1、专业英语八级（作文）模拟试卷 86及答案与解析 一、 PART V WRITING 1 Recently, some teenage students “kowtowed,“ or knelt down, in front of their parents in a traditional ritual of worship in a primary school, which sparked a hot debate. The following are opinions on this issue. Write an article of NO LESS THAN 300 words, i
2、n which you should: 1. summarize briefly the arguments on both sides; 2. give your comment Gao Fusheng from Kneeling down in front of parents could easily have been read as being merely ceremonious in nature. However, its symbolic significance cant be ignored. Asking teenage students to kneel down
3、in front of their parents will probably not dramatically change their behavior or lead them to act in a more polite way in daily life. The ceremony at least granted them a rare opportunity to demonstrate love and gratitude to their parents formally. Primary and middle schools are critical stages for
4、 students growth in addition to the formation of their values. Solely imparting knowledge on the matter onto the young is not very effective, as they must be informed of how to apply these values in practice. Students need opportunities to show how truly grateful they are to their parents. The cerem
5、ony will provide better outcomes than were students never granted the opportunity. The lack of filial piety has long been a social grievance in modern times. Whenever there are similar events, people tend to be critical, instead of undertaking concrete measures to promote filial piety in their own w
6、ay. There is no rigid etiquette for how filial piety should be conducted. The modern era has brought with it a number of innovative new ways of doing this. As for this practice, although it may have been old-fashioned, its intentions were good, and attempts of this nature should be encouraged. We ne
7、ed to show more tolerance toward the various ways in which schools promote filial piety and traditional culture on the whole. Zhi Feng from Kowtowing is a generic traditional ritual, not necessarily linked to filial piety per se. In order to clarify this issue, we need to trace the ritual back to i
8、ts origin. In the feudal era, people inferior in terms of social status were supposed to kowtow to those who were superior, a ritual that highlighted differences in the social hierarchy. Often considered as a symbol of inequality, it is a rite we would perhaps be better off cutting ties with. Nowada
9、ys, the ritual of kowtowing is seldom seen except on very limited occasions such as funerals. Therefore, its vital for schools to first make clear what message this or that traditional ritual sends before they begin to organize activities designed to promote traditional culture. Liu Xuesong from Bei
10、jing Times Plucking ancient rituals from history and applying them unchanged to the present-day educational setting seem a strange practice. After all, modem society is no longer familiar with these old rituals, many of which have been abandoned for more than a century. Chinese traditional culture s
11、tresses that filial piety trumps all other virtues. However, schools need to learn that the core of filial piety lies not in kneeling down in front of the parents or in showing absolute obedience, but in respect for ones parents arising from the bottom of ones heart. Moreover, in modern times, peopl
12、e are encouraged and expected to think independently and develop independent personalities. This obviously clashes with the traditional concept of filial piety. 2 When parents have to work at daytime or out of town, kids are usually looked after by their grandparents. There are certainly advantages
13、and disadvantages of this practice. The following are two excerpts about this issue. Write an article of NO LESS THAN 300 words, in which you should: 1. summarize the advantages and disadvantages revealed in both excerpts, and then 2. express your own opinion on this practice. Excerpt 1 In a G surve
14、y of 10,000 grandparents across the country, 61 percent of those polled said they take care of their grandkids on a regular basis. For some grandparents such as Jacqueline Rafla, a grandmother of 12, caring for grandchildren keeps them going. “Its life, its youth,“ she said. “Youre reliving your own
15、 children through these little children.“ This trend toward grandparent care is in part because of the recession. According to National Association of Child Care Resource 2. give your comment. Richard Shaw, Director of United States Department of Social Welfare A nursing home is sometimes referred t
16、o as an “old folks home“ and is a place where elderly people who need medical or physical assistance live. Residents live in a large building with other similarly aged people. Some nursing homes offer private bedrooms for elderly residents who can still perform many daily tasks, while other nursing
17、homes encourage residents to share a bedroom with a roommate. Many children are unsure whether putting an elderly parent into a nursing home is a good idea, but nursing homes offer several distinct advantages for residents. Most nursing homes offer round-the-clock care for residents. Nursing homes e
18、mploy a number of nurses or nurse practitioners, and many nursing homes also have a resident doctor or a doctor on call at all times. Nursing homes also offer security to ensure that only family members and approved guests are admitted into the home. Nursing homes offer regularly scheduled activitie
19、s to build a sense of community among residents. Nursing home seniors enjoy field trips and sightseeing at local landmarks with other residents at the nursing home. While at the nursing home, residents may enjoy chatting, watching movies or playing games together. Residents of a nursing home receive
