Task 2
1. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The best way to learn about a country is to watch television shows about this country.
Personally, I do think that watching TV show about a country is the cheapest and effective way to learn about a country. To begin with, to be physically travel to a country is pretty expensive, like one needs to pay the plane tickets, hotel and other kinds of expenses, and they can add up. Luckily, it costs you basically nothing to sit at your house and watching TV programs about a country. Additionally, one can really learn a lot about a country through watching TV shows. TV programs have different topics, like one can learn the customs, local food, regulations, politics and even taboos of a specific country.
2. When they write a research paper, some students prefer to let their professors choose the topic for them, while others prefer to choose the topic on their own. Which one do you prefer and why?
Personally, I think students should have the freedom to choose their own topics. To begin with, as we know interest is the best teacher. One is likely to motivate oneself when doing something he or she is interested in, students varying in interests and writing ability should choose their topics according to the field that they are familiar with and are interested in. For example, students growing up in a minority ethnic group can write a paper on the topic of ethnicity better than others. Apart from that, it is more fair for students to choose their own topic. Students who have firsthand knowledge in criminal law might not know a thing about interracial marriage. By allowing them to choose their own topic, everyone can draw upon their strength and avoid their shortcomings.
3. Do you agree or disagree with the statement: the best lesson we can learn is through making mistakes.
Personally, I couldn't agree more with this statement, indeed, the best lesson one can learn is through making mistakes. Actually, time and experience are the best teacher, and growth can only be achieved when you make mistakes and after making mistakes, one has to analyze the real cause and avoid the risk of making the same mistake again. Albert Einstein once said, “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” One can only be a better person and make better judgments by learning from every single experience that we have been exposed to, otherwise, we would be the same person as we were yesterday.
4. Do you agree or disagree with the statement: people will read fewer books in the future than they do today.
Personally, I agree that people tend to read fewer books in the future. To begin with, people especially city dwellers seem to be busier than ever before. Professionals and students alike are under constant pressure; sales people are busy closing deals with their clients, and students have endless assignments to finish. All these combined leaves them no time to read books. Additionally, in the past, books are the major source for knowledge. However, in sharp contrast, people nowadays tend to retain information through all kinds of media, like internet, TV, so on and so forth. It seems that books no longer play a big role in people's lives.
5. Some people believe that the high school should teach music and art as other basic science. Some people think that providing music and art education for high school students is not necessary. What is your opinion and why?
Personally, I think high school students should learn art and music. Actually, it can be very rewarding to learn some art, like kids might understand how to appreciate delicate artwork, such as, porcelain vase, water color painting, sculpture. Plus, art is the expression of the humanity. Without it, we would have no hope, no aspirations, no joy, just nothing meaningful and enlightening, and one can never underestimate the value of art and music, actually, If you try any form of art, you will get a break from the stresses of life, work and study!
6. Do you agree or disagree with the statement: employees should be prohibited to listen to music at work?
Well, personally, I think it's a very bad idea to prohibit music in workplace. Actually, listening to music is a very good way for people to release their negative emotions, like sadness, or sorrow, or even anger. Employees might forget about the pressure in life and thus have a higher efficiency in the workplace. Additionally, music keeps people refreshed and spurs creativity and innovation. So, that is why it is a common practice for high-tech to allow the play of music in their office, just so that they can create a relaxing environment and be more creative, and thus make more breakthroughs in their field.
7. It is appropriate that students disagree with their instructor.
Personally, teachers and students have totally different background, experience, and positions, thus they might have their own unique and distinctive perspective. It is normal and okay for them to hold two different opinions, otherwise, it will be very boring and monotonous, and there is no clash of idea, which might be detrimental to students. Students might subject themselves to conformity instead of expressing their ideas. Actually, students should be inclusive, rather than being exclusive to different opinions and ideas since sometimes only a few people hold the truth. Students should be exposed to all kinds of opinions, and it is proper for them to disagree with their instructors.
