It is no doubt true that the majority of people would like to be happy in their lives. While the personal nature of happiness makes it difficult to describe, there do seem to be some common needs that we all share with regard to experiencing or achieving happiness.
大家可以看出，Simon一如既往地用了it is … that名型作为开篇第一句，第二句由while引导，前半句回答了第一个问题：很难定义，后半句引出第二个问题的回答：确实有获得快乐的的办法。
为什么快乐很难定义呢?这种抽象的问题让学生很伤脑筋，还是来看Simon是如何回答的吧：
Why is happiness difficult to define?
Happiness is difficult to define because it means something different to each individual person. Nobody can fully understand or experience another person’s feelings, and we all have our own particular passions from which we take pleasure. Some people, for example, derive a sense of satisfaction from earning money or achieving success, whereas for others, health and family are much more important. At the same time, a range of other feelings, from excitement to peacefulness, may be associated with the idea of happiness, and the same person may therefore feel happy in a variety of different ways.
It is no doubt true that the majority of people would like to be happy in their lives. While the personal nature of happiness makes it difficult to describe, there do seem to be some common needs that we all share with regard to experiencing or achieving happiness.
Happiness is difficult to define because it means something different to each individual person. Nobody can fully understand or experience another person’s feelings, and we all have our own particular passions from which we take pleasure. Some people, for example, derive a sense of satisfaction from earning money or achieving success, whereas for others, health and family are much more important. At the same time, a range of other feelings, from excitement to peacefulness, may be associated with the idea of happiness, and the same person may therefore feel happy in a variety of different ways.
Although it seems almost impossible to give a precise definition of happiness, most people would agree that there are some basic preconditions to achieving it. Firstly, it is hard for a person to be happy if he or she does not have a safe place to live and enough food to eat. Our basic survival needs must surely be met before we can lead a pleasant life. Secondly, the greatest joy in life is usually found in shared experiences with family and friends, and it is rare to find a person who is content to live in complete isolation. Other key factors could be individual freedom and a sense of purpose in life.
In conclusion, happiness is difficult to define because it is particular to each individual, but I believe that our basic needs for shelter, food and company need to be fulfilled before we can experience it.
(292 words, band 9)
最后来做词汇总结：
the majority of:其反义词组the minority of也要记牢
regard of:关于
individual:个体，个性
derive:重点词汇，在阅读中也很常见，常和step from/come from替换
a range of:重点词组，在听力中也极其常见，常和a variety of/a series of替换
Some people think that all teenagers should be required to do unpaid work in their free time to help the local community. They believe this would benefit both the individual teenager and society as a whole.
Do you agree or disagree?
在写作之前先帮大家带来Simon的一个非常有用的建议。很多学生都会问Simon这样一个问题Is there any specific study order that you recommend?为此Simon给出了非常具体的回答，相信大家看完之后对于写作文不会再一头雾水。以下是他建议的study order：
1. Essay structure and paragraphs
The first thing to do is find an essay structure that works for you. You probably know that I prefer to write 4 paragraphs, and maybe you've seen how I write 2-sentence introductions, 5-sentence main paragraphs and 1-sentence conclusions. Try this: take some essays that you have already written, and rewrite them so that they all have the same number of paragraphs and sentences.
You need to see examples of the four question types, and make sure you know how to answer each type using your preferred essay structure.
平时多看大作文四种类型的范文，针对题目类型，选用合适的Structure。
3. Planning, and isolated paragraph practice
Take several different questions, and practise planning ideas. Then spend some time focusing only on introductions e.g. write an introduction for five different questions. Then do the same with conclusions. Then try writing different types of main paragraph e.g. an 'advantages' paragraph, an 'opinion' paragraph, a 'problem' paragraph etc.
When you are confident that you know how to write an essay, it's time to start working through as many common IELTS writing topics as possible. Even if you don't write a full essay for each topic, you should at least plan some ideas and opinions.
当你足够自信到知道如何写文章的时候，你就可以尽可能多地写各种不同题材的常见写作题目。参考见链接
5. Mistakes, corrections and improvements
Try to find someone who can check your writing, highlight and explain your mistakes, and show you how to improve your essays.
Many young people work on a volunteer basis, and this can only be beneficial for both the individual and society as a whole. However, I do not agree that we should therefore force all teenagers to do unpaid work.
Most young people are already under enough pressure with their studies, without being given the added responsibility of working in their spare time. School is just as demanding as a full-time job, and teachers expect their students to do homework and exam revision on top of attending lessons every day. When young people do have some free time, we should encourage them to enjoy it with their friends or to spend it doing sports and other leisure activities. They have many years of work ahead of them when they finish their studies.
At the same time, I do not believe that society has anything to gain from obliging young people to do unpaid work. In fact, I would argue that it goes against the values of a free and fair society to force a group of people to do something against their will. Doing this can only lead to resentment amongst young people, who would feel that they were being used, and parents, who would not want to be told how to raise their children. Currently, nobody is forced to volunteer, and this is surely the best system.
In conclusion, teenagers may choose to work for free and help others, but in my opinion we should not make this compulsory.
(250 words, band 9)
词汇总结：
on a volunteer basis:on a … basis“以…为基础”，是一个非常常见且好用的词组，如charge on an annual basis以年基础收费，take care of your skin on a regular basis定期护理面部
Some people think that strict punishments for driving offences are the key to reducing traffic accidents. Others, however, believe that other measures would be more effective in improving road safety. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
1. An 'opinion' question asks for your view, not the views of other people, and you don't have to give both sides of the argument. Just make your opinion clear in the introduction, then explain it in the rest of the essay.
2. A 'discussion' question requires you to write about both sides of the argument, and you should write a similar amount for each view. If the question also asks for your opinion, you don't need an extra paragraph. Just make it clear in the introduction and conclusion which of the two views you agree with.
3. Type 3 is easy. Simply write a paragraph explaining the problem(s) and a paragraph explaining the solution(s). Some questions ask about 'causes' or 'effects': these would be part of the 'problem' paragraph.
Problem Solution类很简单。主体段落只需一段解释问题一段给出解决方案即可。有些问题会问到“起因”或“影响”，这些只需写进“problem”段落。
4. For type 4, just answer the two questions. Write one paragraph about each.
People have differing views with regard to the question of how to make our roads safer. In my view, both punishments and a range of other measures can be used together to promote better driving habits.
On the one hand, strict punishments can certainly help to encourage people to drive more safely. Penalties for dangerous drivers can act as a deterrent, meaning that people avoid repeating the same offence. There are various types of driving penalty, such as small fines, licence suspension, driver awareness courses, and even prison sentences. The aim of these punishments is to show dangerous drivers that their actions have negative consequences. As a result, we would hope that drivers become more disciplined and alert, and that they follow the rules more carefully.
On the other hand, I believe that safe driving can be promoted in several different ways that do not punish drivers. Firstly, it is vitally important to educate people properly before they start to drive, and this could be done in schools or even as part of an extended or more difficult driving test. Secondly, more attention could be paid to safe road design. For example, signs can be used to warn people, speed bumps and road bends can be added to calm traffic, and speed cameras can help to deter people from driving too quickly. Finally, governments or local councils could reduce road accidents by investing in better public transport, which would mean that fewer people would need to travel by car.
In conclusion, while punishments can help to prevent bad driving, I believe that other road safety measures should also be introduced.
(269 words, band 9)
词汇总结：
deterrent:阻碍物，英文释意”sth that deters”，deter常和stop作同义替换，意为阻止
licence suspension:执照吊销，重点记忆suspension，意为暂时中止
disciplined: 名词discipline变化来的，英文释意”obeying the rules”,
