Best Works of The Semester - 3

  When I was young, I enjoyed walking on the street with my father, which was so peaceful that it seemed nothing could take away the calm.  Just like the trees standing by the road with few leaves, everything was silent.  I could not help but start to wonder if the time had stopped.  It was in the winter when the earth pretended to stop rotating.  I fell in love with the tranquillity that it brought.  That is the reason why winter has been my favorite season.  Many people, however, think what winter brings is nothing but disasters such as chill, coldness and starvation.  In winter, everything is hopeless and ending in their eyes.  Yet, what they have not noticed is the brand-new begining right behind the end.  No matter how strong the wind is blowing, we should always remember that in the winter, far beneath the bitter snow lies a seed waiting for the sunshine in the spring to become a new life.

Best Works of The Semester - 2

   I believe that only death makes people value their own life and stop committing crimes.  Consequently, I certainly support using the death penalty as a form of criminal punishment.  For instance, in Europe, those who commit crimes, such as homicide, robbery and sexual assault, are not afraid of being caught.  Because they know that law itself is protecting them.  The wrongdoer here is the forbidden death penalty.  Criminals are therefore sent into jail.  Their cost in jail is the taxes that we citizens pay.  For most people or even the victims’ family, that is absolutely unacceptable.  Besides, if the government practices the death penalty, people could feel safer.  We do not have to worry about being robbed on the halfway of going to grocery store or killed just for peeking at someone on the road.  In my opinion, the government should take action on guarding against the criminals instead of forbidding the death penalty.

Best Works of The Semester - 1

  Linda Hanson was a mother who lived in delight with her successful husband and two lovely daughters.  Everything seemed so good until one day when the police came up to her door and told her the deperate news --- her husband, Jim, died in a car accident.  That was the toughest day she had ever had.  The next day, however, when she woke up with depress in bed, Jim was miraculously lying beside her safe and sound.  The only thing filled her mind was happiness.  She regarded what had happened yesterday as nothing but a dream.  Nevertheless, what buried deeply in her mind was a great doubt.  The day passed soon.  She felt something was wrong when she woke up the next morning.  Jim was not there; instead, her mother and sister were dressed in black, seated in the sofa in the living room.  Linda was compeletly confused about the scene that she was facing with.  Her mother tried to appease her while noticing that Linda was frightened.  She could not believe that her husband had died AGAIN.  Linda's mother introduced her to a psychiatrist because she became hysterical.  After one day, Jim came back to life again.  But he was gone the next day.  Against the misery, Linda commenced to figure out what was exactly happening to her and her family.  She made a calendar and found that the order of her all week was messy.  That is why her husband would revive and die during those days.  Eventually, she found that it was herself that killed Jim by accident.  Though Jim was dead, Linda knew how much her husband loved her before the car accident.  What Jim left were not only two adorable daughters but also a new life in Linda's belly.

Discussing Effects - 2 (revised)

     Having a part-time job has several good effects on me.  Firstly, I can earn a living by myself.  Thus, I can buy whatever I want without parents’ permit.  Secondly, by way of having a job, I realize how hard it is to support my own life.  Also, I have learned to manage finances instead of spending out all the money.  Last, I have known various kinds of co-workers and costumers.  It helps me learn to deal with every sort of people.  In conclusion, we students should find a part-time job because it would teach us lots of things that teachers don’t.

Discussing Effects - 1 (revised)

    Setting a large factory in Acton might have some bad effects.  First, there would be pollution of noise, water and air.  The factory would release exhaust fume and waste water so that people in Acton might get sick easily.  Besides, as the population increases, the enthusiasm may fade consequently.  Old people, who have spent their all life in Acton would not like to end up in a place where they do not know anymore.  Last but not the least, when a factory is opened, lots of trees would be felled down.  Hence, wild animals would lose their homes.  To sum up, entrepreneurs should not destroy a beautiful small town just for their own profit or they might spoil what is more precious.

Discussing Causes - 1 (revised)

    I’ve made a decision of quitting my job in a restaurant.  Firstly, the pay is so low that I cannot make ends meet.  I can't even pay the loan of my scooter.  Another reason is that I am taking the University Exam in about 10 months.  Having a job might be a distraction while I am preparing for the exam.  Most importantly, my body is getting worse owing to the job.  Every time, after I finish my work, I feel so exhausted that I cannot even focus on anything.  Day after day, I finally found that my body was not in good condition as it used to be.  Due to these reasons, I’ve decided to quit my current job and reschedule my life.

Discussing Causes - 2 (revised)

Mr. Williams failed his business for several reasons.  The first reason is that the location of the store was next to the lobby on the ground floor of the Fairfax Apartment Building on a small side street so that few people would notice it.  Besides, there was a shopping center which included two large music stores just three miles away from his store.  It could be a strong competitor for Mr. Williams’ small music store.  Another reason is the style of the music that Mr. Williams bought.  Most of the CDs were hip-hop and rock.  However, the majority of the age of the residents in the Fairfax was at about 55.  Consequently, these kinds of music might not appeal to them.  In addition, the pay of the clerks was so high that Mr. Williams could hardly make both ends meet.  Most importantly, the time when the store opened was too short.  It closed after five o’clock so that student did not have the opportunity to buy CDs in it.  To sum up, Mr. Williams should have planned well before he opened the store.

