38)Learning about the past has no value for those of us living in the present. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

I disagree wholeheartedly that learning about the past has no value for those of us living in the present. In fact, the definition of learning includes the idea of an accumulation of experiences from the past. Learning can only take place if we make an association between things that have happened in the past or between something in the past and something that we predict will happen in the future. All knowledge that we acquire as we grow is from the past-language, customs, academic subjects, and so on. While it may be helpful sometimes to be able to overlook previous knowledge in order to avoid the constraint conformity, the vast majority of knowledge that we learn is a huge boost-imagine if each of us had to discover by ourselves that 2 + 2 = 4! So, in a very real sense, all learning depends on past events.

We are only able to live in this world with our current standard of living because we have learned from the past. We receive knowledge from the past and we are able to use it and improve it. We examine our actions in the past and we make judgments about what was right and what was wrong. Then, it is hoped, we will attempt to avoid those same mistakes again. For example, one of the great mistakes all over the world has been depriving women and the disempowered classes status in society and many industrialized and developing countries all over the world are attempting to avoid such mistakes both in the present and in the future.

Furthermore, all of the knowledge that we have today is a result of all the work of our predecessors. The ancient Greeks developed geometry, which helped other European scientists analyze the solar system, which in turn gave us a new understanding of our place in the universe. The great majority of technology today depends directly on several thousands of years of work of past thinkers. To ignore the knowledge of the past would be to throw away five thousand years of history and experience.

There is, however, some seemingly small, but important value to ignoring the past. It is often the case that history or tradition has the effect of constraining our thought in the present and many important philosophical and scientific breakthroughs have only been possible as a direct result of ignoring the past. The past, in a sense, can blind us to the truth, we can become bound by tradition. For example, at one time, leading thinkers in Europe thought that the Earth was at the center of the universe and those who disagreed were persecuted as heretics, even Copernicus, who we now know was correct about his heliocentric model of the Solar System. However, scientists were eventually able to break from the past and accept the new model of the universe.

In short, learning from and analyzing the past has enormous value for us and life as we know it on Earth today would not be possible without the benefit of thousands of years of history and accumulated knowledge. It is important, however, to ignore the past so that we can make a step forward, and such free thinking should be encouraged, although not at the expense of past knowledge. Learning from the past is something like learning from our parents-in most cases, their past helps us have a better future, but there are times when we need to make a break from the past and make a bold step into an unknown future.

37)Do you agree or disagree that progress is always good? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Who would disagree with the statement "progress is good"? Without progress, there would be no change. Without progress, there would be no change in our economy, our standard of living, or our health.

Progress is required to keep the economy moving forward. New products need to be developed; new services need to be created. Without progress, our economy would standstill. There would be no change. Without progress, there would be no supermarkets with fresh produce brought in from all over the world.

Progress is required to improve our standard of living. Our homes today are more efficient and use less natural resources thanks to improvement in home construction techniques. Our clothes are warmer and safer thanks to developments in textile manufacturing. Our educational system is better thanks to the use of the computers and the Internet.

Progress is required to improve the health of the world population. Without progress, there would be no vaccines against deadly diseases like smallpox. Without progress, there would be increased infant mortality. Thanks to progress, our lives are longer and healthier.

Progress is a natural state. Without it, we would not evolve. Without it, our economy, our standard of living, and our health would deteriorate. Who could deny the necessity of progress?

36)Choose one of the following transportation vehicles and explain why you think it has changed people’s lives. • automobiles • bicycles • airplanes Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

An airplane is a form of transportation that has changed people's lives. Thanks to the plane, our lives are now faster, more exciting, and more convenient that before.

You cannot deny that a plane is fast. For example, the Concorde flies at supersonic speed. A businessman can leave Paris at 11 a.m. in the morning and arrive in New York at 8 a.m. the same morning in time for a day's work. Many business people in Europe will fly to London for a noon meeting and then return home to Rome or Madrid for dinner.

It is always exciting to take a plane trip. When you take a trip by plane, you know that you might cross many time zones, many oceans, and many countries. When you get off the plane, you could be in a place that speaks a different language. A plane is like a magician's trick. You get in a box and you come out somewhere totally different.

