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Part Ⅵ Writing (45 min)
A statement goes that “only through mistakes can there be discovery or
progress”. To what degree do you agree with this statement? Write an essay of
about 400 words.
In the first part of your essay you should state clearly your main
argument, and in the second part you should support your argument with
appropriate details. In the last part you should bring what you have written to
a natural conclusion or make a summary.
You should supply an appropriate title for your essay.
Marks will be awarded for content, organization, grammar and
appropriateness. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss
of marks.
Sample
Failure Teaches Success
Paul Ehrlich, a chemist, discovered a drug to treat those afflicted with
syphilis(梅毒). It was named "Formula 606," because the first 605 tests were
mistakes. The lesson we can draw from this story is clear and simple: discovery
or progress is born in mistakes.
Making mistakes is a valuable learning experience. A now famous story at
IBM involved founder Thomas Watson and one of his vice presidents who took the
initiative on the development of a new product. As reported in Fortune, the
product was a risky venture that ended up a colossal failure and cost the
company $10 million. Watson called the executive into his office saying there
was something he wanted to discuss with him. Sure he was about to lose his job;
the young man blurted out, "I guess you want my resignation?" Watson replied,
"You must be kidding. We've just spent $10 million educating you." Watson's
logic is this: anyone making a multi-million-dollar mistake had to learn
something that would help him do a better job the next time.
Furthermore, making mistakes gives one an opportunity to try a new
approach. China's progress in the past decades is a case in point. After
Liberation in 1949, China, under the leadership of Chairman Mao, gradually built
up a nationwide state-run economy. This mode of economy was originally intended
to ensure both stable economic development and social justice. Unfortunately,
what it resulted in was economic stagnation and lasting poverty. Recognizing
this fatal mistake in Mao's economic policy, Deng Xiaoping took a new approach—a
gradual but dramatic reform. He first introduced some elements of market
economy, hoping to juxtapose planned economy and market economy. This approach
worked for some years, but then proved ineffective. Finally, after a series of
trials and errors, he decided that market economy was China's only choice. Due
to this strategic turning, China's economy has now embarked upon a stable and
dynamic course. Although Mao's mistakes caused Chinese people painful sacrifice,
we are lucky that we have learned our lessons and now we are marching on the
road of prosperity.
Admittedly, mistakes will not automatically lead to discovery or progress.
We must analyze every failure to find its cause; we must honestly face defeat
and never fake success; we must exploit the failure, we must never use failure
as an excuse for not trying again. In a word, we must learn how to fail
intelligently.
As a saying goes, to err is human. To this I would add: To learn from
errors is progress.
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发表于 2016-7-11 08:55:33