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We look for students with intellectual curiosity, who have pursued and achieved academic excellence. We also look for students with strong personal and extracurricular accomplishments.
Our goal is to understand how applicants have excelled within their particular schools and communities. We understand that you face a unique set of challenges and opportunities, and we expect to see how you have taken advantage of those specific circumstances.
Create an application that will help us see your achievements—inside the classroom and out—in their true context, so we can understand your potential to take advantage of the resources at Princeton and the kind of contribution you would make to the Princeton community. Show us what kind of student you are. Show us that you have taken advantage of what your high school has to offer, how you have achieved and contributed in your own particular context.
We look for students who make a difference in their schools and communities, so tell us about your leadership activities, interests, special skills and other extracurricular involvements. Tell us if you've had a job or a responsibility in your home. Most Princeton students were academic standouts in high school. Most of them also invested their energy and talents in significant ways outside the classroom. We want to know what you care about, what commitments you have made and what you've done to act on those commitments.
Princeton University is a community of learning that is enriched by the wide variety of experiences and perspectives of its students, faculty and staff. The University is committed to building a diverse campus community to ensure that students explore their interests, discover new academic and extracurricular pursuits, and learn from each other.
Our curriculum encourages students to explore many disciplines and to develop a deep understanding in one area of concentration. In the words of Princeton's president, Shirley M. Tilghman, at the heart of a Princeton education is the “idea that learning should be an act of discovery”.
Princeton's admission process goes beyond simply looking for academically accomplished students. For each freshman class, we bring together a varied mix of high-achieving, intellectually gifted students from diverse backgrounds to create an exceptional learning community. We care about what students have accomplished in and out of the classroom.
Tell us your story. Show us what's special about you. Tell us how you would seize the academic and non-academic opportunities at Princeton and contribute to the Princeton community.
强烈的求知欲。 正如书籍是人类进步的阶梯，求知欲是引导人类走向新知的阶梯。普林斯顿大学致力于建造一个形态多样的学习社区，为学生提供不同的学习、活动资源，包括鼓励他们互相学习，共同进步。同时，普林斯顿大学的核心教育理念是“学习就是不断地去挖掘，去发现”，但这不意味着单纯的深度追求，而是更多地指向广泛的基础学科学习和深入研究相结合的模式。
“文武”双全。 优秀的学术研究能力是必不可少的，但是积极参加实践活动，将所学知识运用到实践当中的能力也同等重要。特别是申请者如何面对和把握在学习和实践过程中遇到的困难、挑战或是机遇，如何利用机遇、化解困难，都是能够向学校证明自身能力的反光镜。他们想了解的是，拥有这些基本条件的申请者怎样充分利用学校的资源开发自己，又为学校作出过怎样的贡献，以及在自我成长的过程中，申请者怎样面对和最大化地利用机遇和挑战。学校会以此来衡量申请者是否能和普林斯顿大学共同进步，共同发展。
与众不同和创造不同。 普林斯顿大学对录取有严格的把关，尤其对它引以为傲的本科教育，所招收的学生一定是最优秀、最杰出的。因此想要吸引学校的注意，最重要的就是向它展示出你最与众不同的一面，你如何在学校和生活中超越别人，甚至超越自己，成为最突出的那个人。创造不同，既是表现自己与众不同的一种方式，也是创造力的集中体现，这需要创新的思维和大胆的行动，而你的特殊才能、兴趣点和课外实践正是很好的辅助证明。
领导能力。 最优秀的人才如果不具备杰出的领导能力，就不能将自己的光热发挥到最大化。只有位于制高点的太阳才能照亮最大范围的世界，学校需要的是愿意将自己看作太阳的人，而不是吹嘘自己会点灯的人。
诚信。 普林斯顿大学有让学生签下诚信保证书、承诺遵守Honor Code（荣誉规章）的传统，让学生保证不会做出任何违反道德准则，特别是剽窃这类的行为。这是尊重他人，鼓励学术独立的体现，申请者也必须明白这一品格的重要性。
Please tell us how you have spent the last two summers (or vacations between school years), including any jobs you have held, if not already detailed on the Common Application.
