阅读小报四级作文范文

2020年12月29日发(作者：巴洪斌)
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2 Borrowing Books or Buying Books
Some people like to borrow books to read, while other prefer to buy books. Both ways have
their advantages.
Borrowing books to read has two major advantages. First, you just urge yourself to finish as
soon as possible the books you borrowed from a library or from other people. You will be fined if
you fail to return them to the library in due time, or you will lose trust if you keep books of others
too long, and they will probably refuse to lend you any more books. So you have to read it
desirously, forgetting your meals and sleep. On the other hand, if you buy a book, you may put it
away, thinking it is yours and you don’t have to finish it quickly. Another advantage of borrowing
books enables you to read books without spending any money. In recent years, more and more
books come out each year, and the prices of books keep on rising. Ordinary people cannot
attainment. In addition, often I need to read only a part of some books. It is unnecessary for me to
buy them. However, there are some kinds of books that I have to buy. The first kind is reference
books such as dictionaries and encyclopedias I need to use frequently. The second kind is
textbooks I need to read more carefully in order to understand well. And it is also necessary for me
to buy some famous literature books like the Complete Short Stories of Mark Twain, the Old Man
and the Sea, Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
So I think books are of two kinds: books for borrowing and books for buying. I like to
borrow books that I read mainly for entertainment or read a part of. And for those books like
reference books, I prefer to buy. Whether to borrow or to buy books, I think, mostly depends on
the kinds.

3 On Capital Punishment
People have different views on capital punishment. Some are in favor of the enforcement of
capital punishment. Others insist that death penalty should be abolished. For my part, I think death
penalty is necessary so far.
Firstly, capital punishment is the only effective way to deter criminals. In modern society, we
are usually horrified at some reports about some cruel murdering. In places where laws for
murderers are lenient, the number of criminals is increasing, and people are living in great horror.
Some criminals broke into houses and killed people in order to rob them of money. On the
contrary, in places where criminals are punished severely, crimes are greatly reduced. So, death
penalty is a major deterrent. Would-be murderers would give up their attempt to kill others when
thinking of the severest punishment. Secondly, capital punishment is a way to protect people,
especially children. It can ensure people to sleep safely in their beds. Being lenient to criminals
means unkind to innocent people. Thirdly, murderers must be made to see the errors of their ways,
and the only way of doing this is to kill them. It is also a way to compensate for the victims. “An
eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” is the very basis of justice. To be lenient to murderers is
almost the same as encouraging or protecting them. Besides, capital punishment seems more
humane than life imprisonment.

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To sum up, it seems to me that capital punishment can ensure us to walk around or stay at
home safely.

4 On Choosing Careers
Parents generally believe it is their responsibility to plan the careers for their children. They
claim that they know their children well enough to decide what kind of job suits them. Hoping that
their children will go in for vocations that will bring them the greatest prestige and economic
benefit, many parents think that their children are too young to see this for themselves. Some
parents even expect their children to take over the careers of their parents. For these reasons, many
parents insist that their children should obey them in choosing vocations.
But many children suggest that they should be allowed to make the choice themselves. For
one thing, parents and children may not share the same interests. The job that appeals to the
parents may be boring to them. For another, children are brought up in an age different from their
parents’, and therefore, should be allowed to cultivate a spirit of independence and self-reliance.
In short, children should be free to make their own decision as to future careers.
In my opinion, mutual understanding is important. On one hand, parents’ view does reflect
their concern over their children’s future. On the other hand, after all it is children who will be
doing the jobs. Therefore, it will be wise of parents to give them this freedom, while it is
necessary for the children to consult their parents.

5 My View on Cheating in Exams
Cheating in exams is very common almost everywhere in our country. It is considered a
major problem in schools, or universities. Talk to students, and you’ll get the same kind of answer.
Most would confess that they have cheating experiences. Most parents care more about their
children’s success than about their moral development, which stimulates students to get high
scores dishonestly. Cheating is said to exist even among top students at top schools. The cheating
habit takes root in elementary school, buds in high school and flowers in college. Students who do
not study hard at usual time always try to cheat in order to pass exams.
It is obvious that cheating has very bad effects. Firstly, scores got by cheating cannot indicate
one’s weakness of knowledge and ability. So it’s difficult for the teacher to be aware of the
student’s weakness so as to offer some help. Secondly, cheating in exams, like flu, may encourage
other students to follow suit, for some students can be awarded prizes and permitted to enter good
universities by cheating in exams. Thirdly, it is not helpful for fair competition. Some students do
not work hard, but their grades are very high.
In my opinion, cheating is an unhealthy tendency, and therefore should be done away with.
Regulations should be enforced that students with cheating behavior must be punished severely.
As students, we should be honest and strict with ourselves. We shouldn’t deceive ourselves as well
as others.

