The importance of choices

Over the past Spring Festival, I got involved in a family dispute. Right before I got home, four
satellite channels of CCTV were added to the 14 channels we had already had. In prime time at
night, they all had interesting shows. Therefore, the five of us-my parents, my sisters and I-had to
argue over what to watch. Finally, we agreed that we should watch the "most interesting"
programme... If we could agree what that was.
However, all of us there remember that for a long time after we had TV, there were only one or
two channels available. The increase in options reveals an important change in our life: the
abundance of choice. Fifteen years ago we all dressed in one style and in one colour. Today, we
select from a wide variety of designs and shades. Fifteen years ago, we read few newspapers.
Today, we read English newspapers like the China Daily and the 21st Century, as well as various
Chinese newspapers.
Fifteen years ago, English majors took only courses in language and literature. Today, we also
study Western culture, journalism, business communications, international relations, and computer
science. The emergence of choices marks the beginning of a new era in China's history; an era of
diversity, of material and cultural richness, and an era of the rebirth of the Chinese nation.
We enjoy the abundance of choice. But this has not come easily.
About 150 years ago, China was forced to open up its door by Western canons and gunboats. It
has been through the struggle and sacrifice of generations that we finally have gained the
opportunity to choose for ourselves. The policy of reform and openness is the choice that has
made all the difference.
Like others of my age, I'm too young to have experienced the time when the Chinese people had
no right to choose. However, as the next century draws near, it is time to ask: What does choice
really mean to us young people? Is choice a game that relies on chance or luck? Is choice an
empty promise that never materializes? Or is choice a puzzle so difficult that we have to avoid it?
First, I would like to say: To choose means to claim opportunities.
I am a third-year English major. An important choice for me, of course, is what to do upon
graduation. I can go to graduate school, at home or abroad. I can go to work as a teacher, a
translator, a journalist, an editor and a diplomat. Actually, the system of mutual selection has
allowed me to approach almost every career opportunity in China.
Indeed, this is not going to be an easy choice. I would love to work in such big cities as Beijing or
Shanghai or Shenzhen. I would also love to return to my hometown, which is intimate, though
slightly lagging in development. I would love to stay in the coastal area where life is exciting and
fast-paced. I would also love to put down roots in central and western China, which is
underdeveloped, but holds great potential.
All of these sound good. But they are only possibilities. To those of us who are bewildered at the
abundance of opportunities, I would like to say: To choose means to accept challenge.
To us young people, challenge often emerges in the form of competition. In the next century,
competition will not only come from other college graduates, but also from people of all ages and
of all origins.
With increasing international exchanges, we have to face growing competition from the whole
outside world. This is calling for a higher level of our personal development.
Fifteen years ago, the knowledge of a foreign language or of computer operation was considered
merely an advantage. But today, with wider educational opportunities, this same knowledge has
become essential to everyone.
Given this situation, even our smallest choices will require great wisdom and personal
determination.
As we gain more initiative in choice making, the consequence of each choice also becomes more
important.
As we gain more initiative in choice making, the consequence of each choice also becomes more
important.
Nuclear power, for instance, may improve our quality of life. But it can also be used to damage the
lives and possessions of millions.
Economic development has enriched our lives but brought with it serious harm to our air, water
and health.
To those of us who are blind to the consequences of their choices, I would like to say, To choose
means to take responsibility. When we are making choices for ourselves, we cannot casually say:
"It's just my own business. " As policy makers of the next century, we cannot fail to see our
responsibility to those who share the earth with us. The traditional Chinese culture teaches us to
study hard and work hard so as to honor our family. To me, however, this family is not just the five
of us who quarreled over television programmes. Rather, it is the whole of the human family. As I
am making my choices, I will not forget the smile of my teacher when I correctly spelled out the
word "China" for the first time, I will not forget the happy faces of the boys and girls we helped to
send back to school in the mountains of Jiangxi Province. I will not forget the tearful eyes of
women and children in Bosnia, Chechnya and Somali, where millions are suffering from war,
famine or poverty.
All these people, known and unknown, make up our big human family. At different points, they
came into my life and broaden my perspective. Now as I am to make choices for myself, it is time
to make efforts to improve their lives, because a world will benefit us all only if every one in it
can lead a peaceful and prosperous life.

Man’s life is a process of growing up, actually I’m standing here is a growth. If a person’s life
must constituted by various choices, then I grow up along with these choices. Once I hope I can
study in a college in future, however that’s passed, as you know I come here, now I wonder what
the future holds for (= what will happen to) me. 
When I come to this school, I told to myself: this my near future, all starts here. Following I will
learn to become a man, a integrated man, who has a fine body, can take on important task, has
independent thought, an open mind, intensive thought, has the ability to judge right and wrong,
has a perfect job. 
Once my teacher said :” you are not sewing, you are stylist; never forget which you should lay out
to people is your thought, not craft.” I will put my personality with my interest and ability into my
study, during these process I will combine learning with doing. If I can achieve this “future”, I
think that I really grow up. And I deeply believe kindred, good-fellowship and love will perfection
and happy in the future. 
