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People throw things away and buy new ones instead of repairing them and using again. What do you think may be the reasons for this? What problems might this cause in society?
正确答案:
Ours is a throw-away society strongly influenced by consumerism as we value
convenience over environmental protection. Even though we are environmentally
conscious to some extent, we do not appear to be serious enough in taking
measures to reduce consumption, let alone repairing and re-using old things
instead of buying new ones. Much is known about what is happening whereas little
is being done to effectively prevent the serious situation from becoming
worse.
The causes of the development of the "throw-away society" are clear, so are
its effects on the environment. We throw away out of convenience because
societal conventions have us constantly move on to the next new fad or
technology. For example, we are dumping large quantities of thrash, such as
plastic bags and diapers that can pollute the environment. Likewise, we are
discarding televisions, cell phones, computers and other plastics in exchange of
new ones that unsurprisingly will become our future garbage. It is as if a
product were designed or intended on purpose to fail or become less desirable
over time, only to be thrown away after a certain amount of use. So much so, we
are filling the environment with more rubbish than we can possibly dispose of,
and as a result pollution is the price we are paying for the popular culture of
consumerism in the age of mass production.
Nevertheless, there are no ready solutions to consumerism-related problems
due mainly to the fact that the "throw-away" habits die hard, especially when
often it could be more costly to repair old products than to buy new ones.
Consequently, although many people have a critical view of over-consumption and
excessive production of short-lived items, few people are actually able to
resist the systematic attempts of business to make us wasteful as well as
debt-ridden and permanently discontented individuals. To relieve the
environmental impacts, we pretend to believe that one ideal solution should rest
on educating consumers to voluntarily do "positive" buying--recycled and
re-used. Without a doubt, this might be nothing but wishful thinking since such
a measure is easier said than done in a well-to-do society, imagining that only
extreme poverty could perhaps stop the "throw-away" trend. Fortunately, the good
news is that there exist some kinds of technological know-how that may kindle
the hope of finding a "green" solution, commonly called Waste-To-Energy (WTE)
plants. Of course, it remains to be seen how efficiently those WTE plants can
reduce waste volume and also contribute to resource recovery, thereby protecting
the environment.
What with education and what with technology, it is expected that more could
be done to combat the key problems in the "throw-away society". To be sure,
environmental awareness alone is not enough to spare our planet from being
further damaged if we do not change that consumer lifestyle which is not doing
any favor to the environment. In a society gradually being used to obsessive
consumerism, the cruel reality is that too many people now prefer convenience to
environmental protection, while too few measures are likely to become effective
anytime soon.
本题解析: 暂无解析
In some countries around the world men and women tend to have their children late in life. What are the reasons for this development? What are the effects on society and family life?
正确答案:
These days, owing to the advances in biomedical technology, there is a
growing tendency in some countries for fresh couples to have children late in
their life. From my perspective, this notable trend may associate with women
themselves as well as with the increasingly soaring cost of living.
Obviously, women tend to receive longer education in their life span, which
means they may get late marriage and consequently have postponed child-bearing.
Furthermore, with longer and better education, women may reconsider their role
in marriage. To be specific, they may attach more attention to their career
trying to be professional in their field, compared with their traditional
counterparts mainly performing the role of mother in a family. Apart from the
reason coming from women themselves, the high cost of living in some countries
may also contribute to this phenomenon. Not only can feeding a family be
burdensome for young couples, but offering high quality education for their
offspring could be an even more daunting task, which to a large extent hinder
their progress to be parents.
Admittedly, having late child-bearing may enable women to fulfill their
career ambitions and allow young couples to establish a solid financial base.
However, despite the contribution of medical science, late child-bearing may
make women be confronted with the pregnancy problems such as low fertility and
the high risk of genetic disorder, which could be detrimental to their physical
and mental health. Furthermore, postponed child-bearing could also trigger the
decline of overall population, which in turn can exacerbate the problem of
ageing population, ending up with more pressure on feeding the elderly for our
future generations.
To conclude, although having postponed child-bearing could pave the way for
women's career development, and enable young couples to better prepare for
parents in terms of financial support, the risk of such practice for individuals
and society should not be ignored and the analysis seems to indicate its
drawbacks outweigh its merits. Thus, government and communities are supposed to
do more to help our young couples to get balanced in this issue.
本题解析: 暂无解析
The restoration of old buildings in major cities throughout the world often involves numerous government expenditure. This money will bring more benefits if it is used to provide new housing or road development.To what extend do you agree or disagree.
