Task 2 同意/不同意
C4 Test3
Creative artists should always be given the freedom to express their own ideas (in words, pictures, music or film) in whichever way they wish. There should be no government restrictions on what they do.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
7.5
Some people believe that artists should be allowed to express their ideas freely and should not be restricted by government regulations. This is dangerous because wrong ideas may be spread and normalized by such artistic freedom and influence young people, and it may lead to chaos in society if controversial ideas are allowed.
Artistic freedom can be harmful if there are no restrictions on what artists’ content can be. A recent TV series about high-schoolers, Euphoria, is very popular among young audience. However, it contains large amount of scenes with violence and drug use that could be misleading for kids and teenagers. TV normalizes behaviors that are unacceptable in real life. Regardless of what the producers’ original intentions with these content might be, they could still give young people who don’t have good judgment the wrong idea, which could be dangerous once they get used to such content and maybe start imitating them in real life.
Secondly, if there is no censorship on what artists can create and express, certain artists who hold controversial or provocative views may use this as an opportunity to cause chaos in our society. Art may be used as a medium to express poisonous and provocative ideas, like racist, sexist comments. They would disrupt the peace of society and if they happen to find people who agree with them, our society would be polarized into different groups that hold hostile ideas about each other. Government restrictions on art is necessary if we want to maintain a peaceful society.
In conclusion, there should be government restrictions on artistic expression in order to protect young people from receiving misleading ideas and prevent extremists from disrupting the peace of our society.
C5 Test1
Universities should accept equal numbers of male and female students in every subject.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
7
In contemporary society, it has provoked a passionate discussion whether gender difference ought to exist in the enrollment of universities. Some individuals are convinced that universities should recruit the same volume of male and female students in every respect, with which I completely disagree.
One reason for my disagreement lies in that male and female possess distinctive modes of thinking. To be more specific, male have the penchant for thinking more logically and rationally, whereas female tend to view things more emotionally. As a consequence, the number of male and female students is supposed to vary from subject to subject. To exemplify, due to different thinking ways, male students are more likely to have a taste for science subjects, such as Information Technology, based on which relative faculties in universities enroll should more male than its counterpart.
Moreover, the different social responsibilities of male and female could account for my disapproval. Despite the fact that the society nowadays lays great emphasis on women’s right, female still plays a distinctive social role from male. The reason why it is the case is that female is regarded to be more considerate and compassionate than male, thus performing better in the fields, like education. In this respect, it is not advisable for educators to admit equal number of male and female students in every subject.
To recapitulate, I hold the view that universities should enroll different numbers of male and female students in a variety of courses in that gender difference could be found in the modes of thinking and duties in our society.
C6 Test1
Today, the high sales of popular consumer goods reflect the power of advertising and not the real needs of the society in which they are sold.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
6.5
Commercial advertisements are everywhere in today’s world. Higher sales than ever on products may seem to suggest a higher demand for consumer products. However, some suggests that these high sales are caused not because of popular demand, but the power of advertisements. I would agree that the high sales does not always reflect the power of advertisement, and in this essay, I will explain my reasons.
Advertisement has evolved over the years, from simple road side billboards, plaques by the streets to videos attached onto applications or webpages, they have come a long way. But while their styles changed immensely, their purpose has not. Through evolution they are now able to catch people’s attention better, convey their information faster and clearer, and present their product better. It is through these advertisements that more and more consumer products new and old are know to the wider public, which in turn increases sales of these products.
On the other hand, the increase in consumer goods sale does somewhat reflect a real need for these items, created by a general increase of economic wellbeing across societies, generating new needs and wants for many. If there were no such increase of economic wellbeing, it would be impossible for many to pursue these luxuries and consumer goods, and no advertisement will be able to increase sales if consumers are unable to afford them.
What’s more, many products need no advertisement and still see massive increase in sales, due to creation of real needs. Demands for masks, sanitizers and alcohol sprays has increased dramatically over the past few years due to the pandemic, but there are no ad campaigns related to them but are instead created by the recent pandemic, reflecting real needs.
