Ielts Writing

IELTS WRITING - Collected by Hai Jim (Chuyen Luyen Thi IELTS Tel : 0984467000 – Khai Giang Hang Thang ) 8/1/2005 We can get knowledge from news, but some people think we can't trust the journalist. What do you think? What qualities should a journalist have? 15/1/2005 There is an argument about whether students should study in groups or on their own. Compare the benefits of each study method. Which one do you think is more effective? 22/1/2005 Statistics suggest that nowadays an increasing number of crimes are committed by the young people. What are its causes and how can we solve this problem? 5/2/2005 Food can be produced much more cheaply, because of improved fertilizers and better machinery. However, some methods may be dangerous for human health, and have negative effects on local communities. To what extent do you think its disadvantages outweigh its advantages? 19/2/2005 Leisure is a growing industry. Nowadays, more modern technology is used in entertainment, which may lead people to be less creative. Do you agree or disagree? 26/2/2005 Now people possibly perform everyday tasks such as banking, shopping and business transaction without meeting each other face-to-face. What are its possible effects on both the individual and the society? 5/3/2005 Some academic subjects are useful for children's future careers, while some subjects such as music and sports are not useful. What’s your opinion? 12/3/2005 It is generally believed that education is vital for the development of individuals and the wellbeing of society. How can education fulfill both these functions? 19/3/2005 Some people think that traditional culture can be destroyed by using it as money-making attractions to tourists. However, others believe that it is the only way to save traditions. Discuss both views and give your opinion. 2/4/2005 Pressure on the school and university students is increasing and students are pushed to work hard when they are young. Do you think it is a positive or negative development? 9/4/2005

In order to improve the quality of education, high school students should be encouraged to evaluate and criticize their teachers, but some people think it will result in loss of respect and discipline in classroom. Discuss both views and give your opinion. 16/4/2005 Do the positive effects of advertising outweigh the negative effects? 14/5/2005 Some school leavers go to travel or work for a period of time instead of going directly to university. What are disadvantages and advantages for their studies? 21/5/2005 Many people are optimistic about the 21st century and see it as an opportunity to make positive changes to the world. To what extent do you agree or disagree with their optimism? What changes would you like to be made in the new century? 28/5/2005 Some people think that universities should provide graduates with knowledge and skills needed in the workplace, while others argue that the main function of universities is to teach students theoretical knowledge. What’s your opinion? 11/6/2005 The government is responsible for protecting a nation’s cultural identity. Thus, some people believe new buildings should be built in traditional styles. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? 17/7/2005 Many employees work at home using modern technology today. Some people think only workers benefit from it, not employers. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 23/7/2005 Some people think the Media should not report details of crimes to the public. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 6/8/2005 Many people say that we have developed into a “throw-away” culture, because we are filling up our environment with so many plastic bags and rubbish that we cannot fully dispose of. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion and what measures can be taken to reduce this problem? 13/8/2005 Many scientists believe that now we can study the behavior. of a three-year-old child to see whether they will grow up to be criminals. To what extent do you think the human nature produces crime? And how can we prevent children from growing up to be criminals? 20/8/2005 Some people suggest when people move to a new country, they should accept the new culture as their own. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

3/9/2005 Children who are brought up in families which have not amount of money are better prepared to deal with the problem of adult life than children who are brought up by wealthy parents. Do you agree or disagree？ 10/9/2005 The only way to improve the safety in the roads is to give much stricter punishment for driving offences. Agree or Disagree? 17/9/2005 Some people say it is cruel to carry out experiments on wild animals, while others argue that it is beneficial to the scientific development. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 15/10/2005 Some children in rural places cannot have good schools and medical facilities. To improve this situation, some people suggest that new teachers and doctors should be sent to rural places for several years. Others, however, believe every one has the free right to choose where to work. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. 2005 10 22 The speeding up of life in many areas such as travel and communication has negative effects on society at all levels-individual, national and global. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 2005 10 29 Some people say that the increasing business and cultural contact between countries is a positive development, while others think that many countries will lose their national identities. Discuss both views and give your opinion. 2005 11 12 Recently, global trade increases between different countries and some dairy goods are exported to other countries. To what extent do you think its advantages outweigh its disadvantages? 2005 11 19 Advertising encourages consumers to buy in quantity rather than in quality. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 2005 11 26 Some people think the public libraries only provide books, and they needn't waste limited resources and spaces on providing Hi-tech, e.g. computer software, audio DVDS. To what extent do you agree or disagree of this opinion? 2005 12 10 Scientific research should be carried out or controlled by government rather than private companies. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 17/12/2005

