四六级考研英语作文范文选读（二）

江节明  选编

Passages 11

Social Customs Between Americans and Chinese

    Social customs differ in different parts of the world. If we don't realize this, misunderstanding may arise between people that behave differently. In the United Stales, people are informal in social situations. For example, they call each other by their given names when two people first meet .So does the young to the old. In China, it will be regarded as quite impolite to do so.

    Another difference is about what can be talked about in a conversation. A Chinese thinks nothing of being asked how much his coat costs while Americans think it impolite to ask such a question. A Chinese woman doesn't care much if she is asked about her age. Politics, religions, as well as incomes are often talked about among the Chinese. But in the United States these kinds of subjects are usually avoided in the conversation.

    Since there are many other different social customs between Americans and Chinese, the way that we behave and the content that we talk about require our attention. If we keep these in mind, we will do it better and understand each other better.

这篇文章以说明为主，中间有少量评论。在这篇文章中，作者主要从两个方面比较了中国和美国风俗习惯的不同之处。一是人与人之间相处的特点，二是谈话的内容。文章抓住了说明对象的主要特点，层次清楚。并在最后总结全文：我们应该记住这些区别，以更好地增进了解，起到了画龙点睛的作用

Passages 12

Means of Communication

    The older form of communication is speech. In the beginning of human history, people could only use direct verbal speech to communicate. But it had many shortcomings. For instance, we couldn't speak to a person far away when we needed. So distance was a problem. And the spoken word could not be kept secret easily. So people wanted to invent a new method of communication.

    The next big step forward in communication was the invention of writing. Writing is one of human being's most important inventions. It solved the problem of distance and keeping secrets, but it too had disadvantages. The written word could not be passed on quickly, so people tried to find a new quicker method of communication.

    The most recent development has been electronic means of communication, including the wireless telegraph, radio, telephone and television. The invention and use of electronic means have solved all the problems mentioned above. They are the most effective methods of communication. People will certainly try their best to invent even more modern and useful method.

本文按事物出现的先后顺序介绍了不同的交流手段——言语，书信，电子通讯设备，并对他们的优缺点进行了说明。全文结构整齐，说明清楚明了，语言简洁，值得考生学习和借签。

Passages 13

Botany and Zoology

    Both botany and zoology are parts of a more general field of science, biology. They two are devoted to the studies of living things, which share certain characteristics, whether they are plants or animals. Botany deals with plants, those organisms that can manufacture their own food by the use of sunlight. Zoology, on the other hand, deals with animals, those organisms that cannot manufacture their own food and are thus dependent on plants for their food.

    Although plants and animals share many abilities, the extent to which plans can exercise some of those abilities is limited. For example, both plants and animals need food, water, and warmth for growth, but plants can move to acquire those needs only by the slow extension of their leaves and roots, while animals can move relatively large distances in relatively little time. When an animal is pricked with a needle, the animal will withdraw the part of the body being pricked. This ability to draw back from pain or irritation, called irritability, is found only to a very limited extent in plants.

    If plants had the same mobility and irritability as animals, animals would have a more difficult time finding food. If animals were as limited as plants, they might have evolved a means of manufacturing their own food, as plants do now. The world would be a very different place than it is if the characteristics of plants and animals were reversed.

本文属于比较性说明文，对动物和植物的相同和不同之处作了介绍，并且采用了逐项比较法，突出了说明对象的特点，使人一目了然。全文主题明确，思路清楚，语言准确，通顺易懂。

Passages 14

Wealth and Happiness

    Wealth has always been what some people are longing for. It is true that most of them try to acquire wealth by means of honest labour. Their efforts contribute to the welfare of society and at the same time to the accumulation of their wealth, and hence their happiness.

    There is no doubt that wealth brings happiness especially in the modern society, where various kinds of modern conveniences, new fashions and entertainments make their appearances with each passing day to make life more comfortable and colourful. Only money can turn admiration into reality.

    But there are exceptions when wealth does not go hand in hand with happiness. Wealth may encourage those weak--willed persons to be addicted to some harmful habits, such as drug--taking or gambling, and bring about their own ruin. Also, a person may lose his reason and go astray if he is passionately devoted to seeking wealth. Therfore, one never reckon only on wealth to achieve happiness.

文章论述了财富与幸福之间的关系。获取财富是人之常情，因为财富能给人带来幸福；但财富也会使人养成坏习惯，走上邪路，最终导致毁灭。所以文章最后告诫大家不要仅仅依靠财富来获取幸福，全文层次清楚，有理有据，具有一定的现实意义。

Passages 15

The Preservation of Wild Life

    Animals in their natural state are part of the wonder of creation and the beauty our world. However, as a result of the steady growth of the world population, there is less and less room on our planet for wild animals. Unless something is done, some species of animals will cease to exist in their wild state, which also means a disaster to human beings.

    One of the effective measures to avoid the extinction of wild animals is for all countries to create nature reserves where all the native species of animals can wander free and be protected from man. Certain rare species that are going to be extinct should be collected, fed and reproduced artificially.

    From what we see happening in many parts of the world, the main danger to animal existence comes from man's activities. I should like to see an international law, forbidding the use and sale of meat, skins, horns and tusks from wild animals. We do great wrong if we allow any of their species to die out.

    文章第一段介绍了野生动物正面临生存危机这一现状。第二段论述了保护野生动物应该采取的措施。最后表明自己观点和建议。文章紧扣主题，有理有据。段落连贯自然，浑然一体。

Passages 16

Dining Out in a Fast Food Restaurant

    Nowadays, fast food is popular in Beijing. Fast food restaurants have mushroomed everywhere and many working couples and school children now enjoy having their breakfast and lunch there.

