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More and more people are buying items on the internet and from magazines or catalogs. Other people prefer shopping in a store. Which do you prefer, and why?

I prefer shopping in a real store because I think that the experience of shopping in a real store is one that has real human to human connection. For example, there is a camera store on the street next to my house. And over the years I've gotten to know the employees at that store very well. As a result, whenever I go in and look for camera equipment, they're able to tell me if they have any upcoming sales, or whether certain camera manufacturers are about to release a new model of camera. For me, as a photographer, this is very exciting because it allows me to better come into contact with the art form of photography that I love. I can't really do this on an online store where I'm just clicking some buttons and buying products.

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Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is important to learn about other cultures. Use specific details and examples to explain your opinion.

I agree. I think that people should learn more about different cultures, because it helps us become more accepting of diversity. I love to travel, and whether its watching documentaries or even just reading about the news places I’m gonna go, I found that learning more about other cultures helps me be more prepared for my travels. A couple years ago, I visited Spain, and I didn’t know that lunch was the biggest meal of the day. I’m really glad that I was able to read up a little bit on Spanish culture, because I knew that I should eat a big meal at lunch so that I’d be more prepared for tapas at dinner. Between all of the religions and races and languages and etiquette around the world, it’s sometimes hard to be accepting, but I think that learning about new other cultures makes us more prepared to be accepting rather than judgemental. 

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State whether you agree or disagree with the following statement. Then explain your reasons using specific details in your explanation.

Students should not be allowed to bring cell phones or mobile phones into the classroom？

I strongly agree that students should not be allowed to bring their cell phones into the classroom. I've been in some classes where phones are allowed. And in those classes, my classmates tend to spend a lot of the class time on their phones. They don't really pay attention to the teacher, and instead, they're busy playing games or sending photos to each other on their phones, which I personally find very distracting. On the other hand, in my classes where phones are not allowed, I found that my classmates pay attention to the teacher and are much more responsive to in-class discussion than in my classes where phones are allowed. Overall, I've noticed that having phones in class negatively impacts my learning, and that's why I agree that phones should be banned in the classroom.

Some people who unexpectedly receive a large amount of money spend it on practical things, while others spend it for pleasure only. Which do you think is better and why?

When people unexpectedly receive a large amount of money, I definitely think they should spend it on practical things. I know it’s boring, but it allows us to meet our basic needs before we spend money on luxury items or pleasure. When I graduated from high school, my grandmother unexepectedly gifted me $1,000. It was crazy! I had never received that much money before, and I was super excited to spend it on new clothes and a new purse. My mom told me I should spend it on necessities because a new laptop for university and course books are more important than a pretty new purse. I reluctantly took her advice, but I’m glad that I did. I was well prepared for university, and even though I didn’t have a new purse, I had the things that I needed, like a laptop, which really mattered for my success in school.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is important to remember and learn from the past.Use details and examples to explain your opinion.

I strongly agree that it is important to remember and learn from the past. My hometown of San Diego is very prone to forest fires. Last summer, there was a large forest fire, but it was successfully contained by the firefighters because they had learned from a past fire that happened 10 years ago. During that fire 10 years ago, firefighters only used water from fire trucks to try and put out the fire—but this wasn't effective. So the fire department learned from that, and bought two firefighting helicopters to prepare for the next time a wildfire would happen. And sure enough, when another fire happened this summer, the department had their helicopters ready to help put out the fire, and they were successful. This is just one example of why we should learn from the past. It can save lives.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? One of the best ways to learn is by making mistakes. Use specific examples and details to support your opinion.

I agree. I think that mistakes are one of the best opportunities for learning. For example, mistakes lead you to learn new things and how to use that new knowledge in the future. I made the mistake of leaving my bedroom door unlocked during my first year in the dormitories, and someone ended up stealing my wallet. I learned very quickly that it is important to lock my door, but I also learned how to fill out a police report. I will never leave my bedroom door unlocked again, and I know that if I ever have to face the same problem or situation of stolen property again, I will be better prepared. So, you can consider mistakes as lessons for life. While some mistakes might be painful lessons to learn, nobody is perfect, and we all have to learn the painful lessons at some point.

When looking for information for a research project, some students

prefer to get their information mainly from the Internet. Others prefer to

mainly use printed materials such as books and academic journals.

Which do you prefer? Explain why.

When I do my research, I prefer getting my information from books and

journal articles rather than websites, because books and journal articles

more often have accurate information. For example, I was once

researching the fish of California for a class project. That was quite a

specific topic—who studies fish in California anyways! And so as I was

looking for information, I found quite a few blogs of people who

enjoyed fishing in California, and wrote about fishing but didn't really

know what they were saying. Some of the information was just wrong.

On the other hand, when I looked at academic journals and books about

fish in California, I found that the information was more detailed than

the websites and more accurate.

Some people believe it's essential for a person's education to learn to play a musical instrument. Others don't believe music education is important. Which view do you agree with? Explain why

I think that learning to play a musical instrument is a very important part of a person’s education. Musical instruments help strengthen the brain. For example, I have been playing the piano since I was four years old, and learning to read music was a lot like learning another language. It forced me to use parts of my brain that were underdeveloped, and it strengthened my hand-eye coordination. I think that learning to play the piano also gave me a way to express my emotions when I didn’t always have the words for them. When I was sad or angry, I was able to play the keys on my piano and create music that sounded similar to the way I was feeling. It was like I could poor my feelings into the piano, which helped me feel better.

Some people think that children should be allowed to watch whatever television programs they choose to. Others think that parents should exercise control over the television program their children watch. Which do you agree with? Explain why.

I believe that it's important for children to be able to watch whatever television programs interest them. Because childhood is a time for children to build their curiosities, and it's best to let children build those on their own. When I was a child, for example, my parents placed no restrictions on what I watched. I felt that this really allowed me to develop my curiosities and explore my interests. For example, my parents didn't restrict me from watching some animal shows that show lions and tigers in Africa, even though sometimes those lions and tigers got into some bloody fights. Some parents might have deemed that too violent, but for me, that was the real world and it was very educational.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

All children should be required to learn a second language in school.

Use specific details and examples to support your opinion.

I think that children should definitely be required to learn a second language in school. Learning a foreign language from an early age has been proven to boost brain power and improve academic achievement. Learning a foreign language helped me learn how to work through difficult challenges, a skill that has continued to benefit me in life. Learning a foreign language at a young age also allows children to develop an “ear” for the language and achieve better pronunciation and fluency later in life. I am grateful that I have been learning a second language since I was a young child because it has helped me to achieve native-like pronunciation. When I speak my second language, many people can’t even tell its not my native language!