To begin with, most people now have more money for less hard work. They earn higher salaries than before and enjoy better social security, such as social welfare for laid-off workers and disability insurance.

　　Secondly, because of the advance in medical technology which leads to better medical care and treatment, people’s life expectancy is longer. Moreover, most people now can afford to buy foods of high nutrition and enjoy their leisure time.

　　Thirdly, modern conveniences such as radio, TV, internet, various vehicles and labour-saving machines in the home, all greatly facilitate human communication, transportation and housework as well.

　　Nevertheless, living in the 21st century also has its disadvantages. The most serious one is the increasingly polluted environment; air is filled with smog and water is contaminated by iehemicals from factories.Another main disadvantage is the personalization of human relattonships which mostly result from people’s ever-increasing contact with machines and numbers. Still one more disadvantage is the weakening of spiritual values. An undeniable fact is that a large number of people are solely interested in materialistic culture,while neglecting spiritual civilization. Limited by space, we have to skip the examples.

　　In conclusion, although the 21st century has indeed given us a lot of advantages, it may not have made us wiser, because it has also made our earth dirtier, our people less humane, and our spirituali iife poorer, We shpuld continue to enjoy the benefits of technological advancement,however, we must

　　make a concerted effort to preserve our natural environment for future generations. Moreover, we should take the time now to make our lives more meaningful in anihcreasingly impersonal, computerized world.

　　二 關于個人責任

　　We Chinese place a high value on responsibility. It is traditional deal for us Chinese to take care of our parents. We owe them a great deal for the love they give us while we are growing up. It is right, then, when they are getting older with each passing day, we help them and see that they are well cared for. In this way, we give back some of the love and care they have given to us.

　　As loyal Chinese citizens, we must have a strong sense of responsibility to our country. I t is our duty to keep China strong in the eyes of the world. Therefore, we should study and work hard for China’s strongness which also depends on the advanced science and technology. We must be willing to join the Army and defend our country, would we be threatened by an invader(侵入者). In short, to be a responsible citizen ,we must put our country’s welfare above our own needs. Finally, we must remember that we have a responsibility to the world we live in. It is important that we learn to live in peace with the other nations of the world and to protect our environment.If we carry out these responsibilities, we will be respected (受尊敬的)citizens of our country.

　　三 如何看待挑戰

　　For thousands of years, people have accepted challenges in different fields. There are not only physical challenges, but also social andintellectual(聰明的) challenges. Some people risk(冒…險) their lives in playing sports to see how well they can do. Others try to make and invent(發明) something to make life easier. They all enjoy challenges.

　　Why do people enjoy these challenges? There are probably many reasons. One is curiosity. The other is the personal feeling of success, of achievement, and nowadays, for some people, it is a business.

　　Today, we still have many challengers before us. Medical science faces the challenges of conquering many diseases which still attack human beings. Engineers and planners must build new cities, design and produce new kinds of transportation. Scientists must develop new forms of energy. In short, we live in an age of challenges.

　　四 環境污染

　　I read a piece of news recently. It says that in Japan marly businessmen ave selling fresh air to customers.and now it is becoming more and more popular. Why? --Fresh air is getting less and less in Japan, and so is it in the U. S. A.

　　In fact, environmental pollution is a very serious problem the whole world is facing.it is mainly caused by the waste products released from artificial substances, industrial

　　production and increased consumption of goods. Bedsides, the use of chemical substances in agriculture also causes environmental pollution. Look at the sky, you can see that dense smoke is being released from the high and big chimneys; those dirty and poisonous substances are flowing into the rivers that we use for drinking water and millions of tons of waste products are heaping around us.

　　How to change this condition? More and more countries are trying to work out some effective means to bring it under control, but no great success has been made.

　　五 面試在求職過程中的作用

　　Nowadays, in an ever tighter job market, great importance has been attached to an interview by both the employer and the applicant. The interview, so to speak, has become indispensable for getting a satisfactory job. On the one hand, the interviewer can take advantage of the occasion to learn about the candidates, such as their work experiences, education and their personalities, so as to pick out the right person for the company. On the other hand, the interviewee can make use of the opportunity to get to know the job he is going to take up, the salary, the working conditions and many other things about the job he is interested in.

　　Therefore, the job interview is very important to a job-hunter. But how can one succeed in it? Firstly of all, the interviewee must pay attention to his or her appearance. The first impression is always where we start. Get dressed properly and neatly. Secondly, good manners are equally important. Don’t be too proud, and neither too timid. Just be courteous. Thirdly, the interviewee must demonstrate his aptitude and skills for the job and his knowledge about eh job-related areas. Be confident. Last but not the least, the interviewee ought to be honest about his or her personal as well as academic background,　　To sum up, the job interview is indeed important, but there is no need to be nervous. As long as the interviewee has the ability for the job, with careful preparation and a fairly confident and honest performance, his or her success can be ensured.