Education in China

Education in China today has been developing rapidly. In many

provinces, it is compulsory and free. Most children start school at the age of six. They attend 5 years of elementary school and 6 years of high school.

After graduation from high school, a student can start his higher

education in a two-year college, a four-year college, a university, or a specialized professional school. Most colleges admit students on the basis of their entrance examination records. The cost of a college education is not very high. And the greater part of it is met by their families, though students can get support from their college. Many students receive scholarships from the school, the government, or private foundations and organizations.

Though great progress has been made in China in the field of

education, there is still a comparatively large part of the population in the country who cannot read and write.

2. Dreams

Dreams are a product of the sleeper's mind. They include events and

feelings that he has experienced. Most dreams are related to events of the day before the dream and the strong wishes of the dreamer. Many minor

incidents of the hours before sleep appear in dreams. Few events more than two days old turn. up. Deep wishes or fears, especially those held since childhood, often appear in dreams, and many dreams fulfill such wishes. Events in the sleeper's surroundings, a loud noise, for example, may become part of a dream, but they do not cause dreams.

Some dreams involve deep feelings that a person may not realize he

has. Psychiatrists often use material from a patient's dreams to help the person understand himself better.

Dreaming may help maintain good learning ability, memory, and

emotional adjustment. (137 words)

3. Emotions

According to psychologists, an emotion is aroused when a man or

animal views something as either bad or good. When a person feels like running away from something he thinks will hurt him, we call this emotion fear. If the person wants to remove the danger by attacking it, we call the emotion anger. The emotions of joy and love are aroused when we think something can help us. An emotion does not have to be created by something in the outside world. It can be created by a person's thoughts.

Everyone has emotions, but many psychologists believe that infants

are born without emotions. They believe children learn emotions just as

they learn to read and write. A growing child not only learns his emotions but learns how to act in certain situations because of an emotion. (136 words)

4. Re-employment of Laid-off Workers

The issue of re-employment has emerged with large numbers of

surplus laborers having been laid off. There is no doubt that it would lead to endless trouble if the surplus were not reorganized properly. In order to maintain social stability and to secure people's normal living standards, it is essential to work out solutions to the problem.

Solving the problem is a two-way operation as far as the government

and workers are concerned. On the one hand, the government at all levels should try every possible means to create a wide range of employment options open to laid-off workers; on the other hand, these workers ought not to sit idle and wait for opportunities to come. So long as they don't lose heart and constantly strive to better themselves, their futures will be bright. (134 words)

5. Describing People

Faces, like fingerprints, are unique. Did you ever wonder how it is

possible for us to recognize people? Even a skilled writer probably could not describe all the features that make one face different from another. Yet

a very young child—even an animal, such as a pigeon—can learn to recognize faces. We all take this ability for granted.

We also tell people apart by how they behave. When we talk about

someone's personality, we mean the ways in which he or she acts, speaks, thinks and feels that make that individual different from others.

Like the human face, human personality is very complex. But

describing someone's personality in words is somewhat easier than describing his face. If you were asked to describe what a \"nice face\" looked like, you probably would have a difficult time doing so. But if you were asked to describe a \"nice person\someone who was kind, considerate, friendly and warm. (162 words)

6. Physical Activity

Most young people enjoy some form of physical activity. It might be

walking, cycling or swimming, or，in winter, skating or skiing. It might be a game of some kind like football, hockey, golf or tennis, or it might be mountaineering.

Those who have a passion for climbing high and difficult mountains

are often looked upon with astonishment. Why are men and women willing to suffer cold and hardship, and to take risks on high mountains? This astonishment is probably caused by the difference between

mountaineering and other forms of activity to which men give their leisure.

If we compare mountaineering and other more familiar sports, we

might think that one big difference is that mountaineering is not a \"team sport\". We should be mistaken in this. There are, it is true, no \"matches\" between \"teams\" of climbers. However, when climbers are on a rock face linked by a rope on which their lives may depend, there is obviously teamwork.

7. The Clever Man Nasreddin

An old man died and left his son a lot of money. But the son was a

foolish young man: he quickly spent all the money, and soon he had nothing left. Of course, when that happened, all his friends left him. When he was quite poor and alone, he went to see Nasreddin, who was a kind, clever old man and often helped people when they had troubles.

\"My money is finished and my friends have gone,\" said the young

man. \"What will happen to me now?\"

\"Don't worry, young man,\" answered Nasreddin, \"Everything will

soon be all right again and you will soon feel much happier.\"

The young man was very glad. \"Am I going to get rich again then?\"

he asked Nasreddin.

\"No, I didn't mean that,\" said the old man. \"I meant that you would

soon get used to being poor and to having no friends.\"

8. A Man and His Car

A man was traveling abroad in a small red car. One day he left the car

and went shopping. When he came back, its roof was badly damaged.

Some boys told him that an elephant had damaged it. The man did not

believe them, but they took him to a circus which was near there. The owner of the elephant said, \"I am very sorry! My elephant has a big, round, red chair. He thought that your car was his chair, and he sat on it!\" Then he gave the man a letter, in which he said that he was sorry and that he would pay for all the damage.

When the man got back to his own country, the customs officers

would not believe his story. They said, \"You sold your new car while you were abroad and bought this old one!\" It was only when the man showed them the letter from the man at the circus that they believed him. (163 words)

9. The Sun

A long time ago people thought that the sun went round the earth. In

some countries people even said that the sun was a god. They thought the

god drove across the sky each day on a golden horse. Now we know the earth goes round the sun. It takes the earth a year to go all the way round the sun. Today men even know how far it is for the earth to go round the sun. They tell us that the earth travels over a thousand miles a minute on its journey round the sun.

The sun is really a star. It is much bigger than the earth and it is very

hot. Some people have been to the moon but we know that no one can ever go to the sun. It is far too hot for people to live anywhere near it. The sun is three hundred thousand times heavier than the earth and more than a million times larger. (1 words)

10. Can Animals Be Made to Work for Us?

Can animals be made to work for us? Some scientists think that one

day animals may be taught to do a number of simple jobs. They say that in a film or on TV we may see elephants, or monkeys, dogs, bears, or other animals doing a lot of things. If you watch carefully, you may find that those animals are always given something to eat in return for doing them. The scientists say that many different animals may be taught to do a number of simple jobs if they know they will get something to eat in return. Of course, as we know, dogs can be used to guard a house, and elephants can be used to do some heavy jobs. And we can also teach animals to work in factories. Apes, for example, have been used in

America to help make cars and scientists believe that these large monkeys may one day get in crops and even drive trains. (162 words)

11. Man's Best Friend

Almost everyone likes dogs, and almost everyone likes reading stories

about dogs. I have a friend who has a large police dog. Its name is Jack. Police dogs are often very clever. Every Sunday afternoon my friend takes Jack for a long walk in the park. Jack likes these long walks very much. One Sunday afternoon a young man came to visit my friend. He stayed a long time. He talked and talked. Soon it was time for my friend to take Jack for his walk. But the visitor still stayed. Jack became very worried. He walked around the room several times and then sat down in front of the visitor and looked at him. But the visitor paid no attention. He continued talking. Finally Jack couldn't stand it. He went out of the room and came back a few minutes later. He sat down again in front of the visitor but this time he held the visitor's hat in his mouth. (162 words)

12. Communication

You speak, write a letter, make a telephone call. Your words carry a

message People communicate with words. Do you think you can communicate without words? A smile on your face shows you are happy or friendly. Tears in your eyes tell others that you are sad. When you raise

your hand in class, the teacher knows you want to say something or ask questions. You shake your head, and people know you are saying \"No\". You nod and people know you are saying \"Yes\". Other things can also carry messages. For example, a sign at the bus stop helps you to know which bus to take A sign on the wall of your school helps you to find the library. Signs on doors tell you where to go in or out. Have you ever noticed that there are a lot of signs around you and that you receive messages from them all the time?

13. Weather and Men

Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it. It is true. People usually begin their conversations with \"Isn't it a nice day?\" \"Do you think it will rain?\" \"What a fine day!\" etc.

