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.

　　3 MA If you were asked to send one thing representing your country to an international exhibition, what would you choose? Why? Use specific reasons and details to explain your choice.
 

　　If I were asked to send one thing representing my country to an international exhibition. I’d send something unexpected: one week’s worth of television programming. These programs would best represent my county. They show how the citizens of my country live and what they think and feel.

　　The dramas on television are very realistic. They show how people in different parts of the country go about their daily lives. They show how they earn their livings, how they deal with crime, and how they interact with each other. The dramas also show how people in various economic groups dress, what kinds of houses they live in, and what kinds of education their children receive.
 
　　The comedies indicate what people in my country think is funny. Even though the situations are exaggerated, they reflect how my culture deals with very basic human situations. People everywhere understand falling in love, raising a family, and earning a living.
 
　　The documentaries show what issues we’re concerned about and how we want to resolve them. Some documentaries tell stories from our history. Others look into the future. They speculate on how we’ll function as a country in the new millennium. Still others examine our political system, its failures and its successes.
 
　　The sports programs show what we think about winning and losing. They demonstrate how we feel about fairness. Some of the wealthiest people in our country are the athletes we watch playing professional sports. This, also, is a reflection of our values.
 
　　Television is a common cultural experience in my country. It reflects my country’s unique personality. I think it would be the perfect way to show what my county is like.

　　4 PR You have been told that dormitory rooms at your university must be shared by two students. Would you rather have the university assign a student to share a room with you, or would you rather choose your own roommate? Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer.

　　I'd rather have the university assign a roommate to share a room with me. As far as I’m concerned, this is part of the university experience. Students should meet new people and be open to new experiences. I like leaving this up to chance.
 
　　Actually, even though the university will choose, it’s not totally a matter of chance. We all filled out information sheets. The school knows what we’re majoring in, what our interests are, and our study habits and our goals. I think they’re probably very good at matching roommates using this information. They’ve had a lot of practice. Besides, if a mistake is made, I can change my room assignment next semester.
 
　　If I did want to choose my own roommate, I’d first pick some candidates from the list supplied by the university. Then I’d write to them and they’d write back. Through our letters, we’d find out if we shared common interests, such as sports or movies. More importantly, we’d find out if we like doing the same things in our free time. Because my investigation, I’d probably get someone compatible with me. It’s a lot of work to go through, though. Besides, the process of finding similar interests isn’t all that different from what the university does.
 
　　Trying to predict whom I’m going to get along with is not a science. I might choose someone who sounds just like me and still find that the two of us just don’t get along as roommates. Besides, I think it would be boring to room with somebody who’s just the same as me. I’d rather be with someone who has different interests and likes to do different things. Maybe I’d even get a roommate from another culture. After all, one of the reasons I’m going to the university is to be exposed to a lot of new experiences. So, I’d rather have the university choose my roommate for me.