English Recordings

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Topic: Young people often copy the behaviour of famous people, so celebrities should only be allowed to advertise healthy food or drink and should not encourage unhealthy habits such as smoking. Do you agree or disagree?

Model answer:

Young people look up to celebrities and can be easily influenced by them. Because of this, some people believe that there should be restrictions on what celebrities can advertise, or on how they behave. In my view, this seems a little unreasonable.

It is true that celebrities have a lot of influence. Brands pay them large sums of money to use their products in the knowledge that this will increase sales. These companies know that young people in particular want to copy their heroes. However, not all of these businesses offer healthy choices. Thus, famous people also sometimes promote less desirable behaviour. As a society, we need young people to follow good role models, and so celebrities need to understand that accepting money from advertising means that they are acting in this capacity. Therefore, the famous need to be aware of their role in society and make good choices based on this.

Nevertheless, the proposal to restrict celebrities in some way may go too far. While they should behave responsibly when in the public eye, they should also be allowed the freedom to make their own decisions. Furthermore, if we believe that young people will always copy the behaviour of others, even when this is unwise, that indicates a different problem: the need for young people to learn how to think for themselves. Thus, rather than asking celebrities to change their lifestyle, we should teach the young to take responsibility for their life choices.

In conclusion, I can only partly agree with this view. Although celebrities should not promote unhealthy behaviour, I believe they have the right to choose for themselves how they earn money or spend their free time. It is far more important to teach young people to show their own good judgment than to limit the freedom of others.

Topic: Every year, several languages die out. Some people think that this is not important because life will be easier if there are fewer languages in the world. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Model answer:

In some parts of the world, native languages are being lost as the world develops and evolves. Some believe that this is unimportant and even see it as an advantage. This essay will discuss whether the loss of languages should be cause for concern.

Certain aspects of everyday life are made easier through sharing a common language. First and foremost, business transactions are much simpler when the two parties concerned can understand each other well. Travel problems can also be dealt with much faster when there is mutual understanding. Thanks to globalization, these types of communication are increasing, and could be seen as largely responsible for the disappearance of languages in more remote areas. If people in those areas want to do business with others, to avoid frustrations, they are forced to adopt the more widely used languages of the world. Thus, with each new generation, their native tongue becomes both less useful and less used. Thus, sadly, the need to make life simpler makes the loss of some languages inevitable.

Nevertheless, language has a multitude of uses that go far beyond tourism and business communication. Firstly, our native tongue is used to express our deepest feelings and emotions. These are much more difficult to convey when using a second language. Language also plays an important part in our culture and identity, uniting us as a community. Thus, when a language is lost, part of the community and culture also disappears. This must be an enormous loss for the people concerned. Clearly, some people are affected far more than others by the disappearance of a language.

In conclusion, while it is true that having fewer languages benefits the world of business, and makes transactions easier, I completely disagree with the view that the continued loss of languages is unimportant. The variety of native languages is what makes the world a richer place, and any loss of this kind should not be dismissed lightly.

Topic: In some places, fast food, prepared meals, and sugary drinks are now sold in more shops and at lower prices than in the past. Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?

Model answer:

Our diet is becoming increasingly unhealthy. This is reflected in the fact that cheap, fast food, and sugary drinks are now found in many shops around the world. However, this low cost and convenience comes at a cost.

Undoubtedly, the availability of prepared meals and canned drinks has some advantages. This type of food is abundant because it appeals to our taste buds. People would not eat it so often if they did not crave the taste. The low cost also means that people on a lower income can afford to feed their families, and it is made even more appealing because it also saves time in the kitchen. There are now so many big businesses based on producing this type of food and drink that many workers are dependent on the selling or making of it, and this industry is a key employer of many lower income families. These advantages show that this development is likely to continue for some time.

Nevertheless, the negative effects are significant. The low cost of this type of food means that it has become more of a staple diet for many people. It is widely acknowledged that processed and sugary foods are unhealthy, so their widespread consumption is concerning. Such food contains many additives, offers little nutrition, and is largely seen as responsible for the growing obesity problems around the world. In addition, there are links to diabetes, all of which affects the economy as well as putting pressure on the healthcare system. Ultimately, the problems associated with this type of food have an impact on everyone.

