As people rely more and more on technology to solve problems, the ability of humans to think for themselves will

surely deteriorate. Few years ago, if someone told me that I could drive from some lala-land to some random-ville as my phone carefully spells out instructions for me, that I could dial contacts by saying their name out loud to my phone, that I could cook Crme brulee by downloading the recipe with an app in seconds.. I would say- Ya sure and when is the queen coming to taste my freshly prepared custard dessert? But in the present scenario, it is indisputable that technology has gone a long way in making our lives easier and quicker. There has been a surge in the use of technology as it has evolved to become more and more user friendly, conforming to most of our daily needs. This however, raises the inevitable question that whether technology is an adjuvant to our mental faculties or it is a narcotic that is clandestinely crippling our thought process, our fecundity? In my opinion, this question can be best answered with the well-known apothegm Every coin has two sides. Technology has be defined as the discipline dealing with the science or art of applying scientific knowledge to practical problems, and the exponential rate at which technology is evolving to solve the problems of society truly justifies this definition. There are a few things impossible today and that is by virtue of technology. The evolution from desktop computers to laptops to smartphones and tablets, add to it the internet, 3G spectrum and it is possible for you to carry the world around with you in your pocket. The range of apps and appurtenances that you can use grant you access to information from around the globe. Technology is to the layman as it is to the highbrows- as economists, politicos, CEOs, scientists, celebrities make use of it to solve their problems and connect with their colleagues and with the masses. Business meetings between offices in two different continents are a click of a button away, science and technology seminars have been transformed into webinars making it possible for scientists around the world to come together without having to travel to far off places. The conception of innovative technologies has also expedited industrial progress both in the manufacturing sector as well as IT sector and scientific research has received an impetus due to development of sophisticated instrumentation. Even in the realm of education, technology has proved to be a boon. Schools have incorporated smart classes in their curriculum wherein interactive teaching through computers is promoted, experts can be invited to give lectures through video conferencing; there is a plethora of online courses available, through web lectures and webinars, provided by eminent universities like Stanford and Harvard to provide access to high class education for those who cannot, for varied reasons, attend college. The boom in technology has also facilitated mass communication and social mediaTechnologies like Google Earth enable a person sitting in USA to get a live view of the Taj Mahal in India, applications like graph search enable you to search and connect with people having similar interests, social issues are open for debate by a global audience

and this has bolstered the voice of the common man. In view of these and several other benefits of technology, it would not be presumptuous to say that technology has not crippled but empowered our lives and in turn our ability to think for ourselves to a colossal extent. These numerous benefits notwithstanding, this technological revolution has also had detrimental effects. We believe we are becoming techno-savvy but in actuality it is a burgeoning dependence on technology. One can solve the most daunting of algebraic problems using a mathematical application but household chores become a bugbear when appliances like vacuum cleaners and washing machines are not working. This dependence on technology is not just restricted to individuals, as even behemoth organizations, automated industrial plants experience temporary abeyance of services due to server problems; online reservation sites and other such online resources experience technical glitches several times to the chagrin of many. It is not uncommon for a person to become nonplussed when their smartphone functions improperly for a second, or to get frustrated when the internet connection is unavailable, being deprived of the customary practice of online surfing, chatting and posting on Facebook or twitter. Especially among adolescents, smartphones, Xboxes, tablets, chat rooms, online games and the like have created a kind of invisible bubble, an illusory world to which their interests are becoming restricted and which has created a sense of dependence on these devices and isolation from the real world. Bowdlerize a person of those numerous smart apps that claim to give him a solution to everything, and he will be at your mercy. So can it be averred that today mans intellect has been overshadowed by the fake aegis of technology that he himself conceived? Should he shun this scientific pursuit for the sake of conserving his perspicacity? No, although the growing use of technology has affected certain dependence, it is inherently human nature as homo sapiens to continuously evolve and further development and use of technology is inevitable. It is ultimately up to us to use it wisely.