6 I Prefer to Live in a Big City
Different people have different ideas about where to live. Some people like to live in big

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cities. Others prefer country life. I think both have their advantages and disadvantages. If I am to
make a choice upon my graduation, I will not hesitate to choose the former.
Compared with country life, living in big cities has many advantages. First, in big cities there
are more chances of employment. As my major is English, it will be easy for me to find in big
cities a satisfactory job where I can display my talent and earn much money. Second, there are
more opportunities of meeting a variety of interesting people, which enables me to make many
friends. Third, I prefer the fierce competition in big cities that may urge me to improve constantly.
Finally, there are many places for entertainment, such as parks where I can both relax and enjoy
myself. Besides, big cities offer advanced medical care.
On the other hand, there are many problems in big cities, such as crowded buses, traffic jams,
and poor housing conditions. Noise pollution and air pollution are among the serious problems,
which does great harm to the health. Big cities lack the peace and fresh air in the country. But
some city—dwellers try to solve the problem by spending their weekends or holidays away from
the noisy cities, enjoying the idyllic landscapes and breathing the fresh air. Despite these
disadvantages, city life is favorable for young people.

7 My View on Competition and Cooperation
Cooperation and competition are both important. They are attributes that are equally
necessary for a person to achieve success in his life.
If you lived on a farm two hundred years ago, you could be less cooperative to earn a
successful life, just working hard in your fields, feeding your fowls and cows. But in modern
times, people are living more and more cooperatively. For example, in a football match, all players
on the team must work with joint efforts in order to win the match. Such activities require
teamwork. You can see workers at the assembly line doing their parts of work individually, but
you can hardly see any products accomplished by only one person. With the rapid development of
transportation and communication systems like the Internet, cooperation is becoming more and
more indispensable and vital for a person to survive in this world. But competition is also very
important in modern society. If you are an entrepreneur and wish customers to buy your products,
you have to compete with others. Competition stimulates people to improve their work and makes
the world develop rapidly.
Both competition and cooperation are involved in every field of life and work. Actually in
many activities, both are required. For instance, in learning English, we compete with each other.
As a result, we all make great progress. Our study also demands teamwork. We often help each
other by pointing out each other’s mistakes and exchanging ideas.
While we advocate competition, we should not neglect cooperation. Human beings are social
beings. No one can survive without help from others. Only with both competition and cooperation
can we achieve success and live in peace and harmony with each other.

8 Computers
Computers are playing an increasingly important part in modern society. They can do very
complicated work, solve the most difficult mathematical problems and put thousands of facts in
order in a very short time. Since they work accurately and at high speed, they save research

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workers years of hard work.
Computers seem indispensable in many areas, such as commerce, industry, transportation,
and education. Here are some example. First, in clerical work, computers are very good at
handling repetitive work efficiently. For instance, in handling academic records, details about each
student such as his name, age, courses, credits are fed into the computer. The computer makes all
the necessary calculation. Another example of the same sort of process has been the use of
computers in banking to deal with all the financial work. Secondly, we have the use of computers
in information system. Accountants and statisticians can be relieved of all dull and routine work,
for the figures can be worked out and checked entirely by the machine. For instance, computers
are effectively used in railway stations and airlines to sell tickets and control seat reservation.
Thirdly, computers have brought about great changes in our life. With more and more personal
computers connected to the Internet, people can get or send whatever information they need on the
Internet. Our teachers often download information about current events and so on for us to read.
Besides, multimedia software is widely used in education.
Although computers work much faster and much more accurately than human beings, they
cannot replace human brain, for they are operated by detailed instructions from human beings.
They can never become our masters.

