2013“外研社杯”全国英语写作大赛已经在全国范围内热烈展开。目前，大赛在线报名人数不断增加。为了给热爱英语学习、踊跃报名参赛的同学们一显身手、体验参赛的机会，大赛组委会特别开展“外研社杯”全国英语写作大赛“模拟赛场”活动。

“模拟赛场”采用大赛样题，模拟真实赛题难度。参加活动者可以在线投稿写作，体验真实的大赛难度，把握出题角度，考查写作水平。

活动结束后，参加活动者可登陆大赛官网查询模拟赛成绩和排名。大赛组委会将评选出“写作大赛模拟赛场活动之星”，对其优秀作品予以展示与嘉奖。

“模拟赛场”将举办两期，每期持续三周。活动细则如下：

活动时间（第一期）：9月1日至10月7日

活动方式：参与者根据“模拟赛场”写作题目及要求在线投稿。

赛题说明：本期模拟比赛包含两项写作任务，

议论文写作：分值为10分，要求长度500词左右。

说明文写作：分值为10分，要求长度500词左右。

活动评分：本活动所有投稿作品将由大赛官方指定作文机评系统­——“冰果英语”智能作文评阅系统进行评阅。

活动奖励：每期“模拟赛场”活动结束，将评选“写作大赛模拟赛场活动之星”，获得神秘礼品并在大赛官网展示其优秀作品。

“外研社杯”全国英语写作大赛“模拟赛场”

第一期竞赛题目

写作题一：议论文写作（Argumentative Writing）（10分）

　　Read the following two paragraphs with contradicting views, and write a passage on the issue. You should clearly state your opinion and explain the reasons for your opinion. You should write about 500 words.

Tablets are the ideal system of organization in schools. They are convenient, in which much information is stored in small sizes and kept together in one place, and cheap, as digital information is now becoming more affordable than print. As evolution continues to rock the modern world, digital devices will become more and more reliable. Someday, they will entirely replace print books, and hopefully, that day will come soon.

Many may argue that tablets are much more convenient than paper books. But not everyone shares this preference of tablets or finds them convenient. In fact, in a study conducted by Book Industry Study Group (BISG), it was found that 75% of college students preferred traditional textbooks in which they can highlight the key words and write notes. Also, some may suggest that it is cheaper to invest in tablets than textbooks. In fact, in a 2008 study of public schools in Kentucky it was estimated that the cost of textbooks and supplies totaled around $44 million. The cost per school was around $988 for textbooks and supplies. That is roughly the cost of only two tablets. To provide tablets to all the students in a school would be an enormous sum. Therefore, we may conclude that while tablets have their purposes, they should not replace the printed books used in schools.

写作题二：说明文写作（Expository Writing）（10分）

　　Write a passage to introduce the Chinese Moon Festival to foreigners. You should write about 500 words.