概要写作1 EnvyIt’s a familiar but uncomfortable feeling. Your best friend will marry a handsome doctor, and the congratulatory hug you offer lacks genuine warmth. Your friend is made the team for Saturday’s big game, and you take a certain pleasure in telling him you can’t be there to watch him play. You smile but a voice in your head asks, why them and not you?Envy is a shortcoming of character we like to keep in our heart secretly. How shameful is it not to be looking forward with delight to your day as your best friend's bridesmaid! Who would hope your friend might suffer some injury, so you can take his place on the team?Envy is everywhere. It seems to be in our nature to hate others' gifts and good fortune, especially if we see them as advantages they shouldn't have.Envy raises its ugly head when we focus on what we want but we don’t possess now. Worse still, we may even wish for and take pleasure in someone's losing what we have always desired. When you compare yourself and your life unfavorably with your friend or your colleague, you can only keep your darker emotions.So is there a solution? Is there anything you can do to get rid of this most ungenerous emotion?Well, why not make envy the motivation you need for self-improvement? The best weap on against envy is not to compete where you can’t shine, but to do your absolute best where you can.Start by making peace with yourself, and accept the gifts which make you unique. Make a n agreement with yourself to be the best you can be. Then find the qualities in others thatcause your envy. Is it someone’s singing voice, their work promotion, their new car? Envy shows us the things we’d like to have. So, make a plan to earn what's important to you.And aim for genuine pleasure in the achievements and good fortune of others. Cheer on your friend when he scores that goal. Enjoy your best friend’s wedding day. Then go out and do something special, and make yourself wonderfully proud of you.参考答案Envy is a common but unpleasant feeling, which is a secret hidden in our heart. This nature usually arises when we can't get what we want and even take delight in others' losing it. To avoid this negative feeling, firstly try to transform envy into the motivation to improve ourselves. Besides, accept your unique talents gladly. Finally, appreciate others' achievements sincerely.概要写作2 Water shortageUsing too much water or throwing rubbish into our rivers are clear ways that humans can put our water supply in danger, but we also affect our water supply in less obvious ways. You may wonder how paving a road can lead to less useable fresh water. A major part of the water we use every day is groundwater. Groundwater does not come from lakes or rivers. It comes from underground. The more roads and parking lots we pave, the less water can flow into the ground to become groundwater.Human activity is not responsible for all water shortages. Drier climates are of course more likely to have droughts than areas with more rainfall, but in any case, good management can help to make sure there is enough water to meet our basic needs.Thinking about the way we use water every day can make a big difference, too. In the United States, a family of four can use 1.5 tons of water a day! This shows how much we depend on water to live, but there’s a lot we can do to lower the number.You can take steps to save water in your home. To start with, use the same glass for your drinking water all day. Wash it only once a day. Run your dishwasher only when it is full. Help your parents fix any leaks in your home. You can even help to keep our water supply clean by recycling batteries instead of throwing them away.参考答案Human activities, such as wasting water, polluting rivers and constructing roads, can partly lead to water shortage. Meanwhile, drier climates are another cause of insufficient water supply. Hopefully, if you take action to use water smartly/wisely in your daily life, say, using the same glass of water, maximizing the efficiency of dishwashers, helping repair leaks and recycling batteries, you can still make a significant difference.概要写作3 SneezeMany people are used to saying “bless you” or “gesundheit” when someone sneezes. No one says anything when someone coughs or blows their nose, so why do sneezes get special treatment?The phrase “God bless you” belongs to Pope Gregory the Great, who voiced it in the sixth century during a bubonic plague epidemic (黑死病泛滥时期) (sneezing is an obvious symptom of one form of the plague). The term “gesundheit” comes fromGermany,and it literally means “health”. The idea is that a sneeze typically occurs before illness.Actually every country around the globe has its own way of wishing sneezers well. People in Arabic countries say “alhamdulillah” which means “praise to be God”. Hindus say “Live!” or “Live well!” Some countries have special sneezing responses to children. InRussia, they are also told “rostibolshoi” (“grow big”) after children are given the traditional response “bud zdorov” (“be healthy”).For the most part, the various sneeze responses originated from ancient superstitions (迷信). Some people believed that a sneeze causes the soul to escape the body through the nose. Saying “bless you” would stop the devil from taking the person’s soul. Others believed the opposite: evil spirits use the sneeze as an opportunity to enter a perso n’s body. There was also the misunderstanding that the heart temporarily stops during a sneeze (it doesn’t), and saying “bless you” is a way of welcoming the person back to life.We now know that sneezing is a reflex action and is most often the sign of something relatively benign (良性的), such as a cold or allergy (过敏). A sneeze also can be caused by being outside in the sunlight or from smelling a strong smell. Still, we keep the custom of saying “bless you” or “gesundheit”, mainly out of habit and common kindness.