新世纪大学英语综合教程课后作文

Unit1

?Write an essay (of about 150 words) about a memorable experience in which forgiveness or a smile worked to clear up misunderstanding or improved the relationship between you and someone else.

In my middle school years, I had a best friend. We talked about everything. And we loved singing songs together. Once, however, there was a bitter quarrel between us and we stopped talking to each other. It was obvious that both of us wanted to keep the friendship, but neither had the courage to break the ice. It went on like this for months. Then, one day we were asked to write about friendship. I wrote in my composition what friendship meant to me and the misunderstanding that had separated us. It was given the top mark, and I was asked to read it in class. When

I ended my presentation with the words from our favourite song, my friend was

singing along. All misunderstanding was cleared and once again we were best friends. To break down the walls between people is easy; all it takes is a little forgiveness! (150 words)

在我中学的时候，我有一个最好的朋友。我们谈论了一切。我们喜欢一起唱歌。然而，有一次，我们之间发生了激烈的争吵，我们彼此停止了交谈。很显然，我们两人都想保持友谊，但也没有勇气打破僵局。像这样持续了好几个月。然后，有一天，我们被邀请写关于友谊的文章。我在作文中写到友谊对我意味着什么，误解使我们分离了。它被给予了最高分数，我被要求在课堂上阅读它。当我用最喜欢的歌曲结束我的演讲时，我的朋友在唱歌。一切误会都消除了，我们又成了好朋友。打破人与人之间的墙是容易的，只需要一点宽恕！

?Write an essay (of about 150 words) about human relationships in our society. The following hints might serve as a guide:

a. The problems existing in the relationships between people in our

society.

b. The negative results such problems may bring about to our society.

c. What you can do to establish a harmonious society as a student.

We are living in a world of distrust. We live behind cold security bars; we do not talk to strangers, let alone go out of our way to help them; we live in fear of fake products. In short, fear and feelings of insecurity fill the environment we live in. All this greatly harms our society.

Growing up in such an environment, we tend to feel isolated and care about ourselves only.

If things go on like this, “trust”, “teamwork”, and “harmony” will eventually become terms unheard of. In my opinion, trusting others and being trustworthy are the two basic principles that we should follow if we want to improve human relationships. We may not be in a position to change others, but we can change the way others see us by winning their trust in us.

Mutual understanding and love are the pillars that support a harmonious society. (151 words)

我们生活在一个不信任的世界里。我们生活在冷酷的安全酒吧后面，我们不与陌生人交谈，更不用说走出去帮助他们；我们生活在对假冒产品的恐惧中。简而言之，恐惧和不安全感充斥着我们生活的环境。所有这些都严重危害了我们的社会。在这样一个环境中长大，我们往往会感到孤立，只关心自己。如果事情继续下去，“信任”、“团队合作”

和“和谐”最终将成为前所未闻的术语。在我看来，信任别人和值得信赖是我们应该遵循的两个基本原则，如果我们想改善人际关系。我们可能无法改变他人，但我们可以通过赢得别人对我们的信任来改变别人看待我们的方式。相互理解和爱是支撑和谐社会的支柱。（151字）

?Write a narrative essay (of about 150 words) about your pursuit of a dream or someone's experiences in making his / her dream come true.

Li Hui, my friend in high school, was born into a worker's family. She began to dream of becoming a cartoon artist from her childhood. To her disappointment, her parents strongly opposed her career choice, because the cost of her education would be too high for the poor family, and they were worried about the job opportunities for a cartoon artist. However, Li Hui would not change her mind. She worked hard to perfect her skills and searched persistently for ways to realise her dream. Just before she finished high school, the chance came: a famous art school was holding a cartoon drawing competition. The first three winners would be given a scholarship to study cartoon drawing at the school. Li Hui told herself not to let the chance slip through her fingers. She readily participated and won the second place. She is now studying there and I feel certain that her dream will come true. (156 words)

Li Hui，我高中时的朋友，出生在一个工人家庭。她从小就梦想成为一名卡通艺术家。

令她失望的是，她的父母强烈反对她的职业选择，因为她的教育成本对贫困家庭来说太高了，他们担心卡通艺术家的就业机会。然而，Li Hui不会改变主意。她努力提高自己的技能，不断地寻找实现梦想的方法。就在她高中毕业之前，有一个机会来了：一所著名的艺术学校举办了一个卡通绘画比赛。前三名获奖者将获得奖学金，在学校里学习卡通画。Li Hui告诉自己不要让机会从她手中溜走。她很容易参加，赢得了第二名。她现在正在那里学习，我确信她的梦想会成真。（156字）

?People may have different opinions about the key factors for success.

Write a short essay (of about 150 words) and share your opinions with your classmates.

In my opinion, before a person becomes successful, he or she should fully understand the basic elements of success: competence, determination and optimism. For a person to succeed, he or she has to face great competition and excel in his or her chosen career. The person needs to demonstrate and prove his or her competence in dealing with problems.

