12.10.11=2006.12.16

Some people think personal happiness is directly related to economic success, while others believe this depends on other factors. Discuss both sides and give your own opinion.

大作文抽象类话题建议参考B6P99【concerning "change"】和B5P76【with regard to "competition or cooperation"】

Happiness is difficult to define, because people interpret it in so many different ways. Some people associate it with fortune and wealth, while others believe that happiness lies in other factors.

There is no denying that being successful in earning money would give people a strong sense of satisfaction, particularly in a material world, where money is considered to be the key criteria to evaluate a person’s career development. The possession of fortune makes it possible for people to enjoy more comfort and convenience in their lives. For instance, rich people can choose to have a romantic dinner in a luxurious restaurant, or spend a vacation in a summer resort with their families.

However, it seems that many rich people are not as happy as we think them to be. Personal happiness cannot be guaranteed by fortune and there are other factors that are more important than material things. For example, those who love their jobs tend to feel happy, even though their salary is moderate. Their happiness derives from their passion for their work and their awareness of the value of their work. In addition, the quality of people’s relationships also determines the degree of happiness. Harmonious relationship within a family and genuine friendship would make people happy, and these cannot be obtained through spending money.

12.10.13

We have a mixture of people from diffrent culture and ethnic groups in a country. Why?Is this a positive or negative development?

12.10.20

Nowadays it is more convenient and easier for people to travel to other 

countries, is it development a positive or negative effect?

12.10.27
Some people think advertising is discouraging us from being different individuals and makes everyone to be the same. Do you agree or disagree?

1.

Nowadays, there is a growing concern that under the influence of advertising different individuals may lose their uniqueness and become the same person. However, some people hold a contrasting view that advertising do not have such a huge effect on individuality. In this essay, I would like to explore both sides and present my own view.

Some people point out that advertisements have a negative effect on our individual uniqueness. By this I mean that people, younger generation in particular, often buy the same goods impulsively under the influence of advertising through media of different formats. For example, Chinese youths wearing Nike sneakers in Shanghai hang out in Starbucks over a cup of coffee in much the same way that their American counterparts do in New York. Admittedly, if you did not do the same as your friends do, you would be left out from your own social group.

However, I firmly believe that advertising cannot stop us from differentiating ourselves with others. First and foremost, doing the same thing, wearing the same cloth or eating the same food cannot make two different people the same. In other words, we are differentiated by our innate personality, and this is essentially how we distinguish twins. Another reason is that as educated people in a fast developing world, we have learnt to be rational on our decisions. Since we only have a limited amount of money and time, we have to make wise choice in order to maximize the happiness we can get from using them. To make the final point, due to the difference in our family background, cultural background and religion, each one of us can have discrepant taste. Even if two girls buy the same dress, the way they match their accessories can also make them different and unique.  

In conclusion, despite the similarity that advertising might create amongst us, the true uniqueness in ourselves cannot be stopped from emerging. So, I am convinced that advertising cannot discourage us from becoming different individuals.  

（Avril总结整理，转载敬请注明http://blog.sina.com.cn/avrildaisy）