2007年10月甘肃自考00603英语写作真题试卷

全国2007年10月高等教育自学考试

英语写作试题

课程代码：00603

Ⅰ. Supply the missing paragraph. (20 points)

The following passage is incomplete with the ending paragraph missing. Study the passage carefully and write the paragraph in no more than 100 words. Make sure your tone and diction are in unity with the passage provided.

Living in the Present

About one of man’s frailties(弱点)Thomas Wolfe wrote, “he talks of the future and he wastes it as it comes.” This observation is related to a principle by which I try (without always succeeding) to live. I believe in living in the present because it is futile(无用的)to dwell on the past, to worry about the future, or to miss anything in the only reality I know.

It is futile to dwell on the past. What existed or happened in the past may have been beautiful or exciting and may now bring profound and precious memories; but the past is dead, and it is not healthy for living spirits to linger over a world inhabited by ghosts. The past may also be a place of horror, of regret, of spilled milk, of unfortunate deeds that “cannot be done”, of sad words like “might have been”. However, it is painful and pointless to fixate on a period that cannot be relived or repaired. It is unproductive self-punishment. The past must be kept in its place, outlived and outgrown.

It is also useless to worry about the future. Why fly to heaven before it is time? What anxious visions haunt the person who thinks too much about the future? He may imagine his own life going awry, appointments missed; advancements given to someone else; his house burned to the ground; his love lost; everything in his life as in a nightmare, slipping away from him. There is no end to the disasters a person can worry about when he focuses anxiously on the future. There are events in his future, including his own demise, over which he has little or no control, but he can ruin his life worrying about them. There are some disasters he may be able to prevent, but he must do that by living well in the present, not simply by worrying about the future.

The present moment, which is even now moving into the past, is the reality I know, and I don’t want to miss it. The wild-cherry cough drop dissolving in my mouth is sweet and soothing. Even my sore throat and back-ache have meaning. The cool night air, the crackling noises of my furnace, my cat yawning and stretching——these are the tangible realities I can recognize. They exist in this moment, together with my own breathing, the warm lamp overhead, the jerking of my typewriter. Along with these are the realities of other people and of all life on this earth, which is important to me now, not at some past or future time.

Ⅱ. Write an outline. (20 points)

Read the following passage carefully and compose a “sentence outline” for it.

Missing out

Why does a person turn into a workaholic? Ever since George Ramirez took over his father’s store last year, he’s done nothing but work. He arrives at the store by seven in the morning and doesn’t leave until eight at night. He does paperwork at home every evening and spends most Saturdays and Sundays at the store as well. George is a man who has made work his sole priority and has lost sight everything else of value.

George rarely allows himself a free moment to do anything other than work. He used to read books, play cards, and go biking. Now the only reading he does is work related, and the only activities he participates in involve invoices, purchase orders, and store inventory.

George has abandoned his friends. For example, he used to play basketball in a local gym once or twice a week with two old buddies. He hasn’t seen or even spoken to either one for months. Even Daniel, his closest friend, rarely talks with George anymore. When Daniel phones him at the store, George’s assistant intercepts the call. Tell him I’ll call back later, George tells his assistant, but he seldom does.

Most disturbing of all, George has forgotten the meaning of family. His working hours leave him little time to spend with his wife, and even less to spend with his two children. In fact, in some respects his wife and children feel and act as though theirs is a one-parent family. Family activities such as going to the playground, checking homework, and visiting the library or a museum have all become exclusively his wife’s domain. George’s children no longer expect his presence or participation and seem surprised on those rare occasions when their father is around.

George is neglecting himself, his friends, and his family. Whatever internal demons have been driving him to work so fanatically is also pushing him away from the simple joys of life and, more important, from the people who love him. George used to say, “Call me, and I’ll be there.” Now he’s never “there” anymore. It’s not just his friends and children who are hurt by his absence. I miss George too. I miss my husband.

Ⅲ. Compose an essay. (60 points)

Some people believe that university students should be required to attend classes. Others believe that going to classes should be optional for students. Write an essay (about 300 words) expressing your view.