Model Test-1
New Ways of Selecting Students for Higher Education
In recent years quite a few famous universities, like Peking University in China, piloted some programs to enroll new students, which brought about some public controversy.
Some hail these measures as an important reform of the traditional college entrance system, which has emphasized the academic performance in the exam. According to them, in the old system students with multiple intelligences were often overlooked. On the contrary, the new system makes it possible for those with different or special talents to stand a better chance of going to college.
Others do not support the new way of thinking. They argue the old traditional college entrance exam is the only way to ensure the fairness of college enrollment in that everyone is judged by the same criterion, that is, marks in the entrance exam. This will remove abuse by people in power. I have mixed feelings about this reform and I would prefer a wait-and-see attitude. On the one hand, the present system does have some drawbacks, among which test-oriented teaching has been severely criticized over the years. On the other hand, it is a major concern in a populous country like China how to guarantee the fairness of the reform. Only time will tell if the reform has been successful.
Model Test-2
Should Retirement Age Be Postponed?
Along with the trend of longevity, nobody could have failed to notice a heated debate on whether it is wise to postpone retirement age.
Some people argue that it’s necessary to postpone the retirement age in that it is a good way to deal with the aging population. One of the direct results of the aging society is a drop in the labor force supply, which can be relieved by postponing the retirement age. However, other people hold a negative view about this phenomenon. For one thing, this reform could raise the pressure of social employment, especially for the present severe situation. For another, it may diminish the senior’s leisure time and the probabilities to enjoy their retirement pension.
For my part, we should take the level of the reform and the elders' interest into consideration so that a clearer perspective of the debate can be gained. ★加分亮点★
a good way to deal with...应对……的好办法 diminish减少，削弱 【主题词汇】
1. put a timetable on...给出一个明确的时间表 2. be less enthusiastic about...不太热衷于…… 3. give rise to…引发……, 导致……
4. put more pressure on pension system 给养老保险制度带来更多压力 5. take... into account 把……考虑进去
1
6. impose...on...把……强加于…… 【拓展句式】
1. Only through these measures can we hope to solve the problem that...只有通过这些措施，才有希望解决…… 的问题。
2. Taking into account all these factors, we may reasonably come to the conclusion that...考虑所有这些因素，我们可能会得出合理的结论，即……
Model Test-3
NEET Group Phenomenon
Nowadays, there are a considerable number of young people joining the NEET group. They have already been able to support themselves, but still rely on their parents to make a living. Why is there such a phenomenon? Maybe the reasons can be listed as follows. First, those young people are mostly the only child of the family, and they are spoiled by their parents, lacking the spirit of independence. Secondly, the education they have received aims at helping them pass the examinations rather than giving them professional trainings, so they cannot find their advantages in the bitter competition of the job market.
As far as I am concerned, the phenomenon of NEET group is a sign of social resource waste, and has to be removed with joint efforts. If the young people learn to respect their parents and attain more self-supporting skills, if the governments do more in creating new job opportunities and providing job-hunting instructions, the phenomenon of NEET group will one day disappear in China.
Model Test-4 My View on Micro-blog
With the number of micro-bloggers soaring, micro-blog has become part of our lives and drawn much attention around the country.
Micro-blog is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, Micro-blog plays an important role in upholding justice, advancing social de-mocracy and providing a platform for people to comment about their lives. On the other hand, micro-blogging can also be potentially dangerous as it may give away people’s privacy. What is worse, some people argue that the widespread use of micro-blogs has made it easier for people to spread rumors and false news, and the platform is predestined for closure.
As far as I am concerned, micro-blogs will play an increasingly important role in our lives. Only when administrations create a favorable condition for communication and users conform to the rules of the new media, can micro-bloggers enjoy a healthy information-sharing platform. ★加分亮点★
uphold justice 主持公道
advance social democracy 提升社会民主
2
give away one’s privacy 泄露个人隐私 【主题词汇】
1. informative信息量大的 2. factual accounts 如实的描述
3. tarnish/sully/smear one’s reputation 毁坏某人的名誉 4. media hype媒体炒作 5. entertaining娱乐性强的
6. facilitate the growth of the cyber-economy 推动网络经济的发展 【拓展句式】
1. Some people would submit abusive posters and spread rumors on their blogs, which has caused a series of
negative consequences.有些人会在博客中发表辱骂贴或者散播谣言，这引发了一系列恶果。 2. The blog has provided for us a convenient way to express our opinions, and meanwhile, our vision will
probably be broadened and our life will be greatly enriched.博客为我们发表个人观点提供了一条便利途径，同时可拓宽我们的视野，丰富我们的生活。
Model Test-5
Under the auspices of the Students’ Union of Foreign Language Department, a new English playlet Romeo and Juliet will be put on at 3:00 p.m. on May 15th in the Music Hall. It aims at enriching on-campus cultural life and entertaining the students and teachers. The main features of the new play are as follows:
First, as you know, Romeo and Juliet is one of the classical playlets written by Shakespeare. What’s more, all the staff, including director, actors and actress, are selected from the students. They have reproduced the playlet with new ideas, which will give you a new feeling. Besides, what will interest you is the selection of the best actor and actress. If your choice is identical with the final result, you shall be given a pleasant surprise.
