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How to improve Students' Reading Comprehension

Zhao Baobin £¨ÕÔ±¦±ó£©

 1. Skimming and Scanning

 Before starting to read a passage in detail, I first ask the students to take a moment to preview the passage. Read quickly, without pausing to study the details. This is called skim reading. The students ask them to have these in mind: for which the passage was written, what type of passage it is, what the purpose and attitude of the author is and what the style of the article is. After having skimmed the passage, the students can study the passage in more detail, reading more slowly and carefully and looking for specific information that the questions are concerned with. This is called scanning. When students do the scanning, I ask them to read without any sound, to notice only the key words and not to pay too much attention to the new words but to pay the sense group and the main meaning of the sentence. Especially pay attention to the first sentence and the last sentence of the paragraph.

2. The author¡¯s viewpoint

  In reading a passage I ask the students to makes guesses about the position of the author. Is the author neutral or does the author show his own opinion. The author often shows his opinion either by adding certain phrases or by adding a value to a word. I let the students to pay more attention to these words that the author can add, like luckily, unfortunately to show that he is pleased or not pleased with something. He can also add words, which show his surprise, regret or other emotions, for example surprisingly, to shock, unexpectedly, regrettably, pity, desirable, to be disappointed, etc. The author may also use words to indicate the level of certainty, for example: certain, obviously, undoubtedly, naturally, always, often, likely, probably, maybe, unlikely, hardly, rarely, never, etc. Another possibility is that the author adds words to comment on more or less objective facts.

3. The structure of the passage

I let the students know that the structure of a passages mostly with a title and sometimes a subtitle. After that, the introduction and the body followed by a conclusion or summary. An important aspect of reading is prediction. The better the student can predict what he or she is going to read, the faster and more effective he or she will read. The prediction process begins with the title. The introduction mostly informs the student about what he can expect. The body consists of paragraphs. Each paragraph deals with one aspect of the subject matter. Paragraphs are linked in a logical way; and the conclusion puts the subject matter in the right perspective. I asked the students' to form the main idea of the passage by putting the topic sentence of every paragraph.

4. The structure of paragraphs

I tell the students that a paragraph is a group of sentences. A typical paragraph consists of three parts. The first sentence usually contains the topic sentence, which is the heart of the paragraph. The topic sentence contains the new aspect of the subject of the passage. The second part of the paragraph contains sentences, which develop the aspect. These sentences may contain arguments, explanations, details, examples, and other supporting evidence. The last sentence of a paragraph is often a summary of the paragraph or a linking sentence to the next paragraph. So we can get a good impression of the contents of the paragraph by the structure.

5. Students' Anticipation(ÍƲâ)

I let students know that even if you have a wide and flexible vocabulary you will encounter words of which they do not know the meaning. Very often there is not enough time to look up all those words in a dictionary. This means that students should be able to guess the meaning of the word. This is often possible if the student understands the relationships between words in meaning and form. I ask the student to notice the word formation if they meet new words. From the roots and affixes and conversion and compounding, they learn to try to guess the meaning of the word according to the content.

To make a good guess at the meaning of the word, I ask students to pay attention to the clues; indications that help him find that meaning. If you meet new words and try to find if there are synonyms and repeated ideas of the new words. I teach students to follow these steps: 1) Determine the word class, i.e. a verb, a noun, an adjective, an adverb, etc. 2) Determine its function in the sentence, i.e. is it an attributive or an adverbial? 3) Contextual clues, is the context in which we find this word positive or negative; what does the context tell us about the word? 4) Word formations, is there any relation between this word and a word that is familiar to you? 5) Guess the eventual meaning of the word logically and reasonably.

6. Punctuation

I teach the students to know punctuation is partly based on grammar. For example, commas are often used to separate clauses. If the student understands the meaning and usage of punctuation marks, it will be easier to understand the grammatical structures. Punctuation marks also indicate how the author wants the student to interpret a piece of passage. For example, if the author puts something in brackets, the part of the sentence should be interpreted as an addition to the sentence. Sometimes the parentheses indicate the author's point of view.

7. Summarizing

We know that it is very difficult to remember the complete contents of long passages. For that reason it is often advisable to make notes of information in the passage that is essential for the student. The result is a short outline of the passage containing all aspects of the passage.  In this way students can grasp the main ideas of the passage. I ask the students to follow these steps: 1) Familiarize(ÊìÏ°) with the material. After students have read the passage or a section of it, they can start summarizing. The length of the section read through depends on the structure and the complexity(¸´ÔÓ) of the passage. 2) Select important information. I ask the students to go through each paragraph, sentence by sentence, asking themselves which information is absolutely essential to the argument. They should point out complete sentences as much as possible. An alternative is to underline or highlight important sentences or phrases. Pay attention to these important points: author, title, reason why the passage was written, purpose, theme, key words, link words, all major aspects, explanations, author¡¯s opinion.  Less important points: introduction, summary, repetition, examples, important figures and dates. 3) Paraphrase the information. I ask the students to point out the information of the previous step in their own words. And writing down information in their own words forces them to completely understand what they are writing down. They should try to shorten long and complex sentences into much shorter ones. 4) Insert links between sentences and paragraphs. Let students make sure that the connection between sentences is clear and logical and that each group of sentences smoothly fit in one paragraph. 5) Adjust the length of the summary. If they have to make a summary as part of an assignment and they are assigned a maximum number of words, count the words and leave out information that is not essential or add important information.

  Through the training of the reading skills of skimming and scanning, author's viewpoint, structure of passages, structure of paragraphs, students', anticipation, punctuation, and summarizing, students know the steps of how to understand a passage and particularly how to deal with the comprehension questions in the examination. But we know reading is a practise of long period and we must have a lot of practice. In order to cultivate the reading ability, students need knowledge of grammar, a good master of vocabulary, a good ability of analysis and a good memory as well. So we must try to train the students enlarge their vocabulary, the skills of reading, broaden their background knowledge and cultivate the ability of question analysis and resolution. Only in this way can we raise the student's comprehension ability.

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viii. Revising Checklists for Revising and Rewriting

  When revising an essay you should review its purpose, organization, development, sentence, structure, diction, grammar, usage, and mechanics. The following checklists should serve as helpful guides to these matters:

 1.  Purpose

1) Does the essay have a clear, definite theme, a focus, a central point? Is it built around a stated or clearly implied thesis sentence?

   2) Does it keep in mind the reader or readers for whom it is intended?

  3) Does the essay seem likely to accomplish its purpose? If not, why not?

  2.Organization

  1) Does the plan of the essay follow a clear method of organization? Fox example, does it begin with a cause and proceed to an effect or begin with an effect and then develop the causes for that effect? Or, if the order is based on time, does the paper begin at the beginning and proceed to later stages?

  2) Are the paragraphs arranged in logical order, one paragraph naturally following another?

  3) Is the conclusion of the essay adequately anticipated and supported by preceding material?

  3.Development

  1) Is each paragraph adequate in material, unified in substance, and correctly proportioned in relation to other paragraphs in the paper?

  2) Does the sum of the paragraphs reveal enough material to convince readers of the point you are making? Oppositely, have you included unnecessary or irrelevant material?

  3) Are there adequate and clear transitions between paragraphs and between ideas?

  4) Does the essay contain any logical loopholes, or flaws in reasoning, that will weaken your argument.

  4. Sentence Structure

  1) Does the essay contain any broken sentences? Any comma faults? Any unjustified sentence fragments?

  2) Are there any dangling modifiers? Any misplaced modifiers? Any awkward split constructions?

  3) Does the essay contain any sentences that reveal faulty parallelism, faulty coordination or subordination, and other illogical constructions?

  4) Does the essay have any inconsistencies in tense, tone, or mood?

  5. Diction, Grammar, and Usage

  1) Is each word in the essay as suitable and effective as possible? Does the essay contain stale expressions, unnecessary words, or inappropriate examples of jargon and slang?

  2) Does the essay contain any clear errors in usage-incorrect reference of pronouns, faulty agreement, incorrect verb forms, mistakes in the case of pronouns, agreement of time, nouns in plural form, omission of article and ¨Cs or ¨Ces after the verb of third person in simple present tense?

  6. Mechanics

  1) Does the essay contain any misspelled words?

  2) Is all the punctuation logical, necessary, and a clear aid to communication?

  3) Is the essay neat in appearance and has it been prepared in accordance with prescribed form?

  4) Has the essay been carefully proofread to eliminate careless errors of any kind?

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  We must adhere to the open policy. Because economic relations between states today have become increasingly close, and no country can possibly advance behind close doors. Only in this way, can we gradually close the gap between our country and the developed countries.

  Through the implementation of policy, we can learn advanced technology and managerial expertise from abroad; make full use of the foreign capitals to set up great enterprises; absorb useful and healthy ideas and new knowledge of the modern civilization; and broaden our views and raise our level of competence. 

2. The place of Science and Technology in Modern Life.

  Human life can not continue without science and technology. For many years, human society has developed with the advance of science and technology while the development of science and technology has in turn brought the process to mankind. So the life we are living now is more civilized than that of our fore fathers.

  The development of science and technology have brought about many changes in people's life. For example, the invention of television and space rocket have opened a new era for mankind. Through the use of TV people can hear the sound and learn the events happening thousands of miles away. Owing to the invention of spaceship and rocket, the dream of man's landing on the moon has now come true.

  Science and technology also play an important role in our socialist construction. We may say, our socialist construction is just like a skyscraper, while science and technology are its base. Without the base, the skyscraper can't be built. Therefore, we should try our best to contribute to the development of science and technology so as to provide a more solid base to build our country.

3. Importance of Education

  China, as a developing country, is determined to catch up with and even surpass the developed ones. I think that one of the best possible ways to do so is to give first priority(ÓÅÏÈ£©to the development of culture, science and especially education.

  In modern times, when science and technology are making great progress, the education of the work force is of primary importance. Moreover, many of the success in advanced countries have demonstrated that a nation 's prosperity mainly depends on the quality of its labour force, namely those who have been well educated.

  In a developing country such as China, our investment in culture, education and science, and especially elementary education, must enjoy top priority. This is crucial(¾ö¶¨ÐԵģ©for China to catch up with the developed nations in today's surging(ÐÚÓ¿µÄ) waves of technological revolution. Otherwise, the gap between China and advanced countries will be widened rather than bridged.

4. Air Pollution

  Air pollution is one of the major problems of the modern world. A great deal of energy is needed to run the factories of modern industrial nations. Automobile, trains, planes and busses need energy, too. Nearly all of this energy is produced by burning fuels. The burning produces wastes, some of which remain in the air, causing air pollution.

  Scientists are finding ways to stop air pollution especially in big industrial areas and densely-populated cities. They are studying new ways of generating electricity that may be less damaging to the environment. In the meantime, many power plants are being modernized to give off less polluted material. Also, engineers try to design and locate new power plants to do minimum damage to the environment.

  However, it may be that we still have a long way to go before we have a "clean" world. Nearly all of the countries are trying hard to prevent and control air pollution. There indeed seems to be no end to tasks that environmentalists will be required to do. People will continually find new ways to control pollution.

5. Environmental Protection

  Today the quality of our natural environment has become an important issue. The world population is rising so quickly that the world has become too crowded. We are using up our natural resources and at the same time polluting our environment with dangerous chemicals. If we continue to do this, life on earth cannot survive.

  Concerned people have made some progress in environmental protection. Governments of many countries have established laws to protect the air, forests and sea resources and to stop environmental pollution.

  Still more measures should be taken to solve environmental problems. People should be further educated to recognize the importance of the problems, to use modern methods of birth control, to conserve(±£´æ£© our natural resources and recycle£¨ÔÙÑ­»·£© our products.  We are sure that we can have a better and cleaner place in the future.

6. Automobiles

  Automobiles, as a product of modern civilization, have been playing a vital part in the daily activities of human society. Industry needs automobiles for farming as well as transportation. Every day, automobiles drive people to and from work. On weekends automobiles take families for joyful outings. And during holiday seasons, automobiles fill the highways everywhere, even in remote areas. It could be said that the wheels of automobiles move society forward.

  But automobiles have also given rise to a series of problems. For example, cities are overcrowded with automobiles. They create a lot of noise and traffic accidents which disable£¨É˲У© or kill many people each year. Worst of all perhaps is the air pollution caused by the exhaust gases produced by automobiles. Some of the gases are highly toxic(Óж¾µÄ£© and a serious health hazard.

7. Computer

  The computer is widely used in all fields of society. Today, wherever you go, you will find computers being used. For example, computers are used in universities, large corporations, and small offices, etc. It has even entered the homes of ordinary people. As it is able to store and process a large amount of information, the computer bring about great convenience and high efficiency to people of all walks of life.

  Computers can help people in different ways. For example, computer help scientists in analyzing data and doing complex calculation. For another example, computers are made use of by engineers in designing a plane, or a spaceship. Besides, computers may also play a great role in helping children with their lesson. Whatever you are doing, you many find computer a useful aid.

  However, the computer must be designed and instructed by man. What is more, it is true that computers can make decisions, but they need detailed instructions and programs prepared by humans to operate. Therefore, the computer can never replace the human brain.

8. Travelling

  It is exciting to visit different places. As you travel, you will see beautiful sceneries typical of the region. Besides, you can meet and make friends with people of different colors and races. Finally, you can get to know the customs and living habits of the local people. Today people are so fond of travelling that tourism has become one of the faster growing industries in most countries.

  The main reason why people travel is, perhaps, for pleasure. For example, having worked hard throughout the weekdays, people will find a widened trip to the nearby mountains or beaches a real relaxation. For another example, spending an annual holiday travelling abroad is an especially satisfying experience for those who do not have much of an opportunity to be away from their homelands. When people return from their travel, they will generally feel fresh and energetic, ready to work harder.

  Travelling is also one of the best means for learning. You may have read or heard about something but you can never get an accurate picture of it until you see it for yourself. Seeing is believing. Furthermore, if you area careful observer, you can learn much during your travel about the geography, biology, and history of the places you visit. No matter how well educated you are, there is always a lot for you to learn through travelling. The knowledge acquired from travel, as you will have found in your life, is no less valuable than that from any influential reference book.

9. The World Population Explosion

  The human race has experienced a consistent increase in population since the beginning of its history. Famine and disease have done little to offset(µÖÏû£©this steady increase. Too many people are added annually to the population of the world. So both the causes of population increase and the results of having more people are worth careful study.

  Culture evolution is the major factor responsible for population increase. Early in human development, people invented tools to hunt animals. Later they built shelters to protect themselves. Step by step, they made life easier. As a result, fewer died from natural forces, such as harsh climate and disease.

  In the past, when population grew, there was unexplored territory to inhabit. But now, almost all the habitable land has been explored.

  The world's population may reach 8.7 billion in 2033. It is clear that world population is a serious issue that needs careful attention. Human beings are unique to solve problems through cultural evolution.(·¢Õ¹£© Facing the world population explosion in the near future. We must carry out the birth control program in order to save the mankind and save the world.

10. Opening-door Policy is the Only Way to Make China Strong

  Modern Chinese history leads us to the conclusion that socialism, not capitalism is best for China. But how a socialist China should look at capitalism and more importantly, make use of the better side of capitalism for its own advantage is of vital(ÖÁ¹Ø£© importance to the country.

  As far as our country's economic construction is concerned, taking advantage of the part of capitalism that is useful to us means we need to develop foreign trade, introduce advanced technology and better management, and make use of foreign funds. It also means we can absorb some of the economic theories, and make use of those economic policies, methods and measures that comply with(×ñÑ­£© the law of mass production and a commodity economy.

  By opening our windows wider to the outside world, people can learn more about other peoples and learn to make sensible judgments. Absorbing the better part of the cultures of other people to enrich ourselves is the best way to safeguard our socialist culture. So taking advantage of capitalism and stepping up economic reforms is the only way to make China strong. Closing the county to international exchanges will only keep it weak.

11. Choosing an Occupation

  Every one faces the problem of choosing an occupation after graduation from college or university, which plays a vital role in his life. An appropriate occupation makes a man work with zest(ÈÈÇ飩 and vigor, as well as contribute to his country.

  To make a wise choice, two important things should be taken into consideration. One is the interest, the other, the demands of people and society. Only if the two aspects are connected, can a man show his talent and ability to the best advantage. If the two conflict, the former should be under the latter, for the people's interests are more important than the individual's.

  In regard to my choice in the future, I am fond of learning foreign languages; what is more, with the implementation of the Open-Door Policy, exchange between home and abroad in economy and culture has been growing significantly, thus I'm determined to be a qualified interpreter.

12. The Brain and the Computer

  Some recent developments in the computer industry make scientists predict that the gap between human beings and machines will be closed about the year 20000.

  To understand the significance of this prediction let us compare the human brain with existing computers. The brain consumes electrical energy at the rate of 25 watts and occupies a volume of one tenth of a cubic foot. The brain houses between 10 billion and 100 billion items of information. Every brain cell is directly connected to many other cells. As a result, the cells in which information is stored can communicate with thousands of other cells.

  However, the computer consumes 1000,000 watts of electrical power and occupies hundreds of cubic feet of space. Its million items of immediately accessible information. In contrast, the computer memory is like a cell of pigeonholes, with no thinking capacity and no connections elsewhere.

  In a word, the electronic brains are hopelessly inadequate in comparison with the human brains.

13. Modernization of Family Life

  With the rapid development of the society, family life is becoming modernized. Years ago, people considered owing radios, sewing machines, watches and bicycles as being modernized. But in recent years, almost all families have TV sets, refrigerators and washing machines. It is very common to see people ride motorcycles or even drive private cars and more and more families have telephones, computers and air-conditioners.

  The modernization of family life brings us convenience and comfort. One may enjoy TV or radio programs, communicate with his friends through telephone or work with his computer while his washing machine, refrigerator and air-conditioners are running. And by car or motorcycle one can quickly reach wherever he wants to go.

  In spite of this, these modern facilities also bring us disadvantages. For example, radiation from TV sets and computers is harmful to our health; improper driving of cars and motorcycles becomes the major cause of traffic accidents. The quietness of a family is often disturbed by a falsedialing or unwelcome phone call. But it is believed that these disadvantages will be disposed of with the improvement of modernization and our life will be more healthy and more comfortable.

14. Energy Resources

  China is rich in various energy resources. Coal and petroleum, for instance, are two major ones. They are essential in developing the country's industry, science and technology. China has done a great deal in the past few decades to raise its output of coal and petroleum.

  Three energy resources are being used up rapidly, With the building of four modernization, new industrial and science projects are springing up like bamboo shoots after rain. They are all big consumers of energy resources. Besides there has been considerable waste in the utilization of these resources.

  To avoid an energy crisis in the future, the government must take certain measures. First, it should let people know the importance of saving energy. Second, efforts should be made to develop new energy resources, such as solar energy, geothermal(µØÈÈ£© energy and so on. We have reason to be optimistic in this respect.

15. Competition

  Competition makes people original and creative. It very necessary to compete if human society wants to advance. (Even animals compete for survival.) Without it, we would become lazy and nobody would rake any responsibility. When three monks live together, there will be no drinking water. This Chinese proverb vividly describes why China's productivity was so low before Mr Deng came to power. At that time, we had the so-called planned economy. There was no competition at all. So neither farmers nor workers worked hard. China was on the edge of collapse.

  Competition can stimulate people to try their best to do anything. For example, in 100-meter race, each sportsman runs as quickly as possible, trying to win the champion. The same things happen in our society and in our daily life. If a company wants to surpass others, it must compete with them. It must raise its efficiency. All the companies doing this will no doubt benefit the whole society and the whole human race.

  Being a student, I must compete with other students in our studies. I must study hard in all the fields so that I can be a useful man when I enter the society after graduation.

16.Students¡¯ Part-time jobs

There are many advantages for a student to have a part time job. For instance, it helps him to realize that no success comes from nothing. It enables him to be independent and builds up his self-confidence. Therefore, part-time jobs can get the students out of the ivory tower and give them the opportunity to know more of himself and of his personal value in society.

As everything has two sides, the disadvantages can¡¯t be ignored. Part-time jobs cut into students¡¯ study time; some even become so preoccupied with making money that they ca ¡®t focus their attention on studying. In the end, the students may fall behind or fail in their studies.

In my opinion, students can choose to take up a job according to their own situation. The most important thing is for him to keep a good balance, put his study on top of the list and assign an adequate amount of time to it.

17.Wealth and Happiness

Everybody wants to get wealth. In today¡¯s material world, making money or becoming wealthy symbolizes a person¡¯s success and capability. Many people just make every effort, pay any price to attain greater wealth. With money, they can but nice, large apartments in nice neighborhood; with money, they can own stately luxury cars. Wealth seems with money, they can own stately luxury cars. Wealth seems to bring all happiness in life.

In my opinion, people cannot do anything without money, but money is not everything. What money will bring you depends on your personal belief and goal in life. If you are kind enough to help others, especially the poor, money is a good thing to you. With it, you can do much more for the benefit of people and your country, and it will and to your own happiness. If you want money just for your own needs, you¡¯ll never be satisfied or happy. In a word, you should have money spent for more people, only then can money be the source of your happiness.

18.Ideals

Everyone has his ideals. A businessman wishes to make greater profit; a farmer expects bumper harvests; a student tries to learn more and better. And everyone strives, with more or less effort, to realize his ideal.

One should be sensible about whether his ideal is well founded or not. If it is, one has to plan and work hard for its realization. Effort, skill and persistence are all necessary. And very often, one has to get help from others, including advice and support in one form or another.

My ideal is to become a doctor, It is said that the field of medicine is a well-paid profession, but I take it as a lofty profession entrusted with saving people¡¯s lives. To realize my ideal I have concentrated on laboratory work to develop the analytical skills necessary to become a qualified doctor. I am sure I will realize my ideal if I persevere in this pursuit.

19.Popular Sports in China

Sports are flourishing in china now. More and more people are willing to take part in sports of different kinds, such as table-tennis, football, volleyball, and so on. Every year there are many matches played on the city, provincial or national level. Sports are no longer limited to a few professional players.

Early in the morning people may be seen doing exercise. Martial arts (like Chinese boxing or swordplay) which formerly were cultivated for self-defense, now have become a form of physical exercise and are practiced in parks, streets, gardens, or on campuses. In addition young and old people are also often seen running in order to build up their bodies.

China promotes sports to enhance the physical condition of its people; she is formulating policies to provide encouragement of this activity. She awards prizes to the excellent players for the best records both in china and the world. In the world the Chinese have become a strong people instead of ¡°the weaklings of East Asia¡±.

20.Is Failure a Bad Thing?

Failure is what often happens. It is everywhere in our life. Students may fail in exams, scientists may fail in their research work, and athletes may fail in competitions.

Although failure happens to everyone, attitudes towards failure are various. Some people don¡¯t think their failure is a very important thing at all. So they pay no attention to it. As a result, they will have the same failure a period later. Some people think themselves are fools and lose their hearts in everything after they get a failure. Consequently, they spend their time and energy on useless things and they may really be fools as they have thought.

Other people are quite different from the two kinds of people mentioned above. Instead of being distressed and lost, they draw a lesson from every failure and become more experienced. After hard work, they will be successful in the end. It is said that failure is the mother of success. Success will be gained after times of failures so long as we are good at drawing lesson from our failures.

In my opinion, failure is not a bad thing, the really bad thing is taking a failure as failure or even lose our heart after failure.

21.Health and Life

As the saying goes, you don¡¯t know what happiness is until you lose it¡¯ you don¡¯t know what health is until you are ill. ¡°Health is of vital importance to life¡± sounds like a cliche to everyone, but it is absolutely true.

The negligence of the delicate balance of your body and soul, the harmful habits such as smoking, excessive drinking and burning mid-night oil will catch up with you someday. How many big plans are interrupted by bad health! Even a normal life is unimaginable without the guarantee of health.

How to keep fit is an eternal topic of diversity and controversy. Regardless of all the different suggestions poured from all kinds of sources, one should do at least two things for him/herself. First, hold an active and optimistic attitude toward life and maintain a mental well-being. Second, live a regular life and keep a balanced diet. Anyway, a healthy life is within reach when you begin to adjust your mind and body.

THE NEWSPAPER

Nowadays the newspaper possesses considerable value Everybody should read it. It supplies us with a variety of news every day. It tells us the political situation of the world. If we form the habit of reading the newspaper, we shall (will) get enough knowledge to cope with our circumstances.

MY DAILY LIFE

Though my daily life is extremely monotonous, I try hard to adapt myself to it. Why? Because I intend to be a good student. I wish to render service to my country.

I get up at six o'clock every day. After I wash my face and brush my teeth, I begin to review my lessons. I go to school at seven o'clock.

After school is over, I return home. We usually have supper at seven o'clock.

Then I begin to do my homework. I want to finish it before I go to bed.

A MODEL STUDENT

Do you mind being called a bad student? Of course not. So far as I know, everybody intends to be (become) a model student.

However, to be a model student is by no means an easy thing. First, he must do his best to obtain knowledge. A man without sufficient knowledge will not succeed. Secondly, he must remember to improve his health. Only a strong man can do great tasks. Thirdly, he should receive moral education. If his conduct is not good, no one will consider making friends with him.

HOW TO GET HAPPINESS

There is no doubt that happiness is the most precious thing in the world. Without it, life will be empty and meaningless. If you wish to know how to get happiness, you must pay attention to the following two points.

First, health is the secret of happiness (the key to happiness). Only a strong man can enjoy the pleasure of life.

Secondly, happiness consists in contentment. A man who is dissatisfied with his present condition is always in distress.

BOOKS

As is well known, books teach us to learn life, truth, science and many other useful things. They increase our knowledge, broaden our minds and strengthen our character. In other words, they are our good teachers and wise friends. This is the reason why our parents always encourage us to read more books.

Reading is a good thing, but we must pay great attention to the choice of books. It is true that we can derive benefits from good books. However, bad books will do us more harm than good.

A TRIP TO THE COUNTRY

One Sunday my mother (Mother) had (made) me take my little young brother to the a trip to the country. She bade me take good care of him.

While we were walking along the road, the sun was shining brightly and the breeze was blowing gently. We saw the beautiful flowers smile (smiling) at us and heard the birds sing (singing) their sweet songs on the trees. The scenery was indeed very pretty (beautiful).

When we felt tired, we returned home. We saw Mother (our mother) wait (waiting) for us at the door.

BE PATRIOTIC

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

How can a student love his country (be patriotic)? I find my answer very simple and clear. He must study hard and store up knowledge so as to serve his (the) country in the future. If every student can do according to what I said, the country will certainly be rich and powerful.

THE VALUE OF TIME

An English proverb says that time is money. I consider it (this) wrong. Why? Because we all know that we can earn money be work but can not in any way get back time (in anyway). For this reason, we may (can) say that time is more valuable than money.

Many people do not know the value of time. It (this) is indeed a great pity. We must bear (keep) in mind that wasting time is equal to wasting your life.

WHY SHOULD WE STUDY ENGLISH

If you want to ask me why we should study English, my answer will be simple and clear. Now let me enumerate the reasons one by one in the following.

In the first place, English has become an international language. If you know English, you van make a trip round the world without being misunderstood.

In the second place, most valuable books, newspapers and magazines are written in English. If you wish (hope) to get knowledge, you must learn English.

MY BIRTHDAY

Yesterday was my birthday, so some of my classmates sent me presents. Mother prepared a tea party for me. I invited all of them to come and take part in it.

The tea party began at half past six. There were cold drinks and refreshments. We ate, talked and laughed. We felt that we were the happiest men in the world.

Time passed quickly. In a twinkling, the clock on the wall struck nine. We could not but say "Good-bye" to one another.

HOW TO SPEND SUNDAYS

Some of us always spend Sundays aimlessly. We can seldom derive profits from the valuable hours (time) of Sundays. This is indeed a great pity. Though Sundays are set aside as a day for rest, we must make good use of them.

We know that our school lessons are usually not sufficient. We should often utilize Sundays to read reference books. In this way we will increase our knowledge. Besides, we must be engaged in sports or outing so as to strengthen our bodies.

HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY

There is an English proverb which says (saying) "Honesty is the best policy." It signifies the importance of honesty.

What are the benefits of honesty? If you are honest to others, they will be honest to you in return. When you are sad, they will comfort you. When you are in trouble, they will help you.

There is no enumerating the evils of dishonesty here. In a word, a dishonest man will be looked down upon by others and (be) regarded as a public enemy.

HOW EXERCISE HELPS

If our bodies are not strong, our spirit to do things will certainly be quite dull. And at the same time, we are lack of energy (ies) to study. Diseases will only attack the weak, but not the strong.

Why are our bodies not strong? Because we do not pay attention to exercise. For this reason, we students must often take different kinds (sorts) of exercise in the gym.

Exercise helps us (to) strengthen our bodies and avoid disease. It also teaches us cooperation, for most exercise is played by team.

THE BENEFITS OF TRAVELING

I am always interested in traveling. My reasons are quite (extremely) simple and clear. If anybody is not satisfied with my viewpoint(s), I shall be greatly surprised at his ways of thinking.

In the first place, traveling increases our knowledge. Only by traveling can we see things outside our home town.

In the second place, traveling is good to our health. While we are traveling, we usually exercise our bodies.

In conclusion, I earnestly hope that everybody must seize (grasp at) the opportunity of traveling.

HOW TO BE A GOOD CITIZEN

My aim is to become a good citizen so as to be able to render service to the (my) country. However, to become a good citizen is not an easy thing. He has many duties to fulfill.

The first duty of a good citizen is to love his country. He is to (must) be ready to sacrifice even his own life for the country.

His second duty is to obey the law and help the government (to) maintain order. If everybody can do so, the country will be rich and strong (powerful).

THE NATIONAL FLAG

it is the duty of every citizen to honor the national flag. Why? Because the national flag is the symbol of a (the) country. To respect it means to respect the country. In other words, if a man loves his country, he must love the national flag.

In school, the national flag is usually raised at a certain time every day. Then the principal, teachers, staff and students are to (must) stand before it and sing the national anthem. It is indeed extremely meaningful to attend such a ceremony.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION

It is impossible for us to make our country rich and strong without developing education. Why? Because education gives people knowledge and teaches them how to become good citizens so as to be able to serve their country. No wonder they say that education decides the progress, prosperity and civilization of a country.

