ContentsHC THUC LNG3Explain some of the ways in which humans are damaging the environment. What can governments do to address these problems? What can individual people do?3TYPE 1: FOR & AGAINST3The advantages brought by the spread of English as a global language outweigh the disadvantages. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?3Studying Abroad4Today, the high sales of popular consumer goods reflect the power of advertising and not the real needs of society in which they are sold.4News editors decide what to broadcast on television and what to print in newspapers. What factors do you think influence these decisions? Do we become used to bad news? Would it be better if more good news was reported?5Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in order important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.6Some people believe that visitors to other countries should follow local customs and behaviour. Others disagree and think that the host country should welcome culture differences. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.7Some people believe that visitors to other countries should follow local customs and behavior. Others disagree and think that the host country should welcome cultural differences.7Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in other important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.8Some people believe that visitors to other countries should follow local customs and behavior. Others disagree and think that the host country should welcome cultural differences.8Some people prefer to spend their lives doing the same things and avoiding change. Others, however, think that change is always a good thing.8Discuss both these views give your own opinion.8Fatherhood ought to be emphasised as much as fatherhood. The ida that women are solely responsible for deciding whether or not to have babies leads on to the idea that they are also responsible for bringing the children up.9To what extent do you agree or disagree?9Some people believe that visitors to other countries should follow local customs and behavior. Others disagree and think that the host country should welcome cultural differences. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. (262 words)9Some people prefer to spend their lives doing the same things and avoiding change. Others, however, think that change is always a good thing. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. (268 words)10Universities should accept equal numbers of male and female students in every subject.10People nowadays work hard to buy more things. This has made our lives generally more comfortable but many traditional values and customs have been lost and this is a pity.11To what extent do you agree or disagree?11A large number of deaths are caused by road accidents. Why do so many road accidents occur? Make recommendations that would help to reduce the number of road accidents.11In some countries young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school and starting university studies.12In some countries young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school and starting university studies.12Discuss the advantages and disavantages for young people who decide to do this.12Prevention is better than cure13Out of a countrys health budget, a large proportion should be diverted from treatment to spending on health education and preventive measures.13To what extent do you agree or disgree with this statement?13Some people think that museums should be enjoyable places to entertain people, while others believe that the purpose of museums is to educate. Discuss both views and give you own opinion.13Several languages are in danger of extinction because they are spoken by very small numbers of people. Some people say that governments should spend public money on saving these languages, while others believe that would be a waste of money. Discuss both these views and give your opinion.14Some people believe that studying at university or college is the best route to a successful career, while others believe that it is better to get a job straight after school. Discuss both views and give your opinion.14TYPE 2: OPINION15Topic 105: People tend to believe that all young adults should undertake a period of unpaid work for the good of the community. Do you agree or disagree?15Topic 33: People tend to work longer hours nowadays. Working long hours has a negative effect on themselves, their families and society, so working long hours should be restricted. Do you agree or disagree?15TYPE 2: SOLUTIONS16Issue 5: English as a global language16TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 200817Issue 4: Public resources (Re-written)17SUNDAY, AUGUST 10, 200818Issue 4: Public resources18Issue 3: Globalization19Issue 2: Skepticism20THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 200822Issue 1: Technology22TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 200823Topic 17: A traditional wedding23

HC THUC LNGExplain some of the ways in which humans are damaging the environment. What can governments do to address these problems? What can individual people do?Humans are responsible for a variety of environmental problems, but we can also take steps to reduce the damage that we are causing to the planet. This essay will discuss environmental problems and the measures that governments and individuals can take to address these problems.Two of the biggest threats to the environment are air pollution and waste. Gas emissions from factories and exhaust fumes from vehicles lead to global warming, which may have a devastating effect on the planet in the future. As the human population increases, we are also producing ever greater quantities of waste, which contaminates the earth and pollutes rivers and oceans.Governments could certainly make more effort to reduce air pollution. They could introduce laws to limit emissions from factories or to force companies to use renewable energy from solar, wind or water power. They could also impose green taxes on drivers and airline companies. In this way, people would be encouraged to use public transport and to take fewer flights abroad, therefore reducing emissions.Individuals should also take responsibility for the impact they have on the environment. They can take public transport rather than driving, choose products with less packaging, and recycle as much as possible. Most supermarkets now provide reusable bags for shoppers as well as banks for recycling glass, plastic and paper in their car parks. By reusing and recycling, we can help to reduce waste.In conclusion, both national governments and individuals must play their part in looking after the environment.

TYPE 1: FOR & AGAINSTThe advantages brought by the spread of English as a global language outweigh the disadvantages. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?The spread of English as a global language has become a hot controversial question among local people. Some people reluctantly assume admitting the the values and facts of English. On the contrary, they denounce the trend as a hinder to further existence of unique cultures. Strong arguments exist in support of both sides of this debate, which implies that its worth examining both points view before reaching any conclusion.From the one side, a plausible argument of pro-factory people is that it is an formidable trend driven by the globalization process. First , it can be said with certainly that the translating cost would plummet if all the people around the world manipulated the same language. Second , a further plus point could be that people have more chances to meet and negotiate with each other for boosting their business projects and diplomatic conferences. This is definitely valuable since the obstacles of misunderstanding would suffocate further cooperation without efficient communication. Last, the widespread use of English makes the education and abroad study prosper and easier. Students will rid the chores of learning English and then focus on the field they endeavor to work in.From the other side, those who disagree point out that there are negative aspects. The first drawback of this matter is the culture would disappear as soon as the language spoken in it was out of use. This is a clear limitation because young people thus forfeit their parents customs and living habits as they adapt themselves to English speaking. Last but not least, the diversity of languages turns to be the pools of great ideas and thoughts. If they were extinguished in ordinary people, our society would lose the power of advancingTalking everything into account, fort he reasons which I mentioned above, I believe that the advantages still outweigh disadvantages. So I do totally support the idea oft he positive effects bought by it are conspiconspicuous and will continue benefiting both individuals and countries. Studying AbroadOver the past decade, studying abroad has become a prevalent and publicly recognized phenomenon. Some people support the view that education overseas is a life-transforming opportunity whilst others claim about its challenges. It is quite natural that people from different backgrounds have their own opinions on issue. Therefore, both of these arguments will be analyzed before a reasoned conclusion is reached.On one hand, pursuing educational opportunities overseas allows one to gain a real knowledge of a new culture and a new language. By interacting and communicating with native speakers daily, students can enhance not only a a foreign language skill itself but also and improve language proficiency. Such, the knowledge of social customs acquired in the other countries helps them become more open-minded. In addition/Besides, studying overseas is highly motivational for students. From social aspect, where there is challenge, there is effort. In fact, students are more likely to try their best to get admission from foreign schools as well as effortlessly keep their spirit high to overcome difficulties arising during their study and to achieve greatness. By fulfilling even the simplest tasks at the early beginning, such as grocery shopping, making living arrangement, they adapt to the new environment and become self-sufficient.On the other hand, there are certain disadvantages needed to be considered. First, living far away from home, students will suffer from loneliness and homesickness. Overseas students often fell disoriented and depressed because of lack of adequate knowledge and understanding of the local customs and lifestyle. Also, many students do not want to return to their country after graduation because most of them want to seek a more comfortable life and brighter future overseas. This may result in a serious brain-drain and our country will inevitably incur a huge loss of talents. In conclusion, although it may bring several downsides for students, the returns are highly justifiable. If each individual tries with his great effort and serious commitment, benefits they will get are undeniable. Today, the high sales of popular consumer goods reflect the power of advertising and not the real needs of society in which they are sold. To what extent do you agree or disagree?Nowadays, there are lots of advertisements on television or on the streets. Some people think that the advertising boosts the sales of goods and it encourages people to buy things unnessarily. This arguments may be true. In my country, many advertising companies produce advertisements with famous and popular actors or singers. People, especially youngsters, buy goods that their favourite singer advertise, although they do not really need the products.Also, on the television screen, a product may look gorgeous and good quality. As a result of it, people often buy goods without enough consideration. Consumers may not actually need it but they buy goods impulsively soon after they watch the advertising. Furthermore, as many customers buy a particular product due to its advertising campaign, the other people may be affected by the trend, even if the product is not of the real needs of the society.On the other hand, there are various aspects against these arguments. Moreover, it is peoples choice to make a decision to buy goods. Advertising may be not a cause of customers buying habits. Individuals have their own spending habits. If they have got enough disposable income, then the right to make a decision is given to them. No one actually can judge whether the goods sold are the real needs of the society or not.In addition, as there should be a limited amount of disposable income consumers are able to spend, people try to allocate their budgets. They cannot be simply swayed by those advertisements.In conclusion, as customers have their own strong opinions and standard of good quality goods, it is better to leave them to make their own decision in buy goods. It is fairly difficult to say everyone is swayed by advertising and buy good impulsively. However, in sensitive area of business such as toy industries, it may be necessary to band advertising to those children as children have not got enough ability to control themselves or to know what they need.News editors decide what to broadcast on television and what to print in newspapers. What factors do you think influence these decisions? Do we become used to bad news? Would it be better if more good news was reported?What to broadcast on television and what to publish in newspapers or magazines are decided by news editors. There are various factors influencing these decisions. It is argued that we used to bad news and it may be better if we listen to or read more good news. This essay will examine the issue in detail.