Anyone who is interested in the play is welcomed warmly. You are expected to order or buy the ticket as early as possible. If you need further information, please contact Cheng Yun at xxxxxxxx. Looking forward to your coming!
The Students’ Union of Foreign Language Department
Model Test-6
How to Become an Environment-friendly Visitor
With the development of economy and the improvement of living quality, more and more people choose to travel at their own expense. Meanwhile, this sort of tour has had a negative impact on the environment, and tourists often cause environmental problems, such as the litter and the scribbles seen everywhere.
To preserve the natural environment, necessary measures should be taken. First of all, efforts
3
should be made to explore tourist programs in a scientific manner. Tourism should not be developed at the expense of natural resources. Those programs which would bring about irreversible and perpetual environmental destruction should be banned from the very beginning. Furthermore, visitors should be educated to be environment-friendly and aware of the importance of natural resource preservation.
For me, I always restrain myself from littering trashes wherever I go. For example, if I visit a seaside resort where litter bins are not available, I will prepare a plastic bag beforehand so I can collect the waste myself. I’m sure that, with our efforts, we can enjoy ourselves and at the same time protect the environment.
Model Test-7
College Students’ Booklist
The table shows the change of college students’ choice of books from 1991 to 2011. Obviously, novels and books of philosophy and society have declined greatly in importance, while books of foreign languages and computer science have been gaining popularity.
This phenomenon involves several complicated factors. In the first place, college students need to study foreign languages and computer science well, because there is a pressing need for those skills in the employment market. In the next place, novels are still popular though the sales decreased due to the availability of the Internet. Most popular books can be read online.
I have bought many computer books because computer is my major. Moreover, computer science often witnesses fast changes, thus in order to keep up with its latest development, I have to buy new books to constantly arm myself with new information.
Model Test-8 On Internet Celebrities
Nowadays, there emerge various kinds of Internet celebrities. In spite of the differences in style and their stories, they have something in common: they all achieve great fame overnight through the Internet.
The immense power of the Internet makes thousands of grassroots people famous. However, this phenomenon has aroused a heated debate. Some people regard it as a sign of social progress. The Internet provides equal opportunities for everyone to show himself and express himself freely. Besides, the Internet celebrities’ rise to fame has greatly encouraged ordinary people who dream of becoming a star. On the contrary, others think little of the Internet celebrities. They argue that the Internet fame is more on meeting the curiosity and sensation of the public, rather than on people’s true capabilities. What’s more, many Internet celebrities please the pubic with slapstick or by making a fool of themselves, or even by treating ugliness as beauty. Therefore, they exert a negative influence on people’s values, which is harmful for the development of culture.
As far as I’m concerned, we should be more open-minded to the Internet celebrities. In real life, they may be as ordinary as you and me, however, they are brave enough to pursue their dreams and bring fun to millions of people, which is worthy of admiration.
Model Test-9
The Pros and Cons of Dormitory Life
For most university students, dormitory life is a new experience. Most students have never
4
lived far away from their parents before coming to university. They have always had their parents to depend on for advice and guidance, and when they become university students, their lives begin to change.
There are striking difference between home life and dormitory life. Students must begin to be responsible for their own action. They must depend on themselves to get up in the morning on time for class, to eat properly, to keep their clothes and themselves clean, and to set aside an appropriate amount of time for study and relaxation. They must also learn to take care of their money, making sure to preserve enough for both necessities and for fun.
In general, there are both good and bad points about life in student dormitory. Often, dormitory rooms are small and crowded. This lack of space can limit one’s privacy and make it difficult for students to concentrate on their studies. On the other hand, in a dormitory, students have a great deal more freedom than they might have at home. They can act according to their own will and desire instead of that of their parents.
Model Test-10 On Blind-date Show
Nowadays, the blind-date shows are becoming more and more popular. Whenever we turn on TV, those incredible scenes of blind-date shows would pop up on the screen. Many people, from teenagers to the elderly, are so crazy about these shows that they never miss a single chance to watch them.
Three reasons would contribute to the popularity of these blind-date shows. To begin with, there are over 180 million people who remain single long after they have reached the official age for marriage. Moreover, a great number of people would like to amuse themselves by watching other people dating. Last but not least, more and more television producers add a couple of attractive elements to cater for the different tastes of the audience.
In my view, the government should impose restrictions to these blind-date shows. Many of these shows advocate money-worship and materialism; quite a few of the guests’ identities are artificial. If these problems are not solved, the misleading effects can be disastrous.
5