(一) SARS非典专题

　　今年四、五月份我国经历了一次危机时刻，通过SARS给我们带来的这次经历，我们发现和感受了许多以前被人们忽略的许许多多，这包括道德、精神、卫生、生活习惯、以及人与人之间的爱等方方面面。2004年考研很可能围绕SARS对我们生活中的某一点展开讨论，下面所给出的就是围绕SARS的两篇文章。第一篇文章主要讨论了在SARS中显现出来的两类人以
及我们普通人的心态。(以下各部分的文章均超过考研规定写作字数200个单词，主要是给各位考生提供一个机会，选取每位考生最喜欢的观点和词句，以免造成完全雷同。)

　　1. Highlights of SARS "非典"之突出反映

　　The outbreak of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), which has no known cure for victims afflicted by it, has brought widespread panic to people and has drastically altered the pattern of their daily life. The famous saying of President FD Roosevelt that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself" aptly encapsulates the state of mind of a large cross-section of people.

　　It is fair to say that it has highlighted both the nobler and weaker sides of modern people's character. First, the well-deserved accolades. Our valiant and caring healthcare givers, both in the public and private sectors, have borne the brunt of it, especially during the early stage, with not a few of them contracting it and some fighting for their lives. On the unedifying side, numerous fellow people have treated their healthcare professional like pariahs. Some even avoid them like plagues. These were utterly irrational and inexcusable. At the other extreme, the repeated use of the term "super-infector" by some of the health authorities and the media to emphasize the transmission of this disease by one particular patient to numerous others was rather unfortunate and showed the lack of sensitivity to the feelings of this hapless victim and his or her family.

　　This outbreak also highlights a trait of modern people, which is that we tend to overreact in a crisis situation, instead of remaining calm and act rationally. We should do some honest soul searching and learn the object lessons from the outbreak. This would enable us to tackle other future national crises with greater success and equanimity. (263 words)

　　2. Finding out about ourselves 发现我们自己

　　SARS has affected people's daily lives in some important places. What has it shown us about ourselves? What lessons can we draw from its spread?

　　The fight against SARS shows two sharply contrasting groups of people - medical staff working in the frontline with the risk of being infected and some pharmacies, merchants and the like making high profits from the disease.

　　The outbreak of SARS urges people to change their unhealthy habits or customs, which may add fuel to the fire. Meals served individually should be encouraged. That is, each one has his own portion of food instead of sharing it from common plates. This practice will greatly reduce the possibility of the spread of germs. We should also confine spitting or littering in public places. For pet lovers, they should take measures to prevent infections being transferred by animals.

　　The government should learn how to deal with emergencies from this SARS spread. Participation of and cooperation with the people are vital in curbing the crisis. Thus, the government should take the responsibility to inform the public. Blocking information will always intensify, instead of ease, panic. There is also an urgent need to set up a nationwide public health network, to improve the response to public health emergencies such as the SARS epidemic.

　　Everyone turns pale at the mention of SARS. Some even hide home with food stored. However, I think it is not necessary to be so scared. Epidemics are not rare in human history. As long as we treat and prevent it in the right way, we will finally conquer it. Mankind's future depends on ourselves. (243 words)

(二)大学生就业专题

　　自从2003年七、八月份，我国大学生就业就成为一个热门话题和社会关注的焦点，2004年将是我国大学扩招的第二届毕业生，将新增四十八万人。显而易见，大学生求职就业问题将成为2004年考研写作的重大候选题目。以下两篇作文就是有关这一重大主题的。第一篇主要分析了大学生找不到合适工作的原因，第二篇主要讨论了什么是理想的工作。

　　1. Youth unemployment 青年人失业问题

　　The unemployment of college graduates should not be regarded as a social problem if proper guidance and assistance can be offered to them.

　　College graduates may find it difficult to get a job in the wake of an expanded enrollment system launched several years ago. And the employment situation facing students is not much better. Now in Shanghai, about 60 per cent of the jobless are below the age of 35.

　　But compared with the unemployment problem among people in their 40s or 50s, the increasing percentage of young jobless among the unemployed should not be regarded as a social catastrophe. The unemployment of older people is caused by the country's transition from a planned economy to a market economy. It could be co-ordinated and solved through administrative means. But the unemployment of young people is mainly due to an imbalance of supply and demand in the labour market, which should be eased in line with a market economy.

　　Three reasons lead to the unemployment of young people. Many young people project expectations on their careers that are too high and they are unwilling to start their career in a low income position.

