Discussions Text.docx

There are a lot of discussions as to whether children should be given homework or not. Some people claim that children do enough work in school already. They also argue that children have hobbies that they want to do after school, such as sports or music. A further point they make is that a lot of homework is pointless and doesn’t help the children learn at all. However, there are also strong arguments against this point of view. Parents and teachers argue that it is important to find out whether children can work on their own without the support from the teacher. They say that the evening is a good time for children to sit down and think about what they have learned in school. Furthermore they claim that the school day is too short to get anything done that needs doing and it makes sense to send home tasks like independent reading or further writing tasks that don’t need teacher’s support. On balance, I think that some homework is a good idea but that it should only given at the weekend when children have more time.

1. By giving the homework to the students, they can … in the evening. A. prepare for the next lesson B. review their lesson C. enjoy their past time D. do their hobbies E. test them selves 2. The third paragraph discusses … for the students. A. the disagreement of giving the homework B. the function of doing the homework C. the importance of the homework D. the weakness of giving the homework E. the benefit of the homework 3. What is the writer’s suggestion about homework ? A. Homework is pointless. B. Homework is badly needed. C. Homework should be given on weekend. D. Students must frequently have homework. E. Students should not be given any homework.

Internet has been the most outstanding invention in the history of mankind. With internet, our earth has become a global village. Yet, like many other human made technologies, it has its own advantages and disadvantages. There are plenty of software that can entertain us or help us to communicate with our beloved ones. In a mere second, we can chat for hours with a person who is sitting at the other parts of the world, read our e-mail in our smart phone or listen to our favorite radio broadcast by streaming it on our tablet. With its easy access, internet also has its disadvantages. One of the is children may be exposed to violence and explicit contents that only suitable for adults. There are thousands of such inappropriate contents on the internet which can be easily found. It is a very serious issue and may harm children well-being. Although, internet can create havoc and destruction, its advantages are more important than its disadvantages.

4. What is one the disadvantages of the internet ? A. It exposes children to violence. B. It helps us chat with our beloved ones. C. It helps us communicate from faraway. D. It streams our favorite radio broadcast. E. It sends to our e-mail from our smart phone. 5. The main idea of paragraph 2 is …. A. the use of internet can be very fatal. B. internet has some advantages. C. people should not use internet. D. internet can make us lazy. E. internet brings more harm than good. 6. From the passage we can assume that, children should be … by their parents while they are using internet. A. taught B. watched C. seen D. accompanied E. observed

DISCUSSION TEXT There are many reasons for both sides of the questions, “Should we have printed advertisement?” Many people have strong views and feel that ads are nothing more than useless junk mail, while other people feel it is an important source information. There are some reasons why we should have advertisement in newspaper and magazines. One reason is ads give us information about what is available. Looking at ads we can find out what is on sale and what is new in the market. This is an easy way of shopping. Another reason is that advertisement promotes business. When shop owners compete against each other the buyer saves money, more people come to their shops and they sell more goods. On the other hand, some people argue that ads should not be put in newspapers and magazines for theses various reasons. Firstly, ads cost the shopkeepers a lot of money to print onto paper. Also some people don’t like finding junk mail in their letter boxes. Ads also influence people to buy items they don’t need and can’t really afford. Ads use up a lot of space and a lot of effort has to be made to make the ads eyecatching. After looking at both sides of issue, I think we should not have advertisements because they cost a lot of money and take up a lot of room in the papers. I don’t think I find some of them interesting. I mainly disagree because it’s junk mail.

7. Why does the writer present two sides of opinions of advertisements ? A. S/he wants to take side. B. S/he wants to be in the affirmative side. C. S/he uses the opinions to emphasize her own stance. D. S/he wants the readers know the opinion about the issue. E. S/he wants the readers to understand her stance. 8. The writer influences the readers by repeatedly saying that … A. the ads are only garbage. B. the ads contain unimportant business information. C. the ads promotes unnecessary service products. D. the ads inform us tips of easy shopping. E. the ads become the source of information 9. “Ads use up a lot of space and a lot of effort has to be made to make the ads eyecatching.” The underlined word is closest in meaning to …. A. Newsworthy B. Subtle C. Plain D. Impressive E. Delicate

