Lottery Does More Good than Harm
　　Nowadays, lottery is no longer a strange term to most Chinese. Some people buy national welfare lottery, sports lottery and soccer lottery from time to time. Though the chance of winning a fortune is very slim, buyers still go for it, because apart from grand prizes, lottery means something more, to the individuals and society alike.
　　On the one hand, lottery raises funds for public causes. For instance, billions of dollars are collected by welfare lottery each year, and go into the social security system in aiding the old, the poor, the disabled, and the orphaned. Therefore, lottery does not only benefit several "lucky dogs", but more importantly, the country as a whole. And on the other hand, buying lottery is fun for the individuals. The public appreciates the high odds against them, which makes lottery a kind of game.
　　Nevertheless, some people may get addicted, or stay idle for "easy money". Luckily, they only constitute the minority. After all, lottery does more good than harm as long as it is dealt with properly.          (180 words)

slim  adj. 微小的
for instance 举例，例如
lucky dog  （习语）幸运儿
nevertheless adv. 然而，不过
get addicted  沉溺于，上瘾
as long as  只要......



The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart. 世界上对勇气的最大考验是忍受失败而不丧失信心。

彩票利大于弊
　　现在，彩票对中国人来说已经不再陌生。有些人偶尔买国家福利彩票、体育彩票和足球彩票。尽管中奖的几率微乎其微，彩民们仍然趋之若鹜。这是因为无论对个人还是社会，彩票不仅代表着巨额奖金，还有更多的意义。
　　一方面，彩票能募集更多的社会资金。例如，每年上亿的福利彩票收入流入社会保障系统，帮助了众多老弱病残以及孤儿们。彩票不仅让个别的幸运儿发了大财，更重要的是，使整个国家受益。另一方面，买彩票也成为一种个人娱乐。社会大众都意识到中奖的几率小，所以更多地把买彩票当成游戏。
　　不过，有一部分人可能着迷上瘾，无所事事只等天上掉钱。幸运的是他们只是少数。总之，只要用之有道，彩票还是利大于弊的。

1. Though the chance of winning a fortune is very slim, buyers still go for it, because apart from grand prizes, lottery means something more, to the individuals and society alike. 尽管中奖的几率微乎其微，彩民们仍然趋之若鹜。这是因为无论对个人还是社会，彩票不仅代表着巨额奖金，还有更多的意义。
2. For instance, billions of dollars are collected by welfare lottery each year, and go into the social security system in aiding the old, the poor, the disabled, and the orphaned. 例如，每年上亿的福利彩票收入流入社会保障系统，帮助了众多老弱病残以及孤儿们。