Some Interesting Essays.

Du Fang's essay has an interesting perspective. Note how the comparisons are structured.
Teaching styles in China and in the West

In China , the class usually fairly large. It is fairly common that sixty students share one teacher. The students sit in rows in a classroom and listen to the teacher. This kind of classroom teaching is an effective and efficient to educate large numbers of students in China. Resources are distributed in a comparatively fair manner because every student has limited access to the teacher. In the West, however, classes are often small. Sometimes students are able to form a circle and discuss issues which is far more interesting and the atmosphere is relaxed.

Both teachers and students play different roles in classrooms in China and the West. In charge of a huge group of students in China , the teacher is not likely to meet all the students’ needs. However, the teacher is the most important person in this setting and the teacher must deliver lectures as clearly as possible so that most students can understand the information. This type of “teacher-centered” classrooms means that the teacher plays an important role and talks the most. How much students learn depends on the quality of the teaching in class. In contrast, in "student-centred" classrooms, students are masters of the class and teachers act as guides. Each single student is responsible for his or her own progress and learnng. Students who are passive and do not engage in discussions will find themselves not learning or progressing much. Open discussions, debates and adverse opinions are encouraged. What’s more, the students often form groups and work together on a given problem or subject. They are supposed to explore issues by themselves and draw their own conclusions. Students are encouraged to learn not only from the teacher but also their peers and other reference material.

The classroom atmosphere is also different as the teacher-student relationship is different. In China, the classroom atmosphere can be a little too serious. Students must obey their teachers in class and rely on themselves outside of class. It is quite common in a classroom in China that students listen carefully to the teacher, take comprehensive notes and think deeply about the information at home. Students become good at taking in digested knowledge from their books and teachers. In this manner they gain a good solid foundation and theoretic basis of more advanced work. In contrast, in the West, students have a closer relationship with their teacher. They may even be allocated a mentor whom the student can consult outside class. Besides, the classroom atmosphere is relaxed. For example, students can sit in any seat they choose. They can freely share their ideas with the whole class. Students are allowed to hold their own opinions and can rationally argue their case in class.

Problems exist in both types of classrooms. Due to their lack of experience of interacting in class, Chinese students find it hard to communicate their opinions and find it hard to cooperate in teams. They are accustomed to working alone and thinking independently. They tend to study what others have already discovered rather than explore every step by themselves and enjoy the process. In the West, “student-centered” teaching requires many teachers and adequent resources such as classrooms and teaching material for group work. The quality of learning is uneven and it is some times dependent on the quality of relationship between teacher-student. Students need to be open-minded enough to allow the teacher guide and challenge them while teachers need to be motivated enough to tailor material for individualised instruction.

These two different kinds of classes fit the specific situations found in different settings. Both of them work well and have advantages and shortcomings. Different types of classes will in their own respective ways contribute to the intellectual development of students.
...................................................................................................................................................................
Zhao Kun's essay is interesting because he uses the stories as evidence to support an argument and without going into unnecessary descriptions. The paragraphs that contrast the movies have a similar structure. He also has an interesting perspective on the topic.

Most people would agree that western philosophy and the eastern philosophy are quite different. This is partly because individuals are valued in western philosophy, while eastern philosophy tends to prioritise community. Is life valuable and meaningful as long as one feels happy? It would seem so in the West so traditionally, young people may leave their parents or even their countries alone to pursue their own happiness. Is individual happiness is valueless compared with the “happiness” and progress of a country? In China, a person is admired in public if one can sacrifice himself or herself for his or her country. The importance of a family and a country far exceeds that of the dreams of an individual. This difference can be clearly seen in the movies produced in English and Chinese.

The importance of the individual is reflected in an American movie named “Saving Private Ryan” by Steven Spielberg. In this movie, an elderly woman had three sons. When the war broke out all of her sons went to join the army, unfortunately, two of them were killed. When the youngest son was captured, a troop of soldiers decided to rescue him at great costs to themselves. It was not even because he was a particularly worthy or good soldier but for the sake of his mother who would be devastated if she lost all three sons. In other words, his life was important only because his mother loved him not because of his own achievements or merit. So, for the sake of an individual's life and for the sake of his mother's happiness the American army allocated many soldiers to save this soldier, a third son, Ryan. Many soldiers' lives were sacrificed to save one soldier’s life-- the individual person is that important.

However, in Chinese movies no matter how miserable a person's life is, as long the individual dedicates his or her life through sacrifice to a greater cause for the sake of the nation, the person will be deemed a hero. In the Chinese movie, “Hero” by Zhang Yimou, a man named Wuming wanted to stab and kill the emperor of a powerful country called Qin. He hated the Qin state because in battle many were killed including his parents. On the way to Qin to take revenge, he met a stranger and he told the stranger his anger and ambition. The stranger persuaded Wuming not to kill the emperor of Qin because although the emperor did not value peace, he was a strong leader. The stranger felt that China need such a leader, otherwise the country would fall into chaos again. Wuming began to take into consideration the needs of his country at large instead of his own personal desire for revenge. When Wuming finally met the emperor, he chose his country over himself and he was killed by the emperor instead. It is this sacrifice of self for the sake of the community that makes him a hero.

It is not a matter of which philosophy is right and which is wrong because they are both reasonable and they both come from different concepts of what is the nature human beings. To be able to see both perspectives, is the beginning of learning to respect, accept and appreciate different philosophical viewpoints as people from diverse backgrounds meet and interact.