In conclusion, even though that advertisement nowadays is extremely effective in penetrating into its target audience, high sales in the real world largely owe to a general increase of wealth, generating new needs and current trends and events that create momentous demands.
C8 Test3
Increasing the price of petrol is the best way to solve growing traffic and pollution problems.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
What other measures do you think might be effective?
7
Some people think that raising the price of petrol is the best way to resolve traffic and pollution problems, but I don’t agree with this statement because there are still people who are able to afford the higher prices and if people’s lifestyle doesn’t change the situation would probably remain the same. A better way to relieve traffic and pollution is to promote the use of electric cars.
Raising the price of petrol would not solve traffic and pollution problems because there are still people who can easily afford the raised prices, especially in economically well-off areas. People who contribute to traffic and pollution problems in the society are mostly likely people in the middle class and are used to a lifestyle that relies heavily on traveling by car. They would not switch to public transport or other ways of transport easily just because the price of petrol goes up. Therefore, other methods should be used to deal with the growing pollution and traffic problems.
One way to solve traffic and pollution problems is to promote the use of electric cars. For example, in some big cities in China, regular cars are only allowed to be on the road on certain days of the week according to their plate numbers while electric cars are allowed to be on the road any day of the week. This measure encourages people to purchase electric cars instead of regular ones and relieves the city’s traffic and pollution problems at the same time. It is a smart method because it does not require people to change their lifestyle fundamentally by switching to public transport of traveling on foot.
In conclusion, raising the price of petrol isn’t the best way to solve a city’s traffic and pollution problems because majority of the people who contribute to said problems can still afford the higher price. A better way to solve these problems would be to encourage the use of electric cars like some cities in China do, because this way still allows people to keep their original lifestyle while effectively lowering pollution levels and relieving traffic.
C9 Test2
Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school programmes (for example working for a charity, improving the neighbourhood or teaching sports to younger children).
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
6.5
The rapid growth in our society results in worsening equality caused by social reproduction. The rising amount of people in need raise many people’s concern on the quality issue and claim that it should be compulsory for unpaid community service to be included in high school programmes. As far as I am concerned, I strongly disagree with this view.
To begin with, forcing students to care about others may be a waste of time for both the school and the participants. If these caring events are voluntary, only teenagers who devote themselves to social welfare will participate in them with great passion. However, once providing voluntary service become a mandatory task where all the pupils need to join, participants who are not interested in this area may feel reluctant and spend their time doing nothing. For example, pupils may walk around when they are supposed to chat with the elderly. Therefore, making charity events compulsory may lead to a situation where youngsters are spending the time in certain events but doing nothing.
Secondly, it might be hard to ensure the service provided by the programme. Since not all the students are altruistic, it seems risky to put those immature young adults into community work. For instance, they may be rude to those people who live in poverty. However, since there might be many young adults in the programme, it may impossible for teachers to scrutinize each of them carefully. In this way, the quality provided by the students may be in a judgement call.
In conclusion, though it seems like making voluntary community work into mandatory programmes for youngsters can provide more help to society, the use of time and the quality of the services may not be as good as it has been expected. Therefore, it might be better for schools to leave the altruistic event to those volunteers who are interested in it instead.
C9 Test4
Every year several languages die out. Some people think that this is not important because life will be easier if there are fewer languages in the world.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
7
Every year a couple of languages go extinct. Some people consider the extinction of languages unimportant because life will be easier if there are fewer languages in the world. I agree with this statement because it will make trading and cultural exchange a lot easier, and that the reason why languages can die out is because they are out of use, which means that they are not needed in the modern world anymore.
If people around the globe can communicate with each other in only a handful of languages, it will save us a lot of money, time and manpower to translate in trading, cultural and academic exchanges. Right now, a lot of the world’s important and precious knowledge and findings are not accessible to certain populations because of language barriers, and some exotic places have knowledge and cultures that they cannot share with a bigger audience also because they don’t speak a mainstream language. If the world functions in fewer languages, it will be beneficial to commercial, cultural and academic exchanges as people can communicate more freely.
Also, the fact that certain languages die out is the evidence that they may not be that important in the first place. Languages that die out are either too complicated or irrelevant to the modern world, therefore their extinction is not that important because we actually didn’t lose anything too important or precious. They die out because they are outdated, out of use and possibly replaceable.