Many people think they can tell what the weather is going to be like.

But they rarely agree with each other. One man may say, \"Do you see how cloudy it is in the east? It's going to rain tomorrow.\" Another man will say, \"No, it's going to be fine tomorrow.\"

People often look for the weather they want. When a farmer needs

water, he looks for something to tell him it's going to rain; he won't believe anything else. When friends have planned a trip, they are sure the weather is going to clear up very quickly.

Almost everyone listens to what the weatherman says. But he doesn't

always tell us what we want, and once in a while he makes a mistake. (161 words) 14. A Selfish Man

Smith was a landlord. He loved money very much and never gave

anything to anybody. One day the landlord was walking along a river with his friends and fell into it. He cried, \"Help! Help!\" One of his friends held out his hand and said, \"Give me your hand and I will pull you out.\" But he did not give his hand to his friend. Then another of his friends tried but the same thing happened. Just then a farmer came over and saw all this. He knew the landlord very well. He said to the others, \"Let me try.\" He held out his hand and said to the landlord, \"Take my hand and I will pull you out.\" Hearing this, the landlord took the farmer's hand, and in a minute the farmer pulled the landlord out of the water. All the others were very surprised at this and asked the farmer, \"Why did he give his hand to you but not to us?\" The farmer said, \"You don't know your friend very well, when you say 'give' to him, he does nothing, but when you say 'take', he takes.\" (190 words)

15. The Benefits of Class Participation

Different teachers have different styles of teaching. Some prefer to

deliver a prepared lecture, while others expect some participation from

their students. Likewise, some students learn best in the former situation, while others do so in the latter. Perhaps the best learning environment is one in which the preferred styles of teacher and students match. For me, that is a class in which the teacher encourages class participation.

I prefer to participate in class for several reasons. One is that students'

participation makes the class more lively and interesting. I can hear not only my teacher's opinions on a subject, but also those of my classmates. Another reason is that I believe the teacher can better understand the students when they interact with him in class. Rather than wait for exam results to indicate how much the students have absorbed, the teacher can learn immediately whether the students understand what he is talking about. Finally, I acquire more knowledge in this kind of class. I can ask more in-depth questions and satisfy my curiosity.

(174 words) 16. Oil

Almost everyone in the world uses oil in some way. Cars, buses,

planes and many trains and ships also need oil. Even our bicycles need oil. Indeed the whole world would stop if there was no oil.

Today there is a growing need for oil in the world. So people are

looking for it everywhere. They look for oil in deserts, in the mountains and under the sea. Quite often they find nothing, but the search for oil always goes on.

Who are the largest oil producers in the world? The U.S., the former

Soviet Union, and the countries of the Middle East. But China is catching up fast. Before liberation we used to buy nearly all our oil from the U.S. Many foreign people said China was \"oil-poor\". But since liberation oil has been found in many parts of the country. Today everyone agrees that China is rich in oil. Our oil will not only meet the great need in our country, but also be sold to other countries. (170 words)

17. Time Zones

Strange things happen from time to time when you travel, because

people divide the earth into twenty-four time zones, one hour apart. You can have days with more or fewer than twenty-four hours, and weeks with more or less than seven days. If you make a five-day trip across the Atlantic Ocean, your ship enters-a different time zone every day. As you enter each zone, the time changes one hour. If you travel westward you put your watch back; and if you travel eastward, you put it ahead. Each day of your trip has either twenty-five or twenty-three hours. If you travel by ship across the Pacific you cross the International Date Line. By agreement a new day begins at this line' When you cross the line, you change your calendar one full day, backward or forward. If traveling eastward, today becomes yesterday; if westward, it is tomorrow. (171 words)

18. Building Houses in the Early Days

In the early days of the old west in North America, life was difficult.

People lived on farms far away from other families. They went to town once a week or one time a month. Then they saw their friends and neighbors. On their farms everyone had lots of work. But there were some big problems. How did one family make a house? How could they build a barn alone? Those were big jobs.

What did families do to build houses? They asked for help. They

asked their friends and neighbors. They invited them to a work party for a few days. The women cooked together. They made breakfast, lunch and dinner. The men worked on the building. For the children it was like a holiday. They enjoyed it very much. They all helped one another for the good of everyone. (161 words)

19. Friendship

Friendship is one of the greatest pleasures that people can enjoy. It is

very difficult to find a better definition of friendship. A true friend does indeed find pleasure in our joy and share sorrow in our grief. In times of trial, he or she is always at our side to give us his or her help and comfort.

Knowing how valuable friendship is, we should be very careful in our

choice of a friend. We must choose someone who has a good character, whose actions are good and who shows kind-heartedness. We should avoid those shallow people who change in the face of adversity or misfortune.

A true friend can always be trusted, loved and respected. The most

important thing is that a friend always understands you. In conclusion, when you have made a good friend, don't forget him or her. (156 words)

20. Maintaining Your Memory

If you do not use your arms or your legs for some time, they will

become weak. When you start using them again, they slowly become strong again. Everybody knows this. Yet many people do not seem to know that memory works in the same way.

When someone says that he has a good memory, he really means that

he keeps his memory in practice by using it. When someone else says that his memory is poor, he really means that he does not give it enough chance to become strong.

Have you ever found that some people can't read or write, but usually

they have better memories? This is because if they cannot read or they cannot write things down in a small notebook, then they have to remember them by heart. So if you want to have a good memory, learn

from the people: practice remembering things in the way other people do. (155 words)

21. SOS Children's Villages

In Europe many people died during the Second World War. As a result,

at the end of the war there were many orphans there. A man called Hermann Voss wanted to help these children. His idea was simple. He wanted the orphans to have a home, and he wanted them to have the care and kindness of parents. Voss asked people to give him some money. With this money he built the first SOS Children's Village at Imst, in Austria. It opened in 1949. This is how the SOS Children's Village started. The letters SOS stand for \"Save Our Souls.\" This means \"Please help us!\" And SOS Children's Village gives help to orphans.

Hermann Voss's idea for helping orphans soon spread all over the

world. By 1983 there were 170 SOS Children's Villages in the world. People in many countries give money to help the villages. Today the children from the first village are grown up. Now some of them work in other SOS Children's Villages.

22. Computers

We are already familiar with computers. Computers work for us at (166 words)

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. They worry that this is not good for them. They think children are growing up 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 real 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? (160 words)

23. Dick's Job

Dick was a clever and hard-working student, but his parents were

poor, so he had to work after class and during his holidays to get enough money for his studies.

One summer he got a job in a butcher's shop during the daytime, and

another in a hospital at night. In the shop, he learned to cut and sell meat. In the hospital, of course, Dick was told to do only the easiest jobs. He helped to lift people and carry them from one part of the hospital to another. Both in the butcher's shop and in the hospital, Dick had to wear white clothes.

One evening in the hospital, Dick had to help to carry a woman from

her bed to the operating room. The woman already felt frightened when she thought about the operation. When she saw Dick coming to get her, she felt even more frightened. \"No! No!\" she cried, \"Not my butcher! I

won't let my butcher operate on me!\" With these words, she fainted away. (170 words)

24. Opportunity

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 ambitions, you must work hard, make an effort and be 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 for opportunities to pass by.

In my opinion, there are plenty of opportunities for everyone in our

society, but only those who are adequately prepared and highly qualified can make use of them for their own purposes. (171 words)

25. Living Life at a Slower Pace

It seems that everyone is in a hurry these days. In our fast-paced and

competitive society, many people feel that they must do things as quickly as possible or they will fall behind. Certainly, there are many things for us to do. However, it is not necessary to always hurry to get them done. In fact, living life at a slower pace has many advantages.

First of all, slowing down allows us to think more clearly about what

we must do. With careful consideration we will make better decisions and make fewer mistakes. And when we do not have to correct the mistakes that we make in haste, we will actually save time. Secondly, when we take our time we can do things more carefully and thoroughly. And when we do a better job we feel more satisfied with our efforts. Finally, if we do not rush through life, we will have more time to enjoy the things that we do. And when we take pleasure in our work, we will live happier lives.