Characters available 2,500.
【类别】 相关经历型
【关键词】 last two summers, jobs
【题目翻译】 请告诉我们你最近的两个暑假（或学期间的假期）是怎么度过的。请涵盖你没有在Common Application中详细列出的任何工作。（2500字左右）
【题目分析】 此题是一道典型的相关经历型题目。利用假期做些有意义的事情对美国的大学生来说是非常普遍的。假期不仅仅是休息和娱乐，更多的是去尝试不同的事物，为未来做准备。假期的经历可以体现个人能力和特质。为什么对假期做出这样的安排则涉及你的兴趣和人生规划，例如，你选择参加学术型的英语夏令营体现了你对英语学习的热情，或者在英语相关领域发展的计划，而你的这段经历将有可能体现你的英语学习能力、英语基础和与人交往的能力。
虽然题目中“如何度过假期”的部分听起来比较空泛，好像没有任何重点，但在后一句中却将内容限定为你没在Common Application中详细说明过的“工作”。只要是满足了“最近两个暑假”和“此前没有详细说明过的”这两个条件的工作都可以，包括短期暑假工、志愿者工作、实习等。
在进一步筛选的时候，要从个人情况与学校情况出发，要清楚你想要学校看到你什么样的闪光点；同时要配合学校的招生需求，比如普林斯顿大学偏爱具有创造力的人，而你在某次实习当中贡献了很多有创意的点子，并得到采纳，使项目进行得更顺利，那么，这样的经历既是你实际经历过的，又正是学校想看到的，这就是你和学校相互契合的表现。
Summer vacation is always one of my favorite time periods, when homework and rigid teachers are no longer part of daily life. But it can also get boring after a period of time of rest. After two days spent on the Internet and TV, my aunt asked if I would like to do a part-time job in her English training center for children, and I said yes without any hesitation.
I was assigned to help students who had missed classes, and had to make sure they were able to catch up with the others. Since I had just finished my second year in high school and was about to start the last year, I was confident that I could do a great job. My first student was a seven year-old boy who was in the most basic course. I only needed to teach him a simple conversation in the class textbook, and help him understand the meaning of the material and teach him how to use it. I tried to begin with a gentle smile, but he seemed totally frightened by me and looked at me with fearful eyes. I realized that I should probably introduce myself to him, so I said who I was and had chitchatted with him, trying to close the gap between us; shortly, he seemed better and began to open up and talk to me. I let him read the conversation in the text for me first so that I could assess his abilities, but he shook his head and said, “I cannot, I do not know some of the words there.” It occurred to me that words were the bricks of sentence structures, and so I gave us a fresh start by teaching him the words he did not know in every sentence. I asked him to mark new words and read them after me until he became familiar with them. It went very well, and I felt good since he started to be more active in asking questions, which is the only way I had to know what other help was needed.
Within one month, I had helped more than twenty students and became friends with many of them. This was a big thing for me because for a long time I was the one who needed a helping hand from others, and now I was the giver. What's more, I found an effective way to interact with the kids, even with those shy or naughty kids. Then I turned out to be more confident and talkative.
Because of my performance, my aunt invited me again to join her training center the following summer vacation, and this time I was involved in the English summer camp that traveled to the Beijing Expo. I was excited about going to the Beijing Expo and took the opportunity as a reward. I was the leader of one of the three teams, and mine had six kids. That was the most chaotic situation I had ever encountered, and kids were as excited as I was. The boys were running after each other and playing games on the train to Beijing, which gave me headaches because I had to chase and control them, and stop them from disturbing the other passengers. I put them all together and took out all the crackers and games I had prepared. I told them that train was too small an area to play “tag”, and that the games I brought were the best ones for the current setting. They soon indulged me in playing the new games, and I finally was able to take a much-needed rest.
