Part I Writing

【標準版】Nothing Succeeds Without a Strong Will

Nothing runs smoothly in our life. To achieve things successfully, a strong will is essential. Life is like a Marathon. Many people can’t get to the terminal. This is not because they are lack of vitality but because their will of success is not strong enough.

To take quitting smoking as an example, some regard it as a piece of cake. They make up their minds to quit it in the morning, but in the evening they feel that the smell of cigarettes is tempting. Their throats are sore, their mouths are thirsty, and their hands are shaking. After the painful mental struggle, they tell themselves that “One cigarette is enough. Just take one, and the next day I will quit it.” By doing this, they surrender to their weak will. In the end, they have quitted smoking “a hundred times”, but in no time they succeed.

Just like quitting smoking, nothing succeeds without a strong will. To be successful in one’s life, a strong will means that you know where you go and you will persist on the road you choose. Undoubtedly success belongs to those who overcome their weak will and who hang in there until the last minute.

【文章點評】本文屬于話題類作文，只看題目 “Nothing Succeeds without a strong will”考生會覺得比較抽象，難以下手。細看題目說明中給出了提示，要求考生結合戒煙屢次不成功的幽默引語對該話題進行分析闡述。

總體來說，這是一篇“中等偏上”的考生作文。本文先點題指出“堅強意志”的重要性；第二段從反面舉例闡述——具體描寫了意志不堅定者的心理活動，闡述為什么會戒煙失敗；最后從戒煙延伸到生活中的其他事情，并復述堅強意志的內涵，點題收尾。

總體上來看，文章思路清晰，采用了生動的比喻和形象的心理描寫，語言流暢，用語地道。但一些重復表達顯得單調，可用shaky ones, weak-willed persons，the strong-willed等靈活表達。在備考中，多積累不同表達，相信會寫出更生動的文章。

在論述上，敘述略顯羅嗦。第二段心理描寫過多，雖然流暢生動，但卻使這篇考場作文超過了規定字數，反而成為失分點，這一點要引以為戒。

【高分版】Nothing Succeeds Without a Strong Will

As we have read from above, quitting-smoking seems easy, but in reality it is rarely achieved. There is something provoking and interesting in this paradox, just because sword does not wear the stone as dripping water does.

The ability to do something over and over again in a short time may imply its easiness, but in a long run, a lifetime maybe, things turn out to be quite the opposite. Also, as is often the case, one may have obtained all the tools and opportunities to achieve something, but in the end they still fail due to the will shortage.

So how could we avoid the dilemma? Here is the prime condition of success: will and perseverance. Concentrate you energy, thought and mind exclusively on the business in which you are engaged, hang on in there and be patient, for, as Emerson put it, no one can cheat you out of your ultimate success but yourself.

【文章點評】本次四級作文探討的話題是成功與毅力之間的關系，話題不算新，一般考生對此都比較熟悉，所以對考生來說難度不大。寫好這篇作文，需要抓住兩點，一是緊跟題目要求，即對上述幽默性的話語做出評論，二是在評論的基礎上要亮出自己的觀點。

范文開頭第一句即一針見血地對上述幽默性話語做出總結性概括，即戒煙看似簡單實則很難，隨后指出該話語本質上是一個悖論，并且以一個“水滴石穿”的俗語來指出困難所在，這句也是本文的一個亮點，體現作者在西方俗語方面豐富的知識儲備。

第二段作者則進一步深入分析該話語，指出做某事在短期看來很容易，長期來看，恰恰相反，人們做事的結果也因此總是失敗，原因則在最后一句點出：缺乏毅力。

第三段作者進一步給出了自己的觀點，告訴大家如何避免陷入這種兩難境地：首要條件即需要堅強的意志和長期的堅持。最后再以艾默生的一句名言 “沒人能夠騙你遠離你最終的成功，除非你自己承認失敗”來總結全文，切中主題，鏗鏘有力。