Low-Cost Airlines Before 1999, flying was too expensive for many Indonesian people. Buses, ships, and trains were much cheaper. In 1999 the first Indonesia’s low-cost airline was introduced. The low-cost (or no frills or budget) airlines began in the early 1990’s in the USA. The term-cost doesn’t always refer to the price of the ticket, but to the operating costs. These airlines can operate more cheaply than regular airlines because the reduced quality of the service can reduce the cost of training the staff. Employees sometimes have to work in two jobs-the flight attendants sometimes clean inside the aircraft after each flight. Since 1999 several budget airlines have been operating in Indonesia. As a matter of fact, the emergence of discount carries has enormous benefits for travelers. Middle class-people, who could not afford full fare, would pay for cheaper seats. It’s not surprising that many people prefer taking these no-frills airlines than spending more money to travel on regular planes. Moreover, early ticket booking allows people to get lower ticket price. Budget regular flights are cheaper because they do not give free in-flight food or drinks. However, bad safety records have been showed by plane crashes that have mostly happened to low-cost airlines. An Indonesian low-cost airline vanished without a trace; another plane cracked open upon landing; a flight overran the runway in Yogyakarta and caught fire, and another discount aircraft went off the runway in Java. Budgets flights may be less time ned energy consuming, but safety is surely not less important. Adapted from : kangGURU Radio English September 2006; http://www.iht.com

10. According to the text, the term ‘low-cost’ is associated with …. A. the price of the ticket B. the cost of the flight C. the cost of the operation D. the low quality of the service E. the minimum maintenance 11. The text argues that for many customers of budget flights, …. A. safety is to be improved in budget airplanes B. low cost is more important safety C. the highest demands for budget flights are in Indonesia D. safety is still well guaranteed in budget flights E. many low-cost airlines operating in Indonesia are not safe

12. “An Indonesian low-cost airline vanished without a trace …” (Paragraph 3) The closest meaning to the underlined word is …. A. tell B. sank C. disappeared D. dropped E. damaged

Gene Splicing Genetic research has produced both exciting and frightening possibilities. Scientists are now able to create new forms of life in the laboratory due to the development of gene splicing. The ability to create life in the laboratory could greatly benefit mankind. For example, as it is very expensive to obtain insulin from natural sources, scientists have developed a method to manufacture insulin inexpensively in the laboratory. Another beneficial application of gene splicing is in agriculture. Scientists foresee the day when new plants will be developed using nitrogen from the air instead of fertilizer. By this, food production could hopefully be developed to feed the world’s hungry people. On the contrary, no one agree on gene splicing. Some people think that it has terrible consequences. A laboratory accident, for example, might cause an epidemic of an unknown disease that could wipe out humanity. As a result of this controversy, the government made rules of controlling genetic experiments. In response to these rules, some members of the scientific community argue that the rules are too strict, whilst many other believe that they are still lenient.

13. Scientists hope to …. A. create new air substance for plants B. develop agricultural sector using gene splicing C. free the world from hunger by creating new forms of life D. manufacture insulin by exploring alternative resources E. develop modern fertilizer for new plants 14. Some people object to gene splicing because …. A. food production will be increased B. it will endanger civilization C. the insulin will be produced easily and cheaply D. gene splicing experiments bring more harms E. unknown disease could be eradicated

15. “Scientists foresee the day when new plants will be developed using nitrogen from the air…” (Paragraph 3) The underlined word is closest in meaning to …. A. see B. dream C. predict D. look E. imagine Promoting Tourism : Good or Bad ? Lots of tourists visit our town, but many people argue whether this is good or bad for the community. Each side has their own viewpoints. Those in favor of the tourist industry argue that tourism brings money to the town and creates employment. Business owners also supports this saying that tourism promotes development in town. Moreover, everyone benefits from having better facilities and more shops. Other also argue that tourism develops a better understanding of other cultures so people become more tolerant. People against tourism, however, say that most of tourist’s dollars are spent in international hotels owned by foreign interest groups. Consequently, the town receives little financial benefit. In addition, they point out that the new developments have caused traffic and water supply problems. They argue that several unpleasant incidents in the community indicate that the local community resentment towards tourists. Undoubtedly, the local council should please both sides. Not only should it promote tourism, but also restrict new development that would cause traffic and water supply problems. 16. From the viewpoints of those who disagree with tourist industry, who will likely receive the most financial benefit? A. business owners B. the local people C. the local community D. the local government E. international hotel owners 17. What are the factors that make the people agree to the tourist industry? A. Business, finance, culture and infrastructure B. Investment, community building, cultural understanding C. Business, development, investment and social D. Public facilities, development, finance, social E. Finance, infrastructure, cultural understanding, community development