Discussing an Opinion - 2 (revised)

     I believe that only death makes people value their own life and stop committing crimes.  Consequently, I certainly support using the death penalty as a form of criminal punishment.  In Europe, those who commit crimes, such as homicide, robbery and sexual assault, are not afraid of being caught.  Because they know that law itself is protecting them.  The wrongdoer here is the forbidden death penalty.  Criminals are therefore sent into jail.  Their cost in jail is the taxes that we citizens pay.  For most people or even the victims’ family, that is absolutely unacceptable.  Besides, if the government practices the death penalty, people could feel safer.  We do not have to worry about being robbed on the halfway of going to grocery store or killed just for peeking at someone on the road.  In my opinion, the government should take action on guarding against the criminals instead of forbidding the death penalty.

Discussing an Opinion - 1 (revised)

     Nowadays, a lot of teenagers, even adults, are fond of meeting people through online dating sites.  However, I am certainly against this current trend.  The first reason is that people, especially the teens, might be deceived easily while chatting online with those who they do not know well.  You might get hurt or lose your money or even life.  Such cases are reported on newspaper frequently.  Second, as the reality is always tougher than the virtual world, many people get addicted to it easily.  Nevertheless, the virtual world is much more complicated.  Those who would not face the music are often not self-controlled.  They keep themselves in the virtual world and lose themselves.  Last, while using the Internet, your personal information might be read secretly by hackers.  If the password of your credit card is read by someone else, you would lose a large sum of money.  To sum up, in my opinion, people should build their social life in real world instead of meeting someone they don’t know through the Internet.

Discussing an Effect - 2

     Having a part-time job has several good effects on me.  Firstly, I can earn a living by myself.  Thus, I can buy whatever I want without parents’ permit.  Secondly, by way of having a job, I realize how hard it is to support my own life.  Also, I have learned to manage finances instead of spending out all the money.  Last, I have known various kinds of co-workers and costumers.  It helps me learn to deal with every sort of people.  In conclusion, we students should find a part-time job because it would teach us lots of things that teachers don’t.

Discussing an Effect - 1

     Opening a large factory in Acton might have some bad effects.  First, there would be pollution of noise, water and air.  The factory would release exhaust fume and waste water so that people in Acton might get sick easily.  Besides, as the population increases, the enthusiasm may fade consequently.  Old people, who have spent their all life in Acton would not like to end up in a place where they do not know anymore.  Last but not the least, when a factory is opened, lots of trees would be felled down.  Hence, wild animals would lose their homes.  To sum up, entrepreneurs should not destroy a beautiful small town just for their own profit or they might spoil what is more precious.

Contrasting - 2 (revised)

  Two people, Lynn Whitnall and Debra Fines, want to apply for a job as a English instructor.  Comparing their résumés, I would like to hire Lynn Whitnall.  The first reason is that Lynn masters more languages, such as Spanish, French and Japanese, than Debra does.  Moreover, Lynn has more teaching experience.  Lynn has been a teacher since 1997.  However, Debra had been a teacher for only 5 years.  Besides, Lynn got a teaching award in 2004 while Debra published an English book in 2006.  In conclusion, I think experience is the most important requirement for a teacher.  Consequently, I would certainly hire Lynn rather than Debra.

Comparing - 3 (revised)

  In Tainan, there are two great restaurants which are similar in some ways.  One is called Tasty and the other one is called Pottery House.  Both of them are close to Tainan Train Station.  It costs 499 dollars to have a meal at Tasty.  Similarly, it costs the same price to have a meal at Pottery House.  Moreover, the way of ordering at Tasty and Pottery House are alike.  People choose their appetizer, soup, main course, dessert and drinks respectively.  Also, both of their food are western so that they attract lots of foreigners to have dinner there.  Besides those similarities, Tasty often gives out coupons in order to lure costomers.  Likewise, Pottery House gives them out, too.  In my opinion, these two restaurants are the best places to enjoy a meal.

Discussing Cause - 2

Mr. Williams failed his business for several reasons.  The first reason is that the store’s location was next to the lobby on the ground floor of the Fairfax Apartment Building on a small side street so that few people would notice it.  Besides, there was a shopping center which concluded two large music stores just three miles away from his store.  It could be a strong competitor for Mr. Williams’ small music store.  Another reason is the style of the music that Mr. Williams bought.  Most of the CDs were hip-hop and rock.  However, the majority of the age of the residents in the Fairfax was at about 55.  Consequently, these kinds of music might not appeal to them.  In addition, the pay of the clerks was so high that Mr. Williams could hardly make both ends meet.  Most importantly, the time when the store opened was too short.  It closed after five o’clock so that student did not have the opportunity to buy CDs in it.  To sum up, Mr. Williams should have planned well before he opened the store.

Discussing Cause - 1

    I’ve made a decision of quitting my job in a restaurant.  Firstly, the pay is so low that I cannot make ends meet.  I always spend all my money just after I get my pay.  Another reason is that I am taking the University Exam in about 10 months.  Having a job might be a distraction while I am preparing for the exam.  Most importantly, my body is getting worse owing to the job.  Every time, after I finished my work, I feel so exhausted that I cannot even focus on anything.  Day after day, I finally found that my body was not in good condition as it used to be.  Due to these reasons, I’ve decided to quit my current job and reschedule my life.