Educational institutions have a responsibility to dissuade students from pursuing fields of study in which they are unlikely to succeed. Educational institutions serve to bring together infrastructure, teachers and professors as mentors, students as mentees, and on the whole an environment conducive to imparting and absorbing education. Their responsibility is to provide the required guidance to hone the inchoate skills of students, to empower them with the discretion to make correct choices and to unleash their full capability to make the most out of their lives. To achieve success, the first step is to choose what we want to pursue in life and this is one of the most challenging and crucial choices that we make, so can it be said that for our sake educational institutions should assume a didactic role in influencing these crucial choices that students make in their life? Should they dissuade students from opting for fields in which they are less likely to succeed? No, in my view, the role of educational institutions is to exhort and empower students to make informed choices about what they want to pursue in life and not to dictate which field of study would be best for them and what they shouldnt pursue. As our mentors, their duty is to encourage us to experiment, to involve ourselves in various activities, to explore different avenues and to discover our proclivity ourselves. Right from the point when a child is conceived, he raises the hopes of many- the father the mother, the nana, the granny - as the future rocket scientist, neurosurgeon, basketball champion and what not! Isnt there immense pressure on him already? Arent the expectations of parents, the desire to fit in and do what you friends are doing, the societal suspicion towards unconventional careers already to some extent dictating their choices? What he needs is guidance, unbiased guidance to believe that he can become whatever he wants to. Becoming educated is not about becoming a new person, it is about becoming what you are meant to be, and already are, but dont know how to be. Once this goal to bolster his self-confidence is accomplished, he will intrepidly go ahead and excel, even if he sees a few failures mid-way. Yes, I do agree to the fact that we all have an inherent aptitude that equips us to excel in some particular fields. If I have a knack for studying biology then undoubtedly, I am more suited for studying life sciences but I dont think I will benefit from someone who tells me that I should go only for biology or to give me statistics that I am less likely to succeed in other fields. If schools and colleges do start the practice of dissuading students from studying what they might not succeed in then granted there would be a rise in the number of successes because students will devote more time and focus towards what they are good at. But is it possible to understand what each and every student is good at? Is this system going to be so comprehensive so as to incorporate such a huge number of subject choices that they can counsel any ABC student to pick one? Will the professors and teachers be able to give their personal attention to each student to understand their aptitude, their capability? What will be the parameters for basing these reviews? Another important question that can be raised is that what about those students who do not seem very good at academics or sports or performing arts or fine arts or any other perceivable field? Will they be cast aside as good-for-nothings? How do they plan to address such major issues? I think that the better way to go is to encourage students to participate in various activities, to provide career counselling in schools and colleges to indicate what would be, say a few, promising options for any student, to provide them with opportunities to shape their personality, to provide them

a platform to experience what is in store for them in the future when they pick a lane notwithstanding that is it a busy road they choose or the road not taken. Since the cost of graduation and college is sufficiently high, especially in high school and undergraduate studies the course structure should be made more versatile to expose students to a number of career options. Rather than protecting students from failures by dissuading them from pursuing a certain field of study, an important lesson that they must teach the students is that if you encounter failure, it is actually another opportunity to learn as the famous business magnate, inventor, programmer and philanthropist Bill Gates has said: It is fine to celebrate success but even more important to heed the lessons of failure. Claim: Governments must ensure that their major cities receive the financial support they need in order to thrive. Reason: It is primarily in cities that a nation's cultural traditions are preserved and generated. Laws should be flexible enough to take account of various circumstances, times, and places. Governments should place few, if any, restrictions on scientific research and development.

Government officials should rely on their own judgment rather than unquestioningly carry out the will of the people they serve. The best way to teach is to praise positive actions and ignore negative ones. In order for any work of artfor example, a film, a novel, a poem, or a songto have merit, it must be understandable to most people. Many important discoveries or creations are accidental: it is usually while seeking the answer to one question that we come across the answer to another. To understand the most important characteristics of a society, one must study its major cities. Scandals are useful because they focus our attention on problems in ways that no speaker or reformer ever could.

