1. The claim that animals have rights has been subjected as a matter of debate since the 1970s. Are zoos helping or hurting our animals? Should zoos be banned? Do you agree or disagree. For several years, it has been argued that animals have rights. This was further claimed by not-for-profit organsiations such as PETA. For over half a century, there is a constant debate about the existence of zoos. A major concern is to understand if zoos are helping or hurting animals. Many claim that zoos should be made illegal. Every major city has a zoo that has several species of animals. On one hand, it is advantageous for humans as it not only becomes a medium of income but also entertainment where many families bring their children to familiarise themselves with these creatures. While we gasp in awe, these animals are caged in a limited area which is not enough for them. More than often zoos do not provide animals with their natural environment facility which affects their health seriously. For example, species that are meant to live in colder places are transported to zoos that are in hotter and dry areas which they cannot acclimatize to easily. Furthermore, the pollution of city affects the longevity of these animals. In my opinion, it is similar to the idea where humans are put in the jails without committing any crime and I strongly believe that zoos should be banned completely. However, animals in sanctuaries where they are close to their habitat and have enough space to move around should be encouraged. This will not only give them freedom to live, but also help them to lead a happy and healthy life - which is their right.
2. Nowadays TV has become an essential part of life. Medium to spread news & awareness and for some it acts like a companion. What is your opinion about this?
Television, for decades have been an important part of our life. It is a great way to share news and awareness about society, economic and political issues amongst many others. Nowadays, there are niche TV channels for all age groups - educational channels makes information fun and easy to remember for children, TV series such as Friends or Game of thrones is favourite pastime amongst youth and sports and news channels for adults. Television is definitely a great medium of learning and entertainment but is stealing away family time. The educational and interactive channels are a great medium to learn for children but more than often they prefer watching their favourite cartoon. In addition, children prefer watching TV over playing in the park with their friends. This has not only affected their health but also has made them socially averse. Not only children, but this has affected adults as well - most couples and families spend their evenings and weekends watching television which in turn has increased insecurity in relationships. Certainly, I am not against watching television, but it should be in consideration and time limit. Doing anything too much does more harm than good and so is the case with watching TV. Furthermore, we should monitor what we or children are watching as it has strong impacts on an individual’s behaviour and thinking patterns. (225 words)
3. Team sports are generally promoted as a great way to keep fit and build character. However, sporting events such as soccer matches are often accompanied by violence between rival supporters and other form of antisocial behavior. If sporting events antisocial behavior, can team sports be really good for us? For mass and social media, sports events have held particular interest due to the debate it sparks. While some people think that is an excellent way to be healthy and build character, many believe that sporting events can lead to antisocial behavior towards rival team. Such anti-social behaviour can be seen in the fans of many football clubs in Europe. The recognized teams have a lot of pressure to win every game they play. However, it is important to understand that winning and losing are two sides of a same coin and thus should be accepted gracefully. More than often, supporters of a winning team mock the members and supporters of rival teams – and forget that being nasty will not help. This behaviour is inculcated young when children start following these teams, if the behaviour is not corrected at the right age by parents and peers, it can be dangerous. The advantages and skills learned due to team sports outweigh the antisocial behavior at the sporting events, which does not happen all the time. Moreover, the skills and talent of players must not be overlooked by such antisocial behaviour of fans. Furthermore, the famous sportsperson who are role models for many must encourage fan to treat everyone with respect, including their challengers. (212 words)
4. Do you think consumers should avoid over packaged products or is it the responsibility of producers? Right packaging ensures that the products are used when required without any wastage. Packaging industry is highly competitive industry – that is bringing about packaging solutions for all types and different sectors of industries. For example, food industry has understood the success right packing can bring and has gone to the extent to pack their food in trays and in boxes of different shapes and sizes to match that of food. It is not only user friendly but many consumers claim that is delicious. Further, research suggests that aesthetic appeal of packaged products makes consumer overlook the health risks packaged food can incur. Thus, increases the overall value of the item and makes higher sales. However, they tend to overlook that they spend more than they would otherwise just due to the way it is packed. After climate change impacts, several manufacturers now claim that use recyclable and recycled products for packaging. Yet, several items such as vegetables and fruits in supermarkets are packed in plastics (which are not required) is a threat to environment. Thus, in my opinion, it is the producers must ensure that over packaging is avoided whereas consumers must dispose these items in the right way or re-use if possible to curb the environmental damage.
5. Many people think that regions affect successful person. What is your opinion about native region and accomplished person’s influence on the region he belongs to.
There is an old adage – ‘where there is a will, there is a way’. Success does not come easy – it comes after sheer hard work, dedication and perseverance. Moreover, a lot depends on an individual’s will power and knowledge. Thus, inner thoughts affect success more than the outer environment. Either from village or a metropolitan city, nothing can stop an individual who wants to mark a name in the pages of history. Once successful every individual goes back to its roots – where he belonged to and where he came from. Successful and accomplished individual proudly give a lot of credit of their success to their town, culture, friends and family. This is because, that is the place where they have spent their childhood and formative years. Knowledge and the strong values instilled in them by their parents and teachers have played a major part in their success. More than often, the people who are doing well play a major role in the reconstruction of their hometowns. They want to provide for the facilities such as building schools, libraries and colleges - for younger generation which were not available to them while they were growing up. Moreover, they share technological advances via such mediums. Developing such platform, where exposure meets the will power to succeed; where individuals has opportunities to reach their full potential will indeed keep on producing successful people. (230 words)
6. The environment we are living in is in danger due to various problems...so who do u think should be responsible to solve it? Is it the governments, organisation or each individual?
