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On the contrary, watching TV at home, where you can make yourself a cup of coffee, sit back comfortably and relax, watch the show closely, and enjoy the realistic image and sound from your SONY home-theatre system. Besides, you can watch programs whatever you like, and go to bed right when the show has ended.

Although many people enjoy the excitement of watch a real show, I think nothing is more convenient and comfortable than watch TV at home.

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Topic 35 A live performance vs. television broadcast

Some people like to attend a live performance while others think that watching the same event on television is more enjoyable. To me, I choose watching an event on television because it is easier and not limited and you have choices and can know more details of the event.

Watching an event is easier than attending it. You need only a TV set in your room. You do not have to buy a ticket or drive to the place where the event is performed. You can drink some coffee or tea when you want. But if you attend a concert or a play, you have no freedom to drink or do something else. In addition, at home, you do not need to worry about the traffic jam and being late for the event, so you have a light mood to enjoy the event.

The other advantage of watching an event on television is that you can enjoy it at any time and you can choose what you like from many channels. But if you attend a real event and find you have no interest on it, you would regret that you have wasted the time and money. Watching it on television can avoid it. If you are interested in the play, you can stay on it; if you are bored, you can change the channel to find some programs that are interesting.

Watching an event on television has another advantage in that you can get more details of the event from the interpretation. You can understand the background, the present situation and such information of the event. But if you attend it, you cannot get these information.

I choose watching an event on television. I think it is more enjoyable than attending a live performance.

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Topic 35 A live performance vs. television broadcast

To many people, attending a live performance, such as a melodrama, a concert, or a sporting event is so incredibly attractive that they will go all out to get a ticket, regardless of the expense or the difficulty involved. But why not enjoy the performance on television while you can comfortably lie in your sofa or couch with popcorn at hand? That is because attending a live performance provides you with far more enjoyment than watch it on TV.

In a live performance, you will feel that you are in the company of many friends who are indulged in the same interest, who can share your sorrow or pleasure or excitement. This kind of resonance at heart is so rarely sensed in our daily life that this one reason itself is sufficient enough for many people to attend a live performance. While watching it on TV, we certainly find it hard to feel the emotion sharing, and our loneliness is hardly mitigated.

Furthermore, attending a live performance gives you a sense of participation that cannot be replaced by watching on TV. Live performance is an interaction between the audience and the performers, and both parts of the performance decide whether it will be a wonderful one. In this way, you may lament or laugh, may sob or smile as you are so influenced by the misfortune or happiness of the characters. You may fall into the indescribable intoxication while listen to a favorite piece of music. And correspondingly, the performers will receive the response of their audience and act accordingly. So the final success of the performance results also from the participation and interaction of the audience, of which you are a member.

With these foregone advantages, we may say that attending the live performance is definitely much more enjoyable than TV watching.

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Topic 36 Which transportation vehicle has changed people's lives?

The ancient Chinese people dreamed of flying to a place thousands of miles away within minutes by utilizing the force of a special wind. In many ancient mythologies, deity heroes who had the magic power of traveling a long distance in minutes were highly admired by the common people on earth.

The invention of airplane, which I think is probably one of the greatest achievements of mankind, has helped people fulfill such dreams. In the past, it was a very difficult and daunting task for a person to go far away. Confucius, the great ancient Chinese scholar, once said that a man should not travel a long distance while his parents were still alive. By this, he not only stressed the importance of interpersonal relations among family members but also indicated the difficulties and the time spent on going far way. In ancient books, we can find numerous descriptions of the hardness and risks travelers often faced, not to mention the long time they had to spend on the road.

However, the invention of modern transportation means, airplane in particular, has greatly transformed people's way of traveling. Now, they can easily go within hours to places thousands of miles away, a distance which people would have taken several months to go in the previous time. Besides, airplanes make traveling much safer and comfort. Sheltered from sunlight, rain, hot or freezing temperatures, people can now fly in the air and avoid being exposed to bad climates and strong winds. Another advantage of airplanes is that they can transport people as well as goods swiftly to other places. For instance, airplanes play an important role in sending rescue teams and goods to an area damaged by an earthquake, as a result of which the lives of thousands of people are saved. Now, in the global anti-terrorist war, military forces can be dispatched and deployed in a short time to areas where an terrorist attack occurred.

Airplanes have undoubtedly changed people's lives. The earth has become "smaller" now because of the convenient exchanges of people and commodities made possible by airplanes. We can accomplish many things that could never have been done by the ancient people.

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Topic 36 Which transportation vehicle has changed people's lives?

An airplane is a form of transportation that has changed people's lives. Thanks to the plane, our lives are now faster, more exciting, and more convenient that before.

