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1 Topic 1: Increasing travels between countries enable people to learn different
cultures or to increase tension between people from different countries?

In recent years, globalization has been promoted throughout the globe,

accelerating the transnational travel. Many adopt a view that the hostility between
locals and visitors will be fueled when there is an upsurge in new arrivals;
however, to the best of my knowledge, the mutual understanding and tolerance is
the main interest of international travel which overshadows the disadvantages.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that newcomers usually show their respect to

indigenous cultures, although they are sometimes conflicting, opposing to their
life principles, religious belief, as an old saying indicates “when in Rome, do as
Romans do”. Anecdotal evidence shows that frequent interaction and
communication between foreigners and inhabitants is a stepping-stone,
encouraging them to take the same position on many issues, thereby having
goodwill, friendship. A good case at this point is wearing the bikini in Western
countries, which is a taboo in the Arabian world. Yet, over time they have
developed concrete relations when their citizens travel to each nation and gain
mutual comprehension on their problem.

Secondly, another justification for traditional travel is that it opens up

opportunities for business activities throughout the world. As a result of having
insights, foreign grasp on local cultures, overseas entrepreneurs are able to take
full advantages of their experiences, new knowledge to expand their market
overseas. Not only does it benefit foreigners but also helps the natives earn
handsome incomes via providing services, material to newcomers. Therefore, the
exchange of trust and cultures is promoted increasing the hospitality. In other
words, economic benefits are another reason that curbs the enmity of foreigners.

In conclusion, notwithstanding the divergence on social backgrounds or cultural

values, international travel does not intensify the tension between ethnic groups
but strengthens the bonds in economic and brings mutual understanding.

2 Topic 2: TV and other TV programs convey the same messages to the global
audience, some people argue that the expansion of International media has
negative impacts on cultural diversity. What is your opinion?

One of the most conspicuous trends in the 21 st century is the expansion of media
companies all over the globe. Although this phenomenon has benefited audience
with opportunities to learn other cultures, it has been the center of criticism as to
the whether it is responsible for the erosion of some domestic cultures or not.
 First of all, it is essential to recognize that the media industry is nowadays
operated by the handful of dominant companies, the vast majority of which are
Western media companies. In other words, some companies control large sectors
of media fields, thereby placing national media firms at high risk of being
excluded. Besides, international media companies are profit-oriented. Not
surprisingly, the contents of their media products stress on storylines which draw
as much attention as possible, ignoring the preservation of local cultures of host
countries. For instance, to hit the headlines, media products usually highlight
genres such as action movies, science fiction movies not documentaries about
history, heritage. In short, albeit invisible, the increasing dominance of
international media companies has accompanied with the invasion of exotic
culture and the homogeneity of minority cultures.

Secondly, it is equally important to recognize that traditional lifestyles in minority

nations have undergone significant alteration. Although intangible as it is, core
virtues such as family solidarity, harmony with others has been replaced by
egoism, individualism, that are the main characteristics of Western, American
cultures. As a result of leading mainstream media which is controlled by large
Western companies, Americanization has become increasingly pervasion in Asia
countries. The maximization of one’s benefits which was previously criticized is
now adopted by most youngsters who have high exposure to American culture
through media.

In conclusion, cultural globalization is crucial, beneficial to cultural exchange;

however, it is to bring problems. Not only does it occupy the national media
industry but also promotes principles which are derived from Western cultures
among viewers from other cultural backgrounds.

3 Topic 3: there is a disagreement on the impact of increased business and

culture contact between countries on a nation’s identity. What is your
opinion?

Not surprisingly, global trading has become an area of focus to the general public
in recent years. Although globalization and international business have brought
economic benefits it is a contentious issue as to whether the increased business is
responsible for the erosion of national tradition or not. In my opinion, its
drawbacks could never overshadow potential benefits.

Some may argue that this development has double-edged impacts. On the one
hand, it is essential to recognize that increased interaction between countries gives
member countries motivation for cultural preservation. Not only is it beneficial for
nationalism but also potential handsome income. It is common that unique,
distinctive identities such as sacred rituals, taboos, customs that are attracting
 factors to international tourists. Many authorities have successfully recognized
this mindset and paid efforts for the conversation of local norms or sites. Given
that if local sites become appealing, international destinations and have good
fame, overseas tourists will soon flood in, providing host nations stable tourism
income. In order words, increased commercial activities between countries give
member nations a driving force for cultural protection.

On the other hand, they have resulted in the invasion of exotic cultures through
different means of media has become pervasion throughout the globe. At the heart
of the matter is that mass media is under the entire control of the handful of media
leading companies. In simple term, albeit invisible, they have accumulatively
moulded people thoughts, encouraging them to abandon traditional lifestyle and
adopt overseas lifestyle by conveying the same information to world audiences.
For instance, Americanization is now more prevalent in mirroring cultures
because American media products usually disseminate the same messages of
individualism, egoism to all viewers. Therefore, it is true that the increased
interaction between countries accounts for the dying out of local cultures.

To sum up, it is hard to make a conclusive judgment about if this trend leads to
the demise or enhancement of cultures. Since it provides government incentive to
protect their culture for tourism benefits but give citizens opportunities in order to
be accustomed to exotic cultures.

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5 Topic 5: Some argue that immigrants should adopt the local culture when
immigrating to a new country. An alternative view is that they can adapt to a
new environment by establishing a minority community. Discuss these views
and give your opinion.

Over the past decades, population mobility has increased significantly throughout
the globe while leaving motherland to resettle in a new nation is life-transforming
to immigrants, they are confronted with a challenge of blending to the local
culture of host countries or they should establish minority community to maintain
their own cultures. In my opinion, newcomers should integrate local lifestyles for
the following reasons.

First of all, as the saying goes “When in Rome, do as Romans do”, newcomers
should observe and adapt to indigenous culture so as to prevent unexpected
events. In fact, it is common that globalization has promoted the likelihood of
working in cross-cultural environment, in which workers are usually confronted
with the challenge of cultural differences. Those who are junior and from the
minority are recommended to merge into the tradition of the locals or of larger
groups who were predominantly there. It is a similar story to immigrants to a new
 country. Problems such as embarrassment or the feeling of being like a fish out of
water could be avoided by learning and adopting local culture.

Secondly, when it comes to working in a new state, accepting local customs

contributes significantly to career success to immigrants. Communication skill and
interpersonal skill is necessary for not only daily life but also teamwork. For this
reason, newcomers should take proactive action to build rapports with local
colleagues. This practice will increase the efficiency of information exchange,
which guarantees the productivity. In other words, although it is intangible,
adopting local lifestyle plays an instrumental role to the brighter prospect of
immigrants.

In conclusion, despite the advantage of living in the minority community that

immigrants can minimize the potential impacts of culture shock, they should
sooner or later blend into local cultures. Not only does it keep them away from
unexpected problems but also gives them higher chances to be successful in the
new nation.

6 Topic 6: The advantages of the spread of English as a global language will

continue to outweigh its disadvantages to what extent do you agree or
disagree?

One of the most conspicuous trends in the 21st century is the spread of English as
a global language. Although this trend has brought some problems, it is believed
that such drawbacks could never overshadow the benefits.

First of all, some may argue that the pervasiveness of English will result in the
dying out of minority languages, thereby leading to the erosion of cultural
diversity. However, it is equally essential to recognize that globalization which
has been promoted over the past decades throughout the globe is unavoidable.
Countries or individuals who do not keep up with this tendency may suffer
significantly loses. Meanwhile, the proficiency in a global language can eliminate
communication barriers, which is prerequisite for successful international
communication.

Secondly, the prevalence of English has little impacts on other languages.

Nowadays, most learners are motivated to learn English as a second language,
which means they do not necessarily drop their first languages. For instance, only
basic or intermediate English is sufficient for day-to-day communication. For this
reason, it is premature to say that the increasing popularity of English will
diminish other languages and their cultures. A good case at this point is
Singapore, in which most of the citizens can speak English fluently, while their
traditions and their mother tongue has been preserved effectively.
 In conclusion, the interests of the popularity of English as a dominant global
language far outstrip the problems. Not only is it a facilitator to multi-cultural
communication but also not damaging to minority culture.

7 Topic 7: Aircrafts have been increasingly used to transport fruits and

vegetables to some countries where such plants hardly grow or out of season.
Some consider it a good trend, but some oppose it. Discuss both views and
give your opinion.

Over the past decades, aviation industry and international business have
developed by leaps and bounds. Nowadays, transporting agricultural products by
airplanes between countries has gained currency. Although this trading activity
has been every now and then criticized as unnecessary and luxurious, it is my
opinion that it has brought tremendous, various benefits that should be taken into
account.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that air travel has become an economical

means of transportations to the general public. At present time, the high
competition between air freight companies has resulted in the good offer with
tickets at affordable prices, including cheap prices for conveying crops. As a
result, the prices of imported foods and vegetables are subsequently decreased,
which is beneficial to consumers who can have more alternatives at good prices.
Besides, albeit invisible, importing perishable items by flight contributes greatly
to feeding population, reducing the profound impacts of seasonal factors in
nations which have extreme weather conditions. In simple terms, contrary to
popular belief the delivery of foods and vegetables by aircrafts is not expensive
and play an instrument in ensuring the sufficient intake of nutrition in population.

Secondly, notwithstanding some disadvantages in relying heavily on import and

not being able to self-sufficient countries, importing fruits and vegetables from
others can promote international economic nation which is beneficial to all
participants. In fact, it is common that states are distinguishing from each other
due to different economic structures. For instance, some countries play the
dominant role in exporting agricultural products; meanwhile, others are
specialized in manufacturing hi-tech products. Therefore, it is reasonable,
understandable that international trading is bilateral, not unilateral. In other words,
a country which imports goods from other countries is able to earn handsome
income from exchanging novel technologies with other nations which are in the
grave absence of sophisticated equipment, state-of-the-art technologies.

In conclusion, only when a country becomes addicted to importing agricultural

products from others, should authorities pay attentions to prospective drawbacks.
 Otherwise, in case of import and export go hand in hand or countries import goods
and develop their own industries simultaneously, importing perishable items by
airplanes is highly advised.

8 Topic 8: Million of dollars are spent on space research every year. Since
people agree that the money should be spent on improving living standards
on Earth. Do you agree or disagree?

One of the most conspicuous trends in the 21 st century is the pursuit of space
ambition. Although many governments have spent loud budget to pursue universal
research, the opponents agree that the figures of authorities funding should be
distributed to the improvement of living conditions of civilians, which is more
urgent. In my opinion, universal projects have promising outcomes that should be
taken into further consideration.

Firstly, the main justification is that overpopulation due to baby boomer has
become a serious problem in many countries. This demographic crisis has brought
unprecedented challenges to governments. For example, accommodating huge
population has been a grave headache in many parts of the world. Furthermore,
other demands of necessities have increased gradually, accumulatively. It is
predicted that they are hardly met in future as living environments have been
contaminated severely and the rest capacity of the Earth cannot handle the huge
requirements. For this reason, authorities should take proactive practices to find
out new planets that are resembling the Earth in the biosphere, atmosphere as a
back-up solution. Despite not being beneficiaries currently, future generations will
count on them greatly.
Secondly, the heavy reliance on natural resources is another problem that should
be taken into account of law-makers. Over the past decades, economic
development has been the top priority in most nations, thereby resulting in the
overexploitation of resources for industrial production. Meanwhile, their
reservoirs are limited. Therefore, the running out of virgin materials should be
considered carefully, thoughtfully. Given that not only does the depletion of
resources impede economic promotion but also pose a threat to the sustainability
of human society. The discovery of new alternatives is an urgent demand.
Universal projects open up countless opportunities to explore/exploit in other
planets.

In conclusion, baby boomer and exhaustion of resources are the main driving
forces, main excuses for space research. Human sooner or later will have to
conduct universal experiments for future needs as outlined early.

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12 Topic 12: The increase of international aid believed that countries have a
moral obligation to help each other, while the opponents consider it
unnecessary because money is misspent by governments that receive it.
Discuss these two points of view and give your opinion.

In recent years, the globalization has been promoted throughout the world,
accelerating the interdependence between countries. This trend is mirrored by
international aid. Many adopt a view that the aid money can be misused on wrong
destinations be recipient nations; however, to the best of my knowledge, this
concern is overstated and the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.

Firstly, the main justification is that humanitarian aid is compulsory in morality.

In fact, it is common knowledge that globalization is the progress which makes
the world become a village. In other terms, members of international
organizations have obligation to help each other to overcome difficulties,
especially, disadvantaged members. For example, countries which are in civil
unrest, natural disasters need relief from other members of global communities to
recover (by leaps and bouns) rapidly their countries. Therefore, international aid is
essential to recipient nations and it is ethically mandatory when nations take part
in globalization.

Secondly, apart from the aid of money, equipment and services are other forms of
international aid. Nowadays, sharing knowledge and transferring novel
technologies are the main characteristics of modern world not only does it bring
relief to countries that are in need them but also benefits providers invisibly. For
instance, the interaction of eco-system is unarguable, the deforestation in one
country may result in drought, flood in neighbouring nations. For this reason, to
avoid the victimization of the environmental crisis in future, countries are
recommended to provide assistance in the effort of environmental preservation.
Sophisticated equipment and professional staffs should be sent to countries which
are in the serious absence of specialists and state-of-the-art devices.

In conclusion, international fun can help providers to have a cake and eat it too.
They are able to show the goodwill through concerted effort, joint efforts to tackle
with global problems and reap interests intangibly.

13 Topic 13: Some people think that the government should pay for healthcare
and education, but there is no agreement about whether it is the
government’s responsibility. What is your opinion?

Not surprisingly, education and health care has long been the high priority for
most governments throughout the globe. However, the issue as to whether
 governments or individual citizens should take duty for cost incurred from
sending children to schools and health care services remains controversial. It is
my opinion that they should pay joint efforts for the best outcomes.

First of all, it is important to recognize that in some cases, parents who earn low
incomes because of disabilities, job injuries cannot afford their children’s
education. As a result, the lack of academic background will result in
uncompetitive employability. Meanwhile, national budget is mainly formed by tax
revenue. Governments are expected to plough back the national budget to core
social aspects such as education. Otherwise, it is an appropriation of citizens’
money while parents should not shirk the duty for raising and educating their own
children.

Secondly, when it comes to treatment, therapies or hospitalization, the costs pose

heavy burdens to patients. For this reason, governments should give free access to
health care to all of their members, it is the basic human right which defines the
living standard in a nation. Furthermore, it is the fulfillment of government’s
responsibility to taxpayers. Nevertheless, it is equally essential to recognize that
the over-exploitation of some who try to pass all the costs onto health care system
is unfair to hard-working, good-hearted citizens.

In conclusion, although law-makers should assume the main responsibilities for

paying education and health care services, citizens should not evade their duties.
Under no circumstances should they take full advantages of welfare systems.

14 Topic 14: People should keep all the money they earn and should not pay
taxes to the stage. Do you agree or disagree?

There is little room for doubt that tax revenue is instrumental to a state. However,
to many taxpayers, the fulfillment of tax obligation is an appropriation of their
earnings. In my opinion, the evasion of tax responsibilities is a premature
behavior.

Firstly, all citizens are recommended to pay taxes to their own countries on their
behalf. Although the vast majority of taxpayers are not beneficiaries currently,
either they or their dependents will rely on the social welfare systems in the long
run. For instance, it is common that the retired who reach retirement ages and lose
earning ability will count on a pension, it is the similar story to the employed, the
injured, the disabled who can receive subsidies from the state. Most of which
derived from tax revenue. In other words, the figures of authorities plough back
the income from taxes to infrastructure or social services that serve taxpayers.
Secondly, levying high taxes on workers contributes significantly to the
enhancement of social solidarity. Albeit invisible, the hierarchy has become
increasingly serious in nations, which has heavily income disparity. Therefore, it
is the authority that should pay great efforts to close the gap between the haves
and the have-nots. It has been proven that imposing different taxes on workers is a
positive, productive method to eliminate class distinction. When the higher
personal income, the higher income taxes, law-makers can redistribute the
handsome income of the rich to the poor.

To sum up, although they are reluctant to pay taxes to the state (reluctant as they
are to pay taxes), taxpayers should recognize that it is beneficial to not only
themselves, their families but also the harmony of society as mentioned above.
Under no circumstances should people evade their duties for paying taxes.

There is little room for doubt that taxes are instrumental to all countries. However,
to taxpayers, paying taxes remains a headache and tax evasion is prevalent among
employers. In my opinion, the fulfillment of tax obligation is crucial, beneficial to
both taxpayers and their nations.

First of all, it is important to recognize that the gap between the haves and the
have-nots is generally wide in most countries all over the globe. Albeit invisible,
income disparity is to bring many problems such as class distinction, end the
erosion of social unity. For this reason, legislators should introduce new policies
to redistribute income from the rich to the poor. One of the most effective policies
is levying high taxes on those who earn the handsome income. For instance, in
many societies, the higher personal income, the higher income tax. Such nations
have successfully bridged the gap between high class and lower classes by
implementing strictly tax regulations.

Secondly, notwithstanding the premature concern that income tax is the

appropriation of their earnings, taxpayers or their dependents are beneficiaries
from the fulfillment tax obligation. In fact, it is common that legislators harness
tax revenue to establish social welfare systems which provide interests, social
services to citizens in different forms. For instance, to those losing their earning
capability, employability, government’s financial support which is derived from
social welfare systems is the relief to them. In short, although taxpayers do not
enjoy currently tangible interests, they will count on the benefits as outlined
earlier.

In conclusion, taxes are pivotal to the well-being of both individuals and their
societies. Not only do they contribute to closing the gap between the hierarchies
 but also offer taxpayers the safeguard in many cases as outlined earlier.

Throughout the history, the introduction of policies has never failed to draw
attention, especially regulations of paying taxes. Although tax revenue plays an
instrument in carrying out a wide variety of functions in a nation, many taxpayers
have the reluctance of functions fulfilling tax obligations. In my opinion, all
citizens should take paying taxes gravely, consciously.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that taxpayers will sooner or later depend on

benefits which are derived from tax revenue in later years, including their children
and parents. In fact, it is common knowledge that the income from taxes is usually
invested in every walk of life in forms of social welfare providing their citizens
free-charge services, such as free hospitalization, free education. Likewise,
government’s financial support is a relief which offers employment subsidies/ an
employment subsidy in case of losing earning capabilities because of injuries,
diseases or disabilities. Therefore, the perspective which is that paying taxes is an
appropriation of their earning is premature. Notwithstanding being not
beneficiaries currently, taxpayers are beneficial in the long run.

Secondly, as every garden has its weeds, levying high taxes on workers is to bring
problems that should be taken into account. For instance, imposing high taxes is
not recommended when national economies are on the verge of depression;
however, high taxes play a key role in bridging the gap between the haves and the
have-nots. Albeit invisible, class distinction bears profound impacts on social
order, social harmony, for this reason, the elimination of income disparity through
charge high taxes on workers who earn handsome incomes is an effective method
in redistributing (ploughing) back income between the poor and the rich. In other
words, despite disadvantages in case of economic recession, high taxes are
necessary when it comes to reducing the influence of hierarchy.

In conclusion, under no circumstances should taxpayers evade tax responsibility.

Given that tax revenue not only provides relief to taxpayers when confronting
unexpected problems in life but also contribute to the establishment of the
harmony of societies.

15 Topic 15: It is widely accepted that people who have post-school

qualifications earn a higher salary than those less education do. University
students should, therefore, pay all the full cost incurred over the course of
obtaining a college education. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
 Over the past decades, the labor-intensive economy has developed to the
knowledge-focused economy. In the labor market nowadays, the higher workers
educated are the higher salaries they make. For this reason, many adopt a view
that university students should shoulder all the costs resulted from their education.
It is my opinion that although charging tuition fees over students is necessary for
motivating students, most of which tuition fees should be covered by government
sponsorship.

First of all, needless to say, education, especially tertiary education plays an

instrumental part in both individual students and their countries. Therefore,
education should be one of the high priorities to authorities. Otherwise, figures of
authorities do not fulfill their main duties to their citizens, which is the
capitalization of human resources for the well-being of both students and
societies. For instance, it is widely expected that tax revenue is ploughed back to
different social aspects which are core such as health care, education. It is an
appropriation of peoples’ earning if national budget is misspent on inappropriate
destinations.

Secondly, it is equally to recognize that distinguishing from commercial institutes

that are profit-oriented, a university should stick to their main function that is
imparting knowledge, not generating profits. Anecdotal evidence shows that
academic quality is likely to be less credible when a university channel into
expanding their profit margin. Instead, the university could raise funds by various
means for their operation, for example, receiving a donation, government funding
or selling out their research.

In conclusion, under no circumstances should figures of authorities levy tuition

fees over university students. It not only impedes national development but also
makes university less prestigious.

16 Topic 16: Only government action can solve housing shortages in big cities.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Over the past decades, baby boomer has become grave in many parts of the world,
leading to unprecedented challenges such as housing shortage, especially in major
cities. Although state control bears an influence on the property market. It is my
opinion that housing industry should be at the mercy (pho mat cho/ tha troi) of the
market.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that in modern societies, consumers usually

have comprehensive requirements for all commodities including accommodations.
In particular, the values such as durability or safety are no longer treasured as
much as before. Instead, decorative details and easy access to public facilities in
 the neighbourhood are given increasingly higher weight. For this reason, the entire
control by the figures of authorities as the only property developer may fail to
meet the dynamic demands of the general public. Houses and buildings which are
provided by the single developer are susceptible to excessive uniformity in
architectural styles. Furthermore, cityscape tends to be monotonous due to
similarity (resemblances) in aesthetical values.

Secondly, apart from the stagnancy of the housing industry, the invention
(participation, involvement) of government in addressing the shortage of
accommodations may result in the prospect of budget deficiency. If governments
shoulder the responsibility for financing large-sized construction progarms, they
could run out of financial sources which are supposed to be diverted to other
social aspects. For this reason, in nations which the figures of authorities are in
tight budget and homelessness is high, the participation of private sectors is highly
recommended.

In conclusion, under no circumstances should states take the entire control over
housing fields. It not only entails (result in) the lack of architectural diversity but
also poses a huge financial burden to the national budget.

17 Topic 17: there are social medical and technical problems associated with the
harness of mobile phones. What form do these problems take? Do problem of
utilizing mobile phones outweigh the benefits?

In recent years, telecommunication device has become pervasive throughout the

globe as they have undeniable advantages such as strong connection, portability,
multifunction. Although state-of-the-art devices in general and cell phones, in
particular, play an instrument in our daily life. They are to bring problems which
can be seen from social medical and technological perspective.

Firstly, people should recognize that heavy users are susceptible to detrimental
health problems which are accumulative. In fact, anecdotal evidence shows that
users who spend long hours on cell phones are prone to insomnia (sleeplessness),
shortsightedness, sedentary lifestyle. In a long run, they are responsible for the
deterioration of users’ health. Furthermore, it is common that driving cars and
taking on the phones simultaneously puts drivers at higher risk of accidents,
victims are either injured or lost life. In simple term, such problems are dangerous
and lethal should be taken into grave consideration, albeit invisible or rare.

Secondly, they also exert social influences on both users and society. As a result
of addiction to mobile phones, users especially adolescents, teenagers, they spend
the vast majority of time on extra functions such as surfing the Internet or
 entertaining functions. In the dark side, interpersonal interaction and
communication is reduced, replaced by interaction in cyberspace. Consequently,
social isolation will emerge, posing threat to the unity of the community. In
addition to this, mobile phones have been prohibited under the law in many
nations, in a belief that they are the reason of unexpected disturbances. For
instance, speaking on the phone in public places is offensive, impolite and
forbidden in Western countries.

In conclusion, cell phones have merits that stand them in good stead; however, as
every garden has its weeds, cellphones also have drawbacks to be taken into
account.

18 Topic 18: do you agree that modern technology has given us more leisure
time than before?
Over the past decades, the progress of technology has become one of the most
growing trends throughout the globe. Nowadays, technology has set its foot in
every walk of life, it is undeniable that state-of-the-art technology is an integral
part of human life. Paradoxically, the more cutting-edge technology, the more
shrinking our leisure time.

Firstly, it is vital to recognize that modern citizens in contemporary societies give

the high commitment to non-compulsory activities. Albeit invisible, the pace of
life has increased more rapidly than before due to the fierce competition. For this
reason, those who are eager to learn or ambitious to sacrifice private life and give
devotion to education after working hours. The labor focused economy has
developed to the knowledge-based economy which gives high weight to
individuals (who have) having the mastery of knowledge and skills. Meanwhile,
the pool of human knowledge is accessible with just one click on at the button. In
order words, internet users are able to fulfill various tasks by letting their fingers
to do walking. For instance, it is common that internet users can take full
advantage of virtual classes or online courses to gain proficiency in skills. In
short, because of the concern of stagnancy, sophisticated devices are made
optimal use to help users to enrich knowledge, thereby, reducing their spare time.

Secondly, it is equally essential to recognize that modern citizens have

comprehensive demands for a living condition, commodities. To meet their
requirements, they have to work hard to obtain handsome income. It is not
surprising that many employees simultaneously work on double jobs or extra
shifts. Meanwhile, novel technology such as the computerization and
industrialization has been integrated into production or jobs to facilitate their
performance, which increases productivity. The more straightforward it is to
accomplish tasks, the more leisure time is occupied by tasks. More seriously,
telecommunication devices such as cell phones, laptops make workers under the
 immediate supervision of observers, which is at the expense of their free time.

In conclusion, although cutting-edge technologies have got more convenient to

users’ life, their contributions are that users are able to perform more smoothly,
not with less time. Heavy users capitalize the advantages of state-of-the-art
technology in order to learn and to cater their tasks as mentioned above.

19 Topic 19: Earlier technological developments brought more changes to the life of
ordinary people than recent technological developments do. To what extent do
you agree or disagree?

Over the past decades, one of the most conspicuous trends in the 21 st century is a
technological boom. Although it is clear that most social changes normally
coincide with technological advances, the issue as to whether the earlier
technologies made more changes than recent technologies or not remains
controversial. It is my opinion that the innovations based on earlier evolutions
gave more far-reaching influences.

First of all, it is important to recognize that the advent of the Internet has reshaped
human society significantly. Nowadays, with just one click on the button, Internet
users are able to access countless information sources, instead of spending hours
on shelves to search of books. In other words, online learning has contributed
greatly to the spread of education, helping users to broaden horizons actively,
easily. Meanwhile, most of earlier technologies benefited social sectors which
stressed the improvements of infrastructure only. For example, the invention of
automobile cannot hold a candle to the invention of cutting-edge public
transportations such as underground trains or unmanned buses. In short, despite
being turning points in human history, previous technologies hardly compared
with the recent technologies that are facilitators to every walk of life.

Secondly, lifestyles of ordinary people are subject to modification, albeit invisible.

In the past, it is common that most of the leisure times of workers were occupied
by doing chores, dull activities. In the present time, housework are done with the
assistance of the state-of-the-art technologies such as dishwashing machines, rice
cookers. As a result, the human has been freed from the burdens of daily family
responsibilities. Therefore, it is fair to say that the quality of life and independence
has been increased thanks to the revolution of technologies.

In conclusion, it is undeniable that earlier technologies are the breakthroughs, the

cutting-edge technologies nowadays make more differences than the previous did.
Not only does the Internet let their fingers do the walking but also other
technologies eliminate burdens as mentioned above.
20 Topic 20: It is said that the fast pace of our everyday life, as a direct result of
the rapid development of telecommunication technology and travel industry,
has negative effects on individuals, nations and the globe. To what extent do
you agree or disagree?