Nothing can beat the convenience of a plane. In the old days, it might take you days to do what the plane can do it an hour. Boats, for example, only leave on certain days of the week and take a long time to get to their destination. Planes give you the option to leave several times a day and get you to your destination quickly.

Although other forms of transportation may be more comfortable, none has changed the way we do business and live our lives more than the plane. Thanks to the speed, excitement, and convenience of the planes, our lives are richer.

35)Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Attending a live performance (for example, a play, concert, or sporting event) is more enjoyable than watching the same event on television. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

People have different preferences in the ways that they like to enjoy their entertainment. Some people prefer the comfort and convenience of staying home and watching concerts, plays or sports on television. However, there are other people who prefer to attend the events in person. As for me, I prefer to attend a live performance because television does not provide a vivid experience and because the limitations of broadcasts prevent viewers from seeing everything they want to see.

First of all, attending a live performance provides a more vivid experience than watching the same event on television. Take for an example, a baseball game. While it is possible to watch and enjoy a baseball game on television, it is not the same experience as being there. At a live game, you are able to experience other aspects such as the various moods and sounds of the event. Being at the game live allows you to cheer for your favorite team with other spectators. There is even a possibility of meeting your favorite players at the stadium or catching a fly ball. These types of vivid experiences are not available through television.

In addition to sporting events, a live performance, like a play, allows people to catch every subtle detail of the stage and the performers. When you watch a performance on television at home, you can only see what the cameras show you. The cameras are usually focused on the primary action at any given time, and they do not show you what is going on with the other performers. However, when you are there, you can turn your attention to any aspect of the performance that you wish to. Furthermore, by being at the performance live, you can see all the extra activities that go on prior to and after the performance. Television does not usually provide you with that much detail.

To sum up, while watching events on television can be entertaining, it is not equal to the experience of watching events live. This is because television does not give you vivid sensory experiences and does not show you everything that you would like to see; those are limitations of television. For maximum enjoyment, there is nothing like watching performances and sporting events in person.

34)Businesses should hire employees for their entire lives. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

The length of time an employee is hired for is a matter of some debate. On one hand unions want to guarantee job security and feel that employees should be hired for life, while other people argue that a business has the right to hire and fire employees at will. I believe that hiring an employee for a lifetime of employment restricts both the employee and the company doing the hiring.

First, employees with lifetime employment contracts would be unable to advance within the company. For example, recent university graduates gaining entry level positions at a company are only taking the first of many steps in a long path to their career goals. However, if they were restricted to the same job within a company for their entire life, they would be unable to advance to positions of higher salary and more responsibilities. A variety of jobs teaches employees skills and provides experience, something that allows them to explore their potential. Eliminating the process of advancement would be a seriously detrimental to employee motivation.

Second, businesses hiring employees for life would no longer be competitive. A company without a regular influx of employees runs the risk of becoming stagnant. Businesses need to adapt and change and employees are what help them do it. Employees knowing they had a lifetime in their position would have little motivation and less overall productivity. Therefore, the overall efficiency and competitiveness of the business would fall. To improve competitiveness and future prospects, businesses need to be able to hire and fire employees at their discretion.

In conclusion, I believe that employees hired for their entire lives would be a serious disadvantage to both the business and the employee. Without the possibility of advancing, employees would be unable to explore their career goals and gain the necessary experience. Employees would also have little motivation, which would be reflected in the performance of the business. Employees hired for a lifetime would destroy the potential of businesses as well as the employees themselves.

33)You have received a gift of money. The money is enough to buy either a piece of jewelry you like or tickets to a concert you want to attend. Which would you buy? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

If I were given money as a gift and had a choice between buying a piece of jewelry that I like or tickets to a concert that I want to attend, I would most likely choose the concert tickets. It would be nice to have some new jewelry, but I think the concert tickets would be the better choice. This is because a concert is a lifelong experience and because I can enjoy a concert with my friends.

Most of all, a piece of jewelry can be pretty and I feel good when I wear it, but music is a lifelong interest that I will continue to have throughout my life. Going to a live concert can be a wonderful experience that I will remember for a long time, but when I buy a piece of jewelry, the good feeling I get from buying it will last only a short time. The gift of going to a concert can keep on giving even after the concert is over. If I enjoy the concert, I can buy the music that I saw live on a CD and listen to it many times over and relive the experience. Each time I listen to the music, I might find a new detail that I did not notice before, but a piece of jewelry is always the same.

