Task 2 优缺点

C4 Test1

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of three of the following as media for communicating information. State which you consider to be the most effective.

• comics
• books
• radio
• television
• film
• theatre

7

There are numerous ways to convey a message these day, and each method has its advantages and disadvantages. This essay is going to evaluate the effectiveness of three ways to communicate information, which are books, radio, and television, and conclude that television is the most effective media.

Books are best suited to communicate information that are complex and cannot be easily said in a few words, such as knowledge related to certain professions. The reason why books, being one of the oldest way of communicating ideas, survive till this day even when modern society is inundated with all types of technology that make communication fast and easy, is that knowledge is still best delivered in the format of a book, in detailed language and a chaptered structure. However, when it comes to information that isn’t so complex, other medias that have visuals or audios are preferred because it is time-consuming to read.

Radio is a more convenient and straight-forward way to deliver information. Not only can people listen to the radio at home, they can also listen to it in the car and on their phones. They can also be doing other things while they are listening, whereas other methods like reading a book require people to concentrate in order to receive the information. One shortcoming of radio is that it is live and can’t be rewinded. Unlike reading a book, when you miss something said on the radio, it is difficult to go back. It is difficult to refer to information already delivered as well.

Television is a great invention that makes communication easy and effective. It is visual and thus makes it easy for people to follow and digest information. Being visual in nature also has the effect of drawing people in, something a book full of words or radio that could easily be tuned out would not be able to do. It may not be able to illustrate complex and abstract ideas as effectively as books do, as there are limited space for words in a TV program and having too much words would put people off. Nevertheless, programs like documentaries are proof that television can deliver information that are dense and academic.

In conclusion, television is the most effective media for communicating information among the three medias discussed.

C5 Test2

In some countries young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school and starting university studies.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for young people who decide to do this.

7

Some people think that it is beneficial for students to take a gap year before entering university. While a gap year is a good opportunity for young people to find out what they like and explore the world before making major life decisions, doing so has its risks because there is no guarantee that young people will use this time wisely.

One advantage of taking a gap year is that students can use this time to explore themselves and the world before committing to university studies and before entering society. They have already spent 18 years of their lives studying, and this year is a good opportunity for them to finally do something of their interest or try out different jobs. Doing so would give them valuable experience as well as insights into who they really are and what they really like, which would help them make more informed decisions when they later have to choose their major and their career.

One disadvantage of taking a gap year is that it is not a guarantee that students this young will absolutely use the time wisely. If they are not strategic about how they are going to spend the year, what they would eventually end up doing is wasting a year on leisure activities that don’t really contribute to their personal development. Also, as the level of education they received by 18 is not enough for most jobs and one year is not long enough for companies to consider them stable, long-term employees, they would probably end up doing intern jobs where the space for growth is limited.

In conclusion, taking a year to travel or work gives students opportunities to explore themselves and the world, but it can also be counterproductive when students don’t use the time wisely.

C8 Test2

Nowadays the way many people interact with each other has changed because of technology.

In what ways has technology affected the types of relationships people make?

Has this become a positive or negative development?

6.5

In contemporary society, there has been an uprising trend that owing to the advancement of technology, the mass is capable of commuting with others in a variety of ways and consequently witnesses changes in relationships, which will be explained below. As far as I am concerned, it is a conducive phenomenon.

There is no denying that technology has an impact on the relationships of the general public. For one thing, the advent of numerous new digital devices yields benefits for citizens’ communication a great deal. To be more specific, the progress of technology contributes to a large number of modern inventions, from telephone, the Internet to the latest smartphone, which allows individuals to interact with others regardless of location and time. For another, social media enable the mass to develop friendships with various individuals due to the fact that we could currently share things regarding our daily life to platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram and that is why we are able to make friends with individuals from all walks of life.

The mentioned development is overall advantageous for the general public. On one hand, it could boost the economy. Since individuals could interact with foreign citizens and companies, chances are that we possess more opportunities to do business with them, thus founding more transnational corporations and gaining more prosperity. On the other hand, this trend is capable of helping citizens broaden horizons and enlargen knowladge through talking with people from other cultures in online platforms.

To recapitulate, modern technology has made it easier for individuals to contact even make friends with people from distinctive counties and different age groups and moreover, it is beneficial for us in terms of economic and cultural development.

C9 Test1

Some experts believe that it is better for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather than secondary school.

Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

7

There is a belief among some experts that children should begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather than second school. Some people may disagree, saying that foreign language learning gives children too much pressure when they are still navigating their native language. However, the advantages of learning a foreign language in primary school outweigh the disadvantages because the younger children are, the faster and better they pick up new languages.

A potential disadvantage of children learning a foreign language in primary school is that it may be too much of an academic burden for kids, especially when they are actually still learning about their own language in primary school. For example, a first-grade primary student in China is learning Pinyin at school. If he or she also has to learn English at the same time, it may be confusing for her to adopt two language systems that use the same alphabets. The end result might be that he of she cannot do well in neither.

However, it is proven by science that the younger people are, the faster they learn a new language. Therefore, the best time for a person to learn a new language is as young as possible. Bilingual abilities of children with parents that speak different languages are proof that children can learn and master two languages at a time without getting lost in them. If you wait until a kid is in secondary school to teach them a foreign language, the language will seem much more “foreign” now that they have already built up a language system of their native tongue.

In conclusion, the advantages of children learning a foreign language in primary school than secondary school outweigh the disadvantages because the younger children are, the faster they learn a language.

C10 Test3

Countries are becoming more and more similar because people are able to buy the same products anywhere in the world.

Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

6.5

Recent era has witnessed a trend that citizens all over the world could purchase similar products thanks to the advancement of technology and transportation, which results in the increasing similarity of nations. As far as I am concerned, it is overall a detrimental development.

To start with, unique cultures of distinctive countries are likely to disappear as a consequence of the mentioned trend. To be more specific, culture is of great significance for nations in that it could contribute to the unity and the sense of belonging of the mass. Provided that individuals around the world use and wear the same commodity, chances are that the general public may ignore its own traditional cultural.

Moreover, it is possible that tourism would be affected. When travelers find all the places of interests are gaining similarity, they may lose the willingness to pay a visit or open their wallets in shops due to the fact that souvenirs could not represent the uniqueness anymore.

Nevertheless, we ought to realize that this development could also yield benefits for the reason that citizens all over the world have more opportunities to communicate with each other. Using the same product is able to provide individuals with more chat topics. To exemplify, given that girls from different cultural backgrounds are using similar brands of makeup products, they could talk with each other regarding this, thus developing connection between each other.

To recapitulate, although the increasing similarity of different nations possesses certain merits, I assert that it is overall a disadvantageous development because it has great influence on tourism and cultures.

C10 Test4

Many museums charge for admission while others are free.

Do you think the advantages of charging people for admission to museums outweigh the disadvantages?

7

Recent era has witnessed a trend that museums enjoy increasing popularity among citizens and it has provoked a passionate discussion whether museums are supposed to ask travelers to pay for the tickets. From my point of view, there are more merits of this policy than its demerits.

For one thing, charging for tickets could enable museums improve their management. To be more specific, provided that the general public is not able to enter museums for free, chances are that they would give it a second thought before going there. As a consequence, the flow of people in museums would decline, which is helpful for faculty in museums to provide visitors with better service.

For another, earning money from tickets could help museums to better maintain their infrastructure. Museums ought to annually spend a great deal on their maintenance, since most exhibits there are invaluable and historically meaningful. When they are able to earn more money from charging for tickets, they could take advantage of this money to better protect their collections.

Nevertheless, we should admit that charging for tickets is to some extent unfair for poor individuals due to the fact that visiting museums is educational. If the mass is asked to pay for it, it is possible that those from affluent families are not capable of affording it. To exemplify, unrich citizens may lose the opportunity to pay a visit to National Museum of China and know about Chinese history, provided that the museum charges for tickets.

To recapitulate, although the mentioned policy of museums may not be fair for all the individuals, I assert that its virtues exceed shortcomings.

C12 Test2

At the present time, the population of some countries includes a relatively large number of young adults, compared with the number of older people.

Do the advantages of this situation outweigh the disadvantages?

7

With more advanced medical technologies and reduced infant mortality, the number youthful population starts overtake the number of elderlies in some countries. However, is this a positive phenomenon? In my opinion, it is, and I will discuss both side of the argument in this essay.

