新世纪大学英语综合教程1---单元话题作文范文(秦秀白版).doc

Unit 1 College life
1. Write an essay in about 100–120 words based on your discussion in Optional Classroom Activities. You can take either of the following titles:
1) I like to study on my own
2) I like to study in a group
2. If you didn’t do Task 3 in Optional Classroom Activities you can write an essay of around 120 words on the following topic.
College Is Not an Ivory Tower
▆ Sample Essays for Task 1:
I like to study on my own
Many of my classmates like to study together. However, I always like to study on my own, with good reasons. First, I feel that I can concentrate better when I study alone. When I have to work together with other people, I often get distracted and more often than not, I end up chatting with them without completing the task at hand. Second, when I study on my own, I can work at my own pace, choosing to spend more time on certain difficult sections and less time on less challenging parts. I can also check my class notes or reference books whenever I feel the need to. One final good advantage of studying alone is that unlike group work, self study is not restricted by time and space. In other words, if I feel like studying, I can do so at any time and anywhere. (146 words)
I like to study in a group
According to a recent study, students who study together by discussing homework and problems usually score higher than those who work on their own. I am happy to hear that because I like to study in a group. I think we can reinforce our understanding of what we have learned in class by asking each other questions. Besides, it is always enjoyable working with someone else. A discussion on questions we don’t understand very well will help clear up any possible confusion. Last but not least, we should not ignore the importance of cooperation in our society. Working with others helps develop our team spirit, which has become essential in this modern world of ours. After all, two heads are always better than one. (125 words)

▆ Sample Essay for Task 2:
College Is Not an Ivory Tower
People often say that college is an ivory tower and life on campus is cut off from the harsh realities of the real world. College may have been an ivory tower before, but it is not so any more. We college students are under various kinds of pressure. First of all, most of us are burdened with a heavy tuition fee, which keeps on increasing every year. So some of us have to work over ten hours every week. Life for those who can get financial help from their parents is not easy either, as they very often have to follow their parents’ advice and take a major they don’t like. Finally those who are about to graduate suffer from a different kind of pressure: hunting for a job. It is no longer easy for a college student to get a decently paid job these days. (134 words)

Unit 2 Learning a language
▆ Write a passage in about 100-120 words, taking either of the following titles:
1) Why I like to learn English
2) Why I hate to learn English
▆ Sample essay for Task 1:
Why I like to learn English
I have learned English for about seven years. I should say that I am highly motivated to master English. First of all, learning English is useful, as it is becoming a world language and people from different countries often communicate with one another in English. If I am good at English, it will be much easier for me to communicate with them. Secondly, I like traveling a lot. A good mastery of English will make things much easier for me when traveling around the world. Finally, I like literature a lot. If I am very good at English, I can read great works by Shakespeare and Dickens and many other English writers instead of reading the translated versions.
▆ Sample essay for Task 2:
Why I hate to learn English
I have learned English for about seven years. I should say the more I learn English, the more I hate it. First of all, learning English is boring. I have to memorize many new words or rely on a dictionary to frequently check unknown words. Doing so wastes a lot of my precious time. Secondly, I don’t understand why we have to learn a foreign language. I don’t want to go abroad and I can always find a job that doesn’t need English in China. Finally, I can always read translated versions of the books I want to read. So, if I don’t have to learn English, I would rather use the time I spend on English to do things I like.

Unit 3 Parents and Children
1. In about 100-120 words, write about an incident of misunderstanding between you and your mother/father. Tell us about how it all started and what happened in the end.
2. In about 100-120 words, describe the similarities and differences in the way your father and mother show their love for you . Be sure to give examples.
▆ Sample essay for Task 1
A misunderstanding between my mother and I
One afternoon, I was wandering along the main street of our small town with a friend. Suddenly I saw my mother. She was behaving very strangely. She looked around her before going quickly into a shop. When she came out, she had a box in her hand. I was terrified. I knew some of my villagers resorted to theft because they were poor. The thought that my mother could be one of them drove me crazy. I was determined to find out the truth from her. When I questioned her, tears filled her eyes. She told me she was collecting beer cans from some kind shop owners who offered them to her, but would feel embarrassed if she was seen by others. I cried and hugged her and felt sorry that I had misunderstood my own mother.
▆ Sample essay for Task 2:
My parents’ love
My parents differ greatly in showing their love for me. While my mother appears more anxious and depressed if anything goes wrong with me, my father tends to be silent and expresses his concern for me mainly through actions rather than words. I still remember the day when I left home for university. When my mother was in tears and kept giving me endless advice, my father remained silent But when he saw an ice-cream man on the platform, he rushed towards him and got me an ice-cream just before the train started to move. I learned from my mother later that my father locked himself up in his room after returning home and cried for the first time in his life. I never expected that my departure would trigger such an emotional response from my father.