9 My View on Diligence and Success
Everybody knows that diligence is the key to success. As a proverb says, “ Diligence is the
mother of success.” Diligence means working hard and persistently.
All famous people of great achievements are examples of diligence. They all owe their
successes to hard work. Without constant efforts, no one can expect to succeed in doing anything
great. Thomas Edison kept on working hard for a long time before he was able to invent the
electric light. Madam Curie worked hard in the poor conditions for many years before she finally
discovered radium. Some people may attribute success to good luck. But good luck favors only
those who are always well prepared and diligent people who can make use of it. So idleness can
only lead to poverty. If you do not devote yourself to your study and work, you can hardly make a
living, let alone make some accomplishments.
As college students, we must be aware that the only way to success is hard work. We must
concentrate your attention to our studies, and make full use of our precious time, in order to meet
the fierce challenges in the future competitions. It is certain that our future success will only rest
on our constant efforts. As a proverb says, “only by working hard, can we reap a bumper harvest”.

10 On the Importance of Education
Education plays an important role in one’s life. It is a process in which one acquires his
knowledge and ability for his future career. A good education prepares one for the fruitful life and
successful career in future. One who keeps on learning anything new can keep up with the rapid
development of the world, make himself qualified for his job, and improve his working and living
conditions. Thus, it is necessary for one to receive education.
Education also plays an important part in society. It is a decisive factor in social progress.
Education makes it possible to pass on the valuable knowledge of our ancestors, and at the same

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time, makes it easier to explore the contemporary world. Most inventions and advances have been
made by well-educated people. It has been proved that education is necessary for the development
of economy and the advance of civilization. Countries like Japan that have laid great emphasis on
education have become developed and advanced countries. With the increasing number of
educated people, our country is developing very fast.
Therefore, education is the key to the development of individuals and the nations. In order to
catch up with the advanced and developed countries, we must attach great emphasis to education.

11 How to Solve the Problem of Environmental Protection
The problem of environmental protection has drawn attention and concern of people all over
the world, for people have realized that humans are a part of nature and should be responsible for
the ecological balance. The world population is growing so rapidly that our earth seems too
crowded. Vast stretches of fertile lands are being turned into deserts. The reduction of wooded
areas has resulted in increased flooding and water shortages in dry seasons.
There are two basic sources of the problems. One is man-made. For instance, people cut
down trees either for sale or for fuel. The coverage of the world’s forests is rapidly diminishing,
which is attributed to the denudation and forest fires. Another destructive factor is war. During the
wars in Iraq and Yugoslavia, many chemical weapons were used. Consequently, the natural
environment is seriously damaged. The other is natural catastrophes, such as forest fires, floods,
and volcanoes.
So, governments of all countries should establish strict laws to prevent the environment from
being further polluted. Measures should be taken to make people realize the urgency of protecting
our earth. Besides, more greenbelts should be built every year, and forests should be well
protected. Everyone should try his best to make our earth a better place to survive.

12 Euthanasia
Different people have different attitudes toward euthanasia, i.e. mercy killing. Some people
are in favor of euthanasia used on a patient suffering from unbearable pain caused by an incurable
disease who, of his own accord, wishes to end his life. They argue that extending an incurably sick
patient’s life means the same as aggravating his pain.
I think mercy killing is still killing and is therefore murder. Murder in any form is basically
unethical and morally wrong. Murder is something that cannot be justified under any
circumstances. I am opposed to the practice of euthanasia, for legalized euthanasia will invite
abuse of human life because any form of murder may be conventionally dubbed “mercy killing”
by unscrupulous people. Actually, in China, many books have been written to make the argument
that killing in any form should be illegal. In addition, a person who is extremely ill may not be
qualified to make important life-and-death decisions. These patients may not be mentally stable.
How can we let them decide what is right? The argument that we should listen to the patients
themselves is simply absurd.
The act of killing is irreversible, therefore, if a cure to the person’s illness is discovered later,
it is too late. This is another reason why I feel mercy killing is so tragic. No one wants to be
responsible for this, and I strongly believe that life is mysterious, and precious. It is just not right

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for it to be taken away by force.

