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《DSE 英文熱門作文主題集》
2023 DSE 三大熱門作文題目分析
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Plant-based meat ............................................................... 2

2. Pilates .............................................................................. 10
3. Fair trade ......................................................................... 17
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1. PLANT-BASED MEAT
Plant-based meat refers to food that is designed to mimic or imitate

animal meat products. In recent years, more and more people are
switching to plant-based meat for various reasons.
Related themes for writing:
- Vegetarianism（素食主義）
- Healthy eating（健康飲食）
- Climate change（氣候變化）
- Environmental sustainability（環境可持續性）
- Environmental conservation（環境保育）
- Animal welfare（動物權益）

How is plant-based meat similar to animal meat products?
- Savour（味道）
- Texture（口感）
- Appearance（外觀）
What is plant-based meat made of?
- Peas（豌豆）
- Lentils（扁豆）
- Soybeans（大豆）
- Coconut oil（椰子油）
- Wheat gluten（小麥蛋白）
Companies that produce plant-based meat
- OmniFoods
- Beyond Meat Inc.
- Impossible Foods Inc.
Examples of plant-based meat products
- Meatless sausages
- Chicken-style nuggets
- Plant-based luncheon meat

Real-life examples
- McDonald’s in Hong Kong collaborated with OmniFoods to

include plant-based food products in their menus. For example,
OmniPork Luncheon, a plant-based luncheon meat produced
by OmniFoods, can be found in McDonald’s Deluxe Breakfast
set, Jumbo Breakfast set and McMuffins.
- KFC in the U.S. partnered with Beyond Meat to offer vegan

chicken to their customers. KFC also provides plant-based
chicken nuggets.
- Starbucks offers the Impossible breakfast sandwich at all stores

in the U.S. It features the Impossible sausage, which is made by
Impossible Foods, as well as fried egg and cheddar cheese on a
ciabatta roll.

Reasons for choosing plant-based meat
Health reasons
- Plant-based meats are claimed to be healthier than their

animal-based counterparts.
- Regular intake of plant protein can help reduce the risks of

cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and high blood pressure, etc.
Environmental reasons
- Animal-based food production accounts for around 60% of

greenhouse gases emitted from food production.
- Animals such as cows and sheep create large amounts of

methane when they digest food.
- Animal manure releases methane as it decays.
- To meet growing demands for meat, large pieces of land are

repurposed to raise livestock.
- According to the WWF, cattle ranching accounts for at least 80%

of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.

Ethical reasons
- Many people switch to plant-based meat out of ethical

concerns for animal welfare.
- Meat production processes often involve animal cruelty, such

as confinement, force feeding and killing.
- Consuming plant-based meat helps reduce demand for animal-

based products.
Arguments against consuming plant-based meat
- Plant-based meat available in the market is found to contain

twice the amount of saturated fats on average compared with
conventional meat products.
- Synthetic meat tend to contain more sodium, refined oils,

sugar and dextrose than their animal-based counterparts.
These ingredients are detrimental to cardiac functions upon
frequent intake.
- Plant-based meat products are heavily processed. They contain

a lot of chemicals and synthetic preservatives.
- Plant-based meats lack the nutritional quality that real meat

have. Studies reveal that meat substitutes contain proteins and
nutrients which the human body cannot absorb.

Essay: Will plant-based meats meet our future needs?
Are you a vegetarian, flexitarian or meat-lover? Whichever category

you put yourself in, plant-based meats may be exciting options for your
next meal.
The concept of plant-based meat was introduced as early as in the

1970s by a book titled “Diet for a Small Planet”, but this type of product
did not gain popularity until the recent decade.
Amongst rising calls for food diversity and humane diets, companies
like Beyond Meat Inc. and Impossible Foods Inc. are working hard to
innovate and produce plant-based meats in their product lines. These
plant-based meat advocates manufacture meatless sausages, chicken-
style nuggets and plant-based luncheon meat by integrating pea,
potato, and soy proteins in their food products.
With claims that the risks of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes can
be lowered upon intaking them on a regular basis, plant-based meats
present themselves as desirable food options. Against this backdrop,
this essay explores the reasons behind the popularity of plant-based
meats and controversies revolving around this issue.
The shift towards plant-based meats
To many, plant-based meats are more than an intuitive shift in diet or

refreshment in the guts. They are also an environmental reset free from
animal-killing processes, laying a better foundation for the welfare of
animals and the future generations.

