When a country develops its technology, the traditional skills and ways of life die out.

It is pointless to try and keep

them alive. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Nowadays, technological advances and their rapid and wide applications are having a significant impact on a nations
traditional skills and ways of life. Some argue that such impact is so extraordinary that it would make conventional skills and
lifestyle obsolete. However, I believe they would continue to thrive by providing alternatives to modern ways of life, and
innovative ideas for modern technologies.
First of all, traditional skills and ways of life are becoming an alternative solution to the problems caused by mainstream
ways of life which are greatly influenced by modern technologies. For instance, a cozy restaurant where traditional, homebrewed beer is served, offers another experience to people who are bored with branded beers that have the same flavor and
come out of mass production with new technologies. It is in such a venue where traditional skills are preserved, people become
relaxed and educated. Providing diversity and thus enriching modern ways of life, such traditional skills and ways of life would
continue to have their place.
Furthermore, conventional skills provide innovative ideas to the development of modern technologies. For example, sparkled
by how the word Love is traditionally knitted into a sweater by some ethnic minority women in some parts of Asia, some
business managers from textile industry have developed some production lines by applying the traditional skills to ComputerAided Designs (CAD). The products have boosted the companies sales which in turn have increased their investment in
preserving traditional skills for further developing their technologies.
To conclude, traditional skills and lifestyle are increasingly becoming a useful alternative to the homogeneity brought by global
applications of modern technologies. However, the evolution of technologies is a selection process, whereby some would
become obsolete, but there is no doubt that some would thrive when their roles are appreciated.
Many offenders commit more crimes after serving the first punishment. Why is this happening, and what measures can
be taken to tackle this problem?
It is true that some criminals commit crimes again after they have been punished. While there are several reasons for this
alarming trend, some effective measures can be taken by governments to tackle this problem.
There are two main reasons for re-offenders. Firstly, the prison system can make the situation worse. Criminals put together in
prison and they make friends with other offenders. While they are locked up in prison, they do not have much to do there, and
they would exchange information about what they have done before they came to the prison or they may plan crimes with
other inmates. Secondly, offenders often do not have any other means of earning money. They are poor, uneducated and
lacking skills needed to maintain a job. Also, a criminal record makes finding a job difficult as people usually avoid hiring
people with criminal background.
To solve this problem, governments should focus on rehabilitation of criminals rather than punishment. Above all, prisons need
vocational training which allows inmates to prepare for life outside the prison. They can learn practical skills such as computer
programming, car maintenance and graphic design. In this way, they can be hired for a position that requires this certain
knowledge and skills. Community service is another way to reform offenders. Rather than being locked up in prison with other
inmates, offenders can help society and become useful to their local community, and these activities would eliminate the
negative influence that prisons can have.
In conclusion, it is true the recidivism is one of the problems for our community; it can be solved by focusing on rehabilitation
rather than punishment itself.

Some people think that schools should select students according to their academic abilities, while others believe that it is
better to have students with different abilities studying together. Discuss both views and state your own opinion.
Some people contend that mixed ability classes are more beneficial for childrens development than streaming them on the
basis of judgement about their academic abilities. However, from my perspective, I disagree with this contention.
Admittedly, mixed ability classes provide a better environment for childrens all-round development. In such classes, children
with different abilities study together and in turn they can learn from one another. From example, a student, who is good at
academic study but weak in dancing or painting, can learn how to dance or paint from his peers. In this sense, mixed ability
classes allow students to develop their abilities in different subjects instead of only academic abilities.
Despite the argument above, I believe streaming students brings more benefits to teachers and students. As for teachers,
separating children with better academic abilities from others facilitates effective teaching. This practice helps teachers to
control their students more conveniently and easily. Compared with mixed ability in which teacher should consider students
differences when they are using teaching methodologies, streaming makes this situation simpler. To be more specific, students
are at the same level of academic ability in a class, and in turn teachers can use the same methodologies for them all. In this
way, the narrower the spread of ability in the class, the more convenient the teaching can be.
On top of this, streaming enables students to learn in an effective way. According to students different abilities, they are taught
in different ways that are more suitable for them. In the top streams, students use more difficult materials, therefore, they can
learn more. In sharp contrast, teachers can explain the material more slowly to those in bottom streams. Under this
circumstance, students with different academic abilities can study effectively and efficiently.
In the final analysis, mixed ability classes are beneficial for students versatile development, but in my opinion, segregating
students based on different academic ability is better for both teachers and students.

