文章写于2010年前后；大学英文写作老师 Justine 有修改。

GRE Issue: 「The surest indicator of a great nation is not the achievements of its rulers, artists, or scientists, but the general welfare of all its people.」

习作

The best indicator of a great nation, asserts the speaker, is the general welfare of all its people instead of the achievements of certain eminent individuals. I strongly believe this thesis and will offer sound support below.

True, the achievement of a nation's great minds is an indicator of a great nation. As is always the case, headlines featuring famous politicians, artists and academicians attract the most attention. Individuals' stories are much more impressive than those of the general public's. Moreover, the fact that the country has produced some successful individuals is considered a mark of its greatness. Generally, it is accepted that the country in which high achieving individuals live provides opportunities and resources for their achievements.

This indicator, however, is sometimes not truly indicative of a great nation. Worse, overemphasis on it may obscure some undesirable social conditions. It is tempting to believe that a society that produces many accomplished individuals also provides high standards of general welfare to its people. However, this may be only an illusion. The two aspects are not always correlated. In a truly great country are indeed a multitude of individual achievements. This is merely a byproduct, however, and the general welfare of its citizens is on a par with that of its individual achievers.

On the other side of the picture is a totally different story. In some dictatorships, for instance, the dictators are in complete control of the citizens. Individual achievements are far less possible compared with more democratic countries and are confined to only the privileged few. Worse still, dictators may speak highly of the individual achievements and attribute them to their successful rule. In such cases, the rare individual achievements are ironic indicators of dictatorship. Political underdevelopment and social ailments may easily be overlooked.

When gauging a nation's greatness, the general welfare of its people should be given primary importance. General welfare is a subjective reflection of a nation's greatness. It does not deceive people from knowing the truth; the people recognize, appreciate and thrive when the basic needs of all are provided for. In countries where general welfare is prioritized, people's rights are protected and more opportunities are given. Therefore, it is more likely that people become more creative and committed. Hence numerous achievements of not only the celebrated, such as politicians, artists and scientists, but also of ordinary people occur regularly. Take the Scandinavian countries for example. Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark are highly admired by all nations for their social welfare. In these countries, governments give social welfare and social equality top priority and privilege is totally unheard of. People are self-motivated to contribute to the overall well-being of the whole society. Thus, it is no surprise that by some measure the Scandinavian countries are rated as the most harmonious and competitive countries in the world.

In conclusion, the surest indicator of a great nation is the general welfare of all its people. Unique individuals with great minds and outstanding talents come forth in countries all over the world and prove again and again the glory of human achievement. Their accomplishments are great and enrich the world, but are not necessarily indicators of their respective country’s greatness. For countries that are in pursuit of greatness, to give priority to the general welfare of society is the best path to take.