1 Dear Manager

1 Dear Manager,I bought an air conditioner in your supermarket yesterday. After it was delivered home and its package untied, I found, to my dismay that the paint on several places of the surface had been scratched off. And after it was installed in the living room, we found that it didn’t work well: it sent warm air when cool air was wanted; and cool air when we expected the room to be warmer. Then I sent it back to your supermarket, where I was received by one of your receptionists. On hearing my intention of exchanging it for another, he flatly refused, on the ground that your supermarket would not accept any goods once they had been sold.As a consumer, I think I have the right to protect my own interests. And the supermarket should have set up certain measures and rules to protect the rights of consumers. And the supermarket has the responsibility to exchange the air conditioner for a good one for me. Dear manager, I do hope that you can look into this matter and give me a satisfactory reply.I look forward to hearing from you. And thank you for taking your time to read this letter.Sincerely yours,W ang Lin2 On Keeping a Diary in EnglishKeeping a diary in English is one of the effective ways to improve our English writing ability. Compared with other forms of writing, it is shorter and takes less time. It can help us to cultivate the habit of thinking in English. If we persist in this practice, gradually we’ll learn how to express ourselves in English.In keeping a diary in English, we inevitably run up against a lot of difficulties. In the first place, if often happens that we have trouble finding appropriate words and phrases to give expression to our mind. Secondly, there are many idiomatic ways of saying things in Chinese. And it is extremely hard for us to put them into English properly. Certainly, there are some other roadblocks we may come across in our keeping a diary in English.As far as I’m concerned, my suggestion is that we should always have a notebook and a Chinese-English dictionary within each reach. Whenever something beats us, we can first put it down in our notebook and then consult our dictionary. W e can also turn to our English teacher for help, if necessary. In short, I believe that it is of great use to keep a diary in English for the development of our writing skills.3 Keeping PetsWith the rise of people’s living standard, keeping pets is becoming a fashionable activity in China. More and more pet markets are set up across the nation, in which various kinds of pets are available. Over the past few years, even the prices of pets have been on rise. Some people would spend several thousand yuan on a smart dog or a rare bird. If you are strolling along the streets in the evening, you’ll see a lot of people walking dogs.People keep pets for different reasons. For most families, pets are lovely, sensitive creatures with whom they are able to communicate. They keep them just for fun and pleasure. As for some adults, playing with their pets is their favorite form of relaxation after a day’s work. As for children, it seems that there are no better friends or companions they can find than a funny-looking dogs or a clever cat. However, for some people, keeping pets is only a display of their wealth. By owing an expensive dog or bird, they intend to show off how wealthy they are.I, myself, don’t see anything wrong with keeping pets. I think the love that exists between us human and animals can be even more strongly felt while we are feeding a pet. It is this harmonious relationship between human and animals that contributes to the balance of nature.• 4 Job Problems for College GraduatesNowadays, college graduates find it more and more difficult to get a rewarding job, and worst of all, many of them can’t find jobs in their specialties. But why does that take place? The possible reasons are as follows: Firstly, what the students have learned in colleges or universities can’t meet the demands of the development of industries. For one thing, the courses offered by colleges are so outdated that it’s hard for those graduates to translate their book knowledge into real job skills. For another, the students haven’t been taught how to combine the theory with practice.Secondly, it is hard to make a choice between a well –paid job and a favorite one. Some graduates may give up their majors only to seek more money, but this will certainly prevent them from putting their ability into full play. So eventually they will be tired of the job. Thirdly, there’s an oversupply of graduates in certain fields and this supply is still increasing. Now most students tend to choose such majors as English, accounting, computer, etc., which they think society needs most and will offer them better job prospects. The trend is so strong that too many students flood into the popular fields. As a result, many of them fail to enter the profession for which they are trained.To solve the problems, we should get the students out of ivory tower to gear their courses to the needs of industries and businesses, and help students seek a way of living a more significant life.5 A Campaign SpeechDear fellow students,I am grateful that you offer me the chance to speak here. I am impressed by the speeches of the previous candidates. Y et, I want to prove myself better for the post of chairman.First of all, I have a pleasant personality. Last year I was the dorm director of our building and I managed to get along with all the students well. I have acquired working experience and communication skills which I consider as the most essential for the coordinator of the whole student union.Secondly, I am always ready to create. At present our union is very well organized. However, our activity schedule is slightly monotonous. I am willing to add some vivid elements into it in order to make our campus life more enjoyable.If I am elected the chairman, I promise I’ll become your choice and build the student union into a bridge between the students and the university.I am your best choice. Vote for me, vote for yourself, Thank you.6 social PracticeThe majority of the college students think that social practice is not important. They only consider their study as the most important thing. So they do well in class, but pay no attention to social practice. Some students don’t participate in any social practice at all. Therefore, they have little knowledge about society.In fact, social practice should become an organic component of school education. The knowledge we obtain in class is limited. So it is essential for the students to participate in social practice in order to learn something that they can’t get in class.In this sense, social practice is an important part of school education because it is a valuable supplement to classroom teaching.Participation in social practice does a lot of good to us. W e can apply the knowledge we obtain from