托福写作范文系列文章(Part 32)

　　1 AD You have the opportunity to visit a foreign country for two weeks. Which country would you like to visit? Use specific reasons and details to explain your choice.
　　If I could visit any foreign country, I’d like to visit Ireland. The scenery there is so beautiful . Ireland has a lot of rain and that makes everything very green and lush . It hasn’t become a completely industrialized country yet, so there are still areas where the countryside is unspoiled by pollution. Often ,you can drive for miles without seeing another car or coming to a big city. I’d like to take my set of paints and several canvases and try to capture some of the scenes there. It seems every way you turn, you’re looking at beautiful scenery. The area near the ocean is especially dramatic, with giant dark cliffs rising out of the water.
　　I also think I’d enjoy the slower pace of Ireland. It’s so different from the busy pace of my country . Of course, Ireland’s big cities are just as hectic as any big city anywhere. But many of the Irish live in smaller towns or on farms in rural areas. Visiting these places is very restful. People don’t feel the need to stick to a schedule . Things get done , but in a much more relaxed fashion. In my country ,there’s the feeling that you’re  always late for something. In Ireland ,it feels like you’ve never late because no one stays on schedule.
　　Most of  all, it would be interesting for me to meet the cousins in my mother’s family. They live in Donegal . I could see the house where my grandmother grew up and where my cousins still live. This house is connected to a lighthouse. Visiting there would give me a clearer idea of what my grandmother ‘s childhood was like.
　　Ireland would be a refreshing break from the life I lead in my own country. I wish I could go there.
　　2 PR In the future ,students may have the choice of studying at home by using technology such as computers or television or of studying at traditional schools . Which would you prefer? Use reasons and specific details to explain your choice.
　　If I have a choice between studying at home using computers and television or studying in a traditional school setting, I’d choose the traditional setting . Maybe it’s just what I’m used to ,but I don’t think that technology can replace teachers and classrooms.
　　After all, technology can fail. Computers go down and computer programs crash. Televisions break, and the electricity can suddenly go off. In those situations, who's going to teach me? If I'm at school, and the television or the computers stop functioning, there's a teacher to step in and change the lesson plan. Teachers can draw on their teaching experience and be creative. Computers and televisions can't.
　　I'd also miss the chance to interact with other students if I weren't going to school. I think learning to play and work with other people is one of the most important lessons we learn in school. It prepares us for life, and for working with other people. Being with other people also helps us discover who we are.
　　Another concern I have about studying at home is getting distracted. It's strange, but I think being home alone is more distracting than being at school with a lot of people. At school, we're all focused on the same subjects. At home, it would be so easy to turn off the computer or the television and go do something else. I might tell myself that it's okay to play a computer game now and make up the study hours later. Chances are, I'd never make up the study hours.
　　I'm all in favor of using technology in the classroom. I think computers and television are great ways for students to have access to a lot of information. I just don't think they should be the only tools I have as a student. I also need teachers and other students to help me get a complete education.