解放军文职招聘考试Knowing the Consequences of Choice (2)

 Knowing the Consequences of Choice (2)

First, I would like to say: To choose means to claim opportunities.

I am a third-year English major. An important choice for me, of course, is what to do upon gradua­tion. I can go to graduate school, at home or abroad. I can go to work as a teacher, a translator, a journalist, an editor and a diplomat. Actually, the system of mu­tual selection has allowed me to approach almost every career opportunity in China.

All of these sound good. But they are only possi­bilities. To those of us who are bewildered at the abun­dance of opportunities, I would like to say: To choose means to accept challenge.

To us young people, challenge often emerges in the form of competition. In the next century, competi­tion will not only come from other college graduates, but also from people of all ages and of all origins.

With increasing international exchanges, we have to face growing competition from the whole outside world. This is calling for a higher level of our personal development.

Fifteen years ago, the knowledge of a foreign lan­guage or of computer operation was considered merely an advantage. But today, with wider educational opportunities, this same knowledge has become essential to everyone.

As we gain more initiative in choice making, the consequence of each choice also becomes more impor­tant.

Nuclear power, for instance, may improve our quality of life. But it can also be used to damage the lives and possessions of millions. Economic develop­ment has enriched our lives but brought with it serious harm to our air, water and health. To those of us who are blind to the consequences of their choices, I would like to say: To choose means to take responsibility. As policy makers of the next century, we cannot fail to see our responsibility to those who share the earth with us.

The traditional Chinese culture teaches us to study hard and to work hard so as to honor our family. To me, however, this family is not just the five of us who quarreled over television programmes. Rather, it is the whole of the human family. As I am making my choices, I will not forget the smile of my teacher when I correctly spelled out the word "China" for the first time. I will not forget the tearful eyes of women and children in Bosnia, Chechen and Somali, where mil­lions are suffering from war, famine or poverty.

All these people, known or unknown, make up our big human family. At different points, they come into my life and broaden my perspective. Now as I am to make choices for myself, it is time to make efforts to im­prove their lives, because a world will benefit us all on­ly if everyone in it can lead a peaceful and prosperous life.