参考答案：
Should Students Go Abroad to Study?
Nowadays, a growing number of students are planning to study abroad. However,
people's opinions are sharply divided on this issue. For example, my friend
James is studying in the USA and tells me about his overseas life and study.
According to him, there are many advantages. Firstly, studying overseas forces
him to cope with everything by himself, and broadens his horizons as well.
Secondly, this experience is conducive to a better career path in that it has
developed both his abilities and personality. Last but not least, many developed
countries offer a relatively better education.
On the contrary, another friend of mine, Claire, never agrees with James. She
claims that as we have never stepped on foreign lands, it is unwise to follow
the trend blindly. Furthermore, the culture gap could not be ignored, which may
create obstacles for cross-cultural communication. The more barriers one meets,
the more discouraged one may become. In addition, the expenses are too high for
most families.
As for me, I do not agree with either of them. With regard to James' opinion,
I believe one's success lies in what one is striving for instead of where one
is. I know some people who came back from abroad could not find a job while some
others who received education at home have succeeded in their own fields. As for
Claire's opinion, I don't think it is wise to reject everything before trying
and gaining a whole picture of it. We should believe in ourselves in dealing
with what we may encounter. Indecision about whether to study abroad makes no
sense. What really counts is the determination at the time of decision and the
willpower after that.
