91.

While recruiting a new employee, the employer should pay more attention to their personal
qualities, rather than qualifications and experience. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Give your opinion and include relevant examples.

Recent decades have witnessed a burgeoning growth of numerous industries; therefore, recruiting
the right person for the position is crucial to the development of enterprises. But how do we
determine if a person is the best fit? Advocates of conventional recruitment methods opine that this
candidate must have sufficient experience and qualifications needed for that job. Nevertheless,
some people argue that candidates’ personal qualities cannot be ignored. In my view, both
components are of equal importance.

To begin with, the conventional approach of checking potential workers’ qualifications via their
resumes, LinkedIn profiles, issued qualifications and certifications from authorised organisations is
vital. Apparently, whenever we submit a job application, we are always required to attach a CV while
a cover letter is optional. Without a decent qualification, even if that candidate’s personal
characteristics are suitable, the enterprise will need to carry out lots of skill trainings eventually.

On the other hand, occasionally during an interview some HR officers ignore the significance of
assessing how candidates’ individual qualities can fit in the company. Employers should assess not
only candidates’ qualifications but also their enabling skills, ethics and value propositions. The more
an employee’s personal qualities fit in a company’s culture and values, the more he or she is
motivated to contribute to that company’s vision. KPMG is a great example of evaluating candidates’
personal qualifications and skills by utilising a game-based assessment process, followed by a video
interview. This methodology enables a comprehensive assessment, and is embraced by many
companies nowadays.

To summarise, employers should assess both personal characteristics and formal qualifications when
recruiting people as each of these elements has its own vital contribution to make in talent-seeking
enterprises.

(Band 8)

92. Money should be spent on creating new public buildings such as museums or town halls rather
than renovating the existing ones. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Whether the government should restore old buildings or not has always sparked a heated debate.
Some people argue that instead of restoring old buildings, the government should build new roads
and other structures. While I admit that restoration of ancient buildings involves a huge amount of
money, spending on them is as important as building new roads and structures.

There are numerous reasons to support this view point. First of all, the old buildings depict our
history and culture of people of ancient times. For example, the architecture and artistic work of old
buildings are rare to find nowadays. Hence, they must be conserved. Moreover, we must preserve
historical constructions for our future generations and understand that even if one piece is
destroyed, it is destroyed forever. These buildings have their own character which we can’t replicate
in modern architecture. Another benefit of preserving these heritage buildings is that they can be
converted into tourist attractions.

However, in spite of these benefits, there are some analysts who argue that it is more important to
spend money on constructing new infrastructure rather than renovate old buildings. According to
them, the hard earned money they give to the government in the form of taxes must be spent on
something that is beneficial to them like new roads or flyovers. Since renovations involve a huge
amount of money, they feel new buildings should be constructed as per the modern architecture
and needs of the society.

In conclusion, although preserving ancient buildings involves a substantial amount of money, I insist
that they must be preserved because they are reminders of our culture and heritage.

93. All the people in a company should be treated equally and provided with the same number of
holidays in a year or people doing different jobs enjoy different amount of holiday time. To
what extent do you agree or disagree?

Holidays are crucial for many people. For this reason some employees seek jobs / careers in fields
that allow them more time off. Some people claim that this is unfair and argue that all jobs should
have the same number of holidays. I disagree with this view for several reasons.

First of all, some jobs are more tiring than others. Office jobs, for example, are less exhausting than
roles like teaching or working in a mine. Based on my personal experience, I know that teaching
students, especially teenagers, is far more exhausting than doing some other jobs. Hence, certain
jobs deserve and require more time off than others.

Secondly, some jobs can be performed only during certain months / periods of the year. Jobs like
forest fire fighting or fruit picking are available only in the summer. Obviously, people employed in
such sectors can have more holidays than others. At the same time, there are certain jobs that are so
important that the holders of those jobs cannot have too many holidays. For example, a police
officer cannot afford to have too many holidays because if they do not report to duty, the law and
order situation will go out of control. Doctors and nurses also cannot have too many holidays
because their service is crucial for keeping the society healthy.

To conclude, after analysing the situation it is not hard to see that different jobs have different
requirements and some jobs are mentally and physically more demanding. In my opinion, people
holding such jobs should have more holidays than those who have less stressful jobs. Hence, I agree
with the argument that the number of holidays should be determined by the nature of the job.

94. Some people say that a person’s success is as a result of the way he has been brought up by
his parents. Do you agree or disagree?

Some people believe that a person’s success in adult life is a result of upbringing they received. I do
not quite agree with this view. In my opinion, the success of a person is very much a result of their
hard work and perseverance.

Upbringing is certainly important, but just because a child is brought up well, there is no guarantee
that they will be successful in their adult life. Although parents are the ultimate teachers and guides
of a child, many people grow up either without their parents or against their parents’ principles.
Quite a few people learn to live life or make it big in life without family support or help. There have
been many such success stories. For example, many wealthy businessmen on the Wall Street were
orphans; yet they earned success from scratch.
Talent, skills and hard work coupled with experience are important factors in any successful
individual’s life. People grow from their experiences or situations .Their success depends upon their
ability to learn from their mistakes. Life choices also play a prime role in shaping an individual’s
success path. For example, the friends or company we keep could affect our life tremendously.

To conclude, no matter whether an individual is born with a silver spoon in their mouth or to
wealthy parents, ultimately it is their perseverance and hard work that take them to places.
Upbringing is certainly important but it is not the only factor that determines a person’s chances of
success in life.

95. Public celebrations (such as national days, festivals etc) are held in most countries. These are
often quite expensive and some people say that governments should spend money on more
useful things. Do you agree or disagree?

Public celebrations are a part of every nation‘s political history and cultural traditions. We celebrate
days of national importance like the Independence Day or the Republic day and also festivals such as
Christmas, Id, Diwali etc. A lot of people now feel that these celebrations are a waste of money and
we should spend on more important things like health, education, infrastructure etc. In my opinion
public celebrations are important as they bind people together but wasteful and extravagant
expenditure for the same should be avoided.

A day like Independence Day is not only to celebrate but also to look back and feel grateful for the
free world that we live in. We honor those who gave us the gift of freedom and in this manner teach
the next generation about our history. Moreover, a festival like Christmas or Diwali is an occasion for
an entire country to have a yearly holiday and at the same time a reason to celebrate with friends
and family. This is very important for our psychological well-being and social existence.

However, with the free market economy some dirty trends have come into our lives.Instead of
concentrating more on the importance of the occasion people tend to commercialize the event. This
in turn leads to overspending by those for whom shopping is a status symbol and a way of being in
tune with the modern times. This not only creates problems in the social relationships but also
causes distress at an individual level. Also, governments can use such occasions to display their
might in terms of new warfare weaponry that they have acquired. This gives rise to tensions at the
international level.

Thus, in my opinion, observing public celebrations is very important but we should take care that the
event in not commercialized or used for petty social or national gains.

96. Some people prefer to buy local products while others prefer international products. To what
extent do you agree or disagree?

Buying and investing in local products is a much better option due to the following reasons:

1) the money invested in local products contributes to the economy of our country and not any
other country which makes the economy of our country strong.
2) the local products are much more affordable as compared to the international brands for
international products. We can easily get the same quality in local products as we get in
international products.

Sample 2

It has been observed that trend of buying international brand has been drastically increased in the
past decade. A group of people are of the view that consumers prefer buying domestic items;
whereas other group asserts that people nowadays tend to buy international items. I completely
agree that international product purchasing pattern is more evident than local. I shall discuss my
stance in more detail with valid arguments and examples in the following paragraphs.

To begin with, the obvious reason of buying international products is the quality of product and
value for money. International brands such as Adidas, Nike & Mango keeps consumer comfort and
requirements as their top priority while making an article. As compared to local item, an
international product would cost little more but considering quality it would worth spending the
money. For instance, I bought Nike shoes online in 100$, its quality was extraordinary and comfort
was exactly how I wished; whereas even if I spend 100$ on a domestic product It would not sustain
even 3 months.

To elucidate it further, one more obvious reason of international brand purchasing is the
maintenance of social status. People nowadays are status conscious and feels pride in wearing an
international items rather than local. The mindset of wearing top notch products does not let people
purchase domestic items. For example, in a party if am wearing a local brand which is obviously not
as famous as an international one I would be considered probably poor or outdated.

To recapitulate the aforementioned argument, I opine that there are certain prominent reasons as
some mentioned above, due to which people tend to purchase international brands and this trend is
increasing. Government should pay attention to encourage people buy domestic items in order to
boost global recognition. Also manufacturers should pay attention to the quality of their products to
boost sales.

97. Some people say that children given pocket money every week will have lesser money
problems when they become adults. Do you agree or disagree?

It is common that many parents today offer nominal sums of money to their children weekly. Some
people assert that this method of financial gifting would develop certain independent skills required
for children in the long run. I personally agree that this would make children more capable and
skilled in money management as they grow older for various reasons but would possess some
dangers that cannot be ignored.

To begin with, one of the major advantages of this practice is the accomplishment of the knowledge
about money management in childhood. Moreover, it is a fact that childhood is the formative period
of life. Therefore, if children are taught such skills, certainly that would strengthen their ability to
confront with various skills and tribulations in the long run. Another merit of this act is that this
money could be used for their personal needs especially in emergency situations. To cite an
example, children can effectively manage incidences like the unexpected cancellation of the public
transport and strikes and so on. Besides, the habit of saving can be cultivated and parents can keep
them happy and satisfied and thereby strengthen the family bonds,
On the other hand, it can be noticed that children are just agile and fun-loving in nature, who are not
always physically and mentally matured enough to take informed decisions about money. These
youngsters, who are tender-minded, could use this money for various purposes such as smoking,
drug addiction and for amazing latest trendy gadgets. The result would be even more disastrous as it
would surge the number of crimes in the society. To cite an example, many evil minded people could
take it as a source of revenue by cheating and harming the vulnerable children for the money.

In conclusion, I believe that though weekly allowance by parents to children has some positive sides,
the negative aspect of this practice is much less rosy than many people think it is.

98. More and more people are opting for ready-made food instead of freshly cooked food. Do this
development has more advantages over disadvantages?.

