gre issue写作优秀实例：独立思考

 　　题目：

　　What most human beings really want to attain¹ is not knowledge, but certainty. Gaining real knowledge requires taking risks and keeping the mind open—but most people prefer to be reassured² rather than to learn the complex and often unsettling truth about anything.

　　大多人真正想要得到的不是知识而是结论。获得真正的知识需要冒险和不停歇的思考——但是大多数人更愿意获得确定的答案而不是去学习复杂而不确定的真理。

　　正文：

　　What does most human beings want is not discovery and change but reassurance³.Although discoveries and changes are the real impetuses of human civilization, most people prefer reassurance than innovations and changes in that in this world most people are conservative and the discoveries and changes would sometimes harm some ones' benefit, which based on the obsolete⁴ systems.

　　On the one hand, in fact, most people value what they have obtained much more than what would be gain through new ways. This conservative kind of thinking in some sense is very common indeed since trying new ways always means taking risks of losing the present benefit. Take many Chinese workers for example. In China now,during the transformation⁵ of economy system, many factories and companies are under the danger of bankruptcy⁶ due to their rigid⁷ ways of thinking. And the workers in these companies or factories do not have positive attitudes neither. They ignore, or we can say give up, the better chance such as leave the old companies and find a new one which would be more suitable or quite for a short time to study some new skills; but stay where they are to wait for reassurance from the companies or government. the reason for this kind of behaviors is that they are fear for losing the jobs, whish however have little points after all. Simply put, they think they can survive if they keep the salary, but maybe lose everything when taking risks. Actually, these people fail to see the wealth behind changes and discoveries. No pain, no gain. One reluctantly loses something, he/she would not gain more important and valuable.

　　On the other hand, discoveries and changes would bring new systems and value and moral standards, which would necessarily break the outdated⁸ ones. In this sense,discoveries and changes could harm some ones or some classes' benefit. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand the resistance against new things and the preference of reassurance to the obsolete system. The Industry Revolution is just a case in point.

　　The significant change had brought human beings into a new stage of both material and spirit; but during the revolution, many people hold the point of view that the change is very dangerous to human civilization. Such individuals included peasants,old noble men and some government officials. The fundamental reason for this situation was that such a profound and overall change shook the old social and economy system and thus those depended on such a system felt they were threatened.

　　For example, the peasants lost their lands and the old noble men lost their taxes from the peasants; even the government officials, were in the fear of losing their positions.Thereby⁹, for the men who would still receive benefit from the obsolete system, they would prefer reassurance than changes and discoveries.

　　It is true that sometimes changes and discoveries would bring some damage to the present society; yet they would automatically build a new one full of vigor¹⁰ and creativity. So people should not be restrained with the conservative ideas and open their minds to see the future benefit they would gain from the new system built by changes and discoveries. Anyway, new things are always prior to the old ones.

 

1 attain   

vt.达到，获得，完成

参考例句：

• I used the scientific method to attain this end. 我用科学的方法来达到这一目的。
• His painstaking to attain his goal in life is praiseworthy. 他为实现人生目标所下的苦功是值得称赞的。

2 reassured   

adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 reassurance   

n.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• He drew reassurance from the enthusiastic applause.热烈的掌声使他获得了信心。
• Reassurance is especially critical when it comes to military activities.消除疑虑在军事活动方面尤为关键。

4 obsolete   

adj.已废弃的，过时的

参考例句：

• These goods are obsolete and will not fetch much on the market.这些货品过时了，在市场上卖不了高价。
• They tried to hammer obsolete ideas into the young people's heads.他们竭力把陈旧思想灌输给青年。

5 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

6 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

7 rigid   

adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的

参考例句：

• She became as rigid as adamant.她变得如顽石般的固执。
• The examination was so rigid that nearly all aspirants were ruled out.考试很严，几乎所有的考生都被淘汰了。

8 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

9 thereby   

adv.因此，从而

参考例句：

• I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市，因此对它不怎么熟悉。
• He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民，因而得到了投票权。

10 vigor   

n.活力，精力，元气

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• She didn't want to be reminded of her beauty or her former vigor.现在，她不愿人们提起她昔日的美丽和以前的精力充沛。