社会热点问题：
　　
　　1、Why Do People Like to Buy Lottery
　　(1)    目前社会上流行着各种各样的彩票，有许多人在购买彩票；
　　(2)为什么有那么多的人购买彩票呢？

　　参考范文：
　　Nowadays, there are all kinds of lotteries in our society. Wherever you go, you will see the advertisements of lotteries on TV, on newspapers, in the streets and so on. These lotteries are divided into welfare lottery, sports lottery, computer lottery, and so forth. Meanwhile, there are quite a few people buying them.

　　But why are there so many people buying lotteries? Why are the lotteries so popular? In my opinion , there are three reasons for this. First, most people are trying their luck on lottery tickets. They have a long-cherished dream of making big money overnight. Second, some people just like it and it can make their life more colorful.

　　Finally, there are some people who want to make donation to public welfare by buying lotteries.

　　2、Is Outer Space Worth Exploring 　太空是否值得探索
　　
　　参考范文：
　　Almost everyday we may see something in the newspaper or on TV about the latest exciting developments in space exploration. There is an immense pride in our science and technology and a sense of its importance for the welfare of mankind.

　　Not everyone , however, shares this feeling. Ever since space research began, it has been criticized as a huge waste of money and other resources, which might be used to help to relieve the suffering of the earth’s starving millions. It has also been felt that the space program might lead to the total destruction of the earth. Despite these disadvantages and potential dangers, the advantages are far greater. We have already succeeded in using satellites for communications, weather forecast and oil exploration and with further space research, more problems we are having now can be solved. For instance, with the success of space shuttles and the feasibility of living in other planets, we may solve the population problem on the earth. Space projects will also enable us to find a few chemical elements to cure presently incurable diseases.

　　Space exploration contributes not only to the improvement of the quality of human life, but also to our understanding of the interdependence of all beings; and therefore, of the need to take better care of each other.

　　3、Pet Raising 　如何看待宠物热
　　(1)　有些人喜欢养动物作为宠物。
　　(2)　有些人反对圈养动物作为宠物。
　　(3)　你的观点。

　　参考范文：
　　Nowadays, with the improvement of the people’s living standard, some people form a habit of raising small or domestic animals as pets. Some raise small dogs or cats as their pets while others raise various birds or fishes as their pets. There are still even some people raising snakes and other unusual animals as their pets.

　　Does anyone have the same opinion of raising animals as pets? No, some people object to the idea of raising animals as pets. To them, animals have their own right to live a natural life like human beings. On the other hand, the way people raise animals as pets have a negative influence on the surroundings such as dogs’ barking at midnight, dogs’ chasing people on the street and so on. What’s more, some animals will transmit some diseases.

　　In my opinion, I do not like the idea to raise animals at pets. Animals have their own right to lead a life as they like. We should not deprive them of their natural right. In this way, we will live in a peaceful world in harmony with the other living creatures.

　　4、为什么电视观众喜欢看体育节目
　　News 68%
　　Movies54%
　　Sports 78%
　　Specials20%
　　Documentary42%

　　参考范文：
　　The sports programs enjoyed a boom among TV viewers. According to the above graph, 78 percent of TV viewer frequently watch Sports, which is obviously far ahead of other televised events. News follows second with 68 percent of viewers, compared with 54 percent Movies watchers. Documentary seems preferable among people than Special do, with 42 percent and 26 percent respectively.

　　A passion for sports has taken possession of thousands of people. One of the reasons perhaps is that sports provide an outlet for open-up emotions. People extract themselves from routine life and fully express their feeling towards sports. Stimulated by the excitement, they applaud for the victory and hold their breath for the exhilarating competition. In a sense, sports are a heaven for people to escape from boredom and tension..

　　Enthusiasm for sports also reflects people’s desire to transcend geographical and cultural limits. Freed from border and language difference, sports are accessible to everyone. People will no longer be confined to a certain living circle. They can share the same fantasy with the viewers at another hemisphere. Taken by sports, they can roam from country to country, continent to continent. Sports thus become a common language for all the people throughout the world.

　　5、Owning a Private Car
　　(1)　目前，有越来越多的人拥有私家车；(图表略)
　　(2)　拥有私家车的利与弊；
　　(3)　结论。

　　参考范文：
　　Nowadays , there are more and more people owning private cars. On the one hand, some wealthy people who either are the boss of the private company or the white-collar managers in big companies have their private cars. On the other hand, some young people who are future-minded buy private cars ahead of their income by loans from banks.