　　And some employers tend to hire professionals of higher educational levels to do low-level job. That not only puts obstacles in the way of new graduates, but also results in the frequent job changing of professionals.

　　In addition, the current education system stresses too much on academic education instead of practical skills. Many employers do not want to recruit newly graduated students without much work experience. (236 words)

　　2. Suitability is the key to a good job 适合是好工作的关键

　　Clearly, a good job is the foundation of one's success, but what does a "good job" really mean?

　　For many, a good job means a good salary and a high social position. I don't agree. In my opinion, it is better to regard "good" as meaning the job is suitable to your personality.

　　For example, if you are the withdrawn type, then it may be more suitable for you to do academic research in a university than to work in a foreign enterprise, because the latter requires an outgoing and sociable personality. Maybe it is not easy for the introverted to do that sort of job well. Additionally, if you get a job which fits your personality, you will more likely succeed in it.

　　Therefore, a good job means one which is also suitable to your interests. That is to say, you can get enjoyment from doing it. If you don't enjoy your job, even if it gives you a very good salary and high social position, you can't really lead a happy and meaningful life. We should work to live, not live to work.

　　Also, a good job should mean a suitable chance to improve yourself as a person. As the famous saying goes: One is never too old to learn. So you should improve yourself while you work. In other words, your job should provide you with challenges so that you can develop yourself. (263 words)

　　(三)网络专题

　　国际互联网的出现使世界紧紧地联在一起，SARS的经历使我们，尤其是各地的学生对网络有了更深刻的认识和体会。下面第一篇文章就是有关网络这一重大主题。请注意本篇文章是以解释和说明图表的方式进行阐述的，各位考生一定要注意本篇文章中不同层次和内容的描写和叙述。2004年考研英语极有能出现以数字、曲线、柱形图、圆形图表示的主题图表，所以从这篇文章中我们既要有关网络的词语和短句，更要学会如何一个层次一个层次地表达图表所展示的内容并且学会解释具体现象的原因。第二篇文章阐述的是网络在学习和培训方面的作用。

　　1. Who's getting hooked online? 谁上网干什么？

　　According to the Internet user survey by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences CASS, at least 25 per cent of urban adults in China have ventured online, and the majority of them said going online has improved their lives. This is one of the findings of a survey of 2,457 Internet users and 1,484 non-users between the ages of 17 and 60 in 12 cities in China. The study, titled "2003 China 12 Cities: Internet Use and Impact Survey Report," has been recognized by some as one of the best guides to Internet use released in the country so far. The researchers found that while over 60 per cent of the surveyed Internet users said the Web helped them with their studies and jobs, 33.7 per cent said it made no difference. Only 4 per cent said their study and work habits deteriorated.

　　Fifty-two per cent of respondents described the Internet as an important source of information, and over 40 per cent said they regard the Internet as a place for playing games, gathering and chatting. Surfing and browsing websites, reading news and dealing with e-mail are the three major online activities of Chinese Internet users followed by downloading and searching for music, chatting, playing games and downloading software.

　　Besides geographic differences, factors like education, income, gender, age, careers and family are also influencing the use of the Internet.Not surprisingly, Internet use is highest among those aged between 17 and 34 years, who made up 81 per cent of the respondents. The 35-60 agesgroupsaccounted for only 19 per cent. Ninety per cent for those with college degrees or higher go online, while only 20 per cent of those with less than a middle school diploma are Internet users. Home, Internet bars, the office and school occupy the first four places among the choices of the Internet access locations. Less than 7 per cent of users use the cell phone as one of their Internet accesses.

　　Internet shopping remains at the bottom of the list of online activities. Only 17 per cent of users have done so. The types of products purchased online vary widely, ranging from books, computer equipment, sporting and entertainment goods, travel arrangements, food and cosmetics and electric appliances. The first three categories make up more than 10 per cent of such purchases. A wide variety of frequently cited reasons for not using the Internet include unavailability of goods and services on the Internet, inadequacy of current computer, fear of technology, concerns about privacy and security, and worries about viruses. (426 words)

　　2. E-learning and e-training 网络学习与网络培训

　　Advances in digital technology will benefit education, such as e-learning. "E-learning is one of the best ways to train a large population," said Joel Mills, director and co-founder of the American Academy of Arts and a distance education specialist. E-education, with flexible schedules, customized content and hybrid teaching models, may speed up training for the next generation.

　　With the rapid development of technology and people's demand for education mounting, so-called e-learning, or on-line long distance education, has become very popular and important in China. In some areas, e-learning has played a role traditional classroom education cannot accomplish.

