Write an essay of 160—200 words based on the following bar chart.
In your essay, you should first describe the bar chart, then interpret its meaning, and give your comment on it.
You should write neatly on ANSWER SHEET 2. (20 points)
As is apparently betrayed in the bar chart above, at present, workers in some fields and sections of our society are overworking themselves, among whom the self-employed individuals and scientific researchers top the list. The very fact revealed in the chart should arouse the social concern.
The implied meaning of the bar chart above can be briefly stated as follows. In the first place, to overwork every day has become a common phenomenon in most working units. The national laws and regulations concerning eight-hour working limit are often disobeyed by most employers, which transgresses workers’ deserved rights. In the second place, to overwork constantly does harm to people’s health and psychology. Over the past years, many intellectuals and artists including Gao Xue-ming and Fu Biao die young due to heavy workload and the resulting stress. Last but not least important, frequent extra work disturbs people’s normal life. Every day people are fully occupied with their work so that they do not have time to care their family life and to communicate with their friends and relatives. As a result, they become a working machine. On the whole, overworking does bring us some disadvantages, which should not be neglected.
In my view, counter-measures should be immediately taken to reverse the current grim situation. To begin with, more strict laws and regulations should be set up to protect workers’ rights. What’s more, a public education campaign should be launched to make people understand the relationship between work and health and that between work and normal life. Only in this way can we build up a harmonious society.
