The Internet has provided great benefits, but at the same time it has also created new dangers and inequalities Is it possible to control some of these problems? It is fairly obvious that the Internet has revolutionized much of society Individuals benefit from access to abundant amounts of information on the World Wide Web, as well as being able to communicate easily and cheaply with friends and strangers For the business world the impact has been even more dramatic Vast sums of money are constantly being transferred around the world by electronic means Banks and other businesses now totally depend on the Internet There are, however, significant dangers in this development The first problem that deserves a public concern is dangers from hacking the system and either obtaining secret information or introducing viruses that cause immense loss It is likely that this problem can never be completely solved As soon as technology is developed to overcome one hacker, another one produces some new strategies Apart from this technical problem, however, there is a much deeper one, and that is the inequality between individuals and societies, which the Internet is making worse The gap between the rich and the poor is growing rapidly in the world, and access to the Internet is a significant part of the problem Developing countries where schools cannot afford computers, and small businesses which not have Internet access are being left further and further behind Some people believe that if computers are widely distributed in poor societies, this would be an important way to reduce the inequalities Others feel that the problem is much deeper, and needs to be dealt with by bodies such as World Trade Organization The answer is probably that all possible methods should be used to break down the inequalities, including access to the Internet, to ensure that the world does become more and more stable Words: 293 It is sometimes argued that because tertiary education is of greater benefit to the individual than to the society, all students should pay full fees What is your opinion? As the modern world is becoming increasingly complex and knowledge is becoming more and more specialized, there is no doubt that tertiary education is necessary both for the whole society and for individuals who want to ensure that they have a good profession The question of who benefits more is important to societies and governments in declining who should be expected to pay for the costs involved This interesting question is worth a thorough discussion There is no doubt that the whole society benefits In all developing countries there has been a strong effort to raise the educational level of the society by putting as much money as possible into providing educational institutions Universities and colleges are, however, expensive to run Because of this, it is felt that such countries are held back in all forms of development Without enough educated professionals such as doctors, teachers, scientists and engineers, developing countries cannot move ahead Governments in such countries provide scholarships, or free education, to as many students as they can afford, because they realize that the whole country will benefit Many developed countries also try to offer free tertiary education because they want a highly educated population However, there is also a strong argument that individuals benefit so much from tertiary education that they should be expected to pay for it Doctors, lawyers, accountants and engineers have some of the highest incomes in most countries People argue that the government, and therefore the taxpayers, should not pay for students who will later earn more than anyone else Moreover, most students come from the middle classes, and their parents can afford to pay for their fees There are, of course, some students who cannot afford to pay This problem can be overcome by a system like the one being used in Australia, for example The government gives the students a loan to pay for their fees, and later, when they are earning a good salary, they repay the loan It is probably impossible to decide whether the individual or the society benefits more from tertiary education, but since both benefits, the costs should probably be paid for by both equally Words: 356 The Responsibility for the Environment Environment problems have recently become a serious subject which receive a lot of public concern There is polluted air and water everywhere and we also know that the greenhouse effect is changing our weather and that the hole in the ozone layer is causing skin cancer However, not enough is being done to solve these problems because most people seem to be waiting for governments' actions In fact, the responsibility for protecting the environment must be shared by everyone Individuals can and should many things to help to solve the problem before it is too late The first opinion put in illumination is that people can make sure that they are responsible in the way that they dispose of waste If people throw rubbish like plastic into rivers and oceans, it always stays there, and causes fish and seabirds to die It is also important to note that we should not buy goods that have too much wrapping on them, especially plastic wrapping, because if we do, we are adding to the huge amount of waste People also need to be responsible in the way that they use water In some countries, like Australia, an enormous amount of water is wasted for swimming pools, and washing cars Most countries are running out of fresh water For instance, Singapore has to purchase every single litre of fresh water, which cost a large fund from the state and individual budgets If people used their cars less, this would help to prevent the greenhouse effect Everyone can turn to use mass transits, or use bicycles, or even walk, instead of using their cars for even short trips Undeniably, traffic fumes are one of the major causes of global warming Finally yet importantly the most important thing that individuals can is to let their governments know that they want something to be done about the environment It is obvious that the governments will not anything unless the people force them to It is therefore clear that individuals must take responsibility for the environment Otherwise, it will soon be too late, and we and the next generation will suffer serious consequences Words: 314 We are obviously producing more and more rubbish Why is it happening? What should people to reduce rubbish? There is little room for doubt that garbage on earth is alarmingly increasing It is time people brought the topic to seminars to warn the public of this issue In my personal point of view, it is a good idea to attack the reasons for the improving amount of litter before figuring out optimal solutions to the problem It is undeniable that there have been many causes of rubbish First and foremost, population boom is mainly responsible for a tremendous increase in garbage It is logical to say that the more people are born, the more products they consume, leading to the situation that they litter more from what they have used Secondly, manufacturers have utilized many unnecessary things attached to the main products to appeal shoppers due to commercial competition In reality, these enclosed things are just discarded right before the main products come into use because they not have any value in use They are, in essence, just to decorate the items For instance, to make Johnson and Johnson shampoo the best sellers, the producers use a colorful string wrap, which does not have any value other than draws shoppers’ attention This string wrap is obviously very harmful to the environment since it takes very long time for nylon to decompose Eventually, some people are unaware of the dangers of rubbish As a result, they litter in many places, including tourist attractions and streets Especially, in developing countries, such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Myanmar, it is not difficult to see garbage on the streets Based on the aforementioned reasons, immediate actions should be taken by individuals and authorized organizations What I am first concerned about is education plays a major role in limiting waste The governments around the world need to educate their own citizens about the potential risks of garbage, particularly the items made from rubber, plastics, and nylon as such matter causes extreme soil pollution Restricting the use of long-lasting rubbish, in other words, is tremendously significant Besides, another crucial solution is building up waste-recycling plants to reuse throw-away from individuals It is certainly the government’s liability because individuals cannot this In a smaller scale, all citizens also need to be responsible for the purity of the environment that they and their descendants have been living in Unquestionably, some people are irresponsible; they litter in an uncontrolled manner due to their low level of education In a nutshell, the whole society needs to join hands in protecting surroundings by restricting and recycling discharge Take actions right now before it is too late! Otherwise, one