Without competence, the person can neither stand out among the crowd nor attract the attention of those who hold the keys to the doors of opportunity and advancement. Yet ability alone cannot guarantee success. Often enough, things do not go the way we have planned and failure is unavoidable no matter how intelligent or capable we may be. In such cases one needs to remain firm and optimistic, always believing that hard work will eventually pay off.

If the person gives up halfway, success will never knock at the door. (149 words)

在我看来，在一个人成功之前，他或她应该充分理解成功的基本要素：能力、决心和乐观。一个人要成功，他或她必须面对巨大的竞争，并在他或她所选择的事业中胜出。这个人需要展示和证明他或她在处理问题上的能力。没有能力，人就不能在人群中脱颖而出，也不能吸引那些抓住机会和进步大门的人的注意力。然而，只有能力才能保证成功。

通常情况下，事情并没有按照我们的计划进行，失败是不可避免的，不管我们有多聪明或有能力。在这种情况下，你需要保持坚定和乐观，总是相信努力工作最终会有回报。

如果人半途而废，成功永远不会敲门。（149字）

?Having read the two passages in this unit, you may have come to a better understanding of life and the times when pessimistic and optimistic thoughts take turns to affect your behaviour. Write a letter of encouragement (of about 150 words) to one of your high school friends who failed in the college entrance examination. Tell him or her about your new understanding of the need to remain optimistic.

EG:Dear Weihua, I know you are still feeling upset about your results in the college entrance examination. I've just read an article about how pessimistic and optimistic thoughts can affect our behaviour and I'm now sending you a copy, hoping that it will help you step out of the shadows.? Naturally, failing the college entrance examination can be very depressing, yet if you continue to dwell on the past, you will never be able to pick yourself up and focus on what is more important for now and the future. Life is full of trials and anyone may suffer setbacks. We must take an optimistic attitude towards the things we have to deal with.

Optimism and positive thinking are powerful forces. Good things do come true if we picture them often. Please do have confidence in your potential. Just work hard and prepare for another chance. You will make it. ? Yours,? Janet? (152 words)

?The writers of the two texts in this unit convey to us the message that we need to look at the positive side of anything that comes to us and that we need to take an optimistic and positive attitude toward life.

Write an essay (of about 150 words). The following hints may be of some help:

a. What is meant by “thinking positively”?

b. What is the connection between success and optimism?

c. How can we keep an optimistic and positive attitude?

EG:Thinking positively means allowing your mind to be filled with optimistic feelings, and always hoping for the best though still aware of the difficulties that might be involved. The human mind is powerful; thoughts of optimism and pessimism can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Though it mightseem impossible to some, positive thinking and success actually have a cause-and-result relationship. The reason is that a person with positive thinking will always broadcast goodwill and confidence and that kind of radiating attitude will take a hold on everybody. Gradually, people’s attitude wil l shift towards more trust and respect. This not only opens up more opportunities for the individual, but it also feeds back emotionally, and the cycle continues. Though the shaping of a positive or negative personality often happens subconsciously, it is possible to control such processes consciously. A person can try visualizing favourable situations, whether it is remembering a contest won as a child or imagining getting that job offer so long sought after. Over time circumstances will change accordingly. （169 words）

Unit5

?Many stories have demonstrated to us that character is something that gives life meaning and depth, and we can enjoy true happiness only by making character the guideline of our lives. Have you had any experience or read any story that conveys the message? Write an essay (of about 150 words) based on your understanding of the importance of character.

EG:A widespread belief in modern society is that with talent, personal effort and luck alone a person can succeed, regardless of character. However, history has proven over and over

again that the morally defective cannot be truly successful, even if they at times enjoy some temporary glory. A typical example is found in the story of four brilliant Cambridge students.

They were all talented and eventually worked their way up to very important positions in the British government, with one even ending up working in Buckingham Palace. During and after World War II, however, they betrayed their country by giving away national secrets to the Soviet Union, which damaged the interests of Britain in many ways. Eventually what they had done was uncovered. Three of them fled the country and ended up in exile; the fourth lost his knighthood in disgrace. “Intelligent” and “successful” as they once were, th ey are now remembered as traitors to their country. (157 words)

?Based on what you have learned from both Texts A and B, write an essay (of about 150 words) about the moral condition of our society.

Your essay may cover the following points:

a. Some cases in which mutual trust in our society is lacking.

b. Consequences of the absence of mutual trust.

c. What we can do to improve the situation or to enhance mutual trust.