Some people think it is more important to pay attention to the building's purpose than its appearance. Do you agree or disagree? 2006.1.7 Some people think they should keep all the money they earn, and should not have to pay tax to the state. Do you agree or disagree? 2006．1．14 There are social, medical and technical problems associated with the use of mobile phones. What form do these problems take? Do you think they outweigh its benefits? 2006.1.21 The advancement of science and technology has great positive impact on people, but value of artists is also important, such as musicians, painters and writers. So what can arts tell us about life that science can not? 2006.2.12 In modern society, there are more and more old people, do you think its benefits outweigh its disadvantages? 2006.2.18 Some people believe that air travel should be prohibited as it causes pollution and uses up fuel resources. Do you agree or disagree with the statement? You should use your own experience to support your argument. 2006.2.25 More and more measures have been taken to improve security and reduce crime in urban areas, do you think its benefits outweigh its drawbacks? You should list your reasons in your essay. 2006.3.11 In many countries more and more young people are leaving but unable to find jobs. What problems do you think youth unemployment will bring for individual and the society? What measures should be taken to deduce level of unemployment among youngsters? 2006.3.18 Many people say teachers should be responsible for teaching students to judge what is right and wrong. Others say teachers should only teach students academic subjects. Discuss the both viewpoints and give your own opinion. 2006.3.25 A long-distance flight consumes the fuel as much as a car consumes in several years time, and causes the same amount of pollution as cars. So some people think we should abandon the nonessential fights (such as for tourism), and it is more efficient than restricting the car use. Give your opinion about it 2006.4.8

In the last century, the first man walking on the moon said: “It is a big step for mankind”. However, some people think it makes little difference to our daily lives. To what extent do you agree or disagree? You should use your own experience to explain. 2006.4.22 Some people think that the study of history is of little use to us. Others believe that studying history helps us to know the present. Discuss both viewpoints and give your own opinion. 2006.4.29 Some people think that national sports team and individual sports men and women who represent their country should be financially supported by the government. However, some people believe they should be funded by non-government organizations (eg. Business, scholarship) What is your opinion? 2006.5.13 The shortage of housing in big cities can cause severe concequences, only government actions can solve the problem, do you agree or disagree? 2006.5.20 An increasing number of people choose to travel abroad. To what extent do you think the problems brought by international travel outweigh its advantages? 2006.6.10 Some people prefer to provide help and support to those people who need it in local communities directly. However, some people prefer to give money to national and international charitable organizations. Discuss both sides and give your reasons. 2006.6.17 Some people say the best way to solve the environmental problem is to raise the price of fuel, to what extent do you agree or disagree? 2006.6.24 Some people think that it is beneficial for students to go to private secondary schools, but others feel that it has negative effects on them. Discuss the both viewpoints and give your opinion. 2006.7.8 Today, in many countries, there is insufficient respect to old people. What are the reasons? What problems it might cause? 2006.7.22 Should students live with his parents at home or live in the school with other students? What is your opinion? 2006.7.29 Earlier technological development brought more benefits and changed the life of ordinary people more deeply than recent ones. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

2006.8.5 Some people think museums should be enjoyable places to attract and entertain young people, others think the purpose of museums is to educate. What is your opinion? 2006.8.12 Some people think that if you want to learn a language well, you should also learn about the culture and the lifestyle of the people who speak it. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 2006.8.26 Multi-cultural societies, which are mixed with different ethnic people, bring more benefits than drawbacks, to what extent do you agree or disagree? 2006.9.2 There are many advertisements which are directed at children, such as snacks, toys and other goods. Parents argue that they will impose negative influence to their children. But the advertisers claim that advertisements provide some useful information to children. Discuss the both viewpoints and give your own opinion. 2006.9.16 Some people think students should take the subjects which are decided by the government in the university. Others think students can apply for the subject they prefer. Discuss the both viewpoints and give your opinion. 2006.9.23 It is suggested that young adults are required to take up a period of unpaid work for the local community. Do you think its benefits outweigh its drawbacks? 2006.10.14 Some people think the main purpose of schools is to turn the students into good citizen and workers of the society rather than to benefit them as individual, to what extent do you agree or disagree? 2006.10.21 Some people believe that a country becomes more interesting and develops faster when its population includes a mixture of different nationalities and cultures. Do you agree or disagree? 2006.10.28 As most people spend a majority part of their adult life in work. Job satisfaction is an important part of individual well-being. What are the factors that contribute to the job satisfaction? How realistic is the expectation of job satisfaction of all workers? Include reasons and relevant examples of your own knowledge and experience. 2006.11.4 Someone argue that the good health is basic human needs, so the medical service should not be run by profit-making companies. Do you think the disadvantages of the private health care outweigh the advantages?