day we will have to live in the dump of garbage that we have disposed of Words: 446 Some people think it is their responsibility to take care of the elderly people in their own family Others, however, think it is the state’s responsibility Which opinion you agree with? In different cultures, people have different ideas on who should be responsible for taking care of the elderly people In particular, Western cultures think the government should be liable for elderly people, whereas Eastern Cultures believe it is a sin to leave old parents alone The debate needs to be thoroughly illuminated to figure out the logical perspective What deserves most people’s concern in order to determine the person responsible is retired people’s contributions During people’s tenure, they have obviously made contributions to the entire society to a certain extent It would be absolutely no doubt that the government needs to pick up the bill Opponents of this view argue that the elderly have also contributed greatly to their own families, so their families must be responsible for them This standpoint, in my personal opinion, is a sophistry Retired people have in part devoted their life to their children because they want their children to have enjoyable lives They would be unsatisfied if we ask their children to take an extra burden Another logical reasoning is old people’s health must be cared better if the state takes action Undeniably, nursing homes are better-equipped than private houses When the elderly live in the nursing home, their health can be tested regularly by good doctors and nurses who are always available to help Moreover, they can live with other people at similar ages, so they are not isolated within walls after retirement as in their children’s houses People who disagree with this point reckon that parents are generally more content with living with their children and grandchildren On the contrary, they are not in reality Do you think an 80-year-old lady can stand metal rock played by children? Living in such a place, the elderly must be tremendously tortured They not have a minute to relax Finally yet importantly, aged people deserve welfare since they have paid insurance when they are in work It is a sin if the society passes the buck to their families Social benefits are just, in my point of view, returns to their advance payment If the government refuses to subsidize the old, who is willing to pay insurance? People who object to this perspective refute that their young babies should live with grandparents to share experience and look after their houses while they are away from home Nevertheless, this argument is absolutely invalid They are clearly taking advantage of their parents, not taking care of them This opinion is obviously another sophistry It is clear that they not mind how their parents feel, but think for themselves They are hiring maids to their household chores for free This scheme proves that both the state itself and children pass the ball to each other and avoid their liabilities In a nutshell, it is logical that the entire society, not family units, must be responsible for taking care of elderly people Many people must form a big warm round helping the old Do not forget to thank the people making you become who you are today! Words: 517 The World’s Wrong Reasoning Some people think dieting can change people’s life for the better However, others believe that people not need to have a diet Which opinion you agree with? There is little room for doubt since the first popular diet “banning” was developed in 1863, people around the world have been more aware of their eating habit Then, many people reckon that human beings need to have a diet for a better living Nevertheless, in my opinion, it is no use dieting The first idea put in illumination is that eating a variety of food strengthens people’s health Scientifically, our body needs diverse sources of food, which provide our body with a sufficient number of vital functional nutrients If we consume enough food, we may have a good health, a pursuit to many people People in favor of dieting argue this practice may boost one’s health However, this perspective is invalid Research proves primitive people had better health than we now although they did not make sense of a diet They even endured harsh weather and could fight against dangerous giant animals Dare you challenge a tiger as they did? Eating inadequately can ruin one’s health as claimed by most nutritionists The second aspect taken into account is an intake of much edible food improves metabolism Undeniably, fat, as a bad image to most dieters, makes our skin smoother and look fresher Without fat, our skin must come apart like old fabric Another kind of food that most dieters avoid is carbohydrate This kind of supply sure provides us energy to work long hours Without fat and carbohydrate, people must look like scary living skeletons on Halloween Day People who support dieting may refute that eating much can make them overweight I personally accept that obesity should be avoided However, this disease is mainly caused by passive lifestyle, not the food consumption For instance, athletes eat much, but they still have a good shape Obviously, diet supporters are absolutely lazybones, who not work out much and find it an easy way to keep fit This is really a sophistry If people eat much and exercise on a regular basis, they will have a good body build and health On the contrary, if they eat little and not any exercise, they may look palely slim and out of energy Finally yet importantly, eating is human enjoyment Why we need to skip the food that we like? What we live for if we enjoy life? Without eating what we like, life is not worth living It is true that dieters are deprived of their right to eat Those who support dieting reckon people should have controlled eating habits Nonetheless, research findings say when we feel like a dish, our body is actually in need of its ingredients I personally believe our body is a good guide to our eating habit I guess extreme dieters must regret a great deal when they get old They will look worse and regret that they not enjoy themselves when they are young In the final analysis, it is no use skipping edible food we like to eat If we eat much and exercise much, we both enjoy life, have a good health, and a nice-looking appearance Do not skip food and regret later Conflicts between Parents and Children Some people view conflicts between parents and teenage children as a necessary part of growing up, whilst others view it as something negative which should be avoided Which opinion you agree with? Adolescence is traditionally a difficult age when young people go through physical and psychological changes in a comparatively short period of time As a result, conflicts between teenagers and their parents are inevitable It is important to understand that different cultures, Western and Asian, see this phenomenon quite differently In my personal point of view, conflicts play a significant role in a child’s development In the first place, parents can understand their children more thanks to their controversies Fathers and mothers, after a conflict, can know their children’ needs and expectations since their children’s personality traits develop over time With a satisfactory explanation, teenagers can consider their parents friends As a result, they are willing to consult with their parents when they are really in need of good advice It must be extremely harmful if teenagers disagree with their parents but not want to express their own opinions Consequently, they possibly release stress by hanging out with their bad friends Opponents think this kind of conflict may put the family on ice However, this view is not strong as a gap is not usually formed between understanding people Do you keep away from a person who understands you and is willing to share your problems? Besides strengthening relationships between family members, conflicts generally help adolescent people get experience from their parents From my perspective, when young people disagree with their parents, it is advisable for them to speak out what they are thinking about Owing to their discussion, they can distinguish the right from the wrong In other words, they can inherit experience from their parents through conflicts People who disagree with this standpoint argue that children should always obey their parents inasmuch as parents’ words are rules Nevertheless, this mindset needs to be changed because it violates children’s rights It is essential to note that teenagers are also human, and they certainly have their own voice Moreover, after 15, they are deemed to have equal civil rights as others Finally yet importantly, conflicts help children “stand on their own feet” As a matter of fact, parents cannot live with their children forever It is crucial that parents help children make their own decisions By this way, young people can mentally develop over time Children will never live and think independently if they have to whatever their parents want them to How can they build up their own families after getting