1、专业英语八级（作文）模拟试卷 72及答案与解析 一、 PART V WRITING 1 Some people think that financial disparity affects friendship. What do you think? The following article is discussing this issue. Write an article of NO LESS THAN 300 words, in which you should: 1. summarize briefly the main opinion of the article; 2. give
2、 your comment. How Income Disparities Affect Your Friendships When people with money are friends with people of modest means the disparities dont typically end with the bank accounts. One person in the friendship often feels less comfortable than the other, and it tends to be the one with less money
3、 the friend who cant afford to join the group at the restaurant or go on the weekend trip, the one whose share may be paid for by the others. “It doesnt disturb the rich ones to pay,“ says Horst Heidbrink, a psychology lecturer at the distance-learning University of Hagen. “The rich person thinks th
4、eyre being caring. But the poorer person feels under pressure to be particularly nice.“ But a lack of balance puts pressure on many friendships. Aristotelian ethics would suggest dealing with the imbalance with increased devotion by the friend with less. Friendship expert Horst Heidbrink says he wou
5、ldnt recommend this, but his research has shown him that the give and take between friends has to be balanced. Friendships between rich and poor people are not as unusual as one might think. In a recent study by the Bremen-based Allensbach Institute, 1,624 people of different ages were asked about t
6、heir friendships. Forty-four percent of respondents said they had friends who were considerably better off than they were. And 41% said they were friends with people who were considerably less well off than they were. And yet that old saying to the effect that money issues can put an end to friendsh
7、ip still holds for many. According to the study, friends helped each other out with moving house and renovation work, offered an ear when needed and doled out advice. But only 10% ever accepted significant loans from their richer friends. “Many people believe that borrowing money would weigh the fri
8、endship down,“ Heidbrink says. “Most people would rather go to their parents because family relationships dont depend on symmetry as much as friendships do.“ Nevertheless, he says, “A good friendship can also withstand a credit.“ Although friendships between men and women are vulnerable because they
9、 are defined by different activities. With their male friends, men play sports, for example, while women and their girlfriends often just talk when they get together. “Thats where it gets harder to leave out financial situations, and theres more comparing,“ says Heidbrink. On the other hand, when tw
10、o guys play soccer together, its not an issue if one returns to a villa and the other to a low-rent apartment “What counts is trust,“ Heidbrink says. When trust isnt justified when a friend refuses to help or betrays confidences then friendships fall apart. They dont fall apart because one person ha
11、s a lot of money in the bank and the other doesnt. If the less well-off dont suffer from jealousy or envy, and the better-off dont take it too much to heart if their best friend cant join them on that spa trip, theres a good chance of a successful friendship. 2 So far, only 14 countries in the world
12、 have laws on the books specifically giving homosexual couples the right to adopt children. A few other countries, like Finland and Iceland, allow one partner in a same-sex union to adopt the others biological child. The majority of countries in the world, though, have laws specifically prohibiting
13、adoption by same-sex couples. The following are viewpoints on whether homosexual couples should have adoption rights. Write an article of NO LESS THAN 300 words, in which you should: 1. summarize briefly the opinions; 2. give your comment. James Madison from the UK There are still many ways for homo
14、sexuals to become parents. Some of them are able to pay for a surrogate; some may have a natural child from a previous (heterosexual) relationship and then raise the child with a homosexual partner. These kids deserve the security of two legally recognized parents. If being raised by same-sex parent
15、s is really that harmful, why would the law allow two gay people to raise a child together as parents but refuse to legally recognize them as such? He Yong from China The focus of this debate should not be on gay rights, but on what is in the best interest of the adopted child. The adoption process
16、goal is to find the most suitable parents for that child, not to resolve other social inequalities and injustices. Being raised in a traditional family, by a mother and father, is the best environment for a child. Studies have shown that children who are raised by homosexual couples can have problem
17、s with substance abuse, violence and “at risk“ behaviour. Therefore the government has the obligation to try to provide the child with that environment. Lisa Belkin from Finland Children raised by gay or lesbian couples will find it more difficult to learn appropriate gender roles in the absence of
18、male or female role-models. Although not an exact match single parents provide a similar case where there has not been someone of the other gender as a role model. Although the evidence is not nearly as conclusive as is often claimed, there have been many studies that have shown that two parents fro
19、m different genders is beneficial to the child in its development Similarly it is often claimed that boys develop negative attitudes to study because there are very few male teachers in primary schools. John Schwartz from Germany Getting married and raising a family is considered in most societies o
20、ne of the most important and fulfilling experiences one can aspire to. It is so important that it is considered a human right (Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights states “Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence.“) It is cons
21、idered so important for people to be able to become parents that some governments (the UK, for example) fund fertility treatments for couples who are reproductively challenged, and a majority of the population supports that policy. But members of the homosexual community are stopped from pursuing th
22、is human right by repressive and discriminatory laws. Benedict Carey from Canada Discrimination is the practice of treating people differently based not on individual merit but on their membership to a certain group. The adoption bans are a clear example. Rather than assessing same-sex couples indiv
23、idually, it is simply assumed that they would all make bad parents because they are gay or lesbian, while straight couples are assessed based on their individual merit. This breaches the fundamental right of all people to be treated equally under the law and it should be stopped. 3 Chinas top legisl
24、ature has recently implemented an amendment to the Advertising Law that states minors under the age of 10 should not be advertising endorsers. According to the amendment, companies that use children under this age as spokespersons in advertisements will be fined. The following are opinions on whethe
25、r it is proper to use children as endorsers. Read them carefully and write your response in NO LESS THAN 300 words, in which you should: 1. summarize briefly the arguments on both sides; 2. give your comment. Ye Qingcheng (Beijing Times) Despite various bans on child actors and actresses, they are a
