Issue208 【challenge yourself小组】第四次作业 by infant~

infant~UID：2242949

TOPIC: ISSUE208 - "The way people look, dress, and act reveals their attitudes and interests. You can tell much about a society's ideas and values by observing the appearance and behavior of its people."
WORDS: 530          TIME: 01:10:00          DATE: 2008-7-30 8:51:48

I agree with the speaker insofar that people's outward appearance and behavior reveals their attitudes and interests, and in some aspects, these attitudes and interests serve to reflect a society's ideas and values. However, a society's accurate ideas and values are far more complex.

As is pushed by inner emotion, the way people look, dress and act largely indicate their attitudes and interests. After all, human beings are by nature animals that are driven by innermost feelings toward the environment and fellows living with. A society whose members tend to be muscular indicates an positive attitude toward physical exercise. A society whose residents generally wear traditional and local clothes emphasize more on domestic culture and patriotism than internationalization and diversity. And, a society whose people frequently make free speech or demonstration prefers freedom and individuality. In short, while inner spirit and preference influence the way people deal with things, in turn, the outward appearance and behavior reflect their attitudes and interests.

Admittedly, in a mature and stable society with a relatively completed development, people’s outward appearance and behavior do inform us the ideology and value system of the whole society. Countries, such as the United States and France where residents enjoy a stable political environment and coherent ethical value, provide a free foundation where every inner feeling can be accurately expressed through outward actions. In turn, the societal spirit can be easily recognized from outward actions of its populace.

Yet in other circumstances, there are far more factors other than appearance and behavior that contribute to a society's overall spirit. As we know, society is a complex system. Not only a society's general members' attitudes and interests, leaders' preference or even quirk notions are important, but also its elites, history, culture are making a great contribution to its complexity, together with its economy,  art, technology and science level, political and diplomatic institution and so forth. While a society's general attitude may appear positive and patriotic, its leadership may actually oppress every possible spirit that may lead to a better future. The last few years of Qing Dynasty in China may serve as an apt example. When the masses were ready to stand up and fight against foreign invasions, the empire's highest hierarch was in contrast, oppressing these potential future leaders while catering to foreign invaders at the same time. Since this society is self-contradictory, how can one possibly judge the ideas or values of this particular society?

Another complexity of a society is relies in its diversity. As internationalization is further and further all around the world, nearly all countries are enjoying an ever-increasing diversity in matters of culture, technology and science, lifestyle, ideology, value system and so forth. Consider contemporary China and Japan. Patriotism and loyalty used to be the prevailing or even the only attitude advocated by the government. However, thanks to more and more interconnection between different nations, individual freedom and rights are unprecedented emphasized in the two countries. Questions come when the two value systems meet and conflict. The youth with an insight for individuality can hardly reconcile with the elderly who still consider a strong commitment to the nation as more crucial. This conflict lies not only between ages, but also between different regions, literacy levels and the like, which renders a clear judgment of the nation's ideas and values rather difficult. In short, a society holds its own complexity and conflicts in its inner diversity.

To sum up, I generally agree with the speaker's claim that people's attitudes and interests can be revealed by the way the look, dress and act. Yet when it comes to the inner ideas and values of a society,situations are too complex to make an overall definition.

qilluraUID：2186638

I agree with the speaker insofar that people's outward appearance and behavior reveals their attitudes and interests, and in some aspects, these attitudes and interests serve to reflect a society's ideas and values. However, a society's accurate ideas and values are far more complex.

As is pushed by inner emotion, the way people look, dress and act largely indicate their attitudes and interests. After all, human beings are by(by?) nature animals that are driven by innermost feelings toward the environment and fellows living with. A society(你这一段不是讲个人么？直接说individual好了) whose members tend to be muscular indicates an positive attitude toward physical exercise. A society whose residents generally wear traditional and local clothes emphasize more on domestic culture and patriotism than internationalization and diversity. And, a society whose people frequently make free speech or demonstration prefers freedom and individuality. In short, while inner spirit and preference influence the way people deal with things, in turn, the outward appearance and behavior reflect their attitudes and interests.
(咩～传说中的互相影响～)

Admittedly, in a mature and stable society with a relatively completed development, people’s outward appearance and behavior do inform us the ideology and value system of the whole society. Countries, such as the United States and France where residents enjoy a stable political environment and coherent ethical value, provide a free foundation where every inner feeling can be accurately expressed through outward actions. In turn, the societal spirit can be easily recognized from outward actions of its populace.(论证有问题啊，倒数2句怎么就推论出这个结论了？你只说了人们行为会反映内心么，而没有说清楚这和社会价值观的潜在关系)

Yet in other circumstances, there are far more factors other than appearance and behavior that contribute to a society's overall spirit. As we know, society is a complex system. Not only a society's general members' attitudes and interests, leaders' preference or even quirk notions are important, but also its elites, history, culture are making a great contribution to its complexity, together with its economy,  art, technology and science level, political and diplomatic institution and so forth. While a society's general attitude may appear positive and patriotic, its leadership may actually oppress every possible spirit that may lead to a better future. The last few years of Qing Dynasty in China may serve as an apt example. When the masses were ready to stand up and fight against foreign invasions, the empire's highest hierarch was in contrast, oppressing these potential future leaders while catering to foreign invaders at the same time. Since this society is self-contradictory, how can one possibly judge the ideas or values of this particular society?
(大概意思我是懂了，但是具体这一段想表达什么主题没有很理解。。。讲到社会观念不只由人们决定，然后举了秦朝的例子说社会上下会理念不合。最后一句是总结说社会的idea和value本来就难以确定？那也没有明确和题目的关系啊。)

Another complexity of a society is relies in its diversity. As internationalization is further and further(可以这么说么。。) all around the world, nearly all countries are enjoying an ever-increasing diversity in matters of culture, technology and science, lifestyle, ideology, value system and so forth. Consider contemporary China and Japan.(个人觉得一下子摆出2个国家却又不比较不如只说一个国家。。。而且国家和社会society也不是等同的) Patriotism and loyalty used to be the prevailing or even the only attitude advocated by the government. However, thanks to more and more interconnection between different nations, individual freedom and rights are unprecedented emphasized in the two countries. (However,)Questions come when the two value systems meet and conflict. The youth with an insight for individuality can hardly reconcile with the elderly who still consider a strong commitment to the nation as more crucial. This conflict lies not only between ages, but also between different regions, literacy levels and the like, which renders a clear judgment of the nation's ideas and values rather difficult. In short, a society holds its own complexity and conflicts in its inner diversity.
(说明了社会本身就是复杂对立的，8错。但是还是没肃清和题目的关系)

To sum up, I generally agree with the speaker's claim that people's attitudes and interests can be revealed by the way the look, dress and act. Yet when it comes to the inner ideas and values of a society,situations are too complex to make an overall definition.