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10. Fire Accidents in Big Cities
In recent years there has been a marked growth of fire accidents in big cities of our country. Almost every day we see fire engines rushing through streets. Fires have not only resulted in heavy economic losses but also injured and killed many people.
What are the causes of fire accidents? Most of the fires are brought about by carelessness and violation of fire safety regulations. Others are due to the poor quality of home electrical appliances. By the way, some people don't know how to use them properly. Besides, there are quite a few businesses which focus so much of their attention on profits that they tend to neglect and even ignore fire precautions.
In my opinion, in order to prevent fires we should first of all foster people's sense of fire prevention. The second thing we have to do is to increase the number of professional fire fighters, to whom regular training courses should be offered. Finally, we are to improve the existing fire engines and add more fire facilities to high-rise buildings. In this way, a reliable fire prevention system will be formed.

11£® Practice Makes Perfect
A well-known proverb goes ¡°Practice makes perfect¡±, which means that perfection lies in practice. Without practice, you can never expect to be really good at anything. On the contrary, the more you practice, the more likely you are to do things in a perfect way.
Taking a look around, we can find examples too numerous to list. The study of English is a case in point. If you wish to improve your pronunciation, you must practice pronouncing every English syllable again and again. Likewise, if you want to write an excellent composition, you have to sit down and write.
Another example is Deng Yaping, the world No. 1 woman Ping-pong player. This short girl, who does not seem to be cut out for sports, owes her success to painstaking and perseverant practice.
In short, practice is essential if we want to make achievements in our studies or work, or indeed in any other aspect of our life. Practice, to some degree, can make the difference between being merely good at something and becoming a champion.

12£®Against a Robbery
Yesterday afternoon£¬Mrs. Luo left home for shopping. Halfway down the stairs, she found her way blocked by two men armed with knives. They threatened her, saying that they would stab her if she made any noise. Then, they forced her to take them to her flat and open the door. It seemed that Mrs. Luo was be in a big trouble and was bound to lose money or life.
In the flat opposite, a woman heard the noise outside. When she looked out through the window, she discovered that her neighbor was threatened by someone. She immediately called the police. In answer to the call, a patrol police car arrived at the scene of the crime quickly. Three policemen went inside the flat, others guarded outside the building to prevent anyone from escaping.
The two criminals were arrested and taken to the police station with their wrists handcuffed. There they would be questioned and probably charged with robbery.

13. The Robot is a Machine after All
As is vividly shown in the pictures, a man and a robot were playing cards. Obviously, the man was losing, for he was with a sad face. The robot, on the other hand, was smiling. Then the man went to open the body of the robot and changed something inside it. A moment later, they were back again to the game. Now it was the robot¡¯s turn to frown: nearly all the coins were won over by the man.
Simple as the cartoons are, their symbolic meaning is profound and far-reaching: the robot is but a robot, a product by man. It can never really defeat human beings; much less can they control or replace man. With this in mind, we need no longer worry about the miserable fate of human beings as foretold by some pessimists or as described in some American films like ¡°The Star War¡± or ¡°Matrix¡±.
While we should be optimistic about the future of human beings, we need also be warrant of the danger resulting from some inappropriate use of modern technology, like that of gene and cloning, which might endanger mankind either physically or morally. We might not be defeated by robots, but we might be ruined by ourselves.

14. A Letter of Application for a Job
June 17th, 2006
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am responding to your advertisement in China Daily on June 10th, 2006, which invites applications for interpreters. Enclosed with this letter is my resume which details my background.
I believe that I am the best candidate for this position. In the first place, I have been studying for four years in Beijing Foreign Studies University, one of the most prestigious language schools in China, which has provided me with a desirable command of English skills. In the second place, I have taken part in a number of social activities in the past years, which have helped cultivate my team-spirit and creativity. Besides, I have attended training courses for interpretation and have obtained related certificates. Last but not least, I have worked as a part-time interpreter, so I am well prepared for this job.
I would treasure the chance and exert every effort to do a good job if I had the luck to be provided with the position. Besides, I shall be much obliged if you will afford me an opportunity for an interview, and I appreciate a response from you at your earliest convenience.
Thank you for considering this application.ª¥ Best regards.
Yours sincerelyLi Ming