How to say future? Maybe it’s a nice wish. Lets make up our minds, stick to it and surely well
enjoy our life
 Objectively Speaking
People in this world can be divided into two categories: those always working and those always
making comments. The working ones never have time to idle away. Some may run a hotel, or do
some business; some may open a factory or set up a school; others may be absorbed in scientific
research, or devoted to military affairs or political issues. Right or wrong, successful or failed,
they are always fully committed to their careers. Facing all kinds of risks(not because they neglect
them, but mainly because they have the courage), and shouldering the responsibilities, they march
forward, bravely and cautiously. They are risking their luck and their lives as well. They have
neither time nor energy to comment on others. While attentively planning the future, they devote
themselves wholly in hard work, leaving the embroidered stories and malicious gossips flying in
the air. The commenting ones, however, usually work less, and even if they want to work
sometimes, they simply are not capable enough. They are no better than anyone, but show
admiration to nobody either. They blame either the heaven, or the earth, but never themselves.
They dare not to take any risks, but they are also afraid of any hard work. They are gossip-
mongers, making stories and spreading rumors, making you feel annoyed and upset. It's not
because that you have hurt them, or disturbed them, or hindered them, but because you are
working. If only you are working, he is there commenting. Everything is hard at the beginning.
You have just started a new cause, needing encouragement and support, yet he is there pouring a
jar of cold water or blowing a gust of chilly wind, making you worried or perplexed. But once you
have succeeded, he is there again sharing your success without feeling a little ashamed of the
discouragement he had given you.
Many people don't like using their mind but enjoy echoing the views of others. They often take it
for granted that the working ones are wrong while the commenting ones are definitely right.
However in all fairness, how can it be true? Not working itself is already wrong, and it is a
blunder to hurt the hard working people.
From ancient time to the present, many great men have been commented on endlessly. Take the
cases of Confucius, Emperor Qinshihuang, Empress Wu Zetian, Gengis Khan, Dr. Sun Yet-sun,
Chairman Mao, Deng Xiaoping, etc.. Both positive and negative criticism have been made about
them. They not only enjoyed compliments but also suffered slanders from all over the world.
When commenting on what's right and what's wrong, the commenting ones themselves don't really
know what is wrong and what is right. They are simply demanding perfection. When criticizing
the others' inability, they themselves are actually unable to do anything, but simply pretending that
they know better. This can well be compared with the actors and spectators. A new program is
always followed by large amounts of criticism from the spectators. But if a spectator is given a
chance to perform, a disaster will surely happen. Diners are always commenting on the skills of
the chefs while readers are always criticizing the writers. Another case in point is the forty-chapter
sequel of A Dream of the Red Mansions , which were written by Gao E who did a nearly perfect
job. Nevertheless there are always such people who claim to be the experts on the novel,
criticizing the latter forty chapters as a wretched sequel to a fine work. What if we ask them to
write the sequel? I'm afraid they can only make it worse. It's easier said than done.
Capable and wealthy people are always the focus of the society.
Capable people are usually marching ahead of others and may not be properly understood, hence
causing various kinds of comments, more criticism but less support;
Capable people can easily succeed, thus causing both admiration and comments, more jealousy
but less appreciation (only their good luck is recognized);
Capable people can be sought for help and attract the attention of the society, thus causing a lot of
comments, more complaints but less gratitude (even though they didn't ask anyone for help, if
only they were not able to help others in a satisfactory way, it's already their fault);
Capable people can also suffer setbacks (some even experience ups and downs many times),
experiencing fully the warmth and coldness of the human world, more hurts but less helps.
Wealthy people are non the easier. No doubt there are cruel-hearted rich men, but it is also wrong
to think that no wealthy people are kind-hearted. They are capable of devising and managing and
they often need to take risks to get the chance. But who care about these?
Whenever a group are dining or entertaining, everyone will take it for granted that the rich should
pay the bill instead of going Dutch. If the rich doesn't pay, then he'll definitely be regarded as a
miser;
Among good friends and relatives, the rich should often help the poor, otherwise he will surely be
blamed for his cruel-heartedness;
From the ancient times, people have been used to killing the rich to save the poor, without
thinking about how the rich became rich and the poor stayed poor. The policy of “allowing some
people to get rich” has balanced people's mind to some extent, but there is still a long way to go
before we can get rid of “the hatred toward the wealthy”.
Capable people or rich people are just human, neither sages nor perfect men. They have their own
faults, and they may also commit mistakes. But objectively speaking, some mistakes are forced on
them, which are the expectations of the public. They are expected to do this or that, but when
expectations become disappointments, they have to take the blaming. In fact, it's the public's fault
to demand for perfection or counting on unrealistic expectations of the rich.
I encourage people to work, even though they may commit mistakes.
I advise those enjoying commenting to make some effort to do something for the others.
I hope people can make comments objectively instead of subjectively, without going to extremes,
and not out of preference.
I also hope that the hard-working people do not care too much about what the others say, even
what the others criticize. You should believe that public opinions will finally decide what's right
and what's wrong. What we need is just time.