参考答案People usual ly say “bless you” after they sneeze, as sneezing was considered one of the typical features of the plague. Many countries have their unique custom of wishing good health in response to sneezing. Most practices have their origin from ancient superstitions. Now sneezing is known as merely an indication of a minor sickness and a response to outside stimulations, yet we keep the custom, mainly out of habit and politeness.概要写作4 Taking a showerTAKING a shower is relaxing. You can hum a song, daydream or think about nothing, leaving the real world behind you. But did you know that showering can also benefit your mind?A piece of research by Scott Barry Kaufman, a psychologist from Yale University in the US interviewed over 3,000 people around the world. It turned out that nearly two-thirds of the interviewees said they had experienced new ideas in the shower and were more likely to have them in the shower than at work.So why does a simple shower have such magic power? Science can explain it.Showering can help to raise our level of dopamine, a hormone closely related to our creativity. “People vary in terms of their level of creativity according to the activity of dopamin e”, explained Alice Flaherty, a renowned American neuroscientist. “Taking a warm shower can make us feel relaxed and therefore make the dopamine level rise and bring the “Aha!” moment to us.”Besides the chemical changes, showering may give you a break from what you feel you have been stuck with. Especially when you have thought hard all day about a problem, jumping into the shower can keep you from the outside world so that you can focus on your inner feelings and memories. In this way, according to American psychologist Shelley H. Carson, author of Your Creative Brain, “a showering hour may turn into an ‘incubation (孵化) period’ for your ideas”.Compared with sitting in front of a computer, taking a shower is something we do less frequently in our daily lives. When showering, we get a fresh experience with the change of location, temperature and humidity. “New and unexpected experiences canlead to positive changes in thinking,“ explained Kaufman. “Getting off the couch and jumping in the shower may create a distance and force you to think from a new point of view”.Showering allows us to enjoy the creative juices of our minds, which makes the bathroom an alternative where you get your inspiration. So next time you consider ways to free your mind, count it in.参考答案Showering can relax your body and free your mind as well. First, relaxation in the shower helps raise the level of dopamine and bring new ideas. Second, showering provides a new, unexpected and fresh experience that can result in positive changes, making it possible to stop thinking about what you are stuck with. Besides, showering can make us think from a new point of view with the change of location, temperature and humidity.概要写作5 ShopaholicsTV. The Internet. The mall. Everywhere we look, we see advertisements that urge us to buy. In today’s consumer society, we are under constant pressure to shop. Of course, most people only buy what they need and what they can afford. However, there are some people, called shopaholics, who can’t control th eir desire to spend money and buy things. This kind of addictive behavior can lead large financial problems, family conflict, and deep unhappiness.What are the symptoms of a shopaholic? People with this problem often spend hours and hours shopping on the Internet or at the mall. Their closets are full of clothing andjewelry that they have never worn, with the price tags still on them. Their homes may be packed with shopping bags and boxes that they bought but never used. Many shopaholics are aware of the ir own problems, but when they go to a store, they simply can’t resist the urge to buy. Some of them are ashamed of their weakness and try to hide it by storing their purchases in places like the attic(阁楼), where others won’t see them.Psychologists suggest there are several reasons for a shopping addiction. For some people, it is a way of relieving stress. For others, shopping is a way to fight loneliness or depression. For people with low self-esteem, shopping can be a way that they prove their self-worth. Sometimes the problem develops out of boredom. It becomes a replacement for other hobbies and interests, and it helps pass the time. Although shopping can temporarily make people feel good, they often experience feelings of shame and guilt later.When shopping habits get out of control, people need professional help. They can either see a counselor(顾问) or join an organization such as Shopaholics Anonymous. Groups like this try to help people understand the reasons for their addiction and learn how to control the urge to shop. Their goal is to help people find ways to fulfill themselves that do not lead to serious debt and troubled lives.