第7章 议论文

It requires wisdom to understand wisdom；the music is nothing if the audience is deaf.

Learning Inside and Outside Class.

Quality education is under heated discussion now in our country. I think education of high quality should pay more attention to learning outside class， for learning inside and outside class are of the same importance.

Classroom learning is the base of our education， but textbook knowledge is not everything， for the knowledge gained from books is， after all， quite limited.

Besides the knowledge from books， there is much knowledge coming from practice. Without the combination of these two knowledges， we can achieve little. Just like learning driving a car， first of all， we must sit in the classroom， learning the knowledge of driving a car， and the car itself， through books. Then we must go out and sit in the car， trying to put what we ve learned from books into practice.

Knowledge comes from practice， while practice further enriches our knowledge. If we are going to solve problems in our everyday life and in our work in the future， we are in need of knowledge we have learned inside and outside class.

However， when we say learning outside is important， we do not mean learning in class is not so important. What we are learning in class is like the base of a building. If the base is not good enough， how can we expect to build a tall building upon it？

In a word， being students， we should pay attention to both learning inside and outside class.

本文说理比较透彻，层层推进，条理清楚。本习作的最大优点是在说理的过程中成功运用了比喻：Just like learning driving a car， first of all， we must sit in the classroom， learning the knowledge of driving a car， and the car itself， through books. Then we must go out and sit in the car， trying to put what we ve learned from books into practice. 假如习作没有此段，纯粹地讲理，行文就会趋于平淡乏味，空洞抽象。所以，这是一条值得借鉴的经验：在说理文中插入科学的、生动的例证。一般说来，我们现在用英语写作的说理文都比较浅显，并不难找到相应的例证。上文的另一处例证是：What we are learning in class is like the base of a building. If the base is not good enough， how can we expect to build a tall building upon it？

本习作的另一个特点是：首尾呼应。

The Problem of Population

The population of the world reached 6 billion on the day of October 12， 1999. During the twelve years from 1987 to 1999， the world s population increased from 5 billion to 6 billion. The increase was so rapid that we find it hard to believe.

Man has made great economic progress， which has never been experienced before. And great changes have taken place since last century. At the same time， we have been facing problems like explosive growth of population， resource shortage and environment pollution， and so on.

The past 30 years have witnessed the successful and effective family planning in China. It has made great contributions to China s and the world s economic development.

Of the three problems the whole world is now facing， the explosive growth of population is the first problem we should solve. When the growth of population slows down， the resource shortage and environment pollution problems can be dealt with with fewer difficulties.

However， man must do a good job in solving the resource shortage and environment pollution problems. Only when these two problems be dealt with equally well， can we push our economy forward smoothly and continuously.

作文语句流畅，合乎英语的表达习惯。文章末尾的倒装句写得非常漂亮。该生能够将课堂上学到的英语知识灵活运用于英语写作， 值得肯定。

最值得一提的是，作者在本习作中表现了一定的分析能力和水平。比如：

Of the three problems the whole world is now facing， the explosive growth of population is the first problem we should solve. When the growth of population slows down， the resource shortage and environment pollution problems can be dealt with fewer difficulties. (还有接下去的一段。)

这些分析有自己的观点，而且很有说服力。本习作给我们的新的启示是：作为一名高中学生，应该而且可以用所学到的浅显的英语知识表达自己个人的观点和分析，而不必总是人云亦云地、乏味地重复一些“老生常谈”。

On Study

Many of us students have had such experience that sometimes we felt quite dozy in class. During the class， the teacher tried his best to explain clearly and firend students one dull question after it hard to prevent the students from dozing away. So we can come to a conclusion that classes given in a dull way like that are boring and of little help to us students.

Thus if the classroom lesson is given in an interesting and lively way， things would be entirely different. Students in class would feel excited and curious so that they would be active in think， quick in learning.

A lively and challenging atmosphere is of vital importance in class， for this atmosphere can help tap your potential， arouse your curiosity and train your thinking， instead of purely passing knowledge onto the students.

Of course， we should not expect too much fun and pleasure in class. Learning， after all， is a hard job. We must try to bear a lot of things in our mind， we must try to solve many difficult problems， we must do our homework independently. All these are of little fun and pleasure， instead， they are sometimes painful and pain skating.

In my mind， genuine and lasting pleasure in our study does not come from the lively and challenging classroom atmosphere， but from our own creative and independent study， study that brings us inspirations， discoveries and sense of accomplishment.

本文写得很有思想。逻辑严密，层层推进，一环紧扣一环。表达也很老练。比如：A lively and challenging atmosphere is of vital importance in class， for this atmosphere can help tap your potential， arouse your curiosity and train your thinking， instead of purely passing knowledge onto the students. 中间的 tap your potential， arouse your curiosity and train your thinking 好似汉语的排比句式(注：英语称之为 parallelism， 平行结构)。

另外，更值得称道的是作者的思想。本文的结尾段落，写得何等精彩。末段可以译成：在我看来，真正的学习的快乐并非仅仅来自活跃的、具有挑战性的课堂氛围，而是来自创造性的独立学习，来自给我们带来灵感、带来发现和带来成就感的学习。

Use of Free Time

Some people may be so busy that they never have a spare moment， but it would be hard to find such people in contemporary times. Working hours are shorter and vacations longer， and there are more and more ways to spend the weekends. Aside from eating and sleeping， what do people do during the many hours when they are not at work or at school？

Use of free time often discloses much about one s tastes， values， interests and personality. What may be one man s leisure， however， might be another man s work. In leisure hours， some may turn to the humanities：literature， magic， art and here we might also mention movies and television. Others participate in sports， politics， voluntary work or hobbies at home. Still others like parties， travelling， or just loafing.

Obviously， the use of free time is a good means of relaxation， but its benefits go beyond this. All things people do in leisure hours enable them to gratify their wishes. This can contribute to intellectual growth and promote social activities as well.

So the good use of free time will make life rich， colorful and rewarding.

这篇文章写得很有水平。说理深入浅出，语言丰富晓畅，例证详实，句式灵活多变，使得文章生动并吸引人。开篇用关联句，引出下文；结尾点题，总结全文，并且很有文学性。

Is Failure a Bad Thing

Failure is quite a common thing in our life. As long as we do things we will surely encounter difficulties. Of course we should try our best to get over them， but in many cases， it is not so easy， or even impossible. Then how should we face failure？

Different people take different attitudes towards failure. When faced with failure， some people become frustrated and lose their selfconfidence. They refuse to make any further efforts. These people will probably never amount to anything in life. Some people just don t fear failure. They firmly believe that failure is the mother of success. As a result， not only can failure stop them， but they draw useful lessons from it and try even harder. Such people are sure to succeed someday.

As for me， I don t think failure is a bad thing. Failure can never discourage me but only help enrich my experience and steel my will. With this positive attitude in mind， I will try hard in anything I m determined to accomplish and attain success in the end.

本文分为三段。第一段简要地论述了失败是每个人都会遇到的，末句用设问形式，起到了承上启下的作用。第二段谈到了人们对失败的态度各不相同，列举了两种典型态度，先写错误观点进行铺垫，而后阐明正确观点。这种安排突出了作者所赞同的态度，同时为引出的第三段“我对失败的看法”做好了准备。第三段作者阐明了自己的观点。文章切题，全文层次清楚，段落间衔接自然、紧密，主题突出，用词准确，语言流畅。

Health

It is clear that health is the foundation of one s future success. If you become sick， it is nearly impossible to pursue your career effectively. On the other hand， if you are strong， you can go all out to overcome the obstacles that lie ahead of you.

Now that we know that health is the source of our energy， what should we do to maintain and enhance our health？First， we should exercise every day to strengthen our muscles. Second， we should keep regular hours of our lives. If we get up early， we can breathe fresh air and see the sunrise， and this habit can do wonders for our outlook on life. Third， there is a proverb that says， “Prevention is better than cure.”

In conclusion， health is more important than wealth. Those who are rich but lose their health are no more fortunate than those who are poor. If you want your wish to come true， health is the most important ingredient of your success.