In conclusion, the extinction of languages is not an important issue because first, if there are fewer languages in the world, trading, cultural and academic exchanges can be much easier; and second, languages die out because they are not needed in the modern world anymore, and thus should not be a concern.
C10 Test1
It is important for children to learn the difference between right and wrong at an early age. Punishment is necessary to help them learn this distinction.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
What sort of punishment should parents and teachers be allowed to use to teach good behaviour to children?
7
There is no denying that educators are supposed to lay great emphasis on teaching the younger generation to distinguish the right from the wrong when they are still kids. Some hold the view that punishment plays a significant role in this process, with which I partly agree.
On one hand, I agree that punishing children is a crucial way for parents and teachers to cultivate the ability to tell right from wrong, since it could serve as a deterrent. On the other hand, I argue that they should be flexible while applying this approach. To be more specific, characters and mindset vary from child to child, which consequently asks educators to change their teaching methods according to children’s personality and ages. Those in their puberty is a good case in point. As is known to all, adolescents in this period tend to be rebellious because of hormone and that is why parents’ and teachers’ excessive punishment is likely to have the opposite effect.
In this respect, it is advisable for educators to adopt proper and moderate punishment. Making the punishment fit the crime is a conducive way due to the fact it would not only tell children the inadequacies of their behaviors but also lead to better deeds in years to come. To exemplify, provided that a kid drops rubbish in the street, parents and teachers should let he or she pick up it and also apologize to those they he or she may interrupt, which would also be helpful in developing children’s responsibilities.
To recapitulate, I do not deny that punishing children is a beneficial teaching method and nevertheless, I assert that it ought to be flexible and modest. Personally speaking, making the punishment according to the crime would yield benefits for younger adults.
C11 Test1
Governments should spend money on railways rather than roads.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
7
With modern innovations such as high-speed rail and bullet train, some argue that roads are becoming irrelevant and funds should be diverted elsewhere. However, in my opinion, I think that roads are still worth spending money on. In this essay I will explain my reasonings.
One argument for spending on roads, is that they are a lot cheaper to build. While it might be true, that once a railroad is built its upkeep is less than freeways, initialization cost of heavy railways, high speed railways are significantly more expensive than building freeways and roads. The discrepancy becomes even more apparent, when we consider constructing transport to challenging terrains, such as mountainous areas where tunnels need to be constructed for railways.
What’s more, roads are more versatile than railways. It is common knowledge that in order to build railways, it requires a large space to be cleared in order for smooth operation, as well as a long time for constructing the actual railway. For roads however, they can squeeze into tighter spaces, require little to no destruction of structures, and can be paved or hardened overnight. This provides roads a unique edge over railways, since its versatility makes it more suitable in semi-permanent scenarios, as well as in emergencies when one needs to connect 2 locations quickly.
There are certainly evidences suggesting that railways are much better than roads. For example, railways are much more efficient at transporting people. It is shown that a railway line can transport almost 3 times more people from one location to another, than using highways. Railway carriages also provide a more comfortable experience, in addition to capable of reaching a much faster speed than cars. However, the clear limitations for railway construction hinders these advantages, bounding railway usage within specialized contexts.
In conclusion, I think that even though railways are very advantageous, they fall short in certain areas, such as versatility and economics. Therefore, I think that funds for road building should not simply be diverted towards railway construction, since both types of transport serves a purpose, that cannot simply be substituted by one-another.
C11 Test2
Some people claim that not enough of the waste from homes is recycled. They say that the only way to increase recycling is for governments to make it a legal requirement.
To what extent do you think laws are needed to make people recycle more of their waste?
6.5
In contemporary society, some citizens attach increasing significance to the recycling of the waste from home and they are convinced that only the enaction of relevant laws could help this situation, with which I partly agree.
On one hand, there is no denying that laws could enable the general public to recycle more of the waste. Firstly, the advent of relevant rules could serve as a reminder for individuals due to the fact that a number of citizens do not recycle because in their daily life, they are not aware of the importance of doing so or they do not have time to think about this issue. In this respect, enacting laws is helpful for them to cultivate this conducive behavior. Additionally, the appearance of laws makes the recycling of the waste a must for the general public and is regarded as a deterrent, since the mass know that once they do not abide by this law, they would be punished.