It is observed that now many people have readymade meal in place of homemade food. In my
opinion, this trend has its own merits and demerits and this essay shall throw some light on both the
aspects.

Readymade food is gaining popularity because of the convenience provided by it. People can have it
while traveling, working or doing some other chore and it saves precious cooking time. Nowadays,
everybody is busy and they do not have time to cook proper meals at home. To exemplify, according
to a recent survey, 55% of the working population below the age of 45 prefers to have a readymade
meal just because it is convenient to have it.

On the flip side, there are some negative aspects to ready-to-eat meals. The most important among
them are the health consequences. This kind of food is usually low on nutritional values, and mostly
contains harmful preservatives which impact the health negatively since they have carcinogenic
properties. It is also thought to be addictive and people who have consumed it once will probably
want to consume it again and again. Unfortunately, regular consumption of ready-to-eat food may
cause various health problems.

To conclude, the main benefit of readymade food is that it saves cooking time but at the same time
it leads to health problems. By contrast, food prepared at home is healthy although it takes a lot of
time to cook at home. In my opinion, it is all right to have ready to eat food once in a while, but its
regular consumption should be avoided at all costs.

99. Today, many big cities in the world are increasing in size. What are the problems associated
with it? What are the solution to these problems?

he population of the world is an ever increasing number. In most parts of the world, the cities are
densely populated. Moreover, this figure keeps on increasing as people move to urban areas for jobs
and better opportunities. Overcrowding of the cities leads to multiple problems. The government
and civic authorities can help mitigate this problem by taking appropriate steps.

Overpopulation poses multiple problems and concerns for a city. Often, people have trouble seeking
accommodation, those who do not have sufficient funds resort to staying in shanties and slums. Lack
of proper living facilities leads to a variety of health and hygiene problems. There are limited
opportunities to find work, so people take up odd jobs in order to earn their daily bread.
Transportation is also affected. Transport facilities are designed to cater to the needs of many
commuters. Overpopulation is a burden upon transport facilities and this is seen in many cities
today; overcrowded trains, buses and multiple traffic jams. Overall overpopulation is a strain on the
economy and environment.

The government needs to devise methods and ways to combat this issue. Proper civic planning is a
must. Taking audits and census on a variety of parameters related to the public is a necessity.
Strategies can then be implemented in phases to curb this issue. Providing better jobs and other
facilities in parts outside the city is the need of the hour. Passing certain regulations and tabling laws
regarding residency and citizenship can help limit overcrowding. For instance, any individual wishing
to reside in the city must possess the appropriate documents and reasons for such a move.

In conclusion, overpopulation poses a significant threat on the world today. The government and
civic officials need to develop solutions or look for alternatives in order to tackle this issue.

100. Some young people are leaving countryside to live in cities or towns, it leaves only old
people in countryside. What are the problems of this issue? What can be done to solve this
problem?

Nowadays more and more youngsters are moving from rural areas to urban areas in search of better
jobs and lifestyle leaving their old parents behind. This essay will discuss the problems related to this
move and will also suggest an appropriate solution.

To begin with, youngsters are moving to urban areas in search of better education and job
opportunities which they cannot find in rural areas. In cities there are good universities which will
give them better education and improved career prospects. Also, plenty of jobs are available in
cities. This is the predominant reason young people prefer towns to villages. Unfortunately, this
migration causes a lot of hardship to seniors who are left behind. They have no one to take care of
them when they need support the most. Consequently, many aged people are now seeking
admission in old age homes where they may or may not receive adequate care.

This problem can be solved if governments create higher educational institutions and job
opportunities in rural areas. As a result of this, more people will prefer to stay in their villages. The
government should sign contracts with big companies for creating job opportunities in villages /rural
areas.

To sum up, old people play a crucial role in our society as their knowledge and experience can help a
society grow and leaving them alone will lead to several problems. The government can tackle this
problem by creating more opportunities for younger generation living in rural areas.

101. Many people believe that learning a foreign language is a very difficult task. What are the
most difficult things about learning a foreign language? What is the best way to overcome
them? Explain and include your personal experience or knowledge of these problems.

It is true that acquiring new language skills is by no means an easy task. Language learners might
encounter several challenges such as unfamiliar accents or grammar structures in the learning
process of a foreign language. However, in my opinion, such difficulties can be tackled by a well-
rounded education system.\

When it comes to languages, it is undeniably crucial to get used to a native accent and intonation for
effective communication. However, picking up an accurate accent can be enormously difficult,
especially for adult learners because of their lack of language learning ability. If a language learner
has an unrecognisable accent and intonation, they would not be understood by native speakers. On
top of that, each language has different grammar and typical grammatical sequencing of words. For
example, Korean sentences always end with verbs whilst English does not, which means that a
Korean English-learner should consider about the correct order of words.

Despite the aforementioned difficulties, I strongly believe that everyone can master a foreign
language when a couple of feasible steps are taken. Firstly, it is more important than anything to
start learning a new language at a young age. By incorporating foreign language programmes in the
primary school curriculum, children can easily be exposed to languages of the world and eventually
acquire language skills without difficulties. Secondly, the government can financially subsidise
schools to run student exchange programmes that help adolescents to get experiences abroad and
make friends overseas while improving their foreign language in a delight way.

In conclusion, I believe that individuals can have difficulties in learning a new language because of
different accents and unfamiliar grammar, however, these problems can be overcome by a good
quality of education system subsidised by governments.

102. Some people think high-end technology can prevent and cut down the rate of committing
crime. Do you agree or disagree?

Increasing crime rate is an alarming threat to any society in the world. Some people say that with the
use of advanced technology, crime can be decreased. However, I disagree with this statement. In my
opinion crime rate seems to increase with the help of technology in the form of cyber crimes

Firstly, it is undeniable that technology has helped countries remarkably in various sectors, but in
terms of cutting crime it is still not effective. Even after installing cameras on streets and in public
places, crime rate increased substantially in the last few years. Nowadays, more criminal activities
are occurring with the help of technology. For example, in New Zealand in February 2019, an
Australian youngster attacked a Muslim temple while live streaming it on Facebook. This incident
shook the whole world as crime had taken a totally different meaning with the use of technology.

Secondly, apart from murders and robberies, crimes over the internet have also increased.
Nowadays, hacking personal information has become easier than ever before with the help of
technology. For instance in 2010, most of the cell phones in the US got a scam message that they
had won 250 dollars from JB Hi-Fi and to access that they need to click on the link given. It was one
of the biggest scam, as by clicking on the link most of the people gave access to their banking details
to the hackers and lost big amounts of money.

To sum up, crime rate is still rising despite technological advancement. The government needs to
take charge and make some strict rules rather than relying on technology to curb the crime.

103. Some people think that high salary is important when choosing a company to work for,
while others think that good working atmosphere is more important. Discuss both views and
give your opinion.

Some people prefer high-paying jobs. Others place more importance on the quality of the
workplace. This is basically a matter of personal preference and I don’t think that one option is
better than the other. It depends on the unique circumstances of the employee.
In the developing countries many families have a single source of income. Consequently, they need a
well-paying job to take care of their expenses. Also, in many of these countries, people don’t get any
financial support from their governments. All of these factors encourage them to opt for a job with a
higher salary. Companies also believe that employees will deliver their best performance when they
are offered a good salary.

The situation is somewhat different in the developed world where many families have multiple
sources of income. People in these countries also get a lot of benefits from their government.
Needless to say, they are not concerned about earning more money; they would rather prefer a
good working environment.

There is yet another reason for this preference. The working environment affects the employees’
performance in many ways. A study conducted by a multinational company revealed that a good
working environment enhances the efficiency of the employees because it keeps them relaxed. And
employees tend to work better when they are relaxed.

In my opinion, money is as important as the quality of the workplace. After all, everybody should be
able to earn enough to lead a comfortable life. I would like to work in a company that offers a great
working environment and a reasonably good salary.

104. Some people encourage young children to leave their parents house as soon as they
become adults while other say children should stay at their parents house as long as possible.
Discuss both the views and give your opinion.

According to some people, youngsters should be motivated to leave their home and live on their
own when they become adults. However, others believe that young people should stay with their
families as long as possible. I personally opine that it is a wise decision to leave home at the
beginning of one’s career, provided that one does not have any dependent family members. Now, I
will discuss both the views in upcoming paragraphs.

Encouraging young people to leave their homes and be on their own is definitely a common trend
seen nowadays and there are various reasons to support this argument. First, better job
opportunities are available when people move to cities or other countries. This, therefore, helps in
their career development and broadens their career prospects. Second, people become independent
in addition to being confident and mature, when they leave their homes and live at far places. For
example, now they learn to take decisions on their own, both personally and professionally,
considering their growth and goals .

On the other hand, living with families has its own advantages which cannot be overlooked. First,
people can remain under the guidance of their parents and elder members of house and develop
qualities like respect, caring attitude towards them. This consequently helps them to stay connected
to the roots of our culture and values. For example, studies have shown that adults who live in their
families are more emotionally attached to them as compared to ones who live at distant places.
Second, they can provide mental and emotional support to their parents whenever they need it.

However, in my opinion, although it is necessary for an individual to be career-orientated and

independent in this competitive world, it should not be at the expense of your family and if they are
dependent on you, it is better to stay with them and find an alternative to grow professionally and
financially in your hometown. To conclude, there are certainly benefits to leaving home and being on
one’s own. However, if your family is dependent on you, it is better to stay with them so that you
can take better care of your needs.

105. Nowadays in many countries women have full time jobs. Therefore, it is logical to share
household tasks evenly between men and women. To what extent do you agree or disagree
with this statement?

Nowadays an ever-increasing number of women work full time, and in this reality it is widely
believed that house chores should be shared between men and women equally. I strongly agree
with this statement.

One of the reasons for sharing housework between males and females is to promote gender
equality. A stereotype that has existed a long time is that females ought to stay home, taking care of
the family once they got married. This includes looking after the children and doing all of the
housework, which is fairly labour-intensive. However, this approach could have quite a few
disadvantages. It would render women less able of keeping abreast of what is happening in the job
market, thus forming a lifestyle where they might find it arduous to step into the society again. To
avoid this, many women are willing to get back into the workforce soon after their maternity leave,
and once they do, it makes sense that their husbands should share part of the household chores, to
fulfill their family responsibilities.