At present (Nowadays) most countries in (of) the world are enforcing compulsory education. It is necessary for all kinds of people, both rich and poor, to receive education. Taiwan is an exception as well not.

INDUSTRY (DILIGENCE)

It is a matter of course that industry will bring us success, wealth and good luck. I am sure that a hard-working person can always succeed in the work which he wants to do. This is unchangeable truth.

Idleness is the opposite of industry. It is the source of all evil. An idle man only enjoys playing and making pleasures. That he is doomed to failure is of no doubt. We should not follow his example.

MY NATIVE TOWN

My native town is X. We have settled down here since my grandfather was a child. In other words, my family has lived here for more than one hundred years.

It is a small village. There are about one thousand inhabitants. Most of them are farmers. The mode of their living is very simple. However, they have already possessed television sets and refrigerators. They made up their minds to live a modern life.

MY SCHOOL LIFE

When I was six years old, I began to go to school. The first school (which) I attended was a primary school. There were many subjects (which were taught in the school, such as Chinese, arithmetic, history, geography, drawing and so forth. Since I was (became) a student, I studied very hard. My parents were quite proud of me.

After I had studied there for three years, I entered a junior high school. When I was twelve years old, I became a student of a senior high school. I still studied very hard. Except on sick leave I was never absent from class. Everybody looked upon me as a model student.

WAR

Though the people in the world are all opposed to war, they can by no means avoid it. This is indeed a regrettable thing.

War is very terrible. Everybody hears it with fear. In a war thousands and thousands of lives will be lost and a large amount of money (will be) wasted. It brings us untold miseries and damage.

To sum up, so long as war is unavoidable, human beings cannot enjoy lasting peace. How tragical their fate is!

COOD HEALTH

We all wish (hope) to be happy, so we should take good care of our health.

Health is the best treasure (which) a man can possess. Money can do many things, but it cannot buy happiness. However, so long as man has good health, he can enjoy the pleasures of human life.

In order to insure good health we must pay attention to three things. They are-nourishing food, fresh air and proper exercise.

MONEY

Everybody wishes (hopes) to get money so that he can maintain his livelihood. In other words, money is so useful that it is impossible for mankind to live without it. For this reason, we have an interesting proverb. It says "Money can make the world go around." In a word, money is more powerful than anything else.

However, money should not be wasted. It must be used for (some) proper purposes. We young men should form the good habit of not spending money in the wrong way.

THE CHINESE NEW YEAR

I like the Chinese new year better than any other festival. This is a time especially for rest and joy. I need not study. I wear good clothes and eat good food. I have a good time from morning till night. To be frank with you, I am as happy as a king.

The Chinese new year lasts as long as fifteen days. It gives us more pleasure than we have imagined. After that we have to£¨±ÈÓÃmustÀ´µÃºÃ£©resume our normal work.

THE ZOO

The zoo is the most interesting place that I have ever seen in my whole life. It is like a garden which shows (exhibits) various kinds of animals, birds and insects.

It is indeed a good idea to pay a visit to the zoo during school holidays. The more you look at the animals, the happier you will become. Of (Among) all the animals, the monkey is (monkeys are) the funniest. That's my opinion. Do you agree.

HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION

No sooner had the summer vacation begun than I returned to my native town. Of course I must make good use of it; otherwise I would incur the displeasure of my parents.

In the morning I reviewed my lessons and read newspapers or magazines. In the afternoon I played ball games with my friends or went fishing in the river. At night (In the night) I watched television with my family (the members of my family). hardly had the clock on the wall struck ten when I went to bed.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

If we have no knowledge, we cannot succeed in doing any work. Why? Because knowledge is power. With knowledge we have conquered nature and invented steamers, trains and airplanes. We can send messages by telegram. We can talk with our friends by telephone.

As is well known, we students are the future masters of the nation. She (It) needs us very much. If we do not make efforts to acquire knowledge, how can we render service to her (it)?

A LETTER TO A FRIEND

Dear X:

We have not seen each other for a long time. I miss (think of) you very much. I wish (that) I had wings and could fly to your home. However, this is impossible!

Father (My father) has gone abroad of late. If I had had time then, I would have accompanied him. Only Mother (my mother) and I are at home now (at present). We are leading (living) a quiet and happy life. We look as if we were fairies. I hope (that) I can hear from you very often.

Sincerely yours.

CHOOSING FRIENDS

A man who is careful in choosing friends will certainly derive benefit from them. Why? Because there are more false friends than real ones in this world. To have one real friends is better than a hundred false ones. Friends who flatter you to your face are not true friends.

We must make friends with those who have good character and kindness of heart. On the other hand, we should do our best to a void keeping company with bad people.

TO RISE EARLY

I do not know the reason why some people want to get up late. They will never have the opportunity to enjoy (of enjoying) the fresh air and calmness of the morning. This is indeed a quite regrettable thing.

To rise early is a good habit (which) we should cultivate. Why? Because the best time when we can pursue our studies is in the morning. In addition, early rising is also good to our health. I hope that everybody our knows the reason why we must rise early.

THRIFT

There is not a (no) thrifty man but becomes a rich man sooner or later. Why? Because he will not spend such money as is unnecessary. Little by little his money will accumulate. Ten to one, he is bound to make a fortune.

I do not like such men as spend their money in a wrong way. They do not know extravagance is a bad thing. It can only make them happy for the time being. In short, thrift makes poor men rich and extravagance makes rich men poor.

PERSEVERANCE

Needless to say, nothing but perseverance can lead a man to the way of success. In other words, a persevering man never does his work without succeeding in it. This is indeed unchangeable truth.

Our National Father, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, is the most ideal example. He was devoted to the revolution about forty years. He met with many failures, but he was anything but discouraged. As a result, he won. The Republic of China was born.

MY MOTHER

My mother is a woman of the old school. She is too conservative to keep up with the times. However, she is good-natured and treats others incerely. For this reason, all her neighbors are only too glad (pleased) to make friends with her. They consider her a model woman.

She is a typical housewife. She keeps the (her) house neat and clean and looks after us with extreme care . She often says to us, "You cannot study too ard."

WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY

The secret of success (The key to success) is not so much money as a strong will. A great man is one who has a strong will and an indomitable spirit. In other words, if a man does not have a strong will to win (get) the final victory, he will never succeed in his life. He is no more than a failure.

It is quite obvious that there is no difficult thing (nothing difficult) in the world. if you make up your mind to do it, you will certainly accomplish your end. That stands to reason.

DUTIES OF A STUDENT

Education is the very thing that we want to receive. Our parents send us to school so as to enable us to get (obtain) knowledge and achieve great things in the future. The following are the duties of a student (which) we should keep in mind.

In the first place, we should be filial to our parents and respectful to our teacher.

In the second place, we have to (must )study as hard as we can.

In the third place, we must not tell lies.

Last of all, we must not criticize others.

To sum up, the above-mentioned rules are the very duties of a student.

TO BE PATIENT

When someone disagrees with you or offends you, don't lose your temper. Why? Because it is of no use to do so. You ought to (should) be patient and keep calm lest you should quarrel with him. You must know that patience is not cowardice, but a virtue. I hope that everybody practices it.

Styles of Living

Some people enjoy living together with their parents after they have grown up. They hold the opinion because, living with parents, they can take better care of their parents and vice versa. Meanwhile, they can turn to their parents for help if they get into trouble or have some difficulties. To them, life in a big family seems to be more enjoyable than that in a small family.

Others, however, prefer to live separately. They cherish the idea to be independent of their parents, seek more freedom and wish to have a place of their own, in which they can do what they like. Bedsides, they don't want to be overprotected by their parents but long for chance to face the society by themselves.

As to me, I like an independent life style in spite of the fact I love my parents. Different generations have different life styles and values. What one-generation likes may not be another generation's fondness? Living separately, each generation can enjoy different value. In addition, by leading an independent life, I can train my character and develop my own ability to deal with things encountered in my life.

Smoking

It is almost known to all that smoking is bad for people's health. Scientific researches show that smoking can lead to heart disease, cancer and other problem. The World Health Organization says diseases linked to smoking kill at least two million five-hundred-thousand persons each year.

Still, many people find it difficult to stop smoking. One reason is that smoking usually becomes a habitual behaviour, and habits, whether good or bad are not easy to be given up. Another reason is the effect of nicotine, the substance found in cigarettes works on people somewhat as drugs do.

Measures have been taken to help people keep away from the harm of smoking. In many cities, smoking is forbidden in public places. The danger of smoking is warned of everywhere. And newspapers are asked not to publish advertisements for cigarettes. World "No Tobacco Day" is observed every year as the biggest campaign against smoking.¡¡

My first Job

Before I started at university, I took my first job as a waitress in a nice restaurant. At the night before my first day. I was too excited to go to sleep and as a result, I got up late in the morning. I threw on my clothes and rushed over to the restaurant.

In a great hurry, I didn't hear clearly the head waiter's instruction that we should go into the kitchen through one door and out from the other. So when I took two plates of eggs and bacon and an orange juice out to the restaurant, I went straight towards the wrong door and collided with another waiter coming in!

Worst of all was that I wore a pair of smart shoes but with high heels! A few hours later I was in agony yet had no time to change them. By the time we finished serving dinner at about 10:30 I was completely exhausted. Nevertheless, I learnt something through my experience.

Birth control

Since the Chinese Government singled out family planning as one of the basic state policies in 1978,the country has adopted various measures and achieved great success in birth control. The total birth rate has been decreasing gradually.

However, at present China's population is still growing very rapidly. It is reported that every year the population of this country increases by an extra 15 million and China is encountering a birth peak during the 1990s.It is obvious that China's economic development and improvement of people's living standards have been and will be greatly affected by the population.

Therefore, to control population growth more strictly is clearly essential to the country's reforms and economic development. We should restress the importance of birth control and call on the whole nation to make more effective actions.

Advertisements

Advertisements are getting their way into people's lives. People depend on advertisers in their daily lives because they are consumers. The advertisers are always manufacturers. Sometimes they are salesmen. Their merchandise needs advertising. Thus nearly every product is advertised. To some extent, good advertising means success while bad advertising can means failure.

There are many ways to advertise and 'ads' come in different forms. Newspaper carry advertisements. Some products are announced on TV and radio which have a wide audience. Billboards also carry advertising. Advertising is a big industry now and many agencies are set up to furnish a variety of services for it.

However, advertising is not always truthful. A product is often misrepresented. The advertiser exaggerates the benefits of the merchandise he wants to sell. Thus, he misrepresents the truth. The consumer falls victim to such advertising. Millions of people have bought advertised products and they haven't always been satisfied.

Fighting Criminals

Today the crime rate in some cities of our country is rising. Many citizens often complain about the thefts and robberies that have taken place in the areas they live in and appeal to the governments at all levels to take effective measures to reduce the crime rate.

Faced with criminals, some people are so frightened that they shamelessly give up the fight and other people turn a blind eye to them. However, some people are brave enough, to risk their lives to fight the criminals. Their fearless actions prevented the criminals from doing evils, saved the victims, and protected the public properties.

To reduce the crime rate, we all the people should first receive a law education. Criminals must be severely punished. Meanwhile we should set up a foundation to reward those who fight criminals. It is also important to call on people to learn from those heroes and encourage more people to stand up to crime.

Opportunity and Success

Opportunities don't come often. They come every once in a while. Very often, they come quietly and go by without being noticed. Therefore, it is advisable that you should value and treat them with care. When an opportunity comes, it brings a promise but never realizes it on its own. If you want to achieve something or intend to fulfill one of your ambitious, you must work hard, make efforts and get prepared.

Otherwise, you will take no advantage of opportunities when they come to visit you. The difference between a man who succeeds and one who does not lies only in the way each treats opportunities. The successful person always makes adequate preparations to meet opportunities as they duly arrive. The unsuccessful person, on the other hand, works little and just waits to see them pass by.

In my opinion, there are plenty of opportunities for everyone in our society, but only those who are prepared adequately and qualified highly can make use of them to achieve their purpose.

Private¡¡car

Nowadays, any Chinese can enjoy the luxury of owning a private car - if he or she can afford it. Having a car of your own means no more traveling to work on crowded buses or subway trains, and you can drop off the children at school on the way. Moreover, it also means that you can enjoy the weekends and holidays better, because with a car you can go to places where the regular buses and trains do not go, and so you can find a quiet scenic spot with no crowds.

However, there are drawbacks to owning a car. For one thing, with the increase in car ownership in recent years, the roads are becoming more and more crowded, often making the journey to work more of a nightmare than a dream. For another, it is not cheap to run a car, as the prices of gasoline and repairs are constantly rising, not to mention the prices you have to pay for a license and insurance coverage.

Having considered both sides of the argument, I have come to the conclusion that the advantages of owning a car outweigh the disadvantages. Therefore, it seems to me that China should increase its output of automobiles and enlarge the private car market. The result would be that cars would become cheaper, while at the same time the extra demand would encourage the auto industry to produce more efficient and family-oriented vehicles.

On Developing Tourism

Tourism, a "smokeless industry", is developing rapidly in China. With the open and reform policy being carried out, thousands upon thousands of foreign visitors are crowding into our country. They are eager to see this old mysterious land with a splendid culture of more than 5000 years. Tourism brings China a lot of benefits.

First it enables the Chinese people to know more about the outside world and promotes friendship and mutual understanding. Second, it is financially beneficial to China, which needs more foreign currencies for its modernization program. Tourism, however, gives rise to a number of problems. For instance, it becomes a burden to our inefficient transportation system.

Besides, the living standard of the average Chinese is still not high enough to be able to afford the many different sorts of expenses during long distance travels. As for me, I believe that with the development of our national economy, all these problems will certainly be solved step by step. A much better and brighter future waits.

The Value of Time

As a popular saying goes, "Time is money. "In fact, time is more precious than money. When money is spent, you can earn it back if you want to. However, when time is gone, it will never come back. As the pace of modern life continues to accelerate, the time at our disposal is quite limited. But there are a lot of things to be done in our lives.

We should make full use of our time to fulfill what is useful to us. For instance, as students we should devote most of our time to our academic studies. In this way we can acquire new knowledge and skill necessary for our future carrier. In my opinion, wasting time means wasting our valuable life. But many of us don't realize this. They think time is inexhaustible. I'm not in favor of such of a view.

Hence, my conclusion is that we should never put off what can be today until tomorrow.

Are Prizes a Good Thing?

Nobody denies that competitions with prizes can bring people's initiative into full play. Encouraged by a strong desire to win a prize, one will go all out to seek his greatest success.

Consequently, the best achievements will be obtained in a game with awards. However, the prompting of a prize does not always lead to desirable results. For example, a competitor who cannot overcome the temptation of a prize is likely to take a stimulant. And the hopeless competitor sees nothing but the prize, which might cause improper behavior.

I my opinion, the remedy lies in moral education of competitors. This will help them to understand the slogan: "Friendship--first, and competition--second. "Then, prices will play a better part in any contest. Generally speaking, I believe that prizes are a good thing.

On Keeping a Diary in English

Keeping a diary in English is one of the effective ways to improve our English writing ability. Compared with other forms of writing, it is shorter and takes less time. It can help us to cultivate the habit of thinking in English. If we persist in this practice, gradually we'll learn how to express ourselves in English. In keeping a diary in English, we inevitably run up against a lot of difficulties .

In the first place, it often happens that we have trouble finding appropriate words and phases to give expression to our mind. Secondly, there are many idiomatic ways of saying things in Chinese. And it is extremely hard for us to put them into English properly. Certainly, there are some other roadblocks we may come across in our keeping a diary in English. As far as I'm concerned, my suggestion is that we should always have a notebook and a Chinese-English dictionary within easy reach.

Whenever something beats us, we can first put it down in our notebook and then consult our dictionary. We can also turn to our English teacher for help, if necessary. In short, I believe that it is of great use to keep a diary in English for the development of our writing skills.

Fake Commodities

Fake and poor quality commodities are a serious problem. Many things can be faked such as soybean sauce, vinegar, bicycles, and many other things. The interests of consumers are affected, and many enterprises keep losing money because of cheap fake commodities.

There are some reasons for such a phenomenon. The major one is the desire of some people to "make easy money". These people think nothing of the law of the protection of intellectual property rights.

To get rid of fake and poor quality commodities, the government should educate people to obey the law of the protection of individual intellectual property rights and not to sell any fake goods. The government should punish severely and close down all the factories producing fake goods.

Cars and Air Pollution

Too many cars have created a lot of serious problems in our world. Besides congestion, accidents and fast fuel consumption are responsible for a good part of air pollution in big cities. All the time, they are pumping huge amounts of waste gases into the atmosphere. These gases are very harmful, causing disease and even death. Last winter, car fumes formed heavy smog over Beijing, making the sky gloomy for weeks and deteriorating people's health.

One possible solution is to design and develop clean cars and clean fuels. In Tsinghua University, campus buses are driven by electricity. In Beijing some of the public buses begin to run on natural gas, which does not give off as much carbon dioxide as the petrol. But it may take decades for the new models of clean cars to completely replace the traditional ones.¡¡¡¡ Another solution is to develop modern public transportation systems and restrict the use of private cars. If the price of petrol rises constantly and the public vehicles are efficient and convenient enough, most people will not private cars. And the total number of cars in big cities will reduce greatly. On the whole, the elimination of air pollution needs the co-efforts from the government, the public and the environments. This problem will be solved only with the help of science and technology.

"Why y Do We Need English?"

The one aspect of the English language that most of your correspondents seem to be unaware of is its widespread use as the international language of diplomacy, commerce and technology. It is the language of the United Nations and its agencies as well as of many other international bodies. We would be foolish to confine our vision to our national borders only. We are still, after all, dependent on other countries for technical and industrial assistance. How can we hope to be economically and technologically independent if we are not able to communicate in the areas outside our own country?

English must be taught in all our schools, not only for the above reasons but also so that our students can go abroad to learn the techniques our nation so urgently needs. We also need representatives who can command respect at the international conference tables of the world. And if English is the common language of communications for world diplomacy, economics and defence, then let us be as fluent and proficient in it as possible, for the sake of our own country's advancement and prestige.

Where to live -in the City or in the Country

Some people like living in the city because city life has many advantages. They think there are more job opportunities in cities, life there is more colorful and meaningful than that in the country, and there are more modern conveniences in cities for people to enjoy.

But some other people prefer to live in the countryside. They say life in the countryside is closer to nature and better for their health, life there is quieter and that country people are more honest than city people.

I would like to live in a city when I am young to earn enough money and I live in the countryside when I am old for having a quite life.

On Power Failure

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

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

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

On University Tuition System in China

Tuition system has become one of the hottest topics in China since it was put into effect. Different people have different opinions on it. Some people think that there is no university in the world which is open to students without tuition. As far as China is concerned, it is a developing country with the largest population in the world. The government is unable to allocate enough funds to pay for various teaching facilities and many different kinds of expenses. One of the ways to relieve the problem is for students to pay tuition. The money raised in this way can be used to improve the conditions for running schools. Others, however, are opposed to the tuition system. They argue that the living standard of the Chinese people, especially of those in the poor rural areas, is still low, compared with that in the Western World. The university tuition will certainly add to the already heavy burden of the parents, who live on their salaries or wages. Moreover, tuition may become an obstacle to the development of China's higher education. This is because it hinders some talented people from entering the university just on account of their poverty.

The Bicycle in China

The bicycle is the most popular means of transportation in China. China is a country "on bicycle wheels". People ride them for various purposes such as going to and from school and work. Bicycles are very cheap and easy to buy in China.

There are many advantages to riding a bicycle. First, using a bicycle can greatly help reduce the air pollution in many big cities. Second, people can improve their health by riding a bicycle.

The future of bicycle will be bright. In some European countries, city governments have arranged pedestrians to use "public bicycles" to travel round the city center free of charge.

A Matter of Approach

Two secondary school teachers I remember show how different people can be though engaged in the same profession.

Mrs. Wang, my philosophy teacher, sent us to sleep less than ten minutes when she started talking in class. When a head nodded, she would point at the dozing student and made threatening remarks. She said that she was bored teaching us. Some students in her eyes had no desire to learn. But the other teacher Mr. Li always had bright eyes in a smiling face and encouraging words which showed that he loved Chinese history he was teaching and wanted us to love it too.

When it came to their attitudes to their students, they were different too. After Mrs. Wang finished her day's lessens she felt that she had finished her job. Once when I asked her a question outside class about a term, she continued with preparation to leave and said that I could bring my question to class next week. Before I knew it she had put her keys into her handbag and walked out of the door. In the history class, however, a question even after the bell would still be given attention to by Mr. Li. He would rush to the board in a last minute attempt to clear up. Often he was seen with a number of students standing outside the classroom, discussing the day's assignment.

Their methods of teaching were not like as well. Mrs. Wang stuck to the textbook and trained us how to memorize minute facts. However Mr. Li brought in films, maps, slides, and tapes, anything that would help us learn. Once the whole class went to see the 'film Lin Zexu' in order to better understand the history of the Opium

Honesty

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

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

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

The cultural exchanges

There is no denying that the cultural exchanges are playing a more and more important role in the modern world. Firstly, let's have a look at the picture. A foreign lady is making a traditional Chinese painting of bamboos. It seems that she is totally indulged in her painting.

People from foreign countries are interested in our traditional Chinese culture. They not only appreciate the traditional Chinese paintings, music, costume, etc, but also begin to learn to how to make them. In this way, they hope to gain a better understanding of Chinese culture and thus can know the country better. Since our country became more open, our Chinese government has made great efforts to promote all kinds of exchanges with the outside world. These exchanges range from economics and education to culture. The cultural exchanges play a more and more important part in our life. Many channels are open for the foreigners to learn our traditional art. They can take some courses in some special schools and many professionals can be their teachers.

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

To Be a small Fish in a Big Pond or a Big Fish in a Small Pond?

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

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

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

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

Air Pollution

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

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

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

Away from Net-bar Campaign

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

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

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

Online Education

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

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

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

Should Men and Women Be Equal?

People have different ideas about this issue, Some people say that men are superior to women in ability because men are physically stronger, do most of the hard labor in the world and hold most important positions.

Other people believe that women have the ability to compete with men. There have been many famous women state leaders and great scientists in the world. We should fully carry out the principle "to each according to his work" so that the enthusiasm of both men and women for work can be fully aroused.

In my opinion, men and women should be equal if they contribute the same. It is not fair if they are not treated equally.

Travel-mate Wanted

I'm a 19-year-old female sophomore named Fu Ping. I hereby earnestly invite a foreign young lady-college student preferred-to make a three C week touring trip with me.

My plan is to set off next weekend, when the summer vacation officially begins. The first stop is Kunming, the world-renowned city for its beauty and mild temperature. We'll get there by train and stay there for 2 days, and then we'll head for Jinggangshan, a former revolutionary base as well as a natural beauty spot. After a 3-day visit there, we will take a long-distance coach to a nearby port city by the Changjiang River and board a downstream ship to Shanghai, so that we can enjoy the great scenery alongside the third longest river in the world. As everybody knows, Shanghai is the busiest and fastest developing city in China. I'd like to have a look at its prosperity, so the stay there will be about half a week. And a famous Chinese saying goes, "Just as there is Paradise in heaven, there are Suzhou and Hangzhou on Earth ", so a 4-day visit to these two cities near Shanghai is must. All together, our trip will last about three weeks.

I only expect that my travel-mate could split the expenses with me and talk with me in beautiful English, and I would be an excellent guide for her since I major in tourist guiding.

Those interested please contact me either through email (fuping@126.com) or phone call (52222221) .

Suppose you are required to write a Want Ad for the Dean. You are supposed to base this ad on the outline given below:

Asking for Leave of Absence

To: Ms.Riddle , my dear Oral English teacher

From: Sam , a respectful sophomore student of yours in Oral English Class Two

Date : January 8,2005

Subject: Asking for Leave of Absence

Dear Ms.Riddle,

I would like to know if I could ask for a casual leave of absence from your Oral English class this Wednesday morning.

Yesterday evening I got a phone call from my cousin, who is now running a small firm in suburbs of this city. He needs an interpreter for two days but cannot find the most reliable person, so he wants me to have a try. Personally, I regard this as a golden opportunity to put what I have learned in your class into practice, but I need your permission of absence. If you think I may go and help him get over the difficulty, I am confident that I 'll do a good job and both of us will grateful.

Earnestly yours,

Sam

Student Consultant to the Dean Wanted

Duties: meeting with students; presenting oral and written reports; attending sessions

Requirements: full-time student with a strong sense of responsibility

Salary: 6000RMB an academic year

Time Commitment: 15h weekly

Deadline: Dec.23; to Li Meng 74543322

The office of Dean of students is looking for a Student Consultant to the Dean for the upcoming academic year.

Duties of this position will include: meeting with students as individuals and groups to discuss issues, opinions, problems, complains suggestions and recommendations regarding all areas of college policy; presenting regularly oral and written reports to the Dean of students; and attending various college sessions in the capacity as the student spokesperson.

Candidates should be full-time students of this college. The ideal applicant will be skilled in report writing and oral communication; will get along with other individuals; and will demonstrate a strong sense of responsibility.

The salary of this position is 6000 RMB an academic year, and the time required for this job is 15 hours a week. Applicants can make a telephone call to Li Meng before Dec.23. The phone number is 74543322

A Position for a Secretary

Department of Human Resources

Lansheng Building

No. 8560 , Huaihai Zhong Road

Shanghai , 200033

Wang Peng

No.31020, Zhongshan Road

Xu Hui District

Shanghai , 200076

January 8th, 2005

Dear Sir or Madam,

I learned from Beijing Youth Daily Jan.2 that your company is offering a position for a secretary, and it's a great pleasure for me to write to explore the possibility of seeking the job.

I graduated two years form ** University, and obtained a bachelor's degree in the field of business management. During my stay in the university my major courses included macroeconomics, business communication skills marketing and computer applications. I was especially fond of the communication skills which enabled me to deal with people and thing around well.

Upon graduation I engaged with HP China Branch as an assistant to the head of Marketing Department. My responsibilities consisted of carrying out market surveys, writing reports and organizing meetings within the department. This is two-year experience has helped me a lot in many ways. In particular, I become increasingly aware of the importance of co-ordination and co-operation among co-workers. I also believe the experience will qualify me for the current vacancy in your company.

I passed CET-6 with high marks. My spoken English is also fluent enough to organize meetings in English, which was actually my routine work in HP. Most of my market reports were presented in English, as my former boss is a native English speaker.

I enclose herein my resume and some relevant documents as required. And if you need any further information on me, I also refer you to Mr. Johnson, my ex-colleague, who is available at 021-66668888.

I appreciate your sincere consideration of me, and am looking forward to an early interview with you.

Sincerely yours,

Wang Peng

My Favorite Season£¨ÎÒ×îϲ°®µÄ¼¾½Ú£©

¡¡Many people love spring and fall, but my favorite season are winter.

I don't like spring because it is too warm for me. I don't like summer because I am very afraid of the heat. I don't like fall because school starts in fall.

I like winter because I feel it is so special and so mysterious. I like the feeling. In winter I can wear many clothes, and it makes me feel safe. Don't ask me why. I like winter now, and I think I will love winter all my life.

My English Teacher£¨ÎÒµÄÓ¢ÎÄÀÏʦ£©

¡¡In my life, Ms. Wang is the most important person to me. Her teaching skills are diverse. In class, she usually uses games and posters. She works hard for us. When other teachers rest, she still keeps working and working. When we are mischievous, she is good at giving systematic guidance.

We are really grateful for what she has done for us. We want to say "thank you" to her.

¡¡

My Favorite Animal£¨ÎÒ×îϲ°®µÄ¶¯Î

¡¡My favorite animal is the whale. They live in the sea. And they are big. They look like huge ships. They can swim, float on the sea, catch small fish and spurt water. They are so friendly.

My favorite animal is the dolphin. They live in the ocean. And they are cute and beautiful. They not only swim fast, but are also smart. Their color is gray. They can swim and jump in the ocean. They look like fish, but they are mammals. Dolphins can be trained by people because they can learn things very quickly. They are very friendly, so I love them very much.

¡¡How To Live£¨ÈçºÎ¹ý»î£©

¡¡Why couldn't people just look up at the sky above? It's such beautiful scene. If all the people in the world stop to see a sunset glow even for one minute, everyone will feel happy. All of us could be the king of life's palace.

¡¡Shopping£¨ÉϽֹºÎ

¡¡Yesterday was a holiday. I went to Sogo department store with my friends. First, we went to the bookshop. It had a lot of books such as history books, kung-fu novels, and comic books. I bought two science fiction books because they are my favorite books. Then we went to the CD floor. There were many kinds of music CDs there.

My favorite CD is Beethoven's Symphony No.5, but it was too expensive. I could not afford buying it. After looking around the CD store, my friends and I went to a caf¨¦ downstairs. We had orange juice and some dessert and talked until we were tired.

I bought a lot of books. I really enjoyed yesterday's shopping.

¡¡

My Family£¨ÎҵļÒÍ¥£©

¡¡My family lives in Hsi-hu. There are four people in my family. They are my father, my mother, my sister and I. My father is tall and thin. He is a handsome man. He has big eyes. His hair is straight. He likes to watch TV and movies and read books. My mother works in an office. She cooks very well. She likes to read books, too. She is short and thin. My sister is a student. She is an independent girl. She is very graceful. I am a student, too. But I study in a junior high school. I go to school every weekend. I like to play dodge ball and listen to music very much. much. I like my family because each family member helps me a lot.

My family lives in Taiwan, but my father doesn't. He lives in China. My family name is Jian. I have one brother and one sister. My name is Jeff. My brother's name is Art. My sister's name is Sophia. My father's name is Jian Zong-he and my mother's name is Jenny. I like to watch TV and play PC games. My brother likes them, too. My father and my mother both like to watch TV. My brother and I are both junior high school students. My father is a businessman. My mother is a businesswoman. I like my family very much.

