Task 2 正反影响

C4 Test2

Happiness is considered very important.in life.

Why is it difficult to define?

What factors are important in achieving happiness?

7

There is no denying that happiness is of great significance in our daily lives and recent era has witnessed a passionate discussion regarding it. As far as I am concerned, it is hard for us to define happiness and a number of factors could contribute to happiness, which will be explained below.

The reason why the general public regards it as challenging to give happiness a definition is that everyone possesses different view towards it. To be more specific, literacy levels and life situations vary greatly from individual to individual, which results in the fact that everyone has his or her particular passion from which he or she takes pleasure. To exemplify, those from relatively impoverished backgrounds consider sufficient money and food as joyance, whereas entrepreneurs may equal happiness with more free time.

Despite the fact that it is difficult to define happiness precisely, there are several preconditions in obtaining it. To start with, in terms of enjoyment, the public attaches great importance to a decent job in that employments play a crucial role in satisfying citizens’ basic survival needs. Moreover, the mass would find it hard to feel joyful unless they are accompanied by their family members and close friends, with whom we share similar interests and values. As is known to all, nowadays we depend on interpersonal relationships to acquire information and gain recreation through communicating with each other.

To recapitulate, citizens reckon it difficult to define joyance, since they tend to view it in distinctive ways and nevertheless, satisfactory jobs and the accompaniment of family members and friends are the main contributors of happiness.

C4 Test4

In many countries schools have severe problems with students behaviour.

What do you think are the causes of this?

What solutions can you suggest?

6.5

In contemporary society, there has been an uprising trend that the younger generation behaves themselves increasingly inappropriately at schools. From my point of view, there are some reasons behind the phenomena, which will be explained below and some measures can be helpful to tackle it.

To start with, the development of the media could account for the mentioned situation. Nowadays, a great number of bloody and violent images could be found in TV programs and computer games. As is known to all, younger adults have the penchant for imitating other’s deeds and sayings, since they are still immature and that is why these programs are thought to be responsible for children’s bad behaviors. Moreover, the modification in family structures is to blame. Because of the lower birth rate and birth policies in some countries, households are becoming smaller with fewer kids. Consequently, parents tend to care too much about their children and even spoil them, which leads to the fact that kids are becoming selfish and unable to put themselves into others’ shoes. In this respect, students are more and more unwilling to abide by rules and respect teachers at schools.

Nevertheless, this situation can be improved by the following steps. It is advisable for the authority to ban detrimental TV programs and console games for the younger generation and meanwhile set educational channels for them. Furthermore, parents classes can make contributions, where parents could learn how to restrain their kids’ behaviors and educate them in a proper way.

To recapitulate, students’ unacceptable behaviors are due to the advancement of the media and the changing demographic structures and however, the phenomena is still not out of hand in that the efforts of governments and parents can be conducive.

C5 Test4

Research indicates that the characteristics we are born with have much more influence on our personality and development than any experiences we may have in our life.

Which do you consider to be the major influence?

7

Our characteristics and personalities all differ greatly, but what is the cause behind this divgerence? Recent research indicates that born characteristics have major impact on our personalities and development. Despite that, I would argue that environmental influences shape one’s personality more.

It is undeniable that nature, or inborn characteristics have a major impact on one’s identity. Studies have repeated shown that genetics play a part in deciding one’s personality. In research and studies focusing on the heritability of traits such as Autism, reading disability and personality in identical twins, it is found that in most of the case genetic influence, or born characteristics have around or more than 50% of influence of these traits, suggesting that characteristics that we are born with certainly plays a part in deciding one’s personality.

However, genetics does not offer the whole picture. Studies have also repeated shown that if one raise identical twins with same genes in different families, it is very likely that they will have different personalities, affirming the effect of environment and life experiences in shaping one’s personalities. With more positive encouragement one may grow up to be a more cheerful person, while abuse and scorning might have adverse effects and making children more introvertive. Some key life experience might also play a part, such as being bullied at school or making a life long friend. What one might conclude from these examples is that even though genetics play a part in deciding the initial form of an individual’s personality, further experiences in life molds and influences that form, finally crafting it into a unique individual, and in this light one might conclude the environment and experiences is the major influence, in deciding one’s personality and development.

