2008年专四作文真题：The Benefits of Volunteering
　　（参加志愿活动的好处）——关于大学生和社会
　　Direction：
　　December 5th is International Volunteers Day. Since 1985, when the United Nations announced the special day, tens of millions of people around the world have volunteered to help those in need. China now has 4.5 million registered volunteers how have provided more than 4.5 billion hours of volunteer work. What can you gain from volunteering?
　　Write a composition of about 200 words on the following topic:
　　The Benefits of Volunteering
　　You are to write in three parts:
　　In the first part, state clearly what your view is.
　　In the second part, support your view with appropriate reasons.
　　In the last part, bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or a summary.
　　Marks will be awarded for content, organization, grammar and appropriateness. Failure to follow the instructions may result in a loss of marks.

　　写作指南：
　　这是指定明确观点型的作文。要求考生以给定的观点作为中心思想（论点）进行论证。
　　历年类似考题：
　　2003 The Importance of Keeping a Good Mood
　　2000 The Importance of Extracurricular Activities

　　本文要求论述“志愿活动的好处”，主体部分可以着重论述志愿活动对社会的好处，也可以论述志愿活动对志愿者本人带来的好处，还可以兼顾两方面。构思立意时要从多个角度论述自己的观点，并对所有者材加以整合、归纳。
　　以讨论“对志愿者自己的好处”为例，可以讨论如下好处：
　　第一，在交际、沟通能力方面的好处（包括扩大交际面，与不同的人打交道，协调不同的关系，理解不同的立场等）。
　　第二，提高工作能力、增加技能的好处（主要谈对自己知识、技能的提高有什么作用，包括学校知识的运用，实际能力的提高等，注意与前面的“交际能力”有所区分）。
　　第三，为志愿者带来成就感，获得必理上的满足（获得尊敬与承认，实现自我价值）。

　　经典范文：
　　The Benefits of Volunteering
　　Volunteering has grown into a fashion these years, with volunteers ranging from college students to white collar workers. It is reported now China has 4.5 million registered volunteers having provided more than 4.5 billion hours of volunteer work. Why would so many people like to do volunteer work? Are there any benefits of volunteering?
　　The answer is absolutely yes. First of all, through volunteering we can gain more experiences. Whatever volunteering work we do, either being a volunteer teacher for a village school or a volunteer worker in a retired house, we can taste different lifestyles and broaden our horizon.
　　Secondly, through volunteering we can acquire the sense of being needed. Many people feel frustrated with travails in life and empty with the cycling of working and resting. They gradually become numb, losing the sense of being needed. By joining the volunteer group and offering help voluntarily to people who need it, we may feel happy and fulfilled again.
　　Thirdly, through volunteering we can learn more good qualities. Volunteer work is team work, which needs good cooperation. We can know people with different personalities and different background joining in the volunteer group and devoting to the volunteer work together. From our co - volunteers we can absorb many good qualities that could help us be better persons.
　　In conclusion, volunteering is of great benefit in that we can gain more experiences, acquire the sense of being needed and learn more good qualities.