My family has seven people. They're my grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, my two younger brothers and me. My father is a businessman. He's busy working late everyday. My mother is a housewife. She cooks meals, washes clothes, and teaches us lessons everyday. My younger brother is a junior high school student, and we go to the same school. My grandparents help my parents look after my brother every day. We go to the movies every Sunday. Last Sunday my father took my family to a movie theater. The movie was Swordfish. The movie was good, so we had a very good time there. How's your family?

There are twelve people in my family. They are my grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, sister, two brothers, uncles aunts and me.

I'm a junior high school student. I'm fifteen years old. My father is forty years old. He's running a coffee shop in mainland China. My mother is a nurse. She takes care of patients in a hospital in Taipei. My grandmother is housewife and my grandfather is a store keeper. One of my uncles is a detective. He is working in the National Police Administration in Taipei. His major job is to catch criminals. My aunt is a marketing manager. She works for a trading company. My brother and sister are elementary school students. My little brother is a cute baby.

My family takes a trip together about every two weeks. I have a happy family. I love my family very much.

My name is Angela. I am sixteen years old, and I am going to graduate from junior high school this June. I have a younger sister and a younger brother. My sister is Betty. She is fifteen years old. She can sing very well. My sister and I are in the same school. My brother doesn't have an English name. He doesn't like to study so much, so he is usually embarrassed about his poor grades. My gather is a businessman. He usually goes to bed early, because he has to get up early to work every day. He is very busy every day. My mother is a housekeeper. She has to cook and do the housework every day. I am happy to have a good mother.

I have a big family. I love my family. They're my grandpa, grandma, mother, father and I, Stevenson, a junior high school student. I am a busy student because studying is our duty. I can just study, study and study every day. Sometimes, I want to go out playing because I don't want to become a nerd. Grandpa gets up early every day. He likes to paint the trees and flowers. Grandma is always sick. She has to go to a hospital very often. She always sleeps in her spare time. My mom is a teacher in a kindergarten. She really cares about me. My dad is a worker. He likes to watch TV after work. He brings the bacon home. I think I have to thank my family, they help me a lot.

¡¡Learning Foreign Language£¨Ñ§ÍâÓ

¡¡I love learning foreign languages. Especially English because English is the most widely spoken language in the world, it is used by countries all over the world. For example, if you want to find a nice job, you probably need to be good at English, and when you surf on the Internet, you'll see many dialogues and keywords in English. If you don't know them, then you'll have to spend a lot of time looking them up in an English dictionary. Therefore we must try harder to learn English and improve our English, and we could learn more besides.

Now, I'm a junior high student, I try to read magazine articles in English everyday. In fact, learning English is lots of fun. It's rather like learning Chinese. Just open your mouth and say something in English or read lots of achievement. All in all, it's useful for everyone to learn English.

¡¡

One Is Such a Bad Number£¨Ò»ºÅ²»ÊǺúÅÂ룩

Why is one such a bad number? It is because when the date has this number in it, some bad thing always happens. Let me give you some examples. There midnight in Taiwan. The earthquake was very horrible. That night, there were about three thousand people that died in that accident. Many houses collapsed and the mountains moved.

America was attacked by terrorists on September 11 this year. The terrorists crashed into America's pentagon with an airplane. The terrorists used airplanes to hit many tall buildings in America. There were bombs inside the buildings. When the airplanes hit the tall buildings, the tall buildings and the airplanes exploded. About six thousand people died. How terrible that is! I think the terrorists were crazy. People say that the American emergency number is 911, so the terrorists chose September 11 to attack America. There was a big typhoon on July 11 this year in Taiwan. It's name was Toraji. Many cities were flooded. Some people died because of landslides. These dates all this "one" number. I really don't think "one" is a good or lucky number. So we have to be careful on dates with this number.

¡¡My Idol£¨ÎÒµÄżÏñ£©

¡¡There are many popular singers in Taiwan; David Tao is my favorite one. He is thirty years old and was born in Taiwan. He is thirty years old and was born in Taiwan. He is living in America now. He speaks both English and Chinese well. He can sing good songs and write beautiful compositions and wonderful lyrics. He is not only a producer. He is good at R&B and rook music.

I like his talent. He is a person of uncommon brilliance. I am sorrowful because. I am sorrowful because he has a girlfriend whose name is Melody. But I will give them my best wishes. I will always support David Tao.

¡¡

Music£¨ÒôÀÖ£©

¡¡Many people like music. It has many sorts: soft music is graceful, rock music fast, classical music great, light music relaxing, and children, music interesting. You can pick and choose whatever you like. Now popular songs are in fashion. If you like music, you usually like singing, too. I am no exception. My brother and I like pop songs, and my parents like to listen to soft music. We are a musical family. Do you like music? Is your family full of music, too? Music is really great! I like it very much.

¡¡My Super Mother£¨Îҵij¬¼¶ÂèÂ裩

¡¡I have a super mother. She can cook pizza, cake, pie, etc. She prepares three meals for me every day. And she does all the housework. She is great and she is the superwoman in my family. I hope my mom knows that I will always love her!

¡¡Aliens£¨ÍâÐÇÈË£©

¡¡I like aliens because I think they are smart and special.

My aliens have green skin. They want to use them to hide their body in hassock because they learn about the poisonous spiders and the venomous snakes and can't eat grass. In addition, they use this trait to hide from plows to steal some corn or nuts.

My aliens live on planet#5 "Idop." There is a lot of land and only a little water. There are a lot of vegetables, fruit, animals, and some fish, but no birds there, so there are a lot of snakes and insects.

Nobody knows how long the aliens have lived there, because aliens are very arcane ¡¡¡¡

¡¡

My Friend Charles £¨ÎÒµÄÅóÓѲéÀí£©

¡¡ I have a good friend Charles. He is a little shorter than Me. We usually play and ride bicycles together. He is in good shape so he can do fifty five sit-ups in a minute. We like different subjects. I about science, he usually answers my questions. Some people like him include me because he isn't only friendly, but he is also smart.

He makes the most of his time to study. He goes to bed late every day. I think he must use his free time to rest. When he has something on his mind, I'll try to make him laugh by making a face or joking with him. I hope he has a nice day every day.

¡¡A Wonderful Day£¨ÃÀÃîµÄÒ»Ì죩

¡¡ Last November 24 was my birthday. I had a party at my home. My friends came to my home in the afternoon and I got a lot of presents from them. At the party, we ate a big cake, sang songs, watched TV and listened to music. We were very happy. But all good things must come to an end. We said goodbye at about ten o'clock. We had a very good time on November 24.

¡¡

Save the Endangered Animals £¨Õü¾È±ôÁÙ¾øÖÖ¶¯Î

¡¡ Scientists have estimated that over 40,000 different kinds of animals are going to be extinct in the next few years. Why will they be extinct? The reasons are as follows:

First, natural Factors. Second, artificial reasons are the most important. Those who kill and eat wild and precious animals, like tigers, lions, elephants and rhinoceroses, make a lot of money by selling the animals' skin, horns and even guts. How cruel they are£¡

Take tigers for example, they're disappearing. Humankind destroys their habitat. In the last century, the world's population of tigers has dropped by 95 percent. However, the whole world eventually wakes up and starts trying their best to give the rare animals a better environment. They make a lot of strong laws to protect animals form being harmed and punish those selfish guys who hurt these valuable animals.

But that's not enough. We not only have to protect those endangered species, but also have to refuse to eat and buy them. Maybe those animals will be able to survive in the future.

¡¡The Worst Pet in the World I Think £¨ÎÒÈÏΪ×µÄ³èÎ

¡¡ I think the worst pet in the world is a monkey. It's because they're obstinate, not cuts and would tear your books. If my father bought a monkey for my birthday, I would never forgive him. It would be a nightmare. I can't think what would happen£¡

If I had a monkey for my pet, he would jump to my bed every morning and scratch my face. Oh, I can't think what my little pretty face would be like! After we went to school or to work, he would begin to destroy our house. He will tear my books up, my homework and break our dishes, plants and glasses. Play the piano and make noise. Maybe he will leave many stinking "poo-poo" on my bed. Oh, that's the most terrible and disgusting thing.

So if my father bought a monkey for my birthday present, I'd be crazy. But I'm lucky to say that my father would not do it. Because he hates monkey too£¡

¡¡My Favorite Animal£¨ÎÒ×îϲ°®µÄ¶¯Î

¡¡My favorite animal is the dolphin. They live in the ocean. And they are cute and beautiful. They not only swim fast, but are also smart. Their color is gray. They can swim and jump in the ocean. They look like f1sh, but they are mammals. Dolphins can be trained by people because they can learn things very quickly. They are very friendly, so I love them very much.

¡¡Chinese New Year£¨´º½Ú£©

¡¡Next week is Chinese New Year. My good friend Jerry is going back to America to have a reunion with her family. Jerry and I have a good friendship. My father, mother and I decided to go shopping and buy some gifts for her. So we bought a lot of posters and some gifts for her. So we bought too many things, we took a taxi home. And we hope she and her family have a great Chinese New Year.

Chinese New Year is coming and my family is very busy. It's because Chinese New Year is very special and important. We must prepare many special things to get ready for this festival.

First, will make New Year cake. Second, we will make "Good-luck wishes." Third, we will set off firecrackers. New Year cake is sweet and we think that eating some will bring us good luck. A long time ago, people believed red color could bring them good luck too. And setting off firecrackers could frighten ghosts away.

Chinese New Year is very popular between students. It's because we have a long holiday.

¡¡Taiwan's most important holiday is the lunar New Year. During this time, people who live away from home return to be with relatives and friends. On Chinese New Year's Eve, everybody sits around the table, eating a big feast and talking to each other.

Certainly, it's a merry time for children. They can eat candy and cake and set off firecrackers. As red is a propitious color to the Chinese, parents put money in red envelopes. They give a red envelope to all of their children and hope that everything will be wonderful for them in the coming year.

Traditionally, Chinese New Year is a time for families to reunite. Everyone visits relatives and friends and exchanges best wishes with them.

¡¡E-mail£¨µç×ÓÓʼþ£©

¡¡E-mail has become popular all over the world. It spreads so quickly because the mail can go to the address in a short time no matter how far the distance is! Besides, we don't need to go to the post office to buy stamps. It's more convenient than traditional mail. E-mail is short for electronic mail. The name itself suggests that this kind of mail is sent through electric wires. I like e-mail better than traditional mail. It makes our world smaller. Usually I can receive an answer the day after I send my e-mail. However, it doesn't mean that it is perfect. The e-mail receive has become a burden to me. I am afraid that with them that I have less time for other activities. Actually, I am bound by e-mail.

¡¡

A Joke£¨Ò»¸öЦ»°£©

¡¡There was a cave full of lots of vampire bats. Once, a bat called Andy came home late and there was of blood all over his body. All of his friends and family asked him where the blood came from, and asked him to take place. He didn't want to tell them at first, but after a while, he said "Follow me, folks". Then they flew over a valley, crossed a river, and stopped in front of a stone. Andy asked "Do you guys see that tree?" And his friends all answered "Yes" And then Andy said "I didn't".

¡¡Let's Remove Drunk Driving£¨Ïû³ý¾Æ×í¼Ý³µ£©

¡¡We must take action to remove drunk drivers from our streets and highways. During these years, many incidents happened because of drunk drivers. Drunk driving is not good for our society or for the drivers. This is big problem we must work out. To solve this problem, I came up with many ideas to make the traffic better. First, we can give two points for every person and every time when they are caught by the police, a point will be taken off. And when the two points are totally gone, you cannot drive for one year.

Second, we could fine drunk drivers much more money. People love money, so why not try to impose fines on them to prevent drunk driving? Third, we must make posters and signs reminding people that it is wrong to drink and drive and it is also not healthy to drink at all. Finally, we can promulgate the drunk driver's name. People always care about their honor, so it will be a very useful way to stop them from drunk driving.

¡¡My Favorite TV Program£¨ÎÒ×î°®µÄµçÊÓ½ÚÄ¿£©

¡¡There are many kinds of TV programs on TV. I like to watch cartoons, game shows, and comedies. But cartoons are my favorite. I usually watch TV for thirty minutes a day and the program I watch is a cartoon called Doraemon. It is on TV from six thirty to seven o'clock, Monday to Friday. A lot of people watch it at that time. It's an interesting cartoon. Doraemon is drawn by a Japanese cartoonist. Doraemon is a smart robot and the star of the cartoon. He can do many incredible things. For example, he can go traveling everywhere or make people smaller or bigger. Doraemon is a good TV program. It is my favorite TV show.

¡¡My Good Friend£¨ÎҵĺÃÅóÓÑ£©

¡¡

I have many friends, and Shelinna is my best friend. Her Chinese name is Lai Hsiang-yin. She is very kind and she's happy every day. Her English and geography are very good, and she can play the piano well too. WE usually talk to each other, take walks and play to good friendship.

My Best Friend£¨ÎÒ ×îºÃµÄÅóÓÑ£©

Everybody needs friends, who you can share your happiness, sadness and secrets with. A best friend will encourage you when you have bad news. I have a best friend, whose name is Candy. Candy is smart and serious. People might think she is hard to get along with. Actually, she has a great sense of humor sometimes. Candy is very wise. Her scores are wonderful in our class. She is in the highest rank, too. Candy's favorite sport is basketball. And she is very good at it. Sandy is a sensible girl, But sometimes she is too sensitive. We share a lot of laughter and depressing things together. Candy and I have been friends for about four months. And I know that our friendship will be endless and last forever.

My Best Friend£¨ÎÒ ×îºÃµÄÅóÓÑ£©

My best friend is Bean. he is my classmate. His personality is funny, happy and caring. His hobbies are drawing and singing. We also like to play baseball and basketball so we've become good friends. We often play basketball after school. We love to talk to each other about PC games He likes to watch TV and read comic books in his free time, and so do I. That's why we are good friends.

My Best Friend£¨ÎÒ ×îºÃµÄÅóÓÑ£©

What's the meaning of a friend to you? Maybe you think that a friend is someone who will listen to you when you're filled with sorrow. Maybe you think that a friend is someone who will give you a gift on your birthday. But to me, a friend is someone I can rely on.

When I was eight years old, I met, my best friend, Jennifer. Her personality was different from mine. She's very resolute and brave. When I was sad, she was the person who would sit next to me, comforting me. When I was happy, she was the person with whom I could share my joy. As of now, we have been friends for eight years. Although we're not classmates anymore, I believe that we'll still be good friends tomorrow and forever.

My Best Friends£¨ÎÒ ×îºÃµÄÅóÓÑ£©

I have a lot of friends in my class at school, but three of them are my best friends. My friends make me very happy. When I get in a bad mood, my friends will comfort me. We always play basketball together. That is the funniest time in my life. My three best friends are James, David, and Jackson. We all have our hobbies and one of them is playing basketball. David is the shortest among the four of us, but he is the best player. Jackson is good at art, he can make lots of models with many kinds of paper. James is a good Boy Scout. He is in a scout group at school. I am glad that I have these good friends, they make me happy everyday.

¡¡ My Idol£¨ÎÒµÄżÏñ£©

¡¡ Many people idols, and so do I. My idol is Lee-Hom Wang. He is very handsome and he sings very well. I like him very much. I wish one day I can meet him in person. I will be very happy.

¡¡

The Operation £¨ÊÖÊõ£©

¡¡ The doctor told John that he had a serious disease, and he had to have an operation right now. The patient, John, turned pale and asked, "Is it very dangerous?" "Yes," said the doctor, "Five out of six who had this operation died. But you don't need to worry about it." "Why not? asked the patient. "Well, you are bound to be OK because five patients of mine already died after having the operation."

¡¡My Father£¨Îҵĸ¸Ç×£©

¡¡ My father's name is Jerry Lo. He is forty two years old. He is tall and thin. His blood type is B. he has a long face. He can cook as well as my mother. Every morning, he takes me and my brothers to go to school by motorcycle, so he gets up earlier than us. He is a banker. His life is very busy, but he is still very happy, because we love him and he loves us too.

My Mother£¨ÎÒµÄĸÇ×£©

Almost everyone has his own mother. It's lucky for me because I have a cute Mom.

My mother has long black hair, a big nose, nice skin, and she's forty years old this year. The most important thing is that she is good-looking. Mom is busy from morning till night. She gets up early and takes my brother to school everyday. My father owns a big factory. Mom drives a car all day long and delivers goods. She sometimes works until six or nine o'clock at night. After work, she has to do all the housework. Mom works so hard to make money so we kids can go to a nice university or college. Although this year's Mother's Day is over, I'd still like to say "I love you" to my mom.

My Mother£¨ÎÒµÄĸÇ×£©

My mother's name is Jane Lee. She is thirty-six years old. She is a housewife and a great mother. She is short and heavy. She has short hair. She always cooks dinner for us. She usually buys food every morning. She likes cats and dogs, but she doesn't like fish. She loves traveling. And she wants to go to Canada. Her hobbies are watching TV, cooking food, and reading books. We love her very much.

¡¡

Hobby£¨ÊȺã©

¡¡ Hobbies are very important to a person. Without having any hobby, life won't be as colorful as it should be. I have a variety of hobbies, such as collecting stamps, playing musical instruments, reading, and doing sport activities. When I am free, I will spend time on my hobbies. When I am in a blue mood, I will also do my hobbies to cheer myself up. Hobbies can help us improve our moods. Many hobbies requires devotion. For example, when you play a musical instrument, you have to practice over and over in order to perform good music. After a period if you still enjoy it, gradually it will become a hobby of yours. But, remember: A hobby is like gold under the ground; no hobby will come to you unless you dig it out yourself. If you can treat study as one of you hobbies, learning will be more enjoyable. I hope all of you can find your own hobbies and also have fun from them.

My Hobbies£¨ÎÒµÄÊȺã©

Do you have any hobbies? If not, what do you do in your free time? Let me share mine with you. I have many hobbies. Sometimes when I finish my homework, I am tired after studying so many textbooks. Then I like to read some leisure books. When I am not happy about something, I usually draw some pictures to make myself feel good. My chief hobby is going shopping with my best friend. After I chat with her, I will feel happy. Hobbies can make one happy. You can do them when you are sad. So what are yours?

¡¡

My Favorite Book£¨ÎÒ×îϲ°®µÄÊ飩

¡¡My favorite book is Pride and Prejudice. The protagonists of this book are Lizzy Bennet ant and Robinson Darcy. Lizzy always that Robinson is very proud of himself She herself is very prejudiced. Robinson thinks Lizzy is a very special girl , so he likes her very much. They like to wrangle very much.

One day, Robinson asks Lizzy to marry him. Lizzy is very astonished , so she says, "No." Robinson helps her solve big problems and he treats her very nice. Finally, Lizzy falls in love with him, so they get married. I like this book very much, because it has a happy ending I always like a beautful story .I hope all of you can read this book and enjoy it.

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Learning Through My Idol£¨ÏòżÏñѧϰ£©

¡¡Everyone has his or her own idol. Some offer negative stand with the latter. My idol is a Hollywood movie star --- Sandra bullock. I've admired her for two and a half years. I think she has an incredible magical power. She's the best actress in my heart. Actually I am deeply influenced by her. About two years ago. I rented a video called "speed," starring Sandra. At that time, I still didn't know who she was. Because of the leading man (Keanu Reeves). But after seeing that great movie, I was totally starstruck! Her performance and smile really attracted me. At that time, I started collecting everything about Sandra from magazines, TV and newspapers. But unfortunately, I couldn't find much information in Taiwan. That really disappointed me. All I could do was to get on the internet.

Luckily, there were many foreign web sites. I was really happy then. But there was a big problem for me: the Web sites were all in English. So, English became an important part in my life. I was determined to learn English well and to be able to read and understand everything. The craziest thing I've ever done was to record all her movies, film previews and interviews. I listened to them over and over every single day. When I heard any vocabulary which I didn't understand, I would look up them in the dictionary. That was a good for me because I could learn them in a very short time. It does work, and I never get tired of doing this. It's been two years since then, and my listening and reading abilities are better than before. I can even chat with my foreign friends on the internet. Now, just wasn't to say, "Thank you so much, Sandra." Finally, if you guys have an idol like me, I hope you all can get something positive from that person.

Do You Have an Idol?£¨ÄãÓÐżÏñÂ𣿣©

Do you have an idol? Everyone has his or her own idols. Maybe they are your parents or yourself or stars. My idol is Nicolas Tse. He is so handsome and he sings very well. He also plays guitar. He acts in many movies. I like him very much.

¡¡

Great Trip£¨Ì«°ôµÄÂÃÐУ©

¡¡England is the best place I've ever been. Everything is so beautiful. I spent about one and a half days on the plane. When I arrived at Heathrow Airport in London, it was evening and the great trip was starting. There were many places I visited in London, like Big Ben, Westminster, the Tower of London¡­¡­.those are very famous. Most of the time in the afternoon, my parents and I sat and walked in the park. Have you seen "Notting Hill" before? The story in the movie happens in London. The British museum, Musee de Louver and the Metropolitan Museum of art are the three largest museums in the world. I've visited two of them. Then we left London for Cambridge, Windsor Castle, York and Stonehenge. They were excellent . Every small town has a history of one or two thousand years. There was an art festival called "Tutto" in Edinburgh, and there were many street players who their lives to the shows. Then we went to northern Scotland. It was dangerous! Then we went back to London, and sat in the park, and the fat geese were so cute. That journey was the nicest memory of my life. I won't forget it.

¡¡I Have Two Dogs£¨ÎÒÓÐÁ½Ö»¹·£©

¡¡ I have two dogs. They look exactly the same. Even I myself can't tell them apart. They are very cute. When I walk, they follow my every step, and wouldn't leave me wherever I go. These two loyal dogs are very quiet, and won't bark at me or anyone. You must want to know what kind of dogs they are? They are slipper-gods. My friend, May, gave them to me as my birthday gift. At home, I wear them all the time, the furry dogs keep my toes warm, and warmth flows comes into my heart. I don't feel cold and can concentrate on my studies. These two gods accompany me through the cold winter. I will cherish them as I cherish the friendship between May and I.

¡¡

My Family£¨Îҵļң©

¡¡There are twelve people in my family. They are my grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, sister, two brothers, uncles, aunts and me.

I'm a junior high school student. I'm fifteen years old. My father is forty years old. He's running a coffee shop in mainland China. My mother is a nurse. She takes care of patients in a hospital in Taipei. My grandmother is housewife and my grandfather is a store keeper. One of my uncles is a detective. He is working in the National Police Administration in Taipei. His major job is to catch criminals. My aunt is a marketing manager. She works for a trading company. My brother and sister are elementary school students. My little brother is cute baby.

My family takes a trip together about every two weeks. I have a happy family. I love my family very much.

¡¡

My Favorite Movies£¨ÎÒ×îϲ°®µÄµçÓ°£©

¡¡I'm a big movie fan. One of my favorite movies is Gladiator. The movie is about a Roman general's tragic life. Gladiator was directed by Ridley Scott and it won best film in 2000 Oscar Awards.

Now Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone has become my favorite movie as well. The little wizard Harry did a really good job in the movie. The Quidditch and Hogwarts School are interesting to me. I love Professor Snape and Professor Qwirrel best. They are quite cool. Have you seen it yet? Hurry up and go see the movie. You won't regret it!

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Beautiful Taiwan£¨ÃÀÀöµĄ̈Í壩

¡¡Start your trip through Taiwan by going to Taipei and visit the National Palace Museum. The Chinese culture there will surprise you Visiting Taiwan is a lot of fun. Even at night, you can see many interesting things in night markets. In Tamsui, you can watch the beautiful sunsets. There are many beaches. In Taichung, you can eat various delicacies like delicious suncakes and you can go and visit Sun Moon Lake. Rowing boats on the lake is very relaxing. Then go to Jade Mountain. It's almost 4000 meters high, so don't forget to take extra clothes to keep warm when you go mountain climbing. The next place is the east coast. You'll enjoy driving or walking through beautiful Taroko Gorge. After visiting the gorge, many people like to go white-water rafting in sunny Hualien! Now how about the southern part? Driving from Hualien to Tainan is beautiful. Taiwan I is good because its historical places are famous. In Kaohsiung, you can see a lot of ships. And you'll love lying on the beach and eating seafood in Kenting. So don't forget to tell your friends about beautiful Taiwan.

¡¡

My Classmates£¨ÎÒµÄͬ°àͬѧ£©

¡¡I have many friends in my class. They're lovely and interesting. I would like to introduce some of them. Alice is very cute. She's also kind to everyone and she's very enthusiastic. She's always ready to help everyone, but she is forgetful. She always forgets to bring her textbooks, but our teachers always forgive her. Ben is the most talkative boy in our class. His nickname is "chatterbox." He has a great sense of humor and he always makes me laugh Linda is a quiet student. She is good at every subject but she never shows off. Allen is a very tall boy. He plays basketball very well and he is on our school team. He often says, "playing basketball is good for your health. How about your classmates? Do you like them? Try to admire your classmates. You will be happier.

¡¡Summer Vacation£¨Êî¼Ù£©

¡¡It is summer vacation and school is out. During summer vacation, most children stay home, watch TV and play with their friends. Some take part in a neighborhood sports program and some go camping. A camp is summer vacation place for children. They can go swimming, mountain climbing or boating. Now, there are computer camps. At this camp, children learn how to use computers, which is very important today. Most children enjoy playing computer games. At the computer camps, they can learn more about computers and make friends easily. If you don't have a plan yet for your vacation, a computer camp should be

¡¡

Life in New Zealand£¨Éú»îÓÚŦÎ÷À¼£©

¡¡Do you know where New Zealand is? Do you know what kind of country it is? I went to New Zealand when I was in the sixth grade. I stayed there for eight months. And I had a good time. In New Zealand, the students didn't have any pressure or homework. I just brought clothes for physical education (P.E), a pair of sports shoes and a lunch box to school every day. Our school began at nine in the morning and ended at three in the afternoon. In school I enjoyed a lot of groups like the chorus, orchestra, recorder group and international music group. I also joined the diving, hiking, ice skating, gymnastics, tennis and netball chubs and teams. School life made me so versatile. New Zealand is really beautiful, and the people there are friendly and kind. I feel New Zealand is a country where people have many opportunities to develop their character and confidence.

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My Favorite Activity£¨ÎÒ×îϲ°®µÄ»î¶¯£©

¡¡Everyone loves to do something when he has free time, and I do, too. What's my favorite activity? It's shopping. Shopping is so exciting and fun. When you walk along the street, you can see many different kinds and styles of clothes. They're really beautiful and new to me, so I find it hard to control myself. I want to buy everything. Of course, after shopping I have less money and I become san because it will be a long time until I have enough money for my next shopping spree.

¡¡Student Life£¨Ñ§ÉúÉú»î£©

¡¡Speaking of my student life, it's very interesting. Besides studying, we have many parties at our school for special festivals. Of course, we must study many subjects at school and do homework every day. I receive instructions from my teachers and discuss problems with them.

Although sometimes we have many exams in our student life, it can be good for us. Everyone hates exams, but it helps us realize how much we've learned from school. Just enjoy your student life. It goes by fast.

¡¡

Summer Camp£¨ÏÄÌì¶Ӫ£©

¡¡ On Saturday, we went camping, with our teachers. First we pitched the tent. Then our older brothers and older sisters played game with us. At noon, we all had a delicious lunch followed by a barbecue for dinner. At night, we had bonfire and sang and danced. We didn't sleep until 10:20 at night. But some of the boys were so noisy we couldn't fall alseep. I only slept for three hours. The next morning, everybody woke up very early. After exercising in the morning, we all went to see the small pigs. On the way there, we saw a lot of geese. At 10:00, we went back to eat ice cream. It was so cold. Then, we all played games together. We ate lunch at 12:00. In the afternoon, we played musical instruments and sang. After that, camp was over. We had a lot of fun at the summer camp. I am looking forward o going to another summer camp soon.

¡¡

Desert Island£¨»Äµº£©

¡¡It was a Saturday morning, and the weather was nice. My friends and I went to a beach by ship, because we wanted to travel there.

In the beginning, the weather was very good, but suddenly it began to rain heavily and storm terribly. Everyone thought our ship was sinking. Therefore, we had to swim. Then we saw a beautiful island. We were very happy, so we swam as fast we could to the island. After a while, we arrived and climbed on to the island.

There were a lot of palm trees, white clouds and blue water around us. We built our shelter there. Then everyone was hungry, so we went to find some animals, wild vegetables and fruit for lunch. Two of us cooked for everybody. We all ate very quickly and we drank coconut milk when we were thirsty. On our way home, there were terrible storms and pouring rain. Everyone was still happy though, because we were finally back home.

The experience was not horrible. We all enjoyed ourselves a lot. I will never forget it in the rest of my life, because I have seen the most beautiful island, "Formosa."

¡¡My Feature£¨ÎÒµÄÌØÉ«£©

¡¡Let me tell you what I will be when I grow up. I think languages are the most important tools of communication among people. Each country's languages, which are different, are interesting. So I want to be a translator. Since I was a child, I have learned many kinds of languages. I like to make friends with people from other countries. If I can speak a lot of languages, I will have a lot of friends. I don't think being a translator is very easy. It must be very hard. But I want to try! So I'm studying English now. I want to be a translator in Japan. It's my dream and I believe I can do it.

¡¡

My Favorite Teacher£¨ÎÒ×îϲ°®µÄÀÏʦ£©

¡¡Among all my teachers, Miss Ju Mei-yian is my favorite. She has taught Chinese at my junior high school for more than one year. They said she will also teach me next year. She is very beautiful and she has long hair. She also has glowing eyes and a kind heart. She always teaches me how to get along with people, so I learn from her how to live a better life and know what's wrong and right. She is really a good teacher. i cannot imagine my life without my teacher. I thank her and I love her very much.

¡¡Impolite Jack£¨Ã»ÀñòµÄ½Ü¿Ë£©

¡¡Yesterday was a sunny day. Jack's father took him to a zoo. Jack came to the crocodile pen. He saw a huge crocodile crawling in the pond. He felt excited. Jack took some snacks out of his pocket and threw them to one of the crocodiles. "Stop! Don't feed the animals. Can't you see this sign?" said a zookeeper. "I want to feed them!" Jack said and hit the zookeeper, so the zookeeper was angry. He threw Jack to the crocodiles. The crocodiles' snack was Jack himself.