　　Is it a good or bad thing to have a private car? Just as a coin has two sides , so there are both advantages and disadvantages of having a private car. So far as its advantages are concerned, there are two examples for this. First , it plays a very important part in providing its owner with convenience, enabling the owner to go where he wants to quickly and easily. Second, it can help its owner to save a lot of time which may be wasted by waiting for other vehicles. However, it also has its disadvantages . For one thing, it will have a negative effect on both the crowded traffic system and the environment in the long run. For another, it places burden on the public utility in providing more parking lots.

　　In short , owning a private car has both its advantages and disadvantages. It is advisable that we should pay much attention to the environmental protection by not having a private car if we have little or no practical use of the private car.

　个人生活方面的话题：
　　
　　1、On Responsibility 　关于个人责任
　　
　　参考范文：
　　We Chinese place a high value on responsibility. It is traditional deal for us Chinese to take care of our parents. We owe them a great deal for the love they give us while we are growing up. It is right, then, when they are getting older with each passing day, we help them and see that they are well cared for. In this way, we give back some of the love and care they have given to us.

　　As loyal Chinese citizens, we must have a strong sense of responsibility to our country. I t is our duty to keep China strong in the eyes of the world. Therefore, we should study and work hard for China’s strongness which also depends on the advanced science and technology. We must be willing to join the Army and defend our country, would we be threatened by an invader. In short, to be a responsible citizen ,we must put our country’s welfare above our own needs.

　　Finally, we must remember that we have a responsibility to the world we live in. It is important that we learn to live in peace with the other nations of the world and to protect our environment.If we carry out these responsibilities, we will be respected citizens of our country.

　　相关话题：守时，独立、乱刻乱划、信心的重要性、幽默感的重要性、能力与分数， 聪明与勤奋， 能力与长相、合作与竞争等对比性的文章、各种健康问题， 减肥等。

　　2、Motives 运动
　　
　　参考范文：
　　Behind every daily activity lies a motive. Generally speaking, those who have good motives may succeed both in their career and life. For example, prominent men like scientists usually have very clear motives in fields they are exploring. Ordinary men like those young parents work hard to support families. Students study diligently either to rank the top in their class or to be prepared for future success. So holding positive motives will contribute to people leading a healthy and useful life.

　　Evil can also be a motive. The motive for obtaining money without hard work makes a pickpocket steal a purse. To fulfill his evil desire, a robber can grab others’ belongings, and a murderer can kill an innocent person. These wicked motives are the kind that people need to get rid of because they are harmful to other people and society.

　　But all good motives do not necessarily result in satisfactory outcomes. Some of them lead to bad ends. Actions should not be guided solely by a motive without any attention to effects. We often find people who tend to be good to others end up with the oppositeresults. It is those people who pay attention both to their motives and effects can achieve worthy goals.

　　3、Is the Spirit of Lei Feng out of Style 　雷锋精神是否过时
　　
　　参考范文：
　　There are some voices claiming Lei Feng’s spirit has gone out of style in today’s society. They reason that in commodity economy people should seek more practical things, such as fame, money and the comfortable life. To them nothing is more important than those things, which is often regarded as the views of the present generation.

　　There are some other voices claiming that the spirit of Lei Feng still has an enormous echo in millions of Chinese people. The great soldier’s story has such a strong influence on people’s ideas, values and ways of life that in every field of society there arise countless “Living Lei Fengs”, who follow the example of Lei Feng and serve the people heart and soul.

　　In my opinion, the spirit of Lei Feng will never be out of date. Instead, it has been brought forward. Today more and more “Lei Fengs” are coming forth from various circles among whom “Xu Hu” has already set a good example to the whole nation. The spirit of Lei Feng---anunselfish spirit will always encourage us to go forward.

　　4、Challenges 　如何看待挑战
　　
　　参考范文：
For thousands of years, people have accepted challenges in different fields. There are not only physical challenges, but also social and intellectual challenges. Some people risk their lives in playing sports to see how well they can do. Others try to make and invent something to make life easier. They all enjoy challenges.