2006.11.18 Some people think international news should be included into the subjects in secondary schools, but some people think it is just waste of time. What isyour opinion? 2006.11.25 The exposure of international media has a significant impact on our cultures, what impact does it bring to the local culture? Do you think its advantages outweigh its disadvantages? 2006．12．2 Some people think male leaders always lead us to violence and conflict, but female leaders are better to give us a more governed and peaceful society, do you agree or disagree? 2006．12．9 Some people believe that to maintain the cultural identity of a city, the government should build all the new buildings in a traditional way; to what extent do you agree or disagree? 2006.12.16 Some people believe that personal happiness is directly related to economic success, other people argue that happiness depends on completely on other factors. Discuss both viewpoints and give your own opinion. 2007.1.6 The world of work is changing rapidly, so people cannot always depend on their jobs. What are reasons of such phenomenon and offer some measures to solve it. 2007.1.13 Some people think universities should provide knowledge and skills related to future career. Others think the true function of the university is to give access to knowledge for its own sake. What is your opinion? 2007.1.20 Some people say the government should pay for the health care and education, but others say that it is not the government’s responsibility. Discuss both views and give your opinion. 2007.2.3 Individuals can do nothing to improve the environment, and only governments and large companies can make a difference. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 2007.2.10 People think the public library will be replaced by the computer. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 2007.3.3 Some people think schools should select pupils according to their academic ability, but others believe pupils with different abilities should be educated together. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

2007.3.10 More and more people use the mobile phone or computer to communicate, and no longer write letters to each other. Some people think the skills of letter writing will soon disappear completely. Do you agree or disagree? How important do you think letter-writing is? 2007.3.31 It is now possible to perform. Everyday tasks， such as banking, shopping and business transactions, are without meeting people face-to-face. What are the effects it may bring on the individual and the society as a whole? 2007.4. 14 The society would benefit from the ban on all forms of advertising because it serves no useful purposes and can even be damaging. To some extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? 2007.4. 21 Customers are faced with increasing amounts of advertising due to the competition among companies. To what extent do you think consumers are influenced by advertisements? And what measures can be taken to protect their interests? 2007. 4. 28 Air transport is increasingly used to export fruits and vegetables to other countries where they cannot be grown or are out of season. Some people believe that this is a good thing, but others consider this use of air transport can’t be justified. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. 2007.5.12 The unpaid community service should be a necessary part in high college programs (such as helping your neighbor or teaching the children sports or working for the charity).To what extent do you agree or disagree? 2007.5.19 Nowadays, computer is used more and more in education. Do you think in which areas computer is more important and in which areas teachers are more important？ 2007.06.02 Many developing countries are increasingly expanding their tourism industry. Why is this case? Is it a positive development? 2007.6.9 Nowadays, some people claim that public museums and art galleries will not be needed because people can see historical objects and works by using computer. Do you agree or disagree?