该文结构清楚而紧凑。开篇说明健康的重要性。在第二段里，分了三个层次来阐释“健康是我们能量的源泉”，而且还设提问句来引导下面的回答。最后一段“In conclusion”，总结了全文，而且有所提高。

The Eating Patterns

Eating patterns change over time. Ingredients cannot be seen before in a country might begin to appear in local markets， shipped from abroad. Migration causes cultures to change， and eating patterns invariably reflect new influences.

In the 20th century， few people have the time to go home for lunch， and many city dwellers find themselves in need of grabbing a bite to eat in a place close to their offices. As a result， the popularity of fast food and takeaway food has risen. In many urban areas， people who traditionally ate their main meal at midday now enjoy it in the evening， after work.

Changing eating patterns have an effect on other aspects of society. Meals have traditionally been times when members of a family catch up with each other. Fast food and quick meals sometimes threaten such family gettogether.

开篇点题是否准确，是一篇文章的关键。一篇100词上下的短文首先要尽量做到开宗明义，其次才是层次的清晰。这篇短文在第一段里简述了“the eating patterns change”的原因。第二段里讲了“change”的实际内容。第三段则论及它的影响。观点表达清楚。

No Pains， No Gains

The wellknown prover“No pains， no gains”reminds us that behind every success， there is often much effort. It suggests that if you want to achieve a goal， you cannot do it through idleness， or expect success to come to you easily. Sometimes getting what we want takes determination.

Studying English is an example of this proverb. How can we learn a language so different from our own？We must overcome our embarrassment at making mistakes as well as work hard to master the complex grammar and vocabulary. All these take a long time， but if we persevere， the effort will definitely seem worth it. The pain of our efforts will turn into the gain of knowing a new language.

作者对“不劳则不获”论证具体而且有说服力，告诉我们成功需要大量努力，不通过辛勤劳动，是不能收获成功的。文章段落安排得当，全文结构完整、自然。

Television Is Bad for Children

By the time children reach school， they have spent much time in front of the television. A lot of TV programmes influence them greatly， and most of the effect is bad. Far too much of a child s time is wasted. Generally speaking， TV is bad for children， especially small children.

Why does watching TV do harm to children？First of all， there are a lot of advertisements for dangerous toys， unhealthful drinks and foods on TV. Children are too young to tell good from bad. They force their parents to buy them. Secondly， there are too many programmes about love and crime on TV. They watch hours of murders， fights and crimes every week. They may think that violence is part of one s life， and that fighting and cheating are ways to succeed. That is what parents don t want their children to learn. Thirdly， children only watch too much television， so they don t do a lot of other important things for their education. Children of three to six learn to speak their language and talk with people. When they are watching TV， they are only listening to the language， and they aren t talking with anyone. When school children watch TV， they read less. Because of this， they don t learn to read or write quickly at school. Fourthly， all children learn by doing， and they need time to play in order to learn about the world. When they watch TV， they playless. They also have less time to be with their parents and friends， and they have less time to have sports. In a word， watching TV does no good to children.

Although the total effect of most TV watching is harmful， parents should spare some time engage in activities with their children， and should not just leave them in front of TV.

文章为典型的三段式结构议论文。文章第一段提出论点；第二段从不同方面论述看电视无益于儿童的身心健康；第三段建议家长经常参与孩子活动并给予正确的引导。从总体上讲，本文结构完整，论点鲜明，论据充分，语言流畅，表达有力，是一篇好的议论文，值得大家借鉴。

On Advertisements

Advertisements appear everywhere in the modern society. Good advertisements help to inform us of new products. They help us choose what we need. By telling us whatis available on the market， where something is available and how one product differs from another， they may save us money and time. They also guide us in finding suitable jobs. The good advertisements are believable because they tell the truth and they themselves are true.

However， there are also some fake advertisements in the modern society. Actually， every producer says that his product is the best， or tries to give that impression. Therefore， consumers are often cheated by their flowery phrases and empty promises.

Look at the advertising pictures. In the pictures a boy is runing to the old pumper with his toy car. He let the pumper pump up the boy car. The toy car becomes bigger and bigger. To one s surprise， the toy car becomes a real car. And the boy gets into the car at once and drives it away. This is an exaggerated advertisement. Anyhow， the toy car can not become a real one. These pictures expose the unhealthy phenomenon in the modern advertising. And every day thousands of people are cheated by such advertisements.

Advertisement， whether we like them or not， are pouring into our life. No one can avoid being influenced by them. We can easily be persuaded by some advertisements. Unfortunately， this is often made use of by some producers. They pay much for advertisements， but pay little attention to the quality of their products. In this way， their advertisements are false advertisements. Together with other advertisements， they go into lives of people， who certainly don t know how to tell good advertisements from bad ones.

Therefore， to avoid being cheated by false advertisements， we should take a correct attitude：Let advertisement serve our life， but never believe them easily.

夸张的广告是虚假的，广告的生命力在于真实。文章从分析什么是真正的好广告谈起，接着联系现实生活中出现的虚假广告及其产生的负作用，论证虚假广告的根源及其危害，最后表明我们对广告应持有的态度。文章论证主次分明，有理有据，说服力强。

Top Hats

People usually refer to flattery as top hats. Some time ago， a teacher had taught two students who were going to take up jobs out of the province. They went to see the teacher. He told them， “Now you re on your own in the world. Nowadays you can not get things done without some crooked means. What ever you do， be sure to send the one you have business with a top hat. Then you ll find things easier.”One of the students said， “Thank you for your good advice. In the world nowadays， indeed there are very few people like you who do not care for top hats.”Hearing that， the teacher was very much pleased. Out of door one student said to the other， “One of my top hats has been given to our teacher.”

Maybe you ll think the story is very interesting， but it prompts us to deep thought. Not only in the old times but also now people tend to hear flattery words， and feel honest words are unpleasant to the ear. If someone sings highly praises of them， they ll feel very happy. Sometimes they are overwhelmed with so many top hats， and think that they are really the most talented， the most respectable or the most powerful. Then they have no desire to go on with their pioneering work， and remain stagnant. Furthermore， on one hand， they take those that are flattering them as trustworthy friends， and even abuse their power to do something illegal for them. On the other hand， they take those honest people as enemies， and turn a deaf ear to others good advice. This does great harm to the society.

Therefore， everyone in this society should be honest， refuse others top hats and accept others good advice.

本文采用的是间接论证方法。文章一开始提出发人深思的问题；接着用从反面层层推进的方式论述了喜欢戴高帽子的危害；最后总结全文，并提醒大家要做老实人，拒绝戴高帽子，听取忠言，采纳好意见。文章结构清晰，论证层层推进，铿锵有力，句式变化多样，其中排比结构的运用更增强了语言的表达力。

Women and Men Should be Equal

A young woman comes to a company to apply for a job. She takes her resume and diploma in her hands. Seeing her， the man in charge of the personnel branch says disappointedly， “A female again.”The picture does not describe a special case. Such is quite common. Women are still looked down upon in society. A great number of men still hold that women are inferior to men. Women can not be equal to men. I don t think so.

First， men and women are born equal. Women are certainly as talented as men if they are given equal opportunities of education. Indeed， in the modern world， women are playing a very important role in society. Women are working side by side and compete with men in almost all fields and contribute a lot to the society. Furthermore， there are two sex groups， namely， men and women. Our human society could not have existed or advanced without either of them. Since men and women are equal by nature；men and women are playing equally important role in all human activities；either is necessary to the society， women should not be treated as an inferior sex， they should be on an equal footing with men， and they should enjoy the same treatment as men.

Above all， women and men should be equal.

文章采用的是归纳论证方法。首先提出问题，继而从三个方面，即女性生来与男性平等，女性在社会中起着重要的作用，社会离开哪一个性别的人都不能存在，更谈不上发展，分别论证中心，最后总结全文，归纳出文章的中心：男女应平等。

Money Itself Is No Good or Bad

Every man knows that money is very powerful and important in everyday life. Nothing can be bought without money. It is so useful that it is loved by everyone.

If money is made and used properly， it is a good thing， and can bring up happiness. Those who make money through their own mental or physical labour usually lead a thrifty but happy life. They know money is an active thing. They use their money in doing something good. For example， they set up and run companies， which will provide a lot of employment opportunities and create much wealth for the society. They may donate some of their money to the hope project， which helps those poor students return back to school. They may give their money to the flood stricken areas ， and help those homeless people rebuild their home villages. In a word， the money in their hands is a good thing.