Why do people enjoy these challenges? There are probably many reasons. One is curiosity. The other is the personal feeling of success, of achievement, and nowadays, for some people, it is a business.

　　Today, we still have many challengers before us. Medical science faces the challenges of conquering many diseases which still attack human beings. Engineers and planners must build new cities, design and produce new kinds of transportation. Scientists must develop new forms of energy. In short, we live in an age of challenges.

　　5、How to Face up to Your Difficulties 　如何面对困难
　　
　　参考范文：
　　Life is not always full of smiles and flowers. Every personhas his own difficulties no matter how high his position or how great his achievement is. So it is of vital importance to have a correct attitude to face up to difficulties.

Some people feel so dejected about their difficulties that they fall into pessimism; others resort to putting the blame on others, the society or circumstance; still others are frightened by difficulties and give up halfway. All these people don’t use their abilities to overcome difficulties. So their attitudes are negative.

 The positive method is to utilize your ability to clear away your difficulties that appear in your way of life rather than run away from them. Confront difficulties with joyful energy and enthusiasm , and you will find the difficulties are really not so hard as they appear and they will disappear in due course.

　　6、More Academic Pressure Does Harm to Health　过多压力是否有害健康
　　
　　参考范文：
　　Some people think working under pressure keeps us motivated. Maybe a little pressure does good to us, but too much pressure is not beneficial to students.

　　Scientific studies show people working under too much pressure generally don’t perform as well as they do when are not under extreme pressure. Psychologically, too much pressure can lead to mental problems or disorders. In recent years, there has been an increase in stress-related diseases among college and high-school students.

　　Psychologists say it is due to too much pressure from their academic studies. A newspaper article says many students admit that they have cheated in exams because of excessive pressure coming from their parents and teachers who demand high marks in their examination. When they fail to live up to their parents’ expectations, some may even commit suicide.

　　Student should be self-motivated. Fair competition should be encouraged. Most students do better when they are studying for themselves, not for their parents or teachers and definitely not under more pressure from school.

　　7、Family and Personal Development 　家庭与个人发展的关系
　　
　　参考范文：
Family has a great influence on our personal development. If we are from a happy family, we tend to be cheerful and optimistic. If we are brought up in an unhappy family, we may grow up miserable and pessimistic. If we are not loved by our family, we may not learn to love others.

An ideal family should be a place where we can get warmth, help, comfort and strength. It should also be a source of laughter, and a good means to lessen the tension and pressure we all face every day. A family should be a place where we can cultivate our self-confidence, which is crucial to our further development and to our mental health.

　　Since family plays a very important role in our life, it is up to every family member to contribute to the building of such a family. We should be considerate and understanding. We should love and show concern for each other. We should strive to establish a happy family. After all, if every family is happy, the whole society will be stable.

　　8、Wealth and Health 　财富与健康
　　(1)some think that wealth means everything.
　　(2)Actually, health is more important than wealth.
　　(3)Keep healthy first if you want to become wealthy.

　　参考范文：
　　So far as the topic Health and Wealth is concerned, different people have different opinions about it. Some think that wealth means everything. To them , wealth or having a lot of money can help them to do what they want to do. With a lot of money , they can buy the beautiful house, expensive car, beautiful clothes , and so on. They even have the idea that they can buy happiness which they like.

　　On the other hand, some other people don’t agree with those people mentioned above. They believe that Healthy is more important than wealth. First, you can enjoy a happier life with healthy body than those wealthy people with poor health. Second, a healthy body is the foundation for a successful career. Third, a healthy body is also necessary for accumulating wealth.

　　In a word, keeping health first if you want become wealthy. It is well-known that a person can make a large fortune if he has the right opportunities during his life. But if the person suffers from a terrible illness, then no matter how much money he may earn, he will still lead a miserable life. Therefore, health is much more important than wealth.

信息技术话题
　　
　　1、Mobile Telephone on Campus
　　(1)学校园里越来越多的学生拿手机；
　　(2)手机对学生的影响；
　　(3)你的观点。

　　参考范文：
　　With the development of science and technology, mobile telephone becomes more and more popular. Even the studentson campus begin to use mobile telephone. Is it a good or bad thing?
Mobile telephone , on the one hand, is good to the students. For one thing , it enables them to keep in touch with their friends and family more conveniently and quickly. For another, it can make the students fashionable and proud.