15£®The Goal of Life
A story goes that a disabled young man managed to reach the peak of every famous high mountain in the world before he was 28. He did all this just as his parents told him to do in their will. But the young man committed suicide in the end and his last words were: ¡°now I have nothing to do with all my goals achieved and my fame well established. I have no new goals.¡±
This story might not be true, but it conveys profound messages. First, one should have a grand ideal and associate it with the needs of society. Secondly, one should have his own pursuits and should not follow others blindly.
The story is especially instructive when we think of similar happenings around us. Some people, after making a fortune, feel empty and desperate, resorting to drugs or other low style of life. Still more young people do the same because they are in lack of lofty ideals and are only drifting with the tide.
As far as I am concerned, I would like to devote myself to any cause that is beneficial to mankind. My short-term goal is to learn about environmental protection and find a job in this field. And I believe this is a meaningful and useful career. It is worth my life-long efforts. I will keep finding and attaining new goals in this field.

16£®What Will Money Bring Us, Fortune or Misfortune?
A story goes that once an apartment building caught fire. Among the survivors was a boy of five, who crawled out of the building by himself with a wet towel covering his nose. But his father, who taught the boy the way, got killed, for he went back again for his money.
Simple as the story is, it conveys a profound message: money can be more deadly than fire.
Actually, there is no denying the fact that it has been a controversial topic ¡°what will money bring us, fortune or misfortune?¡± Quite a few people would choose the former instantly, for they believe that money can buy them also everything. There are, of course, people who hate money and believe it is the source of misfortune.
As far as I am concerned, I think that money itself cannot bring us fortune or misfortune, but our attitudes towards it can. Be the master of money and you will drive it to work for you, to buy you necessities and to enjoy your life. However, if you take yourself a slave of money, you will surely fall into the pit of misfortune one day. You will be tempted by money and lose your compass of life. You will even lose your life, as the father in the story did. So, friends, wake up and be the lord of money!

17£®To Lie or not to Lie ¡ª the Doctor¡¯s Dilemma
Doctors are often confronted such a choice: to lie or not to lie to their patient. Studies show that they often believe it is reasonable to lie for the patient¡¯s own sake. Most doctors believe that the seriously ill do not want to know the truth about their condition, and if they tell them the truth, they may lose their hope. Because of such a belief, many doctors may tell ¡°white lies¡± to their patients.
But now facts are proving that these doctors are wrong. Actually, an overwhelming majority of patients do want to know the truth. We are also learning that truthful information can help patients deal with their disease if we tell it in a proper way.
Lies cannot help the patients. Besides, they invade their autonomy and make them unable to make sound decisions. Lies also do harm to those who tell them, their colleagues and the entire medical profession. Therefore, we need to debate this issue openly and put an end to professional deception.

18£®The Leaning Tower of Pisa
The tower of Pisa has never been upright. Its leaning can date back to the time not long after it was built in 1173. First, the tower tilted towards the north. Then during the prolonged process of construction till 1370, the tower had always been leaning to the south.
Throughout the monument¡¯s history, many efforts have been made to halt the lean. These efforts have so far helped prevented the tower from topping over. But since 1911, the offset at the top of the tower has increased at a fairly consistent rate. Shortly after 1989, for the sake of safety, the tower at Pisa was closed to visitors.
In 1990, a special commission was organized to find new ways to save the tower. At first the commission worked mainly on the outside of the tower, but in the next few months, more radical techniques will be tried to stop the tower¡¯s lean. The ultimate goal is not to straighten the tower but to ease its top back a little. With luck, the landmark can stand into the next century.