Exercise 1:

Space exploration has resulted in scientific Space exploration is still motivated by political
innovations that have benefited us all. ambitions and rivalries
We should go into space as a way of solving the Space exploration is a waste of money when
problems of overpopulation and dwindling there are so many problems to deal with on the
natural resources Earth
Violent crime has become serious problem Another reason is the alternatives of family
amongst today’s youth. The lack of teaching structure such as the increase of nuclear family,
them to distinguish between right and wrong the high growth in divorce. Lastly, the more
and harsh punishment is one of the causes. increasing volume of time they watch TV, play
Moreover, crime results from unemployment computer games, the more easily they
and poverty. committed to crime
Music plays an important role in our lives. Some opined that music is of the same
Everyone appreciates and responds to music. importance as reading and writing, even with
Moreover, music can trigger an intense and math in terms of education. Furthermore, a
powerful emotional response. school of thought believes that no matter what
kinds of music are, they encourage potentials to
the fullest.
Going to the cinema is an increasingly attractive However, films are of low quality nowadays.
form of escapism. Moreover, films can be Films studios think more about profit than
thought-provoking and challenge people to originality when making films
think about serious issues
It is a firm belief that meals shared with others However, reliance on convenience foods denies
provide a sense of belonging. Moreover, people the pleasure of cooking and eating fresh
culinary traditions provide a sense of cultural food. What’s more, preparing home-made food
identity. is a measure of hospitality.
It’s possible to lose the enjoyment of reading if Reading aloud is an enriching experience for all
you have to do too much of it. In addition, it is ages. Moreover, sharing the experience of
clear that choice of a book as a child says listening to something read aloud increases
something about personality and future career. enjoyment.
Many of us throw away a huge amount of stuff. These days, advertising persuades us to discard
Some can be recycled. However, whether electronic products after a short time. One of
enough is being done to recycle is debatable. the main reason is that people wish to keep up
with the latest developments in communication
technology.
Some people claim that they can only relax at A school of thought claim that we want to
home after the stressful working and studying escape to public places where we can socialize
day. Moreover, they do appreciate the time at and be ourselves. Nevertheless, home is still the
home because at home they can reflect on the place where people express their personalities.
day’s events.
Formal clothes can create a feeling of distant In addition, some people suggests that uniform
relationship amongst people. However, we feel may intimidate some people. Nevertheless,
reassured by professional people who dress formal dress is an integral part of national
formally. occasions.
Memories are of paramount importance to In addition, our memories contribute to our
people because we get pleasure from recalling sense of identity. However, they are unreliable
about past events with others. Moreover, it is and inconsistent.
better to focus on present rather than compare
it with the past.
The author of the first text points out the The second text suggests tourism industry
damaging effects of unstainable tourism. rejects criticism that it does damage. However,
Damage was done to places by tourism such as some changes in tourism industry were made
seas contaminated by sewage, vastly reduced too late or for image only.
wildlife, constant litter, and air polluted by
traffic. Moreover, damage was done to local
people by tourism such as replacing traditional
crafts and fishing.
The author of the first text suggests that adults The second text claim that the way some
compare children’s games today unfavorably children’s games are played changes or varies.
with the games they played. Moreover, adults In addition, some children’s games disappear,
also prevent children from creating their own and new ones appear.
games by giving them money or expensive toys.
The author of the first text suggests that The second text claims that human nature is a
concept of human nature is a complex and philosophical rather than scientific issue. In
important issue, which has a radical influence addition, studies of human nature also involve
on environment we live and ideal one. other subjects such as history, politics and
Moreover, major question is whether people social anthropology, not only philosophy.
are naturally selfish or unselfish.
The first text suggests that official statistics that The second text claim that people believe that
show that crime is falling do not stop people crime statistics are generally false. In addition,
worrying about it. Moreover, there are a people today worry about whether crime will
number of reasons why people have fears have a direct effect on them.
about crime.