In my opinion, there are standards galore for news editors to choose news. Firstly, they will choose the news that is proved to be accurate. As far as I know, one of the natures of news is that it must be right. Secondly, news which is chosen is essential to peoples life such as the knowledge about health, education and so on. In my opinion, one of the next factors is that the news must be absorbing and attractive to people. Besides, new editors can base on the update functions of the news so that they can bring hot news to listeners or readers.One of the frequent phenomena which we can easily perceive in broadcast and newspapers is that there is more bad news than good news. I concur with the statement that we become used to bad news. In my opinion, this phenomenon is easily accepted. Bad news does not mean the bad things for our lives. Through bad news, we can see the world more widely by objective eyes so that we can build and change our world better. I suppose bad news is like the dark colors and good news is like the bright colors in a picture. The dark and bright colors simultaneously make the picture more interesting and worth. It cannot lack dark and bright colors. Therefore, bad news should be reported and go along with good news. I think it is better to report more good news. If more good news is published, it can help readers or listeners feel the world with optimistic eyes. However, there should be a balance between bad and good ones.In conclusion, what I want to emphasize is that both bad and good news have their own effects on listeners or readers. However it will be more astute to remain a corporation of good and bad news.

The world of sports is a multimillion dollar industry and sport is viewed as a professional career. Those at the top of hot sports news are paid colossal salaries. Especially, when comparing these titanic salaries with those of the top surgeons or research scientists or even leading politicians who have the responsibility of governing the country, many people would agree that the amount of money which they collect is deserving while others don not think so. Personally, I think celebrities salaries are determined by considering the contribution to society they make. People flock to sporting events or watch their favorite teams faithfully everyday on TV or public media. We must mention that successful sports professionals have to be trained seriously from the early age to become stars (peak performers) in their fields. They face tremendous pressure in each and every game, match or competition. Their personal lives are compromised and they lose all privacy. Simultaneously, their strong achievements bring honor and attention not only to themselves but also to their schools, teams, cities, countries. Moreover, with their careers being so short lived and the amount of rigorous hours spent on the training pitch, the maximum age is around 32 to 34 and after that they have to stop playing. Some of these will continue their domains as a coach but many of them will retire. It is obvious that they have to collect enough money for retirement time, particularly many of them don not have a good support from insurance companies after retirement. Basically, I do not concur when many people argue that its just a sport and they are getting paid ridiculously with a huge amount of money just to kick the ball around. It believe that professionals such as doctors, police, firemen, etc., are just as important as or more important because they save peoples lives and keep most people safe in term of physical while sports give a source of entertainment to the public. For example, World Cup is the worlds most widely viewed sporting event. It brings us joy, excitement, happiness and amazing moments. Therefore, why can not successful sports professionals earn a great deal more money than people in other important professions? I think that they are deserving to receiving what they contribute. Everyone has a different angle about this subject. None of them right or wrong. To me, I do not agree with the idea that it is unfair when successful sports professionals are being paid great salaries. This is fully justified for their price. Additionally, the number of professionals with genuine talents is very few and the money is the recognition of the skills and dedication.Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in order important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair.Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.Nowadays, sport is greatly concerned so there are great amounts of money paid for successful sports professionals and it can be paid much more to sports professionals than people in other important professions. It is argued that successful sports professionals have their salaries like that, which is equitable but some people think it is unjust. This essay will take a closer look at the issue.There are some reasons for this argument. We can know that it is not easy to become sports professionals. They must overcome many difficulties and try to win the hardest that is themselves. Moreover, they are responsible for what they do during their practice. They cannot become successful overnight but exert themselves year in, year out. In addition, media brings pressure to bear on them and their privacy. Their achievements have great value for their counties which they represent in the world competitions. Therefore, we see this is justified for their huge earnings.In contrast, there are some people who feel that is unfair. There are also some factors for this. firstly, successful sports professionals earn much money for themselves but they do not invent things which help people have a more convenient life. Secondly, people meet many problems so they think the real need of solving those is very essential . The last reason is that a few people think sport performance are the entertainment for them so there is no need to pay them a lot in salaries. This is why people think that successful sports professionals should not earn more money than people in other vital of careers.To sum up, people can agree or disagree with this argument because everybody has his own opinion and this depends on whether you enjoy sports or not. As for me, I think if successful sports professionals try to build their achievements, they will deserve what they earn. Some people believe that visitors to other countries should follow local customs and behaviour. Others disagree and think that the host country should welcome culture differences. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.As life has improved day by day, people tend to travel more frequently now than in the past. It is argued that visitors to other countries should follow tradition and behaviour. However, there is an opposite idea saying that the host country should welcome culture differences. This essay will take a closer look at the issue.Nowadays, not only do people consider travelling as a chance to relax but they also think it is a way to self-improve. It will be a great opportunity to try new things such as traditional cuisine, music, custom, etc. In my country, I have seen many visitors being very excited and surprised when they tasted our food or when they wore Aodai. If you travel to other countries just to view landscapes, you will obviously waste a perfect chance learning new things.However, there are various aspects against this argument. Some people think that it is really hard for travellers to follow local customs and behaviour because they are totally different and they may not be able to suit the traditions. If visitors are welcome despite all the differences, they will feel comfortable and may travel to that country again. Besides, it is also very convenient for the native to experience new culture in their home countries. Consequently, the host country should greet culture differences. Almost all people in my country find it very exciting when they have a foreign guest. They can also accept the differences easily.Personally, it is always good to have more experiences, even for the visitors or the local people. Moreover, it is not very frustrated to try new things or to accept new things. What important is the knowledge you get and the feelings you have been through. In conclusion, visitors to other countries should try to follow local customs and behaviour. The host country should welcome culture differences as well.Some people believe that visitors to other countries should follow local customs and behavior. Others disagree and think that the host country should welcome cultural differences.Every country has its own customs and behavior which express its cultures. It is argued that when visitors travel abroad, they had better follow local customs and behavior. However, there are also some criteria dissenting this argument. This means that they think the host country should welcome cultural differences. This essay will take a closer look at the issue.Some people concur with this argument because customs and behavior express cultures in one country, so they need to be reserved. If the visitors going to other countries do not follow local customs and behavior, they will not only make people living in these countries incense but also affect the cultural picture of these countries. For example, it is very hostile for you to ask about an Americans age. Even they may be fined because they do not obey the law there. As in Singapore, when visitors throw rubbish on the road what they must pay is that they have to lose a lot of money as a forfeit. Therefore when you travel abroad, you should follow local customs and behavior.On the other hand, as you know, there are over 220 countries in the world, and every country has its own customs. It is very difficult for us to know as well as to remember all the customs. Moreover, we have our own habits which can not be changed easily. For example, we are Asian, and in the main dishes we often have rice. However, the European often eats bread as the main menu. If we eat bread every day, we will be famished. From these reasons, there are some people thinking that the host country should accept different cultures from their visitors. This will create some advantages. First, when the host countries accept cultural differences, they express their cordialities and friendliness with visitors. Second, they will expand their knowledge about geography and cultures. Lastly, the host also can advertise their countrys tourism to other countries.In my opinion, it is very difficult for me to follow local customs and behavior. However, I will exert myself to be appropriate for the cultures in other countries. What I want to encourage people is that we had better search information about the country which we will go to know a little bit about it.Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in other important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.People who are successful in sports profession are able to earn a great deal more money than professionals in other important fields are. It is said that this is not fair while others think it is completely justified. This essay will take a closer look at the issue.The people withthe opinion that the ability to earn a great deal more money of successful sports professionals is unfairdo havea point. Comparing the contribution as well as the responsibility of a celebrated sports professional with adistinguishedsurgeon or scientist will show that sports stars do not have actually great contribution to society while they get the salaries that are far more super than what surgeons or scientists can.Sports stars are not paid for what they do. They receive rewards for the level of public popularity that they can generate from thedevoteesof sports.On the other side of the picture, people who think that the sports stars salaries are fully justified also have their own arguments. Firstly, there aredefinitelyfew persons having enough abilities to play sports in apolishedway. Money is just the reward for the real talent. Secondly, to become a successful sports professional, a sportsman must have greatdedicationto his sport. If he did not practice hardyear in year out, he could not have any chances to be a sport star though he has real talent.In conclusion, both of two views have their own logical opinions. However, I think that sports stars play a career relating to the moral needs of the spectators.If a sportsman can make his devotees feel happy, they are ready to pay more money than his worth.Some people believe that visitors to other countries should follow local customs and behavior. Others disagree and think that the host country should welcome cultural differences.