2007.06.16 In many countries, traditional foods are being replaced by international fast foods. This is having a negative effect on both families and societies. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 2007.07.07 In some countries, schools aim to provide a general education across a range of subjects. In others, children focus on a narrow range of subjects related to a particular career. For today’s world, which of these systems is more appropriate? 2007.07.14 Lectures were used in the past as an old way of teaching a large number of students. As new technology is now available for education, some people suggest that there is no justification for lectures. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 2007.07.21 Many problems have impacts on the world, so good relationships between different countries are becoming more and more important. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 2007.8.11 Some people think the food has been changed by technological and scientific advances is improved, but others worry that is harmful. Discuss both sides and give your opinion. 2007.8.18 Some people think that a new language should be invented for people from different countries to use for the international communication. To what extent do you think its advantages far outweigh its disadvantages? 2007.8.25 Some people think that money should be saved for one’s retired life. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 2007.9.1 Some people think students should be encouraged to begin working after they have graduated from senior high school, while others think students should attend university first and then begin to work. What’s your opinion? 2007.9.8 The unlimited use of cars may lead to many problems. What are these problems? In order to reduce these problems, people should be discouraged from using cars. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 2007.9.22 Who should pay the costs for higher education: all paid by government, all paid by students, all paid by students using a loan and repaid after graduation. Compare the benefits and choose one you think best. 2007.10.13

Some employers focus on academic qualifications, paying less attention to life experiences and personal qualities. Why is this phenomenon? Is this development positive or negative? 2007.10.20 Some experts say that children’s studying English at primary school is better than their studying English at secondary school. Do you think its advantages outweigh its disadvantages? 2007.11.3 Some people think that the government should pay the course fees for those who want to go to university. Do you agree or disagree? 2007.11.17 Nowadays, a large amount of advertising is aimed at children, so some people think there are lots of negative effects on children, and should ban it. To what extent you agree or disagree? 2007.11.24 Some people think that giving aids to the poor countries has more negative impacts than positive ones. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 2007.12.1 Nowadays, we are living in a throw-away society. What are its causes and what are its problems? 2007.12.8 Many people believe that main aim for university education is to help graduates to find a better job, while other people believe that university education has wider benefits for individual and society. Discuss both views and give your opinion. 2007.12.15 We can see more disasters and violence shown on TV .What are its causes and what effects will they exert on the individual and the society? 10/1/2008 Some people think children’s spending time on TV, video and PC games is good, while others think it is bad. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. 12/1/2008 Some people think that criminals should be given longer terms in prison, so as to reduce the crime rate. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 19/1/2008 Old generations often hold some traditional ideas on the correct way of life, thinking and behaviour. However, some people think that it is not helpful for the young generations to prepare for modern life in the future. What’s your opinion?

26/1/2008 Unemployment is getting increasingly serious in many countries. Some people think students only need to get primary education, while others think secondary education is necessary. What’s your opinion? 2/2/2008 Some people think people can exploit animals for any purpose they need, while others do not think so. What is your opinion? 14/2/2008 An increasing number of people choose to live in big cities. What problems will this bring about? Should the government encourage people to live in small towns? 16/2/2008 An American film actor once said, “Tomorrow is important and precious.” Some people think individuals and society should pay more attention to the future than to the present. Do you agree or disagree? 23/2/2008 Some people think imported food exerts positive impacts on our lives. To what extent do you agree? 1/3/2008 Schools offer a wide range of courses such as physical education, music, economics, philosophy, math, English, geography, physics and history. Among all these subjects, which one do you think is the most important and which one is the least important? 8/3/2008 The number of cars keeps increasing, so road systems should be expanded. Some people think the government should pay for it, while others think the car owners should pay for it. What is your opinion? 13/3/2008 People should look after their health as a duty to the society they live in rather than personal benefits. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 29/3/2008 Some people think government should ensure the healthy lifestyle. Of people, but others argue that it should be decided by individuals. Discuss and give your opinion. 5/4/2008 A long-distance flight consumes the fuel as much as a car consumes in several years time, and causes the same amount of pollution as cars. So some people think we should abandon the nonessential fights (such as for tourism), and it is more efficient than restricting the car use.