On the other hand, I assert that apart from laws, the action of schools and the media could also make contributions. To be more specific, through covering more news regarding the recycling of waste and making more non-profit advertisements about it, the media is able to increase individuals’ awareness. Furthermore, teachers could educate the meaning of recycling to the younger generation, letting more individuals be willing to do so in years to come.
To recapitulate, although I admit that making laws is critical to increase recycling, I hold the view that we are not supposed to ignore the efforts of others, such as journalists and educators.
C13 Test1
Living in a country where you have to speak a foreign language can cause serious social problems, as well as practical problems.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
6.5
There is a saying that living in a foreign country where a foreign language is spoken can lead to severe social and practical problems. I do not agree with this statement because while it is reasonable to predict that issues would arise when different cultures meet, the actual situation won’t be that difficult as long as people on each party interact with respect and an eagerness to understand each other, not to mention there are plenty of tools that can help us communicate with foreigners.
Living in a foreign country and having to interact with people that speak a different language does pose certain challenges. A person may accidentally offend the local people if there are language barriers between them, and he can also face a lot of difficulties in daily life trying to survive in an environment where he does not how to communicate properly and effectively. For example, there has been a case where a Chinese person said “that” involuntarily in Chinese in America, and the Chinese word “that” sounds a lot like the English word “nigga”. The word “nigga”, being a highly politically incorrect and offensive word in an American context, naturally caused chaos and even outrage in the society. Likewise, practical problems arise when a person does not know how to speak the local language. For example, he or she may have to spend an unnecessarily large amount of time just to get the groceries they need in the supermarket. Asking for directions becomes a challenge too, if one does not how to communicate his needs to the local people. If you get lost in a foreign country, it would be very difficult and troublesome to explain to a passerby or a police officer. Therefore, not knowing the local language can present a considerable amount of trouble to a person living in a foreign country.
However, as much as the troubles that might befall us in a foreign country are difficult to solve, it does not mean that they are unsolvable. In fact, tools like sign language, body language, drawings and modern translation apps can come in handy in the aforementioned situations. Again, imagine one getting lost in a foreign country and does not how to find his way home or not knowing how to find a particular item in the shops, they can draw out what they are trying to say on a piece of paper or their phones, and you would be surprised how much some simple sketches and body language can tell. Translation apps are also getting more and more advanced nowadays where people can simply type in their questions and give it to the local people in order to communicate effectively with each other.
What is more, understanding and respect matter when two cultures meet. Despite our differences with each other, we are ultimately humans and we have the ability to understand and forgive. When language and cultural barriers put us apart, we can welcome the differences and try to understand the other party with respect. If a person speaks offensive language because he does not know the language well, like the Chinthe other party can tell them and educate them in peace and with understanding. Living in a foreign country is hard, but what we can do is to have faith in mankind and believe the best in people, whether we are the visitor or the host, so that no matter how great and unsurmountable our differences are, we can resolve them and maybe even achieve friendship in so doing.
In conclusion, there are a number of social and practical problems when a person lives in a foreign country that speaks a different language, but those problems can be resolved by tools like drawings, sign language and body language, and technology like translation apps, and also by mutual understanding and respect. It is immature to assume that people that speak different languages cannot communicate, because communication does not only happen in words, they can also happen in ways beyond mere speaking and in the fact that we are humans with the ability to understand and respect.
C13 Test2
Some people believe that nowadays we have too many choices.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
7
Some people think that we have too many choices nowadays. The modern society is, indeed, saturated with myriads of options and choices but that should not be considered as a bad thing. I would argue that choices are good because they guarantee diversity and possibilities in a society, both are good for people’s growth and a society’s development.
First, the abundance of choices in a society means that this society welcomes and encourages diversity which can lead to a higher quality of life for its citizens. For example, if a supermarket provides products from all around the world instead of providing local products solely, customers can benefit from the opportunity to enjoy all ranges of products, from exotic food and beverages to novel appliances designed by the world’s best minds. If we settle for only one way a product is done, we would lose the opportunity to see how things can be done better, and thus never get to see what a better version of the world that we would be living in could be.