However， on one hand， if one makes“Dirty money”through illegal means such as stealing， smuggling， corrupting， he will never have real happiness. Every day and every hour they will be worrying about being arrested and put to prison by the government. And in the end this will happen. On the other hand， if money is wrongly used， it is also an evil. It may bring you sadness， misery， and even ruin. You should not waste your money in gambling， smoking， dancing， or drinking. And you should not go to the other extreme. You should not just keep your money and become a miser.

In short， money is powerful. Money itself is no good or bad. Those who get and use it properly will find the way to happiness and success. Those who get it illegally and use it wrongly are going to the abyss of misery.

金钱本身无好坏，要看怎样获取和利用它。本文从正反两个方面，通过摆事实、讲道理，论述了这一论点。文章思路清晰，论述充分，说服力强，这也说明了作者有很深厚的写作功底 。High Fees Hurt Poor Students

I read an article New Tuition Fees Won t Hurt Poor Students in a newspaper recently. I do not agree with the author s opinion—I believe the new tuition fees will hurt poor students.

Students have to pay a lot of money， not only for tuition， but also for books， rooms and food and other living costs when they enter a university. The poor students have so little money that they cannot afford to go to university. It is true that the state could help these poor students， but in fact only a small number of students can get help. Most poor students still face many difficulties.

So the new tuition fees are a real burden on poor students.

文章第一段明确提出了主题，第二段展开论述，第三段用不同的语言重申第一段作者的观点，首尾相互照应。文章末尾段用“so”来总结全文，很精彩。

Peril from the Sky

Air is important for human beings， and also important for plants and animals.

Take a deep breath， and you can breathe in cool and fresh air. It is good for your health.

In modern times， the air is not good. In big cities， the air is even worse. It is made dirty and harmful by cars and factories.

If you often breathe in this kind of air， it is bad for your health.

People across the country and the world are learning that the air they breathe—the air they have always taken for granted—is neither clean nor fresh nor invisible. Nor， as some of the more pessimistic scientists predict， is it inexhaustible.

Man can purify water before he drinks it， but unless he wears a gas mask， he must breathe the air as it comes. So the air is more important than anything else.

Besides darkening the skies， pollution is destructive. Air pollution spoils the paint on houses， eats away at stones， tarnishes copper and silver， rusts iron， causes in nylon stockings， and cracks rubber tires. Houses and clothes must be cleaned more frequently. Repairing this destruction costs people a lot of money.

What are the causes of air pollution？

There are two main causes：1. Moving automobiles， and 2. Stationary sources such as factories， power plants， oilburning heating units.

Factories， plants and heating units burn coal and oil. They give off gases and pollute the air.

Since air pollution is very bad to our health， we must work hard to control it.

In fact， if we can do things properly， pollutans can be trapped before they pour out of chimneys—and cars.

This can only be done when the pollution is no longer tolerated. It will be controlled when people of the world， through their elected and selected representatives， demand the right to clean air so that they and their children can breathe without fear.

Finally， I hope， through our efforts， we can enjoy clean air in the near future.

本文作者选择了一个重要的主题，立意、论理、层次都很清楚，具有较强的说服力。文字干净，用词得当，表现出作者读过有关的英语文章，从中吸取了不少词汇。

Treasure Every Drop of Water

It is well known that water is short in many parts of the world. This problem has bothered people for many years. It s undeniable that of all resources， nothing is more indispensable than water. The reasons for the water shortage are mainly three normous growth in the demand for water and water pollution.

How can we solve the problem of water shortage？

First of all， I think there must be a universal recognition that every drop of water is valuable and should be used with care. We must make some water laws and people must abide by the laws. In addition， the person who causes water pollution should be given severe punishment. If the water problem is dealt with quickly， other problems affecting the environment can be solved.

Air， sunlight and water are the three most important things in our lives. We can live without food for a week， but we can t live without water for even three days. You can see how important water is. Without water， we can neither drink nor wash. This fact warns us that we must save every drop of water.

In the old days， people always thought that there was enough water for us to use forever. But now we must have a clear head. Everyone knows that floods are damaging， but in fact， water shortage can cause much more serious results.

China is one of the most water deficient countries in the world. And our city also has this problem， though it used to have a lot of water. Our government has organized some experts to work out solutions to the problem of water shortage and weal so have carried out some projects to that effect. And the scientists are planning to change the salty water from the sea into fresh water.

I think we， as students， can also do something to save water. For example， the water we wash the vegetables with can be used again to water flowers. If every person does his best to save water， the problem of water shortage will no longer affect us， and the environment will get better and better.

水资源短缺是当今社会面临的一个重大问题。作者清醒地认识到了这一问题的严重性，并从一个中学生的角度提出关于节约用水和改善环境的一些建议。虽然稍显稚嫩，但所谈皆为作 者切身感受。保护水资源须全民共同努力。希望我们的水资源状况能像作者所希望的那样越来越好。文章写得紧凑，文字流畅、准确达意。

Do Rise Every Time You Fall

“The greatest success is not in never falling， but in rising every time you fall.”This quotation occurred to me when I saw on TV that Evander Holyfield regained the heavyweight boxing championship which he had lost to Riddick Bowe nearly a year before. It was really a great surprise to most boxing fans. According to an opinion poll in Shanghai， over two thirds had bet that the challenger would fail. The result， however， turned out to be the opposite. Did it happen all by accident？Surely not！

Having enjoyed the heavyweight boxing champion for two years， Holyfield s depression was imaginable after his defeat. He even thought of retiring from his boxing career. But soon he made a recovery， inspired more by the desire to correct his mistakes and win back the gold belt. Thus， he reformed his training plan and had anew trainer. After the whole 51 weeks efforts， he succeeded again.

It was Holyfield s successful comeback that made me think about our study and daily life， in which we are inevitably punched by frustrations and failures. Should we let difficulties prey upon us willfully， or shall we follow Holy s suit？I do not doubt that the latter is the majority s choice. So it is. Although there are various factors that influence our final success， it should be admitted that perseverance plays the most important role， which provides us with vivid motivation and unfailing incentive， encouraging us to strive and to make all kinds of innovations all our way to goals.

Therefore， in a way， Holyfield s victory did not merely mark another significant occasion in boxing history， but showed us once more：The greatest success is not in never falling， but in rising every time you fall.

作者通过重量级拳王霍利菲尔德不怕失败，东山再起的实例，结合自己，谈到在学习和生活中也要做不畏困难的强者，很有说服力。最后又再次点题“最伟大的成功不是从不失败，而是在你每次失败的时候都在提升自己。”另外，文章措词准确，像“This quotation occured to me”就准确形象地表达了作者在看到拳王重拾金牌的电视画面时突然想到了这个谚语的意思。

We Should Learn to Do Housework

Housework is often too heavy for our parents， especially for our mothers. Although we are very busy working at our lessons， I think we should do some housework for our parents， because our parents are also busy and tired after a day s work. They care for us and we should care for them too. What s more， doing housework can also help us learn to look after ourselves and make our tired brains relax.

But， now， many parents don t let their daughters or sons do anything， because they hope their children can have more time for lessons so that they can go to university and then have good jobs. But some of us don t make good use of the time. They just take it for granted that the housework is something done by parents. In other words， they don t value the time， or rather， they are just wasting the time.

I think we should study hard every day in order to learn all the lessons well. At the same time， we should also do some housework every day. It is good for us. Now we are not small children any longer. We should spend some of our spare time on housework to reduce our parents burdens.

文章向广大学生朋友提出了值得认真思考的问题：如何利用好父母为我们辛勤创造的学习时间？是否应该力所能及地帮助父母承担一些家务？作者在用事实反驳了错误观点后，正面提出了自己对这些问题的看法。

On Confidence

As we all know， “Failure is the mother of success.”But， I just want to say：“Success is particularly the baby of confidence.”

First of all， confidence makes us happier in our life. Life is like a wonderful song， a bright and colourful painting. If confidence is with us in our life， we will find that life really becomes richer and more interesting. Have you ever seen the professional women around you？In fact， they are not necessarily very beautiful， but from their sweet smiles， you can feel the power of selfconfidence that move sand touches us. It is confidence that makes their faces glow with charm.