Some people prefer to spend their lives doing the same things and avoiding change. Others, however, think that change is always a good thing.Discuss both these views give your own opinion.Some people think that change is not good and they like the life without any changes. In contrast, others prefer to spend their lives with changes; they think that change is always a good thing. This essay will take a closer look at the issue.The people who prefer to spend their lives doing familiar things anddodgingchangesdo havetheir own standpoint.The great traditional values can be eroded by changesand these changes evenyieldsome bad corollaries to society. For example, the change in the opinion about sex and love in teenagers is making the rate ofabortionincrease. Moreover, change makes people who have not yet adapted be eliminated while they do not richlydeservethe elimination.Onthe other side of the picture, it is notroof and branchnonsensicalif a person thinks that change is always a good thing.We know that development would not happen if there were not change as a starting point.We could not have our modern life today if there were not dramatic changes in technology. Change gives people a chance to think differently and find solutions to unsolvable problems. Moreover, change allows people to live an inspired life.What is more tedious than the life with the same things year in year out?In conclusion, I think that change, like everything, has both good side and bad side but actually it is necessary for our lives.Sooner or laterthe people who prefer a life with only the same things willconcedethat life cannot operate without change and they must try to learn how to adapt.Fatherhood ought to be emphasised as much as fatherhood. The ida that women are solely responsible for deciding whether or not to have babies leads on to the idea that they are also responsible for bringing the children up.To what extent do you agree or disagree?It is argued that fatherhood should be considered as precious as motherhood. Some people believe that women have sole responsibility to give the decisions of having babies and also to bring the babies up. This essay will examine the issue in detail.Personally, I do not totally concur with the confirmation that only women are responsible for deciding the existence of babies. I will analyse this issue in two major aspects which are physical and spiritual ones. Firstly, according to my knowledge of biology, the existence of babies is the results of the corporations of both men and women. Secondly, lets turn to the spiritual one. Having babies is the happiness of both husbands and wives. The babies are the evidence of their truly permanent love. Therefore, after considerating both aspects, notwithstanding the fact that it is women that give birth to children, I suppose that both men and women have responsibility for judging whether to have babies or not. Besides, children need the caring and education of their parents. We cannot deny the indispensible responsibility of men in educating children. If children are taken care of by both their parents, they will improve in better ways than by sole fathers or mothers.Lets talk about fatherhood. In my opinion, fatherhood is a complicated emotion. Fathers do not usually show off their feelings in front of their children. Children are usually the apples of parents eyes. Nonetheless, fathers and mothers have their different outstanding ways to express their feelings. What I want to say is that father and mothers are the most vital people in our lives and their love is worth being respected. They simultaneously give us the birth and bring us up. Therefore, fatherhood is essential to be emphasized as much as motherhood.In conclusion, what I want to emphasize is that it must be better if both men and women are responsible for bearing children and bring them up. We should not pull this precious responsibility to only men or women.

Some people believe that visitors to other countries should follow local customs and behavior. Others disagree and think that the host country should welcome cultural differences. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. (262 words)Nowadays, there are more and more foreign tourists travelling to other countries. It may be true that differences about customs as well as behavior are unavoidable. The dispute here is whether foreign tourists have to adapt to local customs and behavior or the host country should accept cultural differences. This essay will take a closer look at the issue. To some people, especially the host, customs are everything they are proud of in their countries. Because of that, they always want to preserve those customs and make them outlast from generation to generation. In addition, following the local customs and behavior is one of the best ways to show respect of foreign tourists to culture of the host country. For example, in Japan, a guest will be considered an impolite person if he does not get off his shoes before getting in the hosts house. On the other hand, other people think that in modern life, to develop, all countries should be open-minded and willing to welcome new cultural differences. In other words, accepting cultural differences shows the spirit of goodwill in international relations. As a result, this will attract a lot of foreign investment as well as a large number of tourists. In conclusion, I think everyone, especially foreign tourists, should get on well with customs and behavior of that country to avoid offending the hosts as well as to show the respect to them because it is said that, When in Rome do as the Romans do. It is the good way to make a good impression on the hosts.Some people prefer to spend their lives doing the same things and avoiding change. Others, however, think that change is always a good thing. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. (268 words) Nowadays, thanks to high technology and scientific breakthroughs, our life, as well as everything, around us always changes. It is essential for us to decide whether we should change to keep pace with the modern life or keep doing things that we have experienced before. This essay will take a closer look at the issue. To those people who are often active and like new things, change is very essential and worth discovering. They found living and working in the same environment boring. It even makes them become old-fashioned to the modern life they are living. Because of that, changing is indispensable for them to challenge themselves and bring new things to their lives. That thinking is partly right in some cases. For example, you will not know which job is suitable for you if you do not try changing jobs. However, to those people who want to be safe, change term does not mostly exist in their minds. Some people think they are cowardly because they do not dare to face failure. In fact, doing things that they have experienced before will help them save time and bring to them better outcomes. Furthermore, changes that are not at the right time can lead to serious consequences. For instance, when you are taking a university examination, you can not try a new way that you have just found to solve a geometry problem. In conclusion, what I want to say is that changing or not changing depends mainly on each persons attitude. However, it is better if we consider both ways to finally have judicious choices.Universities should accept equal numbers of male and female students in every subject.Nowadays in universities, students have a tendency to choose the subjects that are not appropriate for their genders at all. They do that because they are really interested in the subjects. However, it is argued that universities had better approve of an idea that the numbers of male and female have to be equal in every subject. This essay will take a closer look at the issue.On one side of the argument, I completely dissent from the opinion of having the equal numbers of male and female in every subject. Firstly, most universities these days are running under the structure of credits. Thus, students have the right to choose and register which classes as well as subjects they want to attend. The act of choosing and registering are always done via the internet. For this reason, the universities find it difficult to arrange all its students so that every subject can have the equal number of male and female. It takes the universities a lot of time and money to get it done. Secondly, some subjects are just suitable for a particular gender group. For instance, obstetrics is more appropriate for female students. In addition, more female students show interest in that subject than males. In that case, if universities attempt to make the number of male and female equal, they have to accept some male students who do not have passion towards the subject. That will impact upon the students academic record as well as the performance of the university.On another side of the argument, if universities agree with the idea of having the equal numbers of male and female students; it will be an advantage when they start learning together as well as working after graduating. If a class has the numbers of male and female equal, the outcome will be better than the class that does not have. As the ideas of male are really different from the ones of female; new and innovative ideas are always needed to make the lesson more vivid and the professors more interested in his or her lecture.In conclusion, universities should rely on the students expectation taking them into a particular subject rather than taking students based on gender.

