劍橋大學FitzwilliamCollege寫作競賽賽題公布

英國的頂尖大學熱衷於(yu) 為(wei) 高中生舉(ju) 辦寫(xie) 作競賽，來幫助學生提升進入大學前的各項綜合能力。

比如說我們(men) 熟知的 John Locke 寫(xie) 作競賽就有牛津大學的參與(yu) 。

作為(wei) 英國頂尖的兩(liang) 所大學，牛津大學與(yu) 劍橋大學以學院製聞名，不同學院高度自治，也會(hui) 舉(ju) 辦自己學院的專(zhuan) 屬寫(xie) 作競賽。

今天要介紹的這門寫(xie) 作競賽就來自於(yu) 劍橋大學的 FitzwilliamCollege，專(zhuan) 為(wei) Year 12 學生設計，截稿日期在 2024 年 3 月 1 日。

如果你未來對申請人文社科專(zhuan) 業(ye) 感興(xing) 趣，這門寫(xie) 作競賽你可千萬(wan) 不要錯過了。

它包含了 8 大賽區，有我們(men) 熟知的經濟與(yu) 曆史，還有一些小眾(zhong) 但有趣的考古學、土地經濟、中世紀、斯拉夫語言學等。

這也符合 Fitzwilliam College 學院想要學生的畫像，它曾在官網中描述學院的宗旨：seeks out students with a passion for their subject and who have investigated it outside the classroom.

接下來我們(men) 來看看每個(ge) 項目中有什麽(me) 題目（題目後打⭐號的是我們(men) 覺得很有意思的題目）：

Ancient World and Classics

👉What qualities made heroes heroic in ancient literature? Discuss with reference to any text or texts of your choice.

👉How can the study of dead languages help us to understand ancientsocieties? Answer with reference to any period and region of your choice.⭐

👉"lmagery is the most important source for studying women in the ancient world.” Do you agree? Discuss with reference to any period and region of your choice.

👉"The study of art and/or archaeology reveals people the texts ignore."Discuss with reference to any people, period and region of your choice.

👉What led to either a) the development of Athenian democracy or b) the fall of the Roman Late Republic?

👉"Ancient philosophy is not relevant to modern political or ethical debates"Do you agree? Discuss with reference to any text or texts and any political and/or ethical debates of your choice.⭐

Archaeology

👉To what extent can the archaeology of the environment prepare us for the era of 'global boiling'?

👉"Archaeology only deals with interpretations, never facts." Discuss.⭐

👉To what degree is modern fiction and poetry more effective than archaeology in telling stories about the past?

Economics

本賽區僅(jin) 限英國當地學生參加，如果符合條件且感興(xing) 趣歡迎私信我們(men) 了解題目。

History

In 1869, as throughout history, old and new worlds collided. We invite applicants to examine, in their essays, a topic of their choice, connected to the changes taking place in or around the year 1869. Essays may focus on a particular event, a person, a political movement, or even a process of social, economic or cultural change, but they should consider the interaction of 'old' and 'new' forces which the chosen topic illuminates.

Land Economy

👉When it comes to decarbonizing the economy, "it's not terribly difficult to know what needs to be done, though it is of course immensely difficult to get the relevant actors (government and others) to do it"(Barry, 1999). Discuss this statement, preferably drawing on evidence from the UK.⭐

👉The current Conservative government led by Rishi Sunak has unexpectedly decided to scrap part of the HS2 project. lrrespective of your overall political views towards the current government, do you think this was a sound decision from an economic point of view?

👉Some claim that modern communication platforms, such as Zoom, and the work-from-home revolution will lead to a decline of inner cities. Do you agree?⭐

Medieval World

👉"A World lit only by fire" - is this a fair characterisation of the thousand years of history between AD 500 and AD 1500?

👉Is European Medieval history a study of white men?⭐

👉Are peasants more interesting than kings (answer with reference to the history of any part of the world in the middle ages)?⭐

👉Was High Medieval Europe (c.1100-1300) essentially going through the same experience as Kamakura period Japan(1185-1333)?

👉Did the Hundred Years' War create England and France as nation-states?

👉To what extent was English imperialism the main cause of political change inmedieval Britain and Ireland?

Slavonic Studies

Slavonic Studies = 斯拉夫學

👉Select any single work of Polish, Russian or Ukrainian literature or visual art (a film, a painting, an architectural drawing, or a poster) and discuss the ways in which it reflects some of the principal political and social issues of its age.

👉'Images of the past are central to concepts of contemporary national identity.' Discuss with respect to either Polish, Ukrainian or Russian culture. You may focus on one work of contemporary literature or art from one of the three countries, or you may examine the rhetoric of contemporary politicians from one or more of the three counties.⭐

👉'The history of every nation is constantly being rewritten to suit the needs of the present.'Discuss with respect to either Poland, Ukraine or Russia.⭐

👉Select a Polish, Russian or Ukrainian writer, artist or filmmaker and discuss the relevance of their work for the present. Be sure to support your discussion by offering a detailed analysis of one work.

👉'The current Russian waged war on Ukraine is a war of identity.' Discuss⭐

如果你已經看到這裏，相信你對這門競賽應該是有興(xing) 趣的。

也許你與(yu) 申請並入學牛劍的學生們(men) 在寒假的經曆，就差這麽(me) 一門寫(xie) 作競賽。