In addition, not only would I enjoy going to a concert with the money I receive as a gift, but my friends would also enjoy attending the concert with me. It is always nice to listen to music, but it is made even more enjoyable when it is seen live with friends. If my friends and I tire of doing the same old things together, like going to coffee shops or movie theaters, a concert would liven up and renew our friendship. If I bought a piece of jewelry, my friends would not really be able to enjoy it with me because I am the only one that can wear it, but by going to a concert together we would be able to strengthen our relationship.

To sum up, while having a new piece of jewelry is nice, I would prefer to buy tickets for a concert if I were given money as a gift. The reasons why I would choose the concert tickets over a piece of jewelry are that going to a concert can be a wonderful and lifelong experience, and that I can improve relations with my friends by attending a concert.

32)Is it better to enjoy your money when you earn it or is it better to save your money for some time in the future? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

The primary goal for most people when they become adults is to get a job and earn money. Though they have the same goal, people have different preferences as to what they do with their money after they earn it. Some people prefer to spend and enjoy their money as they earn it, but there are other people who think it is better to save their money for the future. As for me, I prefer to save my money because I might need it unexpectedly and it also teaches me discipline in regards to not wasting money.

First of all, it is a good idea to save money for a rainy day. Unexpected events can happen at any time, and you may need money immediately. For example, though people might be in optimal health, sickness can strike at any moment. However, if people spend all of their money and do not save any for an emergency, they could find themselves in a tight financial situation. In this case, they will have to rely on friends or family to take care of their financial burden that medical care can require. However, by saving money as you earn it, you can have a feeling of security that will allow you to deal with problems as they arise.

In addition, saving money instead of just spending it teaches us the importance of discipline. It is very tempting to take your entire paycheck and go out to buy all of the things you want, but it is important for people to learn discipline when handling money. It is important to learn this at an early age because most people get married and will someday have responsibility for a spouse or children, Due to this responsibility to other people, it is very important to learn discipline in handling money because the amount of money that a family has greatly contributes to the comfort of life. If money is wasted, the level of comfort is lessened.

While it is good to enjoy money made from working hard, it is important not to spend your entire paycheck. I prefer saving money for the future because you can never know when you are going to have an emergency in which you need some cash. In addition, discipline in handling money is vital for a comfortable life. Although it is okay to have some fun, people need to remember to put some money aside.

31)Some people spend their entire lives in one place. Others move a number of times throughout their lives, looking for a better job, house, community, or even climate. Which do you prefer: staying in one place or moving in search of another place? Use reasons and specific examples to support your opinion.

It seems like the world is becoming smaller and smaller, almost by the minute. When I was a child, I had never met anybody from outside my hometown, much less somebody from another country. However, nowadays I routinely interact with people from all over the world. I might discuss a topic with my classmates from Iran, Korea, Brazil, or Palestine; buy computer parts from the shop run by Chinese; have lunch at a Mexican restaurant; or buy Russian pastries at the café near my house. In these experiences I can see the product of a world in which borders are falling and people are free to move about as they wish. There is nothing more invigorating for me than being a part of this emerging "global village."

I have now lived in three different countries, Argentina, France, and the United States and am convinced that I am a better person for it. In each country I found something different. I remember the warmth of the human interaction of my hometown in Argentina; I enjoyed the great sense of culture and wit in France; in the United States, I am impressed by the feeling of liberty and acceptance. In each country I have learned a different language, experienced a different climate, conversed with people in different ways. I have learned that each place has something special about it and that no place on Earth is a perfect place. We may lose one thing when we leave a country, but we always gain something else in its place.

So, the greatest benefit of having met so many people from all over the world has been learning that each person and each culture has a different yet valid way of seeing the world. I cannot say that Argentines have a monopoly on how to view the world; nor can I say that the American system of doing things is best. I can only say that from my experience each system works for each culture and that each one is a valid way of seeing the world.

Perhaps this point is the most important one for the coming age of information and technology and falling political and trade barriers. As people from all over the world migrate more freely in search of better lives, they will necessarily have to learn to be tolerant of different worldviews. People who do x will learn to accept people who do y and perhaps even experiment with the new way. By accepting cultures different from our own, we learn more of the broad range of the human experience and we are richer people for seeing beauty and truth in its many forms.

