A five-dimensional education

THE EDUCATION THAT has prevailed in the past is very insufficient, incomplete,
superficial. It only creates people who can earn their livelihood but it does not give
any insight into living itself. It is not only incomplete, it is harmful too -- because it is
based on competition.

Any type of competition is violent deep down, and creates people who are unloving.
Their whole effort is to be the achievers: of name, of fame, of all kinds of ambitions
-- obviously, they have to struggle and be in conflict for them. That destroys their
joys and that destroys their friendliness. It seems everybody is fighting against the
whole world.

Education up to now has been goal-oriented: what you are learning is not important;
what is important is the examination that will come a year or two years later. It
makes the future important -- more important than the present. It sacrifices the
present for the future. And that becomes your very style of life; you are always
sacrificing the moment for something which is not present. It creates a tremendous
emptiness in life.

The commune of my vision will have a five-dimensional education.

Before I enter into those five dimensions, a few things have to be noted. One: there
should not be any kind of examination as part of education, but every day, every
hour, observation by the teachers; their remarks throughout the year will decide
whether you move further or you remain a little longer in the same class. Nobody
fails, nobody passes -- it is just that a few people are speedy and a few people are a
little bit lazy -- because the idea of failure creates a deep wound of inferiority, and
the idea of being successful also creates a different kind of disease, that of
superiority.

Nobody is inferior, and nobody is superior.

One is just oneself, incomparable.

So, examinations will not have any place. That will change the whole perspective
from the future to the present. What you are doing right this moment will be
decisive, not five questions at the end of two years. Of thousands of things you will
pass through during these two years, each will be decisive; so the education will not
be goal-oriented.

The teacher has been of immense importance in the past, because he knew he had
passed all the examinations, he had accumulated knowledge. But the situation has
changed -- and this is one of the problems, that situations change but our responses
remain the old ones. Now the knowledge explosion is so vast, so tremendous, so
speedy, that you cannot write a big book on any scientific subject because by the
time your book is complete, it will be out of date; new facts, new discoveries will
have made it irrelevant. So now science has to depend on articles, on periodicals,
not on books.

The teacher was educated thirty years earlier. In thirty years everything has
changed, and he goes on repeating what he was taught. He is out of date, and he is
making his students out of date. So in my vision the teacher has no place. Instead
of teachers there will be guides, and the difference has to be understood: the guide
will tell you where, in the library, to find the latest information on the subject.

In the future the computer is going to prove of tremendous, revolutionary

importance.

For example, the way education is imparted to students is utterly old-fashioned. It

still depends on feeding the memory; and the more the memory is loaded, the less
is the possibility of clarity and intelligence. I take it as a great opportunity that
students can be freed from storing all kinds of information. They can carry small
computers which will have all the information they need at any moment. That will
help their minds to be more meditative, clear, innocent. Now their minds are too
cluttered with unnecessary rubbish.

In the future, education will be centralized on computer and on TV, because what
can be seen graphically is more easily remembered than what is read or heard. Eyes
are far more powerful instruments than ears, or anything else. And it takes away the
boredom of reading and listening. On the contrary, TV becomes a joyful experience.
Geography can be taught very colorfully....

The teacher should be only a guide to show you the right channel, to show you how
to use the computer, how to find the latest book. His function will be totally
different. He is not imparting knowledge to you, he is making you aware of the
contemporary knowledge, of the latest knowledge. He is only a guide.

With these considerations, I divide education into five dimensions.

The first is informative, like history, geography, and many other subjects which can
be dealt with by television and computer together.

But about history -- we have to take a completely radical standpoint. Right now
history consists of Genghis Khan, Tamerlane, Nadirshah, Adolf Hitler, etc. These are
not our history, these are our nightmares. Even the idea that human beings can be
so cruel to other human beings is nauseating. Our children should not be fed with
such ideas.