26、lways popular with the public because of their cuteness. Childhood, however, is supposed to be a period of time when children play and learn, and even if they are talented in acting, their talent should not be overused. Otherwise, they may end up paying for this lost time when they grow up. In this
27、sense, a ban on childrens commercial endorsements really aims to protect minors from being negatively impacted by commercial activities. When a child has gained fame by acting in movies or in televised entertainment programs, he or she will be able to capitalize on his or her reputation. A short com
28、mercial on TV can bring in a huge amount of money. Too much entertainment engagement may be more than a child can bear, psychologically and physically, but a hefty paycheck looks attractive to the childs family. In most cases, these child stars will be overly consumed. The proposed endorsement ban d
29、oes not totally forbid children to act in commercials. They are banned only from playing the lead role and speaking for a certain product in their own names. Striking a balance between happy childhood and the demands of being a child star is a delicate balancing act for parents and advertising agenc
30、ies. We do hope that we can protect child stars growing years while the audience can still enjoy their excellent performances. Bian Guanghun (Yanzhao Metropolis Daily) Generally speaking, children under the age of 10 possess only a simple understanding of social events. However, when they become adv
31、ertising endorsers, they have to face events beyond their cognitive capacity. In most cases, they dont actually know how the products they speak for are used. They say and do what the businesses pay them to say and do. Therefore, its quite doubtful whether the products these child stars speak for ar
32、e reliable or not. Some companies using child endorsers intend to mislead these endorsers peers. The products may not be as good as are exaggerated in advertisements. These businesses hope their products will impress other children when they see child stars are using them. They will then ask their p
33、arents to buy this or that product for them. Ye Zhusheng (The Beijing News) Endorsing an advertisement does not necessarily violate minors rights and interests. Its thus improper to forbid all such commercial activities among children. The minors and their parents should be given the right to decide
34、 whether to do the job after fully analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of being an advertising endorser. Otherwise, instead of protecting minors interests, the law will restrict their freedom and rights. Meanwhile, endorsements are usually conducted by celebrities. When it is stipulated by la
35、w that minors under the age of 10 should not be chosen as advertising endorsers, we dont know whether only well-known child stars are forbidden or ordinary children under this age are also in the category. Therefore, in the process of implementation, there might be some specific problems. 4 There is
36、 undeniably a great deal of advertising currently which is aimed at children from toddlers to teenagers, promoting not only toys and sweets but also products such as food, drink, music, films and clothing. Increasingly this practice is coming under attack from parents organizations, politicians and
37、pressure groups in many countries. Some countries have currently imposed national restrictions. The following are opinions on the advertising towards children. Write an article of NO LESS THAN 300 words, in which you should: 1. summarize briefly the opinions; 2. give your comment. James Rouse, lawma
38、ker in the US Advertising specifically to children is unethical because they have little or no money of their own and have to persuade their parents to buy the products for them. Rather than advertising directly to parents, companies use this campaign that leads to hostility between parents and chil
39、dren. They rely on pester power to make adults spend money they dont have on things they dont want to buy, and which their children may well only play with for a few hours for example. Advertising which presents products to children as “must-have“ is also socially divisive, making children whose par
40、ents cannot afford them appear inferior, and creating feelings of frustration and inadequacy, as well as leading families into debt. Natasha Smith, British journalist Advertising has no magical power to create unnatural desires for material possessions, Children who persistently nag are simply badly
41、 brought up. Poor parenting and undisciplined children cannot be solved by banning advertising, as children have many influences upon them which can stimulate their desires for toys, particularly their friends. It is also untrue that children have no spending power of their own; many children receiv
42、e pocket money, and teenagers are often able to earn a little themselves. Learning to manage money is also an important part of growing up, advertisements help assist children to not only choose what they would like but also motivates them to save and subsequently to learn the true value of money. R
43、obert Quinn, parent of a ten-year-old son, Australia Advertising aimed at children brings negative social consequences, as much of it is for food and drinks that are very unhealthy. It is estimated that in the US over $10 billion is spent annually advertising fast food towards children. Encouraging
44、children to consume so much fatty, sugary and salty food is unethical because it creates obese, unhealthy youngsters, with bad eating habits that will be with them for life. Society also has to pay a high price in terms of the extra medical care such children will eventually require, so the governme
45、nt has a direct interest in preventing advertisements which contribute to this problem. James OBarr, entrepreneur from the UK Children naturally like foods that are rich in fats, proteins and sugar, they give them the energy they need to play energetically and grow healthily. It is true that eating
46、only such foods is bad for people, but this is a problem of bad parenting rather than the fault of advertising. To suggest that the eating habits, good or bad, stay with children throughout the rest of their lives is ridiculous, when children become adults they will for better or for worse make thei
47、r own decisions. Also if advertising to children were banned then governments would not be able to use this means of promoting healthy eating, road safety, hygiene, and other socially useful messages. 专业英语八级（作文）模拟试卷 72答案与解析 一、 PART V WRITING 1 【正确答案】 Money Dont Make True Friends Go Money makes the m
48、are go, and money also makes friends come and go. According to the passage above, financial disparity, to a certain extent, affects friendship, as the less rich person would feel pressured. However, as mentioned by the friendship expert Heidbrink in the passage, firmness of a friendship depends cruc
49、ially on trust, rather than financial equality. I share the same idea with Heidbrink that a successful friendship goes along with multi-trust and understanding. It is not incomprehensible at all to say that there can be a sense of insecurity and worthlessness if you associate with someone making more money, and consequently the friendship between the two will be unavoidably undermined, but friendship involves compromise, patience, and support. If the friendship is really worth it to them, people should be willing to make the necessary compro