People nowadays work hard to buy more things. This has made our lives generally more comfortable but many traditional values and customs have been lost and this is a pity.To what extent do you agree or disagree?

In our contemporary life, people are trying to earn as much money as they can to buy more things. It is argued thatthese things have created a chance for people to have a comfortable life. However, it is unfortunate that many traditional values and customs have also been lost on the way.This essay will take a closer look at the issue. (63 words)There are some traditional valueswhichare in danger of being lost. One of them is the bond of the family. People in a family nowadays do not spend time having lunch or dinner together. Most of the timeis spenton working and studying in order toacquiresome social status. A delicious meal with the whole family is being replaced by fast food, andhardlydoes every body in a family have enough time to listen to each other. (81 words)Some customsare also being lostbecause the majority of the young generation have been focusing onlastest things. Music is a good example of this. while the elder like listening to Cai Luong, the younger want to listen to pop, rock music. Some of theadolescentseven do not have any knowledge of Cai Luong.What this will lead to is that Cai Luong will naturally not exist in the future. (71 words)In conclusion,ifthe subject like the value of protecting the cultural identities is taught at both school and family, it will affect the young generation and we still can have a comfortable life without losing any thing. (38 words)A large number of deaths are caused by road accidents. Why do so many road accidents occur? Make recommendations that would help to reduce the number of road accidents.Seriously, the mass of deaths are causing by transportation accidents. Is the number, size of the road or attitude of people. This examine will take a closer look about this problem.Nowadays, the speedy of life make society must be faster. This is the causing of road accidents. First of all, the undeveloped streets in developing countries is the most source of this argument. Politicians do not have enough money to expand and create more road to community. This lead to the controller of vehicle must drive in small street, it make accidents come easier.Secondly, the attitude if controller is very fundamental.Many people always use their vehicle in terrible status.The most of man who drink too much beer in restaurants still come back home by drive his care by their care by themselve. My father is the same as the man in previous example.Now he can not walk by his foot because of his awful mistake.Untill now, the government is trying their best in reduce this issue. They create many expanded roads with modern facilities. For example: the sign of using transportation is put on any streets, that is a great try of them. Moreover, the increase of public transportations is necessary. The more people do not use their private vehicle, the lower accident come. The rule of banning motorcycle is possible because this unsafety. Finally, make a cost for people who is out of law is essential too.In conclusion, the death of transportation accidents will decrease of society together try their best. Be safe for yourself and for the worldIn some countries young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school and starting university studies.Actually, we often have the trend that retains to learn university. Subsequently we can apply for a vocation. However, it is argued that young adults should work or travel for a year which intervenes between completing high school and attend in the university. There are some advantages as well as disadvantages for this argument. This essay will take a closer look at the issue.There are advantages galore for young people working or traveling immediately graduating from high school. Firstly, though they take time for working or traveling, they can collect many experiences that are essential for your future studying and vocation. Beside that young adults can also expand their relationships. Secondly, if they have a job, they can earn money which will help them pay the tuitions at the university as well as they can be self-supporting. Thirdly, if young people travel around, a year can be seen as a period of relaxing after many years in compulsory mass education.On the other hand, there are also some disadvantages. First of all, young people have just graduated from high school. Therefore, they can not only receive a low salary but also be blocked in that job. Second, one year is a long time. Therefore, they work or travel simultaneously their study will be procrastinated. As a result, they will forget their knowledge and fail in the university entrance exam. Last but not least, nowadays, society always requires credentialed professionals. Therefore, what young people have to do to achieve credentials is that they must finish university courses.In conclusion, every problem has a negative as well as positive aspect and what I want to say is that young people should base on their favourites as well as abilities to choose the right way.In some countries young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school and starting university studies.Discuss the advantages and disavantages for young people who decide to do this.In many nations, young adults are stimulated to work or travel for a year between graduating from high schools and preparing for university studies. This essay will examine the issue in details.In my opinion, working and travelling have their own advantages galore. Firstly, there is a big gap between the knowledge studied at school and how to use them in genuine life. Therefore, if the students work immediately after graduating from high schools, they can practice effectively what they have learned. Secondly, working gives them the chances to cope with difficulties and after that, they achieve many experiences, which they cannot gain if they just sit in classroom. Thirdly, if people have more money, they can do retention and choose travelling for a year before attending universities. Travelling helps students relax after a period of learning in pressure-cooker schools and pre-college cram schools. It gives students the chances to discover the world and upgrade their knowledge.On the other hand, notwithstanding having many outstanding good points, this fact also has its drawbacks that should be taken notice of. Firstly, as the society is moderner and moderner, the knowledge we learn at high schools cannot help us get good vocations with high salaries. Therefore, it is necessary for you to continue studying at colleges or universities. Secondly, I concur with the confirmation that travelling helps us relax. However, my contention is that in many circumstances, overwhelming relaxation can have its bad reaction. The reason is that if you are deeply relaxed, you will loose the hope of coming back to schools, which is very awful. In addition, you can waste lots of money travelling instead of spending much less money studying at universities.In conclusion, what I want to say is that each fact has its own good and bad points. Therefore, before choosing working, travelling or continuously studying, young adults should base on their specific conditions to make the judicious decisions. Prevention is better than cureOut of a countrys health budget, a large proportion should be diverted from treatment to spending on health education and preventive measures.To what extent do you agree or disgree with this statement?It is argued that prevention is better than cure. Therefore, a countrys health budget should spend a larger percentage on health education and preventive methods than on cures. This essay will examine the issue in details.In my opinion, the confirmation that Prevention is better than cure has its own reasonable points. Firstly, there are many diseases that are totally beyond our control. We are unable to avoid them by operating preventive therapies. It is the reason why the governments should spend a lot of money on educating their civilians about health protection and prophylactic. Dont let the grass grow under our feet, which is also the reason why the governments should be astute enough to make adequate preparation for their citizens for treating illnesses. Secondly, we know that there are many illnesses that are treated by extremely giant money, which leads to a result that a larger number of money to cure them is spent more than to prevent them. This is very wasteful. Take the H5N1 fever, which used to spread rapidly in Vietnam, for example. At that time, our governments diverted a big proportion of health budget for preventing this epidemic such as demolishing ill domestic birds and propaganda about the bad effects of this disease. These efforts result in a successful consequence in mitigating the spread of this fever.On the other hand, it will be a problem if the governments just focus on health education and preventive measures and forget to concentrate on treatment. My contention is that there are many diseases that cannot be forecasted so that we can avoid it. Therefore, therapeutic medicines andphysical therapies to treat diseases is necessary to be invested with a suitable scale. In addition, preventive measures do not always succeed., which means that the illnesses still happen notwithstanding our efforts to restrain them. As a result of it, it is indispensable for the governments to take reasonable notice of cures.In conclusion, what I want to emphasize is that a big percentage should be diverted to health teaching and preventive methods. Besides, treatment is essential to be paid adequate attention to.Some people think that museums should be enjoyable places to entertain people, while others believe that the purpose of museums is to educate.Discuss both views and give you own opinion.People have different views about the role and function of museums. In my opinion, museums can and should be both entertaining and educational.On the one hand, it can be argued that the main role of a museum is to entertain. Museums are tourist attractions, and their aim is to exhibit a collection of interesting objects that many people will want to see. The average visitor may become bored if he or she has to read or listen to too much educational content, so museums often put more of an emphasis on enjoyment rather than learning. This type of museum is designed to be visually spectacular, and may have interactive activities or even games as part of its exhibitions.On the other hand, some people argue that museums should focus on education. The aim of any exhibition should be to teach visitors something that they did not previously know. Usually this means that the history behind the museums exhibits needs to be explained, and this can be done in various ways. Some museums employ professional guides to talk to their visitors, while other museums offer headsets so that visitors can listen to detailed commentary about the exhibition. In this way, museums can play an important role in teaching people about history, culture, science and many other aspects of life.In conclusion, it seems to me that a good museum should be able to offer an interesting, enjoyable and educational experience so that people can have fun and learn something at the same time.(253 words, band 9)Several languages are in danger of extinction because they are spoken by very small numbers of people. Some people say that governments should spend public money on saving these languages, while others believe that would be a waste of money.Discuss both these views and give your opinion.It is true that some minority languages may disappear in the near future. Although it can be argued that governments could save money by allowing this to happen, I believe that these languages should be protected and preserved.There are several reasons why saving minority languages could be seen as a waste of money. Firstly, if a language is only spoken by a small number of people, expensive education programmes will be needed to make sure that more people learn it, and the state will have to pay for facilities, teachers and marketing. This money might be better spent on other public services. Secondly, it would be much cheaper and more efficient for countries to have just one language. Governments could cut all kinds of costs related to communicating with each minority group.Despite the above arguments, I believe that governments should try to preserve languages that are less widely spoken. A language is much more than simply a means of communication; it has a vital connection with the cultural identity of the people who speak it. If a language disappears, a whole way of life will disappear with it, and we will lose the rich cultural diversity that makes societies more interesting. By spending money to protect minority languages, governments can also preserve traditions, customs and behaviours that are part of a countrys history.In conclusion, it may save money in the short term if we allow minority languages to disappear, but in the long term this would have an extremely negative impact on our cultural heritage.(258 words)Some people believe that studying at university or college is the best route to a successful career, while others believe that it is better to get a job straight after school.Discuss both views and give your opinion.When they finish school, teenagers face the dilemma of whether to get a job or continue their education. While there are some benefits to getting a job straight after school, I would argue that it is better to go to college or university.The option to start work straight after school is attractive for several reasons. Many young people want to start earning money as soon as possible. In this way, they can become independent, and they will be able to afford their own house or start a family. In terms of their career, young people who decide to find work, rather than continue their studies, may progress more quickly. They will have the chance to gain real experience and learn practical skills related to their chosen profession. This may lead to promotions and a successful career.On the other hand, I believe that it is more beneficial for students to continue their studies. Firstly, academic qualifications are required in many professions. For example, it is impossible to become a doctor, teacher or lawyer without having the relevant degree. As a result, university graduates have access to more and better job opportunities, and they tend to earn higher salaries than those with fewer qualifications. Secondly, the job market is becoming increasingly competitive, and sometimes there are hundreds of applicants for one position in a company. Young people who do not have qualifications from a university or college will not be able to compete.For the reasons mentioned above, it seems to me that students are more likely to be successful in their careers if they continue their studies beyond school level.(271 words, band 9)TYPE 2: OPINIONTopic 105: People tend to believe that all young adults should undertake a period of unpaid work for the good of the community. Do you agree or disagree?