13 Failure and Success
Failure is a common thing in one’s life. Almost everyone experiences failures in his life.
People respond differently when failing in their attempt to do something. Some become
discouraged, upset or bored, some seem indifferent, and others learn from their failures and make
further effort until they achieve success. Success is the achieving of something one has been trying
to do, with favorable results. It may lead to fame, glory or great satisfaction. Everyone looks
forward to whatever success. People are delighted and excited when succeeding in doing
something.
As the proverb goes, “ Failures are, with heroic minds, the stepping- stone to success.” One
has to make great efforts in order to achieve any success. Some great success requires one’s
lifelong effort. So one has to overcome difficulties, and may be likely to experience some failures
before achieving anything great. Failure teaches us how to learn from failures, and to avoid similar
failures. Edison had thousands of failures before he succeeded in inventing the electric bulb.
Thus, failure is so important for great success that we should never neglect or be upset at it,
as failure is the mother of success, and it is the only highroad to success. Successes at the cost of
many failures are really valuable and significant.

14 On Making Friends
As a proverb goes, a life without a friend is a life without a sun. it is true that everybody
needs friends. Namely, without a friend, you’ll feel lonely and gloomy. Suppose you are in trouble,
whom will you turn to for help if you have no friends? And you may also want to share your
feelings and communicate your opinions with someone. In this case we find it necessary to make
friends.
It goes without saying that a friend in need is a friend indeed. A friend should be one you can
turn for help, one who likes to share joy and hardships with you, one you can trust and one who
won’t turn his back on you. A friend may argue with you but never lose temper. A devoted friend
should keep in contact with you even if he lives elsewhere. Quite some people try to make more
friends with those who can offer help. The result is that friendship often lasts until they are of no
use to each other.
As far as I am concerned, I like to choose friends manly according to their characters rather
than their social position or their money. I like to make friends with those who have something in
common with me or have the merits I do not have. We shall help each other to improve our studies
and work and be always ready to help each other. What is more, friends should be honest and
reliable.

15 On Games
Many people think that a game is fun only when you win it. They think that the result of a
game is the most important thing. They feel happy and satisfied only when they win the game
finally. Otherwise they will declare the game is boring.

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However, there are still many people who do not think so. They think a game is interesting,
not because they win it, but because they love it. For instance, some people play chess in their
spare time. They find that it is from an exciting game that they can get enjoyment. During the
game they forget their fatigue after work or whatever trouble for a while, and enjoy themselves.
Their purpose is to get relaxed and have fun.
For my part, a game is fun no matter who wins it. In a game, if someone wins, there must be
someone who loses. No one can avoid losing a game. If he loses it, there is no need for him to
become upset. Just imagine that if you always win the game, the game perhaps will become dull
because part of the fun is to play the game with your companion without knowing the result and
try your best to win it. I don’t think the result of the game is important. The real interesting thing
is the exciting moment when you enjoy yourself in playing game with your companion.

16 Generation Gap
Generation gap refers to the lack of understanding between generations caused by their
different attitudes and experiences. It is a common phenomenon that exists everywhere and has a
great influence on the relationship between generations.
People of different generations are likely to have different views and responses on the same
issues. Owing to different experiences, the young and the old have much to disagree on. Young
people on average favor changes and new ideas, while old people are usually conservative,
sticking to traditional principles and old ideas, and looking down on young people’s innovative
behaviors and radical ideas. This often causes obstacles between them. They have great difficulty
in reaching an agreement while arguing on something. This often occurs in most families.
Different opinions between parents and children usually end in quarreling.
Generation gap may result in some negative influence unless we deal with it properly. The
young and the old should find more that they can share, and they should understand each other
rather than condemning the weak points. Thus the gap may become narrower and have little effect
on their work and relation between generations.


17 Happiness
Everyone desires and pursues happiness. But happiness means different things to different
people. Some people believe that if they can earn a lot of money, they will be happy because they
believe that money can bring them whatever they want. But wealthy people who are suffering
from serious diseases claim that being healthy is happiness. For small children, delicious food or
interesting toys may please them. Nowadays many people value intelligence or wisdom. They are
sure that it can bring true happiness. Apparently, the definition of happiness varies from person to
person.
For me, happiness means the process of working hard and making constant progress in my
study. I’ll be very happy if I can realize my value in my future career and make some
contributions to the development of our country. It also means being on good terms with my
classmates and friends. Back at home, I enjoy the happiness of harmonious relationship among my
family members who share both joy and hardship. Of course, I will be very happy when my

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constant efforts bring the pleasure of success and the comfortable life. Besides, happiness consists
in contentment.
Happiness is of great value in our daily life. It makes our life meaningful and hopeful, and
gives us confidence and strength.