In the future, history should consist only of those great geniuses who have
contributed something to the beauty of this planet, to humanity -- a Gautam
Buddha, a Socrates, a Lao Tzu; great mystics like Jalaluddin Rumi, J. Krishnamurti;
great poets like Walt Whitman, Omar Khayyam; great literary figures like Leo
Tolstoy, Maxim Gorky, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Rabindranath Tagore, Basho.

We should teach the positive grandeur of our inheritance, with footnotes about the
people who have been counted up to now as historically great men -- people like
Adolf Hitler. They can have only a place in footnotes, or an appendix, with a clear
explanation that they were either insane or suffered from some inferiority complex
or other psychiatric disorder.
We have to make the future generations completely aware that a dark side existed
in the past and dominated the past, but now there is no place for that side.

In the first dimension also come languages. Every person in the world should know
at least two languages; one is his mother tongue, and the other is English as an
international vehicle for communication. They can also be taught more accurately
by television -- the accent, the grammar, everything can be taught more correctly.

We can create in the world an atmosphere of brotherhood: language connects

people and language disconnects too. There is right now no international language.
This is due to our prejudices. English is perfectly suitable, because it is known by
more people around the world on a wider scale.

The second is the inquiry of scientific subjects, which is tremendously important

because it is half of reality, the outside reality. They can be imparted by television
and computer too, but they are more complicated, and the human guide will be
more necessary.

And the third will be what is missing in present-day education, the art of living.
People have taken it for granted that they know what love is. They don't know...and
by the time they know, it is too late. Every child should be helped to transform his
anger, hatred, jealousy, into love.

An important part of the third dimension should also be a sense of humor.

Our so-called education makes people sad and serious. And if one third of your life
is wasted in a university in being sad and serious, it becomes ingrained; you forget
the language of laughter -- and the man who forgets the language of laughter has
forgotten much of life.

So love, laughter, and an acquaintance with life and its wonders, its mysteries....
These birds singing in the trees should not go unheard. The trees and the flowers
and the stars should have a connection with your heart. The sunrise and the sunset
will not be just outside things – they should be something inner, too. A reverence for
life should be the foundation of the third dimension. People are so irreverent to life.

The fourth dimension should be of art and creativity: painting, music, craftsmanship,
pottery, masonry -- anything that is creative.

All areas of creativity should be allowed; the students can choose. There should be
only a few things compulsory -- for example, an international language should be
compulsory; a certain capacity to earn your livelihood should be compulsory; a
certain creative art should be compulsory. You can choose through the whole
rainbow of creative arts, because unless a man learns how to create, he never
becomes a part of existence, which is constantly creative. By being creative one
becomes divine; creativity is the only prayer.

And the fifth dimension should be the art of dying.

In this fifth dimension will be all the meditations, so that you can know there is no
death, so that you can become aware of an eternal life inside you. This should be
absolutely essential, because everybody has to die; nobody can avoid it. And under
the big umbrella of meditation, you can be introduced to Zen, to Tao, to Yoga, to
Hassidism, to all kinds and all possibilities that have existed, but which education
has not taken any care of.

The new commune will have a full education, a whole education.

I have been a professor myself and I resigned from the university with a note
saying: This is not education, this is sheer stupidity; you are not teaching anything
significant.

But this insignificant education prevails all over the world -- it makes no difference,
in the Soviet Union or in America. Nobody has looked for a more whole, a total
education. In this sense almost everybody is uneducated; even those who have
great degrees are uneducated in the vaster areas of life. A few are more
uneducated, a few are less -- but everybody is uneducated, because education as a
whole does not exist anywhere.

Without capital punishment our lives are less secure and crimes or violence increase. To
what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Committing serious crimes need capital punishment so that the offender unable to involved in the
crime in the future. However, If they want to stop the violated act in the future then it would
better to forget him and judge him for a change .