参考答案Shopaholics refer to those who are addicted to shopping whether they need something or whether they can afford something. There are several symptoms of shopaholics. They spend too much time shopping and can’t re sist the desire to buy things, many of which are even never used. Shopaholics do so for different reasons, such as reducing stress, fighting loneliness or depression, proving self-worth, killing boredom or time and so on.Anyhow, professional help is available if necessary.概要写作6 Punishing childrenPunishing children is a controversial topic. Everybody has different opinions about how to act to correct a child’s behavior. Parents, teachers, doctors, and specialists like psychologists, have disagreements about whether it is g ood for a child’s education to punish him.The word “punish” means different things to different people. Punishment can be physical or emotional. Physical punishment is when the parent hits, slaps or spanks the child.On the other hand, emotional punishment is when the parent, in order to educate the child, doesn’t let him watch TV, go to play with his friends, or do things like that. The parents doesn’t teach him, but still he punishes the child.Although many surveys and studies have been made about what the correct way is to raise a child, nobody has the answer or the truth. I think it will be very difficult to find the answer or get people to agree.I think parents should love their child and give him the best education, but at the same time, they should punish the child if he deserves it. I think if you love your child, you should be rational when you apply the punishment. It should be reasonable but strict.The parent’s goal is to have in the future a good man or woman in society, so sometimes you should do what is necessary to get your child to behave well.参考答案People have mixed opinions towards punishment to children. (要点1) Punishmentcan be physical or emotional, but the way they are punished is the key problem. (要点2) As a matter of fact, it is difficult to find the correct way to raise a child. (要点3) Proper punishment can be instructive and necessary to children if it is reasonable and strict. But love and education are the most important for us to make our kids behave well. (要点4)概要写作7 Second childMany couples who already have one healthy, happy child, are facing a dilemma, that is, the issue of whether to have a second child or not. They have hard jobs and limited time and money, but they want to make sure that their only child does not become a lonely child. So, what are the advantages and disadvantages of having a second child? That is what so many couples are very much concerned about and eager to understand.One popular saying is that one child means a lonely child. That’s why many single-child parents plan to have a second child. They feel guilty about their decision to have only one child, because there are no other children in the family for their only child to play with, which may make the child feel lonely at times, especially during vacations.Another common argument against having just one child is that an only child may be more spoiled than one with brothers or sisters. If one couple had only one child, the child could not learn to share things with others and are less capable of getting along well with other children than one who grows up with brothers or sisters.However, in many parts of the world, more and more parents are still choosing not to have a second child because they argue that there are advantages for the child as well as the parents. With just one child, they suggest, there is little chance of family arguments concerned with children. Besides, as an only child in the family, the child can receivemore quality time and attention. This often leads to increased self-respect and independence, which can lead to the child being more confident.Unluckily, there is no simple answer to the question of whether or not to have a second child. Every family is different, and what is proper for one family may not be for another. The important thing, in the end, is to make a decision that both you and your spouse (配偶) feel confident about.参考答案Whether or not to have a second child has put many couples in a dilemma. Some supporters think one child means a lonely and spoiled child. With siblings, children can learn to share and get on well with others. However, some opponents argue that an only child will get more quality time and attention while causing fewer arguments. Still, there is no easy answer to the issue. It’s up to the couple to make a proper decision about it.概要写作8 Public transportationThere are many benefits of public transportation. For example, public transportation makes it easier for people to get where they want and need to go. It also helps people save money, as the cost of maintaining a working vehicle is often much more than the cost associated with public transportation. The frequency of traffic jams and accidents may also be reduced when a person uses public transportation.One of the main benefits of public transportation is the fact that it makes it easier for people to get around. Without public transportation, many people —especially those without cars — would be limited in where they could go and what they could do. With public transportation, however, people can get to school and work, get to the grocerystore and to doctors’ offices, and visit relatives, even if they do not own vehicles. Public transportation serves people of all ages and from all walks of life, ranging from families, including their children, to business people on their way to the office, to the elderly.Often, people complain about the cost of public transportation when the rates are raised. When compared to the cost of buying a car, many people find that choosing to ride public transportation is a much cheaper option.When public transportation is available, many people choose to use it instead of driving to work and school. This is true even of many people who own cars, as they may prefer to ride to work on a bus or train rather than deal with traffic jams and parking frustrations each day. When people make this choice, the result is less traffic on the roadways, which means fewer traffic jams and less pollution. In fact, the choice many people make to ride public transportation may even translate into fewer car accidents and vehicle-related deaths and injuries. Additionally, the use of public transportation also means less gas is consumed each year.