In conclusion, the availability and convenience of this type of food mean that it is likely to be here to stay. Nevertheless, the long-term health effects show that, on the whole, this is a negative development. Finding a way to increase the cost would go some way to solving this.

Topic: Some people say that the best way to improve public health is by increasing the number of sports facilities. Others, however, say that this would have little effect on public health and that other measures are required. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Model answer:

Public health is a growing concern, with many countries reporting increasing levels of obesity. Some believe the problem can be addressed by adding more sports facilities, while others think this may not be enough. A closer look at the problem will help in assessing these views.

Adding sports facilities would certainly be an attractive idea to some. However, this proposal does assume that the main reason people are unhealthy is that they lack access to such facilities. In reality, a combination of factors are to blame for a great deal of public health issues, and a lack of exercise is only one of these. Among other key factors are poor diet, work stress, and a lack of time to address them. Furthermore, sophisticated equipment is not essential for getting fit; walking or running in the streets would also achieve this. Thus, if a lack of facilities is not responsible for current health problems, simply adding more will not solve them.

Clearly, other measures are required to improve public health. If people lack the time to take care of themselves, then we need to find a way to address this. This means that, as a society, we need to encourage the idea that taking time out from the pressures of work has health benefits. In this way, not only will work stress be reduced, but people will also have more time to exercise. The issue of diet can be tackled by persuading people to cook nutritious meals themselves rather than choosing a faster alternative. Nevertheless, these solutions will take time and, for those who cannot reduce their working hours, are likely to be ineffective. Seemingly, when it comes to solving complex health problems, there is no simple solution.

In conclusion, in my view, giving time-poor people greater access to sports facilities will not be effective and is too simplistic a solution. Other measures are clearly required, but any action taken to improve public health requires a change in lifestyle, and this needs the cooperation of everyone involved.

Topic: In some countries, very few young people are willing to do unpaid community service (for example, working for a charity, improving the neighbourhood, or teaching sports to younger children). What problems might this cause? What do you think is the best way to solve these problems?

Model answer:

Community service is a useful way of helping in areas where the local government is unable to. However, as it is unpaid, the idea is often not very appealing to young people. This causes problems that it is important to find solutions to.

Community service and charitable programmes generally help to take care of the most vulnerable in society. This can mean providing food and care for the poor, the homeless, or the elderly, or it may mean improving the public spaces where they live. If young people do not become involved in this work, the responsibility falls to older people, who may have the time but not the physical strength or resources needed. As a result, the vulnerable will suffer and the places where they live will eventually deteriorate. Unless the problem is solved, the culture of taking care of others could disappear. A community where people only think about themselves is not a healthy one, so it is important to find a solution.

There are several ways to approach this problem. The first, and perhaps most obvious, is to make community service compulsory for all high school students. While this would go a long way to solving the problem, it may not be easy to implement, and is likely to be unpopular. A second, and more successful approach, would be to find a way to encourage younger people to help. For example, by making sure they receive training, and learn useful skills in return for their efforts. Participants could also be given good references to improve their employment prospects. This would mean even more if employers actively looked for this type of experience when recruiting. Therefore, an effective solution requires more than the efforts of young people.

In conclusion, community service is an important part of any society and everyone suffers if it fails. In my view, the best way to encourage young people to get involved is to offer good incentives, and to show just how important it is to everyone.

Topic: Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school programmes (for example, working for a charity, improving the neighbourhood, or teaching sports to younger children). To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Model answer:

Many community services rely on people to volunteer their time and effort. Some people think that forcing high school students to take part in programmes like this is a good idea. Doing so could have repercussions for all concerned.

Firstly, creating a programme that is compulsory would certainly have an impact on the community and the children involved. Not all teenagers are mature enough for work like this. As a result, if they are expected to help the elderly, work on renovation projects, or teach younger children, the programme may cause more problems than it solves. The charities would also have extra work in supervising these students. In addition, high school students have a great deal of academic pressure, so adding more to their timetable may not be possible, especially for any with high academic ambitions. Thus, establishing this type of programme might prove difficult.