　　On the other hand, mobile telephone has a negative effect on the students. First , it will cost them more money than before. Second, it will distract them fromtheir study. Third, it will sometimes become a nuisance especially when it rings in class or in the library.

　　In my opinion , it is not good for the students on campus to use mobile telephone . Since the students’ main purpose on campus is to study , they should pay much attention to their study. If they want to use mobile telephone , they can use it after graduation.

　　2、 Telecommunication Brings Convenience to Modern Life
　　
　　参考范文：
Modern life would be unimaginable without telecommunications. Telephone, fax and TV are already household words. New terms like pager, mobile phone and E-mail are entering our daily life at a rapid pace. Telecommunications have penetrated nearly every aspect of modern life and are fast changing the way we live.

It is no exaggeration to say that telecommunication bring huge profits and great convenienceto our daily life. For instance, the telephone makes it possible for people in different places to talk to one another. Pager and mobile phone enable us to make a phone call regardless of time and place. Compared with ordinary mail delivery, or even with express airmail delivery, electronic mail delivers mails much faster and at a surprisingly cheap price, no matter where the receiver is. Surfing the Internet is also a by-product of telecommunication, which, provides us with easy access to a wealth of information. Furthermore, thanks to the rapid growth of telecommunications, business corporations can manage business affairs far more efficiently through phone, fax, and on-line computer.

However, there are disadvantages brought about by telecommunication, such as phone bills for unnecessary talks, the disturbance of unwanted or wrong calls, and the attraction of hot-line services, etc. Yet by and large, telecommunications bring more benefit than harm to our life. By shortening distance, telecommunication enhance efficiency in our commercial activities, save time and money in promoting interpersonal relations as well as in acquiring knowledge and accumulating information. Telecommunication have changed and will change our way of life.

　　3、互联网为什么越来越流行（图略）
　　
　　参考范文：
 With the arrival of the knowledge economy age, Internet, as a new media, has come into our life. Nowadays, getting on line and surfing the Internet for information has become popular in China, especially among college students and teachers. Why is Internet getting so popular in such a short time?

 The popularity of Internet results from its great convenience and easy accessibility to information. Thanks to the Internet, a world of information is just a click away. E-mail is another contributing factor to its popularity. It can transmit your letter quickly, safely and accurately. Besides, Internet has some other uses. Doctors may use it to diagnose and treat their patients by discussing or exchanging experiences with doctors in other parts of the world. Students may obtain new knowledge from a national long-distance educational system via Internet. Finally, businessman can conduct E-commerce or E-business on the net.

 With so many uses and advantages, there is no doubt more and more people will be wired to the Internet-the information expressway. In short, with its high speed and efficiency, Internet will be more popular in China in the near future.

　　4、The Advantages of Hunting for Jobs on Internet　网上求职的好处
　　
　　参考范文：
Recently there’s been a wave of hunting for jobs on internet. Instead of looking for a job in a personnel market or in the ads of newspapers and magazines, a job hunter tends to look for a job on the Net. Because of its convenience and high success rate and more opportunities on the Internet, In fact, many people now resort to the way of hunting for jobs, less depending upon the traditional way.

There are many advantages that people take the advantage of this modern scientific and technological product—Internet. In the first place, it’s very convenient. A job seeker can look for a job without bothering to get recommendation form his friends, bosses, or wasting time at an employment exchange. In the second place, it’s quite simple. A job hunter can get a job by simply clicking the ads online and sending one’s resume through an E-mail. Lastly, it’s fair, for everyone can utilize this modern means to win his or her opportunities, even if one fails to find a job.

In a word ,I suppose, with the ever-increasing popularity of Internet, this new way ofhunting for jobs will win favor among more and more job hunters in China.

　　5、The Way to Get Information （图表略）
　　1. 获得信息的方式有很多种；
　　2. 我最喜欢通过……获得信息；
　　3. 结论。

　　参考范文：
There are many different ways to get information. On the one hand, the traditional ways such as newspapers , magazines , books ,and so on play a very important role in obtaining the information for many people. On the other hand, with the development of science and technology, internet and multi-media become more and more popular for people to get information.