20、 assistance performing basic tasks, such as eating, drinking and getting dressed. The staff at a nursing home works closely with residents to encourage as much independence as is physically possible, while maintaining a safe and nurturing environment. Staff also takes care of basic chores, such as w
21、ashing laundry and cooking meals. Trent Hamm, Author of The Simple Dollar One of the biggest downfalls of a nursing home is the high cost of living. It can cost families thousands of dollars a year to put a senior family member into a nursing home, and its often not an expense that the family is rea
22、dy to handle just yet. If parents have set aside part of their retirement savings to cover the costs of living in a nursing home, then it shouldnt be too much of an issue. But if that money isnt available, nursing homes might not be a feasible option for many families. Moreover, after living full, i
23、ndependent lives, its often difficult to convince a senior citizen to move into a nursing home where they may lose much of that sense of freedom that theyve grown so accustomed to their entire lives. Above all, perhaps the reason so many people have negative views on nursing homes is that there are
24、so many horror stories out there that weve all heard These are the stories of nursing home neglect, abuse or other mistreatment of the people that we love so dearly. While there are some nursing homes out there that have bad reputations, use referrals from friends and community members when youre se
25、arching for a nursing home for your family member. Do your research before sending your parent or grandparent to the facility, and stay active in the care of your family member to ensure they are being cared for properly. 4 The following two excerpts are about the so-called Tiger Mom parenting style
26、: being fiercely strict mother or father who pushes their children to work hard at their studies and even restricts their free time so they can continually achieve high grades. From the excerpts, you can find that this practice indeed helps children achieve academic success, but there have also been
27、 doubt and criticism. Write an article of NO LESS THAN 300 words, in which you should: 1. summarize the main idea of both excerpts, and then 2. express your opinion towards this parenting style. Excerpt 1 Xiao Baiyou is the latest media sensation in China a father who not only beat his son and three
28、 daughters, but boasts about how he did it. Wolf Dad, as hes been nicknamed, wrote a book that was originally titled Beat Them into Peking University. It was later changed to the not-quite-as-catchy So, Brothers and Sisters of Peking University. The name Wolf Dad reminds people back to Amy Chua, the
29、 Chinese-American Tiger Mom whose book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, set off an insane firestorm of controversy when it came out in 2011. The Yale professor based the book on her experiences of raising two daughters with her non-Asian husband. Chuas methods included banning TV and frivolous soci
30、al activities such as sleepovers, exacting harsh punishments for weak grades and even shaming her daughters when they failed to live up her high expectations. Many parenting experts expressed horror at her seemingly ruthless methodology, but its tough to argue with results. Besides attaining near-pe
31、rfect grades, her eldest daughter Sophia played the classical piano at Carnegie Hall at age 14 and was later accepted into both Harvard and Yale. Sophias younger sister Louisa is a violin talent who has never received any grade below an A. And for the Wolf Dad, three out of four of Baiyous kids got
32、into Chinas most-prestigious Peking University. Excerpt 2 Yale professor Amy Chua wrote “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother“ in 2011, introducing the phrase “Tiger Mom“ into popular culture and celebrating her strict parenting style. But in China, the birthplace of tiger parenting, kids whose parents c
33、ontrol their lives with cheerless demands for perfection are becoming a problem. Researchers from UC Riverside published a new study recently, based on data from nearly 600 middle- and high-school students in Hangzhou, China, debunking the idea that punitive tiger parenting is superior. It finds tha
34、t less supportive parenting techniques used by some Chinese parents damages self-esteem and complicates school adjustment, while also putting kids at greater risk of depression and problem behaviors. “Our research shows that Tiger Mother type of parenting, specifically controlling, punitive, and les
35、s supportive type of parenting is really not working in this sample of Chinese adolescents,“ said Cixin Wang, an assistant professor at UC Riversides Graduate School of Education. “It also shows that it is important for Chinese parents, who tend to be less emotionally expressive and use less praise
36、in parenting, to show their approval, love and support for their children.“ 专业英语八级（作文）模拟试卷 86答案与解析 一、 PART V WRITING 1 【正确答案】 To Kowtow or Not to Kowtow Kowtow, an ancient practice showing respect in China, has been recently put in midst of a heated debate for a ritual held by a primary school where
37、 young students kowtowed in front of their parents. To kowtow or not has sparked a hot debate among the public. Those who support the practice believe that it offers a rare opportunity in modern times for students to show filial piety to their parents and promotes traditional culture among students.
