【作文题目】
Some people believe governments should spend money on saving languages of few speakers from dying out completely. Others think this is a waste of financial resources. Discuss both views and give your position.
此题属于真题再现。

【题目翻译】
有人认为政府应该花钱拯救那些濒临消亡的少数民族语言；有人认为这是财政资源的浪费，请讨论两种观点，提出你的意见。

【李老师点评】
本题属于政府政策和文化相结合的题目。小语种消失问题或者英语是否改变成全球化的语言问题都是曾经考过的题目。
开头段：写作背景（语言尤其是小语种消失的现象）+ 引出讨论焦点+ 个人观点。
主体段一：保护文化和语言是政府不可推脱的责任。语言是文化的传承，文化遗产对于本国和世界来说都具有无限的价值。
主体段二：另外一方的观点在于政府把很大的投入放到保护语言方面，其实有更多的方面需要政府的资金投入，如教育、医疗、住房等等的民生问题。
结尾段：个人的观点是保护语言的传承，具有深远的意义，政府应该投入资金来保护传统的文化和语言。

关键词解读：
extinct 消失
shrink 收缩
cultural heritage / cultural relics / cultural legacy 文化遗产
linguistic researchers 语言学的研究者
fiscal budget / financial budget 财政预算
be endangered 处于危险
be threatened with extinction 面临灭绝的威胁
be in peril 处于危险之中
rich linguistic diversity 语言的丰富多样
be facing the greatest threat of language extinction 面临着语言灭绝的最大危险
prevent indigenous languages from dying out 避免小语种消失

【作文范例】
More than 200 languages have become extinct over the last three generations, which is disheartening news to people all over the world. A heated debate, therefore, springs up as to whether it is the obligation of the government to make the fiscal budget to prevent indigenous languages from dying out. I am inclined to agree that government’s efforts should be applauded to support linguistic diversity.
On one hand, it is the unshakable duty for the government to preserve the cultural relics. Languages, being the embodiment of civilization, are supposed to be passed down from one generation to next generation, which is invaluable not only to the local people, but also to the globe. In addition, only through the means of protecting the languages of few speakers, can the tradition and cultural heritage be maintained in modern time. As a result, most linguists hold the view that the shrink of languages is damaging to the maintenance of cultural legacy. For example, Australian linguist noted that countries with rich linguistic diversity like India and the United States are also facing the greatest threat of language extinction. In this sense, prompt measures and government’s investment are expected to be needed.
Many others, on the other hand, argue that preserving the minority languages is not reasonable, resulting in more of a huge waste of money and other resources in this respect. Due to the limited fiscal budget, the government should allocate more money to bettering people’s living standard, improving the housing, educational level as well as medical service, which can ensure the well-being of the general public directly. However, the maintenance of language to ensure the diversity of the culture can enhance the pride of local people while having the far-reaching effects.
On the whole, my view is that conserving the languages of the lesser known groups is indeed vital to the cultural heritage, which needs the government’s investment in this field. As long as the money is spent wisely on the preventing the indigenous languages from shrinking, then the linguistic diversity can be guaranteed.