正确答案:
Every city has old buildings. Every year the governments around the world
spend large sums of money restoring them. Some people consider this a huge waste
of money and they believe the governments’ budget should go to building new
houses and roads, while others insist that the restoration of old buildings in
cities is well worth the money.
There are a host of reasons why some urban old buildings should not be
restored. To start with, the old buildings are no longer suitable for people to
live in, therefore they should be destroyed and give way to new buildings so
that people, especially young people in the cities have more living spaces.
Secondly, the old buildings can cause inconveniences for the city dwellers.
Since there is not a direct route through the old buildings, people sometimes
have to go to and off work by making a long detour around them, and in this way
much of their time is wasted. Finally, the old buildings may give rise to safety
problems. More than 100 people, for example, are killed or injured each year in
my city, just because of the collapse of some ancient buildings.
Yet old buildings - at least some of them - are significant historically and
culturally, and hence should be restored for that reason. They carry some
important messages about the city or even the whole nation. The Summer Palace,
for instance, is a perfect reminder of how the imperial family in the Qing
Dynasty in feudal China were living and so has great cultural significance. Such
old buildings, if well preserved, can become tourist spots and attract thousands
of visitors from around the globe.
We all need a memory of our past. Many old buildings do have historical and
cultural value which tells us who we were. We need to take good care of these
buildings and keep them as long as possible, however much money it may involve,
so that they can tell the stories of the city or the nation to our future
generations. Of course, the money squandered on those old buildings with little
value should be used to solve more practical problems such as housing and
traffic.
本题解析: 暂无解析
Young people who commit serious crimes should be punished in the same way as adults. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
正确答案:
Crimes can be detestable, while minor offenders and their crimes are from
time to time treated with leniency. Thus, some argue that laws should not
discriminate, and equally punish minor criminals—an opinion that this essay is
against.
To begin with, minors are yet to approach their maturity, and their crimes,
albeit serious, should be punished with the consideration of their young age.
Internationally speaking, countries might define the start of adulthood
differently—18 being the most common—but they commonly believe that there is a
distinction between minor crimes and adult crimes. Minors are likely to be given
a better chance for rehabilitation when they commit crimes because of their
inexperience of life and possibly better life prospects. In that case, milder
punishments are inflicted onjuvenile delinquents: lesser sentencing and
relatively less harsh correction facilities are introduced in their cases.
Moreover, considering the correction process, minor offenders should not be
punished equally as adult criminals. Despite the above-mentioned arguments that
are in young offenders’ defense, crimes, especially felonies by minors, deserve
heavy punishment to deter crimes and reduce the harm of those crimes to the
society. However, sending minors to adult prison might entailunexpectedly
negative results. First, minors are naturally closer to more sophisticated
criminals and crimes, which aggravate juvenile delinquency. Second, when in
adult correctional facilities, young criminals might be threatened by assaults
by adult prisoners, mostly sexually,which is nowhere closer to the purpose of
rehabilitation.
In sum, law breakers, be they minors or not, should be punished for their
wrongdoings, but lesser sentences and special correctional facilities might be
more reasonable and helpful.
本题解析: 暂无解析
News media are important in modern society.Why are they so important? Are their influences generally positive or negative?
正确答案:
I think the news media mainly plays two important roles in modern society –
providing information and influencing public opinion – and I think its influence
is generally positive.
Obviously, the news media provides people with vast amounts of information in
various forms. We can access it by listening to the radio, reading newspapers
and magazines, watching television and by surfing the Internet. The ability to
access news media is important for individuals and organizations because we make
many decisions based on the news provided to us. Some of these decisions are
mundane. We check the weather forecast to see whether we should take an umbrella
to work. Other news, such as that about the business world, could influence
whether we invest our savings in certain companies listed on the stock
exchange.
The news is often presented to us in certain ways, using specific words to
try to control our feelings and thoughts. This can be the main negative
influence of the news media. Very often, the news media portrays people in
simplistic ways, giving us some facts, but not the whole story. In the USA, some
news media tends to support the Republicans whilst others tend towards the
Democrats and the portrayal of individuals can reflect this. This is somewhat
inevitable, because the editors, journalists and owners of the news media have
opinions and biases. So, I think that it would be better if people checked news
stories from different sources instead of only using one source.
Despite the fact that the news media can report events incorrectly or with
bias, I think that the general influence on society is good. More factual
information gives us the chance to make better decisions, both in our personal
lives and in our working lives.