Then， confidence makes us brave and courageous. Have you ever thought about what is the most difficult thing to conquer？A boundless ocean？A vast expanse of desert ， or a high and steep mountain？My answer is“No！”In fact， the most difficult thing to conquer is just yourself. Perhaps you will ask：“Myself？But why？”Think it over， and you will easily find why. If we lack confidence in ourselves， how can we overcome difficulties we meet with？If we lack confidence in ourselves， how can we succeed in developing ourselves in the future？And if we lack confidence in ourselves， how can we do our bit for the construction of our motherland？Without confidence， nothing can be accomplished. That is to say， if you want to win， you have to believe in yourself.

Those who are full of misgivings， often abase themselves. They can t do things well. Some people say：“I believe I am a person of great ability， never shall I do such small things.”Evidently， they are arrogant. These people deserve to fail in life. So be confident， but not too proud.

Finally， I would like to use the following words as our mutual encouragement：“If you think you can， you can.”

文章主题积极鲜明，思路清晰，文中用到的一连串排比句式的反问增强了论据的气势。语言运用也较好，词汇、句型显示出作者一定的英语基础，如：It is confidence that makes...， a vast expanse of desert， accomplished， full of misgivings， mutual encouragement 等等。

On the Choice of Books

If we make the right choice of books， reading can offer us the greatest pleasure.

There are many kinds of books. Books on history， philosophy， travel and science should have their place on your bookshelves. Sometimes reading them is very dull， but they really do us good， for they give us education and make us substantial in content.

Books on literature are mostly fascinating. When we get tired， it is health to read some novels by great writers. Someone says that reading a good book is equal to talking with a great man.

Many of us students love to read books of romance and violence. This kind of books is simply for amusement and fun. Some students spend a lot of time reading these books. They even read them in class and fail to finish their homework. I think it is very harmful.

Time is limited but knowledge is boundless. A student should know how to make full use of his time and store up his knowledge. Reading too many common books is wasting time. We should develop a taste for serious reading， which will give us more pleasure than reading popular books.

这篇议论文内容短小精练，行文工整清秀，令人想起英国哲学家、语言大师弗朗西斯·培根的散文。虽然两者之间的差距是不言而喻的，但这篇文章的构思、行为、语言运用确实不错。文中某些语言上的问题值得提醒注意：

(1)bookshelf 前介词一般用 on；另外，前面用our 作定语，bookshelf 还是用复数为好。

(2) for 表示附加说明的原因，是并列连接词，一般与前文用逗号分开。

(3)前文为 some novels， 后面用复数 writers 较自然。

Make the Most of School Days

Almost onefifth of our lifetime is spent in school. It is also a most important period， for in school we are preparing our future and our duty to the community； meanwhile， we make our lifelong friends who would be a great help in our future. Therefore， we must see to ourselves that we make the most of the time in school.

Why do we go to school？Most of us would surely think we go to school in order to be educated， to be a learned man， and to be useful when we complete our studies. Of course， it is true， but I think there is more than that. We go to school， not only to be educated， but to adjust ourselves， for school is a society in miniature. Our classmates are of different nature， so we begin to learn human nature early. Thus it enables us to handle relationships between different kinds of people later. A school provides many extracurricular activities， which is a steppingstone to social life. A school also trains a student to have a clear and sound mind.

While we are in school， we can have more contact with our teachers. Teachers are as human as we are and with a wide range of knowledge which can solve our secret little problems.

Some of us tend to go to extremities， either we are too fond of studies and become a bookworm or we are fully occupied by offcampus activities that completely make us forget our studies. The former， doubtlessly， are top pupils they lack the knowledge of human nature， and their range of interests is too narrow. The latter， since they lack essential knowledge， are not likely to succeed， either. Thus， we must stand in the middle of these two extremes.

Let s make fewer mistakes but have more delightful experiences while in school.

文章在开头就指出：一个人的一辈子有五分之一的时间要在学校度过，这样就聪明地为自己的主题建立起了一个重要的论据：不好好利用这段时间，等于浪费了五分之一的人生。然后，作者从“我们为何上学”、“我们能在学校学到什么”以及“应该如何学习”等方面论证了“利用好在校的日子”的重要性。全文思路清晰，具有较强的说服力。

Music

Music is very important in our lives. Without music， life won t be perfect and will lack emotion and energy. But when you listen to music， it will give you happiness.

I like music very much and often listen to it on the radio or a CD. But recently I have no time to listen to music as I am busy studying.

I like listening to both Chinese and foreign music. I like pop music， but don t like pop stars. I think their songs are much better than the singers themselves.

In my opinion， martial music is the best. It reflects soldiers life. It is not only melodic， but also meaningful.

In the modern world， MTV is very popular. It makes music more colourful as it combines listening with watching.

A good piece of song won t be forgotten. When we re tired， we will listen to it. When we are sad， we may listen to it， too. After a while， we ll be happy again.

Music will follow you wherever you go. It floats through the chilly sky of winter to bring you the fragrance of spring.

音乐是一方神圣的世界。然而流行音乐是明星们的世界，喧嚣、纷杂得令人眼花缭乱。激情飞越的青年朋友，是否如此青睐于流行音乐呢？ 从文中看得出，作者有自己独到的见解，既不排斥流行音乐，又垂青军营歌曲；既欣赏中国音乐，又不对外国音乐另眼相看。本文体现了一个主张：音乐无国界，音乐能以情动人。作者以简练的语言准确地表达了他的思想。

The Importance of Music Education

You may go home and listen to the radio or put on your favorite CD， but have your really thought about how important and influential music is to your life？Music is a form of creative expression. Mozart once said that he did not write his music， God did. Stravinsky， a Russian composer， broke creative barriers to express anger with loud， strong sounds in The Rite of Spring.

Few students find music class a waste of time. Although these courses are loved by， they have been the target of budget cuts in schools across the nation. These cuts are harming the artistic side of students.

Music education has been proven to raise grades in mathematics and literature classes， as well as help students learn new things and open up creative doors and career opportunities. Teens who have taken music courses usually get into less trouble because music is a way to express their emotions.

Music courses not only offer teens something new to learn， but are fun， too. Places where teens learn music， whether at school or in private lessons， tend to be a way to make new friends， share stories and ideas and express themselves.

Music is not just an extracurricular course；it is very important and healthy. Whether for personal enjoyment or for performance， music is significant for high school students.

本文的作者爱好音乐，为了维护音乐课在中学的地位，不被削减掉，作者写了这篇议论文。文章的第一段先写音乐在日常生活中的位置，伟大的音乐家们伟大的音乐成就。然后指出音乐这门深受学生喜爱的课正面临被裁的危险。接着作者列举了音乐课在学校的重要性：可以提高其他课的分数，塑造创造性，上音乐课的学生不会闹事，音乐帮助学生表达情感，热爱生活，等等。本文篇幅较短，约300字，但这种议论式的作文是我们在英语考试中常见的。同学们要学习本文善于收集证据，支持自己论点的做法。

Welcome the KnowledgeBased Economy

The knowledgeBased economy has been a hot topic recently. Bill Gates has become the synonym of the knowledgebased economy.

Nowadays， high technology is the main feature of what is called “knowledgebased economy”in contrast to the earlier“agricutural economy”and “industrial economy”.

There are a lot of products that are made as a result of the application of hightechnology. However， the high technology is based on the knowledge. For instance， a computer disccosts only a few yuan to produce， but when it contains a software program， it can be sold for over a few thousand yuan， such as WindowXP.

So we must realize the importance of knowledge for ourselves. We must develop our abilities， enrich our knowledge and experiences， and join our brains to make our motherland more prosperous and powerful.

So we welcome the knowledgebased economy warmly.

这篇短文清楚地论证了一个抽象的概念，文章流畅。

文章能巧妙地把从句、短语、被动语态结合起来。如：

what is called 所谓的，称为……

in contrast to 与……对比，比较而言；

as a result of 作为……的结果；

be based on 在……基础之上；

Are Pets Good for People

Nowadays different people have different opinions about whether pets are good for people or not.

Some people say that pets are our friends. We all need them because they can make us happy， ease our loneliness and help us do a lot of things. Often a cat or a dog can comfort us sometimes when human work does not help.