Overall, I agree with the fact that punishment is the way to avoid the crime to be increased and
hence our lives become more secure. If the wrongdoer wants to be a good man and there is some
financial or personal problem that led him to the wrong way, then it would be the nice option to
forgive him and try to solve the problem he have. Although by this way, some bad man may
become effective part of the society but some do not bring themselves to the right path because
they are very much used to of it. The person that _ involved in the crime and never try to stop the
law-breaking act should be punished in the extremely serious way. However, it totally depends
on the nature of crime. Some crime led to capital punishment and some may require small
penalty. The law-making institutions are responsible to bring the bad man to the right level of
punishment that he deserves. If there is weak legislation to properly handle the offender, it may
become our society less secure for the good man. The government should be responsible
authority to provide secure and better state to live. Laws should be implemented and executed in
the most proper way that do not allow the offender to commit violence act or to break the law in
any way or extent. To sum up, it is the responsibility of the state runner to stop people to
involved in crime. It may be done through solving the problems of the people that led them to
commit violence act or by the punishment accordingly.

Some people think that they can learn better by themselves than with a teacher. Others
think that it is always better to have a teacher. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons to
develop your essay.
It is certainly said that learning is an ongoing process .Every person learn something new
according to their age, experience knowledge and education. According to my point of view it is
always better to have _teacher or guide for study.

One teacher has adequate knowledge to teach their student. He knows all the possible ways to
make subject easier for the students, even he teaches them in effective manner. For example,
some students are weak in some subjects but a teacher always guides them according to their
mental capacity. He teaches them as fun. Some people can learn better in group by discuss the
topics with others. In class people can know the other?s views, even they know how we can learn
effectively. Where the teacher always give easy direction to learn.
In the today?s competitive world, everbody is busy, some people think that rather to waste their
time to go for classes they can learn better regarding their subject _. They can attend online
classes by using internet at home. They can get relevant information from internet regarding their
topic. There is not specific time, age limit to learn something new. Some thing new which we
always learn only with the experience such as atequates, knowledge, new habits and so on.
In sum up, I would like to say that it is always better for the people to have teacher because one
teacher has good knowledge, experience and education to teach others. They can take learn easy
from him rather by themselves.
The boys are most influenced by their fathers and girls are most influenced by their
mothers. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and details to support your
opinion.
It is true that nowadays parent have a great influence over the children. Some people hold the
opinion that the same sex is the major determinations of influencing parent, but others have a
negative attitude. As far as I am concerned, I agree that boys are most influenced by their fathers
and girls are most influenced by their mothers. My arguments for this point are listed below.
First of all, father is the person who passed that ways which are his son is passing now, in the
other words, sons are stepping in a trace which fathers had driven them. So, based on experience
it is easy for father to notice sons’ drawbacks and influence them.
Secondly, it is true that a boy is countedas a strong characteristics human , but a girl is subtle and
fragile one. It is hard for mothers to influence their sons, because it is unbelievable that
vulnerable something can affect a strong one.
In conclusion, it seems to me unfair that boys are most influenced by their mothers. Based on at
least two points which are above I strongly agree that children are influenced by a parent of the
same gender.
Discuss the pros and cons of the ban by British TV regulators of the 'Where the
bloody hell are you?' Australian tourism campaign.
This years international tourism controversy revolved around a new marketing
campaign from Tourism Australia. Tourism Australia launched a $180 million advertising
campaign entitled “Where the bloody hell are you” targeted at Asia, USA and Europe
(www.wherethebloodyhellareyou.com).
The controversy was all in the use of the words “bloody”, and “hell” and caused Britain’s
Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre (BACC) to ban its showing on UK television.
There are both positive and negative implications of the campaign. “Where the bloody
hell are you?” used wording that was viewed by conservatives as not suitable for
children and offensive. Under BACC policy “bloody” is its 27th ranked most offensive
word, in-between crap and god in descending order. The cheeky use of wording created
extensive free publicity. Tourism Australia managing director Scott Morrison said the ban
would only make the campaign a greater success and thanked the UK authorities for
that.
The wording, according to Australian minister for tourism, Fiona Bailey, is simply
Australian culture and as such is perfectly acceptable. Bailey claimed these words are
standard Australian vocabulary that her children use and part of the Australian identity.
The UK public should appreciate the tone and wording in the advert. Bailey asserted
that research has shown the British public would appreciate the cheeky brand of
Australian Humour. The words, while being cheeky, are said in a friendly inviting way
which is not offensive and the setting is visually stunning giving a peaceful ambiance.
The ban has since been lifted after Bailey visited the UK, illustrating that the BACC
agreed with her view that the public would find it amusing.
The ban only served to generate publicity and the BACC conservative policy aided this
along. The outcome was good for Tourism Australia.
Should wealthy nations be required to share their wealth among poorer
nations by providing such things as food and education? Or is it the
responsibility of the governments of poorer nations to look after their
citizens themselves?