本题解析: 暂无解析
In some cultures old people are more valued, while in other cultures the youth is more valued. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
正确答案:
In this essay, I shall explain why I think we that should value old age and
youth, without suggesting that one is better than the other.
I feel that we should celebrate the fact that so many people make it to old
age. In the past, thanks to war, disease and the dangers of childbirth, most
people were not so fortunate. Particularly in Western societies, a large (and
growing) proportion of the population is past the age of retirement and most of
those people are enjoying life. Many have saved enough money to live well and
travel around the world or to play golf or to do whatever it is that they enjoy.
They value the time they have and want to make the most of it. Simultaneously,
societies around the world value the elderly for the experience and knowledge
that they have gained over the years.
At the same time, cultures and individuals around the world value youth. Some
people value it so much that they are prepared to spend plenty of money on
maintaining a youthful look, through the use of make-up and plastic surgery.
Youth is often seen as a time to be dynamic and fun, developing new ideas and
trying things differently. This can be very useful to an economy. Would China
have been able to develop so quickly in recent decades without a large supply of
young people ready to take their chances in Shenzhen or Shanghai?
These are the main reasons why I think that it is a mistake to value either
old age or youth and not the other. Of course, most people will value one more
than the other, possibly depending on their age. However, as a culture - as a
society - we should value both.
本题解析: 暂无解析
Today consumers are facing an increasing amount of advertising from competing companies. To what extent do you think consumers are influenced by advertisements? What measures can be taken to protect them?
正确答案:
The extent to which people are influenced by advertisements can be measured
in terms of the high sales of popular consumer goods, many of them being
unnecessary or completely useless. Mainly through the media, advertisements on
products and services are able to penetrate the public mind with half truth and
half lying. In many cases, consumers are becoming so greedy that they are not
only buying things they really do not need but also spending the money they do
not have.
Although advertising gives people a chance as consumers, actually most
advertisements tend to cause them to desire for something worthless. Under such
circumstances, it is easy to change people's need into greed. So much so, they
are constantly encouraged to want things--want this and want that. This human
behavior is haunted by the media from all fronts: on radio, on television, and
online, not to mention printed circulations such as newspapers and magazines.
Obviously, a great number of "impulsive" buyers are persuaded under the illusion
that new products or services could make a difference in their lives. Despite
all the benefits of the free market economy, the effects of unreliable
advertising are particularly negative in that the power of advertising does not
reflect the real needs of the society in which products and services are
sold.
Worse still, many consumers are convinced to waste money they do not have.
Surrounded by advertisements, people are too unwise to perform a balanced act
between income and expenditure. Increasingly, what seems to be good for economy
begins to backfire because advertising is misleading consumers deeply into
commercial debts which they probably could not afford to pay in due time. Thus,
instead of improving people's lives, advertising may be considered as a
"necessary evil" in modern time. Furthermore, as manufacturing and service
companies are competing to have a larger share of the market, it is next to
impossible to expect the media to reduce the amount of dishonest advertising.
Besides, when it comes to making money, companies and the media are in the same
religion.
After all, greed being a human instinct, consumers have only themselves to
blame for their foolishness toward advertisements. Since outlawing commercial
advertising is out of the question, people should educate themselves to be more
prudent in buying and spending behaviors. As for consumers, what better measures
can be taken to protect themselves other than self-control?
本题解析: 暂无解析
Many people believe that scientific research should be carried out and controlled by the government rather than private companies. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
正确答案:
As can be argued, government rules can easily become obstacles to scientific
achievements. Usually, most of the world's headline-making scientific
discoveries do not come through governmental establishments, admitting that
fiscal funding is often essential to helping such success to happen in the
private sector. It is false to suggest that the government should carry out and
control scientific research because the issue is not only about money but also
brains.
Just because public funds matter, it does not follow that the government
should restrict that kind of freedom of thinking which is vital to imaginative
minds. Apart from that, nothing is more naive than for the government to play
the role of police and rule research activities. Yes, freedom--that is how
scientific breakthroughs are born. It goes without saying that probably billions
of government's money may be needed to carry out research projects in various
scientific fields, but it must be considered that great scientists tend to
ignore, or even go against the rules. Indeed, it is hard to imagine how many
scientific discoveries could have been missed as a result of unnecessary
regulations. To put it strongly, control is the death of scientific
research.
Scientific research should not be forced in any event. It is because a
research problem is less likely to be solved by any apparatus which money can
buy than to be solved by the brains of a free head that money cannot always buy.