　　Approximately 90 per cent of the world's new information is stored and retrieved in English. It is vital for China to use the Olympics as a catalyst to boost English acquisition to prepare itself or the digital revolution. To prepare for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, at least 6 million Chinese, including staff for the organizing committee, and in the service, retail, police, volunteer, technical and medical support sectors, reportedly need to improve their English language skills.

　　E-learning breaks down the barriers of time and location, integrating education resources. When compared with traditional ways of teaching and learning, it is far more cost-effective for both the teachers and the students. (207 words)

(四)2008奥运专题

　　奥运会主题将是2004-2008年历届考研写作的重大主题，所以我们对这个主题决不可以掉以轻心。下面就是有关奥运的两篇文章。第一篇文章主要阐述奥运会会给我们带来什么好处，第二篇文章重点描述奥运会的标识(中国印)的含义，属于说明文。两篇文章字数较多，但均是核心词句，请根据你的爱好进行取舍。

　　1. What the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics will bring to us? 2008北京奥运会将给我们带来什么？

　　The Olympic Games offers a way for man to surpass himself, and the essence of the Games lies in the spirit of competition and sense of honour. We have a lot of slogans - the Green Olympics, the Humanist Olympics, and the High-Technology Olympics. The event definitely conforms to the core values of mankind, and expresses our Chinese determination to merge with the rest of the world.

　　The 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing is such a good chance for us to introduce Chinese food to the whole world. China is one of the countries in the world known for its rich culinary culture, but it seems many foreign epicureans only know the tip of the Chinese cuisine iceberg. We are duty bound to make Chinese food delicious in any language.

　　The Olympics Games will be a good opportunity to promote the spirit of teamwork among children. I strongly feel that in recent years children have become more and more "individual-conscious" while lacking team spirit in their school lives. Teachers are trying to design various games and activities in middle school to foster a spirit of "united to achieve a goal," as it is vital for one's success when he or she grows up. But none of the games we designed can compare with power of the Olympic Games. By then, the children now in middle school will be the main force of volunteers and thus they can feel how important the united spirit is in such a big international event. (249 words)

　　2. Beijing 2008 Olympic logo 2008奥运标识

　　The emblem, officially entitled "Chinese Seal - Dancing Beijing", has a single Chinese character on a traditional red Chinese seal. The words "Beijing 2008" are written with a Chinese brush below it. The figure in the logo resembles a runner or dancer and the Chinese character "jing" which means "capital".

　　The image carries the message that today's China is not only a nation with a long and glorious history, but also one full of modern dynamics.

　　Dancing Beijing is a journey to the future, the emblem for China moving towards the 2008 Olympic Games. It represents the heart of an ancient culture embracing the modern world, the spirit of a people moving towards a new destiny. It captures the soul of a city in transformation and its motion conveys a message of hope, joy, and unity.

　　Dancing Beijing is a symbol of the city's promise to make the Games a success and to be unlike any the world has known. The Chinese seal of Dancing Beijing is a promise rooted in honour and trust, character and truth.

　　Dancing Beijing is the city's signature. The ancient art of calligraphy expresses the grace and character of the Chinese and the charm and beauty of their traditions. The image of Beijing's Olympics, inspired by the ancient figure for Beijing, turns the citysintosa dancing athlete in the graceful sweep of the calligrapher's hand.

　　Dancing Beijing is the colour of China. Red is the most significant colour in Chinese culture's symbol of luck, of celebration and of new beginnings. The depth of its meaning equals the depth of its beauty.

　　Dancing Beijing represents the spirit of the individual. It is the symbol for every Olympian, every performer, every volunteer and every spectator. Arms flung wide, it invites all people and the world to share in the city's history, beauty, energy, and its future.

　　Dancing Beijing is in the form of the dragon, the ancient symbol of Chinese culture that has both beauty and majesty. It symbolizes a binding of the fire and light of the Chinese people, the power to the promise.

　　Dancing Beijing is an invitation, a hand extended in welcome to China's celebration. The Games are held in the hope of uniting humanity as never before. They are a gesture of friendship and hope that the community of nations will unite in peace through sport. (393 words)

(五)中国品牌专题

　　中国入世之后，中国的经济一直是国内外关注的一个焦点。国外的产品如何进入中国，国内的产品如何走向世界，这是人们关注的一个重大问题。民族品牌如何立足于世界之林？在这个专题中，我给大家所提供的文章是有关于中国品牌如何能够走向世界。我们也衷心地希望更多的中国品牌能像海尔一样为民族争光。

　　1. How can Chinese Brands go global? 中国品牌如何走向国际？

　　How can Chinese national brands get established in the international market-place?

