GIẢI ĐỀ TASK 2 (2023)

Hướng dẫn
Phần giải đề bên dưới chỉ cung cấp cho bạn luận điểm, bạn có thể sắp xếp các luận điểm này sao
cho phù hợp nhất với quan điểm của bạn. Lưu ý rằng dù đưa ra bao nhiêu luận điểm thì cũng cần
phát triển đầy đủ từng luận điểm.

Lưu ý cấu trúc cho các dạng đề:

Với dạng đề Discuss both views and give your opinion, bạn cần nêu ý kiến ở mở bài. Thân bài
chia 2 đoạn; đoạn 1 đưa ra quan điểm bạn KHÔNG đồng ý, đoạn 2 nêu quan điểm của bạn.

Với dạng đề Advantages/Disadvantages: phía nào mạnh hơn thì nêu ra ở mở bài và nói sau (body
paragraph 2); phía nào yếu hơn thì nói trước (body paragraph 1).

Với dạng đề Agree/Disagree và Positive/Negative, bạn có thể nghiêng hẳn về 1 phía (extreme
viewpoint) hoặc nói cả 2 phía (balanced viewpoint). Ví dụ:
- Strongly agree: Cả hai hoặc ba đoạn ở phần thân bài đều đưa ra luận điểm cho phía
“agree”. Mỗi đoạn sẽ là 1 ý riêng.
- Strongly disagree: Cả hai hoặc ba đoạn ở phần thân bài đều đưa ra luận điểm cho phía
“disagree”. Mỗi đoạn sẽ là 1 ý riêng.
- Balanced viewpoint: Đoạn 1 nói về quan điểm bạn KHÔNG đồng ý, đoạn 2 nói về quan
điểm của bạn. Mỗi đoạn có thể đưa ra 1-2 ý.

1. 5/1: Rich countries often give money to poorer countries, but it does not solve poverty.
Therefore, developed countries should give other types of help to poorer countries rather
than financial aid. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Agree:
- Financial aid does not necessarily address the root cause of poverty → perpetuates
dependency and lack of self-sufficiency, trapping the country in a vicious cycle of aid
money not improving conditions in the long term
- Support for education and technology should be prioritized instead → allows for
well-educated and innovative citizens able to come up with long-term solutions with the
help of state-of-the-art technologies → self-sufficient and reliable ways for countries to
develop

Disagree: Poorer Countries might not have a efficient solution in the long run
=> Poor decision-making and ill-advised plans
=> Might have the opposite effect (even more dire consequences than before)
 - Financial aid can be directed towards infrastructure → allows for the construction of
projects that can play a part in a long-term solution even if current conditions do not
otherwise allow for them
- Aid in the form of food can be vital to the survival of more impoverished countries →
alleviate food shortages and prevents famines in areas where farming is either difficult or
impossible

2. 7/1: Some countries achieve international success by building specialized facilities to

train top athletes instead of providing sports facilities that everyone can use. Is it a positive
or negative development?
Positive:
- Athletes can achieve better performance due to superior training equipment → more
awards in international tournaments, allowing for the development of the sports sector →
raised national spirit, and heightened interest in sports
- Allows for domestic training as opposed to transporting athletes overseas due to a lack of
sufficient equipment → allows for saving

Negative:
- general public health is more important than the achievements of only select individuals
→ investing in public infrastructure should be prioritized over exclusive ones
- unrightful use of public resources: the construction and maintenance of these specialized
facilities, catering only to certain people, are paid for by taxes of the public → the money
should be put towards constructing public services

(Conclusion: ⇒ better alternative: shared sports facilities)

3. 12/1: Some people believe that certain old buildings should be preserved more than
others. What types of old buildings should be preserved? Do you think the advantages of
preserving old buildings outweigh the disadvantages?
Body 1: Types of buildings that should be preserved
- buildings with historical and cultural significance, e.g., museums, galleries, monuments
→ represent past and heritage
- buildings with unique architectural designs, e.g., churches, castles → maintain the
distinctive character of the city/town

Body 2: Advantages > Disadvantages:

- Disadvantages:
 + safety hazards and structural concerns: old buildings are structurally unsound
(built from old materials, outdated techniques) → could pose an ongoing safety
risk
+ The budget spent on maintaining buildings can be spent elsewhere (e.g. the
construction of new, more expansive buildings) or used to address more pressing
issues in the eyes of the community
- Advantages:
+ Buildings with significant historical importance or landmark architectural styles
should be preserved → serve as a testimony of the past, boosting community links
to past events/periods → cultural identity: important for residents’ sense of pride
and identity
+ Creates unique aesthetic settings for an area, as well as serving as unique tourist
attractions → boosts tourism and the economy

4. 14/1: Video records are a better way to learn about the way other people in the world live
rather than written documents. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Agree:
- Videos potentially allow for a more comprehensive and engaging learning experience as
they are audiovisual records → appeal to younger regenerations who might not always be
inclined to read articles or books
- The increasing popularity of the Internet makes video records more accessible than ever
→ allows for quick, on-demand learning from anywhere, at any time from any device
that can access the Internet and play videos

Disagree:
- Written documents are still excellent sources of materials → scientifically proven to be
more beneficial for information retention of specific details, being more effective as an
educational tool
- Written documents are reliable and have many primary and secondary sources backing up
information in most cases → more factually accurate than videos which might be
unreliable or outdated, especially when their sources are not cited or are cited incorrectly

5. 19/1: The best way to teach children to cooperate is through team sports at school. To
what extent do you agree or disagree?
Agree:
- Team sports allow children to develop their communication skills through their
interactions during the games, both through verbal communication and body language
 - Allows for development of teamwork skills through strategizing during the games as well
as executing actions requiring many people to work together

Disagree:
- not inclusive: students who struggle with physical activities (disabilities, certain health
conditions: respiratory or cardiovascular issues) feel left out → harm self-esteem and
confidence
- harmful competitive environment: sports: focus on winning → anxiety or stress
- Other activities may be better at honing cooperative skills for some children (e.g. group
projects: how to collaborate, delegate tasks, divide responsibilities among members based
on their strong suits → all students can join regardless of health conditions, more
accommodating)

6. 28/1: Nowadays, not enough students choose science subjects in universities in many
countries. Why? What are the effects on society?
Causes:
- difficulty of science subjects: challenging, require great efforts and high level of aptitude
→ discourage students
- financial considerations: courses are often expensive due to the high level of expertise
and technologies required (professors, doctors, labs, tools, etc.)
- lack of interest: students do not see relevance of science in daily life → less motivated to
pursue it as a career

Effects:
- A lack of trained and educated scientists in the field → a slowdown or a shortage of
discoveries in scientific fields may ensue as a result of less manpower → hinder progress
in important fields such as healthcare or environmental sustainability → can be resolved
by encouraging students to take up scientific programs and offering benefits to those
pursuing careers
- Economic impacts: scientific advancements are major drivers of economic growth and
prosperity of a country (example: development of new technologies in the information
and communications sector → creation of new industries: social media, e-commerce,
mobile apps)
7. 2/2: While many people go to university for academic study, more people should be
encouraged to do vocational training because there is a lack of qualified workers such as
electricians and plumbers. Do you agree or disagree?
Disagree:
- Universities offer courses spanning a wider variety of subjects → allowing students to be
more versatile in their career choices, as one overarching degree allows them to pursue
career options in multiple fields in most cases
- Universities usually have better resources and infrastructure as well as a qualification
more favored by employers → affords students a more effective learning environment
and more positive career prospects, especially in higher paying jobs

Agree:
- Address labor market needs: Encouraging more individuals to pursue vocational training
can help address the shortage of qualified workers in these professions
- Vocational schools specialize in the specific trade being studied as opposed to a wide
range of subjects as in universities → allowing graduates to reach a higher level of
mastery in their vocation compared to what would be possible with a regular university
education
- Vocational schools offer shorter courses at lower tuition rates than traditional universities
→ students are offered accessible education regardless of financial standing, and can
enter the workforce much earlier than their peers

8. 4/2: Governments should ban dangerous sports. Others think that people should have
the freedom to do any sports activity. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
For ban:
- Dangerous sports can result in preventable fatalities and injuries, not only affecting the
sportspeople themselves but, in some occasions, unrelated passersby → banning these
sports could help to prevent these casualties
- The popularization of these sports could result in untrained people, especially children,
copying actions taken by trained sportspeople, sometimes without proper safety
precautions, thus endangering themselves → banning these sports prevents the
popularization of activities that could prove dangerous to the uninitiated