On one hand, with a large number of young adults, the country could create a secure chain of social security funds. Social security is a system designed to take care of the older population, after they retire. But as the number of elderly increases, the system starts to breakdown. It is a well-known fact now, that nations like China with lesser younger population ratio must divert a large amount of treasury funds towards social security, in order to make the system work, since the system depends on having many young adults support one elderly. With many young adults the system could favor more towards the elderly and hence becoming an incentive for immigration, for example.

In addition, having more younger population has positive effects towards stimulating the economy. Elderly population tends to bank their income and savings away, while younger populations are more likely to spend their income and contribute positively towards the cycle of consumer goods and service. With younger adults, nations can achieve economic developments faster.

On the other hand, one argument calling for increase in the elderly, is that without the elderly it is impossible to fill some specialist occupations. One example would be skilled workers. A lead electrician or scientist may require centuries of experience, in order for an individual to qualify for that position. Hence, having older population is essential, since their age comes with procured experience that cannot be simply replaced by any young adult. It could be argued however, that in the present day many jobs have simply disappeared, or requires new forms of knowledge such as computer engineering so that the older population are simply obsolete, instead of being invaluable assets because of their experiences.

To conclude, based on my analysis, I believe that the advantages of nations having more younger population than older, fully out weights its disadvantages. The future belongs to the youth, and while it is true that older population has its edge, these utilities will eventually diminish and become obsolete.

C15 Test1

In some countries, owning a home rather than renting one is very important for people.

Why might this be the case?

Do you think this is a positive or negative situation?

7

In some countries, home ownership is considered highly important and superior to renting one. This is due to the status connotation behind home ownership and the sense of security it provides, but I think it is not a very positive situation since it gives young people too much stress and also hinders their development as a person to an extent.

In some countries, owning a home is regarded as a significant feature that differentiates a rich person from a poor one. For example, in China, one of the commonest questions someone, especially a man, is asked on a date or before marriage is whether he owns a house. If he does, he is immediately considered a “golden bachelor” who is respectable and has good marriage prospects. Owning a house is associated with properties like wealth and independence.

Home ownership is also tied with one’s sense of security. In contrast with renting a home, owning one means that you have a place of your own and a sanctuary that is entirely yours in this hectic and complicated world. It is sometimes crucial to building one’s sense of independence.

However, as the importance of home ownership is continually emphasized nowadays, it puts more and more pressure on our society’s young people. As the ability to buy a house becomes something that defines one’s level of success, people are increasingly burdened and perhaps even blinded by one single goal in their life. In some areas where houses are extremely expensive, like Hong Kong, it would make a young person’s life very stressful. Also, if buying a house becomes the most important goal to achieve in one’s twenties or thirties, young adults will inevitably lose sight of other equally important things in life that they should search for, things like love, friendship, one’s meaning and purpose et cetera. Their whole existence is defined by a material object, which will leave them soul-empty and eventually lost in a pursuit of numbers. Furthermore, a society that asks its workers to work for materialistic achievement would fail to produce holistic and socially aware individuals, which would be a tragedy to watch.

In conclusion, people who consider home ownership highly important are driven by a desire to elevate their social status and a sense of insecurity. This is not a very healthy situation because it not only gives young people unnecessary stress, it also make them succumb to materialistic values that forbid them to enjoy life, develop holistically and appreciate the wonders of life itself.

C15 Test4

In some cultures, children are often told that they can achieve anything if they try hard enough.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of giving children this message?

7

Some cultures like to encourage children saying that anything can be achieved if they try hard enough. Saying so to children may make them unrealistic in making life decisions in the future, but it can also cultivate confidence and passion in them.

The disadvantage of telling children that they can achieve anything as long as they work hard enough is that they may become unrealistic in life. They could get too fixated in something they are not good at and still believe that one day miracles would happen and dreams would come true. Success is not just about hard work, no matter how important hard work is. It is also about talent and is sometimes a matter of chance. If a kid grows up believing in and chasing after the wrong thing, it is a waste of time and energy which they can put into something else.

However, it is a very powerful saying that can motivate children a lot, especially in their hard times. When they feel like giving up on life or on themselves, this belief would carry them through, give them hope that as long as they try harder and harder, things would change for the better. They would have a more positive outlook on life as a result. If children are educated by ideas that are too realistic, they may go on with life without even trying, since they don’t believe in the magic of hard work. That way, they actually forsake the possibility of success.

In conclusion, the disadvantage of telling children that they can achieve anything as long as they try hard enough may lead to unrealistic life decisions being made, but the advantage is that children can be motivated, more positive and passionate about life.