    Fast food restaurant is rapidly gaining popularity in China for quite a few reasons. Firstly, there are a variety of fast foods available. If you are busy or tired of cooking, you may have American hamburgers, French fries, an Italian pizza or numerous traditional Chinese foods cooked quickly by modern technique for a change. The food often looks so nice and smells so good, you cannot help trying it yourself. Fast food usually represents a different culture, so you do not have to go abroad to enjoy special world famous foods. Secondly, fast food is convenient, nutritious and delicious; the price is also reasonable so that everybody can afford it. Finally, with fast food, you can save time and a world of trouble, such as shopping, cooking, cleaning up tables and washing greasy dishes. Consequently, you may taste all kinds of food, listen to soft music, relax, and still have time to do more important things.

    Fast food has already changed our ways of living. With the rapid development of science and technology, fast food will give us better service and possibly become indispensable to our modern life.

    作者开头陈述了快餐厅在我国发展的现状。第二段第一句给出主题句，然后从三个方面说明快餐厅在我国快速兴起的原因：品种多样，方便营养，省时省力。最后总结全文，展望未来。全文中心明确，层次清楚，语言简洁，通俗易懂。

Passages 17

The Importance of Being Honest

    As the proverb goes, "Honesty is the best policy." It teaches us to behave honestly in doing everything. Those who are not honest are always looked down upon and they can by no means be trusted while the honest persons are often highly praised and deeply respected.

    Honesty brings one benefit and success. If you treat others in an honest way, people are willing to have an intimate association with you and help you when you are in need. A good case in point is a successful businessman, who believes in the idea that "Honesty attracts customers far and near." It is known that all successful scientists are honest both in the their work and in their daily life. In a word, it pays to be honest.

    All students should be honest. Though one can easily cheat in an examination sometimes, he can never be successful at all times. Students should not sow the seeds of dishonesty in their minds. On the contrary, they should try to develop themselves intellectually and morally.

    文章以谚语引出主题，然后围绕着诚实的重要性展开论述。在写作中，作者以具体生动的例子支持自己的观点，使人信服。全文紧扣主题，结构清晰，语言通顺流畅，是一篇优秀的作文。

Passages 18

The Problems I Have in Studying English

    Nowadays, English plays as important role in our daily life, but it is no ease to learn it well. During my ten--year English learning, I have met quite a lot of problems, such as vocabulary, grammar, structure, writing, listening, speaking, etc. The main problem used to be lacking a sense of English language.

    As an English learner, I find it very difficult to form a language sense. It is because I always try to translate every English word or sentence into Chinese. Whenever I want to express myself either in writing or in speaking, I often think it in Chinese first, then put it into English. As a result, I make little progress in my English study.

    To get it over, I read a lot, even those I can hardly understand at first. Every morning I read an English essay loudly, over and over, till at last it comes up to the tip of my tongue. Gradually, my language sense comes into being. So in my opinion, when a person is learning a foreign language, he must forget his mother tongue instead of translating it into his native language, and read more 'English readings as many as possible.

    文章开头以概括法引出主题：“我”学英语遇到的主要困难是缺少语感，然后以因果法展开论述，说明原因，陈述了自己解决问题的办法。最后以“So in my opinion” 引出总结，并提出建议，结束全文。

Passages 19

Chinese People in My Eye

    China has a 5000-year history, and modesty, industry, bravery, kindness are the flowers of their virtues. In my opinion, they still remain true in reality.

    Chinese people are modest. They don't like to boast themselves. Even when they make a great achievement, they often say "no" to other's praise. That is their typical character.

    They are industrious. The case in point is the Great Wall, which is the fruit of thousands of Chinese people's labor.

    Bravery is the third virtue of Chinese people. In the past, thousands of people, regardless of their own lives, contributed themselves to the fighting for the freedom of their motherland who had ever been at the mercy of Japan. And also it is tested in the last year's fighting against flood.

    Lastly, Chinese people are very kind. Last year witnessed a wild flood in the southern areas when the people in the whole country contributed their money, clothes, and medicines to the refugees. Moreover, when you go to a Chinese family as a guest, the most delicious food will be offered to you, and they will cater for you very well.

    Although Chinese people have so many virtues as listed above, yet they have some bad manners, such as lacking sense of environment. It is a very common scene that wasted papers, bags are flying in the sky in some big cities. Anyhow I am still proud of being a Chinese.

    文章第一段以概括法引出主题，干脆利索。第二至第五段分别运用列举法说明了主题中的四种美德——谦虚、勤劳、勇敢、善良。最后一段以“Although”为转折，指出存在的问题。

Passages 20

Where There is a Will, There is a Way

    People believe in the proverb "Where there is a Will, there is a way" owing to the moral it teaches: one will never succeed all his life without a firm will to the final victory.

    A firm resolution is one of the most important things to success. A great man is always the who has firm resolution and an inflexible spirit. And great tasks are often accomplished by men of strong will. Take Dr. Sun Yatsen for example. As the founder of the Republic of China, he set the Chinese people free from the Manchurian rule through a long period of hard struggle. At first, many of his attempts failed and many of his followers were killed, but he had an inflexible spirit and stuck to his cause. Finally, he made the revolution of 1911 a success.

    A student who has no resolution will never succeed in his studies. The same is also true of men in all walks of life. We must have a firm resolution first, if we wish to succeed. We must always remember the old saying that where there is a will, there is a way.

    文章第一段以谚语引出主题——One will never succeed without a firm will。第二段运用举例法展开论述，事例典型，具有说明力。最后总结上文，针对学生，提出建议，重申主题。全文结构完整，观点明确，论述透彻。