In some countries, parents expect children to spend long time studying both in and after school, and have less free time.

　　Task: (You may spend 40 minutes on this task, and write a minimum of 250 words)

　　Do you think it has the positive or negative effects on children and society? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

　　Example Essay：

　　Between fun and sleep, children nowadays are expected to study as much as they should.  In an increasingly competitive environment, children from an early age are motivated to focus on managing time, and the time spent on studying is not time lost.  Strictly speaking, allowing children to have less free time for such things as watching television or playing computer games is exactly what is right for the young people as well as for society.

　　Whether under pressure or not, children can benefit from working long hours on academic subjects.  It not only pleases parents but also produces positive effects on the curious minds.  However, enough is enough, and parents' emphasis on the importance of children being dedicated to studying should not go to such an extreme that the fun of playing with friends and peers, for example, is entirely prohibited.  Of course, for health reasons parents must also be aware that there should always be time for children to exercise, relax and rest.  Nevertheless, as most children lack self-control and self-discipline, parents are obliged to see to it that children's 24 hours be properly monitored.  It goes without saying that all responsible parents at heart attempt to set high goals for their kids and expect them to stand out from the crowd, moving from ambitions to achievements.

　　Education for children matters to society.  It has often been said that the educated young people are the future of society, which may mean that, overall, the more time spent on studying, the better future will come for society. At this point, nobody has to doubt the wisdom of the government's enormous investments in education for the society's future.  In a certain sense, the price that is paid for quality education is in return for the great value to be created for society.  In view of this, it behooves students to use more time in studying so as to live up to the expectations of parents and make contributions to the progress of society.  Otherwise, the loss would be time and money along with the hope for a better society.

　　To summarize, it is for their own good and for the society's future that children are expected to spend long time studying instead of being attracted to watching TV or playing electronic games.  Parents should therefore help children to make the best use of the time for homework after school, as should teachers encourage students to seriously get involved in learning activities in the classroom.  Like it or hate it, children ought to study as hard as expected. (Essay created by Jeenn Lee Hsieh, [email protected] )

　　》英文造句练习：（大部分取自谢振礼范文中的指标句 Topic Sentence。初学者可以把指标句作领头，接着造3句4句或5句来组成完整的一段。）

　　1. External appearances are often not what they seem like.

　　2. Getting up early in the morning is the hardest thing I do everyday.

　　3. Rush-hour traffic shows human behavior at its worst.

　　4. Dangerous sports appeal to the basic human desire for thrill.

　　5. There are many inventions that have increased our happiness.

　　6. There are good reasons why people choose to live in the countryside.

　　7. Capital punishment is not a deterrent to crime.

　　8. The computer is the greatest invention of the twentieth century.

　　9. Fiction, like food, is of different tastes.

　　10. My hometown is famous for several amazing natural features.

　　11. Fashion is an expression of life.

　　12. Sex education matters to immature minds.

　　13. A good movie can be both serious and amusing.

　　14. Living in a traditional house has some advantages.

　　15. Cooking at home has several benefits.

　　16. Our planet has a problem: climate change.

　　17. People do many things to stay healthy.

　　18. There are several drawbacks to living in a big city.

　　19. Building a monument is a good example of remembering the past.

　　20. Migration has become a social and political issue.

　　21. Today family planning program is a reality, not a choice.

　　22. Money is not the only solution but it makes a difference.

　　23. There are things money cannot buy.

　　24. Studying abroad has a dark side.

　　25. Going to movies is a good way of escaping the stress and difficulties of modern life.

　　26. The logic of teaching discipline to children is punishment and reward.

　　27. Sometimes a failure can be a blessing under disguise.

　　28. Drunk driving is like throwing dice with Death.

　　29. Television is bad for children due to its adult content.

　　30. Around the world it is the same story with different faces: age-old cultures besieged by modern pressures.

　　31. Working and living abroad may face serious disadvantages.

　　32. It is quite a different matter when travelling with a tourist guide.

　　33. Modern technology has made communication faster, labor less strenuous and life more enjoyable.

　　34. Whatever its causes, global warming may have contributed to more extreme weather, such as droughts and severe floods.

　　35. Increasing aid and market access for poor countries make sense, but will not do much good.

　　36. Animals in the zoos are like criminals innocent of crimes.

　　37. Zoos provide housing units for homeless wild animals.

　　38. These new immigrants come for similar reasons--for opportunity, to escape oppression, to provide a better life for themselves and their children.

　　39. To some endangered species, it is essential to protect their habitats and understand the vital role of each species within the earth' ecosystems.

　　40. Robots are uncomplaining workers.

　　41. English is an essential element of the new global culture.

　　42. Even those who try to protect traditional practices find themselves embracing new technology.

　　43. Not everyone is happy about building a large shopping center in our neighborhood.

　　44. Cultures do not become more uniform; instead, both new and old tend to transform each other.

　　45. The most tangible cost of modernization is environment.

　　46. Tourism drives economic development.

　　47. A healthy human being can live for a month without food, but will die in less than a week without fresh water.

　　48. People of the third world may need food today; but only knowledge will help feed them tomorrow.

　　49. These findings are clues, not conclusions.

　　50. Computers have changed modern society.

　　51. Unfortunately there are drawbacks to our excessive consumerism.

　　52. We live in a changed world from that of a century ago when automobiles had just been invented and airplanes were unknown.

　　53. Human beings have not done enough soon enough to warn against climate change.

　　54. Air pollution is said to be higher from airplanes than from cars.

　　55. Schools can do more to teach young people to look after their health.

　　56. Fresh water supplies have been dwindling in some parts of the world.

　　57. Not all immigration stories are negative.

　　58. A great museum is priceless.

　　59. The wealthy countries may either have to accept refugees or offer them the means to stay where they are.

　　60. Cooking at home or eating out is no more than a matter of taste.

　　61. A large company may be too big to fail; but it is also too big to be saved.

　　62. Living in a university dormitory is not an option because loud music like rock and roll requires a lot of freedom.

　　63. Misunderstandings often occur between parents and children.