“What perfumes are you wearing?” “Aren’t your shoes Nike’s latest release?” “I like the Mickey bag you bought yesterday.” “I hear the Jack & Jones store is on sale this week. Do you wanna come along?” Don’t feel surprised if you hear them coming out of the mouth of college students. It’s quite common to hear and see college students swapping information about the brands they like and the products they use. In fact, discussions about brand names have become one of the college students’ favourite pastimes. They learn about the latest fashion from each other, exchange tips about when and where to get the item, and buy it at their earliest convenience. “Keeping up with the Joneses” is their conviction – “If the Joneses have it, how could I have not?”

　　About this current mindset of the college students, many people may hasten to show their disapproval. They’ll probably take it to be a reflection of the students’ vanity and superficiality. And they may lecture them on the virtue of being thrifty.

　　However, I beg to differ. For one thing, name-brand products are usually quality products. As such, they are something beautiful, endurable, and reliable. “The love of beauty is common to all,” goes the proverb; therefore, there’s nothing to blame about the pursuit of famous brands. For the other, college students are old enough to make their own decisions. Likewise, they must abide by the consequences if they make an ill-advised one. If they let their pursuit of brands eat into their budget for other more important issues, they should be able to correct their mistakes and keep everything in moderation. So this becomes no other than a good chance to learn management, isn’t it?

　　◇第一段思路點評：

　　本段分為兩個部分，即詳細陳述大學生追求和使用名牌的情況，以及人們對此的看法。

　　◇語言點提示：

　　(1)keeping up with the Joneses要在地位和物質上比得上周圍的人

　　(2)conviction堅定的信仰、看法

　　(3)vanity and superficiality虛榮心和面子觀(膚淺、表面、淺薄)

　　◇第二段思路點評：

　　本段應辯證地分析大學生追求、使用名牌的現象，既有對此肯定的看法，也有否定的看法，即大學生在追求和使用名牌中汲取經驗教訓并學會管理。

　　◇語言點提示：

　　(1)abide by the consequences自食其果

　　(2)ill-advised考慮不周的、不明智的

　　(3)in moderation適度、不過分

　　(七)Knowledge and Diploma

　　1. 目前社會上存在這樣一種說法：文憑越高越吃香

　　2. 而有些人則認為文憑不等于知識

　　3. 你的觀點

　　● 審題概述●�r