Over the past decade, working on a volunteer basis for the good of the community has become a prevalent and publicly recognized phenomenon. Although this may bring several downsides for young, the returns are highly justifiable.Most young people are already under enough pressure with their studies, without being given the added responsibility of working in their spare time. In fact, school is just as demanding as a full-time job, and it seems that they need to take rest in their idle time when preparing to start a new season. It is very likely to see that they wont welcome involving in free-paid jobs. In addition, teenagers in fact require to enjoy times when are being young. If they were obliged to take part in unpaid jobs, they would feel losing their youth time. Such, this would cause some psychological problems in their future life.

At the same time, this view is against of values of a free society. From economic viewpoint, money is to the human life what air or water is to the plant. In such a society people regardless of age are free to take part in certain jobs especially when there is no money to pay.. Even if those people are obliged to carry out those tasks, because of lack of interesting they will not complete their duties properly. This may bring teenagers into conflict with people working with them.In conclusion, I believe that due to the fact that human beings have a deep hatred of compulsory tasks this idea is not practical to establish in a community. Teenagers may choose to work for free and help others, but in my opinion we should not make this compulsory.

Topic 33: People tend to work longer hours nowadays. Working long hours has a negative effect on themselves, their families and society, so working long hours should be restricted. Do you agree or disagree?Over the past decade, lifestyle of workers has become a prevalent and publicly recognized phenomenon. At the heart of matter isthe discussion of whether the government should limit the working hours or not. Although this may bring several downsides for workers and society, the returns are highly justifiable from my point of view.

Working in long hours has adverse impact on employees life. In fact, they have tendency to live under high pressure and stress frequently and overlook the recreational activities. Such, it increases the chance that they suffer many physical and psychological diseases such as splitting headache, Alzheimers disease or even feeling of isolation. Besides, because of spending most of their time on working, they let many happy moments pass through large part of their life. If someday they want to enjoy these emotional experiences, they may get old and retire from their job.

From economic viewpoint, long hour working staff not only puts themselves at a disadvantage but also hampers the development of their companies and society sometimes. Many studies have pointed out that the most productive period of a person in a day is limited and it only lasts in certain hours. Employees, therefore, cannot pay their attention to what they are doing if they experience nonstop long working hours. In many cases, their mistakes when they cannot focus on anything lead to the shutdown of production line and cause tremendous damages to their company in particular and to society in general. It gives an explanation why a lot of firms do not foster their staff to work overtime and they usually organize beneficial outdoor activities for their staff like vacation or sports events.

In conclusion, although working long hours comes at a cost, the flaws outweigh the benefits, based on the above-mentioned facts. The government should accordingly have further consideration on it.

TYPE 2: SOLUTIONS

Issue 5: English as a global languageThe advantages of spread of English as a global language will continue tooutweight itsdisadvantages. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The availability of technology advancements facilitates people to become more and more mobile, both physically and electronically. So it's essential to use English as a global language to promote mutual intelligibility of people speaking different languages.

The use of English is particularly appreciated by the international academic and bussiness communities. For scientists, they write up papers in English if their audience is international. And if necessary, they could put their ideas in English and exchange thoughts directly with the author of the paper via E-mail when they are refering to the previous research findings. As for bussinessmen, suppose such a situation: A French company director arranges to meet German and Korean contacts in a Russian hotel to plan a multi-national deal would not be impossible, if each plugged in to a 3-way translation support system, but it could be more complicated than the alternative, which is for each to use a common language --- English.

However, some may argue that the widespread use of English will hasten the disappearance of minority languages. But a general perspective a person needs to know is that the domination and loss have been known throughout the linguistic history, and exist independently of the emergence of a global language. Instead, it's political or economic influences that enable some languages to die out in the course of development. While the emergence of English as a global language had the reverse effect --- stimulating a stronger response in support of one's own language, as it's one's identity.

Actually, it's perfectly possible to develop a situation where intelligibility and identity happily co-exist, and that's bilingualism. One is a global language like English, providing access to the world community; the other is well-resourced local language, providing access to a local community. With respective functions, a global language can grow without at the expense of loss of linguistic diversity.

SkyPosted bySkyat22:02No comments:TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2008Issue 4: Public resources (Re-written)4. It is wrong that our government pays more money to the artistic projects, for instance, there are more and more paintings and sculptures appearing at the public places, because there are more important things to do. What's your opinion?

Artistic creations enrich people's lives and enlighten their imaginations. So to better facilitate their lives, the government should invest public resources on artistic projects.Strong opening. Very specific, succinct and to the point.