IELTS essay sample

With the development of global economic, more and more people have a better life
than decades ago. However, in some area of world, there also have poorer countries
where people don't have sufficient food to eat or education. I think that, not only
should wealthy country help poor country, but poor country should try their best to
give their citizens a better quality of life.

Helping poorer countries is demand of moral, but also there are many benefits from
it. First of all, providing assistant to these countries could save many lives from
starvation, and keep them away from diseases, therefore people in the poorer
country could enjoy a better life. Furthermore, this could help them to have enough
energy to develop their country, and then providing food and education by
themselves. Eventually, they would be able to cooperate with wealthy countries to
benefit each other.

To poorer country, besides being assisted by others, they have to take responsibility
of developing their own country for better quality of citizens' life. However, some
use the resources provided by others in a wrong way, such as taking the money to
buy weapons, food to support the war. They should stop doing this, and to develop
in peace. In addition, improving their stability of society, such as perfecting their
laws, providing job opportunities, developing technology, is a important task for
them.

Therefore, it's wrong to say that one country should take the whole responsibility of
that. Countries in the world should help each other to have a better development,
by doing this, countries can benefit from each other also.
Question: People naturally resist making changes in their lives. What kinds of problem can
this cause? What solution can you suggest?

Most of the people are very easily contented with their own lives. They would rather stick with
their current living style than give a try in search for a better one. This is having a bad impact not
only on individuals but also on the society as a whole.

People nowadays are already adapted in a slow a steady living style. They tend to be afraid of
taking risks and accepting challenges. Consequently, their lives are becoming too ordinary and
boring, without any excitement. Playing stock shares, for instance, shows the tendency of people
resisting in making changes. Most of the share holders refuse to buy a new company’s stock
share, resulting in a great loss.

Another major problem is the slow improvements in our society. As the individuals are not
willing to search for a better living, they wouldn’t make an effort to build a better society either.

One obvious answer is for the government to open new job opportunities in challenging circle.
Jobs in resorts and research centers could widen people’s horizon and fill their lives with
excitements. This would enable them to have an urge in searching for more excitements and thus
willing to make changes in their lives. As a further step, people should travel more and observe
different people’s living style. By doing this, they could not only find out the type of life they
wish to have but are also likely to strike for having one.

Apparently, making changes in people’s lives will make more good than harm. Therefore, I
would like to encourage people to try new things and spice up their lives with challenges.

Khineimaung
New Member

Joined: 02 Apr 2009

Posts: 1

Private cars are becoming a very controversial issue these days but they are important in
our modern lives for two main reasons, poor public transport and business. Many people in
the world live in towns, villages and even cities that do not have good buses or trains.
Without cars these people could not travel to work, to the shops or do many other important
things. Also, in many towns and cities buses stop before midnight but in today's busy world
people are busy twenty four hours a day. The next point is that cars help the economy in
two ways. Firstly, the car industry gives many people in the world jobs and helps countries
to develop. Secondly, many people today need cars in their work. Doctors need to visit
patients, salespeople need to visit customers and computer technicians need to visit
businesses. In conclusion, although cars can cause problems it is impossible to live without
them in modern life.
The chart shows the fluctuations in the numbers of international students attending the
Sydney International Language Centre in 2001.
At the start of the year numbers were quite high at 170, this was because there were a
large number of students in University Preparation (UP) before the March intake. The
student population remained the same until the end of February when 40 graduated from
ELI and took up their offers in Bachelors and Masters courses. In both April and May, 15
extra students enrolled into ELI courses. There was a sharp increase in June when 20 new
students entered UP courses. In July there was only an increase of five students as the
Winter course intake was at the end of July and this was too late for students who were
entering university in the second semester. In comparison to the first semester, there was a
sharp drop in numbers as 50 students left, leaving only 135 students in ELI for August.
From here until the end of the year there was a steady rise in student numbers to a peak of
180 in December.
Overall it shows steady growth when compared to the 2000 enrolments.