Against ban:
- Banning dangerous sports would be an infringement of personal liberty, as many believe
that one should be able to partake in any recreational activities that are within legal
 bounds and do not endanger anyone else + the risk of injury or death is a personal choice
that individuals should be allowed to make for themselves
- Many people have managed to establish a career around these sports and have obtained
many significant achievements in the sports, as well as many being able to pursue a better
and healthier way of life thanks to them → banning extreme sports would be a front to
their trials and tribulations, as well as negating the fruits of their effort

9. 11/2: Some experts believe that when a country is already rich, any additional increase in
economic wealth does not make its citizens any more satisfied. To what extent do you agree
or disagree?
Agree:
- Due to the law of diminishing returns, additional increases in economic prosperity
become increasingly less significant once a country is already wealthy → citizens benefit
less from more wealth when a country is already wealthy as is
- Wealth does not always result in emotional well-being → rich countries have some of the
highest depression rates (e.g. Japan), while some relatively poor countries (e.g. Bhutan)
are listed as some of the happiest countries in the world

Disagree:
- economic wealth → increased social welfare: ensure citizens’ basic needs and more
through free or subsidized social services such as healthcare, education, or housing
(example: Germany, one of the richest countries in the world: public institutions do not
charge tuition fees and healthcare is deemed free as all workers contribute a percentage of
their wage to a health insurance pool → boost citizens’ overall quality of life)
- Citizens have better economic standings → more available funds to spend on luxuries
and entertainment, as well as more time to enhance mental wellbeing

10. 16/2: In the modern world, it is possible to shop, work, and communicate with people
via the Internet and live without any face-to-face contact with others. Is it a positive or
negative development in your opinion?
Positive:
- Removes the logistical difficulties of face-to-face meetings → meetings can now be held
over long distances with multiple people at any time, as long as all parties possess a
device capable of connecting to the Internet.
- flexibility in communication with people from different locations: individuals can buy
products from other countries that may not be available locally; companies can tap into a
global talent pool; the ability to connect with people from all over the world can foster
 tolerance toward differences → the Internet breaks the restrictions of geographic
boundaries, opening up new avenues for communication and commerce

Negative:
- Encourages a sedentary lifestyle as it is now optional to travel outside of one’s home to
meet someone or buy something → may result in health problems and general laziness
- Encourages the abandonment of face-to-face meetings → resulting in reduced real life
social interactions: as online tools are convenient → use it more often than meeting
face-to-face + over-reliance can lead to degradation of social skills

11. 18/2: New technologies have changed the way children spend their free time. Do you
think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
Advantages:
- Children now have access to many other novel forms of entertainment that were
nonexistent just a couple of decades ago, many of which develop their critical thinking
skills, dexterity, and problem-solving skills
- Social media allows children to keep in touch with their friends and family despite long
distances, as well as allowing them to meet new people over the Internet

Disadvantages (choose 2 ideas):

- Sedentary lifestyle: technology: addictive nature + convenience → prolonged use →
negative impact on children's health, such as obesity, poor eyesight, and disrupted sleep
patterns
- cyberbullying: takes place on social media platforms, messaging apps: may include
threats, harassment, hurtful comments → negative impact on children’s mental health:
depression, anxiety, feelings of insecurity, social isolation, etc.
- security risk: online predators: children using social media or chat apps may come into
contact with strangers with malicious intents: these predators will befriend the children,
posing as someone their age, in order to gain their trust and then exploit the children (try
to meet up with the children)
- Overreliance on technology may result in deficiencies in critical thinking and behavioral
issues, thus impeding children’s performance in school or obstructing their real-life
interactions
12. 25/2: An increasing number of people are choosing to have cosmetic surgery to improve
their appearance. Why do people have operations to change the way they look? Do you
think this is a positive or negative development?
Causes: (People undergo aesthetic procedures in order to…)
- boost self-esteem and confidence: people may feel self-conscious about a certain physical
feature, may be bullied or ridiculed by other people (example: someone who feels
insecure about their nose can get a rhinoplasty) → enhancing physical appearance allows
people to improve their confidence
- Societal preconceptions concerning beauty → modifying one’s physical appearance to
conform to these norms and be beautiful in the eyes of others

Positive: (remember to change the wording so that it does not overlap with the reasons
paragraph)
- Anyone can now modify their physical appearance to their liking if they were born with
features that they deem undesirable → boosts self-confidence and dignity in their
everyday life
- Advances in cosmetic surgery have benefitted medical practices in other fields (e.g.
liposuction), thus allowing more people to live more comfortable lives, no longer plagued
by conditions that years ago would not have been resolvable

Negative:
- health risks: patients may experience complications during the procedure or during
recovery, and in rare cases, surgery can even be fatal → especially concerning for young
people, who may not fully understand the risks involved
- Surgeries represent a rather “artificial” outlook on beauty, where it is not based on any
one feature or any tangible set of features, but instead on how much one can spend to
modify and polish one’s appearance until satisfactory
- expenses: cosmetic procedures are often not covered by health insurance plans + cost
may be high due to the level of expertise of the surgeon and the complexity of the
procedure; there might also be additional costs for pre-operative tests, anesthesia, and
post-operative care; multiple surgeries may be required for optimal results → challenging
for many to pay out of pocket

13. 2/3: Some people say free time activities for children should be organized by parents.
Others say that children should be free to choose what they do in their free time. Discuss
both views and give your opinion.
By parents:
 - Parents will be able to research their children’s preferences and strong suits and thus be
able to curate an activity that suits their children best → able to make informed decisions
about what their children should be doing in their free time, as well as being able to
organize more curated and polished activities
- expose children to new experiences and interests → develop new passions and hobbies
(example: parents signing their children up for a robotics class may foster a love for
engineering → pursue a career in this field): children can explore new interests in a
structured and supportive environment

By children:
- allow children to develop creativity and imagination: children can create their own ideas
and their own worlds without constraints from instructors or parents (example: drawing,
painting, writing) → foster cognitive and social development through independent
thinking
- children have the freedom to work at their own pace and according to their own interests
→ no pressure to conform to someone else’s expectations → more motivation, decrease
risk of burnout and undue stress

14. 4/3: Some students take a gap year after graduating high school to work and/or travel.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this.
Advantages:
- work: gain invaluable work experience + earn money:
+ students can take a gap year to work jobs that are related to their future major, or
experiment with different jobs to find out their desired career path → can develop
skills and gain practical experience → an advantage when applying to college or
future job opportunities
+ alleviate financial pressure when paying for college (tuition, books & supplies,
accommodation, food, transportation) or other personal future plans + create a
sense of independence and responsibility as students learn to manage their
finances
- travel: explore different cultures → broaden perspectives, worldview: learn about
different customs, traditions, ways of life → develop tolerance toward differences
(intercultural competence): an essential quality in both personal and professional settings,
providing a competitive edge in future job applications

Disadvantages:
 - delaying entry into college or the workforce may put one at a disadvantage compared to
peers who start earlier: take a gap year after graduating high school → graduate from
college later, and start professional career later → impact earning potential in the long run
>< peers who did not take a gap year may already be making progress towards their
career goals or building professional network
- risk of losing academic or professional momentum and skills during the gap year: may
forget information learned in high school → struggle when returning to academic studies
in college, or may lose skills developed in high school jobs → difficult to secure
employment later

15. 11/3: The advantages of the spread of English as a global language will continue to
outweigh its disadvantages. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Agree:
- English being used as a global language results in easier communication between
individuals throughout the world as everyone agrees on a common language → removes
the language barrier between different countries, encourages communication between
different cultures
- Allows for ease of trade between parties in different countries under one common
language used in negotiation and in documents → facilitates international trade and
boosts the global economy

Disagree:
- The popularization of English may result in the decline of local languages and dialects
due to disinterest in learning or using these languages → causing these languages to die
out as a result, resulting in a loss of important cultural assets
- The permeation of a “global language” may result in a process where old cultural values
are eroded and neglected, slowly morphing into a single uniform, uninteresting “global
culture” without any defining traits at the expense of rich and diverse cultural values of
the past

