GRE考试英语作文分类题库（2）

四 政治类
    1. It is often necessary， even desirable， for political leaders to withhold¹ information from the public.
    2. There are two types of laws： just and unjust. Every individual in a society has a responsibility to obey just laws and， even more importantly， to disobey and resist unjust laws.
    3. To be an effective leader， a public official must maintain the highest ethical² and moral standards.
    4. It is impossible for an effective political leader to tell the truth all the time. Complete honesty is not a useful virtue³ for a politician.
    5. Those who treat politics and morality as though they were separate realms fail to understand either the one or the other.
    6. Laws should not be stationary⁴ and fixed⁵. Instead， they should be flexible enough to take account of various circumstances， times， and places.
    7. The goal of politics should not be the pursuit of an ideal， but rather the search for common ground and reasonable consensus⁶.
    五 科技类
    1. The primary goal of technological⁷ advancement⁹ should be to increase people's efficiency so that everyone has more leisure time.
    2. Money spent on research is almost always a good investment， even when the results of that research are controversial.
    3. Humanity has made little real progress over the past century or so. Technological innovations have taken place， but the overall condition of humanity is no better. War， violence， and poverty are still with us. Technology cannot change the condition of humanity.
    4. When research priorities are being set for science， education， or any other area， the most important question to consider is ： How many people's lives will be improved if the results are successful.
    5. The function of science is to reassure¹⁰； the purpose of arts is to upset. Therein lies the value of each.
    6. Technology creates more problems than it solves， and may threaten or damage the quality of life.
    7. Most important discoveries or creations are accidental： it is usually while seeking the answer to one question that we come across the answer to another.
    六 传媒类
    1. In the age of television， reading books is not as important as it once was. People can learn as much by watching television as they can by reading books.
    2. The purpose of many advertisements is to make consumers want to buy a product so that they will 'be like' the person in the ad. This practice is effective because it not only sells products but also helps people feel better about themselves.
    3. Because of television and worldwide computer connections， people can now become familiar with a great many places that they have never visited. As a result， tourism will soon become obsolete¹¹.
    4. High-speed electronic communications media， such as electronic mail and television， tend to prevent meaningful and thoughtful communication.
    5. In this age of intensive media coverage¹²， it is no longer possible for a society to regard any woman or man as a hero. The reputation of anyone who is subjectied to media scrutiny¹³ will eventually be diminished.
    七 社会类
    1. Such nonmainstream areas of inquiry¹⁵ as astrology， fortune-telling， and psychic¹⁶ and paranormal pursuits play a vital role in society by satisfying human needs that are not addressed by mainstream¹⁴ science.
    2. Society does not place enough emphasis on the intellect-that is， on reasoning and other cognitive¹⁷ skills.
    3. It is through the use of logic⁸ and of precise， careful measurement that we become aware of our progress. Without such tools， we have no reference points to indicate how far we have advanced or retreated.
    4. At various times in the geological past， many species have become extinct as a result of natural， rather than human， processes. Thus， there is no justification¹⁸ for society to make extraordinary efforts， especially at a great cost in money and jobs， to save endangered species.
    5. The absence of choices is a circumstance that is very， very rake.
    6. What society has thought to be it greatest social， political， and individual achievements have often resulted in the greatest discontent.
    7. The well-being¹⁹ of a society is enhanced when many of its people question authority.
    8. Tradition and modernization²⁰ are incompatible²¹. One must choose between them.
    9. The only responsibility of corporate²² executives， provided they stay within the law， is to make as much money as possible for their companies.
    10. Many problems of modern society cannot be solved by laws and the legal system because moral behavior cannot be legislated²³.
    11. Scandals-whether in politics， academia， or other areas-can be useful. They focus our attention on problems in ways that no speaker or reformer ever could.
    12. Practicality is now our great ideal， which all powers and talents must serve. Anything that is not obviously practical has little value in today's world.
    13. It is easy to welcome innovation and accept new ideas. What most people find difficult， however， is accepting the way these new ideas are put into practice.
    14. The best way to understand the character of a society is to examine the character of the men and women that the society chooses as its heroes or its heroines.
    15. Progress is best made through discussion among people who have contrasting points of vies.
    八 历史类
    1. The video camera provides such an accurate and convincing record of contemporary life that it has become a more important form of documentation than written records.
    2. Most people would agree that building represent a valuable record of any society's past， but controversy²⁴ arises when old buildings stand on ground that modern planners feel could be better used for modern purposes. In such situations， modern development should be given precedence over the preservation²⁵ of historic buildings so that contemporary needs can be served.
    3. The greatness of individuals can be decided²⁶ only by those who live after them， not by their contemporaries.
    4. The study of history places too much emphasis on individuals. The most significant events and trends in history were made possible not by the famous few， but by groups of people whose identities have long been forgotten.
    5. The study of history has value only to the extent that it is relevant to our daily lives.
    6. When we concern ourselves with the study of history， we become storytellers. Becauses we can never know the past directly but must construct it by interpreting evidence， exploring history is more of a creative enterprise than it is an objective pursuit. All historians are storytellers.
    7. So much is new and complex today that looking back for an understanding of the past provides little guidance for living in the present.
    8. The chief benefit of the study of history is to break down the illusion that people in one period of time are significantly different from people who lived at any other time in history.
    九 艺术类
    1. Imaginative works such as novels， plays， films， fairytales， and legends present a more accurate and meaningful picture of human experience than do factual accounts. Because the creators of fiction shape and focus on reality rather than report it literally²⁷， their creations have a more lasting²⁸ significance.
    2. The arts （painting， music， literature， etc.） reveal the otherwise hidden ideas and impulses of a society.
    3. 'It is the artist， not the critic，' who gives society something of lasting value. A person who evaluates works of art， such as novels， films music， paintings， etc.
    4. As long as people in a society are hungry or out of work or lack the basic skills needed to survive， the use of public resources to support the arts is inappropriate-and， perhaps， even cruel-when one considers all the potential uses of such money.
    5. In order for any work of art-whether film， literature， sculpture， or a song-to have merit， it must be understandable to most people.
    十 文化类
    1. Governments must ensure that their major cities receive the financial support they need in order to thrive， because it is primarily in cities that a nation's cultural traditions are preserved and generated.
    2. Rituals and ceremonies help define a culture. Without them， societies or groups of people have a diminished sense of who they are.
    3. The way people look， dress， and act reveals their attitudes and interests. You can tell much about a society's ideas and values by observing the appearance and behavior of its people.
    4. The true value of a civilization is reflected in its artistic²⁹ creations rather than in its scientific accomplishments³⁰.
    十一 国际类
    1. All nations should help support the development of a global university designed to engage students in the process of solving the world's most persistent³¹ social problems.
    2. Many of the world's lesser-known languages are being lost as fewer and fewer people speak them. The government of countries in which these languages are spoken should act to prevent such languages from becoming extinct.
    3. With the growth of global networks in such areas as economics and communication， there is no doubt that every aspect of society-including education， politics， the arts， and the sciences-will benefit greatly from international influences.
    4. The surest indicator³² of a great nation is not the achievements of its rulers， artists， or scientists， but the general welfare of all its people.
    5. The material progress and well-being of one country are necessarily connected to the material progress and well-being of all other countries。