However, that was just a short peace before a much larger storm. Unlike on the train, where I could easily get them back to a normal state, Beijing was a big and open world for them, and was more attractive than any games I could provide. I had to keep my eyes on them at all times, and could not give them any leeway. The weather during the Expo was extremely hot, so I also needed to pay special attention to the weaker kids, and bought medicine in case any of them felt unwell because of the new environment and weather.
Although I tried my best to look after them, at the Expo venue I lost one of the boys on my team, which was something I never thought would happen. I was getting a bit too relaxed and forgot about my role as a leader when we arrived at the location, and was busy collecting stamps for our Expo passports. I did not realize the boy was missing until around midday when we planned to have lunch together. My mind was completely blank and tears rolled down my cheeks, and all I could do was to keep apologizing to the other two teachers. They soon found an Expo staff member and asked what we could do to get the boy back. Seeing that they were hurrying to make up for the mistake I had made, I told myself that I was a leader, and that I should be strong and wise. So instead of crying and saying sorry like a little girl, I joined the other two teachers in finding that boy. I asked if anyone could remember when the boy got lost or when the last time any of them had seen him. A girl said that she had seen the missing boy running the other way when we were in the International Pavilion, so we tried to scout around that entire area. It turned out that he had wanted to collect as many stamps as he could, so he left the team and wandered around in that same pavilion the whole time.
After returning home from the summer camp, I apologized to the parents of the missing boy for my carelessness. I learned a hard lesson from being a leader and learned that I still had a long way to go to be a good one. “Be responsible for everything, including your duties, and be calm and wise in every trouble you meet.” My aunt told me the day I reported my mistake to her. This special “reward” and true challenge taught me a life lesson about responsibility and leadership.
Working in the training center helped me rid myself of the childish, immature study nerd that I was, and I got to know and understand many different kinds of people. Working with adults, I learned to be a better person in handling stressful situations and I grew up. Staying with my students, I got to use all I learned from other teachers. I was nicer and more patient. People always say that love makes us better people, but I say the same thing about summer break!
题目要求的是描述两次暑假的经历，而不是某一次，因此字数限制也提升到2500。
文章中作者描述的两次经历是有关联的两次暑假活动——在一家少儿英语培训学校做助教，然后是参加他们的北京世园会夏令营，担任领队。一个是体现对知识的活学活用以及如何与小朋友相处的能力；另一个是体现作为领导者的能力，照顾更小的小朋友，确保他们的安全。在教课的过程中，作者学到了如何与学生相处并拉近与他们的距离，了解他们需要帮助的地方以及如何帮助他们，而不是鲁莽地开始与他们交谈，要求他们跟着自己读写；而在夏令营中出现的意外更是让作者了解到自己作为领队，要随时将责任心放在第一位，面对意外的时候，不能慌乱，最重要的是先解决问题。
这些经历中的成功或失败并不重要，重要的是你如何看待它们，如何利用它们让自己成长，成为学校想要的人。
在选择事件经历时，不要忘了出发点仍然是表现自己与学校或专业要求相符的个人特质。由于字数限制比较宽松，所以在细节上可以充分刻画。只要是能体现个人特质的部分都可以加强，让招生官更详细地了解你。
In addition to the essay you have written for the Common Application, please select one of the following themes and write an essay of about 500 words in response. Please do not repeat, in full or in part, the essay you wrote for the Common Application.
除了你在Common Application中所写的文章，请从以下题目中任选一个写一篇约500字的文章。请不要重复或部分重复你在Common Application中所写的内容。
Option 1
Tell us about a person who has influenced you in a significant way.