To conclude, I will argue that one’s experience in life and environment is the major influence, in deciding an individual’s personality and eventual development.

C7 Test3

As most people spend a major part of their adult life at work, job satisfaction is an important element of individual wellbeing.

What factors contribute to job satisfaction?

How realistic is the expectation of job satisfaction for all workers?

7

As society progresses, people start to diverse their attention from material needs to spiritual ones. In the workplace, this manifests in people’s emphasis on the important of job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is determined mainly by the sense of accomplishment that can be derived from the job and the interpersonal relationships at work. Although it is an essential part of individual wellbeing, for some workers it is not something easy to get, especially for workers who work at manual and monotonous jobs.

One factor that contributes to job satisfaction is whether people can get a sense of accomplishment out of the job. This determines whether people think that their work has meaning. For example, a job at a trading company mainly involves doing businesses with its clients. If one thinks that service is more meaningful, a job that only deals with business and trades products may be deemed less satisfying than a teaching job, for example. Teachers can have a great sense of accomplishment seeing progress in their students, and this would contribute to the sense of job satisfaction they have.

Another factor that contributes to job satisfaction is the interpersonal relations at the workplace. If one’s relationship with their coworkers is impersonal and business-like rather than friendly and close, one’s job satisfaction may be lower because the workplace is rather “cold” in terms of interpersonal relations.

However important job satisfaction is, there are types of jobs where job satisfaction is harder to get than at others. Monotonous and manual jobs like streamline manufacturing is generally considered boring and therefore not satisfying. Jobs where creativity is not needed is also prone to be less satisfying than those where creativity is demanded. Although job satisfaction partly depends on the nature of the work itself, workers can also turn something boring into something interesting if they have the right mindset and a positive attitude. Therefore, how realistic is the expectation of job satisfaction for workers depends on both the job and how people choose to view their jobs.

In conclusion, two factors that contribute to job satisfaction are the sense of accomplishment people get out of their job and the interpersonal relations at work. Although it is harder for some workers to be satisfied by their jobs than others, job satisfaction sometimes comes from the way people choose to adapt to and accept their jobs.

C7 Test4

Some people think that universities should provide graduates with the knowledge and skills needed in the workplace. Others think that the true function of a university should be to give access to knowledge for its own sake, regardless of whether the course is useful to an employer.

What, in your opinion, should be the main function of a university?

6.5

There is a controversy regarding what universities’ main function should be. Some think that they should provide work-related knowledge and skills to students, while others think that the way university curriculum is designed should not take into account what is needed in the workplace. In my opinion, universities should focus on knowledge itself because students can choose to go to schools that teach technical skills to train for the workplace and it would hinder the development of academia if universities start diverting their objectives to cultivate good employees.

First, there are schools that teach technical skills directly related to certain jobs, and if students wish to join a specific workforce after college, they can choose to enroll in these schools instead of regular universities. These schools offer courses that get students ready to be a cook, a nurse, or a worker in any specific field et cetera. This way, only students who want to pursue an academic journey would go to universities.

The main function of universities should be training enthusiastic young people to be a good academic for the development of specific academic fields. The development of science, for example, needs candidates who have gone through a rigorous training solely dedicated to the relevant knowledge itself. If universities start making courses that aim to provide the society with able, obedient employees, they are actually taking away resources that should have been given to train, for example, good scientists or good doctors. Though they may one day become part of the workforce as well, their jobs require them to be adequately professional and knowledgeable and becoming so should be the main aim of their university education.

In conclusion, the main function of a university should be to give access to knowledge instead of train employees for the workplace because there are other schools designed to do so, and workplace training would take away resources that should be dedicated to academic training and research which are crucial to the development of fields like medicine or science.

C8 Test4

In some countries the average weight of people is increasing and their levels of health and fitness are decreasing.