16. 18/3: Some people think that the increasing use of computers and mobile phones for
communication has a negative effect on young people’s reading and writing skills. To what
extent do you agree or disagree?
Agree:
- Multimedia content has resulted in an over-reliance on visual content (most notably
videos) and shorthand prose → results in hampered attention spans and reduced
motivation to read a text for extended periods of time
 - An over-reliance on autocorrect, writing assistance apps, and emojis due to instant
messaging and social media results in a decline in writing skills, namely in youths’
abilities to write academic or formal passages
- use of computers and mobile phones can lead to distractions, making it challenging for
young people to concentrate on reading or writing tasks for extended periods: electronic
devices offer an array of entertainment options, social media platforms, and instant
communication tools that are designed to captivate users' attention → when attempting
to engage in activities that demand sustained concentration, such as reading a book or
composing an essay, individuals are often enticed by the allure of notifications, messages,
and online diversions

Disagree:
- Word processors, especially on mobile devices, as well as the Internet, have allowed
people to write at any time anywhere they see fit, as well as allowing a wide range of
materials to browse and consult for free within seconds → reading and writing are more
accessible now than it ever has been

17. 25/3: Some cities have vehicle-free days when private cars, trucks, and motorcycles are
banned from the city center. People are encouraged to use public transportation such as
buses, taxis, and metro on vehicle-free days. Do the advantages outweigh the
disadvantages?
Advantages:
- Reduces traffic congestion as there are fewer vehicles on the road → allows for faster,
more convenient travel as a result of clearer roads
- Environmental protection: fewer vehicles → reduce air pollution + people can see the
positive environmental effects of using public transport in the city → raise awareness,
encourage public transport use
- Allows for more efficient usage of road space as public vehicles allow for more people to
be transported in the same area → more throughput on public transport-only days on
roads, as well as further reduction of traffic congestion

Disadvantages:
- May be very inconvenient for people who rely on private transport for their travels and as
such cannot utilize public transport when their main mode of transport is not allowed to
be used (e.g. people who commute to remote areas without public transportation
coverage) + reduce accessibility for people with mobility problems
 - Disadvantageous to companies that rely on vehicles such as trucks and cars to perform
their services, especially those in the busier parts of a city → hampers business and
causes delays both for the businesses and those that depend on their services

18. 1/4: More and more people no longer read newspapers or watch TV programs to get
news. They get news about the world through the Internet. Is this a positive or negative
development?
Positive:
- News on the internet allows for the news to be checked and read anywhere and at any
time the reader desires, as long as they have with them a mobile device or any other
device that can access the internet → allows for much easier access to the news at any
time for free or for far less than traditional newspapers or TV, in addition to access to a
wide variety of sources in an instant as opposed to having to buy another newspaper or
subscribe to a new TV channel
- News can be customized thanks to browser filters and recommendation algorithms →
users can customize their news browsing experience with a few simple steps, thus
allowing them to stay updated about topics that they are interested in

Negative:
- The internet allows for fake news to be able to be both uploaded and disseminated at a
rapid pace, thus catching uninformed readers unwary and causing them to spread such
disinformation even further
- Some forms of news media, most notably short-form content in the form of videos, can
affect viewers’ attention spans, as well as a tendency to remove otherwise significant
information from news stories, causing their consumers to not be fully informed of the
circumstances surrounding such stories

19. 8/4: Some people believe teenagers should focus on all subjects equally, whereas other
people think that they should concentrate on only those subjects that they find interesting.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Focusing on all subjects:
- Gives teenagers a clear and comprehensive knowledge of a multi-faceted world, both on
the basic level as well as more in-depth knowledge → highly important in a world where
knowledge is essential for the development of one’s career and for the world’s progress,
in addition to a more expansive worldview
- Allows for students to be able to determine their strong suits and weaknesses in a variety
of subjects and be able to either build on their talents or improve on their weaknesses
Focusing only on subjects they find interesting:
- Focusing on subjects they are interested in gives them more motivation to try to improve
as they find out more about the subjects that intrigue them and dive further into the topics
they enjoy → more effective learning resulting in better results
- Instills a long-lasting passion for learning in the student as a result of being able to
engross themselves in what they enjoy → highly beneficial in a student's academic career
and future working life

20. 15/4: It is the responsibility of schools to teach children good behavior in addition to
providing formal education. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Agree:
- Schools are meant to educate students and prepare them to become productive and lawful
citizens of the future → good behavior is a part of this concept, and thus schools should
play a part in this, especially when schools are already well suited to the task with various
regulations
- What children are taught in schools, as well as their various interactions with teachers
and other students, play a big part in the development of their personality and behavior in
adulthood → schools should take advantage of this to instill good behavior and beneficial
habits in students
Disagree:
- Schools, while a significant part of a student's life, do not fully shape a student’s
behavior; parents are a child's most important figures and as such should share
responsibility for the instilling of good behavior in their children as they grow up by
regularly accompanying them and correcting their bad habits and behaviors
- While a school's education system could be intensive, they cannot fully keep track of a
student's behavior and take note of subtle quirks the same way a parent can, further
emphasizing the need for parents to share with schools the responsibility to guide their
children to become well-behaved members of society, as they are able to accompany their
child and take note of their quirks and adjust accordingly

21. 20/4: Some people believe that a crime is a result of social problems and poverty, others
think that crime is a result of a bad person’s nature. Discuss both views and give your
opinion.
Social problems and poverty:
- In many instances, some people in serious poverty will have no choice but to resort to
criminal activity as a means to be able to continue to live normal lives, especially when in
 some cases it is the only option they have left, with all other legal means shut off from
them
- Societal issues such as discrimination and marginalization may result in those affected
committing crimes out of rage and defiance against a system that appears to be stacked
against them → repercussions from these activities further fuel them and push them to
commit more crimes

Human nature:
- Moral character: Many crimes, sometimes some of the most despicable atrocities ever
committed, were committed as a result of degraded morals. Some individuals have
inherently flawed moral compasses, which can lead them to commit crimes due to their
personal beliefs or the absence of ethical principles
- psychological factors: lack of empathy or impulse control can predispose individuals to
criminal behavior

22. 22/4: Some people feel that manufacturers and supermarkets should have the
responsibility to reduce the amount of packaging of goods, while others argue that
customers should avoid buying goods with a lot of packaging. Discuss both these views and
give your own opinion.
Responsibility of manufacturers and supermarkets:
- Manufacturers and supermarket chains tend to use an excessive amount of raw materials
for packaging, most of which are non-biodegradable materials that end up in landfills or
littered throughout roads or stuck in rivers, and manufacturers also have a tendency to
rely on these materials for their cheap price in order to extend their profit margins; as
such, it is up to them to cut their usage of these materials
- While there have been more accessible and competitively priced packaging materials as
of late, many manufacturers are not willing to switch to these new materials due to
already existing systems for plastics, as well as the abundance of plastics and the ease of
purchasing them in bulk → moves must be made to encourage plants to utilize these new
materials in production

Responsibility on customers:
- Customers today do not pay a lot of attention to the time of packaging materials used in
their goods → a shift towards “green” packaging materials and a trend against other
non-biodegradable materials will force manufacturers and supermarket chains to start
adapting to the needs of customers via a shift towards these new, more eco-friendly
materials
 - Transparent, plastic-based packaging materials are often used for their aesthetics in order
to induce more sales and increase revenue, which results in manufacturers being less
willing to adopt “green” materials as these materials tend to negatively affect the
aesthetics of a product → such a trend can be reversed as customers start favoring
products with these types of packaging, thus forcing manufacturers and supermarket
chains having to adapt

23. 29/4: Many companies today sponsor sports as a way of advertising themselves. Some
people think that this is a good thing for the world of sports. Others think this has
disadvantages. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Good for the world of sports:
- companies’ sponsorships provide much-needed financial support to sports organizations:
constructing facilities, organizing tournaments and exhibition games, etc. → ensure the
longevity and success of the sport: without support from corporate sponsors, many events
would not be possible, or would be much more scaled down
- improve the overall performance of players: provide them with state-of-the-art
equipment, facilities, hire experienced coaches, nutritionists, doctors, etc. that would not
have been accessible without the funding → improve physical fitness, skills, and strategy
among players → enhance performance
- Increases coverage of sports to the general public => boosts the popularity of sports
teams and sports in general, thus encouraging people to take up these sports themselves
and be more active, as well as fueling passion and enthusiasm for sports and for
sponsored teams within the general public

Bad for the world of sports:

