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2007 Past essays
1.
7- 6-1-2007 /
21-7-2001
The world of work is changing rapidly. Working conditions today are not the same as before
and people no longer rely on taking one job for life. Discuss the possible causes for these
changes and give your suggestions on how people should prepare for work in the future.
2
13-1-2007 /
9-6-2001 /
17-1-2004 /
28-5-2005
Some people think that universities should provide graduates with the knowledge and skills
needed in the workplace in the future. Others think the true function of a university is to
provide to knowledge for its own sake. What do you think are the main functions of a
university?
3
20-1-2007 /
9-7-2005
Some people think the government should pay for health care and education, but other
people think it's not government's responsibility. Discuss both sides and your opinion.
4
3-2-2007
Individuals can do nothing to improve the environment. Only governments and large
companies can make a difference. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this
opinion?
5
10-2-2007 /
26-11-2005
Maintaining public libraries is a waste of money since computer technology can replace their
functions. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
6
3-3-2007 / 4-
12-2004
Some people think that schools should select pupils according to their academic abilities,
while others believe that it is better to have pupils with different abilities study together.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
7
10-3-2007
With the increase in the use of mobile phones and computers, fewer people are writing
letters. Some people think that the traditional skill of writing letters will disappear
completely. To what extent do you agree or disagree? How important do you think is letter-
writing?
8
22-3-2007
Some people think that the government should provide assistance to all kinds of artists
including painters, musicians and poets, etc. However, other people think that is a waste of
money. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
9
31-3-2007 /
26-2-2005
People can perform everyday tasks, such as shopping and banking as well as business
transactions, without meeting other people face-to-face. What are the effects of this on an
individual and the society as a whole?
10
14-4-2007
The society would benefit from a ban on all forms of advertising because it serves no useful
purpose, and can even be damaging. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this
opinion?
11
21-4-2007
Consumers are faced with increasing numbers of advertisements from competing
companies. To what extent do you think are consumers influenced by advertisements? What
measures can be taken to protect them?
12
28-04-2007 /
18-9-2004
Air transport is increasingly used to export types of fruits and vegetables to countries where
they cannot be grown or are out of season. Some people say it is a good thing, but other
people think it can’t be justified. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
13
12-5-2007 /
23-9-2006
Some people believe that some unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of
high school programmes (e.g. working in a charity, improving the relationship of
neighbourhood or teaching sports to children) To what extent do you agree or disagree?
14
19-5-2007
Computers are increasingly used in education. In which areas do you think are computers
more important and in which areas are teachers more important?
15
2-6-2007
Many developing countries are currently expanding their tourist industries. Why is this the
case? Is it a positive development?
16
9-6-2007
Some people claim that public museums and art galleries will not be needed because people
can see historical objects and works of art by using a computer. Do you agree or disagree
with this opinion?
17
16-6-2007
In many countries traditional foods are being replaced by international fast foods. This is
having a negative effect on both families and societies. To what extent do you agree or
disagree?
18
28-6-2007
The natural resources such as oil, forests and fresh water are being consumed at an
alarming rate. What problems does it cause? How can we solve these problems?
19
7-7-2007
In some countries, secondary schools aim to provide a general education across a range of
subjects. In others, children focus on a narrow range of subjects related to a particular
career. For today's world, which system is appropriate?
20
14-7-2007
In the past, lectures were used as a way of teaching large numbers of students, but now with
the development of technology for education, many people think there is no justification for
attending lectures. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
21
21-7-2007
As we are facing more and more problems which affect the whole planet, good relationships
between different countries are becoming more important than ever before. To what extent
do you agree or disagree?
22
26-7-2007
Team activities can teach more skills for life than those activities which are played alone. To
what extent do you agree or disagree?
23
11-8-2007
It is known to all that the technological and scientific advances have made great changes to
the range and quality of our food. Some people regard it as an improvement while others
believe that the change is harmful. Discuss both views and give your own opinion
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24
18-8-2007
Some people think that we should invent a new language for international communication.
Do the benefits of this outweigh the problems?
25
25-8-2007
Some people say that it is the responsibility of individual to save money for their own care
after they retire. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
26
1-9-2007
Some people think that studying in a college or university is the best way for students to
prepare for their future career. But others think they should leave school as soon as possible
to develop their career through work experience. Discuss both these views and give your
own opinion.
27
8-9-2007
The unlimited use of cars may cause many problems. What are those problems? In order to
reduce the problems, should we discourage people to use cars?
28
20-9-2007
Many countries spend a lot of money in art. Some people think investment in art is
necessary, but others say money is better spent on improving health and education. Discuss
both these views and give your own opinion.
29
22-9-2007
Higher education can be funded in several ways including the following three: 1. all costs are
paid by the government. 2. all costs are paid by the students. 3. all costs are paid by the
student using loans form the government that must be repaid after graduation. Discuss the
benefits of each option. Which is the best one?
30
6-10-2007
Today’s children are living under more pressure from the society than children in the past. To
what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
31
20-10-2007
Some people think it is better for children to begin to learn a foreign language at primary
school than at secondary school. What’s your opinion? Do you think the advantages
outweigh the disadvantages?
32
3-11-2007
The government should pay for the course fees for everyone who wants to study at the
university. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
33
17-11-2007
Nowadays, a lot of advertisements are aimed at children. Some people think there are lots
of negative effects for children and should ban the advertisements. To what extent do you
agree or disagree?