Over the past decades, science and technology has developed by leaps and bounds
with the inventions of cars, cell phones and other telecommunication devices.
Although modern technologies have undoubtedly facilitated our daily activities,
they are responsible for the acceleration of the fast pace of life.

First of all, it is important to recognize that the integration of novelty into works
has resulted in the disorder of worker life. Some may argue that home-working via
telecommunication devices such as computers, scanners can give quality to
employee’s life thanks to the absence of immediate supervisors. However,
anecdotal evidence shows that employees have to sacrifice private life to perform
tasks or reduce the amount of time for spare activities to meet the deadlines. In
short, state-of-the-art equipment have made workers more accessible to all times
to employers due to the strong connection of telecommunication networks.
Therefore, it is fair to say that technological advances have led to the more
stressful working environment with higher pressure on users.

Secondly, the advent of automobile has accumulatively increased the keen

competition in labour market. In the past, population’s mobility was restricted by
physical factors such as geographical distance. However, nowadays commuting
for long distance is no longer a barrier to people’s mobility thanks to the
mushrooming of different means of transportations such as private cars or public
trains which have the capability of conveying a huge number of passengers
simultaneously in short time. Notwithstanding their contribution to the increase of
users’ employability, it is a grave mistake to ignore their influences on the rat-race
among human resources. For example, citizens from outskirts have rushed to
major cities in search of work, intensifying the hustle and bustle life of citizens
living in metropolises.

In conclusion, cutting-edge technology, telecommunication and travel have

accelerated the pace of life. So strong is the connection between workers and
employers that the leisure time is now occupied by observation. Besides, higher
mobility has accompanied with higher competition in societies as mentioned
above.

21
22 Topic 22: Many people are optimistic about the 21st century and expect
scientists to make positive changes to the world. To what extent do you agree
or disagree with their optimism? What changes would you like to see in the
 new century?

There is little room for doubt that one of the most conspicuous trends in the 21 st
century is the mushrooming of technologies. Although many adopt a view that the
current living standard is satisfying enough, others believe that many problems
remain unsolved and scientists should take them into serious consideration.

Firstly, notwithstanding the contributions of technologies to industrialization,

economic developments are at the expense of environment. Nowadays, most
nations take the expansion of economic as a priority. They adopt the over-
exploitation of resources to meet the requirements for energy, virgin materials.
Albeit invisible, this practice is responsible for the deterioration of resources and
other snow-ball effects such as climate shift, global warming. Another factor that
has added fuel to fire is the shortage of environmentally friendly policies in some
countries. The combination of these factors has intensified the gravity of
environmental problems. In future, scientists should work to discover novel
technologies and alternative energy. Simultaneously, legislators should introduce
and implement eco-friendly policies seriously, strictly.

Secondly, many health problems should also be taken into account. In

contemporary society, sedentary lifestyle and inactivity has become increasingly
prevalent as the pervasion of the Internet and telecommunication devices. In
particular, Internet users can let their fingers do the walking, which accelerate the
heavy reliance on computers. As a result, users are susceptible to obesities,
diabetes, stroke, heart diseases due to the lack of physical (corporal) activities.
Furthermore, many diseases remain fatal (lethal). There have been known
effective treatment for cancers, HIV. In the years to come, scientists should
conduct more researchers on new therapies, new drugs.

In conclusion, not only do environmental problems but also health issues need
quick solutions. Despite better living conditions than before, mentioned facts
remain a serious headache that diverse more concentrations.

23 Topic 23: Many employees may work at home with modern technology. Some
people claim that it benefits only workers, but not employers. Do you agree
or disagree?
In recent years, science and technology has brought mushrooming development of
economics thanks to technological breakthroughs such as working at home on
telecommunication devices. Many adopt a view that this model only benefits
employees, not employers; however, to the best of my knowledge, this also brings
interests to business owners, albeit invisible.

Firstly, one of the main justifications is that the employers have huge
 opportunities of increasing profits margin by allowing workers to work at home.
In fact, the rich human capital has not been taken full advantages, on the ground
that many working places have difficulty in commuting between residential places
and working places. For instance, people who have disabilities or are in parental
leaves for childcare responsibilities, have been given low weight be recruiters
given that traveling to companies is a ceaseless headache. Therefore, working at
home is an every inch solution to this problem, which is beneficial, crucial in the
capitalization on human resource, the reduction of administrative cost and the
maximization of profits.

Secondly, it is equally essential to acknowledge that the productivity and

efficiency are boosted by working at home. In fact, it is common that the
immediate observation of supervisors in firms and factories usually makes
employees stressful, uncomfortable, discouraging them from devoting to jobs. In
stark contrast, working at home is an every inch solution. People can have a cake
and eat it too not only does it accomplish the same amount of tasks but also brings
employees opportunities of self-scheduling to have the right balance between
work and rest. (Although it is intangible)/ Intangible as it is this benefit play an
instrument in increasing job-satisfaction and commitment to companies.

In conclusion, as every coin has two sides, home-working also has some
drawbacks such as the challenge in managing employees’ performance, the barrier
in maintaining team spirit, team building. However, as indicated above, home-
working has many benefits that overweigh the drawbacks.

24
25 Topic 25: Many people think that public libraries should only provide books
and should not waste their money on expensive hi-tech media, such as
software, DVDs or videos. Do you agree or disagree?

One of the most conspicuous trends in the 21 st century is the modernization in

every walk of life. Although public libraries are well-known for collecting,
managing and providing access to books in different categories, some adopt a
view that figures of authorities should take into account the importance of
integrating hi-tech equipment into libraries. I am of an opinion that
notwithstanding, expensive costs, the investment is believed to result in promising
outcomes.

First of all, it is important to recognize that computers and the Internet can let our
fingers do the walking. In the past, library users spent many hours to search for
their desired books on shelves. In some cases, due to the limited ability, libraries
do not meet their demands for books. Nowadays, with central networks which
connect different libraries in a nation or all over the globe, users can have
information about books easily, effortlessly. For instance, it is common that the
titles, author information, date of establishment or summaries are now available
online, facilitating users to broaden their horizons. In other words, the efficiency
and productivity of learning are increased dramatically by computerization of
public libraries.

Secondly, albeit invisible, e-books have gained currency globally for the
following reasons. Not only do them provide readers more enjoying experiences
in reading but also require lower prices. For example, it is not surprised to know
that even users who have the tight budget are able to harness e-books and
expensive new functions such as adjusting font size, character styles or screen
contract. Furthermore, when it comes to insights or professional knowledge,
learners usually have difficulties to fully understand the abstract knowledge, novel
definitions. However, e-books are capable of demonstrating conceptions vividly
by pictures, movies, which gives learners the comprehension of subjects. In short,
e-books and e-libraries will sooner or later take the place of paper books and
traditional libraries.

In conclusion, despite the expensive costs, the integration of digital media such as
DVDs, software into libraries will pay off in future foreseeably. Simultaneously,
e-libraries outperform conventional libraries in both managing books and
increasing the effectiveness of reading as outlined earlier.

In recent years, national budget has been increasingly distributed to social aspects
such as hospitals, schools, libraries. Many adopt a view that the figures of
authorities should only place emphasis on providing books and should not spend
the low budget on the integration of modern technologies into libraries; however,
to the best of my knowledge, the modernization and computerization is an
evitable, unavoidable trend.

Firstly, the main justification is that the investment will be the paid-off increasing
efficiency of managing books. Nowadays, it is common that libraries throughout a
country or around the world are connected to each other, increasing the rich of
book sources. Albeit invisible, this central network plays an instrument in helping
students, library users to broaden horizons more easily. On the ground that, it
enables users to locate a book with just one click at the button, rather than
spending long hours on searching on shelves. Information about books such as
date of publishment, authors, tiltes or summaries is recalled by the online system
which is straightforwardly accessible. In other words, e-libraries contribute greatly
to the spread of education.
 Secondly, e-books have gained currency in modern societies, accelerating the
pervasiveness of e-libraries in foreseeable future. Not only do e-books provide
users knowledge and information but also offer appealing experiences. There is
growing number of readers who prefer e-libraries to conventional libraries as that
they are able to adjust font, size, style of characters, which is impossible to paper
books. Besides, the comprehension and understanding insights into majors is
easier thanks to the vivid demonstration via pictures, videos.

In conclusion, although the integration of cutting-edge technologies, high tech

products into libraries is expensive, replacing the traditional role of physical
libraries, they perform well in giving a helping hand to readers in accessing the
pool of knowledge.

26 Topic 26: It seems that with the increase in the use of mobile phones and
computers, fewer people prefer to write letters. Will the skill of writing
disappear completely?

Over the past decades, technology has set its foot in every walk of life. Nowadays,
personal devices such as mobile phones, computers are so quite pervasive that
they are integral to daily activities. Many hold the belief that state-of-the-art
devices in foreseeable will replace tradition skills such as writing letters. In my
opinion, although it is the inevitable trend, writing skill is not going to be taken
over by emails or text messages.

First of all, it is important to recognize that all forms of writing require same
techniques, despite the differences in means of communication. It is clear that
successfully written correspondence always comprises a set of the accuracy,
clarity of vocabulary, punctuation, whether it takes the form of writing letters or
sending emails. Likewise, email senders or letter writers are expected to comply
with the criteria such as grammar, tone, and wording so as to convey contents
most correctly without potential misunderstanding. Under no circumstances
should senders or writers afford themselves to make misinterpretation which may
trigger unpredictable consequences. In other words, all kinds of writings demand
the obeyance to same standards, remaining the skill of writing.

Secondly, under circumstances, writing communication has emotional

components, requiring writers to consider feelings of intended readers. For
instance, to express respect to other and appreciation to readers, it is
recommended to spend time on writing wedding invitations by hand. Similar,
handwriting has the high presence in some living contexts, especially, the
university which requires students to be proficiency in harnessing languages
properly in representing their ideas in thesis or assignments. More often than not
do they utilize short handing to jot down the keyword, which has been proven to
 be more effective in memorizing lectures than typing on the keyboard.

In conclusion, although emails and personal telecommunication gadgets have

become increasingly prevalent in a digital era, writing skills will remain
unchanged. Given that it will develop in a new form with same criteria and it is
compulsory in some cases as mentioned above.

27 Topic 27: Some people think that radio has become out of date, and there is
no need to listen to the radio for entertainment and news. Do you agree or
disagree?

In recent years, science and technology has made breakthroughs in every walk of
life with the invention of state-of-the-art devices. Nowadays, there is a decreasing
number of people harnessing radios. Some adopt a pessimism the radio will yield
to other personal devices; however, to the best of my knowledge, some facts
should be taken into consideration.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that the mobility of population has been

accelerated with the boom of the car industry. In fact, it is common that the vast
majority of individuals own personal cars, serving their daily commuting demand.
Meanwhile, car manufacturers usually install radios in cars, automobiles as
entertaining devices. Given that it is reasonable to hold a prospect that radios
would not become obsolete in foreseeable future when drivers take full
advantages of their leisure time to gain the latest information by listening to the
radios. In other words, cars have gained currency, the pervasiveness and
prevalence of radios will continue accompanying with the exposure of car
industry.

Secondly, notwithstanding the overt advantages of other means of media of strong

connection, radios have a good characteristic that should be taken into account.
Radio broadcasting is free of charge in comparison with the higher expenditure of
watching TV or surfing the Internet. Furthermore, the portability of radios is
another strong point that other terminals can never hold a candle to. For instance,
on the occasion of extreme weather conditions, those who are living in rural areas
may have difficulty in subscribing newly issued periodically listening to the radio
to have precise information is an every inch solution. Not only does it provide
latest knowledge but also brings convenience and comfort with the affordability.

In conclusion, although other means of media have been mushrooming. It is not to

say the radio will be taken over and replaced. On the ground that they are the
integral piece of equipment integrated into cars, along with the low cost of
listening to the radio.
28 Topic 28: People in many countries do not put on their traditional customs.
Some argue that would forget their history and tradition. Do you agree or
disagree?

Not surprisingly, traditional clothes which are unique to a country or a region are
less frequently put on by modern people, especially city dwellers. It is my opinion
that although it is invisible, the development of this phenomenon will bring many
problems that should be taken into grave consideration.

First of all, it is important to recognize that traditional customs play a significant

role in cultural preservation. In fact, globalization has been promoted over the past
decades to boost the multilateral exchange between nations. Notwithstanding
economic achievements, it is at the cost of cultural heritage, local norms that have
been handed down from previous generations to the currency. A good case at this
point is the trend of Americanization in the minority nations where the invasion of
exotic culture has increased, accelerating the erosion of national culture. For this
reason, one of the most considerable challenges to nations is to simultaneously
enhance cultural exchange and conserve their own culture. Integral elements o a
culture such as traditional customs, if they are abandoned, it will result in the
demise of patriotism, nationalism.

Secondly, conventional clothes are crucial on many social occasions. Despite

being unwritten rules, dressing traditional clothes is generally compulsory in
sacred rituals, for example, wedding ceremony, in which both wedding couples
and guests are expected to put on traditional dresses to represent solidarity, unity
to one. Furthermore, their high presence in complementary to the accomplishment
of social events. Given that they are distinguishing from everyday clothes due to
distinct characteristics when Western clothes are put on in cases of business
activities or daily activities, traditional dresses are specially designed for the sense
of eternity, solemnity.

In conclusion, traditional customs contribute gravely to cultural protection from

the wave of invading cultures. Besides, it is mandatory for the rules of thumbs in
some cultures.

29 Topic 29: People think that old buildings should be knocked down and give
away to the new buildings. Do you agree or disagree? How important are old
buildings to us?

One of the most conspicuous trends in the 21 st century is the urbanization and
modernization if cities all over the globe. To meet the requirements for urban
sprawl, it is suggested that city planners should demolish old buildings and
replace them by a new one. However, in my opinion, under different
 circumstances, legislators should take different considerations of old buildings.

On the one hand, ancient buildings which possess archaeological, architectural,

aesthetic should be maintained rather than being destructed. It is common that due
to unique values that are hardly found elsewhere. Many old buildings are integral,
crucial to local cultures or symbol of cities or countries they are located. For this
reason, the demolition of old buildings will pose a threat to the preservation of
traditional heritage. A good case for this point is Paris which has paid great efforts
to conserve old buildings, palaces for their aesthetic values. In short, old buildings
falling to this category provide more value than any new building does.

On the other hand, pulling down old buildings is acceptable, understandable in

some contexts. Notwithstanding, the monotony to the cityscape, new buildings
can address accommodation shortage which is the biggest headache in
metropolises. In vertical cities, skyscrapers and blocks of the apartment have a
problem of excessive uniformity in style, which brings boringness to cities. Yet,
this problem cannot hold a candle to the gravity of housing shortage and its snow-
ball effects such as social disorder, decelerating safety. Therefore, if cites have
confronted with the lack of shelters, the maintenance of old buildings should not
be given higher weight than accommodating city dwellers.

In conclusion, many old buildings are so unique (so unique are many old
buildings)that new buildings cannot perform the same functions. Nevertheless,
housing insufficiency and subsequent consequences should be taken as the top
priority to lawmakers.

30
31 Topic 31: It is more important for a building to serve its purposes than t look
beautiful. Architects do not need to worry about whether it is a real work of
art. Do you agree or disagree?

In recent years, ling conditions have been improved significantly in many parts of
the world. Nowadays, people have increasing comprehensive requirements on
commodities, including buildings. Many adopt a view that aesthetical values are
not essential when it comes to constructions; however, to the best of my
knowledge, visual qualities are integral, crucial in modern lifestyle.

First of all, it is important to recognize that aesthetical values can cater the tastes
of users in modern societies where their citizens set high standards for goods. It is
common that users have given high weight to factors such as ornamentation,
furnishing, and facilities, their interests are no longer limited by ordinary
functions such as durability, safety, or space. For this reason, the integration of
decorative details into buildings has gained currency in developed countries. In
 simple terms, a pedestrian – looking building should possess the charm of
decoration that meets the demands of users and the public.

Secondly, not only do they increase the marketability of construction but also
prevent monotony in the cityscape. Anecdotal evidence shows that the vast
majority of well-known destinations have tourist attractions, historical sites, that
are of the design of rarity, originality. For instance, many ancient buildings have
become symbolic of local cities, regions where they are located. In other words,
buildings should be designed to distinguish themselves from surrounding, with
aims at adding values to them and minimizing the uniformity in the cityscape.
City planners should be taken into account the importance of visual qualities,
albeit lightly noticeable.

In conclusion, the overpopulation and baby boomer remains a headache in

metropolises, accelerating the homelessness, cities falling in this problem,
accommodating shelters is a priority. Under no circumstances, aesthetical values
are equally essential to other functions.

32
33 Topic 33: Some tend to work longer hours nowadays. Working long hours
has a negative effect on themselves, their families and the societies, so
working hours should be restricted. Do you agree or disagree?

One of the most conspicuous trends in the 21st century is the evolution of
employee’s benefits. Although employers can enjoy great benefits such as taking
full advantages of human sources at lower costs, the expansion of working hours
has been the center of the criticism for problems that job holders experience.

Firstly, employees who work for extra shifts sacrifice their private life for work.
Albeit invisible, spending most of the adulthood in working places has
destructive, negative impacts on their social life. For instance, it is less likely to
busy workers to maintain social relations as well as the solidarity of family
relation. It is not surprising that many family breakdowns have resulted from the
devotion to work. Furthermore, high commitment to work is responsible for main
psychological problems among those who are workaholic or working long hours
in the long period of time. Good examples are social isolation, the feeling of
depression. In some cases, workers are susceptible to frustration or doubt on their
efforts when they do not meet the requirements or miss the deadlines.

Secondly, it is equally to recognize that long working hours have accumulative

impacts on commercial institutes and the nations as a whole. Notwithstanding the
potential of maximizing profits from limited sources, employees are prone to be
less productive in the long run, due to high risk of injuries or diseases from the
 stressful working environment. Another persistent problem is absenteeism which
is prevalent among those who have to work long hours. Therefore, the efficiency
of work outputs is likely to decrease, which is harmful to businesses. To a large
extent, it has chronic effects on macroeconomic performances. When less
vacancies available in labour market, unemployment rates are going to increase,
impeding the optimization of human sources.

In conclusion, under no circumstances should working long hours be acceptable.

It not only leads to low productivity but also does more harm than good to
employers and the societies.

34 Topic 34: What is the difference between traditional food and fast food?

Over the past few decades, our life has changed significantly, including people’s
eating habits. Nowadays, most modern citizens play favour with fast foods.
However, some studies have indicated potentially adverse influences on
consumer’s health. In the following essay, the differences between traditional food
and fast food will be discussed.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that they are distinguishable from each other
mainly by ingredients and cuisine. In fact, the vast majority of prepared foods are
high in salt, fat, sugar, meat such as chicken, beef. The over-consumption of junk
food may result in grave health concerns like obesity, over-weight, heart diseases.
In stark contrast, traditional meals are diversified, varying due to regions and
usually healthy. For instance, in coastal areas, the inhabitants take full advantages
of local ingredients to make their dishes various, sound. A good case in this point
is Japanese cuisine in which Japanese eat raw fishes, octopus, and other seafoods.
Indeed, they enjoy high longevity mainly thanks to this healthy convention habits.
Meanwhile, processed foods do not differ dramatically throughout the globe.

Secondly, another distinction is that traditional foods are of social, cultural

meanings. Convenient as they are, fast foods are processed for time-minded
consumers who have the fast pace of life. They are used in daily life, eating in
offices, on streets and are more often than not displayed on occasion such as
family reunion, friend gathering. Whereas, traditional dishes are prepared for
special purposes, social meanings like showing love, earning respects, favour.
Spending time to cook a traditional meal is regarded as an act of love.

In conclusion, although junk foods are affordable, convenient, time-saving they

hardly replace traditional meals in special cases. Furthermore, intensive
consumption of processed food may entail health costs as mentioned above.

35 Topic 35: As most people spend a major part of adult life at the place of
 work, job satisfaction is an essential part of individual well-being. What are
the factors that contribute to job satisfaction? Are all the expectations for job
satisfaction realistic?

There is no room for doubt that job satisfaction is pivotal to employees who spend
most of their adulthood in working places. In the following essay, factors that
contribute to the degree of pleasure to jobs will be discussed.

First of all, employees always have comprehensive demands for jobs. Not only are
jobs expective to bring positive self-image but also handsome incomes. In fact,
when evaluating whether o job is desirable or not, applicants usually pay much
more attention to extrinsic factors such as high income, housing subsidies, paid
holiday, free health care services. Besides, they (more often than not) always take
into account the opportunities for promotion in new working environments.
Secondly, intrinsic factors are equally important to job satisfaction. Although it is
generally invisible, optimism or positive on the adversity, hardship, challenges
help employees significantly to overcome difficulties in jobs, thereby having
satisfaction.

Notwithstanding, the high expectation among job holders, not all expectations are
foreaseeable. The higher expectation, the higher frustration if one of the objectives
is missed, which undermines job satisfaction. For instance, although job holders
have high commitment and dedication to jobs, only those who are the best
performers are rewarded, having complement from supervisors. In other words,
the high competition in companies among counterparts reduces the likelihood of
gaining all the targets set by workers. Furthermore, the fierce competition in
labour market in which countless candidates are in the same race for a single
position is another reason that accounts for the high sense of depression, rather
than satisfaction.

In conclusion, huge tangible benefits and optimism play a large point (part) to job
satisfaction. However, in reality under no circumstances are all of them
achievable.

36 Topic 36: Some think that changing jobs periodically is good. What is your
opinion?

In recent years, labour market has undergone unprecedented changes such as

giving higher weight to highly skills employees and increasing of job-hoping.
Although many adopt a view that job-hopping is to bring problems including the
suspects on loyalty, persistence by employers or time-consuming adjustment to
new environment, it is my opinion that changing jobs is inevitable (inescapable),
valuable in this ever-changing world.
First of all, it is important to recognize that job-hoppers are of golden
opportunities to broaden horizons, as an old saying indicates “travel makes a
man”. In fact, it is common that many working people do not have room to
capitalize their inborn merits due to the limited scope of work; thereby having no
hands-on, new experiences. In contrast, this target is achievable by switching to a
new job which is more challenging, interesting, therefore, to the vast majority of
job-holders who wish for promising job prospect usually leave current jobs for
brighter future. A good case in this point is company cultures in Western societies
in which changing job is pervasive given that it provides the possibility of having
a higher position in career ladders.

Secondly, albeit invisible, the competition in some industries is extremely keen. In

other words, the stable development is invulnerable, especially the area of
technology which is ever-developing. Staying at the same job is not recommended
in a belief that competitors can take over their company in future. For this reason,
not only do job-hoppers have chances to gain new insights, handsome incomes but
also have continued employment. A good story for this is the depletion of a
former heading of cellphone producer Nokia, resulting in unemployment of
thousand workers, which is predictable by changing to new jobs before the
emergence of competitors.

In conclusion, notwithstanding some disadvantages, job-hopping can bring

tremendous benefits. Job-hoppers can have a cake and eat it too, particularly,
having continued employment and more promising future such as promotion and
new knowledge.

Nowadays, job-hopping has become increasingly pervasive in labour market.

Although it has long been a center criticized, it is believed that changing jobs is
reasonable, inescapable in our fast changing world.

First of all, it is clear that the top priority for the vast majority of workers is a
promotion or gaining new skills. Therefore, in many cases, working holders leave
their current jobs for new jobs given that they hardly have the higher position in
the old jobs; meanwhile, new jobs usually associate with new challenges, new
opportunities to climb their career ladders. Likewise, as the saying goes “travel
makes a man”, job-hoppers are likely to broaden horizons more easily in new
jobs. They are highly recommended to change jobs if present jobs do not allow the
optimization of their capabilities, their talents. In other words, job-hoppers have
more room for career development.

Secondly, the contemporary society is ever-changing in every walk of life. For

 this reason, those who are working in fast changing environment should take
initiative to have job security. For instance, information technology is one of the
quickest developing industries in today world, newly marked companies take over
the seniors is not a rare scene. Engineers who are contented, satisfied with current
employment are vulnerable to market changes. That is to say, changing jobs
guarantee continued employment to job-hoppers. A good case at this point is
America, in which whole life employment is not valued by workers, on the ground
that American economy has developed dramatically, unpredictedly.

In conclusion, in the era of the fast pace of life, changing jobs periodically is
beneficial. Although many think that it does more harm than good, it provides job-
holders life-transforming opportunities and safeguards against joblessness.

37 Topic 37: What are the factors that trigger stress and how to address stress?

Although living conditions have been improved significantly, modern citizens

have confronted with more psychological problems than before. Evidence behind
this phenomenon is inconclusive, possible reasons and appropriate solutions to
them will be discussed in the following essay.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that modern society is characterized by the rat-

race and the fast pace of life. The keen competition has been intensified in every
walk of life. For this reason, those who do not want to fall behind others or be
inferior to peers give devotion and dedication to work. Notwithstanding the
maximization of success, they have to sacrifice private life, leisure time.
Secondly, besides external factors, the internal factor which is personality is
another stressor. High expectations are usually associated with frustration. The
lack of stress management skill makes depression worse.

To prevent stress, it is necessary to have the comprehension of personal strengths

and weaknesses. Workers should learn to set career targets with prerequisite
objectives which should be suitable to their inborn merits, traits. Furthermore, in
search of achievements, participants in the race should learn how to set priorities.
As the saying goes “Jack of all trades, master of none”, concentration and
specialization is the recipe of success. In short, soft skills such as analytical skill,
crisis solving skill play an instrumental in preventing and handling stress.

In conclusion, at the heart of the matter, not only do objective elements but also
subjective elements account for stress among modern dwellers. Solutions to stress
require proactive practices from individuals as outlined earlier.
 In recent years, living conditions have been improved, thereby increasing the
quality of material life; however, psychological problem appears to be persistent.
Although stress has become an area of focus to the general public, the sources of
stress remain controversial. In the following essay, stressors and appropriate
solutions to deal with it will be discussed.

Firstly, albeit invisible, personality plays a significant role in solving stress.

Anecdotal evidence shows that people are distinguishing from each other on the
ground of various traits, varied skills. For example, it is common that many
people who have a sense of humor and cheerful disposition are not susceptible to
the feeling of depression when encountering with adversities. Besides, another
reason which is responsible for stress is high ambition. As an old saying indicates
“Jack of all trades, master of none”, the simultaneous pursuit of many targets
usually result in frustration. In order words, the main trigger for stress is attributed
to personal characteristics.

To address stress, it is important to its root cause. At the heart of the matter is the
grave lack of skills to handle unexpected problems. In particular, it is
recommended that people should practice to block out worries and perceive things
positively. In other words, rather than considering a problem as a threat, people
should take it as a challenge which can make them more understanding, more
confident. In addition to this, the comprehension of personal capabilities and
understanding personal strengths, weaknesses is another method to prevent stress.
Only when one sets targets available, achievable, will they be satisfied, happy
with outcomes.

In conclusion, notwithstanding inconclusive evidence, it is observed that personal

traits are the main sources of stress. High expectations and absence of stress
management skills are the main stressors. Solutions to this need the
comprehension of individual merits and exercises to get used to problems.

38 Topic 38: Fashion is difficult to follow and some argue that we should not
follow it. They think that we should dress what we like and feel comfortable.
Do you agree or disagree?