Adverse effects of global warming are seen in form of depletion of ozone layer and climate change has led to increase in the rate of disasters. Uneven rainfall, cyclones, droughts, heat and cold waves have affected the lives of people in several ways. We cannot blame or make one entity responsible to solve the issues of environment. Working as a team we can achieve more. However, government can legislate and enforce the environment friendly behaviour of individuals and organisations by law. For example, gas and electricity which is usually provided by government must be produced using renewable sources of energy such as solar and hydro power. Further stricter laws must be enforced to reduce the emissions from industries and discarding toxic waste in a nature friendly manner. Government must ensure that students in schools and universities understand the threat possessed by increasing pollution and are encouraged to use recyclable products. Moreover, more funds must be spent in R&D to reduce toxic waste. Furthermore, organisations and government together can introduce programs where they plant trees. However, making laws is just one part of the coin –execution is even more important. Such vast scale initiatives cannot be completed by an entity in itself. In my opinion, I believe governments, organisations and individuals are equally responsible to solve the problem. (217 words)
7. Tobacco, mainly in form of cigarettes, is one of the most-widely used drugs in the world. Over a billion adults legally smoke tobacco every day. The long term health costs are high - for smokers themselves, and for the wider community in terms of health care costs and lost productivity. Do governments have a legitimate role to legislate, to protect citizens from the harmful effects of their own decisions to smoke, or are such decisions up to the individual? Despite of all the harmful effects of tobacco, it is legal in nearly all the countries. Over a billion people across the world of different age groups smoke cigarettes. Both the active and passive smokers have serious impacts on health, many suffer from cancer, asthma and other lung and heart related problems – but still it is not banned. Often, people start smoking during their college due to peer pressure. However, soon they are addicted to it. Many smokers have erratic responses about the harmful effects – some say, that they live only once and thus should enjoy life to the fullest; and others it is all written in destiny. Such behaviour force to think that governments must intervene and ban tobacco. On the other hand, it was found that many people in developing and under developed countries were not aware of the adverse effects of smoking – when realised they gave up smoking. Governments over years have legislated and reduced the consumption of cigarette over the past years by levying more tax on cigarettes and some countries increased the age for smoking to 21 years. All adults are sensible and thus are responsible for the decisions they make. Instead of a forced ban, individuals must act responsibly and understand that being healthy and living long will let them and their families lead a happy life. (223 words)
8. Large shopping malls are replacing small shops. Your opinion – good or bad? Due to westernization and globalization, the concept of shopping malls is now widely accepted and appreciated amongst people. Shopping malls are big shops where individuals can buy everything under one roof – from clothing to shoes; from home utilities to office accessories; and food, gaming zone and cinema halls for entertainment. All the major cities have these shopping malls. Families and individuals prefer malls over small shops as it is a one stop destination for their needs. Further, exciting deals and offers on items make consumers too difficult to resist. Not only does it give consumers many options to choose from it makes the shopping experience a lot more fun than before. However, it has had a strong impact on the small scale shop owners as everyone prefers going to malls for shopping. For example, a small grocery shop at the corner of the street might not have all international brands of sauces and chocolates to pick from. Thus, those shops are used for daily errands. People are more aware about the brands and thus avoid buying brand-free items. Such mentality has made it difficult for the new start ups to penetrate the market as they generally have low capital to advertise and develop a brand image.
In conclusion, small shops have lost value and thus consumers of the past few years. However, understanding the competitive markets and the needs of the localites’– they should have products to suit their demands so that people choose their shops reliably. (247 words)
9. Pros and cons of extreme sports Fifteen years into the new millennium and extreme sports such as sky diving, mountaineering expeditions, river rafting and snorkelling amongst many others are gaining popularity. Many adventurers say that such activities give them a ‘high’ they want, while others indulge in the activity to look ‘cool’. Jumping from a plane at a height 31,000 feet can sound very erratic but many people do it to get an adrenaline rush – ‘the high’. Life has become very predictable and thus boring. To break this monotony, many individuals take up adventure sports; to do something completely different and unexpected. Moreover, researchers also claim that repetitive or similar extreme sports do not give individuals the same level adrenaline rush that they got at first. Thus, the next extreme sport adventurers pick is often even more dangerous. Undoubtedly such sports are very dangerous and life threatening. There have been incidences in past when individuals have suffered serious injuries and some have even lost lives. Thus, governments have made very stringent laws to ensure everyone’s safety. Being an extreme sport enthusiast myself, in my opinion, individuals must take up these adventurous sports after ensuring that the organization or the tutor that they have tied up with ensures their safety and takes all possible measures for the same. (211 words)
10. Company’s top level authorities should get their employees in decision making process. Discuss
For donkey’s years, there is a constant debate that employees must be involved in decision making process. Often new start-ups and small scale companies take opinions of their employees before making important decision. This bonds the team like a family and there has been a steady growth of the company. Further, they are aware of the current situation which makes them act responsibly. Moreover, opinions from employees bring fresh perspective to the top level management team and sometimes problems that look very tricky can be solved very easily. However, it is not always recommended for every decision made. Certain sensitive information must not be disclosed, for example, how to address the loss incurred by an organisation? Such topics can make the junior employees panic and spread rumours about company in the market; and these situations must be carefully addressed.
