1、专业英语八级（作文）模拟试卷 85及答案与解析 一、 PART V WRITING 1 TV dating shows now have caused more controversies than praises. Inappropriate statements of materialism are often put out in these shows, which have led to a restriction and cutbacks on dating shows. The following article provides detailed information abo
2、ut this issue. Read it carefully and write your response in No Less Than 300 words, in which you should: 1. summarize briefly the article, and then 2. express your opinion towards dating shows, especially whether we should restrict and even cut down the dating shows broadcast. Chinas TV Dating Shows
3、: for Love or Money? For a small but increasingly high-profile number of young women in modern-day China, true love is all about the numbers. At least, thats the way things look if you watch Chinese television these days. Though China was slow to pick up on the reality-programming trend, a host of d
4、ating shows have emerged in recent years, capturing millions of viewers but angering critics who say the programs promote negative, non-traditional values among urban Chinese youth. The televised Smackdown swept the Internet and the resistance among young Chinese was especially severe, reflecting gr
5、owing anxieties over the widening gap between rich and poor, shifting societal values and the difficulties of finding a mate in a country where men are expected to outnumber women by 24 million in a decade. “Yes, the world needs money, but your idea that money is the master of everything is not righ
6、t.“ one netizen, Wang Xi Jie, wrote on the popular Internet forum T. Another blogger, Xie Yong, wrote on the Web portal S: “The most controversial aspect of these programs is the value contestants place on money worshipping and rich people. These opinions are so contrary to traditional values. But w
7、e cant do anything if these people just like ugly things.“ In response to inappropriate statements of materialism, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) issued a harsh set of new rules for matchmaking programs. “Incorrect social and love values such as money worship should n
8、ot be presented in the shows,“ the notice read. It also banned “morally provocative hosts and hostesses“ and demanded that participants undergo stricter screening procedures and “be cautious before mouthing extreme remarks.“ Now the state is going after money worshippers and gold diggers. Liu Yuncha
9、o, a male contestant, was also condemned in the blogosphere for his arrogance after he bragged about having 6 million yuan in the bank and three sports cars. As disgusted as viewers have been by some of the contestants, however, they continue to watch religiously. “Audiences like the programs becaus
10、e theyre honest. They show the current reality of Chinese society,“ says Yan Mu, one of the founders of B, an online dating service. Young people are so focused on making money and building their careers these days, they have little time to devote to dating and contestants speak to these difficultie
11、s on the shows, he says. “Many people feel pressure from their parents and peers,“ Yan adds. “It can be a struggle to find a partner.“ Money may not buy you love. But on Chinas reality shows, it can at least get you a date. 2 China has the fastest-ageing population in human history but the state pro
12、vides very little support for elderly people. Ageing parents have traditionally been looked after by their children but in todays China that is not always the case. The following news report gives details of this issue. Write an article of NO LESS THAN 300 words, in which you should: 1. summarize br
13、iefly the news report; 2. give your comment. “Who will take care of my aging parents?“ Millions of people ponder that question regularly in China, a country with a demographic crisis that its leaders are only starting to confront. According to United Nations figures, nearly 200 million Chinese are n
14、ow over age 60. Roughly half are “empty nest“ parents living alone in rural areas. In the next 15 years, nearly one in four Chinese more than 320 million people will be 60 and older, including tens of millions of disabled seniors. In the past, Chinese elders could be assured that, when they were fra
15、il and no longer able to work, their children would look after them. But because of the governments one-child policy and the migration of young people to urban jobs, Chinas traditional system of elder care has been shredded. “The old people in their own homes are often not getting checks from their
16、own children,“ said Timothy Beardson, author of “Stumbling Giant,“ a book that examines Chinas looming challenges, including its demographics. “It is not a happy picture. It is a very gloomy picture.“ Chinas government seems well aware that in a nation that is increasingly silver-haired and vulnerab
17、le, elder neglect is an ugly side effect of the nations economic miracle. Three years ago, the government even felt compelled to pass a controversial law, Protection of the Rights and Interests of Elderly People, that spelled out the obligations of young offspring. Yet unlike most industrialized cou