In recent years, fashion has been given higher weight by the general public. There
is a growing trend in the following fashion. Although many adopt a view that
fashionable clothes are (at odds with) against the traditional function of clothing
which is protecting the wearer from extreme weather, it is my opinion that
following fashion is reasonable, acceptable in modern society.

First of all, it is important to recognize that individualism has gained currency in

developed countries, it comes as no surprise that the personal style and the
 expression of personal identity are considered as the top priority when it comes to
dressing clothes. Nowadays, it is common that the vast majority of people,
especially youngers, translate the self-esteem, personal taste, like, dislike into
fashion style, according to their life principles. The new style in fashion has a high
presence in societies which has legal protection to individual freedom in all
aspects of life, including their choice of fashion. In other words, individual liberty
and the pervasiveness of individualism are the main justification for the fact that
people can follow the latest fads in fashion.

Secondly, apart from personal reasons, social purposes should be taken into
account. Anecdotal evidence shows that when being members of groups or
communities people should show the solidarity, unity with others by external
items, for example, uniforms, dress code. Similarly, the pursuit of fashion, stylish
clothes is pervasive among people who have gradual communication,
interpersonal interaction, on the ground that they have to earn other’s favour. As
an old saying indicates “the tailor makes a man”, people are recommended to put
on clothes which make them accepted recognized to prevent the feeling of being
like “a fish out of water” and have convenience on social occasions. In other
words, putting on fashionable clothes according to depends on different
circumstances could be taken as one of the professional etiquettes.

In conclusion, dressing stylish clothes may be against conventional virtues in

some countries; however, it is essential to pay much more attention to the ever-
changing of society, those who fall in chasing new fads (do not keep up with) may
fall behind their peers. Besides, personal liberty should be taken into grave
consideration.

39 Topic 39: Discuss the reason why people define happiness differently and
how to obtain happiness?

In recent years, the quality of life has been given high a weight to the general
public. Nowadays, people pay much more attention to happiness which adds value
to living condition. At the heart of the factor is distinguishing conception toward
the nature happiness (which is) taken by different people. In the following essay,
subjective and objective factors will be discussed to justify this distinction.

First of all, personal characteristics are the main reason responsible for this
difference. In fact, anecdotal evidence shows that although it is invisible, aging
exerts a profound impact on attitude, ability, and concerns. As a result, objectives,
and interests are different from one individual to others. For instance, it is
common that youngers get a kick out of the latest trends such as fashionable
clothes, state-of-the-art technologies which are waste of time and money to senior
people. In other words, different traits, different ages, give people varying
 perception of interests and happiness.

Secondly, cultural, environmental factors are equally important. As a saying goes

“the apple falls not far from the tree”, members of society are exposed to strong
impact derived from local cultures, traditions. A good case of this point is the
contrasting view of lifestyle between Asian culture and Western cultures.
Meanwhile, the former weighs the solidarity, mutual support, extended family in
each home, the latter prefers individualism, personal freedom, private public. In
simple terms, living environment also causes contributing to the formation of
definition of happiness in people, albeit invisible.

In order to obtain happiness, people should first learn how to set priority. Besides,
giving different weight to a different target is the key to success and happiness.
For instance, many people sacrifice everything in ceaseless of wealth given that
good material life is the core value in their life, spending less precious quality
time on recreational activities. Furthermore, having the comprehensive
understanding of personal capability is another factor that guarantees prospective
success.

In conclusion, personal identities and environment are the main elements that
account for distinguishing views of happiness, only when people have the firm
grasp of their capabilities, can they have happiness.

40
41
42 Topic 42: Creative artists should be given freedom to express their ideas
through works, pictures, music or films. Some nevertheless think that the
government should restrict artists’ freedom of expression. To what extent do
you agree or disagree?

When it comes to art, the core factor is the creativity of artist. Therefore, to spice
up life or serve community, the artists are usually given full freedom to express
their views through various means in different forms such as film, picture, or
music. However, due to their profound influence on the community, many adopt a
view that the watchdogs should implement censorship seriously, strictly. I am of
mixed opinions on this.

On the one hand, people should recognize that expression equality is the principle
of modern society. People from every walk of life should be treated equally under
the law. For this reason, the creativity and performance of artist will be restricted
when censorship may result in prosecution. Meanwhile, artworks play an
instrumental role in addressing many social issues. In particular, artists are able to
draw attention to the public about a specific problem such as social chaos, high
 crime rate or pollution. Albeit invisible, distribution to tackling anarchy should be
recognized. In simple terms, the art of works have enhanced, improved living
condition in different extents through their creativities, thus their liberty, freedom
of speech should be protected to a high degree.

On the other hand, lawmakers should take into account that the artists are
destructive powers that can ruin harmony and promote disorder. In fact, it has
been recognized that conflicting contents such as racial elements, religious factors
can provoke controversies or further protests. Notwithstanding their rarity of such
problem, legislators should take proactive action to talk out of dire consequences.
The lesson from the past is the protest in Denmark which is resulted from the
publishing of twelve editorial cartoons that depicted as Islamic prophet. This sets
a good sample that art of works provide the recreational values to certain fans but
objectionable contents to some groups. Hence, censorship is necessary to block
unexpected problem.

In conclusion, it is dilemma situation the issue as to whether the figures of

authorities should retrain the speech of artists. To the best of my knowledge, the
provided that their contents do not impart ethical element, religious factors, they
are acceptable.

43 Topic 43: The advance of science and technology has a significant impact on
people, but the role of artists is also essential, such as musicians, painters, and
writers. What can the arts tell us about life that science cannot?

One of the most conspicuous trends in the 21 st century is the mushroom

development if science and technology. Nowadays, technology has set ist foot in
every walk of life, contributing to the improvement of living conditions and living
standards. Technological devices are so pivotal to human life that (so pivotal are
technological devices that) many people give low weight to the art. To the best of
my knowledge, it is a premature opinion, the art can impart, satisfy views with
some functions that science cannot.

First of all, it is important to recognize that scientific development has to comply

with established theories in the pursuit of accuracy. In fact, it is common that
scientists usually have painstaking efforts in conducting experiments to have
precise information, disclose all facts or uncovered all the sites if issue by sticking
to principles, in most cases, their efforts are not immediately paid-off. This is
reasonable. Because the discovery of mechanism, operation system or nature of
existing, undiscovered things is time-consuming. By comparison, the production
of work of arts does not necessarily obey patterns and not require certain time
given that (because) it has the heavy reliance on subjective factors such as
 personal identities, creactivities (reactivities), individualities, not objective factors
like science does.

Secondly, another distinction between the arts and science lies in their
contribution. It is clear that different people who are from a different cultural
background, ethnic groups have dissimilar interests. For this reason, artworks
usually do not hit the headline or draw attention as widely as scientific
breakthroughs do. In other words, their entertainment values are influential to only
specific groups which have same interests, while others who are not fans of arts,
are indifferent, desensitized to their values. Therefore, one can conclude that the
main function of the arts is to meet the requirement or cater the taste of special
viewers. By contrast, scientific achievements benefit human-race as a whole,
regardless of their ethnicity, nationality. A good case of this point is the advent of
the Internet which assists global users to broaden horizons without the
categorization of users.

In conclusion, while the arts and their works present human thoughts, ideas,
exaggeration, imagination and could be neither right nor wrong, science works
obey accuracy. Besides, classification is another characteristic of the arts that
science does not.

44 Topic 44: The government should control the amount of violence in films and
on televisions so as to control violent crimes in society. To what extent do you
agree or disagree with this action?

One of the most conspicuous trends in the 21st century is the rapid development
of media. Although media products have brought psychological rewards, they are
criticized every now and then for some problems such as the link between
violence in films and on televisions and violence in society. In my opinion, the
watchdogs should impose censorship on media products so as to curb violent
crimes.

First of all, it is important to recognize that the storylines or media contents bear
profound influences on viewers. Especially fans or young viewers who have low
consciousness or are at tender ages hardly have a clear-cut distinction between
acceptable and accused behavior. Therefore, it is common that some audiences
imitate their role models in a misguided belief that their imitation can reap
applause from others as their role models do. However, exaggerated contents on
media are usually law-offending in reality. For example, action movies made by
Hollywood producer often promote heroism and individualism to viewers,
conveying a notion that individuals should pursue desired targets persistently
regardless of potential consequences to others. In short, the repeated exposure to
inappropriate contents can intangibly mould peoples’ thoughts, this should be
nipped in bud by strict censorship.

Secondly, it is equally essential to recognize that some kinds of media products

also exert marked influence on viewers. In fact, war documentaries and crime
reports function as free courses from which potential criminals can easily learn
skills necessary to break the laws or commit crimes. Given that to have high
viewing rate, producers present the whole procedure of bank robbery, shoplifting,
burglary or mass murdering without editing. Not surprisingly, some potential
criminals consider such programs as incentives which encourage them to take
similar paths to success and avoid dead-ends effortlessly. In addition,
notwithstanding the goodwill of producers to warn the public of crimes, crime
reports and war documentaries can express skills to prospective (potential)
criminals.

In conclusion, albeit invisible, televisions and films are among media that can
change people’s behavior. The government should, therefore, take proactive
actions to protect viewers from the victimization of media products.

In recent years, the audiences have a growing appetite for media products,
resulting in the prevalence of films and televisions. Although films and televisions
have catered the taste of public by recreational products, the issue as to whether
they exert a negative influence on viewers remains controversial. To the best of
my knowledge, people’s thoughts and behavior could be changed or moulded due
to the following reasons.

Firstly, the main justification is that media products usually take full advantages
of freedom of speech to draw the attention of audiences aiming at high viewing
rate. Under few circumstances, they impart messages regardless of inappropriate
contents. A telling story is the mushrooming action movie industry which
produces entertainment movie. Albeit invisible, violent films are responsible for
the wide currency of heroism and individualism among teenagers. As a result of
considering heroes in films as a role model, adolescents who are at vulnerable and
tender ages are prone to imitate idols in a misguided belief that their imitation will
reap applause from others. For this reason, watchdogs should take proactive
practices to prevent such problems from occurring. The censorship pf media
product is highly recommended.

Secondly, it is equally essential to recognize that media products consciously

disseminate information in most cases. The messages that have delivered either
beneficial or harmful. A good case at this point is crime reports. Notwithstanding
good intention of raising awareness about grave crimes, the presentation of the
whole procedure of law-offending practices is free courses from which
 prospective criminals can learn skills to commit crimes. Under no circumstances
should the figures of authorities underestimate this problem. Therefore, the restrict
over contents of media products before broadcasting is an every inch solution.

In conclusion, the graveness and gravity of the line between violence in film and
in society is evident. Law-makers are advised to impose tough censorship on them
to keep teenagers away from exaggerated role models and avoid prospective
criminals from free courses.

45
46 Topic 46: We can get knowledge from the news, but some think we cannot
trust journalists. What do you think? What qualities do you think a
successful journalist should have?

In recent years, the media industry has been mushrooming thanks to the growing
appetite for contents in every walk of life. In other words, audiences have given
higher weight to the news. However, the issue as to whether the public should
give the creditability to journalists or not remains unclear. To the best of my
knowledge, reporters usually distorted information for following reasons.

Firstly, the main justification is that class distinction and hierarchy has become
popular, albeit invisible, nowadays the audiences who are of low literacy or from
lower class have a clear preference to news about entertainment, celebrities or
oddity. Therefore, it is reasonable, understandable that tabloids have gained
currency in modern societies to cater the taste of this group. Although tabloids are
entertaining, readers should not give reliability to this sort of journalism, on the
ground that journalists can go so far or cross the line to have high viewing rates.
For instance, it is common that tabloids fabricate news, spread rumors,
exaggerated information to grab the headline of the general public. In simple
terms, the plethora of information is becoming problematic, which should be
given grave consideration of the public.

Secondly, political, commercial pressure should be taken into account. When it

comes to the dependability of journalists, unnoticeable as it is to the general
public, many news organizations are misleading the population under the entire
control of powerful political parties. Journalists usually introduce bias against
persons and associations which threaten dominating parties. To be more specific,
the subjectivity and personal opinion have the high presence in news related to
politics or privilege/prerogative of parties. For this reason, journalists do not have
creditability of readers in many cases.

In conclusion, the public should pay grave attention to writings because that they
 (more often than not) always disseminate that guide public opinions. Furthermore,
another reason that adds fuel to the fire is the useless contents on tabloids as
mentioned above.

47
48 Topic 48: There are many advertisements directed at children. Parents argue
that kids are misled, while advertisers consider ads a source of useful
information. What is your opinion?

Over the past decades, commercials have gained currency than ever before,
prividing the public useful information sources about products and services.
However, they are criticized every now and them for misleading information,
unjustified buying decision in viewers especially children. It is my opinion that
advertisements bear profound impacts on children, that should be taken into
account.

First of all, it is important to recognize that children are more sensitive to the new
trend than adults who are more concerned about prices. Ads have realized life this
mindset and associate good services with fashionable lifestyles, hot trends that are
appealing to children. For example, it is common that kids follow the public and
be susceptible to peer. In other words, advertisements often stress the
pervasiveness of products which are attractive to younger. Given viewers a
message that the possession of advertised products can help buyers to reap the
applause are stand-out of others. Otherwise, they are stagnated or inferior to peers.

Secondly, it is equally essential to recognize that exaggeration characteristic of the

commercial. In fact, advertisers usually overstate the attributes of products to win
over viewers while downplaying or ignoring the side effects or prospective hazard
effects. Those who are the emotion or have limited knowledge carelessly, spend
money or advertised products. For instance, kids hardly comprehend fully the
messages with limited literacy skills. Nor do they pay attention to small print
leading to buying decision of products that are not as good as mentioned in
commercials.

In conclusion, although ads provide useful information to consumers, those who

aim at children more often than not disseminate information intendedly to earn the
favour from children more easily as mentioned above.

49 Topic 49: Do the positive effects outweigh negative effects when advertising
gain in popularity?
In recent years, the mass media industry has been mushrooming in modern
societies. Thanks to this rapid development, commercials have gained currency in
communities. Many adopt a view that the promotion of products through
marketing campaigns is exerting negative influence; however, to the best of my
knowledge as every garden has its weeds, the pervasiveness of advertising also
has pitfalls. They will never overshadow benefits (they can never hold a candle to
benefits).

Firstly, it is important to recognize that advertising is usually criticized for

misguiding the public, particular exaggerating information of their products or
severe and downplaying the value of competitors’ products, in stark contrast,
advertisers do not have the capacity to manipulate consumers given that the
Internet has become prevalent around the world, facilitating the access to
information sources. In other words, advertisers have difficulty in disseminating
information which is related to their commodities to the general public.
Consumers who search for information and classify reliable, creditable are final
decision makers, not advertisements.

Secondly, albeit invisible, advertisements play an instrument in the performance

of macroeconomics. In fact, newly markets products have a severe competition to
win consumers’ acceptance. Meanwhile, commercials are a productive, effective
means to impart information to the target audiences. Although the importance of
commercials is intangible, their role in the enhancement of quality of goods and in
cutting down prices is undeniable, unarguable.

In conclusion, it is a bias that people have a misconception of advertisement as a

misleading source. Not only do they provide consumers more alternatives which
are available, affordable but also contribute significantly to economic
development. In other words, shortcomings of ads do not outweigh (outstrip) the
benefits (cannot hold a candle to the benefits).

In recent years, the commercial has gained currency in modern societies.

Although every now and then advertisements are criticized on the ground that the
exaggerate products’ attributes and play down potential side-effects, they bear
positive influences that should be taken into account.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that advertising is complementary sources

from which audiences are able to obtain adequate, precise, accurate information
about alternatives which are available in the market. Anecdotal evidence shows
that many products have manipulated the market for a long time, for this reason,
the advent of new commercials can help consumers distinguish inferior goods
from high-quality products, thereby making the best decisions. In other words, it
 is premature to say that advertisements are associated with cajoling consumers to
buy unnecessary goods.

Secondly, not only are they beneficial to the public but also instrumental to
macroeconomic performances. As a result of conveying marketing information
constantly to the public, advertising promotes the acceptance among consumers of
newly marked products. Albeit invisible, they function as an essential factor
which talks out of depression, recession. For example, mushrooming development
of smartphones industry is attributed to the wide appeal of the commercial. In
simple terms, advertisements play an instrument to the full employment and the
well-being of economies.

In conclusion, notwithstanding public belief on commercial such as disseminating

information and misguiding the public, they possess redeeming features that
should be taken into consideration. As mentioned above, audiences have more
options and national economies are fostered thanks to advertisements.

50 Topic 50: Some people argue that advertising is encouraging people from
being different individuals, and makes people be or seem to be the same. Do
you agree or disagree?

Over the past decades, the media industry has developed by leaps and bounds
(rapidly), accelerating the popularity of advertisement in society. Many adopt a
view that ads are so attractive that viewers hardly to resist the temptation of them
and make similar buying decisions (so appealing are ads that...); however, it is my
opinion that it is premature to overestimate commercials and undervalue
audiences.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that in contemporary societies, customers do

not depend on ads as the single information sources but have numerous
opportunities to have information from multiple sources. For instance, with just
one click at the button, Internet users are able to acquire necessary knowledge on
desirable products, including negative feedbacks or prospective hazardous effects,
or side effects. These information is complementary to making a final purchase. In
other words, although advertisers pay great efforts to disseminate belief to the
general public and trigger sales, their tempting messages are no longer persuasive
to the vast majority of viewers.

Secondly, it is equally essential to recognize that individualism has gained

currency in modern societies. Albeit invisible, there is a growing tendency that
consumers are self-centered and wish to be distinct or superior to others. For
instance, many are different and desensitized to trendy products in a belief that
buying same products is following the flow, which makes them inferior.
 Subsequently, the vast majority of them are longing for (desiring) having various
products. Brand loyalty and the efficiency of marketing campaigns had had its
days.

In conclusion, despite the consistent endeavor of advertisers to spread the

pervasiveness of products, their ads do not play the decisive role in buying
decision. Consumers not only have a reference from different sources but also
resist the sameness of products as outlined above.

Attractive-appealing-pursuable-tempting-luring-charming

51
52 Topic 52: Advertising encourages customers to buy in quantity, not in
quality. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

One of the most conspicuous trends in the 21st century is the explosion of
advertisements. Nowadays, customers are boombarded be commercial in not only
public places but every house. Many believe that commercials are tempting that
they encourage viewers to buy in quantity, not in quality. In my opinion, although
it is undeniable that consumers are sensitive to prices, advertising had had its day.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that consumers nowadays have comprehensive

for consumer goods. In particular, products are expected to be low in prices and
high in quality. For this reason, viewers of advertisement are desensitized to
marketing campaigns with luring them to buy advertised products in high amount.
For instance, in modern societies, citizens give serious consideration to health.
The material, ingredients or side-effect are taken into account of prospective
buyers if they fall among a group of hazardous products, they hardly win over
consumers despite the affordability. In other words, the combination of various
factors is a recipe to earn customers’ favor, not low prices alone.

Secondly, it is equally essential to recognize that no longer places the decisive role
in making a buying decision. Past lessons have taught viewers that commercial
usually exaggerate the attributes of goods and downplay the side-effect in small
print. Accumulatively, there is consciousness on commercials has increased.
Meanwhile, in the information age, Internet users access to countless sources with
just one click at the button. Therefore, other factors such as advice, a
recommendation from friends and online reviews, comments from other users
determine to make a buying decision, commercial have been given less
creditability.

In conclusion, although commercials can make their messages profound influence

over public opinion. It is something in the past. Modern consumers set high
 requirements for commodities and seek different information resources for
knowledge apart from commercials.

53
54 Topic 54: Environmental problems are grave in many countries. It means
that the only possible way to protect the environment is at an international
level. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this hypothesis?

Not surprisingly, environmental degradation has become an area of focus to the

general public over the past decades. Although the deterioration of ecosystems has
been recognized as a severe threat to human survival, environmental crisis has not
been solved effectively. Many propose that countries throughout the globe should
take multilateral collaboration, instead of the unilateral effort to make their
protection campaign more protection.

Firstly, the main justification for international cooperation is that nations have
interdependence of ecosystems, albeit less-noticeable common knowledge is that
civilians who are dwelling in different countries share together the same
biosphere, natural resources. For this reason, environmental crisis in a region can
bear profound influences on ecosystem balance in neighboring areas. For
example, a stream or a lake which is located in a rural area can be contaminated
by chemicals, and industrial waste which are released by manufacturers from
thousand miles away. In short, international collaboration is mutually beneficial to
both suffer and other countries which having potential victimization in future.

Secondly, international collaboration in environmental management is of

financial, economic interests to all participants. Nowadays, many countries take
economic development as the top priority, giving low weight to the environmental
preservation. Despite huge economic achievements, this policy is at the expense
of environment consequently, the restoration of a polluted environment in such
nations meets countless difficulties due to the absence of state-of-the-art
technologies. Meanwhile, other countries are specialists in environment, they have
possessed/possessing know-how, novel technologies, sophisticated equipment. By
sharing experience and technology with each other, receivers/recipients can tackle
the environmental issue more effectively and more quickly, providers can
facilitate the exchange of goods.

In conclusion, under no circumstances should countries solve environmental

problems individually. The providers can prevent the snow-ball effects of such
problems and obtain economic benefits.

Not surprisingly, environmental degradation has become an area of focus to the

 general public over the past decades. Although the deterioration of ecosystems has
been recognized as a severe threat to human survival, environmental crisis has not
been solved effectively. Many propose that countries throughout the globe should
take multilateral collaboration, instead of a unilateral effort to make their
protection campaign more protection.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that the interdependence of ecosystem is the

main characteristic of the environment. In fact, despite the separation by
boundaries, nations have the interaction of habitats, which is invisible. For this
reason, the cooperation is mutually beneficial, both aid providers and recipients
benefit from the concerted effort. For example, water resources in one country
could be contaminated by the over-application of pesticides, fertilizers in
neighboring nations. Therefore, to prevent the prospective victimization, nations
which encounter potential dangers should show their willingness to assist others in
addressing environmental problems on their behalf.

Secondly, aid providers can make optimal use of international cooperation to gain
financial interests. It is common that many governments throughout the world
take economic development, industrialization as a priority, regardless of dire
consequences on the environment. As a result, natural resources in such countries
are damaged gravely. When governments pay serious attention to the preservation,
they are in absence of technologies, facilities. Meanwhile, in others, economic
development and environment conservation usually accompany each other, giving
them rich experiences in environmental management. Taking full advantages of
their experiences and exporting know-how can give them handsome income.

In conclusion, single efforts are not paid-off in the restoration of the polluted
environment. Joint forces are every inch solution to this problem.

55 Topic 55: Some believe that air travel should be restricted because it triggers
grave pollution and will be used up the world’s resources. Do you agree or
disagree?

In recent years, population mobility has become a subject of controversy as to

whether authorities should impose strict constraints on air travel or not. Many
adopt a view that aircraft are the main producers of emission and major consumers
of fuel; however, as far as I am concerned their proposal is groundless.

Firstly, it is worth mentioning that although the influences of air travel on the
environment are undeniable, airplanes are not responsible for the severe air
pollution in cities. In fact, it is common knowledge that all factories, automobiles
are operated on basic of consuming fossil fuel and triggering emission. Planes
 only contribute partly to the gravity of this issue. In other words, the combination
of various sources has resulted in the seriousness of air pollution. A telling story is
Beijing which has considered urbanization and economic development as a
priority. So over-heated is their economy that economic achievements are at the
expense of the environment. When it comes to restoring the damaged habitats,
local authorities should take other reasons into account first, rather than airplanes.

Secondly, the effectiveness of harnessing fuel in other means of transports can

never hold a candle to that of airplanes. Thanks to huge capacity, aircraft are able
to transport a large number of passengers for long distance simultaneously than
other means. In simple terms, the exhaustion and depletion of resources are partly
attributed to the rapid expansion of aviation industry, the running out of fossil fuel
is derived from personal vehicles, not aircraft. Another justification is that science
and technology has developed significantly with many breakthroughs. Nowadays,
airplane producers like Beijing, Airbus have integrated sophisticated machines,
state-of-the-art technologies into a new version, making them energy-efficient,
less damaging to the environment.

In conclusion, under no circumstances should legislators restrict the development

of aviation industry for air pollution caused by flights or the possibility of
harnessing up fuel. Because airplanes alone cannot produce emission in
communities and they are now environmentally friendly. The government should
have further consideration on this.

56 Topic 56: It is said that the best way to solve the world’s environmental
problems is to increase the price of fuel. To what extent do you agree or
disagree?

One of the most conspicuous trends in the 21st century is the increasing
seriousness of environmental problems such as the burning of fossil fuels. Many
people believe that the utilization of fossil fuels is the root cause which can be
addressed by the increase in fuel prices; nevertheless, in my opinion, this policy is
not effective (destructive).

Firstly, the requirement for petrol is ever-growing. In fact, it is common that the
consumption of fuels usually does not significantly shift correspondingly to the
fluctuation of petrol price. Given that so heavily have users relied on petrol that
they cannot cut petrol utilization immediately. In short, it is a grave mistake to
assume that the increase of fuel price can cease the deterioration of the
environment, on the ground users, are desensitized to the variation of petrol price.

Secondly, it is equally essential to recognize that the main producer of emission,

contamination is immoral businesses. Nowadays, massive production is the major
 characteristics of modern businesses (manufacturing). Meanwhile, due to
individualism and egoism, they are usually profit-oriented and give low weight to
environmental pollution. To maximize potential income and minimize
administrative costs, unethical manufacturing release directly industrial waste
such as heavy metals, hazardous substances, chemicals into habitats without
procession by treatment system. In other words, at the heart of environmental
deterioration is the selfishness and greed of businesses, not low price of petrol.

In conclusion, under no circumstances should law-makers take the increase of

petrol price as the approach to the environmental issue.

57 Topic 57: Water resources all over the globe are falling deficiently. Analyse
the possible reasons and provide your suggestions.

In recent years, environmental degradation and deterioration has become

increasingly severe throughout the world, including water shortage in many
countries. Notwithstanding the high presence of water in most of the globe, water
crisis remains unprecedented, the unsolved challenge to many governments. In the
following essay, driving reasons for this problem and solutions to it will be
discussed.

Firstly, the main trigger is the inadequate consciousness of the value of water
resources. Anecdotal evidence shows that the vast majority of community
members adopt a misguided belief that everybody’s business is nobody’s
business, which encourages them to (ignore) shirk social responsibilities such as
environmental prevention, in a belief that it is the public obligation. For this
reason, users who are not environmental-minded are prone to make optimal use of
natural resources, accelerating the depletion of resources, including water
resources. Besides, another reason that has added fuel to the fire is the baby
boomer. In fact, high population density and rapid population growth rate in
metropolises have resulted in the failure in supply water to the high population.

To address water deficient, it is necessary to pay attention to its root cause which
is the lack of knowledge of water at the heart of the matter raising user’s
awareness of the limited reserve of water resources. Approaches such as
introducing lesson into classrooms, or giving farmers the technique of the drip
irrigations are a good stepping-stone. In addition to this, city planners should take
the distribution of population to outskirt areas into account. Not only does it ease
the high demand for water but also aquatic ecosystems more effectively,
successfully.

In conclusion, water shortage is derived from inappropriate usage and baby

boomer. Solution to this needs proactive actions of the figures of authorities as
 mentioned above.