　　As far as I am concerned, I like to get information through reading newspapers. There are three reasons for this. First, there are many interesting things on the newspaper besides what I am looking for. Second, I like to read the printed words which will always give me a deeper understanding of the language. As was said by Francis Bacon , reading makes a full man. Third, it provides me with a chance to clip down all the articles and useful things so as to be kept for later use.

　　In conclusion, different people prefer different ways to get what they want . However, it is necessary to keep in mind that no definite way is suitable for all circumstances . With the development of science and technology, we’d better make good use of the advanced media so as to be benefited much more.

一、自荐信
　　有一国外学校欲在国内选取若干名大学生去国外进修，请进行自我推荐并说明选择上该校的理由。下面这封信采用缩进式写作形式。

Dear Sir or Madam:

　　I' m very glad to avail myself of the chance to recommend myself to you. My name is Thomas. I' m studying in the Chinese Department in Northwest Normal University, majoring in the Chinese language and literature. I' m getting along with my studies quite well, obtaining three “Top Students” awards in my major. I am also an honest, industrious and progressive person, which makes me very popular in and out of my class. Accordingly, I have quite a few friends in and out of the college.

　　Then, why do I choose to attend your college? I think there are three main reasons for this. First, your college enjoys a very good reputation. Second, your college offers the first-class teaching facilities and a very good studying atmosphere, which is of primary importance to the academic study. Third, your college provides the promising students with opportunities of all-round development. Therefore, I am applying for the admittance to your university.

　　Thank you for reading my letter. I' m looking forward to your kind and early reply.

　　Best wishes,

 your sincerely,

 Thomas

二、A Letter of Thanks一封感谢信(这封信采用齐头式)

Dear Mark:

Tom and I both to thank you for the many kindness you showed Jim when he visited your campus last week .He has returned full of enthusiasm for Hill College .Having been raised in the shadow of a large university, he found the close contact between students and faculty at Hill particularly exciting.

Your were right on target to arrange an interview with Dr .Johnson of the Chemistry Department and to have a student take Jim to a soccer game .Seeing the well-equipped laboratories and the spirit of the athletes confirmed his belief that he has chosen the right school.

If you will be in our area in the coming months ,do give us a call. We would enjoy having you come for dinner and an evening of catching up .Give Ellen our regards.

Cordially,

Tom and Kate

三、A Letter of Complaint 一封投诉信

Dear Manager:

Much to my regret, I write this to place a complaint against your bad delivery service in your company.
The Samsung tape recorder model number JB/4703 which I ordered from your company on Nov. 1, arrived yesterday. The serial number of the machine is 4703-0641. I am sorry to report that the recorder has been badly damaged. There was no unusual damage to the packing case, but when I opened it, I found that the lid of the recorder had been cracked and that the front surface of the machine had been scratched.

Since there was such damage to the goods, I decided to file a complaint against the delivery service. Would you please let me know whether I should return the recorder to you for a replacement or if you have an authorized service representative here to which I should takeit ? I will hold onto this recorder until I hear from you .

Sincerely yours,

Li Ming

四、邀请信

Dear Jane,

We have four tickets for a famous film shown at Guangming Cinema, The Longest Day, Friday, the ninth. Will you join us? We'll be looking for you at eight sharp Friday night in front of the cinema, so don't disappoint us!

Warmest regards.

Alice

五、道歉信
1、因迟复来信致歉Because of answering one' s letter late

Dear David:

　　I am afraid that you will think me unpardonably negligent in not having answered your letter dated 7, December sooner, but when I have told you the reason, I trust you will be convinced that the neglect was excusable. When your letter arrived, I was just in Hong Kong. As my family could not forward it to me during my absence, it has been, therefore, lying on my desk until the moment when I took it up. Now the first thing I have to hasten to do is to write to you these few lines to express my deep regret.

　　I enjoyed many pleasant sights during my trip. I shall be pleased to give you an account to of them when I see you next.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Sincerely yours,

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Tom

2、因未能及时还书致歉Unable to return borrowed book on time

Dear Kate:

　　Excuse me for my long delaying in returning to you your “Robinson Crusoe” which I read through with great interest. I had finished reading the book and was about to return it when my cousin came to see me. Never having seen the book, She was so interested in it that I had to retain it longer. However, I hope that in view of the additional delight thus afforded by your book, you will overlook my negligence in not returning it sooner.