You cannot deny that a plane is fast. For example, the Concorde flies at supersonic speed. A businessman can leave Paris at 11 a.m. in the morning and arrive in New York at 8 a.m. the same morning in time for a day's work. Many business people in Europe will fly to London for a noon meeting and then return home to Rome or Madrid for dinner.

It is always exciting to take a plane trip. When you take a trip by plane, you know that you might cross many time zones, many oceans, and many countries. When you get off the plane, you could be in a place that speaks a different language. A plane is like a magician's trick. You get in a box and you come out somewhere totally different.

Nothing can beat the convenience of a plane. In the old days, it might take you days to do what the plane can do it an hour. Boats, for example, only leave on certain days of the week and take a long time to get to their destination. Planes give you the option to leave several times a day and get you to your destination quickly.

Although other forms of transportation may be more comfortable, none has changed the way we do business and live our lives more than the plane. Thanks to the speed, excitement, and convenience of the planes, our lives are richer.

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Topic 37 Is progress always good?

Is progress always good? Scientific progress brings us many conveniences and advanced machines, such as computers, automobiles, and so on. Progress seems to have made life simpler and more comfortable. But if we analyze it carefully, we will find that progress is not always good.

Modern industry brings us many conveniences. But at the same time, some problems emerge. For example, "the green-house effect" is a very serious problem that scientists try to solve. It increases the earth's temperature, causes icebergs to melt and the ocean level to become higher and higher. Maybe someday the oceans will swallow some big cities nearby them.

Progress enhances the efficiency of industrial production, but it also brings us another serious problem -pollution. Pollution in some countries is so serious that ecological balance is damaged and many animals and plants lose their living environment and become extinct eventually. The air is polluted and it is not suitable for people. The water is also polluted and people are facing deficiency of drinking water.

Progress makes the pace of life faster and faster because of the application of computers and automatic machines. People have to work faster than before and it makes them nervous. More and more physical and psychological problems disturb people's life. Many people do not have time for recreation.

From the above statements, it can be concluded that progress is not always good. It has its own negative influences on our life. Let hope those problems can be solved by more progress.

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Topic 37 Is progress always good?

With the evolution of civilization over the past several thousand years, man has made tremendous progress in all aspects of human society. While enjoying all the convenience and happiness brought about by this progress, we cannot deny that it has also caused severe problems. Scientific advance is always praised and extolled by many as the most essential cause of social development.

However, we shall not forget that on the other hand, major scientific inventions and technical advancement sometimes also form big threats to human society. The two world wars happened during the past century witnessed the blood shedding battles that cost millions of lives. Weapons made with modern technology have brought about such large casualties and devastations that could never been done by people in the previous time. Environmental problems have attracted more and more attention of the people around the world. With the development of modern industry and farming, global environment has kept deteriorating. Scientific researches indicate that the green house effect has contributed to the warming of the earth.

We live in a much worse surrounding than our ancestors: polluted air and water, extreme high temperatures in summer, etc. which are all harmful to our health. The world now is undergoing a globalization process that has caused divided opinions among different people. I think we should be highly aware of some of the problems it may cause. For instance, globalization would eliminate the differences between different people. The languages and unique customs of some ethnic nations are on the verge of extinction.

What a world would be if we see people everywhere speak the same language, wear similar clothes, live in houses of the similar styles, and use the same brand of products? We do benefit a lot from the progress of human civilization, but we must pay closer attention and be highly alert of the problems it brings about. Progress is not always good if we neglect its side effects.

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Topic 38 Is learning about the past useful?

It is often argued that spending much time on studying history is unreasonable, since the information people obtain lacks the practical implementation. However, after careful thought, I have come to disagree with it. I believe that history provides valuable sources for understanding different people and societies, predicting future trends and building a person's identity. History generates past experiences and formulates the steps of development. It provides us with numerous examples of "cause-effect" events, which help to understand different social mechanisms.

Everything that is happening today stems from the past and will have direct effect on the future. Being aware of our history helps to avoid old mistakes and make right decisions. The majority of all the political conflicts have a long history, for instance the Middle East or Russia-Chechnya tensions. A closer study of their deeper reasons and the measures taken beforehand can prove to be invaluable in finding the right solution today. It can save thousands of lives.

At the same time, studying history of our own country or region builds up our identity, gives us a feeling of belonging to a certain group of people. Therefore, if we face a problem of communicating with a person of other culture, the basic knowledge of his history can prove absolutely necessary for a successful and productive interaction.

To sum up, I strongly believe that it is highly beneficial for modern people to posses a good knowledge of the history, because it assures a profound understanding of social mechanisms, helps to avoid many mistakes and promotes a better communication between different nations.

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Topic 38 Is learning about the past useful?

Every country, every nation, even every person has its own past, present and future. Events from our past reflect on our present. Events from our present will reflect on our future. The time-line is unbreakable. Therefore no one should live only for today isolated from the past or without any connections to the future.