Nevertheless, we cannot be oblivious of several drawbacks of this trend. One potential downside is
that men are less experienced in dealing with household tasks. This is because many seldom take an
active role in doing housework, according to customs of many countries. As a result, they may end
up doing household tasks in a less than perfect way, which could contribute to some unnecessary
quarrels between partners, hindering their family bond. However, the likelihood of this happening
isn’t very high, because wives can offer some tips or guidance to their husbands when they learn
how to share house chores such as mopping floors or doing laundry.

To sum up, although some conflicts might be triggered when equally sharing the duties of household
tasks, the benefits of this trend are relatively oblivious.

106. Some people think that public health within a country can be improved by government
making laws regarding nutritious food. Others, however, think that health is a matter of
personal choice and responsibility. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

ersonal and public health are tightly related to food choices. While some people believe that the
government should regulate nutrition to improve public wellness, others argue that it should be
people’s decision whether to pursue a healthy diet or not. This essay will discuss both points of view
and explain why the authorities should not control the types of food people can buy.

Legislators could impose laws concerning nutritious food in an effort to have a healthier population,
therefore, decreasing public health costs. Even if this could be considered a good idea, it would be
very quite difficult to implement. To achieve this target, the rulers could impose a levy on unhealthy
food options, or reduce their availability on the grocery stores shelves. In Italy, for example, products
such as carbonated sugary drinks and chips are heavily taxed. As a result, the sales of these items
have decreased. However, if the authorities start to take control of what their citizens can or cannot
eat, it may be seen as limitation of freedom.
Since personal freedom is an extremely important human right, many people think that they should
be responsible for their choices regarding the food and drinks they decide to consume. I agree with
this opinion because limiting nutritional options, even if it is done with the best outcome in mind,
could consequently create dissatisfaction among the population, which would possibly lead to other
public issues such as protests and demonstrations. A better approach could be educating the public
about a healthy diet, which would help people make better-informed decisions about the food they
consume. Many developed countries around the world employed this strategy and saw public health
gains.

In conclusion, even though the government is able to control the dietary habits of its population
through taxation and restrictions, healthier citizens and reduced public health expenses isn’t the
only possible outcome. Limiting personal freedom could result in social unrest and for that reason
diet decisions are better to be left up to well-informed individuals.

107. Many people believe that learning a foreign language is a very difficult task. What are the
most difficult things about learning a foreign language? What is the best way to overcome
them? Explain and include your personal experience or knowledge of these problems.

It is true that acquiring new language skills is by no means an easy task. Language learners might
encounter several challenges such as unfamiliar accents or grammar structures in the learning
process of a foreign language. However, in my opinion, such difficulties can be tackled by a well-
rounded education system.

When it comes to languages, it is undeniably crucial to get used to a native accent and intonation for
effective communication. However, picking up an accurate accent can be enormously difficult,
especially for adult learners because of their lack of language learning ability. If a language learner
has an unrecognisable accent and intonation, they would not be understood by native speakers. On
top of that, each language has different grammar and typical grammatical sequencing of words. For
example, Korean sentences always end with verbs whilst English does not, which means that a
Korean English-learner should consider about the correct order of words.

Despite the aforementioned difficulties, I strongly believe that everyone can master a foreign
language when a couple of feasible steps are taken. Firstly, it is more important than anything to
start learning a new language at a young age. By incorporating foreign language programmes in the
primary school curriculum, children can easily be exposed to languages of the world and eventually
acquire language skills without difficulties. Secondly, the government can financially subsidise
schools to run student exchange programmes that help adolescents to get experiences abroad and
make friends overseas while improving their foreign language in a delight way.

In conclusion, I believe that individuals can have difficulties in learning a new language because of
different accents and unfamiliar grammar, however, these problems can be overcome by a good
quality of education system subsidised by governments.

108.
109. Whether the government should restore old buildings or not has always sparked a heated
debate. Some people argue that instead of restoring old buildings, the government should
build new roads and other structures. While I admit that restoration of ancient buildings
involves a huge amount of money, spending on them is as important as building new roads
and structures.
There are numerous reasons to support this view point. First of all, the old buildings depict our
history and culture of people of ancient times. For example, the architecture and artistic work of old
buildings are rare to find nowadays. Hence, they must be conserved. Moreover, we must preserve
historical constructions for our future generations and understand that even if one piece is
destroyed, it is destroyed forever. These buildings have their own character which we can’t replicate
in modern architecture. Another benefit of preserving these heritage buildings is that they can be
converted into tourist attractions.

However, in spite of these benefits, there are some analysts who argue that it is more important to
spend money on constructing new infrastructure rather than renovate old buildings. According to
them, the hard earned money they give to the government in the form of taxes must be spent on
something that is beneficial to them like new roads or flyovers. Since renovations involve a huge
amount of money, they feel new buildings should be constructed as per the modern architecture
and needs of the society.

In conclusion, although preserving ancient buildings involves a substantial amount of money, I insist
that they must be preserved because they are reminders of our culture and heritage.

110. Nowadays the crime rate is increasing, especially among teenagers. What are the reasons
behind it? How can we reverse this trend? What punishment methods should be used, in your
opinion?

It is well said that today's youngsters are the leaders of tomorrow. Presently, majority of the young
people are involving themselves in crime activities. Here, I would like to account it's reasons along
with it's solutions.

Manifold reasons are there to support my point of view. First and foremost, hectic schedule of
parents one of the main reason of this worrying concern. To illustrate, parents have to work round
the clock in order to earn two square meal. They are unable to spend quality time with their children
and give social and moral values. Children join bad companies in the absence of parents. They have
less fair of doing crime. Apart from it, crime related programs also responsible of this phenomenon.
For example, young people watch programs in order to reduce their loneliness and learn distinct
methods of doing crime .furthermore, unemployment, inflation, are rising in every nook and corner
and young find hard to earn bread and butter. Thus crime rates between young generation is
escalating day by day.

Some remedial measure can be mentioned. Initially, guardians must spend some time with their
children and confer social and moral values so that they become a noble character rather than
criminal.parents also pay some attention on their Children's companies. Therefore, they can safe
their children from crimes. Furthermore, government must put outlaw on those programs which
depicts crime in an effective way.

To recapitulate, according to my perception, administration should establish some hard punishment

so that teenagers must think about the punishment before committing crime activities.

111. Some people believe that the government should take care of old people and provide
financial support after they retire. Others say individuals should save during their working
 years to fund their own retirement. What is your opinion? Give reasons for your answer and
include examples from your own experience.

It is true that when people advance into their golden years, they require more help and attention.
For that reason, a significant number of people hold the opinion that the government should provide
financial assistance to the elderly. However, I tend to agree with those who argue that workers
should be saving a portion of their income to have a nest egg in their retirement.

To begin with, a culture of saving rather than depending on the government may foster the overall
economic development of a country. In other words, if people were to accumulate their own savings
for their pension age, it would lessen the financial burden on the government. As a result, the
government would be able to release more funds to more productive purposes, such as
development of infrastructure, industries, hospitals, and so on, which may expedite the overall
progression of a country.

In addition to economic factors, putting money aside has some personal benefits. Since savings-
oriented people are not dependent on the state for their living expenses, this may instill a sense of
self-respect and pride in them. On the other hand, those who are reliant on financial assistance very
often face the negative societal stigma, as many people consider them to be inferior and unworthy
members of society. Hence, to live a life with dignity and pride, taking responsibility for funding
one’s own retirement is evidently a better option from individual perspective.

In contrast, the provision of monetary outlays for retirees has proven unfeasible in many countries.
Since in many nations the number of senior citizens is on the rise, in the long run governments are
likely to struggle to sustain the cost of providing for the elderly. The early signs of this have been
seen in many countries that were forced to raise the retirement age. Therefore, in the foreseeable
future, these kinds of support may become completely unsustainable.

In conclusion, the provision of state monetary support may undoubtedly lessen the concern of
retirees to some extent. However, considering the issue of sustainability of this provision, it is better
to opt for individual savings from the very beginning of working life, for the benefit of both individual
and national development.

112. In some cultures old people are valued more, while in other cultures youth is considered
more valuable. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Age brings wisdom. That probably explains why old people are revered in many countries especially
those in the east. In the west, on the other hand, the youth get more importance and attention.

Youth is the time when you can accomplish many things. The young are full of energy. They are
independent. Their energy and zest for life allow them to accomplish many things. In the west, there
is too much emphasis on individual growth and material gains. That probably explains why
youngsters get more opportunities and respect there.

By contrast, eastern countries put a great deal of emphasis on spiritual growth. Old people have
seen more life and hence they know better. They are much less impulsive than their younger
counterparts. This enables them to make better judgements. In eastern countries, children and
youngsters look up to their parents and grandparents for advice and guidance in important matters.
For example, in Indian families important decisions are always taken by parents or grandparents.
Children listen to them. It is not considered appropriate to defy one’s parents and few youngsters do
it.

In western countries senior parents have no real say in their grown-up children’s lives. There senior
adults often spend their twilight years in care homes away from their children and grandchildren. I
am certainly against that arrangement. Many old people can’t work or run a household in the strict
sense of the term. However, they can still offer guidance. They can act as the voice of reason when
problems arise in the family. The youth should be given the importance they deserve but this does
not mean that seniors should be neglected.

To conclude, both the young and the old are valuable members of the society. It is true that old
people are less productive than young people but it does not mean that they are useless. They are
wiser and their sane voice can solve many conflicts in the family and the society.

113. Nowadays people waste a lot of food that was bought from shops and restaurants. Why
do you think people waste food? What can be done to reduce the amount of food they throw
away?

At the time when famines heavily strike impoverished third world countries, many people living in
wealthy countries waste tremendous amounts of food daily. In my opinion, understanding the
probable reasons of this phenomenon is important and may lead us to some applicable solutions
that will result in reducing food waste.