The various choices we have now also mean that the modern world is filled with creativity and possibilities. The choices in question not only include the ones we make when we go shopping, but also those we make regarding our lives. Modern society provides with us infinite ways to be successful. The development of social media and technology and a lot of other modern-day businesses mean that a young person can build a career of his own in ways we couldn’t even imagine before. Choices like these mean that one is not bounded by one way of living, that going to college is not the only way to be a successful and respectable person. Not to mention the possibilities women now have as society offers more and more choices to them - a good marriage is no longer the only way of living for a woman. Therefore, the more choices people are given in a society, the more possibilities and freedom they have in life, which would add to not only individuals’ but also a society’s wholesome development.
In conclusion, choices are good for individuals and society because first, they promote diversity and encourage healthy competition in industries so that people can have better and better quality of life; second, choices mean that there are more possibilities for people, meaning that they are free to explore life in all kinds of creative ways, to define success and pursue dreams in an environment that welcomes and celebrates diversity and creativity. A society full of choices is one that can grow and allows for individual growth.
C14 Test3
Some people say that music is a good way of bringing people of different cultures and ages together.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
6.5
The revoluntion in music results in a more diverse genres in contemporary life. Recently, the debate on whether music is a good way of bringing people of different cultures and ages together has been heated. As far as I am concerned, I agree with the idea that music can bring people together to a large extent. This essay will outline both sides of the view and elaborate on them.
To begin with, music helps break geographical barriers and the differences between ages. The develpment of technology and globalisation expose people to a wider range of music around the world and have a more convenient access to communicate with each other. For example, people who enjoy K-Pop in the US can share their appreciation with someone in Japan through social platforms like Youtube no matter what their ages are. Moreover, since there is no any restriction on cultures or ages to join the fans club for certain types of music, people can become friends easily once they find someone who share the same interest as theirs.
However, if people are too exclusive to embrace other genres besides their preference, arguments between different genres may be created which can drive people apart. For example, rap lovers may feel sick of listening to countryside music. In order to show their loyalty towards the music they like, they might judge other melodies by leaving bad comments on media sites. Since people who share the same culture may also have distinct taste on music, fights may be caught easily once people start despiting other’s flavor.
In general, music is a good way of bring people of different cultures and ages together as it helps break geographical barrieres and the age differences for those who share the same taste in music. Nevertheless, it could also seperate people apart once they are being too exclusive. Since most people focus on their own interest only, music helps connect people from diverse backgrounds most of the time.
C15 Test2
In the future, nobody will buy printed newspapers or books because they will be able to read everything they want online without paying.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
6.5
In contemporary society, there has been an uprising trend that individuals have the penchant for acquiring information via Internet instead of via newspapers or book. Consequently, some citizens are convinced that people won’t purchase printed newspapers or book, with which I completely disagree.
For one thing, it’s unrealistic that nobody will purchase printed books or newspapers. To be more specific, compared with consuming books, it can be a burden for the families from a wide range of developing countries to buy computers due to the imbalanced economic development. Furthermore, there are plenty of people who are simply fond of the experience of holding a book or newspaper, which can enable them to calm down in comparison with looking at the screen of computers or cell phones.
For another, reading everything online can lead to several negative consequences. To start with, conventional printing industry has created a number of job opportunities for the public and thus once nobody purchases newspapers or books in print, many citizens, such as those working in the publishing houses or journalists are likely to be unemployed. In addition, spending too much time staring at screens can trigger a series of health problems. Provided that individuals lead a sedentary lifestyle, they may suffer from obesity. When young adults look at computers to read for a long time, chances are that their eyesight would decrease.
To recapitulate, I assert that despite the popularity of reading online, conventional reading mode would still be indispensable for the reason that it is both unrealistic and disadvantageous for the general public to abandon it.
C16 Test3
Many manufactured food and drink products contain high levels of sugar; which causes many health problems. Sugary products should be made more expensive to encourage people to consume less sugar.
