Mysecondreasonisthatacademicsubjectshavewithstoodthetestoftime.They
representtheaccumulatedwisdomof ourancestorsdownthroughtheages,and,far
frombeingimpractical,theyequip uswiththeknowledgeandconfidenceto
makesoundjudgementsaboutany problemswhichmaycrop up.Inaddition,academic
subjectsaregoodfortraining usinmentaldiscipline,whilepracticalsubjectsareweak
inthisregard.
Mythirdreasonisbased onthesaying“Man doesnotliveby breadalone.”
Schooldaysdevotedsolelytoinstructionin down-to-earth practicalmatterswould be
dullindeed!Lessonsinthebestliteratureoftheworld,andtheepoch-making
scientificand geographical
discoveriesofthepastenrich ourlivesandmakeusfeelthatwearepartofthegreat
family ofmankind.
Allinall,theteaching ofacademicsubjectsinschoolsisentirelyappropriate.Itismy
firmly held viewthatpracticalsubjectshaveno placeintheclassroom.Onthecontrary,
thecurriculumshould bemoreacademic!
Sample 124
Manypeoplethinkthatnowadayspeoplearebeingsubjectedtomoreandmore
pressureintheirwork, andthus arehavinglessandlesstimetorelax. Whatis
youropinion?
Youshouldwriteatleast 250 words.Youshouldspendabout 40 minutes onthistask.modelanswer:
Inmodernsociety,especiallyin bigcities, undoubtedly hardwork hasbecomeavery
importantfeatureofordinary people’severydaylife.Itseemsthatmany people
areundertheimpressionthattheirworkis becomingmorepressingand urgent,and
thustheysacrificemoreandmoreleisuretime.
Inthefirstplace,withtherapid developmentofscienceandtechnology,worktoday
ismoredemandingthanit
usedto be.Forexample,collegegraduates nowadayshavetomasterEnglish,computer
scienceand drivingskillsbeforetheycanfind decentjobs.Peoplehavetospendmore
timeacquiring newtechniquesandskills.Andtheirsparetimetendsto befully
occupied, notwithleisurepursuit,
butwithwork-related pursuits.
Inthesecond place,competitionis becomingmoreintense.Many peoplefeelanxious
thattheymay be“laid-off”iftheycan’tworkashardasothers.Andtheyalsofeelata
disadvantagebeforenew