- There exists a potential for sports to become overcommercialized as a result of
sponsorships by private companies, thus causing the core values and virtues of a sport to
be lost, giving way to the wills of the companies backing teams and competitions and the
desire for financial gain
- The integrity of sports may also be questioned as viewers may suspect that results and
other arrangements (e.g. host cities for tournaments) may be fixed in order to maximize
profits for sponsors of teams and tournaments or other such stakeholders in a sports
organization, casting a general shadow on the genuineness and fairness of sporting
events.
- athletes focus on advertising: pressure to maintain public image and secure more
lucrative sponsorship deals can shift players’ attention away from their primary
 responsibility as athletes: neglect training or preparing for games → decline in
performance

24. 6/5: Directors of large organizations earn much higher salaries than ordinary
employees do. Some people believe it is necessary, but others think that it is unfair. Discuss
both these views and give your own opinions.
Necessary:
- Directors have to take more risks and bear significantly more responsibility than normal
workers when it comes to making major decisions, especially when one of their decisions
may make or break the entire company’s reputation and profits, and as such their pay
should reflect this heightened risk and responsibility
- Directors are usually responsible for overseeing many departments of the company and
have to make significant decisions concerning its operation nearly every day, a job that
requires significant talent in decision-making and business management skills, as well as
a solid work ethic and mental fortitude; a high pay sufficiently reflects the requirements
for such a job, as well as serving to attract and retain talented people as top-level
executives for companies.

Unfair:
- Such a pay structure does not properly represent the value that each employee brings to
the organization, and as such creates a sense of inequity among lower-level employees,
especially when these employees are vital for the operation of the company and for its
business activities as the main workers in the organization
- Some executives’ jobs may be seen as more relaxed and less intensive in the eyes of the
general public and lower-level workers, thus further accentuating the existing sense of
inequity and resulting in more demand for higher pay for lower positions by those who
see the current pay structure in most corporations as unfair

25. 11/5: Advertising is becoming more and more common in everyday life. Is this a positive
or negative development?
Positive:
- Allows customers to be able to discover new products while just minding their everyday
business, especially those that cater to them thanks to personalized advertising → able to
learn more about things that may interest them or prove useful to their everyday lives
without having to take too much time to research new products
 - Allows businesses to reach many more potential customers via their advertising
campaigns, as well as being able to utilize personalized advertisement delivery to reach
their intended customer base → stimulating the economy and encouraging more trade

Negative:
- Sparks concern about users’ personal privacy as advertising companies have the potential
to and have, on several occasions, been found to collect personal data from users without
their consent to help train their advertising algorithms and to cater to personalized
advertisements
- The overproliferation of advertisements exacerbates consumerism: advertisements are
designed to create desire and prompt products → convey the message that happiness,
success, or fulfillment can be achieved through the acquisition of specific goods. This
constant exposure to advertising messages can instill a sense of "need" for products that
individuals may not genuinely require, thus promoting consumerism.

26. 20/5: The use of social media (e.g. Facebook and Twitter) is replacing face-to-face
contact for many people in everyday life. Do the advantages of this development outweigh
the disadvantages?
Advantages:
- The usage of social media allows people to keep in touch with their close ones at any
time and anywhere without the physical constraints of face-to-face meetings. As a result,
as long as both parties have access to the internet, it is very easy for people to stay in
contact with one another through the usage of social media → maintain and strengthen
long-term and long-distance relationships
- Allows for the dissemination and discussion of information at an instant on a global
scale, thus providing great benefits for social activism worldwide as groups can keep in
touch with one another and discuss their ideas, as well as organize worldwide events on
social media without the usual geographical constraints of offline gatherings

Disadvantages:
- Text-based conversations may result in a reduction of the depth of discussions between
people via social media, as well as a bigger tendency to misunderstand one’s intentions
and the loss of subtle nuances in conversations due to the inability of text to convey
emotional tones, thus having a potential to cause interpersonal conflicts and stressed
relationships
- Excessive reliance on social media may cause users to be less comfortable with real-life
meetings, turning more awkward and less likely to actively seek out face-to-face
 meetings with people they are close to, instead opting for online interactions => may
cause feelings of isolation

27. 27/5: Some employers are giving increased importance to employing people with good
social skills in addition to good qualifications. Do you agree or disagree that social skills are
as important as good qualifications for success in a job?
Agree:
- Social skills are extremely important in a workplace, as someone with adept social skills
is able to work well with people around them, as well as being able to effectively
communicate their ideas across their peers, a skill that is extremely important, sometimes
even more so than academic knowledge
- People with good social skills are capable of being good leaders and as such are able to
inspire and encourage their colleagues to succeed at the tasks at hand, as well as have
adept organizational skills that can be utilized to finish a task efficiently and effectively

Disagree:
- In some career fields, having a solid background in a certain field academically is vital to
the tasks required, and as such a qualification is essential for an employer to verify that
an applicant does in fact have the knowledge required to pursue a career at their
company, and are competent enough to finish tasks effectively.
- Qualifications serve as a way for employers to be able to compare potential employees
and find one that has the experience and skill that they desire, as well as being able to
pick an applicant with the skill set that is required for their line of work

28. 3/6: If old people are no longer physically, mentally, or financially able to look after
themselves, younger family members should be legally responsible for supporting them. To
what extent do you agree or disagree?
Agree:
- Young members of a family have a moral obligation to support their elders once they are
no longer able to support themselves as a way to show their gratefulness and pay their
dues to a generation that has raised them → reflects familial bonds built on love, respect,
and mutual support, a bond that can be enshrined via binding legal obligations, thus
guaranteeing elders a comfortable, stable life once they are no longer able to care for
themselves
- If families are legally obligated to care for their elderly members, it may alleviate some
of the financial burden on social welfare systems. This could enable governments to
allocate resources more effectively to those without familial support
Disagree:
- Young people at working age also have fledgling families of their own to care for, and,
compounded by the restrictions of working hours, are not always able to tend to their
elders when they are needed due to time constraints or physical or mental fatigue
- Salaries have not risen by a substantial amount in the last years, and with compounded
inflation, it is not always possible to financially support both a family of their own and
also support old members of their family who are no longer able to benefit from passive
income sources such as social security without taking up more employment, which would
also further exacerbate the prior mentioned time and fatigue concerns

29. 10/6: More and more people are becoming seriously overweight. Some people suggest
that the solution to this problem is to increase the price of fattening foods. To what extent
do you agree or disagree?
Agree:
- Increased prices on fattening foods will serve as a deterrent from purchasing such foods,
and people will subsequently seek out foods that are more healthy and priced cheaper in
order to both eat a healthier diet and save money in their everyday shopping
- The price difference can be used to offset costs related to obesity, for example, medical
costs relating to obesity-related illnesses, programs aimed at promoting awareness about
diet-based best practices, or fitness-oriented public events

Disagree:
- Artificial price hikes on certain types of foods can result in public outrage as some of
these foods, while seen as unhealthy, can be essential to the diets of some people,
especially when a “fattening” food can be very hard to define
- Price hikes, while serving as a deterrent somewhat, do not necessarily equate to a
substantial decrease in the purchasing of these foods, as most of the time consumers will
buy what they came to a store to purchase as opposed to settling for a cheaper but vastly
inferior option in their eyes (e.g. not opting for buying mineral water over soda, even if
there is a significant price increase on the soda)
- Best way: holistic approach, because obesity does not only stem from the consumption of
unhealthy foods → educational campaigns, increase access to healthcare services,
develop public areas designated for exercising, lower prices of healthy foods →
accessible
30. 15/6: Whether or not a person achieves their aims in life is mostly related to luck. To
what extent do you agree or disagree?
Agree:
- Luck can play a substantial role in the starting conditions for a person’s journey to
accomplish their goal, making their path either easier or harder. For example, a person
could be born into a rich family and thus have more capital to start a business, or
someone could be blessed with connections to important people and thus be able to easily
succeed in pitching their ideas to major firms
- Sometimes, even when someone does all the right things needed for a plan to succeed,
the right conditions must be present in order for something to succeed. With luck, these
conditions can be either beneficial or detrimental, for example, a new company being
founded right before an unexpected but catastrophic economic crisis

Disagree:
- Luck, while undoubtedly a significant factor, is not the most important factor, as hard
work, and talent are vital to a person’s success; without the right knowledge or without
hard work, the proper steps to success cannot be taken successfully, and failure is an
inevitable outcome
- Even if a person is blessed by luck, without talent, this luck cannot be taken advantage of
fully; with the right conditions, a person with talent and perseverance will be able to
make the most out of them and be able to succeed with the help of both their knowledge
and the conditions given to them.

