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  3. Lotteries are quite popular in China and also in many other countries. Some people argue that lotteries are a form of gambling,

Lotteries are quite popular in China and also in many other countries. Some people argue that lotteries are a form of gambling,

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问题         Lotteries are quite popular in China and also in many other countries. Some people argue that lotteries are a form of gambling, which should be abolished. From the following article, you may find both merit and demerit of lottery.
        Write an article of NO LESS THAN 300 words, in which you should:
        1. summarize briefly both merits and demerits of lottery;
        2. express your opinion towards lottery, especially whether national lotteries should be abolished.
                                                                           The Good and Bad of National Lotteries
        Lotteries and prize draws are big businesses throughout the world, and entice significant annual investments from individuals who dream of scooping a huge and potentially life-changing cash prize. According to the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries, Americans spent a total of $50.4 billion on lotteries last year.
        In actual fact, while your chances of winning the lottery anywhere are decidedly slim, the sheer size of the U.S. population and popularity of the game means that Americans must climb an even steeper mountain towards any potential windfall. This was evident to see in the formative part of this year, as the nation’s Mega Millions jackpot soared to $656 million. When the first winner was announced, an estimated 1.5 billion tickets had been sold nationwide. Americans still invested more than $1 billion into chasing their fanciful dreams of wealth and fortune. This is reflective of a growing trend, where lottery sales continue to soar despite the uncertain economic climate.
        There has been a significant rise in the number of syndicates that are purchasing tickets. This proves that rather than being discouraged by the seeming insurmountable odds of victory, Americans are instead looking for innovative ways to improve their chances and actively investing more into buying tickets. Now, while an estimated one in three global lotteries are won by syndicates, the likelihood of winning remains remote in the extreme.
        Even for those who win the lottery, their financial future or long-term happiness is not necessarily secured. Acquiring huge sums of money can inspire any number of extreme emotive reactions.
        There are individual state statistics which suggest that the majority of people only purchase lottery tickets when the jackpot has been steadily building over a period of weeks, with just nine to 12% of Illinois residents playing regularly. This would suggest that rather than being symbolic of a growing gambling culture in the U.S., national lotteries are in fact played responsibly and only intermittently by most participants.
        Another factor in favor of lotteries is the money that they generate for state funded projects, with public education bodies in particular benefiting from the investment made by participants. People who play the lottery responsibly are contributing towards local community development, which actually means that their small weekly investment at least creates some form of social change. In terms of monetary value, 34 cents out of every $1 spent on lottery tickets is invested into education, with 58 cents being awarded to winners in the form of prizes and 6 cents paid to participating retailers for sales commissions.
        National lotteries across the globe are always likely to be the subject of extreme opinion and controversy. Europe is looking to invest more during periods of sustained austerity. The fact remains, however, that participants have an individual responsibility to play the game responsibly, and spend within their means while pursuing the dream of huge cash prizes. As long as they do so, then there is no reason why they cannot enjoy the lottery while also contributing to state funded educational projects.
选项
答案 National Lotteries Should Be Preserved Both merits and demerits of lotteries are discussed in the article by the author who is in favor of lotteries. In terms of demerits, the likelihood of winning the lottery remains remote in the extreme and there is no guarantee that those who win the lottery can have their financial future or long-term happiness necessarily secured. When it comes to merits, the good news is that national lotteries are played responsibly and only intermittently by most participants and the money that lotteries generate contribute to social good. I am with the author and I do not think we should abolish national lotteries. First and foremost, national lotteries provide a chance for average people to wish for a fortune and contribute their bits to charities. However remote the chance is, lottery-purchasers can hope for a better and different life. Besides, should their dream not come true, they won’t be devastated, because their investment of lottery will go to the charity foundations which help out poor children in less developed areas. There is nothing more satisfying than an investment like lotteries, which are able to transform our life or the life of others. Whilst some people are worried that lotteries might lead people into the abyss of addiction, they are not as monstrous as other forms of gambling. The frequency of national lotteries is usually once a week or even twice a month, and it is impossible for people to be on a winning streak, which is the root cause for being addicted to casino gambling. Up nil now, there are very few, if any, reports about people taking out all their savings or even borrowing against their houses to purchase lotteries. The concerns of addiction are hence exaggerated. In conclusion, national lotteries are both a hope given to those who want to live otherwise and a significant contribution to various social undertakings. Therefore, it should not be abolished simply because of the underserved concerns of addiction.
解析         材料主要围绕彩票的利与弊展开阐述。
        材料开篇首先明确彩票的巨大影响和经济效益（big businesses throughout the world, and entice significant annual investments from individuals）；然后指出彩票的两大弊端：一是中奖率极低（the likelihood of winning remains remote in the extreme.），二是即使中奖也未必能保证过上富裕和长久幸福的生活（financial future or long-term happiness is not necessarily secured）；最后点明彩票的两大优势：一是大多数人购买彩票只是偶尔为之（only intermittently）；二是彩票收入的一部分用于社会公益事业，比如支持公立教育（public education）和当地的社区发展（local community development）。
        材料的结论是，只要人们本着负责任的态度（play the game responsibly）、在经济承受能力范围之内（spend within their means）购买彩票，我们就没有理由反对。
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