58
59 Topic 59: Food can be produced much more cheaply today because of
improved fertilizers and better machinery. However, some of the methods
used to do this may be dangerous to human health and may have negative
effects on local communities. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

One of the most conspicuous trends in the 21st century is the industrialization in
every walk of life, typically industrial agriculture. Nowadays, fertilizers and
machines have been utilized widely in farming so as to increase crop yields.
Although the application of fertilizers and machines is beneficial, crucial to
countries suffering famine or difficulties to feed the population, it in some cases is
at the expense of ecosystems and consumers’ health.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that the vast majority of fertilizers made of

ingredients which are not organic but detrimental chemicals for affordable prices.
Meanwhile, farmers have limited knowledge of scientific farming methods. Not
surprisingly, they adopt excessive utilization of fertilizers. Albeit invisible, the
remained chemicals in agriculture products accumulatively produced negative
outcomes for consumers who have the heavy reliance on crops or the long history
of consumption, for example, certain types of cancers. Furthermore, the over-
application of fertilizers releases incompatible elements to the environment,
thereby, contaminating water bodies and reducing land fertility. In other words,
fertilizers which are integral to the effort of solving starvation, food supply crisis
have the environmental cost. (are at the expense of the environment).

Secondly, machines which are used to save manpower in farming are to bring
problems should be taken into grave consideration. In fact, they are empowered by
petrol or all the kinds of energy that are derived from natural resources. Therefore,
their operation is responsible for the production of emission, for instance, carbon
dioxide which is the main reason for the greenhouse effect. In addition, it
contributes partly to the running out extinction, exhaustion, depletion,
deterioration of oil resources. To feed the ever-growing population, natural
resources with limited reserve has been exploited excessively for power necessary
for industrial agriculture, leading to the exhaustion of resources.

In conclusion, notwithstanding their importance, fertilizers and machines have

life-threatening effects on consumers and damaging influences on neighboring
habitats as mentioned above. People should be properly careful, thoughtful
considerations.

60 Topic 60: Some people hold that we should spend money and time on the
 protection of wild animals while others suggest that the money should be
spent on populations living in the poorest areas of the globe. What is your
opinion?

Over the past decades, the dying out of wild animals has become increasingly
grave in many parts throughout the globe. Many adopt a view that figures of
authorities should take the preservation of endangered animals as the top priority.
However, others suggest that the enormous expending on animal conservation
should be derived to people who are living below the poverty life, given that
animal life should not be placed ahead of human life. To the best of my
knowledge, the protection of rare animals from extinction and lifting regions out
of poverty should accompany each other.

Firstly, it is a vicious cycle that those who are earning low- income hunt and trade
illegally wildlife creatures to make a living. In fact, it is common that job sources
in the real area are fewer than in big cities. Besides, another factor that adds fuel
to the fire is the low employability among remote inhabitants due to low-literacy.
In other words, the unsolid educational background and the lack of jobs are the
root causes that should be taken into serious consideration of lawmaker. To have
the every inch solution to the exhaustion of wildlife, at the heart of the matter is
the necessity for providing subsidies and spreading education. When subsidies
bring the temporary solution, education brings far-reaching promising outcomes.

Secondly, although it is invisible, the extinction of species has a bearing on the

well-being of humanity and the sustainability of the industry. Meanwhile, the
revival of extinct animals is almost impossible, infeasible to current knowledge.
For this reason, authorities should take immediate action. Given that the depletion
of resources or the demise of members of some animals has been scientifically
proven to have snow-ball effect on human. For instance, the underpopulation of
Turtles will result in the overpopulation of Jellyfish, which is responsible for the
decrease in kinds of fish. Human, as the last key in food chains, will eventually
affect.

In conclusion, based on the above-mentioned fact, it is clear that legislators should

protect wildlife and solve poverty simultaneously. It is necessary to have
painstaking, persistent efforts to raise people literacy and have immediate actions
to preserve endangered animals.

61 Topic 61: Some strongly oppose animal experimentation, believing that it

causes pain to animals, while some other people consider it necessary. What
is your opinion?

In recent years, animal welfare has never failed to attract people’s attention and
 spark controversy over. Some adopt a view that animal-based experiments are
cruel, unbearable; however, to the best of my knowledge, such experiments are
instrumental, beneficial to human beings and animals.

Firstly, people should first recognize that substitutions and replacement for
animals in animal testing is hardly achievable. In fact, many creatures are taken
full advantages by scientists in experimentations in as much as they are the close
resemblance to the human, either in behavior or in cell structure. A good case at
this point is a high appearance of mice in lab given that they have reaction system
as the same as the human do. Therefore, it is highly recommended that species
should be used in experiments instead of the human for saving human lives.

Secondly, one point which is conceived to be absolutely pivotal is the fact that not
only is animal testing beneficial for human purposes but also animals. Nowadays,
animals and pets are able to enjoy the interests of animal based-experiments,
having the decent quality of life, sufficient medical care. For instance, some
medical discoveries have been used in veterinary surgeons, giving treatment to
sick animals. For this reason, the interests to animals should be taken in
consideration.

Notwithstanding mentioned justifications, vivisection has some problems. It is

common that scientists are empowered to conduct testing for the development of
technology; nevertheless (yet) many of them have abused this power for
commercial purposes. A good case at this point is the dying out of whales. They
are on the verge of extinction, which is attributed to the over-exploitation of
Japanese scientists with an excuse of scientific experiments. Thus, apart from
carrying out permitted animal testing, authorities should take more proactive
actions to fulfill the obligation for reducing animal suffering into grave
consideration.

In conclusion, species should be considered as resources and used scientific

experiment for the benefit of human beings, meanwhile, it is certain that the
suffering should be controlled to the minimum.

62
63 Topic 63: Some people think that killing animals for food is cruel, but others
claim that animals are a necessary part of a diet. What is your opinion?

Over the past decade, animal welfare has been one of the most conspicuous trends
throughout the globe. Although animal butchery is a tradition for its importance in
a regular diet, many activists consider it immoral, cruel. In my opinion, animal
meat has essential provision and contributes greatly to the well-being of
consumers.
Firstly, it is essential to recognize that scientific evidence shows the sufficient
intake of nutrients from both animal sources and vegetables is necessary for sound
life. Otherwise, the over-consumption or under-consumption of either vegetables
or meat is believed to result in health problems such as poor growth in children
and dysfunctions in adults. Furthermore, some substances and vitamins are high in
the meat of certain animals, for instance, various vitamins B are rich in fish, that
are hardly obtained in adequate quantities from plant sources foods. In other
words, a healthy diet requires a good combination of vegetables and animals meat
for positive health outcomes.

Secondly, although it is less visible, animal rights should not be placed ahead of
that of human, on the ground that livestock, poultry, and cattle are not equivalent
to the human. Human lives are more valuable than animal lives, which is
especially true in countries suffering famine or difficult to feed their populations.
For this reason, making optimal use of state-of-the-art technologies and mass
productions so as to slaughter enough animals for consumption is beneficial,
crucial. It is the most effective method to address food supply crisis. In addition,
industrial agriculture has made animals ordinary, manufactured goods, which does
not breach animal welfares.

In conclusion, killing animals for meat is compulsory for a healthy life. Besides,
industrial butchery is every inch solution to the food shortage in many parts
throughout the world as mentioned above.

In recent years, animal protection has become an area of focus to the general
public. Although animal slaughter is criticized for immorality, cruelity, the issue
as to whether free-animal meat diet regime is healthy or not should be taken into
account.

Firstly, the main justification for animal butchery is that animal food sources
provide consumers a variety of nutrients which are hardly obtained from plant
food sources. Anecdotal evidence shows that the insufficient intake of nutrients
usually results in health problems such as poor physical growth or weak immune
system. For this reason, it is highly recommended that certain groups of people
have to take a delicate balance between the consumption of meat and that of
vegetables. For example, children and the elder. In other words, animal meats play
an instrument in the maintenance of sound life, the survival; meanwhile, there is
no satisfying substitution to them.

Secondly, it is equally essential to note science and technology has made

 breakthroughs in every walk of life, including industrial farming. As a result of
taking full advantages of economies of scale, food suppliers are able to meet the
requirements of the wide public by raising livestock, poultry in mass production.
Notwithstanding pain to manufactured goods, thus it is an every inch solution to
feeding population and animal preservation. Albeit less noticeable, industrial
farming, killing an animal for food is beneficial and crucial in communities which
are in food crisis, food supply. For behalf of social harmony, animal butchery
from industrial agriculture should be weighed properly, socially.

In conclusion, although animal slaughter is responsible for animal suffering or

violates animal welfare, are in some cases, so essential is animal meat to
consumers’ health and social order at brood sense that everyone is advised to take
animal meat according to personal needs.

64 Topic 64: Discuss the arguments for and against raising pets?

Over the past decades, animal welfare has become one of the most attractive areas
that hit the headline frequently to the public. In civilized societies, animal activists
oppose raising pets, assuming that keeping pets for human benefits is a breach of
animal rights. Despite this argument, pet ownership has become increasingly
prevalent in many parts of the globe.

On the one hand, it is important to have a clear-cut distinction between wild

animals and domestic animals. Scientific research has proven that pet adoption is
mutually beneficial to both owners and pets. In fact, raising pets requires owners
to learn how to take good care of pets, giving them skills and at the same time
encouraging them to abandon the lifestyles of egoism and individualism that have
gained currency in modern societies. In return, it is equally essential to recognize
that some pets are unsuitable to the wild environment they have difficulties to
struggle for food, clear water in wild habitats. Meanwhile, they can enjoy the
sufficient intake of nutrients, health care services if they are raised by the human.

On the other hand, pet adoption has many problems that should be taken into
serious considerations. Pets, like other creatures, have comprehensive
requirements for living conditions like spacious living environment to emotional
conditions like contact with members of same species. However, such demands
are usually ignored or not met for various reasons. Even worse, many keep pets
for inappropriate purposes, for instance, showing off their financial affordability,
affluence. Given that expensive costs which are related to raising pets are widely
considered as symbols of an upper class. When their initial interests subside, they
are likely to abandon pets, which is immoral. Besides, many other problems such
as pollution triggered by excess manure, noise pollution in small neighborhood or
 neighbors are allergic to fur are grave.

In conclusion, those who advocate pet ownership have strong justifications that
they can become well-rounded individuals who have tolerance to others,
meanwhile, pets have good living conditions. Nevertheless, people should have
further considerations on problems as mentioned above.

Over the past decades, pet raising has become one of the most growing trends
around the globe. While pet ownership has gained currency in many societies. The
issue as to whether it is a breach of animal welfare or not has sparked controversy.
It has been a center of criticism. In the following essay, justification advocating
and opposing pet adoption will be discussed.

On the one hand, pet adoption is tremendously beneficial to owner’s health.

Nowadays, it is common that the keen competition has become intensified in
modern societies. In particular, the vast majority of modern citizens give
dedication and devotion to work in order to earn handsome incomes. As a result,
they are susceptible to psychological problems such as the feeling of isolation,
depression or even frustration. In short, pressured life has become a grave
headache in developed societies, that needs mental therapies. Meanwhile, a pet is
well-known for their playfulness, loyalty, they always show the willingness to
give owner listening ears, warm shoulder and a helping hand. This is the main
justification for the fact that keeping pets as companions have become a way of
life in many nations.

On the other hand, pet ownership is problematic itself, that should be taken into
serious consideration. In some cases, owners violate animals rights when they do
not assume the responsibility for meeting the requirements of pets, such as
frequent health check, spacious living environment, regular physical exercise. In
other words, the ignorance of animal’s needs is an offending behavior to animal
welfare. Furthermore, in many countries, pet owners do not have a clear-cut
distinction between pets and livestock, poultries. They consider pets and ordinary
animals equivalent to each other. Therefore, when their initial interest diminishes,
they are likely to abandon or even butcher their pets for food.

In conclusion, while pet ownership gives more quality to owner’s life with more
psychological awards, pets suffer significant loses due to the shortage of loving
care from owner.

65 Topic 65: Good facilities can be found in cities but not in the countrysides.
Therefore, new doctors and teachers should be sent to the countrysides. To
what extent do you agree or disagree?
 In recent years, the urbanization and modernization has been boosted in many
countries; however, the emphasis has been placed in cities, not rural areas. Many
adopt a view that to improve this situation, authorities should allocate the
graduates from medical schools and pedagogy schools to the countrysides. It is
my opinion that this policy will paid-off in foreseeable future, notwithstanding
some drawbacks.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that the access to education and healthcare

services is the fundamental need of everyone. Yet, this demand has not been met
to those living in remote areas where hospitals, schools are severally understaffed.
Albeit invisible, the shortage of teachers, practitioners has a profound influence on
the well-being, quality of life of rural areas, in particular, they are disadvantaged
in the approach to tertiary education, medication in comparison with city dwellers.
This is a ceaseless headache to authorities. The solution to this is the distribution
of new physicians, teachers to the countrysides.

Secondly, not only does it benefit remote areas but also stands practitioners and
teachers in good stead. Nowadays, a huge number of graduates are in the race for
positions in metropolises, decreasing employment opportunities. Furthermore, the
high intensive competition in major cities does not provide them chances to have
hands-on skills. In contrast, poor facilities in clinics and schools in rural areas
should be regarded as challenges which are beneficial to their career paths, given
that the absence of sophisticated equipment drives new physicians have to depend
on their clinical skills, increasing their skills. In other words, working in rural
areas can help graduates to broaden horizons, enrich their knowledge gradually,
accumulatively.

In conclusion, although assigning graduates to the countrysides is compulsory,

violating individual freedom, this policy has tremendous benefits in addressing the
imbalance between major cities and remote areas, increasing skills of graduates.
Authorities should, therefore, give grave weight to this policy.

66
67 Topic 67: The only way to improve road safety is to impose punishment for
driving offenses. Do you agree or disagree?

In recent years, social safety and social order has been given high weight to the
general public, especially the area of road safety. Nowadays, traffic accidents have
increased exponentially in many nations, grabbing the headline of many people.
Some of them adopt a point of view that the figures of authorirties should impose
punishment such as imprisonment for driving offenses to take out of road
accidents; however, to the best of my knowledge, at the heart of the matter is the
 regulation, poor transportation infrastructure.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that public facilities play an instrument in the

improvement of traffic accidents. In fact, anecdotal evidence shows that many
drivers are not accustomed to dealing with different situation incurring on road,
properly resulting in accidents. Another reason that adds fuel to the fire is the lack
of stop lights, stop signs to warn drivers who are in shortage of experiences.
Therefore, the legislators should spend loud budget in upgrading road conditions.
Besides, public means of transportations are of equal importance. The
establishment of public means such as buses, bullet trains, underground systems is
the productive, effective alternatives. In a fact that, they have an enormous
capacity which can transport a huge number of passengers simultaneously and
reduce high traffic volume. In other words, it is law-makers that should pay
attention to transport infrastructure prior to introducing severe penalties.

Secondly, education is believed to work and reduce traffic crashes, the

consciousness and knowledge of road users are enhanced. In fact, the vast
majority of road accidents are attributed to the grave lack of lawful attitudes or
familiarity with handling complex cases on road. This is derived from loopholes
in policies such as law requirement on driving training, low standards on license
tests. Consequently, road users have an inaccurate estimation of the complication
of road conditions, the unpredictable occurrence which is responsible for
regrettable, dire consequences. For this reason, rather than levying more penalties
upon offenses (law-breaking actions). The government should increase law-
abiding awareness by accelerating the period of safe-driving courses and stricter
tests.

In conclusion, imposing punishment is not every inch solutions to curb accidents.

Alternatively, it is more effective through the education and the enhancement of
traffic infrastructure.

68 Topic 68: Polices in Britain do not carry guns. Some people believe that
unarmed polices are unable to protect citizens, but some suggest that arming
the polices will lead to a surge in violence in society. Discuss those two views.

Not surprisingly, social order and social safety has never ceased to draw public
attention and spark controversies. One of the most contentious debates is as to
whether the figures of authorities should legalize arming the policies or not. When
those advocates, hold the justification that it is necessary to protect law-abiding
citizens and maintain social harmony, these opponents believe that it will result in
the upsurge in violence. In the following essay, the pros and cons of arming police
will be discussed.
 On the one hand, it is essential to recognize that this policy, if (it is) implemented,
will intangibly accelerate social anarchy. In many countries, all citizens are equal
in law, for this reason, gun ownership for self-defense is licit (legal). However,
some use guns for inappropriate purposes such as revenge, hate crime or racism.
In other words, arming the polices will fuel gun culture, putting innocent citizens
at exposure to high risks of misshooting. This problem is worse when criminals
have a strong motivation to carry guns in minor crimes to combat the police. In
the long run, weapons which are dangerous, life-threatening will be rampant in
society, potential causing social chaos.

On the other hand, arming the police has tremendous benefits that should be taken
into serious consideration. Firstly, in some areas where criminals are hardened and
pose threat to society, armed police are necessary to against them, gravely those
criminals who commit crimes repeatedly, habitually, arming the polices can deter
them from having law-offending behavior again. This also works to potential
criminals. Secondly, policemen will be more active in fighting back
delinquencies, some crimes can be nipped in the buds if polices are armed.

In conclusion, it is dilemma situation to evaluate the advantages and

disadvantages of arming the police. Meanwhile, it contributes negatively to gun
culture, it is crucial and integral in combating criminals. Law-makers should
accordingly have further consideration on this.

69 Topic 69: Do you think it is better to send criminals to jail or let them receive
education or job training?

Not surprisingly, social order and social safety has never failed to have people’s
attention. Many adopt a view that, the best way to maintain the harmony and
prevent law-offenders from contaminating law-abiding citizens, imprisonment is
necessary; however, others think that this form of punishment should be subjected
to abolishment. In my opinion, lawmakers should take radical views on this
proposal.

Firstly, it is vital to recognize that changing delinquents’ attitudes is the key to

curb crime rates. In fact, it is common that criminals who do wicked things
usually have misguided opinions toward society, family or behavior. For this
reason, the risk of reoffending is higher, if they do not receive the correction of
misbehavior. Furthermore, imprisonment like the life sentence, the capital
punishment that has been abolished are usually taken to deprive of the opportunity
so as to keep in touch with the community, all three of them should be given the
equal evaluation. In order words, sending lawbreakers to jail does not address
effectively the root cause which is the inappropriate perceptions among criminals.
 Therefore, education in prison is highly recommended.

Secondly, apart from education, vocational training is another method that has
satisfying, promising outcomes. Anecdotal evidence shows that the vast majority
of criminals are those who have low literacy or low employability. For this reason,
they are conquered every now and then by the inducement of money, they commit
crimes such as bank robbery, shoplifting for easy money. Lawmakers should
recognize this matter, at the heart of the problem is the lack of earning capacity. If
they have opportunities to gain skills, hands-on that are necessary for occupations,
greater post-release of prison success will lower chance of recidivism.

In conclusion, learning makes people wise, ignorance otherwise; reeducation

functions better than imprisonment in correcting inadequate behavior on misled
opinions. Besides, job training should be taken into serious consideration for the
high opportunities of producing productive people in society.

70 Topic 70: Many are afraid of leaving their houses because of the spread of
crimes. Some think that more actions can be taken to talk out of crime from
occurring, but others think little can be done. What is your opinion?

Not surprisingly, social safety and social disorder has become an area of focus to
the general public in recent years. Many adopt a view pessimism that little can be
done (khong lam duoc gi dau) to talk out of falling prey to criminals; however, in
my opinion, positive and proactive approaches are perfect solutions to this
problem. (are every inch solutions)

Firstly, it is important to recognize that illiteracy and low consciousness

(awareness) of legislation are the root causes of crimes. In fact, it is common that
those who are well educated are knowledgeable and responsible for their
behaviour. In other words, they usually bear a clear-cut distinction between
acceptable and illegal actions. Otherwise, those who offending law and
committing crime have insufficient knowledge of a legal system. For this reason,
the figures of authorities should launch educational campaigns to give (provide)
citizens the straightforward access to law knowledge. In single terms (in short), as
the saying goes “learning makes people wise, ignorance otherwise”, education is a
prerequisite to the establishment of a civilized society in general and the reduction
of crime rate in particular.

Secondly, it is equally essential to recognize that the prevention of victimization

lies on individual civilians. Anecdotal evidence shows that it is the negligence
which has added fuel to the fire of crime. For instance, shoplifters usually aim at
shops which are not under supervision (surveillance) of security cameras or
alarming system. Therefore, it is highly recommended to take full advantages of
cutting-edge equipment in combating crimes. The presence of security equipment
at leads deters prospective criminals and hampers them from carrying out
illegitimate practices. Thus (hence), individuals should take defensive methods on
their behalf, the integration of state-of-the-art technologies can nip many crimes in
the bud.

In conclusion, although crimes have become rampant in many societies, under no

circumstances should their members be afraid of criminals. Education can give
innocent citizens a solid background in law knowledge and many defensive
methods are promising as outlined above.

In recent years, social safety and social order has become an area of focus to the
general public. Many adopt a view that crimes are rampant in communities and
little effort can be taken to curb the incidence of crime; however, to the best of my
knowledge many crimes can be nipped in the bud if proactive approaches are
taken effectively and properly.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that education plays an instrument in

combating crimes. Anecdotal evidence shows that the vast majority of offenders
are those who have little literacy of law or inadequate consciousness of
regulations. As an old saying indicates “learning makes people wise, ignorance
otherwise”, a solid background in education is prerequisite to educate everyone to
become law-abiding citizens. Otherwise, poor education is responsible for
misguided principles, illegitimate actions. In other words, the figures of
authorities should know that education is a key factor to fight crimes from early
stages. Therefore, the emphasis on the wise spread of laws is highly
recommended.

Secondly, another reason that has added fuel to the fire is people’s cowardice. As
a result of having not enough courage (bravery), the vast majority of victims do
not report to the police on the crimes. Besides, it is popular that egoism and
individualism have gained curency in places (communities) in which their
members have fast pace life. In other words, the life principle which is
everybody’s business is nobody’s business has pampered criminals, encouraging
them to commit crime repeatedly. This is the heart of the matter. Therefore, in
order to talk out of themselves from victimization. Individual citizens should be
partly responsible for reducing crimes by their own means.

In conclusion, so rampant are crimes that many hold a pessimism of reducing the
incidence of crimes. As suggested above, government’s endeavors and citizens’
actions are perfect solutions to this problem.
 Topic: Some think that crimes are the result of circumstances, poverty, and
other family problems. However, others believe that the reasons are people
who are bad by nurture. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Not surprisingly, social safety and social order has public attention in recent years.
Although numerous methods have been taken to acceleration social harmony and
decrease chaos and prevent crimes, the issue as to whether nature or nurture is the
main trigger of crimes remains controversial. In the following essay, the
justification for both schools of thoughts will be discussed.

On the one hand, it is important to recognize that extrinsic factors bear profound
influences on individuals, including peers, family life, and financial status.
Anecdotal evidence shows that many delinquents who commit illegitimate actions
are from problematic families. For instance, children having high exposure to
domestic violence are prone to be indifferent to use violence to solve conflicts,
which constitutes khong co to their criminal behavior. Likewise, as the saying
goes “person who keeps companionship with a wolf will learn how to howl”,
children who make friends with others who have misguided belief, inadequate
behavior such as utilizing foul language usually do not have a clear-cut distinction
between acceptable and illegitimate (accused) actions. In other words, the living
condition has intangible influences on the development of criminal behavior in its
members.

On the other hand, genetic factors are believed to be influential, which should be
taken into grave consideration. As an old saying indicates “the apple falls never
far from the tree”, children and their parents usually share a similar set of traits.
While, some have musical talents or a good sense of mathematics from their
parents, others have the heredity of aggression and impulsively. Although the
evidence is inconclusive, many criminals have the history of psychological
problems, sharing common characteristics of criminalities that are diagnosed from
early childhood. This implies that many of illegal behavior is heritable from their
parents.

In the light of the facts outlined above, despite the fact that individuals are
distinguishing from each other by personalities, criminals have a lot in common.
Their illicit behavior is derived from either inappropriate nourishment
(flourishment) or genetic factors as mentioned early.

71 Topic 71: There are more and more effective security measures in large cities
to reduce the crimes. Does this endeavor bring more benefits than the
problem?

It is common that social chaos and anarchy has become serious in many parts
 ofthe world. Governments have taken more security measures to promote social
harmony and safety. However, in my opinion, new policies do more harm than
good.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that the threat that people perceive has little
counterpart in real life. For instance, massive shouting is the biggest concern to
most Americans. For this reason, gun ownership has been legalized in this
country. This policy is believed to add fuel to the fire of gun culture, massive
shooting is just exceptional cases that can be found in their countries. In order
words, the fear of crimes spreads in the community more rapidly than the real
rates of crime. Therefore, it is fair to say that the implement of anti-crime policies
has destructive, negative effects on the quality of life from psychological extent.

Secondly, some measures even result in opposite outcomes. For instance, arming
the police is taken by many nations as an effective tool to deter potential criminals
from community crimes. However, evidence shows that this policy is responsible
for the miscarriage of justice or mistaken shooting on innocent civilians. In other
words, the primary purpose of arming the police is to curb crimes in society, the
abuse for private execution is a grave problem that should be taken into account
before introducing to the public. Similarly, security cameras which are installed to
detect potential criminals violate the privacy in some cases.

In conclusion, it is dilemma situation to weigh the pros and cons of new security
measures. Although the initial purposes are for the reducing of crimes, they are
counter-effective in many cases as outlined earlier. Therefore, the figures of
authorities should have further considerations on this.

72 Topic 72: With the aging of society, we are now beginning to see a growing
interest in the further abolishment of mandatory retirement. Do you think
that mandatory retirement is obsolete or should be sustained?

In recent years, aging population has become popular in many societies where
living conditions have been improved significantly. Although this phenomenon is
a positive change but this trend has brought unprecedented challenges such as the
necessity of lifting the compulsory retirement. To the best of my knowledge, the
notion which has labeled the old as unproductive members of societies should be
subjected to modification.

Firstly, the main justification is that notwithstanding slightly reduced physical

abilities, productivity and intellectual capability of the old remains unchanged
thanks to improved diet, medical advances and healthier lifestyle. For this reason,
the age prejudice on the senior workers is unacceptable, unsuitable in modern
societies and authorities should recognize this issue and legalize the continued
 employment after the age of 65 and beyond. A good case in this point is
Singapore which abolished mandatory retirement on the ground that life
expectancy of its citizens has increased, along with enhanced health and expanded
working lives.

Secondly, as an old saying indicates “better come with ages” the old workers have
specialized knowledge, rich experiences, hands-on, and soft skills, which are
hardly found in graduates or juniors. The wealth of practical experiences stands
them in good stead in competition with youngers for filling vacancies of
managers, commanders. A good story for this is the policy of whole life
employment in Japan and Korea. The excuse for this is that their company
cultures value the proficiency in performing tasks, which is possessed in the old.

In conclusion, human society has undergone significant changes in every walk of

life, from mediation to work. Nowadays, legislators are recommended to abolish
compulsory retirement mentioned above.

73
74 Topic 74: Currently more and more people respect elders and become
convinced that older people should live with their families, which is in
contrast to the view that older people should live at a nursing house. What is
your opinion?

One of the most conspicuous trends in the 21 st century is the aging population in
many nations throughout the world. Although this demographic change represents
the better living condition, it brings unprecedented challenges such as suitable
housing to the elders. Opinions are divided into two main schools of thoughts that
the elders should live with their families or nursing home. In my opinion, it is a
decision which varies according to different cases.