Nevertheless, there would also be clear benefits. It is easy for teenagers to become focused only on their studies or their personal interests, and many would not normally choose to do this type of work. Thus, if it is made part of the standard curriculum, the students would have the opportunity to try something new. Furthermore, while it is true that many lack maturity, work of this nature would help them to develop a sense of responsibility, and teach them real-world skills that will be very useful in their future career. Teaching teenagers to be more community-minded should also ensure that older volunteers can eventually work less. Therefore, even though both groups would need to adapt, everyone taking part is more likely to gain from the experience.

In conclusion, I completely agree with this proposal. Although the idea of compulsory community service may initially be difficult to implement, and some may resist the idea, its long-term benefits will surely make up for any short-term problems.

Topic: Some experts believe that it is better for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather than secondary school. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

Model answer:

The ability to speak a second language is a useful life skill. However, there is some debate over the best age to learn a new language, with some experts believing this should happen at primary school. In my view, there is little benefit in starting so young.

There are some advantages to learning a foreign language early in life. The brains of young children are often compared to sponges because of their ability to soak up knowledge. Consequently, they can learn languages far more easily than adults. They also lack the self-consciousness that can interfere with language learning at high school, when students can be reluctant to make pronunciation mistakes in front of their peers. In contrast, primary school students are happier to take risks and, as a result, can have fun with their learning. As mastering a language takes a long time, it is easy to see why some people recommend starting as young as possible.

Nevertheless, there are several challenges to introducing a second language at such a young age. Firstly, primary students generally have one teacher rather than several specialist ones. This means the staff may not have the necessary skills to teach a foreign language. Secondly, this is a crucial stage in a child’s education; they must learn the basics of literacy and numeracy to succeed later on. Thus, teachers do not have the time to teach more than a few basic words and phrases in another language. Furthermore, to learn a second language, a good knowledge of your mother tongue is needed, which primary school students do not yet have. In fact, adding a foreign language may even interfere with this, and is likely to put added pressure on some. Therefore, the disadvantages of such a scheme are significant.

In conclusion, there appear to be limited benefits to studying a foreign language at a very young age, and the challenges far outweigh these. The primary school years should be a stress-free time for children; adding more to their curriculum is likely to alter that for the worse.

Topic: Some people think that the teenage years are the happiest times of most people’s lives. Others think that adult life brings more happiness, in spite of greater responsibilities. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Model answer:

Each stage of life has its ups and downs. Some feel that people are generally happiest as teenagers, while others believe adulthood is a happier time, even though it brings greater responsibilities. Personally, I agree with the latter point of view.

Life from the teenage perspective can seem very happy. Teenagers live with their parents, who meet all of their needs, and spend most of their day at school, surrounded by friends. They also enjoy long holidays and have plenty of opportunities to relax. In fact, groups of teens enjoying themselves are a common sight in many places.

However, one of the reasons they are seen hanging around is that they often have little money and few places to go. Furthermore, at this age, our bodies and minds are still developing, so a lack of maturity can easily get them into trouble. There is also a great deal of pressure academically, with important exams to pass. Therefore, this time of life looks a lot happier on the outside than it is in reality.

For adults, everyday life is a lot less carefree. Living independently means we have to be able to afford accommodation and other expenses. There are also responsibilities associated with work, which often increase with our salary and workload. Working life also offers only a few short holidays each year. Thus, opportunities to relax are brief, so it is not surprising that adults might reminisce about their childhood years. Nevertheless, adulthood is a much longer stage of life, and with maturity comes the ability to deal with any challenges. This is also a period when most adults build their own family, home, and career. All of which brings a sense of personal satisfaction and happiness that is very different to anything experienced in our younger years.

In conclusion, happiness, like all emotions, is a temporary state. Although it is tempting to associate it with being young and carefree, in my view, it is a much more complex and deeper emotion that is closer to the contentment more often achieved in adulthood.