Other people think that keeping pets is dangerous to people， because some pets can cause some diseases. Every year some people die because their pets bring diseases to them， and keeping pets is a waste of time and money.

In my personal opinion， I agree with the first opinion. Because animal is our friend， they can bring happiness to us. If we keep pets clean， they will be safe to us.

这篇短文点明不同的人有不同的观点，然后分别阐述两种不同的观点，最后再表明作者自己的观点。用词适当，通顺，优美。如：

a waste of time and money 浪费时间和精力；

keeping pets 养宠物；

agree with 同意某人观点；

文章论证充分，让人信服。结构严谨，完整，如 whether 从句，that 从句，when 状语从句，均运用自如。

Diligence and Success

Some people think that diligence is the key to success. In their opinion， diligence means steadiness in one s work. Many people become great because of their long persistent hardship. A worldfamous physicist once said that his success resulted from ninetynine percent of diligence. He stuck to his cause no matter how tough it might be. Many of his attempts failed， but he held to his purpose with firmness and finally succeed. Every successful man achieves success by working diligently.

Other people think that success is due to some stroke of luck. No matter how you strive， you couldn t gain success if you haven t good luck. Madam Curie couldn t have discovered radium without good luck.

I believe that success belongs to those who can suffer long years of patient toil and make constant efforts. Nothing is too easy in the world， for our world is full of competition. If you want to win any competition， you must grasp precious time and struggle hard for it；otherwise as you are getting older and older， you will find you have wasted your life by doing nothing.

本文阐述勤奋与成功的关系，先将两种不同的观点进行比较，然后，明确地提出自己的见解和认识。本文第一段的主题句是 Some people think that diligence is the key to success。第二段的主题句是 Other people think that success is due to some stroke of luck。第三段用I believe that...一句提出自己的看法。全文三个自然段分别围绕这三个主题句进行写作。这样全文主题明确，条理清楚。

另外，本文行文流畅、自然，使用了一些惯用短语。在论证过程中，运用了居里夫人等实例，使全文论据充足，说理充分。

The Importance Of Education

The prosperity of nation depends on the development of education. Any development in science and technology， throughout the world is due to the development of education which brings up scientists and inventors. It is difficult to emphasis just how important the role of education is. There is no doubt that countries with undeveloped education will remain poor.

Education is also vital to the development of an individual. Of all elements of success in our careers none is more important than education. It is not genius but the knowledge that makes the difference between success and failure. In fact most of the famous people of our times spent many years studying. Can you name any great man you admire who are not well educated？

Some people， however are still ignorant of the importance of education. Some parents， especially those in the countryside， think it unnecessary to send their children to school. Some parents have their children work for money at a very young age. In viewing of this， compulsory education must be enforced to see to it that every young people will have the chance to have adequate education.

这是一篇议论文。为了论述教育的重要性，作者分别阐述了教育和国家繁荣的关系，教育和个人发展的关系，说明教育事关国家的繁荣和发展，事关个人的成功，因而十分重要。最后一段，作者批评了一些父母忽视教育，阻止他们的子女接受必要的教育。因此，作者阐述了自己的观点：必须贯彻实施义务教育以确保年轻人有机会接受足够的教育。

全文思路清晰，说理充分。文中有的句子采取双重否定句、反意疑问句，增加了语气和说服力。

Noise Today， Music Tomorrow

It is not always simple to draw a clear distinction between music and noise. In fact， music to my ears may be noise to yours. There are certain totally disagreeable sounds around us， for example， a jet airplane taking off or the scrape of finger nails on a blackboard. But they are few and far between.

In most cases， the line draw between music and noise is necessarily subjective. If the crickets keep you awake， they are noisy. If they make you sleep， they are pleasant. For a thirteenyearold girl， a rock symphony might be wonderful music. Her parents would not necessarily agree. Likewise， the squeaking of the beginner s violin is sweet music to the proud parents who see the making of a future great violinist.

But we should remember that every musical variation in existence was considered completely disagreeable at one time or other. Perhaps it is just such inventiveness that makes music at first hearing sound like noise. Still， music is music， as the test of time shows.

本文第一段提出噪音与音乐之间的界定并不容易，对于自己是音乐的东西对于别人可能就是噪音，第二段的要求再用举例说明的方式指出两者间的区分通常是主观的。第三段提出了作者的结论。

全文层次清楚，脉络分明。每个自然段的第一句为该段的主题句，指明本段的主要内容。三个自然段结合在一起，浑然一体，形成一个完整的整体。

Key to Success

Success is our common dream in life. But not everyone can realize it. Those who are successful share some points through their experiences might be very different.

One of the points is diligence. Success is the fruit of work. Through hard work， everything can be done well. Diligence can remove our ignorance， overcomes difficulties and elightens our minds. Another key point is constancy， that is to say， you have to persist in your goal for a time long enough before you can see the result ——success. So you should be patient with what you are doing and never slack in your work even if you feel exhausted. It is very difficult， but it is the key to success.

To conclude， hardly could any success be achieved without constant hard work. Put these two points practice， you will see the reward sooner or later， that is your dream——success.

这是提纲式论说文。第一段前两句引出话题，成功是我们的共同梦想，但不是每个人都能取得成功。接着作者马上转入正题说明成功人士有其共同的成功之道。引言简单，点到为止。 第二段用列举法具体说明这共同的成功之道：One of the points， Another key point is...其实成功之道有千千万万，范文惟独选取勤奋和坚持不懈来说明。这两点有代表性，易于作者发挥，本文的选材方式值得学习。第二段以 To conclude 开头，承上启下，第一句采用倒装语序，句式富有变化，第二句采用祈使句，语气强硬，感召力强，句末使用破折号既能点题又能强调。

Blood Donation

Blood is vital to the human body. It carries nutrient and oxygen to tissues and at the same time takes wastes and carbon dioxide away. A person will die if he loses too much blood. Now blood transfusion is saving hundreds of thousands of dying people. Volunteer blood donation is a noble act， what shows the donator s love for other people. At present many countries are carrying out volunteer blood donation widely. This act is also advocated in our country.

Blood donation will not do harm to the donator s health. Firstly only healthy people have the competence to donate blood. Besides， every time just a little blood is taken， so the donator s body can have a quick adjustment to make the body operate normally.

本文首先提出血液对人的重要性，从而通过句型：Now blood transfusion is saving hundreds of thousands of dying people 引出献血的重要。

第二部分针对一些人对献血的错误观点，解释献血不会危害健康。

Our Environment Is Getting Worse

I think our environment is getting worse.

Now the number of cars keeps increasing and a large amount of waste gas pollutes the air. The area of forests is reducing. It becomes more windy and dusty here in spring and the climate turns to be dry.

The rivers are polluted and cities can not get enough water supply.

Besides， noise causes pollution too. It may do harm to one s hearing.

So it is a fact that the environment is getting worse， and we must pay great attention to it and do everything possible to protect our environment from being polluted.

本文观点明确，语言通顺流畅，在表达方式上以议论为主，加以说明、叙述等方式，开头结尾，均显得自然有力，有利于深化主题。

Desire for No Examination

I have a lot of aspirations. But what I desire most is to have no examinations.

We are always told that examinations aim to check what we have learned. But I don t think so. Examination is not the best way， especially in the primary school. Examinations， composition examinations in particular， will bring students， teachers and parents a great deal of pressure. To cope with the examination， some students just remember the model essays by rote. It will do no good to the improvement of writing.

The students scores can be measured by their daily inclass study and by the completion of their everyday homework. If we do in this way， all the students and teachers will have a pleasant time every day.

本文第一段用一个转折句“But what I desire most is to have no examinations.”提出论点，表明作者强烈希望不考试。论点提出简单、明了。

正文利用“普遍观点+反驳例子”的结构来例举考试的弊端。

结尾段落用一个被动句：The students scores can be measured...提出衡量的方法。

Bicycle or Car

Both bicycles and cars are important means of transportation. Bicycles go slowly while cars go quickly. Bicycles need only human power， but cars must be run by either gas or electricity. Bicycles can be put almost anywhere， whereas cars need garages or parking lots. Perhaps the most obvious difference is that buying a bicycle will cost you only a small amount， while owning a car will certainly consume a large sum of money.