First of all, it is essential to recognize that the retired nowadays have better health,
thanks to medical advantages, anti-aging technology. Not surprisingly, they
remain active, productive, despite have been reached retirement ages. Therefore,
they love being included in groups or being in charge for family responsibilities.
Otherwise, if they are not given social activities and dependencies, they are
susceptible to psychological problems such as the feeling of exclusion, isolation.
Some may argue that families which lack sophisticated medical equipment do not
meet the senior’s requirements for medical services. However, as the saying goes
“blood is thicker than water”, loving care by family members is much better than
that by others.
 Secondly, rest homes which are specially designed for the older have advantages
that stand them in good stead. Albeit invisible, generation gap is grave in many
families, family members have difficult to get along well with each other or to
build rapports. For this reason, those having (who have) no companionship with
their families should adopt the lives in a retirement home. Furthermore, to senior
citizens, especially those suffering severe diseases and having immediate
hospitalization, their family cannot hold a candle to a nursing home which has a
wide range of professional medical services and well-educated specialist staffs.

In conclusion, it is dilemma situation to determine whether living with families or

in a rest home is a better choice for the old. If they enjoy good health condition
and ties with other members, families highly recommended. Otherwise, the
nursing house is more preferred.

75 Topic 75: In many countries, women join the army as men do. However,
some people argue that the army solely needs males. What is your opinion?

Over the past decades, feminism is one of the most conspicuous trends throughout
the world, it has brought many achievements such as gender equality in nations.
However, gender imbalance remains prevalent in every walk of life. Many insist
that many areas should be male-dominated like the army. In my opinion, it is a
discrimination to hold the bias against the female conscription.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that in some professional occupations, males

cannot hold a candle to their counterpart, given that they have inborn merits that
stand them in good stead. Anecdotal evidence shows that women have better
performance in jobs which require patience, consideration of others that are rare
among men. For this reason, not surprisingly, females have the high presence in
army hospitals, logistics department or caring profession in the military
environment. It is reasonable due to the fact that the endurance hardship,
tenderness, and caution are prevalent characteristics among females. In other
words, ladies soldiers should be given higher weight for outstanding traits.

Secondly, the access to the pool of human knowledge is now available to both
men and women. Nowadays, prejudices on females in education have been
abolished, thereby facilitating woman students in the pursuit of academic
opportunities. Thanks to this, their attendance at classes or even tertiary education
has increased significantly. As a result literacy, professionalism among women is
currently slightly different from that among gentlemen. Meanwhile, modern
warfare has developed a form of physical fighting to battles between
computerized weapons such as missiles, unmanned aircraft. Therefore, if females
are well-educated and can meet the requirements for academic ability, their
participation in the military should be given grave consideration.
 In conclusion, it is a stereotype which is ungrounded to underestimate natural
ability in women. Furthermore, their enrollment to the army can meet the high
demands for academic knowledge under no circumstances should the army reject
the female application.

The female ability has become a subject of controversy as to whether they can
contribute to the army as males can. To the best of my knowledge, although they
have some shortcomings, female conscription has many benefits that should be
taken into grave consideration.

Firstly, the access to education is available to all citizens, including females. In

fact, it is not surprised that high literacy is the main characteristic of modern
societies in which everyone, regardless of his or her gender, is eligible to attend
public schools. In stark contrast, in the past sexual discrimination prevented
females from schooling, posing barriers to set their foot to social areas.
Meanwhile, army recruitment policies are giving high weight to academic
capability, not physical ability or fitness. Because warfare has been computerized,
modernized by unmanned warplanes, missiles. Therefore, if females have
outstanding academic performances and are trained properly, they are able to
fulfill military tasks as male counterparts are.

Secondly, when it comes to certain jobs, women have inborn merits that stand
them in good stead. Anecdotal evidence shows that some personalities such as
caringness, loyalty, persistence are common among ladies, which are prerequisites
for a position such as nursing, spy, logistic departments. Because those females
are accustomed to solving problems with accuracy, patience. For this reason, the
effectiveness, productivity are higher when jobs are done by women.

In conclusion, despite the popular belief that females are most suitable to jobs of
home-makers, not bread-winners, it is important to recognize that their academic
ability thanks to gender equality. Furthermore, males cannot hold a candle to
females in some cases as mentioned above. For such reasons, the military which
has been dominated by men should give high weight to females.

76
77
78 Topic 78: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of playing sports and
participating in physical exercises.

This is no room for doubt that the participation in physical activities is beneficial,
 crucial to healthy life. This practice has gained currency in today’s society. When
there has been a growing concern to health. Although corporal activities can bring
sound life, participants should take some potential problems into account.

On the one hand, it is important to recognize that in contemporary societies,

sedentary lifestyle has been widely adopted by many people. Because of
availability and popularity of automobiles. Nowadays, the commute between
working places and residential areas is no long burden to workers thanks to
private cars. Besides, the hustle and bustle life, the fierce competition has required
modern citizens to have high concentration, dedication or commitment to study or
work. Accumulatively, the combination of these factors has encouraged the
inactivity of life among modern citizens, especially city dwellers. For this reason,
playing sports or doing exercises is highly recommended given that they have
enhancing functions such as boosting the immune system, reducing high blood
pressure or lifting other health problems. In other words, physical activities are of
crucial importance in today hectic life.

On the other hand, play sports in some cases brings problems that deserve serious
consideration. It is popular that many participants initially take a long duration of
exercises with high intensitive besides the lack of stamina. As a result, they are
susceptible to injuries, trauma even loss of life. Under few circumstances, players
who are into extreme sports play them without professional, specialized
instruction from trainers, coaches or aid facilities, those may encounter
unpredictable, regrettable consequences. In short, the lack of comprehension about
personal physical capability or the shortage of careful precautions is likely to
result in high risks that are hazardous to players.

In conclusion, it is clear that in modern society of fast pace of life, corporal

activities and playing sports play the productive, positive role in the establishment
of a healthy lifestyle. However, they are dangerous in some cases as mentioned
above.

79 Topic 79: Some people believe that national sports teams and individual
athletes who represent their countries should be financially supported by the
government. Some people think that they should be funded by non-
government groups. What is your opinion?

Not surprisingly, sports play an integral role in human’s society. Nowadays,

sports activities have become increasingly significant to modern life for incentives
to audiences. However, this issue as to whether national sports teams and athletes
who represent their countries should be financed by government or entrepreneurs
remains controversial. In my opinion, the participation of private sector is crucial,
beneficial.
Firstly, it is significant to recognize that sports industry has become more
competitive than ever before. For this reason, professional athletes have
unprecedented, high demands for nutrient, sophisticated equipment, training
methods. Meanwhile, governments are specialized in introducing and
implementing policies, not scientific. Therefore, they should figure out assistance
from businesses which are expertizing in different fields from health care to state-
of-the-art technology. In order words, private sponsors have higher ability to meet
comprehensive requirements of athletes than law-makers. For instance, stories in
many nations have expressed that athletes can have well-developed physiques,
extend career lives and reduce the risk of injuries, trauma if they are well
schooled.

Secondly, although it is less visible, funding loud budget for national sports
industry can result in the imbalance development between social aspects. It is
common that many figures of authorities are in tight budget and have not fulfilled
their main obligation for providing citizens easy access to education, healthcare.
Nations which are in such cases should not give sports activities higher weight
than other aspects. Furthermore, to cater the taste of wide population,
governments usually distribute budget to sports that reap applause from huge fans,
leading to the poor growth of other sports. Therefore, temporary psychological
rewards should not be given enormous expanding.

In conclusion, it is clear that private sector and their investment can bring the best
development for athletes thanks to their professionalism in different fields.
Besides, their sponsorship can release authorities from the giant burden and save
finance for other sectors.

Not surprisingly, sports which provide viewers entertainment have played an

integral role in human societies. Although its importance is undeniable, the issue
as to whether the figures of authorities or private sector should play the more
active role in financing national sports teams and athletes remains controversial. It
is my opinion that the involvement of entrepreneurs is crucial, beneficial for the
following reasons.

First of all, it is important to recognize that the participation of patrons is

complementary to state administration over sports industry. In fact, it is common
knowledge that sports development has to compete for other urgent social
requirements for budget distribution (allocation, spending). For instance, in many
countries, budget allocation to the spread of education and public medical services
is the top priority, spending money on sports is considered as misspending.
Meanwhile, sponsors have a more financial capability to cover the expenditure
 incurred during the training period of time. For example, they have a loud budget
to pay athletes handsome incomes, administrative costs, and other subsequent
costs. In short, if governments are in tight budget, they should take into account
the prospect of budget deficiency and economic interests of private sponsorship.

Secondly, it is equally essential to recognize that sports have grown increasingly

competitive. For this reason, athletes nowadays have comprehensive demands for
effective training, such as sophisticated equipment, state-of-the-art facilities,
better diet regime with more nutritious meals. Furthermore, in extreme sports,
injuries or trauma are prevalent. Therefore, the expansion of career lives needs the
novelty of treatment. Whereas, the figures of authorities cannot hold a candle to
businesses because the latter has numerous advantages that stand them in good
stead. They have dynamics of experiences in different fields, ranging from
technology to medicine.

In conclusion, under no circumstances should legislators restrict the intervention

of private sector in the sports industry. It not only releases the government from
huge financial burden but also meets new requirements as mentioned above.
80
81 Topic 81: Wearing uniforms is popular in schools, but some argue that it
might cause damage to children’s individuality. What is your opinion?

Nowadays, putting on uniforms in schools has become popular in the vast

majority of schools all over the globe. However, the issue as to whether wearing
uniforms in schools is beneficial for students or not remains controversial. It is my
opinion that dressing uniforms have tremendous benefits for the following
reasons.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that economic inequality and the gap between
the haves and the have-nots is eliminated from education environment by
uniforms, which improve student academic outcomes. Anecdotal evidence shows
that students who are from handsome income families and have affordability for
expensive, varied clothes are easily distracted, diverted from the study.
Meanwhile, those who are from lower class families and in money shortage for
buying stylish clothes feel like fish out of water, which discourages students from
paying full attention to study. In simple terms, wearing different wardrobe exerts
profound impacts on performance at schools. Albeit invisible, this problem
usually results in adverse consequences. Therefore, it is educators that should take
proactive actions to reduce the competition among students for keeping up with
fashionable clothes by imposing uniforms as a compulsory regulation.

Secondly, the policy on putting on uniforms in the classroom has another interest
in the formation of maturity in thoughts of students. In fact, the schools usually
have difficulties in solving absenteeism, gang-related to problems such as drug
abuse at schools, open carry gun because young students take schooling lightly,
not seriously. Therefore, it is necessary to regulate children’s behavior from early
ages, as an old saying indicates “learn to behave well first then learn to read and
write”. In this effort, many countries have gained achievements in providing class
discipline by introducing uniforms into curriculum given that students will
develop obeying manners gradually, accumulatively.

In conclusion, although every garden has its weeds, the interest of dressing
uniforms far outweigh the drawbacks, uniforms work effectively in bridging the
gap between the rich and the poor and improving the commitment to study in
students.

Children’s education has never failed to provoke controversy. Among the debates,
the issue as to whether school uniforms should be made compulsory remains
inconclusive. To the best of my knowledge, designating and imposing and dress
code have many advantages to students, notwithstanding some drawbacks.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that uniforms can help students improve

academic performance. In fact, at early ages of low consciousness, children are
prone to misguided belief such as competition for expensive and stylish clothes.
As a result, a distraction from the study is popular, leading to low achieving
academic outcomes. Therefore, it is educators that should take proactive practices
to lift this problem from the educational environment. One of the best approaches
is standardizing student wardrobe. Not only does it eliminate the gap between the
haves and the have-nots among students, but also drives students to channel into
the study.

Secondly, another justification is that uniforms are contributing factors to the

formation of good conduct in students. It is common that at the tender and
vulnerable ages, children usually have inadequate behavior when they exposed to
obscene, close gang-related ones. For this reason, parents and educators should
have solutions to regulate children’s manner. Meanwhile, uniforms usually
encourage students to take schooling more seriously. Furthermore, it is believed
that dress-code can improve attendance through decreasing dry use or other
discipline problems.

Albeit general beneficial, school uniforms have some problems that should be
taken into account. At young ages, given high weight to study is not
recommended. In contrast, children should be given a balance between learning
and mental development. In other words, introducing uniforms into school to
promote concentration or learning is not advised in elementary and secondary
 education. What is more, uniforms should vary according to the season,
environment in order to ensure decent health for students, which is not common in
nations.

In conclusion, it is clear that uniforms can bring two significant benefits that are
high achieving academic outcomes and etiquettes. However, every coin has two
sides/everything has double-edged impact/ every garden has its weeds, educators
should take mentioned problems into grave consideration.

82 Topic 82: Some people think that children should learn to compete, but
others think that they should be taught to cooperate with others. What is
your opinion?

Not surprisingly, children education has become an area focus to the general
public in recent years. Although competitive learning can bring more
opportunities for personal development, it is a contentious issue as to whether this
model of learning outweighs cooperative learning or not. In my opinion, the latter
is more satisfying, promising.

First of all, it is important to recognize that the dynamic of talents is the main
characters of groups. Therefore, members are usually assigned different tasks
which closely match their abilities, thereby increasing effectivity and productivity
of learning. As the saying goes “Four eyes see better than two”, cooperation and
taking full advantages of personal strengths is the key for the better academic
outcome, improved performance. In other words, learning together gives them
chances so as to make optimal use of their inborn merits and gain higher
achievements.

Secondly, albeit invisible, the competition in labor market is ever-growing.

Potential workers are expected to meet the comprehensive demands of recruiters
who expect them to be good both professional insights and soft skills. However,
most soft skills are non-transferable through theoretical lessons at schools such as
communicating skills, problem-solving abilities. For this reason, teamwork or
collaboration in doing exercises is highly recommended as it enables group
members in order to practice interpersonal interaction skills and work out
problems which may occur in learning together. This educational philosophy is
believed to make students more well-rounded.

In conclusion, despite some shortcoming, teaching children so as to collaborate

with each other give them brighter prospect as it not only improves academic
outcomes but also equips them intangible values as mentioned above.
83 Topic 83: Some people believe that educating childen altogether will benefit
them. Others think intelligent children should be taught separately and given
special courses. Discuss those two views.

Not surprisingly, public education has become an area of focus to the general
public in recent years. Although formal education has gained certain
achievements, it is a contentious issue as to whether schools should gather
talented students and offer them special courses to produce elite students or not.
Notwithstanding potential benefits, this educational philosophy is believed to have
some shortcomings that should be taken into grave consideration. In the following
essay, the pros and cons of this teaching method will be discussed.

On the one hand, it is important to recognize that treating gifted students the same
as their peers who do not have exceptional abilities seriously impede their
personal development. Anecdotal evidence shows that intelligent children do not
have many opportunities to capitalize their inborn merits if they attend ordinary
curriculum. For example, a maths prodigy can find out solutions to tricky
problems accurately and promptly. Furthermore, separated courses are productive
in helping slow students to prevent psychological problems such as depression,
frustration, isolation or doubt on their efforts when they studying together with
high-achievers.

On the other hand, special instruction has some drawbacks that deserve careful
evaluation. Albeit invisible, paying full attention to learning from early ages may
result in the imbalance between academic learning and emotional development.
Given that channeling (focusing on) courses leaves them no room to practice
interpersonal interaction skill, communication skill, in the long run, it leads to
poor social life. In addition to this, normal students are prone to feel worthless,
excluded, inferior to others if they are denied the same chances.

In conclusion, despite the interest of assisting out-standing students to take full

advantages of their talents and keeping slow achievers from mental problems,
specialized courses are responsible for the lack of skills among distinctive
students and bad feelings among normal ones.

84 Topic 84: Some who have been successful in the society do not attribute their
success to the theoretical knowledge they learned at university. What is your
opinion on the factors contributing to one’s achievement?

In recent years, tertiary education has been given higher weight by the general
public, the vast majority of students enroll in university programs in a belief that it
is the most essential predictors of future success. Paradoxically, notwithstanding
great paid effort on gaining a qualification, many successful people do not owe
their achievement to the knowledge that they learned at universities.

Firstly, the main justification is that universities have limited capability in

imparting experience, skills to students. Nowadays, competition is labor market is
extremely high when employers value potential workers by not only academic
knowledge but also hands-on and soft skills. This is the explanation for the fact
that many high achieving students do not go far in career path given that they are
in grave shortage of practical skills which are not passed on in theoretical lessons
such as communication skills, problem-solving ability. In other words, although
graduates have the firm grasp of insights into their majors, it does not play the
determinate role in one’s success.

Secondly, albeit invisible, characteristics have equally important in promoting

career prospect. As a result of having inborn talents that stand people in good
stead, talented people have advantages, far outweighing their counterparts in their
areas. In simple terms, gifts are another element that contributes to one’s
achievement. For example, prodigies usually reap the applause of the public,
successful career thanks to their talents that are hardly found in peers knowledge
which are acquired from universities is not the main contributor to career ladder
but elite characteristics do.

In conclusion, it is fair to say that academic knowledge does not contribute greatly
to one’s success. Although intangible as it is soft skills and personal traits have
essential roles in career promotion and further success.

Not surprisingly, higher education has never ceased to have public attention.
Students usually pay great efforts to gain outstanding bachelers degrees. However
(paradoxically), many of those who are successful in their career paths do not owe
their success to the academic knowledge that they learned at universities. It is my
opinion that university qualifications are insufficient for promising career
prospects, but the combination of various components is enough.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that the more competitive human’s societies,

the more comprehensive in employers’ requirements. In fact, thanks to the spread
of education, the access to tertiary education have become more straightforward to
the vast majority of students. For this reason, nowadays, numerous candidates
who are qualified are in the same race for a single vacancy. The acquisition of
university degree is no longer valued (emphasized) as much as before, recruiters
give increasingly higher weight to practical knowledge, such as hands-on, rules of
thumbs or soft skills. At the heart of the matter is the fact that many soft skills are
non-transferable to students by theoretical lectures. (be not passed down/on,
conveyed, imparted).
 Secondly, characteristics are equally essential to the promotion of workers. It is
common knowledge that different fields have distinguishing identities. Workers
should possess traits which are matching with special demands of their industries.
Otherwise, they would match a different drummer. For instance, when it comes to
a scientific area, researchers who have high achievements have the shared traits of
concentration, elaboration, patience, consistency. Furthermore, contemporary
societies are ever-changing, bringing an unprecedented challenge to all modern
societies. Therefore, only those having traits of flexibility, adaptability can stand
out from peers and gain success.

In conclusion, although university qualifications are the prerequisite which is the

stepping stone for later career lives, it and other elements complementary to each
other can guarantee the success in a career ladder.

85 Topic 85: It is generally believed that education is of vital importance to the

individual development and the well-being of societies. What should
education consist of to fulfill both these functions?

Not surprisingly, children education has never ceased to draw attention and
provoked controversies. One of the persistent debates is the issue that curriculum
should include which subjects to make the optimal use of students’ ability and
guarantee social prosperity. In my opinion, educators should take radical views to
fulfill these functions.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that theoretical knowledge is insufficient for

career development. The key is the combination of professional insights and
practical knowledge. For instance, hands-on skills, critical thinking, problem-
solving ability are instrumental in all jobs every now and then. Therefore,
educators should integrate new subjects into the school program, giving students
opportunities so as to gain the proficiency in soft skills. Learning international
news as a compulsory subject which is beneficial to the development of critical
thinking is a telling story. In other words, theoretical knowledge is easily imparted
to students; meanwhile, soft skills are usually non-transferable by lectures. The
introduction of new subjects is accordingly (therefore) highly recommended.

Secondly, as the saying goes “learn to behave first to learn to read and write”, it is
essential to equip children adequate behavior and good conducts from early ages.
Anecdotal evidence shows that many successful businessmen who are
knowledgeable are not responsible for social issues, for instance, they take full
advantages of their understanding of the law in order to evade taxes. This is
attributed to the poor ethical background for early childhood. For this reason,
educators should teach kids moral lessons to help them grow up to be law-abiding
 citizens who have a clear-cut distinction between acceptable practices and
illegitimate behaviors. In short, children should be schooled life principles from
schooling ages.

In conclusion, it is clear that academic knowledge is inadequate for personal

development in modern societies. Educators should school children not only soft
skills but also virtues and good manners for the maximization of their abilities and
the well-being of society.

86
87 Topic 87: Some think that teachers should be responsible for schooling
students to judge right and wrong and to behave well. Some say that teachers
should only teach students about academic subjects. Discuss both views and
give your opinion.

Not surprisingly, the contents curricular has never failed to have public attention
and spark controversies. While many believe that educators should integrate ethics
into teaching programmes, others oppose this category and advocate programmes
which (focus on) channel into academic subjects. In the following essay, the
justification for both methods of pedagogy will be discussed.

On the one hand, it is important to recognize that moral values have a close
relevance to the well-being of individuals and the harmony of society. In fact, it is
common that students who do not have a clear-cut distinction between acceptable
activities and criminal behavior usually end up with becoming unhappy,
unsuccessful people. Therefore, teachers should assume the responsibility for
imparting life-principles, virtues to students who are susceptible to misbehavior,
inadequate actions or misguided belief due to low awareness. Moral education can
produce students with good conduct, maximizing the outcomes of training them to
productive members. Furthermore, moral lesions contribute significantly,
intangibly to school them to law-abiding citizens. As a saying goes “a man with a
golden heart is noble even when ill-dressed”, the goodwill to others implies
philanthropy, tolerance, sympathy, that is integral to the solidarity of society.

On the other hand, the emphasis on academic knowledge is instrumental when

students get a higher level of education. Nowadays, the specialization is the main
characteristics of the modern world. For instance, some countries are experts in hi-
tech products, others are leading states in industrial agrarian economies. For this
reason, authorities and educators should pass insights into specific areas onto
students who are the major future labor workforce to maintain the sustainability of
national development. Otherwise, nations which fail to convey hands-on to their
students are likely to fall behind their counterparts in the race of professionalism.
In simple terms, the labor-intensive economy has transformed into the knowledge-
 based economy which requires workers to be well-educated in specialized fields.

In conclusion, moral education and academic education are not conflicting but
complementary to each other. It is my opinion that the former should be abolished
gradually when students attend higher education and should yield to the latter
simultaneously.

88 Topic 88: Education used to be a short period of training, but today, people
treat it as a lifelong practice. Do you agree or disagree?

In recent years, education has been given higher weight than it was in the past.
Nowadays, it is common that the vast majority of modern citizens take education
as a lifelong practice rather than a short period of schooling. To the best of my
knowledge, this notion is suitable, acceptable in modern societies.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that computerization and modernization has

gained currency in every walk of life, especially industry. In fact, machines and
artificial intelligence have replaced human labors in manual works and it is
predicted that they will fill vacancies dominantly in foreseeable future. Therefore,
it is necsessary to be well-informed about all the hottest changes in technology.
The proficiency and mastery of technology is an advantage that stands employees
in good stead than peers. Furthermore, it guarantees continued employment when
employees can perform tasks which cannot be done by computers such as human
resources, management or staff training. Lifelong education which provides them
skills, new knowledge about novel technologies, state-of-the-art machines,
sophisticated equipment can bring significant interests in working life.

Secondly, education is imparting in not only traditional schools but also through
leisure activities on media. Thanks to the strong connection of technical gadgets,
people are able to pursue academic opportunities on a different channel such as
watching television or listening to foreign music. Albeit invisible, the exposure to
knowledge, information on media can help people to broaden horizons to some
extent which is not conveyed in formal education. A good case at this point is
watching the overseas news in a foreign language not only does it improve
language skills but also enhances the critical thinking capably when the audiences
take information from conflicting sources. In simple terms, some skills,
knowledge is non-transferable in universities or educational institutes, learners
should equip themselves with soft skills by getting knowledge from media or new
sources.

In conclusion, the constantly changing society and passive learning are the main
justification for the rise of a lifelong practice of education. It is necessary for
promoting career path and high intelligent capability.
89 Topic 89: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad.

Over the past decades, studying overseas has gained currency among the youth.
Although it is a life-transforming opportunity, it has many problems that should
be taken into account.

On the one hand, overseas students have opportunities to become well-rounded

individuals. It is not surprising to know that newcomers who lack life experiences
and little knowledge of local norms may have countless difficulties in the
fulfillment of daily tasks such as doing laundry, grocery shopping. If foreign
students overcome initial challenges, they are highly likely to become self-
sufficient, which is hardly obtained from academic courses. In addition to this, the
communication and interpersonal interaction with people from different cultural
backgrounds in cross-cultural classes bring students golden chance to practice
social skills. Albeit invisible, this exercise equips student professional etiquettes
which are valuable in later life as employees.

On the other hand, as every garden has its weeds, the pursuit of education of
opportunities overseas has some pitfalls. Anecdotal evidence shows that not all
overseas students who are at the tender, vulnerable ages can successfully solve
issues occurring in a new learning environment such failure is likely to result in
psychological problems, for example, depression, frustration, hopelessness. Not
only does it exert profound impacts on quality of life but also leads to low-
achieving academic performances. In other words, overseas students are
susceptible to intangible problems that are extremely influential on academic
outcomes and their life.

In conclusion, as every coin has two sides, learning abroad also has pros and cons.
While living in foreign countries provide international students good
environments to gain insight into foreign cultures and personal fulfillment, it is to
bring problems as mentioned above.

90
91 Topic 91: Some people argue that history is of little or no use to us. Others
believe that studying history gives many benefits. Discuss those views and
give your opinion.

Not surprisingly, children education and public curriculum are of crucial,

important to the public and has never ceased to provoke controversies. One of the
persistent debates is the issue as to whether history subject should be maintained
or abolished from teaching program. It is my opinion that although it is invisible,
learning history has some essential contributions, functions that other subjects
hardly did. In the following essay, the pros and cons of learning history will be
discussed.

On the one hand, learning history helps students to broaden their horizons. They
are likely to be knowledgeable, wise and less likely to make an impulsive
judgment when it comes to the assessment of issue if they gain information from
impartial sources, unbiased opinions and objective knowledge. In other words,
learning history from different sources gives students literacy skill from reliable
sources, avoid from misguiding opinions which are disseminated intendedly by
historians or authors in general public. This skill is extremely pivotal to learners
not only in formal education but also in later years, especially in information era
when people are bombarded by the plethora of information sources on mass
media.

On the other hand, it is equally important to recognize that objectively is the first
term that springs to over minds when learning history. However, most of the
lessons, lectures of historical events are objective with the personal opinion of
writers. Therefore, notwithstanding the potential of giving students the critical
thinking

In recent years, education has been given higher weight by the general public.
Many adopt a view that learning history is necessary to generate well-rounded
individuals; however, the issue as to whether learning history has the contribution
to student’s success or not remain controversial. In the following essay, the pros
and cons of learning history will be discussed.

On the one hand, it is important to recognize that albeit invisible, intellectual

independence and maturity is improved significantly through the study of history.
In fact, it is common that reading widely, intensively is the prerequisite to the
analysis of historical events, thereby giving students opportunities to make
judgments. Thanks to this they are not susceptible to misguiding belief,
stereotypes of historians. For instance, they are able to learn that people either
good or bad but motivated to behave as they did because of complex contexts. The
sharpness in estimating an issue is enhanced through analyzing conflicting history,
which is beneficial, crucial in their later years when holding careers, occupations.

On the other hand, as every garden has its weeds (every coin has two sides),
learning history is to bring problems that should be taken into account. So rapidly
has the world change that lessons from the past are not suitable, applicable to
current events. Taking similar path may result in dead-end rather than success.
Furthermore, educators should encourage students to pay attention to more
 essential subjects such as mathematics, literature. Given that such subject bear
closer relevance to their future career than history does. In other words, the
importance of history should be classified according to practicable value.

