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

Topic 71: There are more and more effective security measures in large cities to reduce the crime. Does this endeavour bring more benefits than problems?

In these years, the society has seen rapid proliferation of different measures aiming to prevent victimisation. It is followed by a protracted debate over its positive and negative impacts. In my opinion, it is a reflection of the inflated fear of crime, but not of actual levels of crime.

To a larger or lesser extent, the increased presence of anti-crime devices fuels the fear of crime and has a devastating effect on people's quality of life. Crimes are concentrated in particular areas, but the fear of crime spreads across the whole community and affects nearly every resident. The most annoying aspect of this trend is that people's freedom is curtailed (for example, using the stairway of a building less frequently due to the alarm installed there) and sometimes, people's privacy is invaded (due to the concealed surveillance cameras in offices). There is little, if any, evidence that the threat people perceive has a real life counterpart.

On the other hand, although some measures are said to deter or stop crime, they too often produce opposite outcomes. For example, lighting in a dark area may reduce fear but also enable criminals to see their targets more easily, leading to a high probability of attacks. The benefits of self-protective measures such as gun ownership and martial arts training are doubtful because nobody can say with certainty that the net effect is to decrease harm. Most personal defensive devices are either too difficult to use or less effective than expected.

Crime reduction and crime prevention also rely on other approaches rather than on security measures. Criminals choose their targets based on time and whereabouts. Citizens will be less vulnerable to victimisation if they bypass those places where crimes frequently occur. There is no need for carrying chemical agents for self-defence. Many mansions are armed with expensive in-door surveillance systems, but issuing passes to occupants and tenants and preventing easy access to the building is more effective and economical. In the inner city, where crimes are epidemic, eliminating the dilapidated buildings used by criminals for hiding or selecting a target is more useful than requiring all shops and residents nearby to install expensive security system. The central part of crime prevention is altering the environment, by which the root causes or at least the facilitators of crime can be eliminated.

As suggested above, it is difficult to measure the effectiveness of anti-crime equipment and users should examine it regularly. The crime prevention framework should focus on making the environment safe from crime, reducing the potential for crime in high-risk situations and halting the possibility of future crime.

1. 
   protract = prolong
   
2. 
   inflated = increased = escalating
   
3. 
   devastating = destructive = harmful = damaging = dreadful
   
4. 
   curtail = limit = restrict = restrain = inhibit = curb = reduce
   
5. 
   self-protective = self-defensive
   
6. 
   halt = stop = freeze
   

Topic 72: With the ageing of society, we are now beginning to see a growing interest in further abolishment of mandatory retirement. Do you think that mandatory retirement is obsolete or should be sustained?

Mandatory retirement is a prominent issue raised by the continued expansion of the aged population. The notion that the older people should be forced out of employment because of age is set to become obsolete. However, the paradox is that a fixed retirement age is still being widely adopted by many employers as usual, either overtly or impliedly. My opinion is that the ways people look at older people as a section of the workforce should be subject to modification, in a world where the growth of the ageing population is a clear trend.

Due to improved diet, higher incomes and medical advances, people nowadays live longer. The ongoing increase in the life expectancy leads to the subsequent extension of working lives. It comes as no surprise that productivity and intellectual ability of workers would remain the same as they approach age 65 and in the years beyond. Meanwhile, older employees have a wealth of experience and specialised knowledge they have obtained throughout their decades-long working lives. All stand them in good stead, despite their slightly reduced physical abilities. The age prejudice is therefore unjustified, causing businesses to lose a major source of expert personnel.

Another disadvantage of mandatory retirement is the difficulty in finding qualified replacements for senior employees who have retired. Contrary to popular belief, senior employees are unlikely to impede promoting young employees. Instead, they ensure the consistency of staff training of an organisation. Many senior employees are willing to stay on the junior jobs and earn less when they reach retirement age. Besides, their leadership is essential to the improvement of younger employees' skills. With senior employees, a corporation guarantees the diversity of perspectives and minimises the risk of relying on impetuous decisions made by young, inexperienced employees.

Despite those justifications for longer working lives, working in later life might not be aligned with the interest of all older people. For blue-collar workers, their choice is very limited. They are either forced out because of ill health or tired of working days and nights. In many instances, despite being able to work, the majority of senior people prefer retirement, or at least working shorter hours. Income has failed to be an effective incentive, compared to being part of society and contributing to the society in later life. For this reason, retirement should be made a voluntary option to the senior.

Based on the above-mentioned arguments, one can conclude that the changing demographics have lent support to raising the age of retirement or just abolishing mandatory retirement. It is in line with the extended life expectancy and in employers' favour, although it is up to older people themselves in deciding whether to retire or not

1. 
   paradox = contradictory aspect
   
2. 
   modification = adjustment = adaptation = alteration
   
3. 
   life expectancy = lifespan
   
4. 
   impede = obstruct = hinder = hamper = hold back
   
5. 
   impetuous = impulsive = reckless = heedless
   
6. 
   aligned with = in line with