Some people like to spend their free time in the company of others. Others prefer to spend their free time alone. Which do you prefer and why?
有些人喜欢和家人或朋友一起度过他们的空闲时间。另一些人喜欢独处。你喜欢哪一个？为什么？

I prefer to spend my spare time with my friends and family, for many reasons.

First, time with friends represents an opportunity to exchange information. When I meet up with my friends, I receive from them information about newly released movies, books and novels. I like to talk a lot with my friends about a variety of subjects. We often talk about political issues, and I enjoy getting to know their views. We also discuss difficulties relating to our study materials, which helps us understand the topics clearly and quickly. If I spend my spare time reading books and watching TV news alone, I get bored very easily.

Furthermore, spending time with my friends makes me feel happy. As the saying goes, a shared joy is a double joy, a shared sorrow is half a sorrow. We all have some exciting experiences, which might be as ordinary as a beautiful sunset. When joyful emotions arise, we want to share them with our friends, either through experiencing it in their presence, or through telling them about it. Sharing emotions is uplifting. When life is sad, we may want to withhold our feelings. But expressing them to our friends and experiencing their empathy should comfort us. We don’t have to feel alone; it’s comforting to know someone else cares.


References
https://hubpages.com/relationships/Do-yo...

Who influences young people the most, their family or their friends?
有些人认为家庭成员对年轻人最重要的影响。其他人认为朋友是最有影响力的。你同意哪一个？

End-of-term evaluation results reflect the interactions between teacher and student. Whether the teacher has established rapport, treats students with respect and addresses questions effectively can be easily deduced from the report. This evaluation can provide feedback to teachers about their performance. It encourages them to use effective teaching methods, control their classes and address the needs of all students.


References
http://www.ehow.com/info_8079718_advanta...

Do you believe that parents should be involved in the process of choosing a university for their children?
你同意或不同意父母应该参与为他们的孩子选择大学的过程吗？

Though parents do have more experience, I disagree with the argument that they should assist their child in the choosing of a university. This is because parents’ wishes are usually poor reflections of their children’s dreams.


Universities suggested by parents are seldom universities preferred by their children. For example, parents may prefer a business college as they want their children to earn a comfortable salary. However, their child may want to be a scientist in the future and so they will not be sufficiently passionate about business to receive high grades.


Furthermore, by the time students are applying for colleges, they are adults who can make their own decisions and suffer the consequences. By this point, parents should begin to let their children go and make their own mistakes. Therefore, I don't think parents should be involved in the university enrolment process.


References
http://lang-8.com/111296/journals/120734

Do you agree with the following statement? Children should receive money for performing household tasks such as cleaning.

（1）I believe that kids ought to perform certain tasks around the house because they are part of the family. This could include jobs such as taking care of their own rooms, picking up their toys, helping to prepare meals, washing their own clothes, and yes, even taking out the trash.


I do believe, however, that it's fine to pay children for chores that demand more time and energy — the chores which cause one to “go beyond the call of duty.” This list might include activities like mowing the lawn, washing the car, or, in the case of a responsible teenager, babysitting a younger brother or sister for an entire Saturday afternoon. For younger kids, it can be helpful to write down the steps of a particular chore on an index card. The card should include a realistic deadline for finishing the job and a receipt of payment. With teenagers, parents might draw up a more adult oriented contract, and the kids might choose to work for certain privileges instead of money.


Whether it's a regular responsibility or a chore that earns a pay check, it's important for parents to communicate clearly what they expect with regards to timeframe and level of quality.

（2）Of course, children should get paid for chores. First, money could be paid to encourage a good work ethic. If you set certain chores for your kids and the chores are not completed, you could choose to not pay money for those jobs or pay them less. This will reinforce the idea that you only get paid in full when you complete the job properly. In addition, an allowance is an essential teaching tool for raising children. Ron Lieber, the New York Times personal finance columnist, believes that giving your children a reasonable amount of money to manage allows them to learn about the need to make trade-offs and the difference between wants and needs. It’s a lesson they won’t have to learn at 25 when they want to bust into their 401(k) to solve the problem they created because they never knew how to make a trade-off.