In conclusion, learning history can bring students’ maturity in judgment,

confidence in decision making. However, as every coin has two sides, it is
essential to make disadvantages as mentioned above into consideration.

92 Topic 92: Do you think middle school students should study international
news as a subject?

Over the past decades, human society has undergone significant changes in every
walk of life, posing higher demand for education. Many adopt a view that
educators should introduce international news into school curriculum as a subject.
Although this proposal is an unprecedented change, it has many supports.

Firstly, it is essential to recognize that learning overseas news can improve

students’ employability in later life. In fact, it is common that employers
nowadays have comprehensive demands in prospective workers to meet those
requirements, potential candidates are advised to broaden horizons in all aspect of
life. Meanwhile, globalization and international business have been promoted in
all countries. Any nation that fails to catch up with the fast pace of globalization
will be disadvantaged. For this reason, the government should take proactive
actions to equip people of young generation global perspective. Wolrd vision is
obtainable through learning the international news. A good case in this point is
education system Finland, which has integrated foreign news in high school
programme in a belief that knowledge and information from news will stand them
in good stead in search of works.

Secondly, students are trained to become well-rounded individuals who have the
firm grasp and have mastery of soft skills. Albeit invisible, analyzing transnational
events play an instrument in the formation of critical thinking capability and
decision-making ability when being exposed to various sources. Furthermore,
reading acticles and listening in a foreign language will enhance students’
proficiency in the overseas language. The combination of such skills is a
prerequisite to have a successful career in later years.

Notwithstanding mentioned interests, it has some problems that should be taken

into account as early ages of low consciousness, students are prone to distraction
when their concentration to study is diverted to conflicting arguments more
gravely. Students may take a misguided opinion on a sensitive issue such as
religious ethnicity. However, under the guidance of experts, students can have
proper orientation on international events.
 In conclusion, watching and analyzing international news is highly recommended
as they bring intangible interests to students the pitfalls may be addressed by
solution as outlined above.

93 Topic 93: Opinions divide concerning what plays a more important role in
people’s personality development, nature or nurture. What is your opinion?

There is no room for doubt that nature and nurture are the strong influence on
personal character development. However, the issue as to whether genetic factors
or environment have more profound impacts remains controversial. In my
opinion, there is no conclusive resolution on this issue, but both of them are
equally influential.

First of all, it is important to recognize that intrinsic factors that are inherent and
passed down from previous generations play a decisive role in personality
development. In fact, although scientific research has not successfully explained
why twins who are separated early as birth and raised up in different environment
grow up with resembling traits, anecdotal evidence shows a clear justification for
this phenomenon that is “the apple falls not far from the tree”. In other words, it is
a grave mistake to deny the link between gene and some characteristics.
Therefore, identical personalities among family members can be traced back their
similarities in a gene.

Secondly, scientific studies have persuaded that extrinsic factors have stronger
influences on the formation of traits. For instance, it is not surprised that children
who are from families of problems such as long criminal records, violent
background or poverty usually end up with self-destruction. This is reasonable,
understandable as the saying goes “person who keeps companion with a wolf will
learn how to howl”. As the single, meanwhile, others who brought up by affluence
families and well-educated parents can take similar paths to successes that are
paved the way by their parents. Those can avoid dead-ends thanks to the positive
and enriching environment and the good education from either reputable schools
or parental instruction.

In conclusion, it is dilemma situation to evaluate the living condition or nature

plays a more influential role in character development. When living conditions are
over, it is ignorant to underestimate that of genetic heredity.

94
95 Topic 95: Some scientists believe that studying the behavior of 3-year-old
children can predict their criminality. To what extent do you think a crime is
a product of human nature or it is positive to stop children from growing up
 to be criminals?

In recent years, social safety and social order has become an area of focus to the
general public. Many adopt a view that the figures of authorities should take
proactive action to prevent criminality in potential offenders, such as studying the
behavoiur of 3-year-old children; however, to the best of my knowledge, not only
do genes but also environments have a bearing (relation) on the development of
violent, aggressive behavior patterns in children.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that “the apple falls not far from the tree”, this
old saying indicates that people of later generations usually bear resemblance to
their senior, either in appearance or personal traits. Anecdotal evidence shows that
children (who have) having parents with long criminals history will grow up with
aggressive and impulsive. In fact, such characteristics are responsible for
inadequate behavior, disobeying acts in children (who are) diagnosed discipline
problems. In later years, if given the right circumstances, they are susceptible to
illegitimacy behavior because of unlawful acts. In simple terms, although it is
inconclusive, genetic influences are strong, evident in real life.

Secondly, parenting method and living environment are playing a larger part o
thisf issue. A kid can prevent himself/herself from victimization of genes if he/she
is well-educated, as the saying goes “learning makes people wiser, ignorance
otherwise”. It is clear that knowledge and understanding of legislation will make
individual knowledge, responsible for their behavior. Therefore, upbringing and
the access to education is the main element that people should pay attention when
it comes to evaluating others not the heritability of genes. Being raised by well-
educated parents from an upper class, their children are less likely to commit
faults or criminals activities given that they are given good instruction.

In conclusion, both nature and nurture have impacts on criminality in children;

however, the living environment has profound influence more than heredity of
family traits.

96 Topic 96: Computers do not help children learn more effectively. On the
contrary, the harness of computers has a negative effect on children’s
physical and mental development. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

In recent years, computerization has been adopted in every walk of life including
education. Although computers have their own merits that stand them in good
stead, computer use also exerts a profound influence on users, especially children.

Firstly, people should recognize that children who utilize state-of-the-art gadgets
in general and computers in particular excessively are subject to physical, social,
 psychological. In fact, the balance participation in sports activities, extra
curriculum activities, and academic activities is the best development to youngers.
Therefore, spending a long time on computers, sitting in front of monitors in
succession can result in a sedentary lifestyle. More gravely, it is common that
nearsightedness, back pain are prevalent among heavy users. Furthermore,
excessive use of computers is responsible for the lack of social interaction with
others. They do not have etiquettes in public places, inadequate gestures.

Secondly, children who are tender and vulnerable can fall victim to violent
contents on the Internet. Nowadays, the plethora of information is a serious
problem that should be taken into account given that violent games and
pornography videos are valuable, accessible to all users including adolescents.
The repeated exposure to inappropriate contents is an invisible element which
encourages the development of aggressive behavior in children. Besides, another
factor that adds fuel to fire is the lack of supervision from adults. In other words,
albeit intangible, the use of the computer for wrong purposes in an excuse of study
can lead to misguided behavior in young users.

In conclusion, only when children use the computer under strict supervision
(observation) of adults, is computer use effective, conductive. Otherwise, people
should pay attention to the detrimental effect on health and mental development of
children.

97
98
99
100 Topic 100: It is not uncommon that children are required to comply with the
rule of their parents and teachers. Some are worried that too much control
over children will not prepare them well for their adult life. Discuss both
sides and give your opinion.

In recent years, children education has been given higher weight by the genral
public. Many adopt a view that setting rules is violating the welfare of children;
however, others consider it necessary for children development. To the best of my
knowledge, as every coin has two sides, imposing rules and requiring children’s
compliance has pros and cons.

On the one hand, it is necessary to recognize that adult’s intervention is beneficial,

crucial to shaping adequate behavior in children. In fact, anecdotal evidence
shows that children who are at early ages of their childhood are curious,
adventuresome to the world and willing to discover surrounding. Under some
circumstances, their curiosity puts them at high risk of accidents and injuries such
 as using knives, taking medicine. Therefore, it is parents and teachers who should
take proactive practices to prevent dire consequences from occurring. As an old
saying indicates: “unsalted fish easily go bad, and indocile children easily go
wrong”. The traditional parenting method is useful in farming professional
etiquettes in children.

On the other hand, they are to bring problems that should be taken into account.
Nowadays, the competition is extremely high, requiring children to develop
flexibility, adaptability and critical thinking capability to stand out from peers.
However, the over-reliance on parents makes them disadvantages because that
they are unable to make a decision independently, separately from parents. Albeit
invisible, obeying the guidance of adults in a long time does not give room for the
development of unborn talents or personal identities. In other words, parents’
involvement does not prepare their children well for adulthood.

In conclusion, enforcing rules is recommended, appropriate to prevent

unpredictable, regrettable problems. However, as every garden has its weeds,
parents should lift their control over children gradually for the best environment
for mental development.

101
102 Topic 102: One’s character traits are strongly influenced by the place where he or
she grew up. Discuss the impact of an urban environment and those of a rural
environment on a child’s character development.

There is no room for doubt that living conditions have a bearing on children’s
characteristic development; however, the issue as to whether how much rural and
urban environment influences children’s behavior remains unclear. In the
following essay, the outline of the potential impact of living in countrysides and
cities will be presented.

On the one hand, poverty is the common characteristic of the remote area, which
blocks the access to education. As the saying goes: “learning makes people wiser,
ignorance otherwise”, while the solid educational background is necessary for
children to become productive members who are responsible, knowledgeable,
poor education background brings them difficulties to express their ideas or to be
creative positive thinking. Although it is invisible, illiteracy or financial shortage
to pursue academic opportunities in a rural area has negative influences on
training children to become curious, adventurous. In most cases, those who are
brought up by poor parents in countrysides are narrow-minded have inadequate
Behavior due to the lack of education.

On the other hand, their counterparts who are raised up by affluent parents in big
 cities have numerous chances to develop not only academic ability but also
etiquettes and good manners thanks to stable income and easy access to education
in cities. However, it is equally important to recognize that social evils as the drug
abuse and alcoholism are more rampant in cities than in the countrysides.
Furthermore, another factor that adds fuel to the fire is the bustle, hustle life in
metropolises that drives working parents to spend most adulthood in working
places, leading to having insufficient time for their children. As a result, kids have
higher exposure to inappropriate contents such as pornography videos, negative
peer pressure.

In conclusion, the countryside with limited access to public schools is believed to

pose adversity to children’s characteristic development. Meanwhile, nothing
guarantees that city dwellers are well-mannered, given that social evils in cities
are more serious than in the remote areas, people who keep companionship with a
wolf will learn how to howl should have further consideration on this.
103
104
105 Topic 105: people tend to believe that all young adults should undertake a
period of unpaid work for the good of the community. Do you agree or
disagree?

Not surprisingly, education has never failed to become an area focus and spark
controversies. One of the most controversial debates is whether young adults
should experience social works as volunteers or not. In my opinion, community
service is beneficial to not only society but also volunteers themselves.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that in today’s society, the competition in labor

market has become higher than ever before. Young adults are expected by
recruiters to have the mastery in both insights into majors and soft skills. The
combination of academic knowledge and practical experiences maximizes the
productivity, work efficiency. Meanwhile, as a result of spending the most time in
the pursuit of professional knowledge, youngsters generally seriously lack skills.
Volunteer works which offer them opportunities so as to work, help others who
are from every walk of life can give them valuable skills that are non-transferable
by theoretical lessons.

Secondly, furthermore, by volunteering and working in different positions, young

volunteers have chances so as to explode themselves. For instance, when working
in fields which are related to economics, participants can comprehend their ability,
thereby making the best career of choices based on personal strengths. Besides, it
is common that school leavers and graduates make mistakes which are harmful to
businesses. Community services in different jobs provide them free chances in
order to learn lessons, avoid dead-ends and take the similar path to success. In
 other words, thanks to volunteer work youngsters can become more well-rounded
individuals for future work.

In conclusion, travel makes a man, volunteer works should be taken into serious
consideration for positive outcomes. Not only does it bring soft skills which are
hardly conveyed at schools but also brings practical lessons which are beneficial
for future careers.

106
107
108 Topic 108: In order to improve the quality of education, high school students
should be encouraged to evaluate and criticize their teachers, but others
think it will result in loss of respect and discipline in the classroom. What is
your opinion?

In recent years, education has been given higher weight by the general public.
Many adopt a view that authorities should pay effort to improve the quality of
education such as teachers’ appreciation. However, the issue as to whether
students should be given the right to (assess) criticize their teachers’ performance
or not remains controversial. To the best of my knowledge, students’ participation
is crucial, beneficial to the enhancement of educational quality.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that nowadays, students are knowledgeable,

responsible. In fact, it is common that high school students have adequate
perception and authority to make comments and judgment on others, especially
those who have daily interaction, communication with them. Therefore, it is
reasonable and acceptable that educators invite students to measure and have
ratings on their teachers, on the ground that throughout the semester, the frequent
interaction in classrooms enables them to comprehend the strong points,
shortcomings of teachers on competence, thereby providing teacher opportunities
to adjust aims and improve the effectiveness of teaching.

Secondly, it is equally essential to recognize that the life principle which is “do
not school grandmother to suck eggs”, is obsolete (out-of-date), old-fashioned.
Anecdotal evidence shows that high school students are not encouraged to give an
assessment of teachers or challenges against teacher answers, which is regarded as
an immoral practice. Albeit invisible, this written rule exerts profound impacts on
students’ mental development, as it discourages critical thinking ability and
initiative in children in later life. The excessive compliance with senior’s guidance
will make them dependents who have difficulty in making a decision and lack
flexibility in solving the problem.

In conclusion, teacher appraisal plays an instrument in increasing educational

 quality. In this effort, the involvement of students is integral, pivotal because that
they are able to make impartial, neutral comments on their teachers. Not only does
it enhance the performance of instructors but also promotes the intelligent
capability in students.

109
110
111 Topic 111: In recent years, the proportion of crimes committed by youngsters
is on the rise. Discuss causes of this problem and suggest solutions.

In recent years, social order and social safety has become an area of focus to the
general public. Nowadays, in many countries, juvenile delinquency has become
under fire when many adolescents adopt criminal, aggressive behavior. There are
many reasons that account for the emergence of this phenomenon. In the
following essay, its triggers will be discussed, along with appropriate solutions.

First of all, it is important to recognize that parents play an instrument in shaping

behavioral patterns and adequate manners in their children. However, anecdotal
evidence shows that the rat-race has encouraged them to spend the vast majority
of their adulthood in working places, in order to earn handsome incomes. As the
result of this, the interpersonal interaction and communication between parents
and their kids are retrained significantly which leads to improperly parenting
methods. Therefore, it is reasonable when the lack of observation on teenagers and
the commitment illegitimate action usually go hand in hand. Secondly, another
reason that fuels this problem is the gaining currency of violent contents on media.
Uncensored contents and easy access to them have left a young adults misleading
impression, composure when acting violently.

To deal with this problem, it is necessary to concentrate on the heart reason which
is early education as an old saying indicates: “what is learned from the cradle lasts
till the tomb”, from early childhood, children should be given immediate
correction. Whenever they have inadequate behavior such as speaking a foul
language or nose picking. Besides, to form etiquettes and prevent behavoral
problems, the exposure to violence in all forms should be limited, minimized.
Given that brutal fighting scenes or combating are not appropriate to audiences
who are under age similarly, it is a vicious cycle that children who are victims,
survivals of domestic violence are prone to family conflicts by violence in later
years.

In conclusion, the main driving forces of juvenile delinquency are the loss of
 family life and excessive exposure to violence on media. Solution to this needs
proactive actions from parents as mentioned above.

112 Topic 112: What are the benefits of requiring young people to serve the
army? Do participation in community work quality as an alternative?

Traditionally, military conscription is compulsory in many countries. The

implement of this policy is intended to protect the motherland and train soldiers to
gain manhood. However, as far as I am concerned, in peacetime, such benefits are
obtained via other alternatives such as community services.

On the one hand, servicemen have opportunities to become well-rounded

individuals. In fact, it is common that their experience in the army is comparable
to working experience and recommendation. Given that in the military
environment, soldiers are allocated to fulfill tasks in different fields, ranging from
logistics obligation to physical activities. Therefore, it is not surprising to know
that farmer-soldiers can easily win others’ respect. Furthermore, through
interpersonal interaction with people from the different cultural background,
servicemen are able to learn to get along well with others and expand their social
circle. Albeit intangible, this benefit is extremely useful when soldiers reintegrate
into the community after military service. In other words, servicing the army is
every inch an educational environment for young people.

On the other hand, military conscription has become some problems that should
be taken into account. Firstly, experience from the military cannot meet the
comprehensive demand of employers in the highly competitive labor market,
given that they are not associated with career requirement. Secondly, their career
opportunities are limited because of the lack of insight into majors. However, such
shortcomings can be solved by community service. Not only does it offer the
youth chances to contribute to community development but also equips them
practical skills, hands-on which are closely related to a real job. What is more,
young volunteers are able to set their mind and choose desirable, favorable
careers, thanks to working in different areas of dealing with people of different
background to schooling community class.

In conclusion, as every garden has its weeds, military conscription has advantages
and disadvantages. In comparison with community service, military service
cannot overshadow the benefit of community participation.

113 Topic 113: Many people join distance-learning programs (study material,
post, TV, Internet) and study at home, but some people think that it cannot
bring the same benefits as attending colleges and universities. Do you agree
or disagree?
 In recent years, tertiary education has been given higher weight by the general
public, especially qualification seekers. Nowadays, many enroll in distance-
learning programs for affordability time saving, convenience; however, to the best
of my knowledge, notwithstanding mentioned advantages, distance-learning
programs have drawbacks which should be taken into account.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that maturity and activeness are required when
students participate in online classes. Anecdotal evidence shows that students
having inadequate consciousness of the instrument of education lack self-
motivation, self-direction, self-scheduling. Therefore, it is the teachers who play a
pivotal, irreplaceable role in observing students’ performance and driving their
commitment. Meanwhile, imparting knowledge, information in the absence of
instructors, tutors is the main characters of virtual schools. For this reason, they
suit those who have no difficulty in independent learning without guidance from
adults. In other words, the deficiency of teachers is a major shortcoming that
makes distance-learning programs cannot compare to taking part in colleges or
universities.

Secondly, albeit invisible, the possession of soft skills is equally essential to

academic capability. At present time, not only do employers appreciate distinct
academic outcomes but also value communication skills in potential workers.
Whereas, interpersonal interaction skill which is necessary for later life is formed
straightforwardly, invisibly through teamwork, group tasks. Unfortunately, the
chance of meeting peers and learning etiquettes is extremely limited in virtual
schools where knowledge is conveyed to learners by animated teachers or filmed
lectures. In simple terms, apart from the lack of observation no room to develop
soft skills is another drawback of learning on the Internet.

In conclusion, although learning on the Internet has many advantages that stand it
in good stead such as low tuition fees or free of charge tuition, elimination
geographical barrier, it is to bring problems that should be taken into account (that
should be paid grave attention. Under no circumstances, are virtual schools able to
provide students soft skills and driving forces from adults.

114
It has become easier, more affordable for people to travel to foreign
countries. Do you think it is a positive or negative development? What is your
opinion?

One of the most conspicuous trends in the 21st century is an explosion of the
tourism industry. Nowadays, international travel has become more
straightforward, more economical. Although every garden has its weeds and this
development always accompaniesthe demise of minority cultures, such drawbacks
could never overshadow the benefits.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that in modern society of globalization,

cultural exchange is an inevitable trend. Individuals who fail to learn culture are
susceptible to stagnancy, losing chances for personal development. For instance,
international companies have expanded to overseas market, employing workers
who are able to function smoothly in the cross-cultural working environment,
which is shown by the mutual understanding or tolerance to cultural differences,
dissimilar religious beliefs. Meanwhile, traveling abroad is the good stepping-
stone in order to broaden horizon, as the saying goes “travel makes a man”.

Secondly, not only do visitors benefit from international travel but also locals
have more opportunities for economic development. It is prevalent that if the
natives show hospitality or goodwill to international tourists, they can win over of
entrepreneurs from other nations. Therefore, in order to increase the interaction
between countries, people from different backgrounds, international travel is
frequently taken as a good method to eliminate the tension or hostility that is
inherent in their cultures. A good case at this point is concrete relations between
Arabians and Westerners who used to have enmity to each other in the past, but
the increased interaction through international travel gives them chances to take
the same position on many issues, besides different religious beliefs.

In conclusion, notwithstanding some shortcomings, the affordability and the ease

of transnational bring more benefits than the pitfalls. Both travelers and locals
gain tremendous benefits from learning the culture and earning favor others as
mentioned above.

Since money for postgraduate research is limited, some people think that
financial support from the state should be provided for only scientific
research rather than the research for less useful subjects. What is your
opinion?

Not surprisingly, budget distribution has never ceased to hit the headline and
provoke controversies. One of the persistent debates is the issue as to whether
financial aids from the government should give priorities to studies which bring
tangible immediate benefits such as scientific subjects or less practical subjects. In
my opinion, it is premature to discriminate subjects.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that the industrialization and computerization

are the most pervasive trends throughout the globe. Nowadays, countries which
fail to apply the specialization on their economies are susceptible to stagnancy or
even falling behind others. In other words, nations should have breakthroughs to
pave the way into new roads, which requires the solid background of technology
science. To have the firm grasp of scientific knowledge nations should finance
scientific research which can bring the self-sufficiency, the proficiency of
technology without support, import from others. In short, to become pioneers with
competitive advantage, funding scientific experiments is a necessary stepping-
stone.

Secondly, it is equally essential to recognize that the fierce competition on modern

labor market demands school leavers, graduates to be well-rounded individuals.
They are expected to be knowledgeable in not only academic subjects but also soft
skills. At the heart of the matter is the fact that although current curriculum has
successfully produced students with good academic performance, high
achievement, they have difficulties to impart soft skills via lectures, theoretical
lessons. For example, philosophy has not provided students the mastery in critical
thinking ability, a similar story to the historical subject which is extremely
important in the information era, Internet users are bombarded by the plethora of
information sources on cyberspace. Therefore, in future educators are
recommended to have further studies in soft subjects to maximize the efficiency of
education.

In conclusion, it is hard to make a clear-cut distinction between the values of

subjects. Academic and social subjects should associate each other to give one
another complementary value.

In the past decades, people traveled abroad to see differences from their
countries. However, nowadays, nations have become more and more similar.
What are the reasons? Do you think it is negative or positive development?

Over the past decades, the travel industry has witnessed an explosion in
international travel. However, it is predicted that in the foreseeable future this
trend is likely to diminish as countries have become increasingly similar to each
other. In the following essay, reasons behind this phenomenon will be discussed,
along with its potential influences.

Firstly, although it is invisible, globalization is the main trigger of this issue. In

fact, it is common that global trading is no longer unilateral but bilateral or even
multilateral, in particular, a developed nation can export industrial products to
other less developed countries, which facilitates importing nations to integrate or
catch up with global communities. Furthermore, recipients are not necessarily
suffering the loses from import technology but gain benefits. By making the
adjustment in policies or recognize mindset of international tourist. Host countries
can draw global attention and earn handsome incomes thanks to catering the taste
of international tourists. For instance, in Thailand, despite huge efforts to maintain
traditional features in architecture, traditional lifestyles which value virtues, good
conduct have been replaced by the western lifestyle, the legalization of
prostitution is a telling story in this country. This is attributed to the food in
Thailand of western tourists.

In terms of impacts, the tendency is believed to exert both positive and negative
influences. On the one hand, when nations show little differences in lifestyle,
infrastructure; this is a golden opportunity for exchange of knowledge,
information, human capital. For example, entrepreneurs who are interested in not
only domestic markets but also overseas markets can easily blend into new
markets by adopting the old strategies on new customers who have the same
buying habits. On the other hand, resembling lifestyles is to bring problems. It is
at the expense of cultural diversity, traditional customs, national identities.

In conclusion, globalization in every walk of life is the main driving force for the
fact that nations around the globe have become more and more identical.
Notwithstanding, financial advantages as mentioned above. It has a cost of
cultures that should be taken into grave consideration.

Topic: Public museums and galleries are not needed because people can
utilize computers to see historical objects and work of arts. Do you agree or
disagree?

Museums have long been known as centers of research and education. However,
there is a growing concern that public museums and art galleries are no longer
necessary in the digital era. Many believe that the Internet and computers can
function as well as museums and galleries for the following reasons.

First of all, it is important to recognize that the cyberspace is now having the
plethora of information sources, most of which are subjective or not reliable.
Meanwhile, museums with professional staffs and sophisticated equipment can
provide visitors the interpretation of artifacts (artefacts), specimens, which is
essential to avoid misguiding opinion. For instance, when it comes to learning
historical events that are usually controversial, independent research on the
Internet may result in bias against some bodies and give favor to others. While
history museums which well-trained staff are believed to serve the public
professionally by giving neutral information. In other words, museums and
galleries are more educational than the Internet.

Secondly, it is equally essential to recognize that museums, galleries have another

function of acquiring, preserving the works which are unique. In fact, it is
common knowledge that works of artists has dynamics in a variety of fields,
requiring institutes to take responsibilities for collecting and preserving them
effectively. Museums which are granted huge budget for operation can meet such
demands with specialists and intensive (insights) knowledge. For this reason, it is
clear that computers and the Internet can only impart knowledge cannot replace
museums and galleries.

In conclusion, it is premature to state that users can learn artworks just by seeing
them on the internet. Given that they are susceptible to misleading knowledge.
Besides, museums and galleries are necessary for collecting and protecting works
of art.

Topic: Today, when countries develop their populations tend to live

individually or in a small family unit. What are the reasons? What are the
effects on society?

One of the most conspicuous trends in the 21 st century is economic development

all over the globe. Although it has brought better living conditions, it is
responsible for the unprecedented phenomenon that modern citizens nowadays
prefer living independently, seperatedly from their families. In the following
essay, the driving forces behind this social change will be discussed, along with
influences on the community.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that unequal development between remote

areas and major cities is the main trigger if this problem. Because of income
disparity, many young rural inhabitants rush to metropolises in search of work,
higher salaries, handsome incomes. It is rare that people of young generations
have contended with the living condition, the labor market in the countryside and
live in extended families. Secondly, another reason that has intensified this trend
is the generation gap. In the modern era, globalization has offered the youth
opportunities so as to interact with others from different backgrounds. As a result
of cultural exchange, both adolescents and young adults favor Western lifestyles,
accounting for the increasing prevalence of Americanization among them. They
find it difficult to live together with the entired who uphold old-aged traditions.

As everything has double-edged impacts, this trend also has negative and positive
influences on society. On the one hand, people of new generations have more
room for personal development, make optimal use their talents without restrictions
from older members. On the other hand, albeit invisible, this trend is at expense of
traditional virtues. In the past, it was essential to build rapporst, or get along well
with other family members. Nowadays, the harmony is taken over (replaced) by
individualism, egoism when the youth are self-centered in most cases. It is family
solidarity that suffers loss.
In conclusion, most reasons are objective, they are either employment
opportunities in major cities or generation gap. Consequences are the erosion of
traditional values and the invasion of exotic cultures. However, it has tremendous
benefits to not only the youth but also community as outlined earlier.

Topic: Some people think that man and woman have different qualities.
Therefore, some certain jobs are suitable for men and others are only for
women. Do you agree or disagree?

Over the past decades, feminism has developed rapidly all over the globe.
Although gender equality has been brought to many countries, the gender
imbalance is a persistent problem in many fields, especially traditionally male-
dominated areas. In my opinion, this phenomenon implies the prejudice,
underestimation, and discrimination against women, which is premature.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that specialization is the major character in the

modern era. Nowadays, employers emphasize academic abilities rather than
physical abilities, because the labor intensive-economy has developed to the
knowledge-based economy. Therefore, if applicants who are well-educated by
prestigious schools can meet academic requirements, their employability should
be valued equally, regardless of their gender. A good case at this point is female
conscription which was previously a taboo in the most military environment is
now legalized so as to capitalize human sources for the computerization of
warfare.