18、ntries, China doesnt have an insurance safety net like Medicare to provide medical treatment for seniors. Nor does it have anywhere near enough nursing home beds to ensure care for the seriously infirm. Recently, a Chinese state media reported that there could be a 100-year wait to get into Beijings
19、 top-ranked nursing home, as some 10,000 applicants were waiting for 1,100 available beds. The nation currently has about 4 million nursing home spots. There are roughly 30 million Chinese age 80 or older. “There are a lot of smart people in the government,“ said Beardson. “But are they going to be
20、able to respond effectively to the challenges China is facing? I am not sure.“ A graying population is just one of the bumps Chinas encountered as it speeds through the 21st century. As Beardson notes in “Stumbling Giant,“ the percentage of young people in China is shrinking, and with it, the work f
21、orce that has powered the Chinese economy in recent decades. And while the government has recently loosened its one-child policy, surveys suggest that young urban families facing high rents and concerns about college costs have little interest in rearing more than one or two children. All that poses
22、 questions for Chinas leaders: Can they keep the nations economic engine running without a large pool of low-paid workers? And how will it pay for health care and living costs of hundreds of millions of people who will enter their golden years in the decades ahead? 3 According to a news report, the
23、divorce rate in China has been increasing ever since the start of 21st century. Some people say that this is a social improvement in that people now are free to get married and divorced. Others argue that this is a moral setback as Chinese people tend to believe in life-long commitment to marriage.
24、The following news report provides detailed information about this issue. Read it carefully and write your response in No Less Than 300 words, in which you should: 1. summarize briefly the reasons of high divorce rate, and then 2. give your comment. Calling off Forever Today, one out of every four m
25、arriages in China ends in divorce. According to figures released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, a total of 3.6 million Chinese marriages broke up last year. Among them, the 25-29 age brackets represented 38 percent of the total. “The reason the divorce rate is high among these groups is that they
26、 value their own interests and rarely care about others feelings,“ said Sun Yunxiao, Deputy Director of the China Youth and Children Research Center, who revealed that many young people now divorce for trivial reasons. Zhang Xiao recently divorced after 13 months of marriage. “I tied the knot with m
27、y ex-husband after six months of dating.“ Zhang said. “But he refused to do any housework. It didnt feel like a home at all.“ “Many young people get married impulsively before they truly know what marriage is,“ said Chu Yunlu, a lawyer who mainly handles divorce proceedings. Chu suggests the governm
28、ent and/or non-governmental organizations hold marriage awareness campaigns, telling unmarried people that the spousal relationship is more about responsibility than romance. “Only after getting married did I realize marriage is not only the union of two people but also that of two families.“ said G
29、ao Min, who divorced after a four-year marriage. “Things changed after my ex-mother-in-law moved in with us. Love is weak in the face of complicated family issues.“ Unlike most young couples who tend to end their marriage on impulse, most middle-aged divorce seekers, who are burdened with many respo
30、nsibilities, choose to sever their ties after serious deliberation. In recent years, a large number of couples have ended their marriages after their children took the national college entrance exam in June, also known as the gaokao. As a result, the divorce rate usually peaks from June to September
31、. Jin Hui, a 43-year-old woman in Jinan, divorced her husband right after the score of their daughter in the gaokao was released. “We had both worked in a county in the vicinity of Jinan. But a few years ago, he started his own business,“ Jin said. “He soon made a lot of money, but the accumulation
32、of wealth also made a gap between us. I know we cant go back to where we were.“ Normally, many middle-aged couples choose to end their marriage because of the change of wealth and/or social status of one party. Whatever the reasons behind divorces, the divorce rate in China has been growing over the
33、 past decade. Li Hongxiang, a professor of law at Jilin University, said that todays people no longer believe marriage is a lifetime commitment and a weakened idea of marriage has led to more divorces. He also pointed out the current marriage registration regulation that went into force in 2003 has
