Unfortunately, in contemporary society, creating an appealing image has become more important than the reality or truth behind that image

.(老题库33)

很不幸，在当代社会，打造一个引人入胜的外表已经变得比外表下的内容更加重要。

可供参考老题库33. "Creating an appealing image has become more important in contemporary society than is the reality or truth behind that image."

在当代社会，打造一个引人入胜的外表已经变得比外表下的内容更加重要了。

I agree that image has become a more central concern, at least where short-term business or political success is at stake. Nevertheless, I think that in the longer term image ultimately yields to substance and fact.

1. The important role of image is particularly evident in the business world.

2. The growing significance of image is also evident in the political realm, particularly when it comes to presidential politics.

3. In the long terms, however, the significance of image wanes considerably.

外表和内容

在当今社会的快速变化导致人们生活节奏的加快的时代，人们更热衷于事物的外表，而不是它背后的事实。

1、尽管几乎所有人都知道事物背后的事实要比他的外表更重要，但是美丽时尚的外表却逐渐的被越来越多的人，尤其是年轻人，所追求。//最明显的例子之一就是充斥街头的各种广告了，现在的公司投入比过去多得多的钱为了制作更具吸引力的广告，因为影响深刻的广告要比过去以引更多的人来购买产品，许多人甚至并不确定它是否真的需要广告中推荐的产品或者是否了解这个产品的性能，只是因为漂亮和影响深刻的广告，就决定要去购买这样的产品。此外，公司里的设计者也需要花费更多的精力来设计产品的外观，因为许多人愿意为想能相同但外表更漂亮的产品花费更多的钱。//在政治上也是如此，政治家们也投入更多精力在选举前的宣传上，他们花费更多的时间研究如何给宣明留下深刻的印象，而人们也更乐于从电视上看到他们喜爱的政治家，从这个意义上说，宣传对于政治家来说要比实际制定的政策和法律更重要。

2、上述的现象是由多方面的因素造成的。//首先，对大部分来说，在他们并没有对事物进行更深刻的调查和研究之前，他们的第一影响就是外表，所以，外表更漂亮的产品显然要比一般产品吸引更多的注意力。//其次，人们生活节奏的加快使得多数人没有足够的时间在购买产品之前，对产品进行深入的了解，这最终导致人们开始习惯用直觉来选择产品，而不是产品性能。这一点在科技日益发达的今天显得尤为突出，因为大部分厂商在设计和制造产品的时候开始以消费者的心理来进行设计，相反的则忽视了产品的实际性能。在政治上，为了赢得选举，政治家们也开始研究市民的心理，而不是国家的发展方向。

3、尽管现代人们是多么的关心事物的外表，但从长远来看，事物背后的实质仍旧充当着真正的决定因素。//一些小企业为了挣足够的钱，以外表为代价换取性能上的低劣，最终导致实际的产品难以满足多数用户的实际需要。当用户发现他们购买的漂亮产品质量很差之后，他们会吸取教训，购买更实用的产品。政治家们的宣传也是一样，当人们发现他们喜爱的政治家使得国家的经济受到损失的时候，会毫不犹豫地支持其他反对的政治家。

总之，事物的外表虽然能够为公司或者政治家带来短期的利益，但是从长远来看，事物背后的实质才是真正的决定性因素。

可供参考老题库74. "The most effective way to communicate an idea or value to large groups of people is through the use of images, not language."

和一大群人交流想法或者价值观的最有效方式是图像而非语言。

The use of images is not always more effective than that of language.

1. On the one hand, images are more vivid and easier for the largest audience to comprehend.

2. On the other hand, images tend to cause ambiguities.

3. The most effective way of communication is combing the use of images and that of language.

观点：不同意，各有各的有时，很难说那种是最有效的。

1. On the one hand, images are more vivid and easier for the largest audience to comprehend. deep impression, straight presentation. 卓别林Charley Chaplin.电视。动物世界。

2. On the other hand, images tend to cause ambiguities.拥有不同的背景。不同的民族对于不同的图像、颜色有着不同的理解。有时候一幅画，不同的人看，可能会有不同的理解。所以当用图象表达自己的思想时，别人的理解可能跟自己像表达的东西都所偏差。

3. 语言也有很强的力量 Words are capable of arousing the strongest emotions and prompting all man's actions。Martin Luther King I have a dream ，竞选前的演说等等。第二，很多教科书如果只有图片，没有文字，学生根本无法使用，而且文字可以清晰的阐述某一个原理或者公式。

4. abstract ideological ideas or values, or to the necessity to attain further understanding, language is indispensable。比如：哲学上的思想无法用图象表示出来

可供参考老题库215 "The bombardment of visual images in contemporary society has the effect of making people less able to focus clearly and extensively on a single issue over a long period of time."

