WRITING TASK 2

The free movement of goods across national borders has long been a
controversial issue. Some people argue that it is necessary for economic
growth, while others claim that it damages local industries.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion. You should write at least 250
words.

One of the most debatable issues of the last century has been the extent to which
international trade benefits or harms national economies. Many arguments have
been made for and against free trade between nations. In this essay, I will discuss
both views and state my own position.
Those who support the expansion of global free trade claim that economies grow
faster when they can specialise in just a few industries in which they have a strong
advantage. As a result, each region or country produces something of value to the
world economy. For example, East Asia manufactures electronic goods, the Middle
East exports energy, and the EU produces luxury items. Free trade proponents
claim that dependence on global trade helps to strengthen international cooperation
and prevent wars.
Meanwhile, opponents of free trade—sometimes called ‘protectionists’—claim
that the unrestricted movement of goods and services causes damage to local
communities. This is because jobs are lost when it becomes cheaper to import a
product than to produce it domestically. They also argue that the vast distances
travelled by food, oil, and consumer goods is harming the environment and making
our lives unsustainable. Protectionists are in favour of tighter controls on the
movement of goods and services in order to protect jobs and livelihoods.
In conclusion, while there are convincing arguments on both sides of the debate, a
return to protectionist policies would surely be a mistake. I believe that global
trade is inevitable and should not be restricted. It is no longer realistic for nations
to source all of their energy, food, and manufactured goods within their own
borders.
DIRECT QUESTION

Fossil fuels are essential for producing electricity, powering industry and
fueling transportation. However, one day we will reach a point when all the
world’s fossil fuels have been depleted.

How can we conserve these resources?

What are some alternatives to fossil fuels?

AGREE/DISAGREE
Governments should be responsible for funding and controlling scientific
research rather than private organizations.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Undertaking scientific research is imperative if countries want to progress and
compete in a globalized world. However, the funding and controlling of this
research remain contentious issues. In my opinion, the government should have the
predominant responsibility for these.
One of the first issues is the knowledge that we gain from research. If governments
are responsible then they are driven by the need to make advances in knowledge in
order to improve people’s lives. This is because they are accountable to the public
and the research is paid for by taxes. On the other hand, private organizations are
driven by profit. This may mean that some research that could be valuable to
society may not begin because there is no monetary gain.
Another issue related to this is the research process. When the funding for research
comes from the same organization that is going to gain from a favorable outcome,
there is a strong potential for biased results. Taking drugs companies as an
example, legislation usually requires rigorous trials for new drugs that can take
many years to complete. The companies have large amounts of money invested in
such research and the need for positive results is paramount. It is difficult for a
scientist to remain impartial in these circumstances. However, if this is controlled
and funded by governments, their accountability means that such conflicts of
interest are less likely to occur
On balance, I would argue that although it is not realistic to remove all
opportunities for privately funded research, governments should have the main
responsibility for the monitoring and controlling of this. Strong checks and
balances need to be in place to ensure future research is ethical and productive.
CAUSE TYPE
The percentage of overweight children in western society has increased by
almost 20% in the last ten years.
Discuss the causes and effects of this disturbing trend.
Over the last ten years, western societies have seen close to a 20% rise in the
number of children who are overweight. This essay will discuss some reasons why
this has occurred and examine the consequences of this worrying trend.
The main cause of this problem is poor diet. Over the last decade there has been a
prolific increase in the number of fast food restaurants. For example, on nearly
every high street there is a MacDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut.
The food in these places has been proven to be very unhealthy, and much of the
advertising is targeted at children, thus ensuring that they constitute the bulk of the
customers of these establishments. However, it is not only due to eating out, but
also the type of diet many children have at home. A lot of food consumed is
processed food, especially with regards to ready-made meals which are a quick and
easy option for parents who are working hard.
The effects of this have been and will continue to be very serious. Firstly, there has
been a large increase in health related diseases amongst children, especially
diabetes. This debilitating illness means a child has to be injected with insulin for
the rest of their life. Not only this, very overweight children often experience
bullying from other children, which may affect their mental health. The negative
stigma of being overweight may also affect self-esteem.

To sum up, it is evident that there are several causes of obesity amongst children,
and a variety of negative effects. Society must ensure steps are taken to prevent
this problem from deteriorating further.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
In order to solve traffic problems, governments should tax private car owners
heavily and use the money to improve public transportation.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of such a solution?
Traffic congestion in many cities around the world is severe. One possible solution
to this problem is to impose heavy taxes on car drivers and use this money to make
public transport better. This essay will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of such
a measure.
One of the first benefits of such a measure is that the heavy taxes would discourage
car owners from using their cars because it would become very expensive to drive.
This would mean that they would begin to make use of public transport instead,
thus reducing traffic problems and pollution as well. Another benefit would be that
much more use would be made of public transport if it was improved. It is often
the case that public transport in cities is very poor. For example, we often see old
buses and trains that people would rather not use. High taxes would generate
enough money to make the necessary changes.
Nevertheless, there are drawbacks to such a solution. First and foremost, this
would be a heavy burden on the car drivers. At present, taxes are already high for a
lot of people, and so further taxes would only mean less money at the end of the
month for most people who may have no choice but to drive every day. In addition,
this type of tax would likely be set at a fixed amount. This would mean that it
would hit those with less money harder, whilst the rich could likely afford it. It is
therefore not a fair tax.
To conclude, this solution is worth considering to improve the current situation,
but there are advantages and disadvantages of introducing such a policy.