2014年1月25日香港SAT写作考试题目:Should we hold on to the old ones when we have certain innovations, or just move forward?

　　解析：此题属于主流的创新类题目。总体来说比较简单。至少每个学生看到这道题都不愁没有话说。但越是简单的题，越需要考生能写出彩，越能真正考出写作实力。

　　如要展现critical thinking ability，需要想想自己准备的例子库。是不是所有新的方法都值得尝试并推广?是不是所有古老的做事方法都需要被抛弃?显然不是。笔者在范文中给出了塑料袋的例子和匈牙利医生赛买尔维斯的例子，分别论述了新事物--塑料袋的不好，与新思想--洗手的好。从这两个例子，我们得出结论：传统的做事方式不一定是不好，新思想也不一定都好。只有给大众带来真正福利的东西才值得我们推崇。

　　全文共415字，25分钟写完。这个长度对大多数学生来说是非常合适的。

　　As society develops, an increasing number of people are attaching greater importance to innovation, believing that we should always use novel ways to tackle problems. However, is it really a reasonable idea to move forward and be innovative? Opinions vary. As far as I am concerned, it is superficial to say that new ways are superior to old ones and vice versa.

　　第一段引出话题，表达观点：说新思想优于旧思想或者说旧思想优于新思想都是肤浅的。

　　A perfect case that can be used to illustrate the negative effects of moving forward is the invention of plastic bags. While it is true that this new container signifies the development of chemistry, I still believe that it is a devastating move for people to substitute plastic bags for cloth bags and paper bags. The main problem associated with plastic bags is that they are not biodegradable, which means that abandoned plastic bags will stay with us for hundreds of years. This can be disastrous for both the environment and the wild animals. Because the break down rate is so slow the chance that the bag will harmlessly go away are extremely slim. Throughout the world plastic bags are responsible for suffocation deaths of animals as well as inhibiting soil nutrients.This is the reason why I firmly believe that sometimes it is not a good idea to move forward. I would be happy to see the whole world ban the use of plastic bags and use baskets or cloth bags.

　　第二段用人们接受塑料袋的例子来说明新鲜事物(塑料袋)也会带来不好的影响(环境污染，野生动物遭殃)不如老方法好(篮子或者布袋子)。

　　However, despite some undesirable changes that innovations may bring, we should not show fear and resentment to all progress. Some changes are imperative and breed happiness for people all over the world. One such example is the introduction of “hands-washing” theory by a Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis. In the 19th century, many women died from childbed fever. Childbed fever was common in mid-19th-century hospitals and often fatal, with mortality at 10%-35%. Through months of observation and research, Semmelweis discovered that the incidence of childbed fever could be drastically cut by the use of hand disinfection in obstetrical clinics. So he proposed the practice of washing hand with chlorinated lime solutions. In spite of the fact that Semmelweis proved the effectiveness of hand-washing, many doctors still held on to the established scientific and medical opinions, refusing to accept his innovative ways. Thus, many women died needlessly.

　　第三段用however引出相反的例子。即，新思想的好。这个例子(赛买尔维斯提倡给产妇接受要洗手)除了可以用在创新的话题，还能用在挑战权威话题。同学们最好熟练掌握，以达到运用自如。

　　From the above discussion, we can draw the conclusion that blindly embracing or spurning innovations will both result in dire consequences. Only those methods which breed wellbeing for the common good deserve our respect and approval.

　　结尾重申观点：盲目接受新思想或者抵触新思想都会带来可怕的后果。只有那些能给大众带来福利的方法，才值得我们推崇。