The low cost of food seems to be one of the obvious reasons, exacerbating the problem. Due to the
revolutionary technological achievements, people have increased both the quality and the quantity
of their crops. In turn, according to the laws of supply and demand, the prices of the crops have
immensely dropped. A recent study of the FAO stated that the global crops prices have dropped 50
per cent over the last decade. This enabled people to buy excessive amounts of food without a real
need.

Furthermore, the absence of strict regulations to discourage or punish this attitude can also be
considered a major cause. Not everyone is aware that wasting food may create problems.
Consequently, they are likely to resist any calls for controlling the consumption of dietary supplies
unless they are forced by the power of law. Several countries in the world saw a drop in their
national food waste after implementing a ban on the excessive purchasing of food.

Fortunately, there are some possible approaches that can be adopted by both people and
governments. Firstly, raising the awareness of this issue is immensely important. Using social media
platforms can draw public attention to the potential dangers of food waste and how communities
can confront it. Secondly, enforcing laws that prohibit the wasting of food by people and companies
will deter such harmful practice.

In conclusion, the decreased price of food as well as lack of regulations allowed the unfortunate
trend of throwing away food to continue. I believe that creating awareness and legislation are parts
of a straightforward solution to this issue.
114. Successful companies use advertising to make more sales. What can make an
advertisement very effective? Do you think this is a bad thing or a good thing for the society?

It is an irrefutable fact that advertisements are ubiquitous. Most of the well-established

organizations throughout the globe take the help of adverts in order to enhance their sales.
Advertising can be made more impactful by adopting different strategies, which are discussed below.
Having said that, I believe that it has deleterious impacts on the community.

To begin with, advertisements can be made more impressive by following these approaches. The
chief one is that these should be creative and entertaining, because people tend to like new ideas
and watch entertaining ads. Another persuasive method is to hire famous celebrities to promote
products. This is mainly because these prominent people are adored by millions of followers who try
to imitate their lifestyle; as a result, their fans will most likely buy the products endorsed by their
role models.

However, advertisements affect society in a negative way. To elaborate, although it makes residents
aware of the newly launched items, it promotes the use and throw culture. As a result, individuals
are spending their life savings recklessly to buy unnecessary items. Apart from this, commercials
mainly target children as / because they are more impressionable than adults. After watching these
ads, kids force their parents to buy those useless products. Since many families are not well-off, this
compulsive urge to own the latest products can land them in the debt trap. Hence it can be said that
advertisements are detrimental for the society.

In essence, from the aforementioned arguments it is evident that though multinational companies
increase their revenue by making intriguing adverts, in the long run, ads have negative effects which
are hazardous to the society.

115. Some people believe that after hundred years life will be easier for most of people, while
the others are unsure. What is your opinion?

Researchers and scientists are trying hard to improve lifestyles of people. As the life have become
easier over the past few decades, it can be assumed that it will become easier in the coming century.
Since, these advancements brought some negative aspects with it, it is thought by some people that
in future these aspects will overcome the luxuries, we have now, and life will not be as pleasurable
as it is now. For instance, our natural resources are depleting exponentially and we are facing
extreme climate changes. I believe that considering the advancements in technology, life will be
much easier in the future; however, these adverse effects can not be ignored.

To begin with, scientists have invented so many things, which make the life of an individual easier,
and they are updating everything with new technology. For example, phone was invented almost
two centuries ago but with time researchers have improved it tremendously. Because of these
improvements, we can do almost everything with the help of our phone. In the beginning, people
could only talk with their phones but now they can take pictures, use internet, pay their bills and
watch movies on their phones.

Furthermore, scientists have made so many advances in health care; thus, diagnosis of diseases has
become easier and treatments as well. Due to these researches, new medicines are being
introduced in the market, which make the health care more reliable than ever before. For instance,
doctors now can get the diagnostic test results within hours, which in return help the people and
make their treatments more fast.

Moreover, inventions like robots and artificial intelligence has brought so much ease in lives of
people. It has reduced the labour work tremendously. For instance, there are restaurants in some
countries, which are using robots to do all the labour work ; hence, it has brought convenience in
lives of many people.

Although lives of people will be easier in hundred years, it will bring many negative aspects with
them. As the time is passing, people are consuming more natural resources. For instance, scientist
have declared that consumable water resources are declining with time. Moreover, fossil fuels have
reduced tremendously; therefore, there will be shortage of fuel in future. Furthermore, because of
these machines and cars, earth is facing climate changes, which will increase with time, and there
will be more floods and earthquakes in hundred years.

To conclude, although scientists brought ease in lives of people, and their researches will bring more
convenience in many people’s lives in the coming century, it will bring adverse effects with it. Hence,
if some people think that it will not be the case in hundred years, they are not wrong.

116. Some people think it is important to spend a lot of money on a wedding celebration, while
others disagree. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

According to some people spending a lot of money on marriage parties is a must. Others insist that
lavish celebrations are a waste of money and resources. Both views will be discussed in this essay;
however, in my opinion, it does not make much sense to spend a lot of money on celebrations.

Celebrations make our lives more interesting. Also, lavish parties are an opportunity to show off our
wealth. Actually, this is the reason many people choose to spend inordinate amounts of money on
weddings. They believe that throwing a lavish wedding party will easily elevate their social standing.
My uncle, for example, makes it a point to celebrate the weddings of his children in a lavish manner.
He believes that those parties will earn him the respect of his friends and acquaintances.

On the other hand, there is a downside to throwing large wedding parties. Oftentimes families
borrow money to celebrate the wedding of their son or daughter in a grand style. They may have
seen their neighbour hold an expensive party on the occasion of his daughter’s marriage. Now, they
feel compelled to have an even bigger party. This is not exactly a problem if they can afford it but
that is not always the case. Many families fall into the debt trap in their desperation to hold a grand
wedding that their friends will remember for good. Also, large parties often lead to the wastage of
enormous amounts of foods and beverages.

Personally, I believe that instead of throwing ridiculously expensive parties, people should organize
more intimate and simpler celebrations. Wedding celebrations are an opportunity to share our joy
with our friends and relatives and small parties serve the purpose very well. Actually, spending large
amounts on parties is a sign of vanity. And if this money is borrowed it is nothing but stupidity.
Instead, people who truly want an unforgettable wedding should donate a sum of money to the
disadvantaged sections of the society on this occasion. This way they can ensure that their
celebrations bring joy to a lot of people who need it desperately.
To conclude, wedding celebrations are important because in most people’s lives they occur only
once; however, it is foolish to spend astronomical amounts of money on these celebrations. Instead,
people who have excess money should consider donating some to the poor and the needy

117. Some people think that giving gifts and presents to friends and family is important to show
them that we care. Others think that there are more important ways. Discuss both and give
your opinion.

Undoubtedly, there are different ways of showing our love to the people around us. Although some
people think that giving gifts and presents is a better way to show our affection for our near and
dear ones, others opine that there are other effective methods to show that we care and I agree
with this. In this essay I shall discuss the different views of the people and also give my opinion in the
forthcoming paragraphs.

Some people think that it is imperative to give gifts and presents to friends and family to show the
affection. This is because these things are tangible which persistently reminds them that there is
someone who cares for them. To illustrate, people living overseas usually give ornaments and other
expensive items to family members to show their love. The argument is that since they are miles
apart nothing can prove their love as well as these gifts.

Conversely, there are various ways other than gifting to show love. For example, in some Indian
families the daughter-in-law shows her caring nature by serving her in-laws and looking after them.
Likewise, the son-in-law may provide for his wife’s parents. As a result, the family bonding increases
and a healthy relationship is built. Such kind and selfless deeds create joy in the family.

In my opinion, expensive items are not always necessary to reveal the affection. The other methods
such as, spending precious time with dear ones and taking care of them physically and emotionally
play a significant role in showing love.

In conclusion, though gifts sometimes serve as a means to show our caring nature especially in long
distance relationships these things are short lived; instead sharing quality time with friends and
family and assisting them whenever they need help can be a better way to show that we care.

118. The media is increasing interest in famous people who have ordinary backgrounds. Why
do you think people are interested in the lives of famous people? Do you think this is a good
thing?

“The media is increasing interest in famous people who have ordinary backgrounds. Why do you
think people are interested in the lives of famous people? Do you think this is a good thing?” Here
we’ve got a statement, which I think is little bit distracting. So, when I’m planning my essay I’m going
to pay attention to the fact that media, but basically, I’m going to write two paragraphs.

One answering question number one embedded in the question “why do you think people are
interested in the lives of famous people?” Two, “Do you think this is a good thing?” It’s quite straight
forward. This is the process that I teach in the online course at ieltspodcast.com/onlineieltscourse.

Basically, we’ve got P1 and P2. Paragraph one: people are interested in others with ordinary
backgrounds because… and then I can do my list: inspiration, it’s motivational, it’s real people
without plastic surgery, blah, blah, blah because we’ve got to pay attention to the fact of ordinary
backgrounds, okay.

So, first part of the question, “Why do you think people are interested in the lives of famous
people?” Also, there’s that part at the beginning about ordinary backgrounds. So, I didn’t just ignore
that. We’re talking about famous people. People being interested in other famous people, but these
famous people have real ordinary backgrounds so to speak. So, I’m mentioning that and I’m going to
build my paragraph around that.

Yes, it’s a good thing. Body paragraph two is going to be an agreement. “Do you think this is a good
thing?” Yes, I think it is a good thing. It shows you what is possible. It shows you that famous people
are just ordinary. So, I agree, but now I just put in a conjunction and I say ‘although’ okay?

As I said before, this is my plan. So, I’m sketching this down pencil and paper and then I’m going to
basically drop it into the C2 framework in the sentence guide and it will basically come out with a
coherent paragraph. So, these are my points. I’m going to say yes, it’s a good thing. I’ll give you a few
reasons why. It shows you what’s possible. It shows you famous people are just ordinary.

Then I’m putting in my conjuction as I said before. “…although it can be dangerous because nobody
is perfect and people do make mistakes.” Then I’m going to give an example, a real world example
that proves my point. I’m going to talk about Lewis Hamilton, the F1 champion from Formula One
race cars Grand Prix.

I’ll say he behaved badly once in Australia and he got charged for dangerous driving. It’s just an
example that shows that famous people, although we admire them, that is a danger in our
admiration if we follow them blindly, so to speak.