¡¡

Self Introduction£¨×ÔÎÒ½éÉÜ£©

¡¡My name is Sandy. I'm 12 years old. My birthday is on April 7. There are six people in my family. I have two older sisters and one younger brother. My father is tall. My mother is good. My grandmother is old. She likes to water flowers. I am a student. I like to go to school because I have many friends at school. I am in the sixth grade of Chung-chen Elementary School. I study Chinese, science, math, social science, etc. I like math and Chinese because my Chinese and math are very good. I want to be a doctor in the future because i want to help sick people. I want to go to New Zealand because the air is very fresh and there are many cute calves there! I will go there by airplane.

About Me(¹ØÓÚÎÒ)

My name is Lynn. I am a junior high school student. I am fifteen years old. My father is open-minded and my mother is smart. So am I. My brother is cute. I have a warm family. I go to school five days a week. But I like to study. My favorite sport is swimming. I like the ocean and collecting sea-shells at the seashore. I want to be an English teacher just like my cousin. This is all about me.

¡¡Read More Magazines£¨¶à¶ÁÔÓÖ¾£©¡¡

Many people thought that the BET English test was too hard this year, but I don't think so. In my opinion, to learn English well, you not only have to study textbooks but also magazines and articles as well. Memorizing textbooks isn't enough. If you just studied textbooks, then you probably thought the BET English test was hard. If you read more articles and magazines, you'll find that every English test is the same.

¡¡My Trip to Japan£¨ÈÕ±¾Ö®Âã©

¡¡Japan was fun. It was very cool and windy. We flew kites in the park. I bought a watch there. I wanted to buy more, but I didn't have money. The gardens there were beautiful. I liked them the best. The department stores were too big. I couldn't find Mom. The food was delicious. We ate a lot of fish, and I also liked the vegetables and cake there. I hope I can go to Japan one more time.

¡¡Last Saturday£¨ÉÏÖÜÁù£©

¡¡Last Saturday was a sunny day. I went to the park with my aunt in the early morning. We took a walk in the park. The air was fresh. We saw a lot of beautiful flowers and heard the birds singing.

We went home at about seven thirty. After we ate breakfast, I did my homework. I also studied for the tests in the morning.

In the afternoon, there was a good movie at the Yangming theater. The movie's name was "Tarzan." It was a cartoon. I went to the movie by bus with my aunt. We bought the movie tickets before we saw the movie. The movie was so great. I liked it very much. When the movie was over, we decided to go shopping. We saw a lot of fashionable clothes, pants and shies at the night market. My aunt bought a pair of sport shoes for me. I was very glad. It was a wonderful day.

Computers, the Internet and Life£¨¼ÆËã»ú¡¢ÍøÂçºÍÉú»î£©¡¡

The computer is the most important thing invented in the last one hundred years. Many people were afraid of computers at first, but now they feel it's easy to use them. Computers are very interesting and useful. You can play games, write stories, even send e-mail. You can know many people and things from on the computer and Internet. You can go shopping, read about news, movies or books. You can do almost anything on the computer. I believe that computers will become one of the most important things in our lives within the next ten years.

¡¡

Sympathy£¨Í¬ÇéÐÄ£©

¡¡Sympathy is common to all human beings. We feel sympathetic for someone when justice cannot prevail for him. Even if he has committed a crime, most people still show grief for the consequences a man has to face as he may be deprived of social status and opportunity because of a mistake that seems trivial in appearance. Yet people are least sympathetic towards human beings also. Most people show sympathy for other animals and plants falling victim to mankind's progress, seeing a distorted ladder leaning against the wrong wall. People do feel angry when they see droughts, earthquakes, political conflicts, or even massacres rupture humanity, but those are temporary problems that can be solved in a matter of time, whereas environmental problems may continue for decades and most people are truly sympathetic for the rights of countless living things they themselves are destroying.

Sympathy means a lot in our daily life. It motivates us to develop the capacity for helping the weak. But bear in mind that what the weak ones mostly crave is not emotional support, but realistic chances to stand on an equal level with their brothers to strive for a better future. Confucianism and other Chinese philosophies have adequate principles that can lead people to use sympathy in the best way. Sympathy plays an important role in improving the world.

Helping Others Is the Source of Happiness£¨ÖúÈËΪ¿ìÀÖÖ®±¾£©

¡¡If someone asks me, "What is happiness?" I will answer, "Helping others is the source of happiness." Man can not live alone, so we should try our best to help others as much as possible. I always believe that spiritual happiness is more important than material happiness. Spiritual happiness is a feeling that everyone can get if he is willing to devote himself to doing something meaningful all his life. In my opinion, happiness is that making people around me have a nice smile on their faces all the time.

One day, on my way home, I saw a badly injured dog lying on the street. I rushed to it and took it to a veterinary nearby. To my relief, it recovered after several days. And now we've become good friends.

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Flight with the Night£¨ÓëҹͬÊÅ£©Ê«

¡¡Day after day. Fight with the silence, In every moment. When times go through, I turned my head, And looked back the way I walked, The footsteps that stayed behind, Belong to who? Not mine! I know that in my heart, And I suddenly understand, From the day you leave me, The sunshine leaves me too.

The Best Holiday I Have Ever Had£¨ÎÒÔø¶È¹ý×îºÃµÄ¼ÙÈÕ£©

¡¡The best holiday I have ever had was in America. I went there with my family last year during my summer vacation. We stayed in San Francisco and Las Vegas. It was really great. The air is better than in Taiwan and we had a lot of fun at night, like seeing the white tiger show and some other hotel shows. We also went to the beach and to Seaworld. I liked to play ball on the sand and I saw many kinds of fish at Seaworld. But the best part of the holiday was Disney Land. It was cool! We saw a 3D movie and took photos with Mickey and Mini. However, in America, the food was terrible! But when we were there we bought some clothes and learned something about their culture, so I would really like to go back again.¡¡

My First Field Trip in Junior High£¨ÎҵĹúÖÐÊ×´ÎУÍâÂÃÓΣ©

¡¡December 6th was a sunny day and we took our first field trip to Taipei. We first visited the National Palace Museum and saw many tourists from other countries. A group of Japanese senior high school students caught our eyes, but we were too busy to chat with them. For our assignment, we had many questions to answer about the exhibits. Many students complained about this because we spent most of our time finding out the answers. Our next stop was the Shi Lin President's Residence. It has a beautiful garden and some students ate lunch next to the beautiful flowers, but my class was busy taking pictures with the flowers. Later, we went on to our last stop, the Taipei Astronomical Museum. We had to find out answers to complete out assignments. It was boring but we had to get it done. Later in the afternoon, we went to see a movie. This movie was cool, and all of my classmates loves it. After our busy day we got on the bus and went home, both exhausted and informed.

¡¡My Class(Îҵİ༶)

There are thirty-three students in my class. They are all my classmates and friends. Five of them are my good friends. They are Gloria, Lucy, Lilian, Rone, and Dana. We usually study together and play with each other. We are happy together every day. Gloria is good at math. When I have questions about math, I always look for her help. Dana is good at music. We usually listen to music together. Lucy and I are interested in English. We often study English together. Rone studies geography and history. Of all the subjects, history is the most difficult to me, so I often ask Rone to help me. We are going to graduate in June. I think I will remember them forever. I also hope that we will stay in touch after we graduate

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A Letter from an Old Friend£¨ÀÏÓÑÀ´ÐÅ£©Îâ¼ÒÎÄ

When the letter arrived in the mailbox, I found the strange. It made me very curious, so I open and read the letter as quickly as I could. "Oh my God! I don't believe it!" I was surprised and shouted when I read the letter. It was written by my old friend, Gary. He was my neighbor when we were in elementary school. We played and went to school together. We were very good friends. After graduation, he and his family emigrated to America and since then, we haven't kept in touch for a long time. Gary's letter talked about the special experience that a young student has while studying abroad. In the letter, he wrote, "When l just to America the environment was so unfamiliar. It took me along time to adjust to the life here. That's the reason why l didn't contact you until now." That's true-it is two years later. He also told me that there were few tests, but many papers and reports for students in America. After reading this letter, I long to study abroad someday. I'd like to experience an American-style life and western education. My biggest hope is that I can visit my good old friend again. We can have a long chat. Anyway, it's really great to get a letter from a long missing friend.

¡¡A Letter£¨Ò»·âÐÅ£©~~¸Ðл¼´½«ÀëÈ¥µÄ¶÷ʦ ÀîÍðÁá

Dear Teacher,

I am deeply grieved to hear that you will leave us. You are really a special teacher to me. Before I met you, all the teachers who had taught me were very conservative. So in the beginning, I wasn't used to your teaching style and your high-pitched voice. But as I gotten more familiar with you, I realized that you are a very cute teacher. In class, you always tell jokes to arouse our interest in learning. When you are out of class, you become another person and you don't have any airs of being a teacher. Sometimes you are like a child that is curious about everything. Sometimes you are like a good sister who talks to us intimately and helps us solve our difficulties. Such a teacher is popular with the students. Although you only taught me for a year, I'm really happy that I was your student. I know that "All that's well will end" but, I will never forget you. So I wish you every success at the new school you are going to. Goodbye teacher, and I wish you all the very best!

¡¡A Library£¨Í¼Êé¹Ý£©³ÂÐÀè¤

A library used to be only a building with a lot of books and a very quiet place to me. I had never wanted to enter a traditional library because it was a boring place for a child. Since I became a senior high school student, I have more homework that requires me to find the latest information on a topic or some good ideas. So I got into the habit of going to the library, and I can't tell you how wonderful it is! There are so many interesting books I've never read, including novels and books about science and computers. Most important of all, there are even a lot of famous classic films, which are very popular. Now I also have something else to do when I'm in a library: studying. Studying together with a lot of people is a good experience. Now I'm never bored when I'm in a library. Do you want to see how much fun it is? Come with me to a library today!

¡¡A Success£¨³É¹¦£©ÀîÙ²Óý

It's my school's tradition for sophomores to take part in an English Play Contest each year. Most classes are eager to participate, and my class is no exception. Frankly speaking, we've been preparing since the 10th grade, so we've already had experience acting. For instance, when our class performed the play, "The Secret Garden," I played the role of Collin. It was my very first show, so I had a little stage fright! This time, my class chose to do a play called "Monkey Business" for the serious contest, and I plated one of the six naughty little monkeys in the show. At first, I was afraid I would ruin my image and that my fellow students would make fun of me in my funny costume. Well runs an old saying, "You never know until you try." After the first rehearsal, I realized that my own character couldn't be better because I could entertain the audience and have fun at the same time!

We made use of the spring break to practice a lot. At the beginning, all of us felt clumsy and were unable to be ourselves. Then, we worked hard and rehearsed over and over! Though it was exhausting, we all thought it would be worth it. All of us were certain that we would take first place in the contest.

The date for the competition eventually arrived; we were all set for the big moment. Though I was very tense, I was glad I was able to show all the hard work I'd put into my role in the end. My class was the third to perform. Both of our leading actors tried their best to act well. Both their pronunciations and acting skills were better than ever. Afterwards, the six mischievous monkeys showed up and began to play tricks on the two people. This time, I didn't suffer from any stage fright, and I found myself to be a 100% monkey. I was a fabulous and indescribable experience. "Did you make it?" I asked myself later on. Yes, I did and so did all my monkey friends!

Guess what happened next? We won the contest! Our tram had achieved the goal. I realized that cooperation truly plays a vital part in teamwork. This experience has taught me how to get on well with others in a group, and above all, how to face a large crowd without any fear!

¡¡Anne£¨°²ÄÝ£©ÀµÈçÜ°

The novel 'Anne of Green Gables' gave me a lot to think about. She was an orphan with red hair who never stopped talking. Later, she became a successful student in her university and obtained a teaching certif1cate. When she was a teenager, many people made fun of her carrot red hair, including her classmate Robert, but she endured it all. In our society, everyone has ability. Some people can't get good jobs just because of their appearance. Some managers like to hire people based on their good looks and ignore skills related to their work. Anne was a pretty girl, but she worked hard and all of the villagers supported her. So I believe that, 'Hard work brings success'' and your happiness is your own hands.

¡¡BBS£¨µç×Ó²¼¸æÀ¸£©ÍõÓ³º­

Almost every teenager has an obsession for BBS, and I am no exception Ever since accessing the Internet I've discovered a world different from reality. In BBS you imply register an LD and then you can surf in this virtual world without letting people know who you truly are I can chat with cyberpals, post essays, or moreover, play games. As a teenager burdened with heavy schoolwork ,we sometimes need to relief our stress. Usually, I would post my feelings or discuss interesting topics. I can read some interesting essays on board, too. Thus, not only can I learn something new but I can also find a place to express my mood and feel more core comfortable in mind. Although some grown-ups consider BBS a waste of time, in view, if we can keep ourselves from being addicted, then it will serve us well as a recreation.

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Career Women£¨Ö°‰j¸¾Å®£©ÁÖçäÁæ

My mother is a perfect housewife. She is good at a lot of things like cooking, sewing, gardening and adorning our house. I admire her very much. When I was a child, I made my mind to become a housewife. But when I became a junior high school student, I realized that it is impossible for me to ever be as good as my mother. Besides, I'm not so interested in housework. So now I want to be a career woman. Career women are usually very busy, so they have less time to spend with the family. Therefore, I'll choose "a househusband" as my husband. I know many people can't accept this idea. They think women should help the husband and raise the children, which is the duty of a wife. But that's just a traditional view to me, so I believe that I'll be a career woman in the future.

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Cartoons£¨¿¨Í¨£©ÖÜÁî‹Z

There are many television programs in Taiwan today, from TV aeries, quiz shows, soap operas, movies to cartoons. Of all the programs, I like to watch cartoons the best, like Cartoon network, Disney and many others. I like to watch cartoons because they are funny and very interesting, especially when I am sad, tired or bored. I also like cartoon characters. They are so cute and vivid. We must use our imagination when we watch cartoons. Because they are often exaggerated, so you need to have a sense of humor.

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Chinese New Year£¨´º½Ú£©Ð»Ù§ÈØ

Chinese New Year is the most important holiday in China.

Lots of people always post a kind of red paper on the door, and write some good words and sentences on them, like spring, good luck, and Happy New Year. It is very fun. And in Chinese New Year, we also set off firecrackers. That's great and exciting. Children play firecrackers in the fields. And lots of Chinese will buy lots of new clothes, hats and pants. We would put them on, because we think that will make people have luck and get rid of bad things from last year. I like Chinese New Year because it is very fun. We have lots of interesting old customs. If you weren't Chinese, I think you would like it just like the Chinese.

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There is no doubt that my favorite holiday is Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year is a time for family members to get together. Families, friends and relatives exchange best wishes with each other on this day, and children receive big red envelopes after dinner. Everyone stays up late to celebrate the New Year, and celebration continues for next few days. Also, I can do things I want to do; for example, I can go shopping, and go to the countryside to visit my grandfather and grandmother. Chinese New Year is definitely the best holiday.

¡¡Cockroaches£¨ó¯ò룩Ñî÷ÆÁ

Cockroaches are the insects that frighten me the most. I wasn't afraid of them before, but now I can't stand them. It started when I was sleeping one day and smelled a disgusting odor. I discovered a dead cockroach under my body and its eggs on my pillow! I almost died! I jumped off my bed at once and took a bath quickly. The experience made me hate cockroaches. What I find most disgusting is when I see a cockroach fly around the room. I'm always afraid that they m1ght land on me. Hearing the sound of its wings makes me nervous and afraid. Cockroaches pose a threat to our daily lives. A dirty environment will attract many cockroaches and this may threaten our health. They pollute food and water and bring many illnesses, such as dysentery and skin diseases. I can't help shivering at the sight of them.

¡¡Don't Give Up£¨²»Òª·ÅÆú£©ÁÖ¹ÚÁæ

There's truth to the saying, "Don't give up halfway. "A man who gives up halfway will achieve nothing. When we do something, we should have the willpower to finish it. We must firmly carry through to the end if we want to get a fruitful result. Giving up halfway keeps us from making achievements. No one can deny that many famous people only succeed after trying many times. The father of China, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, only completed the Revolution of 1911 after ten failures. To sum up we should not only persevere to the end, but should do our best in whatever we do.

¡¡Education£¨½ÌÓý£©ÖÓÃ÷Â×

The information explosion and education not only broadened people's horizons, but also enriched their lies. The government is taking definite steps to reform the education system of Taiwan as the year 2000 approaches, but this has also raised a lot of questions. Many people receive higher education, but they don't comprehend the true meaning of education. With increasing numbers of violent incidents occurring in schools and criminal gangs posing a threat to campus life, we need to address these immediate problems as we improve our educational system. Education enables our country gain a foothold in the world, and no country can afford to neglect education. It develops the character and mentality of its people. The R.O.C government has offered free and compulsory education since 1968 to help enable our citizens to keep up with times. And yet, there is no denying the fact that schools in Taiwan are still focused on passing exams, so analytical thinking and practical applications get little or no emphasis. In recent years, the Ministry of Education has carried out a multiple-choice entrance exam policy which is suitable for all kinds of students in school. Education needs to be livened up and not just focus on simply passing exams and getting good grades. Our authorities should be concerned with making clear plans to reform and achieve these goals in future.

¡¡Fashions and Me£¨Á÷ÐÐÓëÎÒ£©ÂÞÔÆÍ¢

Due to the abundance of the material goods and rapid development of civilization, people are becoming more and more particular about what they use and wear. An increasing number of manufacturers have focused on designing things that will appeal to consumers. Those who sell a lot of their products dominate the market and lead a trend that most people will follow right away. If their products do not improve, they are doomed to fade away. Why are so many people addicted to fashionable things? I think it's because they are fond of showing off . They want to dress themselves in amazing costumes and perform unique actions to draw others' attention. Actually, many people only buy certain trademarks without making sure that the product aren't fakes. This situation allows the market to be flooded with pirated copies. It can't do any good but increase piracy, cause unexpected losses to original companies and harms our international image. Moreover, following some trends can be dangerous. Moreover, following some trends can be dangerous.

Some gangsters would like to encourage others to take drugs, have tattoos, and do things that are illegal and immorals. They will call people who reject these things chickens or cowards. Because of this, some people try these bad things to show that they are brave. This disturbs out tranquil society and make more and more young peoples, who are the future's leaders, descend into degeneration. this situation will go from bad to worse. It is really astonishing, isn't it? As for me, I also like to wear fabulous clothes to make myself look cool. But I am not a blind follower of all fashions. I decide which fashions to follow. A fashion attracts me only if I think it's worthy of my attention, time and cash. Indeed, aside from fashion, there are other meaningful things for us to pursue, such as peace of mind and being kind to others. I often say to myself, "Self-control is the true nobility. Why just plunge yourself into the pursuit of fashions? Why just be obedient to others' ideas? Why not be your own master?" In my opinion, as teenagers, we should acquire knowledge and do something significant for our society, and not just be snobbish pursuers of fashions.

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Gifts and Books£¨ÀñÎïÓëÊ飩ÍõÈð¾ý

With the exception of Christmas, at no time in the year does the chore of selecting gifts beset us as extensively as it does during June. June is a month when students graduate and when many face the question of what gifts to buy that will appropriate both the event and that will appropriate both the event and the person---something that will worthwhile and memorable as well as within our budget. Books represent the ideal gift for all events, as Colton it, "Next to acquiring good friends, the best acquisition is that of good books."

¡¡Green Peppers£¨Çཷ£©Ðí¼ÒÈÙ

I don't like to eat green peppers. Since childhood, I've thought that green peppers tasted bitter. Although my mother always tells me to eat more green peppers, I always ignore what my mother says. Then, I saw a story in a magazine called "Newton" that green peppers have a lot of Vitamin C. so if we eat them, our bodies will bodies will become stronger After I read this, I read this, I realized that we should eat more green peppers, but I still this because I don't like the taste of them. Now I always try eating them with other foods, foods, and I'm gradually getting used to eating them.

¡¡Island of Greed£¨Ì°À·Ö®µº£©ÕųнÜ

Taiwan has been nicknamed, "The Island of Greed." Some Taiwanese put high premium on material. Life, and become very greedy, always wanting more. Many are also so eager to seek wealth they are willing to sacrifice other important things in life. For example, some people have sacrificed their health for wealth, failing to see that money means nothing without good health, until it's too late. We should all stop to examine our life and consider if it is worth it to gain little at the cost of losing a lot. We should cherish what we own today. I hope one day Taiwan will stop being "The Island of Greed."

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My Ideal Husband£¨ÎÒµÄÀíÏëÕÉ·ò£©Àî¼Ñçä

Although I'm only sixteen years old now, I already have a picture of my ideal husband in my mind. I don't put much emphasis on his appearance because I don't agree with judging people by their appearances. I consider it more important to have a kind heart. I don't wish for a rich husband, but I hope that he will work hard and will be enthusiastic about what he does. He doesn't need to have the same job as me, but I think that if we both have some similar interests that we both love, it will be easier to communicate with each other. This way, we can prevent ourselves from arguing over small things. Besides this, we should be patient with our children and take good care of them. My ideal husband should be my faithful companion during my journey through life; someone who will share his work, his pleasures, his misfortunes with me.

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My Interest£¨ÎÒµÄÐËȤ£©ÈîÎÄÐû

I have a lot interests, and one of my interests is writing calligraphy. I've been writing it for eight years. Although I rally enjoyed it when I was studying it during Junior high school, I've had to give it up. I still write calligraphy during the holidays. Of all the styles of calligraphy, I like the stone tablets of the Northern Wei dynasty the best. The style is tall and elegant, and it is also national legacy. ¡¡

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My TV Set£¨ÎҵĵçÊÓ»ú£©ÕÅÁ¢Ñ«

I receive knowledge, news and recreation from TV. It is very convent. When I will watch TV programs. I can understand what is happening in our country. I like to watch entertainment news and find out about celebrity gossip. I like to watch HBO movies on weekends. Sometimes also watch TV programs about nature or school to increase my knowledge. TV increases one's knowledge of the world. If TV didn't exist, I would go crazy TV is like a good friend.

¡¡Nature£¨×ÔÈ»£©ÁÎÛþý

Living in the concrete jungle, we have to admit that our busy. extravagant lives are corroding our souls little by little. Only by being close to nature can we recover our vitality and go back our true selves. Breathing in fresh air, smelling the fragrance of flowers and listening to the sounds of birds and streams, we can release our tensions and listening to the sounds of birds and streams, we can our tensions and cleanse our minds of the tiresome things around us. Form the journey of water, we can understand the circle of life. Also, we can learn to be kind people from the peace of mountains. We can learn a lot as we enjoy the cozy atmosphere of nature. We may consider nature as a great book, and noting in the can delight us as much as it!

¡¡Personality£¨¸öÐÔ£©ÕÅÓÀ²ý

Every one has a different personality. I have an optimistic personality and I always do everything happily. But not every one finds this easy. When I meet people like this, I usually advise them to see the school councilor. There are reasons why everyone's personality is so different. If your parents love you and care about you, then your personality will be healthy and happy. If your parents don't, then your personality could sad and withdrawn. A person's personality determines his or her future. So if you come across someone who is often worried, you can try and help them or tell them to seek help from a councilor.

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Puppy Love£¨Ó×Áµ£©~ÉÙÄлòÉÙÅ®¶ÔÓÚÒ»ÃûÄê¼Í½Ï´óÒìÐÔ¶ÌÔݵİ® ÏôÃôʤ

The puppy love of youngsters today often leave bad impressions on older people. This is because they often engage in temporary and short-lived relationships. They get involved with each other for no reason other than just for fun! They do things based on feelings flashing through their minds. Maybe they do this in order to show off their girlfriends or boyfriends. They have no idea what true love is and how to love at all. Recently, more and more and more social problems have risen out of young and ignorant love, such as date rapes and the single parent problem. In my view, we should educate youngsters about the true meaning of love.

¡¡Smile£¨Î¢Ð¦£©³Âçä¾ý

The development of science and technology seems to be increasing distance between people. So how can we show our desire to get closer to people? The answer is by smiling. Smiling dissolves apathy and distributes warmth. Smiling is an international language. Even if you go abroad and don't speak the language, a smile will carry you a long way. Try and wear a smile on your face frequently, and you will get an unexpected response in return.

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Traveling£¨ÂÃÐУ©ÕÅÈÝÈÝ

I love traveling. Traveling not only broadens my horizons but also opens my eyes to the world. What's more, it refreshes me. You can go to Disneyland and experience what it's like to be "a child again!" You can visit one of the "seven wonders of the world," such as the Grand Canyon and feel the magnificence of nature! You can taste the "magicial" ice water on a glacier, which can help you become more beautiful and make you live longer. Just forget all trifles and burdens that you have in your mind. Experience is a type of living knowledge. You'll be sure to experience many new things when traveling. You don't even need a tour guide if you long for more freedom. Just don't forget to bring your backpack!

¡¡Take Defeat Well£¨Ãæ¶Ô´ì°Ü£©ÁÖŒuö©

Take we fail, we might feel disappointed, but we should never think about taking our own life! There will always be some frustrations throughout our life. What's more important is to find out why we failed and try to face the problem. Moreover, it's essential to take the right measures to try to solve the problem. Some people see failure as a challenge. They take a positive attitude towards their difficulties and conquer them with perseverance and optimism. In the long run, they will stage a comeback. On the other hand, if you give up and have suicidal thoughts, you'll lose a future full of hope. There's a lot truth in the old saying, 'A brave man smiles in the face of adversity'. Furthermore, were it not for pain and defeat, we could to overcome the shadows that are cast over us.

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The Heart £¨ÐÄ£©ÈηÒÓí

A person who wants to carry out his own dream must work with his heart. Whatever one does without showing his feelings won't be perfect. But when you enjoy what you do, you want it to be wonderful. For instance, if a singer does not like music and he sings songs just to make money, the audience won't pay attention to him. Whereas, if a musician writes music just for fun and is lost in doing so, his music can appeal to a lot of people. It isn't hard for him to become famous. Besides, a painter can't paint pictures that resemble fantastic natural wonders if he can't be immersed in what he sees. Also, girlfriends will break up with their boyfriends if they can't feel the love of their boyfriends. Believe it or not! So we should all do things with all of our hearts to succeed!

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The Lion King£¨Ê¨×ÓÍõ£©ÎâÅåÝæ

I love watching movies. They can make me happy or sad. One of my favorite movies is "The Lion King. "Even though it is a cartoon, it still teaches me a lot of things, like love and fellowship. Also even when all protagonists are animals, Disney still portrays them with human emotions. "The lion King" is my favorite movie.

¡¡Airport Noise£¨»ú‰jÔëÒô£©³ÂÕ×ÖÐ

Airport noise seriously disturbs my life after school. When a plane is landing, its wheels make a jarring noise because of the friction. When a plane flies above my head, the engines are really loud. I have physical and spiritual problems with these noises. I need a quiet place to study, and these noise often make me feel nervous and restless. A sudden noise may make me forget what I have read. I'm always low-spirited at school. Noise affects not only my spiritual life but also my physical life. It makes my attention wander. Because of these noises, I lose sleep easily. I can't concentrate on my reading material. That's why my grades have gone from bad to worse. Although I like planes, I don't like the noise made by planes. I hope that I can become an engineer in the future to improve airplane engines so they don't make those noises.

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Trains£¨»ð³µ£©Îâ´ä»ª

If you are tired of the traffic in Taipei, you must be excited that the Mass Rapid Transit is almost finished. It shows the train, in another form, has come back to us and may play an important part of everyday life again. For a long time, trains were the fastest and easiest way to move people may still remember how hard they tried to get on a train with lots of other people to go to school or to work.

Later on, cars became more popular because it was easier and more convenient to go from place to place by car. Many people, however, have returned to the railway in the past few years. There are several reasons for this. First, it is more comfortable to travel by car. Second, railroads are safer than highways. Third, trains are faster than cars because highways often have heavy traffic.

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Willy£¨ÍþÀû£©ÕÅÊçæÃ

About two years ago, my aunt gave a wonderful gift to my family. We loved it much and treasured it. The gift was my dog, Willy. He is a very naughty dog food because it is hard to chew. Whenever he is hungry, we have to cut his food into small pieces. But he always likes to bite to bite things made of metal or plastic. I take him out for a walk because it is dark or raining, he will try to remind me by barking. I love him very much and often I think of him as my little baby.

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Inner Beauty£¨ÄÚÔÚÃÀ£©ÑîÓîÇç

Recently, many beautiful, sender actresses have been posing for sexy pictures to earn money. It is an easy way to become famous. However, their beauty goes no deeper than their lovely skin. If we understand what real beauty is , we can enrich ourselves with books to gain knowledge, or participate in all sorts of activities to gain experience. In my opinion, a dazzling and confident smile comes from someone with inner beauty.

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Money£¨½ðÇ®£©Ñî°¬Èç

Money is indeed important, but money cannot buy everything. A miser may think that "money talks," but if you only give your attention to making money, you may lose many things, such as health, friendship and love. I don't think we should regard money as everything. Money is just a tool that can help us solve problems or enable us to live a comfortable life. What we should do is to use it appropriately and not become misers. This way, all of us can lead a happier lives.

¡¡Happiness£¨ÐÒ¸££©Ð»ÃÏèë

Happiness exists everywhere. Everyone has a different definition to the true meaning of happiness. Some people think possessing a great deal of money is the secret to happiness, while others feel giving aid to others makes them happy. I approve of the latter there are many poor people in our society, and we can contribute some money to charities to help them. When the poor receive our assistance, their lives will improve. Smiles will appear on their faces, and this is the best reward we can get from helping others. Regardless of gratitude of price, we should help others from the depths of our hearts. When we see their happy smiles, we will be happy as well. So I think that true happiness comes from the mind.

