Issue 15

　　Unfortunately, the media tend to highlight what is sensational at the moment. Society would be better served if the media reported or focused more fully on events and trends that will ultimately have the most long-term significance.

　　The speaker asserts that rather than merely highlighting certain sensational events the media should provide complete coverage of more important events. While the speakers assertion has merit from a normative standpoint, in the final analysis I find this assertion indefensible.個人認為這一段最后一句可以背掉放入自己建立的句子庫內。

　　Upon first impression the speakers claim seems quite compelling, for two reasons. First, without the benefit of a complete, unfiltered, and balanced account of current events, it is impossible to develop an informed and intelligent opinion about important social and political issues and, in turn, to contribute meaningfully to our democratic society, which relies on broad participation in an ongoing debate about such issues to steer a proper course. The end result of our being a largely uninformed people is that we relegate the most important decisions to a handful of legislators, jurists, and executives who may or may not know what is best for us. Second, by focusing on the sensationalby which I take the speaker to mean comparatively shocking, entertaining, and titillating events which easily catch ones attention-the media appeal to our emotions and baser instincts, rather than to our intellect and reason. Any observant person could list many examples aptly illustrating the trend in this directionfrom trashy talk shows and local news broadcasts to The National Enquixer and People Magazine. This trend dearly serves to undermine a societys collective sensibilities and renders a societys members more vulnerable to demagoguery; thus we should all abhor and resist the trend.

　　作者運用了讓步的手法，先是分析原作為何出此觀點的原因，然后再駁斥，提出自己的正確觀點。我們要特別留意第一句的架構，雖然過分復雜，但是好像ets就是喜歡這種變態句子。

　　However, for several reasons I find the medias current trend toward highlights and the sensational to be justifiable. First, the world is becoming an increasingly eventful place; thus with each passing year it becomes a more onerous task for the media to attempt full news coverage. Second, we are becoming an increasingly busy society. The average U.S. worker spends nearly 60 hours per week at work now; and in most families both spouses work. Compare this startlingly busy pace to the pace a generation ago, when one bread-winner worked just over 40 hours per week. We have far less time today for news, so highlights must suffice. Third, the media does in fact provide full coverage of important events; anyone can find such coverage beyond their newspapers front page, on daily PBS news programs, and on the Internet. I would wholeheartedly agree with the speaker if the sensational highlights were all the media were willing or permitted to provide; this scenario would be tantamount to thought control on a mass scale and would serve to undermine our free society. However, I am aware of no evidence of any trend in this direction. To the contrary, in my observation the media are informing us more fully than ever before; we just need to seek out that information.

　　作者從現實需要和事實證明兩方面來駁斥原文觀點，這一手法不妨借鑒。必須補充的是，作者運用的First, second這樣的分層次分析使得結構鮮明，表意清晰也是值得學習的。

　　On balance, then, the speakers claim is not defensible. In the final analysis the media serves its proper function by merely providing what we in a free society demand. Thus any argument about how the media should or should not behaveregardless of its merits from a normative standpoint begs the question.

　　最后一段照例總結，還可以。

　　得分：從語言的復雜度和內容的深刻度，=5分!

　　Issue 15

　　Unfortunately, the media tend to highlight what is sensational at the moment. Society would be better served if the media reported or focused more fully on events and trends that will ultimately have the most long-term significance.

　　The speaker asserts that rather than merely highlighting certain sensational events the media should provide complete coverage of more important events. While the speakers assertion has merit from a normative standpoint, in the final analysis I find this assertion indefensible.個人認為這一段最后一句可以背掉放入自己建立的句子庫內。

　　Upon first impression the speakers claim seems quite compelling, for two reasons. First, without the benefit of a complete, unfiltered, and balanced account of current events, it is impossible to develop an informed and intelligent opinion about important social and political issues and, in turn, to contribute meaningfully to our democratic society, which relies on broad participation in an ongoing debate about such issues to steer a proper course. The end result of our being a largely uninformed people is that we relegate the most important decisions to a handful of legislators, jurists, and executives who may or may not know what is best for us. Second, by focusing on the sensationalby which I take the speaker to mean comparatively shocking, entertaining, and titillating events which easily catch ones attention-the media appeal to our emotions and baser instincts, rather than to our intellect and reason. Any observant person could list many examples aptly illustrating the trend in this directionfrom trashy talk shows and local news broadcasts to The National Enquixer and People Magazine. This trend dearly serves to undermine a societys collective sensibilities and renders a societys members more vulnerable to demagoguery; thus we should all abhor and resist the trend.

　　作者運用了讓步的手法，先是分析原作為何出此觀點的原因，然后再駁斥，提出自己的正確觀點。我們要特別留意第一句的架構，雖然過分復雜，但是好像ets就是喜歡這種變態句子。

　　However, for several reasons I find the medias current trend toward highlights and the sensational to be justifiable. First, the world is becoming an increasingly eventful place; thus with each passing year it becomes a more onerous task for the media to attempt full news coverage. Second, we are becoming an increasingly busy society. The average U.S. worker spends nearly 60 hours per week at work now; and in most families both spouses work. Compare this startlingly busy pace to the pace a generation ago, when one bread-winner worked just over 40 hours per week. We have far less time today for news, so highlights must suffice. Third, the media does in fact provide full coverage of important events; anyone can find such coverage beyond their newspapers front page, on daily PBS news programs, and on the Internet. I would wholeheartedly agree with the speaker if the sensational highlights were all the media were willing or permitted to provide; this scenario would be tantamount to thought control on a mass scale and would serve to undermine our free society. However, I am aware of no evidence of any trend in this direction. To the contrary, in my observation the media are informing us more fully than ever before; we just need to seek out that information.

　　作者從現實需要和事實證明兩方面來駁斥原文觀點，這一手法不妨借鑒。必須補充的是，作者運用的First, second這樣的分層次分析使得結構鮮明，表意清晰也是值得學習的。

　　On balance, then, the speakers claim is not defensible. In the final analysis the media serves its proper function by merely providing what we in a free society demand. Thus any argument about how the media should or should not behaveregardless of its merits from a normative standpoint begs the question.

　　最后一段照例總結，還可以。

　　得分：從語言的復雜度和內容的深刻度，=5分!