Experts say that adolescence is a terrible time, It is normal for teenagers to be a problem for
which is characterized by rebellion and dissent. their parents. In addition, actions by parents
However, not only can adolescence be a good can make the problems of adolescence even
time but also a bad time. worse.
Popular culture is for the commercial profit of Popular culture cannot be forced on the people,
companies. However, popular culture is it is created by the people. Nevertheless, the
dictated by the people, not by companies. people are individuals, not a single group, and
may accept or reject what is offered to them.
Although aeroplane has been not generally However, aeroplane changed from a wonderful
chosen as most important invention of last thing to something causing terrible damage. Air
hundred years, it may be most vital invention travel now is normal for the majority rather
because of its effect on tourism and emigration. than a small minority.
Without doubt, sport has the potential to be a mechanism for stress release, expression and
entertainment. However, when we take sport too seriously, be it at our own or others’ behest, we
are in danger of making it another burden in our already overburdened youth, which can induce
stress and sap our enjoyment completely. Indeed, learning to cope properly with both success and
failure is one of the pivotal lessons of competitive sport which translates to ordinary life.
Additionally, given our increasingly sedentary lifestyles, participation has a vital role to play in the
fight against obesity.
Pointedly, a degree has become the minimum requirement for candidates, even for entry-level jobs.
For this reason, work experience is becoming increasingly important as a differentiating factor that
helps candidate stand out. Besides, students mature at university and ease themselves gradually into
the state of adulthood and responsibility they must then assume. Respected professions have
recognized the merits of on-the-job-learning and study combined, as can be seen in the
apprenticeship and internship opportunities offered in numerous disciplines.
Some people find it very important to obey the In general, it is counter-productive to worry too
rules of etiquette, to do what others consider much about what socially acceptable way to
proper. There are people – often the older behave might be in any given situation. It may
generation who get very upset when others do be a deterrent from enthusiasm and creativity.
not follow social conventions. Mutual
understanding is a great solution for this issue
The two texts express their concerns about the important issue of mass consumption. The first
author suggested that we are continuously acquiring new products having a huge negative impact on
the planet. No matter what the object is, people are more focused on meeting the latest fashion
rather than the value of the object itself. The second author suggests contrasting actions that may be
taken in order to balance the situation. On the one hand, the passage encourages us to reduce our
waste and reuse the packaging that we already have. On the other hand, when being in a group, the
author challenges the reader to take an active role by educating others in saving resources
When higher education comes at a price: should universities be free of charge?. This leads to the
question of whether tuition fees may be considered appropriate or if secondary education should be
free. Fervent proponents of university fees assert that they should be considered a rather small
investment which pays off after graduation. Opponents of tuition fees, however, tend to fear that
secondary education might be reduced to the affluent. Instead of fees, they advocate regulatory
means of admission like giving priority to the best or those with skills society may well need.
These texts both deal with the relationship between teenagers and advertising.

The first one focuses on how advertisers exploit young people, taking advantage both of teenage
preoccupation with the media and of their susceptibility to peer pressure combined with a wish to
appear ‘cool’. The second text presents the young as having a very positive influence on the quality
of modern adverts, helping to make them much wittier and more original than ever before. This text
maintains that teenagers’ impact on advertising derives partly from their predilection for what is
intriguingly new but also, more particularly, from their own creative energy.
In these two texts, the authors discuss about the heavily debated topic of censorship. In the first
extract, the writer mentions the essential need for us to shield children from nasty content that are
being broadcasted on mainstream media like television. Additionally, he highlights the urge of taking
measurements against those people who criticize the political and economic status quo, possibly
leading to the further risk of threatening the government's stability. Conversely, the second author
points out, that the word "free" is there for a reason, emphasizing how fundamental it is we stick to
its original meaning and condemn every restriction on our right to express opinions, as any
democratic system should.