26. Owning a 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 the children off 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. This often makes 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 petrol and repairs are constantly rising, not to mention the price

you have to pay for a license and insurance coverage. (170 words)

27. Tourism

Tourism, a \"smokeless industry\

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 5,000 years. Tourism is bringing China a lot of benefits. First, it enables the Chinese people to learn more about the outside world and promotes friendship and mutual understanding. Second, it is financially beneficial to China, which needs more foreign currency for its modernization program. Tourism, however, is giving rise to a number of problems. For

instance, it is becoming a burden on our inefficient transport system. Besides, the standard of living of the average Chinese person is still not high enough to be able to afford the many different sorts of expenses met on long distance travel. But it is believed that with the development of our national economy, all these problems will certainly be solved step by step. A much better and brighter future awaits us. ' (173 words) 28. 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 complete 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 the new knowledge and skill necessary for our future careers. 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 a view. Hence, my conclusion is that we should never put off what can be done today until tomorrow. (163 words)

29. Keeping a Diary in English

Keeping a diary in English is one effective way to improve our

English writing ability. Compared with other forms of writing, it is shorter and takes less time. If we persist in this practice, gradually we'll learn how to express ourselves in English. In keeping a diary in English, we inevitably come up against a lot of difficulties. In the first place, it often happens that we have trouble finding appropriate words and phrases to express ourselves. 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 obstacles we may come across in keeping a diary in English. So I suggest we should always have a notebook and a Chinese-English dictionary within easy reach. Whenever something gets the better of 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. (166 words)

30. The Tuition Fee System in China

The system of tuition fees has become one of the hottest topics in

China since it was put into effect. Different people have different opinions of it. Some people think that there is no university in the world which is open to students without tuition fees. The Chinese 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 fees. The money raised in this way can be used to improve school's operating conditions. Others, however, are opposed to the system of tuition fees. They argue that compared with that in the Western World, the living standard of Chinese people, especially of those in the poor rural areas, is still low. The university tuition fees will certainly add to the already heavy burden on parents, who live on their salaries or wages. Moreover, tuition fees hinder some talented people from entering university only on account of their poverty. (170 words)

31. Smoking

It is known to almost all that smoking is bad for people's health.

Scientific research has shown that smoking can lead to heart disease, cancer and other problems. The World Health Organization says diseases linked to smoking kill at least two million five hundred thousand people each year.

Still, many people find it difficult to stop smoking. One reason is that

smoking usually becomes a habitual behavior, and habits, whether good or bad are not easy to give up. Another reason is that 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 harmful

effects 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. (153 words)

32. My First Job

Before I started at university, I took my first job as a waitress in a nice

restaurant. 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 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 from my experience.

33. 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 encountered a birth peak during the 1990s. It is obvious that China's economic development and the improvement of people's standards of living have been and will be greatly affected by the size of population.

Therefore, to control population growth more strictly is clearly

essential to the country's reforms and economic development. We should re-stress the importance of birth control and call on the whole nation to take more effective action. (137 words)

34. Advertisements

Advertisements are making their way into people's lives. People

depend on advertisers in their daily lives because they are consumers. The advertisers are not 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 mean failure.

There are many ways to advertise and \"ads\" come in different forms.

Newspapers carry advertisements. Some products are announced on TV

and radio, both of which have a wide audience. Billboards also carry advertising. Advertising is a big industry now and many agencies have been set up to provide a variety of related services.

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. (155 words)

35. 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. They appeal to the government 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. However, some people are brave enough to risk their lives to fight criminals. Their fearless actions prevent the criminals from doing evil, save victims, and protect public property.

To reduce the crime rate, all of the people should first receive some

education about the law. 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 who do so and encourage more people to stand up to crime. (159 words)

36. How to Keep Fit

As a popular saying goes, \"Health is better than wealth.\" Good health

enables you to enjoy your life and achieve what you hope for in your career. On the other hand, poor health tends to deprive you of your interest in everything around you. Therefore, health is indispensable to a happy life.

There are many ways to help build up your health. In the first place,

those who are always on the run from morning till night should find time to relax, because too much stress can lead to poor performance and ill health. Secondly, if you want to keep fit, you must give up habits that are harmful to your health. Finally, regular physical exercise is essential for a healthy mind and body. To the best of my knowledge, there is nothing more health-giving than a brisk walk in the morning. (142 words)

37. My Views on Opportunity

Views on opportunity vary from person to person. Some people think

that opportunities are not really important. They are of this opinion because they think that if you have knowledge, skill or experience, opportunities will come to you naturally.

Others, however, take a more positive view of it. In their view,

opportunity is the most important factor on the way to success. Without opportunity, to their mind, hard work equals nothing. Moreover, they always complain that they are not successful because they are not lucky enough to get any opportunities.

My view on opportunity falls between the two extremes. I am more in

favor of an objective attitude to opportunity. It's true that \"opportunity is fair to everyone\when it is under their nose. Therefore, we should not rely solely on opportunity. Instead, we should work hard and get well prepared for its arrival. (156 words)

38. Is Job-hopping Advisable?

Many people are inclined to do one job for the whole of their lives. In

their opinions, people who change their jobs frequently are unwise. They believe that the only way to j succeed is to stick to one job, for constant practice in a professional field helps make an expert.

But there are many other people who think otherwise. They argue that

change means progress. If you are not satisfied with your present job, you certainly have the right to change it for a more challenging and better paid one. Every change is a step to further success. These convictions may be the reason why they change their jobs so often.

In my opinion, it is reasonable to change your job if you have a better

opportunity. But once you have found a position where you can fully display your ability, it is advisable to settle down to it and put all your efforts into it. (156 words)

39. Marks or Ability?

Some students attach great importance to marks. They think that their

primary task is to study and learn from teachers and textbooks. They seldom take part in other activities, because they are afraid that those activities will affect their studies. They put marks before anything else, thus neglecting the development of their practical abilities.

Some other students think it more important to develop their practical

abilities. They think that college students should not only learn from books, but should also learn from practical activities. They think that practical abilities are of primary importance, so they take every opportunity to develop these abilities with painstaking efforts.

I think we must first study hard, but we must not neglect the

development of our practical abilities, for when we enter society, we will need various abilities. If we only have knowledge from books, it will be hard for us to adapt quickly in society. (151 words)

40. Large Companies or Small Companies?

There are marked differences between working in a large enterprise

and in a small one. In a large enterprise, you can derive a deep sense of satisfaction and pride from being a member of a well-known organization. And you have opportunities to learn from experienced managers and get acquainted with standard working practices.

In a small enterprise, you have bigger responsibilities and have a

better chance of moving up. You may often make your own decisions and your decisions may bring immediate effects. Normally you are exposed to various experiences and expected to do a great many things without much guidance.

Personally, I prefer to work in a small enterprise, where my prospects

of promotion are good as long as I work hard. I'd rather become a well-known and important \"fish\" within my own small pond. (136 words)

41. The Population Explosion in China

China has the largest population in the world, about 1.2 billion people. Before| liberation there were only 400 million people. But shortly after liberation in 1949, China I began to have a population explosion. The standard of living has been rising and people have obtained better and better housing, while medical care and job security have been improved. As a result, the average life expectancy of our nation is going up rapidly, as well as the birth rate.

With a population explosion, a series of other problems will emerge.

There will be: a lack of land, food supply, water, fuel and so on in our country. The consequence of the problems will threaten human life.

Therefore, in order to stop these terrible consequences, we have used

family planning to control the birth rate. At the same time, we should take other effective steps to make sure people everywhere continue to limit their families through birth control. (155 words)

42. Clothes

Clothes are of great use to people. For one thing they can make ladies

prettier and gentlemen more handsome. For another they can help protect people from wind and cold and so on. In a word, they have a variety of uses.

Women pay more attention to clothes than men. Some girls think

more about them and try their best to keep up with the latest fashions, while some young men just buy what suits them and what they can afford. In China, even some old men nowadays also care deeply about the style of their clothes.