【类别】 背景影响型
【关键词】 person, influence, significant
【题目翻译】 请向我们讲述一个对你有重大影响的人。
【题目分析】 此题要求描述一个对自己影响重大的人。这里再着重提出需要注意的两点：第一，这个人不一定是人尽皆知的名人，可以是自己身边的、你十分熟悉和了解的人，即平凡却对你有重大意义的那个人。虽然选择名人也符合题目要求，也因为其明显的优点和魅力从而可以轻易地反映出你想要表达的东西，但是因为他们与我们的现实生活相隔太远，所以你讲出来的故事会比较难打动招生官。而通过接触和了解深入，能够吸引你、影响你的那个身边的人，却能使你的描述更有说服力，因为他们渗透进了你日常生活的点点滴滴。第二，写作的重点切忌放在对人物的过分描述上，比如外貌、年龄等一些与你自己的故事无关的东西，而是要突出这个人物给自己带来了怎样的影响、如何影响，以及这个影响对自身产生了哪些积极的作用——比如当你遇到问题觉得迷茫无助的时候，这个人总是你寻求帮助的对象，他会帮你分析利弊、理清事情脉络；频繁的接触让你学到了他分析问题的方法，在以后再次遇到困难的时候，也会像他那样冷静下来把事情弄清楚，把握其中的逻辑，独立解决问题。
I think my Grandma would be a strong applicant if she were young enough to apply for admission to Princeton.
I was born in a small town of China, where parents held an idea that “all work and no play makes Jack a genius”. As a child I loved hanging out with my little friends and doing interesting things instead of being locked indoors with a whole world of endless homework and textbooks. I often felt upset and was very bored. But then came my Grandma, a lady with a sense of humor, an open mind and a young heart.
Every time she visited our house, I always learned something new and interesting from her. She once taught me how to play “Link Game” with mahjong, a traditional Chinese game that can usually only be played with four people; but with her new way and new rules, just the two of us could have a lot of fun. She also was interested in “inventing” new dishes and could always pull out a meal that refreshed everyone's eyes and stomach. I was inspired by her and fell in love with inventing and reusing things, from paper for folding to handmade crafts. I made a collection of paper characters and wrote fiction about them. I also made mobile phone cases and change pockets for my family. With her around, I felt relaxed and my life was less boring than before.
She was both a good “teacher” and an active “student”. She asked me to teach her how to use a mobile phone and a computer, how to send text messages and how to play online games. She said that she has to catch up with the fast-changing world, and she wanted to be one of us and not one from the older and more rigid groups. Her passion for knowledge encouraged me to learn more so that I could teach her more, and my homework sometimes became a beautiful and motivational thing in my eyes: I was absorbing knowledge, without being compelled.
The best part about being with my Grandma was hearing her funny stories and her cheerful laughter, which swept away all my loneliness and negative emotions. I saw an energetic and colorful child spirit inside her aged and faded body, which gave me every reason to get out of the grey clouds in my heart and enjoy every moment.
With her personal charm and my bragging about her, she soon became the hottest topic among my classmates. I regarded her as my best friend, and one with whom I could sit and talk forever. She was also my role model, and the kind of person I wanted to be in the future.
文章选择了祖母为描述对象，是自己最熟悉、也是最容易给自己带来影响的人。虽然是平凡人，但是描述起来会更得心应手，感情也会更真诚。
省略了外貌、背景等冗余的信息，作者在祖母的身上重点找了几个闪光点进行描写：一是喜欢去发现、去做一些有趣的事情，或“发明”一些东西；二是对新知识的热爱，对新事物的接受；三是积极、年轻的心态和幽默的个人魅力。这三点使作者从一个被学习压得喘不过气的满腹牢骚的孩子，变成对学习主动，会从“小发明”中找寻乐趣，懂得自我调节，同时知道要快乐地享受生命每一分钟的人。
文章开头描写了一个旧的自己，与受祖母影响之后的新的自己形成的对比。而祖母的闪光点与学校所欣赏的个人特质吻合——求知欲，创造力，好的心态——这是每个优秀的申请者都必须具备的。而这样积极的家庭氛围对于个人特质的塑造有着事半功倍的效果。
在写作时，最好按照学校的录取要求先选择描述对象或者自己的特质，从对这些特质的描述出发，既能树立起你所描述对象的性格模型，又能说明自己在哪些方面学习到了什么，最后反映出你自己身上的这些特质，与学校要求达成一致。
Option 2
Using the statement below as a starting point, tell us about an event or experience that helped you define one of your values or changed how you approach the world.
