More and more people are migrating to cities in search of a better life, but
city life can be extremely difficult. Explain some of the difficulties of living
in a city. How can governments make urban life better for everyone?
Cities are often seen as places of opportunity, but there are also some major
drawbacks of living in a large metropolis. In my opinion, governments could do
much more to improve city life for the average inhabitant.
The main problem for anyone who hopes to migrate to a large city is that the
cost of living is likely to be much higher than it is in a small town or village.
Inhabitants of cities have to pay higher prices for housing, transport, and even food.
Another issue is that urban areas tend to suffer from social problems such as high
crime and poverty rates in comparison with rural areas. Furthermore, the air quality
in cities is often poor, due to pollution from traffic, and the streets and public
transport systems are usually overcrowded. As a result, city life can be unhealthy
and stressful.
However, there are various steps that governments could take to tackle
these problems. Firstly, they could invest money in the building of affordable or
social housing to reduce the cost of living. Secondly, politicians have the power to
ban vehicles from city centres and promote the use of cleaner public transport,
which would help to reduce both air pollution and traffic congestion. In London, for
example, the introduction of a congestion charge for drivers has helped to curb the
traffic problem. A third option would be to develop provincial towns and rural areas,
by moving industry and jobs to those regions, in order to reduce the pressure on
major cities.
In conclusion, governments could certainly implement a range of measures to
enhance the quality of life for all city residents.
Many people prefer to watch foreign films rather than locally produced
films. Why could this be? Should governments give more financial support
to local film industries?
It is true that foreign films are more popular in many countries than
domestically produced films. There could be several reasons why this is the case,
and I believe that governments should promote local film-making by subsidising the
industry.
There are various reasons why many people find foreign films more enjoyable
than the films produced in their own countries. Firstly, the established film
industries in certain countries have huge budgets for action, special effects and to
shoot scenes in spectacular locations. Hollywood blockbusters like Avatar or the
James Bond films are examples of such productions, and their global appeal is
undeniable. Another reason why these big- budget films are so successful is that
they often star the most famous actors and actresses, and they are made by the
most accomplished producers and directors. The poor quality, low-budget
filmmaking in many countries suffers in comparison.
In my view, governments should support local film industries financially. In
every country, there may be talented amateur film-makers who just need to be
given the opportunity to prove themselves. To compete with big-budget productions
from overseas, these people need money to pay for film crews, actors and a host of
other costs related to producing high-quality films. If governments did help with
these costs, they would see an increase in employment in the film industry, income
from film sales, and perhaps even a rise in tourist numbers. New Zealand, for
example, has seen an increase in tourism related to the 'Lord of the Rings' films,
which were partly funded by government subsidies.
In conclusion, I believe that increased financial support could help to raise the
quality of locally made films and allow them to compete with the foreign
productions that currently dominate the market.
In the developed world, average life expectancy is increasing. What
problems will this cause for individuals and society? Suggest some
measures that could be taken to reduce the impact of ageing populations.
It is true that people in industrialised nations can expect to live longer than
ever before. Although there will undoubtedly be some negative consequences of
this trend, societies can take steps to mitigate these potential problems.
As people live longer and the populations of developed countries grow older,
several related problems can be anticipated. The main issue is that there will
obviously be more people of retirement age who will be eligible to receive a
pension. The proportion of younger, working adults will be smaller, and
governments will therefore receive less money in taxes in relation to the size of the
population. In other words, an ageing population will mean a greater tax burden for
working adults. Further pressures will include a rise in the demand for healthcare,
and the fact young adults will increasingly have to look after their elderly relatives.
There are several actions that governments could take to solve the problems
described above. Firstly, a simple solution would be to increase the retirement age
for working adults, perhaps from 65 to 70. Nowadays, people of this age tend to be
healthy enough to continue a productive working life. A second measure would be
for governments to encourage immigration in order to increase the number of
working adults who pay taxes. Finally, money from national budgets will need to be
taken from other areas and spent on vital healthcare, accommodation and transport
facilities for the rising numbers of older citizens.
In conclusion, various measures can be taken to tackle the problems that are
certain to arise as the populations of countries grow older.