My opinion of clothes is this: to be well dressed needn't mean being

luxuriously dressed though I work hard to earn as much money as possible to dress myself up. I like to dress in my own style. As long as something suits my style, it is fine by me. (147 words)

43. Thrift

Thrift is a good habit for everyone, especially students who are still

supported by their parents. For it is by no means easy for their parents to earn money in the present day. There are many English proverbs which set forth the advantages of thrift. One of the best known is: \"Take care of the pennies, and the pounds will take care of themselves.\" It is thrift that makes us rich or successful in life.

However, there is a popular belief among people that students have

formed wasteful habits. When you go into the dining hall, you will find out they waste a lot of rice. Moreover, wasting time, effort and money are common among them. Those who spoil the pages of their books are not cultivating thrifty habits. In a word, waste is becoming a big problem at

universities, so we should take steps to bring it under control. (150 words)

44. Cheating in Tests

More and more students are cheating in exams. It is now considered

to be a major problem at colleges and universities. In every exam, some students feel the temptation to sneak a look at their neighbours' tests, or at textbooks. Some students even take tests for other ones. According to a recent poll, 40 percent of students have admitted to cheating in exams at least once during their college life. There are indications that such dishonesty is on the increase.

Colleges and universities across our country have decided to take

steps against students cheating. For instance, students cheating are not given marks, or some of them are criticized publicly. But none of these measures work effectively. We ought to make all students realize that if they cheat on exams, they will be dishonest in their future work, and in the end they will be entirely dishonest men. (147 words)

45. Recreation

We all regard recreation as part of our life, for it is impossible to keep

in good health unless we take sufficient relaxation. The mind, too, requires change to make it acute and vigorous. There is much truth in the old proverb, \"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.\"

Of course, everyone should relax according to his own circumstances.

People who sit a lot at work should choose a kind of recreation that will exercise their muscles. Some examples are: football, tennis, kite-flying, boating, cycling and dancing. Those who spend most of their time in the open air and constantly employ their muscles should adopt reading or some other quiet form of recreation.

However, some young men spend their leisure hours indulging

themselves in gambling, drinking or other bad activities. Improper means of killing time not only waste valuable time but also do great harm to the person concerned. 46. Education in China

Education is highly valued in China. According to the law, everyone

must, as a minimum, attend elementary and middle school. And colleges, universities and special schools have been established for students to study in. In addition, we have sent many students abroad so that they can absorb more advanced science and technology and improve and develop our country's knowledge.

In our times, considerable education is indispensable for anyone who

wishes to play a role in society. With the development of science and technology, more and more courses are being offered, even at primary and secondary levels. And greater emphasis is put on the practical side, as compared with education in the past.

However, there are still some problems in our country. For example,

in the countryside a large number of people can not read and write, not even knowing how to write their names and so on. Our government and all the people are making efforts to wipe out illiteracy. (160 words)

47. Hobbies

^/ Different people may have different hobbies. Some like

reading novels, painting pictures or listening to music; some like traveling around, playing ball, climbing mountains and some enjoy collecting things, such as stamps, books, shells and insect specimens.

Why do people like taking up hobbies? It is because hobbies can

provide people with knowledge and enjoyment. They can also help you feel relaxed after your busy day at work. Anyone, young or old, can develop a satisfying hobby.

Today people have more time than ever before for hobbies. With the

development of science and technology, machines have reduced the amount of time people have to spend on their jobs and their housework. They can save more time for hobbies and enjoy themselves in their spare time now. (126 words)

48. Health

Health is the foundation of one's future success. This is because health

gives us strength and happiness. If you are healthy, you can do whatever you need to do to realize your hopes. On the other hand, if you are sick, it is impossible for you to go on with your work or studies.

How can we have good health? Firstly, forming good habits is very

important, including getting up and going to bed early. Secondly, doing exercise every day will help to strengthen you not only physically, but

also mentally. Thirdly, a proverb says, \"Prevention is better than cure.\" Try your best to keep fit and avoid getting sick, or cure yourself of a disease while it is still at an early stage.

In conclusion, nothing is more valuable than health. With good health,

you can study and work efficiently, you can' achieve more success and make a greater contribution to society.

49. Friendship

Friendship is very important in one's life. A good friend is truly a

person of the highest value. Many of us may have several friends, but true friendship is not easy to achieve.

There is a saying \"A friend in need is a friend indeed.\" A good friend

is always there when you need him. He will try every effort to help you if he can.

We know friendship works in two ways. If you want love and respect

from your friends, you must give them your love and respect. You should also help them when they are in trouble, encourage them when they need it, and cheer them up when they are sad.

Nothing in the world is more treasured than a true friend in one's life.

If you have made a good friend, put every possible effort into keeping and developing your friendship.

50. How to Improve Your Spoken English

Many English learners have found that speaking is the most difficult

aspect of learning English. They seem to know the basic English language structures, but feel awkward and embarrassed in situations where a conversation in English is needed.

This does not mean that those learners are unable to organize their

ideas in English. The problem lies in their lack of confidence and practice. They are afraid of making mistakes and losing face.

The best way to improve your speaking is to build up confidence in

yourself and open your mouth whenever you get the chance. Everyone makes mistakes when he or she is learning a language. Don't be shy. Only by speaking more can you speak better English. (118 words)

51. Mother's Kitchen

My mother's kitchen is not large but it is clean. It faces north and is

next to our sitting-room. The walls of the kitchen are spotless with snow-white china-bricks. A well-designed cabinet hangs over head. All the cooking utensils, such as bowls, plates, pots and a gas stove, are polished. Knives, spoons and brushes are hanging in their places on the wall.

The kitchen is my mother's favorite place, in which she cooks

delicious food for us everyday. Every morning, the savory smell from the kitchen wakes me up. I like the familiar smell from mother's kitchen, and

I love my mother. (100 words)

52. Spring Time

Spring, the loveliest and most welcome of the four seasons, has come

again. The sprouts of willows are coming up. The grasses and the leaves are green and full of fresh scents. Everything has come to life again after long suffering from the cold and dreadful winter. Spring is also a season which prepares us to do our work. But some young men are apt to spend this good time in pleasure and idleness. They have no desire to study so as to widen the scope of their knowledge during this season. It is a I pity that they do not know the famous saying that the plan for the year should be made in the spring, and we should make full use of our time to prepare for the whole year. (131 words)

53. Sports in Our Country

Tennis is the most popular sport with people in our country. School

children start playing tennis when they are very young. Not only is it played in school but it is also a favorite game with workers and people in other walks of life. In fact, it has become a sort of national game.

There are other popular sports as well. For example, badminton is

very popular, although it is not played as widely as tennis. Wushu and sword play are both traditional forms of sports. Mention should be made

of such ball games as football and volleyball, in which much progress has been made.

In order to keep fit and win honor for our motherland, men and women, young and old, take an active part in sports. And our government takes effective measures to promote physical culture and build up people's health. Nowadays sports are flourishing in our country. (150 words)

54. Patriotism

Patriotism means the love of one's country. It makes one ready to

sacrifice one's life for one's country, and to do many other deeds which can bring benefits to the people. It makes a country strong, and her history glorious. It also improves a man's character and secures for him widespread fame.

To love our country, to work so as to make her strong and rich, to

support her government, to obey her laws, to pay fair taxes into her treasury, to treat our fellow citizens as we wish to be treated ourselves—this is to be a real Chinese patriot.

If the people of a country are not patriotic, the country is very weak.

History tells us how some countries of ancient times were, owing to a lack of patriotism, conquered by other people and how the people of those conquered countries were made slaves under the yoke of their victorious masters. (154 words)

55. What I Usually Do after Class

Many students spend their after-class time in entertainment. Some go

to the sports ground. Some go to the clubs. But nearly everyday after class I would sit amidst the garden plants, practicing oral English with one of my classmates or a friend from other classes.

It is good to have some entertainment after class. But I think it is

more sensible to use the time to improve my oral English because, as an international-business student, the ability to present well orally will add to my success in the future.

However, our curriculum doesn't offer us enough time to practice

speaking English, as there are too many lecture-based English courses and courses in Chinese. During class hours, you don't have the time to speak English, nor can you find a partner, because all the others are busy having classes.

