J SECTION 1 af Write your Essay in 200-250 words in the space provided below. You need to use the notes you have taken. You may add any other relevant information you wish. Nowadays, many teenagers follow a sedentary lifestyle due to their ‘obsession with technology, something that can turn out to be quite dangerous. Thankfully, though, there are ways to minimise the risks. Firstly, one of the dangers involved is that teenagers gain weight as time passes, due to lack of physical activity. Moreover, sitting in front of a screen for too long is usually combined with the consumption of junk food, which can seriously affect teenagers’ health. Furthermore, teenagers end up isolated with few or no friends, as they become couch potatoes. Consequently, they might develop psychological problems, such as depression and anxiety. NOTES Dangers of a sedentary lifestyle Nonetheless, there is still hope. Specifically, parents should set a good example by spending time walking or jogging with their children and avoiding pee eee es eating junk food themselves. They could also urge their children to go to calories ‘school by bike or on foot to make sure they get adequate exercise. What is ge heattrdoe to pricfoos more, schools should make physical education obligatory so that all students, + become couch potatoes, end up. isolated ‘engage inrsome outdoor activities: inviting experts to schools to inform students about the drawbacks of an inactive lifestyle and unhealthy food + depression, anviety and low may also have a beneficial effect. Finally free facilities where teenagers sett-esteem 4 " can do sports should be provided by local authorities. In this way, students will exercise and communicate more with their peers, thus becoming more How they can be ave sociable and interactive. + dophysical activities, avoid baying junk Tod + make sports obligatory, invite quest speakers In conclusion, adopting a sedentary lifestyle can have nothing but negative results. However, certain steps can be taken to help teenagers ‘overcome this problem: * build free sports facilities * spend more time outdoors with frendsTASK 2 (Agree) These days. many schools throughout the world underestimate the importance of certain school subjects such as art and music, insisting that they be removed from the curriculum. Personally, | ‘agree that this should be done because I believe that the teaching of these subjects in schools has litle to offer students, First of all. not all students are interested in art and music. I these subjects are compulsory, such students will be bored during the lessons. Students who are not keen on art or music, possibly due to the fact that they believe they lack talent, may even feel embarrassed it they are forced to take such lessons, Moreover. some parents worry that their children will not have sulficient time to focus on academic subjects, like history, maths ‘and languages. which will be more useful for their future career. No ‘matter how interesting art and music may be tor some students, there is no doubt that academic subjects should not be neglected. Lastly, there are those who argue that art and music require special equipment, which involves extra expenses, both for the schoo and the students, Unfortunately, this can lead to only well-off students ‘being able to achieve successful results in these subjects. Therefore, it becomes clear that excluding art and music will be a wise decision, Taking everything into account, it is my belief that no matter how interesting subjects such as art and music may be, they should not ‘be compulsory if we want students to take full advantage of our education system and benefit from it OR (Disagree) ‘These days, many schools throughout the world underestir importance of certain school subjects such as art andrnusic. nating that they be removed from the curriculum Personally, | dsaqre with this, a | believe that these subjects should by na m neglected in schools because they have much to oller students To begin with, education should cover a wide range of subjects and skills that wil help students later in life. That is to say, academic subjects such as maths, science and languages, should not be the only ones included in the curriculum. Subjects hike art and music are also very important for developing character and imagination, 9% well as providing children with the necessary self-esteem ard sel discipline to cope with various issues as adults, Furthermore, we must consider that through art and music, student are given the opportunity to express themselves in a creative way and discover their talents: In fact, if children are allowed to experiment with various kinds of art and music, they will be pleasantly surprised by what they can achieve, not to mention uncover hidden abilities. Last but not least, such stimulating subjects help children a ‘each other's uniqueness. More specifically, they are taught to respect their fellow students and realise the fact that each student thas a distinct personality and an exclusive way of expressing it he 2 result, they will feel confident enough to follow their Gam path in life while, at the same time, cooperate with others effectively. ‘To sumup, | am of the opinion that subjects like art and music should be an integrat part of the curcutum as they not onty-contrioute positively to a student’s well-rounded education, but also to their ‘individual development: aTASK-3* =a ‘These days, we are generally aware of the fact that the number of people downloading music and films from the Net is on the rise. In my ‘View, there are numerous reasoris why people choose to download Megally despite the serious consequences for the entertainment industry ‘One of the reasons for downloading music and films from the Internetis that it casts nothing. The fact that users do not need to pay to obtain. | their film or song of choice is obviously a huge incentive. In addition, downloading is very convenient because it enables people to watch any ‘movie or listen to any album they wish at the simple click of a button in the comfort oftheir own homes. Another significant reason why 50 many people resort to illegal downloading is because a particular song or film may not have been released on the market yet. Such movies and albums are usually leaked on the Web well before their oficial release date, and impatient fans cannot wait to download them Regarding the consequences of illegal downloading from the Net, one of the most serious is that film and music companies suffer massive financial losses due to inadequate sales..This is devastating both for the company and the artists themselves, As far as the company is concerned, such losses frequently oblige them to dismiss employees, as they cannot afford to pay their salaries. As for the artists legal ‘downloading ruins their careers because music and fund future projects. Taking ll the above into account, there are plenty of reasons why illegal downloading is becoming more and more frequent today. Nevertheless, its effects are extremely harmful which is why | am convinced that it should be avoided. ‘Nowadays, more and more people are becoming aware ofthe importance of festivals for.countries all over the world. Personal local festivals are essential because they have a lat to offer to communities, First of all festivals are a special way to encourage socialising and provide entertainment: More specifically, they help strengthen connections within families by giving them the opportunity to spend quality time together and experience unique moments. Furthermore, festivals can boost the sense of community and develop solidarity among local people. as these events make them realise that they are part of a group that shares common customs and traditions Finally, festivals are a great source of fun and relaxation since they allow people to escape ther ‘busy daily routines and let off steam while they enjoy food, music and a lively atmosphere. Moreover, local festivals provide great support for local culture. For a start they allow people to celebrate their country’s heritage due to the fact that they represent people's unique history and way of life. Another significant feature of festivals is that they are an excevient way of passing down beliefs and traditions to younger generations. Indeed, the young are fascinated by festivals and are given the chance to learn ‘about their origins and roots while enjoying themselves at the samo time. Last but not least. festivals attract large numbers of foreigners. In fact, certain festivals have become so well known that tourists from numerous countries attend them just for the experience of tasting local ‘dishes, buying regional arts and crafts and hearing traditional music j believe that (On the whol, estvals are an nega part of any community, a5 they entertain people ad provide valuable insight into local culture and story.