Issue

　　Humanity has made little real progress over the past century or so. Technological innovations have taken place, but the overall condition of humanity is no better. War, violence and poverty are still with us. Technology cannot change the condition of humanity.

　　Sample Essay

　　The discussion of this statement turns on what is meant by little real progress from the first sentence, the overall condition of humanity in the second sentence, and the condition of humanity from the third sentence. To be sure, war, violence and poverty are still with us and we as mankind are probably more aware of these problems worldwide than ever before thanks to advances in technology and communication. But depending upon the definition of progress and the condition of humanity, this would appear to be an incorrect statement.

　　First of all, the phrase little real progress from the first sentence must be defined. If the author defines progress as elimination of death, war, violence and poverty, then perhaps it could be stated that humankind has not made much improvement over the past one hundred years. People are still dying, wars are still being fought, violence is present almost everywhere and there are most likely people in every country in the world living in poverty. However, if the term progress is defined not as elimination of these problems but rather a reduction in them, then great progress has been made over the past century. Life expectancies are up in nearly every country of the world due to improvements in medicine and the scientific study of the human body. War and violence, although still present, has been reduced and to a large part confined to certain areas of the world rather than the global wars of the past such was World Wars I and II. Poverty has also been reduced as international trade has lead to economic improvements in many formerly impoverished nations. Very real progress has been made in these areas over the past one hundred years.

　　Secondly, the phrases the overall condition of humanity and the condition of humanity must be defined. If the terms mean that we are all still born into pain, suffer many tragedies during our lives, and still die in the end, then of course the overall condition of humanity is no better than it was one hundred or even one hundred thousand years ago. Life is still life, and no matter what technological innovations come along, it is unlikely that the basic facts of living as a member of the human race will ever change. However, if the term means how we are able to live our lives during the time that we are given, then again tremendous progress has been made during the past century. Cures have been found for many diseases, some of which have officially been completely eliminated. Medical treatments for other diseases have made them less deadly or less debilitating. For example, many cancer victims that would have died in the past can now go on living comfortably and cancer-free after treatment. Diabetics who would have died in the past can now live nearly normal lives. Even poor eyesight can be effectively eliminated through laser surgery. It would seem to be beyond argument that overall, the condition of humanity is much better now than it was one century ago.

　　If one takes a very narrow definition of progress and the condition of humanity, it could be fairly stated that mankind has made little in the way of advancement over the past century. Millions of people worldwide still live in poverty. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is killing millions of people with no cure in sight. War and violence continues in the Middle East, Africa and Afghanistan. But to take this narrow point of view would be to ignore the obvious tremendous advances that have been made over the past one hundred years by the human race. As mankind continues on into the twenty-first century, it would be preferable to consider all that has been accomplished over the past one hundred years and to look ahead to future advances over the next century instead of ignoring mankinds obviously improved circumstances today.

　　觀點陳述型作文/

　　在過去約一個世紀的時間中，人類幾乎沒有實現真正的進步。技術創新確實發生了，但人類的總體狀況毫無改觀。戰爭、暴力，以及貧窮仍然伴隨著我們。技術無法改善人類的生存狀況。

　　上述陳述中的探討所圍繞的是這樣三個概念的含義，即第一句中的little real progress，第二句中的the overall condition of humanity，以及第三句中的the condition of humanity.毫無疑問，戰爭、暴力以及貧窮仍然伴隨著我們，并且，作為人類，由于技術與通信的進步，我們可能比以往任何時候都更深切地意識到了這些問題。但除非將progress和the condition of humanity這樣的概念進行清晰界定，否則，上述陳述將是相當謬誤的。