The best way for a society to prepare its young people for leadership in government, industry, or other fields is by instilling in them a sense of cooperation, not competition. A society can be defined as an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization. If we focus on the word group, it entails that for a society, cooperation would be the biggest virtue but in todays dog eat dog world, everyone needs to stand for themselves. Heck, the whole evolution of the human species is based on natural selection based on competition. So what should we teach the youth of our nations? Should we exhort them to compete against one another or must we stress on the importance of cooperation? The answer to this question is that both cooperation and a healthy sense of competition are essential for the youth to emerge as successful future leaders. To develop a leader as a nation builder or as an organisational or industry head, he must indisputably have the grit to face competition and reach the top. But the keyword here is a healthy sense of competition- not the cut throat, eye for an eye kind of competition, but one after which both the opponents are open to accept their mistakes, and the others ingenuities. An excellent example of this sort of competitive spirit can be seen in sportsmen. In a sports event, the opponents give their best against each other; they are out on the field to trounce each other. It is, in a way, a cut throat competition. But what happens at the end? Sure one is crowned as the winner and the other loses but they respectfully shake hands and compliment each other. When interviewed, they are not derisive of their opponent but they share what they found admirable in their opponents performance and mention that. Thus, when they are competing, there are not just focussed on doing their best but they analyse the game, they analyse how their opponent is playing and from every game whether won or lost, they have always learnt something valuable. This is the kind of competitive spirit that we need to inculcate in the youth. Competitions undoubtedly bring out the best in us provided that we are playing with a sporting sense. Talking about sports, can a team sport be played if every member is blowing his own trumpet? No, cooperation is indispensable for delivering a good performance. Cooperation engenders sensitivity and respect towards others suggestions. If you are a team player, you are open to discussing problems with your peers or colleagues and in turn your thought process is enriched. If we consider a national leader, his ultimate objective is to bring about the progress of his nation but he cannot do this alone. He must have a sense of cooperative functioning so that he can direct the constitutional bodies under him to function in a coordinated fashion. If we consider industrial leaders, they are responsible to fulfil the onerous task of coordinating the efforts of their industrys different blocks else its progress will get stalled. Thus, in my opinion, a good way to visualize a leader is to imagine him sitting on the head of a flowchart which has many divisions and further bifurcations below. His task is

to direct the output of these discreet blocks towards the progress of the organisation as a whole. For success with this colossal task, he needs to exude confident competence which justifies his being on the top as well as amicable cooperation to be able to give an ear to the perspectives and ideas of his subordinates and chalk out a sure-fire plan for success. Claim: The best way to understand the character of a society is to examine the character of the men and women that the society chooses as its heroes or its role models. Reason: Heroes and role models reveal a society's highest ideals.
For any common man in a society, his wishes, his ideals are influenced by the achievements and life style of the person he wishes to emulate. Since a very young age, we all look up at someone as our role model. Though, when we are kids, we mostly fancy superheroes, actors and actresses as our role models, as we grow up we develop our own sense of right and wrong, our likes and dislikes and that influences our choice of who we choose as a role model which in turn directs our actions to a certain extent. Thus a persons role model can be said to be a reflection of his character, however, I dont completely agree with the author of the statement when he says that the best way to understand the character of a society is by examining the character of its heroes and role models. To analyse this issue, it is important to understand what is meant by the character of a society and what is meant by a role model. The character of a society implies the ideals, the beliefs, the traditions, the expectations and the general credo that is followed by the members of the society. So, a role model as an incarnation of such ideals can be said to reveal the character of a society in a subtle way. However, a society essentially implies a group- a group which contains people of different backgrounds and different age groups. Their thinking might not always be coherent with each other. Particularly if we consider a younger age group, they might idolize celebrities such as Eminem or Rihanna which is a reflection of their interests but not of the society at large. A group of academicians of a particular discipline may take a highly accomplished erudite in their field as a role model but many people might not be familiar with that persons achievements or perceive him as an idol. A society as a whole may venerate many historical figures or leaders and even contemporary political leaders as their heroes and the character of people they chose to lionize is telling to a certain extent about what the ideals of that society may be but even in this case we cannot be sure about all the members of that society. The majoritys opinion is reflected in these heroes but not the minorities. Since it is impossible for all people in a society to have the same ideals and expectations, the role models and heroes are rather relative measures of the character of that society.