married if they have to ask their parents for permission whenever they want to anything? Do you want your children to be determined bosses or just living robots that only take given orders? People on the other side think teenagers must be obedient now that they are not mature enough to make decisions This opinion is absolutely wrong An arising question is at what age they should be allowed to make their own decisions Teenage is the age that people are mentally and physically growing up due to their physical and psychological changes This is a suitable time for parents to help shape their characteristics Otherwise, they will never be independent thinkers or leave their parents due to their parents’ illogical treatments As in the aforementioned discussions, conflicts are sure critical They help children develop themselves and become independent thinkers If you are a good parent, help your children shape their mindset Do not force them to follow your ideas or you will regret later Most high-level positions in companies are occupied by men The government should encourage organizations to offer more high-rank positions to females Do you agree or disagree? In many countries, women make up a high percentage of the workforce, but most managerial jobs are filled by males From my perspective, more top positions in companies should be allocated to women In term of intelligence, women are potentially good leaders Many women have scored higher than men on the IQ Test Undeniably, one’s intelligence plays a significant role in his or her achievements If a manager is very intelligent, he or she has advantages over others in leadership Opponents say chromosome “Y” in men makes them intuitively cleverer than women However, this view is feverishly debated These findings, according to a lot of scientists, are invalid and unreliable Besides, one’s intelligence can be modified by nutrients A great deal of food supplement, such as Ensure milk, is invented to help improve people’s IQ In addition to intelligence, women also have good characteristics, such as patience and sensitivity, to become good managers It is to say patience and sensitivity are crucial factors for a person to succeed in their jobs, especially management If a director is patient and sensitive, he or she not give up their tasks halfway and can feel changes in their business People with an opposing idea argue that females’ unassertiveness does not make them efficient chairwomen Nevertheless, this opinion is not strong since ladies, in my personal opinion, are not actually unassertive, but open-minded It is important that good leaders listen to their employees and advisers Moreover, people are now living in democracy It is ridiculous to say open-minded managers are unassertive Besides advantages of intelligence and suitable characteristics, females, by and large, live longer as proved by surveys As a result, they can contribute more to the society than men People in favor of allocating top positions to men think women are weak sex and care not healthy enough to occupy these key posts Nonetheless, this standpoint is unquestionably unacceptable because this term is obsolete and managerial jobs are not manual, but mental Why women need to be muscular to make vital decisions? Finally yet importantly, it is fair to let women dominate critical tasks in organizations Research says women now account for more than 50% of labor force Women’s voice need to be raised Men are born equal In other words, all people should be treated equally Why is a larger proportion of labor filled by women with a lower voice? Opponents say women are born to be housewives However, this is a clear-cut example of sex discrimination, which needs to be discarded They also argue governments around the world should not interfere much with companies’ labor distribution However, is it essential to change social prejudice for justice? As in the aforementioned discussion, women should be allowed to get top-level jobs in organizations They are obviously making efforts to develop the society Do not be conservative! Do not let people call you a stubborn laggard Reducing crime by attacking poverty and a lack of education opportunities To reduce crime, governments around the world should focus more on improving community education and living standard rather than having many police officers on the streets and putting many convicts in the prison Do you agree or disagree? Crime, a social evil, has emerged as an alarming danger in society these days Criminals have soared in number and seriousness Some people think that governments had better develop education to restrict crime However, in my opinion, this perspective is just biased The police force is necessary to maintain the security of a community Without these policemen and women, car thefts and burglaries will undoubtedly increase because the existence of patrolling police sure threatens criminals It is widely known that convicts only pursue their ill intent when they think it is safe enough for them to act illegally Many people in favor of education argue that people become criminals when they are unaware of laws However, this view is not actually convincing It is acceptably a fact that many welleducated people also commit crime For instance, President Nixon of USA was known to cover up the break-in of five burglars It must be ridiculous to say the person passing and vetoing laws does not know about them In addition, reducing sentences clearly decreases criminals’ fear of prison The prison is the place where criminals regret and change their way In the prison with limited space, they can also understand the value of freedom and will not re-offend when they are released Some people in favor of reducing sentences think jails are very expensive This standpoint, nonetheless, is really not persuasive because everyone is certainly willing to pay for their security Do you want to pay some to live in peace or keep all your money but always worry you will be robbed? Last yet importantly, the beggar’s bag is bottomless How rich is considered to be rich? Some rich people also commit crime to be wealthier For example, we can hear a lot of news about corruption and bribery and those who commit them are very rich because money is the root of all evils The proponents of education argue convicts are committed to crime because they are poor Nevertheless, I strongly disagree with this view Don’t bank robbers stop their illegal acts after they win a great deal of bucks? Suffice it to say, it is significant to have many police on the streets for community security It is crucial to understand some people are a real danger to the society Words: 373 Many people think hi-tech, in forms of television and Internet, dramatically damages communication between family members and between friends Do you agree or disagree? (Argument-led approach) There is a controversial opinion at hand over the issue that hi-tech ruins people’s communication They converse with each other less than they did in the past However, I believe that technology development improves human communication tremendously The relevant priority human beings need to be concerned about is television actually makes people exchange their ideas more than ever Naturally, people can come up with some ideas about the program they are watching They can agree or disagree with the incidents in the movie on It is no doubt that they tend to bring what is on their mind to a discussion with their friends or family Opponents may think that people in the modern life often watch telly alone because technology makes it cheaper Nonetheless, this idea is not strong Undeniably, the number of families with more than one TV only makes up a minority In some places over the world, such as Africa, some families not even have one TV each Furthermore, in some situations, people would rather watch TV together than see it alone For example, in the football seasons, many football fans throughout the world gather at stadiums and Internet café to watch football together since they think it is more fun Undeniably, watching football without making and listening to comments on the live match would be low-key In short, television definitely boosts people’s communication What also deserves my consideration is the Internet helps people in the world keep in touch with each other Unquestionably, a large number of people throughout the world use the Internet to contact one another They negotiate their business stuff at work and exchange their ideas or have gossip at home Without the Internet, international transactions would be very difficult More specifically, they are communicating via email, SMS, Skype, and text message According to a recent survey conducted by USA, each person spends at least an hour online People with an opposing standpoint may think that online chatters not really communicate They just exchange ideas impersonally This perspective is significantly weak because now people can use some applications, such as Skype and YM, to talk with other people effectively They can see each other on webcam Moreover, VDSL considerably serves human communication Some parents