Argumentative essay about food

A recent theme in the popular media has been the decline in the quality and nutritional
value of the food that we buy. Newspapers in particular warn us of the problems associated
with convenience and take away food, whilst commenting on the spread of advertising
aimed at children. The government and manufacturers are frequently cited as the sole cause
of these problems. Although there are undoubtedly problems associated with current eating
habits it can be seen that the blame rests mainly with the consumer because of the law of
supply and demand. In short, modern shoppers value price and convenience over nutritional
quality.
The most basic law of the market shows us that if a consumer does not need or desire a
particular product, they will not buy it. When the sales of particular products are examined
it is possible to see that sales of convenience foods are always increasing, whilst sales of
basic ingredients are generally decreasing. People buy ready prepared food because it fits
into the busy lives that they have chosen to live, where an extra foreign holiday or a new
car has become more important than the health and welfare of families. This desire for the
trappings of modern life also has other effects on shopping habits. Many families would
prefer to have an up to date computer than to buy nutritional, healthy organic food. To have
both is only possible for the affluent due to the high cost of organic food in developed
nations.
To sum up it can be seen that convenience food has a double economic advantage. It is
cheaper to buy in the first instance, and also allows parents to spend more time earning
money at work. In the past people ate low quality food because they were poor, but now
they do it so they can afford a certain lifestyle and that is not the fault of the
manufacturers.

An essay comparing and contrasting University education in the USA and Australia
The Western style of education has gained popularity over the last decade. Many foreign
students come to countries like Australia and the USA to study at university and improve
their employment prospects. In this essay I will briefly compare and contrast these two
countries in terms of their appeal to foreign students.
There are many similarities between the two countries. Firstly they both have a very
multicultural population so it is possible to enjoy food from your own country when
homesickness arises. Also, as they are both large countries it is possible to find an
institution in an area with a climate that suits you. Another similarity is that their tertiary
institutions have a reputation of quality and excellence in academia.
On the other hand there are some appreciable differences. The main one is that education in
the USA is much more expensive than in Australia. However, many students think that it is
worth paying the extra money as some American universities have a world-wide reputation.
Furthermore, as the USA has a much larger population there are a wider range of
institutions to choose from and naturally, a wider range of courses.
To sum up, America offers more choice and a more acknowledged reputation, but at a
higher cost. Australia offers similar quality but is cheaper if you can find the course that you
want.

Argumentative essay on computer games

Computer games have been popular for decades now and many households have at least
one. However it can be seen that playing these games causes social, educational and
personal problems of several kinds both to youngsters and society.
Firstly, youngsters who spend a great deal of time in front of a monitor are not studying,
playing sport, socialising or learning about life. The skills which they need in order to
interact with others and succeed in the real world are not being nurtured. Moreover, studies
have shown that this generation of young males is actually growing less than previous
generations due to lack of exercise. Following from this, they are more likely to be
overweight and less healthy, so more prone to diseases such as diabetes.
In addition, the games themselves are often quite violent and dangerously sexist. For
example, there are games which show graphic fighting scenes where the most brutal is
most applauded. Women are shown as either sexy, but weak, or as improbable amazons.
Violence against women is often part of these games which encourages misogynistic
behaviour. The language tends to be violent and sexist which further adds to the problems
of the lack of interaction and social skills.
It is easy to imagine the effects of such games on young minds. If we wish children to grow
up to become well-adjusted members of society, these games should be more tightly
controlled.

