Unit 1
Sample 1
It is believed that pessimism often leads to hopelessness, sickness and failure, while optimism usually brings happiness, good health and success. Pessimists also make those around them very miserable. Therefore, pessimists should change their way of thinking and overcome the negative aspects of their personalities. Here are a few tips for them:
1. Try to smile more often. A smile has great power. It can chase sadness away. It will make you and other people feel happy. And it may even make things easier and better. Smiling in the morning makes a good beginning for the day. A smile is the most important sign of optimism.
2. Build up your self-confidence. Try to discover as many of your personal strengths as you can. Then write them all down. Read them several times when you are getting ready to do something or when you are facing difficulties. Your list will help you see your abilities.
3. Change your way of thinking. Don't always think that things will go wrong or that if they do there will be terrible results. Instead, convince yourself that things will improve and that you can work hard to help improve them. If you fail, think about what you have learned from the failure. If you succeed, praise yourself. Don't be too modest! There is nothing more encouraging than self-praise.
Try your best to become an optimist.
Sample 2
Are you an optimist or a pessimist? If you're a pessimist, here is some advice for you.
As everyone knows, pessimism is harmful to people. It makes you unhappy and unhealthy, and even brings depression, loneliness and failure. Pessimists tend to suffer more failures and setbacks because they don't believe they can succeed and thus don't struggle for it. Optimism, by contrast, can make you happy, healthy and successful. So it is good for you to change yourself from a pessimist to an optimist.
Here are some suggestions for you to become an optimist:
1. Remember that everyone experiences failures and disappointments. So when you fail, don't blame yourself too much. It may not be your fault.
2. When you fail in something, profit from the failure as a learning experience instead of getting depressed. And next time, you can make your plans to be more successful.
3. When you fail, don't be discouraged. Try again. Don't let negative thoughts hold you back. Just give yourself another chance. So never give up just because you failed.
Pessimism is harmful, but it can be changed. Trust yourself and try to adopt an optimistic attitude, and then you will be a winner in life more often.
Unit 3
If I Were the Mayor of This City
As the topic of the 2010 Expo --- “Better City, Better Life” indicates, the ultimate goal of making a city better is to make its people happier. So if I were the mayor of
this city, I would start with issues which are closely related to people’s living quality. First and foremost, pollution. The air we breathe, the water we drink and the soli we plow, have been polluted in different levels. I would ask specialists to help eliminate pollutions, make out new policies to restrict local factories, and promote public awareness of environment protection at the same time.
Second, the traffic. As people are getting more and more used to traffic jam, it’s time to make a difference. Subways would be built to lighten the burden of city buses and the number of private cars would be limited. I’d use all possible means to perfect the traffic system.
Third, the income gap. The gap between the rich and the poor is enlarging these days. The social stability is being threatened that immediate measures should be taken to stop this tendency. I would narrow the education gap between the city and the suburban area, and create more working opportunities for laid-off workers. I would also try my best to form a reemployment-oriented training network to enhance their abilities to face challenges.
With all these acts taking effect, I believe that in our city, the air would be more fresh, the traffic would be more convenient, the poor’s life would be easy and all our citizens would be happier to live in such a booming city.
Unit 4
Sample 1
Dec. 28, ______
Mailbox 352,
________ University,
__________ Road,
Dear Sir/Madam:
I would like to be considered as a private tutor listed in today’s _______ Evening Paper.
I am 19 years old and right now I am studying at ________ University, majoring in Energy. I am now a freshman and my high school years are still fresh in my mind. I passed the National Entrance Examination with flying colors*. So I believe that I have plenty of knowledge and rich experience in study and examinations.
I am good at Chemistry and Physics in which your daughter needs help. I won the second prize in a national Chemistry contest and the third prize in a national Physics contest. And I can also help your child with her English and Math. If I become your child's tutor, I will do all I can to teach her and you will be satisfied with her progress. I am eager to get this job because I want to enrich my teaching experience and learn how to get along well with others. Money is my secondary consideration.
I would be glad to come for an interview at your convenience. My phone number is ________. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely Yours,
XXX
*With flying colors: extremely well.
Sample 2
December, 27, ______
_______ College
P.O.Box 368B
Dear Sir or Madam,
I would like to be considered as an applicant for the secretary position listed in today’s ____________ Daily.
I am a female student and I am now 21. In June this year I will graduate from ________ University. My major is economics. During my winter vacation last year, I worked as a typist in a company. I can type at a speed of 80 words per minute and I have taken shorthand. In my spare time, I have also worked on computer and now I can use the computer for word processing. Apart from these skills, I have high proficiency in English and I
can speak English fluently. I have passed CET 4 and 6 with high marks. In a word, I’m sure that I’m a suitable person for the job and I can do it well.
I would be glad to come for an interview at your convenience. My telephone number is _________. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely Yours,
XXX
Unit 5
Should Learners Aim to Speak English with a Native-Speaker
Pronunciation?
Sample 1
In my opinion, there is no point in aiming to speak English with a native-speaker pronunciation. For most people, it is a waste of time.