　　Thanking you again for the loan.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Sincerely yours,

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Tom

3、因遗失借书致歉Because of losing a borrowed book

Dear Frank:

　　I am terribly sorry to tell you that I have lost the valuable book you were so kind to lend me last week. I read it everyday and intended to finish it next month. Last night when I came to my room, it was nowhere to be found. I will try to recover it as soon as possible. If I fail to find it, I will get a new book for you.

　　But I am afraid it can never take the place of the old one. Old books are like old friends. Once lost, they can never be replaced. They are connected with cherished associations which the new ones can never have. And for this irrecoverable loss, I am to blame. I was so careless with my things. This is a warning to me to be more careful in the future.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Yours truly,

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Tom

4、因未能践约赴宴致歉Unable to keep one' s promise

Dear Miss Nancy,

　　Much to my regret I was unable to keep my promise to attend your birthday party last Saturday, owing to the fact that my little son was suddenly taken ill early that day.

　　Hoping to see you soon.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Truly yours,

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Tom

　1. Asking for Leave of Absence

　　To: Ms. Riddle, an Oral English teacher

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

　　Date: June 18th, 2005

　　Subject: Asking for Leave of Absence

　　Dear Ms. Riddle,

　　I’m Sam, a respectful sophomore student of yours in Oral English Class Two. I wonder if I could be excused for absence from your Oral English class this Wednesday morning.

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

　　Earnestly yours

　　Sam

　　2. On Power Shortage

　　(1). 很多城市缺电现象严重
　　(2). 分析原因
　　(3). 提出建议

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

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

　　Faced with such a hard nut, we have to find ways to crack it. Above all, in western areas of China, there is surplus of electricity supply. So, cities that are thirsty for electricity may ask for remote help. Then, when we have electricity, we should remember to save it. Set your air-conditioners at 270C and you won’t feel less comfortable than when they are at 260C. In fact, some factories already shift their working hours to avoid the peak time of electricity-consuming. My parents don’t work from Monday through Friday as before—they work from Sunday through Thursday and have/take the following two days off instead. This is also a way out, isn’t it?

　　3. We Need Humor
　　
　　(1). 幽默可以帮我们解决问题
　　(2). 幽默可以使生活充满快乐
　　(3). 生活中离不开幽默

　　We Need Humor

　　A suspicious customer murmured, “I wonder if this milk is fresh.” The quick-witted waiter answered, “Fresh? Three hours ago it was GRASS!”

　　See? A humorous response may solve your problem.

　　Someone asked a young artist, "Did you sell any of your paintings at the art show?" "No, but I am encouraged," he replied. "Somebody stole one." And years later he became world known.

　　Humor may sustain us in hard times and bring happiness in everyday life.

　　Once my neighbor told me that he shaves fifty times a day. Was he crazy? Of course not—he is a barber.

　　So, my dear friends, remember, we need humor and try to be humorous in your life. Next time, when you are asked, “How can I stop water from coming into my house?” Say, “Don't pay the water bill.”

　　4. 你的一个熟人下岗了，你给他写一封安慰信，并给他出点主意。以下谚语可以有选择地用于你的信中。

　　(1). All roads lead to Rome. 
　　(2). All things are difficult before they are easy.
　　(3). Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.
　　(4). God helps those who help themselves.

　　My dear aunt,

　　I’m greatly surprised and sad to hear that you’re laid off. But please don’t worry too much. All roads lead to Rome. I believe we will find a way out.

　　I remember when I was a child, I had so many colorful and comfortable sweaters that I became my friends’ envy. Those were all your masterpieces. Recently I made a survey in the city where I’m living now, and found that unique hand-knitted things are much more welcome than mass products. Would you think about taking up knitting as your second career? I know, all things are difficult before they are easy. We will meet some unexpected difficulties in the beginning. But I firmly believe that nothing is impossible to a willing heart. Maybe your product will turn out to be a name brand.

　　My dear aunt, please do think about it. I’ll lend you a hand. Take care.

　　Your dearest niece

　　5. On The Earth or into the Sky?

　　With the Shenzhou No.6 successfully soaring into the sky and returning to the earth safely, China’s space flight has stepped further forward. But there arises a controversy: does it merit all the large sum of money and efforts (put in to achieve the success)?