“Princeton in the Nation's Service” was the title of a speech given by Woodrow Wilson on the 150th anniversary of the University. It became the unofficial Princeton motto and was expanded for the University's 250th anniversary to “Princeton in the nation's service and in the service of all nations.”
——Woodrow Wilson, Princeton Class of 1879, served on the faculty and was Princeton's president from 1902-1910.
【类别】 相关经历型
【关键词】 event, experience, define, values, approach the world
【题目翻译】 请以下面这段话为出发点，向我们讲述曾经帮你找到某个价值观或改变你认识世界的方式的一个事件或一段经历。
“普林斯顿为国家服务”是伍德罗·威尔逊在学校150年校庆上讲话的题目。它已经变成了普林斯顿大学非官方的校训，并在学校250年校庆时被拓展为“普林斯顿为国家服务，为世界服务”。
——伍德罗·威尔逊，普林斯顿大学1879届毕业生，曾在1902年至1910年期间担任普林斯顿大学校长。
【题目分析】 这道题目虽然表面上只是要求简单地描述一段经历，但事实上有更深层的目的。首先，这段经历要能帮助你找到价值观或改变你认识世界的方式。这个层面是很宽泛的，要求申请者对于“价值观”和“认识世界方式”这两个较为抽象的概念有正确的理解，并把它们转化成具体的东西。其次，本题还要求用一段话作为出发点，因此对这段话的解读也变得尤为重要。“普林斯顿为国家服务，为世界服务”体现出教育回馈社会的理念。大学培养出的人才是要能够真正对社会和国家作出贡献的，而不是脱离社会只注重理论研究。此外，申请者还要思考如何将这段话和价值观与认识世界的方式联系起来，也就是说要找到前两个层面的一个融合点。
进入到第三个层面。回馈社会这个理念也是一种价值观或认识世界的方式。这样来说，这个经历就要体现出申请者是如何认识到回馈社会这个理念的含义的，以及它是如何成为一个价值观影响申请者的生活的。另外，回馈社会也可以是经历本身的性质。也就是说，申请者需要讲述一个自己回馈社会的经历，并描述这个经历如何改变自己的价值观和认识世界的方式。
将题目进行深入分析之后，在写作时还是要注意无论怎样理解这三个层面，选择怎样的经历进行表述，都不要忘记要通过事例体现个人的能力和特质的这个原则。
I never thought I would be called “teacher” by a group of adults who are 30 to 50 years older than me, and with their full respect for my position.
It was a weekend when my grandma would normally come for me; I was focusing on the computer and playing online games when she suddenly shouted at me, “Teach me how to use the computer!” I was surprised that a 70 year-old lady would be interested in computers and the Internet, so I did not take it seriously. The other day, grandma visited me again, with her notepad and pen, and asked for the first lesson. I wondered why she was behaving so strangely active and decided it would just be a waste of time and ended up making an excuse to deal with her.
The other week I went to visit her with my parents, but we found that she was not in. The neighbor told us that she was at the service center, which confused us. She never talked about the service center to us! I went to the center and found that the whole center was staffed by a bunch of old people, and they provided various kinds of service to the community for free! I asked about my grandma, and they told me that she was teaching a cooking class. I finally understood why she wanted to learn about computers. She was surprised to see me after finishing her class, and she took me for a tour inside the service center. She said that the retirees wanted to remain active and do something, and so provided help within their abilities to people in need. “I feel it is a kind of waste if we just stay at home, doing nothing but watching TV or playing with birds. We want to do something useful, and I even want to learn more! I think if I can teach others how to use a computer their lives will be easier, or at least less boring,” said my grandma. Her words made me ashamed of myself for being selfish in not sharing what I have—knowledge.