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New Millennium£¨ÐµÄǧìûÄ꣩ԬÓÚæÃ

1999 is a chaotic year. Many global issues are waiting to be solved. On the other hand, most people can't wait to welcome the new millennium. In the last thousand years, human society has really improved a lot. As a result, people's lives are better and longer. But are people happier? Certainly not! There are so many problems that our quality of living is threatened. For example, many countries face the problems of over-population, infectious diseases, unemployment and destruction of the environment. I hope we will overcome those problems in the new millennium. What is the big picture? In education, I hope that all children will be educated according to their interests. They won't be forced to do what they don't like.

As the information age approaches, I hope all students will have sufficient computer literacy and be able to utilize this technology to study. Maybe will have an electronic satchel to replace all those school books! And, of course, the future leaders should be enlightened enough to provide a benevolent system of education and government. I also hope people will pay more attention to their health problems. Individually, we should practice healthy habits, such as washing our hands before we eat a meal and getting regular exercise. We should try to release ourselves from stress caused by work since we have more and more pressure at work everyday. On the other hand, the government should spend more money on health care and educate the people. We all hope for a better tomorrow, so let's try our best to improve the world.

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Miss Cai£¨CaiС½ã£©ÕÅÓýìõ

everyone eventually meets someone who plays an important role in his or her life. For me that person is miss Cai, my first English teacher. She had a great influence on me. It was her special method of teaching that deeply impressed me and made me become interested in learning English. But, to my sorrow, she will not be teaching my class anymore. Nevertheless, this won't lessen my enthusiasm for learning English. I still remember the songs she taught me, and I believe she'll go on teaching in this excellent way. All want to say is "thank you so much, dear teacher."

¡¡Rats£¨ÀÏÊó£©çô¼ÑÒÇ

rats are the animals I fear the most. They are hairy, they have sharp claw, long tails, and can hurt people easily. I'm very disgusted by them. Rats very often hide in apartments and appear unexpectedly. One day when I was sleeping in my room. A rat ran across my body and made some noise as if he was trying to say hello to me . afterwards, I cleaned my room and discovered two or three little rats! I was shocked because rats breed very quickly. From then on, we set up mouse traps around the apartment to catch them. We also paced poison in the corners of the apartment to kill them. Rats are really disgusting.

¡¡Math£¨Êýѧ£©ÕÔÊéÓê

Many students think that learning math is very difficult, but I don't think so. Three years ago, I became interested in math. I didn't consider math a difficult subject, and many of my classmates would come and ask me questions. Because of this, my math is getting better and better. I believer the proverbial phrase, "Where there's will; there's a way. "So if you trust yourself, you can make it.

¡¡Newspapers£¨±¨Ö½£©ÁõÓý¹â

It's essential that everyone gets in the habit of reading newspapers nowadays because we are the people of the 21st century. If you have no time to watch news on TV, your best option is to read newspapers. It's very convenient to read newspapers wherever you are. Reading newspapers has many advantages: In the first place, it keeps us well informed. We can learn what's happening around the world just by opening the pages. Second, we can improve our writing by reading the literature section. But the most important thing is enrich our lives. So newspapers are indispensable part of our daily lives.

¡¡Use Time Well£¨ÉÆÓÃʱ¼ä£©³Â¼Ñ¾ý

We all know that lost time never comes back. Therefore, we shouldn't waste our valuable time. If we only work, watch movies, listen to music, play basketball and read novels, it can damage our health. During holidays, I often go mountain climbing, picnicking, or traveling with my friends. As the western proverb goes, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. "So I try to make good use of my time and do what I enjoy when I finish my homework.

¡¡Television£¨µçÊÓ£©~~¶þƪÀîÕþ´Ï

The creation of television was regarded as a scientific miracle. From then on, it has played a vital role in our daily lives. We benefit a lot from it. First and foremost, television enables us to keep in touch with what is happening throughout the world. TV news informs us of the latest would affairs. Moreover, it brings us joy and pleasure and adds brilliant colors to our life. Were it not for television, we wouldn't live in such a highly developed society.

Nowadays, television also gives rise to many new problems. For example, there are now many violent programs on TV and a great number of children copy these actions. In addition, it is bad for children to spend a lot of time sitting in front of the screen. This is the reason why all children wear glasses today. Last but not least, I'm convinced that everyone should make use of their intelligence to do somethifg creative. Unfortunately, many people simply indulge in watching TV.

I'm of the opinion that it is not easy to tell whether television programs are good or bad. We should be selective of what we watch, I'm convinced that every individual can led a meaningful life with the company of the television.

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Watching television is very popular in our daily life. Television sets can also be seen in every family. We can watch several programs when we don't have to go to school or when we are bored. And I think watching television is fun. I can see the singers on the programs and good movies or some sports games. In holidays, there are people everywhere outside, but if we don't go out we can watch TV at home. It is very comfortable. And we can learn many knowledge or new information from TV. Anyway, I think watching TB makes our life more colorful.

I have some opinions about TV programs. At present, every kind of TV programs are popular. But some are not good for children or young people. So it is important to choose the programs to watch. But watching too much TV programs will do harm to our eyes. So we can not watch TV too often. keep some distance from TV! With this, we will get more things from TV programs and keep body and mind healthy.

¡¡Divorce£¨Àë»é£©ÕÅçþçù

Love of our modern society has resulted in more and more parents divorcing. It's because they don't understand each other completely many people get married very soon - even after just a week! But after getting a marriage certificate, they find their personalities clash with each other and have some problems. Also some people make friends through the Internet. It's dangerous to tall in love with a person who you've never met. As the saying goes, "On the Internet, nobody knows you've a dog." We should always think twice before making friends with the opposite sex. Don't get married too early. After all, divorce isn't fun, is it?

¡¡My Pet£¨ÎҵijèÎ ÁÎÜïÀò

Recently, three owls appeared suddenly on our campus. They made me think of my pet from childhood. When I was little, we had an owl at home. It was small, gray, and had two big eyes. We liked it very much. Every time I went home, it greeted me by making "goo-goo" sounds. We always played with it and talked to it. It would blink its eyes just like it understood what we were saying. It was like my best friend. But when the weather became colder, we forgot to keep it warm, and it died. It made us sad for a long time, and it also taught me how important it is to take care of animals.

¡¡Taiwan, my love£¨Ì¨Í壬Îҵİ®£©ÂíÕñ¸Õ

Taiwan is a small island in the Pacific Ocean in Asia. The weather is warm, not cold like the weather in Canada or hot like the weather in Africa. It is a very good place for people to live in. It rains a lot, so we do not have to worry about water. Why do I like Taiwan? It is because of its warm weather, good location, terrific water supply, well-educated people and beautiful scenery. Although the traffic here is getting worse and the crime rate is increasing, Taiwan is still better than any other country in this world. I think these two problems will be improved soon, and then Taiwan will be called a paradise.

¡¡The Blue Sky£¨À¶Ì죩Àîçäèª

Wow, there's a magnificent castle in the sky! Will there be a prince inside waiting for me there? It's so magical. Am I dreaming? Staring at the sky is one of my favorite things to do. When I'm happy, the little puffy clouds will turn into big smiles. as if the sky is happy too. When I feel depressed or lonely, the blue sky will take away my pain. When I feel hungry, the clouds will turn into all kinds of delicious foods just waiting to satisfy my appetite. The sky has so many secrets and wonders that I can't wait to look into and start imagining again.

¡¡An Incident£¨Ò»¼þ¹ÖÊ£©ÀîâùÏÍ

Yesterday afternoon, while I was riding my bicycle home, I saw an old lady who happened to be riding a bicycle as well. She was riding very slowly on a narrow road, and I was behind her. Then, all of a sudden, a car appeared. The driver of the car saw the old lady and started to pound on his horn. The noise frightened her, and she tried to peddle to the side of the road, but her legs were to weak to peddle fast, and her hands went out of control. She almost fell off her bicycle after crashing into a flower pot, but at the last minute, she managed to stabilize her self and rode away. After I saw this incident, I felt really sorry for the old lady. I wasn't her fault that she got in the way of the driver. It made me very mad when I thought about the driver. If were the old lady, I would have gone up to the driver and shouted at him.

¡¡The Importance of Love£¨°®µÄÖØÒª£©²ÌÒÝ·²

Love makes the world go around. Without love, we will treat each other coldly. Nowadays, many people are selfish and care only about their own families. This is only one kind of love and is not true love. Love is more than emotions between men and women. Love is a great power. It makes the would seem smaller and it makes people become closer together. Why do people fight with each other? Don't they love the people they are quarreling with? They do, but they don't know how to be thoughtful or how to express their love. For example, when an old man crosses a road, you can help him by supporting him with your arm. It is a simple action, but the old man will appreciate this. Without love, families will quarrel. Without love, friends will not be friendly. Without love societies will not be peaceful, so love is a very important part of the world.

¡¡My Phobia£¨ ÎҵĿ־åÖ¢£©ÁÎÕñÐñ

Everyone fears something, and my phobia is snakes. Snakes are a kind of reptile. They have green eyes that look very cold and terrible. Their bodies look like ropes and they always crawl on the ground. Their body temperatures are ice-cold. Everything about snakes makes me feel sick. When I see or listen to them, I always feel terrible. The reason why I am afraid of snakes is because of a frightening experience in my childhood. One day in my childhood, when I was walking in the woods, a snake fell out of a tree onto my shoulders! It crawled over my neck and looked at me. It felt so cold and made the "si, si" noise. After two minutes, it went away. I was scared speechless and trembling. It really scared me and I swore never to look at, read, touch or listen to anything about snakes ever again.

¡¡What Do You Want?£¨ÄãҪʲô£¿£©³ÂÏþ·ã

I'm of the opinion that Taiwan's students are pathetic because they have too much pressure in their lives. Because they have to pass the Joint College Entrance Exam, they must study hard, To meet their teachers' and parents' expectations, they have to study day and night. But it's such a shame because most students don't know what they really want and what their goals in their future should be. So what should they strive towards? Should they only want to get the best grades and pass the JCEE? The answer is no. In my view, all students should calm down for a few minutes and think earnestly about what they want.

¡¡My Pen Pal£¨ÎҵıÊÓÑ£©Àî¼ÑÎÆ

Since last summer, I have written to my pen pal, Seda, who lives in Turkey. I became acquainted with her when I went to England for a study tour. We stayed with the same family, and she was my roommate and classmate as well. Sometimes we went to the movies together after dinner. Seda is very easy to get along with. I will always remember the two weeks I spent with her. We didn't forget each other and kept writing to each other after we returned home. Although I haven't seen her again since I left England, I still know how she is through letters, cards and photographs. Seda tells me her secrets and also shares her happiness and sadness with me . Both of us hope that we will meet each other somewhere one day. Maybe I'll go to Turkey to visit her, or she'll come to Taiwan to visit me.

¡¡Oasis£¨ÂÌÖÞ£©~ÀÖÍÅÃû³Â¼Òΰ

My favorite rock 'n' roll band is Oasis, who are from Manchester in the United Kingdom. They have five members and have won two awards for Best Band and two awards for Best Albums in the 1994 and 1995 British Music Awards. I not only like listening to their music but also regard them as my idols. The first time I listened to their songs, I was curious about what they were singing about. Because of my curiosity, I tried to understand and learn the meaning of their lyrics by looking up the words in the English dictionary. After realizing the meanings, I became their fan. They have a strong impact on me and led me to enjoy learning English. So no matter who you are, why not find some interesting English songs to listen to and you will discover that English can be fun to study.

¡¡Life Is....£¨ÉúÃüÊÇ£®£®£®£©Íõ×ËÔÆ

A garden---full of beautiful flowers and creatures./A movie---sometimes it is a comedy and sometimes it is a tragedy./A story---sometimes it is interesting and exciting, sometimes it is boring and confusing./Your girlfriend or boyfriend---you have to love her or him./A game---you should always try your best./A book---you can obtain a lot of information from it./A mirror---you can learn about yourself and take responsibility for everything you do./An exam---you may get bad grades and fail exams, but you must never give up. Keep going, and one day you'll succeed./Opening a window---open your heart and you'll see beautiful colors in the sky.

¡¡My Millennium Wish£¨ÎÒµÄǧìûÔ¸Íû£©Çñóãɺ

My millennium wish is that everybody can pay better attention to Taiwan's pollution problems. At one time, Taiwan was called "Formosa," meaning "the beautiful island." This island used to be filled with spectacular scenery. Taiwan is small, but very beautiful. Now, as we can see, pollution is everywhere. It's getting more and more difficult to find beautiful places in Taiwan. Taiwan is not "Formosa" anymore. If people don't change the way they treat the natural environment in Taiwan, it will be covered with garbage and will eventually disappear. Scientists indicate that the temperature of the earth is increasing because of the Greenhouse effect. As the water level of the world's oceans increases, some island nations may drown and disappear, including Taiwan. Environmental protection is everybody's business. We should obey policies given by the government, make an effort to protect our environment and keep a clean place for ourselves and for our offspring. Don't let Taiwan disappear. Get up and protect our homeland---Taiwan.

¡¡On Marriage£¨ÂÛ»éÒö£©Îâ´«ÕÕ

Marriage is a gamble. I may have a wife whose personality corresponds to mine but I also may have a wife who only cares about herself and can't tolerate my shortcomings. if my wife is the latter kind, quarrels will become routine. It is not warmth and love that fill the home, but eternal complaints and even hatred divorce will become the only thing that can put an end to our mutual bitterness.

I will do my best to make my marriage a happy one. Although I may feel depressed and discouraged, I will spare no effort maintain a happy marriage. I will choose my wife based not only on appearance but also on character. After we get married, I will tolerate her weaknesses and appreciate her strength. I will show more concern, affection and love for her than she shows for me. Marriage is a gamble, but we still have a chance of winning a big prize.

¡¡What I Would Do If the Joint College Entrance Examination Were Abolished ÇñÖÇΰ

If the Joint College Entrance Examination were abolished, the first thing I would like to do is finish my translation of Oscar Wilde's play, "The Importance of Being Earnest." I've been working on it for quite a while, but the Joint College Entrance Examination prevented me from finishing it.

At first, I started on my translation just to see if I could do it. Besides, I've seen the play on stage and liked it very much. During my translation, I began to take pleasure in trying to complete something I've never done before. It was fun! Sometimes I'd come across more complicated sentences, but I would not give them up until I had the best translation. Then I knew why the ancient Greek scholar cried, "Eureka! I've found it!" In addition to the pleasure, both my English and Chinese have improved. I forced myself to consult every dictionary I have to find the best definition of a word. I even had to look up the historical backgrounds in the library! But the whole work was worthwhile. I hope to engage in lingual studies in the future. Although the translation was just for fun, I've learn two secrets of success---work and patience. No matter what I might become, I know that these two secrets will always be my guide---as long as I keep them in mind.

The Business LetterÉÌÒµÊéÐÅ

The business letter is the principal means used by a business firm to keep in touch with its customers; often enough it is the only one and customers form their impressions of the firm from the tone and quality of the letters it sends out. Business does not call for the elegant language of the poet, but it does require us to express ourselves accurately in plain language secret of good business letter writing is to write simply, in an easy and natural way----like one friendly human being talking to another. In other words, try to make your letters sound as much as possible like good conversation.

The Basketball GameÀºÇòÈü

The game was scheduled to start at start at eight o'clock on Friday night. Long before that, people began to arrive at the gymnasium. By seven-thirty the seats were almost filled. The school band was there; they wore yellow and black uniforms. They started to play at about a quarter to eight. Everybody stood up, and the people sang. The game was about to start. Two teams ran out to the floor. The referee blew his whistle, and the game started. A basketball game is divided into two halves, and each half is divided into two quarters. There is a rest period between the halves. During the first five minutes of the second half, the score was tied. From then on, the game was very exciting. First one team made a basket, then the other. The people cheered, and everybody was wondering which team was going to win. The ball hit the rim of the basket and seemed to hang there for a moment, and then it fell through the basket. The whistle blew and the game was over. Home team won, 70 to 68.

A Bible StoryÒ»ÔòÊ¥¾­¹ÊÊÂ

God, a Bible story says, told Noah there would, be a great flood. He told him to build a big boat. Or ark and to put on it a pair of every kind of animal on earth. Noah built the ark. He and his family and all the animals went aboard and lived on the ark during the flood. After the rains had stopped Noah sent a dove away from the ark. The dove brought back an olive twig. Then Noah knew that some trees were no longer covered with water. Soon the ark came to rest on a mountain.

My ChildhoodÎÒµÄͯÄê

I grew up in a small village. I am the second child of the family, and my sister is the eldest. Our house is on the main street of the village so I always saw a lot of people on the streets There were farmers, farmers, fishermen, and a few merchants in the village. My sister and I used to play with the next-door children; their father is an elementary school teacher. Sometimes when we played together in the house we made so much noise that my mother wanted us to play outside, so we went to the seashore to look for crabs and clams, and pretty seashells, too. Also, we enjoyed running on the beach chasing each other. On breezy days we used to enjoy flying kites on the beach. When I look back on my early life in the village, I feel I had a happy childhood.

Chinese Opera¹ú¾ç

Chinese Peiping opera represents a form of the theatrical art much different from that of the West. Peiping opera is characterized by historical and moral symbolism, elaborate costumes, pantomime, acrobatics, and stunning music Opera fans are devotees of the art who never tire of seeing the same play repeated. Only the Armed Forces Cultural Activities Center offers regular programs daily at 7:30 p.m. Other theatres like Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall or the Art House give irregular performances.

ChristmasÊ¥µ®½Ú

The name Christmas is short for "Christ's Mass,'' A Mass is a kind of church service. Christmas is a religious festival. It is the day we celebrate as the birthday of Jesus. There are special Christmas services in Christian churches all over the world. But many of the festivities of Christmas do not have anything to do with religion. Exchanging gifts and sending Christmas cards are modern ways of making the Christmas season merry.

Christmas DayÒ®µ®ÈÕ

My family is Christian. This means that Christmas is a very special day us. This day is a national holiday, but in Taiwan families celebrate it in many different ways. Usually on Christmas eve we attend the midnight Mass in our neighborhood church. The church has many beautiful flowers and the choir sings Christmas songs. In the morning on Christmas day we open presents next to our Christmas tee. We decorate our tree about three weeks before, and one week after New Year's Day we remove it. On Christmas day, we usually wear our newest and prettiest clothes for pictures of the family. Also, we always get a very special and delicious dinner. In other words, we have a merry Christmas every year.

The CircusÂíÏ·ÍÅ

I saw a big tent with many flags flying around it and a big sign in front giving the performance times and fees. This was the first circus I heard of in Taiwan, so our family all went there one weekend. There were acrobats, trapeze performers, a bareback horse rider, and trained animals. There were special stunts high in the air-such stunts as walking on a tightrope and riding a bicycle along a high wire. Also, there were some clowns with a big red nose who made everyone laugh. They also had tigers leap through loops of fire. Everyone was excited and happy with the two hours' show, and probably next year I will go to see the circus again if there is one.

ClothingÒÂ×Å

Until very recently it was possible to use only natural materials of various kinds for the making of clothing. Both plants and animals supply these natural materials. From plants we get cotton and linen. From animals we get such materials as wool, silk, leather, and furs. Modern man now has cloth which is made synthetically. In 1884 the first artificial fiber was made, called artificial silk, Rayon, nylon and dacron are best-known products developed later

CommunicationͨѶ

When men began to like together in small communities, they it was necessary to find ways of sending messages from one community to another. Even in earliest times there were several different ways this could be done. Really rapid communication was not possible until electricity was put to work. In 1844 the first electric telegraph was constructed. Thirty years later the telephone was invented. Soon a whole succession of inventions was produced: the wireless telegraph and the radio, the motion picture, and television. Earth satellites today bring valuable information almost instantaneously to our homes by means of electrical signals.

Confucius¿××Ó

Twenty-five hundred years ago life in China was very hard. Most of the people were hopelessly poor. Into these times one of China's great leaders was born. He was Confucius. Confucius came from a noble family, but his parents were poor. His father died when Confucius was only three years old. The boy was a good and obedient son to his mother. He grew up to be quiet, thoughtful, and studious. As Confucius watched the people around him, he became eager to help them. At last he left his family and started out his students to be honest and kind, and to honor their parents. He taught them that a good man never lets himself get angry. Many of his savings were gathered together and written down. One of his famous savings is "Do not do to others what you do not wish others to do to you. " For years he wandered from province to province spreading his ideas to all who would listen to him.

Confucius' Temple¿×Ãí

Memorial services are held in honor of Confucius annually on September 28. Also, this day is referred to as teachers' bay. Confucius never pretended to be more than an ordinary man during his lifetime. But after he died great temples were built to him. Just in Taiwan, there are six Confucian temples, including Tainan's Confucian temple, the earliest one, and Taichung's Confucian Temple, the latest. If you visit the Confucian Temple in Taipei, you will see a wooden tablet hanging in the middle of the wall which reads: "Teaching without Class Distinction. "This tablet honors Confucius as the first person who brought knowledge previously reserved for the ruling class to the common men of the country.

The Department Store°Ù»õ¹«Ë¾

During the hot summer we often go to the department store to enjoy the air-conditioning, to window-shop, and to see people. Taipei has a lot of new department stores throughout the city, and each one is a little different from the others. Some department stores are very large and some smaller. Some are quite far from our house and two are very close. There are a bowling alley, a children's playground, a supermarket, and movie theatres in some large department stores. In a department store you can buy a box of candy, a book, a dress, a washing machine, an electric toy train, a big armchair, a diamond ring, a set of fine china, and hundreds of other items. Department stores make shopping easy. There are elevators and escalators to carry customers from floor to floor. There are rest rooms and restaurants to help you spend long hours shop-ping in the department store.

Giving directionsÖ¸µã·×Ó

Last weekend when I was on the street a Foreigner stopped me to ask directions. Even Though I listen to the English radio station quite Often, but when the man spoke I still had trouble Listening to him; he spoke so fast! I was so excited And nervous that I to k a long breath before I could answer. Actually my mouth could not talk fast enough for all the words going through my head. I took my pen and a piece of paper out to draw a rough map for him. After a few short remarks of thanks and courtesies he took my map and left. Everything took place within ten minutes, but I felt this short exchange was the opening of a bright new world to me.

Out Dog, BennyÎҼҵĹ·~±öÄá

Benny was just one month old when we Bought him home. When we spoke to him, he always looked at us with his big intelligent eyes and wagged his tail. As he got older he spent longer hours outside. He would often sit or lie down next to a large evergreen tree in the front yard watching the traffic and people go by. He was a quite dog most of the time except when he saw a stranger. Just a few years ago, Benny died in his sleep at the age of fourteen. In many ways he was one of us.

Going to Feed the DucksιѼ×Ó

Not very far from our house there is a small River that has many wild ducks. The ducks are very colorful during the spring mating season. Male ducks have multiple colors of green. Gray, Red, and blue; the female ducks are brown all the Year round. This section of the river is also part Of a small island park where people picnic and Play ball. Wooden tables and chairs, metal boxes For cooking, and big trash cans are available. Sometimes the ducks will leave the water and walk ashore looking for food among the picnic Grounds. Quite often my sister and I like to Bring old bread there to feed the ducks. If is really a very peaceful place to relax and play, And study, too.

The Fire»ðÔÖ

There was a big fire in one office building in our neighborhood at about nine4 o'clock last night. Many firemen and fire engines came. In the beginning, we saw flames with thick black smoke coming out from the sixth floor; and we also heard the explosion of the gas tank mixed with the noisy sounds from shattering windows. Soon the fire spread one by one to the floors above, and finally reach the top floor. Some aluminum window frames and some brick walls meted and collapsed from the heat. Many people like myself stood outside on the streets watching the fire in horror as we heard the sirens and gas explosions. Luckily there was no one in that office building when the fire broke out. The fire-men were unable to control the fire until the top floor was burned out; it took about one and a half hours for the firemen to put out the big fire. The next morning newspapers carried the story and pictures of the fire.

Folk Dancing.ÍÁ·çÎè

My sister belongs to a folk dancing club in college. They meet twice a week at night. Their club has about thirty members from varying classes and departments. All the members love to dance because it is good exercise and fun. Also by studying folk dance they get to know each belong to this club, and they study together, too. My sister seems quite happy with her life in college, but she always says that college education is much more than folk dancing or going on a picnic; there are lots of serious things to learn.

My Friend Hsiao-mei(Little-Plum)ÎÒµÄÅóÓÑС÷

Whenever I have a party, Hsiao-mei is always the first person I invite. She is such fun. I know that she will be able to make my other guests laugh. She does not get upset if somebody tries to tease or make fun of her, either. Hsiao-mei can also be very serious and can discuss almost anything you can think of. If it gets late before the party ends, I can always depend on Hsiao-mei to clean up the house. She never says no, even if she is very tired and would rather go straight home to bed.

¡¡The Fox and the Grapes ºüÀêºÍÆÏÌÑ

Some of the stories we know and like are many hundreds of years old. Among them are Aesop's fables. A fable is a short story made up to teach a lesson. Most fables are about animals. In them animals talk. Many of our common sayings come from fables. "Sour Grapes" is one of them. It comes from the fable "The Fox and the Grapes." In the story a fox saw a bunch of grapes hanging from a vine. They looked ripe and good to eat. But they were rather high. He jumped and jumped, but he could not reach them. At last he gave up. As he went away he said. "Those grapes were sour anyway." Now we say, "Sour Grapes!" when someone pretends he does not want something he tried to get but couldn't.

.The Grand HotelԲɽ·¹µê

From the freeway you will see the beautiful looking buildings set high on the on the green mountain in the suburb of Taipei. The Chinese-style architecture of the Grand Hotel is very colorful; it has been ranked as one of the world's top ten. The lobby is very large, and the roof has hand- carved wooden panels; the supporting columns are colorfully painted. The most impressive item in the lobby is the large, beautiful, all-marble staircase that comes down from the second floor on two sides of the lobby; a huge bronze wall painting separates the two staircases. Standing in the lobby you feel as if you have walked into a king's palace because of so many beautiful things around you.

My Grandmother's First Trip on the FreewayÄÌÄ̳õ×߸ßËÙ¹«Â·

Usually my grandmother comes to Shanghai on a slow train three or four times a year. She is eighty-three years old and still very healthy and active. Her eyes and mind are still as clear and fast as her small great-grandchildren. One day we agreed to go home with my grandmother by car on the freeway. She was very excited and kept talking about everything she saw and heard. She talked about the flowers on the small bushes we passed and how smooth the car ride was. She commented about the toll charge and that the freeway was the best road she had traveled on in her life. By the time she got home she was still talking about how fast she got home.

My Great- Grand fatherÔø×游

I have two great-grandfathers, one from my mother's side. My father's grandfather is now97 years old and lives. In Toufen Although his eyesight and hearing is poor, his mind Is still sharp and clear. He always asks each visitor many pertinent questions and shares his ideas and opinions. He often talks with a loud voice and with much enthusiasm and energy. He can remember all He can remember all the names of his relatives and friends. In his youth he was trained to be a medical doctor; through his life he was an avid reader.

Great-Grandfather YeeÓàÍâÔø×游

Great-grandfather Yee is my mother's grand-Father. He was the third son of the family. His Father was a railroad worker in the United States In the 1580's.Famine, poverty, and political Unrest in Mainland China spurred many Chinese To California. And stories of jobs, gold, and rich Fertile farming land spread fast at home in China. Consequently, many people wanted to come to The United States. At the age of 17 my great-Grandfather and his three brothers and friends Sailed across the Pacific Ocean in one small Chinese boat. He returned to China only three Times and only for a brief interval. He had Kung-Fu and often told us of his life. He had Great pride in being independent his eyes Weakened as he got older. One day he fell down From stairs, and he died in the hospital at the age Of 88. He loved to laugh and play in small Children's games. This is how I remember him with warmth.

My HometownÎÒ³öÉúµÄ´åÂä

I come from a very small village on the west Coast of Zhejiang I usually go by a slow train, and it is about four from Hangzhou. The villagers are mostly fishermen and farmers. The downtown of the village is two streets perpendicular to each other. Life in the village is Very slow and very simple; when you, and some-times you stop to visit. Most people are either very old or very young because the big cities to work. Small children always run in the streets without shoes, and chicken, geese, ducks, turkeys. It is very peaceful here.

Invitation LetterÑûÇ뺯

January 15, 1981

Dear Tien- Tien (Sweet-Sweet),

How are you? Have you made any plans for The winter vacation yet? I have been thinking of Going to the east coast and staying in Hualien for two days. How about joining me? We could Make it an around-the-island tour. If time is Short, we could fly down to Hualien and then Take the train back along the eastern coast. There Will be lots of beautiful scenic spots for pictures! Give me a call or write me a note as soon as you decide.

Yours affectionately,

Mary

To Fly a Kite·Å·çóÝ

I brought a big red bird-shaped kite and my Two small cousins, aged four and tow, to Fudan University campus. We found An open space away from telephone poles and lines and trees. It was 8 o' clock in the morning and not very sunny; the wind was moderate. After the first few attempts to get the kite to fly I discovered how amateur I really was. I was at the To realize this was going to be a long trial-and- Error process. By ten-thirty, at last I was at the Height of my glory: the kite was sailing upward And away as far as my string could go. And both children were dancing, yelling, and clapping around me. I had gotten the kite up, but I did not steer it well and the wind blew it down toward the roof of a school building. Finally my string broke, and we all went home.

Lion Head Mountainʨͷɽ

We took the train to Chunan and then took The bus to Lion Head Mountain. First we visited Some relatives who lived nearby. Later we walked Up the connecting stairways to visit each temple. There are lots of Buddist temples built into the Sides and tops of the mountain. In one of the Biggest temples, we saw quite a few pilgrims who Came here directly from the base of the mountain By bus. However, most tourists we saw just like Us came to climb this mountain and take some Pictures of the scenery. By the time we were on Top of the mountain, it was interesting to see that it was very windy on one side of the mountain, but on the other side there was no wind at all; I guessed it would not be that way Everyday. It was about a four hours' walk for The whole trip. We really had plenty of exercise, And fresh air, too.

The Magic ShellÉñÆæµÄ±´¿Ç

At the beach I found a magic shell, so I brought it home in my pail; and I kept it up on my top bookshelf right under the picture whale. And now, whenever I wish I were back there by the shining sea, I hold the shell up close to my ear, till it brings the beach to me: all the hushing sound and the rushing sound of the seashore winds and waves are caught in my shell that I brought home.