Thus, it does not seem proper for official amateurs to "know" what on earth
scientists are doing. Otherwise, it would not be called "research" in the real
sense of the word. Trying to heavily monitor scientific brains is perhaps a
dangerous attitude since the consequence is always too much foliage and too
little fruit. That can explain in part why the government ought to shift most of
the pledged fiscal spending from the public to the private sector.
All aspects taken into account, scientific research is two things: billions
and brains. With little doubt, the success in a country's scientific discoveries
relies on both sufficient funding from the government and on creative minds from
private companies in which pure research is worth every penny it costs. All the
government has to do is grant money and expect that somewhere, something
incredible is going to be known. (Created by Jeenn Lee Hsieh)
本题解析: 暂无解析
Some visitors are interested in other countries' cultures and traditions. How they learn other cultures and traditions? Why this is interesting to some visitors but not to others?
正确答案:
When visiting foreign countries some people think that it is advantageous to
learn their cultures and traditions. How do you think people can learn other
cultures and traditions? Why do you think that some people are interested in
learning those traditions and cultures while others are not? Give reasons for
your opinion and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or
experience
It is common to experience culture shock when visiting other countries with
different traditions and customs, particularly for an extended period of time.
Some visitors are interested in adapting to foreign cultures and effectively
manage culture shock; some people are not. There are several reasons why we can
better enjoy travelling with an open mind and develop an appreciation for
cultural differences across the world .
As visitors in foreign lands, we are probably in for the feeling of
disorientation, insecurity and anxiety in unfamiliar situations. altogether
known as culture shock. This phenomenon is understandable because values,
behaviors and social customs we routinely take for granted no longer serve us in
different surroundings. Of course, it takes time to learn a 'do-as-Romans-do'
attitude, but it is always advisable to keep an open mind. We ought not to give
in to the temptation to isolate ourselves into the comfort of what is familiar.
Perhaps, all we need is a little more patience to understand the new environment
in its historical and social context. In all events, the right thing to do is to
observe objectively, and not to judge automatically as if anything different is
'wrong' or 'negative'.
To better appreciate differences culture-wise, it is also important that we
learn beforehand enough background information about a country we are ging to.
In case we know close to nothing about that country, it means that we might have
no interest in its culture, so why should we visit there in the first place? For
visitors, a little bit of knowledge about a foreign culture tends to be
misleading. But it doesn`t have to be that way. For instance, making an effort
to learn the local language and social customs can increase communication skills
and proper behaviors, both being of great help to demonstrate an interest in a
different culture as well as integrating with the local community. In fact,
before travelling it pays to learn something of many things about a foreign
country's culture and tradition, ranging from the greetings to the clothing to
the before-meal ceremonies.
Visiting a foreign country can be a rewarding experience if we are
open-minded and knowledge-conscious toward any different culture. It seems
necessary to reduce the negative impact of culture shock so that the entire
visit would become pure fun. After all, when we come across a new environment,
we don't expect to experience everything exactly like back home, do we?
本题解析: 暂无解析
In most cities and towns, the high volumes of road traffic become a problem. What are the causes of that and what actions could be taken to solve the problem?
正确答案:
In some major cities in my country, China, heavy traffic becomes increasingly
problematic to commuters. This situation can be due to the fast pace of urban
development.
The migration policy in China leads rural peasants to big cities. Also the
convenient modern facilities and business opportunities in urban areas attract
young generation in smaller towns seeking a reasonable career. While cities are
expanding, the travellers have to cover further distance than they used to.
Unluckily the public transport system built years ago is not well functioning.
It is at this point that car purchase sounds reasonable. On top of this, the
political will of enhancing economy should be responsible for various urban
issues including traffic congestion. In order to stimulate domestic consumption,
the public are encouraged to own their private cars, but in metropolises with
dense population, such lifestyle is hard to be sufficiently supported.
To deal with traffic issue, some actions can be taken. Firstly, satellite
cities can be a pragmatic approach to decentralize urban resource, thereby
reducing urban population density. These satellite cities featuring
self-sufficient can largely reduce daily travel if people are encouraged to live
near their workplace or their school. Exclusive avenues for cycling can be set
so that short-distance travellers would like to choose riding a bike instead of
squeezing in a bus.
Public transport should be improved in terms of route, timing,
comfortableness and service courtesy so as to encourage commuters to take. The
larger capacity of public vehicles compared with private cars can effectively
ease the traffic pressure on city roads.
In contrast, private cars should be discouraged from using for short distance
travel. The approaches include charging a high parking fee, more expensive
petrol or restricting in driving days.
本题解析: 暂无解析