Hence in conclusion I would say that rather than judging a society based on its idols, the social environment must be considered. The scientific progress that it has managed, the strength and preservation of its culture, the condition of law and order, and the relationship between the

different sections of the society are much more concrete parameters for assessing its progress rather than its varied role models.

"In order to save a considerable amount of money, Rockingham's century-old town hall should be torn down and replaced by the larger and more energyefficient building that some citizens have proposed. The old town hall is too small to comfortably accommodate the number of people who are employed by the town. In addition, it is very costly to heat the old hall in winter and cool it in summer. The new, larger building would be more energy efficient, costing less per square foot to heat and cool than the old hall. Furthermore, it would be possible to rent out some of the space in the new building, thereby generating income for the town of Rockingham."
According to this editorial, the town of Rockingham will save a considerable amount of money if it tears down the Old town hall to make way for a more efficient and modern building equipped with a sophisticated temperature control system. But the reasoning given by the author can be contradicted with several points. Firstly, how can the author assume that the cost of constructing a new more commodious and therefore larger building wouldnt involve a huge cost? A better plan of action would be to renovate the old town hall and to make it commodious to be able to comfortably accommodate a sufficient amount of people. Also, he doesnt correlate how the spaciousness of the new building will help in saving money. He doesnt mention whether significant improvement in the profit from renting the new building would be realised to negate the cost of a new building. Moreover, if the old hall is being torn down due to lack of space, the new building would be just sufficient to accommodate all the employees leave alone renting it to tenants. Secondly, if it is indeed very costly to maintain a comfortable temperature in the old town hall in winters and summers then a new, more efficient system for temperature control can be installed in the building rather than tearing it down. The author doesnt mention that the ineffectiveness of the temperature control system is due to any construction faults in the building which might give a reason for tearing it down The third fallacy in the authors statement is that he doesnt mention how the new building would be more energy efficient. The power requirement of the new heating system might be large and thus expensive. Moreover, the new building would be larger in size and hence the cost of heating/cooling it would also be more contrary to what the author has mentioned. Lastly, as mentioned by the author, the old town hall is a century old building. Thus, it must obviously have some historical and cultural significance for the people of Rockingham. Therefore, the people of Rockingham must strive to preserve this building rather than pulverizing it to dust. Hence, the author must provide more concrete and relevant reasons for tearing down the old town hall as his reasoning seems incoherent and disconnected. He should mention specific reasons for the claims that he has mentioned and how his proposal would help in saving financial resources which was his central claim.

Claitown University needs both affordable housing for its students and a way to fund the building of such housing. The best solution to this problem is to commission a famous architect known for experimental and futuristic buildings. It is common knowledge that tourists are willing to pay money to tour some of the architect's buildings, so it can be expected that tourists will want to visit this new building. The income from the fees charged to tourists will soon cover the building costs. Furthermore, such a building will attract new students as well as donations from alumni. And even though such a building will be much larger than our current need for student housing, part of the building can be used as office space.
The author has proposed a solution for fulfilling the requirement of an affordable hostel building for the students of Claitown University. Though the solution proposed by the author can be perceived as unique but there are certain important points which the author has failed to take into account. He has proposed that a famous architect be contracted for the purpose of designing and constructing this building but the problem with this suggestion is that since the architect is apparently quite famous, the fee charged by him might be unnecessarily costly on account of his stature which contradicts the central requirement of the housing to be affordable. Also, the architect has been described by the author as experimental and futuristic which means he is likely to install numerous modern appurtenances in the building and he might include structures in the building that serve only a stylistic purpose- this will contribute to the buildings cost rather than making it affordable. As far as attracting donations from alumni is concerned, this can be done in several other ways which will be much more cost effective such as fundraiser concerts. And it might happen that alumni would donate money only if the said architects style appeals to them as well. The author talks about promoting the building as a tourist attraction but there are two problems associated with this statement. Firstly, it is not necessary that the money obtained from charging tourists would cover the cost of the building. Secondly, a hostel is a place where the students expect privacy and peace. If it is converted into a tourist attraction, the privacy and peace of the students will be disrupted and their studies might get affected. The same point also counters the authors point that the new design of the building will attract more students as it might do so at first but once the students experience disturbances due to the hustle bustle created by tourists, they would be less inclined to stay in such a place. The last point that the author mentions is that the unused part of the building can be used as office space but this would yet again contribute to disrupting the normal hostel life of the students. So, I think that though the author has provided a satisfactory solution, he must address the issues raised above and provide more points in his statements favour so that it may be viewed as a possible solution.