　　No one would doubt the importance of valuable brands and the impression such brands make on the buying public. That is why consumers are prepared to pay more money for products that have a reliable name. When the difference in quality among various products or services becomes less differentiated, what distinguishes a product from others is the brand.

　　How can Chinese brands find their waysintosthe international market? First, control over Chinese firms by foreign brands must be removed. A brand strategy could be deemed an anti-control strategy. Since original equipment manufacturing form a great barriers between foreign consumers and Chinese manufacturers, Chinese manufacturers have no brand for their own products and thus can accumulate no brand loyalty even if the products they produced are widely sold.

　　Second, Chinese manufacturers need to develop the key technology for their brand and own the property rights to that technology. A good example is the CDMA (code-division multiple-access) technology used for mobile phones. The patent fees charged to Chinese manufacturers have been a heavy burden and added to the cost of CDMA phone handsets, thus limiting the growth of CDMA use in China. Without a self-owned brand, Chinese manufacturers will need to copy technology from other manufacturers and therefore they will not have the momentum to take the lead in technology innovation.

　　Third, Chinese manufacturers need to have their own brand strategy. Without their own brands and without promotion of those brands, Chinese manufacturers will have no idea what consumers in other countries really want. Therefore, they will be unaware of how to promote their products in those overseas markets.

　　In conclusion, turning a brand strategysintosreality is totally different from thinking about a strategy. Yet, when Chinese manufacturers start to think about strategy, they have already made the first very important step forward to achieve the goal of establishing an international brand. (312 words)

(六)航空探险专题

　　航空探险一直是国内外英语写作的重大主题，2004年考研写作也不例外。去年美国哥伦比亚航天飞机的失事，引发了人们对航空探险的思考：我们应该不应该冒生命危险？我们应该不应该投入那么多的金钱？航空探险的目的是什么？航空探险到底能给我们带来什么？这一系列的问题需要我们思考。前不久，我国神州五号的成功发射，以及杨利伟这个名字又使人们对航空探险进行深思。下面的文章就是有关航空探险的，第一、二篇讲述了我国的神州五号探险的原因以及伟大意义，第三、四篇文章讲述了有关美国哥伦比亚航天飞机的内容，由于文章较难我给大家附上了汉语译文。

　　1. New chapter in space history 航天历史的新篇章

　　The Shenzhou-V, or "Divine Ship," has carried the first Chinesesintosorbit and the countrysintosthe prestigious space club pioneered four decades ago by the former Soviet Union and the United States. As the inventor of the ancient rocket, the Chinese nation had cherished a space dream for centuries. The launch of its first satellite, the Dongfanghong, in 1970 ushered in China's space age. Now, the Shenzhou-V marks another giant stride in China's space trek.

　　As the world's largest developing country, China is more than proud of making its own contribution to human beings' outer space exploration.

　　By reigniting people's interest in the universe, China's latest accomplishment appears especially important for rejuvenating the world's space programmes, which have unfortunately been bogged down by accidents in recent years.

　　The blast-off of China's first manned spacecraft will definitely breathe new energysintosthe country's pursuit of space technologies for the overall welfare of its people. Just imagine what new seed varieties with higher yields and better qualities, which are developed in space, would mean to a country with 1.3 billion people. It is hoped that wider applications of space technology will turn out to be an important driving force in the country's economic and social development.

　　Expensive as they are, manned missions are worth it. In addition to offering a tremendous boost to a country's technological capabilities and creating a plenitude of other possibilities, they are a huge morale booster.

　　The successful launch of Shenzhou-V has clearly showcased the value of devotion, co-operation and pursuit of the unknown. And the upbeat spirit the first Chinese astronaut demonstrated in the face of the unknown will inspire the nation to take on challenges as it continues to evolve. (285 words)

　　2. China's manned star trek signals a brighter future 中国的载人飞行预示着更好的未来

　　The ultimate goal of the programme is to explore outer space and make good use of its rich resources.

　　The universe is abundant with energy and resources, while mankind, on its way to self-improvement and development, must constantly seek new channels to acquire more resources.

　　Since the 1970s many countries have conducted experiments in space and achieved major breakthroughs in the research of key space technologies. A comprehensive satellite system, offering services in fields like telecommunications, navigation, meteorology and outer space exploration, has been established.

　　Since 1975, China has successfully launched 17 recoverable satellites. As those satellites orbited the Earth, a variety of experiments in space engineering, agriculture, life sciences and space materials were smoothly conducted.