31. 24/6: In some countries today, many people decide to have their first child when they
are older. What are the reasons? Do you think the advantages of this outweigh the
disadvantages?
Reasons:
- Most people tend to want to achieve a certain degree of financial security and career
stability before they form a family of their own → able to care for their family better than
if they have their first child early into their career, as well as an innate desire to be
successful themselves before they strive to ensure a good future for their children
- People tend to also want themselves to be more mature, both physically and mentally,
before they have their first child, as childrearing is a task that requires substantial
maturity and involves making many well-informed decisions that almost always have
long-lasting consequences

Advantages:
 - Delaying parenthood allows people to be able to support their children better as a result
of the aforementioned increased degree of financial stability, allowing them to provide
for their children to a greater extent without having to stress over financial issues that
may arise
- Being endowed with more life experience, people will also be more well-informed and be
able to make decisions that benefit them and their children the most, as opposed to the
rather uninformed and impulsive decisions that one might make earlier in their life

Disadvantages:
- Leaving childbirth to a later stage in one's life may result in age-related fertility problems
in both men and women, thus presenting hurdles that would not be present if one had
decided to give birth earlier
- Wider age gap → parents and children have vastly differing worldviews, interests →
misunderstanding, conflicts may arise → weaken familial bond

32. 1/7: Some people think that too much money has been spent looking after and repairing
old buildings, so we should knock down old buildings and build modern ones instead. To
what extent do you agree or disagree?
Agree:
- Old buildings can pose a significant safety risk due to the fact that their construction was
not held to the same standards as today → could potentially be unsafe for people to live
in or for tourists to visit due to a risk of damage or even a potential collapse
- Some buildings are damaged by a significant margin and the repair or restoration costs of
these buildings could exceed that of the construction of a new building → new
construction would be both more cost-efficient and safer as new buildings are constructed
adhering to updated code
Disagree:
- Buildings with significant historical importance or landmark architectural styles should
be preserved, as they serve as a testimony of the past and boost community links to past
events/periods. Knocking down these buildings would serve to erase this link to the past,
resulting in a severe loss of cultural and architectural heritage
- Vintage buildings create unique aesthetic settings for an area, as well as serve as unique
tourist attractions that serve to boost tourism and the economy as a whole. The funds that
these buildings generate can be used for the upkeep of these buildings, thus making the
system both self-sufficient and potentially profit-generating
33. 6/7: Many students find it difficult to concentrate or pay attention at school. What are
the reasons? What could be done to solve this problem?
Reasons:
- A general disinterest in certain subjects, or in some cases, all of them, could cause
students to be bored and as a result, not pay attention to their classes at school. This can
either be due to a monotonous curriculum that does not try to engage students in the
lesson, or due to teachers not encouraging students to interact, causing general apathy in
the classroom
- Reduced attention span due to overuse of technological devices: students are constantly
exposed to short form contents on social media (10-to-30-second videos from TikTok,
Instagram) → rewire their brains to only be able to absorb short pieces of information →
struggle to concentrate on longer, more complex information for extended periods of time
- Long school hours could potentially cause students to be fatigued, resulting in a lack of
concentration and difficulties in comprehending the material taught. Some schools tend to
start their day at relatively early hours and last for long periods without significant
breaks, and as a result, this ends up fatiguing students, affecting their performance

Solutions:
- Curriculums should strive to include activities or exercises that incentivize students to
interact with their teachers and aim to stimulate students’ passion and curiosity, thus
driving their enthusiasm to study and explore the various facets of the subject, both
during class hours and at home. Teachers should try to involve their students in their
lectures and do their best to make sure not a single student is bored by engaging them in
exciting activities that pertain to the subject
- Schedules should be fixed so that students are adequately energized before lessons by
adjusting hours to start later, as well as balancing lesson times to allow for adequate
break times between periods in order to allow students to properly rest before subsequent
lessons
- Students should self regulate their phone use + parents can assist

34. 15/7: In the modern world, schools are no longer necessary because there is so much
information available through the internet that children can study just as well at home. To
what extent do you agree or disagree?
Agree:
- The internet contains a massive wealth of information on every scientific or social studies
subject that can be accessed within a few seconds as long as a student has access to a
 device that connects to the internet → these materials can be used in order to learn about
every subject in great detail without going to physical lessons at school → convenience
- The establishment of many online learning sites (e.g. Khan Academy) has resulted in
students being able to access detailed and comprehensive lectures on a wide variety of
concepts in the comfort of their own homes and at their own pace => the potential for
personalized learning at one’s own pace, as opposed to the rather constant and unstopping
pace of school curriculums

Disagree:
- Information on the internet is not subject to the same strict verification criteria that school
curriculums are, resulting in a risk of a student accidentally encountering information that
is factually incorrect or incomplete, as well as remembering that information and using it
in their daily life or future career
- Despite the existence of online lectures, a physical instructor is still vital for students to
be able to resonate with in order to guide them to understand the concepts taught,
especially pertaining to younger children, with whom teachers are extremely important as
they will have to almost always guide these young students throughout the entire process
- The role of schools extend beyond the provision of information: social interaction →
children develop emotionally and socially (learn empathy, how to interact with different
types of people)

35. 22/7: Some people argue that we should do research into our family history. Others
agree with the view that we should focus on the present and future generations. Discuss
both these views and give your own opinion.
Focus on research (choose 2 ideas)
- Ancestry research can allow one to see and understand one’s lineage’s cultural legacy and
help people appreciate the ancestors that came before them, as well as instilling deeper
respect for one’s upbringing and origins
- Ancestry research can also allow one to find out aspects of their lineage up until that
point that they have not known before, thus helping people discover more about
themselves where their ancestors have been, and the events that their anteriority
experienced in the past
- help preserve and document important cultural and historical information: information
about family’s origins, traditions, and cultural practices → can provide valuable insights
into the history of a particular region or community (example: researching a family that
has a long history of practicing a certain craft → ensure that the knowledge and skills
associated with the practice are preserved and passed down)
Focus on the present and future:
- Helps us resolve pressing problems that are hampering humanity’s progress and
inconveniencing our lives right now, thus allowing us to give to our posterity a more
modern, convenient, and beautiful world
- Focusing on the future helps us make choices in how we treat our world right now in
order to leave for our future a world without the woes of our present (e.g. global
warming, climate change, etc.)

36. 29/7: The use of mobile phones is as antisocial as smoking. Smoking is banned in certain
places so mobile phones should be banned like smoking. To what extent do you agree or
disagree?
Agree:
- Mobile phones have in some instances directly resulted in accidents due to users not
paying attention while using them (e.g. falling down holes, running into vehicles, or
falling down lakes) → banning mobile phones would all but prevent accidents and
fatalities in this vein from happening
- Mobile phone usage in public encourages antisocial behavior as it conditions people to
look down at their phones while in public as opposed to talking to other people and
socializing in general => banning phones would encourage people to socialize more
when they are outside, thus creating a marked difference in mental wellbeing

Disagree:
- Phones, while detrimental if misused, are only detrimental to the end user and not to
those who are around them like smoking is, and as such banning phones in public with
such a rationale would be illogical → raising awareness of the various downsides of
using phones in public would be a reasonable alternative
- Phones allow people to stay in touch with their loved ones, look at maps and search for
directions, etc. while traveling, and as such a ban on phones in public would pose a major
inconvenience to those who rely on them to get their work done while on the go

37. 5/8: The best way to solve traffic and transportation problems is to encourage people to
live in cities rather than suburbs and the countryside. To what extent do you agree or
disagree?
Agree:
- Living in cities allows people to access a vast network of public transportation systems
→ the need for traveling using private transport is reduced, translating to a reduction in
 road congestion and lower emissions rates if proper awareness of public transportation is
brought up within the general public
- In a city, access to amenities are significantly easier as these facilities can often be found
in close proximities to residential blocks → allowing for residents to either walk or take a
quick bus to these areas, further reducing the need for vehicles such as cars or
motorcycles

