GMAT考试写作指导：Issue写作范文八九

　　89. The speaker suggests that studying history is a waste of time because it distracts

　　us from current challenges. Posed this way, the question carries the assumption that the

　　study of history has no bearing on present problems or their possible solutions. On the

　　contrary, history can provide examples, perspectives and insights that are directly

　　relevant to contemporary challenges.

　　One way that studying history can help us face new challenges is by showing us

　　inspirational examples of success. For instance, we can learn from the experience of the

　　great inventor Thomas Edison that sometimes a series of apparent failures is really a

　　precursor to success. Also consider the journey of Lewis and dark into the Northwest

　　Territory. Understanding the motivations needed to overcome adversities they faced can

　　help to inspire modern-day explorers and scientists.

　　Studying history can also help us avoid repeating mistakes. For instance, we can

　　learn from the failure of Prohibition during the 1930s that it can be a mistake to legislate

　　morality. And future generations might learn from the 1997 indictment of the tobacco

　　industry that it is bad policy to trade off the well-being of consumers in order to secure

　　profits.

　　Finally, the study of history is important because we cannot fully appreciate our

　　present challenges without understanding their historical antecedents. Consider the issue

　　of whether California should be officially bilingual. The treaty that transferred

　　California from Mexico to the United States stipulated that California must embrace

　　both Spanish and English as official languages. Those who view the current bilingual

　　debate as purely a contemporary issue might bring to the debate a more enlightened

　　viewpoint by appreciating this historical fact and the events that led to the treaty.

　　In sum, though the past might seem distant, it is far from irrelevant. Studying

　　history can inspire us to achievement, help us avoid costly mistakes, and help us simply

　　appreciate that in most cases weve been down this road before.