The only solution is to practice my oral English after class, when

there are both partners and time. Still, I hope the school will adjust our curriculum so that we will have more chances to practice oral English during class hours. (179 words)

56. The Ocean Floor

The floors of the ocean contain many riches that can be used by men.

Oil and some minerals already are taken from the sea. By using nuclear energy, we can remove the salt from ocean water, which can then be

turned into fresh water.

Food from farms under the sea is a possibility in the future. Food

grown in the sea could help to solve the problem of many of the world's people who go hungry every day. About 10—15% of the world's people do not have enough food.

Some scientists believe that some day the sea will be used to make

electric power. This would help to meet the need for more power for the world's industries. The decreasing supply of coal, oil and gasoline shows that the need to find new kinds of power is urgent. (138 words)

57. My Idea of Becoming a Teacher in the Future

Most students want to become a business person, some want to work

in a government department, and only a few want to be a teacher. I'm one of the few. I think teaching is a noble job, and it is beneficial, too.

China is now developing her economy, which cannot be achieved

without a solid foundation of science and technology. Without education, advanced science and technology is out of the question. It's safe to say that teachers play a decisive role in the country's economic development. Besides the importance of their job, China's teachers enjoy a lot of special benefits. The job is secure; salaries are guaranteed, and there are two vacations in a year, of which people in other occupations are often jealous. One is a month long and the other lasts two months.

It's glorious to do what the country most needs us to do. And

personally I like the profession of teaching. (155 words) 58. TV: A Good Thing or a Bad Thing?

]

Nowadays TV has gotten into nearly every person's life. Most people

spend their spare time watching TV programs. People like doing this because TV is a good thing in many respects.

;

First, TV is a good source of information. News programs and

commercials timely and completely provide information about world affairs, domestic problems, sports events and business developments. Second, TV is an effective tool of education. Millions of students take the same TV lecture at the same time. No school can afford such a large classroom. Third, TV is a convenient means of entertainment. People can view plays, movies and art shows without taking the trouble of going to the theater.

Information, education and entertainment are so important that TV

has become part of people's lives. It is a really good thing today. However, if we further improve the quality of programs and eliminate sex and

violence from the screen, it will be an even better thing tomorrow. (158 words]

59. Advantages and Disadvantages of Taking a Part-time Job Nowadays, many college students have a part-time job. They work in

their spare time in bars, restaurants, or at their client's home as a tutor. The upside of this is that it can make them more independent. The downside is that it is harmful to their study and their mind.

Traditionally, Chinese parents take care of everything for their

children until they get married, which makes the young too dependent. However, working off campus takes a lot of time from their studies. Especially for us language students, basic language skills demand time-consuming practice. Working more at a job means working less at school. Moreover, a bulging purse can easily turn one from knowledge learning to the pursuit of money.

Comparing the two sides, there are more disadvantages than

advantages. To us students knowledge is more important than independence, it's not wise to earn a little money at the cost of neglecting one's studies. (154 words)

60. The Main Difference between My College Life and My Middle

School Life

According to my experience, college life is more independent and life

in middle school is just the opposite. My middle school teachers often talked through the whole class and we were there to memorize everything. Homework was assigned so that we didn't have a minute of our own. But my college professors just show us different ways of solving problems

and then leave us alone to get the conclusion. We have a lot of free time after class for our own plans.

Comparing the two, I like college life better. It is important for us

students to learn to be independent because after college we will be left alone struggling in the vast sea of society, and there we will have to solve problems that force us to make decisions by ; ourselves — there will be no teachers over our shoulders. (140 words)

61. My Views on Modern Advertising

Modern advertising spreads information about products through

modern media with television as the most prevalent form. The advantages of TV advertising show the vital importance of modern advertising to product development.

First, TV advertising carries information about products to nearly

everyone, as most modern families have TV sets. This surely promotes sales. Second, TV advertising spreads information very quickly. TV reporters often make live telecasts of new products, so that people are able to learn about them as soon as possible. This is especially good for promoting the sales of products in a timely manner. Finally, the high quality of TV reproduction makes advertised products more attractive to people. People can see what the products look like, as well as their uses. This definitely promotes sales.

Sales promotion means an increase in profits. With more money,

manufacturers are able to invest more in production. With the development of production, future advertising will be better, faster and more attractive.

(158 words)

62. The Importance of Keeping a Good Mood

It is necessary and important for people to keep a good mood in their

daily life in this fast-paced modern society.

First of all, today's society is full of competition that develops very

quickly. As a result, there is a lot of pressure on everyone. People usually feel stressed as they try hard to do their best in education, career or family situations. It is thus very important that they should keep a good mood. A cheerful person is likely to be optimistic when he or she faces challenges and competitions and is likely to succeed. Even when he or she meets a difficult situation, if he or she keeps a good mood and is cool-headed, they can use their intelligence to solve the problem. On the contrary, a bad-tempered person will only make things worse when problems arise.

All in all, the ability to keep a good mood is important for people in

modern society. (163 words)

63. Positive and Negative Emotions

Psychologists think that there are two types of emotions: positive and

negative. Positive emotions include love, liking, joy, delight and hope. Negative emotions include anger, fear, despair, sadness and disgust. In growing up, a person learns to cope with the negative emotions in order to be happy.

Emotions may be weak or strong. Some strong emotions are so

unpleasant that a person will try any means to escape from them. In order to feel happy, the person may choose unusual ways to avoid the emotion.

Strong emotions can make it hard to think and to solve problems.

They may prevent a person from learning or paying attention to what he is doing. For example, a student taking an examination may be so worried about failing that he cannot think properly. The worry drains the valuable mental energy he needs for the examination. (142 words)

. Watch Less TV—Read More Books

There is no denying that television is a miracle of technology created

by man. It has penetrated nearly every home in our country. However, if a student is continuously exposed to the world of TV, he can't concentrate on his lessons. And he may eventually fail his examinations because he spends too much time watching TV.

On the other hand, one can acquire knowledge through reading

informative教育性的，有益的；情报的；见闻广博的books. With books one can learn what he does not know. Also, books can make him familiar with what has taken place in the past and what will probably come about

in the future. Therefore, one can benefit a lot from reading books.

Personally, I think some of the TV programs are interesting,

informative and instructive. But as a student, I should devote most of my time to reading books, which will make me a scientist. (144 words)

65. Machines and Man

With the progress of science and technology, an increasing number of

machines are being developed. Today machines are widely used not only in industry but in other sectors of the national economy as well. Therefore, a question has arisen: will machines eventually take the place of man?

There are two main opinions on this question. Some people believe

that it will be possible for automatic machines, especially computers, to replace man completely in the future. Others, however, argue that man is the decisive factor in production and the potential of man's intelligence is practically unlimited.

I'm in favor of the latter view. Although automatic machines are being

more and more widely used, there are still jobs which they are not capable of coping with. The reason is that man is able to think, but machines are not. (137 words)

66. Physical Exercise

More and more people today are realizing the importance of regular

physical exercise. In the past, most people were involved in manual labor

out in the fresh air of the fields. Nowadays a lot of people work in an office, spending most of their time indoors. In the evenings they usually sit watching TV or reading newspapers. Their daily lives don't provide them with the exercise they need to keep them healthy. Therefore, they must devote part of their time to doing regular physical exercise.

There are many different forms of physical exercise suiting different

tastes. Some people enjoy competitive sports and find others who share their interest. For example, they play table tennis or football together. Others prefer to exercise alone. They run or practice qigong in parks in the morning. Clearly, different people are fond of different forms of physical exercise to improve their health.

(147 words) 67. Cars

Wherever one lives—in the city or in the country, there are some

good reasons to own a car. First, cars have become an important part of life in many countries. The car provides the most convenient form of transportation. With a car, a person can get around freely, without spending a lot of time. Second, a car is a comfortable way to travel, especially in the winter time. A driver stays warm and dry even in the cold, rainy weather. Finally, a driver is usually safe in his car when he is out at night.