Disagree:
- Having citizens move to the cities from the countryside can cause overpopulation and, as
a result, there could be even more congestion if a significant portion of the population is
hesitant to switch from their private vehicles to the public transportation system
- Having citizens move from the cities to the countryside instead will relieve the strain on
urban infrastructure, thus allowing for congestion to reduce and the pressure on urban
traffic networks to be relieved
- Best way: holistic approach: diverse housing options in suburbs and rural areas +
improve transport between cities and suburbs → decentralization, reduces pressure on
urban infrastructure → reduces overcrowding and its associated traffic issues

38. 10/8: Some people say that in the modern world, getting old is entirely bad. Others,
however, say that life for the elderly nowadays is much better than it was in the past.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Entirely bad:
- Risks of financial instability and health decline result in a bleak future for elders without
stable sources of passive income or caretaking, as well as the risk of youths neglecting
their elders in the pursuit of their own lives and careers.
- The rapid rate at which technology is developing may cause older people who are not
able to catch up as quickly to be left behind, causing the generation gap to widen even
further as the disconnects between generations become more apparent

Better now than in the past:

- Healthcare is vastly improved compared to the past, thus allowing older people to live a
carefree life without having to worry too much about their health going forward. In
addition, the internet allows elders to be able to keep track of the news as well as
maintain relationships
- Societal attitudes towards elders are evolving for the better → representing a more
respectful attitude and view towards older people in our society as they are looked up to
and treated with more respect and care than in the past
39. 19/8: The increase in the production of consumer goods results in damage to the natural
environment. What are the causes of this? What can be done to solve this problem?
Causes:
- The usage of non-biodegradable packaging materials such as plastic film or polyurethane
packing foam has resulted in gargantuan amounts of waste being disposed of every day, a
significant portion of which ends up in lakes, rivers, and oceans, as well as in the ground,
resulting in pollution that will not be alleviated if no action is taken
- The production of goods inevitably creates waste and emissions that, if not processed
properly, can result in serious pollution that is further exacerbated by the lack of
regulations surrounding waste products from production chains
- Exploitation of natural resources: timber, water, and fossil fuels: manufacturing process
requires a large amount of energy and natural resources → depletion of these resources
and environmental degradation

Solutions:
- Encourage the usage of renewable and biodegradable materials in the production of
goods, either by legislation encouraging or requiring their use or by campaigns aimed at
shaping consumer habits to favor products using these materials
- Passing stricter legislation concerning the production and disposal of waste products and
regulating levels of gas emissions will help reduce pollution resulting from plants to a
minimum, in addition to the development of more robust and effective treatment systems
for byproducts.
40. 26/8: In some countries, many children are becoming overweight and unhealthy. Some
people say it is the responsibility of governments to solve this problem. To what extent do
you agree or disagree with this statement?
Agree:
- Governments possess the power and resources needed to alleviate childhood obesity, and
as such should take action: public health awareness programs, intergate resources on
healthy diets and general health awareness into school curriculums, subsidize prices of
healthy food + impose additional duties on “junk food” → disincentivize their
circulation, promote healthier diet options (choose 2 examples, you don’t need to go into
too much detail here)
- Governments bear the responsibility to care for the wellbeing of its citizens, which
include its young: childhood obesity is a public health concern with long-term
consequences, including the increased risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart
disease, and certain types of cancer → Preventing and addressing childhood obesity is
essential to ensure the overall health and productivity of the population

Disagree:
- Above all, it is the responsibility of parents to curate for their children a healthy diet, as
well as providing them with the proper provisions and care needed for them to be able to
lead fit and healthy lifestyles, just as they are chiefly responsible for other aspects of their
children’s upbringing
- Parents should also be responsible because they are the ones that have significant
influence on their children → children are more likely to follow the diet and exercise
regimen that are put forth by parents
41. 2/9: Some people think that employers should not care about the way their employees
dress, because what matters is the quality of their work. To what extent do you agree or
disagree with this statement?
Disagree:
- A dress code makes it so that no employees may be able to wear outfits that are too
outlandish or cost an exorbitant amount → incentivizes employees to see and treat each
other as equals, thus helping teamwork and coordination between employees
- A dress code reflects the company’s values and professionalism → image and reputation
of the business: employees appropriately dressed → represent the company

Agree:
- Prioritizing an employee’s work quality allows them to wholeheartedly focus on
improving their work to the utmost without having to contend with unneeded distractions
such as thinking about the style of clothing they will be wearing to work on a particular
day → better results and more efficient work hours
- Rigid rules and dress codes may cause employees originating from different cultures to
feel isolated as they are forced to wear outfits that do not match what they prefer →
lowering job satisfaction,
42. 9/9: Schools should focus on academic success and passing examinations. Skills such as
cookery, dressmaking, and woodwork should not be taught at school as it is better to learn
these from family and friends. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Agree:
- Schools should focus on teaching academics because only schools can provide this type
of education for students (math, chemistry, history, etc. → require professionals, people
with pedagogical expertise and background knowledge) → focus on allocating resources
for academic subjects
- Skills such as cookery, dressmaking, and woodwork are traditionally based in familial
settings, and as such, learning them from family members will serve to further involve
one in these traditions, as well as strengthen preexisting bonds with other family
members + better learning outcome as students feel more at ease, not hesitate to ask
questions when they struggle to understand

Disagree:
- By offering lessons pertaining to these skills, schools can offer students a break from the
usual monotony of traditional subjects => boost student satisfaction, and helps to reduce
the fatigue that long hours of schoolwork can cause
 - Provide a structured learning environment: Experts and professionals in these fields can
design well-structured curricula that have clear learning objectives and stages → ensures
that students gain comprehensive knowledge and hands-on experience, leading to better
learning outcomes
- Schools bear the responsibility to teach students independence, self reliance, etc. →
provide holistic education: skills (cookery, woodworking, dressmaking/tailoring) are
helpful in daily life and contribute to self-sufficiency. In the future, students should be
equipped with the competence to manage their lives, and schools play a pivotal role in
achieving this goal

43. 14/9: Some people think that good health is a basic human need, so medical services
should not be run by profit-making companies. Do the advantages of private health care
outweigh the disadvantages?
Advantages:
- Private companies are not bound by the constraints of state-owned proprietors, and as
such are offered much more freedom in the services they offer and how their funds are
procured, while also serving as a way to alleviate stress in state-owned facilities
- Competition from private facilities can serve as a way for state-owned hospitals to be
incentivized to further improve their services, thus allowing for a wealth of choice for the
end user as to how they want their medical experience to be, as well as a wide range of
services offered throughout the entire network

Disadvantages:
- Due to less stringent regulations, private hospitals, usually running to maximize profit
margins, will sometimes resort to arbitrary price hikes, making them inaccessible to the
average person without insurance
- Due to a strong profit motive, private hospitals will potentially try to cut corners where it
is not immediately apparent, hurting the customer in the end as they are effectively
overpaying for the same treatment that they would have received at a public facility
44. 23/9: The best way for a country to prepare for the future is to invest resources in its
young people. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Agree:
- Young people will be the leaders of the country in future years, and as such, it is of vital
importance for countries to invest in their education and upbringing to produce talented
and innovative leaders of the future who will do their part to develop the country
- Young people are often early adopters of technology. By investing in their education and
providing access to technological resources, a country can stay at the forefront of
innovation and technological advancements → positive implications for various sectors,
including healthcare, agriculture, and communications

Disagree:
- While investing in young people can result in long-term benefits, its short-term benefits
are not entirely apparent, and as such some resources could be diverted to the current
workforce to further train and aid the development of both the workers of today and of
tomorrow.
- Best way: an approach that considers both short-term goals and long-term priorities: a
country may face economic challenges (high levels of national debt, economic crises)
that limit the resources available for investing in young people, demographic issues
(aging population → addressing the needs of older citizens and ensuring social safety
nets are more important) ⇒ strike the balance between investing in young people and
addressing more pressing problems

45. 7/10: Some people think that newspapers are the best way to learn about the news.
However, others believe that they can learn the news more effectively through other media.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Newspapers:
- Newspapers are one of the oldest forms of news media, and as such, most
well-established newspapers are trusted with their factual verification, thus removing the
risk of fake news in newspaper stories.
- Newspapers can also provide more in-depth expert analyses on important topics, allowing
readers to better understand topics that might not be immediately obvious at first glance.
Other media:
- In the age of the internet, news can now be accessed anywhere, at any time, resulting in
an extremely high degree of convenience for the end user. In addition, multimedia
elements can serve to make a news story much more thrilling and captivating to the
average user
- The advent of the internet also means that news can now be updated in nearly real-time,
something that was not possible with print-issue newspapers → allowing readers to stay
updated to a degree that was not possible in the past

