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

Topic 105: People tend to believe that all young adults should undertake a period of unpaid work for the good of the community. Do you agree or disagree?

In recent years, it has become more and more common for societies to encourage and organise young people to work as volunteers for non-profit organisations and the community. Community service has even been proposed as a requirement for graduation in some middle schools. There is a lot of opposition to "mandatory" volunteer work, a term which seems to be self-contradictory. I agree that the voluntary participation of youths is required, but volunteerism is a preferred option to most youngsters in today's world.

A fact to support volunteerism is that it allows young people to gain experience and exercise skills, which are beneficial for their performance in the future workplace. Most of the young workers that are volunteering have little social experience, as they spend much of their time at school. Working with others and interacting with people from all social backgrounds, they can enhance their abilities of problem solving, communication and teamwork. They are thus better prepared for the public life in the future.

Another benefit of volunteerism is the development of a young worker's motivation to help others and serve the interest of others without reward, a spirited fightback against individualism and egoism. A worrying trend in today's society is that a young adult's motivation is sourced more from individual interest than from the interest of others. Organising volunteer service on a large scale, especially among youngsters, can counteract the corrosive effect of this trend. Youngsters are directed to look after the good of others and help others without asking for payment or reward. In the long term, it upholds a sense of community, rebuilds the cohesion among members of community, and reduces distrust that is escalating between people.

Despite those merits of organised volunteer work, participants' entire willingness should be guaranteed. Otherwise, they would be less willing or likely to commit to their work. Instead of enforcing a policy without consulting young people in advance, schools can take another approach, showing youngsters the meaningfulness of their commitment to the local community. If possible, young adults can be given a range of options so they can choose one that is most helpful for their skill enhancement.

It seems from the above discussion that youngsters should be encouraged to participate in volunteer work, increasing both skills and their awareness of the long-run interest of the community in which they live. If administered well, volunteer work has benefits to both individual workers and the society as a whole.

1. 
   without reward = without payment = free of charge = voluntarily
   
2. 
   counteract = counter = offset = neutralise
   
3. 
   good = interest = benefit
   
4. 
   cohesion = unity = solidarity
   
5. 
   distrust = disbelief = suspicion
   
6. 
   escalate = worsen = intensify
   
7. 
   consult = discuss with = seek advice from
   
8. 
   meaningfulness = significance
   
9. 
   enhancement = improvement
   

Topic 106: Some people think that students benefit greatly from going to private secondary schools, but others assert that private secondary schools have a negative impact on the young generation and the society alike. Discuss both views.

Parents seem to have ongoing preference for a private secondary school, although they have to pay extremely high tuitions for their children. Despite the fact that a private school is very often associated with quality service, professional teaching staff, competitive courses, and excellent facilities, critics are concerned about the harmful effects of private schools on society. The merits and demerits of this argument will be explored below.

Unarguably, private schools outperform public schools based on their more flexible and advanced academic and extracurricular programmes. With this distinguishing advantage, private schools are capable of adjusting their programmes for students of different levels and assisting them to attain their objectives individually. Another remarkable quality of a private school is its proficiency in formulating and promoting different non-academic programmes, such as group sports and outings to foster students' physical, emotional and social well-being.

Private schools are also acclaimed as experts in addressing students' discipline problems. Keen to consolidate its image as an excellent quality provider, a private school focuses not only on a student's academic performance but also on their demeanour. For this reason, physical fights, drug use, bullying and other behaviour problems are less likely to be seen in private schools. On the other hand, private schools have high entrance requirements and tuition standards, resulting in relative homogeneity of students' family background. Students are mainly from medium or high income families. Upbringing and strict school discipline jointly contribute to better behaviour of students. It is no wonder that most of private school students are good-mannered and have a positive self-image.

Although the position of a private school as a well-qualified education provider is prominent, it benefits some sections of school-age populations only. Because of tuition fees, a private school is accessible only to those who are able to pay, rather than those who are able to learn. It has denied most students' access to quality education, potentially causing the gap between rich and poor to widen.

The arguments presented above have created a dilemma when people evaluate the effects of a private school on society. On the one hand, the private school is better than the public school in many aspects, such as teaching staff, learning environment and facilities. On the other, it tends to discriminate against students from low income families by maintaining high tuition fees. While teenagers from high income families continue to benefit from their social status, those of a lower class suffer enormously from lack of educational opportunities.

1. 
   demerit = bad quality
   
2. 
   outperform = perform better than = surpass
   
3. 
   distinguishing = distinctive = unique
   
4. 
   formulate = devise = invent
   
5. 
   consolidate = strengthen = secure
   
6. 
   homogeneity = sameness
   
7. 
   good-mannered = courteous = polite = cultivated = refined = educated
   
8. 
   deny = reject = decline = turn down
   
9. 
   dilemma = quandary = predicament = impasse
   

Topic 107: Some people believe that students who graduate from high school should have one year's time to obtain work experience before going to university. Do you agree or disagree?