当代社会中视觉形象的冲击导致了人们愈加无法长时间清晰而深刻地将注意力集中在一件事情上。

With the bombardment of visual images through mass media in contemporary society, it is possible that people will become more and more passive audience rather than creative thinkers.

1. Throughout history, artists have skillfully used images to make people think.

2. Today, with the introduction of CAI into the classroom, teachers can make their courses more vivid, more attractive and more effective.

3. Unfortunately, however, electronic media such as TV and the Internet tend to bombardment people with images, stimulating their senses rather than their thinking.

Begin: The speaker asserts that… , however, the speaker neglect the fact that the development of mass media and Internet also provide abundant useful information.

1. 在过去，images通常是作为一种更好的帮助人们理解的手段。艺术，小孩子看的图画书，工程制图

2. However, the contemporary society has evolved into an era of information explosion with overwhelming amount of visual images, which distracted our attention to focus on specific issues. People become accustomed to the superficial description about an issue rather than spend much time meditating its essence. 如：广告，网络游戏。（每天都有新的电视剧上演，网络提供了大量图片、视频资源下载，人们看电视欣赏图片只是寻求刺激，感官的享受，电视里曲折的情节，而对于其的文学，审美价值没有任何评价，也不去想。）

3. Admittedly, abundant useful information is also provided along with visual images by the development of mass media and Internet. These images are more vivid and impressive than written articles. 多媒体教学，以前只有枯燥的课本和板书，现在结合了视频，音频信息，可以更好的帮助学生理解。如生物课上，通过视频，老师可以动态的,更加生动地向学生们展示类人猿到人类的一个变化的过程。另外，A lot of related information could be obtained only by typing some word expressing our needs into the searching engine on the Internet. 这而省去了以前为搜集资料而东奔西跑的时间与精力，为我们更加专注的研究提供了条件。相信只要正确的利用这些信息，Internet可以成为帮助我们专心研究的最有力的工具。

End：平衡观点，提供过多信息的同时，也提供了大量宝贵的信息，能否专注关键还是看我们自己。

范文：

Has creating an image become more important in our society than the reality or truth behind the image? I agree that image has become a more central concern, at least where short-term business or political success is at stake. Nevertheless, I think that in the longer term image ultimately yields to substance and fact.

The important role of image is particularly evident in the business world. Consider, for example, today's automobile industry. American cars are becoming essentially identical to competing Japanese cars in nearly every mechanical and structural respect, as well as in price. Thus to compete effectively auto companies must now differentiate their products largely through image advertising, by conjuring up certain illusory benefits--such as machismo, status, sensibility, or fun. The increasing focus on image is also evident in the book-publishing business. Publishers are relying more and more on the power of their brands rather than the content of their books. Today mass-market books are supplanted within a year with products that are essential the same---except with fresh faces, rifles, and other promotional angles. I find quite telling the fact that today more and more book publishers are being acquired by large media companies. And the increasing importance of image is especially evident in the music industry, where originality, artistic interpretation, and technical proficiency have yielded almost entirely to sex appeal.

The growing significance of image is also evident in the political realm, particularly when it comes to presidential politics. Admittedly, by its very nature politicking has always emphasized rhetoric and appearances above substance and fact. Yet since the invention of the camera presidential politicians have become increasingly concerned about their image. For example, Teddy Roosevelt was very careful never to be photographed wearing a tennis outfit, for fear that such photographs would serve to undermine his rough-rider image that won him his only term in office. With the advent of television, image became even more central in presidential politics. After all, it was television that elected J.F.K. over Nixon. And our only two-term presidents in the television age were elected based largely on their image. Query whether Presidents Lincoln, Taft, or even F.D.R. would be elected today if pitted against the handsome leading man Reagan, or the suave and poliricaUy correct Clinton. After all, Lincoln was homely, Taft was obese, and F.D.R. was crippled.

In the long term, however, the significance of image wanes considerably. The image of the Marlboro man ultimately gave way to the truth about the health hazards of cigarette smoking. Popular musical acts with nothing truly innovative to offer musically eventually disappear from the music scene. And anyone who frequents yard sales knows that today's best-selling books often become tomorrow's pulp. Even in politics, I think history has a knack for peeling away image to focus on real accomplishments. I think history will remember Teddy Roosevelt, for example, primarily for building the Panama Canal and for establishing our National Park System--and not for his rough-and-ready wardrobe.

In the final analysis, it seems that in every endeavor where success depends to some degree on persuasion, marketing, or salesmanship, image has indeed become the central concern of those who seek to persuade. And as our lives become busier, our attention spans briefer, and our choices among products and services greater, I expect this trend to continue unabated--for better or worse.

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