With increasing demand for plant-based meats, more restaurants are

including plant-based options in their menus. Fast-food chains, for
example, are riding on the trend to install new recipes and bring
pleasant surprises to customers who wish to enjoy finger-licking
hamburgers without consuming animals.
To market its brand as eco-conscious, for example, McDonald’s in Hong

Kong collaborated with OmniFoods, a vegan food pioneer, to introduce
plant-based luncheon meat, to their breakfast sets.
Simultaneously, KFC in the U.S. partnered with Beyond Meat and added
meatless delicacies towards their regular chicken-full buckets. Evidently,
inserting plant-based meats into everyday meals is a trend that is being
integrated into people’s lifestyles.
Controversies revolving around plant-based meats
Despite how dreamy and well-rounded plant-based meats appear, they

carry inherent drawbacks.
To start with, consumption of plant-based meats raises health concerns

among consumers. In fact, plant-based meats available in the market
contain twice the amount of saturated fats on average compared with
conventional meat products.
Besides, chemicals and synthetic preservatives are present in plant-

based meats with regards to their heavily processed nature and
combinations of various plant ingredients.
Zooming into the profiles of these meat “imposters”, some synthetic

meats are found to contain more sodium, refined oils, sugar and
dextrose, which are detrimental to cardiac functions upon frequent
intake.

People who are considering embarking on the plant-based meat

venture should therefore closely observe the nutritional tags of plant-
based meats before making a decision.
From animal to plants: Where the world is heading
In a macro sense, the existence of plant-based meats is the revolt

towards industrialized animal agriculture and the environmental
destruction it brings. In view of the shift of food sources from livestock
to plants, fewer animals would be slaughtered in the production of food
for human consumption.
In addition, growing meat is a carbon-intensive procedure which often

leads to deforestation and extensive carbon dioxide emission. On the
other hand, the process of cultivating plants for synthetic meats emits
much less greenhouse gases. Therefore, plant-based meats are said to
have significant environmental values and are widely regarded as
sustainable food choices.
As firms supplying plant-based meats are constantly improving the

nutritional values of their products, further supplements and
refinements of these pleasantly chewy “meats” are anticipated.
There are ongoing fake-meat-versus-real-meat debates, but there is no

doubt that meatless meats are becoming mainstream. By “dieting for a
small planet”, we can all adjust our diets and hop on the green-living
wagon to secure animal welfare and food varieties.

2. PILATES
Pilates is a system of repetitive exercises developed by Joseph Pilates.

Being somewhat similar to but different from yoga, it helps build one’s
strength, stability and flexibility.
- Stress relief（緩解壓力）
- Yoga（瑜珈）
- Mental health（精神健康）
- Workout activities（健身活動）
- Keeping fit / losing weight（減肥）
- Physical health（身體健康）
- Physical education（體育）

Benefits of Pilates
- Train and build lean muscle

- Improve posture
- Alleviate back pain
- Help prevent injury
- Help with injury recovery
- Improve cardiorespiratory functioning
- Improve emotions
- Regulate stress levels
- Help maintain healthy weight
Reasons for the popularity of Pilates
- It requires no or little equipment (you can perform Pilates on

a mat or a specialized equipment called the reformer)
- It is a low-impact workout that be performed at home
- It is an accessible form of exercise as it can be done for free
- It is easy to get started (e.g. there are lots of videos on

YouTube teaching people how to practise Pilates)
- Peer influence: Many people promote different forms of

workout activities, such as yoga and Pilates on social media à
teenagers become interested out of curiosity à try out
themselves

Tools and equipment for practising Pilates
- Mat（地墊）
- Resistance band（阻力帶）
- Stability ball（穩定球）
- Pilates ring（普拉提圈）
- Foam roller（泡綿滾筒）
Pilates exercise examples
- Leg circle
- Criss-cross
- Open leg balance
Other forms of exercises and training
- Yoga（瑜珈）
- Aerial yoga（空中瑜珈）
- High intensity interval training (HIIT, 高強度間歇訓練)
- Weight training（重量訓練）
- Muay Thai / Thai boxing（泰拳）

Essay: Through the lens of Pilates:

Soothing body movements
Pilates, also known as “Contrology”, is a mind-body routine developed

by a physical trainer named Joseph Pilates. Pilates helps improve
flexibility, strength, core stability, cardiovascular functions and muscle
control. This form of low-impact exercise is very popular particularly in
Asia and Europe.
The origin of Pilates
Born in the late 19th century, Joseph Pilates was inspired by his father
and mother, who were a gymnast and naturopath respectively. His
upbringing motivated him to develop a natural routine while
integrating his belief that mental and physical well-being are
interdependent into his system of exercise.
The effects of Pilates
As a full body workout, Pilates is known for its body-shaping effects,

such as training and building lean muscles, and improving posture by
toning your core body and imbalance muscles. Functional movements
are also trained by practicing Pilates. Studies have shown that Pilates is
effective in alleviating back pain, and could be used to supplement
injury prevention procedures or rehabilitative training.
Apart from a full body alignment, Pilates aims to spark your awareness
towards your muscle movements, specifically for the ignored postural
muscles like the deep muscles in your abdomen, pelvis and back, which
form a natural “corset” to hold your trunk together.