Secondly, human society is ever-changing in every walk of life. In other words,

social sectors have constant changes, requiring new staff for new development.
Meanwhile, many inborn merits of females have not been fully discovered due to
the social stereotype. Thus, it is fair to say that women are able to perform tasks as
effective as their men counterparts, provided that they are given opportunities so
as to make the optimal use of their talents. A telling story is a career develop of
Marie Curie in the radiation field. Notwithstanding the bias against females in
science at her time, she paved the way into a new road.

In conclusion, the underrepresentation of women that has lasted in society is due

to the lack of accurate estimation of their abilities. No jobs are suitable for males
and females.

Topic: Some people believe that famous people work for international aid
organization can help to draw attention to important problems. However,
others think that celebrities make the problems less essential. Discuss both
views and give your opinion.
Over the past dacades, human society has experienced rapid development is
economics and technology. Although living conditions have been improved, many
other problems which can be seen from the environment or social safety have
risen. To hit the headlines to the general public, the advocates suggest that the
involvement of media personalities is beneficial; however, the opponents think
that the presence does harm than good.

On the one hand, modern citizens have become more self-centered than before,
personal benefits are the top priority for most of them. Not surprisingly, social
issues have been overlooked, which is the implication the fact that individualism
and egoism have become increasingly popular among modern societies, for
instance, despite the growing recognition to the seriousness of environmental
problems, little efforts have been paid to solve environment crisises. This
paradoxical situation is due to the life principle that “everybody’s business is
nobody’s business”. Meanwhile, celebrities have wide appeal to the public can
enlist the sympathy of audiences, thereby calling for practices.

On the other hand, it is equally essential to recognize that public attention is every
now and then distracted from the main subjects and diverted to the oddities or
private stories of celebrities. In this case, the endeavor of international aid
organizations turns out in vain. More gravely, in daily life activities, famous
people make statements that contain racial the elements, radical views toward the
figures of authorities, their messages can provoke conflicts, violent protests. In
order words, the well-known possess the power to ruin the harmony and promote
anarchy. As a result, international aid organizations which employ them as
ambassadors are negatively influenced.

In conclusion, notwithstanding the benefit of having public attention to social

issues, thanks to the appeal of celebrities, their participation in humanitarian aid
activities undermines the initial purpose as outlined early. It is recommended to
choose potential ambassadors with good virtues from the collective pool.

Topic: Many people think that family life and parents have most influences
on children’s development. However, others think that external factors play
more instrumental role in children’s development. Discuss both views and
give your opinion.

Not surprisingly, bringing up children has never failed to draw attention and
provoke controversies. One of the persistent debates is the issue as to whether
parents or extrinsic factors bear great influence on children’s development.

On the one hand, as the saying goes “the apple falls not far from the tree”,
children and their parents usually have something in common, either in
appearances or in behavior patterns. Parents in more cases require the compliance
with family regulations which are set by parents sharpening good manners and
good conducts in kids from early ages. This is due to the prevalent belief that
“what is learned from cradle will last to the tomb”. In other words, although
evidence is inconclusive, parents and kids often share similar characteristics. This
phenomenon is more visible in some cases such as domestic violence. It is a
vicious cycle that survivals experiencing corporal punishments are prone to
harness this parenting method on their children later.

On the other hand, the rat-race in modern societies is responsible for many family
breakdowns or the erosion of family solidarity. The main justification for this is
that working parents, especially those (who are) from double income families
struggle to balance work life and family life. Consequently, their kids have
inadequate time with their parents, thereby having high exposure with teachers,
peers or information sources on the Internet. In this case, parents are not as
influential as external factors. For instance, many adolescents from affluent
families and raised by knowledgeable parents are susceptible to social evils or
misguided beliefs, due to peer pressure. As an old saying indicates “who keep
companionship with the wolf will learn how to howl”, friends have stronger
impacts on children on many occasions.

In conclusion, it is a dilemma situation to evaluate whether parents and family or

outside factors influence kids stronger. Based on the above-mentioned facts, it is
varying from cases to cases.

Topic: Multicultural societies, where people of different ethnic groups live

together, can bring more benefits than drawbacks. Do you agree or disagree?

Over the past decades, population mobility has increased significantly thanks to
the abolishment of law barriers. As a result, the resettlement for a new life in new
nations has gained currency in modern societies, thereby establishing cross-
cultural communities. The demographic change has heated many debates as to
whether multicultural societies bring more interests than pitfalls or not. In my
opinion, people from different racial backgrounds are of great contributions to
host countries.

Firstly, some may argue that hostility is the most significant obstacle when it
comes to leaving altogether with others in multicultural societies, the vast majority
of newcomers are of difficulties to overcome cultural shocks or cultural
differences. However, anecdotal evidence shows that immigrants are of high
adaptability to local lifestyles thanks to the good preparation, enough
understanding of locals. Most of them comprehend the importance of principle
“when in Rome do as Romans do”. In particular, their integration into indigenous
communities usually proceeds earlier by showing tolerance to cultural divergences
and building mutual trust. In short, the harmony of societies can be visibly found
in colored cultural societies.

Secondly, underpopulation due to low birth rate has become increasingly grave in
many nations. Although it is not harmful currently, the gravity of this problem
will accumulatively, negatively impede national growth. A telling story is Japan
or Germany. In this case, the co-existence of minority communities is an
appealing factor to high skills workforces from overseas to come and resettle in
multicultural nations. The main justifications for this is that potential migrants
often choose destinations where they are of great opportunities so as to cherish
their cultures and avoid the cultural shock at initial stages of new life by living in
minority communities having the same background. In other words,
notwithstanding the acceleration of racism and pure nationalism among the
natives, the flourishment of different ethnic groups can attract foreign workforce
to make up for the labor shortage in future.

In conclusion, the shortcomings of ethnic, diversity can never hold a candle to the
interests. Not only do migrants blend into local culture straightforwardly but also
draw countrymates to come and contribute to host countries.

Topic: Governments are encouraging companies and businesses to move

from big cities to regional areas. Do you think the advantages outweigh
disadvantages?

Over the past decades, industries have been mushrooming in nations, (they are)
concentrated in major cities. Recently, local governments have motivated
(applaused) them to leave cities for countrysides. Although the relocation of plants
and enterprises is confronted with initial difficulties, it is promising to both
businesses and society in the long run.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that highly competitive markets are the main
character of business in metropolises. In fact, in developed cities, numerous
competitors are in the same race for a single line of product. In other words,
opportunities are scarce in urban areas. Therefore, the movement to remote areas
should be regarded as a challenge which could help businesses to gain more
market share and expand profit-margin and take full of cheap human resources
available in rural areas. Besides, regional governments usually provide tax
waiters, tax incentives or financial aids to companies which are willing to start
their business in the countrysides. This policy is a relief to firms which are
struggling with financial burdens.

Secondly, this policy, if (it is) implemented effectively, can contribute positively
to the establishment of a harmonious society. Due to the shortage of public
infrastructure such as poor transportation system, most companies find it difficult
to set headquarters of factories in rural areas. This phenomenon has accelerated
the imbalance in economic development and living condition of remote
inhabitants. Paradoxically, city dwellers enjoy the prosperity of economy and
decent ling standards, the rural (the counterparts) who are living in countrysides
are not given equal opportunities. To bridge the gap between the developed city
and underdeveloped one, the encouragement to enterprises to give the remote
people more employment opportunities is required.

In conclusion, despite challenges at first stage from the lack of public facilities,
the resettlement to regional areas could be paid off in future. Not only does it
promise more financial benefits but also contributes to the efforts of establishing a
nation of harmony as mentioned above.

Topic: Memorization of information by frequent repetition plays a role in

most learning systems. Discuss the usefulness of this method of learning and
its demerits and give your opinion?

Not surprisingly, education has never failed to spark controversies. One of the
most debating subjects is the issue how to impart knowledge in the curriculum.
While most educators give preference to the teaching method of repetition for its
interests, other oppose for its shortcomings. In the following essay, the pros and
cons of this educational philosophy will be discussed.

On the one hand, it is important to recognize that natural subjects constitute the
vast majority of teaching contents. In fact, it is common that problems in
mathematics, physics or chemistry are usually tricky, which requires students to
have the comprehension of theories, principles to find out solutions. Meanwhile,
geniuses can solve problems promptly and precisely, normal students need the
practice of repetition to gain the mastery as high achievers do. This is the main
justification for the integration of this method into teaching programs. Only when
students obtain the proficiency in logical thinking skills, can they address other
problems in not only natural subjects but also real-life context by
subconsciousness. In other words, albeit invisible, repetition accumulatively
equips student relational thinking capability.

On the other hand, as every garden has its weeds, this means of conveying
knowledge has some drawbacks that should be taken into grave consideration.
Nowadays, it is clear that modern societies are ever-changing, industries are ever-
developing. For this reason, only pioneers who show the initiatives or the ability
to think out of the box can have the advantages. However, the means of repetition
instructs students to take similar paths to success, giving them no opportunities to
capitalize their creativity. Therefore, educators should pay much more attention to
the pitfalls that school leavers who have excessive uniformity in thinking with
peers hardly grow up productive members of societies who can pave the way into
new roads.

In conclusion, notwithstanding the benefit of providing students the fluency in

logical thinking ability, the teaching method of repetition gives them no room to
practice other skills of creativity. Educators should accordingly have further
consideration on this philosophy.

Topic: Many believe that the amount of noise that people make should be
controlled strictly by the government, others say that people have the right to
make as much noise as they want. Discuss both views.

Over the past decades, environmental problems have become increasingly grave
around the globe. Although it does not hit the headline as frequently as other
environmental crises do, noise pollution is believed to have detrimental impacts
on the quality of life. Therefore, many suggest that authorities should impose the
restriction on the level of noise which is produced; however, the opponents argue
that it is their freedom to make as much noise as they wish. In the following essay,
justification of both schools of thoughts will be discussed.

On the one hand, noise pollution invisible contributes to psychological problems.

Notwithstanding inconclusive evidence, anecdotal evidence shows that high level
of noise is associated with mental problems such as the feeling of anxiety, which
is a disturbance triggering insomnia. For example, in metropolises, city dwellers
who are among the groups of having high exposure to vehicles usually complain
about the difficulty to concentrate on work or study. This is attributed to the
reason that overpopulation and high density of private cars cause noise pollution.
In other words, despite the difficulty to measure the actual influence of excessive
noise on daily activities, lawmakers should take it into account for the decent life
of their citizens.

On the other hand, it is equally important to recognize that making noise is of

recreational values that add quality to life. On many occasions, the audiences give
applause to athletes who are performing on fields, which is an integral part of
games, not only does it provide audiences excitement but also motivates athletes
to perform better. In short, levying constraints on making noise in some cases is
the reduction of entertaining values. Furthermore, in major cities, the high volume
of traffic and noise pollution are inevitable, inescapable. Legislators should have
the every inch solution to satisfy all of their civilians. Many countries have had a
cake and eat it too by enriching transportation infrastructure, building more walls
along free-ways to block out the noise.
In conclusion, meanwhile noise pollution is at the heart of many psychological
problems, the introduction of limits/limitation on making noise has some
shortcomings. Law-makers should accordingly have further consideration on
peoples’ right to make noise.

Topic: Some believe that charity organizations should give aids to those in
greatest needs, wherever they live. Others think charity organizations should
concentrate on their own countries. What is your opinion?

There is little room for doubt that international relief is an instrument to global
communities. However, many believe that international aids are usually misspent
and providers should channel into assisting their citizens. To the best of my
knowledge, the mentioned argument is premature.

First of all, it is important to recognize that humanitarian relief is beneficial,

crucial to both recipients and providers. Nowadays, relations between countries
are no longer unilateral but bilateral or multilateral. In other words, international
relations in the modern era are characterized by interdependence. Therefore,
problems in one nation such as natural disasters or civil unrest exert snow-ball
effects on neighboring countries. The provision of relief to those suffering crisis
could be taken as the prevention of prospective victimization. A good case at this
point is a civil war in Africa. Albeit invisible, social disharmony and anarchy in
the third world have caused far-reaching consequences in the 1 st world. For this
reason, it is reasonable, understandable that rich states have helped the victims by
international aids to not fall victims to knock-on effects.

Secondly, globalization has been promoted over the past decades. States have
become members of different global communities, participants have the
responsibility to comply with regulations of communications. It is an obligation to
help other members confronting problems. This tie is for the commonwealth.
Disobeying to imperative regulations makes nations subject to the exclusion from
communities. In other words, providing international belief to victims regardless
of their race, ethnics or background is prerequisite for their own survival.

In conclusion, under no circumstances should charity organizations discriminate

victims or recipients on the ground of nationality. It is compulsory according to
international laws, which is useful to the prevention of potential problems as
outlined above.

Topic: Multicultural societies, where people of different ethnic groups live

together, can bring more benefits than drawbacks to countries. Do you agree
or disagree?
Over the past decades, population mobility has increased significantly thanks to
the abolishment of law barriers. As a result, the resettlement for new life in a new
countries has gained currency in modern societies, thereby establishing cross-
cultural communities. This demographic change has heated up many debates as to
whether multicultural societies bring more interests than pitfalls or not. In my
opinion, people from different racial background have great contribution to host
states.

Firstly, some may argue that hostility is the most remarked obstacle when it
comes to living all together with other in multicultural societies, most of th
newcomers have difficulties to overcome cultural shocks or cultural differences.
However, anecdotal evidence shows that immigrants have high adaptability to
local lifestyle thanks to the good preparation, enough understanding of the locals.
Most of them comprehend the importance of the principle that “when in Rome, do
as Romans do”. In particular, their integration into indigenous communities
usually proceeds easily by showing tolerance to cultural divergences and building
mutual trust. In short, the harmony of society can be visibly found in colorful
cultural societies.

Secondly, underpopulation due to low birth rate has become increasingly grave in
many countries. Although it is not harmful currently, the gravity of this problem
will accumulatively, negatively impede national growth. A telling story is Japan
or Germany. In this case, the coexistence of minority communities is an appealing
factor to highly skilled-workforces from overseas to come and resettle in
multicultural states. The main justification for this is that prospective immigrants
often choose destinations where they have opportunities to cherish their cultures
and avoid cultural shocks at the initial stage of new life in new nations by living in
minority communities having the same background. In other words,
notwithstanding the acceleration of racism and pure nationalism among the
natives, the flourishment of different ethnic groups can attract foreign workforces
to make up for the labor shortage in future.

In conclusion, the shortcomings of ethnic diversity can never overshadow the

benefits. Not only do immigrants blend into local cultural straightforwardly but
also appeal to countrymates to come and contribute to host nations.

Topic: Some believe that famous people work for international aid
organizations can help to draw attention to important problems. However,
others think that celebrities make the problems less essential. Discuss both
views and give your opinion?

Over the past decades, human society has experienced rapid development in
economics and technology. Although living conditions have been improved, many
other problems which can be seen from the environment or social safety have
risen. To hit the headlines to the general public, the advocates suggest that the
involvement of media personalities is beneficial; however, the opponents think
that their presence does more harm than good.

On the one hand, modern citizens have become more self-centered than before,
personal benefits are the top priority of them. Not surprisingly, social issues have
been overlooked, which is the implication the fact that individualism and egoism
have become increasingly prevalent among modern societies. For instance, despite
the growing recognition to the graveness of environmental problems, little efforts
have been paid to solve the environmental crisis. This paradoxical situation is due
to the life principle that “everybody’s business is nobody’s business”. Meanwhile,
celebrities who have a wide range of appeal to the public can enlist the sympathy
of audiences, thereby calling for actions.

On the other hand, it is equally essential to recognize that public’s attention is

every now and they distracted from the main subjects and diverted to the oddity or
private stories of celebrities. In this case, the endeavor of international aid
organizations turns out in vain. More seriously, in daily life activities, well-known
people make statements that contain racial elements, radical views towards the
government, their messages can provoke conflicts, violent protests. In other
words, the famous possess the power to ruin the harmony and promote anarchy.
As a result, international aid and organizations which employ them as
ambassadors, are negatively influenced.

In conclusion, notwithstanding the interest of having public attention to social

issues, thanks to the appeal of celebrities, their participation in humanitarian aid
activities undermines initial purposes as mentioned above. It is recommended to
choose prospective ambassadors with good virtues from the collective pool.

From the perspective of some people, aid agencies can take advantages of
celebrities’ fame to raise public awareness towards certain matters of importance.
Others, however, hold the view that such method may only bring
counterproductive results. Personally, I find the latter more convincing.

Those who support the idea of utilizing famed individuals’ assistance have their
own justifications. First of all, people who are considered role models apparently
have a considerable amount of influence on the public. Emma Watson, for
instance, being a prominent actress, is currently the goodwill ambassador for the
United Nations, promoting gender equality and undoubtedly drawing a great deal
of attention for her admirers. Furthermore, a wide range of population can be
reached if an organization’s campaign is represented by a popular star. In many
parts of the world, some film stars are even more well-known to the locals than
the organization itself owing to their appearance in familiar cinematic products.
Therefore, the introduction of a humanitarian campaign can be further facilitated
thanks to the artists.

Nevertheless, I can understand why other people are against inviting celebrities
for assistance. When relying on the fame of some people to attract more public
attention, and aid progarm can also be affected by their scandals. Mass public
disapproval may arise from a representative receiving a speeding ticket or getting
caught harnessing illegal drugs, undervaluing the significance of the aid
programme. Another foreseeable drawback is that the public might take the
presence of famous entertainers as a mere publicity stunt. Without the evidence of
real actions taken to mitigate a problem such as participating in a voluntary team
to help the people in need, famous people may fail to draw the attention of people
to the situation.

In conclusion, while some have reasons to believe in the success of celebrities in

getting people to pay attention, I tend to think that such approach might not prove
to be effective for aid organizations as expected.

There have been many debates regarding the role of famous people in raising
public awareness of major issues. While celebrities can attract people’s attention
to the problems, I would argue that they are likely to make the problems less
crucial.

To begin with, the well-known can assist international aid organizations in raising
people’s consciousness of social issue. Firstly, celebrities can communicate
information about big problems to a large audience around the globe. For instance,
by taking part in the Ice Bucket Challenge in 2004, various celebrities such as Bill
Gates or Mark Zuckerberg have helped the ALS Organization to let millions of
people know about a disease called ALS. Secondly, since people tend to the ones
they admire, famous people are much more likely to be able to ask their fans to
take appropriate actions. For instance, a well-known football player can call
people to donate money to help homeless individuals.

However, I believe that famous people might take the problems become less
important. The first reason is that individuals tend to only pay attention to what
celebrities do and say rather than what messages they want to impart. In the
aforementioned example about the Ice Bucket Challenge, many people watched
the video of celebrities taking up the challenge without actually learning anything
about the ALS disease. This makes little contribution to address the issue
compared to a large number of famous people involved. Furthermore, in order to
attract viewers, the well-known usually try to deliver their messages in a funny
and entertaining way, which might lead to the problems becoming less grave.

In conclusion, while celebrities can contribute greatly to tackling social problems,

I believe they are more likely to make the issues seem less crucial.

Topic: Many scientists and travelers like to travel to a remote natural

environment like the South Pole. Do you think the advantages outweigh the
disadvantages or not?

One of the most conspicuous trends in the 21 st century is the development of

tourism industry. Nowadays, there has been a growing trend that researchers and
tourists are keen on visiting rural regions like the South Pole. It is my opinion that
this unprecedented growth has more interests than drawbacks.

Firstly, traveling to remote environments can help travelers to broaden horizon

into environmental protection, which is beneficial to not only travelers themselves
but also natural resources. In fact, many adopt a view that environmental crisis
does not bear direct influences on them, this is the main justification for the fact
that little effort has been done to address environmental problems, although their
gravity has been noticed for a long time. As a saying goes “nobody has ever shed
tears without seeing a coffin”. Meanwhile, visiting the South Pole offers tourists
opportunities to know consequences of climate changes. For example, the rise of
sea level due to melted ice has snow-ball effects on the progressive extinction of
local animals. In short, thanks to visiting rural environmemt, they can actively,
positively alter their consciousness in environmental preservation.

Secondly, environmental conservation is in grave financial shortage in much parts

of the world. Indeed, not individuals bot governments or companies assume
responsibilities for recovering damaged habitats or protecting endangered animals
which are on the verge of extinction from dying out. However, in countries which
are in tight budget, environment recovery has to compete with other social sectors
for budget distribution. In this case, making optimal use of natural resources
which has not been capitalized like Antartica is an effective method to raise funds,
thereby, ploughing them back to resources. In other words, taking full advantages
of rural recources in the non-smoking industry is an every inch solution to the lack
of sponsorships.

In conclusion, notwithstanding some pitfalls of traveling to remote areas, they can

never hold a candle to the benefits. Simultaneously, it raises awareness among the
public and raises funds for environmental protection.

Topic: Interview is the basic form of procedure for most large companies.
However, many think that it is unreliable and there are some other better
methods. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

There is no room for doubt that human resources are instrumental to businesses.
Not surprisingly, employers usually pay great efforts on recruitment for the
selection of most productive workers. An interview is widely adopted as an
effective method to hire new employees. Notwithstanding the popularity of this
method, others think that other alternatives bring more promising, satisfying
outcomes. In the following essay, the justification for both schools of thoughts
will be discussed.

On the one hand, it is important to recognize that in contemporary society,

industries are ever-developing and have become increasingly competitive.
Therefore, prospective workers are usually expected to meet comprehensive
demands for both academic and soft skills. Meanwhile, academic abilities can be
shown by qualifications or certificates, records, skills are usually invisible, non-
transferable by documents. For this reason, the full assessment of applicants’
capabilities needs communication, interview for better understanding. For
example, the use of the physical gesture or interpersonal interaction skill requires
evaluation through face-to-face interaction, that are prerequisites for jobs of
administration, management. In short, interviews are necessary for estimation of
skills.

On the other hand, interviews have some shortcomings that should be taken into
grave consideration. For instance, to entrepreneur business, creativity is the key to
their survival. In other words, initiative and critical thinking ability are property
too not only employees themselves but also plants. Thus, pioneers in industries
often take the sophisticated procedure to employ new staffs who can pave the
ways into new roads. In particular, elite candidates are sorted by viewing resume’.
Then categorization (classification) is applied to foretell whether a candidate can
avoid taking similar paths to dead-ends or not. Group discussion on study cases is
well-known for tha capability to classify candidates in organizations or
international firms.

In conclusion, it is a dilemma situation to weigh the gains and losses of utilizing

interviews to employ good personnel. In my opinion, depending on the different
scale of works, recruiters should have dynamics to use different methods.

Topic: many people think that family life and parents have many influences
on children’s development. However, others think that external factors play
the more important role in children’s development. Discuss both views and
give your opinion.

Not surprisingly, bringing up children has never failed to draw attention and
provoke controversies. One of the persistent debates is the issue as to whether
parents or external factors bear great impacts on children’s development.

On the one hand, as the saying goes “the apple falls never far from the tree”,
children and their parents usually have something in common, either in
appearance or in behavioral patterns. Parents in most cases require the compliance
with family regulations and rules which are set by parents, sharpening good
manners and good conduct in children from early ages. This is due to the belief
that “what is learned from cradle will last to the tomb”. In other words, although
evidence is inconclusive, parents and children often share similar characteristics.
This phenomenon is more visible in some cases such as domestic violence. It is a
various cycle that the survival experiencing corporal punishment are prone to
utilize this parental method on their children later.

On the other hand, the rat-race in modern societies is responsible for many family
breakdowns or erosion of family solidarity. The main justification is that working
parents, especially those from double-income family, struggle to balance work life
and family life. Consequently, their children have inadequate time with their
parents, thereby having high exposure with teachers, peers or information sources
on the Internet. In this case, parents are not as influential as external factors. For
example, many adolescents from the affluent family and raised by knowledgeable
parents are susceptible to social evils or misguided beliefs, due to peer pressure, as
an old saying indicates “who keep companionship with the wolf will learn how to
howl”, friends have a stronger impact on children on many occasions.

In conclusion, it is dilemma situation to evaluate whether parents and family or

ouside factors influence children stronger. Based on the above-mentioned facts, it
is varying from cases to cases.

Topic: Many think that success life is based on hard working and
determination. However, others think that some other factors are more
important like money and appearance. To what extent do you agree or
disagree?
There is no room for doubt that individuals pay great efforts to pursue success in
their life. However, the issue as to whether elements contribute to success remains
a subject of criticism. While many believe that diligence and consistency are more
essential than monetary wealth and appearance, it is my opinion that they are not
conflicting but complementary to each other.
On the one hand, it is undeniable that “practice makes perfect”, successful
individuals share similar traits which are an eagerness to learn and persistence.
Anecdotal evidence shows that they re ambitious to pave the ways into new roads,
which is initiative. This personality is necessary if individuals wish to make great
achievements in contemporary societies which are ever-changing. In other words,
the willingness to be curious about new things, be adventurous to challenge
themselves is crucial to sharpen their skills. Meanwhile, not all the skills and
knowledge can be imparted by lessons at schools, those who take education as the
life-long practice could stand out from their peers and gain success.

On the other hand, financial affordability is an advantage that facilitates other

activities, including education. Nowadays, prestigious schools which provide
students a solid background of both academic knowledge and soft skills usually
impose high tuition over students. Therefore, students from low-income families
who cannot afford high tuition fee usually have low literacy than others from
handsome income families, even they are in the darkness of illiteracy.
Furthermore, appearance is somehow important in today cross-cultural working
environment, it implies the professionalism and earns the sympathy from others,
as the saying goes “tailor makes a man”. In other words, external factors play a
significant role in career path.

In conclusion, both traits and affordability play equally essential role in the pursuit
of success. Only those who stick to their targets can be outstanding of peers. In
contrast, jack of all trades, master of none. Besides, monetary affluence facilitates
the access to education which is the stepping stone for future success.

Topic: In many countries, women are allowed to take maternity during the
first month after the birth of their babies. Do you think the advantages
outweigh the disadvantages?

There is no room for doubt that parental leave is an instrument to female

employees, which is lasting in varying time in different nations. In some parts of
the world, women can take only one month of maternity after the delivery of their
babies. It is my opinion that this policy bears negative, accumulative effects on
both working mothers and well-being of society.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that women take the large part to the
reproduction. In fact, the fertility of ladies is a responsibility that can only be done
by themselves. For instance, in most families, wives assume the main childcare
responsibility, which is more intensive in doubled income families, wives are both
breadwinners and home-makers, being in charge of supporting families and
raising up children. At initial stages, breastfeeding lies on them. For this reason, it
is clear that no one can take over their role to fulfill their obligation for kids. One
month of parental leave is an inadequate period of time to build a good
motherhood. Furthermore, babies who receive insufficient caring from mothers
may have health problems that should be taken into prevention.

Secondly, from the social perspective, this company regulation could be regarded
as a sexual discrimination. Traditionally, working environments are dominated by
males, due to the fact that employers visibly give preference to male workers and
give low weight to females. Although women have set their foot in every walk of
life thanks to feminism, the recognition of their abilities are still far from reality.
Therefore, they have to perform tasks as successfully, productively as male
counterparts do. Career development requires them to sacrifice private life.
Despite the fact that many working mothers adapt to one-month maternity, their
family life is at the high cost such as the solidarity and unity of their families are
not as strong as in other families. Consequently, the society which is built by unit
family is influenced.