　　首先，第一句中的little real progress必須予以界定。如果作者將progress定義為祓除死亡、戰爭、暴力以及貧窮，那么或許可以這樣說，人類在過去的100多年中并未取得太大的進展。人們仍在不斷死亡，戰爭仍在進行，暴力幾乎到處存在，世界每個國家都有人生活于貧困之中。但是，如果progress這一術語并非被定義為對上述問題的消除，而是對這些問題的削減，那么，過去一個世紀中人類確實取得了重大進步。由于醫學和對人體科學研究水平的提高，全世界幾乎每個國家中人類壽命都呈上升趨勢。戰爭與暴力，雖然仍然存在，卻已被減少，且在很大程度上都被限制在世界的某些地區，而再也不是像第一、第二次世界大戰那樣波及全球。隨著國際貿易在許多以前的貧窮國家導致了經濟改善，貧困也得以減輕。在過去的100年中，這些領域中已取得了極為真實的進步。其次，the overall condition of humanity以及the condition of humanity必須予以界定。如果這些術語指的是我們所有人仍然降生于痛苦之中，一生中蒙受著許多悲劇，并最終仍然死去，那么，毫無疑問，人類的總體狀況絲毫不比100年或甚至10萬年之前來得更好。生活依然是生活，無論產生怎樣的技術創新，作為人類的一員，生活的某些基本事實依舊不變。如果該術語指的是我們是如何在被賦予的生存時間中得以生活的，那么我們可以再一次說，人類在過去的世紀中取得了巨大的進步。對許多疾病，人類已找到了治愈方法，某些疾病已正式被徹底消除。對某些疾病的醫治已使這些病癥變得不再那么致命，不再那么毀滅性。例如，在過去有可能死去的許多癌癥患者，現在經治療之后可繼續舒服地生活下去，擺脫癌癥的折磨。在過去可能會死去的糖尿病患者，現在也能過上幾乎正常的生活。即使視力障礙也能通過激光手術被有效去除。總體而言，人類狀況現在遠好于一個多世紀之前，這似乎應是不爭的事實。 如果從狹義上去理解progress和the condition of humanity，則人們可以甚為合理地說，人類在過去的一個多世紀中幾乎沒有取得任何進步。全球數以百萬計的人仍生活在貧困之中，愛滋病正在奪走無數人的生命，而治愈方法遙遙無期。戰爭與暴力在中東,非洲以及阿富汗持續不斷。然則，持此狹隘的觀點則有可能使人無視人類在過去一百年中業已取得的昭然若揭的巨大進步。隨著人類繼續邁進21世紀，較為可取的做法應該是，我們應充分意識到在過去100年中人類業已取得的全部成就，并展望人類在下一個世紀中所可能取得的未來進步，而不是對人類今日顯著改善的生存狀況視而不見，置若罔聞。

　　Issue

　　Humanity has made little real progress over the past century or so. Technological innovations have taken place, but the overall condition of humanity is no better. War, violence and poverty are still with us. Technology cannot change the condition of humanity.

　　Sample Essay

　　The discussion of this statement turns on what is meant by little real progress from the first sentence, the overall condition of humanity in the second sentence, and the condition of humanity from the third sentence. To be sure, war, violence and poverty are still with us and we as mankind are probably more aware of these problems worldwide than ever before thanks to advances in technology and communication. But depending upon the definition of progress and the condition of humanity, this would appear to be an incorrect statement.

　　First of all, the phrase little real progress from the first sentence must be defined. If the author defines progress as elimination of death, war, violence and poverty, then perhaps it could be stated that humankind has not made much improvement over the past one hundred years. People are still dying, wars are still being fought, violence is present almost everywhere and there are most likely people in every country in the world living in poverty. However, if the term progress is defined not as elimination of these problems but rather a reduction in them, then great progress has been made over the past century. Life expectancies are up in nearly every country of the world due to improvements in medicine and the scientific study of the human body. War and violence, although still present, has been reduced and to a large part confined to certain areas of the world rather than the global wars of the past such was World Wars I and II. Poverty has also been reduced as international trade has lead to economic improvements in many formerly impoverished nations. Very real progress has been made in these areas over the past one hundred years.

　　Secondly, the phrases the overall condition of humanity and the condition of humanity must be defined. If the terms mean that we are all still born into pain, suffer many tragedies during our lives, and still die in the end, then of course the overall condition of humanity is no better than it was one hundred or even one hundred thousand years ago. Life is still life, and no matter what technological innovations come along, it is unlikely that the basic facts of living as a member of the human race will ever change. However, if the term means how we are able to live our lives during the time that we are given, then again tremendous progress has been made during the past century. Cures have been found for many diseases, some of which have officially been completely eliminated. Medical treatments for other diseases have made them less deadly or less debilitating. For example, many cancer victims that would have died in the past can now go on living comfortably and cancer-free after treatment. Diabetics who would have died in the past can now live nearly normal lives. Even poor eyesight can be effectively eliminated through laser surgery. It would seem to be beyond argument that overall, the condition of humanity is much better now than it was one century ago.