What do you think are the causes of these problems and what measures could be taken to solve them?

7

Recent era has witnessed an uprising trend that citizens have the penchant for gaining weight, which would lead to a series of health problems. From my point of view, there are several reasons for this worrying development and some methods could help to tackle it.

To start with, the modification in individuals’ lifestyle could account for the mentioned phenomenon. Due to the advancement of modern technology, the general public is more willing to let off steam through watching TV or playing console games instead of approaching nature. That is why citizens are developing a sedentary lifestyle and consequently suffer from obesity. Moreover, the changing eating habit is to blame. To be more specific, in modern times, the mass may live under considerable stress from both their colleagues and supervisors, which urges them to devote a large amount of time to their work. As a result, chances are that they prefer to go for the less health-conducive fast food, such as cola and hamburger, thus taking in more oil and sugar.

However, this situation can be improved by the following steps. It is advisable for the authority to build more sports facilities with the purpose of encouraging the public to do more exercises in their leisure time. Furthermore, the media could make contributions to raising citizens’ awareness of strengthening their bodies. To cite non-profit advertisements as an example, the media could educate the mass the detrimental outcomes of getting fat through it.

To recapitulate, citizens’ increasing weight is due to changes in lifestyle and eating habits and nevertheless, this situation is still not out of hand in that the efforts of governments and media could be beneficial.

C13 Test4

In spite of the advances made in agriculture, many people around the world still go hungry.

Why is this the case?

What can be done about this problem?

7

Recent era has witnessed great progress in the field of agriculture and nevertheless, it is still a dilemma that a large number of citizens are suffering from hunger. There are some reasons for this which would be explained below and some of steps could help tackle it.

In terms of the causes of the mentioned problem, for one thing, frequent extreme weather is to blame. As is known to all, there is rapid environmental change taking place all over the world because of the increasingly severe global pollution and greenhouse effect, which would put threat into yielding crops in many areas. To exemplify, drought in Africa is likely to impede the process of food production, thus letting local residents go hungry. For another, food prices are still high in many countries due to the fact that many intermediary businesses, such as retailors and transporters would make profits before food reach consumers.

However, this problem is still not out of hand. To be more specific, governments are supposed to regulate food prices, making it affordable for the general public. Legislation is a good case in point. Through enacting relevant laws, the authority is capable of intervening in the pricing process and excessive profits could be curtained. Furthermore, the media ought to raise the mass’s awareness of protecting the environment by making related documentaries or non-profit advertisements, which would be helpful for reducing extreme weather.

To recapitulate, frequent climate changes and high food prices are able to account for famine in many areas and this problem could be addressed with the efforts of both governments and the media.

C14 Test4

Nowadays many people choose to be self-employed, rather than to work for a company or organisation.

Why might this be the case?

What could be the disadvantages of being self-employed?

6.5

In today’s world, more and more people choose to be self-employed instead of working for a company or organization. This is a result of the increasing popularity and commercialization of the internet and social media, as well as people’s increasing longing for freedom. Despite the obvious freedom that attracts people to be self-employed, there are also disadvantages with this mode of employment, which is its uncertainty and higher risks.

Firstly, The rapid development and soaring popularity of social media give birth to a significant population of self-employed people. The jobs they can do include but are not limited to bloggers, instagram poets, instagram models, influencers and so on. The internet provides content creators with a platform where they can share and reach audience all around the world, and thus makes it unnecessary for individuals to rely on a company for resources. The rise of social media like tiktok and Instagram also creates an ever greater demand for content, which gives ordinary people an opportunity to become famous from the grassroots.

Secondly, freedom is also a major point of attraction that draws people to engage in self-employed jobs. Working for a corporation usually means that there are a set of rules one has to follow, from a specific work schedule, limited number of holidays to corporate etiquettes. All of these do not exist with self-employment. Being your own boss does not only mean that you can rest at anytime you what, it also allows for greater space for creativity if one’s career or visions are creative or inventive in nature. For example, it would mean that there are far less restrictions when a comedian writes his own jokes and makes videos on YouTube, than if he works for Saturday Night Live. It gives artists greater artistic freedom if they can dictate what content to be made and how they are delivered, decisions that are not usually made by them if they are working for a corporation with its own guidelines and creative framework.