119. People are living in a ‘throwaway society’, using things for a short time and then throwing
them away. What are the causes of this? What problems does it lead to?

The proliferation of single use products is a major concern for all countries. In my opinion, the main
cause of this is increased disposable income coupled with advances in technology and the main
result of this trend is environmental degradation.

The rise of single or limited use products comes from new technologies and people’s ability to afford
these items. A hundred years ago, it would not have been possible to cheaply produce plastic
products on a mass scale. The technological advances of the last hundred years have made these
products profitable for large companies like Walmart. Of course the advances in technology have
only met demand from a burgeoning global middle class. People today do not have to use the same
plates, dishes, and bags that previous generations would have been more protective of; nowadays
people can afford to buy and throw out various household items.

The main result of the overdependence on single use products is burning more fossil fuels which in
turn escalates climate change. Cheap plastic is made through a chemical process involving raw oil
and is then transported on ships or planes running on petrol before being carted on trucks to
supermarkets. The total accumulation of fossil fuel consumption is therefore massive. In the last half
century this has precipitated climate change leading to increases in the severity of natural disasters,
further endangerment of plant and animal species and dire warnings by climate scientists for the
standard of living of future generations.
In conclusion, the so-called ‘throwaway society’ is a result of economic and technological factors and
is taking a massive toll on the environment. More governments should seek to curb this problem by
instituting wide-reaching bans on single-use plastics like straws and bags.

120. Nowadays children mostly spend time playing computer games rather than sports. What
are the reasons for this? Is it a positive or a negative development?

Physical activity plays an important role in the physical and psychological development of children
during the initial years of their life. However, urbanization and modernization have replaced outdoor
games with indoor games and thus increased the number of couch potatoes among the current
generation. In my view this is a negative development that affects the physical and mental
development of children.

Firstly, urbanization eliminated public playgrounds from cities and towns. Thanks to the
development of all those housing complexes and shopping centres the cities have become more
congested than ever leaving no room for little ones to enjoy outdoor games like cricket or football.
Since playing such sports in narrow streets cause disturbance to apartment dwellers parents are
forced to keep their children indoors.

The security of children has also become a cause for concern. Parents are becoming wary of letting
their children play outside. So, to keep them engaged indoors they equip their children with video
games, computers and smart phones. As a result, children are getting detached from the benefits of
playing outside. This, unfortunately, affects their physical and intellectual development. Sitting in
front of a computer or gaming console for long hours can affect the eyesight of children and make
them obese.

Studies have shown that physical activity helps the development of cognitive abilities like decision-
making and problem-solving. Sports and games also teach children crucial life skills such as team
spirit and the ability to take success and failure alike. When children do not engage in sports, they
are losing an opportunity to master these life lessons.

To conclude, video games might keep children engaged for hours on end, but they do not help the
overall development of children. So I strongly believe that spending too much time on playing
computer games can be very harmful for the

121. Scientists agree that many people eat too much junk food and it is damaging their health.
Some people think that this problem can be solved by educating people, while others believe
that education will not work. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

In the modem world, there has been an accelerating trend of people eating unhealthy food, posing
detrimental threats to their health. While some people regard education as an ineffective measure
to resolve the problem. I would contend that this practice would serve as a definitely workable
solution to tackling such a problem.

There is a common belief that education would not be an effective method of deterring people from
consuming a large amount of junk food. Supporters of this view might argue that the modem living
style is the root of this issue, which would not be efficiently addressed by education. For example.
there are many intellectual officers in favor of fast food due to its convenience and portable manner.
Despite of their profound nutrition-related knowledge and awareness, these busy consumers opt for
fast food for the sake of time-saving. Besides, there are other efficient solutions to curbing junk food
consumption. For instance, the government could impose higher taxation schemes on junk food. By
raising fast food prices, such a strict legal action could yield immediate and widespread effects on
consumer behavior, thus bringing forth a quicker decline in junk food consumption compared to
education.

However, I would strongly endorse education an effective key to the junk food overconsumption
problem. The primary reason is that an appropriate education would efficiently raise eaters’
awareness which may act as a deterrent to people’s opting for unhealthy food. For instance, once
people gain insightful knowledge and awareness of life-threatening cancers and diseases caused by
overeating fast food, they would be more likely to put an end to such a harmful eating habit.
Another supporting reason is that nutrition education programs, compared to other measures such
as imposing higher tax could result in more sustainable awareness and behavior change among
people from all walks of life, especially children and adolescents. These beneficiaries will cultivate a
life-time habit of refraining from junk food or restricting such intake.

To sum up, although there are reasonable arguments against education, I firmly believe that
educational measures would significantly mitigate junk food consumption and deter the problem
from being exacerbated further.

122. Many people believe that TV news and media in general have a detrimental effect on our
life. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give your own opinion, including relevant
examples.

Certain individuals believe that these days newspapers and television channels that broadcast
current affairs have a bad influence on society. I completely disagree with the given statement. In
the following paragraphs, I would put forth the arguments in favour of my views.

News channels have influenced society in many positive ways. To begin with, the usefulness of
media, which provides news almost instantaneously, is undeniable. This gives us a feeling that we
belong to a small global village. Secondly, it acts as a bridge between the government and the
people. Most of us would never meet a prime minister or president in our lives but anyone who is
regularly watching news or reading newspapers would certainly know about them. Furthermore,
media plays an important role in spreading different cultures and lifestyles to the modern world.
Today, the popularity of Indian culture and tradition across the globe is the best possible example of
media’s enormous impact. Finally, news channels also help in providing justice to common man
when his rights are being denied.

As every rose has thorns, media too has its downside. The paparazzi could invade the privacy of
celebrities. Sometimes violence and vulgarity are shown, and at times, it can shape us in negative
ways. For that my counter-argument is that once a person becomes famous then his personal life
becomes public, and he has no right to complain about paparazzi. Also, people can choose what they
want to see and technology has provided options to block the channels that they do not want to see.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that the influence of media on our lives is largely positive.
123. Many famous athletes advertise different products. What are the advantages and
disadvantages of it?

In the present age, a number of well-known players are doing different types of product
advertisements. In this essay, we will throw some light on the advantages and disadvantages of this
trend.

Let’s begin by looking into the merits of endorsements by sportspersons. Firstly, players can
promote certain products in a better way because they themselves use some of these items in their
line of work. Sachin Tendulkar, for example, does the advertisement of an energy drink which he
consumes while playing the game. Because of this reason, his endorsement of the product sounds
genuine. Secondly, players can make money by doing various types of advertisements. In general,
advertisement companies give approximately 25-50 lakhs to the players who work for them. This is a
great opportunity for them to convert their popularity and brand value into money.

On the other hand, there are some downsides to these celebrity endorsements. Primarily, this could
take away the players’ focus from the game. To elucidate, last year, Virat Kohli, a renowned Indian
cricketer, was not able to perform as expected in Asian Cup. Some people assert that this happened
because he was featured in myriads of advertisements at that time which took his concentration
away from the match. Furthermore, athletes could become money minded if they do a lot of
advertisement campaigns. The result of this could be devastating for the players and ruin their game
play. What’s more, sometimes players endorse poor quality products just because they are offered
truckloads of money. In my opinion, this is a misuse of the trust their admirers have placed in them.

In conclusion, there is no doubt that popular players are advertising several products and this
phenomenon has some obvious drawbacks and benefits which are given in the above paragraphs. All
in all, it is up to the players to decide whether or not they should do these types of advertisements.

124. Nowadays people try to balance their work with other things in life, but only some could
actually achieve it so far. What are the reasons for that? How can we solve this problem?

People today are increasingly concerned with individual happiness and work-life balance. The main
problem for most people is that work takes up too much time and causes mental health issues and
the best way to achieve this balance is to work more efficiently.

The primary issues associated with work-life balance are the amount of time people must spend
working and how this impacts their mental health. Since the global financial crisis of 2008, the job
market around the world has become increasingly competitive. This means that old workers may get
pushed out of their jobs by younger graduates willing to work for less and that new graduates have
to put in enormous extra hours to catch up. The end result is more work, which eats away at a
person’s private life. Once your free time becomes restricted there are a variety of related mental
health problems that can appear. For example, someone who is overworked can suffer from
excessive stress, some forms of depression, and obesity because of the lack of time available to
exercise. That is why there has been a sharp rise in the last decade in these problems.

The best way for people to combat being overworked and get more time for their personal life is to
work more efficiently. In an ideal world, there would be ways to alleviate the burden that put less
stress on individuals but making the most of your time is a more pragmatic solution. For example,
smartphones allow people to get a lot of work done in what were previously wasted hours in the
past. You can send emails, make phone calls, and use productivity applications when waiting for the
bus, train, or standing in line. People will have to make the choice not to scroll through Facebook or
read the news but that is a small sacrifice to have some extra time at the end of the day to do their
hobbies or spend time with a loved one.

In conclusion, the problems associated with poor work-life balance are especially apparent because
of the current economic climate and the best solution is to find ways to maximise efficiency. If more
people changed their daily habits related to social media and using the internet, then they might be
able to find more worthwhile passions and not feel as though their life is passing them by.

125. Children and teenagers are committing more and more crimes in many countries. Why is
this happening? How can we stop or at least reduce youth crime?

Over the last few decades, many cities around the world have seen alarming increases in the levels
of youth crime. This essay will discuss the reasons for this and provide some possible solutions.

The first reason is connected with the family. In order for a child to grow up in a balanced way, it is
very important that he or she is nurtured well by his or her parents. However, these days, it is often
the case that children are neglected. This may be because of the fact that many parents in cities now
both have to work so are often not around to give their children support when needed. Another
factor is the increasing levels of poverty around the world. We have seen with globalization the rich
get richer and the poor get poorer, and this inevitably means that those who are poorer will have to
resort to illegal means to get what others have. Of course, this will include the children in the poorer
families.

However, there are ways to tackle such problems. Firstly, one of the ways to combat the problem is
to have stricter punishments. Although, as discussed above, it can be outside factors that lead to
crime, it is still important to have severe punishments to deter teenagers from crime. All too often,
because they are young, the courts are too lenient. Parents also have to take more responsibility for
their children’s actions. They too should be punished if their children commit crime.