Democratic management has been successful. Though including all employees in the decision making process will be difficult and tedious, but the results are positive. In the recent years, many companies and organisations are adopting this technique and reaping benefits. It makes employees feel strongly about the company and accountable for the decision made which in turn ensure their productivity and efficiency. (201 words)
11. With growing internationalization, will English lose its dominance? Due to advances in technology and globalization, the world has become connected and reachable. English is most widely spoken language across the world. However, there are predictions that like Latin, English will lose its global dominance. For decades, English is used widely for all the economic, technological and political dealings between the countries. Travelers travelling across the world rely on English. Moreover, increasing number of schools has English as a compulsory subject in addition to their native language. Thus increase in the number of non native English speakers throughout the world. In developing countries such as India and Sri Lanka amongst many others give English language is given more importance. Those who cannot speak fluent English are often looked down upon. On the other hand, countries like Japan and China (who is also the world’s greatest population) are creating a strong mark in the global economic market. All of these countries give utmost importance to their cultures and thus still have not accepted English as a first language. Therefore, those who countries who want to be economically connected to these countries must either have interpreters or learn their language. Many native English speakers are now learning Hindi and Chinese as an optional language. In my opinion, I feel English has been accepted as a language of international communication will never lose its supremacy but will evolve where new words from other languages are borrowed and accepted – making it a global language. (241 words)
12. Ineducation system, is assessment through formal written examination still valid? Whether assessment of an individual via written exam is not enough to test all skills of an individual is an ongoing debate for decades for academicians and educationist. Relying on what is written in exam cannot prove that the candidate understands everything that is taught. Further, candidates with English as not their first language often struggle with these exams. Moreover, students in India are often taught to memorize answers without understanding. Such practice can gain students high marks but very less understanding. Thus, only a written assignment is not enough to assess the knowledge. Nevertheless, written exams are essential. It is a good indicator to judge if the candidate has read thoroughly and understood. Further, usage of examples from real life situations or remembering it from somewhere read indicates his analyses and application.
Fifteen years in the millennium and the employer’s expectation from prospective employees has risen drastically. They prefer candidates who can multi-task and can work in a team. Thus schools and universities are now adapting other methods of assessment such as group coursework, presentation and experiments amongst others. Such activities will hone their skills in team work but improve their communication skills and help in increasing confidence. Further, having to submit these assignments at different times will teach them time management and aligning their priorities. In conclusion, I believe written examinations are only valid when clubbed with other methods of assessments. (244 words)
13. Nowadays, people spend too much time at work to the extent that they hardly have time for their personal life. Discuss Different people get success in different fields. Some people work long hours to get success, but others feel that spend free time for joy than Wealth. Which style closely relates you and explain your views?
“There is a price to pay for everything” is an old adage. Globalization, increasing competition and advances in technology has lured people to materialistic luxuries. Everyone wants big homes to live in, branded clothes and shoes to wear; and high end luxury cars to drive. For which the price to pay is work harder and longer hours. To achieve aforementioned luxuries, people have started working very hard. At work, employees are given very difficult targets with tight deadlines which tie them to their workplace. Such models are often incentive based. Many companies are now paying employees on performance based only. Such people are always worried about work and often go home very late or take their office work to their homes. On the other hand, businessmen lead a stressful life too – increasing inflation and competition makes it difficult for them to attract consumers. This behaviour not only affects their personal lives drastically but is detrimental to their health. They do not spend time with their families and often the children do not get to spend time with their fathers except Sunday. On Sunday too, they want to rest and charge themselves for the busy and stressful week ahead. Such stories are very common in India where there is cut-throat competition in every field. Such working hours make them unhappy and insecure in life. To conclude, anything done too much is not good. Thus, both employees and employers should have a work life balance to increase efficiency in work and happiness in life. (252 words)
14. Talk about pros and cons of this era as it is full of daily inventions. The industrial revolution has spread all over the globe. For over a century now, there has been an increase in the number of new things invented and used. This has affected the world in both good and bad ways.
‘Necessity is the mother of invention’ is a very old adage. Whether it is airplanes to travel distant places or taking a holiday to moon or sending message with a click of a button – anything is possible. Machines are invented to perform various tasks that make our lives easier, some inventions make it better and let us live healthier. Life threatening diseases have now found cures due to advancements in technology and the longevity of humans have increased. Despite all the benefits of inventions, it has made people overly dependent. For instance, people cannot stay without their mobile phones for even a day. There has been a change in behaviour when they do not have their phones with them – some say they feel ‘incomplete’ without them. Such dependence often leads to new types of psychological diseases. Further, there has been a steep rise in the technological waste that is having detrimental effects on environment. If this is not curbed or treated carefully, future generations will have to suffer. In conclusion, there are many inventions that were luxuries when invented but now have become a necessity. With changing climatic conditions and needs of 21st century, it is impossible to lead life without certain inventions. (242 words) 15. Imitating celebrities in sports and movies good or bad? All of us want to live life king size. A life led by celebrity is aspired by all of us at some point in our lives. Many of us start imitating celebrities thinking that acting like them will make us one. However, we forget that they became celebrities after a very long journey of hard work, dedication, failures and perseverance. For many of us, celebrities are role models. Learning from their experiences and life will help us achieve our goals. All successful people are passionate about something; copying this can do wonders. Celebrities inspire students at school to be a human being and make them realise that if they can do it – so can we. Such inspiration is necessary when growing up. However, many people overlook the difference between the good and the bad; and the impacts such actions will have on their lives. Several fans start following every action of their favourite screen idol blindly. Some start smoking while others sport a certain hair style or dance move to impersonate their favourite star. This makes them look ‘cool’ amongst peers. But sometimes certain actions may be derogatory. In conclusion, in countries like India where celebrities are given a position of God; have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders.They must ensure that their actions do not spread wrong message. (221words)
16. Any recent invention that you think proved beneficial or detrimental to society
It is an era of inventions. Technological advances have made our life easier. From taking a holiday to moon to sending messages with a click – everything is possible. One such astonishing invention is Smart phones.
