孰优孰劣：要分数还是要能力？
【内容提示】
当前，应试教育和素质教育是教育界讨论的热点话题。前者的目的是取得高分，考入高一级学校；后者的目的是全面发展，取得能力而适应社会的需要。目的不同，方法也不同，结果也就不同。在应试教育的思想指导下，教学的方法是填鸭式，教师硬灌，学生硬背，考不上大学就什么也不会做了。而在素质教育的思想指导下，教学方法是灵活多样的，把书本知识化为实践技能，学生考不上大学也能从事各种工作。请你就这一问题写一篇文章，比较二者的优劣。下列词语供参考： 1．cramming-duck hand填鸭式手段  2．flexible and varied measures灵活多变的措施
【作文示范】
which is better: to get scores or to get abilities?
when asked such a question: which is better, to get scores or to get abilities, many students＇ answer like mine would be that to get abilities is better than to get scores. to make it clear, we have to compare the both sides.
two different aims lead to two different methods and two different results. if we are eager to get good marks, our teachers would take a cramming-duck hand to force us to do much hard work. we have to learn by heart a lot of lifeless knowledge. we have to recite many many poems and texts. we have to carry a heavy school-bag. we have to do much homework after school. all of what we do is merely for a single purpose----to pass examinations. as a result we cannot enjoy any thing. we have no free time. we have no holidays. we have no games and plays. we have no pleasure. we have no childhood. in the end we have no skills or capabilities① except some dead knowledge from books. we are not able to wash our clothes. we are not able to cook meals. we are not able to labour in the fields. we are not able to operate machines in the factories. in a word we cannot do any practical work.
on the other hand,  if we intend to gain abilities, our teachers will take flexible and varied measures in their teaching practice. they will provide for all the students chances to share equal education and we students are supposed to enjoy all-round② development. while we learn knowledge from books, we are showed how to use computers, how to make a radio or recorder, how to make experiments and researches in sciences; how to play the piano or violin,  how to sing or dance, how to draw or paint pictures and portraits;  how to prepare a dish or how to make bread; how to plant trees and grass, how to go in for farming by means of scientific methods; how to do business and how to keep in touch with others. all in all, we can play an active part in our studies. at last we will master not only book knowledge, but also the other three abilities----living ability, working ability and mabageable③ ability. thus, we will serve the people better.
by comparing the two ideas, we can come to a close that the purpose to get scores is far worse than the aim to get vanous abilities. only when we know well both scientific knowledge and practical skills, can we live happily and work wonderfully in the society in the coming future.
【词语解释】
①capability[?keip+＇bil+ti] n．能力；才能
②all-round[＇&:l＇raund] a．全面的；才能多方面的
③manageable[＇m$nidn+bl] a．可以设法的；应变的
【写法指要】
1）本文是对应试教育和素质教育的优劣对比。通过比较作者最后的结论是：素质教育优于应试教育。全文分四个自然段，第一段提出篇题，第二段写应试教育的目的、方法和结果，第三段与第二段相对，写素质教育的目的、方法和结果，第四段是结论段。
2）本文句法的突出特点是对平行句式的使用。第二段分别用“we have to…”，“we have no…”，“we are not able to….”平行句说明了应试教育的手段和后果；第三段用五组“… how to….”平行句式强调了全面发展的内容。这样做，增强了对比的效果。