There are, on the other hand, many good reasons not to own a car. For

one thing, it can be very expensive to purchase and run a car. The gas shortage has caused a big problem for drivers, and the price of fuel continues to go up each year. In addition, it costs a great deal to maintain, repair and insure a car. Moreover, owning a car can also cause worry and stress. It is exhausting to drive a car in heavy traffic. (179 words)

68. The Role of Prices

In business, the fluctuation of prices directly affects the supply and

demand of goods. On the one hand, an increase in demand often leads to higher prices. On the other, prices drop when there is an increase in supply.

Let's take an example to illustrate the effects of supply and demand.

When the price of gold rises, more gold tends to be supplied to the market because more profit can be made. However, as the price of gold increases, the amount of gold sold will decrease, for consumers are not willing to buy it when the price is too high. Therefore, an increase in price usually results in a decrease in demand when the supply is constant.

I think a stable and reasonable price is necessary because it makes the

market flourish. In order to avoid fluctuating prices, manufacturers should constantly supply sufficient goods to fit the ever increasing demand. (150 words)

69. On Developing Speaking Ability

In teaching a foreign language, most of the Chinese instructors give

priority to the development of reading skills. They tend to think that speaking practice is of no use because most Chinese students have few opportunities to talk with foreigners. This is the reason why the importance of speaking has not been understood and emphasized properly.

In fact, speaking is one of the most important means of

communication. Much of our information goes to other people through speaking. In daily life, we are often faced with situations where a great deal depends on our ability to speak. If in such cases we can't make ourselves understood in a foreign language, communication will be cut short. Therefore, it is extremely important to develop speaking skills when learning a foreign language.

In my opinion, one can't learn a foreign language well without

practicing speaking. Hence, we need to give serious attention to the development of speaking ability in foreign language study. (159 words)

70. Power of Knowledge

Men who possess knowledge are more powerful than those without

knowledge. In other words, the educated class always rules over the ignorant people. This is an unchangeable truth.

There is no doubt that knowledge is life's most precious asset. It is

also an indispensable adj. 不可缺少的；绝对必要的；责无旁贷的tool used to accomplish things. We can also say, nothing in the world can be accomplished without it. Various modern inventions such as the train, the airplane, and so on, are nothing but the fruits of wisdom and signs of mankind's power.

However, knowledge cannot be bought with money. We must exert

great effort to obtain it. Because we as young students are the future masters of the nation, our country needs us very much. Consequently, our responsibilities are exceedingly heavy and great. In other words, the destiny of our nation is completely in our hands.

71. On Post-graduate Education

Post-graduate education refers to education after college, which is

another three years of study. There can be no doubt that the pursuit of learning after four years' studies is no easy thing, and it requires perseverance and persistence to continue one's major. In the past several years, a large percentage of graduate students hurried to the profession they had chosen without hesitation about the choice, which greatly worried some educators. However, the situation now is totally different from the past: more graduates, even those who are at their posts, remain at or go back to universities.

What could be the possible reasons for this change? Firstly, the

students are of the opinion that what they learned in the universities is not

adequate for the workforce. Secondly, a great number of vacancies require a higher level of qualified personnel, which encourages the job-hunter to be well prepared for them. (149 words)

72. On Social Security

All advanced countries have some form of social security. Based on

various insurance laws, the goal of social security is to meet the needs of the aged, unemployed, sick and poor by providing them with home, money or medical care.

Social security is very much needed. For one thing, there will always

be social misfits n. 不适合；不适应环境的人that need help. For example, for some reason, there is always a certain number of unemployed workers in any society. Thus, it is necessary for the government to take effective measures. Firstly and most importantly, social and economic security programs help the unemployed to get through their present economic hardships. If not, these unemployed are more likely to become potential causes of social instability.

Social security is of great importance to the development of society.

Correspondingly, with the advancement of society, social security will likely become more mature in its actual performance. (147 words)

73. How to Spend Our Leisure Time

Physical activities and intellectual pursuits are the two basic ways in

which we spend our leisure time.

Of the two basic ways, physical recreation affords us the

opportunities to strengthen our bodies and to satisfy our competitive nature. Activities range from participation in strenuous sports such as running, playing basketball or playing a couple of sets of tennis, to slow-paced events like jogging or a round of golf.

Intellectual activities, such as reading a good book, listening to a

favorite record, or going to a film, revitalize our mental processes. This revitalization can either stimulate mental readiness n. 敏捷，迅速；准备就绪；愿意and innovation or provide us with a temporary escape from the pressures of daily life. Intellectual pursuits are often regarded as solitary [ 'sɔlitəri ] adj. 孤独的；独居的practices. The pleasure a stamp collector derives from mounting a new issue is one example of what is meant by this. (140 words)

74. Children Being Cared for by Wolves

As far back as 700 B.C., man has talked about children being cared for by wolves. Romulus n. 罗穆卢斯（罗马神话中的一个形象）and Remus n. 雷穆斯（罗马神话中战神Mars的儿子）, the legendary adj. 传说的，传奇的

n. 传说集；圣徒传

twin founders of Rome, were purported adj. 传说的to have been

cared for by wolves. It is believed that when a she-wolf loses her litter一窝（动物的幼崽）；, she seeks a human child to take its place.

This seemingly preposterous [ pri'pɔstərəs ] adj. 荒谬的；可笑的

idea did not become credible until the late nineteenth century when a French doctor actually found a naked ten-year-old boy wandering in the woods. He didn't walk erectly adv. 直立地, nor could he speak intelligibly adv. 易理解地, or relate to people. He only growled vt. 咆哮；（雷电，炮等）轰鸣and stared at them. Finally the doctor won the boy's confidence and began to work with him. After many long years of devoted and patient instruction, the doctor was able to get the boy to clothe and feed himself, and recognize and utter a number of words, as well as write letters and form words. (152 words)

75. Rising Crime Rate

Are you worried by the rising crime rate? If you are, then you

probably know that your house, possessions, friends and relatives are increasingly in danger of suffering from the tremendous rise in cases of burglary and attack.

Figures indicate an ever-increasing crime rate but it is only too easy to

imagine \"It will never happen to me.\" Unfortunately, statistics show that it really can happen to you and, if you live in a large city, you run twice the risk of becoming a victim.

'Fortunately, there is something definite which you can do. Protect

Alarms can help to protect your house with a burglar alarm system.

Possessing a burglar alarm is no indication that your house is packed

with valuable possessions. It quite simply indicates to unwelcome visitors that yours is a house they will not break into easily, so they move on to an unprotected house where their job is made a lot easier. (157 words)

76. The Importance of Parents

However important we may regard school life to be, there is no

denying the fact that children spend much more time at home than in the classroom. Therefore, the great influence of parents can not be ignored or discounted by the teacher. They can become strong allies of the school personnel or they can consciously or unconsciously interrupt and prevent curricular objectives.

Administrators have been aware of the need to keep parents informed

on the newer methods used in schools. Many principals have conducted workshops explaining such matters as the reading readiness program, manuscript n. 手稿；原稿adj. 手写的writing and developmental mathematics.

Moreover, the classroom teacher, with the permission of the

supervisors, can also play an important role in enlightening parents. Many interviews carried on during the year as well as new ways of reporting

pupils' progress can significantly aid in achieving a harmonious interplay n. 相互影响，相互作用between school and home. (145 words)

77. Chef

You sit at a table covered with a snow-white cloth. Soft music plays

in the background mixing with the murmur of voices and the sound of knives and forks on fine china. A waiter places a plate of food in front of you. The aroma makes your mouth water. You take the first bite—mmmm. Eating a delicious meal is one of life's pleasures. But did you ever stop to think about the people who prepared your food? The one to really thank is the chef. He or she does much more than just produce a fine meal. Chefs direct the activities of everyone in the kitchen. Chefs plan and compile vt. 编译；编制；编辑；汇编menus, order supplies and handle paperwork,, and also spend time \"cooking up\" new dishes. Although people often use the terms \"chef and \"cook\" interchangeably, adv. 可交换地 cooks have more limited skills. Not everyone who enjoys cooking is cut out to be a chef. (152 words) 生来是···的材料

托福听力备考重要语言要素 ...be cut out for 适合于be cut out to be 生来是···的材料be fid up with 对···厌倦 ... 基于7个网页 - 搜索相关网页

适合担任

简明英汉词典（12） ...be cut out for || 适合担任be cut out to be || 适合担任be dashed to the ground || 破灭 ... 基于4个网页 - 搜索相关网页 适合做……

常用短语集萃 - 网络杂志 Magazine - ... ...be cut out for适合做……be cut out to be适合做……be in charge of负责 ... 基于4个网页 - 搜索相关网页

- be cut out to be sth 生来就是干某事的料; 生来就是干某事的料

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78. On Making Friends

As a human being, one can hardly do without a friend. With friends,

one has someone to turn to whenever he is in trouble. And with the help of honest friends, one can get over the difficulties and hardships he runs up against in his life. In addition, friends are the people one can consult, share happiness with and exchange opinions with. So friends are indispensable to everyone.