After that, I joined the service center too and became a staff member. Every weekend, I teach people who live in the community and want to learn how to use computers. Sometimes I bring my classmates along, especially those who want to volunteer, and they help fix appliances or teach other kinds of classes. Grandma said that her friends appreciated that I offered to be one of them, which made their lives more interesting and made them feel like youngsters again. But I was the one who should say thanks to them; I thank them for showing me another way of spending our valuable time, and for teaching me how to make my life useful and meaningful.
正如题目分析所说，文中选择的事例是这样一段经历：作者通过祖母知道了老年服务队的存在。他们虽然年岁已大，但是不愿意浪费自己的知识和才能，自愿在服务中心里为社区提供免费服务，提供力所能及的帮助。
作者以祖母突然要学习电脑引入事件，开始表现出不理解和不支持。经过无意中拜访老年服务队的事件，了解到祖母和她的朋友们想要分享自己的知识、让生活更有意义的想法。这件事既体现了题目中给出的理念，又展现了作者思想变化的过程。
文章的重点是在体会了这样的思想之后作者做出的行动和对其生活的影响。作者不仅自己加入服务队，给他人带去帮助，还号召了其他同学参与进来——提供帮助的人和得到帮助的人都获得了满足感和不一样的生活。而这两者间的角色也是在描述的过程中不断变化的——老人们教会作者人生道理，而作者带给他们更多的知识和欢笑。
需要注意的是，申请者选择的经历需要反映题目中给出的观点，即知识服务社会。
Option 3
Using the following quotation from “The Moral Obligations of Living in a Democratic Society” as a starting point, tell us about an event or experience that helped you define one of your values or changed how you approach the world.
“Empathy is not simply a matter of trying to imagine what others are going through, but having the will to muster enough courage to do something about it. In a way, empathy is predicated upon hope.”
——Cornel West, Class of 1943 University Professor in the Center for African American Studies, Princeton University
【类别】 相关经历型
【关键词】 event, experience, define, values, approach the world
【题目翻译】 以下面这段出自“在民主社会中生存的道德准则”中的一段话为出发点，告诉我们曾经帮助你找到某个价值观或改变你认识世界的方式的一个事件或一段经历。
“换位思考不仅仅是尝试想象别人正在经历什么，而是愿意鼓起足够的勇气去为他人做些什么。从一定意义上来说，换位思考基于希望。”
——康奈尔·韦斯特，1943届普林斯顿大学非裔美国人研究中心教授
【题目分析】 这道题目的题干和上一题一样，只是所给出的这段作为出发点的材料不同。同样，除了对于价值观和认识世界方式的理解之外，对于这段话的解读是尤为重要的。这里的关键词是empathy，意思是“体会他人的感受，与他人产生情感上的共鸣，或者对他人的同情”。这个过程类似于换位思考，要求我们能够尝试去体会他人的想法和情感。这在人与人的交流过程中是非常重要的一种技能，也可以说是必不可少的一个环节，体现的是人性的魅力。通常，换位思考的这个过程会让我们静下心来从不同的角度思考问题，对他人展现出关爱，在发生矛盾的时候更快地从负面情绪中走出来，在相互理解的基础上解决问题，并能在遇到困难的时候互相帮助、战胜困境。
这段给出的引语中对empathy进行了定义和描述，认为它不仅仅是试着去体会别人的经历，还意味着愿意为别人做些什么。这就将empathy的定义拓宽到了行动的层面上，而不只停留在精神层面上。也就是说，仅仅对别人的遭遇或困境感同身受是不够的，还要用实际行动去帮助别人解决困难，走出困境。这是申请者需要解读的一个重点。以现实中的事件举例来说，我们经常能从各种途径看到一些普通民众因为贫困无法过上正常的生活，孩子们上不了学，甚至家里揭不开锅，有时会有人通过捐款帮助他们，或者会有志愿者通过各种组织亲自去那些地方体验他们的生活，了解他们的艰辛和需求，从而更好地帮助他们。作为一名高中生，或许这样的机会比较少，但申请者可以从自身情况出发，挑选相似事例，或者是其他能够体现人与人之间互助关爱的事例，务必要包含换位思考和行动这两个部分。
I used to be a one-day babysitter and now understand how hard it can be.