Both extracts above take a negative stance on the hotly debated issue of death penalty. The first
author tries to dispel the myth of the death sentence “acting as a deterrent”. However, his argument
is unconvincing because criminality could have been worse if death penalty was not in effect. The
second extract persuasively strengthens the argument against this irreversible penalty by citing the
numerous incidents of innocent people who have been wrongly convicted and sometimes even
executed, only to find out that more recent genetic material proves that they were innocent.
The author of the first text considers the annual assessment of students’ performance as inadequate.
It is unfair to judge a year’s performance just once or twice a year. This unfair system forces students
to temporary parrot-fashion learning. Conversely, the second text support that continuous
assessment depends too much on the teacher who may be either too lenient or too strict. Parents
and siblings may give an unfair advantage to some students over their classmates who don’t have
help at home.
The overarching theme of the two excerpts is tourism. Text 1 deems the thriving tourism industry
responsible for the acute environmental problems and the aggravation of social climates of popular
destinations. Text 2 sheds light on the nascent phenomenon of ecotourism, viewing it as reciprocally
beneficial for communities and tourists. All tourism projects are designed in cooperation with local
communities. Infrastructure improvements have to benefit local inhabitants and not just tourists.
The first text argues that something needs to be done to make physical education more attractive.
Further, the first extract puts forward the notion that sport competitions are beneficial for pupils,
promoting “life skills” such as working hard for a goal and committing to a cause.

The second text supports the argument that teenagers do not spend enough time doing sports. It
also gives reasons for the pupils’ lack of enthusiasm towards sport activities.
The majority of people consider their lives to be too busy and cooking would not be a priority. Many
people also have a misconception about the amount of time that is required in order to cook a
simple and nutritious meal. Another benefit of cooking from scratch is that we are fully aware of
what is in our food. In order for the industry to make a profit, they will often choose the cheapest
ingredients. As a result, these types of meals are often not very nutritious. Lastly, we can save money
by cooking our own meals.
The over-arching theme of these two texts is the use of cars in our society. It is said that discussing
different alternatives to reduce a very common problem that many big cities have to deal with
nowadays, namely traffic congestions. It is important that citizens do not use their cars so frequently.
The second text discusses how people use their own car with complete disregard for the drawbacks
that this may bring. However, these negative aspects do not discourage them from getting behind
the wheel.
The first text focuses on the consequences of stress at work from a company’s perspective. It is also
said that employers must urgently take the necessary actions to increase their awareness of
employees’ well-being and tackle seriously the topic of stress and mental illness at work. The second
text deals with the importance for individuals to talk when they suffer from stress. The text also
made a point about the many ways to cope with stress once it has been diagnosed and that
accepting help and support to go through a difficult time must not be seen as sign of weakness.
The two texts contrast the pros and cons of outdoor advertising, in particular in its latest digital form.
Text 1 claims that outdoor advertising, like any advertising, is designed to appeal to potential
customers, even creating in them a need for which it promises immediate satisfaction. Text 2 argues
that traditional, paper–based outdoor advertising was unobtrusive and overall, unimportant. Digital
advertising, however, is seen as intrusive, its attractiveness simply boiling down to it being a novelty.
We are fascinated with quality of having a good memory so much, some people regularly apologize
for poor recall. We now have to deal with the potentially less beneficial influence of technology on
how we can recall information. Our perception of our memory can also sometimes be at odds with
reality where we are inclined to believe that memories are perfect representations of past events.
Yet, this does not take account of how such memories has been shaped by experiences and the
extent to which our imagination may have altered or influenced that memory.
Both texts refer to the various vicissitudes and facets of celebrity life. The first text describes that
famous people are also human beings and can be treated with full dignity and respect. Furthermore,
vainglorious celebrities are savagely punished by scornful remarks. However, it mentions the
necessity of their society presence that they are paragons of hope in the mundane lives of the
ordinary. The second text demonstrates that becoming a celebrity, particularly a female celebrity, is
inherently associated with loathing this person just for being different. Moreover, it should not come
to oblivion that the problem is that their life is constantly under surveillance.