Give your opinion about it. 12/4/2008 Some people believe that a country becomes more interesting and develops faster when its population is mixed with different nationalities and cultures. To what extent do you agree or disagree with it? 19/4/2008 Some countries have ever-increasing proportion of population of those aged 15 or younger, what do you think of the current and future effects for the countries? 10/5/2008 Some people believe that children can learn effectively by watching TV and they should be encouraged to watch TV both at home and school. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 22/5/2008 Some people believe that schools should only children subjects which are beneficial to their future career and therefore others subjects such as music and sports are not important. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 31/5/2008 Some people argue that the fittest and strongest individuals and teams can achieve the greatest success in sports. But, however, others think the success depends on much the mental attitude. Discuss both views and give your opinion. 5/6/2008 Some people think that university students should specialize in one subject, while others think universities should encourage students to learn a rang of subjects. Discuss both views and give your opinion. 14/6/2008 Some people think the cheap air flight gives ordinary people more freedom. However, others think the cheap air flight should be banned because it pollutes the air and brings many other problems. Discuss both views and give your opinion. 21/6/2008 Some people think that children should obey rules or do what their parents and teachers want them to do, but others think that children controlled too much cannot deal with problems well by themselves. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. 28/6/2008 With technology speeding up, more and more young people begin to use mobile phones and the Internet, but old people have little chance to be exposed to them.

What ways could mobile phone and the Internet be useful to old people? How do old people be encouraged to use this new technology? 5/7/2008 Some people think students should learn more practical courses like computer, but others think they should learn more about the practical courses like geography and mathematics. Discuss both views and give your opinion. 12/7/2008 Some people support development of agriculture, like factory farming and scientific creation of fruits and vegetables, while others oppose. Discuss both views and give your opinion. 24/7/2008 Some people think that in the modern society individuals are becoming more dependent on each other, while others say that individuals are becoming more independent of each other. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. 26/7/2008 Some people think the main benefit of international cooperation is in protection of the environment, while others think that the main benefit is in the world business. Discuss both views and give your opinion. 9/8/2008 In some countries, governments encourage industries and businesses to move from large cities to region areas Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages 16/8/2008 Giving detailed descriptions of crime by newspaper and television, someone says it could make bad consequence; this kind of media should be restricted. To what extant do you agree or disagree? 21/8/2008 International tourism sometimes makes people more prejudiced rather than broad-minded. 1. Some reasons why it cannot bring benefits to those visitors 2. Solutions. 30/8/2008 Some people think that students should be organized into groups to study, while others argue that students should be made to study alone. What are the benefits of each study method and which one do you think is more effective? 6/9/2008 Once children start school, teachers have more influences on their intellectual and social development than parents. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

13/9/2008 Many people think it is important to protect the environment, but they make no effort on it themselves. Why is it and what your opinion? 18/9/2008 Some people think that criminals should not be imprisoned. Instead, education and job training should replace the former to deal with criminals. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 27/9/2008 Poor students or students who come from rural areas often find it is difficult to get access to the university education, so some people think universities should make it easier for them to study at . To what extent do you agree or disagree? 11/10/2008 Society is based on rules and laws. If individuals were free to do whatever they want to do, it could not function. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 23/10/2008 Many people use distance-learning programs to study at home, but some people think that it cannot bring the benefit as much as attending college or university. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 25/10/2008 Some people think that economic progress is the only way to measure a country’s success, while others think that there are other factors which can be used to measure a country’s success. What are these factors? And among them, which one is more important than others? 8/11/2008 Fashion is more and more important in our choice of clothes. Why? Do you think it is a positive or negative development? 15/15/2008 More and more people work from home and study from home with the development of computer technology. Do you think it is positive or negative development? 20/11/2008 As we known, the international travel become cheaper, more and more countries open their door and more tourists.... Do the advantages of the increased tourism outweigh the disadvantages? 29/11/2008 Some people say that modern children's games do not develop children’s a wide range of skills. They say that traditional games better for develop children’s skills. To what extent do you agree or disagree. 4/12/2008 As a global economy, global trend increasing, many goods, especially some daily basis, are transported to a long distance. To what extend do u think its benefits exceed its drawbacks?

6/12/2008 Memorization of information by frequent repetition (rote learning) plays a role in most education systems. Does usefulness of this method of learning outweigh its limitations? 13/12/2008 Some people believe a country will benefit greatly by a high percentage of young people go to university; others argue that it only leads to unemployment. Discuss both and give your own opinion. 20/12/2008 Nowadays, some organizations and charities publicize their activities by introducing special days every year like national children's day and non-smoking day. Why do they introduce special days and what effects does this have? 10/1/2009 Some people believe the range of technology available to individuals today is increasing the gap between poor people and rich people. Others think it is having an opposite effect. Discuss these points of view. What is your opinion? 15/1/2009 Students at schools and universities learn far more from lessons with teachers than from others sources (such as the internet, television). To what extent do you agree or disagree? 17/1/2009 Today, people can work and live in anywhere they want, because of the improvement of communication technology and transport. Do advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages? 7/2/2009 Rich countries often give financial aid to poor countries, but it does not solve the poverty, so rich countries should give other types of help to the poor countries rather than the financial aid. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 12/2/2009 Development in technology causes environmental problems. Some people believe the solution in these problems is everyone accepts a simpler way of life, while others say that technology can solve these problems. Discuss both view and give your own opinion. 21/2/2009 Some think that these environmental problems are too big for individuals to be solved, while others think that individuals cannot solve these environmental problems unless they make some action. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

