Topic 1: Increasing travels between countries enable people to learn different cultures or to increase tension between people from different countries

Topic 27: Some people think that radio has become out-of-date, and there is no need to listen to the radio for entertainment and news. Do you agree or disagree?

In the past, radio broadcasting was deemed as the most convenient and important source of information. However, with the emergence of other mass media, there is a perception that radio as a medium will be at stake in the future if it does not undergo any significant change. In my opinion, such pessimism is ungrounded.

One of the main reasons why radio would not become obsolete in the near future is that driving is rife across the world as a way of life. Radio is a regular piece of equipment installed in a car, and to car users, listening to the radio while driving is an effective means of taking full advantage of their time and gaining the latest information, such as news, weather forecast, share markets, and so forth. Increased car use gives radio high mobility and its exposure continues to lead other media. For those people who have no time in watching TV, radio provides immediate and easy access to information. Its continued popularity is also linked to its high affordability. Radio broadcasting is, in general, accessible to the audience with charging no fee. Another overt advantage is that a radio set is portable. On the occasions where people cannot watch TV, read newspapers or surf the net, they can listen to the radio.

The advent of other technologies has also sustained the popularity of radio. For example, people can get radio via satellite, the Internet and cable nowadays. There are many other electronic devices, such as MP3 and MP4 players, which allow people to listen to the radio more easily and to use it for various entertainments, such as sharing their music collections. Although radio is unable to convey messages with sight and motion as television or Internet does, the improvement in those hi-tech devices will ensure that the radio is able to serve the needs of audiences as it always did.

As indicated above, radio broadcasting has many advantages that are scarcely found in other mass media, either electronic or print. With the developments in technology that enable radio to perform more functions and become more widely available, radio broadcasting will continue to form a very large segment of the mass media.

1. 
   in the past = once upon a time = some time ago = in history
   
2. 
   at stake = at risk = in danger = in jeopardy = threatened
   
3. 
   means = method = instrument = way = measure
   
4. 
   exposure = coverage = publicity
   
5. 
   portable = moveable = transportable