46. 12/10: It costs a lot of money for a country to host an international sports event, such as
the Olympic Games or the football World Cup. Some people think that this is a waste of
money, while others believe the opposite. Discuss both these views and give your own
opinion.
Waste of money:
- In many cases, tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent on infrastructure
for events that will only last for a week or two => returns on investments are not
immediately apparent to the organizers and appear to be a waste of money to the general
public
- The budget spent on organizing international sports events can be better spent on other
fields, e.g. education, agriculture, etc. that make a much more positive impact on the
livelihood of citizens of the host countries

Not a waste of money

- Infrastructure constructed for the events can be repurposed and returned to use by the
general public, thus benefitting the very people who live on the land they were built on
- Being a host of an international sporting event also draws significant attention to the host
country → a massive boost in tourism, in addition to advertisement earnings making for
significant opportunities for profit

47. 21/10: Many students find it harder to study when they are at university or college than
when they were at school. Why is this? What can be done to solve the problem?
Causes:
- harder curriculum: many subjects that are vastly different from what students have
become accustomed to
- more diverse assessment methods than purely sitting periodical tests, requiring students
exert more effort
 - bigger classe sizes → less interaction and assistance from lecturers → heavy emphasis on
self-studying
- many university students work part-time jobs to help pay the often hefty tuition and gain
experience for later working life → more pressure, less time on working through the
course material

Solutions:
- provide more comprehensive orientation: ease students into the lifestyle required of a
university student
- smaller classrooms and lecture halls: encourage more interaction between students and
between students and lecturer
- scholarships + lessen the tuition to alleviate the financial burden

48. 28/10: Space travel has been possible for some time and some people claim that space
tourism could be developed in the future. Do you think it is a positive or negative
development?
Positive:
- economy: create employment opportunities: skilled workforce across a range of
disciplines, including engineering, technology, hospitality, and tourism services →
creation of jobs at different skill levels, from highly specialized positions to support roles
- represents a significant advancement in technology and exploration → inspire scientific
curiosity, foster interest in space exploration, and ignite the imaginations of future
generations → catalyst for innovation

Negative:
- environmental damage: rocket launches and propulsion systems → release greenhouse
gasses into the atmosphere → environmental degradation + space debris: remnants from
spacecraft launches and satellite deployments → space pollution
- potential safety risks: complex and technically challenging + unpredicted nature of space
travel: extreme conditions and reliance on technology → accidents or mishaps → pose
dangers to the lives of astronauts, unforeseeable catastrophic consequences
- limit access to only a privileged few: space tourism is an elite, exclusive industry
designed to indulge the whims of the super rich → perpetuate division between those
who can and cannot afford these experiences → reinforce existing social economic
disparities
49. 4/11: Today, people are surrounded by advertising. This affects what people think is
important and has a negative impact on people’s lives. To what extent do you agree or
disagree?
Agree:
- influence people’s perception of what’s socially acceptable: create positive/negative
associations with a product/brand → change how they feel and whether they want to
engage with it
- example: Logan Paul’s Prime: drinks that are unsuitable yet clearly marketed towards
kids, making them think the drink is a social status symbol
- review platforms (Yelp, Google Maps,...): public reviews (even from automated/coaxed
responses) → influence people’s views

Disagree:
- some viewers develop a resistance/immunity to commercial messages by filtering out
advertisements → reduce the effectiveness of campaigns
- more tools to help filter out advertisements i.e. AdBlock
- the sheer abundance → desensitization

50. 9/11: In many countries, people decide to have children at a later age than in the past.
Why? Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?
Reasons:
- financial security and career stability before forming a family → able to care for their
family better than if they have their first child early into their career
- an innate desire to be successful themselves before they strive to ensure a good future for
their children
- more physically and mentally mature: childrearing involves making many well-informed
decisions that almost always have long-lasting consequences

Advantages:
- increased degree of financial stability → provide for their children to a greater extent
without having to stress over financial issues that may arise
- more life experience → more well-informed and be able to make decisions that benefit
them and their children the most, as opposed to the rather uninformed and impulsive
decisions that one might make earlier in their life

Disadvantages:
 - age-related fertility problems in both men and women → presenting hurdles that would
not be present if one had decided to give birth earlier
- Wider age gap → parents and children have vastly differing worldviews, interests →
misunderstanding, conflicts may arise → weaken familial bond

51. 18/11: Fewer and fewer people today write by hand using a pen, pencil or brush. What
are the reasons for this? Is the decline in writing by hand a positive or negative
development?
Causes:
- technology advancements: Google Docs and Microsoft Word have become ubiquitous
when it comes to composing documents, streamlining taking notes
- other new tech: digital pens (helpful for digital artists, making art as a medium more
accessible as mistakes can be easily rectified) also extends to the field of academia as
students can take notes with their personal tablet: colorful highlights, easily fix mistakes,
storage
- no need to carry around many different notebooks: also helps with their health as less
pressure is put on their spine, helping with their posture
- more and more stuff (including assignments) are being moved online (a shift towards
computer and online literacy) → no need to physically write, and less emphasis is put on
handwriting as any form of notetaking would be acceptable

Positive:
- digital media allows for easier preservation, as opposed to handwritten notes which decay
over time
- increased efficiency in academic settings and the workplace (example: doctors are
notorious for their bad handwriting, causing confusion for patients → if they switch to
typed prescriptions, assigning medicine to patients would be much safer)
- Word processors, especially on mobile devices, as well as the Internet, have allowed
people to write at any time anywhere they see fit, as well as allowing a wide range of
materials to browse and consult for free within seconds → writing is more accessible now
than it ever has been

Negative:
- studies have shown a correlation between writing by hand and heightened retention →
especially applicable to schoolchildren: if schools shift their emphasis to online
assignments → no need to physically write, and less emphasis is put on handwriting as
 any form of notetaking would be acceptable → children would have more difficulty in
remembering lessons → academic performance suffers
- sentimental value
- over-reliance on autocorrect and writing assistance → decline in writing skills, namely in
youths’ abilities to write academic or formal passages → erode standards of written
language: people not held to high standard of grammar and punctuation → general
decline in the quality of written communication (→ may have long term implications for
education and employment)

52. 25/11: Many employees can now do their work from home using modern technology.
However, this change may only benefit workers, not the employers. To what extent do you
agree or disagree?
agree: working from home can provide numerous benefits to employees:
- greater flexibility in terms of working hours and location: employees can adapt their
schedules and tailor their workspace to better suit their individual needs and preferences,
helping them achieve a better work-life balance → contributing to reduced stress and an
overall healthier lifestyle → increased job satisfaction
- because of the reduced need to commute, less time and money is lost → further increase
productivity and reduce stress

disagree: working from home can also offer benefits to employers, not just employees:
- as employees are responsible for their own internet, utilities and other related costs,
employers can save on expenditure associated to maintaining a physical office space
(rent, etc.)
- remote work also allows employers to tap into a more diverse, international talent pool
without being limited to those who are geographically nearby
- because offering remote work options can increase job satisfaction among employees, it
can thus increase retention + attract more talented workers
→ stability for the organization

53. 2/12: More and more people today are spending large amounts of money on their
complexions in order to look younger. Why do people want to look younger? Do you think
this is a positive or negative development?
- Causes:
+ boost self-esteem and confidence: people may feel self-conscious about a certain physical
feature, may be bullied or ridiculed by other people → enhancing physical appearance
allows people to improve their confidence
 + Societal preconceptions concerning beauty → modifying one’s physical appearance to
conform to these norms and be beautiful in the eyes of others

- Positive:
+ Anyone can now modify their physical appearance to their liking if they were born with
features that they deem undesirable →boosts self-confidence and dignity in their
everyday life
+ Advances in cosmetic surgery have benefitted medical practices in other fields (e.g.
liposuction), thus allowing more people to live more comfortable lives, no longer plagued
by conditions that years ago would not have been resolvable

- Negative:
+ health risks: patients may experience complications during the procedure or during
recovery, and in rare cases, surgery can even be fatal → especially concerning for young
people, who may not fully understand the risks involved
+ Surgeries represent a rather “artificial” outlook on beauty, where it is not based on any
one feature or any tangible set of features, but instead on how much one can spend to
modify and polish one’s appearance until satisfactory
+ expenses: cosmetic procedures are often not covered by health insurance plans + cost
may be high due to the level of expertise of the surgeon and the complexity of the
procedure; there might also be additional costs for pre-operative tests, anesthesia, and
post-operative care; multiple surgeries may be required for optimal results → challenging
for many to pay out of pocket