our textbooks to the solution of practical problems. In doing so, we can get more experience. Furthermore, participation in social practice can help the students have more knowledge about our society and our country. They will take correct attitudes towards their studies. And the teachers needn’t always urge the students to work hard.7Should High School Students Study Abroad?In this global village, more and more Chinese are studying abroad, and the age of overseas students is falling. As to whether high school students should join the trend, people have split views. According to a study in X city, 65% of the people go in for it, while 35% are opposed to it.The proponents believe studying abroad is a good thing, if circumstances allowed. First, going abroad offers a foreign language environment. Also students may experience another education system and life style. Moreover, high school students can foster a sense of independence, in order to better prepare for the future. However, some people still hold reservation. One of the concerns is the high tuition fee and living costs. Another is that some students may abuse freedom due to lack of discipline.Personally, I am supportive of such a choice for young people like high school students. They can not only learn advanced technologies, but also gain an insight into other cultures. As for the big costs, students may apply for scholarships or do some part-time jobs. What is more, studying abroad and parental supervision are not mutually exclusive. Thanks to modern communication facilities, parents may off e r constant encouragement and guidance from a distance.8 Pros and Cons of Online ShoppingRapid development of the Internet leads to the rise of online shopping. People first browse through the screen to find wanted articles, then pay with credit or debit cards, and the goods are later delivered to them. W ebsites such as eBay and Taobao have become burgeoning competitors versus real stores, taking up a considerable market share.Convenience is the major attraction about online shopping. While it usually takes a whole day to wander about the malls, online shopping process is within several clicks of the mouse at home. Since the ordered goods are delivered to your doorsteps, there is no need to lug heavy bags home. Lower price is also an advantage. Online stores have lower overheads, thus reducing the costs. As a result, customers can have real bargains.However, at present, security of online shopping is still a concern for some people. There is a chance you could get ripped off by the website, or a hacker could work out the password of your credit card. What is more, customers only see the pictures online, and are sometimes dissatisfied with the actual item. After all, online shopping is an emerging thing, and we believe these problems can be solved when the market is more mature. By then, people can go shopping online free of worry.9Private Cars in ChinaWith the improvement of people’s living standards, private cars have found their way to ordinary Chinese’s homes. Remarkable national economic growth provides a strong backing for the increasing trend. Nowadays, more and more citizens are planning to buy cars. And for some better-off families, one may not be enough.People embrace private cars primarily for its convenience, which can free us from the rigid timetable and fixed route of buses and metros. Efficiency is the second attraction, since driving is usually faster than other means of transportation. This advantage becomes obvious especially in the event of emergencies when it is difficult to take a taxi. Despite these merits, contrasting arguments are equally salient. First, efficiency is usually a mirage. Frequent congestions actually render the cities huge parking lots. Second, private cars are responsible for air pollution, as emission of carbon dioxide and ethane contribute to global warming.Now that there seems no way to stop people from buying cars due to consumers’ freedom of choice, it is almost certain that the number of private cars in China will continue to rise. If we can improve the road systems, and develop more environment-friendly cars, we may minimize the negative consequences while enjoying the benefits.10 Smoking in Public Places Should Be BannedI believe smoking in public places should be banned, primarily for health and security reasons. First, as is known to all, smoking is bad for health, especially for women and children, who are usually the victims of “second-hand smoking”. When smoking is allowed in places where people congregate,non-smokers either have to leave, or risk developing chronic respiratory diseases. Second, smoking is often responsible for fire accidents. This is most serious in KTVS and bars which feature limited room, few exists and poor ventilation.As one can expect, some smokers oppose banning smoking in public places; they hold that smoking is one of their rights, and where to smoke is also an entirely personal choice. For them, smoking is a relaxation and enjoyment. And there seems no place more appropriate for such purpose than places of entertainment.Of course, there may be nothing wrong with smoking itself, which is indeed a matter of individual choice. However, smoking in public places is quite different, because it involves more parties than the smokers themselves. It actually infringes on the health and safety of non-smokers, and therefore should be banned. For relaxation and comfort, smokers may as well smoke in the open air or at home.December16, 200611 Dear Mr. Mayor,I am writing to you to complain about the construction sites in our city, which cause serious environmental problems, and affect the life of residents in neighboring communities.My major concerns are the air pollution and the noise pollution. When the heavy industrial equipment is working, the air is always full of rising dust and sometimes even black smoke. This greatly degraded the quality of air. As people inhale dust particles and polluted air every day, their respiratory system is bound to be affected.The other problem is the restless noise. Some construction sites operate after 8 pm, when most people need a little rest. The noise is not necessarily thunderous, but nevertheless disturbing. For people who go to sleep early, the noise is definitely a nuisance. If this situation goes on, the citizens’ rights cannot be guaranteed.I think two measures could be taken to solve the problems. First, construction work is inevitably dusty and noisy, but local authorities can set up higher pollution control standard, and restrict the working hours. Second, if some sites violate the regulation, more sever punishment should be imposed on the people responsible.It is my sincere hope that the pollution problems caused by the building sites will be looked into and solved as soon as possible. I’m looking forward to your early reply.Y ours sincerely,W ang Ling。