In conclusion, under no circumstances should people access one-month parental

leave. Not only is it insufficient for taking good care of their babies but also
harmful to the solidarity of family and the harmony of society.

Topic: Some think that robots are very important for human development.
However, others think that robots are dangerous and have negative effects on
society. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of robots.

One of the most conspicuous trends in the 21st century is the modernization and
computerization of industries. While automation has gained currency and widely
adopted by manufacturers, others argue that robots and artificial intelligence are
harmful to human society. In the following essay, the pros and cons of harnessing
robots will be discussed.

On the one hand, labor-intensive economy has developed to the knowledge-based

economy. Nowadays, human resources which are constituted by well-educated
workers have been taken full advantages in developed societies. However, the
sustainability of national development has been threatened by the grave lack of
labor in both manual and academic fields. For this reason, the integration of state-
of-the-art machines into lines of production is tremendously beneficial, crucial,
due to the fact that novel technologies can take over human workforce in many
tasks. Furthermore, not only its productivity but also efficiency increased when
machines are less likely to commit faults than human are. These factors are the
main justification for increasing preference to robots.

On the other hand, as every garden has its weeds, the shortcoming of novelty
should be taken into account. The hierarchy is ever-persistent in working
environments. If cutting-edge equipment replaced manual workers or blue-collars
who are less educated and have low employability, the unemployment rate is
likely to go up to unpredictable level. Besides, it is equally essential to recognize
that robots could be out of control occasionally, and without the sense of
emotions, they are thoroughly likely to attack humans or converse the right
procedure they are supposed to implement.

In conclusion, as the saying goes “every coin has two sides”, robots have set its
foot in every walk of life, and bring people tremendous interests. It is common
that they have replaced people in many tasks or can work in extreme conditions
where humans are helpless. However, the assistance of cutting-edge technology
and artificial intelligence improvements have also negative impacts on society as
mentioned above. And these shortcomings should be taken into grave
consideration.

Topic: Nowadays, men and women all over the globe are having babies late
in life. What are the reasons? Do you think it is a negative or positive
development?

In recent years, human society has undergone unprecedented changes in every

walk of life, such as the aging population and the increase in the ages of parents
when they have first babies. Although it is a personal decision, this growing
tendency exerts profound influences on their own families and societies. In the
following essay, triggers and prospective impacts of this phenomenon will be
discussed.

Firstly, poor social welfare systems are the main reason for having babies late in
life. In fact, it is common that countries which are in the tight budget have
insufficient funds for sponsorship of social services such as free-of-charge
education, public health care. Therefore, it is parents that have to shoulder the
responsibilities of financing the access to prestigious education providers,
professional health care services. Meanwhile, working people in such nations
usually earn average incomes to support their families, thereby resulting in having
babies late for the financial shortage. Secondly, the emergence of individualism,
egoism is another reason that has intensified this phenomenon in developed
countries. In the present life, gender equality is the key characteristics of modern
societies. For instance, Western states thanks to feminism, sexual discrimination
has been eliminated from communities, women have more employment
opportunities and more chances to have promotion in career ladders. More often
than not, female workers take full advantages of opportunities to maximize their
employabilities.
Albeit invisible, the pervasiveness of this lifestyle has far-reaching influences on
individual lives and societies. Notwithstanding the potential of paying full
attention and dedication to jobs, and earning handsome incomes, parents having
babies late in life are at high risk of having children with health problems like
down syndrome, autism. Furthermore, in the long run, this trend will pose a severe
threat to sustainability if economic development. A telling story is Japan in which
local authorities are struggling to overcome labor shortage due to the rapid rise of
elderly and having babies late.

In conclusion, poor social welfare systems and the enhancement of gender

equality are the main reasons for the development of having babies late. Despite
personal right in this issue it is to bring problems that should be taken into account
as mentioned above.

Topic: How important do you think it is for people to want success in life? Do
you think ambition is negative or positive characteristics?

Gaining achievement has remained a subject of controversy as to whether

ambition plays an instrument to future success. As far as I am concerned, craving
(desiring) for success is a prerequisite to becoming well-rounded individuals.
However, the high expectation is to bring problems that should be taken into
account.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that only when people set targets which are
suitable for personal strengths, can they obtain the objectives. In fact, it is
common that different individuals have the appetite for various interests, distinct
hobbies, the vast majority of such differences are derived from personal
background such as social class, intelligent level. At the heart of the matter is
comprehension of personal merits and demerits that guarantees the obtainability of
goals. Given that inborn talents really stand them in good stead when in the
pursuit of personal desires.

Secondly, chasing many targets simultaneously is responsible for the potential

failure. As a saying goes “Jack of all trades, master of none”, setting priority and
pursuing them in order is the key to be successful. The eagerness to become
proficient in different fields by hopping is the main trigger for giving up some
targets on the path to success. In simple terms, there is no shortcut in the race to
become expert in different areas at the same time. Therefore, it is essential to
recognize that the significance of a passion; however, it is more important to
follow passion in order, rather than working on them at once.

In conclusion, under no circumstances should individuals exclude ambition from

life. Geven that it is the principal element to be successful. Nevertheless, the high
expectation is problematic when one evaluates their personal capability in an
inappropriate way or chases many targets parallelly.

Topic: The gap between the haves and the have-nots has become wider. The
rich are richer, the poor are poorer. What problems can it cause and give the
solution?

Over the past decades, human societies have undergone significant changes,
citizens have better living conditions. Paradoxically, in many parts of the globe,
the income disparity between the haves and the have-nots has become more grave.
Although this social phenomenon has no immediate effects, potential
consequences should be taken into account.

Firstly, some may argue that class distinction is a persistent problem of human
societies that cannot be avoided. However, it is a grave mistake to ignore the
increasing gravity of the gap between the rich and the poor. In contemporary
societies, low-income parents have to cover various costs of family lives that tend
to go up to more expensive such as medical care, tuition fees. They find it difficult
to meet all the demands of modern society due to the financial shortage. For
example, their children’s education is confronted with countless barriers or even
be interrupted by the fact that prestigious schools often levy high tuition fees over
students. Only those who have financial affordability can send their children to the
best schools.

Secondly, the hierarchy of society is now happening at large scale, which could be
restricted only by the invention of the figures of authorities. Legislators are of
means of appropriate handsome incomes from the rich and redistribute them to the
poor. The most popular and effective method is to impose different tax levels on
different income levels. It is expected that the higher personal incomes, the higher
income taxes. In other words, taxation is instrumental, integral to the effort of
establishing a society of income balance. Furthermore, state control should be at
every walk of life. For instance, health care services should be free-of-charge to
low-income workers and tuition waivers should be provided to all students from
poor families or those who are living under poverty line. In short, to lift (bridge-
eliminate) classification from society, the active roles of law-makers is required, a
single effort of individuals hardly change this long-lasting situation.

In conclusion, the widened gap between the affluent and the less wealthy has far-
reaching influences on society. To address this problem, at the heart of the matter
is the full participation of the figures of authorities to all social aspects as
mentioned above.
Topic: An increasing number of people do not know their neighbors and
there is no longer sense of community. What are the problems for this? What
are your suggestions?

In recent years, human society has undergone significant changes in every walk of
life, resulting in an unpredicted modification in lifestyles. Nowadays, it is
common that modern citizens especially city dwellers do not have rapports with
the next door. In the following essay, driving forces behind this phenomenon will
be discussed, get along with appropriate solutions to it.

Firstly, it is important to recognize that the fast pace of life in metropolises has
intensified the gravity of the rat-race. Anecdotal evidence shows that the vast
majority of modern people pay full attention to work, channeling into earing
handsome incomes to support their families. Ad a result of this, working people
have difficulty in not only striking a right balance between work and rest but also
maintaining the bonds. Besides, another reason that has added fuel to the fire is
the exotic invasion of Western cultures. Albeit invisible, the prevalence and
pervasion of media products which are derived from dominant cultures have
popularized the lifestyle of Western countries, emphasizing egoism and
individualism.

To address this social issue, it is essential to recognize to focus on its root cause.
At the heart of the matter is the hustle and bustle life. The solidarity and unity of
citizens play an instrument in the harmony of the community. It is the government
that should recognize this importance and takes proactive actions to help their
citizens get along well with each other. A successful story is the introduction of
policies such as 4 days work week, pay holidays. Although it is intangible, such
policies have strengthened the ties among citizens. Furthermore, it is equally
important to talk out of the invasion of exotic cultures, the erosion of local culture
by providing incentives to companies which produce media programme of local
tradition.

In conclusion, as the saying goes “near neighbor is better than better than a
distance cousin” is no longer given high weight as before for the paced life and
egoism. Solutions to this need government intervention as outlined above.

Topic: In many countries, life expectancy has been increasing. What problem
will cause to society and individuals?

Over the past decades, thanks to medical advances, anti-aging technologies,

healthier diet, the longevity of people has been prolonged in many countries.
Although this change is widely recognized as a positive change, it is an
unprecedented challenge to social welfare systems and individuals. In the
following essay, the prospective problems will be discussed, along with
appropriate solutions to them.

Firstly, it is essential to note that it accounts for old age, health deterioration and
physical degradation is inevitable, unavoidable. In fact, it is not surprised to know
that many senior citizens suffer from severe diseases which require professional
treatments or periodical hospitalization. It is gorvernment that accounts for
hospital fee. Less seriously, authorities and national budgets are responsible for
the operation of retirement homes where accommodate and provide foods to the
retired. In other words, national budgets have to shoulder more duties for the
increasing of the elders. Secondly, albeit invisible, increased lifespan exerts
profound influences on the well-being of the quality of life. Nowadays, the rat-
race has encouraged modern citizens to adopt egoism, individualism. In simple
terms, people have become sel-centered. Therefore, it is common that many of the
olds meet difficulties to build rapports with other family members. As a result, the
elderly are prone to the feeling of exclusion, isolation. This may result in a
psychological problems such as depression or frustration or the sense of
worthlessness.

To talk out of such problems, at the heart of the matter is the instrumental roles of
governments to provide shelter, foods for senior citizens, meanwhile, to meet
increasing demands, it is necessary to raise proactive actions to drive citizens to
fulfill tax obligation seriously through various means such as imposing strict
punishments on tax evasion. Besides, it is equally important to have a contribution
of family members as an old saying indicates “the apple falls not far from the
tree”. The bonds among family members are shown through not only financial
support but also intangible supports such emotional caring, sharing.

In conclusion, the issue as to whether increasing proportion of the olds is negative

or positive remains unclear, legislators should pay further attention on the
potential burden on welfare benefits as well as spiritual life. In dealing with such
issues, mentioned solutions should be taken into account.

Topic:

It is an unfortunate trend that in numerous countries today the older generation is

disrespected. Although there may be numerous causes, this essay will discuss two
possible reasons for this issue and examine some of the disturbing effects on
society.

One obvious reason in my country Vietnam is that the traditional family unit is
changing. In the past, grandparents used to live with parents and grandchildren in
extended families. However, in recent years more young people are rushing to
major cities for further education or employment. This has obviously led to less
contact between generations, which in turn can lead to resentment and disrespect.
(thereby resulting in resentment and disrespect).

The second issue is the technology revolution. Most young people have grown up
with cutting-edge technology in the form of laptops, tablets, cellphones and the
Internet. Whereas, older people are often resistant to new technology and prefer
older technology like radio, television or writing letters. This disparity often leads
to the situation where young people are only communicating with those who
harness the same tools and these people are their generation, not the elderly. Thus,
young people either consider older people incompetent or they completely ignore
older people’s advice as they believe it to be out-of-date and irrelevant.

This shortage of respect towards the elderly leads to several alarming issues in
society. This widens and solidifies the gap between generations. Older people as a
group will certainly feel more isolated and lonely and may even begin to feel
resentment towards the youth. A knock-on effect is that traditional activities
which in previous times occurred within large family groups will assume less
importance possibly even leading to the loss of essential cultural tradition like
songs, crafts, dances or story-telling.

In conclusion, the changing family unit and technology have resulted in a lack of
contact between generations which has perhaps inevitably led to insufficient
respect towards the elderly. Unfortunately, older people within those societies
may feel undervalued and long-lasting activities may be a loss.

Topic: Nowadays, many families have both parents working. Some working
parents believe other family members like grandparents can take care of
their children, while others think childcare centers provide the best care.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Currently, many parents tend to be busy working, and they need to rely on
someone else to take care of their offspring. While some think childcare
organizations can offer the best care, I would argue that it is better for children to
be looked after by their grandparents.

On the one hand, it is believed that youngster should be sent to a childcare center
for some reasons. The first one is that since those centers are professional
organizations, their staffs are often well trained and therefore have good
babysitting skills. For example, when a child falls over and gets himself injured, a
staff can react quickly and give him or her first aid. Furthermore, children can
have a chance to make friends with their peers when coming there, which might
increase their communication and language capabilities. If they are looked after by
their family at home, they might feel a little bit lonely.

On the other hand, I believe it is a better idea for grandparents to take care of their
grandchildren. Firstly, as grandparents have lived for many years and have
brought up their own offspring, they have a variety of experiences in raising kids.
For instance, they might know how to calm the baby when he cries. Secondly,
grandparents are family members, so they love their grandchildren more than
other people do. As a result, they tend to spend much more time and effort caring
for their grandchildren compared to a childcare staff member. Finally, youngsters
looked after by their grandparents are likely to become more family-oriented and
appreciate the value of a happy family.

In conclusion, while there are some interests of children being sent to childcare
centers, I believe they should be raised by their own grandparents.

Topic: Some think that famous people can help international aid
organizations to draw attention to important problems. Others believe that
the celebrities can make the problems seem less important. Discuss both
views and give your opinion.

From the perspective of some people, aid agency can take advantage of
celebrities’s fame to raise public awareness towards certain matters of importance.
Others, however, hold the view that such method may only bring
counterproductive results. Personally, I find the latter more convincing.

Those who support the idea of utilizing famed individuals’ assistance have their
own justifications. First of all, people who are considered role models apparently
have a considerable amount of influence on the public. Emma Watson, for
instance, being a prominent actress, is currently the goodwill ambassador for the
United Nations, promoting gender equality and undoubtedly, drawing a great of
deal attention from her admirers. Furthermore, a wider range of population can be
reached if an organization’s campaign is represented by a popular star. In many
parts of the world, some film stars are even more well-known to the locals than
the organization itself owing to their appearance in familiar cinematic products.
Therefore, the introduction of a humanitarian campaign can be further facilitated
thanks to the artists.

Nevertheless, I can understand why other people are against inviting celebrities
for assistance. When relying on the fame of some people to attract more public
attention, an aid programme can also be affected by their scandals. Mass public
disapproval may arise from a representative receiving a speeding ticket or getting
caught using illegal drugs, undervaluing the significance of the aid programme.
Another foreseeable drawback is that the public might take the involvement of
famous entertainers as a mere publicity stunt. Without the evidence of real actions
taken to mitigate a problem such as participating in a voluntary team to help the
people in need, famous people may fail to draw the attention of people to the
situation.

In conclusion, while some people have reasons to believe in the success of

celebrities in getting people to pay attention, I tend to think that such approach
might not prove to be effective for aid organizations as expected.

There have been much debates regarding the role of famous people in raising
public awareness of the major issue. While celebrities can attract people’s
attention to the problems, I would argue that they are likely to make the problems
become less crucial.

To begin with, well-known people can assist international aid organizations in

raising people’s awareness of social issues. Firstly, celebrities can communicate
information about big problems to a large audience around the globe. For
example, by taking in the Ice Bucket Challenge in 2014, various celebrities such
as Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg have helped the ALS organization to let
millions of people know about a disease called ALS. Secondly, since people tend
to listen to the ones they admire, famous people are much more likely to be able to
ask their fans to take appropriate actions. For instance, a well-known football
player can ask people to donate money to help homeless individuals.

However, I believe famous people might make the problems become less
important. The first reason is that individuals tend to only pay attention to what
celebrities do and say rather than messages they want to convey. In the
aforementioned example about the Ice Bucket Challenge, many people watched
the videos of celebrities taking up the challenge without actually learning anything
about the ALS disease. This makes little contribution to addressing the problem
compared to a large number of famous people involved. Furthermore, in order to
attract viewers, well-known people usually try to deliver their messages in a funny
and entertaining way, which might lead to the problem becoming less serious.

In conclusion, while celebrities can contribute greatly to tackling social problems,

I believe they are more likely to make these issues seem less essential.

Topic: Some think that the increasing use of computers and mobile phones in
communication has negative effects on young people’s reading and writing
skills. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Such technological equipment as cell phones and computers have acquired their
significance in the modern-day communication of the young. Personally, I believe
that this has both positive and negative effects on their reading and writing skills.

On the one hand, I agree that excessive reliance on those devices is responsible for
the young generation’s poor performance in reading and writing. Firstly, many
people have a strong preference for computers software when composing text
documents due to its convenient functions. For example, Microsoft Word provides
users with the ability to modify or erase a piece of text without effort,
simultaneously slowing down the writing speed of the users. In addition, young
people who spend much time playing with their phones and computers are likely
to have insufficient time for reading activities. Gradually, the lack of practice may
impair their reading competence in the long term.

On the other hand, it is also true that the proper use of electronic devices can have
a positive effect on reading and writing skills. The Internet has now been made
accessible through both smartphones and computers, enabling young readers to
gain knowledge from the wider range of sources. Online English newspapers, as
an example, are useful for English learners to enrich their vocabularies.
Harnessing computers to write blogs is also a good way to enhance writing skill.
Today, the availability of Internet infrastructure can allow bloggers to update their
stories at their convenience. By writing regularly, the writing ability of a person is
certain to improve.

In conclusion, it seems to me that the use of gadgets can have both advantages and
drawbacks for the reading and writing skills of users, depending on the way they
are utilized.

Topic: Nowadays, more and more older people who need employment
compete with the younger people for the same jobs. What problems might
this cause? What are the solutions?

It is true that there has been increasingly more competition between the young and
the old who are in search of the same job. Although there will undoubtedly be
some negative consequences of this trend, steps can be taken to mitigate these
prospective problems.

As more elderly applicants have to compete with the younger ones for a job,
several related problems can be anticipated. The main issue is that this will
obviously pose more challenges for the young who are struggling to find out a
place in the labor market. Older people, understandably, are usually given more
favorable consideration by recruiters due to their vast experience in comparison
with the young generation, which can lead to a shortage of work for younger
people, increasing the rates of unemployment. Furthermore, when being
unemployed and lacking a stable source of income, people are likely to commit
crimes such as robbery to feed themselves and their family. As a result, not only
will the citizens’ quality of life diminish, but their safety will also be threatened.

However, there are several actions that governments could take to address the
problems described above. Firstly, decreasing the legal retirement age can
alleviate the pressure of competition the young have to take. Secondly, increasing
the state pension is also an ideal option for this issue because some retirees who
find their pension sufficient for a living will not have to return to work. Finally,
governments can create more available jobs by attracting international
organizations to invest with additional incentives.

In conclusion, various measures can be taken to tackle the problems that are
certain to arise as older people are competing with the young for the same jobs.

Topic: Some people think that schools should reward students who show the
best academic results, while others believe that it is more important to
reward students who show improvements. Discuss both views and give your
own opinion.

Giving encouragement is a necessary practice in every education system. In some

countries, a form of awards is often given to those who achieve the highest level
of academic attainment, but this is not the most desirable solution, as will now be
discussed.

There are those who argue that students with the best academic results should be
rewarded. The core of this argument is that this may encourage students to study
hard for the best grade and that those who excel at academic performances should
be praised for their efforts. However, only some students who are very smart can
be able to come the top in formal exams while normal students may think that
they are incapable of competing with more intelligent students at all. Therefore,
slow students might feel reluctant to bury themselves in the study to achieve
higher scores.

However, I side with those who believe that school reward those who endeavor to
study and make great improvements in the educational environment. For instance,
when I was knee-high to a grasshopper, I often received a small gift from my
parents once I scored higher than I did in the previous exam. I still remembered
that this did make significant contributions to my study and helped me to progress
fast in the classroom. Thus, it is suggested that schools take the same action to
encourage students to learn. For example, a teacher can simply pay a compliment
as the recognition of the efforts that students make during the semester.

In conclusion, it seems to me that schools should reward those who make

academic improvements rather than those who score highest in the exam.

Topic: Young people who commit crimes should be treated in the same as
adults who commit crimes. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

There is an opinion that young offenders should be held accountable for their
actions just as adults. While I find this point of view of some people justifiable to
some extent, I also argue that treating both young and mature law-breakers
equally may prove to have adverse effects.

On the one hand, I can understand why young age should be no deterrent to the
way of dealing with criminals. If these juvenile delinquents were easily pardoned
in place of receiving strict punishments as adults, they would not become fully
aware of the serious consequences of their crimes. Therefore, imposing
appropriate punishments could (talk out of) prevent them from conducting illegal
actions in the future. Besides, young perpetrators usually receive lighter sentences
that they deserve, which is apparently an injustice to the victims. In Vietnam,
there was a well-known case in which a teenager murdered almost every member
of a family deliberately, escaping the death sentence due to a few months under
the responsible age.

On the other hand, I am convinced that it is better for juvenile criminals to be tried
in a different court from that for adults. Firstly, children are proven not to have
sufficient intellectual or moral capacity to understand the outcomes of their
misdeeds, so they lack the necessary conditions to be trial defendants as grown-up
people. Secondly, when given a second chance, these underage convicts can have
an opportunity to successfully rehabilitate and learn a valuable lesson. Thirdly,
children can be negatively influenced by some bad role models, which should also
be taken into consideration to give them a fair trial.

In conclusion, breakers of laws should not be spread of penalties, but I believe

young offenders should be dealt with differently from adults.

Topic: Development in technology has brought various environmental

problems. Some believe that people need to live simpler lives to solve
environmental problems. Others, however, believe technology is the way to
solve problems. Discuss both points of views and give your opinion.

The improvements in technology currently bring about harmful effects on the

environment. While some believe having simpler lives is the only solution, I
would argue that technological advances can help to tackle these environmental
issues.

On the one hand, it is believed that individuals need to live simple lives and rely
less on technology. The first suggestion is that people should walk or cycle rather
than drive cars. This is because the current number of cars being manufactured
and used is increasing, which causes high levels of exhaustion fumes and makes
air pollution become increasingly serious. Additionally, people should try to
reduce their consumption of electricity so that the exploitation of natural resources
such as fossil fuels or nuclear power can be minimized. An example of this idea is
the annual event called Earth Hour where everyone is asked to turn their lights off
for sixty minutes.

On the other hand, I believe the development of technology can greatly contribute
to environmental protection. Firstly, because of those improvements, people are
able to come up with ways to recycle materials such as paper or glass, which
reduces the problem of waste disposal. Secondly, technology can also help to
create electricity harnessing renewable resources. For example, many countries in
all over the globe have built plants that utilized solar energy to generate power. As
a result, it is not necessary to account on non-renewable resources, and people can
create electricity without significantly damaging the environment.

In conclusion, while some think that they should live simpler lives to talk out of
environmental issues, I would argue that these problems can be dealt with by
technological improvements.

Topic: Many people argue that in order to improve educational quality, high
school students are encouraged to make comments or even criticized their
teachers. Others think it will lead to loss of respect and discipline in the
classroom. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Finding ways to improve educational quality is now and then one of the top
priorities in every educational system. In some cultures, high school students are
encouraged to give their opinions about teachers, but I believe that this can also
give rise to lack of respect and discipline in the classroom.

On the one hand, it is true that feedback from learners may contribute to an
improvement in educational quality. In many cases, the level of comprehension of
students relies very much not on the content of the lesson but on the way teachers
conduct it. If, for instance, the class is slow, it will be ineffective for teachers to
school too fast so that most students fail to retain the information. Without the
comments of students, it would be difficult to know whether the speed of lesson is
appropriate for the class, which may eventually impair the quality of lesson.

On the other hand, there are several drawbacks of allowing students to make
comments and criticism on their teachers. Firstly, teachers can be vulnerable to the
negative words of students. Many will feel that their efforts in delivering the
lesson deserve praise rather than criticism or any form of feedback. This idea is
commonly shared by teachers in the education systems of many Asia countries.
Secondly, the classroom may be in chaos due to massive numbers of comments.
Opinions vary from students to students, and it would be impractical for teachers
to work out a way of schooling that can satisfy all students.

In conclusion, it seems to me that encouraging high school students to comment

about their teachers does not necessarily mean an improvement in education
quality.

Topic: More and more people decide to have children later in life. What are
the reasons? What are the effects on society and family life?

It is not until middle age that married couples in today’s society are delaying
having their babies. This trend is attributable to many factors in life, and it
certainly will have great impacts on society in general and family life in particular.

Looking more closely into the matter, there are some possible causes of people’s
avoidance of being parents. A prominent reason could be that married couples,
especially young ones are becoming more independent in their decision in contrast
to their predecessors. As a result of their freedom of choice, they tend to spend
more time advancing the career or pursuing higher education prior to finally
having any newborn family members. In addition, many prospective parents could
avoid pregnancy owing to the fact that they are unable to support their family
financially, and raising a baby is sometimes too costly for parents to afford.
Therefore, couples are likely to wait until they have earned handsome incomes in
preparation for their babies to appear.

As some people are hesitating to have children, both society and domestic life are
subject to many negative influences. Firstly, the increasing age of pregnancy
usually entails higher health risks for the mother as well as the kid, as suggested
by some researchers, which will undoubtedly adversely affect family life.
Secondly, the older parents are, the more likely that the generation gap will widen.
By the time the late babies are grown up, they might encounter difficulty adapting
to their parents’ ways of life. Thirdly, the reduction in the rates of birth can lead to
s shortage of the labor force nationwide, hindering the development of the
national economy.
In conclusion, people these days have many reasons to have children at an older
age, and the rise of such trend will produce some certain negative effects on not
only community but also family.

Topic: Some students take a year off between school and university, to work
or to travel. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

It is true these days that many high school leavers choose to start their work or
take a trip prior to going to university. While a gap year can be to bring some
immediate drawbacks, I am convinced that it is more likely to have long-term
interests for their lives.

On the one hand, young students are very likely to encounter several difficulties
when delaying their university study. One of these problems is the delay in
academic progress caused by spending one year off school. It is understandably
almost impossible for young people to enjoy their experiences in doing a job or
traveling to a new place but still arrange a certain amount of time to revision. As a
result, gap-year takers may have to face the challenge of becoming familiar with
the knowledge at school again, receiving more pressure of catching up with their
peers. Besides, the life out of university campus may prove to be mentally and
physically overwhelming for inexperienced school leavers. They, for instance,
may be at risk of being exploited in an exhausting job or face prospective dangers
on their trips to a new country. If not well prepared for such possible obstacles,
young high school graduates can suffer from unintended consequences.

On the other hand, I would argue that these advantages are outweighed by the
positive effects. A gap year is an ideal opportunity for students to learn about what
is not taught at university. Working with other people who are experts in a
particular field can give these newcomers not only understanding of the job but
also valuable practical lessons to help them become more mature. When it comes
to applying for a position in a company, employers tend to favorably consider
applicants who possess extensive experiences in life and the occupation.
Furthermore, in terms of recreation, having a year to loosen up can be
advantageous as students can have a chance to relieve stress in the study. With a
comfortable and willing attitude, undergraduates can acquire knowledge more
effectively in comparison with those who go to university straight away.

In conclusion, despite some negative aspects, it seems to me that the benefits of

gap year are more significant for the reasons mentioned above.