Which is better， a bicycle or a car？Well， it all depends on your practical needs and personal income. For example， most Americans would rather have a car. But this is not the case with most Chinese. They prefer a bicycle for they simply don t know what to do with a car.

I，of course， prefer a bicycle. It doesn t cost me much to buy one， yet it is very convenient. What is more， it does not pollute the air. A bicycle serves me well.

作者首先运用对比的写法简述了自行车和小汽车各自的特点。如何看待这些特点，作者随即对此进行论述并提出了自己的看法，论证合理流畅。另外，该文用词准确，句式富于变化，句子与句子间过渡自然，富有逻辑性。

Why Do We Learn English？

Now English has become a worldwide language. It is spoken all over the world. Knowing English is equal to having an additional pair of eyes.

It s very important to master English. English is required when we do business with foreigners in the new area of reform and opening up. English is a language commonly used at international conferences. Significant books are mostly published in English. Those who know English are better able to have a deeper understanding of various countries in the world， and make contributions for world peace.

I hope that all students will attach great importance to the study of English and make full use of English.

文章包括要求的所有要点，且语言精炼，并使用了很多复杂的语法结构及高级词汇，是一篇少有的好文章。

On Failure

You may have heard of the proverb：“Failure is the mother of success.”But in spite of knowing this， people are afraid of failure.

Maybe there are two kinds of attitudes that people take towards failure. One is that when they fail， they feel themselves inferior， and lose confidence in themselves. They don t study hard any more. People of this kind are cowards(懦夫). Of course， they will never go forward. The other one is that when they fail， they will encourage themselves and find out the reason why they have failed and try to avoid the same mistake next time. They have faith in their ability. “Success will belong to us if we put our heart into the thing we are doing.”They always say so and they always do so.

I think the latter (后者)attitude is correct. Failure， in fact， is not terrible because failure sometimes is much more valuable than success. If you cope with failure correctly， you ll be a successful man in the future. But above all you must try to trust yourself first. We should know that even a successful man may have failed many times before they succeeded.

这是一篇结构典型的英语议论文，先摆出正反两方面的看法，然后表明自己的意见，再加以证明：失败是常有的事，然而，只有正确对待失败，才能迎来成功。文章行文较为流畅，语句结构也富有变化。

Cheating in Exams

Nowadays there are all kinds of cheating in the middle schools， especially some bad students but most students cheat more or less.

Some students don t study hard at their lessons. But they are afraid that they fail， they won t face their parents and won t be able to go to better schools for further study. So they choose to cheat.

The action is not good for themselves. We must stop cheating in the exams. I think it s not enough to punish the students who cheat in exams. We should educate them to change their bad action and take measures to change the exam system rather than punishment.

本文陈述层次清楚、句式多样，现实情况表述清晰。because引导原因状语从句以及宾语从句和短语的使用，使文章更为生动。

About College

Why do we go to university？Different people have different opinions. Almost every student has a great number of colorful dreams. They all think the university is a wonderful place which helps them realize their good dreams. Some students want to enter the university in order to get good jobs and high pay after they graduate from universities.

I think going to university will greatly enrich our knowledge and make a good base to enter the society in which competition is becoming increasingly intense. After the university we can serve our motherland better in the future. That s why the university has a strong attraction for me.

本文叙述详尽，语言使用灵活，层次清楚。定语从句如a wonderful place which helps...及状语从句in order to...短语的使用使文章增色不少。

Do“Lucky Numbers”Really Bring Good Luck

Some people think certain numbers may bring good luck. These numbers include“6，8，9”and so on. Therefore， when they want to choose a car number or a phone number， they buy the number which ends with these lucky numbers at a higher price.

In my opinion there is no relations between the socalled lucky numbers and luck. The only key to success or wealth lies in hard work. If we are too dependent on it， we may become lazy or easily discouraged when these numbers proved to be useless. We should believe in our own efforts to struggle for the success.

本文属于驳斥性议论文，由两个部分组成。第一部分点出某一对立观点；第二部分对此进行批评，驳斥其错误和荒谬性，再论证一个相对的新观点的正确与合理性。

No Breakfast， No Good

Now a lot of students go to school in a hurry so that they have no time to have breakfast. But no breakfast will do harm to their health and their study. No breakfast， no good.

Having no breakfast will throw the normal work of our digestive system into confusion. As a result， it will do harm to our health. And at our age it is high time for us to grow up. So our bodies are in great need of energy. If we don t have breakfast， there will be no enough energy to be supplied. This may stunt our growth.

What s more， it is a long period between breakfast and lunch. Breakfast provides us with the energy needed for the class. Without breakfast we cannot get along well with our classes. So for the sake of our health and our study， we must have breakfast.

本文第一段首先提出中学生中存在不吃早饭的现象，然后用一个省略句提出观点“No breakfast， no good.”

正文部分分别从消化系统、长身体、听课效果三个方面阐述了这一观点。

文章结尾处用一个简单句：So for the sake of our health and our study， we must have breakfast. 建议大家吃早餐。

Having a Car

There are some advantages in having a car. First， a car allows a person to move around freely. Second， a car is a comfortable way to travel， especially in bad weather. Finally， a driver is ususlly safe in a car at night instead of walking down a dark backstreet or waiting on a dark corner.

There are， however， some disadvantages in having a car. First， it can be very expensive. The price of fuel continues to rise each year. In addition， it is expensive to maintain and repair a car. Second， owning a car can cause worry and stress. It is exhausting to drive in heavy traffic. Sometimes you might be afraid that your car would be stolen.

In my opinion， it is better to own a car since it is not only convenient means of transportation but also a symbol of modern life， and we should not give up eating for fear of choking. There are more advantages， comparatively speaking， than disadvantages to have a car.

本文的前二段针对拥有轿车给人们的生活带来的利与弊的事项进行了客观阐述，采用了举例说明、对照分析等方法，条理清楚，合乎逻辑。第三段根据段首句的要求，作者阐述了自己的观点，以一个it is better...的句型表示了自己对拥有轿车的观点，特别是采用了一个谚语来说明因噎废食是不可取的，使自己的观点更加具有说服力。

A Speech at the English Corner

Ladies and Gentlemen， Boys and Girls，

Good afternoon！I just saw some of you smiling happily. And on your faces I can even read words like this：“I m having a good time， and the performances are very interesting.”But I don t want to just smile at such a happy time. WHY？That s because I want to laugh！

Well， that s only a joke to show how happy I am today. And I like making jokes， to make other people around me laugh. In other words， I m learning to be humorous. That s why today I ll try to say something about having a sense of humor. I hope that won t be dull enough to make you feel sleepy. Do you know the phrase“sense of humor”？Yes， it means the ability to sense something that is very funny and amusing. In my opinion， to have a sense of humor is a really part of one s personality. It can make a clever student more intelligent， make a plainlooking girl more attractive， and make an old slow man...en...en...yes， less slow and much younger than he looks. In the film Titanic， why did the rich and beautiful lady Rose fall in love with such a poor young man as Jack？I think one of the most important reasons was Jack s hum or. Well， I guess all of you know about the richest man in the world today. He is the pioneer of Microsoft Corporation， Bill Gates. Have you ever heard of him？Yes， he is very rich. Do you want to be another Bill Gates？OK， just listen to me， please. Most of his speeches and books are written in humorous language. That s why he is always successful and is welcomed by everybody when he introduces himself， his company or his new software. I believe that all of you prefer a person who has a good sense of humor to a bookworm who hasn t any at all. So my advice is to try be humorous and then you ll be attractive.

However， humor must be used at the right time， in the right place and to the right person. If you play a joke on your teacher who is giving a lecture in class， it snot humor. You are being rude and impolite. After class， the teacher will ask you to go to his office. Then you will have no choice but to use your humor to please him so that he will forget what you did. But remember not to do that again in class. The same joke might give everybody a good laugh if it s said to the students during the break. I think it s a good use of humor to make others pleased and pull yourself out of a bad situation.

