Model 2: Positive-enhancement
Writing 1
2004年
As is shown in the picture, on arriving at the finishing line of a race on the playground, the active young man has to continue his new journey in no time instead of stopping to take a rest. He has successfully settled the puzzle of "stopping or going on" which might have confused many others.
With the increasing pace of modern life, perhaps no change has characterized the past decade more dramatically than that of people's view on their own life. It is generally agreed that people have to adjust themselves to this new change. On the one hand, no doubt, people will gain a lot by setting new goals in their daily life. Take the famous scientist Thomas Edison as an example. He had done very well in his early life, but continued to pursue something more difficult throughout his life. On the other hand, if one is obsessed with the success he has achieved, he would lose the chance to pursue new success. What is more, he may become the slave of his success. There are many cases showing that people lose their courage to better themselves after becoming successful.
To sum up, one's view on his success determines his future. In my opinion, it is necessary to carry out a nation-wide campaign publicizing people who have a burning desire for more and ever greater achievement when they are already well known. As a result, people in all walks of life will develop a forward-looking attitude and make their life worth living and the world more beautiful as well. (261 words, 55/137/69)
Writing 2
What I Can Do for the 2008 Beijing Olympics
Beijing won the bid for the 2008 Olympics in 2001, which is a great success both nationally and internationally. It proves that China is getting stronger and stronger and is playing a more important part in the world sports.
Every Chinese should go all out to surprise the world with the best Olympics. As a college student, I can contribute to it in the following ways. In the first place, since more foreigners will come to China before and during the Olympics, I plan to learn English even better to introduce to them the colorful Chinese cultures and long history. More exactly, I have to practice my spoken English more. In the second place, since Beijing Olympics will be “Green”, I have made up my mind to plant 10 trees every year to make our country greener and more beautiful. It is common knowledge that environmental pollution and desertification are notorious in our country, repeated sandstorms being a good example. Therefore, much work remains to be done to reverse the vicious circle.
The Beijing Olympics will surely be an important issue in our life. While everyone is proud of the victory, there are still many obstacles in our race for excellence. However, with the joint efforts of all the Chinese, I believe that the Beijing Olympics will be the most successful one in the human history. (226 words, 39/133/54)
Writing 3
2002年：Cultures—National and International
1）describe the picture and interpret its meanings, and
2）give your comment on the phenomenon.
Model Composition 1
This is a very interesting picture of a lovely American girl dressed in traditional Chinese costume with a sweet smile on her face. She wears a pearl necklace, colorful ribbon, earrings, and other decorating things that are characteristic of the clothes of a Chinese minority nationality. It is obvious that as a result of our open-door policy, more and more foreigners visit China and become interested in our national culture, which is making it go international.
There is no reason to make a fuss about this phenomenon. With the rapid development of technology and economy, the world is becoming smaller and smaller, and international cultural exchanges have become more and more frequent, which is inevitably improving our mutual understanding and friendship with other countries. When more and more Chinese go abroad to study or travel, an increasing number of foreigners come to our country to explore the mystery and charm of the Chinese culture. Therefore we can say that national culture is international.
As Chinese citizens, we should respect our own national culture and learn useful things from the cultures of different nations, which will enable us to make great progress in many ways. I believe a happy and bright future is awaiting us if we make every effort to promote cultural development both nationally and internationally. (217 words, 76/87/54)
Model Composition 2
Nowadays, "national culture or international culture" has become a matter of great concern for the general public in our society, especially for those who are confronted with this problem. Now let's take a look at the American girl in traditional Chinese costume. She looks very beautiful with a nice smile on her face. It seems that the girl is very fond of the Chinese costume.
Obviously, the picture indicates that a culture of one nation may become international, which is beneficial to all the human beings. To begin with, since China has opened its door widely to the outside world, many people from different countries want to visit China. They will accept and love the Chinese culture as a whole. In addition, Chinese culture should be well shared with foreign people who have shown their great interest in it. Meanwhile, the Chinese people are also exposed to foreign cultures when more foreign people come to China. In this way people from various nations in the world will be able to acquire a better understanding of each other and live peacefully in this world.
My opinion about this cultural phenomenon is that a national culture should become international. This is because the culture of any nation is a kind of precious heritage, and belongs to the whole mankind. (217 words, 65/118/34)
Writing 4
2001
Among all the worthy feelings of mankind, love is probably the noblest, but everyone has his/her understanding of it.