may argue the 10 After high school, some students prefer to immediately attend a college or university, but some others would like to take a gap year before signing up for a degree program In my personal point of view, it is better for them to have a break before entering a university For a start, in this year free of study, students can have a tremendous amount of time to consider and choose a major most suitable for them to study in the university Unquestionably, during high school years, students not have sufficient time to find out which academic field they should pursue inasmuch as students are overwhelmed with their assignments Take example, in my final year of basic levels of education, I was unable to think considerably about what major best fit my personality traits due to my tight schedule, including the academic and extracurricular activities After graduating from high school, I took a year-long break and discovered I was most interested in mathematics teaching after contemplating many alternatives As a result, my grades of mathematics, as chosen, were always rewarding Differently from me, my classmate Nam chose physics as his major However, after two years, he had to drop out of the course since it was so boring for him It is clear that a gap year is a good time for students to think what major they would like to study in higher education In the second place, a gap year is also a good time for students to make money to support their college tuition Obviously, higher education requires a lot of money, which is really a tough barrier to those to want to keep on their track without financial aid from their parents Undeniably, those students who not prepare enough money prior to their registration for college study must encounter an unavoidable number of financial challenges Some of them have to drop out their courses or to work part time, which may be responsible for their low scores or late graduation In my case, before attending my university program, I spent a year working full time Thanks to this preparation, I earned an adequate amount of money for my university tuition fees However, my friend Tuan had to deal with financial difficulties now that he could not focus on his study, but had to earn money and study simultaneously Not out of my anticipation, all of his scores were only fair It is clear that when people want to start their higher education, they need to earn enough money in advance Finally, in this gap year, students have opportunities to gain valuable real life experience During this non-academic year, they can learn communication skills, and acquire everyday experiences from their relatives, friends or strangers, which may be paid off for their later major Consequently, this acquisition, to a certain extent, helps them get achievements in their major, enhance their academic strengths, or assist their independent student life For instance, after finishing high school, my cousin Nhan was accepted for a position, which required her to travel a lot This actually helped her live independently and obtain a great deal of things in real life As a result, she experienced a lot of cultures and visited many tourist attractions, which was tremendously advantageous for her tourism major A year-long break inevitably provides students with good knowledge to prepare for their later study In a nutshell, even though many people think that students should enter university or college right after high school, I personally think that it is better for them to have a gap year In this non-academic year, students can have appropriate preparations accounting for their expected success Topic: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is more important for teachers to help their students to gain self-confidence than to teach them specific knowledge 21 (Thesis-led approach) It is a public controversy at hand whether teachers should help their students gain knowledge or build up their self-confidence Some people hold the opinion that it is better for students if they receive instructor’s help to become more confident Some others, on the other hand, think quite differently and take an opposing view At the individual level, I am standing on the side of the second view point Attaining specific knowledge is superior to the other in terms of fitting the main purpose of students in schools, and providing optimal preparation for students’ further studies as well as their future jobs To begin with, in respect of the primary purpose of students’ presence at school that they would like to gain as much knowledge as possible to succeed in their interests, teachers should offer their learners expected lessons of a particular area As a matter of fact, most students who go to college or university want to get knowledge to perform their present or future jobs successfully When their expectations are not satisfied, they will certainly feel bored and not want to keep on track I myself experienced this situation When I attended Hong Duc University, my fundamental aim was to study tourism, not to gain confidence That means I wanted to be trained to work professionally in this field Unexpectedly, some of my lecturers did not meet our needs, including me and my classmates As a result, some of my classmates dropped out of the course and the rest continued the program without any achievements due to their bad attitude towards their teachers’ lectures Needless to say, academic institutions should put in priority teaching students specific knowledge In the second place, people can obviously see the advantages of teaching specific knowledge in aspect of preparing students for the further study in higher education In other words, if students are equipped with sufficient knowledge, they can easily pursue their interests triumphantly as they have some essential knowledge in hand My sister’s case is a clear-cut example to illustrate this view When she graduated from college, thanks to having a great deal of information which she gained in her college professors, she could effortlessly enroll in her master program Therefore, teaching specific knowledge at schools not only suits student’s purpose, but also benefits them in getting higher education The final reason taken into my account is that being provided with profound understanding of a particular area enables students to easily attain a good job after their graduation It is obviously seen that all kinds of jobs require people to have particular knowledge to work efficiently With an expected amount of knowledge, applicants will impress their potential employers since they can answer all questions 22 related to their major in the job interview to be accepted into company My friend Tam got a job as a doctor in a big hospital in my city after graduating from Medical University She had learned valuable lessons of her major in her university As a result, she easily got a job in her specialization Had she only learned confidence, not any specific lessons of her major in her college, the position would not have been for her Without doubt, learning specific knowledge is far more significant in aspect of preparing students for their future careers By and large, teaching specific understanding should be taken into account for its remarkable benefits It matches the first and foremost reason for student’s present at schools Moreover, it is a preparation for students to sign up for a graduate education program and to land a good job These are the convincing reasons to explain why I support the idea that students should be taught expected lessons of their fields of interest rather than self-confidence in school Words: 628 Topic: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is more important to give students awards for their efforts rather than their achievements Use specific reasons and examples to support your perspective There is a fact that rewards always bring about great encouragement to students’ academic performances Some people believe that it will be better if a school’s prizes to students are based on how many efforts they make Others, on the other hand, reckon that these rewards should be based primarily on students’ success As far as I am concerned, I personally support the former perspective for several crucial reasons First and foremost, rewards may admonish learners to study harder Undeniably, there are some learners who have got fair or low grades in school This would be good motivation for slothful learners to strive providing their school gives prizes to students based on their endeavors That is, schools had better place a strong emphasis on 23 how much progress their students make rather than where the students are in the ranking If schools use rank-based reward system, students lagging behind hardly get awards, which may greatly motivate them to catch up with the permanent top students in their academic records and simultaneously arouses positive competition among students to try harder For instance, one of my friends in high school always got the lowest scores in his class, so he wanted to drop out of school because he was inconfident to go on However, when his teachers decided to