托福写作范文系列文章(Part 18)

　　1 EX People have different ways of escaping the stress and difficulties of modern life. Some read; some exercise; others work in their gardens. What do you think are the best ways of reducing stress? Use specific details and examples to support your answer.

　　Stress is one of our biggest enemies. It affects our health, our personality, and our relationships with others. In order to get rid of stress. I first have to identify the cause. I have different antidotes to stress depending on the cause. The most common types of stress I face are with work, with friends, and with myself.
 
　　Work-related stress is the easiest to combat. I simply stop working for a while. If I find myself picking up the same piece of paper four times a day and never doing anything with it, I blame stress. The best thing to do is to do something else. Sometimes, I get up from my desk and go down the hall to talk to my colleagues, but I don’t talk about work related subjects. Other times, I will take a short walk around the block and get some fresh air. Work-related stress can be cured by getting away from the work.
 
　　Stress caused by friends is more difficult to cure. Often the cause is more complicated. My friends could have a personal problem that causes them and me both anxiety. Or my friends could be angry at me or vice versa. Here, the cure for stress is talking about the problem and being with my friends. Unlike work, you can’t walk away from your friends.
 
　　Stress I cause myself is also not so easy to get rid of. If I feel bothered by an exam or anxious about the future, there is very little for me to do. I just have to tell myself that I can only do my best and leave the rest up to fate.
 
　　It is important to try to lead a stress-free life. If you can avoid stress by walking away form it (like at work), talking through it (like with your friends) or facing it head on (like with yourself), your health, personality and relationships will benefit.

　　2 AD Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Teachers should be paid according to how much their students learn. Give specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

　　Some communities have decided to base evaluations of teachers on students’ test scores. It’s these evaluations that determine how much teachers will be paid. I don’t think this is a very good idea for several reasons.
 
　　First of all, if teachers’ salaries are going to be based on how much students learn, then some teachers will start to teach their students only what they need to get high test scores. This means that students will miss out on a lot of education that can’t be measured on a test.
 
　　For instance, one of the best methods to help students understand a subject is encouraging them to discuss it. A common practice is to divide the class into groups, have each group discuss the subject, and then have them report back to the whole class. This kind of shared learning can lead to a fuller understanding. It also teaches students how to discuss and debate ideas. However, it doesn’t supply facts to show off on a test.
 
　　Another problem with basing teachers’ salaries on how much their students learn is that teachers may ignore students who have learning difficulties. Some students learn more slowly than others and need more personal attention. If a teacher is worried about tests, he may feel he has to push the majority of the students to cram facts. That effort will take all his time. He won’t be able to help the less able students.
 
　　It’s true there are teachers who “burn out” after many years teaching and just don’t care how much their students learn. Basing their salaries on their students’ test scores may improve their efforts. However, it’s not fair for the majority of teachers. They deserve and need to be judged by other criteria.