专八写作真题范文

2005

Interview is frequently used by employers as a means to recruit prospective employees. As a result, there have been many arguments for or against the interview as a selection procedure. What is your opinion? Write an essay of about 400 words to state your view.

The Interview as a Selection Procedure

Interview, as an important means to recruit employees, happens every day in our modern lives. Most students have received or will receive one or more after their graduation. Popular as it is, an interview raises plenty of arguments. Some people regard it as an efficient way while others think it is impossible to know a person's real ability and character in such a short time. In my opinion, it is a proper and effective way to recruit employees.

To begin with, interviews provide employers as well as employees opportunities to learn about each other. In order to get the position, job hunters should present their excellent qualities and abilities and try their best to get the interviewer's attention and appreciation. A number of questions are carefully designed by the interviewer to figure out whether a candidate is qualified for the company or the position. Through the questions and answers, not only the job hunters' abilities, characters and hobbies are revealed, but also what the companies can give to the candidates are known, such as their salary, career future and so on .

Secondly the interview embodies the concept of fairness. In the interview, all the candidates face the same situation. They are questioned and scored by the same group of interviewers, which makes the selection more objective and democratic. What's more, nothing else but personal ability matters and is the decisive factor to obtain the job. An interview is not only a procedure for companies to select new employees but also a procedure for job hunters to select their satisfied companies. As to the right to choose, employees and employers are equal.

Thirdly, interviews broaden the choice range of both interviewers and interviewees. Companies that need a lot of talents can hold a big interview to look for the candidates they really want. If they can not find enough, they can hold another. The interviewees, on the other hand, can attend several interviews to find the most appropriate companies in which they wish to work and develop.

To sum up, interviews have many advantages and before any better means are created, it is the best way to recruit employees. With the development of our society, it surely plays more and more important roles in making full use of the resources of talents.

2006

Joseph Epstein, a famous American writer, once said, "We decide what is important and what is trivial in life. We decide (so) that what makes us significant is either what we do or what we refuse to do. But no matter how different the universe may be to our choices and decisions, these choices and decisions are ours to make. We decide. We choose. And as we decide and choose, so are our lives formed. In the end, forming our own destiny is what ambition is about." Do you agree or disagree with him? Write an essay of about 400 words entitled:

Ambition

Ambition is the decision one makes and the resolution with which he or she carries out that decision. It provides us with the required driving force to accomplish any undertakings in our lives. Just as Joseph Epstein, a famous American writer put it, “And as we decide and choose, so are our lives formed.” Indeed, once we make up our minds to choose to do something, then our life becomes meaningful and specifically orientated. This notion of life, as far as I observe, is closest to truth and does apply to almost all aspects of life.

First, ambition renders us a sense of mission. No matter what decision you make, you have to be responsible for your choice. Your choice procures you a sense of orientation, or more specially a sense of mission. And only a strong mission may enable one to accomplish greatness. Caesar of the ancient Roman Empire was urged by his ambition “I came, I saw, I conquered”, a nd became an unrivaled empire builder in the history of Rome. John Milton, stimulated always by his ambition that aimed at writing some “mighty lines” which England would unwillingly forget, had in due time secured his position as the second Shakespeare in the history of English literature.

In the second place, ambition can bring one’s potentials to the full. Ambition may well serve as a catalyst(催化剂) activating one’s potentials. Without ambition one’s potentials will remain slumbering like a dormant volcano. A case in point is Ms Zhang Haidi, a Chinese Helen Keller. It was her ambition to be a useful person that has turned the almost paralyzed Zhang Haidi into a well-accomplished figure whose achievements would dwarf those of some normal people aiming at the sun, though, at worst, they may probably land on the moon.

Influential as it is upon us, however, ambition must be channeled in the right direction. If wrongly directed, one’s ambition may bring havoc on him and others. Hitler, whose ambition was to conquer Europe by whatever evil means, finally turned him into a demon. It was this demon that almost cast Europe into anguish and suffering. Another case is Macbeth whose ambition was to become the king of Scotland. However, his ambition was materialized by the murder of King Duncan. Consequently, unbearable guilt and psychological agony drove him to his tragic doom.

To sum up, ambition can benefit us tremendously if wisely and correctly channeled, otherwise it may ruin others and ourselves. A poet says: life can be bad; life can be good; life can be dirty; life can be sad; life can even be painful. In my mind’s eye, a person can make his life beautiful, meaningful and rewarding and stand out as a respectable personage if he is motivated by a well-oriented ambition.

2008

In a few months’ time you are going to graduate from university. How do you think your college years have prepared you for your future life? Write an essay of about 400 words on the following topic:

What I have learned from my years at university

More than two thousand years ago, Confucius, one of the greatest philosophers and educators in Chinese history, sigh with grief while standing on the river and compared the transient passage of time to the flowing water. With a blink of eyes, I will graduate from this university a few months later. At this moment, I think I have a deeper understanding of this great thinker’s saying. Thinking of my impending graduation, I am excited but meanwhile I am upset, mixed with some other feelings beyond words. Looking back the details of the past few years, I can not help asking myself, “What have I learned from my years at university?”In my opinion, this question is one that every one of us can not avoid.

I think what I have learned in the passing years is that I have gained more knowledge and acquired some basic professional skills, which will lay a sound foundation for my future career. Through the involvement of various social activities and participation in different clubs and associations, I got to know more friends as well as my classmates. By getting along with them, I have acquired some useful communicative skills and begin to know how to understand and appreciate others, which I suppose will be expected to play an important role in my future life. More importantly, I have gained the abilities to handle the problems and deal with crises independently.