When I was young I liked to read the jokes in the books. Once somebody advised me to recite the jokes， but it didn t work at all. It made me look rather stupid. However， I m feeling hopeful today because I m together with you， the best students from all over the city， and there s must be quite number of talented humorists among you. I hope you can help me become more humorous. And I believe that humor will make our school life more interesting and unforgettable， and we will get on better with each other. In the wonderful tomorrow， Please don t forget me， your friend Tand Wei from Class Nine. That s all for my speech. Thank you for listening.

作者通过在“英语角”的这篇演讲，通俗易懂地向听众介绍了“幽默感”这一人们日常生活中不可缺少的交际手段。幽默感是什么？幽默感会使帅小伙变得更“酷”，漂亮小妞变得更 “靓”，年迈老人“返老还童”。幽默感是 Titanic 电影中 Jack 和 Rose 爱情的催化剂 ，是IT“老大”Bill Gates 通向成功之地的入场券。人人喜欢具有幽默感的人，但作者同时也告诉听众不要滥用幽默，要适时，见机行事。最后，作者用美好的愿望结束了全篇演讲。 由于是一篇非正式聚会上的演讲稿，所用语言显得不够精练，但比较通俗、活泼、口语化， 流露出作者一定的幽默感。

Learn How to Study

School education is very important and useful. Yet no one can learn everything from school. A teacher， no matter how much he knows， cannot teach his students everything they want to know.

A teacher should teach his students how to learn. He teaches them how to read and how to think， because much more is to be learned outside school by the students themselves.

It is always more important to know how to study by oneself than to learn some facts or formulas by heart. It is quite easy to learn a certain fact in history or formula in maths. But it is very difficult to use a formula in working out a maths problem. Great scientists， such as Newton， Galileo and Einstein didn t get every thing from school， but they were all successful. They discovered so many important things. The reason for their success is that they knew how to study. They read books that were not taught at school. They worked hard all their lives， wasting nota single minute. Above all， they knew how to use their brains.

学校教育固然重要，但学生并不能从学校学到一切。老师虽然知识渊博，但也不可能把学生所需要的一切都教会学生。重要的是老师应该教给学生学习方法，学生要学会如何学习，这样学生才能通过自己的努力取得成功。

Advertisements

With the development of society，advertisements have become more and more important in our daily life.

Advertisements give recent information about products.If there were no advertising，people could not learn about goods in the shops.Advertising helps to make a bigger market.Therefore，as more goods are sold，they are more cheaper.

Advertisements also offer many things for newspapers，magazines，radio and TV stations.

But there are some people who are against advertising.They say that advertisements do not give much information but only try to persuade people to buy.

They show you the goods that are not really needed.Besides，advertising adds to the costs of goods.Furthermore，some of them are ugly to look at and spoil our surroundings.

Actually every coin has two sides.Advertising is without exception.But in today s world，advertising is not only necessary but also very helpful.

本文主要论述了广告的积极作用。提出论点后，作者以令人信服的事实证明了广告的积极作用，然后巧妙地用了一句富有哲理的谚语为广告的消极作用辩护，显示出一种无可辩驳的逻辑力度。结尾与开头呼应，总结了全篇，深化了主题。

作者为表达流畅，在列举广告的积极作用和消极作用时，使用了几个恰当的过渡词，如：therefore，also，not only...but also，besides，furthermore等。这些词犹如“桥梁”和“黏合剂”，避免了结构松散、表达单调，使行文连贯，脉络清晰，过渡自然。

Children Should Learn Computer Skills

We are already familiar with computers.Computers work for us at home，in offices and in factories.But it is also true that children today are using computers at school before they can write.What does this mean for the future？Are these children lucky or not？

Many people who do not know about computers think of them as machines that children play with.They worry that children do not learn from experience but just from pressing a button and that this is not good for them.They think children are growing up and not knowing about the real world.

But people who understand more about computers see that computers can be very good for children.A computer can help them to learn about the all world more quickly，to learn what they want to learn and to think for themselves.And for the future，don t we need people who can think clearly，who know how to get information quickly and use it well？

既然是文章，就要从篇章整体来体味全文。作者的写作手法是很值得借鉴的。首先提出问题，但引而不发，然后把两种观点和持这两种观点的人进行对比，自然而然地得出结论。最后以一个问句来结束全篇，既提供了最具说服力的论据，又表达出强烈的感情，文章开头的问题也得到了回答。

全文语言简洁。作者对两种观点和持这两种观点的人进行对比时，巧妙地用了定语从句，主句的两个谓语动词分别用think和see。只用了两句话就把两种人、两种观点、谁对谁错甚至作者的感情描述得清楚明白。这是思路清楚、思维科学的表现。

Saving the Earth

As time goes on，people s life become better and better，but the pollution of the earth is worse and worse.

Many industry and medical factories are sending bad things into the air and the rivers every day.We can t see the blue sky and clean rivers as before.The sky is not blue but pale and dusty.The water is not clean but dirty and isn t fit to drink.The fish has been dying.A lot of trees have been cut down and winds bring us sand，turning the land into desert.We hardly hear the sweet singing of the birds.

We need development，but we are in more need of beautiful and clean environments to live in.We need clean water，fresh air and beautiful flowers too.The clean world is really what we need.

We humans will live in the world，because we have only one earth.The earth is our home.The pollution is a serious problem that we must pay special attention to.If not，the earth won t be fit for us to live in.There s no doubt that saving the earth is our duty.

The world is yours as well as mine.The people all over the world have a firm faith to make the pollution reduced and make the world clean again in the near future.

Deeds，not words，are needed.For our beautiful tomorrow，for our future，we must do something necessary to protect the world and try our best to make clean space，for you and also for me.

Saving the earth depends on our common effort！

议论文写作讲究论证结构的严谨和内在的逻辑性，同时又要讲究文采。从这两方面来讲，这篇文章是一篇优秀的学生习作。对一个正在学习的中学生来说，实属不易。

How do You Feel to Be the Only Child in the Family

Being the only child in my family，I really live a happy life.My parents provide me with all the things that I need.I can enjoy all the best things at home.

But I also have some problems.To begin with，my parents do all the housework.They never let me do it.I have no chance to wash clothes，tidy and room.I even can t cook till now.In fact，I d like to do such simple things in everyday life.If one day I leave my parents and live alone，how can I deal with these things？So I think I must know how to do them.

Secondly，I always feel lonely.I m not the person who is good at getting along with others.I don t have many friends.I spend most of my time alone.To be the only child at home，it is easy to get into bad habits.I don t like talking，or playing with others.I d rather stay alone.

Thirdly，I m selfish.I even didn t realize it at first.Then some of my friends told me about that.After that，I started to know that I don t care much about others，don t help others and only pay attention to my own things.Luckily I changed a lot.

To control the population of China，it s good to have only one child in one family.But there are really some faults with these childen.I hope all the society can give us more right instructions and more chances to do what we should do.We ourselves much try to get rid of bad habits.Only in the way can we grow up healthily.

此文是刘文静同学在全国中学生英语口语竞赛中的即兴演讲词，作者是在极为有限的时间内完成构思的。所选择的话题具有典型意义。在谋篇方面，此文紧扣“feel”这个中心话题，不枝不蔓，表达十分集中。主体部分写烦恼，而开头却从幸福，快乐入笔，很讲究行文的技巧；第二至第四段从自己得到锻炼的机会少，内心很孤独，个性上有自私的一面这三点具体加以表述，显得很有层次。

结尾向所有的家庭提出真切的希望——让我们去做，不管成功与失败！全文结构很严谨。在语言表达方面，此文用词准确，句式运用灵活，语句连贯。也适当地使用了若干复杂语句，满足了表情达意的需要。值得英语初学者学习和借鉴。

Chinese Firm shouldn t Hire Clinton

A large Chinese garment firm has offered former US president Bill Clinton US $ 2 million to represent the company as its“image ambassador”.

When I came across this information in a newspaper，I was greatly amazed.

It reminds me of another report not long ago，when a general election was underway in Israel，that some Israelis suggested Clinton move to Israel to be the new Prime Minister！Fortunately that was mere talk.

But the proposal of the Chinese garment firm is not mere talk；it has been put formally to Clinton himself.

To offer US $2 million to a former foreign president to be an“image ambassador”is incredible！Even Yuan Longping，an agronomist who contributes greatly to agriculture in China，was awarded a bonus of only 5 million yuan from the government.