　　Given the poor conditions in rural China, the children not being able to go to school, the husbands struggling to sustain a family, the old having difficulty living a healthy and happy life, some critics hold that the money, which has gone to the research of space flight, should have been taken better advantage of to improve people’s lives in the not so developed areas in China. They wonder what on earth the significance is to these people as far as the space flight is concerned.

　　But tastes differ. Those who approve of space flight maintain that it not only indicates our country’s progress in science and technology but also benefits all of us in that it helps in other scientific areas, Additionally, to compete in the world, we have to invest in space exploration to win worldwide attention and respect.

　　From my point of view, what we should give priority to is people’s lives, as it is the fundamental problem of almost every country. On the other hand, we should keep pace with the world in science and technology, space flight included. Only in this way can we have an advanced and harmonious society to live in.

　　6. Online Education

　　(1). 目前网络教育形成热潮。
　　(2). 我认为这股热潮的原因是.....
　　(3). 我对网络教育的评价。

　　Recently an online activity has become very 'in'. That is online education. 68 online education colleges have been established in the past decade in our country.

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

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

56.After four years in the same job his enthusiasm finally ______. （00－06）
A) deteriorated
B) dispersed
C) dissipated
D) drained

陈寅问了我这题，昨天。我竟然不加思索就回答选A。  是不是心里觉得自己的工作已经变质啦？呵呵。

deteriorate 强调become worse. disperse means 'if disappear or is disappeared, it spreads in a wide area' 人群，气体等四下扩散。dissipate means "scatter or disappear"; "gradually waste sth. such as money or energy by trying to do a lot of different or unnecessary things"挥霍，耗费；drain means "flow off gradually or completely' eg. these children drain my energy!  I feel dring of emotion.

其实这题应该根据finally来选，只有drain 有gradually 的含义。

今天做了short answer questions的总结，发现网上原来所谓的模拟题好多都是真题。唉。

作文还有总结，词汇量更大，天啊。

毕业的问题
　　
　　1、Studying Abroad or Home
　　(1) 现在有越来越多的人想出国留学。
　　(2) 出国留学与在国内学习的对比。
　　(3) 你的观点。

　　参考范文：
　　Nowadays, with the development of science and technology, moreandmorepeople want to study abroad. There are students from colleges and universities, from the middle schools, from the primary schools, and people from all walks of life. What difference does it makebetween studying abroad and studying home ?

　　Though many students are crazy about going abroad to pursue their higher education, I think studying home is preferable. For one thing, you don’t have to take foreign language tests such as TOEFL and GRE . This can save you a tremendous amount of time, money and effort, allowing much of your energy to be devoted to your academic foals. In addition, if you study home ,you can stay with your family and old friends. Meanwhile , while studying home ,you can enjoy the kind of intimate friendship and comfortable family atmosphere which you can only dream of in a foreign university , where you will be accompanied by your own shadow most of the time. For these reasons, pursuing one’s higher education at home is a more realistic and sensible choice.

　　In a word, I prefer to study home.

　　2、The Intensified Postgraduate Entrance Examination
　　(1) 请简略叙述图表；(图表略)
　　(2) 说明造成这种现象的原因和可能的结果；
　　(3) 你的观点。

　　参考范文：
　　It can be seen from the graph that there are more and more students attending the postgraduate entrance examination year by year. Compared with before, the rate of the student taking part in the postgraduate entrance examination becomes higher and higher. In the meanwhile, the admittance rate is also rising.

　　What are the reasons for this and the possible consequences? On the one hand, there are three reasons for this. First, the job market becomes more and more competitive. As a result, most people want to find or exchange for a better job by obtaining a high degree. Second, most college students want to pursue their study after their graduation from the undergraduate. Third, with the development the science and technology, what has been learned at college is not enough to meet the need of the society. On the other hand, there are some possible consequences of this. For one thing, most people will be force to pay more attention to the examination than to the improvement of their true ability. For another, it will have a negative effect not only on the individual but also on the society in the long run.

　　In my opinion, high degree doesn't necessarily mean high ability. It is important for us to pay more attention to the improvement of our abilities than to the examinations.

　　3、学生毕业后的走向问题
　　下图是某校毕业生去向图，请就此图描述，并分析原因。
　　就业的占50%，出国留学占17%，考研占30%，其它3%。
　　注：暂时无范文，大家可以自己写写，练练手，找点写作的感觉！