30)It has recently been announced that a new high school may be built in your community. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details in your answer.

I oppose having a new high school built in my neighborhood. Although I know there's a real need for a new facility, I have to say that I don't want one built so close to me. I think it would cause a lot of problems.

First of all, there are very few teenagers in this neighborhood, or in our suburban subdivision, for that matter. Most of the residents here are either retired or are just starting out with young children. This means that the kids coming to the new high school wouldn't be walking. They would come on buses or would be driving to the school. Either way, this would mean a lot more traffic on our streets.

In addition to the traffic on school days, there also would be traffic whenever there was a sporting event, such as a basketball or football game, or activities at the school. Would there be enough parking in the school lot for everyone attending those events? Probably not. Consequently, those extra cars would end up in our neighborhood.

My neighbors and I would also be upset about the loss of the park, which is the site that's been selected for the high school. Mothers with young children gather there every morning for their kids to play together. People my age like to take a walk after dinner. On weekends, that park is a place for picnics and relaxation. We'd be sorry to lose our neighborhood park.

I also have some concerns about all those young people being in our neighborhood. Would there be problems with drugs or fights? Could the school district guarantee us that security would be apriority? These are concerns that I don't think can be addressed sufficiently for me to support a new high school in my neighborhood.

29)Some people believe that the Earth is being harmed (damaged) by human activity. Others feel that human activity makes the Earth a better place to live. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

There is a no doubt that mankind has come up with some great inventions and advancements that have made our lives more convenient. In conjunction with that fact, there are many people that believe these have made the Earth a better place to live. On the other hand, there are others that believe the Earth is being harmed by these activities. From my perspective, human activities harm the Earth is being harmed by these activities. From my perspective, human activities harm the Earth because the atmosphere has been damaged and forests have been destroyed as side effects of human activities.

To begin with, the atmosphere of the Earth has been severely damaged because of the activities of mankind. Unfortunately, many people disregard the dangers presented by this damage. One of the key factors in the development of society has been industry. While industry has supplied us with many conveniences such as cars, oil and everything else we use in everyday life, the pollution that comes from such activities has put holes in the ozone layer, pollution also makes it difficult for people in certain parts of the world to breathe because factories that support industry pump Freon, carbon monoxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere.

Another terrible side effect of human activity involves the forests. Forests around the world have been decimated by the civilization of human society. To feed the industry that supplies us with our everyday items, the world has developed a relentless hunger for wood. Because of the continuous need for wood, tens of thousands of acres of virgin forests have been destroyed or are being destroyed in the major forest areas of the world. Trees have a very important role to play in the world ecosystem, but the ecosystem is greatly out of balance in many areas because of human activities. If trees are taken out of the ecosystem, humans will also find themselves endangered someday.

To sum up, the development of human society has given us great benefits and conveniences, but in the long run we are harming ourselves and are not thinking about the future. Many people enjoy these developments and just ignore the negative aspects. In my opinion, because of the damage to the atmosphere and forests of the world, the Earth is being severely harmed by human activities.

28)Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Television , newspapers, magazines, and other media pay too much attention to the personal lives of famous people such as public figures and celebrities. Use specific reasons and details to explain your opinion.

Everyone all around the world enjoys various kinds of entertainment such as sports, games, movies, TV shows or music. However, there is an argument about whether the media pay too much attention to the personal lives of the public figures we see in entertainment. In my opinion, it is true that the media do focus too much on what celebrities are doing in their private lives. I believe this for two reasons: everywhere on TV you can find people talking about celebrities, and in magazines you can always find gossip and pictures of celebrities.

First of all, every time you turn on the television, you can see talk shows, interviews and documentaries with the personal lives of celebrities, whether willingly or unwillingly. It is okay to have some programming about celebrities in order to make fans happy, but it should not dominate the channels. Sometimes, when I turn in the television to find something interesting to watch, all I can find are programs about celebrities and what they are doing in their lives. Even when I just want to watch the news, there is often a celebrity giving their opinion on world events. Television is not only for entertainment, but also for information, so it is not necessary to always have celebrities as the center of programming.