On the one hand, the artists, through works of art, provides[artists provide, not artists provides]an invaluable and unique mirror of the culture --- a mirror fortheaudience to gaze into for insight and appreciation. Take this Olympic Opening Ceremony for example, Beijing presentedtothe world a spectacular ceremony[don't want to use "ceremony" twice so close together, so how about "a highly valuable work of art" because your argument is that it's important for the government to invest money, so let's call it valuable, even though it truly was spectacular], which includedabeautiful picture scroll depicting the 5000-year Chinese civilization at that magical and memorable moment. From Four Great Inventions, that is, papermaking, typography, compass and gunpowder to the Great Wall and 3,000 disciples of Confucius, but most of all, the values entrenched in the culture --- the harmony and peace.This last sentence is not a complete sentence, so it's not clear what your point is. I think you mean to say something like -- well, you could just put a comma after moment instead of a period, and that would fix it, but then the sentence gets really long. I think if I put a comma after "moment," then I would put parentheses before "that is" and after "gunpowder" instead of commas. Another way would be to make it its own sentence by saying something like: This spectacular(use this word here instead of above)scroll showed the world how much China has contributed, from our Four Great Inventions -- that is, papermaking, typography, gunpowder, and the compass -- to the Great Wall and 3,000 disciples of Confuscious. But most of all, this work of art showed the impressive values which are entrenched in our ancient culture, specifically, harmony and peace.[the problem my students have, even when I taught high school, and that you also struggle with is that they try to cram too many thoughts into one single sentence, so the meaning gets cloudy. So that's some feedback you can use to edit your other posts. Try to think about the ONE main idea you want your sentence to convey, then once you've conveyed it, start another sentence.]

On the other hand, the artists attempt to caputure and convey the essenceof a problem or issue, like cartoonsdo, which exposesthe hidden problems in the society. Isn't this exactly where the government miss[did you mean "needs"?]to pay a price? Artists need fundingto survive though[no, not "though," I don't believe. I think you need to take out that word, and substitute"and" or "while." I think "while" is better, clearer, more specific], the government is responsible to confront and combat the situations[issues?]suggested by artists.Always at the end of a paragraph, you want to make sure you made your point. Not sure you did here, and I would add a summary sentence here at the end. Something like: For this reason, it is crucial that government use its available funds to promote artists, as well as making sure the art is readily available to awaken the population to the problems in society they may not be aware of.Something like this. Of course, you can take from it what you like and leave the rest.

However, some may argue that government should assign more funds to science and technology research, as that may help more to feed and clothe the population, as well as to keep them healthy. Yetwhenthe government investsin the[take out "the"]artistic projects, which["this in turn" not "which in turn." that's what makes it a complete sentence. With the "which" in there, it's just a fragment.]in turn createsjobs, such asforengineers, architects, tour guides, waitresses,etc.[Okay, I see how you can say the artwork creates jobs such as engineering and architecture, but not sure of the connection to tour guides and waitresses. Like what societal problems would the artwork reveal to show you need more tour guides and waitresses? Maybe the art would show that China is too closed to the world and if it were more open, people could see what a great society it is. So maybe more tourists come and then more tour guides and waitresses are needed. Is that what you were thinking? If so, you might need to spell it out better for the reader.]As for health, in some cases one could only overcome the sickness through their powerful will, which cannot be improvised within a day. Instead, it is the art that breeds its growth.[Sorry, Sky, but these last two sentences make no sense to me. What do you mean by "improvised within a day"? And what's the "its" that art breeds the growth of? This is what I can figure out:As for health, oftentimes one needs to overcome that through one's own powerful will. However, a cure like this cannot be instantly created within a single day, since a person grows only over time. On the other hand, art itself often breeds the growth of one's will with the inspiration it provides. Therefore, by investing in art, the government is indirectly helping people to have better health.]Also, btw, this paragraph is an excellent example of deflecting the other side's arguments. You are such a good student; you learn so quickly and easily.

In conclusion, the[no "the" required; you can take it out]art is not only for appreciation,butalsofor promoting development, both for the[no "the" required; you can take it out. you can leave it in IF you change "individuals" to the singular, saying "the individual"]individuals and the[no "the" required; you can take it out, but here it's also okay to leave it in, one of those optional situations. But here's my opinion:either say "both for the individual and for society as a whole" or say "both for individuals and for the society as a whole"]societyas a whole. Therefore it's a necessity for the government to allocate sufficient funds to support the art[Say "the arts" or just "art" without a "the."].To emphasize your point at the end and make it strong, I wouldn't use a contraction. Also, I would emphasize it: "Therefore, it is not simply a nice idea for the government to allocate sufficient funds to support artistic projects, it is a necessity to promote a healthy, developing society."

My utmost to write like this, I'm pretty confusing writing about government investment. I have never imagined myself to be a policy-maker, so ....

Hilary, do you indicate that it's more easier to write on investing science and technology projects? Or it's a wiser policy? I have choosen to write on art, because it's not myexpertise, hope I could learn more about the art through writing this post.Posted bySkyat22:517 comments:SUNDAY, AUGUST 10, 2008Issue 4: Public resources4. It is wrong that our government pays more money to the artistic projects, for instance, there are more and more paintings and sculptures appearing at the public places, because there are more important things to do. What's your opinion?

Artistic projects are presentations of one culture and served as spiritual support of life, while something more important I guess may refer to material things. In this case, there's no need to decide whether government should assign more public resources to one than the other since they are two sides of the same coin.

Admittedly, cultural enrichment pales in importance compared to food, clothing and shelter; after all, what a starving person would prefer a good painting to even a bad meal? It's appropriate for government to give higer priority to satisfy the basic needs of human beings. Even so, there's a saying that better teaching a person how to fish than giving him fish. The government funds artistic projects, which in turn promote the tourism industry, providing jobs such as waitress, drivers, cleaners, tour guides.

In many ways, artists provide spiritual support to the hungry, the helpless and the hapless, enabling them to confront the challenges of life. Imagine, how did a person trapped in the earthquake on May 12th with no water, no food magically survive after more than 200 hours? This is not a business that can be swiftly improvised by a mere command of the will. How do those survival people face the reailty of losing their family and their hometown? The programs about the earthquake have long been moved by all Chinese and encouraged those unlucky to be strong and to rebuild their homeland as they are living in such a unity country.

In addition to this, artistic projects can effectively reveal the inner world of human beings, depicting the feelings and attitudes of individuals in a society. Most of all, it can vividly embody the spirits and character of a country. Take Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony for example, it's a perfect picture scroll of 5000-year Chinese civilization, such a magical and memorable moment. This spectacular opening not only moved the Chinese but the world, leave the audience rates alone, it enables the world to know more about China and greatly encouraged the Chinese. It really is the pride of the Chinese.

In conclusion, concerning that artistic projects have value not only for artistic sake but for the state of spiritual life, I think neither the spiritual nor the material could be ignored. They are actually complementary to each other and thus the government should pay equal attention.

SkyPosted bySkyat17:098 comments:Issue 3: GlobalizationToday people in different countries can see the same movies, watch the same TVprograms andfollow the same fashions. To what extent do you think this is apositive development?

There's a growing international trend in the leisure time pursuits, which is not restricted to young people who are keen international-brand buffs, but is also evident among the elder who are enjoying foreign TV series more ever than before.

The reason for this trend is the growth of global network, which disminishes the borders of time and space: it's an age of globalization. With the development of the Internet, people broaden their cultural exposure and real-world experience. Knowing another culture promotes the understanding of cultural differences, or the appreciation of another culture, or the cooperation, which hopefully would reach a hamony --- the peace of the world. In addition to this, one may be trapped in a fixed mode of thinking unless something refreshing insinuates one's mind. In this case, new ideas are efficiently and effectively activated or inspired by the illumination of another culture. Moreover, comparing different ways of life, one can be more clear of what he/she really wants and thus makes a better choice.

