TOEFL作文学习8.16

Students could receive a better, more efficient education if they spend 11 months a year studying.

 

A longer period of study contributes very little to a better education.

It has been reported that people cannot focus on one thing for more than a few hours a time. If they force themselves to stretch their attention span, then their physical condition deteriorates, leading to a decline in efficiency and productivity, be it at work or at study.

It’s not surprising, for example, that a skilled flutist might having difficulty in controlling her armature and overall posture for hours without drifting her focus to other less important things, like the hot guy in the trumpet section. A programmer, however skillful in coding, could not tease out a single bug after spending more than ten hours in front of the computer. Similarly, if students were forced to sit in the classroom for more than the regular school year of 8 months, listening to monotonous lecture one after another, they would soon become exhausted and even rebellious to such an unreasonable arrangement. They will become absent-minded in class and slack on homework assignment.

In contrast, if students take several months off after a normal semester of intense work, they can change their batteries and return to the next semester, more engaged and rejuvenate.

 

The second reason for my stance is that the best education occurs outside of school. A several-month long summer break, for example, will allow students to go outside of their typical environment and to get in touch with the real world. They gain the opportunity to travel and socialize with people they normally wouldn’t interact with. These meaningful experiences offer an education that students could never hope to receive at school.

 

I once met a person during my own summer vocation who was volunteering at a non-profit organization aimed at helping children from less privileged families. She sacrificed a high-paying job offer from a multinational company to devote her time wholeheartedly to helping those children. The encounter made me realize the power of dreams and how certain aspirations can motivate a person to leave behind materialistic desires, such as a stable job.

 

Another example is a boy whom I met in Beijing. He was brought up in an orphanage as he lost his parents at an early age. But he remained optimistic and always wore the biggest smile on his face. We chatted and joked often. His sunny smile nature taught me that true happiness lies not in one’s circumstances, but in one’s state of mind. No matter how meager lives we lead, a simple smile can keep us happy from within. Those are precious lessons that I have stayed with me to this day.

If I myself hadn’t gone on a vacation, I would have missed the education of a lifetime and become a very different person today.

 

Therefore, 11 months of education per year amounts to a harmful plan. I would encourage students to take breaks and take them often.

 

It is better to take a secure job with a low pay than to take a job with a high pay but little security.

 

The debate over whether a low-paying but secure job is better than a high-paying yet less secure job is a fierce one. It is tempting to think that a low paying job with great security leaves one exposed to the risk of unemployment, thereby creating a high level of stress. However, I hold the opposite view. I believe that a high paying but insecure job is beneficial for personal development.

 

Challenging jobs contribute to people’s growth. High paying jobs are crucial in every company, requiring people to deal with all sorts of demanding tasks. Besides the work itself, high expectations from the supervisors, along with intense competition among colleagues, strain people’s nerves. They always face the prospect that if they do not continue to perform at a high level, they will get laid off. But pressure, despite its obvious drawbacks, also motivates people to work harder and achieve more. In fact, for most people, it is only when placed under pressure that they are motivated enough to make the most of their time in order to acquire more knowledge and sharpen skills, thereby bringing out the best in themselves. In contrast, people who have chosen low-paying and secure jobs lead easier and comfortable lives, largely free of pressure and stress, or the need to make changes. The flip-side is that the lack of pressure and the sense of security, which dampens their motivation and effectively barricades people from continued development.

 

Taking high paying but insecure jobs helps people build a strong will. When holding a high-paying but insecure job, people will inevitably be encountered with significant setbacks. No matter how many sleepless nights go into perfecting the project at hand, the end result may still fail to live up to the expectation of their supervisors. Or, even after donating a large amount of time and energy on a project or presentation, people may still lose a million-dollar contract for simply failing to appeal to one of their clients. But every dark cloud has a silver lining. Adversity and failure are critical in the process of achieving something great. People learn from mistakes, realizing that crying and complaining serve no useful purpose in addressing the problem. So, they are more likely to continue on their journey with a renewed vigor and strong minds.

 

In summary, I acknowledge that people who take low-paying but secure jobs can enjoy easy and comfortable lives. But in the long run, working a job with high pay but lower security is the best way for people to improve themselves and develop a resilient personality.