assess the students through their efforts, then he gave up all of his bad habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol, and playing online games to concentrate on his study Although he did not get the highest grades in his class, but his learning results completely improved Indispensably, he received appraisal from the principal for his attempts At last, he soon became a good example for all the laggards in school In addition, the effort-based reward system is fair for all students It is clear that a lot of students were unluckily born into poor families, so they often get lower grades than their wealthy peers on account of their shortage of facilities to learn Nevertheless, if schools give their students prizes for their endeavors instead of their achievements, then poor students may have more opportunities to get grants For example, another friend of mine named Hong had to get a part-time job in the course of studying to earn money to pay her tuition and cover her living expenses now that she did not receive any financial aid from her family She was never one of the most excellent students, and got any scores, but she received a lot of admiration from her acquaintances because she never gave up her dreams and always strived to overcome her predicament Finally, after many consistent efforts, she had been accredited by school and was granted a full scholarship for a master course In brief, it is no doubt to say that by giving a gratification by evaluating how many attempts students’ have constantly been trying may create an equitable atmosphere for all learners In conclusion, there are various methods to award students scholarships With all of the reasons that I have discussed above, I totally approve that schools should give students prizes or rewards based on their efforts instead of based on their achievements Words: 527 Topic: Do you think governments should spend more money on developing sports or arts? Use specific reasons and examples to support your position (Thesis-led approach) [Introductory paragraph] [Opening sentence] Many countries in the world would rather spend more money on sports than arts As a matter of fact, they are more and more striving lately due to their development of sports [Your direct response to the question/thesis statement] As far as I am concerned, I insist governments should [Main idea] set aside a large budget to support [Topic] athletics because athletics can [Scope] improve their citizens’ health, build up and consolidate their national recognition, boost their economy [Body] [Body Paragraph 1] 24 [Topic sentence] The most significant upside that [Topic] sports can bring to a country is [Controlling idea] improving its citizen’s health [Reasons] Undoubtedly, when a government builds up and upgrades its sports facilities, such as stadiums, and gyms, more people will go there to work out and play sports As a result, people will have a better health A good health is extremely vital inasmuch as an unhealthy person is certainly unable to make good performances in their professional, academic and daily lives [Concrete example] For example, my friend Nhan started work-out at the gym a year ago After three months, his health was clearly developed and then he had a good shape Consequently, thanks to his good health, he could work longer hours and study effectively Only after two years, he received a good promotion and was awarded a master degree of upper distinction [Concluding sentence] In short, athletics plays a comparatively important role in improving people’s health, which helps people enhance their performances [Body paragraph 2] [Topic sentence] In addition to developing inhabitants’ health, athletics [Topic] is alsoresponsible for building the national recognition [Controlling idea] [Reasons] Undeniably, a country with developed sports will gain good reputation, which all the residents obviously take pride in [Concrete example] For instance, Brazil used to be a poor country However, thanks to its government’s entertainment policy, Brazil soon attained a worldwide recognition for its soccer That is why almost all people in the world now know its image When people hear or talk about this famous country, they immediately think about its sports as distinguished mark Brazilian people must smile a lot when asked “Where are you from” since they are very proud of their country [Concluding sentence] In brief, investments in sports unquestionably help build up a country’s acclaim [Body Paragraph 3] [Topic sentence] The final advantage that athletics [Topic] brings about is economic development [Controlling idea] [Reasons] When a country is well recognized, many foreign people in turn want to take vacation there to sightsee that country in person, which leads to the development of a tremendous number of other services In other words, foreign tourists must spend money on these services on holiday to a certain extent [Example] Take an example, industries and agriculture of Thailand are not actually developed, but it attracts millions of international tourists each year partly as its sports are optimal In particular, Thai has usually won soccer championships in recent Sea Games competitions before Vietnam Undeniably, this country’s economy depends considerably on its tourism 25 [Concluding sentence] It is clear that outstanding sports records make great contributions to the development of a country economy [Concluding paragraph] [Summary/ paraphrased thesis statement] In a nutshell, [Topic] sports improvements can lead to [Main idea and scope] people’s better health, national honor, and a successful economy, which are what most governments and citizens wish for [Identified and consolidating final comment] I personally think any country that wants to improve these three concerns had better spend money on supporting athletics Words: 570 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? University students should not be required to attend classes Instead, they should be able to receive credits through a final test or paper Use specific reasons and examples to support you answer (Thesis-led approach) [Opening sentence] Some students often manage to get through their years of higher education by attending very few of their classes while not even having their grades suffer [Thesis statement] In my opinion, however, there should be strict discipline on students’ attendance for several reasons [Topic sentence 1] Many professors have interesting discussions in their dynamic classes, but a student who missed that time cannot participate in them [General statement] Class debates can certainly introduce students to a variety of different opinions and points of views [Argument] Even in middle school, we occasionally have group discussions, during which we can eventually acquire a great deal from what the other students suggest Undoubtedly at college, where the learners have more firsthand knowledge at their disposal, the class credit hours are even better and more enlightening Moreover, during the class debates, students can cast doubt on other student’s positions, and then challenges in turn make 26 development [Closing sentence] Those who fail to get involved in these debates should also fail their courses [Topic sentence 2] Furthermore, students who not attend classes may miss fundamental knowledge of their majors since they are deprived of the majority of the significant information that is lectured in the class [General statement] This will be doing them disservice later in their lives [Example] For example, my uncle frequently skipped his university class hours, but he still managed to get high scores Later, when he applied for a post based primarily on those good grades, his new employer found out that he really did not have such good expected capabilities He was laid off from that job and had to find another career, which was not as satisfying [Closing sentence] Despite his good grades, my uncle still had a shortage of essential educational background of his profession [Summary] Attending classes is a must to students in order to help them improve their understanding by participating in class arguments and idea sharing, and to help them gain crucial knowledge needed for their future sooner or later [Final comment] While there may be other fun things to do, going to class is a wise investment for the future Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People should always tell the truth Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer (Thesis-led approach) The traditional virtue of telling the truth in all situations is increasingly doubted by many in today’s world Many believe that telling the truth is not always the best policy when dealing withpeople I personally think, in many situations, telling the truth can hurt people a lot; on the other hand, lies can serve as saviors We all understand that often the truth is offending in business Lies or white lies often have their advantages The manipulation of white lies is the most obvious in the business world How many times have we heard that some product is “the finest” or “the cheapest”? How many times have we heard that