参考答案People can benefit a lot from public transportation. (要点1)First, it enables people to go wherever they want or need to go. (要点2)Secondly, by taking public transportation, people may save a large amount of money. (要点3) Moreover, it may help reduce many traffic jams and accidents. (要点4) Finally, the use of transportation is also an efficient way to decrease the consumption of gas. (要点5)概要写作9 Teenagers hearing loss problemOne billion teenagers and young adults around the world risk losing their hearing bylistening to loud music. This is according to the World Health Organization. The U.N. agency is asking young people to turn down the volume to prevent irreversible damage to their hearing.Few things get the blood pumping like good music. Many people believe louder is better if you are listening to rock and roll.But experiencing really loud music, even really good music, can have a serious effect on your hearing.Dr. Shelley Chadha is a specialist on hearing damage for the World Health Organization. Dr. Chadha says that the cells we use to hear, called sensory cells, can be permanently damaged by loud sounds that happen over a long period of time, or are prolonged, and happen regularly, or are habitual."When this exposure is particularly loud or prolonged or habitual, the sensory cells are damaged permanently leading to irreversible hearing loss."Studies in middle-and high-income countries show nearly 50 percent of teenagers and young adults aged 12 to 35 years listen to unsafe levels of sound. They are listening on their personal audio devices as well as at concerts, night clubs and other entertainment places.But what is an unsafe level of sound?The WHO says there can be many kinds of unsafe levels of sound. It depends on how loud the sound is and how long you listen to it. Unsafe can mean noise levels of 85 decibels for eight hours a day or 100 decibels for just 15 minutes.Dr. Chadha told VOA when the intensity of sound increases by only three decibels, safe listening time goes down by half."If a person takes a subway to go from one place to the other for half an hour in the morning and a half an hour in the evening, and every day has to turn up the volume on his device because there is so much of noise of the train and everything around, and is listening to - let us say 100 db (decibels) for one hour every day, his hearing is going to get irreversibly damaged in a few years, in a couple of years time, for sure."Simple ways to prevent irreversible hearing loss.Dr. Chadha says there are simple measures to protect people from unsafe sound levels. She says young people who wear earplugs during concerts can enjoy music at 90 decibels as much as they can at 110 decibels. But she admits that earplugs may not look very cool."The fact that earplugs may look un-cool may be true today, but if there is a change in behavior that may not necessarily be true in the future and wearing earplugs may actually be cool."A common sense suggestion is to turn down the volume on your personal audio devices. The WHO also advises young people to limit their use of such devices to less than one hour a day. It reminds people to use their technology to stay safe. Smart phone apps can help to monitor safe listening levels.参考答案Nowadays, many young people risk losing their hearing due to loud music according to the WHO. The reason is that their sensory cells can be incurably damaged while listening to unsafe levels of sound. Thus, young people should be aware of this and change their behaviors. They are advised to control the volume and limit the time when using the audio devices. Besides, apps can be used to monitor the process.概要写作10 English weatherHow can you start a conversation with an English person? The answer is quite simple. Many people will tell you that any English conversation begins with The Weather. Such a fixation with the weather finds expression in Dr. Johnson’s famous comment that “When two English meet, their first talk is of weather.” Though Johnson’s observation is as accurate now as it was over two hundred years ago, most commentators (评论员) fail to come up with a convincing explanation for this English weather-speak.Bill Bryson, for example, concludes that, as the English weather is not all at all exciting, the obsession (痴迷) with it can hardly be understood. He argues that “To an outsider, the most striking thing about the English weather is that there is not very much of it.” Simply, the reason is that the unusual and unpredictable weather is almost unknown in the British Isles.Jeremy Paxman, however, disagrees with Bryson, arguing that the English weather is by nature attractive. Bryson is wrong, he says, because