Smart phones are mobile phones that are not only used for calls and texts messages but many other features. They are like mini computers with internet that allows users to download various applications that can help them at work, home and to stay connected with their friends and families. There are endless applications for entertainment such as games and music; utilities such as compass and flashlight; and productivity such as health and fitness apps to track the number of miles you have run or the amount of calories consumed. It is altogether a new world. Consequently, smart phones have made people socially averse. Many people shy away from communicating to people when they meet or over the telephone as they find it easy to talk via texts or online messages or tweets. During social events, many are glued to their phones to stay updated, missing all the fun they can have when they are with people. Too much of anything is bad. Undoubtedly smart phone have changed the lives of people in a good way but have increased several psychological diseases. (216 words)
17. Learning a new language at an early age is helpful for children. Is it more positive for their future aspect or have some adverse effects. Agree or disagree? In today’s connected world learning a second language opens up a window to opportunities for children. Many researchers have proved that children below seven years of age are inclined to learn a new language easily. Lessons of new languages are introduced them without even realising they are learning – children following the adventures of the hero in the story book they are reading. At this age, they can easily imitate the accents and adopt the pronunciations of native speakers. Further, it also sharpens their analytical and critical thinking skills which will help them in future. However, it must be ensured that the language is taught in right accents. More than often, children learn the new language in the accent of their native language. For example, Japanese often speak English with a thick Japanese accent. It becomes difficult for the global users of that language to understand them when adults. In culturally diverse countries like India, it is a common practice for children to learn three or four languages. Understanding the advantages, many schools in developed countries are teaching a second language at school from three years of age. This has put an academic pressure on the children and more work for parents but all the efforts are worthwhile.
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18. Communication has changed significantly in the last 10 years. Discuss pros and cons impacts. 15 years into the new millennium and the world is connected like never before. Better connectivity and increased communication is due to technological advances. This had a great impact on the lives of people, especially on the world of business.
Increasingly, companies are adopting new methods of communication such as video conference. It works over the internet where clients or executives from all over the world can video chat with each other on computer or smart phones. This is cost effective, saves time spent on travel and speeds up the processes. It is proved productive, as meetings are short and effective with rich collaboration from employees and decisions are made faster. Consequently, this connectivity increased work pressure on employees as they are expected to be a part of the video conferencing as they are reachable. As this mode of communication is mainly used for foreign clients and executives, some employees have to function in odd hours to match that of client’s time zone. In developing countries like India, employees of small and medium sized companies who deal with foreign clients have to connect with them after working hours. This has not only affected their family lives but has led to health related problems. In summary, the methods of communications have changed for good, but sometimes employees are exploited. (218 words) 19. In under developed countries, tourism has disadvantages and can be said the opposite as well. Low air fares have increased international holidays. Every year, people all over the world take summer or Christmas holidays to different countries. Often, people choose destinations with lower currency value than theirs. This way tourist has more money to spend during holidays. Tourism has become a major industry for developing countries. Governments of many developing countries are encouraging tourism as it provides business to all sectors such as entertainment, shopping, food and local transport and travel. It has become a lucrative mode of income for people. Countries like Thailand, Nepal and Sri Lanka amongst many others have benefited the citizens and have drastically improved their standard of living and education. Despite the advantages of a thriving tourism industry, we cannot overlook the damage it can do. Developing and under developed countries tend to lose their traditional culture and values. They tend to adopt lifestyles, languages and food to match that of travellers. For example, in India, people are very influenced by the western culture and often look down upon Indian folk dance, handicraft work and languages. This can cause stress in the traditional culture and lead to animosity towards tourists. To sum up, tourism can change the lives of people. However, governments of the developing and under developed countries must conserve their cultural heritage – which is the main attraction for people to travel. (222 words) 20. We should spend money on space research and travel or should resolve earth problems.
Economists and environmentalist often claim money should be spent on resolving problems of earth rather than space research. If we had such attitude, there would have been no America and the lives of people would not have been so easy. Space research is a very interesting subject. Scientists for decades are trying to find traces of life on other planets. Others are interested to know about the formation and number of stars, planets and galaxies. Many governments, companies are investing heavily to find more about space. Undoubtedly, this inquisitive nature of human has undoubtedly led to many discoveries and inventions which improved our lives. However it has also increased pollution and has adversely affected environment on Planet Earth. Depleting ozone layer of the atmosphere and climate change has increased the number of disasters have affected millions. If this is not controlled, the future generations will have to pay a heavy price. On one hand we have Earth is ever changing – from Ice age to Stone Age to today. On the other, curious researchers are spending exorbitant amount on space research. In my opinion, it will be interesting if researchers can find a way to solve the problems of earth from space technology. (202 words)
21. Reason of decline in Library day by day. We live in an information age. Technology changed the lives of people in more than many ways. One such change was the way people read books. In my opinion, there are two major reasons for the shift in paradigm. Firstly, there has been a change in preference in the mode of reading books, electronic books (e-books) are gaining popularity. E-books can be downloaded on smart phones, tablets and reading devices such as Kindle and Kobo. These small, sleek and user friendly devices can store millions of e-books on all sorts of topics. A lot of people read while travelling on trains and buses – devices are very convenient as readers no longer need to carry heavy books. Secondly, Google was introduced with the advent of internet. The search engine answers all questions and queries. People find it easy to use and it is spontaneous. On the other hand, finding right books in libraries on time can be difficult and reading through pages to find answer can be time consuming. This is one my major reason for the library shutdown in many cities. In my opinion, unfortunately libraries will keep losing importance. Advances in technology will keep changing our lives and new devices that make our lives easy will lure us. (217 words)
22. The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education- Einstein. What does he mean by that? And do you think he is correct?
