Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition on the topic: My Idea of Pop Music. You should write at least 150 words and base your composition on the outline (given in Chinese) below:

1、 有人认为流行音乐不能登大雅之堂。

2、 有人认为音乐无高低贵贱之分，只有兴趣上的差别。

3、 我认为……

My Idea of Pop Music

Pop music is held I contempt by many people. In these people’s eyes pop music is always in sharp contrast to “lofty music”. The latter refers to symphonies and operas of the European countries. They show great concern for the fact that many people prefer pop music to symhonies, because for them pop music should be excluded from the holy palace of music.

Conversely, many people have an ordor for pop music. They argue that people who want us to listen to symhonies are advocating a kind of “elite¹ culture”. This notion is unacceptable to pop music fans, for they don’t believe that symphonies are loftier than pop music. The difference only lies in the interests of different people. It is unfair to speak of pop music with contempt while speaking of symphonies with awe².

In conclusion, my idea is that just as there is no distinction between high culture and low culture, so it is inappropriate to say pop music belongs to the “lower” people whereas symphonies in a higher, loftier form of music. After all, there are many badly-composed symphonies. And we can’t expect every piece of pop music to be excellent. Pop music reflects the thoughts and interests of a certain age group of a generation. It is the product of a certain age, but it also has something universal, something that belongs to all human beings, that underlies³ its great success among people. In this sense it is rather foolish for some peopleof media to show great concern simply because many people prefer pop music. Anyway pop music has become an indispensable part of the human family.