Magazines of different varieties also pay too much attention to the personal lives of famous people. In fact, magazines may be even worse than television. Take the tabloids for example. Because a tabloid is published every week, and in some cases every day, reporters must work hard to constantly dig up new information. This constant need for celebrity information sometimes induces the ‘paparazzi’, or celebrity reporters, to file articles in which the content is either overly exaggerated or falsified. All of this is done to feed the curiosity of fans and to increase the subscription. As a result, these false articles not only defame reputation of famous people but also inflict psychological damage.

To conclude, I believe that the media puts too much emphasis on the lives of people involved in the entertainment industry. Television places them in areas of our lives where they do not belong, such as on the news. In addition, magazines, especially the tabloids, are constantly supplying celebrity gossip even if they have to make up stories on their own. It might be a good idea for people to put their passions for celebrities in the proper perspective and realize that they are not the center of our lives.

27)Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People should sometimes do things that they do not enjoy doing. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

When we are children, we constantly complain about having to do things that we do not want to do, like doing homework or taking out the garbage. As we grow older and become more mature, we start to see that sometimes we have to do things in life that we really do not enjoy doing. After we grow up, we have to do things we do not want to do sometimes because we take on responsibilities and we might also learn about something new that can enhance our lives.

As a member of a family, a group of friends, a team or company, people have obligations and responsibilities that they cannot ignore. For example, if a couple gets married and plan spending their lives together, they have to realize that being in love is not the only requirement for a happy and fruitful life. Unless they are born rich or win the lottery, they will have to work. Traditionally, the husband is responsible for providing food and a place to live, not to mention extras like cable TV and a car. If the husband gets tired of working, should he just quit? Especially, if the couple has a child, the husband must find the strength to continue working in order to fulfill his obligations and responsibilities to his family.

In addition, we can learn something new by doing something that we do not want to do. There might be a bright side to doing things that we do not want to do. For example, if you are working in an office, doing boring, routine, but easy tasks day after day, it will probably become hard to bear. However, a situation might come along where you are asked to do something different outside of your regular duties. Maybe you work in the accounting department, and the marketing department needs help on something. Though you do not want to do the extra work, you may discover a strong interest in marketing that you can develop and make part of your career. In this way, by doing something that you initially do not want to do, you may learn of an interest that you were not aware of.

Having to do things that we do not want to do is a normal part of human life, whether as a child or an adult. We have to accept this situation as adults because as we grow older, we take on more responsibilities, such as a family. Additionally, having to do something we do not enjoy might turn out to be a benefit by teaching us something new and interesting that we were unaware of. For these two reasons, we should accept the fact that we sometimes have to do things that we do not want to do.

26)It has recently been announced that a new movie theater may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

Recently, I have heard that there is a plan to build a new movie theater in my neighborhood. Although some people assert that a new movie theater would provide sine benefits, I oppose this plan to establish a new movie theater in my community because the problems outweigh the benefits. There will be an increase in traffic and noise in my neighborhood.

To begin with, there will be an increase in traffic congestion because of a new movie theater. As it is, the area where I live already has a severe traffic problem. Adding a new movie theater will only make it worse because of the people who will come from all around to see movies, especially on the weekends. The streets will probably have to be widened to accommodate more traffic, but that will also cause more people to use that route, even if they are not going to the movie theater. A new theater might also mean more buses operating in that area. Therefore, a lot of traffic jams will occur as a result of a new movie theater.

Not only will a movie theater bring traffic congestion, but it will also make our peaceful neighborhood very noisy. There will be more car horns because of the traffic. However, the car horns are only part of the noise problem that will result in having a new theater. First of all, there will be a lot of construction noise while they are actually building the theater, which will go on continually for months. After it is built, the theater will attract huge crowds of people for the purpose of seeing movies, and they will most likely stay in the neighborhood after the movie for food and drink in the restaurants and bars. Consequently, our peaceful and mostly quiet neighborhood will be transformed into a loud center of noise.

Of course, some people could support the plan to build a new movie theater in my community because of the convenience of entertainment, but I do not support the plan. This is because the movie theater will bring traffic congestion into my neighborhood, and the noise will make living conditions in the neighborhood not nearly as nice as they have been in the past. I do not want to trade peace and quiet for convenience to see a movie.