‘The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education’ said Einstein. Like operating system sets up the way the computer will function, education sets up our brain. Most of our actions and thoughts are a result of our education system. Unfortunately, this hinders creativity and creates barriers between right and wrong. Einstien was a school drop-out as he was not able to learn what was taught at school. Everyone called him a failure and stupid before he made his inventions. This is the same way we treat our children when they do not perform well at school. We often fail to understand their condition and scold them. But we must understand some children are god gifted and have in born knowledge and talent. Sometimes they bring a fresh perspective or a new mind-set to subjects which can be different from the regular regime. Instead of shutting them down, we must give them free space where they can express themselves and their energy. Instead of producing robots at schools, the education system must be made flexible so enough importance is given to creativity and thought. The madness and passion that Einstein had to invent something new is important. Children with these traits must be encouraged. (206words) 23. Advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad Overseas education is gaining popularity in many countries including India. Every year thousands of Indian students go to western countries to study. While some feel that education is better than the local colleges or universities in India, others feel that it is very difficult to get an admission in reputed Indian colleges due to competition. Studying in a foreign land brings a number of advantages. The most obvious is that it broadens our mind. Experiencing new culture, speaking languages in different accent, celebrating new festivals, meeting people with different backgrounds, adapting to their cuisines and seeing a complete different way of life is an enhancing experience that builds confidence and flexible. However, studying in a different country is quite expensive. The university fees and the costs of living are generally high. It imposes financial burden on student's families. Many students have to borrow large education loans in order to pay tuition fees. Another disadvantage is that students have to live away from their family and friends. Like every side has two coins, studding overseas has its own gains and disadvantages. It is a rich experience that opens a window full of opportunities if students overcome or find ways to adjust to challenges. (202words) 24. "Value added by travel in Education. Is travel a necessary component of education or not? Will scholar sitting at home have more knowledge than one who travels? "
Many schools and universities have included trips as a part of their curriculum. Some academicians and parents argue that this leads to increase in the costs of education, but the rich experiences and knowledge gained on these journeys are assets for travellers. Travel is an important part of education. The most obvious advantage is that it broadens the mind. Experiencing a new culture, meeting people from different walks of life and trying their cuisines are rich experiences. Travellers face unexpected situations which brings them out of their comfort zone – that is where they learn the most. This cannot be learnt within the four walls of the rooms. On the other hand, many argue that reading books can give you all knowledge. Book readers can travel all the countries with the characters of the story. Agreeable, but that is a world with the author’s perspective. Besides, practical learning is always more beneficial than theoretical knowledge. Given an opportunity, all the readers would want to go themselves and see the places described in the books and movies. In conclusion, travelling gives practical knowledge. Such learning cannot be forgotten – it sinks deep in the minds of travellers. This increases confidence and flexibility in adapting ourselves to situations. (204 words) 25. Information revolution has changed the way of mass communications and had some negative and positive effects on individual lives as well as on society. To what extent do you agree or disagree? We live in the information age. Advances in technology have changed impacts of mass communication. The mediums used for mass communication have increased – from radios to television to print and online media. Online media is gaining popularity and unlike other methods, it provides a platform to share and exchange ideas and opinions. With the advent of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, the speed with which the news travels has increased dramatically. Everyone online is aware about the happenings in the world. It provides a platform to share ideas, exchange thoughts and opinions about various issues. Discussing an issue with various perspectives can lead to better decisions made for the society. With great power comes great responsibility. The power is in the hand of the creator of information. Some information is blown out of proportion to make sensational headlines while others are biased and misleading. The power is strong enough to transform the ideas, beliefs and mindsets of people. This is a threat to society on the long run. In conclusion, mass communication has led to the shifts in the lives of individuals. People are more aware, but the question is do we really need all that information? (200 words)
26. The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. Agree or Disagree?
We live in a fast paced world of changing technology. A new phone becomes obsolete within 6 months and people will adapt new technology. This time frame will continue to decrease. Everyone will have to follow a learning cycle where they can learn, unlearn and relearn. Back in the days, people who were unable to read and write were called illiterate. With everyone being educated, this definition is changing in the developed countries and percolating amongst literate. There is a paradigm shift in the requirements of the employers. Employers expect employees to transform and adapt themselves techniques easily. Some methods will be out-of-date thus people have to unlearn them and learn to new and better methods. They have keep relearning it till a change is needed. Take my example for instance, the subject accounting is often updated with new and better techniques of accounting. While studying accounting at university, we had to unlearn the methods to prepare a Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss Sheet taught in Year 1 as new techniques were introduced. In Year 3, we had to learn new techniques. If we did not unlearn the old technique we would have failed our exams. To sum up, people who cannot follow this cycle of learning will be considered illiterate and slow. Increasingly, more people are attending universities at the later stage of their life. In this way they keep updated, employable and develop skills of learning cycle which will be eventually required in all aspects of life. (250 words) 27. Our planet is suffering from multitude problem, which one is the biggest problem and things to do to resolve it. On one hand, technological and industrial advances have made human life easy. However this has increased the carbon emissions, toxic waste pollution and climate change. This has led to increase in the frequency and intensity of disasters all over the world. Millions of people from various countries have suffered. Unfortunately, the developing and the under developed countries have to suffer more. In the race of becoming a developed country, developing countries such as India have unplanned development. They are replacing lush green forests with concrete jungles. However, they can replant the trees in other places instead of cutting them. Further, this has led many rivers to flood villages and cities during monsoon. Such activities have disturbed the lives of the people and have caused adverse effects on ecology and ecosystem. There are various stories about wild animals attacking villages for food in such countries. The only way to balance the ecology is to plant more trees. The greener the countries will be the better will be the quality of life. There is an increase in the understanding and awareness as now people celebrate world environment day. On such events many students at schools and universities to plants trees and encourage them to perform same activity with their families. To sum up, the climate change is a major issue. If this is not solved then our future generations will have to pay for it. (233 words)