If it is safe to say that I have ever achieved some achievements at university, first I’d like to attribute them to my tea chers, classmates and friends. Had not been for their staunch support and unselfish aid, I would not have reached one goal after another. With them I have established an intimate relationship and it is believed that I will continue to benefit from it. In the spare time, I often went to take part in some sports with my friends. I have been fond of playing table tennis and badminton. And I went to the gym once or twice a week with them. By going in for the sports, I became stronger and stronger and I am sure you will see everything when you see my robust constitution. Before I went to college, I had been somewhat bashful and even blushed to speak in public. But now I can talk like a streak for a few hours. Isn’t it amazing?

I believe that we study at university not only to learn some professional skills and some knowledge that will be valuable in the future. But more importantly, we have to master the way of thinking and acquire some abilities that we learn beyond books. With these qualities I am sure that we will have enough confidence to meet with the challenges in the future.

Mandarin, or putonghua, is the standard service sector language in China. However lately some employees of a metropolis subway company start using dialects to cater to the requirements of people from different areas in order to render better service. Opponents sees the countering effects of such movement to the national policy of promoting mandarin across China. Write in 400 words your opinion and support your argument and bring your essay to a natural conclusion.

Dialects Are Just Acceptable in Public Places

China's State Administration of Radio Film and Television (SARFT) recently issued a notice banning domestic radio and TV stations from translating foreign radio and TV programs into any local dialect. The notice said that such dialect translation contradicted the national initiative to promote Putonghua, or Mandarin, around the country. Foreign programs that have been translated into dialects must be removed from television and radio immediately. The notice evoked a mixed response from experts and audio and video producers, as well as the general public. Many voiced their concerns that local dialects would be forbidden in public places. Mandarin, which means "common language", is the country's predominant language and is widely used by more than 70 percent of the population. However, local dialects still enjoy popularity for relatively less-educated people on some occasions. The dialects do make a unique role and should be tolerated for existence in public places.

Though promoted widely in public places, dialects are acceptable in public places. First, it is more than a mere tool for communication. It is, most importantly, the messenger of its respective culture. If the dialect was eliminated from daily use, the culture will be broken. Second, Mandarian can absorb the elite part of local dialects to enrich its vocabulary and usage. This is the perfection of Mandartian from the blend and contact of thousands of years. The dialects can also be popular in the public. Along with the famous short play by comic actors in NE China, the local dialect came into the spotlight, and enjoyed more popularity throughout China. Such a cultural phenomenon represents the audience’s attitude to local dialects which cater to the taste of the majority. Third, a local dialect is the only means of communication to some undereducated local people. If local dialects are forbidden in the public places, they can not communicate.

To sum up, local dialects should be tolerated in public places for its unique role which Mandarian can not substitute. We should guarantee its survival because dialects stand for our spiritual land. From a long-term perspective, dialects should not and would not be wiped out. There is no need for any purposeful and deliberate attempt to protect dialects. Just let dialects take their natural course. The best way to protect a dialect is to use it in daily life and pass it down from generation to generation.

Recently newspapers have reported that officials in a little-known mountainous area near Guiyang, Guizhou Province wanted to turn the area into a “central business destrict” for Guiyang and invited a foreign design company to give an entirely new look. The design company came up with a blueprint for unconventional, super-futuristic buildings. This triggered off different responses. Some appreciated the bold innovation of the design, but others held that it failed to reflect regional characteristics or local cultural heritage. What is your view on this? Write an essay of about 400 words. You should supply an appropriate title for your essay.

The important role of a city’s local conditions in the urban design Recently there is a hot debate on a report that a foreign design company invited by a little-known mountainous area in Guiyang provided a design without paying too much attention to the city’s unique characteristics. Some people appreciate the bold innovation of the design but others do not like it. In my opinion, any urban design should take the city’s original cultural heritage into account. The designers should suit their design to local conditions and try to take advantage of the local resources.

First, a city’s regional characteristics or local cultural heritage are its symbol, its identity. In a mountainous area, too many unconventional, super-futuristic buildings will not be compatible with the city’s landscapes. Without these landscapes, it is just another so called modern city composed of concrete and steel. Take Beijing for example. In the past few years, Beijing has been removing a large number of such alleys traditionally called hutong, in order to make it become a real international city. But without these alleys can this city still be called Beijing, an ancient capital? The disappearance of hutongs means the disappearance of a period of history, a cordial lifestyle, and even the disappearance of Beijing itself. Then Beijing will lose its uniqueness.

Second, it can help a city save a lot of money by suiting the design to local conditions and try to take advantage of the local resources. This is especially important to small cities, like that in a mountainous area near Guiyang. We all know Guiyang is a developing city, not very rich. Unconventional, super-futuristic buildings mean large need of money input. Then more burdens may be added to this city, which will run counter to the city’s original purpose of developing itself. Instead, if connections b etween a city’s culture and various urban sectors, including housing, infrastructure and governance, are well made, the maximum economic benefits will be achieved.

Besides, the modernization should be a gradual process. More haste, less speed. Nonetheless, it should not be overlooked that the shortcomings of futuristic-style constructing outweigh its advantages.

In conclusion, any urban design should take the city’s original cultural heritage into account. The designers should suit their design to local conditions and try to take advantage of the local resources. A scientific city design should be dependent on the city’s regional characteristics, on a case-by-case basis.