To sum up, several factors have led to increases in youth crime, but measures are available to tackle
this problem.
Some people think that the only way to relax is rest or sleep, while others say people need to do
exercise or sport to relax. Discuss both view points and give your own opinion.

Nowadays people work around the clock; as a result, they become tired by the end of the day. Some
people opine that taking rest and having a sound sleep is the best way to relax our body and mind.
However, others believe that doing some workout and playing sports is a better way. I agree with
the former view, and I will discuss both sides in the forthcoming paragraphs.

To begin with, a power nap is a better way to relax our body. Firstly, sleeping helps our body to
rejuvenate our body cells. When a person is sleeping his body goes into the self-repair mode, and
takes energy from the consumed food. Consequently, people feel fresh when they wake up.

Secondly, it is a well-known fact that the efficiency of a person increases when he takes naps to
relax. For example, according to the World Health Organization, people who take regular sleep are
more efficient and have better problem-solving skills than the people who work continuously. Thus,
it is evident that power naps can enhance the capabilities of the individuals.

On the other hand, doing physical exercise for relaxation can increase the blood flow in the body
which helps in reducing daily work-life stress. As a result, people will feel relaxed and free from all
the tensions. Therefore, some people believe that it is a better way to relax. Yet, this is not
something people can or want to do when they are tired after working in the office for long hours.

To conclude, although, doing physical work-out can be a stress-buster for humans, I believe that
taking regular sleep is the best way to relax in the sense that it repairs body cells and nourishes our
mind.

Some parents and teachers think that children’s behaviour should be strictly controlled. While some
think that children should be free to behave. Discuss both the views and give your opinion.

Different schools of thought exist among teachers and parents about how children’s behaviour
should be controlled. While some believe that there should be strict control, others are more lenient
on the control. There are important reasons behind both these thoughts.

Firstly, children do not have enough knowledge and awareness about their surroundings and do not
anticipate and recognize the dangers that may ensue. Moreover, they are not capable of facing or
handling such incident upon the occurrence of such unfortunate event. Secondly, as children grow
up they are expected to have a certain accepted level of behaviour with kindness, respect, sympathy
and decency. As not all children are alike, sometimes parents and teachers may have to resort to
strict actions in order to discipline the child and carve a noble human being out of him or her.
Therefore, it is reasonable for some people to think that strict control of behavior is important to
keep them out of danger as well as to discipline and teach certain lessons of life.
On the contrary, children are free thinkers and they have ample energy and curiosity that needs
nurturing by letting them explore and experience the world outside without restrictions for them to
learn the good, the bad and the ugly by and within themselves. For that to happen, they need more
freedom to do and discover things on their own. But, that must be done with proper guidance and
supervision with great care and attention. There are enough studies done world over to support that
evidence.

In conclusion, it is important to note that each child is unique in their knowledge, behaviour and
attitudes, and the level of supervision and guidance they need in order to become a good human
being varies accordingly. There is no “one way” to teach and discipline children. It must be done with
great care and insight on to that particular child’s mentality and capability and appropriately to the
particular situation.

In many countries day by day rubbish (garbage) is increasing. Why is it happening? What can be
done?

In this modern and industrialised world, excessive amount of waste is being produced by people
everywhere.There has been a significant rise in population, globally, due to which consumption has
increased and so has the waste.In this essay we will discuss some reasons and solutions to this
problem.

With consumerism on the rise, there is a lot of competition amongst producers and manufacturers
and the endeavour is to make the packaging of their products look.So, very attractive and
colorful.Many food,beverage etc. are packed in plastic containers which are non-biodegradable and
have an adverse effect on the environment. Nowadays, in religious ceremonies and other get
togethers people are using disposable cutlery and crockery which,at times cannot be recycled. There
is also a lot of hardware junk from old computers etc. So, that are being thrown into the sea,thus
harming and polluting the marine life.

Individuals and government have to work hand in hand to tackle this serious issue.There should be
garbage bins and a proper recycling disposal system in place. The government should educate its
citizens regarding the usage of reusable bags. Also, segregating the garbage produced in the
households and should ban the use of plastic. Shopkeepers should give the stuff in reusable bags. So,
for example, many malls in India are giving the customers their things in paper bags. Schools and
colleges should teach the children to “Go Green”.

To conclude,this problem needs to be addressed immediately before its too late. So, every individual
has to take interest and responsibility in saving our planet from further degradation.

Some people see shopping as a leisure activity mostly for young adults, while others disagree. Do
you think this has a positive or negative effect on economic development? Give your opinion and
include relevant examples.
Many young people today are going to shopping malls instead of participating in more traditional
activities such as sport and the arts. I believe this is largely a negative trend and will explain my view
below.

One compelling reason for this is that young people are, for the most part, losing the opportunity to
develop their skills and express their creativity. By being part of, say, a soccer team, players learn
both teamwork and communication skills, leading to them not only growing as people but also
possibly helping them in their future careers. Conversely, when they shop, they are typically
exercising more superficial desires, in turn often buying items that give them only short term
pleasure. What this demonstrates is that structured leisure activities offer both mental and physical
benefits that shopping cannot replicate.

Another drawback of this development is that it can engender an unhealthy relationship with
money. In Australia, for example, shopping malls such as Westfield have become important meeting
points for teenagers, seducing young people with their array of clothing, jewellery and cosmetics
stores. This, certainly, encourages them to outlay more of their, and their parents’, money, and
potentially ingrain destructive spending habits that can persist into adulthood and even ultimately
result in debt or bankruptcy. Sports and music, however, focus more on constructive areas of their
lives, and time spent on them can minimise more damaging pursuits like shopping and developing a
materialistic mindset.

Overall, I believe that organised activities like sport and music provide young people with essential
personal development, and therefore the move towards them being replaced by the soulless
experience of visiting shopping malls is negative.

Shopping has become a favorite pastime among young people. What do you think it is like that? Do
you think they must be encouraged to do other things rather than shopping?

Shopping has become an integral part of our life. Young people are more attracted to this habit than
older people and it has almost become their favorite hobby. While there are many reasons
attributed to this habit such as increased spending power and peer influences, some people argue
that they should be encouraged to spend their time wisely in other useful activities and I completely
agree with that because time is the most precious thing in the world.

For one thing, the increased spending power is one of the main reasons for this addiction to
shopping in our society. Compared to the past, there are many job opportunities available in the
market and most of them are ready to pay fat paychecks. Our young people now have plenty of
disposable income they don’t know how to spend.
Secondly, they are easily getting influenced by their peers who might be doing window shopping
almost every week, for no reasons. The recent survey conducted by SurveyMonkey.com on Bayshore
Shopping Mall business in Kanata city, indicates that majority of their sales are coming from younger
people who had just started their career..

Having said that, some people argue that our young society needs to be diverted and encouraged to
spend their free time in more better and useful ways. I strongly agree with that, because the only
thing that cannot be retrieved back is “the time”. Instead of spending time in shopping malls, we
should encourage them to involve in physical activities such as sports and games. Or they can join a
course that enhances their skill sets. For instance, those in the software field can spend their time in
learning Artificial Intelligence which is growing very fast in today’s market.

In conclusion, while it is true that young people are getting attracted towards frequent shopping,
they should be encouraged to spend their free time more wisely on activities that could help them to
lead a more comfortable and healthy life.

Some people think that the main factors influencing a child’s development these days are things
such as television, friends, and music. Others believe that the family still remains more important.
Discuss both views and give your opinion. (IELTS Buddy)

While parents obviously play a major role in the way that their child develops as they get older,
many people believe that social factors outside of the family now influence children much more. This
essay will examine both sides of the argument.

There is no doubt that there are factors external to the family that significantly impact on a child’s
development. For example, there is television and the internet. Children these days have access to
these much more than they used to in the past, and they will pick up language and see things that
will teach them about life. Friends also have an important influence as a child will often copy peers
that they admire and respect. This could be positive behaviour but it could also be negative, such as
smoking or taking drugs.

Ultimately, however, it is family who have the most important impact. Children spend nearly all of
their time with their family, especially in their early years. They develop their confidence,
socialisation skills, morals, values and views on life through their interaction with them. Proof of the
importance of this can be seen in the differences between some children. Those that grow up in a
dysfunctional home often eventually have problems themselves, whilst those that are brought up in
a warm and close environment end up more confident and secure in adult life.

To conclude, it is the family that can provide a supportive, secure, and nurturing environment, which
is crucial to the way in which a child becomes an adult. Although it is clear that social factors play a
part, I would argue that it is the former that is the most important.

Food travels thousands of miles from producers to consumers. Some people think that it would be
better for the environment and economy if people only ate the local food produced by farmers. To
what extent do you agree or disagree?
Sample 1(buddy)

These days food often travels many miles as farmers export their food around the world to satisfy
consumer demand. Although some people think stopping this practice would benefit the economy
and the environment, I believe that the negative impacts would not justify such a change.

The benefits of stopping the export of food are twofold. In relation to the environment, transporting
food involves the use of thousands of lorries and many flights, which contributes to pollution given
all the emissions this must produce everyday. This negatively affects people’s health and also may be
leading to global warming. In addition to this, stopping the practice will mean that people then only
buy local food, leading to a boost to local economies as farmers will become profitable as they sell
more.

However, there are downsides to this. A problem is that these days many countries, particularly
developing countries, rely on exports of their produce. Countries often have acres and acres of
plantations and crops that are only sold to foreign markets, and this provides an income to the
farmers but it also provides work for thousands of local people around the world working on farms.
Furthermore, people these days have become dependent on ingredients from other countries and
without it people could no longer cook or eat many of their favourite recipes and many restaurants
that depend on food exports may go out of business.

On balance, I therefore believe that the advantages do not outweigh the disadvantages. Despite the
fact that it may improve the environment, the negative economic impacts on farmers who export
and their employees and the further impacts on food choices and restaurants would be too
detrimental.

Sample 2

Food is crucial for our survival. These days, many consumers eat food that has traveled thousands of
miles away from their producers. Some people opine that it will be good for the environment if
people only eat locally produced food. I agree with this view to a certain extent. In my opinion,
consumption of local food will create jobs in the local economy and help the environment, but if
people eat only locally produced food, they will have fewer choices.

