Sample Outline-Raising Prices
   1 people will use less gas and electricity if price is high
   -if millions use less, can save lots
   -gas price went up→parents drove less often→others did same thing
   2 people who use lots of gas and electricity ought to pay higher prices
   -people drive big cars→don't care about environment
   -no interest in conserving environment→should be punished w/higher prices
   3 people will demand cheaper forms of energy
   -will spend $ researching alternative energy→solar, geothermal, & hydroelectric
   -countries will be nuclear power plants→clean and cheap
   Sample Essay-Raising Prices
   I do not believe we should spend money on trying to come up with alternative forms of energy. Instead, it is my opinion that we should conserve energy by increasing the prices of gasoline and electricity. There are three primary reasons why I believe this.
   The first reason is that by raising the prices of gasoline and electricity, people will use less of it. If millions of people act in that manner, large amounts of gasoline and electricity can be saved over a long period of time. Higher prices are definitely effective. Last summer, the price of gasoline rose considerably. My parents started driving less often, so we took the bus and subway more. I noticed that many buses and subway cars were full of people, so it appeared that other people were acting the same way as us.
   The second reason is that people who use lots of energy in the form of gasoline and electricity should be made to pay higher prices for it. I often see wealthy people driving big SUVs and other cars that get poor gas mileage. These people apparently have no interest in conserving energy, so they should be punished for their attitudes. If we increase the prices of energy, they will have to pay more money for their selfish acts.
   The third reason is that higher energy prices will result in people demanding that cheaper forms of energy be discovered. This means that millions of dollars will be spent on research to try to make alternative forms of energy, such as solar, geothermal, and hydroelectric power, more efficient and less expensive. It will also cause countries to build more nuclear power plants, which can produce cheap and clean electricity.
   Raising the prices of gasoline and electricity is the best way to encourage people to conserve energy. People will use less energy to save money. Those whose behavior does not change will have to pay for their actions. And more money will be spent developing other forms of energy. Those three results will all occur if the prices of gasoline and electricity are increased.
   Sample Outline-Alternative Energy
   1 can make more efficient
   -do research on many alternative energy types
   -make solar power and others more efficient→reduce reliance on fossil fuels
   2 alternative energy types=better for environment than fossil fuels
   -don't pollute+renewable
   -have infinite supply of them
   3 can stop harming environment if don't need fossil fuels
   -no mining+no more oil spills
   -energy will be cheap and plentiful for everyone
   Sample Essay-Alternative Energy
   My opinion is that we ought to invest money into improving alternative energy sources rather than increasing the prices of gasoline and electricity. I have a few reasons for feeling this is a better way to encourage energy conservation.
   To begin with, if we spend more money on alternative sources of energy, we can make them more efficient. Currently, we get electricity from solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, wind, and nuclear power. Unfortunately, these forms of energy are not as efficient as they could possibly be. This is especially true of solar energy, which has enormous potential. Researchers could use the extra funding that could be provided to them to discover ways to make solar power and other alternative types of power more efficient, which would enable us to reduce our reliance upon fossil fuels for energy.
   A second advantage is that alternative sources of energy are much better for the environment than burning coal, oil, or gas is. Alternative energy sources are clean, so they do not pollute the environment. They are also renewable, so, unlike fossil fuels, which we will eventually run out of, we have an infinite supply of solar, wind, and water power. We simply need to learn how to harness these energy sources to make them better than they are at present.
   A final advantage is that, if we make these energy sources more effective, we can dramatically change the future. If we do not need oil, gas, and coal anymore, we can stop harming the environment as there will be no need to mine or drill for fossil fuels. There will not be oil spills that cause damage to the land and water anymore as well. In addition, energy will become cheap and plentiful, and billions of people around the world will be able to improve their standards of living.
   Alternative energy sources are the way of the future. They are better, cleaner, and cheaper than fossil fuels and can improve people's lives a great deal, but we need to spend money on researching them to make those things happen.

Sample Essay
   In his lecture, the professor discusses health incentive plans that some businesses use to encourage their employees to become healthier. He is skeptical of their effectiveness and casts doubt on the arguments in their favor that are mentioned in the reading passage.
   The professor begins by remarking that these plans are usually only effective for short periods of time. He says that people can stop their bad habits for a while but eventually resume them, which makes them disappointed and sad. In mentioning those facts, the professor disregards the argument in the reading passage that these programs encourage employees to get healthier.
   The next argument the professor takes on concerns who gets rewarded. While the reading passage mentions that incentives given to employees make them want to get in shape, the professor points out a problem with who gets the incentives. Some employees do not want healthy individuals to get rewards since they are already in shape whereas healthy employees do not want lazy employees to be rewarded for their lack of self-control.
   The final point covered concerns companies themselves. The author of the reading passage believes companies will save money and become more profitable with these programs. But the professor comments that employees take sick days for reasons other than illnesses, so they will probably continue acting the same way in the future.

[听力原文]
   Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.
   M Professor: Nowadays, businesses are devising health incentive plans for their employees. Basically, uh, the companies are rewarding their workers for getting into shape, stopping bad habits, and being healthy in general. You might consider these plans positive features, but they're actually rather controversial. Let me explain why...
   One problem is that these plans are often effective for short periods of time but fail the longer they go on. Why's that... ? Well, people may visit health clubs, stop smoking, or give up their favorite junk foods for a while, but let's be honest... It's hard to quit those activities for years. In fact, it's virtually inevitable that most people will resume their bad habits at some point in their lives. And when employees return to their old ways, they frequently get discouraged and depressed, which is neither good for them nor their employers.
   Numerous employees decry these plans as unfair if they compensate workers who are already healthy since those people get rewarded for doing nothing. Some people have trouble staying healthy due to, uh, a lack of time or family obligations, and there's growing evidence that genes cause some people to be overweight. On the other hand, healthy people claim it's unfair for them to miss out on rewards being given to people they consider lazy and lacking in self-control.
   What about companies... ? They institute these programs to increase productivity and to save money by having their employees take fewer sick days. But remember that people don't always take sick days because they're sick. They might, um, have family commitments, have a sick spouse or child, or simply be too tired to work that day and need a break. So I imagine that no matter what programs exist, people will still end up taking the same number of sick days as before.