Nevertheless, there are some disadvantages to being self-employed. Some obvious ones are the risks and uncertainty with not being protected and guided by a company. A job in an established company is more or less securer than working by oneself. They usually have an established way of doing things and more people in the same industry that can help each other out with their specialist knowledge or insights. Self-employment lacks that kind of resources that could make things easier.

In conclusion, the trend of self-employment is a result of the development of the internet and social media as well as people’s growing longing for freedom. Despite what self-employment seems to offer, it has some obvious disadvantages which are its uncertainty and risks.

C16 Test1

In some countries, more and more people are becoming interested in finding out about the history of the house or building they live in.

What are the reasons for this?

How can people research this?

6.5

With a general increase of city populations, housing and issues it brings along has started to attract more and more attention. One of such problem is the history of the house or building, they intend to purchase or currently live in. I think the main reason behind this is that, as our city start to age the structural integrity and quality of the buildings will start to wane, possibly incurring risks for its residents, hence attracting attention. Another reason might be that they have some other concerns, that could mark their house as uninhabitable.

Firstly, one may be concerned about the durability of their residence. Buildings do not last forever and when they exist past a certain point, they are considered dangerous to live in and later even unsuitable to live in. This might alarm some people since they can find that the building they are currently living in has a long construction history and is only considered safe for just a few more months, therefore with this information they may decide to move out.

Moreover, some specific history of the building might disturb residents and prompt them to leave. In China for example a house where a murder has happened before is considered bad omens, and one should not visit and definitely not live in it. Consequently, this piece of historic information alone may be able to convince people to move out.

Regardless of the reason, there are many ways one can find out historic information about the building they live in. The easiest way might be simply to ask around. For example, the previous owners, your neighbors, and so on. Perhaps they will know something of your current household. Another idea is to research on the internet. On governmental websites one can usually download pdfs and spreadsheets of data, about your specific building. In addition, one can use historic news reports to find out whether something terrible has happened in your apartment or not.

In conclusion, there are many reasons why someone might want to research the history of their own household. One of the main reasons is that they might want to verify their safety of their residence by researching its construction history, or they could be concerned about other factors such as previous events happening in their own house. Whichever reason it is they have plenty of ways to find out the information, either by asking people around them, or research on the internet.

C17 Test2

Some children spend hours every day on their smartphones.

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

7

Nowadays, some children spend a lot of their time on smartphones every day. This is because of the rapid development of technology and social media which has made smartphones an irresistible attraction to children who lack self-control. This is definitely a negative development as this not only hinders children’s academic performance but also harms their mental health.

Today’s smartphones are devices which you can use to play games and contact friends, and these are very interesting and addictive activities to children. Children naturally lack the kind of self-control that adults possess, and so they easily fall prey to the apps that are developed to catch and hold users’ attention. Not to mention the amount of information they can access through the internet, which makes the smartphones even more enticing.

The addiction to smartphones is a negative phenomenon, which is detrimental to children’s academic development and mental health. Smartphones can be a serious distraction when they do school work because kids can be easily attracted by things like new notifications or messages from friends. They might even rely on the internet for answers to homework, thus negating the meaning of their education. They might get dependent on the internet and stop makingt effort to do their own work. What’s more, it has been proven that spending too much time on social media could cause depression among teenagers, as they are constantly exposed to others’ ‘perfect’ lives posted on social media. Distorted values and unrealistic aesthetic standards are just some of the things that they can learn from the internet. Children’s mental health is at risk if they spend too much time on the virtual world instead of connecting with people in real life.

In conclusion, it is the development of technology and social media that has made smartphones a major part of children’s life, as they can easily contact friends and play games on their devices. This growing addiction is not a positive development as spending too much time on smartphones could hinder children’s academic development and even do harm to their mental health.