Environmental problems are a highly debated topic these days. Huge amounts of fossil fuels have to
be burned to transport food to distant places. This causes considerable damage to the environment.
There will be a massive reduction in the consumption of oil if people start preferring locally grown
food and hence it is good for the planet. Another argument in favour of eating locally produced food
is its nutrient value. Locally grown food is nutritious because it is free of preservatives. Also, locally
grown fruits and vegetables are plucked when they ripen and this retains their nutritional content.
By contrast, when they are transported from a distant place, they are plucked when they are still
raw and then ripened with the help of chemicals. Regular consumption of such food items will lead
to health problems in people.
Even so, in my opinion, eating locally produced food alone is not a viable option because there is a
limit to the kind of food that can be grown in each place. For example, fruits like apples and grapes
can only be grown in cold climates. Likewise, some fruits and vegetables only grow in hot climates.
There are also many regions that are not suitable for cultivation. If people eat only what is available
in their region, they choices will be limited. Hence, in my opinion, locally grown food should be given
preference. However, it should not be the only food available to people.

To conclude, if people give preference to the local produce, it will certainly benefit their health, the
environment and the local economy. Even so, in my opinion, eating locally cultivated food alone is
not a viable option because it will seriously limit the food choices people have.

Some people argue that the fittest, strongest individuals and teams can achieve the greatest success
in sports. But other people think that success is as much related to mental attitude. Discuss both
views and give your opinion.

There are many factors can influence athletes achieve success in sport competitions. Some people
believe that the main factor is having fittest and strongest bodies. Others, however, consider that
the attitude of sportsman exert tremendous influence on success. In this essay, both of these views
will be discussed.

There is no denying that the fittest body is an essential component of achieving good sport scores.
Many sports need stronger people, such as weightlifting and threw shot. It is difficult for thin people
to play these sports. For example, almost all weightlifting players are fatter and stronger than
normal people. Players could get a high score in sport competitions after receiving the professional
training. Besides, some athletes such as basketball players and football players, they also need to run
everyday to keep fit and enhance endurance. These trainings could guarantee sportsmen have good
physical quality to achieve success in competitions.

Admittedly, having good mental attitudes also can help athletes to get high scores. If sportsmen do
not feel nervous and tensions, they may have extraordinary plays in the game. On the contrary,
some people have fittest and strongest body but they always do not have a good mental attitude in
the game, then they could off their games.

In a nutshell, stronger bodies and good mental attitudes both have direct impact on sport
competitions. They are not mutually exclusive. If athletes or teams want to achieve greatest success
in sports, they need to have both good attitudes and stronger bodies.

Some people become famous when they are at a young age. Do you think this is positive or
negative?

In modern times, with the advent of social media, it is quite easy for people to become famous at a
very young age. Being famous is not only associated with talent but with hard work too. Some
people believe that becoming a known personality at a young age can have several repercussions
while others are of the view that age does not matter and it is all about how an individual handles
fame.

Being famous brings a lot of social issues along with it which can have a major impact on an
individual. People may cheer you up for anything done right and then turn their back on for small
mistakes done. For instance, when Justin Bieber started his music career he was instantly admired,
but with time, when he started making changes in his lifestyle, there were a lot of accusations that
he had to face, jeopardizing his career.

However, being famous at a young age allows you to make all the mistakes that one either ways
make, learn from them and move on. A person who is able to handle being famous from a young age
tends to grow as a mature adult and venture out in different directions towards the later stages. For
instance, the Indian cricketers who got to be in the hall of fame from the beginning could relate to
the battles and towards the end of their career, smoothly transit to other viable options.

In my personal opinion, as long as it does hamper personal growth, there is nothing wrong.
However, if it impacts the talent of the individual, it is better to grow the talent perfectly, before he
or she is shoved off in front of the public.

Some people believe it is important to give gifts and presents to friends and family to show that we
care about them. Others think that there are better ways to show affection to them. Discuss both
the views and give your own opinion.

Undoubtedly, there are different ways of showing our love to the people around us. Although some
people think that giving gifts and presents is a better way to show our affection for our near and
dear ones, others opine that there are other effective methods to show that we care and I agree
with this. In this essay I shall discuss the different views of the people and also give my opinion in the
forthcoming paragraphs.

Some people think that it is imperative to give gifts and presents to friends and family to show the
affection. This is because these things are tangible which persistently reminds them that there is
someone who cares for them. To illustrate, people living overseas usually give ornaments and other
expensive items to family members to show their love. The argument is that since they are miles
apart nothing can prove their love as well as these gifts.

Conversely, there are various ways other than gifting to show love. For example, in some Indian
families the daughter-in-law shows her caring nature by serving her in-laws and looking after them.
Likewise, the son-in-law may provide for his wife’s parents. As a result, the family bonding increases
and a healthy relationship is built. Such kind and selfless deeds create joy in the family.
In my opinion, expensive items are not always necessary to reveal the affection. The other methods
such as, spending precious time with dear ones and taking care of them physically and emotionally
play a significant role in showing love.

In conclusion, though gifts sometimes serve as a means to show our caring nature especially in long
distance relationships these things are short lived; instead sharing quality time with friends and
family and assisting them whenever they need help can be a better way to show that we care.

Many people believe that spending a lot of money on weddings is fine, while others completely
disagree. Discuss both views and give your own opinion and examples.

Throwing parties can be expensive. While some people do not find these fancy gatherings worth
what they cost, others believe such events are important to both individuals and the society.

People choose to throw parties for a number of reasons. For starters, they can make better teams.
Project kick-off parties are good opportunities to break the ice and help team members to know
each other better. Celebrating a victory create a sense of success and belonging. Companies do not
see parties as wastes of money and allocate budget to support such events; moreover, they often
leave good memories. From our own experiences, we all have happy memories of our birthday
parties when we were little. Every family has great photos took at family gatherings in their album.
In addition, contrary to what some people believe that spending on parties is a waste of social
resources, they actually create value, either by employing people in the party-planning business or
by offering people better experiences.

The popularity of parties, however, causes some tension in the society. They are hard on introverted
people who find themselves uncomfortable in the crowd. This is a clinic symptom which
psychologists call it “social anxiety disorder”. There are other ways to celebrate important events
that may have greater value for their cost. For instance, companies could send out gifts after
successful projects and parents could take their children on family trips to celebrate birthdays.

In my opinion, while a party is a form of social event that brings many benefits to individuals and the
society, other choices should also be considered, either to cut spending or to relieve the stress of
those who are not fond of crowded celebrations.

Many people believe the government should spend money on faster public transport. Others think
that money should be spent on different aspects of public transportation, such as cost reduction and
environment conservation. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. (how to do ielts)

While many are of the opinion that the most important factor in public transport is speed, others
value areas such as cost and the environment. In my opinion, although there are a number of key
considerations, speed is by far the most important.

Two of the most commonly addressed areas of public transport are cost and the environment. In
Vietnam, the quality of the public transport buses is very low and they produce a lot of air pollution.
However, they are very cheap and this allows the residents who need them the most, typically
students and low-wage earners, to afford them. In an ideal world the government would have cheap
buses that produce little exhaust, but cost and environmental concerns will always be in conflict. In
developing countries, it makes sense to emphasise the expense of tickets while developed countries
have the wealth and responsibility to try to better balance these competing policy influences.

Although these are worthwhile considerations, speed of transport should be the main rationale as it
has a trickle down effect on the economy and quality of life of a country. For example, Japan has a
famously fast and efficient system of railways both inside cities and connecting provinces within the
country. If someone has a family, faster transport allows them to spend more time with their family
both before and after work. This can enhance the quality of life of working class people. It also
means that they will get to work faster, get more work done during the day and have more time to
recuperate for the next day. Over years and decades this has hastened Japan’s development into
one of the world’s leading economies.

In my opinion, cost and the environment are crucial for ordinary people and the future of our planet
but speed has a greater effect on people in both the short and long-term. Governments that focus
on faster public transport will reap the rewards for decades.

Samples 2

Some people argue that governments should spend more money on developing bullet and metro rail
facilities, while others support the idea of spending money on upgrading current public transport
system. This essay analyses these viewpoints in the following paragraphs and concludes with my
opinion.

To begin with, many people support the plan of investing in intercity rail networks because they save
their valuable time. To explain it further, these types of trains run faster than any other public
transportation facilities. They stop only at major stations and hence they are not delayed like
passenger trains. This makes them a boon for super busy business professionals who cannot afford
to be held up in traffic.

On the other hand, improving / upgrading the current government owned transportation methods
could also solve the issue of possible traffic blocks in towns. That means if public transport is reliable
more and more people will start using it to move around the cities for shopping and entertainment.
If the government could properly maintain the present modes of transport, many people will stop
using their own vehicles because public transportation is always cheap and affordable. This way, the
traffic jams caused by private vehicles on the road can also be reduced to a great extent.

In conclusion, the government should invest in both fast trains and other existing modes of transport
because they are both required to ease traffic congestion in the cities.

Some people believe that manufacturers should be responsible for reducing the large amounts of
packaging they use. Others say consumers should avoid buying heavily packaged items. Discuss both
views and state your opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include examples from your
experience

Large quantities of plastics are used in various forms in the packaging industry. Some sections of
society believe that companies should limit the amount of plastics being used while others believe
that individuals can make a difference by saying no to goods that require a lot of packaging. In the
given paragraphs, I will discuss both the views before giving my opinion.

On one hand, manufacturing units should be made aware of the harmful effects of using packaging
material on the environment. Plastic is the leading cause of pollution and the fact that it takes
thousands of years to fully degrade in itself explains why its use should be regulated. The world is
already witnessing environmental degradation and plastic is undoubtedly a major contributor.
Majority of the plastic ends up in the world’s oceans and it has had detrimental effects on the
marine life. From affecting the ecosystem to being responsible for extinction of species, we can say
that, the effects of plastics on our environment are anything but positive.

On the other hand, consumers should take matters into their own hands and reduce the
consumption of products which require more packaging. Moreover, less demands for such products
will directly result in limited manufacturing and reduced sales. The use of plastics will also curtail
significantly. Certainly, this will not only compel supermarkets and industries but also encourage
them to make changes in their packaging policy.

