Practice 1 Directions: Read the following text(s) and write an essay to 1) summarize the main points of the text(s), 2) make clear your own viewpoint, and 3) justify your stand. In your essay, make full use of the information provided in the text(s). If you use more than three consecutive words from the text(s), use quotation marks (“ ”). You should write 160—200 words on the ANSWER SHEET. There was a heated discussion on whether to require every student to wear a uniform. The following are arguments from supporters of uniforms and their competitors. Supportive arguments: There are those who say that wearing a uniform gives a person or a seller of identification with a larger, more important concept. They say that the practice of making persons wear uniforms, say in a school, eliminates all envy and competition in the matter of dress, such a poor person who cannot afford good quality clothing is not to be belittled by a wealthy person who wears expensive quality clothing. They also say it is helpful to build up team work ability, enhance the school's entire public image, and boost up the honor of collectiveness by wearing school uniform. Opposite arguments: Others say no one should be forced to wear a uniform under any circumstance. Uniforms are demanding to the human spirit and totally unnecessary in a democratic society. Uniforms tell the world that the person who wears one has no value as all individuals but only lives to function as a part of a whole. If all persons were to wear the same clothing, why would anyone strive to be better? When this happens, all incentive to improve one’s life is removed. Why world parents bother to work hard so that their children could have a better life than they had when they know that their children are going to be forced to have exactly the same life that they had? Uniforms also hurt the economy. Right now, billions of dollars are spent on the fashion industry yearly. Thousands of persons are employed in designing, creating and marketing different types of clothing. If everyone were forced to wear uniforms, artistic personnel would be unnecessary. Sales persons would be superfluous as well; why bother to sell the only items that are available?
正确答案:
【范文】 Opinions are divided on the issues of whether every student is required to wear a uniform. Supporters of uniforms claim that uniforms can prevent students from keeping up with the Joneses. However, opponents of uniforms argue that uniforms not only ruin individuals’ personality, but heavily damage persons’ incentive to life better. Arguments of either side make sense. But as far as I’m concerned, uniforms have more disadvantages than advantages. Firstly, we now live in an era which advocates personality. The same school uniforms will kill children’s aesthetic development and stunt individuals’ personality, creativity and imagination. Secondly, all students wearing uniforms will make their own clothes unused, which will cause enormous waste of national resources. Thirdly, the wearing of uniforms would destroy the fashion industry, which in turn would have a negative effect on advertising and promotion. Without advertising, newspapers and television would not be able to remain in business. The entire information and entertainment industry would collapse. Although there still exist schools adopting the practice of uniforms, I believe they will change their ideas after they think through its disadvantages. What we should remember is that individuals’ freedom, motivation and identity will never be ignored.