English Recordings

Leadership

Topic: Some believe that people are naturally born as leaders while others feel that leadership skills can develop. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Model answer:

Many are of the view that leadership is innate, rather than cultivated through time and experience. In my opinion, leadership is largely developed rather than gifted.

Those who believe that there are naturally born leaders point out the character of a person as a fixed quantity. There are certain individuals who display a natural charisma and inimitable capacity for command. A recent example of this would be Barack Obama. He is a naturally eloquent, stately, physically imposing presence and perfectly walks a fine line between warmth and firmness. Researchers have long identified common natural characteristics of leadership such as height, a deep voice, a strong chin and natural grace of movement. These cannot be developed to a significant degree and therefore support the claim that leadership is intrinsic.

However, great leadership is more deliberate than spontaneous. There are countless examples of individuals possessing all the physical characteristics of leaders who fall well short of inspiring people. An instructive example of this is Steve Jobs. Early in his career he inspired people with his exceptional talent but that had its limits as he pushed and demeaned employees ultimately leading to his ouster from Apple. This humbling experience led him to soften the sharper edges of his personality in the ensuing decade by considering other viewpoints and giving up more control to competent employees. These learned traits served him well when he became CEO of Apple again and reached what many regard as the pinnacle of leadership.

In conclusion, though the endpoint may obscure the origins, all leaders must cultivate their hubris to become great leaders. The long-standing assumptions about leadership must be challenged in order to put in place better institutional practices to mold future pioneers of industry and politics.

Unhealthy Foods

Topic: Some think that governments should tax unhealthy foods to encourage people to eat healthier. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Model answer:

Some think that heavy-handed governmental taxation is the only way to compel healthier eating. In my opinion, while this makes rational sense, its actual effectiveness is questionable.

Those that argue in favour of these taxes can point to a logical chain of suppositions. Though taxes on unhealthy foods are rare, there is the occasional mandated price hike for sugary drinks and fast food, smoking is an instructive corollary. Several decades after research showed that smoking causes cancer, governments were able to push through legislation to tax cigarettes heavily. The result was that those already addicted to smoking continued to smoke but many people did not pick up the habit to begin with. Proponents argue this would also be the case when it comes to foods known to cause cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. Many would eat them despite higher prices but the next generation would become more health conscious and that would further trickle down to their children.

Though the above argument is well reasoned, people will still buy luxuries. There is strong evidence for this dating back centuries. After the war of independence from Britain, the newly formed United States instituted direly needed taxes on luxuries including whiskey and chocolate. The purpose of the taxes was to raise money, not to lower consumption of those products. The unpopular acts were internally vindicated when people continued to buy luxuries along the same growth trend, enabling them to increase the national budget. Even though cutting down on purely pleasurable products makes disinterested sense, people are more swayed by instant gratification than cold calculation.

In conclusion, taxes on unhealthy foods would not be an effective measure against their consumption. Instead, governments should invest more in healthy school lunches and making healthy products more widely available to attack the problem at its root source.

Golden boots
Neymar Jr can’t find his golden boots. They are his lucky boots. Tonight Neymar is taking part in the fashion boots competition. And he needs his lucky boots to win.
First, Neymar looks in the chest of drawers but there are no boots in there. Instead, he finds his friend Messi in the drawer (Messi wanted to surprise him)
“Boo!”, says Messi.👻
And Neymar faints. 😵
When he is ok again, Neymar goes to Luis Suarez’s place to look for his lucky golden boots. There he meets Mbappe Kylian.
“Did you see my lucky golden boots?”, asks Neymar.
“No, I didn’t. But I want to help.” , says Kylian.
They go outside together, they look for the boots everywhere until dark but can’t find them. They are dirty and exhausted. To top it off, it starts to rain. Suddenly, Messi says, “Look! Your boots shine! They are golden!”
“Oh my god! These are my lucky golden boots on me! I haven’t washed them for 5 years. That’s why they got black!”
They run to the fashion competition. And when they come they see that everybody wears golden boots! Surprise! 🥴

Remember, remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I know of no reason, why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent
To blow up king and parliament.
Three score barrels were laid below
To prove old England's overthrow.

By God's mercy he was catch'd
With a darkened lantern and burning match.
So, holler boys, holler boys,
Let the bells ring. Holler boys, holler boys,
God save the king.

And what shall we do with him?
Burn him!

Chicken

Hi!
My name is Joe, nice to meet you!
I'm sixteen years old.
I'm British, but my mother is French, so I'm British AND French.
We are from Nantes, but we live in Cardiff.
See you later!

Hello!
My name is Dan, and I am Irish.
I live in Dublin, in Ireland, but I'm from Cork.
Have a nice day!

Hi!
I'm Peter! Nice to meet you!
I'm from Edinburgh, so I'm Scottish.
I am seventeen years old.
Bye!

Hi!
My name is Caroline, and I am twenty years old.
I live in Manchester, in England, but I'm from London.
See you later!

I love playing basketball and I love athletics but I really hate playing soccer and I don't like playing tennis.
I like dancing and I love listening to music but I hate singing. I also like drawing and reading but I don't like comic strips. I prefer reading mangas. Oh and I really enjoy cooking! I love making cakes!
And you? What are your hobbies? What do you like doing?