34、made it easier to get a civil divorce. Some Internet users believe that couples should be able to divorce whenever they want because the freedom to divorce is a sacred right endowed to Chinese citizens by the law and that marriage registration offices should increase the efficiency of relevant legal
35、 procedures. 4 Paying kids to do chores has been one of the most hotly-debated parenting topics for a long time. Some hold that paying children to do chores can help them to learn money management skills while others consider it will make children less willing to contribute to family. From the follo
36、wing excerpts, you can find different opinions towards this parenting method. Write an article of NO LESS THAN 300 words, in which you should: 1. summarize briefly the two excepts, and then 2. give your comment on whether it is suitable to pay kids for doing house chores. Excerpt 1 Karine Ewart, Edi
37、tor-in-Chief, mom of four Growing up, there wasnt a lot of money to go around. Once I was old enough to start coveting “stuff,“ I needed to find a way to pay for it myself. So from the age of eight, I had a variety of part-time jobs, including paper routes, dog walking, and life-guarding. By the tim
38、e I got my first real job, I had plenty of work experience, yet zero knowledge of finances or budgeting. I once spent my last $20 on a new pair of shoes, knowing I had nothing but bagels and butter to live on until my next payday. Now that my kids are between six and ten, they often want new stuff,
39、too, and at ever-increasing price points. My answer is always, “not unless its your birthday, Christmas or a true necessity.“ But we do want to teach them money management skills, so a chores-based allowance makes sense for us. Every week, theyre assigned a few extra jobs: feed or brush the dog, unl
40、oad the dishwasher, flip the laundry, or help with yardwork. We also expect them to contribute to the household without any monetary gain. The rules are: respect each other, no physical fighting, use your manners, do your homework, keep your rooms clean, make your own lunch. Each kid gets $5 a week,
41、 but one loonie goes to charity and another goes into a savings account. They can spend their $3 a week any way they want or, ideally, save it. I am happy to report that my daughter Milla is much more fiscally responsible than I was at her age. Excerpt 2 Sharon DeVellis, mom of two When I was a kid,
42、 I received a weekly allowance to do the chores. To this day, I remember how resentful I felt when my friends were out playing while I was stuck behind a sink, or forced to clean the gross cat box. When our sons were eight and five, we started giving them an allowance based on chores, too. However,
43、they wanted money any time I asked them to do something around the house. My husband and I decided to change tactics. We explained the responsibilities required to keep the house running smoothly to the boys. They got a list of tasks we expected them to do each day not because they were being paid,
44、but because its part of being in a family. They do receive a monthly allowance, but its not contingent on chores. Wheres the accountability? This is why we chose a monthly allowance and not weekly. The first time we doled out their monthly allowance, both boys spent all their money and had nothing l
45、eft for the next 29 days this was how they learned the importance of budgeting. When they bought dollar-store toys that broke a few hours later, they learned about quality, not quantity. When my youngest son didnt spend his allowance for three months in order to buy himself a digital camera, he lear
46、ned how to save. 专业英语八级（作文）模拟试卷 85答案与解析 一、 PART V WRITING 1 【正确答案】 Restriction on Dating Shows: Too Hasty, Too Premature In spite of their high viewing rates and popularity, TV dating shows have attracted much criticism for presenting some inappropriate social and love values. As indicated in the ti
47、tle of the article, these shows are more about money than love. Comments from the audiences and netizens show that they strongly oppose to the money-worshipping contestants. In order to eliminate their negative effect, SARFT released new regulations to restrict TV dating shows, especially inappropri
48、ate remarks. For me, however, dating shows only reflect a social phenomenon that needs to be addressed, which has been pointed out by Yan Wu in the above article. SARFTs ban is a reckless action which merely scratches the surface of the problem. Firstly, the restriction policy has ignored the fact t
49、hat dating shows function only as a medium which allows different opinions to be expressed. The formation of ones viewpoint may have something to do with the family background or understanding of the world, but it surely has nothing to do with the dating shows themselves. In other words, the assumption that cutting down dating shows would help curb or even eliminate such kind of inappropriate mindsets in the society is naive. It is implemented out of the wrong motive. Thats why it will only treat the symptoms and can