Notes：
chores：家庭杂务，写作常用词
work ethic：敬业精神或者职业道德
finance columnist：财经专栏作家
trade-offs：这里意为权衡
bust into their 401(k)：401k类似于中国的养老金系统，这里意为要挪用养老金来解决财务问题

Do you think, nowadays, it is more important for people to have dinner regularly with their family?
你认为现在人们和家人共进晚餐更重要吗？

Over the past few years, more and more families have been making the intentional effort to have regular family meal times.
Firstly, this is because it's bonding time. Families who eat dinner together regularly are more likely to have stronger, happier family relationships. As families struggle to spend quality time together, family dinnertimes provide the opportunity for both. When families hang out together and communicate, they grow strong and healthy.
Secondly, it's a chance to resolve conflicts. A regular family dinnertime provides natural opportunities for planning and problem solving. Scheduling family meeting times to discuss plans, needs and problem solving can be difficult. A regular family mealtime can offer a natural solution to the challenge.

笔记
Outline
Yes it is important to have dinner regular with family 和家人经常一起聚一聚吃饭非常重要
R1: excellent chance for more bonding time 是一个非常好的沟通感情的时间与机会
R2: chance to resolve conflicts 是一个化解家庭矛盾的机会

Vocabulary
intentional 故意的 蓄意的
hang out with 与…出去玩 与…闲逛
resolve 解决
natural opportunities 自然的机会

Do you agree that maintaining relationships with family members is more important than with friends?
你是否同意与家人保持关系比与朋友相处更重要？

I think that maintaining a good relationship with family is more important than with friends and lovers. The main reason for this is that the connection between you and your family has a genetic basis. Half of your genetic material comes from your mother, and she is thus inexorably and fundamentally a part of you. The same goes for your father. Family cannot, therefore, be replaced. By contrast, friends can be replaced. It may not sound like something you can put on a Hallmark card, but it's true.


Furthermore, the job of a friend is different from that of, say, a parent or a sibling. Family is tasked with basically forming who you are as a person—instilling a work ethic, teaching you right from wrong, standing by you in hard times, etc. Yes, people like to say that friends will always be there, but they're not biologically obliged to. They're not fundamentally connected to you the way your family is.


笔记
笔记
1. Outline
Good relationship with family is more important than with friends
R1: genetic basis 基因使我们和家人更亲近
R2: friends are not always there 朋友有可能会离去


2. Vocabulary
inexorably and fundamentally: 不可改变的、本质上的
The same goes for: 短语 这同样适用于的意思
Hallmark card: 指假日寄给朋友的贺卡 tasked with：表示承担某种任务
instilling a work ethic: 灌输职业道德
teaching you right from wrong: 教会你辨别是非，写作常用短语

Some people like to travel alone. Others prefer to travel with their family. Which do you prefer and why?
有些人喜欢独自旅行。另一些人喜欢和家人一起旅行。你喜欢哪一个？为什么？

Sometimes the best travel companion you can have is yourself. I’ve learned that solo travel can be totally liberating and completely rewarding in a way few other experiences in life can match.

First, you will get to know yourself better. Traveling alone exposes you to raw experiences in which you get to know your inner self. Once you are out there on the road on your own you will be faced with decisions you need to make and fears you need to overcome. You will discover your true self and what you are capable of.

Second, it is liberating to disconnect for a while and be content with the moment – with the view and with one's own thoughts. The mind needs to be free at times to be creative, to think clearly and to refresh itself. One is then also able to look at life with some distance and think about future goals with a fresh set of eyes.

笔记
1. Outline
喜欢一个人旅游
R1: one can get to know himself/herself better 可以更了解自己
R2: be content with the moment and be refreshed 让自己放松满足从新开始

2. Vocabulary
travel companion：旅伴
raw experiences：全新的体验
be content with the moment：满足于眼前、现状
a fresh set of eyes：以全新的视角