Some argue younger people are not suitable for important positions in the government, while others think this is
a good idea. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Government jobs carry with them serious responsibilities. It is therefore no surprise that a persons age and experience come
under scrutiny when positions in a government need to be filled. Many feel influential government jobs should be reserved for
those who are older and have more experience, while others feel the criterion for these positions should be capability, namely
whomever is most able to carry out the job. This essay will look at both sides before drawing a logical conclusion.
On the one hand, many argue that younger people should be made ineligible for important government positions, and the
implications of this opinion are clear. Those operating at senior levels within a countrys military, for example, require field
experience to prevent disastrous decisions that could cause the needless loss of life. Were younger people allowed to fast track
their ascension within a countrys military, they could find themselves having to make critical choices based more on
theoretical study than practical experience, and this could have catastrophic results. Thus, is it understandable why many feel
younger government workers should be incubated before given promotion to important positions.
However, there are several plausible counters to this argument. For one, younger workers bring creativity and fresh ideas to
government. For example, young government workers in Canada successfully pushed to increase HIV understanding and
dispel stigmas attached to the disease in the 1980s, a development that encouraged tolerance and reduced irrational fear. In
addition to fresh ideas, it should be remembered that to get a government job, one has to successfully engage a rigorous
screening process. If a younger person engages this process as well or better than an older person, it is hard to argue that age
should be a decisive factor when offering employment. It is clear from these reasons that there is merit to awarding important
government career options to younger people.
Although the above look reveals solid evidence for both sides of the argument, it is felt that the healthiest approach to
designating government positions is to ensure candidates fulfil rigorous training programs. Thus, a persons age should not be
considered a universal precursor to the awarding of government jobs.

It is beneficial for students to spend a certain amount of time at least one year before entering
universities. Do you agree or disagree?
Through the progression of time, the issues surrounding spending some time before entering university have stimulated a
controversy in society. The controversy revolves around the fact that it is beneficial for students to have a certain amount of
time before starting university studies. This essay will take a social perspective to show a firm agreement with this claim.
In the current society, many claim that young people may gain valuable experience during this period of time. For instance,
young people may be involved in part time jobs and experience the diversity of social life. Through this experience, they are
likely to develop interpersonal skills, which are crucial to maintain healthy relationships with others who have different
personalities and traits. Furthermore, the experience gained from part time jobs tends to be the foundational criteria for
building their future career. Following this reasoning, there is sufficient evidence to support the claim that it would affect
the young generation in a positive way.
However, as with most issues of discussion, a counter-argument exists in that this period could be a waste of time. This is
because society is becoming increasingly competitive to the point where a certain level of academic qualifications is
indispensable in securing decent jobs. However, this aspect seems to be considered as a narrow perspective. The ultimate
purpose of education is to help students find jobs related to their interests, as the level of job satisfaction often determines
the work performance of an employee. As such, it seems significantly less convincing to consider that having quality time
before entering universities is unnecessary.
Upon thorough analysis, it is clear that students may potentially gain rewarding experience by taking a gap year. Hence, it
can be inferred that students should be allowed to have some time before initiating their studies in universities.
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Some languages die every year and English is becoming used more and more as
a world language. Many people feel this is a positive trend and that world with
fewer languages promotes harmony and understanding between people. Analyse
both sides of this argument and provide your opinion. (sitting for GT module)
In the contemporary world, peoples lives are progressed pursuant to the changes
that globalisation brings to society. Popular western cultures have altered the overall linguistic
practice around the globe, establishing English as a dominant language while leaving other minor
languages under threat. Some argue that such a trend can allow global citizens to achieve
harmony through destroying a communication barrier while others state the opposite opinion.
These two divergent ideas will be analysed in the following paragraphs, supported by relevant
examples.
Having English as a common language can ease possible difficulties that may arise due
to language barriers. One can readily recount incidences of people having conversational problems
when travelling overseas. Not being able to understand foreign languages disables people from
comprehending foreigners thoughts and bonding with them. Consequently, this may cause some
to develop biased or negative perceptions of people from other countries. Therefore, if the citizens
of the world could speak one or fewer languages, troubles generated by language barriers would
be minimized and create a harmonious society.
However, disappearance of a language may result in the loss of a nation's cultural identity.
Languages do not only represent verbal practice by humans, but also reflect on a countrys
traditions. For example, Korean includes two different ways of expressing words depending on
which age group one belongs to. If such a linguistically diversified activity was to be replaced by
English, the nation would lose its historical custom that has been maintained for centuries.

In conclusion, the aforementioned ideas suggest two varying opinions about having fewer
languages in the world. I personally believe that every language should be preserved to keep its
individual identity and characteristics.

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