18. “Not only should it promote tourism, but also restrict new development…” (Paragraph 4) The underlined word is closets in meaning to …. A. ban B. open C. curb D. limit E. prohibit There are many arguments in favor of a boarding school education. Nevertheless, the boarding school is not always the best education institution for everyone. At an early age interacting and communicating with people is very important for a child’s personal life and can be especially helpful for his/her future. In a boarding school, shy children can take advantage of interaction through communal activities. The boarding school also offers a great variety of activities such as arts, sports, and music that allow children to demonstrate and develop specialized skills in their free time. Furthermore, the structured way of life and strict rules at the boarding school may helps students to get used to a well ordered way of life. The manners and social skills will help them to become more responsible and confident, and to develop their talents in leadership. Professionally trained teachers and educators in the boarding school can other excellent education without the parents’ constant supervision. In spite of these good points, it is not advisable to send a child to a boarding school if he/she is a dependent leaner. A boarding school usually demands that student learn independently. In addition, the boarding school should not be seen as a measure to solve inappropriate behavior or unsatisfactory study performance. In stead of improving, problematic children may close off their relationship with their peers and teachers. In conclusion although a boarding school may provide good education to many children, it is not recommended for those who are strongly attached to their families. They may become frustrated and socially isolated. 19. According to the writer, children in a boarding school can develop specialized skills in…. A. entrepreneurship B. community service C. reading D. drama E. music 20. Why do parents send their children Boarding School? Because …. A. it is good for shy children B. it gives good education for adults C. interacting and communicating with people is very important D. it does not allow children demonstrate excellent and develop their skills E. it is safe and makes children become responsible and develop talents in leadership

21. From the text, we can conclude that …. A. the boarding school can be very expensive B. there are good and bad boarding schools C. the boarding school is the solution to our educational problems D. it’s not necessary to send children to a boarding school because the students can live independently E. not everyone thinks that the boarding school is the best educational institution for children Study groups are commonly utilized by many students to prepare themselves for class discussion, examinations, or class presentation. They can also make use of it to review their weak points and learn new ideas. I myself find that we can learn more effectively in a study group. However, I can’t deny that study groups have also some disadvantages. On the positive side a study group gives the students motivation to study and update their readings because the other members likely give them encouragement. It also helps them to learn new ideas as well as important points they missed on their readings. Most of the members in my study group are very open in sharing what they know. These alert me that I should update my readings so I could also share something. On the other hand, the disadvantage of a study group is the part of compelling the students to attend it after class or during their free time. Commitment among each member is also an important aspect in a study group. Hence the members of a study group have to set aside other activities to study together. To join a study group or not is the student’s own choice, because there are other students who learn better when they do it on their own. If a student thinks he/she will be learning effectively in group, he/she had better go on and enjoy the fun way of learning. 22. Some students are motivated to study in a study group because the other members likely…. A. give them better ideas B. come up with important ideas C. are clever than them D. solve the problem E. encourage them to study 23. The writer finds it necessary to join a study group because …. A. he knows study groups have also some disadvantages B. he should update his readings C. he can learn things more effectively D. the members in his group are open-minded E. his friends have more knowledge compared him

24. From the text, we know that …. A. a study group has nothing to do with reading ability B. the members have to sacrifice their time for their study group C. the writer doesn’t think a study group useful for him D. an agreement made to study regularly in a study group isn’t necessary E. a study group is always useful for everybody

The answer 1. B 2. C 3. C 4. A 5. B 6. D 7. D 8. A 9. D 10. C 11. B 12. C 13. C 14. D 15. C 16. E 17. E 18. D 19. E 20. E 21. E 22. E 23. B 24. B