Perhaps that garment firm has good reasons.But still I have questions.

First，is it wise to spend so much money on advertising？No one can deny the great function and influence of advertising.But it can go too far.Wouldn t it be wiser to invest this sum to improve the quality of the company s products？Microsoft hasn t needed Bill Clinton to be its“image ambassador”while it does need Bill Gates to be its manager.

Second，can the status of a company really be elevated by having one or two celebraties as“image ambassador”？As the saying goes，borrowed plumage never appears beautiful on its own body.Would the company s“image ambassador”prove to be“borrowed plumage”？

这是一篇驳论文，议论的是某家中国公司花二百万美元聘请克林顿出任形象大使的问题。作者对公司的做法进行了反驳。

本文论证有力。作者在内容上既驳花费二百万美元的做法，又驳雇形象大使的做法。驳前者时，作者采用了对比：袁隆平的五百万元奖金与二百万美元的广告费，在花二百万美元做广告与提高产品质量；驳后者时，则采用对比和比喻两种方法。

文章语言流畅，用词贴切，多次使用疑问句表达了强烈的语气，增添了文章的说服力。

Help Is Mutual

We ve heard enough of such stories：A thief steals someone s wallet in a crowded bus or at the bus station.People who see what is happening pretend that they see nothing and don t lend a hand.

What has happened to our society？Is warmheartedness，or even integrity，out of date？

We all need help from others from time to time.When other people come to ask for help from us，what shall we say？“It s none of my business.Go away.”No，of course not.

Certainly we should lend a hand if we are needed.

Sometimes we see that when children are going to help others，their parents tell them not to.

We also hear some people call those who risk their lives to help other people fools.

Are those people who think they are clever really clever？No！

They forget one thing：If you want other people to help you when you are in trouble，you must first help other people when they need you.

帮助别人是一种美德。在今天，用这一点来论述助人的必要性似乎显得苍白无力。本文作者以质朴的语言阐明了深刻的生活哲理：助人是相互的，助人是我们生存必备的品德。这给了那些视助人者为傻瓜者致命的一击。文章语言朴实，却阐释出发人深省的道理，这是值得我们英语学习者好好学习的地方。

The Purpose of Education

Education is not an end，but a mean to an end. in other words，we do not educate children only for the purpose of educating them.Our purpose is to fit them for life.

In some modern countries it has for some time been fashionable to think that by free education for all—whether rich or poor，clever or stupid，one can solve all the problems of society and build a perfect nation.But we can already see that free education for all is not enough；we find in such countries a far larger number of people with university degrees，refuse to do what they think“low”work；and，in fact，work with hands is thought to be dirty and shameful.But we have only to think a moment to understand that the work of a completely uneducated farmer is far more important than that of a professor.We can live without education.But we will die if we have no food.If no one cleaned our streets and took the rubbish away from our houses，we should get terrible diseases in our towns...

In fact，when we say that all of us must be educated to fit us for life，it means that we must be educated in such a way that，firstly，each of us can do whatever work suited to his brains and ability and，secondly，we can realize that all jobs are necessary to society，and that it is very bad to be ashamed of one s work.Only such a type of education can be considered valuable to society.

教育是人们普遍关心的问题。教育的成败决定着国家的兴衰。在这篇文章里，作者首先表明观点，把读者的兴趣直接带入文章中。接着在第二段用“In some modern countries...”引出作者要反驳的观点，从而进一步论证自己的观点，这是一种非常有说服力的论证方法。作者对“we can live...，but we die if...”的使用，言简意赅，通俗易懂。第三自然段，作者用“In fact...”很快又把论述的中心带入主题，并使用并列复合句，逐层发展，层层深入，最后形成高潮，再点题回归中心论点，给人留下深刻印象。整篇文章论述完整，中心明确，论证方法多样，语言通俗易懂，是一篇极好的议论文。

议论文表达作者对某一问题持有的一种看法，为了使读者同意他的看法，提出若干道理来说服他人。它由论点(thesis)、论据(supporting details)、论证(proof)三要素构成。论点是作者要阐述的观点，即作者的主张和看法，其基本要求是：观点正确，认真概括，有实际意义，恰当地综合运用各种表达方式。论据可划分为事实论据和理论论据两类，即：事实论据包括现实和历史的事实，理论论据则包括科学原理、名言经典等。其基本要求是：真实可靠，充分典型。论证是论点和论据之间的逻辑联系，是作者借以运用充分有力的论据来证实论点正确无误的辩证过程。其基本要求是：推理必须符合逻辑。

议论文大体上可以分为两种类型：立论文和驳论文。

立论文(constructive argumentation)。作者先提出自己的论点，然后通过摆事实讲道理以证实自己观点的正确性。这种议论文主要以“立论”写法为主。所谓立论即证明，以“立”为主，是正面论述自己的观点，证明它是正确的，从而把论点建立起来的议论形式。

驳论文(destructive argumentation)。作者首先摆出批驳的对象或观点，然后针对其观点的谬误、论据的虚假、论证的不合逻辑来进行批驳。在驳论中，作者还应提出自己的见解，以达到纠正错误、树立正确观点的目的，这就是所谓的有破有立，破立结合，以破为主，立在其中，破是为了立。

无论是立论还是驳论都可以用直接证明法和间接证明法来论证。直接证明法包括演绎推理、归纳推理和类比推理。间接证明法包括反证、排除、例证法等。

在议论文的写作中，要注意以下几点：

(1)论点要鲜明、确切。由于英语作文受时间、字数的限制，因此，作者必须简单解释要讨论的问题并鲜明地亮出自己的观点。比如提倡什么，支持什么，反对什么。

(2)论据充分，必须真实可靠，贴切自然，使读者信服。

(3)论证合乎逻辑，通过论证做到论点与论据材料的统一，即论点统率材料，材料证明论点。

从写作步骤上来说，开篇的引言(Introduction)以主题句的形式直接提出中心论点，紧接着主体段(Main Body)选择适当的论据来证明中心论点——论证的过程，最后得出结论(Conclusion)。结论段可以用一两句话来结束文章，同时要注意与引言段呼应，但不能照搬前面的原话。

通用的写作模式是总分式，即先提出一个总论点，然后分析各个分论点，最后得出结论。这种写法是中学生经常采用的一种作文方式。也可以在文章开头先提出一个人们关心的疑问，然后一一作答，逐层深入，这是答疑式的写法。还可以是作者有意把两个不同事物以对立的方式提出来加以比较、对照，然后得出结论，这是对比式写法。作者必须有足够的证据(adequate proof)来论证自己的论点。一般可提出一个或两个proof，并对此用一两句话分别进行阐述。

议论文尽管有多种写法，但中学生的英语作文都有提示，因此，论点、论据一般都是确定的。我们首先应准确找出论点、论据及其之间的相互关系，也就是要找出要点，然后考虑如何组织材料，也就是论证的方式。还应考虑文章的时态、语态等。议论文常用一般现在时，但述说过去的事实时，可用过去时态；预测将来要用将来时态；也经常使用被动语态；有时假设一种虚拟情况时，还需要用上虚拟语气。在考虑了短文的写法、时态、语态等后，可根据行文的需要，使用恰当的连接词，按适当顺序将写好的句子组合成短文。

我们看一篇议论文的优劣，主要看它能否以理服人，用无可辩驳的逻辑力量去折服读者，提高人们的认识，指导人们的行为。议论文的取材范围十分广泛，涉及社会生活的各个方面：小到人们的思想、工作、学习和日常生活，大到国家的、社会的、国际上的各种政治的、经济的、文化的、军事的、科技的重大事件和问题。只要是对某一问题有不同看法就会有辩论或议论。

在具体写作中要注意下列几点：

(1)议题的提出要开门见山，不要拖泥带水，啰啰唆唆。

(2)正反两方面的观点一般都要摆出，有时也有只强调一种观点的，那么这就等于将上述正反两方面的观点和作者持何种态度结合在一起了。

(3)作者的观点必须鲜明，不是模棱两可。

(4)论证自己的观点是议论文的最关键的部分。论证手段与英语说明文中的一些写作手法相同，常用的有罗列法、举例法、因果法、比较法等。

(5)对于较长的英语议论文还可以在文章结尾时对全文要点做一小结。