下半年大学英语四级美文1

1、When you hear the phrase cultural heritage, what es to mind?Maybe you remember going to see ethnic folk dances with people wearing traditional costumes、Perhaps you were exposed to the music and arts of this culture、Most likely, however, what es to mind will be the food、It might begin with the recollection of your mother’s cooking,or visiting grandma’s house and receiving a special treat as a reward for good behavior、As you close your eyes, can you picture your favorite dish?Is it a salad with a special dressing, or a scrumptious dessert?Can you smell the aroma wafting through the house?Maybe you’re far away from home and eating your favorite soul foodmakes you feel closer to those you’re separated from、

2、Life is full of challenges、School has to be the most challenging obstacle in the lives of youth today、Elementary school brings about a few challenges characteristic of those years spent there、There’s the challenge of coloring in the lines,a very real problem to any youngster、Or how about the challenge of remembering to raise one’s hand before one speaks?There are hundreds of rules and regulations that govern these young children、The one thing that keeps these children in line is the hope of reward、Yes, this is the brass ring、The reward for a clean desk is an extra five minutes of recess!

3、The prize for having all homework done, a shiny-new pencil topper!These small wonders keep small people in line、They make the children love challenge、Middle school is not so easy、It is not easy for the students, and it also isn’t easy for the teachers、The challenge of staying out of trouble, or writing that research paper —these are the new confrontations of an older, wiser group、This clan has outgrown the recess and pencil-topper tricks、They know that their efforts have to bring them something really useful,so mom and pop are pulled onto the scene、

5、How does five, ten dollars for each “A” sound?Or, how about no telephone if one doesn’t do good in school?Need I say more?By the time high school arrives,a student’s place in academic excellence or else their unlikelihood to even graduate has been established、Little can be done now to make life’s challenges seem interesting,especially where school es in、 The slothful are rewarded with a nice job at a gas station,a pregnant girlfriend, and a fifteen-year-old Ford、The diligent are rewarded with an SAT score of over 1100,acceptance into Yale University, and a ticket to life、By meeting the challenges of school, sticking it out, and pulling through,they are given their greatest reward: success、

7、The United States of America is often seen as a nation in which the pursuit of happiness is not a dream but a reality、The sad truth is that although portrayed as an unusually easy life, life in America is as much of a struggle as in any other nation、For example, higher level education for Americans does not e easy、Although there are scholarships, grants and loans available,if the student fails to meet the criteria he is left with only personal resources to draw from、This takes him into a life with not only a school schedule to follow but perhaps,also, a work schedule and family life、These are often the difficulties that are not portrayed through the TV and movies、These are also the difficulties which many believe they will not encounter by attending an American college、

8、Good food knows no boundaries、It bees the great equalizer between young and old、Here, in the kitchen the old master works hand in hand with younger family members and friends,passing on traditional skills used in the culinary arts、However, more is taking place than a mere transfer of information about ingredients and mixing instructions、Magic moments are created between child and elder、It bees an opportunity for a parent to teach family values while passing the sugar and beating the eggs、Confidences can be exchanged along with the natural flow of conversation、

9、In the second place, there is financial security、Many times what is portrayed of life in America is a life where “money is no object”、The fallacy in this is that,Each person has their own personal struggle and money is an object for the majority of the people、in spite of the paratively higher wages available,the cost of living is also higher、Even though it may seem like one is making more money,just as much is spent in surviving、

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11、Many of us have missed spending a holiday or two with our loved ones,only to find ourselves calling to ask what they had for dinner、It doesn’t matter if it’s the same thing that is served year after year、There’s nothing like food to help us identify with our roots、These recipes, cherished family favorites,handed down from each generation to the next might undergo subtle changes,but there still remains a cable of unity、It is this unity which constructs the bridge between families and generations、Food can be described as the building blocks of this cultural bridge、

13、Thirdly is the belief that in the American way of life everyone has a good job、With the increasing advancements in technology,a well-paying job for those currently in the work force is getting harder to find、Those who have not been exposed to puters and other new methods of munication are finding this to be true、As it stands now,the job market is requiring at least a two-year degree from college,in order to make enough to live fortably、Even then well-paid jobs are not easy to find,as it is sometimes believed because of the portrayal of life in America、