34
24-11-2007
Some people believe that giving aid to poorer countries has more negative effects than the
positive effects. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
35
8-12-2007
Some people believe that the aim of university education is to help graduates find better
jobs while some others hold that there are wider benefits for the individual and the society.
Discuss both viewpoints and give your own opinion.
36
15-12-2007
Today, it is common that TV news programmes show the images of disasters and violence to
the public. Discuss the reasons and the effects on the individual and the society.
Kiransielts.blogspot.com 3
2007 Plans of past years essays
1. 6-1-2007 / 21-7-2001
The world of work is changing rapidly. Working conditions today are not the same as
before and people no longer rely on taking one job for life. Discuss the possible
causes for these changes and give your suggestions on how people should prepare
for work in the future.
It is irrefutable that the work scenario is altering at a fast pace. Working conditions
are also different and the process of job-hopping is very common. This essay shall
delve into the possible causes for these changes and suggest ways to prepare for
work in the time to come.
To begin with, the development of science and technology has changed the
structure of work. For example, people no longer need to do some heavy work by
themselves. Instead, they can use machines. Secondly, competition has become
intense and people have to constantly update themselves with the latest materials
and methods. Sometimes they cannot compete with the new techno-savvy
workforce and so have to change jobs out of compulsion.
Furthermore, we belong to an era of consumerism. Being surrounded by so many
choices, people today want to buy new things and for that they do multiple jobs. In
addition, the 24/7 society of today provides us the opportunity to work day and
night. For instance, in earlier times, there were very few jobs which were round-the-
clock jobs. But, today, globalisation has brought in a multitude of options of working
day and night. The line between day and night has become dim and people have
become workaholics.
There could be many suggestions to prepare for work in the future. People should
have a set goal in their mind and get training accordingly. Moreover, it is important
to draw a line somewhere. The stress and strain of the fast modern workplace is
leading many to nervous breakdowns. In the developed countries, a new term called
downshifting has already come where after a certain stage, people are saying ‘no’ to
promotions and showing contentment with less. We should also realise that if we
stick to one job, then also life can be more stable and we can enjoy our leisure also.
To put in a nutshell, I pen down saying that, although work conditions are different
today and we have a need to update our knowledge regularly, we can plan our life in
a meticulous way and have a balance between work and leisure.
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2. 13-1-2007 / 9-6-2001 / 17-1-2004 / 28-5-2005 / 8-12-2007
Nowadays, some universities offer graduate students skills that assist to find
employment, but some people believe the main function of a university should be to
access knowledge for its sake. What’s your opinion?
As university education is the last stage before the starting of career, many people
believe that it prepares students for employment only, but the fact is that it serves a
lot many purposes. In this essay I shall discuss the various functions of a university.
Universities provide specialised education in fields such as medical, engineering,
commerce etc. They provide library facilities, which support the curriculum. They
provide laboratory facilities for science and technology related subjects. They send
students to factories and industries so that they get practical experience. This job-
oriented training helps them to understand the working conditions and also gives
them an idea about competition in the market. They also create job opportunities
for the students by arranging campus interviews.
On the other hand, universities also perform other functions which help the
students in their personal life. They organise co-curricular activities such as cultural
programmes, sports, debates, fairs etc. They gain many qualities such as self-
confidence and positive attitude, which help them in their future life. Moreover,
some people just go to university for gaining knowledge just out of interest for the
subject. For example, a doctor may want to learn French language just for interest in
the language.
Furthermore, a university is a place to know more about the world because there
are students from across the globe in a university. For many, who may never travel
abroad, this may be a chance of a lifetime for them to broaden their horizons and
know more about the different cultures of the world. For example, in LPU( Lovely
Professional University), there are 200 students from Malaysia, Korea and other
parts of the world.
To put it in a nutshell, I pen down saying that, universities do not simply prepare a
person for employment, but also have many other functions.
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3. 20-1-2007 // 9-7-2005
Some people think the government should pay for health care and education, but other
people think it's not government's responsibility. Discuss both sides and your opinion.
Nowadays, health care and education have become the focus of the people’s concern. It is
a highly debated issue as to who should pay for these services. There are those who argue
that the government should pay for them while others think the costs should be
shouldered by individuals. Personally, I think that basic health care and primary education
should be on the government but advanced health care and higher education should be
borne by the individual.
It is irrefutable that it is the government’s responsibility to make basic health care and
primary education accessible to everyone. The reason is that a nation’s prosperity very
much depends on the contribution made by its well-educated citizens who are in good
health. After all we all pay taxes and so we are entitled to get something back in return.
Private schools and private hospitals can be available for those who want and can afford it
but the free schools and free government hospitals should always be there.
On the other hand, individuals should be responsible for their advanced health care.
Actually, the advanced medical and surgical treatments are very expensive. So, instead of
depending on government we should take some health insurance or save in any other way
with the tomorrow in mind. Higher education, too benefits the individual more than the
nation. So it is quite reasonable to pay for it from one’s pocket.
There are, of course, some sections of society who cannot afford their own healthcare.
The government should have some system of knowing their financial status and provide
free healthcare so that nobody dies for want of treatment. As far as higher education is
concerned, the government can have some system of interest free loans for the needy and
meritorious students.
To sum up, basic education and primary education should be borne by the government
but advanced health care and education should be paid by the individual from his pocket.