Contemporary Culture,Only Part of the Picture 大學是否應該開設更多當代流行文化的課程
Contemporary Culture,Only Part of the Picture
It is argued that contemporary culture has great relevance for students today. There is a good deal of truth in this idea.However, it does not necessarily mean that colleges and universities should offer more courses on popular music, film, advertising and television.
Surely, our lives are greatly influenced by contemporary culture since TV programmes and popular MTVs are shown on television day and night. Advertisement and commercials are seen here and there, and film is certainly a hot topic in parties.Having little knowledge about contemporary culture, it may be difficult for you to understand what people around you are thinking of or talking about. What is more, it is dangerous to some extent if you fail to "live with" contemporary culture in a proper way. For example, you will probably be submerged and confused by TV programmes unless you can tell what programmes are worth watching and what appear on TV are true.
Meanwhile, we should be aware that contemporary culture is only part of our culture. Classical arts and literature of the past are not only what used to be popular years age but what last and survive through many generations. They are the essence of human civilization, treasures that our ancestors handed down to us. In Paris, it is believed that a well educated person should master at least one classic musical instrument such as piano or violin, to inherit the culture of the past which they are so proud of, and to understand the way that people in the past saw the world.
Arts and literatures of the past also have great influence on today＇s society. As the contemporary culture is developed from culture before it, it is necessary to know the arts and literatures in the past in order to have a deeper insight into what is happening today and to foresee the coming future.
In addition, although hundreds or even thousands of years have passed since the creation of those classical arts and literatures, quite a lot of people still enjoy them. Shakespeare＇s plays are put on stage every week and the Lorvre is flooded with tourists from all over the world every day!
Therefore, I support the idea that colleges and universities should offer various courses of both contemporary culture and culture of the past. Only through a balanced understanding of the two can a person truly understand the culture and society of today. And only in this way can a student be truly well educated.
簡 評
此文是一篇較為典型的分析論辯性的文章。文章分析討論大學是否應該開設更多當代流行文化的課程，但作者并沒有在開頭直接提出自己的觀點，而是先退一步肯定流行文化對人們生活的影響，再提出自己的觀點，即傳統文化也有其重要的價值和影響。文章最后再回到論題上，不偏不倚地指出兩方面的課程都是重要的，只有將兩者很好地結合才能培養高素質的大學生。這樣一種論辯方式最能以理服人。
現在許多論辯性的文章顯得過于偏激，觀點有失偏頗，說理的過程中往往只從自己的角度出發，自說自話。比如這篇文章討論的問題，就有同學大肆批判流行文化，將其貶得毫無價值可言。這樣的說理很難具有說服力。另一個值得注意的問題，就是說理過程中的語氣。
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