There has been a discussion recently on the issue in a newspaper. Write an essay to the newspaper to
1) show your understanding of the symbolic meaning of the picture below,
2) give a specific example, and
3) give your suggestion as to the best way to show love.
Model Composition 1
Among all the worthy feelings of mankind, love is probably the noblest. It is of the utmost importance to the human beings. Everybody not only needs love, but also should give love.
As is described in the picture, “love is a lamp which is brighter in darker places.” This is indeed true. People in darker places need more light than ordinary people. Maybe even a dim light can give them much hope for a better life and progress. Maybe just a thread of light will call forth their strength and courage to step out of their difficulties.
Take my neighbor as an example. There are three members in their family and the two adults were laid off last year. The only child will have to drop out of school next semester. In order to help them, I donated all my money—300 yuan to pay the tuition. And I plan to call on others to donate more money. Though I cannot do a lot, I have given love which is like a lamp in a dark place where light is most needed.
So to sum up, we should offer our help to all who are in need. We expect to get love from others and we also give love to others. I believe that the relationship between people will be harmonious and our society will be a better place for us to live in. (234 words, 32/65/85/52)
Model Composition 2
It is generally believed that love is a hot topic which is most talked about. This is true not only in China but also in other countries. We live in different countries, speak different languages, but love is something common to us all. However, how to show love may be different with different people in different countries. This is something we should give more thought to.
As is shown in the picture, love is like a lamp which shines brightest in dark places. This tells us a simple truth: Love is most valuable when it is most needed. For example, once I saw a foreign lady get lost in the street. She could not speak Chinese and nobody seemed to be able to help her. Though my English is not very good and I am a shy person, I thought she needed help very much. I asked her what she wanted. She told me she lost her way, so I showed her the way to her hotel. It was a small thing but she thanked me sincerely because my help was badly needed. My help was like a lamp in a dark place.
I believe we all should be like a lamp in a dark place, showing our love, giving our help to others, even to strangers. In this way we can make this world a harmonious one. (228 words, 66/127/35)
Writing 5
Wake up Your Life by Walking (Jogging)
1) Describe the cartoon;
2) State the benefits of walking, and
3) Give the advantage(s) of walking over other forms of exercise.
As is illustrated in the cartoon, all the people, old and young, male and female, are walking or jogging for exercise. It's a plain fact that exercise increases the quality of life and these people are surely “on the road to health”.
People benefit a lot from walking or jogging. To begin with, studies show that people who exercise habitually are less likely to suffer from heart attacks and enjoy better health. Another benefit is reduced stress. After walking you feel less anxious and think more clearly. Why this occurs isn't completely understood, but walking is, after all, an action that uses almost all of the body's bones and major muscles. And moderate exercise causes many changes that may affect your mood and increase your sense of well-being. What's more, walking can help you lose weight. If you walk briskly 45 minutes a day, four times a week for a year, you could lose 10 pounds.
However, for any exercise to increase long-term health benefits, it must be practiced consistently over a lifetime. And this is where walking has distinct advantage over other activities. Walkers are rarely stopped by the injuries so common in other exercises. And walkers keep up their walking, year after year, simply because it's so pleasurable. (210 words, 42/114/54)
Writing 6
Population Census
There has been a growing concern among the general public over the population census in our country. According to a recent poll made by Beijing Youth Daily, about 80% of the residents have a good understanding of the census, and they are very cooperative with it. The same survey also shows that more and more people are concerned about the result of the census. It can be easily concluded, therefore, that the census has become an important issue in our life.
Its importance can be demonstrated in two ways as follows. For one thing, the census is directly related to the society in general. On one hand, our country has long carried out the policy of family planning, and regular census may help us get a better idea of our population growth. On the other hand, with the reform and opening-up, there has been a widespread mass migration movement. Therefore, it is necessary to know the trend so that the government may make better use of the labor force. For another, the census is also bound up with our personal life. It is the best way to measure our living standards.
As the issue plays such a key role in our society, sufficient attention should be paid from both the government and the public. The government should make sure that the census is well carried out and the people should be actively involved in the census. (236 words, 86/110/45)
Follow-up Exercises:
1. University Merging
2. Getting to Know the World Outside the Campus
3. Physical Exercise