A Cause and Effect Essay on Australian Private Schools

European history in Australia is very short and as a result it can be interesting to look into
the development of its educational system in relation to similar societies. When compared to
the USA and Britain, the most striking aspect of Australian education is the incredibly high
proportion of private schools and the number of students attending them. Figures from the
Australian Bureau of Statistics (August 1996) show that 29.3 percent of the school
population attends privately run institutions compared to approximately 10 percent in the
UK and USA.
As this strange situation has evolved over the past 150 years it is relatively easy to trace
the most important causes. Australia was primarily settled by the English, Scottish, Irish
and Welsh who all followed different churches of Christianity. They argued as to which was
to be taught in schools which led to the adoption of government schools with no religious
affiliations. This action led to the removal of funding to church schools which in turn meant
that Catholic schools had to find alternative funding and also work harder to attract
students. Parents had to pay for their choice of school and this set a precedent. Now more
and more immigrants of diverse cultures and religions come to Australia and decide to set
up schools which will protect their children's identities. As Australian society has diversified
it has become advantageous for politicians to improve their popularity with powerful groups
by supporting these schools financially, improving their quality and appeal to prospective
students.
Unfortunately this seems to have created a vicious circle as public schools are now receiving
less from the government, so have trouble providing an adequate service. This then makes
the private, fee-paying schools more popular with parents, which allows politicians to justify
giving more financial support to them. The future of good quality public education therefore
seems in doubt.

Descriptive paragraph about English

English is widely accepted as being the pre-eminent global language. As well as the
countries that have it as their mother tongue there are others where it is an official second
language and still more where it is taught as a compulsory language in schools. When you
go further to consider the use of the language in media and technology the strength of it is
completely undeniable. This fact, and the reasons for it, makes the question of when, how,
and why to present culture to English students especially complicated.

