GMAT考试写作指导：Issue写作范文三八

　　38. The speaker claims that simple courtesy and good manners are disappearing from

　　modern life, and that the quality of our lives is therefore deteriorating. While I do

　　encounter frequent instances of discourtesy and bad manners, I also encounter many

　　instances of the opposite behavior. For this reason, and because negative experiences

　　tend to be more memorable and newsworthy, I find the speakers claim to be dubious.

　　Most people encounter multiple instances of ordinary courtesy and good manners

　　every day―simple acts such as smokers asking whether anyone minds if they light up,

　　people letting others with fewer items ahead in grocery-store lines, and freeway drivers

　　switching lanes to accommodate faster drivers or those entering via on-ramps.

　　Admittedly, most people also encounter discourtesy or poor manners on a daily basis―

　　people using obscene language in public places where young children are present, and

　　business associates intentionally ignoring phone calls, to name a few. However, such

　　acts do not prove that good manners and courtesy are disappearing; they simply show

　　that both courtesy and discourtesy abound in everyday life. Thus the claim that courtesy

　　and good manners are disappearing grossly distorts reality.

　　Another -reason that the claim is suspect is that we tend to remember negative

　　encounters with people more so than positive ones, probably because bad experiences

　　tend to be more traumatic and sensational, if not more interesting to talk about. The

　　news stories that the media chooses to focus on certainly support this rationale.

　　However the fact that we remember, hear about, and read about discourtesy more than

　　about courtesy shows neither that discourtesy is increasing nor that courtesy is

　　decreasing. It simply shows that negative experiences leave stranger impressions and

　　tend to be more sensational. In fact, I suspect that if one were to tally up ones daily

　　encounters with both types of behavior, one would conclude that good manners and

　　courtesy are far more prevalent than the opposite behavior.

　　In conclusion, the speakers claim that common courtesy and good manners are

　　disappearing is not born out by everyday experience. I suspect the speaker has failed to

　　consider that negative experiences leave stronger impressions on our memory and are

　　more interesting to relate to others than positive ones.