Unit 4 Growing up
1. In about 100-120 words, write about a conflict you once had with your parents .You can start with either of the following openings:
1) I was very unhappy with my mother/father the other day…
2) I was grateful that my mother/father criticised me the other day…
2.Describe your attitude toward your father or mother when you were a teenger. When you could not agree with each other, what did you do? Use an incident from daily life to support the description.
▆ Sample essay for Task 1:
I was very unhappy with my mother /father the other day. . .
I was very unhappy with my father the other day. He must have called out to me for help with some housework, but I was so absorbed in reading that I did not hear him. He stepped into my room , apparently in anger, grabbed my book and threw it on the floor. I got upset and insisted he should pick it up and apologize to me. When he remained silent, I ran out and went off to play games with friends in the neighbourhood. When it was turning dark, I saw my father looking for me. He patted me on the head walked back home with me, his arm wrapped around my shoulder. When I got home, I saw my book had "returned" to my reading table.
▆ Sample essay for Task 2:
I was very grateful that my mother /father criticised the other day. . .
I was grateful that my mother criticised me the other day. I had been asking her for money to buy all kinds of things that my friends have--a new pair of shoes or some new clothes. Every time I was refused, I played the same trick -- threatening to pour the dish she cooked for the family into the river. My mother gave in each time I threatened to do that, but one day, she criticised me really hard. She scolded me for being selfish and inconsiderate and asked me to sit in a corner and reflect on my own behavior. I could not believe my mother could be so angry with me and I grew afraid. I learned a good lesson and changed a lot afterwards. I was thankful that my mother made me realize my mistakes.
▆ Sample essay for Task 2:
I was so proud of my father
My father is a well-known carpenter in my village. I still remember that when I was in my mid-teens, I used to adore him make furniture for the villagers. He not only had good skills, but he was also willing to help the villagers with minor repairs such as mending a broken window frame or fixing a door, without charge. All the villagers respected him. They also paid me compliments when they saw me helping him , saying that I would grow up to become honest and industrious just like my father. I was so proud that I had a father who was so well respected.

Unit 5 Knowing Yourself
Write a passage of about 100-120 words according to one of the instructions given below.
1) Describe a few of your own personality traits. Then identify your favourite colour and see if the descriptions of the colour in Text B match your personality.
2) Think of the person you admire most. Write two personality traits that you like most about this person. Remember to give an example for each personality trait.
3) Imagine that you had been given a wish to change your life. Write about two personality traits that you would like to have and give your reasons.
4) Write about a person whom you dislike most and give one or two reasons or examples why you dislike him or her so much.

▆Sample essay 1)
I have been described by many friends as a warm, sociable, and outgoing extravert. I find it easy to make new friends and I enjoy the company of people who share similar characteristics as I. When I am at a party, many people including those I do not know, will talk to me. I am not a great beauty, neither am I rich and intelligent. In fact, I am just a very simple person who is happy and smiles a lot. Maybe being happy is the attraction. I like bright colours, especially red. It is said that people who like red are passionate and have a lot of energy. I agree that I am enthusiastic about many things and like doing many things at the same time. So it seems there is some truth after all in what colours say about a person’s personality.
▆Sample essay 2)
The person I admire most is my father’s youngest brother. He is known to us as ba shu because he is the eighth son in a family of eleven. He is a high achiever. Since young, he has done well in his studies and work. For example, he received a prestigious scholarship to study at a well-known medical school in England. Today, at the age of 62, he is still as outgoing. He is a well-respected surgeon and has won many awards. What I like most about ba shu is his sensitive nature, especially toward children who are born unlucky. He has volunteered his time and made sacrifices to help those in poor and developing countries. His strong desire to bring happiness to these people has impress me a lot.
▆Sample essay 3)
If I were given a wish to have two personality traits, I would choose to be an optimistic person because those who are optimistic are usually satisfied and content with what they have. They seldom let sadness be a part of their life. I want to be happy and being optimistic is one way to remain happy. I also would like to be creative. I think that creativity is inherited. Some may disagree and say that we can learn to be creative. However, no matter how hard one learns, it is those born with the talent of creativity who will make a great name for themselves like the famous poet Li Bai and the richest man in the world, Bill Gates.
▆Sample essay 4)
There is no one person I disagree most but there are a couple of personality traits that I cannot tolerate: aggressiveness and selfishness. Aggressive people do not consider other’s feelings and will not think twice about hurting even those closest to them. I once had a neighbour who would beat his wife one day and appear loving the next. His wife lived in fear constantly but could do nothing because he was in control of her. Another personality trait I dislike is selfishness. Like aggressive people, selfish people only think of themselves. There are many everyday examples of selfishness such as those not willing to lend things to others and those not wanting to share exam tips even with their best friends. If you know someone with a combination of aggressiveness and selfishness, you should consider whether to call him or her a friend.