2016专八考试真题（现题，自2016年起）
The following two excerpts are about Ice Bucket Challenge, an activity initiated to raise money and awareness for the disease ALS (渐冻症). From the excerpts, you can find that the activity seems to have achieved much success, but there have also been doubt and criticism.
Write an article of NO LESS THAN 300 words, in which you should:
1. Summarize the development of ice bucket challenge activity, and then
2. Express your opinion towards the activity; especially whether the problem found with this kind of activity will finally undermine its original purpose.
Marks will be awarded for content relevance, content sufficiency, organization and language quality.
Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Takes U.S. by Storm
In the last two weeks, the Ice Bucket Challenge™ has quite literally “soaked” the nation. Everyone from Ethel Kennedy to Justin Timberlake has poured a bucket of ice water over his other head and challenged others do the same or make a donation to fight ALS within twenty-four hours.
Between July 29 and today, August 12, The ALS Association and its 38 chapters have received an astonishing $4 million in donations compared with $1.12 million during the same time period last year. With only about half of the general public knowledgeable about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the Ice Bucket Challenge is making a profound difference. Since July 29, The Association has welcomed more than 70,000 new donors to the cause.
“While the monetary donations are absolutely incredible,” said Newhouse, “the visibility that this disease is getting as a result of the challenge is truly invaluable. People who have never before heard of ALS are now engaged in the fight to find treatments and a cure for ALS.”
Ice bucket challenge: who’s pouring cold water on the idea?
The ice bucket challenge has certainly raised awareness. Whether that’s primarily of the disease for which it is raising funds or the speed at which images of swimsuit-clad celebrities will go viral is a long-term question. More pertinent right now is whether or not the craze has reached a tipping point.
As it lived by social media, so the ice bucket challenge could die by it. The state of California is currently experiencing one of the worst droughts on record. So these are more regarded as wasteful PR exercises than charitable gestures – and are being called out as such on Twitter.
There has been a similar reaction in China. Last week, protesters in drought-stricken Henan province raised empty red buckets over their heads, accompanied by the slogan “Henan, please say no to the ice bucket challenge”.
China’s ministry for civil affairs, while broadly supportive, has warned citizens against the practice’s “entertainment and commercial tendencies”. But the real dampener could be the risk of bodily harm. Doctors around the world have warned of risks to elderly people, expectant mothers and people with heart conditions.
2015年专八真题（原题, 2015年及之前）
There has been a new trend in economic activity—the sharing economy. The biggest section of the sharing economy is travel. You can find a potential host through a website. If you both get along and they are available during your planned trip, you stand a chance of getting a place to stay for free. In addition, people also use websites and apps to rent out their cars, houses, tools, clothes and services to one another. Time magazine has included this trend in a list titled ―10 ideas that will change the world. It said: “In an era when families are scattered and we may not know the people down the streets, sharing things—even with strangers we‘ve just met on line—allows us to make meaningful connections. What do you think of Time’s comment?
My Views on the Sharing Economy
In the first part of your essay you should state clearly your main argument, and in the second part you should support your argument with appropriate details. In the last part you should bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or make a summary.
Marks will be awarded for content, organization, language and appropriateness. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.
Write your essay on Answer Sheet Four.
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