Mailing a Letter¼ÄÐÅ

All large cities around the world have many post offices located throughout the city, and even the smallest village has at least one postal station. You may go to a post office to mail a letter. However, there are mail boxes located on every second or third corner in all cities and towns. Any letter or small package having sufficient postage may be dropped in any of these mail boxes. If a person wishes a letter to be delivered more quickly to the address, he may buy a special delivery stamp and delivery is made directly by the messenger instead of by the regular carrier.

Marco Polo and the Burning Rock Âí¿É²¨ÂÞºÍȼÉÕµÄʯͷ

Marco Polo had many wonderful stories to Tell when he came home to Venice from China More than 600 years ago. One of his stories was that. The Chinese used a kind of black rock as fuel. Not many people believed him. Whoever heard of burning rock£¿ Bur mow so much. Whoever black rock is burned that it keeps thousands of people busy digging it out of the ground. The black rock, of course, is coal.

Going to the Market ÉϲËÊг¡

My mother goes to the market to buy us fresh meat, fish, fruit, and vegetables every other day. The market, which is a medium size one, is a ten minutes' walk from our house. Besides buying groceries, my mother likes to watch the other shoppers around her. Sometimes she sees old friends and stops to talk to them. Sometimes she eats a snack at one of a great many street booths there. Mostly my mother hopes to find a nice sale on a good many items peddlers display on the ground. Due to economic prosperity of the country many families like ours have money to buy small luxuries that the older generation did not see twenty years ago. My mother usually spends two hours at the market. Then she comes home to prepare lunch. After a morning shopping, she is always in a good mood.

Matsu, Goddess of the Seaº£ÉÏÅ®Éñ~Âè×æ

My hometown has very large temple for Matsu, the Goddess of the Sea. Since the villagers are mostly farmers and fishermen, the holiday for Matsu is very important. Everyone tries to participate in the festivities of that day. Very early in the morning large drums will sound the beginning of the parade of gods coming to the temple to pay homage to Matsu. Children and adults line up along the streets to watch the parade, and some people pray as each god passes their house. Firecrackers sound in front of the procession as a sign of welcome. Many round tables with food are offered to the gods. That afternoon and evening there will be a Puppet show and a Chinese opera show to help celebrate the holiday. I enjoy going home to see the celebration of Matsu's birthday.

Mirrors Are FunnyÓÐȤµÄ¾µ×Ó

Mirrors are funny - when I look in mine, I always see someone who is looking just fine. Though people insist that my hair is not combed, And my face is not clean; that is not like theSomeone I always have seen! They say, 'stand Up straight!' and, 'stop frowning like that!' and, 'Here, let me brush the dry mud from your hat!'and, 'if you could see yourself, I will tell you, Miss - you surely would try to do better thanthis! Go look in the mirror!' I do. And in mine I always see someone who is looking just fine. Do you think, if I tiptoe when I go upstairs, and look in the mirror when it is unaware - I will see what they see?

The Mongooseֿ̬

Many years ago I read a delightful story called ''Rikki - tikki - tavi'' by Rudyard Kipling, an English writer. It was about a mongoose that killed a king cobra to save the lives of his human family. The king cobra is one of the most poisonous snakes in the world. A mongoose is not immune to the poison of snakes. It simply takes care not to be bitten. It can move so fast that it is able to get out of the way as a snake strikes. Snakes are not the only animals a mongoose kills. It also kills rats, mice, and many other kinds of small animals. Often I wish I had a mongoose living in my garden like Kipling's story!

Moon FestivalÖÐÇï½Ú

The Moon Festival or Mid -autumn Festival is one of the three major traditional festivals celebrated by Chinese people. Like harvest time in other countries, the Mid-autumn Festival actually began as a thanksgiving celebration, honoring the Soil God and the Crop God. This is also a time for family reunions. Chinese people enjoy moon cakes during this feast just as they eat rice dumplings for the Dragon Boat Festival. It is quite appropriate to bring moon cakes with you in token of festival greetings when calling on people during this season.

The Morning Dew³¿Â¶

On sunshiny summer mornings the grass is often wet with dew. There may be drops of dew on flowers and bushes, and spider webs , too. The drops of dew sparkle like jewels when the sun shines on them. Drops of dew look like drops of rain, but they do not fall from clouds as raindrops do. They are formed from the water vapor in the air when moist air strikes a cold object. Dew does not stay on very long after the sun comes up. The grass and other things on which the dew has formed soon get warm Then the dew changes into water vapor again This same water vapor may become dew again the next night if the weather is calm and fair.

Just Before The Rain FallsÏÂÓêÇ°

The wind comes up, bending the trees in a rhythm against the sky. There is a darkening, as if the sky were poising itself. Fat, grayish clouds scud across the sky. A boy looks up from his play at the trees which are no longer making a noise. He feels something light and wet on his arm. And then it begins to rain like hell.

Morning ShowerÔçÉÏÁÜÔ¡£¨¹²Æª£©

(1)A nice cool shower first thing in the morning wakes me up completely and leaves me refreshed. Before taking the shower, I am usually so sleepy that I can hardly open my eyes. As soon as I splash cold water over my face and body, I wake up with a pleasurable sensation. Then, as I stand there under the gushing showerhead, feeling the coolness of water over my body and listening to the sound of water gurgling down the drain, I feel totally refreshed and relaxed. I enjoy taking morning showers. It is the best way I know to get the day off to a good start.

(2)She was taking a morning shower. The warm spray from the showerhead danced on her hair and foamed down her body. Steam came up and soon the bathroom was foggy. She closed her eyes, feeling the foams covering her body with thousand of kisses. In the sunbeams that streamed in through the only window, water drops glittered like morning dews. A cool wind rushed in. She looked out the window. Some leaves were falling. "It must be autumn!" She murmured to herself. She stood motionless. There was no sound except that of water gurgling down the drain.

(3)Every morning, as soon as the alarm clock wakes me up, I get out of bed and go into the bathroom, sleepy-eyed. After taking off my clothes, I rub my body to stimulate circulation. Then I turn the faucet on. A hissing avalanche of water foams down my body in cold sheets. I close my eyes, not thinking about anything, so that I can better enjoy the cool sensation and pleasurable prickliness of the cold spray. I stay this way for about two minutes. When I finish, I dry myself with a towel, put on my clothes and step out of the bathroom refreshed and relaxed.

Sunday AfternoonÖÜÈÕÏÂÎç

Hank Borsini is balding, overweight, and a little puffy under the chin. But most all he is fifty-five and has nothing to do on Sunday afternoon. His kids are grown up and on their own. His lawn has already been fertilized, watered, mowed and edged. He is tired of watching TV and reading the Sunday newspaper. So finally he wanders toward a tavern just down the block around the corner. There the music is loud and brazen. There the world will begin to brighten momentarily with a beer of two. There he can waste time with other middle-aged men who also have nothing to do.

My SchoolÎÒµÄѧУ£¨¹²Æª£©

(1)There is no need for you to guess what my school is if I only tell you that my uniform is green. My school is famous for its members' accomplishments in many areas. All the students are friendly, hard-working and, I believe, happy. When you walk around the schoolyard, you will be able to breathe fresh air, which is more precious than gold in the heart of Taipei, and enjoy the lovely plants which we constantly water with love. Besides books and glassed, my school is also full of young girls' sweet smiles and all kinds of lively activities. Welcome to Taipei First Girls' High School!

(2)My school lies in a peaceful and quiet place off the city. It has many beautiful buildings and a playground. There are sixty classes and each class has about fifty students or so. Our classes start at 7:30 in the morning and end at 4:30 in the afternoon. My school was founded fifty years ago. It has produced many excellent graduates who have contributed a great deal to our country. I am proud to be a student of this school.

(3)In September, 1978, I entered Ching-mei Girls' High School and have since led a life not so much happy as disciplined. My school is located on the southern fringe of Taipei city, between Ta-chun Hill on the east and a gurgling brook which flows to its west. The campus consists of a big lawn, a broad playground, a long but narrow lily pond, and many buildings. One of the buildings, the auditorium, is noted for its grand architecture and colorful decorations. In two and a half years at Ching-mei High School, I have learned most from military training, which taught me the value of discipline. It has really exercised my body, cultivated my mind and even given me a new view of life--to live is to fight.

(4)My school is located beside Kaohsiung Railroad Station. Practically no one thinks it is a good location for a school. But it makes no difference to us, for we are all concentrated while the teachers are lecturing. Our teachers are full of knowledge and enthusiasm. And all the members of my school are as close as a family. The buildings of my school are old but beautiful. We also have a great playground for us to play football, baseball, basketball and so on. May be that's why we are always in good shape. It's so nice to be a student of my school--Kaohsiung High School. Long live Kaohsiung High School!

(5)My school is situated in the heart of Taichung City. It is small in size but well equipped and well staffed. Besides studying, we participate in various extracurricular activities, such as speech contests, singing, visits to orphanages, etc. That's why girls here are not only bright but also active and lovely. As part of a project to update the teaching facilities, a new multi-purpose building is now under construction in our school. It will be finished before our graduation. This is really an exciting news to us. Maybe I won't have a chance to study in the new building. but it is certain that the campus will be more beautiful than ever. So if you have a chance to visit Taichung, be sure to visit our school-Taichung Girls' High School.

I Am Not Going to Give up on CompositionÎÒ²»»á·ÅÆú×÷ÎÄ£¨¹²Æª£©

(1)The decision to include English composition in the college entrance examination was really a great shock to me and many other high school students. However, this doesn't mean that I am going to give up on composition. On the contrary, I am going to meet challenge head-on. In the very competitive examination, even one mark is important, so how can I give up twenty marks, which is what composition takes up in advance? To prepare for composition, I have made up a new study plan. To begin with, I read two essays in English every day to pick up new words and new expressions. And then I review my grammar in order to avoid making grammatical mistakes in my writing. Finally, I practice writing composition once a week. I believe this a good plan; it will surely help me do well on composition.

(2)I have tried my best to prepare for English composition ever since the news that it will be included in the coming college entrance examination came out. So I am not going to give up on composition. For many years the improper way of studying English has resulted in many Chinese students' inability to speak or write anything in English, although they have received good grades on examinations. The inclusion of composition in the college entrance examination will, I believe, do a good deal toward getting the teaching of English onto the right track. Still, composition greatly worries me, for we are the first to have to face it. The only thing I can do is to spend more time to practice writing.

(3)I am not going to give up on composition, though there are only a few months left for me to prepare for this year's examination. The announcement by the Ministry of Education that English composition will be included in the joint university entrance examination from this year on does not make me worried, for I have learned to express myself in English. I take it for granted that practice makes perfect. I have great confidence in myself. It is impossible for me to give up on composition.

(4)Ever since the Ministry of Education decided that English composition should form a part of the college entrance examination, most high school students, especially those who are taking the examination this summer, have been worried. I am worried too, but I am not going to give up on it. I have made a plan; and I am sure if I carry it out, I shall not do too badly on the composition part. From now on, I will do some reading every day. And as I read, I will pay close attention to sentence structures and the correct use of words and idioms. In the meantime, I will write something in English, too, every day. It may be a paragraph or just a few sentences. But when I write, I shall try to use the words, phrases, idioms and sentence structures I have come across in my reading. Thus, constantly reading and writing, I shall learn to write more fluently and idiomatically. And when the time comes for me to take the examination, I shall not be afraid.

.My Grandfather's Death£¨ÎÒ×游֮ËÀ£©

It was a piercingly cold wintry night. The clock on the wall had just stroked three. Suddenly, the telephone rang screechily. Frightened by this seemingly ominous ring, everyone in my uncle's awakened with hearts throbbing violently. From the other end of the telephone line, my brother sobbed to announce surprising news: my grandfather had hung himself. Empty in my brain and at a loss, I hurried back home with my uncle and my sister. Rushing into my house, I saw my grandfather's cotton quilt covering his whole body. Perhaps because of the way he died, his death made me ambivalent, thinking of him and yet dreading him more.

In the first year after he passed away, the feeling of losing something immediately hit me as soon as I went back home. The strong desire to see him again caught me tightly. I could not accept the truth of his death in feeling as well as in reason. Nevertheless, every time midnight drew near, dread always expanded in my heart because the legend about the return of a soul flashed into my brain. I was sorry to have that dread, but I could not restrain it at all.

His death also gave me many nightmares, in which he always appeared in dire forms. In a dream, I was frightened by his green and pale face twice its normal size showing outside of our window and presenting the desire to come in. In another dream, when I came out of the toilet, his poker face suddenly emerged from underground and surrounded my feet, which made cold perspiration seep out of my pores. Once I dreamed he was resurrected for a period of time, but he needed to report his arrival to the Lord of Hell at the end of the time. In addition, I dreamed I was curious to open a gunny sack, which did not belong to us, and found my grandfather's corpse inside.

my grandfather took care of us like a mother and cultivated us like a father. I can never stop missing him, but I was really frightened by the manner of his death.

Ò»¶Î¼ÒÍ¥µÄ±äǨA Change in the Family

After reading Chia Pien£¨¼Ò±ä£©¡¾ A Change in the Family ¡¿ by Wang Wen-hsing, many people are angry with the protagonist and even have the impulse to beat him because they can not endure his manner of treating his father. Though the protagonist is not a dutiful son, his performance, a reaction based on his father's sordid actions and his lack of rights in his family, is not yet as unreasonable and unfilial as young readers may think.

His performance is not incomprehensible if we understand his father first of all. In his child's mind, his father was a great man because of being well-educated in France. After growing up he finds his father is just a rough guy, and his French educational background is a great lie. Besides, other bad deeds impress him so much, for example, stealing his mother's dowry, cursing colleagues behind their backs, kneeling down in front of his mother without even doing anything wrong. Those discoveries result in his changing his view of his father from heroic adoration to complete despair.

Thus, his violent speeches reveal an intense mental imbalance, which derives from knowing clearly about his father's falsehood, irresponsibility, cowardliness, and narrow-mind. It is unfair to ask the protagonist to be filial regardless of whether his father deserves that devotion or not.

Furthermore, the protagonist's behavior reflects more than a superficially ethical problem; behind the unrespectful performance is the protest of his rights being invaded. Through his wrathful words, he intends to expose a tradition existing constantly in the Chinese family: overemphasizing filial piety has deprived children of being themselves. It is not correct at all for parents to interrupt children's study to ask them to clean, fetch something, or question them, as his parents did. Without any reason except for being children, should children be faithful audiences of their parents' quarrels, and should their opinions be denied or put into secondary consideration?

If children have violent protest as the protagonist does, those people brainwashed by tradition will charge them with being offenders against filial piety. Afraid of this censure, most children would rather suppress their won needs than strive for their rights. In fact, the protagonist plays the role of a rebel who goes against the unreasonable oppression of human rights more than that of an unreasonable son.

The protagonist, reacting to his father's performance and his own need for human rights, does not necessarily deserve as much censure as many readers think.

ÉÏѧ;ÖÐ On My Way to School

Since my school is not far from where I live. I often walk to school. Along the way, I can see many interesting things. Right after I step out of my house, I can see many elderly people jogging around. As I pass the park, I see some people doing tai chi. Occasionally, I may also find a few students of my age who are reciting lessons while walking along.

Morning is a precious time to plan for the day. I am proud of being a member of those early risers and of spending as much time as I can equipping myself for a better tomorrow.

ʱ¼ä Time£¨¶þƪ£©

Lost time is never found again. This is something which I learned very clearly last semester. I spent so much time fooling around that my grades began to suffer. I finally realized that something had to be done. It was time for a change.

Now I have a new plan for using my time wisely. I have set my alarm clock ahead half an hour. This will give me a head start on the day. I have also decided to keep a log of what I do and when I do it. Looking back on what I've done will give me some ideas on how to reorganize my time.

Lost time is never found again. But many people often neglect time and waste it. People regard the proverb "Time is money" as a formula. In truth, we can earn the lost money again but can't find the lost time any more. Time is much more precious than money. If we treasure money, we should treasure time more.

Now I have a new plan for using my time wisely. I am a student, and all I have to do is read books and get knowledge from books. When I am waiting for the bus every morning, I can read a book or remember some English words. At night, when I go to the bed but can't fall asleep soon, I can review what I have read during the day. Although I like to watch TV, I won't watch vulgar programs to consume my precious time. I must make the most of my time now lest I should regret in the future.

ÎÒÈçºÎ¶È¹ý×òÒ¹ How I Spent Yesterday Evening

Knowing that I was to take the Joint College Entrance Examination today, I got the jitters last night. Noticing my anxiety, my parents told me some jokes in the hope of calming me down.

After dinner, I tried to take in all the vocabulary and mathematical formulas but it seemed that I couldn't memorize any. I then decided to retire early to have a good night's sleep, but I tossed around in bed all night. Just when I began to feel drowsy, the clock struck six and it was time to get up.



In my opinion, the schoolwork now being assigned to high school students is too heavy. While it is true that students need to study, they need other things as well if they are to grow into healthy and well-rounded adults. High should be allowed more time for play. Plying is not wasting time, as some think. It gives them physical exercise, and also exercise their imagination. Which tends to be stifled by too much study. Finally, the pressure put on high school students by excessive schoolwork can cause serious stress, which is unhealthy physically and mentally. I do not advocate the elimination of schoolwork. I do think, however, that a reduction of the current heavy load would be beneficial to students and to the society as a whole.

Even as a child I had a musical bent, and enjoyed playing the piano. In high school I dreamed of playing the guitar in a rock band, but because of the pressure of schoolwork, I never had enough time to practice, nor did any of my classmates.

Once I enter college, however, I intend to devote more time to my personal interests, especially music. Perhaps I'll be able to get together with other schoolmates of similar disposition, and finally form the band I've always dreamed of.

My mother's birthday had rolled around again and, as usual, I didn't know what to buy her. So I just took the bus to the shopping district and started poking around the shops and boutiques.

Nothing caught my eye until I spotted a lovely jade pin in a jeweler's window. In a casual manner, I strolled in and inquired about pins. But the clever salesclerk soon realized which item I wanted. It took a lot of hard bargaining to get the price down to a level I could afford. Even though I think I paid too much, it's really a lovely piece and my mother was delighted.

˵Ã÷Ê÷ľ¶ÔÈËÀàµÄÖØÒª (1)Trees are closely associated with a happy human life. In the first place, they serve to protect our environment. Without them, soil would slide into the rivers, causing floods or droughts. Since they re lease oxygen, trees the rivers, causing floods of droughts. Since they re lease oxygen, trees help purify our air. The greenness of trees adds to the beauty of the surroundings we live in.

To protect trees, we deem it necessary for the government to en act strict laws to prevent illegal felling of these precious natural re sources. Besides, new trees should be continuously planted in place of those which have died. If everyone loved trees, our world would be far more beautiful than it is now.

(2)No one can live without trees around him. Trees can not only protect soil and water from being lost because of heavy rain and storms, but also beautify our lovely earth. When we enjoy wandering in the forest or watching the mountain covered with green trees, we feel a heart content as well as to the eyes.

Seeing that trees are so important in human lives, we can't destroy them in order to get more land to build factories or dams; instead, the government should institute laws to protect them. Besides, all of us ought to love these green scenes by true feeling, and then out country and world will be a beautiful green paradise in the future.

£¨ÐðÊöÒ°Éú¶¯ÎïÔâÀÄɱ¼°ÈçºÎ±£»¤Ò°Éú¶¯Î

(1)It is known to everyone that the unrestrained slaughter of wild animals has diminished the number of some endangered species. More and more species are being driven to extinction every year. It is terrible to think that magnificent animals are being sacrificed to human vanity

There are already laws enacted to prevent the importation of rare animals and the products made from their flesh, skin and bones.

These laws must be strictly enforced. Violators of these laws must be severely punished .Moreover, the public must be informed about the natural treasures we stand to lose .If we don't take immediate action, we will be depriving future generations of our most precious heritage.

(2)Because most people do not understand the importance of wildlife, the wildlife is in a poor situation. We Chinese are fond of eating anything delicious, so there are many animals killed by hunters. People enjoy eating tigers, bears, birds, and lions, so there are fewer and fewer birds flying in the sky and fewer and fewer bears running here and there in the forest. Instead, we often see them for sale at the market. How poor they are! And how cruel we are!

In my opinion, we should try every possible way to preserve wildlife. First, no one is allowed to hurt any wild animal. Second, the authorities concerned should punish those who kill any wild animal. Third, we should pay more attention to those endangered species to protect them from being eaten. If we can do so, nature must become very beautiful.

ÐðÊöÖÓ±í¶ÔÎÒÃÇÉú»îµÄÖØÒªÐÔ¼°Ì¸Ì¸Äã×îϲ»¶µÄÖÓ±í¹²¶þƪ

It goes without saying that punctuality is utmost importance in our hectic daily lives. Consequently, you will find that almost every one owns either a watch or a clock. Besides function of helping us keep time, watches and clocks act as reminders for people to cherish and make full use of their time.

When I was only seven, my father bought me my first watch as a birthday present. It was an ordinary looking watch but it worked very well I loved it very much and showed it off it classmates because it was the first watch that I owned. I felt as if it grew up with me sharing all my ups and downs To this day it remains my favorite watch and I still keep in my drawer because it reminds me of my loving father who always stressed the importance of time.

A watch is used to tell the time. It reminds you of the importance of making right use of your time. With the watch, you may be economical of your time. And then you will have the best achievements on the day.

It was when I entered junior high school that I got the first watch, which was given by my mother. I will never forget how excited I was when I got it. My mother just told me to cherish it because she spent quite a lot of money on it. Though I have changed several watches since then, I still believe that it is the watch I like best.

Near-sightedness is a serious problem among the youth of our country. As we all know, almost eight out of ten high school students are near-sighted. It's amazing that the situation is going from bad to worse. It is time that we took the problem seriously.

I have some suggestions for solving this problem. For our part ,we students and watching TV or reading in bad light. The Ministry of Education can do its part by changing out curricula in order to lighten our heavy workload and reducing the number of tests and exams. And last but not least. They should make sure that all classrooms are well lit I believe that only through concerted deal with this problem.

My Favorite Hobby (1)

My favorite hobby is listening to music. When I am tired of studying, I usually listen to music either over the radio or by playing records. But the music I prefer is classical instead of popular, because the former can let me feel peaceful and comfortable while the latter can only make me feel uneasy. Indeed, classical music has become my best friend, so I can't do without it even for a single day.

My Favorite Hobby (2)

My favorite hobby is singing. I have never received any formal musical education, nor can I read notes, but this hasn't affected my strong liking for singing. What counts to me is that singing never fails to bring me jot. Whenever I feel blue, I sing. And, miraculously, all the sad feelings are gone. What fills my hearts is, instead, a feeling of peace. It is not too much to say that singing has brightened up my life.

ÉÏ´óרÊܽÌÓýµÄÄ¿µÄ¡£(The Purpose of Going to College)

¡¡The Purpose of Going to College

As this is an age of knowledge explosion, I am bound to take the JCEE to go to college. For one thing, I can pursue advanced studies and cultivate moral excellence. So I am able to render services to my country and society. For another, I can expand the horizon of experience and live up to my parents' expectations. It is easier said than done. If I want to enter a leading college, I should put my nose to the grindstone. But I don't think it will do me any good to stay up late cramming. All I have to do is keep good hours and do my level best. I'm convinced I can pass the JCEE.

ÐðÊöÍòÒ»Äã²Î¼Ó´óѧÈëѧ¿¼ÊÔÂä°ñ£¬Ä㽫ÈçºÎ×Ô´¦

If I Fall in the Entrance Exam

If I should fail in this year's Joint College Entrance Exam, I would come back to take it again next year. This entrance exam is a keen competition. To pass it, I have to prepare all the subjects of the exam very thoroughly. Should I fail, the reason would be that I have not studied hard enough. For this reason, I think that after this failure I will do my best to study my lesson. Then I can be better prepared in the next-year exam, and I am sure that I can enter my ideal university after a year of efforts.

дһ·âПøÄ㿼ÊÔʧÒâµÄÅóÓѹÄÀøËû£¬Ô¸ËûÃ÷ÄêÔÙÀ´

A Letter to a Disappointed Friend

(1)Dear John, The results of the JCEE have been published and to my great surprise you should fail to pass it. Of course you have the blues and feel discouraged. I can understand your feelings. I hope you can take a couple of days off to relax yourself. Don't care about what other people thing or say. All you have to do is make up your mind to take the JCEE again. You can go to a cram school to devote yourself to studies. What matters are patience, determination, and perseverance. Remember me to your family. Your friend, Tom.

(2)Dear Peter, I felt very sad upon learning that you had failed in the JCEE, for you and I had after all stayed up many a night studying hard together. Your failure is , to be sure, far beyond my expectation. However, well goes an old saying, " Failure is the mother of success." You know as clearly as I that many great people in the world have fought their way up through repeated setbacks. Cheer up, my friend! I wish you success next year.

ÎÒÃǶÔÉç»áµÄÔðÈÎ(Our Duty to the Community)

Some people are too ambitious. They want to do this, and they want to do that. But they do not reflect which of the things they really have the ability to do. Others are too pessimistic. They think that everything in this world is out of order and not a single person can be found who is the right man in the right place. They criticize, but they do not work.

Neither the former nor the latter can do anything useful to the community. The duty of a man to the community is to do something that is really helpful, not only to himself, but also to the community at large. And in order to do this duty, one must, first of all, choose a suitable occupation. Thomas Carlyle honored two men, the toil-worn craftsmen and the inspired thinkers. He honored them because mankind is benefited by them. Indeed, a farmer or a workman is as respectable as a president or a governor, so far as the good he can do to the community is concerned. It is the idler who is contemptible.

Suppose there were a load of one hundred pounds in weight. This would, of course, be impossible for a single man to lift. To ten men the work would be an easy task. But if one of the ten did not exert his strength, his part of the work would be divided among the other nine. So it is with the idlers of the community. They do nothing themselves, but keep other people busy working for them. Therefore, an idler may be called a traitor to the community.

It would seem that ambitious people are more useful to the community than pessimistic ones, because the latter never attempt to do anything, while the former always look for something to do. In my opinion, however, neither of the two classes excels the other in merit. Ambitious people, actuated by secret motives to do everything, often try to do many things at one time with the result of having nothing accomplished. Pessimists are able to do something, but as they never attempt to do anything they also accomplish nothing. Therefore, the results are just the same. On the other hand, people who can do their duty to the community are neither ambitious nor pessimistic, but do what their duty requires them to do.

ÔÂÒ»ÈÕÓÞÈ˽Ú

April Fool's Day

Sometimes you may forget what the date is on a certain day.

One time, I felt happy because it was spring vacation. I was dressed up and on my way to Taipei. Arriving at the train station, I waited for my classmates. After a while, I became a little angry and anxious. "How can they do this? They should put themselves in my shoes," I said to myself, looking at my watch. I didn't know, however, that they had all hidden themselves to trick me! After three o'clock, they gave me a so-called surprise.

Oh my gosh! I was ashamed of being watched like a bird in a cage. While I threw a fit, all of a sudden, they screamed, "Man! Happy April Fool's Day!"

Òûʳϰ¹ßµÄ¸Ä±ä(The Changes in Eating Habits)

The influence Westernization has had on the eating habits of Taiwan residents is reflected in the rapid spread of fast food shops. These restaurants are packed almost every day. Hamburgers, pizzas and spaghetti are increasingly popular. Part of the reason for their popularity is the fondness of local residents for the exotic. Another part of the reason is the clean, simple surroundings and quick service at fast food shops.

Improved education and medicine, which has increased the people's knowledge of and concern about nutrition, has also brought about changes in eating habits. There is a tendency, especially among young people, to follow high-fiber, low-fat diets. Weight watchers, whose numbers are increasing, are careful about how much they eat as well as what they eat. On the whole, people are more selective about their food.¡¡

ÃÎÏë(A Dream)

A dream is to a man what wings are to a bird. With a dream in the deep heart's core, a man is spontaneously driven to hitch his wagon to a star. A dream is an inexhaustible source of energy that keeps our enthusiasm burning, and kindles our desire to enhance our spiritual cultivation, refine our character, and upgrade our quality of life. A life without a dream is like a bird with broken wings, confined to a cage and oblivious of what lies beyond the range of its vision. On the contrary, a man with a dream is like a warrior armed with ambition, foresight and gallantry, daring to step into an unknown domain to make a journey of adventure. It is dream that adds fullness, variety, and spice to our life and makes it worth living.

I have a dream. It is d dream that is deeply rooted in human nature. I dream that one day people of all origins can live in harmony and peace without being discriminated against or persecuted. The bounty of the earth can be shared by every single human being. Mutual respect will guarantee the existence and continuation of the diversity of customs and cultures. Love, sympathy, and cooperation will alleviate the sufferings and disasters inflicted upon our fellow men. Respect for basic human rights will put an end to social injustices and evils. When my dream comes true, all men will be truly equal, happy, and free.¡¡

Generally, war is repugnant, but peace is welcome. While peace is the ultimate goal of all of our undertaking in this world, war has been inevitable in the course of human civilization. Does man have an innate taste for war? Or is it just an acquired scheme learned from human society? We only know that there hasn't been any period in the history during which the world was really at peace. Human beings pursue peace and prosperity through the establishment of families, communities, and nations. Why should we let all these be destroyed by wars?

To reduce the possibility of war to the lowest extent, I have two suggestions. First of all, education should be consolidated to eliminate the brutality and beastliness in human nature. Knowledge derives from education and is a surer road to wisdom. Wisdom enables us to distinguish right from wrong. I also teaches us restraint and tolerance, two effective means of preventing wayward killing and destruction. Another cure is religion. Most religions in the world advocate philanthropism and forgiveness, which dissolve hatred and revenge. Consequently, education and religion working side by side can transform a barbarian into a civilized person. With wisdom and love, the human race as a whole will detest war and embrace peace.

»ÄµºÉú»î(Life in An Uninhabited Island)

I will take the book, named "The Little Prince" with me. Because there are many wonderful stories about the little Prince. And the author made great use of his imagination so that we can read many interesting stories in the book. Besides, the process of the little prince's traveling to several strange stars can also teach me something. For example, the tippler, the king who likes to order, and the business who is so occupied in count, etc.