products have such and such “magical functions”? Advertising is about persuasion, and many would agree that if a company is to tell the absolute truth about itsproducts, no one would be interested in even having a look at the products For instance, Ponds, famous brand name in the world of cosmetic products always advertises that the users will have smooth beautiful skin after weeks of use It is actually a lie, but it is considered a good advertisement inasmuch as it brings a big profit to its company Obviously, telling the truth, companies may soon get bankrupt The same logic applies to personal relationships lies sometimes make people feel pleased.Sometimes we inevitably encounter a situation that we have to tell lies to avoid conflicts and let people up If your friend wears a newly purchased dress on her birthday and energetically asksyou if it is a worthy buy, will you freely express you opinion that it does not suit her at all just because her body seems to burst out of the close-fitting dress? It may spoil her birthday! Unarguably, hiding, entirely or partly, the truth in some situations can be quite handy indeed.Confrontations and disputes can seemingly be avoided For 27 example, last year my mother recommended a girl with protruding teeth to me since she thought it was high time I had got married She was a chubby, Indian-style lady with a very big belly It was non-sense of the girl to continuously negatively comment on my big belly I was really irritated; however, I said “You are the most charming girl that I have ever seen” although I did not actually think so After the meeting, she texted me and asked me out for dinner a lot of times, but I always replied I was busy Suffice it to say, lies can make people feel happy, which maintains personal relationships in daily life In addition, another “bad factor” of telling the truth is that it can make people perform better Undoubtedly, positive comments are always significant in motivating people When motivated, they tend to perform their job or study more successfully because they feel more confident in their performance In “Celebrity Dancing produced by Paris By Night”, the dancers’ performances improved dramatically in the later shows When interviewed, all the dancers, as amateurs, revealed that their later performances were tremendously better as judges, especially the American judge, motivated them a lot That is to say lies, in form of good comments, stimulate people to produce excellent outcomes All in all, sometimes honesty does not work Instead, in many situations, lies are necessary because they can help people develop their business, consolidate their relationships, and get better results Do you to hear positive feedback from others? If you want to be a successful speaker, tell lies now! Population in developing countries is significantly increasing What are the causes of this? What should we to deal with it? It is little wonder that overpopulation is a warning problem in the developing world In general, there are always hidden causes behind the scene In my opinion, population explosion derives from the labour demand for farming and lack of education opportunities It is vital to propose solutions to this trouble The very first cause put in illumination is a high demand for the agricultural sector leads to a considerable level of population increase It is undeniable that in most developing countries the large majority of people live on farming without a considerable assistance of high technology Human force is the main labour resource Families, for higher productivity, tend to have as many children as possible to manual chores on farms The second factor for this dilemma is the high rate of illiteracy It is generally accepted that only a minority of women in the third world is well-educated Some of them cannot even read or write To these people, accessing information from the outside world, which is supposed to be necessary to limit birth rate, is really challenging or impossible They not even know how they should use condoms or what the advantages of birth control are Only when people are aware of the benefits of the movement they want to it As illustrated above, if population explosion is not dealt with successfully, there may be no place to live in the near future A secret would be diffusing how to limit birth rates among the illiterate communities Birth control is by no means a new idea; however, it is not implemented effectively in a few countries The governments of South Africa, an overpopulated territory, for instance, only impose penalty on well-educated people with more than two children, but farmers, whose children are presumed to have fewer education opportunities, can have as many babies as they like Application of high technology should, furthermore, be encouraged as it reduces the demand of manual work but improves productivity to a significant extent 28 In the final analysis, it is vital to control the birth rates in developing regions Do you want our descendants to live in tiny cramped flats due to a high price of land? Take actions now or you will be ridden by remorse just because you not use birth control methods If overpopulation keeps on rising, we will have to discover a new plant to live one day Word Count: 390 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Smokers should not receive free treatments for smoking-related diseases (Argument-led approach) It has recently been feverishly argued that smoking causes many negative effects on people’s health As a result, it is thought that smoking-related diseases should not be treated for free However, some others take an opposing perspective The attitude might be biased if the issue is not thoroughly discussed What is first at the forefront in my mind is that offering the same treatment to all citizens is fair The government does not serve some individuals or groups, but the whole society It is true that “the government of people, by people, and for people” (Abraham Lincoln) It is logical that people are treated the same because men are born equal (US Independence Declaration) They are all citizens of a country, and of course they need to receive the same benefits as others Why they have to get discriminated while they not commit any crime? Some of these smokers are even professors and key politicians, so their health certainly needs prudential care since they have been making great contributions to the society development It might be a waste of crucial human resources if these people devote more but receive less welfare than others Another opinion that deserves public consideration is that it is ridiculous if these smokers not receive free health care for their diseases caused by smoking That means, the government allows companies to produce cigarettes, but it bans its consumption It is undeniable that these cigarette corporations pay high taxes, which contributes to the growth of the economy If consumption is prohibited, the will be a cut in the national fund Is it what the government wants to have? The occurrence would be more serious when public infrastructure needs investment Opponents have illogical viewpoints of the issue They may argue that smokers should not receive free treatments because the treatments for their smoking-related diseases are more expensive It is wrong reasoning Unquestionably, when they pay a relatively high tax on the cigarettes that they consume, the free medical care that they receive is only from the money that they have paid in advance as insurance for their health People against smoking may also reckon 29 that smokers damage the environment because their smoking is responsible for pollution How much percentage of pollution must they be responsible for whereas factory owners knowingly throw huge piles of garbage and frightening amounts of exhausted gas every day? Does this idea really make sense? These people think smokers should not be offered free medical care as they are consciously damaging their health It is clearly not a good reason inasmuch as drugs addicts and alcoholics are still receiving free treatments while they are sure about the dangers of drugs and spirits to their health Likewise, why obese people still get free treatments for their relevant diseases when obesity is currently the biggest killer in the world? Suffice it to say, smokers deserve free treatments for smoking-related ailments They can make as many contributions as other people and the medical care offered are just extracted from the tax imposed on their cigarette consumption Treating them differently is an example of harsh persecution Word count: 522 Newspapers should be allowed to reveal secrets about the private lives of famous people, whilst others view it as violation of privacy Discuss both views and give your own opinion People all over the world are trying to develop a democratic society, which means all people have equal rights and their privacy should be respected The question is how this can be achieved Some people believe media, especially newspapers, should have the power to publicize the personal lives of famous people for a democratic society On the other hand, others reckon