Moreover, Pilates increases your energy and improves your emotions.

As Pilates is an exercise that places emphasis on your breathing
schedule, completing Pilates routine helps improve cardio-respiratory
functioning like lung capacity and oxygenated blood circulation cycles
in the long run. These vital functions serve as energy boosters for your
day.
An interesting point is that Pilates can help you regulate your stress
levels and improve your neurological development or working memory
over time. You may feel more relaxed, energized and “smarter” after
practicing Pilates for a period of time.
Though not as effective as other cardio exercises like jogging or

swimming, Pilates does help maintain a healthy weight.
Pilates versus yoga
People usually mix up Pilates and yoga. The main difference between
the two lies in the frequency of movements.
When practicing Pilates, you extend your arms and legs while actively
challenging your abdominal muscles, so Pilates movements are not
restricted to particular body parts. Instead, with precise movements
and breath control, the entire body is being activated. On the other
hand, during yoga sessions, the challenge is to hold a position for a
designated length of time or flow gracefully to another position while
being mindful of your physical conditions and mental state.

Another typical differentiation is the use of equipment. Pilates

generally has fancier equipment when compared to yoga. For example,
Wunda is a low chair with padding and springs, the Cadillac resembles
the appearance of a bed with a canopy frame, the spine corrector, the
high chair, and the Magic Circle is a literal ring you use between your
legs to create resistance. During yoga lessons, blocks, straps or one’s
own body weight are usually used to stretch and build muscle strength.
Pilates skills that you can practice at home
With or without equipment, there are a few accessible Pilates moves

that you may be interested in trying on your own.
Firstly, the leg circle is a physically draining yet mentally rewarding core
exercise. The starting position is to lie faceup with your arms resting
gently by your sides. Bend one knee, and place the foot flat on the floor
to support your body weight. When you are ready, proceed to raise the
other leg up until it is perpendicular to the floor. You now reach the
most challenging part in which you have to draw circles mid-air with the
tip of your toes while keeping your leg straight and lower back stuck on
the floor. After completing, switch to the other leg for a full body
workout.
Another common move is criss-cross. Again, lie down with your face
facing upwards. This time, curl your head up and place your hands at
the back of your head or neck. Gently bring both knees towards your
trunk, and get used to the momentum. Afterwards, you can bring your
right shoulder towards your left knee while extending your right leg.
After a one-second pause, you can now bring your left shoulder
towards your right knee while extending your left leg. Criss-cross
requires trainers to continue the alternating sides while sensing the
abdominal tension.

This relaxing and “demanding” exercise is just another gentle reminder

for you to take care of your physical and mental well-being, so explore
your bodily functions and limits by trying the moves.

3. FAIR TRADE
Fair trade refers to the practice of buying goods directly from producers
in developing countries at fair prices. While the notion of fair trade is
laudable, it appears to be difficult to implement in practice.
- Equality（平等）
- Child labour（童工）
- Workers’ welfare（工人福利）
- Basic human rights（基本人權）
- Corporate social responsibility (CSR)（企業社會責任）
- Consumers’ social responsibility (CnSR)（消費者社會責任）
- Ethical consumerism（道德消費）
- Environmental sustainability（環境可持續性）

Examples of fair trade products
- Coffee
- Cocoa
- Banana
- Tea
- Cotton
Benefits of fair trade
- Higher wages for workers in developing countries
- Increase quality of life for workers in developing countries
- Adult workers can better support their families’ expenses with

their own income à reduce the need for child labour à
children have better chances of receiving proper education à
increase literacy rate in the long run
- Under the fair trade framework, hazardous chemicals are

banned from production chains à improve working conditions
(i.e. safer working environment)
- Organic agricultural techniques are often adopted in fair trade

industries à produce higher yield with minimal environmental
degradation
- Genetic modification is seldom found in goods produced under

fair trade à buyers can taste the fresh and original flavours of
different food products