28. Human behaviours can be changed by laws. However few do not agree with it. State your 29.
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reasons and discuss. Marketing strategy for big companies should be placed on offer and discounts, and in what ways this can impact on their reputation."Should consumer goods companies concentrate on quality or special discounts and offers to promote their products? You are given climate as the field of study. Which area will you prefer? Explain why u picked up the particularar area for your study In some countries around the world, voting is compulsory. Do you agree with the notion of compulsory voting? If Voting is compulsory in democratic society, what conclusions can we draw about ‘Nature of democracy?’ It is argue that getting married before finishing school or getting a job is not a good choice. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Parents should be held legally responsible for therechildrens acts. What is ur opinion? support it with personal examples....
34. Some people think placing advertisements in schools is a great resource for public schools that need additional funding, but others think it exploits children by treating them as a captive audience for corporate sponsors. Choose which position you most agree with and discuss why you chose that position. Support your point of view with details from your own experiences, observations or reading.
It is argued that getting married before finishing school or getting a job is not a good choice. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Numerous disadvantages – Greater problem when dependent on parents – Tension – Paying tuition fee – Time constraint on newlyweds – Balance time at home, adjust new-life, academics – Organize everything – Often left with no time – Less time on personal growth – College life restrict parties, functions, relationships – Drop in grades, goals – Cut’s the growth & maturation – So – Most need self-Support – Living own – Making decisions – Marriage Prevent all. Law Changes Human Behavior: Law control the behavior of society – law can only prohibit people’s evil behavior by government force – Ensure peace & stability of society – Moral judgement by avoid punishment – rules are necessary – laws are different in societies – Formed by authorities – LAW CAN CONTROL BUT CANNOT CHANGE BEHAVIOR – Fear it creates if any illegal done – Punished – laws should change according to the human nature – Limit the people activities – cannot shape minds & hearts – And one should think, why high crime rate? – even there are laws.
Advertisements in Schools: Changes take place – Commercialism – Budget shortfalls – Funds crunches – Huge Budgets cuts – Income increases – Better faculty, Motivated teachers – Advance view – Better equipment & intelligent decision making – Important infrastructure & standard – Negative of advertisement is Immature to think of children – may mislead them.
it is possible to pass laws that control or place limits on people's behavior, but legislation cannot reform human nature. Laws cannot change what is in people's hearts and minds.
Law means a body of rules and regulations in the form of judicial opinions, or in the form of constitutions etc. Law is used by the governing bodies to control the behavior of a society. The functions of law vary for different societies or countries. However, legal laws are different from the moral behavior or the traditions of societies. The laws are formed by some authorized body like court while customs and traditions are made by the members of society. It is very important to understand here that both the things are made to run the society smoothly. However, I agree with the statement that although laws can place limits on people's behavior but they cannot alter or convert people's heart. There is no second thought that very strict laws can sometimes have negative effects on the society. Usually laws help to give a peaceful life to people. It plays an essential role in maintaining stableness and development of society. It infuses a fear in the public that if they do some illegal activity, they will be punished. If this fear will not be there, then the instances of terrorism and crimes will increase that will make the life of the members of society unstable and disturbed. Laws make our lives comfortable. Hence, it is required to have laws that have positive impact on people's behavior. However, in history, we have many examples where laws had negative influence on the society. The laws made by some of the kings were so cruel and inhuman that they had bad effect on the human nature. However, it is also true that although laws are used to make people's lives easy and secure, laws cannot change what is in people's heart. Despite many strict and cruel laws, feelings of hate and disobedience keep growing in the hearts of public, if the laws are not changed according to time. Many revolutions in the history of humankind are the evidence of this statement. Russian revolution and the freedom fight of India are the best examples of the outcry of public against the laws and legislations of the government. Laws should be changed according to the human nature. Hence, it is true that laws and rules reflect the human nature but these cannot change the way people think. Although laws should not be altered at every outcry, they should be modified according to human nature that reflects people's minds and hearts. It is essential to make people respect laws. Otherwise, there will be more and more instances of people not following laws. You cannot ignore the fact that some degree of freedom is required for a balanced society. Without people obeying any law, it will be like an empty law. Hence, the social attitude towards laws should be considered while making a formal law. If the authorities want to use the laws to control or alter human nature, then they have to make the laws more flexible. Hence, it can be concluded that the laws that control or place limits on people's behavior cannot reform human nature. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Can legislation reform human nature? Can laws change people's mind?
As far as I am concerned, laws can only prohibit people's evil behaviour by the force of government power, ensure the freedom of its people and help maintaining the peace and stability of the society. They can not operate on people's minds.