Hidebound traditions are not given up easily. People dont like change

People emulate the sedate and staid.. rest all can go to bed.. :P :P Venal: corruptible obtainable at a cost.. money cant buy everything friendship is not venal Venial: warranting only temporal punishment . They didnt charge the boy he was given venial punishment Impunity impute: attribute associate ownership. Gumption: Sound practical judgement, fortitude and determination A person who expresses gumption in his decisions is honoured by all. Smoulder: To burn w/o a flame; to act with subdued feeling; to be in a suppressed state. Fortitude: the mental strength to endure adversity with courage. Our soldiers minds are brimming with fortitude! Ephemeral::fugacious He was a sagacious leader gifted with gumption and acuity. Geezer hood: The actress was receiving fewer promising offers as she advanced towards Geezer hood.
Compunction: He wanted to spend some time alone in compunction for what he had said to her. Piquancy: I like food that has piquancy whereas American food is completely bland. During the two months I spent there, I craved a lot for spicy Indian food. On the day that I was leaving for India, my mentor took me to an Indian restraint. Savour: The savoury food from the Indian restraint felt like ambrosia. Pathos: The actor was so seasoned that he could bring out the pathos of the audience anywhere anytime with a little act. Bathos: The teacher made even the tough concepts of geometry seem facile with her bathos teaching. Consign: After they exchanged the rings in the ceremony, the consigned themselves to each other forever. My mom always advises me to not get driven by my emotions and make phlegmatic decisions about my career. Tavern: The Leaky Cauldron was an infamous tavern in Hogsmeade village on the outskirts of Hogwarts. Disarming: The disarming look of the little child allayed his anger about the broken vase.

Providence: That the prof forgot about the class test seems providential. Thank you God! ;) Shilpa managed the Big Boss houses resources with great providence, rationing the food consumed per day so that it would last them for a longer amount of time. Green tea has a certain piquancy that even coffee doesnt seem to possess. They came to this decision after a great deal of deliberation. He belongs to an affluent family and girls get enticed by his dapper and charm. But that is just an external appearance as in reality he is uncouth and lecherous. He did not apologise for being stint because his frugal nature was one of the qualities that had helped him in transforming himself into a business magnate from a nobody. You seem unusually distrait, are you alright? The people in the village were surprised by the tribal peoples incursion. None of the students were interested in pursuing research and the lab facilities were lying in desuetude. Obsequy: When the dean expired, numerous students went to attend his obsequy, because he was a highly respected person who had done a lot for the university. The dog was sad and started squealing when he was fettered to the railing.

Society should make efforts to save endangered species only if the potential extinction of those species is the result of human activities.
Casting aside the scientific facts, like the Big bang and Darwins daunting postulates, regarding the origin of life on the Earth, I would like to direct your attention towards the teachings of our much cherished traditions: They teach us that God created the Earth and embellished it with the myriad of species, both flora and fauna, to coexist and cooperate. In this view, I totally disagree with the statement that society should make efforts to save endangered species only if they can attribute its possible extinction to an anthropogenic cause. To justify my stance on this issue, I will take two discourses- The first one is based on the concept of our ethical responsibility towards fellow species inhabiting the earth and the second one is based on the, sadly more appealing, material benefits that are entailed by making an effort to save an endangered species. So let me indulge your moral scruples first. Since our origin, mankind has progressed and flourished to a great extent. We have made epochal discoveries and inventions. We have flourished as a society. Our actions have justified that we are superior beings- Homo sapiens. But have we made this progress single handedly? No, we have exploited the resources around us. We have used Mother Nature for our convenience. The millions of other species have provided us with valuable resources. They have been our source of food, clothing, lumber, firewood, arsenal, medicines; they have been guinea pigs in our experiments. So isnt it also our ethical obligation to help them during their need? It indeed is. If there was no flora or fauna on this earth, the existence of mankind is also highly questionable. So I believe that we must in any way we can strive to save the endangered species even if there are no man made causes behind its threat of extinction. Now let us come to the material benefits that are plausible if we choose to be munificent towards our fellow species. It has been scientifically proven, that every species on this earth is here for a reason and contributes towards maintenance of an ecological balance. For example, we are all a part of a colossal food web and the destruction of any species within this food web can prove disastrous for the rest. Therefore, if the life of any species is found to be bordering on extinction then scientific research must be put into it to ascertain the causes and effects of the extinction. Particularly, If the extinction of that species poses any kind of threats to our survival then it must be prevented. Even if the extinction of the said species is inevitable, as the very fundamentals of evolution postulate the survival of the fittest, then the knowledge acquired from the study of the causes of extinction of the said species will act as a repository of information for our scientists and may provide new insights into evolution. Thus, in view of these reasons, I strongly reiterate my argument that Society must make an effort to save endangered species even if the threat it faces is not due to human causes.