28/2/2009 Some people believe that improve public health should increase the number of sports facilities; others believe that it has little effects and need other measures to improve it. Discuss both views and give your opinion. 5/3/09 Newspapers have an enormous influence in people’s opinions and ideas. Why and do you think it is positive or negative situation? 7/3/2009 Some people think music plays an important role in society. Others think it is it is simply a form of entertainment. Discuss both sides of this argument and give your own opinion. 14/3/2009 More and more students choose to go to another country for their higher education. Do you think the benefits outweigh the problems associated with it? 21/3/2009 Some people think it is more important to spend public money on promoting healthy lifestyle in order to prevent illness than to spend it on the treatment for people who are already ill. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 4//4/2009 Nowadays people live in the society where consumer goods are cheaper to buy. Do you think its advantages outweigh disadvantages? 18/4/2009 If a product is good or it meets people needs, people will buy it. So advertising is unnecessary and no more than an entertainment To what extent do you agree or disagree? 25/4/2009 Some people think that computers and the Internet are more important for a child's education than going to school. But others believe that schools and teachers are essential for children to learn effectively. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. 30/4/2009 Some people think museums should be enjoyable places to attract and entertain young people. But others think the purpose of museums is to educate, not to entertain. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. 9/5/2009 Some people believe that teenagers should concentrate on all school subjects. But, others believe that teenagers should focus on the subject that they are best at or that they find the most interest. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

16/5/2009 It has been believed that people who read for pleasure have developed imagination and good language skills than people who prefer to watch TV. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 21/5/2009 A hundred years ago, people think that human race is steadily improving in every area of life. Now it seems this is not certain in that situation. In which areas do you think we have made important progress nowadays? In which areas do you think we still need to make progress? 30/5/2009 Fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) are the main sources in many countries, but in some countries the use of alternative sources of energy (wind energy and solar energy) are encouraged. To what extent do you think it is a positive or negative development? 11/6/2009 The food travels thousands of miles from farm to consumer. Some people think it would be better to our environment and economy if people only ate local produced food. What extend does the advantage outweigh disadvantage? 13/6/2009 Report research suggests that majority of criminals who were sent to prison would commit crimes when set free. What do you think of this case? What to be done to solve this problem? 20/6/2009 Some believe that those who are not talented in language learning should not be required to learn a foreign language. Do you think school should required students to learn a foreign language? 27/6/2009 Developing countries require international organizations’ help. Some people think that financial aid is important. However, others believe that practical aid and advice is more important. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. 4/7/2009 Money for postgraduate research is limited. Some people think that financial support from governments should be only provided for scientific research rather than research for less useful subjects. Do you agree or disagree? 11/7/2009 Some people argue that companies and private individuals, rather than governments, should pay the bill of pollution. To what extend do you agree or disagree?

23/7/2009 Many people are optimistic about the 21st century and see it as an opportunity to make positive changes to the world. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 25/7/2009 Nowadays sending children to boarding school (either in other countries or in their own countries) is becoming increasingly popular. Why is it? Is it a positive development? 8/8/2009 The development of technology changes the way people connect with each other. In which way the development of technology change the types of relationships that people make? It has positive or negative effect on the relationships? 13/8/2009 The subjects and lesson contents are decided by the authorities or central government. Many people suggest that teacher should decide those contents themselves. To what extend do you agree or disagree? 22/8/2009 News media have become influential to our lives, and some people think that is a negative development. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 29/8/2009 In the past, people used to travel to see the difference from their home country. But, nowadays the places around the world are becoming increasingly similar. What are the causes of this similarity? Do you think that the advantages of this similarity outweigh the disadvantages?