二十四
　　Directions: For this part you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition on the topic City Problems. You should write no less than 120 words and base your composition on the outline below:

　　1.越来越多的人涌入大城市，有些问题随之产生

　　2.比较明显的大问题有

　　3.我对这种现象的想法。

　　City Problems

　　Nowadays, millions of migrant workers flock into cities in search of jobs and better living. However, with the sharp rise in the urban population, many problems arise in the development of cities.

　　Firstly, cities become more and more crowded, putting much pressure upon transportation, housing, sanitation, education, employment and so on. City services and facilities have been strained to a breaking point. Secondly, a growing number of private cars emit huge amount of carbon dioxide, leaving the air mercilessly polluted. What is more, the city is also threatened by rising crime. Not a single day passes without the report of someone being robbed, kidnapped or murdered. Last but not least, city-dwellers are not only separated from the natural world but also isolated from each other, even not knowing the name of their next-door neighbor.

　　All these problems have harmed the attractiveness of the city. Unless there is some improvement, more and more people may seek to live in the suburbs.

　　二十五
　　Direction: For this part you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition on the topic Cars and Air Pollution. You should write no less than 120 words and base your composition on the outline below:

　　1.私家轿车越来越多，有些问题随之产生

　　2.比较明显的大问题有......

　　3.我对这种现象的看法

　　Car and Air Pollution

　　Too many cars have created a lot of serious problems in our world. Besides congestion, accidents and fast fuel consumption, cars are responsible for a good part of air pollution in big cities. All the time, they are pumping huge amounts of waste gases into the atmosphere. These gases are very harmful, causing disease and even death.

　　One possible solution is to design and develop clean cars and clean fuels. In Shanghai, some of the public buses begin to run on natural gas, which does not give off as much carbon dioxide as the petrol. But it may take decades for the new models of clean cars completely replace the traditional ones.

　　Another solution is to develop modern public transportation systems and restrict the use of private cars. If the price of petrol rises constantly and the public vehicles are efficient and convenient enough, most people will not buy private cars. And the total number of cars in big cities will reduce greatly.

　　On the whole, the elimination of air pollution needs the collective efforts from the government, the public and the environmentalists.

　　二十六
　　Overseas Study at an Early Age

　　1.目前很多父母在孩子高中毕业前就总他们出国学习

　　2.导致这种趋势的原因是什么

　　3.我对此的看法

　　Nowadays more and more parents are eager to send their children to study abroad before they finish high school by whatever means and at whatever cost.

　　It is quite understandable for parents to send their children to study overseas because they place high expectations on their children. They are encouraged by the success stories of those who have completed their overseas study. With the development of economy, companies and institutions at home are giving more and more emphasis on overseas experiences, too. Consequently, pursuing overseas study became a kind of short cut in gaining a better future. Moreover, there is still one underlying reason for this rush-economic reason. The rapid economic progress in the past few years in China has enabled more and more parents to afford the huge cost for their children’s overseas study.

　　As for me, overseas study is surely a helpful way to get both advanced knowledge and necessary experiences, but overseas study at an early age is neither necessary nor benef1cial. The students may be too young to either tend for themselves or think for themselves. I do think that overseas study can contribute to one’s self-improvement, but it’s better to be pursued after one has finished his college study at home, when he is more capable of learning and living on his own.