18 Good Health
The desire for good health is universal. Wherever you are and whatever you do, keeping
healthy is always important. With the improvement of our living standards, people are attaching
more and more emphasis to their health. We students cannot keep the high study efficiency
without good health. The same thing is true with workers, teachers and scientists.
In my opinion, good diet and exercise are two major ways to keep healthy. The food we eat
every day must be rational and should include meat, vegetables, eggs, and fruit. It is important to
drink water and milk every day and not to get addicted to drinking coffee or some other soft drink.
Physical exercise is necessary for us to keep healthy. We can take a walk, ride bikes, play
badminton, or swim. Of course we don’t have to exhaust ourselves. We should plan our physical
exercise according to our actual condition. An hour a day is enough.
As a university student, I have free time for my daily exercise. I usually play basketball and
jog on the playground. I get up early in the morning and seldom stay up late at night. I am also
careful with my diet. On the whole, if you develop a good habit, you may stay healthy.

19 Hobby
A hobby is an activity that a person enjoys doing in his free time. Hobbyists raise flowers,
play chess or collect stamps. Hobbyists also paint pictures, play musical instruments, or listen to
music.
Different people may have different hobbies. People take up hobbies because these activities
offer enjoyment, friendship, knowledge and relaxation. Hobbies help people relax after periods of
hard work, and offer interesting activities for persons who are too old to work. Anyone, rich or
poor, old or young, sick or well, can follow a satisfying hobby. It is found that hobbies are
valuable in helping improve patients’ health. Hobbies give them something to do, and provide
interests that keep them from thinking about their trouble. Many hospitals treat patients by having
them take up interesting hobbies. A famous Canadian doctor expressed the value of hobbies by
saying, “No man is really happy without a hobby.”
However, bad hobbies are harmful to people. Excessive drinking or playing mahjong not only
hurts one’s health, but also affects one’s work or study.
Therefore, people should develop good hobbies, which is beneficial both to life and society.

20 The Value of Humor
A sense of humor, God’s gift to mankind, is universally considered the most valuable
personality asset. It is born within everyone’s heart, but has to be cultivated. A person without
humor is just like a spring without flowers or a dish without seasoning. In a sense, your
personality lies in your sense of humor.

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Humor can enhance physical as well as mental well-being. It helps us bear our burdens,
lessen our tension, overcome our frustration, relax our body muscles, and dissolve countless trifles
and irritations. With the cracking of a joke, all our worries, sadness and tiredness disperse like
mist and smoke, and we are full of vim and vigor again.
Humor helps us live in harmony with others. It is unavoidable to have misunderstanding and
tension with others in our work or study. But humor can, as a “pacifier”, injects a light note into
the touchy situation to ease the problems more quickly than angry words or quarrels. With it, you
can always keep on good terms with others.
A sense of humor is really one of the keys to happiness. It gives zest to life to make it worth
living.

21 Job Interview
A job interview is very important for both interviewers and interviewees. In a job interview,
the two parties can have a face-to-face talk. The applicant can demonstrate his personal and
professional qualities, and the employer can judge the applicant’s ability for the position.
A job applicant may follow the following advice for a successful interview. First, the
interviewee should take care to appear appropriately dressed, avoiding the extremes of too
elaborate or too casual clothes. Second, the interviewee should pay attention to his manner of
speaking, which should be neither showy nor familiar but rather straightforward, grammatically
accurate, and friendly. Third, the applicant should be prepared to talk knowledgeably about the
requirements of the position for which he is applying in relation to his own professional
experience and interests. Finally, the interviewee must show a sense of self-confidence and
enthusiasm for the work, which all employers value highly.
The job seeker who displays the above- mentioned characteristics, with just a little luck, will
certainly succeed in a job interview. So a job interview is really a good opportunity for anyone to
find a satisfactory job.

