Ví dụ 1: Universities should accept equal numbers of male
and female students in every subject. To what extent do you agree or
disagree?
In my opinion, men and women should have the same educational
opportunities. However, I do not agree with the idea of accepting equal
proportions of each gender in every university subject.
Having the same number of men and women on all degree courses is
simply unrealistic. Student numbers on any course depend on the
applications that the institution receives. If a university decided to
fill courses with equal numbers of males and females, it would need
enough applicants of each gender. In reality, many courses are more
popular with one gender than the other, and it would not be practical to
aim for equal proportions. For example, nursing courses tend to attract
more female applicants, and it would be difficult to fill these courses
if fifty per cent of the places needed to go to males.
Apart from the practical concerns expressed above, I also believe
that it would be unfair to base admission to university courses on
gender. Universities should continue to select the best candidates for
each course according to their qualifications. In this way, both men and
women have the same opportunities, and applicants know that they will
be successful if they work hard to achieve good grades at school. If a
female student is the best candidate for a place on a course, it is
surely wrong to reject her in favour of a male student with lower grades
or fewer qualifications.
In conclusion, the selection of university students should be based
on merit, and it would be both impractical and unfair to change to a
selection procedure based on gender.
Ví dụ 2: Some people believe that hobbies need to be difficult to be enjoyable. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Some hobbies are relatively easy, while others present more of a
challenge. Personally, I believe that both types of hobby can be fun,
and I therefore disagree with the statement that hobbies need to be
difficult in order to be enjoyable.
On the one hand, many people enjoy easy hobbies. One example of an
activity that is easy for most people is swimming. This hobby requires
very little equipment, it is simple to learn, and it is inexpensive. I
remember learning to swim at my local swimming pool when I was a child,
and it never felt like a demanding or challenging experience. Another
hobby that I find easy and fun is photography. In my opinion, anyone can
take interesting pictures without knowing too much about the
technicalities of operating a camera. Despite being straightforward,
taking photos is a satisfying activity.
On the other hand, difficult hobbies can sometimes be more exciting.
If an activity is more challenging, we might feel a greater sense of
satisfaction when we manage to do it successfully. For example, film
editing is a hobby that requires a high level of knowledge and
expertise. In my case, it took me around two years before I became
competent at this activity, but now I enjoy it much more than I did when
I started. I believe that many hobbies give us more pleasure when we
reach a higher level of performance because the results are better and
the feeling of achievement is greater.
In conclusion, simple hobbies can be fun and relaxing, but difficult hobbies can be equally pleasurable for different reasons.
Ví dụ 3: Families who send their children to private
schools should not be required to pay taxes that support the state
education system. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this
statement?
Some people believe that parents of children who attend private
schools should not need to contribute to state schools through taxes.
Personally, I completely disagree with this view.
For a variety of reasons, it would be wrong to reduce taxes for
families who pay for private education. Firstly, it would be difficult
to calculate the correct amount of tax reduction for these families, and
staff would be required to manage this complex process. Secondly, we
all pay a certain amount of tax for public services that we may not use.
For example, most people are fortunate enough not to have to call the
police or fire brigade at any time in their lives, but they would not
expect a tax reduction for this. Finally, if wealthy families were given
a tax discount for sending their children to private schools, we might
have a situation where poorer people pay higher taxes than the rich.
In my opinion, we should all be happy to pay our share of the money
that supports public schools. It is beneficial for all members of
society to have a high quality education system with equal opportunities
for all young people. This will result in a well-educated workforce,
and in turn a more productive and prosperous nation. Parents of children
in private schools may also see the advantages of this in their own
lives. For example, a company owner will need well qualified and
competent staff, and a well-funded education system can provide such
employees.
In conclusion, I do not believe that any financial concessions should be made for people who choose private education.
Ví dụ 4: Some people think that all teenagers should be
required to do unpaid work in their free time to help the local
community. They believe this would benefit both the individual teenager
and society as a whole. Do you agree or disagree?
Many young people work on a volunteer basis, and this can only be
beneficial for both the individual and society as a whole. However, I do
not agree that we should therefore force all teenagers to do unpaid
work.
Most young people are already under enough pressure with their
studies, without being given the added responsibility of working in
their spare time. School is just as demanding as a full-time job, and
teachers expect their students to do homework and exam revision on top
of attending lessons every day. When young people do have some free
time, we should encourage them to enjoy it with their friends or to
spend it doing sports and other leisure activities. They have many years
of work ahead of them when they finish their studies.
At the same time, I do not believe that society has anything to gain
from obliging young people to do unpaid work. In fact, I would argue
that it goes against the values of a free and fair society to force a
group of people to do something against their will. Doing this can only
lead to resentment amongst young people, who would feel that they were
being used, and parents, who would not want to be told how to raise
their children. Currently, nobody is forced to volunteer, and this is
surely the best system.
In conclusion, teenagers may choose to work for free and help others, but in my opinion we should not make this compulsory.