Controversies concerning fair trade
- Farmers in less recognized industries may be overlooked and

not covered by fair trade practices
- Some fair trade brands divert profits generated by primary

producers through the internal funnels of corporate firms (e.g.
logistics costs, employees’ welfare, etc.) à extra money paid
by customers may not fully reach the primary producers and
improve their lives
- Some people are of the view that companies engage in fair

trade only as a marketing exercise or promotional strategy to
promote their brands à they do not have genuine concern for
community development and business ethics
- Some companies promoting fair trade do not actually

implement fair trade practices in their production chains (e.g.
Starbucks claimed to engage in fair trade but forced coffee
farmers to work in unhygienic and unsafe environments)
- Some companies are reluctant to engage in fair trade because

it reduces their earnings

Essay: Does fair trade create scandals or miracles?
Coffee is a common product associated with fair trade. However, coffee

farmers in less developed countries are often regarded as exploited
crowds as they work hard under the sun and receive shockingly low
returns for their labour.
So what is the real source of a pack of coffee beans? Are they certified
by fair trade organizations? These are questions recurrent in many
coffee lovers’ minds.
Purpose of fair trade
Fair trade aims to strike a balance between maximizing companies’

profits and securing producers’ welfare. It sets an equitable deal for
both the primary producers and workers, and is widely considered to
be aligning with the ethical codes of equality and justice.
With the vision of ensuring fairness in multinational trade, trading

partnerships are established based on conversation, transparency and
mutual respect, laying the foundation of fair trade.
Apart from coffee, products like chocolate, herbs, honey, fruit juice and
cotton are also protected by fair trade. Whether the goods are being
produced under fair trade is a determining factor upheld by many
conscientious consumers and enterprises when considering which
items to purchase.

The pros of fair trade
Fair trade improves wage systems and pricing structures by eliminating

discrimination and exploitation progressively. This sparks positive
impacts for primary producers by supplying higher wages for workers
than that offered by local markets, hence boosting workers’ quality of
life.
Working conditions, namely hygiene and safety, are also enhanced

substantially. For instance, hazardous industrial chemicals are banned
from production chains under the fair trade framework.
After satisfying the basic needs of local producers and companies, the
benefits of fair trade extends to the community. Firstly, workers can
better afford their families’ expenses with increased wages, hence
reducing the demand for child labour. Without needing to work at a
young age to support the household, children in less developed regions
have greater chances of receiving proper education, which may
increase literacy rates and living standards in the long run.
Secondly, corporations that hop on the fair trade vessel may install
healthcare and education infrastructures, and explore sustainable
food-growing practices to provide for their workers’ lives and secure
equitable production chains. Efforts invested into fair trade could
substantially improve social conditions.
Besides, fair trade helps protect the environment. Organic agricultural

techniques are often adopted in fair trade industries, contributing to
higher yield with less effort and minimal environmental degradation.
To ensure environmental sustainability, genetic modification is seldom
found in the goods produced under fair trade. Therefore, buyers can
taste the fresh and original flavours of different products.

Furthermore, fair trade presents positive impacts for consumers,

allowing them to enjoy wide varieties of healthy food options. Fair trade
changes the mode of trading, and upgrades people’s quality of life.
Is fair trade unfair?
Apart from the renowned coffee beans production ideal, could you
name a few more industries that are involved in the fair trade
movement?
As aforementioned, there are various types of products covered by fair

trade. However, they are being attended to in a limited scope. Thus,
farmers of less recognized or noticed industries are overlooked by the
trade model. Are the poorest farmers really protected by the fair trade
scheme?
There are more controversies revolving around fair trade. Notably,

some fair trade brands may divert profits generated by primary
producers through the internal funnels of the corporate firms, such as
rising logistics costs and increased welfare for employees in developed
branches. The goodwill and extra money paid by the customers may
not fully reach the primary producers and improve their lives. To
illustrate this, coffee farmers working in fair trade certified farms earn
daily wages ranging from US$1.5 to US$2.1 on average, which can
barely cover their daily spending.
Critics are of the view that fair trade remains a marketing exercise or
promotional strategy, rather than displaying genuine concern for
community development and business ethics. This situation deviates
from the vision of fair trade, which is to secure fair earnings among
stakeholders while recognizing the primary producers’ output.