22 Money
Money is regarded by many people as the most important thing in life. For those people, a
person with plenty of money can live a happy life. For instance, only rich people can afford
expensive cars and luxurious houses. Furthermore, they believe, that if one has a lot of money, he
can receive good education, they travel widely and see as many interesting places as they want to.
In a word, with a large sum of many, they can get almost anything they like. Some people marry
only for money rather than for love. So in the eyes of these people, money is the major goal of
their life. They value money more than anything else in the world.
On the other hand, money cannot buy everything. For example, one cannot buy health no
matter how rich he is. A millionaire suffering from cancer would give all his money for health.
Nor can one buy happiness or friendship. Thus, there are still certain things more valuable than
money in the world that cannot be bought with money.
So, obviously money is not the most important thing though it is useful in many ways. It is
only a common medium of exchange, a symbol indicating our effort and our labor. It is not
omnipotent.

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23 Part-time Jobs
People have different views on whether college students should take part-time jobs. I think
part-time jobs have both their advantages and disadvantages.
First, part-time jobs may offer students an opportunity to display their ability and help them
apply their knowledge in practice, and in return, their experience will make them know better
what they have learned in class and books. Second, part-time jobs in business can foster a sense of
competition, which they need in future. Part-time jobs make students more confident in
themselves because through the work they can realize their own value and prove that they are
capable people. Third, it helps students develop a sense of independence, and helps relieve their
parents’ economic burdens. With the money earned, they can buy whatever they need for their
study.
However, part-time jobs often distract students’ attention from their studies, and some
students even play truant. It is evident that they can hardly focus their attention on their study if
they work several hours on the job, for they may be preoccupied with how to improve their work
most of the time. Though students who have part-time jobs may relieve their parents’ economic
burdens, their early contact with society may expose them to some social ills.
Owing to the advantages and disadvantages involved in working part-time, students have to
strike a balance between their study and the job. The main task of students is to study hard and
learn what is needed for their future career, social experience can be gained after graduation.

24 The One- child Policy
As world population becomes denser, we will feel greater pressure from the expanding of
population particularly in China with a population of over a billion now. I think it is our
government’s urgent task to bring the population under absolute control in order to avoid endless
problems caused by population explosion. So I think the policy of one-child for a couple is
acceptable and necessary.
Couples should be allowed to have one child, but they should be discourage and punished,
through taxation, from having more than one child. A society with a long tradition of family
concepts should permit couples the joys of parenthood and the satisfaction of duplicating
themselves and perpetuating their family lines. One child should suffice to meet the needs of a
couple without overburdening the society. With each couple having one child, the population in
China would be stabilized, the growth rate would be very low. If each couple has more than one
child, population explosion will occur soon, resulting in chains of social problems in addition to
being overcrowded.
Couples who choose to have one child or none should enjoy tax advantages. The government
should reward them with benefits. With the absolute operation of one- child policy, population
growth in our country will be under control, and people will devote themselves to improving the
quality of their only child’s education, and as a result living conditions will be enormously
improved.

25 Private Cars Should be Encouraged in China

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With the rapid development of economy in our country, many people have started to own
private cars. People have different views on this. Some worry that too many private cars may
cause many problems. Others believe that people should be encouraged to have private cars. As
far as I am concerned, private cars have more advantages.
First, private cars can bring convenience and mobility to the owners. Cars enable people to
become more mobile. Possessing a car gives one a much greater degree of mobility, enabling him
to move around freely. Without cars, the world would still consist of isolated communities. Bused
are often crowded and slow, especially during rush hour. If there are more cars, people can get
around more easily.
Second, with the popularization of cars, the suburbs will become more developed, and the
downtown areas will be less crowded. If there are more cars in rural areas, people can get to cities
more easily. And the gap between town and country will become smaller.
Third, traveling by car is very comfortable. The driver can adjust the heating in winter and
the air conditioning in summer. Many people can enjoy their leisure time to the full by making
trips to the country or seaside at weekends, instead of being confined to their immediate
neighborhood. This feeling of independence, and the freedom to go wherever you please, is
perhaps the greatest advantage of the car.
What’s more, the growth of automobile industry can trigger the boom of other important
industries such as iron and steel production, energy and technological application. In brief, they
are in favor of developing private cars. However, automobiles may cause problems such as
environmental pollution, traffic accidents and more energy consumption. In spite of these
disadvantages, private cars bring people more good than harm. Therefore, I think private cares
should be encouraged in our country.

