托福写作高分范文： Our life

 　It seems that people always have a desire to compare: am I prettier than others? Are we living in a better age? Or, as the question goes, is our life easier and more enjoyable than it was several decades ago? I would say no, as I have witnessed the struggle and paradox¹ of our generation.

　　First of all, we are now living in an age of revolution with no previous human experience that could be referred to. Living in such a fast-changing world would not be easy and comfortable at all; with everything keeps changing, everyone has to move fast in order to catch up with the majority. However, people were much more stable and care-free when our grandparents were children; they did not have to learn a second language in order to get a better job, or read a lot in order to get informed. Yet in our age, these are supposed to be the responsibility of young people.

　　Another discomfort² of our age is that we are experiencing interpersonal alienation³. With the development of communication technology, people in fact become alienated⁴ with friends and relatives since they could be so easily accessed via phone or email. Too often we feel that few of our friends are true friends, without the traditional feeling of mutual⁵ affection which could only be created by longtime apart. But several decades ago, people treasured their friends and maintained relatively⁶ close interpersonal relations, which is much more enjoyable than the estrangements we are experiencing.

　　The last factor that has made our age so uncomfortable is the abusive use of technology. Although it brings much convenience, it essentially⁷ changes human – we are no longer the master of tools, but instead the slaves of devices. We rush to metro⁸ station in order to catch an early train, sit in front of radioactive computers all day long in order to get our work done, and stay in air-conditioned rooms all summer without experiencing the natural changes outside thick cement walls. Several decades ago, people could still live closer to nature and make rational use of modern technology, which to me is the essence of human living experience.

　　However, the comparison between different times is itself ridiculous. The criteria⁹ could not be easily determined¹⁰, and opinions are highly personal. Anyway, we have a longer life span, more advanced medical facilities, and easier traffic than our grandparent when they were children, and we should treasure the present experience. Imagination of the past might only be nostalgia¹¹ – if I ask my grandparents the same question, they might as well say that our life is much better than the past generations. Who knows? As long as the world is still peaceful, life at any time would not become too difficult to handle.

1 paradox   

n.似乎矛盾却正确的说法；自相矛盾的人(物)

参考例句：

• The story contains many levels of paradox.这个故事存在多重悖论。
• The paradox is that Japan does need serious education reform.矛盾的地方是日本确实需要教育改革。

2 discomfort   

n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便

参考例句：

• One has to bear a little discomfort while travelling.旅行中总要忍受一点不便。
• She turned red with discomfort when the teacher spoke.老师讲话时她不好意思地红着脸。

3 alienation   

n.疏远；离间；异化

参考例句：

• The new policy resulted in the alienation of many voters.新政策导致许多选民疏远了。
• As almost every conceivable contact between human beings gets automated,the alienation index goes up.随着人与人之间几乎一切能想到的接触方式的自动化，感情疏远指数在不断上升。

4 alienated   

adj.感到孤独的，不合群的v.使疏远( alienate的过去式和过去分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等）

参考例句：

• His comments have alienated a lot of young voters. 他的言论使许多年轻选民离他而去。
• The Prime Minister's policy alienated many of her followers. 首相的政策使很多拥护她的人疏远了她。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

6 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

7 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

8 metro   

n.地铁；adj.大都市的；(METRO)麦德隆(财富500强公司之一总部所在地德国，主要经营零售)

参考例句：

• Can you reach the park by metro?你可以乘地铁到达那个公园吗？
• The metro flood gate system is a disaster prevention equipment.地铁防淹门系统是一种防灾设备。

9 criteria   

n.标准

参考例句：

• The main criterion is value for money.主要的标准是钱要用得划算。
• There are strict criteria for inclusion in the competition.参赛的标准很严格。

10 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

11 nostalgia   

n.怀乡病，留恋过去，怀旧

参考例句：

• He might be influenced by nostalgia for his happy youth.也许是对年轻时幸福时光的怀恋影响了他。
• I was filled with nostalgia by hearing my favourite old song.我听到这首喜爱的旧歌，心中充满了怀旧之情。