EG:As modern society advances, we are growing more suspicious of each other. This is clearly reflected in our reaction to advertisements. Instead of seeing advertisements as a source of reliable information, we tend to doubt the truth they claim and always assume that the producers are trying to trick customers into buying their products. One of the most serious consequences of such absence of mutual trust is the constant doubt and anxiety within our own minds. If we see everyone else as a potential enemy, we can no longer make new friends; if we regard all information passed on to us as lies, how can we make use of such sources effectively? Mutual trust is the glue that holds human society together. As students, we should try to foster mutual trust and help build up a moral society by our own deeds. If we are honest to others and foster mutual trust, we shall soon see the difference. (158 words)

Unit6

?Based on Text A and what you’ve discussed in “Voicing Your Views”, write a short essay (of about 150 words) entitled “A Creative Person”

in accordance with the following outline:

a. A creative person I know

b. The traits that can be found in him / her

EG:A Creative Person My physics professor is a very creative person. His research project for his doctoral dissertation dealt with a very complicated physics problem at a time when many others thought it was impossible to solve it. But he creatively introduced a new concept and finally resolved the theoretical and experimental contradiction. He possesses many unique traits. He is very energetic and hard-working. He chairs the Physics Department and teaches many hours a week. Meanwhile, he is in charge of the university’s technology research.

Obviously he is a efficient worker. My professor can be eccentric, once he shocked the whole class by saying “Good physics, everyone” instead of “Good morning, everyone”. But above all, my professor has a sincere interest and a strong passion in his research field. No wonder he is highly respected by both his colleagues and his students. (140 words)

?Some sayings in our life sound so familiar and natural to us that we take them for granted without a second thought. Do you realize that when you take them as “absolute truths”, you are locking your mind and creativity? Write a brief comment on such a saying in about 150 words.

EG:Popular Sayings May Become “Mental Locks” To cultivate a creative mind, one needs to chip away at one’s “mental locks”. Some of the “mental locks” are shaped by popular sayings, which sound so familiar to us that we tend to take them for granted. Instructive as they may be, these common statem ents may restrict our freedom to think. “Look before you leap!” We

make this remark to caution someone to think carefully before making a decision or taking an action. It may seem sound advice, but it may also put him or her in a passive position. He or sh e may just keep “looking” round and without making a “leap”. Similarly, we may say to the same person, “Don’t let the chance slip through your fingers!” Then, the person may be motivated to act promptly, regardless of the consequences. In either case, the personal may fall victim to popular sayings. So, if we want to come up with a new idea, we must break up the “mental locks” that close our minds. (166 words)

U nit7

Write a short passage of (about 150 words) entitled "My View of a Team Player". The questions listed below may serve as an outline.

1) What does a team player mean?

2) Why do we need team players?

3) How do we make ourselves team players?

EG:A team player is someone who can work well with other people in a team. But it is not enough just to get along with others. A true team player must be more positive and constructive than just following the herd; he or she must also be able to play an active part in decision-making. Our society demands team players because by gathering all our various strengths together, we can accomplish more in a shorter time. It is because of teamwork that most businesses are able to function properly. To become team players we must learn to compromise. When our views conflict with the general view of the team we must restrain our egos and listen to what others say. We should learn how to deal with criticism in a mature way; be honest and be aware of others' feelings. (144 words)

Unit8

?Write a short essay (of about 150 words) entitled "When Facing Adversity". The following outline may be of some help.

a. The adversity we may encounter in life

b. General reactions of people to adversity

c. Your own view on dealing with adversity

EG:Throughout our lifetime we may encounter many adversities: unable to pay for the education, obstacles in studies and even physical disabilities. Whether we are rich or poor, intelligent or slow, adversity seems the constant companion of many of us. In the face of adversity there are typically two reactions: one is to feel frightened and run away; the other, to face it with courage. But what happens next makes a big difference between the brave and the cowardly. Some people turn away from adversity without even an attempt to make things better; while others, though frightened emotionally or disadvantaged physically, manage to shake off the initial fear and take hold of their bootstraps to pull themselves out of the bad situations they are in. We should choose the attitude of the latter because running away is not going to solve the problem. In addition, this attitude may lead one to acquire the habit of always thinking negatively and thus limit one's growth and development. (165 words)

?Resilience can help us overcome difficulties in life and make our life and career more successful. But what is resilience? How can one develop resilience? Write a short essay (of about 150 words) about your understanding of these questions. You may want to draw on the two texts in this unit and give some examples to support your ideas.

EG:Resilience is a positive quality some people display when they meet unforeseen difficulties. Resilient people are able to judge reasonably the situation they are in, to make adjustments when necessary, and to remain confident even when the bad situation lasts long. Resilience is like the human muscle, it grows with use and practice; but if ignored, it will weaken. Resilience is both inborn and learnt. Some people who are naturally more open to others or slower to react to hardship have an advantage when trying to develop resilience. However, anyone with enough determination and applying the right method can do it, too. For example, learning something new and difficult is a good way to challenge ourselves. When we are forced to sit down and memorize hundreds and thousands of new words, our resilience is practiced and promoted. Resilience is a characteristic we all need and can develop. (147 words)