　　If one takes a very narrow definition of progress and the condition of humanity, it could be fairly stated that mankind has made little in the way of advancement over the past century. Millions of people worldwide still live in poverty. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is killing millions of people with no cure in sight. War and violence continues in the Middle East, Africa and Afghanistan. But to take this narrow point of view would be to ignore the obvious tremendous advances that have been made over the past one hundred years by the human race. As mankind continues on into the twenty-first century, it would be preferable to consider all that has been accomplished over the past one hundred years and to look ahead to future advances over the next century instead of ignoring mankinds obviously improved circumstances today.

　　觀點陳述型作文/

　　在過去約一個世紀的時間中，人類幾乎沒有實現真正的進步。技術創新確實發生了，但人類的總體狀況毫無改觀。戰爭、暴力，以及貧窮仍然伴隨著我們。技術無法改善人類的生存狀況。

　　上述陳述中的探討所圍繞的是這樣三個概念的含義，即第一句中的little real progress，第二句中的the overall condition of humanity，以及第三句中的the condition of humanity.毫無疑問，戰爭、暴力以及貧窮仍然伴隨著我們，并且，作為人類，由于技術與通信的進步，我們可能比以往任何時候都更深切地意識到了這些問題。但除非將progress和the condition of humanity這樣的概念進行清晰界定，否則，上述陳述將是相當謬誤的。

　　首先，第一句中的little real progress必須予以界定。如果作者將progress定義為祓除死亡、戰爭、暴力以及貧窮，那么或許可以這樣說，人類在過去的100多年中并未取得太大的進展。人們仍在不斷死亡，戰爭仍在進行，暴力幾乎到處存在，世界每個國家都有人生活于貧困之中。但是，如果progress這一術語并非被定義為對上述問題的消除，而是對這些問題的削減，那么，過去一個世紀中人類確實取得了重大進步。由于醫學和對人體科學研究水平的提高，全世界幾乎每個國家中人類壽命都呈上升趨勢。戰爭與暴力，雖然仍然存在，卻已被減少，且在很大程度上都被限制在世界的某些地區，而再也不是像第一、第二次世界大戰那樣波及全球。隨著國際貿易在許多以前的貧窮國家導致了經濟改善，貧困也得以減輕。在過去的100年中，這些領域中已取得了極為真實的進步。其次，the overall condition of humanity以及the condition of humanity必須予以界定。如果這些術語指的是我們所有人仍然降生于痛苦之中，一生中蒙受著許多悲劇，并最終仍然死去，那么，毫無疑問，人類的總體狀況絲毫不比100年或甚至10萬年之前來得更好。生活依然是生活，無論產生怎樣的技術創新，作為人類的一員，生活的某些基本事實依舊不變。如果該術語指的是我們是如何在被賦予的生存時間中得以生活的，那么我們可以再一次說，人類在過去的世紀中取得了巨大的進步。對許多疾病，人類已找到了治愈方法，某些疾病已正式被徹底消除。對某些疾病的醫治已使這些病癥變得不再那么致命，不再那么毀滅性。例如，在過去有可能死去的許多癌癥患者，現在經治療之后可繼續舒服地生活下去，擺脫癌癥的折磨。在過去可能會死去的糖尿病患者，現在也能過上幾乎正常的生活。即使視力障礙也能通過激光手術被有效去除。總體而言，人類狀況現在遠好于一個多世紀之前，這似乎應是不爭的事實。 如果從狹義上去理解progress和the condition of humanity，則人們可以甚為合理地說，人類在過去的一個多世紀中幾乎沒有取得任何進步。全球數以百萬計的人仍生活在貧困之中，愛滋病正在奪走無數人的生命，而治愈方法遙遙無期。戰爭與暴力在中東,非洲以及阿富汗持續不斷。然則，持此狹隘的觀點則有可能使人無視人類在過去一百年中業已取得的昭然若揭的巨大進步。隨著人類繼續邁進21世紀，較為可取的做法應該是，我們應充分意識到在過去100年中人類業已取得的全部成就，并展望人類在下一個世紀中所可能取得的未來進步，而不是對人類今日顯著改善的生存狀況視而不見，置若罔聞。