this should be avoided It is necessary to discuss both views and figure out what should be done to maintain democracy in modern civilization There are always two sides to the issue On the one hand, many important people, with their desire to be reputed or more reputed, have been practicing many ways to attract attention from ordinary people In addition, some common people’s curiosity also needs to be taken into account Both the two interests, as a result, make newspaper reporters crave for personal information of famous people to make their newspaper the best seller of all It is also crucial to note that celebrities’ personal lives are viewed differently in different societies In some places, famous people are considered the people of public, so all the aspects of their lives, including daily life and professional life, must be popularized and judged publicly In a sense, it is neither good nor bad because some key politicians, if not admired greatly by public, have not won elections That is why the public needs to know what they have been doing in order to determine whether they deserve the votes On the other hand, some gossips on newspapers go so far from the public needs They even intervene in some movie starlets’ privacy so deeply that they broadcast nonsense news about their lives For instance, it is no use posting news about whom the Brat Pitt and Angelina Jolie visited in Vietnam From my perspective, famous people also need to have their own minutes of life We should not interfere much in their personal lives since we are not their bosses or parents Parents even also need to respect their children’s personal lives We should not be misled by media reporters as some respects of people’s lives, as reporters’ means to earn money, seem to be disinteresting and revealing such a sort of information is disregarding both the famous people and readers Journalists not play judges or God; why they give themselves power to criticize other people? It is high time people turned their back to nonsense rumors in newspapers and boycotted the penny press which fools masses for bucks 30 In a word, some personal information about famous people should be announced publicly, but that news reporters meddle considerably in famous people’s personal lives by revealing unimportant information is an example of privacy invasion Do not be dragged by stupid scandals for nothing Children spend far too much time in front of television and computer screens This should be banned However, some others argue that televisions bring children many benefits Discuss both views and give your own opinion Children and Television The development of technology has brought about both upsides and downsides There is a controversial argument on the use of television, a clear-cut example of hi-technology Whether television is appropriate for children is a big question and should involve the two sides of the issue Television absolutely derives from needs It is said that all necessity is the mother of all inventions People, since the ancient times, have had a passion to explore the world and television was developed from this desire With a television set, people of all social classes can have their dream satisfied The poor, for instance, can be armchair travelers; they, in essence, can see faraway places in a minute In a sense, watching television is rather a desire to understand more about the world than a choice On the one hand, it certainly provides children with wider knowledge of the surrounding Research recently conducted by the government has found that those children who watch television tend to be more intelligent than those isolated from this hi-tech device On the other hand, a problem might be at what programmes and channels children have seen Japan has revealed that young hooligans in this country have spent more time watching TV than those who are attracted to educational programmes, such as English Learning and World Discovery In my case, I was a full-time student at school when I was a teenager; therefore, I did not have much time to sit in front of television All my homework assignments seemed to take most of my time and I was told what programmes were beneficial The key here is, to my perspective, parents should educate their children about the advantages and disadvantages of television Restricting their use without explanation may be illogical as parents cannot observe them all the time Another problem that should be taken into consideration is whether children will not be negatively affected if their TV-watching time is controlled Internet sure consists of more potential dangers than television and society has far more risks Should parents isolate them from all of these? In the final analysis, education can help children protect themselves from social evils It can help children stand on their feet and decide on what they should and should not take up Do you want your children to be independent? Words: 385 31 Some people think that the most important thing for happiness is money However, others believe relationships are the main factor for people’s happiness Discuss both views and give your own opinion Whether money can bring about well-being has remained a disputable question for centuries Is wealth or getting along with other people actually the main element of happiness? Is it the only factor? A thorough discussion of both sides of the issue should be analyzed It is true to say not only does money contribute to happiness but also getting on with others improves people’s well-being On the one hand, money is a pivotal factor for contentment Unfortunate people may find it hard to enjoy their lives For instance, their passion to discover other countries might not be satisfied because they cannot afford it On the other hand, money is not a unique thing to make people delighted Recently conducted surveys have found that people probably enjoy their lives less when their incomes increase How could rich people live with joy without any relationships? Family relationships, for example, may make people feel pleased after a hard-working day Children’s sense of humour enables to take off their parents’ edge Undeniably, both wealth and relationships play extremely significant roles in people’s enjoyment Without one of those, it is impossible for them to enjoy life In my personal case, I argue money and relationships are equally critical; therefore, I always have good friends and relatives and I live above the poverty line as well Whenever I am in need of their assistance, they are always available to help me overcome my problem From my experience, being rich, some people crave for relationships and being poor, some are keen on earning as much money as possible as they long for what they are short of As illuminated, I reckon neither money nor relationships is the only element of a happy life The two things seem to be opposite, but actually they are integral In a world with a life-long welfare system, people would not be concerned about savings; however, we not live in that ideal world, as a result of increasing economic crisis Money and relationships, in a word, are indispensable to living happily Words: 340 32 To what extent you agree or disagree with the following statement? Technology serves such an important function that people could not live without it To improve the living standard, humans have made many attempts to develop technology Many people think technology is so important that humans could not live without Some others argue that technology is only luxurious stuff It is hard to find a satisfactory answer to the question until it has been illuminated in a thorough discussion First, technology can save our time Undoubtedly, aircraft is an advanced breakthrough which helps people travel a long distance in a far shorter time than our grandparents used to However, ironically technology is not absolutely time-saving For instance, if people want to save time of food preparation, they can use a fruit blender, but not forget to take into account your time of cleaning it before and after use! And they have to buy batteries when the installed ones are dead Second, hi-tech also connects people throughout the world Obviously, advances in telecommunication, such as telephones and the Internet, assist people much in keeping in touch with each other even when they live half the earth away On the other hand, hi-tech does not comfort human life all the time With technical support, people can listen to music when taking a shower and they can enjoy massage service from robots Be cautious in case the robots have electric shock! Third, hi-tech may boost comfort of human life To satisfy the demand for cosmetic services, corporations have invented sleep masks or eye masks to prevent ladies’ eyes from sagging and “chin raise” to protect their chin from being droopy Sarcastically, if you wake up one day and your mate sleeks away, not be surprised! Suffice it to say, to a certain extent, hi-tech improves human life However, humans should not abuse it If overused, technology can bring more drawbacks than benefits 33 People should always tell the truth To what extent you agree