However, one common accusation of globalization is the loss of culture. It seems as if globalisation had damaged the cultural diversity of the world. Instead, it can even be a vehicle for reinvigorating local cultures. Staying within one culture makes one take for granted everything that the culture defines and some teens might even not want to be induced into the old traditions. At this moment if another culture is introduced, it would contribute to better understanding of one's own culture. And the realization that one's own culture is one's unique identity would no doubt enhance one's faith in his/her culture.

My view is that globalization is one symbol of the development, also a best way to realize the dream of a global village with a peaceful scenery. To each single person, the awareness of both the opportunities and challenges that globalization would bring with is essential.Not sure what you're trying to say at the end here, and I'm going to try to write it more clearly -- but I may not be capturing the idea you're trying to convey. But for one thing, in English, we wouldn't say "A best," because best means only 1, THE best. Do you mean: Globalization, one symbol of development, is also one of the best ways to realize the dream of a global village in a peaceful environment"? Because also, it doesn't make sense to say a peaceful scenery in this context. Or did you mean: My view is that globalization is one symbol of development, as well as the best way to realize the dream of a global village within a peaceful environment"? Or you could say: "...within a peaceful atmosphere."

SkyPosted bySkyat17:044 comments:Issue 2: SkepticismWe can get information from news but some people think we should not trust what thejournalists tell us. To what extent do you agree?

"Better no book than entire acceptance of its ideas,"Not sure if this is important, but remember that commas ALWAYS ALWAYS go INSIDE the quotation marks.a philosopher Mencius has once said. Put it in another way, reading books without thought is fruitless. This can be same applied to reading news without thinking is useless.More clear to say: "This same idea can be applied to the news, that is, reading news without thinking is useless." I don't really like the way this sounds either; I'm sort of stuck here trying to come up with a better way to state it. But this way is more clear.

Journalists collect and edit news in our lives, but as soon as people involvedDo you mean "as soon as people ARE involved"?, the report is evitablyThe word is INevitable, meaning it's destined to happen; it has to happen; it can be no other way.of living experience within comtemporary communities, be it values or beliefs. ItWhenever you use a pronoun, like "it," you need to be sure you make it clear what the pronoun refers to. I'm not sure here what "it" is referring to. What is it that more or less influences the credibility...?more or less influences the credibility and reliability of the writing, for example, description in details that journalists may employ in accounting some events would no doubt embody the truth while may also hide their inclinations. Could it be possible for journalists to choose some particular detais so as to enable their readers to draw some conclusions after reading? Considering this, a sophisticated journalist tends to report news from different angles, runing the gamut from praise to contempt.

See, Sky, I don't really understand what you're specifically saying in the above paragraph. I get the general idea, but I'm going to rewrite it saying what I THINK you are meaning to say. Remember, there are a million different ways to express any given idea or argument, so the words I use are just suggestions. The idea is to show you (in general, even though I'm referring to specifics) how to use English more accurately to convey the ideas you are attempting to convey.

Journalists collect and edit news in our lives, but the drawback to this method is that people are involved in coming up with the final product. As a result, the report inevitably reflects more the ideas of the writer than being simply a truly objective reporting of events. Therefore, a writer's own beliefs and ideas influence the credibility and reliability of their writing.Now I have trouble really knowing what the heck you're trying to say here (chuckle, chuckle), so I'm taking a guess:Moreover, the author may even choose what details to include in an article, based on the his or her personal beliefs, so that some may embody the truth, while others may simply serve to hide the author's inclinations. In other words, it is possible for journalists to choose some details to enable their readers to draw specific conclusions chosen ahead of time by the writer.[It's exactly what I mean, journalists may choose some particular details, making it more reliable on the one side, while on the other side, these details can serve to their special needs, hidden purposes]Okay, in this last sentence, I also am not sure of the point you are making, why you are including this sentence. So I'll try to see if I can make sense of it in the way you were intending:Considering these issues, a truly objective journalist will report news from different angles, to be sure the story is not biased.[I just want to add a sentence here to show how a journalist could increase his/her credibility,feasible?Yeah, it sounds good to convey that; I'm just not sure how to get the idea across, and perhaps it's not even needed.]Sky, I can't see a way to include the "running the gamut" phrase. It just isn't needed, I think. I mean, I can see how it would emphasize the "different angles" phrase, but it's just not clear to say running the gamut from praise to contempt. I think you mean that the writer needs to look at all angles, running the gamut all the way from positive to negative sides of the issue. But I think it's sufficient to say "from different angles." Maybe you can say "all different angles" or "many different angles." But really I think just "different angles" says it all. Hope this helps.[I see,:)]To readers, the need to develop an(the)[Actually, I am always confusing about when to choose "a" and when to use "the", such silly question.It is definitely NOT a silly question. it's just difficult for me to give you a rule because as a native English speaker, it comes so naturally to me. I'm sorry. I could tell you this: "A" is an indefinite article, meaning not a particular one, like "a book" is not a particular book, just a book in general. "The" is a definite article, which means you use it when you are referring to a specific one, like "the book" or "the boy." You are talking about a specific book and a specific boy, like the boy with the red hair or the book with the fire engine on the front or the book on the table over there. "A boy," on the other hand, is any boy in general, like "a boy who likes to mow lawns." Okay, also "the" refers to one specific one, and "a" refers to more than one. So "the boy with red hair," refers to that one specific boy over there: "I like the boy with red hair." But you could say, on the other hand, "I sure would like a boy with red hair" or "Over there is a boy with red hair." Both of these imply there is more than one boy with red hair. Hope this helps.]ability of critical thinking(to think critically)is essential.Okay, I think it's better to write this first sentence like this:It is essential for readers to develop the ability to think crictically.Regardless of either the limitations of the journalism(journalist)or the nature of the learning(nature of the article, I think is better, or you could say the nature of the writing), one ought to be prepared of(prepared TO, not prepared of)challengetheideas he/she comes across while reading. That is to say,one canbelieve the news after the process of your thinking(after processing it through one's thinking). However,(a reader must always be careful to avoid going to the other extreme, doubting all he or she reads.)this can never go to the other extreme: doubt about all the reading. Moreover, when it comes to how to develop this skill(again, when you say a descriptor like "this," you need to be clear about what you are referring to, so I would say something like:Moreover, addressing the problem of how to develop the skill of discernment in reading, the only way is through extensive reading, whether it be newspapers, websites, broadcasts, or books.),it seems no other ways but extensive reading, no matter of newspapers or websites or broadcasts or books.A little minor detail is, you can't READ a broadcast. So not sure if you need another phrase instead of "extensive reading." Maybe something like, the only way to develop this skill is by practice, practice, practice, whether it be through analyzing newspapers, websites, broadcasts, or books.[I wonder if I can use practice three times? sounds like spoken english, it seems to me.Well, you can use it three times when you're using it for emphasis. You can of course use it only once and that's fine. But when you use it 3 times, you are saying one needs LOTS of practice. But maybe you're right about the fact that using it 3 times makes the writing less formal, and you probably wouldn't use that in a formal, academic paper. But in an informal essay, one that's more light-hearted, you would use this with no worries.]

In conclusion, from my point of viewI've been taught not to put things in an essay such as "from my point of view" or "in my opinion," etc., because if you're writing the paper, we know that whatever is in it is your opinion,[again thank you for telling me this]even though sometimes journalists do tell lies, it actually provides one with another opportunity to develop one's sense of judgement(an error many Americans make is misspelling the word judgment. The "e" is taken out of judge when you add the -ment.)only if he/she has a tendency to perceive the essence through the apperance.(I would make this last phrase a separate sentence, something like:However, this can only be true if one is able to discern (or your could say "distinguish") the facts from the opinions.I do like the phrase essence through the appearance, but I'm not sure it fits here. Yeah, maybe it does. ...if one can perceive the essence within the appearance. That will work, but to me, it's not as clear. Your call.[Yours is better, I like that.]

