2011gre issue写作优秀实例：实用的意义

　　题目：

　　Practicality is now our great idol, which all powers and talents must serve.Anything that is not obviously practical has little value in today's world.

　　正文：

　　In today’s society idealism seems to become an ideology that is marginalized and practicality is our great idol, thus, the speaker asserts that anything that is not practical bears little value. I admit that being practical is the wide-accepted dogma in order to survive in this world, but by going too far to claim that anything that is not practical has little value is against the empirical observation as well as the general stimulus that push the human society forward.

　　Admittedly, practicality has become a cult in today’s society. Too often do we hear people talk about being practical whenever they come to make important decisions or choose between several alternatives. The deep-rooted cause underlying this phenomenon is that with the development of modern society, the emphasis is placed more on financial gaining, quick fame, sensible choice and so forth. Our society is rather stable compared with that of the last century when war, violence, human right movements has become the symbol of that period. People are enjoying this peaceful environment with less crucial missions rested upon them and as a result, they shift from idealism to struggle for the common well being of mankind to the practical concept of individual achievement.

　　This ideology has its merits since after all the disaster and upheaval that our human race has undergone, it is judicious to focus on the economic aspect of things in order to tackle the most important social problems such as poverty, hunger and environmental problems which all deserve us to sit down and work out practical solutions. On the personal level, being practical is how a person would possibly succeed in his career or personal life. One is likely to make sensible decisions for his education and job choice on the basis of practical consideration of his own strength and weakness and careful analysis of the prospect of research direction and job market. Even those in power and intellects need to consider practically since hasty decision built upon pure ideal meditation would hardly find its way in the modern society and is doom to failure.

　　Agreeing with the speaker that practicality has become the great idol in our society, I am strongly against his point that anything that is not practical has little value. Even in today’s society, idealism is by no means relegated to the place of total neglect and disregard. For one thing, in history, so much achievement is the outcome of several generations’ struggle such as fighting for equality for women, human rights movement,etc. In today’s society, practicality is the way we can obtain our goal but idealism offers the philosophical explanation of why we should set this as our goal and the clear the ultimate value of our pursuing. What is more, by totally fixed one's eyes upon the practical aspect of things, we face the danger of neglecting one important part of our pursuit, that is the mental enjoyment brought out by idealism. If we have a clear goal set in mind and put practical endeavor at the same time, the result would be more satisfactory and valuable.

　　To sum up, I agree with the speaker insofar as the wide acceptance of practicality is considered. Being practical is the tenet of modern society and it does shed light on the wise way of doing things and obtaining goals, no matter in the personal or social level.But the speaker goes too far by claiming that it is the only valuable ideology in society.I am strongly against this idea since in history or at present, we human beings still need the philosophical explanation to clear our goal and to provide motivation. In this aspect, idealism would never be replaced with pure practical consideration. Otherwise,human society will be replete with insensible people directed by economic profit and quick fame and recognition.