26 On Punctuality
Punctuality means observing regular or appointed time. Punctuality is important in modern
world, for time is money. It’s easy to imagine the anxiety or trouble caused by a doctor or
chairperson’s being late.
Punctuality is the main element of good quality. Those who are always in time for their
appointments, show real consideration for others. Such people are respected in return for their
being punctual. Both teachers and students should be punctual for classes. On the other hand,
failure to be punctual is a sign of disrespect toward others. Such people usually complain that they
are late because of the heavy traffic or getting up late. They have many excuses for coming late.
Actually, they never intend to come earlier. They hate waiting for others, but they do not mind
being waited for. This is selfish behavior. So it is easy to imagine how angry we are when some
teachers keep us waiting!
To be punctual is to respect others, to win trust. Young people should develop a habit of being
punctual.

27 Smoking is a Bad Habit
It is generally believed that smoking is a bad habit. The harmful effects done by smoking are
as follows:

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Firstly, it does great harm to the health. It is believed that smoking can lead to heart disease,
lung cancer, and various respiratory illnesses. The World Health Organization declares diseases
linked to smoking kill at least 2, 500,000 people each year. Researchers say that pregnant women
smokers run the risk of having deformed babies. Besides, passive smoking does a lot of harm to
the health. Passive smokers usually feel sick and headache.
Secondly, smoking is a waste of money. Smokers spend a lot of money on cigarettes. People
like students without any income have to ask their parents for help. This is a heavy burden for
families of ordinary income. Money spent on cigarettes every year would add up to a large sum
enough for establishing many schools.
Thirdly, smoking has a bad impact on the smokers’ minds. Many smokers try to give up
smoking after realizing its bad effects. However, no matter how hard they try, some cannot resist
the temptation to smoke again though non-smokers often complain to them .gradually, they lose
self-confidence and self-respect. What’s more, few women are willing to marry heavy smokers.
Finally, smoking not only pollutes the air but also makes the streets dirty, for some smokers flick
the ash off their cigarettes and throw cigarette ends everywhere.
Smokers should be convinced of the harm and trouble brought by smoking, and they should
not hesitate to get rid of the habit right away.

28 TV’s Influence on the Young
Educator, psychiatrists, and parents are worried about the effect of TV on children. Many
children grow up in front of the TV set. Actually, like almost everything else, television has its
good and bad sides. We should thank its inventors for the joy and benefits they have brought into
the lives of children. It is true that children get a lot of fun and knowledge from the programs for
children on TV, such as cartoons, games and films.
Unfortunately, television’s influence has been extremely harmful to the young. Due to lack of
experience, children fail to realize that TV shows present an unreal world; that commercials are
used for promotion of products that are sometimes useless or bad. They believe and want to
imitate what they see. It is very harmful that children are often exposed to rubbishy commercials,
programs or movies of violence and sex. They may mistake murderers or hooligans for heroes to
adore and learn from. It is generally agreed that the “television generations” are more violent than
their parents and grandparents. Obviously, television has a great unfavorable effect on children.
It is certain that, along with its benefits, it brings a lot of obstacles in the growth and
development of the young. Thus our urgent task is to find a solution to the problem, i.e., to make
use of its advantages and avoid its disadvantages, because television is here to stay whether we
like it or not.

29 The Value of Time
A proverb says, “Time is money”, but I think time is more precious than money, for we can
earn more money when we’ve spent some, but lost time can never be found again. Time is
material our life is composed of. That’s why we ought to value time.
Everybody’s lifetime is limited. As college students, we have every reason to make good use
of our four years to work hard in our study. Then by the time we graduate from here, we will be

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proud that we have never idled. On the other hand, quite some students, idling the whole semester,
only spend several days preparing for the examinations. That’s really foolish of them to do so, for
idling is the same as a delayed suicide. Those who spend a lot of time dating, playing mahjong or
other games should wake up and be aware of the value of time on the campus.
The best way to avoid wasting time is to make use of every minute of our time to learn
something useful and do something significant for both our future career and our country. In brief,
we should develop a habit of saving time, never put off what we can do today till tomorrow.