To sum up, companies and individuals both are equally responsible for the excessive usage of
plastics. Users should be made aware of the catastrophic effects of this artificial material and
statutory warning should be displayed on all such kinds of products. Manufacturers must also look
for suitable alternatives. Limiting plastic consumption is the need of the hour and effective steps
must be taken to curb this menace.

Sample 2

Nowadays, there is a huge concern about the environment as people have started realising the
negative impact of their actions on nature / on the planet. Plastic pollution is one of such issues /
concerns which need to be dealt with quickly and effectively. According to some people, super
markets should help to improve the situation by reducing the amount of packaging they use. Others
insist that it is the duty of consumers to stay away from over packaged products. Both views will be
discussed in this essay.

One the one hand, it is evident that supermarkets and manufacturers are the prime producers and
promoters of the consumer goods ; therefore they are the roots of this problem and by applying
simple regulations over the manufacturing process , they can decrease the amount of packaging
efficiently. Take milk bottles, for example. If supermarkets made them thinner or even replaced
them with carton bottles, they would have a tremendous impact on the amount of plastic
consumed. Thus, the argument that supermarkets should take the responsibility to reduce over
packaging certainly makes sense.

On the other hand, satisfying people’s demand is the main job of the manufacturer. This means that
the more people continue to purchase packaged products, the more they are produced. By contract,
if people decided to cut their consumption of such products, there would be a definite reduction in
their production. For instance, two years ago the government in the UK imposed a price on plastic
bags in large supermarkets. This action decreased their consumption as well as production. Thus, it is
clear that consumers have a key role to play in tackling this issue.

In conclusion, I believe that collaborative efforts should be taken by both the manufacturers and the
consumers in order to reduce pollution caused by excessive packaging.

Today, most people get married and give birth in their thirties rather than when they are younger. Is
this a positive or negative development?

Marriage is a very important event in everyone’s life. It is a fact that nowadays, people are mostly
getting married after the age of 30. I believe that the negative impact of this trend is more serious
than the positive impact.

People prefer to marry after the age of 30 because of some reasons. One of the important reasons is
that they give priority to their careers first. We want to be financially stable and strong enough to
properly take charge of the new responsibility. Financial back-up is very much necessary in order to
lead a happy married life. For instance, it is seen that most of the tensions and internal conflicts in
families are due to the monetary crisis, which is the biggest threat to any marriage. Therefore, we
want to be financially stable and well established in our careers in order to take up any new
relationship to the next level.

However, the negative aspect is more dangerous. One of the biggest problems that ladies face after
getting married at an advanced age is the risk of infertility. As a result, the entire family suffers for a
lifetime, which is emotionally more painful to bear. In a recent study, it was found out that the
infertility risk is more for women who are planning to conceive in their 30s and it doubles once they
cross the age of 40s. This is a very common scenario among the working women who are highly
ambitious and want to be successful in their lives. Unfortunately, if they fail to conceive, then they
will pay a bigger price than they bargained for. What’s more, growing cases of infertility is a major
threat to our society and our race.

In conclusion, though the positive side of marrying late are certainly evident, the negative impacts
are more alarming and therefore they cannot be ignored; hence I believe that such developments
are negative for the society.

Sample 2
Many people currently decide not to have babies when they are young and wait until they get older
instead. There are some reasons for this tendency, and it could have some impacts on family life as
well as society.

To begin with, there are several reasons why a number of individuals want to have children later in
their life. Firstly, this choice allows them to have more time to enjoy life when they are young. For
instance, it is easier for a young couple to travel when they do not have a baby to nurture. Secondly,
people who are at the early stage of their career usually have lower income compared to when they
are older. Therefore, many people decide to start raising a family after having accumulated enough
money to ensure a better life for their children.

However, this tendency might bring about some negative effects on both family life and society. The
first impact is that having children later will cause a significant age gap between two generations.
This makes it harder for parents to understand and communicate with their offspring. Additionally, if
people give birth when they are too old, the babies being born might be less physically healthy. This
might adversely affect the quality of the future workforce if too many people decide to follow this
trend.

In conclusion, there are some reasons why many people prefer to have children later in their life,
and this tendency can result in some negative impacts on both family life and society.

Shops should give preference in selling local food rather than imported food. Do you agree or
disagree?

Two centuries ago farmers locally produced food and sold it to the local market. However, the
industry has gradually undergone a major transformation in recent years due to globalization and
urbanization. This is the case because people no longer live in places where the food grows because
globalization has led people to migrate to urban cities. The availability of various food items
throughout the world has brought about numerous benefits to people around the world. However,
some experts believe that shops should sell the food items which are produced locally and avoid
selling the imported food items. I personally believe that sales of local food items should be
preferred over the sales of food items from other countries.

The primary reason for avoiding the sales of imported food items is that the food items from
transnational corporations (TNCs) undermine the interests of local farmers and local food producers.
Small farmers and producers can struggle because as TNCs gain more power through trade
liberalization agreements, subsidies, and increased demand through investments abroad, they begin
controlling many aspects of local food systems. TNCs control the whole food chain, from the
production, trade, and processing, to the marketing, retailing, and distribution of food. Additionally,
much of this control is concentrated within a few big companies rather than millions of smallholders.

Globalization affects this kind of market power in three ways. First, foreign companies become
competitors with domestic producers by supplying food products to the domestic market. Second,
this puts pressure on domestic producers, including small farmers, to lower their prices and increase
their standards. Lastly, if domestic producers cannot lower their costs and increase standards
without going bankrupt, they are forced to leave the market. This process is exactly what allows
TNCs to dominate domestic industries and put small producers out of business. In many cases, TNCs
sell their food products at prices below the cost of production for farmers in developing countries, so
it becomes increasingly difficult for domestic producers to compete.

To conclude sales of food products supplied by international competitors has a profound impact on
the local economy. Overall, there needs to be greater dialogue on accountability and corporate
social responsibility of TNCs; better support, protection, and resources for small farmers and
producers in developing countries; increased funding in agriculture by the government; and an
international policy framework that draws standards on competition and trade policy.

Growing population is a big problem in developing countries. Should the government provide new
homes in the cities or countryside?

It is true that an increase in world’s population means that more people need shelter and therefore
more houses need to be constructed. Although there are some benefits of building houses in cities.
It would be more advantageous if new villages are established as will now be discussed.

On the one hand, building houses in cities is beneficial because the material needed for construction
is readily available as there are many construction stores in these areas. Furthermore, more and
more people are migrating to cities as there are more employment opportunities. However, to make
more space for building houses many trees are cut down as well as parks are cleared to make place
for buildings and due to this the cost of living is high in cities and as a result, there is more traffic on
roads which leads to pollution and congestion on roads.

On the other hand, constructing new houses in towns has some drawbacks. Firstly, there is limited
public transport in these areas. Secondly, it is hard to get a good job for people living in villages.
However, these issues can be combatted by having their own vehicle so that they can travel to and
from to city. Despite these disadvantages there are many advantages of establishing new towns in
rural areas; houses in these areas can be affordable for most people because there is less
competition, more free land is available and the atmosphere is not polluted from traffic or
overcrowding; therefore people living here can breathe fresh air. Moreover, more industries can be
built due to the availability of free space and the manpower, and these companies provide jobs for
local people.

In conclusion, both the ideas have some advantages and disadvantages. However, after analysing
both the arguments it is clear that establishing new towns in rural areas is more beneficial.

Some people think that the media (newspapers) have the right to publish details of people’s private
lives, while others think it should be controlled. Discuss both views.
We are living in a celebrity obsessed world where everything that famous people do or say makes
headlines. If media publishes stories about the private lives of the rich and the famous, that is
because there is an audience for them. People want to know what celebrities do, say, wear, eat and
drink. Media merely satisfies this need because it makes sound business sense for them.

Public personalities also have a private life that they want to shield from others. Just because they
are famous, the media doesn’t have the right to publish all sorts of personal information about
them. It has now become fashionable to publish photos and stories that are demeaning to famous
people. This trend must be condemned. Everybody has flaws; however, when a celebrity exhibits
them it becomes news. People get some weird pleasure from knowing that these famous men and
women that they admire are not perfect.

On the flip side, there is a symbiotic relationship between celebrities and the media. One depends
on the other for their existence. Celebrities need media exposure to remain celebrities. They are
desperate to stay in the news. They need media attention to build their career. They become
conscious of their right to privacy only after they have established themselves in the industry. At that
stage, however, they can’t expect the media, which fuelled their growth, to stop writing about them.

To conclude, as long as people want to know about the private lives of famous personalities, media
will oblige them with photos and stories. However, I believe that public personalities also have a
right to privacy. Although I wouldn’t say that media should stop writing about famous people, I do
believe that they should draw a line. Media must resist the temptation to publish stories that can
destroy lives and careers.

Some people think that activities during the free-time should be planned while others disagree.
Discuss both sides and include examples and relevant data from your own experience.

Some people are in favour of organizing their pastime activities, whereas others opine that there is
no need to plan leisure time activities. While both methods have their advantages, I am inclined to
support the latter view.

Planning one’s free time activities has several benefits. To begin with, people will have a routine,
which will aid their time management. To elaborate, if we do not have a plan of activities to be
carried out in the leisure time, we will spend a considerable amount of time wondering what to do.
This would exhaust our available time. In addition to that, having a routine hobby such as playing
sports or reading books will not only help us to pass our time but also improve our lives in all
aspects. For instance, training routinely for a sport as a hobby will certainly make anyone an expert
in that particular game.

However, considering the hectic schedules in the contemporary world, people have a greater need
to rest and relax. As such having to plan for their leisure activities will add more stress to their
already stressed out life. To cite an example, more often than not people work for 10 hours a day in
my country. On top of this, if they had to plan and participate in a regular activity, it would certainly
not help. Furthermore, pleasurable activities should not be time bound. Whenever time comes into
the equation, it brings unwanted pressure.

To conclude, planning one’s pastime activity in detail certainly allows us to use the available time in
the most efficient manner. Even so, in my opinion, it is better to indulge in an activity, which we
prefer to do in that particular time without prior planning so that it will not add up any stress.