C16 Test2

In their advertising, businesses nowadays usually emphasise that their products are new in some way.

Why is this? Do you think it is a positive or negative development?

7

In contemporary society, there has been an uprising trend that companies have the penchant for stressing the novelty of their products in advertisements. There are some reasons for it which will be explained below and from my point of view, it is overall a detrimental development.

To start with, new features could appeal more individuals to purchase products. To be more specific, creativity in some products is to some extent synonymous to the fact that they are distinctive from their counterparts, which is able to illustrate the unique taste of consumers and satisfy their curiosity. Food industry is a good case in point. Provided that manufacturers show the new taste of snacks, such as chips, in advertisements, it would become a selling point for them and thus the general public would be more willing to buy them out of curiosity.

Despite the fact that this action of businesses makes sense, I am convinced that it would bring demerits due to the fact that it would lead to consumerism. Chances are that customers would purchase products because of its novel characteristics, however without considering whether they are pragmatic or not, which is sure to add to citizens’ financial burden. Additionally, buying more products would be adverse for the environment for the reason that it would produce more waste and greenhouse gas in the process of packing and delivery.

To recapitulate, it is reasonable for enterprises to lay emphasis on new features in advertisements in that they are attractive to consumers. Nevertheless, I assert that this phenomenon would be disadvantageous for both citizens and the environment.

C16 Test4

In the future all cars,buses and trucks will be driverless. The only people traveling inside these vehicles will be passengers.

Do you think the advantages of driverless vehicles outweigh the disadvantages?

7

In the future, there will no longer be buses and trucks driven by people, and there will only be passengers in these vehicles. In my opinion, this phenomenon will have more disadvantages than advantages.

First, there is yet no guarantee that driverless cars will be accident-proof, so when accidents happen, the party to which responsibility should be placed is disputable. There might be a tendency to place the blame on the car company where the cars are designed and produced, but the malfunction of automatic vehicles that run on complicated technology and highly intelligent algorithm may not be entirely the fault of the engineers who designed them. Since these cars are predicted to make human drivers completely obsolete, they must be based on a highly sophisticated artificial intelligence that, if not surpass, be almost equivalent to a human brain. At this point, it is difficult to decide who shall be responsible for the accident that occurs.

Second, the phenomenon implies that there will no longer be a need for human to learn how to drive a car, which leaves the human passengers vulnerable to an automatic machine that does not speak the language humans do. This means that the only humans who are capable of controlling the buses and trucks on the road are the engineers who designed them. When the only people riding these vehicles are passengers, these people are at the mercy of an artificially intelligent machine that could make life-threatening decisions or mistakes. If, for example, the car needs to be stopped or make turn and the technology is not quick enough or does not understand the situation like a human does, there will be no one on the car that can take charge of the situation and turn things around. As none of them can drive, all of their lives are thus depended on the vehicles they ride. This future would only leave humans vulnerable to something their counterparts created.

In conclusion, a future where vehicles will be entirely driverless is a dangerous one. It not only makes it difficult to account responsibility when accidents occur, but also leaves human passengers ever more vulnerable as they no longer need to learn to drive. The possibility of phenomenon coming to existence is very probable, and these are the things visionaries should take into account before they endeavor in building technology that humans can’t control.

C17 Test1

It is important for people to take risks, both in their professional lives and their personal lives.

Do you think the advantages of taking risks outweigh the disadvantages?

6.5

In contemporary society, it has provoked a passionate discussion whether citizens ought to attach significance to running risks both in their professional and personal lives. From my point of view, there are more demerits of this action than its merits.

On the one hand, making a risky move may result in psychological burdens. To be more specific, it is possible for those who engage in risky behaviors to face failure. Provided that individuals encounter loss, chances are that they suffer from frustration and feel depressed and disappointed. They are even likely to lose the courage to make conducive attempts both at work and life in that they are afraid of being confronted with failure again.

Moreover, taking risks could end up with a series of health problems. Generally speaking, risky actions are regarded as dangerous behaviors and thus may lead to accidents. To exemplify, when individuals do extreme sports or experienced athletes give challenging activities a try, it is likely for them to get injured and even become disabled, which would bring inconvenience to their daily lives.

