2008年的考题：问明天对个人和社会的重要与否？

　　写于北京雨夜无眠，听得蝉声，随笔：

　　夜月残，三更星稀。庭院深处，梧桐青叶坠，雨滴花落，流萤飞过，罗幕垂，秋千静。西窗一声蝉鸣。他乡客，莫上危楼，梦里识得天涯路。

　　写到此没有了情怀，觉得写出的文字，做不到“词秀”，更谈不上“骨秀”和“神韵”，听得窗外落雨滴答，随有起笔写了这英文，随便落笔，未必严谨，只是随性随心的小品，而且脱离了雅思的一些约束。比如字数偏多等，如承蒙斧正，不胜感激。

　　The word “tomorrow” has been frequently used as a synonym of “hope”. It becomes the great beacon light to the millions. Alas, who knows exactly what tomorrow will be?

　　Tomorrow is believed to be important to the individuals because human beings as separate individual persons struggling in the process of time and space are not, generally speaking, satisfied with what they already have had. Those who have been considered to have already achieved tremendous success in the society, such as those profiteers and shrewd bankers, desire to live a “better” life and find a “better way’ to make more money. Therefore, they have the ambition about their future. They want to do something “better” tomorrow. In stark contrast, those who have been labeled as “losers” in the society have the aspiration to make a change in “tomorrow”. For instance, the undergraduates who have failed to secure themselves in the job market might hope to study a master degree so that they will have a shaper competitive edge in “tomorrow”.

　　In terms of a specific society, “tomorrow” means the opportunity to develop, a word in many senses. Thinking about less developed countries, we find that nine out of ten such states or regions are working and weaving a beautiful “dream” of tomorrow. The governors and the governed alike are visioning a “bright and better” future of material prosperity. They are weaving “a promised land” rich in the honey and milk. Focusing on the developed ones, however, we perceive that such sovereignties are yet unsatisfied with their status quo. They want to “lead” others to live a “similar”, if not the “same”, life as they do, even though they essentially complain much about their own ways. In this case, “tomorrow” means the opportunity to influence those cultures under which the prevailing political ideas and ideals, the way people live, and the fundamental values are distinctly divergent from what have been deemed “correct”.

　　To conclude, neither individuals nor the human beings as a whole are satisfied with the “past and present”. Instead, they have dreams, ambitions, and aspirations. As a result, “tomorrow” becomes a critical factor that encourages developments.