近日，一则大连理工大学研究生由于科研压力而自杀的新闻打破了10月的平静，给这个温暖的金秋多添了一丝哀伤。因课题实验长期受挫，面临着延期毕业压力的他，选择在学校实验室结束了自己的生命。网友后在他的微博，发现了他的遗书，平淡还带有一点幽默的文字，却倾诉着辛酸与无奈，小编看了也是心头一酸。

    近年来，随着社会竞争日益激烈，学业和就业的双重压力让很多学生不堪重负，患上抑郁症亦或是轻生。在我们的托福独立写作考试中，“学生压力”也经常会与学生的“mental health”相结合，成为一个很通用的分论点。接下来，我们结合几个独立写作的考题来看一看

    【选课与压力】

A high school has decided that all students must take a class in which they learn a practical skill. School administrators are trying to decide whether to hold a class in cooking, managing personal finances or auto repair. Which do you think the school require students to take? Why?

    选cooking

    Firstly, compared with managing personal finances, cooking is more relaxing for high school students to learn. To be more specific, personal finance courses contain some economics-related knowledge, which is particularly tedious for high school students. However, cooking can bring a sense of enjoyment and fulfillment when students finish a dish with good flavor and share it with their classmates, relaxing the mind of students who are suffering from the overwhelming pressure in schools. My own story constitutes a shining example of this point. Last year, our teacher organized an activity of making dumplings. During the process, not only could we cooperate to knead, roll, and wrap, but also chat with each other. Although what we made looked grotesque, all of us felt proud and amused when sharing and tasting those dumplings together. I deem if such an activity became a routine and compulsory curriculum in high schools, every student would be freed from the struggling study at least for a while.

    【课后活动与压力】

    A school has been providing funding for students to participate in three types of after-school activities. Next year the school will only have enough money to continue one of these activities. Which one activity should be continued, and why?

    A. Sports  B. Art  C. Volunteering (for example, helping improve the community)

    选A

    Firstly, it is doing sports that helps students to improve their physical and mental health. For one thing, nowadays, it has become a daily routine for many students to sit in the classroom and to keep studying all day. Such a sedentary lifestyle may lead to several healthy problems, such as obesity, cervical spondylosis, and myopia. However, if schools can encourage and support students to participate in physical activities after school, students can seize the opportunity to exercise more frequently, which allows them to straighten their limbs, improves their immunity, and finally prevents them from those diseases. For another thing, as competition in school is increasingly intense in contemporary society, most students are highly stressed. Under this circumstance, immersing themselves in sweating enables students to temporarily escape from those troublesome issues such as their rankings and grades, which may be the most effective way to de-stress. 

    【近期考题】

    1. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is better to take the most difficult or challenging classes in college or at university even if it means that you probably will not get top grades in them.

    此题是一个建议类考题，结合我们自身的情况来分析利弊，就会很容易想到：选择难度高的课程会给学生造成过大的学业压力。由于课程难度高，学生可能需要花很长的时间去理解知识点并完成作业，有时甚至要经常熬夜，这会影响学生的身体健康；同时，在学习的过程中，学生精神压力过大，可能还会逐渐怀疑自己的能力，对自己丧失信心，这会影响学生的心理健康。

    2. Some people always follow their dreams even if the dreams are ambitious. Some think we should focus on achieving realistic goals. Which do you agree with?

    此题的对象没有说是学生，但是我们依然可以把压力作为我们的一个论点。若选择focus on achieving realistic goals，那其中一个分论点就可以是：脚踏实地的人承受的压力更小。由于realistic goals更容易实现，对于自身来说，不会有很大的心理负担；同时，也不会给身边的亲人朋友造成压力。

    这两个论证段各位同学可以参考上面两个示范段的写作结构，自己写作试一试。

    大连理工的这位学生在遗书的最后许下心愿：下一辈可以做一只猫，希望他可以得偿所愿。或许，这个世界一直在教我们成功，却没有教会我们接受平庸，也没有人告诉我们累了就歇一歇吧，坎儿跨不过去就不跨了吧。正在备考托福或是其他考试的你，如果觉得累了，记得给自己一点时间休息一下，再继续前进。愿你忠于自己，活得认真，笑得放肆......