In fact, there are numerous “inconvenient truths” behind the fair trade
movements, which diminish the positive impacts of fair trade on
businesses or further harm the disadvantaged groups of workers. A
vivid example is Starbucks. Back in 2018, the beverage company was
involved in a slave labour lawsuit as it demanded coffee farmers to
work in unhygienic and unsafe environments while actively promoting
fair trade. Fair trade may be strong in theory but weak in practice.
To make things worse, large corporations may not be interested in

trading fairly as this business mode may harm their earnings. To enable
large scale production, corporations usually buy in bulk to lower their
costs. On the contrary, fair trade guides firms to take note of minimum
wage levels for workers in less developed regions like Latin America,
raising the costs of employment and assembly line maintenance while
lowering their export revenue. Fair trade does not present itself as an
attractive business deal, especially when it is not providing incentives
to participating firms.
While fairness brings hope and momentum to the global community,

producers and consumers all play important roles in improving the
business environment. To sprinkle fairness continuously, businesses
could formulate initiatives to ensure that their operations meet the
vision and corporate social responsibility, such as by introducing
incentives to drive efficiency and secure equality during the production
processes, guaranteeing access to ethically sourced goods like coffee,
tea, bananas and more.

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1. Plant-based meat ............................................................... 2

由 NoteSity 網上書店提供（非賣品）。正為備戰 DSE 而煩惱？

Plant-based meat refers to food that is designed to mimic or imitate

Related themes for writing:

由 NoteSity 網上書店提供（非賣品）。正為備戰 DSE 而煩惱？

How is plant-based meat similar to animal meat products?

What is plant-based meat made of?

Companies that produce plant-based meat

Examples of plant-based meat products

由 NoteSity 網上書店提供（非賣品）。正為備戰 DSE 而煩惱？

- McDonald’s in Hong Kong collaborated with OmniFoods to

- KFC in the U.S. partnered with Beyond Meat to offer vegan

- Starbucks offers the Impossible breakfast sandwich at all stores

由 NoteSity 網上書店提供（非賣品）。正為備戰 DSE 而煩惱？

Reasons for choosing plant-based meat

- Plant-based meats are claimed to be healthier than their

- Regular intake of plant protein can help reduce the risks of

- Animal-based food production accounts for around 60% of

- Animals such as cows and sheep create large amounts of

- Animal manure releases methane as it decays.

- To meet growing demands for meat, large pieces of land are

- According to the WWF, cattle ranching accounts for at least 80%

由 NoteSity 網上書店提供（非賣品）。正為備戰 DSE 而煩惱？

- Many people switch to plant-based meat out of ethical

- Meat production processes often involve animal cruelty, such

- Consuming plant-based meat helps reduce demand for animal-

Arguments against consuming plant-based meat

- Plant-based meat available in the market is found to contain

- Synthetic meat tend to contain more sodium, refined oils,

- Plant-based meat products are heavily processed. They contain

- Plant-based meats lack the nutritional quality that real meat

由 NoteSity 網上書店提供（非賣品）。正為備戰 DSE 而煩惱？

Essay: Will plant-based meats meet our future needs?

Are you a vegetarian, flexitarian or meat-lover? Whichever category

The concept of plant-based meat was introduced as early as in the

The shift towards plant-based meats

To many, plant-based meats are more than an intuitive shift in diet or

由 NoteSity 網上書店提供（非賣品）。正為備戰 DSE 而煩惱？

With increasing demand for plant-based meats, more restaurants are

To market its brand as eco-conscious, for example, McDonald’s in Hong

Controversies revolving around plant-based meats

Despite how dreamy and well-rounded plant-based meats appear, they

To start with, consumption of plant-based meats raises health concerns

Besides, chemicals and synthetic preservatives are present in plant-

Zooming into the profiles of these meat “imposters”, some synthetic

由 NoteSity 網上書店提供（非賣品）。正為備戰 DSE 而煩惱？

People who are considering embarking on the plant-based meat

From animal to plants: Where the world is heading

In a macro sense, the existence of plant-based meats is the revolt

In addition, growing meat is a carbon-intensive procedure which often

As firms supplying plant-based meats are constantly improving the

There are ongoing fake-meat-versus-real-meat debates, but there is no

由 NoteSity 網上書店提供（非賣品）。正為備戰 DSE 而煩惱？

Pilates is a system of repetitive exercises developed by Joseph Pilates.

Related themes for writing:

由 NoteSity 網上書店提供（非賣品）。正為備戰 DSE 而煩惱？

- Train and build lean muscle

Reasons for the popularity of Pilates

- It requires no or little equipment (you can perform Pilates on

- It is a low-impact workout that be performed at home

- It is an accessible form of exercise as it can be done for free

- It is easy to get started (e.g. there are lots of videos on

- Peer influence: Many people promote different forms of

立即瀏覽免費登記 NoteSity 會員 DSE 讀書心得及