8. A/D: It is important to live close to your family.
Personally, I prefer to live close to my parents for the following reasons. To begin with, I am family person, and I enjoy spending time with my families. To spending some quality time once in a while is very important to me, and living close to my parents can help to do that more conveniently. Plus, if we live close to each other, we can constantly look out for one another. Like if I got sick or have some kind of emergencies, my parents can attend me in a timely manner. Also, they are getting old, and they need my immediate care, things can be much easier if I live close to them.
9. Some universities expect students to choose their major when they enter university. Others let students wait until the second or third year. Which do you think is better and why?
Personally, I prefer to let students wait until second or third year to choose their major. To begin with, students struggle to blend in the university culture for the first year, since high school and university are too different. In high school, students get proper guidance and instruction on everything, however, in a university, students are responsible for themselves and the professors might not even know their names, therefore, it's a bad idea to deal with too many things at the same time. Unfortunately, if they choose their major after 2 to 3 years, students get a chance to be exposed to classes in different field, and they can take their time and pick up a major that they like. Eventually, they have enough motivation because of their interest.
10. Agree or disagree: Zoos are useful than harmful to animals.
Personally, I couldn't agree more that zoos help to protect animals rather than harm them. To begin with, some animals that might live in really harsh environment, like the Arctic region, Sahara deserts, and even in extremely dry areas. However, the zoo can be a very good place to shelter such animals, and they can live in a clean and comfortable environment with abundant food to feed themselves. Additionally, by keeping animals in the zoos, citizens, especially the younger generation will get a chance to closely observe them, thus they will know the animals better, hopefully, this can raise their awareness to protect endangered species.
11. Would you like to live with a roommate from your own country or from other countries?
Personally, I am the kind of person who like to experience totally new things. Living in with a roommate from other countries help me to know an exotic culture that might be distinctive from mine, and despite our differences of cultural background, we can interact with each other and share our thoughts on different issues, thus we can have unique perspectives. For example, the westerners embrace individualism and oriental people welcome collectivism, and they are very cautious about an individual's private matter, however people from the east might not take that seriously. Eventually, we can enrich experience and broaden our horizon accordingly.
12. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is important for a school to have experienced teachers.
Personally, I couldn't agree more that school should have experienced teachers. To begin with, it is more likely for experienced teachers to try out new approaches in teaching, like they might lead the students in their academic exploration and put more emphasis on the students' active thinking instead of mechanically feeding the students with information, hence, they can help students to improve their learning efficiency. Additionally, students are more inclined to be attracted by experienced teachers than by rookie teachers, thus a school with experienced teachers can attract more students and increase their enrollment.
13. Some people prefer to buy a product as soon as it is in the market. Other people prefer to purchase a product when it has been in the market for some time. Which do you prefer and why?
I would say I like to buy innovative hightech products after the price goes down, and I have a few reasons for support. First and foremost, products with cutting edge and state of the art technology are usually very expensive when they first come out, and as a college student I do not have lost money to waste on that, cuz I have to pay college tuition, textbooks and stuff like that. Additionally, we consume technological products for its convenience and they will be as valuable and convenient as they firstly show up in the market, so it is more advisable to buy that after a while.
14. If you were to choose a class to study for fun, which one would you choose? An art class or a science class?
Personally, I prefer to choose take an art class. I think it is very relaxing, and at the same time, it can be very rewarding to learn some art, like I might understand how to appreciate delicate artwork, such as, porcelain vase, water color painting, sculpture. Plus, art is the expression of the humanity. Without it, we would have no hope, no aspirations, no joy, just nothing meaningful and enlightening, and one can never underestimate the value of art and music, actually, If you try any form of art, you will get a break from the stresses of life, work and study!
15. Some people prefer to read imaginative literature like fictions in their spare time，while others prefer to read real literature or nonfictions, such as historical books and biographies. Which kind of books do you prefer, and why?
Personally, I choose to read fictions, especially science fiction. Not only can I get some knowledge about the frontiers in scientific research, I can also relax myself. The storyline of the novel can be really intriguing, thus when I read a novel, I get deeply involved in the story, and I feel I can connect to the characters so much that nothing can hold me back from finishing it once I start to read a novel. However, when it comes to nonfiction, it would be pretty boring, since the materials are fairly abstract for me to understand, therefore, it might be hard for me to get focused when I read nonfictions.