30 How to Solve the Problem of Heavy Traffic
With the rapid increase of population and development of economy, the traffic problems in
urban areas are becoming increasingly serious. As a result, streets are full of ever-flowing vehicles
such as cars, buses, and bicycles and pedestrians. This makes traffic jams a common encounter for
many people. It certainly causes much inconvenience, waste of time and inefficiency.
However, it is very difficult to find a good solution to this problem. But I think the following
suggestions may be advisable to those concerned. First, our government should put more
investment in building more roads to accelerate the flow of traffic and therefore relieve the heavy
traffic flow on the streets. Besides, the old narrow streets should be broadened at the expense of
pulling down some old buildings. But the disadvantage of this solution is to take up much more
land. Second, more routes of buses should be opened up. In this way, the number of bikes and cars
on the streets will be reduced. Furthermore, more underground passageways or flyovers should be
built so that pedestrians can cross streets safely, and both traffic accidents and congestion can be
avoided.
The above methods may be feasible, but they will depend, to a large extent, on the further
development of economy. What is more, people should be aware of the urgency of traffic
problems that may possibly hinder the development of economy. As the popular saying goes, “If
you want to become rich, just build more roads.”

31 Short Vacations and Long Vacations
Different students have different ideas about the length of vacations. Some like long
vacations. Others prefer short ones. I think both of them have their advantages and disadvantages.
As for me, I prefer the latter.
Compared with long vacations, short vacations have many advantages. First, short vacations
offers us time for a full relaxation after busy final exams. When we finish the exams, we’ll spend a
vacation of a month doing things like visiting friends, going home, going to concerts, watching
sports games, and so on. Second, we can plan to travel during the short vacations. In spring, we
can go sightseeing, appreciating natural scenery, which is necessary and beneficial for us students
who have been studying hard. In summer, we can go to the seashore to enjoy the sunshine on the
long beach. And in winter, we may go to see the snow scenery, which gives us a lot of pleasure.
Several short vacations may enable us to have colorful activities while the long yearly vacation
seems extremely dull. At last, the most important one is that we will not forget classes after the
short vacations.
On the other hand, short vacations have disadvantages. For students who want to make some

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money to cover their school expenses, they are too short for them to make enough money. Despite
the disadvantage, I prefer several short vacations from which I can benefit a lot more.

32 How to Enlarge Our English Vocabulary
Vocabulary is one of the most important factors contributing to a good command of a
language. A large vocabulary is most desirable to us learners of English. Instead of memorizing
vocabulary from a dictionary, we can obtain a considerable amount of vocabulary by reading both
intensively and extensively.
An intensive reading is very helpful for this purpose because it ensures the basic knowledge
about the exact meanings and correct usage of words and phrases, and consequently our ability or
express ourselves in the language accurately is improved. However, an intensive reading method
would be insufficient without a second one, an extensive reading. By this method we can
hopefully get an access to a large number of words in contexts with a practical knowledge about
collocations as well as the different meanings and different styles resulting from different choices
of words. Only in this way can we enlarge our vocabulary with a simultaneous awareness of the
uses of words. By and by, our English vocabulary will be enlarged enormously.
Language is a living thing. We should enlarge our English vocabulary practically, that is,
through reading both intensively and extensively, which I believe is the best way in this respect.

33 Greenhouse Effect
The “Greenhouse Effect” refers to the warming of the earth due to the increasing amount of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a gas produced every time a fuel such as coal,
oil or natural gas is burned. This carbon dioxide increases the heat of the atmosphere, and thus
warms the planet.
According to scientists, the “greenhouse Effect” is the most serious problem our planet has
ever faced. First of all, the level of the ocean could rise, because ocean water expands as it grows
warmer. Melting polar icecaps could also contribute to an increase in the level of the ocean.
People living on coastlines might lose their homes, and cities like New Orleans might be
completely submerged.
Parts of the world that are already hot might become unbearably hotter. Hot weather means a
huge increase in the use of air conditioning, which uses energy, costs money and creates pollution.
It can make some people, especially elderly people and infants very ill.
Some parts of the world might become much drier. Already many parts of Africa have
suffered frequently from severe droughts. Other parts of the world might become wetter. Too
much rain in some regions could kill crops traditionally grown there, and lead to hunger.
Many scientists suggest that people need to learn to conserve fuel, since burning fuel is one of the
main causes of the “Greenhouse Effect”. Government should protect forests, since trees can help
reduce the “Greenhouse Effect”. Chemicals, which increase the effect can be banned or strictly
controlled. Nations should work together to prevent a global disaster, while at the same time
ordinary citizens must do their part.

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