My sister was born just when I entered high school. My parents had their business to run and I had my studies and exams to do, so taking care of her became impossible for us. So my parents hired a full-time babysitter, a 60 year-old lady who actually took care of the whole family, from early morning breakfast preparation to late evening vigils waiting for me to come home from school. At first I took it for granted, as it was her job to do everything for us, so I was very indifferent when she told me about her weariness and homesickness.
One Friday, I was told that I had to take care of my sister for one day, because the babysitter was unwell and needed to take one day off. I felt a bit of unwillingness but thought that it wouldn't be too difficult. But at 7 am of that day, I was sleeping in and enjoying a beautiful weekend morning when my mom woke me up as she was going out for work. She listed all the tasks I had to finish that day and when I looked at the list I realized the most horrible Saturday was waiting for me: I had to clean the house, do the laundry, cook for my picky baby sister and the most difficult of all, I had to get along with her.
She was three years old, and was an energetic and naughty baby. She would put everything into her mouth and attack anyone who dissatisfied her. I racked my brain to come up with ways to keep her away from danger, and to make her swallow one more spoon of rice, and at the same time finish all the housework. I was running in the house like an ant on a hotpot, and never had a minute to sit down and take a breath.
I realized that all of these difficult tasks were the daily responsibilities of our babysitter, and she was doing us a favor to take care of us. She deserved our respect and our care.
The other day when the babysitter came back to work, I apologized for my attitude and actions of the past, for being immature and disrespectful. I told her that as long as I was around, I would offer my help and chat with her about life. Thanks to her, I am now an independent girl, who can handle housework very well, and a considerate one who is willing to understand the world.
作者选择了身边非常平凡的一件小事来切入“认识世界”和“价值观”这种宏观抽象的主题，更生活化也更真实。作者既描述了其价值观的改变，也叙述了改变的过程。作者亲身体验了一天别人的工作，感受到了他人的世界，感受到人与人之间的平等，明白了理解与尊重的重要性。同时，作者的行动也根据价值观做出了调整——由刚开始的理所当然和冷漠，到主动关心并提供帮助。这件事拉近了人与人之间的距离，自己的独立生活能力也得到了提高，使作者得到了全身心的成长。
Option 4
Using a favorite quotation from an essay or book you have read in the last three years as a starting point, tell us about an event or experience that helped you define one of your values or changed how you approach the world. Please write the quotation at the beginning of your essay.
Characters available 500.