Do you agree or disagree?
6.5
In contemporary society, there has been an uprising trend that the overconsumption of sugar could be found in both food and beverage industry, which would trigger a series of health problems, such as tooth decay and diabetes. As a consequence, some assert that raising the prices of sugary products could tackle this dilemma, with which I completely agree.
For one thing, making sugary products more costly could prevent citizens from buying them due to the fact that prices play a significant role in consumers’ choice during purchase process. Therefore, provided that the general public is required to spend more money on sugary products, they are likely to find these products not valuable for their prices and then turn to purchase other commodities. In this respect, higher prices of sugary products could reduce individuals’ dependence of sugar and help them lead healthier lives.
For another, increasing prices of sugary products enables manufacturers to produce more health-conducive food and drink. To be more specific, if higher prices of sugary products incentivize citizens to buy alternative food and beverages, chances are that this modification in consuming behaviors would urge companies to develop other products to satisfy consumers’ taste. Coca Cola is a good case in point. When the general public is reluctant to buy those expensive and high-sugar drinks, this corporation would sell more zero-cola which contain no sugar and enjoy great popularity among consumers.
To recapitulate, I hold the view that higher prices of sugary products could not only encourage individuals to intake less sugar but also urge food and beverage industry to accordingly change its products, making contributions to the public’s health problems.
OG T4P2
In some countries an increasing number of people are suffering from health problems as a result of eating too much fast food. It is therefore necessary for governments to impose a higher tax on this kind of food.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
7
The growth of the fast food industry has, without doubt, impacted on the eating habits and the health of many societies around the world. Diabetes, high cholesterol, heart and respiratory problems are all on the rise due to fatty and sugar rich food. However, the question is whether higher tax would improve this situation or not.
From an economic point of view, higher tax might seem sensible. In countries such as the USA. Australia and Britain, the healthcare system spends a large part of its budget on people with diet-related health problems. It could be argued that these people have caused their own illnesses because of their choice of food. In this case, why should they expect the state to pay for their treatment? The tax could help fund the healthcare system.
However, we also need to consider which socio-economic group consumes fast food as the main part of their diet. Statistics indicate that lower income groups eat more of this food than wealthier people. One possible reason for this is that fast food is far cheaper than fresh produce. This is because many governments offer large subsidies to farmers who provide products for the fast food industry, such as corn, wheat and beef. Fruit and vegetables, on the other hand, are not subsidised. Research suggests that many families simply cannot afford to buy healthy food or pay higher taxes on fast food.For them, fast food is not a choice but a necessity.
In conclusion, imposing a higher tax on fast food does not seem to be the answer. If the government chose to do this, it would only lead to greater poverty and families facing further hardship.
OG T7P2
The continued rise in the world’s population is the greatest problem faced by humanity at the present time.
What are the causes of this continued rise?
Do you agree that it is the greatest problem faced by humanity?
7
As members in the metropolis,most of us have had enough of the troubles that caused by the continued rise in the world’ population. What factors lead to these phenomena and what impacts it may bring have become a concern to many people.From my point of view, the following reasons should be taken into considerations.
To begin with, the current stable economic circumstance is a great influential factor.Social and economic circumstance has a dramatic effect on people’s living condition. According to an international survey, more than 50 percent couples in the world are able and willing to raise more children, which will probably lead to a new wave of population explosion.
Of equal importance is the rapidly developing national medical care system. Development of modern technology has always been amazing.Certain diseases such as tuberculosis and dysentery are now easy to remedy with low expense, but in the past, they are all probably lethal. It is hard to imagine that an individual who lived in the past might even die of a toothache. Dental technology seems developed little except its exorbitantly charged bill, however, to our surprise, the simplest technique contributes to people’s longevity most.
Doubtlessly, the population problem can be regarded as one of the most serious issues faced by humanity. It may bring about many unexpected crises, like the employment problem and the aging problem, which are not only the stumbling blocks for the future development of the society, but also the pressures for resources carrying capacity.
All in all, although the problem of increasing population may seem difficult to eliminate, there are concrete steps that can be taken to control that worldwide.The negative effects from this problem is too great to ignore.