Okay, I'm tired, I'm posting, and I'm going to bed! Goodnight, Sky. Sweet dreams. Can hardly wait to read your revised posts tomorrow when I get up (which will probably be about noon!)[Hope you have a good night, sweet dreams, sorry for keeping you stay up so late, thank you a million.:)]

SkyPosted bySkyat00:081 comment:THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2008Issue 1: Technology1. Today people can perform many everyday tasks such as shopping, banking and business transactions without meeting others face to face. What are the effects of this phenomenon on individuals and society as a whole?

There's a growing trend for people to conduct a business at home and it's modern technology that contributes to such convenience as well as efficiency. People who are unable to take advantage of technology is(are)believed to be at an(a)disadvantage and would probably finally be eliminated in this competitive society(You mean in China?).

The(delete "the")technology as a whole and the Internet in particular covers the distance(covers what distance in particular? You might mean the idiom "runs the gamut." but even when you use this idiom, you have to specify what the gamut, or distance, is. For example, you might say that technology...Internet in particular runs the gamut from building small businesses to large corporations, to helping employees work from home, and even provides customers from all over the world," or something like that. Not sure if that's what you meant or not. If you want to use "covers the distance," I think you need to say something like covers a broad distance or a wide range, providing customers from all parts of the globe, or something along these lines.)as nowadays people could do online shopping without walking out of their house, and at the push of a button your shopping isin completion within the break of coffee time(complete by the morning coffee break). Besides it saves both time and energy;take setting up a business,for example.More and more people are doing(building)their own bussiness(businesses)online in their spare time.which I have meant(What I refer to)here refers to something like a little online shop.After establishing your(a)bank account, you(one)could post your(here you could sayhis/heror you could saytheir-- even though it's technically wrong, we use it -- or you could sayone's, which is what people in England would probably use)products' advertisement(you have to say eitherproduct's advertisementorproducts' advertisements)via the Internet, and then (instead of "and then," you'd need to say something likethus contacting-- and not using "with"orthis way making contact withorthus making contact with)contact with those potential customers. All this would undoubtedly promote the economic growth and accelerate the pace of developping(one p)the society.

However, everything has its two sides,and technology is no exception. Though many tasks benefit greatly from technology, emotions are at stake. Without face-to-face meeting, would people tend to be not so close to their family or friends as they used to be(people may not be able to build the relationships businesses so rely on to promote growth).or how to iron out differences and create shared solutions for those bussinessmen?(I would say something like:Furthermore, how would companies iron out differences among personnel or create shared solutions with so little face-to-face contact?)In fact, it(not clear what "it" refers to here. do you mean "success"? If so, then say success and not "it."Maybe you could say something like:In fact, when it comes to the use of technology, success and growth of a company would depend more on the people who use it than the technology itself.)depends on people who utilise the technology, rather than technology itself(so true).Overall, I think there's no doubt that technology served(if you say "served" past tense here, then you have to make the whole paragraph past tense, and need to say facilitated rather than the future of to better facilitate. I think it might sound better to say,there is no doubt that technology can serve to better facilitate our lives, but it will have to be moderated with the traditional ways, or something along these lines.)to better facilitate our life, but it doesn't mean that we have to rule out the traditional ways. Doingbusinessonline or(and)meeting face to face could be complementary to each other, so that we would not have to take any of that(the)so-called risks.

SkyPosted bySkyat22:142 comments:TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2008Topic 17: A traditional wedding

1-minute Preparation Card

my best friend's wedding

Past tense

marriage ceremony, bride's maid, raise a glass, bridal gown

2-minute Talk

It was my best friend's wedding, three years ago. And actually I wasabride's maid, so I was quite thrilled.

Early in the moring, as I was told, I reached the bride's home around 8. The bride was doing her Hair Dressing, looking more beautiful than ever before. Another bride's maid and I were treated with(treated to)desserts, a conventional must to anyone who visited the bride's home that day.

Later, when the groom arrived, we(the bride's maids) blocked the groom outside and played "door game" with the groom.The rules of the game are as follows:1. use one sentence to express your love to the bride. For this, the groom declared outside:"I will love you all my life.", the groom answered outside; 2. sing a song to express your love.After clearing his throat, the groom began to sing "TheMouseLoves theRice," one of the famous love songs by a network singer."Louder, louder,"we shouted inside; 3. your red packets(Is it packets or pockets? My students kept calling them red pockets)[I have posted a picture for you, we call it in Chinese: hongbao, translated in English textbook as red packets]prepared?In response to this requirement,the groom sent his red envelopes (with cash inside) through the crack of the door. Until then did we(you need to say eitherNot until then did weorUntil then, we did not)open the door to welcome the groom.

And the groom holded (held. There is no such word in English as holded. One of those "lovely" irregular verbs)[it's a familiar word, but again mis-spelt]the bride up to go out of(to come out ofor justtoleave)her room.As it's saidthatwhen the groom takes away the bride(takes the bride away)from her home, you(since you're talking about the groom, you need to say"he")cannot take anything else with you(him),SO(take out "so."When you start a sentence with "as" or "because" or "since," you don't then add "so," because "so" is understood in those 3 words.)he had to hold the bride up so as not even to take any dust from the bride's home. (interesting, huh?)(yes, very interesting for me)

Then the groom took the bride to his home, treated all guests(usu. relatives) and us(but aren't you one of the guests? If so, you might say something like "treated all of us guests")with desserts. (Another time the dessert is a must, Hilary is fond of that, right?Unfortunately, yes. I can't remember being that obvious! How embarrassing! :-):) After that, we set off to the restaurant where the banquet was hold(with "was" you use past tense, "held," i.e. "was held").(Is there an actual wedding ceremony between taking the bride out of her home and taking her to his home? If so, include that in there. Or maybe the "game" is the ceremony. I'm asking because in our country, there is a person who officiates at the ceremony who, after asking a series of questions and making a series of statements, declares the bride and groom to be husband and wife. It's all very legal and formal. Maybe it's not that way in China. Just curious.)[Oops, I have just jumped it over, it seems universal. But in China, it is a bit different. Actually, the ceremony begins with the wedding reception. After the declaration of the marriage(usu. by an emcee), there is one chief witness at the wedding reception to make a speech, talking briefly about their introductions to all the guests present. And this chief wittness of their wedding usu. is someone who is high up in the couples' workplace, like principal for instance. After this, Three Bows follow.]

On(At,because it's at a function or place, not on something, like on the floor or on the bed or on the water or on the moon.)the wedding reception, the bride and groom need to do "Three Bows,",(commas always go inside the quotation marks, just fyi)the first to the(no "the," just Heaven)Heaven and Earth, second to their parents, third they bowed to each other(leave out "they bowed," because you already said it when you introduced these three actions when you said "need to do Three Bows," so you don't want to repeat "they bowed" again. So just say,"and third to each other."). Then the bride and groom exchanged their figure rings(Not sure what figure rings are. In the U.S., we would just say they exchanged their rings. Did you mean finger rings?[Oops,again misspelt!]Maybe you say figure rings or finger rings in China, but we don't say that in English. It's just assumed that a ring is something that goes on a finger, unless one specifies a toe ring or an earring). Then they worked together to pour champagne into two goblets and drank wedlock wine. All guests toasted and started the banquet(Sounds like you're saying they toasted the banquet and started the banquet. Did you mean the guests toasted the bride and groom and then started the banquet? If so, say that).[I guessI should omit this sentence, my original meaning is after this ceremony, the banquet started.]

During the wedding banquet, the bride and groom had to raise a glass with all the guests. At the end of the banquet, all guests got wedding candy, which usually with "Double Happiness" on(you would never say "which usually with," but I'm not sure what you would say because I'm not sure what you mean. Do you mean that the wedding usually has the characters or symbols for double happiness imprinted on it? If that's what you mean, you can say something like "all guests got wedding candy, which usually has "Double Happiness" written on it.[Yup,correct! Hilary always can figure out what I really would like to express, thank you! Actually, it's two Chinese characters,translated as happy happy put together just like the picture shows, yet this character o