I think if I take this book, I will not feel bored for all these funny stories can interest me very much. And maybe I can go around the island and see whether there are a few strange people or animals like those who are described in "The Little Prince". Or I can use my imagination, like the author, to write a book about strange things in the island. In a word, I guess I won't be very sad and feel lonely or bored if I bring this book with me to the uninhabited island.

.ÏÄÁîÎÀÉú(Summer Hygiene)

The coming of summer means more sanitation problems. In summertime, humidity rises and plants grow prosperously, which provides a favorable environment for bacteria. The existence of disease bacteria jeopardizes that of other creatures, especially humans. At this time, therefore, diseases of all types begin to attack more rampantly.

It is not easy to spend a pleasant and hygienic summer in hot and humid places like Taiwan. Summertime can be an enjoyable season if we are healthy. Unfortunately, however, unlike bacteria, human beings tend to become weaker in high temperature. Residents on this island are exposed to a lot of diseases present exclusively in summer. Cases of dengue fever, malaria, and amoebic dysentery have frequently been reported in this country. To protect ourselves, we ought to form some personal sanitation habits, such as always washing hands with soap before meals, never eating raw food, and constantly keeping the surrounding clean. Only by so doing can we minimize possible suffering.

ѧϰ~~~Ò»ÉúµÄÊÂÒµ(Learning~~~A Lifelong Career)

As food is to the body, so is learning to the mind. Our bodies grow and muscles develop with the intake of adequate nutritious food. Likewise, we should keep learning day by day to maintain our keen mental power and expand our intellectual capacity. Constant learning supplies us with inexhaustible fuel for driving us to sharpen our power of reasoning, analysis, and judgment. Learning incessantly is the surest way to keep pace with the times in the information age, and an infallible warrant of success in times of uncertainty.

Once learning stops, vegetation sets in. It is a common fallacy to regard school as the only workshop for the acquisition of knowledge. On the contrary, learning should be a never-ending process, from the cradle to the grave. With the world ever changing so fast, the cease from learning for just a few days will make a person lag behind. What's worse, the animalistic instinct dormant deep in our subconsciousness will come to life, weakening our will to pursue our noble ideal, sapping our determination to sweep away obstacles to our success and strangling our desire for the refinement of our character. Lack of learning will inevitably lead to the stagnation of the mind, or even worse, its fossilization, Therefore, to stay mentally young, we have to take learning as a lifelong career.

The two things I would like to put in the time capsule are a local newspaper and a video tape of our daily life. The newspaper will enable people to know a thousand years from now what is happening in our society and what kinds of problems we are encountering and how we solve them.

The video tape will give the future generations a glimpse of our daily life in Shanghai. In spite of the poverty of natural resources, Shanghai is the place where more than thirteen million people are enjoying a prosperous life never seen in the Chinese history. On the one hand, the tape will depict how people work hard at their jobs, thus making "an economic miracle" possible. On the other hand, it will also show how comfortable and colorful their leisure life is: beautiful parks with people dancing or jogging in the early morning, crowded movie houses or theaters or pubs in the evening, and international airports filled with people going abroad for sightseeing.

I am sure these two things will serve to show what kind of life people in Taiwan are living now.

°¾Ò¹¾­Ñé(The Experience of Staying Up)

Yesterday I stayed up for the whole night preparing for the English test for today. I used to do pretty poorly in English, and my class performance has always been unimpressive. I usually got the least attention from the teacher because I was always hiding from her and trying to evade her questions. But this time I think there's an urgent need to get a good grade in this test, so that I can pass this subject at the end of the semester. I stayed up all night and drank two cups of black coffee, trying to refresh myself.

Unfortunately, as I faced my exam questions, my head kept floating. Everything looked unreal and the letters seemed blurred and moving. I guess lack of sleep made me unable to focus on the test. I had to spend quite some time trying to figure out what they meant. I was dizzy and the headache was like a hammer pounding on the sides of my head. As the time was over, I could not finish answering all the questions. After this disheartening failure, I swear I'll never stay up so late cramming for the exam. Regular study, instead of cramming, is undoubtedly the sure way to mastering English.

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I live in Shanghai and I go to school by bicycle every day. It is convenient to me but I have to put up with the polluted air. Like many others, every morning I hurry along with a mask over my mouth to protect myself from the exhaust fumes all over the city.

It is the rapid growth of the number of motor vehicles that is chiefly responsible for deteriorating air quality. A heavy fine should be imposed on the owners of the vehicles found emitting excessive exhaust fumes. In addition, the authorities concerned should encourage the use of public transportation by improving the bus system. In short, the pollution problem has become so critical that nothing but concrete, positive, and strong action can lead to noticeable improvement.

To Learn English Well By Speaking More

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

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

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

Electricity

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

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

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

The Definition of "Price"

Prices determine how resources are to be used. They are also the means by which products and services that are in limited supply are rationed among buyers. The price system of the United States is a complex network composed of the prices of all the products bought and sold in the economy as well as those of a myriad of services, including labor, professional, transportation, and public-utility services. The interrelationships of all these prices make up the "system" of prices. The price of any particular product or service is linked to a broad, complicated system of prices in which everything seems to depend more or less upon everything else.

If one were to ask a group of randomly selected individuals to define "price", many would reply that price is an amount of money paid by the buyer to the seller of a product or service or, in other words that price is the money values of a product or service as agreed upon in a market transaction. This definition is, of course, valid as far as it goes. For a complete understanding of a price in any particular transaction, much more than the amount of money involved must be known. Both the buyer and the seller should be familiar with not only the money amount, but with the amount and quality of the product or service to be exchanged, the time and place at which the exchange will take place and payment will be made, the form of money to be used, the credit terms and discounts that apply to the transaction, guarantees on the product or service, delivery terms, return privileges, and other factors. In other words, both buyer and seller should be fully aware of all the factors that comprise the total "package" being exchanged for the asked-for amount of money in order that they may evaluate a given price.

The Language of Music

A painter hangs his or her finished pictures on a wall, and everyone can see it. A composer writes a work, but no one can hear it until it is performed. Professional singers and players have great responsibilities, for the composer is utterly dependent on them. A student of music needs as long and as arduous a training to become a performer as a medical student needs to become a doctor. Most training is concerned with technique, for musicians have to have the muscular proficiency of an athlete or a ballet dancer. Singers practice breathing every day, as their vocal chords would be inadequate without controlled muscular support. String players practice moving the fingers of the left hand up and down, while drawing the bow to and fro with the right arm-two entirely different movements.

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

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

Technique is of no use unless it is combined with musical knowledge and understanding. Great artists are those who are so thoroughly at home in the language of music that they can enjoy performing works written in any century.

Schooling and Education

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

Education is much more open-ended and all-inclusive than schooling. Education knows no bounds. It can take place anywhere, whether in the shower or in the job, whether in a kitchen or on a tractor. It includes both the formal learning that takes place in schools and the whole universe of informal learning. The agents of education can range from a revered grandparent to the people debating politics on the radio, from a child to a distinguished scientist. Whereas schooling has a certain predictability, education quite often produces surprises. A chance conversation with a stranger may lead a person to discover how little is known of other religions. People are engaged in education from infancy on. Education, then, is a very broad, inclusive term. It is a lifelong process, a process that starts long before the start of school, and one that should be an integral part of one's entire life.

Schooling, on the other hand, is a specific, formalized process, whose general pattern varies little from one setting to the next. Throughout a country, children arrive at school at approximately the same time, take assigned seats, are taught by an adult, use similar textbooks, do homework, take exams, and so on. The slices of reality that are to be learned, whether they are the alphabet or an understanding of the working of government, have usually been limited by the boundaries of the subject being taught. For example, high school students know that they're not likely to find out in their classes the truth about political problems in their communities or what the newest filmmakers are experimenting with. There are definite conditions surrounding the formalized process of schooling.

Tape recorder

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

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

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

Can money buy happiness?

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

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

¡¡¡¡I think that money is essential to life and we cannot do without money. But even though money is necessary to life, it can't buy happiness. Happiness is not something that can be measured by money. It is a state of mind. One can have plenty of money, with which he can buy whatever he wants, and at the same time he is not happy because he is never satisfied or he is troubled by various kinds of problems. Therefore, although money is necessary for a happy life, it can't buy happiness.

Job interview

When looking for a job, you will most likely have a job interview first. This seems to be in fashion now. Through the interview the interviewer and the interviewee can talk face to face, which provides a way for them to know each other better.

¡¡¡¡On the one hand, the interviewer can introduce the main aspects of the job opening to the interviewee, such as the specific requirements for the job, the working conditions, and the wages and benefits the interviewee will get.

¡¡¡¡On the other hand, the interviewee also has a chance to give the employer a good impression. He can talk with confidence and show the interviewer how well he is educated and how good his working ability is. And it will be better if he emphasizes that this is the very job he wants and he3 won't cast an eye on any other jobs. The interviewer will most probably be moved.

¡¡¡¡Through the job interview, people who look for a job will have a better chance of getting a good one and those who need people to do a job will have a better chance of finding someone that is qualified.

How to Succeed in a Job Interview

Nowadays, in an ever tighter job market, great importance has been attached to an interview by both the employer and the applicant. The interview, so to speak, has become indispensable for getting a satisfactory job. On the one hand, the interviewer can take advantage of the occasion to learn about the candidates, such as their work experiences, education and their personalities, so as to pick out the right person for the company. On the other hand, the interviewee can make use of the opportunity to get to know the job he is going to take up, the salary, the working conditions and many other things about the job he is interested in.

¡¡¡¡Therefore, the job interview is very important to a job-hunter. But how can one succeed in it? Firstly of all, the interviewee must pay attention to his or her appearance. The first impression is always where we start. Get dressed properly and neatly. Secondly, good manners are equally important. Don't be too proud, and neither too timid. Just be courteous. Thirdly, the interviewee must demonstrate his aptitude and skills for the job and his knowledge about eh job-related areas. Be confident. Last but not the least, the interviewee ought to be honest about his or her personal as well as academic background, for honesty is the best policy.

¡¡¡¡To sum up, the job interview is indeed important, but there is no need to be nervous. As long as the interviewee has the ability for the job, with careful preparation and a fairly confident and honest performance, his or her success can be ensured.

The Problem of Human Population¡¡

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

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

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

We Need to Broaden Our Knowledge

¡¡¡¡Knowledge is power, especially scientific and technological knowledge. Science and technology are the motive power of the social development. Without them human society could never have developed from primitive society to modern society. Therefore, to conquer and transform nature, we must master scientific knowledge.

¡¡¡¡However, social knowledge is also essential. Without it we cannot understand society and don't know the law of the social development. As a result we are unable to govern society. Therefore, besides scientific knowledge we need to master social science, philosophy, politics, history, aesthetics, etc, so that we can know society from all perspectives and form a correct world outlook.

¡¡¡¡To meet new challenges in he 21st century, we university students should lose no time to acquire as much knowledge as possible so that we will become qualified successors of the socialist cause.

The Career I Pursue

¡¡¡¡In China young people usually want to be engineers, doctors, businessmen, etc. and few want to be teachers. Unlike most young people I decide to be a teacher. There are many reasons for my personal preference but generally they come down to three major ones.

¡¡¡¡First, I was born in a teacher's family and so I was greatly influenced by my father. Second, I find that education is important because it is the basis of science and technology and if a country's education is backward, its science and technology will never be advanced. Third, teachers are needed in our country, especially in the countryside.

¡¡¡¡However, it is not easy to be a qualified teacher. A qualified teacher must have a good command of his specialty. Besides, he should be responsible and devoted to the educational cause. Most important of all, he should be patriotic. To be a qualified teacher in the future I must lose no time to acquire as much knowledge as possible. 'Furthermore I must know the history of our country so as to cultivate patriotism.

My view on the Negative Effects of Some Advertisements

¡¡¡¡Nowadays there are a lot of false advertisements in society. They have caused many harms to society. Generally, their harms can be listed as follows.

¡¡¡¡First, they exaggerate the functions of the goods they advertise and mislead consumers. Second, some advertisements contain obscene contents and bring about spiritual pollution. Third, they seriously damage the credit of businesses because the shops which sell those goods will be distrusted and even considered the conspirators of those advertisers by consumers.

¡¡¡¡Personally, I am usually vigilant against any advertisements and so I have never been taken in. However, some people are credulous and are easily taken in. Therefore, in my opinion, effective measures must be taken to ban false advertisements and protect consumers' interests. First, all the advertisements must be strictly censored by the authorities concerned before they are published. Besides, severe punishment must be inflicted on those who publish illegal advertisements.

¡¡¡¡In conclusion, false advertisements must be eliminated in our society.

Should Firecrackers Be Banned'?

¡¡¡¡Different people have different views on firecrackers. Some people think that firecrackers should be banned because they endanger people's lives and social security. However, others hold that firecrackers shouldn't be banned because they will drive evil spirits and bring luck.

¡¡¡¡As to me, I am in favor of the first idea. The reasons are as follows. First, admittedly, letting off firecrackers will create an auspicious atmosphere, but it will not really bring luck to let off firecrackers. Besides, it is dangerous to let off firecrackers. It was reported that letting off firecrackers causes a lot of accidents, fire, injury, and even death every year.

¡¡¡¡However, it is our traditional custom to celebrate an important occasion by letting off firecrackers. How can we let off firecrackers without causing accidents? The possible solution is that the substitute for the firecracker should be invented so that we can celebrate an important occasion without causing accidents.

Why I Take the College English Test Band 6

¡¡¡¡Some students think it unnecessary to take CET-6. They hold this views because CET-6 is not compulsory and they can get a degree so long as they pass CET-4. However, I think it necessary and beneficial to take CET-6. The reasons are obvious.

¡¡¡¡First, if I decide to take CET-6, naturally, to pass CET-6 becomes a goal I set myself and with a goal to strive towards I will continue to study English hard. Of course my English will not be neglected in the third and fourth years. Besides, if I pass CET-6, I can get a certificate which, to some extent, shows my experience and qualification so that I can compete with other in job-hunting. Most important of all, a good knowledge of English will help my work and scientific research in the future.

¡¡¡¡All in all, taking CET-6 does good both to my studies and to my personal advancement.

Health Gains in Developing Countries

¡¡¡¡In the developing countries great changes took place in life expectancy and infant mortality in the period from 1960 to 1990. In 1960 life expectancy was very low, while infant mortality was very high. However, in 1990 life expectancy increased, whereas infant mortality declined.

¡¡¡¡There are many reasons for the changes, but in general, they come down to three major ones. First, their living conditions were improved. In the old days people in the developing countries suffered hunger and were exposed to the elements. Nowadays they are well fed and housed. Naturally they live longer than before. Besides, the medical condition was also improved and so the adequate medical treatment ensures the adults' health and reduces infant mortality. Most important of all, in the early 60s there were constant wars in some developing countries because of the colonial rule and so a lot of people were killed in wars. Nowadays most developing countries have become independent countries and their people live a peaceful life.

¡¡¡¡In conclusion, the national independence and social stability are responsible for these changes.

Haste Makes Waste

¡¡¡¡"Haste makes waste" is an English proverb which has equivalent expressions in many languages. It has become a precept whose value is universally accepted.

¡¡¡¡This proverb can be verified by many other proverbs" There is no royal road in learning", "Rome was not built in a day". Anyway it means that one should not be overanxious for quick results, otherwise he will fail. If one wants to be a scholar, he should make persistent efforts, burying himself in books. If he wants to take as shortcut, he will never become a scholar. If one wants to be president of a country, he should first display his remarkable ability in his routine work so that his ability will be recognized and accepted by others. However, if he is impatient for success, he will never realize his goal. If a man courts a woman, he should try to win her love gradually. He should not expect to win her heart within a day, otherwise he will never get true love.

¡¡¡¡In conclusion, one should follow in order and advance step by step and should not be impatient for success, otherwise he will suffer a setback.

My View on Job Hopping

¡¡¡¡Different people have different views on job-hopping. Some people would like to always engage in one work because they think that if one sticks to one work, he will be quite familiar and skillful with the work. However, others would like to change jobs constantly because they consider it fashionable to do so and besides they think they can get different work experiences.

¡¡¡¡As to me, I am in favor of the former group of people's attitude. I think that if one always works in one field, he can accumulate a lot of experience in that field which in turn will further improve his work. Therefore he will become an expert in that field. However, if one hops from one job to another, he can never amass experience in one field. Although he can get different work experiences, he can't make use of these experiences in one particular work. Therefore, he will always be a jack-of-all-trades.

¡¡¡¡In conclusion, if one wants to be an expert in one field, he should not hop from one job to another.

My View on Fake Commodities

¡¡¡¡Nowadays there are a lot of fake commodities on the market. They range from daily commodities to expensive goods. They have caused many harms in society.

¡¡¡¡First, fake commodities damage the consumers' interests. In addition, fake commodities affect businessmen and manufacturers, too. Those who have been deceived will be reluctant to consume, which will make business slack. Worst of all, some fake commodities such as medicine, gas cylinder and electric devices will endanger people's lives and social security.

¡¡¡¡There are many ways to eliminate fake commodities but the following ones may be effective. First, the laws of the protection of consumers should be enforced to severely punish those who produce or sell fake commodities. Second, consumers should be taught how to tell good commodities from fake ones. Third, they should be advised to protect their own interests and not to be led astray by false advertisements.

¡¡¡¡In a word, the whole society should pay close attention to the problem of fake commodities and launch a campaign against them. Only in this way will fake commodities be possibly eliminated from the market in the future.

Do "Lucky Numbers" Really Bring Good Luck?.

¡¡¡¡Some people take it for granted that some lucky numbers can bring them good luck. For instance, the so-called lucky number "8" is widely used now because it is sounded like "getting rich" in Chinese and is believed to bring good fortune.

¡¡¡¡Yet many others don't think so. They think that numbers have nothing to do with luck. They regard numbers simply as a mathematic symbols for counting. They are anything but a mystery. They laugh at those who think numbers can bring good luck.

¡¡¡¡I'm in favor of the latter opinion. I think our society is very modern now. We mustn't count on the so-called lucky numbers to fulfill our wishes. Whether we can have good luck depends on ourselves. If we work hard, good luck will come to us.

Reading Selectively Or Extensively

Some people think when we read we should read selectively. That is to say, we should select some books we are interested in and ignore the others. Reading selectively can help us concentrate our limited time and attention on those selected books.

¡¡¡¡Others think we should read extensively. No matter what kind of book it is, we should look it over. We should read various kinds of books, whether we are interested in them or not. They maintain that reading extensively can help to enlarge our view and grasp the general knowledge in different fields.

¡¡¡¡In my opinion, the two reading ways have their roles respectively in our reading. However, the disadvantages of each methods are easy to see. If we only read the books we select or prefer, the framework of our knowledge may not be complete. Our knowledge would be rather limited. And if we read without selection, we may not have so much time and energy to be specialized in one particular field. Therefore, the combination of the two methods is more reasonable.

Don't Hesitate to Say "No

¡¡¡¡In our daily life, there are many occasions on which we should not hesitate to refuse when asked for help. For one thing, when it is beyond our ability, we should give a direct reply "no". For another, we the thing we are asked for is unreasonable or even illegal, we should say "no" without hesitation.

¡¡¡¡However, it is not the case in our real life. Many people prefer to say "yes" when they should say "no". Some are afraid to lose their face, since they think refusal means their inability. Some people are afraid to offend their acquaintances' face, such as their friends, relatives and so on.

¡¡¡¡In fact, doing so is quite harmful. If you agree to do the things beyond your ability, the result will only be worse. The other might as well have asked another person who can help. And if you agree to do the unreasonable or even the illegal favors, such as cheating in the exam, you are in fact not helping the other but hurting him. You yourself will get into trouble too.

Reading Selectively Or Extensively?

¡¡¡¡Some people think when we read we should read selectively. That is to say, we should select some books we are interested in and ignore the others. Reading selectively can help us concentrate our limited time and attention on those selected books.

¡¡¡¡Others think we should read extensively. No matter what kind of book it is, we should look it over. We should read various kinds of books, whether we are interested in them or not. They maintain that reading extensively can help to enlarge our view and grasp the general knowledge in different fields.

¡¡¡¡In my opinion, the two reading ways have their roles respectively in our reading. However, the disadvantages of each methods are easy to see. If we only read the books we select or prefer, the framework of our knowledge may not be complete. Our knowledge would be rather limited. And if we read without selection, we may not have so much time and energy to be specialized in one particular field. Therefore, the combination of the two methods is more reasonable.

Is a Test of Spoken English Necessary?

¡¡¡¡A test of spoken English will be included as an optional (component of the College English Test (CET). Some people contend that it is absolutely necessary to hold a test of spoken English in China because we have been told many times that a Chinese student who has been learning English for years cannot communicate with a native English speaker. Sometimes even those top students who excel at grammar and writing skills find their English inadequate to express their thoughts freely when speaking. A test of spoken English will bring the importance of speaking English to the awareness of the college students, and thus help them with their communicating skills.

¡¡¡¡On the other hand, there are also people who maintain that good reading and writing skills would be enough for the average English learners. College students are already under considerable pressure from their coursework. Another required test will only add to their burden. Also, some students may take the shortcut and only practice the questions according to the fixed format of the test, which will not actually improve their spoken English.

¡¡¡¡I believe that a test of spoken English will do more good than harm. Since China will continue its policy of opening and reform, the ability to speak fluent English is a must for anyone who wants to surpass others in a highly competitive society. Whether I take the test or not, I shall make all efforts to practice my spoken English in the rest years in college.

How I Finance My College Education

¡¡¡¡Several years ago new tuition fee policy was put into practice and college students were asked to pay a certain sum of money. And now, all the students, no matter what subjects they are engaged in, must pay for tuition.

¡¡¡¡There are many ways for a student to finance his college education. Most students ask their parents to pay the tuition fee and pay for their books, accommodation and other cost. A student can also apply for the scholarship. Most universities set up scholarship to offer money to the poor students who do well in entrance exams and reward those who do well in entrance exams and reward those who work well at university. A student can also apply for the low-interest loans. In addition to the above, taking part-time jobs is also a common way for a college student to get money to pay part of his tuition and fees.

¡¡¡¡So far as I'm concerned, I'd prefer earning the scholarship. This means I must study hard and be a top student, which has always been my goal. After all, the task of a student is to study. And in addition to solving my financial problems, getting the scholarship can also prove my ability and is good for my future.

Week-long Holiday

Dear Xiao Wang,

¡¡¡¡I'm delighted to learn that you are going to visit me during the week-long vacation. My parents will also be happy to see you again. I'm sure you will enjoy every minute here.

¡¡¡¡I know you are fond of swimming. A river lies not far away from my home. We can go swimming there. I think it would be very pleasant and refreshing to swim in such hot summer days. In every big room of my home there is an air-conditioner. We can watch TV, play CDs or read books very comfortably at home.

¡¡¡¡A mountain about two miles away from here is beautiful and it is worth touring. We can go there on foot. When we climb to the top of the mountain, we can have a wonderful bird-eye view of the whole village.

¡¡¡¡Just phone me before you set off. There is no need for you to take anything. I'll prepare everything for you.

¡¡¡¡I am looking forward to seeing you soon.

A Letter to the University President about the Canteen Service on Campus

January 12th, 2002

Dear Mr. President,

¡¡¡¡I'm very lucky to attend this world-famous university, but I'm afraid I'm not content with the canteen service on campus.

¡¡¡¡Firstly, the quality of the dishes should be improved. Undoubtedly, there are a lot of delicious dishes, but all the year round, they are the same. More and more students are complaining about eating the same food each day. So I think the most urgent problem is variety.

¡¡¡¡Secondly, the price is a bit too high. Many of us hope that the canteen can provide us with not only delicious but also cheaper food.

¡¡¡¡Finally, the environment is so noisy that we can't enjoy our meals in good mood. I suggest that there be some soft music to help us relax.

¡¡¡¡These suggestions are not just of my own, but also of many other students. We hope our respectable president will pay attention to our suggestions.

¡¡¡¡By the way, the canteen workers are very patient and always smiling. So I think if our university offers them better conditions, they will offer us better service.

¡¡¡¡Best wishes, ¡¡¡¡

Yours sincerely,

Liming

¡¡

Student Use of Computers

¡¡¡¡Students tend to use computers more and more nowadays. Reading this chart, we can find that the average number of hours a student spends on the computer per week has increased sharply. In 1990, it was less than 2 hours; and in 1995, it increased to almost 4 hours; while in 2000, the number soared to 20 hours.

¡¡¡¡Obviously computers are becoming more and more popular. There are several reasons for this. First, computers facilitate us in more aspects of life. Also, the fast development of the Internet enlarges our demands for using computers. We can easily contact with friends in remote places through the Internet. Besides, the prices of computers are getting lower and lower, which enables more students to purchase them.

¡¡¡¡Along with the time spent on computers, there arise some problems. The most serious one is that many students are spending so much time playing PC games so that they ignore their studies. It is urgent to let the students use computers in a proper way.

Changes of Ownership of Houses in China

¡¡¡¡Ownership of houses in China has changed greatly in the past decade. In the past, most houses were state owned. But now, private houses are everywhere. As is shown in the chart above, in 1990, the city's houses were mainly state-owned, with a percentage of 75. This percentage became 60 in the year 1995 and then dropped sharply to 20 in 2000. At the same time, the number of private houses has soared up to 80 percent.

¡¡¡¡There are mainly two reasons that account for this rapid change. Firstly, the government has been forwarding the policy to support private houses programs. These programs have proved to be very important in developing China's economy. Secondly, with the development of economy, people's standard of living has risen. They want to have their own houses to satisfy their needs.

¡¡¡¡The change has enabled more people to enjoy larger living space. At the same time, people feel pressure to make more money so that they can buy their own houses.

Reduce Waste on Campus

¡¡¡¡As is known to all, waste on campus has become a more and more serious problem. We can easily see many students dump a lot of food in the garbage can. Some students spend thousands of yuan buying fashionable clothes and so on.

¡¡¡¡The negative effects of waste can be shown in the following aspects. In the first place, it makes some students dependent on their parents for money, which is harmful to their development. If they don't learn to support themselves, they will be "useless people" when they graduate. In the second place, it is not easy for our parents to arrange for our schooling. Last but not the least important, there is no denying the fact that our country is still poor. There are many people who cannot go to university and many poor people still need our help.

¡¡¡¡As far as I am concerned, I should set a good example to reduce waste on campus. First of all, I will refrain from wasting anything, from food to stationery. What's more, I'm determined to call on more schoolmates to fight against waste. Only through these measures can we hope to reduce waste on campus.

Complaint about Dictionary Quality

June 19, 2004

Dear Editor, ¡¡¡¡

¡¡¡¡I am writing this letter to reflect some problems I came across recently and. appeal to the improvement of the service industry.

¡¡¡¡This weekend I bought an English-Chinese dictionary in a bookstore near my home since its cover is elaborately designed. But when I went home and read carefully, I found that the several pages of the dictionary have been cracked and befouled. What is worse, the misprints spread everywhere in the dictionary and seriously affect my comprehension. Since there was such damage and misprint to the dictionary, I went to the bookstore to require for a replace. But to my surprise, the staff of the bookstore turn down my request rudely and even denied the poor quality of the dictionary.

¡¡¡¡It goes without saying that today's face-paced and market-oriented economy calls for much higher standard for service industry. However, to my regret, many of the commercials fail to achieve this standard and the quality of the staff needs to be improved. It's self-evident that the poor quality of practitioners in the service industry will not only deeply disappoint customers but also hamper the development of our country's economy. As a result, I expect your newspaper to appeal to the service industry to attach more importance to the service improvement.

¡¡¡¡Thank you for your attention!

¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡Sincerely yours,

Sam

Your Help Needed

Dear friends,

¡¡¡¡As some of you may know, Lucy, a lovely girl student, a junior from the Department of Fine Arts, has been seriously ill. In fact, she has been suffering from hepatitis, which is very dangerous. This 20-year-old girl comes from a small town in Shangdong province. Her family has tried every means to save her.

¡¡¡¡Now Lucy is in urgent need of operation to her liver transplanted. However, her family is too poor to afford the expenses, which totaled 120,000 yuan. How can a poor family earning 1000 yuan per month afford such high expenses? But the time is limited. They cannot afford to wait to see the disease untouched.

¡¡¡¡So you help is urgently needed. Let's do what we can to save our fellow student. The life of such a lovely girl is in your hand. Your love can save a life. You can contact 2335648 in the daytime and 2335658 at night.

It Pays to Be Honest

¡¡¡¡Although honesty is believed to be a virtue, there are still dishonest people in our society. For example, some businessmen sell fake product to their consumers; some students cheat in the exams.

¡¡¡¡Dishonest people are short-sighted. Those who sell fake products may make money at first, but consumers won't buy their products any more. As a result, they will lose their fortune or even be sent to prison. By contrast, honest people gain a lot.

¡¡¡¡Those who always tell truth or keep to their promise not only let others trust them but gain respect from other people as well. Such persons are sure to have a lot of good friends. Because they are trustable and respectable, everyone is eager to make friends with them, Besides, it is easier for a person with a good record to get a good job. Generally speaking, every employer wants his employees to be honest. So we can say that anyone who is honest will be paid back later.

¡¡¡¡In a word, honesty wins trust, respect and honor. So it is important that we should be honest.

¡¡

An Eye-Witness Account of a Traffic Accident

¡¡¡¡My name is Liming. I am studying at college. A week ago I saw a traffic accident , which is still vivid in my mind.

¡¡¡¡It was at about 9:00 on Saturday morning, June 15th, when I went out of the university to visit a friend of mine at another university. I was walking leisurely on the sidewalk when I heard a loud crash of two vehicles just at the T-junction about 10 meters away. Two taxis crashed together. It was a traffic accident.

©ú©úI went up and found that the two taxis were badly damaged. Both hoofs were out of shape. One door of a car was knocked off and lying on the road. One driver was blooding and another was shut in the taxi. Some people were trying to help the driver get out of the damaged car. One man was calling to the traffic policeman station. A lot of cars were jammed on the road.