OG T3P2

Car ownership has increased so rapidly over the past thirty years that many cities in the world are now ‘one big traffic jam’.

How true do you think this statement is?

What measures can governments take to discourage people from using their cars?

7

Most people would agree that car ownership has increased in recent years and is causing a range of problems, particularly in built-up areas. I think there are a number of ways that governments can aim to deal with this.

Many big cities in the world have traffic problems but these problems vary. For example, it is reasonably easy to drive around my city after 10 am and before 5 pm.However, outside these hours, you have to allow double the usual time to reach your destination. In some other cities, traffic is congested at all times, and there is the continual sound of car horns as people try to get wherever they want to go.

One of the best approaches governments can take in busy cities is to encourage the use of public transport. This means the transport facilities have to be well run and people must be able to afford them. Buses, trams and trains are good ways of getting around, and if they are cheap and reliable, people will use them.

Another approach is to discourage people from actually entering the city by building car parks and shopping centres on the outskirts. Many cities around the world do this quite successfully and offer passengers bus transport into the centre,if they need it.

At peak travel periods, governments can also run campaigns to encourage people to be less dependent on their cars. Apparently, a lot of car trips involve very short journeys to. say,the supermarket or local school.These are often unnecessary, but we automatically get in our cars without thinking.

Clearly we all have a responsibility to look after our cities.Governments can do a lot to improve the situation and part of what they do should involve encouraging individuals to consider alternatives to driving.

OG T6P2

In the past, when students did a university degree, they tended to study in their own country.
Nowadays, they have more opportunity to study abroad.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this development?

You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence.

7

The pursuit of knowledge is a concept that is valued by most cultures. In the 21st century, we now have many more options regarding how and where to find that knowledge. If you are a French national, you can apply to do an economics degree in the USA, and likewise an American citizen can take a course in linguistics in France. Indeed, most universities across the world now have a good proportion of foreign students enrolled in their programmes.

Certainly, there are numerous advantages of studying in a different country. Many students choose to do this because they know that a particular university, for instance Stanford Business school, has an excellent reputation. Graduating from here, they believe, will increase their chances of securing a decent position in a company back home. Students studying abroad also have the opportunity to form friendships with people of various nationalities: in time, these may develop into useful professional networks. Furthermore, living far from family and friends can enable young people to become more independent and self-sufficient.

Unfortunately, the experience of studying abroad is not always a positive one. Research suggests that a small percentage of young people struggle to adapt to their new environment and suffer from severe culture shock. The situation can become worse if the student is not mature enough to cope by themselves. Different approaches to teaching and learning may also come as an unwelcome surprise to some students.In essence, the key to a good experience at a foreign university is an open mind.If a student is presented with this opportunity, they should certainly seize it.

OG T8P2

Some people get into debt by buying things they don’t need and can’t afford.

What are the reasons for this behaviour?

What action can be taken to prevent people from having this problem?

7

Nowadays we are living in a society based on consuming. As a result, some people have problems in dealing with this budget and they get into debt by buying things they don’t need and can’t afford.

This kind of behavior is encountered quite often in our present days, mainly because of the possibility of buying goods in leasing. Hence, people buy most of the goods using the credit card without having a clear idea on how much money they possess or they owe. Also, another cause for this behavior could be psychological. The advertisement and the subliminal messages one encounters in a regular day in a big city has an enormous impact on one’s brain. The main problem is the lack of awareness of the serious effects that advertisement can have on people.

In order to prevent people from adopting this dangerous behavior, measures should be taken so as to raise awareness among people. Also, one must learn how to manage his budget in order to get a balance between necessity and pleasure. Keeping a record on income and monthly spending would be very helpful and would give to the consumer an overall image on how his budget should be spent.

All summed up, the chances of becoming a victim of the consumer’s society are high nowadays due to the surrounding temptations but this problem could be easily avoid by being aware of this dangers and having a rational attitude when dealing with money.