First, language is a tool for communication among human beings. If people we meet understand what we are saying, that is all that is necessary. We do not need to imitate native speaker's pronunciation. In any case, there are many types of accents, so which one should we choose to imitate?
Second, the most important thing is how well we organize what we want to express. Our ideas should be clear and easy to understand. To do so, we should be able to use right words and correct grammar.
Third, given the fact that we live in China, it seems a little bit pointless for us to try desperately hard to get rid of our national accent in order to speak BBC English. Finally, each of us has our own style when we speak. If we can give free rein to personal style, the English-speaking world will become more colorful and more interesting.
In a word, I prefer to speak with my characteristic and recognizable pronunciation, so long as listeners can understand me.
Sample 2
Yes, I think it is important to aim for native-speaker pronunciation. First of all, I think perfection is always a good goal in any aspect of language-learning. We aim for perfect grammar, so why not perfect pronunciation?
Second, the purpose of learning a language is to communicate with native-speakers or people from other parts of the world. The better my pronunciation is, the more easily they will be able to understand me. And I want people to understand me without any difficulty.
Third, English is now an international language and I would like to be part of that community. If my pronunciation is like a native-speaker's, I will blend into the community more naturally. I'll feel pleased if I am taken for a native-speaker. Even if I can't speak so well, I don't like to spoil the language by terrible pronunciation. So learners should aim to speak English with a native-speaker pronunciation.
Unit 6
Should Animals be Trained to Help Humans?
Sample 1
There are a wide variety of animals in the world. And many of them are highly intelligent. So if we train some animals to work for human beings, we can save a lot of money and manpower.
First, some kinds of animals can be trained based on their capacity to do certain types of jobs better than humans. For example, since dogs have a superior ability to track down odors, we can train them to find illegal drugs, earthquake victims, or even ancient tombs.
Second, some animals can even lend us their hands. The monkey is a good example. Monkeys can be trained to learn to open doors, fetch tools, bring books, etc. So they can help those who cannot move about freely because of some physical problems. Monkeys make the lives of these people happier and more comfortable.
Finally, in some cases, using animals not only saves money but also trouble. Using dolphins as underwater guards can be better and cheaper than any man-made tracking devices.
In a word, animals should be trained to help humans. If we train animals in the proper way, both humans and animals can get along very well.
Sample 2
Humans and animals are both creatures of nature, so we are equal. We have no right to take advantage of them. However, many animals are now being trained to work for us. Monkeys are trained as servants, dogs as hunters and sniffers, and dolphins as soldiers.
Beasts should be allowed to run freely over great distances and birds, fly freely in the blue sky. When they are in nature, they are active and able to live a normal life. But when they are kept in captivity, they are bored and frustrated.
If we have the right to choose our fate, so do animals. So when we force them to serve us, they have no freedom and are like slaves. What’s more, a lot of animals lose their lives when they help humans. But most humans don't care about their lives at all. As we know, life belongs to us only once and therefore is priceless, and it is also true with animals. But we show no mercy to animals when they have done so much for us. We are cold-blooded creatures and we should criticize ourselves.
In brief, we should treat animals in the same way we treat other people. Give animals their freedom.
Unit 7
Sample 1
Traveling Is Wonderful
In school we always study hard and rarely have time for play and relaxation. During our vacation, we can do what we like. Some students go swimming, watch TV, go to the cinema, etc. But all I want to do is to travel.
Traveling is interesting. You can see a lot of fascinating things and you can learn about history. Three years ago, I went to Beijing. When I was in the Summer Palace, I walked through the famous Long Corridor, admiring the beautiful pictures drawn on it. In the Imperial Palace, I saw a lot of rare treasures I had never seen before. I went to theGreat Wall as well as the Ming Tombs. After visiting these famous places, I can’t help feeling proud of my great motherland.
I think it is important to travel to different countries, if possible, so that you can learn about different cultures and customs. It can widen your knowledge of the world. In addition to learning new things, you can also discover the beauty of nature by yourself. When you are on the top of a mountain, you can breathe fresh air, you can see green scenery below and you can hear the sounds of nature. It is a very wonderful feeling.
Now I’d like to invite you to go on a trip with me. Can you refuse?
Sample 2
I Enjoy Traveling
I enjoy traveling. I even consider it as a part of my life. When winter vacation approaches, the question for me to ask is not whether I should travel but where I should travel.
I find traveling can do me a lot of good when I look back on my trips. Traveling brings me knowledge and pleasure. It puts me in a good mood. When I go back to my studies, I work more happily.
As for knowledge, traveling helps me learn a lot about local customs and it broadens my views. Three years ago, I went to the “European City” in Wuxi, where
there are many models of European architecture. During that trip I learned something about Europe. Sometimes, traveling can bring me unexpected pleasure, too. Last year, two friends and I went to a small town near the Tai Mountain. The fact that the town had beautiful scenery and low expenses made us overjoyed.
Traveling is uplifting because it is relaxing and we can get rid of our anxiety and stress during the trip. If we travel together with our friends, we can improve our friendship through the shared experience. We can also meet new people and make new friends.
In the future, I plan to do more traveling.