lagged behind and even thrown out of the marching trend. Therefore, we should know clearly our strong and weak points and exert every effort to add to our edge of competition.
However, co-operation is of equal importance. The society today is featured by increasingly fine division of labor, so it is difficult or even impossible for one to accomplish a task in his work solely depending on himself. Through co-operation, we can make our work run smoothly and efficiently. Besides, too much emphasis on competition and lack of co-operation would result in needless combats and grievous waste of resources. For instance, enterprises usually spend large sums of money on ads to compete against each other. Actually, their efforts counteract and the cost of products is raised to a great extent. Another example might be like this: Suppose there are just two candidates and two positions from two equally prosperous companies. What usually happens is that the two candidates spend a lot of time and money competing against each other for each position at the same time. Actually,
17
they can cooperate with each other and obtain the positions almost effortlessly.
To sum up, both competition and co-operation are essential to the development of individuals and the society as a whole. Therefore, we should not go to extremes by overemphasizing one of them. The most important thing is to know when to compete and when to cooperate.
1998 年八级作文题目
Part Ⅴ Writing (60 min)
Nowadays with the development of economy, existing cities are growing bigger and new cities are appearing. What do you think is ONE of the major problems that may result from this process of urbanization? Write an essay of about 300 words on the topic given below. One major problem in the process of urbanization
[范文]
The loss of traditional culture in the process of urbanization
There is no denying the fact that China is now in an accelerating process of urbanization. Nowadays with the development of economy, existing cities are growing bigger and new cities are appearing across the country. An increasing number of Chinese have changed from villagers to city dwellers. They no longer live in even houses, doing farm work or husbandry; instead, they begin to dwell in apartments, working in factories or firms.
However, as every coin has two sides, there have appeared problems during the course of urbanization in this country, among which the most striking one, I believe, is the loss of traditional culture. This can be seen from the following aspects.
In the first place, traditional customs closely related to farming, fishing or husbandry may find no where to exist in modern cities. The most noticeable example is that there existed an array of ceremonies to pray for or to celebrate good harvests in many local areas of this country, but with a growing number of farmers “upgrading” into factory workers or firm employees, these ceremonies find themselves without inheritors or necessity to be there. Other instances might be found with fishing or husbandry culture.
What’ more, some other traditional Chinese customs that might well exist in the countryside may also face the fate of being deserted. A striking example is those practices concerning wedding. In the past, a bride was sent to the groom’s in a sedan chair and firecrackers would be set off as a part of the wedding ceremony. While this can still be seen in some rural areas, we can hardly picture them in a modern city, with cars permeating the streets and lanes and firecrackers banned except during the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year.
Another sector of traditional culture pushed to the edge of extinction as a result
18
of urbanization is some traditional Chinese art, which covers traditional craftsmanship, music and plays. Paper-cut is a typical example. As a form of traditional Chinese culture, it was normally a way of self-recreation by rural women during slack farming seasons. With China advancing into an industrial society, people have got much busier than before. They tend to resort to fast and convenient means of entertainment, like watching movies, TV, or playing cards. Another case in point is some primitive folk songs. As they are usually created and performed during such activities as farming, husbandry and fishing, they are also confronted with the fate of vanishing during the process of urbanization.
Fortunately, measures have been taken by both the government and the public to protect traditional culture. As we can see, firms dealing with wedding ceremonies have recovered traditional procedures to meet people’s needs to recall the past; artists have gone into villages to collect traditional songs and plays with a purpose to preserve them; and works of paper-cut can be found in stores, especially around and during the Spring Festival. Yet a lot has to be done to preserve traditional Chinese culture and this nation’s identity during the process of urbanization.
1997 年八级作文题目
Part Ⅴ Writing (60 min)
Some people hold the view that a student’s success in university study follows the pattern as that of farming, which is characterized by sowing the seeds, nurturing growth and harvesting the rewards’ process. Write an essay of about 300 words on the topic given below to support this view with your own experience as a university student. Sowing the seeds, nurturing growth and harvesting the rewards
[范文]
Sowing the seeds, nurturing growth and harvesting the rewards
There is a view that a student’s success in college study follows the process as that of farming, which is featured by sowing the seeds, nurturing growth and harvesting the rewards. What a vivid simile. I do agree with this statement and my personal experience with learning Japanese as my second foreign language can serve as a typical illustration.
By sowing the seeds, in the process of study, we mean choosing a course and making up our mind to study it well. Actually, I began to study Japanese in a training class outside campus in my second semester in college. There were quite a few reasons for me to do so. First, by that time I had been informed that there was going to be a course of Japanese as a second foreign language for us English majors in college, but I worried that I might not catch up with the flow of the course since I knew nothing about Japanese. Besides, I had been harboring interest in Japanese for quite a long time by then, mostly because it was so similar to Chinese in its written form and I wanted to know the differences between them. Thirdly, I believed that Japanese was an economically successful nation. It is true that it has bullied Chinese and plunged us in an abyss of agony, but we cannot turn a blind eye to the economic
19
miracle they created after the Second World War. I was interested in their secret. Last but not least, I was free during that period of time. Therefore, you can say I had every reason to begin my study of Japanese. In other words, I had prepared both fertile soil and mature seeds for my study.
Next comes nurturing growth, by which we mean exerting efforts to follow the lecturer in class, preview lessons before class and practice after class. I should say that my study with the training class was not as fruitful as it had been expected to be. Though the teacher was mild and gentle, she frequently changed the class schedule to suit her own convenience. Besides, unlike the course on campus, the training class lacked such teaching means as quizzes and exams, which reduced the effect of study. However, I still did what I could to absorb as much as possible from the class, which helped lay a fairly good foundation for my future study. Fortunately, my lecturer of the course of Japanese on campus was a patient and more responsible one. Now that I had a better basis than my class members, I was stimulated to exert more efforts. I still remember the mornings I spent by the lake of the university reading aloud Japanese words and texts and I can still recall those notebooks filled with my notes and exercises. Yes, it was hard, as hard as watering crops and weeding fields under the sun in summer, but that’s just what leads to your final success or good harvest.
My pleasure in harvesting lay not only in the high scores of terminal exams of the course, but also was derived from my success in graduate entrance examinations. I was admitted to Foreign Affairs College, and half tribute should be paid to my performance in the exam of Japanese as a second foreign language. The high scores I gained in the exam pushed my total scores to a desirable level.
To sum up, my personal experience of language study is a convincing proof of the statement mentioned at the beginning of this essay. Whatever we learn, we need to make up our mind, make full preparation and exert every effort. Remember, “No pains, no gains.”
20