Directions:　　

　　Study the following picture carefully and write an essay in which you should　　

　　　1) describe the picture,　　

　　　2) interpret its meaning, and　　

　　　3) point out its implications in our life.　　

　　You should write about 160—200 words neatly on ANSWER SHEET 2. (20 points)

　　人生处处面临选择　　

　　范文1：　　

　　This simple picture represents a situation that every person must face:

　　when approaching a junction, which direction should one choose?　　

　　Most viewers can empathize with the sense of hesitation and uncertainty embodied in such an image. Without exception, everyone has to make choices in life, whether they concern school, career, or love. While some choices are simple, one cannot avoid the task of making difficult decisions. 　　

　　Choices are often directly related to one's happiness. University students,for example, face a hard and crucial decision upon graduating. Many students have difficulty deciding whether to continue studying or begin developing a career. Every individual is different, and one must take the factors of one's personal life into consideration. In addition to an awareness of specific circumstances, however, making the right choice also depends on correct appraisal of oneself.　　

　　In order to choose correctly, therefore, one must be both realistic and selfaware. Furthermore, once having made a decision, one should seriously accept and pursue the path one has chosen, and strive towards the realization of one's goal with spirit. 　　

　　译文：　　

　　这幅简单的画表现了我们每个人都要面对的情况：走到叉路口了，该选择哪条路呢？　　

　　绝大多数读者都能感受到这幅画中包含的犹豫和彷徨。毫无例外，每个人在一生中都要多次做出选择——无论是涉及到学业、职业还是爱情。虽然有些选择很容易，但一个人无法回避艰难的选择。　　

　　选择通常直接关系到一个人的幸福。比如对大学生来说，临近毕业就面临着一个艰难而至关重要的选择——很多学生难以决定是继续求学还是开始自己的职业生涯。每个人的情况都不相同，所以一个人应该把自己生活的方方面面都考虑到。除了对周围特定的环境要有清楚的了解外，做出正确的选择还依赖于有一个正确的自我评价。因此，一个人为了做出正确选择，必须既现实又清醒。此外，一个人一旦做出了决定，就应该严肃地承认并奉行既定的路线，鼓起勇气为实现自己的目标而奋斗。　　

　　范文2：　　

　　In the picture we can see a man standing at a crossroad with two simi

　　lar roads, and trying to decide which way to take. In daily life we are often faced with such choices. More often than not, we have to make cardinal decisions indepentently. This moment is very important for everyone to go through. 　　

　　In order to make a decision that we will not regret, we should bear these two principles in mind: thinking before acting, and never missing any opportunities that arise. On one hand, we should have an apparent, objective judgment about ourselves while maintaining a clear idea about the world around us. On the other hand, we should also think about opportunity. Many people may not quite agree with this and think that opportunity is so rare that only the luckiest people come across it. However, opportunity is open to everyone and one should make good use of it when confronted with it. One should take advantage of it just like the proverb states: “Opportunities are only from the prepared minds.” 　　

　　So when one is faced with choices the next time, remember that using the mind and taking advantage of good opportunities will pave the way to success.　　

　　译文：　　

　　从这幅画中我们可以看到，一个人正站在叉路岐途之前，等待他的是要决定究竟走哪条路。人生中我们经常会面临这样的选择。我们还时常必须独立做出重大决定。这是我们每个人都要经历的重要时刻。　　

　　如果我们不想为自己做出的决定而感到后悔，就必须遵循这两个原则：一是三思而后行；二是不要错过任何机会。一方面，我们要对自身做出客观公正的判断，同时还要对我们周围的世界有一个清醒的认识。另一方面，我们对待机遇要用心思考。有些人可能不太承认机遇，认为机遇太少，而且只是那些幸运儿的专利。然而，机遇是属于每一个人的，所以在面对机遇时我们要充分利用它。每个人都应利用机遇，正如这句名言所说：“机遇只留给那些做好准备的人。”

　　所以当你再一次面对机遇时，请不要忘记开动脑筋，莫失良机，成功一定属于你。