　　As the world's most populous nation with a population of 1.2 billion, China relies heavily on its agricultural sector. As early as 1987, China's recoverable satellites started to carry plant seedssintosorbit in a bid to breed new seed varieties with higher yields and better quality.

　　Outer space is an ideal industrial base, as the universe is very clean and almost without gravity.

　　The United States and Russia have both set up workshops in space stations. Products like semiconductors, optical glass, pottery and a variety of alloys have been produced in space.

　　Insgroupsto be able to share space resources with other countries as soon as possible, China has vigorously developed its manned space programme. Sending a mansintosspace is just the "first step" for China's ambitious programme. (247 words)

　　3.Columbia Space Shuttle 哥伦比亚航天飞机

　　The Columbia is lost; there are no survivors.

　　On board was a crew of seven, these men and women assumed great risk in the service to all humanity.

　　In an age when space flight has come to seem almost routine, it is easy to overlook the dangers of travel by rocket, and the difficulties of navigating the fierce outer atmosphere of the Earth. These astronauts knew the dangers, and they faced them willingly, knowing they had a high and noble purpose in life. Because of their courage and daring and idealism, we will miss them all he more.

　　The cause in which they died will continue. Mankind is ledsintosthe darkness beyond our world by the inspiration of discovery and the longing to understand. Our journeysintosspace will go on.

　　In the skies today we saw destruction and tragedy. Yet farther than we can see there is comfort and hope. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, "Lift your eyes and look to the heavens. Who created all these? He who brings out the starry hosts one by one and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and might strength, not one of them is missing." (201 words)

　　参考译文：

　　"哥伦比亚号"失事了；无一人生还。

　　机上的七名男女宇航员为造福全人类而承担了巨大的风险。

　　在太空飞行似乎已基本成为常规作业的时代，人们易于忽视乘坐火箭飞行的危险和在险恶的地球外层空间飞行的难度。这些宇航员懂得这些危险，而且甘心情愿地面对这些危险，因为他们知道生命中有着远大而崇高的目标。正是因为他们的勇气、胆识和理想主义精神，我们会更加怀念他们。

　　他们为之献身的事业将继续下去。人类是在探索精神和求知欲望的引导下，超越我们的世界，进入黑暗的未知空间。我们的太空之旅将继续下去。

　　今天，我们在空中看到的是毁灭和悲剧。但在我们的视野之外存在着安慰和希望。先知以赛亚说："你们向上举目，看谁创造这万象？他逐一领出烁烁繁星，一一称其名。因为他的大力全能，一个都不缺。"

　　4.To Columbia Space Shuttle Heroes致哥伦比亚航天飞机的英雄们

　　Their truest testimony will not be in the words we speak, but in the way they led their lives and in the way they lost those lives - with dedication, honor and an unquenchable desire to explore this mysterious and beautiful universe.

　　They were so different, yet in their mission, their quest, they held so much in common.

　　We remember Christa McAuliffe, who captured the imagination of the entire nation, inspiring us with her pluck, her restless spirit of discovery; a teacher, not just to her students, but to an entire people, instilling us all with the excitement of this journey we ridesintosthe future.

　　We will always remember them, these skilled professionals, scientists and adventurers, these artists and teachers and family men and women, and we will cherish each of their stories - stories of triumph and bravery, stories of true American heroes.

　　The sacrifice of your loved ones has stirred the soul of our nation and, through the pain, our hearts have been opened to a profound truth - the future is not free, the story of all human progress is one of a struggle against all odds. We learned again that this America, which Abraham Lincoln called the last best hope of man on Earth, was built on heroism and noble sacrifice. It was built by men and women like our seven star voyagers, who answered a call beyond duty, who gave more than was expected or required, and who gave it with little thought to worldly reward.

　　Today, the frontier is space and the boundaries of human knowledge. Sometimes, when we reach for the stars, we fall short. But we must pick ourselves up again and press on despite the pain. Our nation is indeed fortunate that we can still draw on immense reservoirs of courage, character and fortitude - that we are still blessed with heroes like those of the space shuttle Challenger.

　　Today, we promise Dick Scobee and his crew that their dream lives on; that the future they worked so hard to build will become reality. The dedicated men and women of NASA have lost seven members of their family. Still, they too, must forge ahead, with a space program that is effective, safe and efficient, but bold and committed.

　　Man will continue his conquest of space. To reach out for new goals and ever greater achievements-that is the way we shall commemorate our seven Challenger heroes.

　　We can find consolation only in faith, for we know in our hearts that you who flew so high and so proud now make your home beyond the stars, safe in God's promise of eternal life. (437 words)