Unit 1In my middle school years, I had a best friend. We talked about everything. And we loved singing songs together. Once, however, there was a bitter quarrel between us and we stopped talking to each other. It was obvious that both of us wanted to keep the friendship, but neither had the courage to break the ice. It went on like this for months. Then, one day we were asked to write about friendship. I wrote in my composition what friendship meant to me and the misunderstanding that had separated us. It was given the top mark, and I was asked to read it in class. When I ended my presentation with the words from our favourite song, my friend was singing along. All misunderstanding was cleared and once again we were best friends. To break down the walls between people is easy; all it takes is a little forgiveness! (150 words) 2) We are living in a world of distrust. We live behind cold security bars; we do not talk to strangers, let alone go out of our way to help them; we live in fear of fake products. In short, fear and feelings of insecurity fill the environment we live in. All this greatly harms our society. Growing up in such an environment, we tend to feel isolated and care about ourselves only. If things go on like this, “trust”, “teamwork”, and “harmony” will eventually become terms unheard of. In my opinion, trusting others and being trustworthy are the two basic principles that we should follow if we want to improve human relationships. We may not be in a position to change others, but we can change the way others see us by winning their trust in us. Mutual understanding and love are the pillars that support a harmonious society. (151 words)/Unit 2Today, many college students are from single-child families. Growing up in such environments, they tend to take for granted what they have. Some even develop bad habits and character flaws such as self-will, lack of responsibility and selfishness. In my opinion, taking a listless attitude toward life is extremely harmful to them. With such a negative attitude, they fail to appreciate the advantages they enjoy. They waste away their precious time, seeking pleasure in running after pop stars or indulging in computer games. In the end, they may have to leave college without having acquired any useful skills or knowledge. Sometimes I think it is good for us to think more of the young people who are still struggling for their lives and education. Such an attitude would certainly impel us to cherish more our college life. And life would be more meaningful if we treat it with a gentleness, a vigor and keenness of appreciation. (155 words) 2) Being admitted to college was an important turning point in my life. I would never have been able to make it without the help and support of my parents, teachers and classmates. Throughout the time I was preparing for the entrance examination my parents were always there to back me up. They allowed me to make my own decisions about which major I wanted to pursue. Whats more, they had full confidence in me. I was lucky enough to have had fine teachers and kind classmates. My teachers were patient and competent to explain the problems I did not understand; my classmates helped me and encouraged me all the time. We shared our hopes and anxieties together. That was a memorable time in my life! I didnt achieve everything alone. I owe a lot to those who have helped me to get where I am. （147 words）/Unit 31) Li Hui, my friend in high school, was born into a workers family. She began to dream of becoming a cartoon artist from her childhood. To her disappointment, her parents strongly opposed her career choice, because the cost of her education would be too high for the poor family, and they were worried about the job opportunities for a cartoon artist. However, Li Hui would not change her mind. She worked hard to perfect her skills and searched persistently for ways to realise her dream. Just before she finished high school, the chance came: a famous art school was holding a cartoon drawing competition. The first three winners would be given a scholarship to study cartoon drawing at the school. Li Hui told herself not to let the chance slip through her fingers. She readily participated and won the second place. She is now studying there and I feel certain that her dream will come true. (156 words) 2) In my opinion, before a person becomes successful, he or she should fully understand the basic elements of success: competence, determination and optimism. For a person to succeed, he or she has to face great competition and excel in his or her chosen career. The person needs to demonstrate and prove his or her competence in dealing with problems. Without competence, the person can neither stand out among the crowd nor attract the attention of those who hold the keys to the doors of opportunity and advancement. Yet ability alone cannot guarantee success. Often enough, things do not go the way we have planned and failure is unavoidable no matter how intelligent or capable we may be. In such cases one needs to remain firm and optimistic, always believing that hard work will eventually pay off. If the person gives up halfway, success will never knock at the door. (149 words)/Unit 4Dear Weihua, I know you are still feeling upset about your results in the college entrance examination. Ive just read an article about how pessimistic and optimistic thoughts can affect our behaviour and Im now sending you a copy, hoping that it will help you step out of the shadows. Naturally, failing the college entrance examination can be very depressing, yet if you continue to dwell on the past, you will never be able to pick yourself up and focus on what is more important for now and the future. Life is full of trials and anyone may suffer setbacks. We must take an optimistic attitude towards the things we have to deal with. Optimism and positive thinking are powerful forces. Good things do come true if we picture them often. Please do have confidence in your potential. Just work hard and prepare for another chance. You will make it. Yours, Janet (152 words) 2) Thinking positively means allowing your mind to be filled with optimistic feelings, and always hoping for the best though still aware of the difficulties that might be involved. The human mind is powerful; thoughts of optimism and pessimism can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Though it mightseem impossible to some, positive thinking and success actually have a cause-and-result relationship. The reason is that a person with positive thinking will always broadcast goodwill and confidence and that kind of radiating attitude will take a hold on everybody. Gradually, peoples attitude will shift towards more trust and respect. This not only opens up more opportunities for the individual, but it also feeds back emotionally, and the cycle continues. Though the shaping of a positive or negative personality often happens subconsciously, it is possible to control such processes consciously. A person can try visualizing favourable situations, whether it is remembering a contest won as a child or imagining getting that job offer so long sought after. Over time circumstances will change accordingly. （169 words）Test 1My View on Opportunity Different people have different views on opportunity. Some hold that there are not enough opportunities because there are far too many people. Yet others believe that there are opportunities everywhere. They say that opportunity favors the prepared mind. I agree with the latter. It is true that there is really intense competition for limited opportunities, but one can always create opportunities. Actually, most opportunities are created by people themselves. For example, when people lose their jobs, some will wait in vain and complain about the lack of opportunities, while others choose to set about creating opportunities for themselves and taking responsibility for their own lives. They become self-employed and may even lead a better life eventually. Therefore, to some extent, our destiny is in our own hands. (130 words)/Unit 5A widespread belief in modern society is that with talent, personal effort and luck alone a person can succeed, regardless of character. However, history has proven over and over again that the morally defective cannot be truly successful, even if they at times enjoy some temporary glory. A typical example is found in the story of four brilliant Cambridge students. They were all talented and eventually worked their way up to very important positions in the British government, with one even ending up working in Buckingham Palace. During and after World War II, however, they betrayed their country by giving away national secrets to the Soviet Union, which damaged the interests of Britain in many ways. Eventually what they had done was uncovered. Three of them fled the country and ended up in exile; the fourth lost his knighthood in disgrace. “Intelligent” and “successful” as they once were, they are now remembered as traitors to their country. (157 words) 2) As modern society advances, we are growing more suspicious of each other. This is clearly reflected in our reaction to advertisements. Instead of seeing advertisements as a source of reliable information, we tend to doubt the truth they claim and always assume that the producers are trying to trick customers into buying their products. One of the most serious consequences of such absence of mutual trust is the constant doubt and anxiety within our own minds. If we see everyone else as a potential enemy, we can no longer make new friends; if we regard all information passed on to us as lies, how can we make use of such sources effectively? Mutual trust is the glue that holds human society together. As students, we should try to foster mutual trust and help build up a moral society by our own deeds. If we are honest to others and foster mutual trust, we shall soon see the difference. (158 words) Unit 7A team player is someone who can work well with other people in a team. But it is not enough just to get along with others. A true team player must be more positive and constructive than just following the herd; he or she must also be able to play an active part in decision-making. Our society demands team players because by gathering all our various strengths together, we c