Moral judgment is motivated largely by avoidance of punishment. Individuals develop an understanding that rules are necessary to aintain social order, and are motivated by what they think people expect of them. Thus, people perceive an obligation to uphold the law to avoid the social disorder that would follow in the wake of others disobeying. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13. It is usually foolish to get married before completing your studies and getting established in a good job? Do you agree or disagree". There are numerous disadvantages to getting married while still a student. “[Getting married in college] can create a greater problem when you are dependent on parents to support you. There is the probability of more tension on the part of both sets of parents.” Expecting your parents to continue paying your tuition as though you were still a child once you have chosen to take on the very adult responsibility of marriage can also create tension. Another reason to wait is the time constraint on enrolled newlyweds. Balancing time at home, adjusting to a new life and spending time on academics is a daunting task, regardless of how organized you are. Married college students are often left with not enough time to do housework, study or have couple time. Little time is left for each other so there’s less time to work on personal growth and the marriage. The college marriage often results in restriction of college experiences, participation in college functions and of relationships of college friends. Not only that, but she also finds that marriage affects academics. “There is often a drop in grades due to added responsibilities or having to take on a full time job. The distractions that marriage brings are endless and normal, but if your current schedule and goals make marriage too much to handle on top of your college life, then the smartest decision may be taking care of your college career before saying your vows. Sometimes the engaged couple isn’t actually ready to decide what they want out of life (or marriage) yet. College is a time of growth and maturing. Getting married too soon can cut growth and maturation short. “Most students need some time to be self-supporting, living on your own and making decisions as you mature. An early marriage can prevent students from ever getting that time to mature.
23. The only thing that interfere with my leaning is my education- Einstein. What does he mean by that? And do you think he is correct?
Formal education tends to limit the thinking you can do about a subject. For instance, you know and accept that the Law of Gravity is valid. You've been taught that in school. Therefore, you are not going to waste your time trying to get around it.
Most engineers today are taught that something must be done THIS way. By the time they get their degrees, they can't see simple solutions to complex problems. That's when you need someone with no degree and not a lot of knowledge about engineering that you can bounce the problem off of. In explaining it to them and dealing with their offhand suggestions, you often get the simple solution you couldn't see. Einstein recognized that education also limits the mind and felt he learned more by doing research without the confines of the degree. Einstein was a genius, which back in the old days many never really understood what a genius really was! So for him to say, the only thing that interferes with my learning is my education! He was actually saying, he was a lot smarter then any education that could be taught to him back in them days! So he had to more or less, self educate on his own to be able to be smarter then he already was! Many people saw him as off the wall, sort of speak! Because of the fact he was a lot more smarter then anyone really knew! So instead of him being looked up to because of being so smart, he was more like an out cast to most! Mostly because of his odd behavior, and weirdness and very much misunderstood! He plainly just didn't fit in! I guess you could say, very few people tried to get to know him at his level and partly no one could possibly even think at his level! So he to many was just a strange person! But the fact was he was a genius and he was misunderstood back in them days! Geniuses today are honored and almost worshiped and there is today, way higher education levels in place now for people that are geniuses! Could you imagine if education would have been so high level to teach Einstein to the levels he was urning for! He would have really accomplished way more then what he did! And may have changed the world for a lot better then what it is today! Maybe that's why education is such a high priority in todays world, so that everyone has a chance to be the next great Einstein, or even greater! If education hadn't changed from the old days, man would have never made it to the moon! Education has to always change for the better, may be at times not fast enough, but if it didn't life will never get better! If education was still the same as back in Einstein days, Medical wouldn't be where it is today and millions would have all died every year! Medical is the biggest resource for longer life and more quality of life! Without it, people would be dieing at younger ages and from many diseases that wouldn't be cureable without all the medical education we all have today! Einstein would have actually fit in better in todays world then he did back in the old days, you could say he was born in the wrong Century, so it would be like taking a well educated person today and put them back into Einstein days of life! The person would feel completely out of place and most likely wouldn't be able to even cope in that kind of life! So what Einstein was saying is, he was being taught 6 th grade education when he was actually like the highest college degree grad in are time of life! And he wanted higher education then the highest college education! But back in his days 6 th grade education is all they had as highest education to offer!
It is argue that getting married before finishing school or getting a job is not a good choice. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Today we are living in a competitive world and striving to make an excellent career to become prominent part of our society. Once the career is stable then to live a happy married life would be easier because most of the necessities would be covered which require money. A group of people also believe that to marry during the studies would be beneficial to support studies and establish a healthy career. The technology has made our life is very busy and highly competitive. People are more working hard to achieve to their goals and objectives than ever before. During the studies students are highly focused about their academic and the coming future professional life. Career is pivotal to people and therefore they world hard day and night, as hard work pay off. Once the career is bright then they would be able to have a happy and successful married life. If people get marry during the studies then it would be difficult to concentrate career. After getting married, the responsibilities are awaiting to accept. Wife’s and then kids require love and care, it would be highly unfair if a person is not giving time and attention to wife and kids and looking forward for his career development. Another people of thoughts believe that it is better to get marry before someone’s start professional life. A good life partner will be supportive and helping hands during studies. A partner would help to meet responsibilities other than studies, then the studies would be more focused and in result a prominent success leading towards a bright career. If a person get marry early then he would be able to see his kids growing and start their professional life before his retirement. In conclusion, to get marry after studies would make a person eminent among others to attract a desirable life partner and meet all the necessities of life would lead to a successful married life. Marrying during the studies would provide the edge to support kids and ensure their bright career and future during someone’s own sustainable professional career.
The only thing that interfere with my leaning is my education- Einstein. What does he mean by that? And do you think he is correct? Formal education tends to limit the thinking you can do about a subject. For instance, you know and accept that the Law of Gravity is valid. You've been taught that in school. Therefore, you are not going to waste your time trying to get around it. Most engineers today are taught that something must be done THIS way. By the time they get their degrees, they can't see simple solutions to complex problems. That's when you need someone with no degree and not a lot of knowledge about engineering that you can bounce the problem off of. In explaining it to them and dealing with their offhand suggestions, you often get the simple solution you couldn't see. Einstein recognized that education also limits the mind and felt he learned more by doing research without the confines of the degree. Einstein was a genius, which back in the old days many never really understood what a genius really was! So for him to say, the only thing that interferes with my learning is my education! He was actually saying, he was a lot smarter then any education that could be taught to him back in them days! So he had to more or less, self educate on his own to be able to be smarter then he already was! Many people saw him as off the wall, sort of speak! Because of the fact he was a lot more smarter then anyone really knew! So instead of him being looked up to because of being so smart, he was more like an out cast to most! Mostly because of his odd behaviour, and weirdness and very much misunderstood! He plainly just didn't fit in! I guess you could say, very few people tried to get to know him at his level and partly no one could possibly even think at his level! So he to many was just a strange person! But the fact was he was a genius and he was misunderstood back in them days! Geniuses today are honoured and almost worshiped and there is today, way higher education levels in place now for people that are geniuses!