¡¡¡¡From the stopping track on the road, it is clear that the two taxis were driving too fast. But it is just one of the reasons. In my opinion, the taxi drivers are eager to take more passengers and make a little more money. On the other hand, both drivers don't show concern for one another. Both of them wanted to run in front of another. Therefore, the accident is inevitable. So far, we should let the drivers keep it in their mind that a little slower, a little safer. Taking care of other's lives means taking care of your own life.

The Day My Classmate Fell Ill (or Got Injured)

¡¡¡¡During the SARS period in this spring, the year of 2003, one of my classmates, Li Ming, was struck down by the virus and was immediately sent to hospital.

¡¡¡¡The news spread quickly on campus. At first, we were terrified and wondered if we were infected too. However, through our government's publicity on mass media, we gradually conquered the fear and set out to try out best to help her. Some teachers provided daily necessities while some students recorded the English class contents for him so that Li Ming could not be left behind. With our care and concern, Li Ming recovered quickly.

¡¡¡¡Such an incident teaches us a good moral. Our society is full of love, warm and peaceful, in which people-from man to woman, from individual to individual-lend others a hand. Just like a famous song goes, "the world will turn it to heaven only if everyone contributes a little." and I do believe that it's my great honor to live in this love-filled paradise!

A Letter in Reply to a Friend about Majors

December 27, 2003

Dear

¡¡¡¡When it comes to which major you should choose, I propose that you apply for the major of English. To begin with, English is the most popular language in the world, which is widely used in all fields such as teaching, translation, foreign trade and so on. What's more, it goes without saying that English majors are more likely to find a good job in the tighter and tighter job market.

¡¡¡¡In order to study at English Department, you have to meet the following requirements. In the first place, you have to spend a lot of time on it, just as the old saying goes, "Practice makes perfect". In the second place, the basic skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking are necessary, because they are the foundations for your future study. Last but not the least important, you need an intense interest in learning English since "interest is the best teacher."

¡¡¡¡As far as the preparation work is concerned, you should first of all review all the required vocabulary. In addition, you'd better spend some time on reading and writing. Only through these measures can you hope to enroll in our university.

¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡Yours

¡¡

A Brief Introduction to a Tourist Attraction

¡¡¡¡Good morning, ladies and gentleman, welcome to Beijing. To begin with, I would like to introduce myself: I am the tourist guide from China Travel Service and it's great honor to stay here with all of you for a whole day. Just as the old saying goes, "It is always a pleasure to greet a friend from afar"£¬ I wish all of you to enjoy yourselves during this trip.

¡¡¡¡The following is schedule of the day. The first spot we are going to visit is the Great Wall, the grandest fortification in ancient China. The next sight to look around is the Ming Tombs, which is one of the best-preserved tombs for 13 emperors in Ming Dynasty more than one thousand years ago. In the afternoon, we will go for the Summer Palace, the royal park for Chinese ancient emperors.

¡¡¡¡Currently we are on the way to the Great Wall. Dating back to the seven century B.C., the Great Wall is constructed by respective states for fortifying against invasion of neighboring states. By the reasons of long history and its length, it becomes one of the eight wonders in the world and represents the highest wisdom and crafts. From the top of the Great Wall, we can enjoy a magnificent view of continuous mountains, green trees and blooming wild flowers. It is no doubt that one says, "He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man"¡£

¡¡¡¡Above is my introduction to the Great Wall. If any of you have questions, please feel free to ask me at any time.

A Campaign Speech

¡¡¡¡Today I am very glad to run for the president of the students' union. I am junior in Chemical Department. Since I came into the university, I have always been the monitor of my class. I have done a very good job for my classmates, and my classmates and my teacher all give me a good praise. I am good at communication and organizing. And I like to help others. Moreover, I have a variety of hobbies, for example, basketball, football, ping pong, etc. I am sure that I am qualified for this position. If I become the president, I will try my best to do well. I will organize some suitable activities for you. I will do many things for you to reaches your demands as well. I am sincerely hope you will give me a chance, and please believe me that I will be a good president. Thank you.

A brief introduction to a tourist attraction

Welcome everyone, I am glad that you can come to Pingyao County, where there is the oldest Confucius temple. It was opened to the public Monday after a one-year renovation project. I hope you can appreciate the spot indeed. First, I will show the main building of the temple, it's the most interesting spot here. Second, we can walk around to see the other area of the spot. Finally, I will tell the history of the temple. The main building of the temple was built in 1163, in the Yuan Dynasty , and has a history of more than 840 years. Compared with other famous Confucius temples nationwide, it was built 248 years earlier than that in Beijing, and 317 years earlier than that in Qufu City, Confucius's home in east China's Shandong Province. The temple in Qufu was added to the list of the World Cultural Heritages in 1995. The Pingyao Confucius Temple has China's largest statue collection of Confucius and famous ancient Confucian scholars. Covering a total area of 40,000 square meters, the temple has 112 buildings in 16 categories. that is the history of the temple. Please visit as you like. If you have any questions, you can ask me. That's all.

Out traveling

Last summer holiday I went to visit Hainan island. It is a sea island with beautiful sights, rich natural resources and a long history. Hainan has a monsoon and maritime climate. So those days Hainan attract me much. The bright green plants attract me wherever I went and the air was very fresh because of no pollution. In the place I visited all the famous places and tasted all the delicious local food.

Sanya is the scenic wonder of Hainan. Out looking the ocean it is often called the Hawaii of China. And rightly so with crystal clear water and white sandy beaches, Sanya truly is a tropical paradise. Picture a day of seaside sightseeing where not only the sky, but also the ocean are both perfectly blue, and in some amazing scenic spots such as the End of the Earth and the Deer Turning Around. There are also a few tropical gardens and museums in Sanya, adding yet another option to many choices available throughout the city. The beautiful sights, natural scenery, amazing beaches and water I could see over 50 feet in as well as many other things make this an unforgettable experience for anyone traveling on Hainan.

Developing Tourism

Many people like to traveling, so some of the government leaders decide to develop the tourism. But some don't agree with them. They think they will invest a lot of money. In my opinion, I think it is necessary to develop the tourism.

Why? It is because it will bring many advantages. First, now more and more people have changed their minds, and they like to know more about the other places and get much experience. So the beautiful places will attract more people. And that will bring much money to the local people. Second, it will make the city more and more beautiful. Third, more and more people come to visit these places, and they will communicate with each other. So this also improve their culture. So when we do something, we must spend time and money, but in the other hand, we will get much. So I think it is necessary to develop our tourism.

Changes of a city

Do you live better than before? Of course because there are great changes in our city these days. When you come here, you will find a lot of high buildings, shopping centers, highways, factories here and there.

Since 1987's policy, our city has changed a lot. The buildings are more and more beautiful. The instructions are more and more completed. When you go out, you may go by bike, by motorbike, or even by car but not on foot. Because people's living condition is better and better, this time they needn't worry about being hungry any more. They can live in comfortable houses where there are all kinds of furniture. What is more, more and more parents can offer their children to go to university, and their minds have changed. They believe that knowledge can make their lives better and better. The big change is the gardens. We have built several famous gardens for people to have a walk and rest in their free time.

Water Resources

It is generally believed that there is a good supply of fresh water. But to our disappointment, the fact is just the opposite.

As we can see, the world population is growing rapidly day by day. So enough fresh water is needed to feed such a big population. What's more, with the development of industry, factories and vehicles produce poisonous gases or wastes, which consequently results in the pollution of water. Though fresh, a good amount of it can no longer be used. Only quite limited fresh water resource is available to human beings. So it's high time for us human beings to take quick action to protect water resource. Stop pollution and save water, otherwise, we cannot survive on the earth.

With fresh water, the world will be prosperous.

Wild Animals Protection

As is often read in the newspaper reports, wild life especially the rare species is threatened with extinction. Human beings are making attempts to hunt wild animals for a big profit., which, of course, results in a sharp decrease in the number of animals. So it is high time for us to take quick action to protect them. First of all, it's quite necessary for every citizen to realize the importance of animal protection. Only by knowing its importance can people develop a sense of responsibility. People will surely take it for granted to have the duty to prevent any killing of wild animals. So a national publicity campaign should be launched, thus giving animals a good living environment. In addition, the government should pass some laws to forbid any hunting of rare animals. We don't expect anything harmful to wild life to happen again.

If everyone is involved in the protection of wild life, we're sure man will be a good friend of animals rather than their enemy.

What is a good parent-children relationship?

A good parent-children relationship should be set up on the basis mutual understanding and respect. Parents can not impose their ideas on their children. They should treat their children as independent individual. It is advisable for the parents to learn to listen to children's ideas and encourage them to think on their own rather than decide everything for the children. On the other hand, children should listen to their parents' advice for they're more experienced. Try to be understanding when there is disagreement with parents. Always keep one thing in min---whatever they do comes from their love for us. It is necessary children to exchange ideas with parents from time to time so that the gap between parents and children will be narrowed.

Students Long to Attend Colleges

Students long to attend colleges or universities for various reasons. In my opinion, the most common reasons are to prepare for a career, to have new experiences and learn to be independent.

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 and in order to be employed in the future they have to be well equipped with knowledge and skills.

Also, students go to colleges or universities to have experiences and learn to live on their own. Going to colleges often means having the opportunity to meet with different people from different parts of the country. They learn to communicate and co-operate with each other. For most students, we guess, it is the first time that they have been away from home. They are faced with many new situations and have to learn to solve them independently, making decisions on their own and dealing with various things themselves. So colleges and universities help them grow up.

Surely, colleges and universities become their first choice.

Fighting Criminals

Today the crime rate in some cities of our country is rising. Many citizens often complain about the thefts and robberies that have taken place in the areas they live in and appeal to the governments at all levels to take effective measures to reduce the crime rate.

Faced with criminals, some people are so frightened that they shamelessly give up the fight and other people turn a blind eye to them. However, some people are brave enough, to risk their lives to fight the criminals. Their fearless actions prevented the criminals from doing evils, saved the victims, and protected the public properties.

To reduce the crime rate, we all the people should first receive a law education. Criminals must be severely punished. Meanwhile we should set up a foundation to reward those who fight criminals. It is also important to call on people to learn from those heroes and encourage more people to stand up to crime.

My first Job

Before I started at university, I took my first job as a waitress in a nice restaurant. At the night before my first day, I was too excited to go to sleep and as a result, I got up late in the morning. I threw on my clothes and rushed over to the restaurant.

In a great hurry, I didn't\'t hear clearly the head waiter\'s instruction that we should go into the kitchen through one door and out from the other. So when I took two plates of eggs and bacon and an orange juice out to the restaurant, I went straight towards the wrong door and collided with another waiter coming in!

Worst of all was that I wore a pair of smart shoes but with high heels! A few hours later I was in agony yet had no time to change them. By the time we finished serving dinner at about 10:30 I was completely exhausted. Nevertheless, I learnt something through my experience.

Styles of Living

Some people enjoy living together with their parents after they have grown up. They hold the opinion because, living with parents, they can take better care of their parents and vice versa. Meanwhile, they can turn to their parents for help if they get into trouble or have some difficulties. To them, life in a big family seems to be more enjoyable than that in a small family.

Others, however, prefer to live separately. They cherish the idea to be independent of their parents, seek more freedom and wish to have a place of their own, in which they can do what they like. Bedsides, they don't want to be overprotected by their parents but long for chance to face the society by themselves.

As to me, I like an independent life style in spite of the fact I love my parents. Different generations have different life styles and values. What one-generation likes may not be another generation's fondness? Living separately, each generation can enjoy different value. In addition, by leading an independent life, I can train my character and develop my own ability to deal with things encountered in my life.

Smoking

It is almost known to all that smoking is bad for people's health. Scientific researches show that smoking can lead to heart disease, cancer and other problem. The World Health Organization says diseases linked to smoking kill at least two million five-hundred-thousand persons each year.

Still, many people find it difficult to stop smoking. One reason is that smoking usually becomes a habitual behaviour, and habits, whether good or bad are not easy to be given up. Another reason is the effect of nicotine, the substance found in cigarettes works on people somewhat as drugs do.

Measures have been taken to help people keep away from the harm of smoking. In many cities, smoking is forbidden in public places. The danger of smoking is warned of everywhere. And newspapers are asked not to publish advertisements for cigarettes. World "No Tobacco Day" is observed every year as the biggest campaign against smoking.¡¡

Birth control

Since the Chinese Government singled out family planning as one of the basic state policies in 1978,the country has adopted various measures and achieved great success in birth control. The total birth rate has been decreasing gradually.

However, at present China's population is still growing very rapidly. It is reported that every year the population of this country increases by an extra 15 million and China is encountering a birth peak during the 1990s.It is obvious that China's economic development and improvement of people's living standards have been and will be greatly affected by the population.

Therefore, to control population growth more strictly is clearly essential to the country's reforms and economic development. We should restress the importance of birth control and call on the whole nation to make more effective actions.

Advertisements

Advertisements are getting their way into people's lives. People depend on advertisers in their daily lives because they are consumers. The advertisers are always manufacturers. Sometimes they are salesmen. Their merchandise needs advertising. Thus nearly every product is advertised. To some extent, good advertising means success while bad advertising can means failure.

There are many ways to advertise and 'ads' come in different forms. Newspaper carry advertisements. Some products are announced on TV and radio which have a wide audience. Billboards also carry advertising. Advertising is a big industry now and many agencies are set up to furnish a variety of services for it.

However, advertising is not always truthful. A product is often misrepresented. The advertiser exaggerates the benefits of the merchandise he wants to sell. Thus, he misrepresents the truth. The consumer falls victim to such advertising. Millions of people have bought advertised products and they haven't always been satisfied.

Fighting Criminals

Today the crime rate in some cities of our country is rising. Many citizens often complain about the thefts and robberies that have taken place in the areas they live in and appeal to the governments at all levels to take effective measures to reduce the crime rate.

Faced with criminals, some people are so frightened that they shamelessly give up the fight and other people turn a blind eye to them. However, some people are brave enough, to risk their lives to fight the criminals. Their fearless actions prevented the criminals from doing evils, saved the victims, and protected the public properties.

To reduce the crime rate, we all the people should first receive a law education. Criminals must be severely punished. Meanwhile we should set up a foundation to reward those who fight criminals. It is also important to call on people to learn from those heroes and encourage more people to stand up to crime.

Opportunity and Success

Opportunities don't come often. They come every once in a while. Very often, they come quietly and go by without being noticed. Therefore, it is advisable that you should value and treat them with care. When an opportunity comes, it brings a promise but never realizes it on its own. If you want to achieve something or intend to fulfill one of your ambitious, you must work hard, make efforts and get prepared.

Otherwise, you will take no advantage of opportunities when they come to visit you. The difference between a man who succeeds and one who does not lies only in the way each treats opportunities. The successful person always makes adequate preparations to meet opportunities as they duly arrive. The unsuccessful person, on the other hand, works little and just waits to see them pass by.

In my opinion, there are plenty of opportunities for everyone in our society, but only those who are prepared adequately and qualified highly can make use of them to achieve their purpose.

Private¡¡car

Nowadays, any Chinese can enjoy the luxury of owning a private car - if he or she can afford it. Having a car of your own means no more traveling to work on crowded buses or subway trains, and you can drop off the children at school on the way. Moreover, it also means that you can enjoy the weekends and holidays better, because with a car you can go to places where the regular buses and trains do not go, and so you can find a quiet scenic spot with no crowds.

However, there are drawbacks to owning a car. For one thing, with the increase in car ownership in recent years, the roads are becoming more and more crowded, often making the journey to work more of a nightmare than a dream. For another, it is not cheap to run a car, as the prices of gasoline and repairs are constantly rising, not to mention the prices you have to pay for a license and insurance coverage.

Having considered both sides of the argument, I have come to the conclusion that the advantages of owning a car outweigh the disadvantages. Therefore, it seems to me that China should increase its output of automobiles and enlarge the private car market. The result would be that cars would become cheaper, while at the same time the extra demand would encourage the auto industry to produce more efficient and family-oriented vehicles.

On Developing Tourism

Tourism, a "smokeless industry", is developing rapidly in China. With the open and reform policy being carried out, thousands upon thousands of foreign visitors are crowding into our country. They are eager to see this old mysterious land with a splendid culture of more than 5000 years. Tourism brings China a lot of benefits.

First it enables the Chinese people to know more about the outside world and promotes friendship and mutual understanding. Second, it is financially beneficial to China, which needs more foreign currencies for its modernization program. Tourism, however, gives rise to a number of problems. For instance, it becomes a burden to our inefficient transportation system.

Besides, the living standard of the average Chinese is still not high enough to be able to afford the many different sorts of expenses during long distance travels. As for me, H believe that with the development of our national economy, all these problems will certainly be solved step by step. A much better and brighter future waits.

The Value of Time

As a popular saying goes, "Time is money. "In fact, time is more precious than money. When money is spent, you can earn it back if you want to. However, when time is gone, it will never come back. As the pace of modern life continues to accelerate, the time at our disposal is quite limited. But there are a lot of things to be done in our lives.

We should make full use of our time to fulfill what is useful to us. For instance, as students we should devote most of our time to our academic studies. In this way we can acquire new knowledge and skill necessary for our future carrier. In my opinion, wasting time means wasting our valuable life. But many of us don't realize this. They think time is inexhaustible. I'm not in favor of such of a view.

Hence, my conclusion is that we should never put off what can be today until tomorrow.

Are Prizes a Good Thing?

Nobody denies that competitions with prizes can bring people's initiative into full play. Encouraged by a strong desire to win a prize, one will go all out to seek his greatest success.

Consequently, the best achievements will be obtained in a game with awards. However, the prompting of a prize does not always lead to desirable results. For example, a competitor who cannot overcome the temptation of a prize is likely to take a stimulant. And the hopeless competitor sees nothing but the prize, which might cause improper behavior.

I my opinion, the remedy lies in moral education of competitors. This will help them to understand the slogan: "Friendship--first, and competition--second. "Then, prices will play a better part in any contest. Generally speaking, I believe that prizes are a good thing.

On Keeping a Diary in English

Keeping a diary in English is one of the effective ways to improve our English writing ability. Compared with other forms of writing, it is shorter and takes less time. It can help us to cultivate the habit of thinking in English. If we persist in this practice, gradually we'll learn how to express ourselves in English. In keeping a diary in English, we inevitably run up against a lot of difficulties .

In the first place, it often happens that we have trouble finding appropriate words and phases to give expression to our mind. Secondly, there are many idiomatic ways of saying things in Chinese. And it is extremely hard for us to put them into English properly. Certainly, there are some other roadblocks we may come across in our keeping a diary in English. As far as I'm concerned, my suggestion is that we should always have a notebook and a Chinese-English dictionary within easy reach.

Whenever something beats us, we can first put it down in our notebook and then consult our dictionary. We can also turn to our English teacher for help, if necessary. In short, I believe that it is of great use to keep a diary in English for the development of our writing skills.

Fake Commodities

Fake and poor quality commodities are a serious problem. Many things can be faked such as soybean sauce, vinegar, bicycles, and many other things. The interests of consumers are affected, and many enterprises keep losing money because of cheap fake commodities.

There are some reasons for such a phenomenon. The major one is the desire of some people to "make easy money". These people think nothing of the law of the protection of intellectual property rights.

To get rid of fake and poor quality commodities, the government should educate people to obey the law of the protection of individual intellectual property rights and not to sell any fake goods. The government should punish severely and close down all the factories producing fake goods.

Cars and Air Pollution

Too many cars have created a lot of serious problems in our world. Besides congestion, accidents and fast fuel consumption are responsible for a good part of air pollution in big cities. All the time, they are pumping huge amounts of waste gases into the atmosphere. These gases are very harmful, causing disease and even death. Last winter, car fumes formed heavy smog over Beijing, making the sky gloomy for weeks and deteriorating people's health.

One possible solution is to design and develop clean cars and clean fuels. In Tsinghua University, campus buses are driven by electricity. In Beijing some of the public buses begin to run on natural gas, which does not give off as much carbon dioxide as the petrol. But it may take decades for the new models of clean cars to completely replace the traditional ones.¡¡¡¡ Another solution is to develop modern public transportation systems and restrict the use of private cars. If the price of petrol rises constantly and the public vehicles are efficient and convenient enough, most people will not private cars. And the total number of cars in big cities will reduce greatly. On the whole, the elimination of air pollution needs the co-efforts from the government, the public and the environments. This problem will be solved only with the help of science and technology.

"Why y Do We Need English?"

The one aspect of the English language that most of your correspondents seem to be unaware of is its widespread use as the international language of diplomacy, commerce and technology. It is the language of the United Nations and its agencies as well as of many other international bodies. We would be foolish to confine our vision to our national borders only. We are still, after all, dependent on other countries for technical and industrial assistance. How can we hope to be economically and technologically independent if we are not able to communicate in the areas outside our own country?

English must be taught in all our schools, not only for the above reasons but also so that our students can go abroad to learn the techniques our nation so urgently needs. We also need representatives who can command respect at the international conference tables of the world. And if English is the common language of communications for world diplomacy, economics and defence, then let us be as fluent and proficient in it as possible, for the sake of our own country's advancement and prestige.

Where to live -in the City or in the Country

Some people like living in the city because city life has many advantages. They think there are more job opportunities in cities, life there is more colorful and meaningful than that in the country, and there are more modern conveniences in cities for people to enjoy.

But some other people prefer to live in the countryside. They say life in the countryside is closer to nature and better for their health, life there is quieter and that country people are more honest than city people.

I would like to live in a city when I am young to earn enough money and I live in the countryside when I am old for having a quite life.

On Power Failure

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

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

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

On University Tuition System in China

Tuition system has become one of the hottest topics in China since it was put into effect. Different people have different opinions on it. Some people think that there is no university in the world which is open to students without tuition. As far as China is concerned, it is a developing country with the largest population in the world. The government is unable to allocate enough funds to pay for various teaching facilities and many different kinds of expenses. One of the ways to relieve the problem is for students to pay tuition. The money raised in this way can be used to improve the conditions for running schools. Others, however, are opposed to the tuition system. They argue that the living standard of the Chinese people, especially of those in the poor rural areas, is still low, compared with that in the Western World. The university tuition will certainly add to the already heavy burden of the parents, who live on their salaries or wages. Moreover, tuition may become an obstacle to the development of China's higher education. This is because it hinders some talented people from entering the university just on account of their poverty.

The Bicycle in China

The bicycle is the most popular means of transportation in China. China is a country "on bicycle wheels". People ride them for various purposes such as going to and from school and work. Bicycles are very cheap and easy to buy in China.

There are many advantages to riding a bicycle. First, using a bicycle can greatly help reduce the air pollution in many big cities. Second, people can improve their health by riding a bicycle.

The future of bicycle will be bright. In some European countries, city governments have arranged pedestrians to use "public bicycles" to travel round the city center free of charge.

A Matter of Approach

Two secondary school teachers I remember show how different people can be though engaged in the same profession.

Mrs. Wang, my philosophy teacher, sent us to sleep less than ten minutes when she started talking in class. When a head nodded, she would point at the dozing student and made threatening remarks. She said that she was bored teaching us. Some students in her eyes had no desire to learn. But the other teacher Mr. Li always had bright eyes in a smiling face and encouraging words which showed that he loved Chinese history he was teaching and wanted us to love it too.

When it came to their attitudes to their students, they were different too. After Mrs. Wang finished her day's lessens she felt that she had finished her job. Once when I asked her a question outside class about a term, she continued with preparation to leave and said that I could bring my question to class next week. Before I knew it she had put her keys into her handbag and walked out of the door. In the history class, however, a question even after the bell would still be given attention to by Mr. Li. He would rush to the board in a last minute attempt to clear up. Often he was seen with a number of students standing outside the classroom, discussing the day's assignment.

Their methods of teaching were not like as well. Mrs. Wang stuck to the textbook and trained us how to memorize minute facts. However Mr. Li brought in films, maps, slides, and tapes, anything that would help us learn. Once the whole class went to see the 'film Lin Zexu' in order to better understand the history of the Opium

Honesty

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

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

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

The cultural exchanges

There is no denying that the cultural exchanges are playing a more and more important role in the modern world. Firstly, let's have a look at the picture. A foreign lady is making a traditional Chinese painting of bamboos. It seems that she is totally indulged in her painting.

People from foreign countries are interested in our traditional Chinese culture. They not only appreciate the traditional Chinese paintings, music, costume, etc, but also begin to learn to how to make them. In this way, they hope to gain a better understanding of Chinese culture and thus can know the country better. Since our country became more open, our Chinese government has made great efforts to promote all kinds of exchanges with the outside world. These exchanges range from economics and education to culture. The cultural exchanges play a more and more important part in our life. Many channels are open for the foreigners to learn our traditional art. They can take some courses in some special schools and many professionals can be their teachers.

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

To Be a small Fish in a Big Pond or a Big Fish in a Small Pond?

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

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

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

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

Air Pollution

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

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

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

Away from Net-bar Campaign

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

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

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

Online Education

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

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

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

Should Men and Women Be Equal?

People have different ideas about this issue, Some people say that men are superior to women in ability because men are physically stronger, do most of the hard labor in the world and hold most important positions.

Other people believe that women have the ability to compete with men. There have been many famous women state leaders and great scientists in the world. We should fully carry out the principle "to each according to his work" so that the enthusiasm of both men and women for work can be fully aroused.

In my opinion, men and women should be equal if they contribute the same. It is not fair if they are not treated equally.

Travel-mate Wanted

I'm a 19-year-old female sophomore named Fu Ping. I hereby earnestly invite a foreign young lady-college student preferred-to make a three C week touring trip with me.

My plan is to set off next weekend, when the summer vacation officially begins. The first stop is Kunming, the world-renowned city for its beauty and mild temperature. We'll get there by train and stay there for 2 days, and then we'll head for Jinggangshan, a former revolutionary base as well as a natural beauty spot. After a 3-day visit there, we will take a long-distance coach to a nearby port city by the Changjiang River and board a downstream ship to Shanghai, so that we can enjoy the great scenery alongside the third longest river in the world. As everybody knows, Shanghai is the busiest and fastest developing city in China. I'd like to have a look at its prosperity, so the stay there will be about half a week. And a famous Chinese saying goes, "Just as there is Paradise in heaven, there are Suzhou and Hangzhou on Earth ", so a 4-day visit to these two cities near Shanghai is must. All together, our trip will last about three weeks.

I only expect that my travel-mate could split the expenses with me and talk with me in beautiful English, and I would be an excellent guide for her since I major in tourist guiding.

Those interested please contact me either through email (fuping@126.com) or phone call (52222221) .

Suppose you are required to write a Want Ad for the Dean. You are supposed to base this ad on the outline given below:

Asking for Leave of Absence

To: Ms.Riddle , my dear Oral English teacher

From: Sam , a respectful sophomore student of yours in Oral English Class Two

Date : January 8,2005

Subject: Asking for Leave of Absence

Dear Ms.Riddle,

I would like to know if I could ask for a casual leave of absence from your Oral English class this Wednesday morning.

Yesterday evening I got a phone call from my cousin, who is now running a small firm in suburbs of this city. He needs an interpreter for two days but cannot find the most reliable person, so he wants me to have a try. Personally, I regard this as a golden opportunity to put what I have learned in your class into practice, but I need your permission of absence. If you think I may go and help him get over the difficulty, I am confident that I 'll do a good job and both of us will grateful.

Earnestly yours,

Sam

Student Consultant to the Dean Wanted

Duties: meeting with students; presenting oral and written reports; attending sessions

Requirements: full-time student with a strong sense of responsibility

Salary: 6000RMB an academic year

Time Commitment: 15h weekly

Deadline: Dec.23; to Li Meng 74543322

The office of Dean of students is looking for a Student Consultant to the Dean for the upcoming academic year.

Duties of this position will include: meeting with students as individuals and groups to discuss issues, opinions, problems, complains suggestions and recommendations regarding all areas of college policy; presenting regularly oral and written reports to the Dean of students; and attending various college sessions in the capacity as the student spokesperson.

Candidates should be full-time students of this college. The ideal applicant will be skilled in report writing and oral communication; will get along with other individuals; and will demonstrate a strong sense of responsibility.

The salary of this position is 6000 RMB an academic year, and the time required for this job is 15 hours a week. Applicants can make a telephone call to Li Meng before Dec.23. The phone number is 74543322

A Position for a Secretary

Department of Human Resources

Lansheng Building

No. 8560 , Huaihai Zhong Road

Shanghai , 200033

Wang Peng

No.31020, Zhongshan Road

Xu Hui District

Shanghai , 200076

January 8th, 2005

Dear Sir or Madam,

I learned from Beijing Youth Daily Jan.2 that your company is offering a position for a secretary, and it's a great pleasure for me to write to explore the possibility of seeking the job.

I graduated two years form ** University, and obtained a bachelor's degree in the field of business management. During my stay in the university my major courses included macroeconomics, business communication skills marketing and computer applications. I was especially fond of the communication skills which enabled me to deal with people and thing around well.

Upon graduation I engaged with HP China Branch as an assistant to the head of Marketing Department. My responsibilities consisted of carrying out market surveys, writing reports and organizing meetings within the department. This is two-year experience has helped me a lot in many ways. In particular, I become increasingly aware of the importance of co-ordination and co-operation among co-workers. I also believe the experience will qualify me for the current vacancy in your company.

I passed CET-6 with high marks. My spoken English is also fluent enough to organize meetings in English, which was actually my routine work in HP. Most of my market reports were presented in English, as my former boss is a native English speaker.

I enclose herein my resume and some relevant documents as required. And if you need any further information on me, I also refer you to Mr. Johnson, my ex-colleague, who is available at 021-66668888.

I appreciate your sincere consideration of me, and am looking forward to an early interview with you.

Sincerely yours,

Wang Peng

ϲ»¶Ó¢ÓïºÍÒôÀÖµÄÅóÓÑ£¬»¶Ó­·ÃÎÊÎÒÃǵĸÖÇÙÍøwww.pianoweb.cn ºÍÓÎËÄ·½Íøwww.you4fang.cn

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