Nevertheless, there is no denying that running risks comes with certain strengths due to the fact that it could enable citizens to gain rewards. For instance, successful investments can help entrepreneurs earn good profits and wilderness hiking can let sightseers enjoy picturesque views, which are difficult for individuals who are reluctant to make risky actions to obtain.

To recapitulate, although taking risks could help individuals reap the corresponding rewards, I assert that its shortcomings exceed its virtues for the reason that it may give rise to both emotional and health burdens.

C17 Test4

Nowadays, a growing number of people with health problems are trying alternative medicines and treatments instead of visiting their usual doctor.

Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?

7

In modern society, more and more people are trying to solve their health problems with alternative medicines and treatments rather than going to visit their usual doctor. This is a negative development that makes people spend extra money on treatments that do not have a guaranteed effect. It not only gives people extra financial burden but could also make their health problems exacerbate.

Alternative treatments are usually not covered by health insurance, so people have to pay extra money for these medicines and treatments. These would mean a staggering bill for people with chronic diseases who need constant treatment and doctor appointments. People would therefore be more financially strained when dealing with their health problems.

Moreover, these alternative treatments and medicines do not always guarantee positive outcomes or effects. Patients’ physical conditions may deteriorate as they stop going to their usual doctor, and if their alternative medicines are not doing the trick that they are supposed to, they may be faced with a bigger problem than the one they already have. When patients leave their usual hospitals for alternative treatments, they might also miss the most appropriate time for treatment. In other words, they are likely to miss the best time they could be treated with scientifically proven remedies.

In conclusion, the growing popularity of alternative medicines and treatments among people with health problems is not a positive phenomenon as it could place a bigger financial burden on people, and their health problems might also get worse.

OG T2P2

One of the consequences of improved medical care is that people are living longer and life expectancy is increasing.

Do you think the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

7

Over the past 50 years, people have become used to the idea that they will probably live longer than their grandparents did. However, a longer life is only desirable if you can look after yourself and be independent, otherwise there can be disadvantages for everyone.

If you walk into a hospital in my country, you are likely to see a lot more elderly people than you did in the past.In fact, this is causing significant problems as there is a shortage of beds. Medical treatment is keeping the elderly alive, but at what cost to others?

On top of this, one of the biggest medical problems these days is dementia. Even if old people are still fit, they may not be able to look after themselves.They may have to live with their children or be cared for in a home, which can be expensive. Elderly people do not like to be a burden, but their children can feel obliged to care for them.

Obviously, not all old people become ill, Those who remain healthy can enjoy a happy old age as long as they have saved enough money. People are much more active in their sixties and seventies than they used to be and this can only be a good thing.They have time to enjoy their retirement and do a range of activities that they could not do when they were at work. They can also help look after their grandchildren, which is a great benefit for working parents.

To sum up, I believe that we should aim to keep people as healthy as possible so that they can enjoy their old age without having to rely on others. A longer life expectancy is obviously advantageous, but no one wants to live to be 100 if they only cause problems for their family and society.

OG T5P2

Nowadays technology is increasingly being used to monitor what people are saying and doing (for example, through cellphone tracking and security cameras). In many cases, the people being monitored are unaware that this is happening.

Do you think the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

7

In recent years, advances in technology have allowed governments, the police and privately owned companies to keep the public under constant surveillance. In many major cities and towns, security cameras are recording the movements of ordinary citizens. Whenever a cellphone is used, the call is logged, so the service provider knows exactly when and where the user made the call. Invisible satellites orbit the Earth, watching us whether we like it or not. Is this, however, a development we should welcome?

Certainly there are benefits. In areas where there is a high crime rate, the use of security -cameras may act as a deterrent to criminals: if they can see a camera, they may think twice about breaking into a building or stealing a car. If a crime is carried out, then a camera may provide useful evidence. The same is true for a cellphone; the police sometimes rely on call logs to help them trace the whereabouts of suspects or victims. On the other hand, there are a number of concerns.In countries where human rights are ignored, the use of security cameras or listening devices may be harmful to society. People should be able to hold meetings and express their opinions without their privacy being invaded. There is also a very different issue we should consider. Nowadays. many people upload personal information and photographs onto social networking sites; they often do not realise how easy it is for other people to view this information or for the site owners to use the data or photographs for their own financial gain.
It seems inevitable that there will be more and more ways to monitor society in the future. However, it is our responsibility to evaluate new technology and decide whether it will do more harm than good. Surely our freedom is more valuable than technological progress?