Supply the missing paragraph

The following passage is incomplete with one body paragraph missing. Study the passage carefully and write the missing paragraph of about 100 words. Make sure that the tone and vocabulary you use are in unity with the passage provided.

Childhood Fears

I remember my childhood as being generally happy and can recall experiencing some of the most carefree times of my life. But I can also remember, even more vividly, moments of being deeply frightened. As a child, I was truly terrified of the dark, of getting lost, and of not being liked by others. These fears were very real and caused me some extremely uncomfortable moments.

Maybe it was the strange way things looked and sounded in my familiar room at night that scared me so much. There was never total darkness, but a streetlight or passing car lights made clothes hung over a chair take on the shape of an unknown beast. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that the curtains seemed to move when there was no breeze. A tiny crack in the floor would sound a hundred times louder than in the daylight, and my imagination would take over, creating burglars and monsters. Darkness always made me feel so helpless, too. My heart would pound, and I would lie very still so that the “enemy” wouldn't discover me.

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Perhaps one of the worst fears I had as a child was that of not being liked by others. First of all, I was quite shy. Second, I worried constantly about my looks, thinking people wouldn't like me because I was too fat or wore braces. I tried to wear the “right” clothes and even had intense arguments with my mother over the importance of wearing the “ flats” instead of saddle shoes to school. Being popular was so important to me then, and the fear of not being liked was a powerful one.

One of the processes of evolving from a child to an adult is being able to recognize and outgrow our fears. I've learned that darkness does not have to take on a life of its own, that others can help me when I'm lost, and that friendliness and sincerity will encourage people to like me. Understanding the things that scared us as children helps us to cope with our lives as adults.

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Write an outline

Read the following passage carefully and compose a “topic outline” for it.

The Negative Effect of TV program

Restore happiness to your marriage by using white-shirt laundry detergent. Your husband will love you all the more for it. “End those lonely Saturday nights-use brethen mouthwash.” “Only Aloha Sealines super-duper jets will fly you upside down to Hawaii!” Thus the barrage of TV commercials continues day and night in almost every American home. I think most of the commercials are irritating or insulting or dangerous. I believe they can be improved so that they be not only less offensive to the public but also more effective as advertisements.

Even while I am registering my objections to commercials, I recognize that commercials are necessary. Since the money which pays for a TV program comes from the sale of the sponsor's products, the sponsor must have air-time in which to advertise.

But sometimes the advertising is objectionable, first, because it is irritating for the endless repetition of the same commercial and the too frequent interruption of programs. I suppose that once advertisers have a slogan that has proved effective, they are reluctant to give it up, but if they realized how meaningless the familiar words become after a thousand repetitions, maybe they would find that an occasional change would be effective. The truth is that no one pays any attention to the worn-out slogans, and everyone is irritated rather than interested when the familiar lines begin.

I think, too, that advertisers lose more than they gain when they insist on interrupting a program every ten minutes to plug their wares. Irritation of the viewer-buyer is surely not the way to sell any thing. If sponsors would all agree to confine commercials to the beginning and the end of programs, the public's appreciation would be reflected in its buying, If they would realize how weary we get of the same old commercials, they might find an occasional change to be surprisingly effective.

Another kind of objectionable commercial is the kind that insults our mentality with its meaningless claims. Analyze the claims made by many TV commercials, and you will find yourself asking, quite logically, "Well, so what? "In our simple-minded way, we are expected to accept blindly the word of a cowpuncher or a water skier as sure proof of the quality of a really soft drink. Every Little Leaguer knows that the leading hitter in the American League has not really achieved his enviable record because of the breakfast food he eats. And parents know that not all family problems will be solved by downing a couple of headache pills. Even shy and desperate danny doubts that a change in deodorant, shaving lotion, or mouthwash will make him irresistible to the prettiest models on TV. Claims that are completely without reason are insulting to thinking people. The writers of commercials should give their viewers credit for some brains.

Finally, TV commercials can be dangerous. They can endanger the finances of the American family. The goal of advertisers is to create a demand if none exists. You should have the latest dishwasher the newest electric hair dryer, a second car, and such status symbols as a backyard swimming pool and a winter vacation. To listen to the honeyed pleas of the handsome, suntanned, obviously happy announcers, you wonder how any of us can possibly live another minute without all the luxuries of a millionaire. But, then, the solution is so easy. Just apply for a personal loan-fast, courteous, no questions asked-and let the Easy Loan Finance Company pay all your bills at once. “We'll even write the checks. “This lure could be irresistible to a young breadwinner trying to keep up with the standard of living fostered by the commercials the family watches every night as they try to catch a program in between.

Commercials endanger our health as well as our budgets. Although the writers are careful to advise us to see our doctors “if the pain persists,” they do strongly suggest that we ailing viewers can get the relief we want just as well by following the do-it-yourself patent medicine approach. Hypochondriacs must go crazy after a day of television. They are presented with a sure cure for every ailment. They can fill their medicine cabinets until they are bursting with cure-alls, fill their objecting stomachs with pills, and cover their bodies with creams until they are either dead or unrecognizable. Certainly the daily bombardment leads many people into a way of living that is dangerous to bot h pocketbook and health.

 I have tried to make a case for the TV commercial which appeals to the intelligence of its audience. I have tried to show that commercials should be improved so that they will arouse the approval instead of the antagonism of the viewer.

Compose an essay

In today's China, more and more rural residents are moving to cities, but is city life better than country life? Write an expository essay (about 300 words )expressing your view on it.