38、 However, this conduct suffered from serious attacks. Opponents believe that kowtow is an old-fashioned way showing absolute obedience in feudal society where exists a strict system of hierarchy. Psychological studies of childrens development, however, favor nurturing independent personality in chil
39、dren. Therefore, asking students to kowtow sends the wrong message and is not conducive for healthy parent-child relationship. I believe that the aim of promoting filial piety is well-intended but asking students to kowtow is probably not the most effective means to reach this aim. Firstly, kowtow,
40、which only sends nominal message of respect or obedience, does not bring any actual good to the parents. There are numerous other ways that both develops filial piety and brings actual good. For example, the school can encourage students to do some housework for the family each week, or give their p
41、arents a foot massage in a hot tub. Secondly, it is not feasible to promote filial piety through kowtow nowadays. Students do not have many opportunities to kowtow so it is impossible to promote filial piety through the limited number of kowtows. Last but not least, kowtow does not promote a healthy
42、 parent-child relationship. An increasing number of people have realized the importance of independent personality and equal parent-child relationship. Kowtow, however, runs contrary to that. In conclusion, kowtow is well-intended but has limited effects in promoting filial piety, others means can b
43、e adopted. 【试题解析】 材料选取了三个人对 “是否应该向父母磕头 ”的看法。第一个人表示支持这种做法，而后两个人则表示反对。 支持者认为，磕头仪式给孩子提供了少有的机会 (granted them a rare opportunity)以表孝心，中小学生正处于叛逆期 (critical stages)，只是简单地给他们灌输价值观 (Solely imparting knowledge)并不见效，还需要给他们提供体现这些价值的实践机会 (apply these values in practice)，而磕头仪式就 是其中一种实践方式。 反对者则认为，磕头仪式传递的是强调社会等级 (h
44、ighlighted differences in the social hierarchy)的信息，是不平等的象征 (a symbol of inequality)，应予以剔除；孝顺不是在父母跟前屈膝磕头表示绝对服从 (absolute obedience)，而是尊重父母 (in respect for ones parents)。同时，磕头的做法与现代社会所弘扬的独立思考能力(think independently)和独立人格 (independent personalities)相悖。 开篇：由小学生给父母磕头的事件引出本文的话题。 主体：总结材料，概括支持者和反对者的看法；表明自己的观
45、点 在反对磕头的同时，可用其他方式培养孝心。 结尾：总结全文，重申用其他方式取代磕头的做法。 【知识模块】 作文 2 【正确答案】 Grandparents Wont Make Good Parents With the increasing pace of modern society, many young parents find it difficult to take care of their children when they have families to support and career goals to pursue. Therefore, grandparents
46、 are sometimes asked to look after their grandchildren. People strongly support it in that raising grandchildren can give grandparents the feeling of youth and appreciation. Besides, children may also benefit from their grandparents care mentally as well as physically. While others worry that this m
47、ay bring great pressure to those grandparents since looking after children requires large amounts of energy. While the excerpts consider the issue from grandparents point of view, I put emphasis on the impact exerted to the grandchildren, believing that this may make the children spoiled and cause d
48、omestic conflicts. To start with, grandparents are very likely to spoil their grandchildren. Unlike parents who are more aware of the discipline of their children, grandparents usually present very intense love for their grandchildren. They tend to do everything for their grandchildren from dressing
49、 to cooking and cleaning, instead of letting those kids do it on their own. When grandchildren get used to being served and loved, they would lose the initiatives of doing things with their own strength, and they tend to ask for anything they like without thinking. This is apparently harmful to the education of the kids. Secondly, different parenting skills and different attitudes towards a child between the two generations will easily cause discords in a family. Once a child gets used to the overindulgence of