Percentage of consumer goods in UK homes

The table shows the percentage of household consumer durables sold in the UK from 1972
to 1983. It can be divided into three groups.
Firstly, a number of appliances were in a high percentage of homes for the entire period.
These included TVs, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators and washing machines. TV ownership
was the highest, growing from 93% to 98% over the eleven-year period, while washing
machine ownership, the lowest of this group, increased from 66% to 80%.
The second group included central heating and the telephone and these showed the most
dramatic rise with increases of 27% for central heating and 35% for telephones. At the
beginning of the period these appliances had been present in 37% and 42% of homes
respectively.
The final group shows appliances that were only introduced onto the market during the
period shown. The video recorder was quickly accepted into households, achieving 18%
ownership by 1983. The dishwasher had less impact, with its ownership slowly rising from
3% to 5% between 1978 and 1983.
In all it shows that British households enjoyed an ever-increasing ownership of consumer
durables from 1972 to 1983.
Using a computer every day can have more negative than positive effects on children. Do
you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge
or experience.
In today’s modern world, computers are an essential part of everyday life. Around the globe,
children often use computers from a very young age. Although it is important for children to
participate in various well-balanced activities, in my opinion, children who use the computer
daily are actually developing a critical skill for future success. The bases for my views are
personal, academic, and professional.
From a personal point of view, computers are an invaluable resource to help young people
explore the world around them. For example, children who use Internet to satisfy their curiosity
about diverse topics are already becoming independent learners. No child with a computer is
ever bored! By starting early in their lives, children feel totally at ease around computers; they
are also able to take advantage of the wide range of services computers provide.
From an academic viewpoint, children have no choice but to master this technological invention.
For instance, when I was in university, students brought their laptops to class to take notes, do
research and exchange information. They wrote assignments, created presentations and
developed databases. Children who build early confidence and experience in these abilities are at
a distinct advantage over those who have not.
From a professional perspective, the computer has found a permanent place in the workplace.
Today, employers still pay to provide computer training to their employees. Tomorrow,
corporations will expect prospective job applicants to already possess these critical job skills.
Consequently, parents who encourage their child to use the computer for a reasonable period of
time daily are in fact investing in the child’s future career.
In conclusion, there is no doubt that the computer as a technological tool is here to stay. The
sooner children become computer-literate, the better for many aspects of their future lives.
Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in other
important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair.
Discuss both these views and give your opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.
The world of sports is a multimillion dollar industry. Around the globe, people flock to sporting
events or watch their favourite teams faithfully each week on television. As a result, professional
sports athletes receive huge salaries – well above, for example, those of doctors, lawyers,
teachers or social workers. There is some debate about whether such outrageously high salaries
are justified.
On the one hand, sport is viewed as a professional career, in which the top players should rightly
earn high salaries. Athletes train rigorously from an early age to become peak performers in their
field. They face tremendous pressure in each and every game, match or competition. Their
personal lives are compromised and they lose all privacy. At the same time, their strong
achievements bring honour and attention, not only to themselves, but also to their teams, schools,
cities or countries.
On the other hand, various professions contribute to making our world run smoothly. Doctors put
in at least ten years of grueling study and internship; their work saves lives. Teachers educate and
inspire young people to be responsible citizens: their efforts produce the citizens of tomorrow.
Social workers rescue individuals facing physical, mental and psychological challenges: their
intervention creates safer societies.
Yet, professionals in the fields above usually struggle to get by, despite their meaningful and
critical contribution to the world.
In my view, paying enormous salaries to sportspeople is unnecessary. We need to reconsider our
social priorities and eliminate the great disparity in income received by diverse professionals. By
doing so, we can build societies in which each one feels valued, appreciated and appropriately
compensated for their own vocation or specialization.
In some countries, young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing
high school and starting university studies. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for
young people who decide to do this.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Taking a “gap year” off between high school and university has become a popular option among
many young people. This time off provides a break after many years of formal study. Some
students use this time to travel around the world, others volunteer and still others begin working.
The idea behind each of these activities is to do something hands-on and refreshing, which
enables young people to learn more about themselves and their place in the world around them.
The benefits of taking a year off are plentiful. On a personal level, students who travel away
from home develop their independence and self-confidence. On a cultural level, they learn about
viewpoints, traditions and perspectives different from their own. Professionally, students get a
taste of diverse workplaces, which might inspire a possible career interest. Intellectually, they
examine their own beliefs and ideas in relation to those of others in a new environment. All these
advantages combine to make a strong case for taking the one-year break.
Nevertheless, there are also dangers involved in taking such a long break. Academically, the
main drawback is that students can get sidetracked from their studies. A year is a long time and
students could lose the good study habits and sense of discipline they had when they were in a
formal academic structure. If they begin working, they could also be deluded into thinking that
they’re making a lot of money. They could lose the benefit of college or university education and
the chance to earn a higher income all their lives.
In conclusion, whether to take a year-long break or not is an individual decision. Each young
person should consider his or her motivations carefully and decide on what’s most desirable.
Time is a precious resource and people of all ages, including young people, should treat it with
respect.
Universities should accept equal numbers of men and women in every subject.
To what extent do you agree with this statement?
You should write at least 250 words.
Gender issues have been increasing in importance through the centuries. In almost every sphere
of human activity, there has been a movement towards greater equality between men and women.
Although I agree that universities should open their doors to all students alike, in my view, they
need not set a fixed limit on the number of men and women they accept in each subject. The
bases for my views are psychological and personal.
Psychologically-speaking, men and women are simply different, though they have the same
potential for greatness. For example, women tend to be more intuitive, sensitive to others and
caring. This means they may feel drawn, on the basis of their personalities, to certain kinds of
professions such as teaching, nursing, or psychology, even if all fields are open to them. In such
a context, it is best for universities to choose the best applicants, regardless of gender.
Personally, students need to discover their true calling. This is an individual matter and is not
influenced by the universities reserving seats for men or women. For example, if the majority of
women shy away from math or engineering, perhaps it has to do with their upbringing, which has
influenced their interests. The universities will not be able to reverse this trend, though they
should always look out for the most qualified candidates.
In conclusion, equality cannot be forced upon people – not in the area of education, employment
or family life. Equality is about having choices and those who prove themselves capable will
qualify for university, regardless of gender. It is only right that universities reflect and respect
these free and natural choices being exercised by their students.