16. Some people play games for enjoyment. Others play games in order to win. Which do you prefer and why?
Personally, most of the time, I play games for enjoyment. I am the kind of person, who wants to live a leisurely lifestyle, and I am not aggressive or competitive or anything. For me, the whole point of playing games is to relax, and have some fun. Moreover, I am already fed up with peer pressure, as a high school student, I am judged by academic performance, and actually, I am so stressed out. So, instead of fighting against each other, which is intensive, tiring, I prefer to play games for fun and joy.
17. which do you prefer gather information before travel OR do not gather, just experience yourself there.
Personally, I am cautious person, and most of the time, I plan things ahead of time. When I travel somewhere, I do gather information before I visit the place. By gathering information before the trip, I can know which hotel is the most comfortable, where can I eat nice local food, and activities I should not miss out when visiting a particular place. Plus, I might find some taboos in that local area, and get some heads-up or tips on-line, therefore, I can save myself from embarrassment. Most importantly, if I plan my itinerary ahead of time, I will use my time more efficiently, and have a better traveling experience.
18. Do you agree or disagree that to be successful, a person should study in the university?
I disagree that a person should study in the university to be successful. I don't think that people should study in the university to be successful, there are numerous examples to support my statement. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, they drop out of universities and they are very successful entrepreneurs. there are even high school dropouts who started their business and are quite successful. You can learn knowledge from university, but one needs soft skills like how to be people smart person, which doesn't require a person to go to university to learn. Knowing how to deal with people is more important than what you learned in universities. In other words, it is not about what you know, it is about who you know.
19. Some students prefer to study in a library. Others prefer to study at home or in dormitories. Which way do you prefer and why? Include reasons and details in your response.
I would say I'd like to study in the library. The most obvious reason is that it is very quiet in the library, and I can fully focus on my work and nothing can distract me. There are just too much distraction to study at home, I can lay on my bed and play computer games when I feel bored, it is just not that productive compared to studying in the library. Plus, when studying in the library, I feel like people around me are also studying, and that is a motivation for me to concentrate on my own work. For these reasons, I would say I like to study in the library.
20. Some people enjoy indoor activities, other prefer to do outdoor activities. Which do you prefer?
Personally, I like to get out and have some fun, to begin with I have more choices if I choose to do outdoor activities, like climbing mountain, go fishing, go boating or canoeing. However, if I chose to stay indoors, I feel like I would be bound by the activities that I could do. It is much more exciting and relaxing to do activities outdoors, since not only can I keep fit, but also I have a chance to breath fresh air and I am not bound by the limited space indoors.
21. Some people speak out in class, others prefer to listen and quietly observe. Which do you think leads to greater success in school?
Personally, I prefer to speak out and discuss things with my peers. I would say the best way to learn is to speak out my ideas and thoughts about issue in question. It is a great chance for me to develop my confidence when speaking in front of a large audience and possibly I build up my public speaking skills, and it is a very valuable skill for my future career. Additionally, the whole class gets a chance to hear multiple points of view, although some points might not be as thought-provoking, you can learn a lot of stuff beyond the textbooks anyway, and understand how an idea works in real life when people speak out and share their personal experiences.
22. Do you agree or disagree with the statement: it is better to live close to parents than to live far away from them.
Personally, I prefer to live close to my parents for the following reasons. To begin with, I am family person, and I enjoy to spend time with my families. To spending some quality time once in a while is very important to me, and living close to my parents can help to do that more conveniently. Plus, if we live close to each other, we can constantly look out for one another. Like if I got sick or have some kind of emergencies, my parents can attend me in a timely manner. Also, they are getting old, and they need my immediate care, things can be much easier if I live close to them.
23. Do you prefer to live alone or live with others.
Personally, I prefer to live alone. Actually, I am very private person, most of the time, I keep things to myself. I would get distracted if I chose to live with others who I might not familiar with. Actually, I am highly efficient when I do things without the disturb of others, like when I study I feel more comfortable when nobody is around me. Plus, someone you are living with might have totally different habits and schedule when it comes to when to study or sleep or even watch TV. It would be really disruptive when one wants to study while the other prefers to watch TV.
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