Could you imagine if education would have been so high level to teach Einstein to the levels he was urging for! He would have really accomplished way more then what he did! And may have changed the world for a lot better then what it is today! Maybe that's why education is such a high priority in today's world, so that everyone has a chance to be the next great Einstein, or even greater! If education hadn't changed from the old days, man would have never made it to the moon! Education has to always change for the better, may be at times not fast enough, but if it didn't life will never get better! If education was still the same as back in Einstein days, Medical wouldn't be where it is today and millions would have all died every year! Medical is the biggest resource for longer life and more quality of life! Without it, people would be dying at younger ages and from many diseases that wouldn't be curable without all the medical education we all have today!
Einstein would have actually fit in better in today's world then he did back in the old days, you could say he was born in the wrong Century, so it would be like taking a well educated person today and put them back into Einstein days of life! The person would feel completely out of place and most likely wouldn't be able to even cope in that kind of life! So what Einstein was saying is, he was being taught 6th grade education when he was actually like the highest college degree grad in are time of life! And he wanted higher education then the highest college education! But back in his days 6th grade education is all they had as highest education to offer!
Some people think placing advertisements in schools is a great resource for public schools that need additional funding, but others think it exploits children by treating them as a captive audience for corporate sponsors. Choose which position you most agree with and discuss why you chose that position. Support your point of view with details from your own experiences, observations or reading. It is a true fact to consider that in the present day society, advertisement has become most popular media resource in the competitive market. Considering this, there are some analysts who hold an opinion that the public schools are better place to advertise to increase the funds for the schools, while others consider that it will cause to children to be exploited it will make them as captive audience. That essay will assertion both side of the contentions before deducing reasonable conclusion. There are many people who opine not to place advertisement to increase fund in public schools. First and foremost, distracted juveniles could be a significant factor. It is generally seen that when companies place the huge colourful advertisement in school, children would more focus in advertisement and they would put less concentrate on studies. For instance, majority of the businesses are placing advertisement in school to focus more students’ attraction for their product. Therefore, if pupils do not have enough money to fulfill their requirement they might get involved in some criminals acts. It is natural that if a billboard advertisement focuses on presenting luxury items, poor students whose parents cannot afford them would feel deprived. There are some groups who are in favour of placing advertisement to increase fund in public schools in spite of views discussed above regarding not to placing advertisement in public school. Increasing number of facilities could be a substantial reason behind the opponent's view point. It may defined as: nowadays business spent thousands of dollars for reaching their competitive market, Therefore, if they can placed advertisement in right place they would spend more than actual value. For example, sponsor for new buildings and equipments. In last, undoubtedly, whether placing advertisement in public school or not is always a matter of discussion; however, as far as I am concerned, advertisement should be banned in the school environment and we should make better and serene environment for kids in schools.
Some people believe laws change human behaviour. Do you agree with it? Especially laws that have associated penalties, which are enforced.
All men have innate desires. Like the desire to live and be happy. How these are achieved, is dependent on their training from birth. Each person's implementation of the knowledge acquired from this training is what we call behavior. What you call wrong or right is based on point of view. What you call fairness, is simply a realization that, if I am going to expect this for myself, I should respect others having the same expectations or they will hinder my own chances if I hinder theirs. So, it is a higher intellectual prowess that make humans more civilized than monkeys, and monkeys more than lions. However, not all have this sense at the same level. So, if we must live civilized, we must make laws that govern all. Set standards. People obey laws for one or more of these reasons 1. Fear of the powers of the enforcer 2. Agreement with the standards of the law based on personal acquired standards So, a person's behavior, that isn't in line with the law, will end up being trained to adjust to the path of the law based on #1 above, over time. Just as every other of his behavior was formed by training. This is of cause is highly dependent on other factors of the individual, like the perceived weight of the penalty the value they place on life and happiness especially when the disobedience is deemed an integral part of their happiness Laws are about distributing our resources---things like wealth, political power, social 'justice', access to food and water and shelter and medical help. Laws are themselves a form of human behavior, and one of the many interdependent systems of sanction, social control, and exercising power towards special interests and ingroup benefits. They can only shape human behavior insofar as they are an extension of that behavior and one of the tools people can use to get things they want by force Law does change people and their actions. Let me share my experience, there are no strict laws on Indian roads so we never used to bother looking for vehicles while crossing roads let alone waiting for signal. But after being in NZ and following the pedestrian signal, my behavior to road signals have improved a lot and has become more of a habit. Now even if I go back to India I will follow the traffic rules whether others do or not. Since my behavior towards road code is different now. Strict laws alter us and following them for a long run unknowingly brings a change within. The law isn't going to stop anyone dead set on murder, but it definitely diminishes the number of people who act violently. Many people, myself included, have violent urges that they suppress out of self-preservation, and self-preservation alone. But laws still only work if they're agreed upon en masse; prohibition didn't work for this reason. Laws won't trump addiction, revenge, or true justice. is? What measures?