In order to help small businesses thrive, the government should play a minimal role in private business matters.
SMEs: The engine of economic growth and equitable development; In the current scenario they face challenges in the changing face of the demands of consumers, changing business milieu and ever increasing competition. It is therefore important for them to learn to adapt and survive. Will the governments involvement hinder or bolster their survival is the point of discussion of this issue. In my opinion, If the govt involvement is too much. Numerous rules and paperworktedious for small scale businesses and discourages them Environmental regulations.. audits.. IT regulations and scores of other such decrees.designed for actually engender a negative impactfor example if a person decides to open a cloth shop in his locality..not enough manpower to engage in paperwork..it is not so for larger organisationstoo much Govt diktat by way of rules and acts also stymies innovations and start-ups (entrepreneurship) as people are intimidated by the surplus of litigations that they must overcome and conformations that they must be in accordance with. However, these rules and policies of the govt have also been beneficial for SEs. In some cases, Government regulations have proven beneficial for small enterprises by limiting the powers of large scale business which would otherwise drown the small businesses. For example the outcome of the contentious debate in Indian courts over Swiss drug maker Novartis AGs plea for renewal of patent for its drug Glivec (which has proved as a miracle cure to chronic myogenic leukaemia, CML) proved to be beneficial for several endogenous small scale manufacturers like cipla as they were granted freedom to the produce the drug and market it at a lower cost thus eliciting profits and strengthening their hold in the markets of developing economies that require the economical equivalents of such miracle drugs as Glivec. The above example provides a powerful insight into another face of this issue: the face of the consumers which compels me to argue against the claim in the topic statement. The effect that the ruling of the Indian supreme court had over the estimated 3 lakh CML patients, plus 20,000 added every year, in India was colossal as the drug which was previously available at a cost of 1,2 L INR per month is now made available to them at 8000 INR by the local companies. This shows the importance of govt involvement in business affairs. If the govt hadnt intervened the drug mfg magnate Novartis would have exercised monopoly in the market and it would have led to enormous burden on the consumers. Incidences like this, which involve safeguarding the interests of the consumers, bring out a strong case in support of govt involvement in private business matters. Govt regulations reinforce the faith of consumers in industries by ensuring that the private business dont renege on their claims, thereby bolstering their progress. Proponents against the government involvement in private business affairs would argue that people should be allowed to freely transact money for services without the government coming in between as more often than not government intervention means a considerable slowing down of the process. Moreover, the companies have the legal status of people and people must be free to transact in whatever way they want. To this my rebuttal is that the govt involvement, notwithstanding the bottlenecking of transactions, ensures that we are receiving a service that is commensurate to the price we have paid. Provisions such as consumer courts safeguard the interests of the consumers. If there were no govt regultions regarding the quality of products

and services that private businesses provide us with, we might as well give our money to the private sector as charity. In conclusion, I would like to say that government involvement in private affairs should be limited but not minimal in order to encourage the growth of small businesses while at the same time not compromising with the needs of the consumers.

Schools should do more to prepare students for the non-academic aspects of childhood.