What is true about friendship? As a popular saying goes, \"A friend in

need is a friend indeed.\" It is clear that true friends are those who never desert you when you are in need. In fact, they will help you to stick to what is right and to correct what is wrong. Therefore, true friendship makes people understand and learn from each other. (132 words) 79. Fighting against Fake and Inferior Goods

Nowadays, fake and inferior goods are found on every shelf in our

market. They have not only done a lot of harm to society, but also form an obstacle to our national economic development. The government and the public must work hand in hand to remove this obstacle.

On one hand, the government should enforce anti-fake laws. Those

who produce and sell fake and inferior goods should be severely punished. In addition, governments at all levels should set up special anti-fake committees to supervise the manufacturers and distributors.

On the other hand, the consumers should arm themselves with the

knowledge to tell true from false. And if they happen to buy some goods of poor quality, they should know how to protect themselves by reporting the lawbreakers to the Consumers' Association or bringing them to court. In a word, as long as the government and the public act in cooperation, fake and inferior goods will disappear as quickly as they appear. (160 words)

80. Well Begun Is Half Done

As the proverb says, \"Well begun is half done.\" It is clear that a good

beginning js the foundation of our future success. A tall building, as everyone knows, must be built on a solid foundation. Otherwise, it would fail in the end.

However, what should we do to make a good beginning? First, we

should begin with a good plan. Second, we should avoid haste. We should always keep in mind that everything should be done step by step, especially in the early stages. And finally, hard work ensures a good beginning as well as a successful ending.

In conclusion, a solid foundation is very important no matter what we

do. If we make careful efforts to plan well at the start, avoiding haste and working hard throughout the process, we can surely make our work a success in the end. (142 words)

81. Dreams

A dream is a story that a person \"watches\" or even takes part in while

sleeping. Dream events are imaginary, but they are related to real experiences and needs in the dreamer's life. They seem real while they are taking place. Some dreams are pleasant, others are annoying, and stili others are frightening.

Everyone dreams, but some people never recall dreaming. Others

remember only a little about the dream they had just before awakening.

No one recalls all of his dreams.

Dreams involve little logical thought. In most dreams, the dreamer

cannot control what happens to him. The story may be confusing, and things happen that would not happen in real life. People see in most dreams, but they may also hear, smell, touch, and taste in their dreams. Most dreams occur in color, but persons who have been blind since birth do not see at all in dreams. (149 words)

82. Naturalists Are Born and Not Made ^y

Looking back on my childhood, I am convinced that naturalists are

born and not\\ made. Although we were all brought up in the same way, my brothers and sisters soon abandoned their pressed flowers and insects. Unlike them, I had no ear for music or languages. I was not an early reader and I could not do mental arithmetic.

Before World War I we spent our summer holidays in Hungary. I have

only a dim memory of the house we lived in, of my room and my toys. Nor can I clearly recall the large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door. But I do have a crystal-clear memory of the dogs, the farm animals, the local birds, and above all, the insects.

I am a naturalist, not a scientist. I have a strong love of the natural

world and my enthusiasm has led me into a variety of investigations. (154 words) \\

In Japan's capital city of Tokyo, earthquake danger limits the height of

83. Underground Tokyo

buildings. The city has spread out so far and the traffic has become so heavy that it is very difficult to get from one place to another. The price of land, too, has skyrocketed. All this explains why a group of Japanese land developers came to the conclusion that there was nowhere to go but down. So far they have dug out space underground for 15 major shopping centers, and the underground construction has only begun.

What are some of the advantages of shopping and eating underground? Clean air is one of them. The city of Tokyo has one of the most serious smog problems in the world. Another advantage is that you escape the threat of traffic accidents on the city's busy streets. Still another is the convenience of getting around. And you can even spend the night underground if you like. One subway station, for example, has a hotel with a bar, restaurant and barbershop. (169 words)

84. The Importance of Listening Comprehension

A Greek philosopher once said, \"Nature has given to men one tongue

but two ears, that we may hear from others twice as much as we speak.\" In order to reinforce the importance of listening comprehension, I'd like to share some statistics given by an American professor. He says that in the course of practical use, 75% of language interaction is done by listening and speaking. Among them, listening occupies 45%, and speaking 30%, while reading and writing are only about 16% and 9%. Therefore, as a communicative linguistic behavior among people, listening is very important. One cannot speak without first having heard. And at least in the early stages, even reading and writing materials should generally be based on them. It may be the most crucial skill of all for the majority of our students. (136 words)

85. The World Is Getting Smaller

With the development of modern transportation, which is faster and

makes it more convenient for people to travel more, the world is indeed getting smaller. People no longer have to spend their entire life in the same area, as it is easier for them to travel faster.

Also the ease of communication between people makes the world

smaller. People no longer have to communicate with others only by writing a letter and waiting several weeks for a reply. The development of telephone and fax machines makes it possible to communicate with others instantly. Also, the Internet has caused a phenomenal increase in

communication between people. You can send instant messages to others in your country and in other countries and can expect to receive a reply immediately.

As better and faster means of mass transportation are developed,

travel will become less expensive as well as faster, making for more interactions with others. Also, the increased communication technology will result in people communicating more, which can only be beneficial to world peace.

People generally agree with the saying \"More haste, less speed.\" (171 words)

86. More Haste, Less Speed

Indeed, most people are acting on this principle in their daily activities. They realize that if they do things in a hurried way, they will achieve less than what they hope for.

If things are done at a reasonable pace, people can, more often than

not, achieve their desired goals. Nevertheless, when it comes to daily practice, not everyone observes this principle. For example, in the 1950's, Chinese leaders wished to realize communism in a shorter period of time by the so called \"Great Leap Forward\". Yet, the result is that the whole economy was badly damaged and the people's lives became miserable. Likewise, students may make the same mistakes in their studies. Some

students intend to gain enough credits as soon as possible by selecting many courses in a term, only to find that they fail in most of the courses. To make things worse, their required courses suffer a great deal. Obviously, more haste invariably means more failures.

87. Happiness

Happiness means different things to different people. For example,

some people believe that if they have a lot of money or many things, they will be happy. They believe that if they are wealthy, they will be able to do everything they want, and so they will be happy. On the other hand, some people believe that money is not the only way to happiness. These people value their religion, or their intelligence, or their health: these make them happy. For me, happiness is closely tied to my family. I am happy if my wife and my children live in harmony. When all members of my family share good and sad times, and when my children communicate with each other and work together, I am happy. Although the definition of happiness depends on each individual, my \"wealth\" of happiness is in my family. (144 words) 88. A Composer's Style

If we examine this question of the composer's individual character

more closely, we shall discover that it is really made up of two distinct

elements: the personality with which he was born and the influences of the time in which he lives. Obviously every composer lives in a certain period, and each period has its own character. Whatever personality a composer may have is expressed within the framework of his own period. It is the interaction of personality and period that results in the formation of a composer's style. Two composers with very similar personalities living in two different periods would inevitably produce music of two different styles. When we speak of a composer's style, therefore, we refer to the combined result of an individual character and a particular period. There are as many styles as there are composers, and each important composer has several different styles, corresponding to the influences of his own time and the maturing of his own personality.