Every one of us is a member of the society. Living without learning about our history is the same as building a house without foundations. Furthermore, everyone is strongly connected with his past even when he does not comprehend it thoroughly sometimes.

Our life is a result of a series of events from our past. Our success today is a consequence of hard work or some victory in the past. Our present failure is maybe a result of not taking our chances in time or not making a proper decision in the past. I truly believe that everyone makes his own destiny and fate has nothing to do with it.

In my opinion, learning about the past is of great importance to all of us. Even if we are completely devoured by our present existence we should look back to the past as carefully as we can. Thus we can avoid our previous mistakes or to find an easier way to success. In this case history is our best teacher. And if we learn the lessons of the past we will make progress much faster in the present.

We have made our history step-by-step and day-by-day. Those of us who live only in the present and only for today are like trees without roots-so easily 'fragile' in a stormy day. The past is the base on which countries; nations and communities build their present. That is why I think learning about the past has really no value because learning about our history is invaluable.

So let us take a look back to learn a little more about ourselves.

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Topic 39 Can new technologies help students?

"With the help of technology students nowadays can learn more information and learn it more quickly." I agree with this statement. Technology has helped a student cross national boundaries, open up new views and increase the speed at which he imbibes information.

New technology in the form of Internet has helped breach the limitations of a country's frontiers. A student sitting in a small town of India can access the latest course material released by MIT on his topic of interest. He can gain access to the latest info that his happening in physics and thus improve his existing warehouse of knowledge. He can browse through the previous papers in physics and dwell deeper and deeper in his specialized study. And how long does this all take? A click of a mouse. Compare this with searching through the mazes of his small hometown library, only to find some outdated articles and consuming a great part of his daily activity.

Technology has helped open up many new avenues that previously were considered impossible. Take for example the simple LCD projectors. They give a visual feel of the subject that the student is studying helping him to learn not only quickly but also effectively. Or for that matter video conferencing. A student can ask questions and clear his lingering doubts when he interacts with a professor considered as the authority in his field.

An overlooked aspect of technology is the transportation. With rapid advances in transportation, a student in Japan does not think twice before signing up for a program in the US. Would this have been possible 100 years back? Certainly not.

In concluding I would like to say that technology has played a major role not only in increasing the speed at which students learn but also in bringing a radical change in the way they learn it.

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Topic 39 Can new technologies help students?

The information technology is developing so rapidly that nearly all families in Hong Kong have at least one computer. Not only can students surf on the net and search for information at home, but they can also use computers at schools, at cyber centers and even in certain fast food restaurants. No doubt, the convenience in accessing information on the Internet helps students to learn more knowledge and learn it more quickly.

In the past, students can only learn from traditional books. In addition to the school curriculum, students might be able to learn from the extra-curricular books. They can go to the library and search for information. But this is much inconvenient than just sitting in front of the computer and learning things from websites from all over the world. In comparison, the information from the traditional books is so limited. By surfing on the net, students can get a wider horizon about any kind of information and have a deep understanding on each field.

On the other hand, students can never have such a quick way to search for information that they required. In a library, students might have to spend a whole hour in searching for a single book with relevant information. Yet, with a computer, students can search for an entire page of links with a search engine such as Yahoo. The whole process involves just few clicks and several seconds. Moreover, information from books in library might be outdated. On the net, students can learn the first-handed information. With the help of technology, students can get information much quicker.

However, searching on the net for information has its disadvantages too. It is difficult to ensure the information is accurate or not, as the publishing of website do not have the controlling policies as that of publishing books. Yet, in general, it is still true that information technology help students to learn more and learn more quickly.

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Topic 40 Never, never give up

Continuous exertion may sound very exhausting and thus, it is understandable even if some people suggest it should be better to give up sometimes. It is true at some points because the human race is not almighty creature. However I would say it is not about giving up, but just changing a goal. Recognizing life events as a sequence, I think even when giving up something, it is just adjusting the goal to more reachable level and processes for previous goals always play a role in reaching next goal.

In the first place, I would like to emphasize that this is not only about the youth becoming competent, but also about all the people making their own lives more comfortable and enjoyable. For instance, both following examples I present can be seen as continuous exertion: a young person trying to become a professional musician and a person on the verge of death exercising hands in order to move them better than the previous day. If their goals are too high for them, the young person may have to change it to be working in a related field such as becoming a commentator, a voice trainer or so, and the dying person may have to change it to exercise fingers instead of hands. That is, people naturally keep trying in any case until the last minute they accept death.

Furthermore, there are also two advantages of indomitable attitudes. Firstly, some different approaches to a goal are necessary, other than blind efforts. Such a contrivance activates brain and makes human beings more alive. I do not think it is exaggerative to say.

