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How to Prepare for CET-4 Writing?

In taking CET tests, we will be required to write a short essay within 30 minutes. It is really a headache for some of us to deal with it. I am sure most of you present here must be growing concerned with this question: how can we improve our writing skills within a little more than two months?
 What annoys us is that most of us have a “limited” vocabulary; actually, most of us tend to be more adept at reading than other learning skills such as listening, speaking, writing and translating. We find it less difficult to understand when we are reading some essays. But when we are required to write something, we will feel at loss how to begin with. In my opinion, it is mainly because most of us are too passive to practice writing often although every one of us knows quite well the truth that practice makes perfect. As a matter of fact, we have a larger vocabulary than we can imagine. But due to lack of repeated practice, we just put most of the words we have learned in the depth of our minds and never return to visit them. And we call these words passive ones. So long as we have more active words in our minds, we will find more freedom to express our ideas. Most of us put the new English words into their hearts mechanically and they never know to remember them by their pronunciations. I think this is the best way to learn new words. But it is obviously above most of us, especially for those non-English majors.
Well, it does take time to improve our skills in remembering new words and in writing essays. Some of us will probably ask: are there any tips for the improvement of writing skills?
 In dealing with CET-4 writing, we must bear this in mind that we must follow the three steps below: to present the problem, to analyze the problem and to solve the problem.
 Here I’d like to give you some examples.
Example One:

Directions: For this reason, you are allowed thirty minutes to write a composition. You should write at least 120 words, and base your composition on the outline given below.
Students are encouraged to start business of their own when they graduate from university.

1) 就业市场紧张；
2) 对策：鼓励大学毕业生自主创业；
3) 政府需支持。

In planning this essays, we have to have the above three points in our minds and try to make them clear. Here are the steps.
  First, you’d better make a list of the key words that will probably be used in your writing such as “job market”, “fierce competition”, “start business of their own”, “governmental support”, “preference policies” and “taxes and tariffs” etc. You can write them down on a sheet of paper.
  Second, start writing step by step according to the requirements. As for the first point, we can write like this, “Nowadays the competition in the job market is very fierce and more and more college students have to face this embarrassing fact, that is, they will find it more and more difficult to hunt a good job. For some of them, graduation means unemployment.” Or “In facing the growing fierce competition in the present job market, more and more students find themselves less competitive to get a good job because most of them lack working experience. For some of them, they have to confront with this depressing fact that graduation means unemployment. ”
  Now you can directly state the problem to be solved. It’s time for you to express your opinion or offer your advice and suggestions. So naturally, you move on to the second step. “What should they do? Is the best way for them to wait and wait? What about finding a way to start business of their own? Don’t you think it’s the best way to reduce stress in the job market? ”
  Once you have offered your advice and suggestions to those students who are bewildered and stressful, you can tell them your strategy to deal with the capital problem for it will be the castle in the air to start business of one’s own without any capital. Here you can go on writing like this, “But how can they start business without any capital? In this situation, they must need governmental support badly. I think that the government can encourage them to put it into practice by offering them some preference policies on taxes and tariffs and bank loans and meanwhile sign contracts with them to elaborate the concerned obligations and responsibilities. Once they have obtained governmental support, they will surely strive to realize their dreams. It is undoubtedly a win-win game between the college students and the government. ” 
  After writing, you have to spare some time polishing it. Now the essay reads as follows.

How to Reduce Stress in the Job Market?

In facing the growing fierce competition in the present job market, more and more

students find themselves less competitive to get a good job because most of them lack working experience. For some of them, they have to confront with this depressing fact that graduation means unemployment.
  What should they do? Can they only wait and wait? Well, what about finding a way to start business of their own? Don’t you think it’s the best way to reduce stress in the job market?
  But can they start business without any capital? In this situation, they must need governmental support badly. I think the government can encourage them to put it into practice by offering some preference policies on taxes and tariffs and bank loans so that they can put their ambitions into practice. Once they have obtained governmental support, they will surely strive to realize their dreams. It is undoubtedly a win-win game between them both.

Example Two

Directions: For this reason, you are allowed thirty minutes to write a composition. You should write at least 120 words, and base your composition on the outline given below.
Write a letter to your cousin, telling him how to adapt himself to the dormitory life in university.

1) 上大学后，必须适应宿舍生活；
2) 如何适应；
3) 总结。
 

Before writing, you have to pay attention to the letter form and to your relationship with the person who will receive your letter. Thus you don’t have to be formal with him and you can use some colloquial words. Your cousin must be a freshman; otherwise he won’t need any advice and suggestions from you. So you can start with the title like this: “Dear Cousin or Dear So-and –so”. Also you can express your congratulations to him and meanwhile point out that he will start a new life and the dormitory life in university is quite different from that at home.
  When you present the problem, you can move on to analyze it. Suppose that you have ever studied at university, you must be experienced enough to offer him some advice and suggestions. Before you tell him how to adapt to the dormitory life, you have to help him analyze the reasons. Different family backgrounds. Different personalities. It is hard to imagine how these guys can live happily together if they are not generous towards one another. Finally, after offering him some tips for how to get along with other people, you can express your best wishes to him.
  Now you see, it’s not that difficult to write a CET-4 essay?
Here I’d like to present an exemplary essay for all of you.

Dear Cousin:
  Congratulations upon your entrance into university!
  Now you will start a new life. And you will live away from home and begin a dormitory life. You know the dormitory life is quite different from that at home. How to adapt yourself to this sort of life, that’s a problem.
  With different family backgrounds and different personalities, naturally, people will probably feel stressed at the thought of that they will live with some strangers. And they worry about whether they can get well along with one another. In this situation, it is hard to imagine if they are not generous towards one another. I suggest that you communicate with them as much as possible.
  Best wishes for you and just enjoy your college life! 
                                                   Frank Law