16.

1．当前社会上存在许多不诚实的现象

2．诚实利人利己，做人应该诚实

It Pays to Be Honest

Nowadays people are troubled with mass of dishonest behaviors in society. Teachers get annoyed when they catch students cheating on exams; consumers get hurt when they unfortunately buy some fake products; children are misled when they see their parents tell lies so as to evade the responsibility they should take.

Why do people cheat? The main reason probably lies in immediate interest they may obtain by cheating. For example, a company, which manufactures fake products, may seem to win for a moment because it can minimize its manufacture cost by doing so. This kind of businesses, however, will be driven out of the market in the long run. For the consumers after getting to know the poor quality of the products will not buy them anymore.

The same is true of individuals. Dishonest people dare not take on the responsibility of life. They cheat in class, in office, at home and so on. But the truth can hardly be masked. The moment the truth comes out they will lose their credibility, which is easier to destroy than to rebuild. Consequently, these dishonest will suffer a long time because of their cheating behaviors. In conclusion, no one can afford to be dishonest in a civilized society.

Honesty is the pillar of a society. People will benefit from being honest in the long run. That’s why we say it pays to be honest.

17．

假设你在某日某时某地目击一起车祸，就此写一份见证书。见证书须包括以下几点：

1.       车祸发生的时间及地点

2.       你所见到的车祸情况

3.       你对车祸原因的分析

An Eye-witness Account of a Traffic Accident

       Yesterday afternoon, I happened to witness a terrible traffic accident on my way home from school. It was 5:30 p.m., I was riding my favorite Giant back home. When I got to the last crossing on the Golden Lion Street, the red light was on. So I applied the brakes, along with a long queue of vehicles waiting to pass.

       Just at that moment, a heavy-load truck with earth roared forward at my side and bumped against a private Accord of Honda travelling eastbound. As a result, the windshield of the lorry was broken into pieces and its driver got fatally wounded on the head on the steering wheel. The driver of the Accord and his girlfriend, the only passenger in the car, only got minor injuries, but his car lost its rear axel and two wheels and was totally dead.

       As for the cause of the accident, I think the driver of the lorry should be held responsible: the light was red then; he should have stopped and waited. It was he who had broken the traffic regulations. In addition, the bad weather was part of the cause. It was drizzling then, and the road was quite slippery. Finally, drunk driving was probably an important factor. As the police discovered on the spot, there was a heavy alcoholic smell on the dead body of the lorry driver.