Secondly, this attitude is also important when trying to achieve something extraordinary, because chances and right ideas do not always lie all together. Other chances and ideas never show up if it is given up. Totally different idea or better chances sometimes appear after groping in the dark.

From what I have been discussing above, there is no doubt about favorable influences of continuous exertion. Whether agree or disagree with the statement of this topic, people keep trying by nature and it does make us alive. When I have no energy left to keep trying, I simply keep it on my mind so as not to miss any possibilities. In other words, it is possible to keep trying even when feeling like giving up. Thus, I strongly believe that we should never give up.

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Topic 40 Never, never give up

My English teacher always want us to remember Churchill's famous speech near the end of Second World War "Never, never give up. " This brought people in many countries extremely strong courage in front of blood and death and helped them overcome the most serious difficulties in the human history.

"Never, never give up because I can always see the coast and it brings me courage all the time." This is what the girl who swam across the English Channel successfully answered when the reporter asked what had made her reached her goal. She said that she chose a very sunny day to make sure that she can see her hope and just went for it. To be able to see the goal helps us a lot when we feel frustrated somewhere and even almost lose our confidence. In the long term to success, hope is our belief and it can make us be very strong when we face great difficulties and even want to quit. Some people failed simply because they lost their sight of their "coast" although they are very qualified and capable.

Never, never give up and always give yourself a second chance. We may fail sometimes but it absolutely does not mean that we will fail very time. Thomas Edison, one of the most famous inventors in the 20th century, tried more than one thousand times before he found out that tungsten was the right material for the electric bulb, and so as most of the great scientists in many fields. When the Curie couple faced failures they never gave up and always told themselves to stick to what they were doing. It's not likely to achieve a great success by the first try. The real success is always based on a great deal of failure.

Psychologists tell us that the influence of what we strongly hold in mind is so important to our career. First we have to make sure that our goal is achievable and practical then just go for it no matter how difficult it is and we will never lose our passion and will always be positive. The characters in The Lord of the Rings have thousands of chances to turn back. However they kept going because they were holding on to something ~ There is some good in the world that worth fighting for. "Never, never give up" is always the secret to success.

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Topic 40 Never, never give up

To me personally the expression "never, never give up" sounds pretty optimistic, but not terribly encouraging anyway. No matter how good this nice piece of advice is, it would not always be easy to do exactly what it tells you, that is, to brace up and to keep your head above water no matter what happens. I am not sure it is worth discussing whether this happy-go-lucky motto is in the right or in the wrong. I simply believe that for different people placed in different situations it may mean totally different things.

It goes without saying that for some this expression may sound like their personal life slogan. In my view, category of people has the whole life planned out for them in advance. They are very likely to have a set of short-term and long-term goals and to do their best to achieve them all. They would work hard, try many different ways to get to their aim and finally, they would most certainly succeed. Which at first may seem to be a fairly natural run of things. Their second favorite expression may be at first you failed, try, and try again. This is what they do and this is something they are good at. Sometimes it may also seem that they are just awfully stubborn and even stupid, not being able to see that some of their goals are just beyond them. But they still prefer to try to work for their so-called goals, regardless. No one wants to be a loser.

At the same time, I have the impression that once in a while? And quite good once in a while it is? it might be useful to be able to face up the facts and realize that some of your goals are too much of a job for you. I don't think it means being pessimistic, by no means. This can be called realism though. If you have already tried to do some particular task a hundred of times and it still didn't get you anywhere, what's the use of trying? Wouldn't it be more reasonable to admit the hard truth, rather than to go on with the same senseless grind for ages? I believe that this capacity to admit your own failure is a highly important, but incredibly difficult thing to do.

Anyway, I suppose that giving up is not a part of the human nature. Because if it were, the rate of suicide will be incredibly high, because as I understand that is the greatest giving up ever. But well, things don't happen this way. So, if you don't succeed, you try again because first of all you don't have much choice left. If you failed the second time and the third time and then over and again. You just realize that you failed. And even if you did fail, what are you left with? You just have to put up with that and start getting by it. It's the easiest way, after all. The one many people go for.

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Topic 41 Should we save land for endangered animals?

In the past, there have been many endangered animals. Now they are extinct. Does it matter? Has our environment been affected by their absence? Has the quality of our own life been changed? The answer to these questions is "Yes."

It does matter if we destroy an endangered species habitat to develop more farmland, housing or industrial parks. There is a delicate balance of nature. If one small part is removed, it will affect all the other parts. For example, if certain trees are cut down, bats will have no place to roost. If they cannot roost, they cannot breed. If there are no bats, there will be no animal, or bird to eat certain insects that plague our crops.

Our environment has been affected by the absence of certain animals. Certain flowers are pollinated by butterflies that migrate from Canada to Mexico. Some of the breeding grounds of these butterflies were destroyed. Now these flowers are disappearing from certain areas. We will no longer be able to enjoy their beauty.

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