54. 7/12: Some people suggest that the government should spend money putting more
works of art like paintings and statues into towns and cities to make them attractive places.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
agree:
- artistic installations can dramatically transform the aesthetic and cultural landscape of an
area: symbols of cultural identity, reflect the history and values of the community + break
down the barriers of traditional art galleries and museums → making the arts more easily
accessible to the public, especially the youth
- public art pieces can attract visitors → cultivate tourism → stimulate economic growth
by creating job opportunities for locals

disagree:
 - commercial considerations may sometimes compromise the artistic vision of creators, as
balancing artistic freedom and commercial viability can be challenging, resulting in
sub-par artworks that may not reach its full potential and thus not enrich its surrounding
landscape
- current human problems should be prioritized over artistic efforts: poverty, healthcare,
and education → solve immediate problems that threaten human survival over exploring
an uncertainty that might not yield substantial results
- these artworks (especially statues) may take up space that otherwise could be freed up or
used for another utilitarian building (schools, hospitals, etc.), especially given the
pressing need for vacant land in developed cities

55. 9/12: Some people believe teenagers should focus on all subjects equally, whereas other
people think that they should concentrate on only those subjects that they find interesting
and they are best at. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Focusing on all subjects:
- clear and comprehensive knowledge of a multi-faceted world, both on the basic level as
well as more in-depth knowledge → highly important in a world where knowledge is
essential for the development of one’s career and for the world’s progress, in addition to a
more expansive worldview
- Allows for students to be able to determine their strong suits and weaknesses in a variety
of subjects and be able to either build on their talents or improve on their weaknesses

Focusing only on subjects they find interesting:

- gives them more motivation to try to improve as they find out more about the subjects
that intrigue them and dive further into the topics they enjoy → more effective learning
resulting in better results
- Instills a long-lasting passion for learning in the student as a result of being able to
engross themselves in what they enjoy → highly beneficial in a student's academic career
and future working life

56. 16/12: People living in the 21st century have a better quality of life than the previous
centuries. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
(nên chọn viết theo hướng fully agree: đoạn 1 và đoạn 2 đều miêu tả về better quality of life)
agree: people living in the 21st century benefit from the advent of technological advancements,
transforming various aspects of daily life:
 - healthcare: medical discoveries and breakthroughs have led to better treatments and
vaccines + better access to healthcare services → overall improvements in life
expectancy
- education: higher education has become more accessible to a larger portion of the
population, making it easier to acquire a degree and thus pursue a professional career;
more tools for learning have become available (Khan Academy, YouTube, etc.),
especially remote learning during the Covid-19 epidemic, facilitating the learning process
further
- communication: social media platforms have become the norm, replacing traditional
methods (letters, etc.) and helping people stay in touch without physical and temporal
restrictions, as well as increase efficiency in the workplace

disagree:
- issues such as political instability and global health crises pose challenges to quality of
life: dwindling air quality is directly correlated with the rise of vehicles → respiratory
ailments
- this directly leads to the influx of mental health issues: while there have been
advancements in understanding mental health, the 21st century has also witnessed an
increase in mental health challenges
+ the world is becoming more competitive and increasingly fast-paced, exacerbated
by the litany of media outlets showcasing the exceptional achievers→ young
people, especially, are hard-pressed to be successful
+ social isolation: media consumption has engendered a tendency where people
interact with one another less in real life
- the rise of AI (artificial intelligence) is posing a threat to many people’s livelihoods:
while this used to only apply for tedious manual labor, the AI takeover is now finding its
way into the white-collar market (example: artists, animators and writers being replaced
by AI-generated products; although the quality of output is currently generally subpar, it
remains a dystopian prospect)

57. 6/1/2024: In many parts of the world, some famous people are considered ‘role models',
and they are having an increasing influence on the young. Is this a positive or negative
development?
positive:
- many celebrities use their platform to inspire and motivate young people → pursue their
goals, overcome challenges, and strive for success. this is especially effective when
celebrities excel in their respective fields due to their talent, hard work and dedication
 (example: TwoSetViolin has pushed classical musical to the mainstream, making it more
accessible to a wider audience whereas it had been viewed as a very monotonous area of
interest in the past)
- in a similar vein, some celebrities actively engage in philanthropy and charitable
activities, using their influence to raise awareness about social issues and → inspire
young people to become socially responsible citizens (example: MrBeast providing food
and housing to the impoverished and underprivileged, etc. + having a young fanbase of
tens of millions of subscribers → effectively raising awareness of these societal issues)

negative:
- some celebrities may engage in or promote unhealthy behaviors (substance abuse,
vandalism, etc.) → impressionable kids may be influenced to emulate these negative
behaviors
- in a similar vein, celebrities may abuse their platform to capitalize on impressionable
children by marketing unhealthy products, unethically making money from kids
(example: Logan Paul’s Prime: drinks that are unsuitable yet clearly marketed towards
kids, making them think the drink is a social status symbol)
- the constant exposure to celebrity lifestyles through social platforms can create
unrealistic expectations, and young people might develop distorted views of beauty,
success and happiness: celebrity culture often emphasizes superficial values → culture of
consumerism + unrealistic emphasis on physical appearance

58. 13/1/2024: It is a natural process that animal species such as dinosaurs become extinct.
There is no reason for people to prevent this from happening. Do you agree or disagree?
agree (cannot change):
- extinction of animals and plants → biodiversity forever damaged, cannot resurrect the
species
- global human population continues to increase and demands for resources grow → the
need for land development, agriculture, and timber extraction intensifies → destruction of
habitats and ecosystems is inevitable
- human-induced climate change: burning of fossil fuels → global warming → rising sea
levels, melting ice caps → marine species → challenging to reverse the negative impacts
on plants and animals
- humans should be prioritized over animal conservation efforts: poverty, healthcare, and
education, rather than animal protection → solve immediate problems that threaten
human survival over saving certain species whose disappearance do not affect humans
disagree (can change):
- humans’ responsibility: humans have caused the extinction of many animals and pushed
others to the brink of extinction: through activities such as habitat destruction, poaching,
and pollution → decline of various animal populations → allocating resources to protect
animals = acknowledging our responsibility for the consequences of our actions
- protecting animals = protecting humans: allocating funds to protect animals has a direct
impact on human livelihoods and well-being: many animals play essential roles in
ecosystem services that directly benefit human societies (example: bees are critical
pollinators that contribute to crop productivity and food security → ensures a stable and
abundant food supply for humans)

59. 18/1/2024: Some people want governments to spend money looking for life on other
planets. Others, however, think this is a waste of public money when there are so many
problems on earth. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
agree:
- technological developments with useful applications on Earth are frequently the result of
space exploration efforts: satellite communications and GPS technology have had
profound impacts on our daily lives
- space exploration can inspire people, especially the younger generation, to pursue careers
in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) → foster a sense of
curiosity and wonder about the universe → the quest for knowledge and the long-term
survival of humanity justify the considerable investment

disagree:
- current human problems should be prioritized over space exploration efforts: poverty,
healthcare, and education → solve immediate problems that threaten human survival over
exploring an uncertainty that might not yield substantial results
- the practical benefits of searching for extraterrestrial life are uncertain, as the probability
of finding conclusive evidence would seem infinitesimal given the vast space of the
known universe → allocating public funds to projects with more guaranteed and instant
benefits would be a more responsible use

60. 27/1/2024: In some countries, students live with their family while studying at a
university. In other countries, students attend university in another city. Do you think the
advantages of living away from family home while attending university outweigh the
disadvantages?
Advantages:
 - personal growth: develop essential life skills such as problem-solving, adaptability, and
self-reliance: have to navigate to the new living place, become responsible for managing
their own daily lives → encourage individuals to step out of their comfort zones, build
resilience, and become more self-sufficient
- many students either work while studying in university or want to find a job after
graduation → they can pursue professional goals and potentially earn higher incomes
(cities are often home to major corporations and companies) + explore diverse industries,
engage in various tasks → find the career most suitable for them

Disadvantages:
- mental health issues: feelings of loneliness, homesickness, and isolation: being separated
from family and close friends → emotional challenges, particularly during significant life
events and celebrations (depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, etc.)