Women and man are commonly seen as having

different strengths and weaknesses

Women and man are commonly seen as having
different strengths and weaknesses. Is it right to exclude
males or females from certain professions because of
their gender?
Model answer:
There have always been differences in the types of work
men and women have done. However. the trend in
modern times has been for both men and women to have
greaterfreedom of choice in terms of employment. Some
people might say that there is no need to go further.
However. in my view, wherever possible, gender equality
should be encouraged.

There may indeed be good arguments for allowing
certain posts to remain predominantly male or female.
Where all-male or all-female groups exist, there may be
a need for related posts to be held by men and women
respectively. Patients in all-female hospital wards, for
example. would probably appreciate having female
nurses to look after them. It could also be argued that
certain jobs requiring a great deal of physical strength,
coal mining or loggingI for example. should continue to
be done mainly by men.

However, in the vast majority of situations, making
occupations more open to both genders has distinct
advantages. Men and women can bring slightty different
perspectives and approaches to a job. Female police
officers, for example. may have a greater understanding
ofdomestic violence and a better range of strategies for
dealing with this problem. Male primary school teachers
probably have a better understanding ofthe needs of
young boys and can serve as good role models for them.

The changes that result from allowing men into female-
dominated occupations and vice versa may be subtle.
but they are far-reaching. However, to benefit the most
from this development, it is important not to expect
males and fernates to appmach work in identical ways.
T u e s d a y , D e c e m b e r 3 , 2 0 1 3
New technologies and ways of buying and
selling are transforming to the lives of
consumers
New technologies and ways of buying and selling are
transforming to the lives of consumers. To what extend do you
agree or disagree with this opinion?

My essay:
The internet has undoubtedly changed the way people shop.
In some countries, buying and selling products online has
become commonplace. Enthusiasts claim that the internet
offersconsumers greater choice and flexibility. However, those
who say that the internet is transforming the lives of consumers
are going too far.

Firstly, although online shopping appears to offer greater
convenience, it is often rather risky and cumbersome in practice.
Consumers can not evaluate the quality of online products by
handing them directly. Instead, they must rely on sellers to
describe goods accurately in word and/or pictures. Mistakes can
easily be made, leading to the inconvenience of having to
exchange goods or seek a refund. Products bought online also
normally need to be delivered by post. The convenience of
online shopping thus hinges in part on the efficiency of the
postal service.

Secondly, in spite of the promise of lower prices, internet
shopping seldom offers substantial savings. A competitive
marketplace ensures that large price differentials rapidly
disappear as suppliers align themselves with one another. Also,
the cost of postage is normally borne by the buyer. A product
that appears to be a bargain on screen often turns out to be no
cheaper than the same product bought in a shop. Not
surprisingly, only one in ten purchases in the UK are made
online.

For these reasons, internet shopping is likely to remain a
minority pursuit. The continuing popularity of shopping in the
traditional way suggests that consumers continue to value its
advantages: the opportunity to sample, compare and buy
products in a real as opposed to a virtual space.

What can be done to maintain biodiversity?
The importance of biodiversity is being more widely
recognized as increasing numbers of species come under
threat.
What can be done to maintain biodiversity?
My essay:
In recent years there has been growing awareness of
the importance of preserving the worlds biological
diversity. As increasing numbers of unique, and
potentially useful, plants and animals come under threat,
people are beginning to ask whether more can be done to
reserve this trend.

One possible approach is to regulate agricultural and
industrial activity so that pollution and disruption to
natural habitats is kept to a minimum. People argue that
economic prosperity must be curtailed if it comes at the
expense of the environment. However, businesses
affected are unlikely to comply with such a strategy. It
may even generate hostility to conservation efforts
generally if the economic costs are perceived to be too
high.

An alternative approach would be to protect and
expand nature reserves so that complete ecosystems can
be kept intact. This would ensure that a minimum
number of wild plants and animals would survive.
However, although such places are indeed valuable,
experience shows that it is difficult to protect rare plants
and animals from exploitation. In fact, as some species,
like the tiger, become rarer, the more valuable they
become to poachers and others who seek to benefit from
their trade.

A more effective approach is to educate the public
about the benefits of biodiversity. Money should be
invested in the research and development of the world's
biological resources. Once people understand that there
are real benefits to exploiting natural resources in a
sustainable way, they are more likely to make the short-
term sacrifices necessary to preserve natural habitats.

T h u r s d a y , N o v e m b e r 2 8 , 2 0 1 3
Convenience foods replace traditional method
of food preparation.
Convenience foods will become increasingly prevalent and eventually
replace traditional method of food preparation.
To what extend do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

My essay:
One of the most significant advances of civilization is the development
of modern methods of food production and preparation. Convenience
foods have now become the norm in many societies. Although some
people idealize traditional cooking practices and believe they will prevail
indefinitely, demographic trends suggest that this is unlikely to be the
case. In fact, there are a number of reasons for believing that
convenience foods are unlikely to grow in popularity.

The first reason is the decline in family size and the increase in single-
adult households. In more traditional societies, where families tended to
be large, it made economic sense for one person to devote him/herself to
time-consuming domestic tasks such as growing and preparing foods.
Nowadays, people tend to live in ever smaller families units. If each
family were to spend large amounts of time growing and processing food,
this would be a poor use of societys human resource.

Another reason convenience foods are likely to become more popular
is the increase in the number of adults, especially women with children,
who work in full-time employment. In the UK, for example, working
mothers significantly outnumber stay-at-home mothers. There is evidence
that consumption of convenience foods rises with numbers of hours
worked. As modern life increasingly demands that people are
economically active, this trend is likely to continue.

Although many people still value traditional foods and methods of
cooking, the trend towards smaller, dual-income households suggests that
convenience foods are likely to continue to grow in popularity and may
very well eventually replace traditional methods of food production and
preparation.

W e d n e s d a y , N o v e m b e r 2 7 , 2 0 1 3
How to reduce stress (2)
How to reduce stress
Stress is now a major problem in many countries
around the world. However, we can reduce stress if we
know its roots clearly.
First of all, high pressure can lead to stress especially
time pressure. Fortunately, better time management is
often regarded to be the key dealing with time pressure.
Time management include setting priorities which needs
to be done firstly and setting real goals. In addition,
better time management helps people to have more time
to relax, which enhance their mood and health.
Secondly, stress can came from low health. Solution
to people in this case is taking more daily exercises
which can make them feel better and release stress.
However, if they have a vulnerable body, they should ask
doctor before doing anything. Obviously, well-nourished
body is better to cope with stress so we should eat a
healthy diet and get away from caffeine, sugar, alcohol
and nicotine.
Thirdly, people may become stressed if they do not
share their problems and keep these inside. Simply
changing the viewpoint may help them to see it from a
more positive way. Moreover, they should share their
feelings with close friends. Their friends can encourage
and help them more than they expected. In some case, if
they cannot talk their friends, the best way they can do
is smiling. Recent researches show that smile can reduce
the stress considerably.
There are many solutions for stress. However, people
should choose the best way for themselves. They should
start thinking in a positive way and enjoy their life from
now.