Topic two:

The City Zoo Should Not Be Relocated to the Rural Area

First, it's a waste of money to build an entirely new zoo in the rural area._________________________________

Second, the relocation of the zoo brings visitors certain inconveniences._________________________________

Finally, unable to attract enough zoo-goers due to a great distance from the city, the zoo won't be profitable enough to support itself financially._________________________________

Practice 5-5-6

Read the following situation:

A new factory wants to locate in a peaceful town, but the townspeople have conflicting opinions about the construction of the new factory.

Read each of the following statements made by the townspeople, and then complete the following tasks.

Step 1.Read the following three statements that argue for (“pros”) the new factory and then refute each of them.An answer is provided only for the first statement as a suggestion.

A.“This industry might increase crime because of the many strangers in town.”

B.“Industry causes pollution.”

C.“Traffic jams are usually caused by large factories.”

Step 2.Read the following three statements that argue against (“cons”) the new factory and then refute each of them.An answer is provided only for the first statement as a suggestion.

A.“A new factory helps boost the town's economy.”

B.“Industrialization can lower the unemployment rate.”

C.“The factory will create a demand for the construction of many new apart-ments.”

Practice 5-5-7

Choose one of the following controversial essay topics, and write an argument essay with the appropriate number of body paragraphs.After you finish your essay, check it against the Argument Essay Checklist at the end of this practice.

1.In the past few years, we have been witnessing a growing number of Chinese people who celebrate Western festivals, such as Valentine's Day, Halloween, and Christmas.Discuss your attitude (in favor of or against) towards such practices.

2.Exams should (should not) be used as the means of evaluating a student's proficiency in a course.

3.Parents should (should not) stay married for their children's sake.

4.Traditional and contemporary values clash (do not clash) in China. (Specify)

5.Computers and other technological advances are responsible for the problems in modern society.Do you agree or disagree?

6.There is no such thing as bad luck, just bad planning and incompete-nce.Do you agree or disagree?

7.First impressions are often the best/worst means of judging people.

8.Young people today do not have enough respect for the opinions and wishes of their parents.Do you agree or disagree?

9.Loneliness can be beneficial.Do you agree or disagree?

10.People tire themselves in pursuit of comfort.Do you agree or disagree?

11.Every obstacle is an opportunity.Do you agree or disagree?

12.What men have learned from history is that men have never learned from history.Do you agree or disagree?

13.To be exam-based or to be quality-based-the teachers' dilemma in China.Write an essay in which you can demonstrate your opinion.

14.Read the following two conflicting ideas:

“We should live to make others happy.”

“We should live to make ourselves happy.”

Which side do you take?

15.In China today, while many college graduates go abroad for further education, quite a few middle school students have already gone or are planning to go overseas.Do you agree with this practice?

Argument Essay Checklist

1.An argument essay should be an opinion that can be argued logically and supported by evidence.Do you have adequate evidence to support your opinion?

2.Do you just list the advantages and the disadvantages of the issue or do you take a side of the issue in your essay?

3.Does your thesis statement present both your opinion and your opponent's opinion?

4.Have you anticipated and refuted the opposing opinions in the body paragraphs?

5.There are three major methods to organize a good argument in a body paragraph.They are:

A) First you state your opinion as the topic sentence, and then provide adequate evidence to support it.

B) State your opinion as the topic sentence, and then state your opponent's opinion, followed by your refutation.

C) Present your opponent's opinion in the topic sentence, and then state your refutation.

Have you used any one of the methods? Or do you only use the first method?

Practice 5-5-8

1.Find an essay topic with which you are quite familiar, and write an argument essay.

2.Find an essay topic related to your study, your job, or your field of research, and write an argument essay.