【类别】 相关经历型
【关键词】 quotation, event, experience, define, values, approach the world
【题目翻译】 以你在过去3年中所读文章或书籍中最喜欢的名言名句为出发点，告诉我们曾经帮助你找到某个价值观或改变你认识世界的方式的一个事件或一段经历。（500字左右）
【题目分析】 本题题干依然与前两题一样，要求讲述一个在价值观或认识世界方式这两个方面对你有所帮助和影响的经历。不同的是，这里并没有再给出引语作为出发点，而是让申请者用自己阅读的书籍文章中的句子作为出发点。也就是说，这道题相对于前面两题给予了申请者更大的发挥空间。
与之前要求写对自己影响最深的人的题目类似，选择一段自己喜欢的引语是这道题下笔的关键。Famous quotation不一定就是大家公认的名人名言，也可以是你最喜欢的一两句话，这句话给你的价值观和认识世界的方式带来巨大的改变和影响。把握住这个关键，选择好属于你自己的名言，这道题目就如前两道一样迎刃而解了。将自己选择的名言作为出发点，再联系价值观和认识世界方式这两个方面，描述一段经历，展现你自己的某种能力和特质即可。
例如，广为人知的“天才是百分之一的灵感加百分之九十九的汗水”。这句名言，它确立的是一种努力进取、主观能动性高于“天生我才”的价值观。小时候，你因为跟不上班级的进度而被认为是笨学生，但是你知道了这句名言，并不断鼓励自己，付出比别人多几倍的汗水和努力，最终取得现在的成绩，这一点足以让你向普林斯顿大学这样的名校提出申请。你为自己骄傲，也更坚信这句名言。这其中可以体现你的坚强意志、勤奋努力和乐观向上的精神。这只是一个例子，你可以从实际情况出发选择适合你的故事。
Since kindergarten, I have been taught that studying is the only right thing to do, and that other things are a waste of time. I was always the first one to arrive at the classroom, and I was never allowed to watch TV or play computer games after school. I did not eat dinner until I finished my homework. I was even given the key to our classroom, and kept it for years, because my teacher knew that I would be the first one to come and would love to be the last one to leave. I had never known it was a bit ridiculous to act this way until one day, when I was having English class in a training center, the teacher asked everyone to introduce themselves, including what everyone did outside of class. Some said they played violin, piano or other instruments, some said they did sports or dance, and some said they were involved in various student clubs. It turned out I was the only book nerd with nothing to share no matter how hard I had been studying.
I would never forget their faces when they talked about their lives—each had the same expression and communicated the same message: I enjoy life, I am happy. I could not recall any moments that made me feel like that.
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” The teacher left these words as a comment on my homework. “It is never too late to make some changes,” he also noted.
I tried to care less about homework and focus more on extracurricular activities. I had to make some balance, and when I slowed down my step I found the world was full of interesting things to learn. I soon fell in love with stars that blinked in the dark sky, and joined the astronomy club in our school. Although the facility was not that good because of the school's financial problems, I came to know more about the stars and many fabulous space phenomena. More importantly, I made some wonderful friends in that club who encouraged me to join their volunteer project. Their project was to support the homeless by selling newspapers: all the money we made would be donated to improve the environment and situations of asylums.
What I used to think useless and harmful became my favorite activities, and I found that I made more important observations through activities and hobbies. Sometimes they even helped me to understand or use the knowledge I learned from my homework and school books. For example, the astronomy club experience led me to a better geography grade because I came to really enjoy the subject and stopped regarding it as just a task.
I was glad that I took that English class and I appreciated that the teacher gave me a chance to know a world beyond myself. What a colorful life!
作者以“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”为中心，讲述自己过去是只知道埋头学习、不闻天下事的书呆子，但后来有了翻天覆地的改变。作者选用的并不是名人名言，只是人尽皆知的一句俗语，但十分贴近作者的亲身经历。
因为沉浸在只知刻苦努力、视其他课外活动为有害行为的思想里，作者在某次英语课上听到其他同学对自己的日常生活的描述，突然意识到自己的死板，而老师在作业上批注的那句话更是使作者产生了改变的想法。由积极读书、消极生活转变为积极生活、享受学习，这是一种质的转变，与美国名校所提倡的课内课外双状元理念相吻合。转变完成之后，需要再介绍的是这种改变对作者生活带来的影响以及自己的切身感受。这样才能体现转折点的价值。
需要注意的是，与题目分析部分所说的一样，名言不限于伟人的话，你可以选择自己喜欢的一句话配合与之相符的生活经历；或是找到自己与学校的要求和气质相符合的生活经历，再来匹配相关名言。