or disagree? (Thesis-led approach) The traditional virtue of telling the truth in all situations is increasingly doubted by many in today’s world Many believe that telling the truth is not always the best policy when dealing with people I personally think, in many situations, telling the truth can hurt people a lot; on the other hand, lies can serve as saviors We all understand that often the truth may be offending in business Lies often have their advantages The manipulation of white lies is the most obvious in the business world How many times have we heard that some product is “the finest” or “the cheapest”? How many times have we heard that products have such “magical functions”? Advertising is about persuasion, and it is commonly agreed if a company told the absolute truth about its products, no one would be interested in even having a look at the items Obviously, telling the truth, companies may soon get bankrupt Sometimes we inevitably encounter a situation that we have to tell lies to avoid conflicts If your friend energetically asks you if her new dress is a worthy buy, will you freely express your opinion that her body seems to burst out of the close-fitting dress? For instance, last year my mother recommended me a chubby girl with protruding teeth It was nonsense of the girl to negatively comment my padding build I was really irritated; however, I said “You are the most charming girl that I have ever seen” After the meeting, she texted me for dinner a lot of times Suffice it to say, lies can make people feel happy, which maintains personal relationships in everyday life In addition, positive comments are always significant in motivating people When encouraged, they tend to perform their job or study more successfully because they feel more confident In “Celebrity Dancing produced by Paris By Night”, the dancers’ performances improved greatly in the later shows When interviewed, all the dancers, as amateurs, revealed that their later performances were tremendously better as judges, especially the American judge, motivated them a lot All in all, sometimes telling the truth does not work, but lies are necessary because they can help people develop their business, consolidate their relationships, and get better results Would you like to hear positive feedback from others? If you want to be a successful speaker, tell lies now! Word count: 392 34 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Twenty years from now, people will no longer use printed books (Argument-led approach) Together with the development of science, people have used e-books, edictionaries as alternatives to printed books They think these substitutes are more convenient and will replace printed books in a couple of decades I myself argue that printed books will never be replaced by any other sources First, press must undergo a serious censorship before publication Undoubtedly, all the countries in the world have official agents in charge of book censorship If any information in a book is unreal or unreliable, it will not be published until it has appropriate revisions Second, the books sold at bookshops often receive feedback from readers In addition, bookshops are only interested in trading best-sellers for profit, which most readers think are interesting Third, while some countries are still developing, printed books are actually accessible in these places They can buy, or even borrow printed books from their acquaintances Critics may say e-books are more accessible than printed ones However, is its abundance meaningful when some people not know how to turn on computer? Only printed books can serve this important role Opponents may also reckon online information is updated To be exact, the updated information is not censored prudentially For example, just a short time ago, there was some striking posted information about UFO on the Internet, but after some days online community received a stupid excuse that it was just a ridiculous fake that even advanced specialists needed some time to realize When asked, no one knew who the poster was and no country was responsible for it Dare you use such information in your research paper of the outer space? As illuminated, printed books have been playing an indispensable role in human civilization and they will continue to be such primary dependable sources that people will not be able to live without Sources of information, in forms of printed books, will last until the doom day of human life Word count: 319 35 [...]... group, they mayshare their tasks with others Undoubtedly, two people can complete a task faster than one if they are organized Take example, I frequently prepare assigned presentations in a group Sometimes we, including me and my group members, are so busy studying, but we always accomplish the requirements before the date of presentation delivery As illustrated, sharing a task with their classmates... to learn, the school may not have a good recognition, and learners’ instructions are frequently inadequate Words: 4 72 Topic: Do you think students should take a gap year before entering a college or university? Use specific reasons and examples to support your view (Thesis-led approach) 20 After high school, some students prefer to immediately attend a college or university, but some others would like... kinds of jobs require people to have particular knowledge to work efficiently With an expected amount of knowledge, applicants will impress their potential employers since they can answer all questions 22 related to their major in the job interview to be accepted into company My friend Tam got a job as a doctor in a big hospital in my city after graduating from Medical University She had learned valuable... enlightening Moreover, during the class debates, students can cast doubt on other student’s positions, and then challenges in turn make 26 development [Closing sentence] Those who fail to get involved in these debates should also fail their courses [Topic sentence 2] Furthermore, students who do not attend classes may miss fundamental knowledge of their majors since they are deprived of the majority... contributions as other people and the medical care offered are just extracted from the tax imposed on their cigarette consumption Treating them differently is an example of harsh persecution Word count: 522 Newspapers should be allowed to reveal secrets about the private lives of famous people, whilst others view it as violation of privacy Discuss both views and give your own opinion People all over the... their expected success Topic: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is more important for teachers to help their students to gain self-confidence than to teach them specific knowledge 21 (Thesis-led approach) It is a public controversy at hand whether teachers should help their students gain knowledge or build up their self-confidence Some people hold the opinion that it is better for... your research paper of the outer space? Another group of people may argue that these e-references are convenient because readers can hit them anywhere and anytime This reason, nevertheless, is obviously 12 insignificant because some scholars, if they spend most of their time working with a computer, will soon get blind as warned by specialists As illuminated, printed books have been playing an indispensable... a good job These are the convincing reasons to explain why I support the idea that students should be taught expected lessons of their fields of interest rather than self-confidence in school Words: 628 Topic: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is more important to give students awards for their efforts rather than their achievements Use specific reasons and examples to support... in school This would be good motivation for slothful learners to strive providing their school gives prizes to students based on their endeavors That is, schools had better place a strong emphasis on 23 how much progress their students make rather than where the students are in the ranking If schools use rank-based reward system, students lagging behind hardly get awards, which may greatly motivate... scholarships With all of the reasons that I have discussed above, I totally approve that schools should give students prizes or rewards based on their efforts instead of based on their achievements Words: 527 Topic: Do you think governments should spend more money on developing sports or arts? Use specific reasons and examples to support your position (Thesis-led approach) [Introductory paragraph] [Opening ... by the deadline When students learn in a group, they mayshare their tasks with others Undoubtedly, two people can complete a task faster than one if they are organized Take example, I frequently... Words: 4 72 Topic: Do you think students should take a gap year before entering a college or university? Use specific reasons and examples to support your view (Thesis-led approach) 20 After high... knowledge, applicants will impress their potential employers since they can answer all questions 22 related to their major in the job interview to be accepted into company My friend Tam got a job