综合写作：
The modern factory appeared in Britain in about 1750. Before 1750, manufactured goods such as thread and cloth were produced mainly in workers’ homes, or cottages—which is why the system is called “cottage production.” Business owners supplied workers with raw materials—for example, cotton—and each worker would work at home with simple machinery to produce finished goods in the form of lengths of cotton thread, for which they were paid by the piece. Most cottage workers had their own farms and worked for the business owners only part – time. After 1750, cottage production was largely replaced by factory production. So what caused the shift to factories? Historians have long debated the primary reason for this change.
One theory is that the move to centralized factories was driven by the new technology. The Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth century is associated with large, complex machines that run on water or steam power. Obviously, such machines could not be used in workers’ cottages, so it is tempting to conclude that factories arose because of technological advances.
Another theory attributes the rise of factories primarily to the strengthening of property rights in Britain in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. As a result, private property in Britain received much stronger legal protection. This stimulated investment in factories by reassuring business owners that their investments in factory buildings and equipment—and the profits resulting from them—would be safe.
A third explanation is that business owners thought factories would help reduce their overall business expenses by reducing their transportation costs. In the cottage system, business owners had to pay the costs of transporting raw materials to each worker and finished goods back from each worker. Because workers’ cottages were often located far apart, these costs could be very high.
学术写作：
Instructions: Your professor is teaching a class on Sociology. Write a post responding to the professor’s question. In your response you should:
- express and support your personal opinion
- make a contribution to the discussion in your own words
- An effective response will contain at least 100 words.
Claire
Libraries were relevant when books were the main source of knowledge and people couldn’t afford personal libraries. But in our digital world, public funding for libraries is an unnecessary expenditure. With so much information online, who needs physical books? Very few people read anymore. I haven’t stepped foot in a library for years.
Dr. Achebe
In recent years, there has been ongoing debate regarding the relevance and necessity of public libraries. Some argue that in the digital age, where information is readily available online, libraries may have lost their significance. What are your thoughts on the importance of libraries today? Do you believe cities should continue to maintain public libraries?
Paul
Public libraries are still valuable community resources. While digital information is widespread, libraries offer engaging programs that inspire kids’ love of reading. From story times to summer reading clubs, these activities get children excited about books in a way websites can’t match. Libraries nurture the next generation of readers – we shouldn’t abandon them yet.