(162 words)

. Human Actions -k

Human actions can destroy resources. When we produce goods and

services that are supposed to improve our health, we may destroy resources. We misuse resources such as air and water by regarding them as unlimited, unchanging, and freely available for use in the production of goods and services. Not all human actions harm the physical environment. Every resource has the capacity to accept some human abuse. Harmful effects result when human actions generate more waste than the resource is capable of accommodating. Human action that negatively affects a

resource is known as pollution. Pollution varies from region to region according to the types of human actions. In general, we find high levels of pollution in regions of concentrated populations. Pollution also varies according to levels of economic development. Most pollution is a by-product of production in relatively developed economies. (139 words)

90. Studying with Others

All students must spend a great deal of time studying, and each has a

method that works best for him. Some prefer to study very hard without interruption, while others like to take frequent breaks. Some students would rather study by themselves, while others do better in a group. As for me, I prefer to study with a group of students rather than alone.

First, when I study with others, I can benefit from their knowledge.

When one student comes across something he doesn't understand, the others can help him right away. In this way, we save time and also expand our knowledge. Second, when students study in a group they can encourage one another. I, for example, always study longer and with more enthusiasm when I have friends to cheer me on. Last, but not least, studying with others makes this work more fun for me. I not only complete my homework, but also spend time with my friends. (160 words)

91. Cool Weather and Warm Weather

If you are like most people, your intelligence varies from season to

season. You are probably a lot sharper in the spring than you are at any other time of year. A noted scientist, Ellsworth Huntington (1876-1947), concluded from other men's work and his own among peoples in different climates that climate and temperature have a definite effect on our mental abilities.

He found that cool weather is much more favorable for creative

thinking than summer heat. This does not mean that all people are less intelligent in summer than they are during the rest of the year. It does mean, however, that the mental abilities of large numbers of people tend to be lowest in the summer.

Spring appears to be the best time of the year for thinking. Fall is the

next-best season, then winter. As for summer, it seems to be a good time to take a long vacation from thinking. (154 words)

92. Tropical Forests in the World

The world's forests are disappearing. As much as 1/3 of the total tree

cover has been lost since agriculture began some 10,000 years ago. The remaining forests are home to half of the world's species, thus becoming the chief resource for their survival. Tropical rain forests once covered 12% of the land of the planet, as well as supporting at least half of the world's species of plants and animals. These rain forests are home to

millions of people. But there are other demands on them as well. For example, much wood has been cut for timber. An increasing amount of forest land has been used for industrial purposes or for agricultural development such as crop-growing. By the 1990's, less than half of the earth's original rain forests remained, and they continue to disappear at an alarming rate every year. As a result, the world's forests are now facing gradual extinction. (151 words)

93. Pigeons

There are thousands of pigeons in any big city in the world. But did

you know that this common bird is able to find its way home from even hundreds of kilometers away?

Just how pigeons find their way home is a bit of a mystery. Some

people think that they use landmarks—that is, the pigeon knows what the land is like from the air and it uses this like a map. A landmark in Sydney, for example, is the Opera House, which can easily be seen from a long way off. Other possibilities are that pigeons use the position of the sun to work out directions. Or that they have some kind of built-in compass. For quite a few years now scientists have been carrying out experiments on horning pigeons, but they still aren't sure how pigeons find their way home. It seems likely, however, that pigeons, like airline pilots, use a number of different methods to guide them on their long-distance

journeys. Perhaps one day we'll learn their secret. (173 words)

94. The Importance of Confidence

Whatever one does, one should do it with confidence. If one has no

confidence, there is little possibility that one can achieve anything when faced with hardships. This truth seems to be self-evident.

In reality, however, we do see a lot of people who always complain

that they lack the ability to do something or that their difficulties are too great to overcome. For some this might be true. But for many others, this only shows that they have lost heart. Why do some people often feel frustrated even though they are capable of doing something? I think there are two main reasons. In the first place, these people don't have a correct .

estimate of themselves. Secondly, it is possible that they exaggerate

the difficulties.

In my opinion, one can build up faith in oneself as long as he has a

right attitude towards his own abilities. We should neither underestimate nor overestimate our abilities. As a proverb says, \"Where there is a will, there is a way.\" With confidence we can certainly cope with any task we are faced with. (181 words)

95. Choosing a Career

Choosing a career is one of the most important things in a person's

life. Finding the right career, we will be happy and successful. Finding

the wrong one, we will not be able to fully display our talents.

Unfortunately, many of us make costly mistakes. The trouble is that

we often choose a career for the wrong reasons. For example, some people simply follow in the footsteps of their parents' or relatives', and many others change jobs constantly under the influence of friends who give them their advice. As a result, they can't make the best use of their talents, and they get nowhere in their work.

These mistakes can be avoided by taking into account some factors

such as our choice of occupation and the necessary information about the job before we make the decision. Above all, it is important to make a fair evaluation of ourselves. Be sure that we know where our interest lies and what our ability is. Only by doing so can we both excel in and enjoy our work.

96. American and European Courses

This term several useful and interesting culture courses have been

offered. An Introduction to European Culture, for instance, gives us a lot of background knowledge of the history of European philosophy, literature and arts. From time to time we see slide shows of famous paintings and hear tapes of famous pieces of music. These make the lectures all the more interesting. American Society and Culture is another course that attracts a large audience. The teacher, who visited the United

States not long ago, discusses new trends and changes in American life as well as American history and traditions. We like these and other courses very much, because they help us not only to improve our English but also to broaden our vision. (122 words)

97. Controlling Cancer

There are two main causes of cancer, heredity and environment. We

can d? nothing to change our heredity, that is, the basic physical characteristics that were passed on to us by our parents. However, we can do a great deal to control our environment, which may account for 80%—90% of all cancers.

Environmental pollution can be divided into two kinds: personal and

non-personal. Personal pollution may be defined roughly as unhealthy habits such as smoking, drinking, and eating the wrong foods. Clearly, with enough will power we can control this personal environment.

Non-personal pollution, on the other hand, refers to those things

which are beyond our individual control. One example would be industrial pollution, which is very hard to control because of the expense involved. It would be expensive in terms of profits and perhaps jobs. The American automobile industry, for example, resisted the law requiring smog-control devices because it feared the added expense would reduce profits. Nevertheless, some laws protecting the environment have been quite successful in reducing pollution. (170 words)

98. Good Teachers

Some teachers seem to be good teachers. But they are not, even

though their students have no special faults to find with them They are not good teachers because they have no special vision, no special urge, no fight. They know their respective fields well. They have orderly minds. Their courses are well planned and efficiently taught. Yet something keeps them from being a great teacher like Socrates. This kind of teacher is more interested in the subject being taught than in students or social progress. A good teacher is always eager to bring about a social structure in which people will be free to be themselves. European countries seem to accept individuality much more than the United States does. (120 words)

99. The Automobile and Travel

The automobile has probably changed people's way of life more than

any other invention of the last century. More than electric lights, television, air travel, or even computers, automobiles have changed where people live and work, and how they make a living.

Before there were cars, people generally traveled on foot or by horse

over unpaved roads. Whether they lived in the city or the country, they rarely went farther than a few miles from home. They saw the same people and places year after year.

The car opened up whole new worlds. Roads were paved, and

motorists went to see different parts of the country. People with cars could live farther from their jobs, and so the age of commuting began. New suburbs sprang up around the cities. The auto industry boomed, and millions of Americans made a living manufacturing, selling, servicing or insuring cars. (146 words)

100. Where Do People Live?

Some people live in one community all their lives, while others move

around almost as much as nomads. Both experiences have their advantages as well as disadvantages.

People who stay in one spot can develop lifelong friendships, and

such friends may lend a hand if trouble comes. They know each other's life history, and they judge each other for the kind of person each is, not for the image they project.

Yet spending a lifetime in one location can also lock a person into a

limited way of life. Personal change may become very difficult. People with few experiences may develop a narrow outlook and find it hard to understand those who have different ethnic, racial or religious

backgrounds.

By staying in different places for varying length of time, people can

broaden their outlook but still have enough time to make adjustments and form friendships.

(146 words)