the English preference for the weather is not about the natural phenomena at all. “The interest is less in the phenomena themselves, but in uncertainty.” According to him, the weather in England is very changeable and uncertain and it attracts the English as well as the outsider.Bill Bryson and Jeremy Paxman stand for common misconceptions about the weather-speak among the English. Both commentators, somehow, are missing the point. The English weather conversation has nothing to do with the weather. English weather-speak is a system of signs, which is developed to help the speakers overcome the natural reserve and actually talk to each other. Everyone knows conversations startingwith weather-speak are not requests for weather data. Rather, they are routine greetings conversation starters or the blank “fillers”. In other words, English weather-speak is a means of social bonding.参考答案Many commentators can’t explain why English talks start with weather. Bill Bryson says it is hard to understand the preference for boring British weather. However, Jeremy Paxman argues the uncertain weather is fascinating. Actually, such conversations stand for social greetings, talk starters or the blank “fillers” and as a system of signs, English weather-speak plays the role of promoting social connection.概要写作11 reduce carbon footprintThe Crowne Plaza Hotel in Copenhagen is offering a free meal to any guest who is able to produce electricity for the hotel on an exercise bike linked to a generator.(发电机).The idea is to get people fit and reduce their carbon footprint. Guests will have to produce at least 10 watt hours of electricity ---- roughly 15 minutes of cycling for someone of average fitness. Guests staying at Plaza Hotel will be given meal tickets worth $36 once they have produced 10 watt hours of electricity. The bicycles will have smart phones attached to the handlebars measuring how much power is being generated for the hotel.The plan, a world-first, will start on 19April and run for a year. Only guests staying at the hotel will be able to take part. Rederikke Toemmergaard, hotel spokeswoman, said, “Many of our visitors are business people who enjoy going to the gym. There might be people who will cycle just to get a free meal, but generally I don’t think people will takeadvantage of our program.”Copenhagen has a long-standing cycling tradition and 36% of locals cycle to work each day, one of the highest percentages in the world, according to the website visitcopenhagen.dk. US environmental website recently voted Copenhagen the wor ld’s best city for cyclists. “Because Copenhagen is strongly connected with cycling, we felt the bicycle would work well as a symbol of the hotel’s green profile (形象).”If successful, the electric bicycle meal program will be spread to all Crowne Plaza hotels in the UK, the hotel said in a statement.参考答案In Copenhagen a hotel is holding a program where any health-conscious guest is given a free meal by cycling to produce electricity. The program, lasting for one year, is to help people healthy and decrease carbon output. Because Copenhagen has one of the world’s highest rates of people cycling to work, the bicycle serves well to promote environmental concept. All Crowne Plaza hotels in the UK will hold the program if it goes smoothly概要写作12 Sports stars’ high payAs is known to all, sports stars earn large amounts of money every year. LeBron James, the famous American basketball star, for instance, earns an income of more than 20 million dollars a year. Some people hold the view that these stars do not deserve the high pay that they are getting. Some even argue that sports stars do nothing to society apart from entertaining people. Their contributions to society are much less than thosemade by doctors, firemen, scientists, professors, ect. But I can never agree with that. While sports are for entertainment, it does not mean that they are not important to people’s life. Why do so many people go to see football matches and NBA games？It is because they enjoy the games, and they are willing to pay to watch the performances. Because of the sports stars, our life becomes more exciting. Some sports stars gain honor for their country, and their countrymen are proud of them. They contribute to the spiritual well-being of their people.What’s more, sports stars usu ally are at the top of level in their fields. In this world, you have to pay if you want the best. It is the same with sports. Skills in sports are like the skills in works of art. People will not say that Da Vinci’s painting Mona Lisa was bought for too much money. Most stars are skilled in their own field not only because of their talents but also because of their hard training. They have to keep performing at their peak to earn that good income.Their influence on the national economy can not be overlooked. Take NBA in America for example, the stars help to support not only the basketball industry, but also other related industries like sportswear and sport equipment. Sports stars also make constant appearance in advertisements. Since they are well known in the world, they attract many people’s attention, which often leads to an immediate boom in the sales of the products that are advertised by them. I hope one day their accomplishments will be fully recognized.参考范文Different from some people's views, the writer believes sports stars' pay is not too high but reasonable. First, sports stars' performance brings people excitement and。