More and more people want to buy famous brands of clothes, cars and other items.

What are
the reasons? Do you think it is a positive or negative development?

There has been a growing trend toward purchasing garments, vehicles, and accessories from
expensive brand names for a variety of reasons these days. While there are many obvious
reasons for this trend, I believe that it has undesirable effects on human beings’ life and the
environment.

The increasingly high consumption of reputable brands of clothes, cars, and other products
stems from numerous reasons. Firstly, a significant increase in the income of citizens, along
with the development of mass production, makes it easier for everyone to afford high-priced
products. Well-paid people can pay all their bills with ease while having a great deal of money
left for extravagant needs like clothes from well-known brands or expensive cars which are
widely distributed in every country. These products give them a chance to enjoy high living
standards and glamorous lifestyles. Secondly, owning trendy clothes, expensive private
vehicles, and other items show the owners’ high socioeconomic status. This means that society
could easily associate owning an expensive item with a successful figure since only wealthy
ones could afford these items, which is highly beneficial in expanding relationship networks.
For example, if a person wears fashionable clothing or drives a Jaguar, people around will hold
them in high esteem and treat them with respect, boosting their confidence and ego.

However, I believe that this trend has a negative influence on both the environment and our
daily life. To begin with, the whole process of producing designer products, from making and
distributing to using and disposing is detrimental to the environment. For example, to make
alligator skin handbags, wallets or boots, a huge number of alligators are killed every year by
luxurious brands like Hermes or Louis Vuitton. If these products are not purchased at the end of
a season, they will be burned. This way of disposing of expensive products not only is a waste of
money and resources but also seriously contaminates the atmosphere. What’s more, many
people turn the purchases of costly items into a contest of wealth. As a result, numerous
people squander their money to look more fancy at all cost, even if it means they are debtors.
In conclusion, although people can enjoy better standards of living and status through the
possessions of brand name products, it seems to me that this form of consumerism gives
people the false idea of what’s important in life.

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In most successful organisations, some people believe that communication between

managers and workers is important, while other people said that other factors are more
significant. What is your opinion?

It is true that both employers and employees are important contributor factors to the success
of many businesses. While a group of people firmly believe that achieving effective
communication between leaders and members within an organization is the key factor for
success, I would contend that this success also stems from many other factors.

On the one hand, it is understandable why people consider communication as the main
contributor to a business’ success. The first reason is that smooth communication ensures a
mutual understanding between employers and employees. No matter how innovative the
company’s vision is, if employees cannot understand their roles, there is minimal possibility
that the vision can be reached. In contrast, once workers know their tasks and have what they
need to carry them out through the explanation from their managers, they will go on the right
track and effectively perform their tasks. In addition, a downfall of communication leads to
employees’ disapproval. As a result, they take strike action or sit-in, halting the production
process or worse, endangering the operation of the enterprise.

On the other hand, I believe that effectively-used resources and job satisfaction contribute
greater to a company’s prosperity. Firstly, making good use of human resources helps
businesses grow sustainably in the long run. When a task is assigned to the right person who is
highly-qualified and has suitable skill sets, the company expects to receive the highest-quality
outcome at the shortest time. Achieving such cost-effective working styles means the company
is making more profits and more likely to reap success. Secondly, employee satisfaction on the
job can decide whether the business will succeed or not. Employees who satisfy with their
compensation packages, holiday entitlement, and health insurance policies are willing to put
extra effort into their work and contribute to the company in a longer period.

In conclusion, although companies, to some extent, can benefit from excellent communication
among company members, it seems to me that appropriate-assigned and satisfied workers can
contribute greater to a profitable organization.

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Nowadays people waste a lot of food that was bought from shops and restaurants. Why do
you think people waste food? What can be done to reduce the amount of food they throw
away?

It is undeniable that a huge amount of left-over food is thrown away every day as more
people have a tendency to buy cooked food from shops and restaurants. Numerous reasons
can explain for this behaviour and solutions should be adopted to make cutbacks on wasted
food.

Various reasons account for the increasingly high amount of wasted food bought from
restaurants and shops. The first reason is the wide availability of cheap ready-to-eat food which
is affordable to everyone, even low-income family. Thanks to the cutting-edge technology in
the food industry, human beings are able to grow high-yield agricultural crops, giving us
redundant food supply at a relatively cheap price. Psychologically, when people can get cooked
food from restaurants at a small amount of money, they tend to attach little appreciation to
food. Thus, they have no hesitation to throw it away. Besides, various promotion offers at
restaurants and shops encourage customers to buy more food than their actual needs. To gain
a competitive edge in the high competitive food industry, food suppliers come up with
multiple discount programs to attract more customers. As a result, customers are lured into
buying more food than they can consume.

Many solutions should be taken to cut down on the amount of food waste. Firstly, raising
people’s awareness of the detrimental impacts of wasting food is a top priority. For instance,
the government can make documentaries about the full process of making and disposing of
food to demonstrate how thrown-away food deplete the environment and destroy the lives of
many creatures. Secondly, charity organizations should set up spots to receive wasted food and
give them to the poor. Instead of throwing food in the trash, residents can bring their left-over
to these organizations, providing underprivileged people with a good meal. Finally, restaurants
should fine customers who waste too much food. For example, many buffet restaurants in
Vietnam charge customers extra money if they waste more than 250 grams of the food. As a
result, customers will give more thought about the amount of food they can consume.

In conclusion, many reasons are blamed for the huge amount of wasted ready-to-eat food from
restaurants and shops and appropriate measures should be used to mitigate the situation.

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Nowadays, many people cannot read or write. What problems does this cause? What
measures can governments take to solve these problems?

It is true that many underprivileged individuals around the world cannot get access to
education and remain illiterate. While various problems stem from this issue, the government
can take several measures to tackle it.

Illiteracy brings many disadvantages to both individuals and society as a whole. On an individual
scale, without the ability to read or write, people cannot access essential information to protect
themselves from danger/improve their overall living conditions. In many mountainous and
rural areas, for instance, thousands of children are not vaccinated since their parents are
illiterate and unaware of the importance of vaccines which are mentioned and recommended
every day on television and newspaper. What’s more, people who are unable to read or write
are more likely to become the victim of fraud. They might be lured into signing papers that
take their money or houses away from them. On the society scale, the high illiteracy rate
contributes to the poverty circle which creates a huge burden on the government. If a person
does not have an opportunity to pursue basic education, they find it challenging to land a job
their employment opportunities are also restricted. As a result, they barely make ends meet, let
alone to financially support their children to go to school. Thus, the poverty circle will continue
in the loop and the government has to provide more fund to support unemployed and poor
people.
There are some policies that could be implemented by both municipal authorities and central
governments. The first solution is, the government should provide more financial resource to
construct new schools in underprivileged areas, together with a free tuition fee policy and
scholarships for poor students. Besides, authorities can cooperate with schools and teachers to
raise illiterate people’s awareness of the vitality of education. For example, in ethenic
communities in Vietnam, parents do not allow their kids to pursue eduation. As a result,
teachers and schools’ presidents spend months visiting each family to formal persuade and
encourage parents to let their children go to school for a brighter future. Besides, to give
further incentive to teachers in remote areas, laws should be legislated and enacted in order
that their salaries are equal or higher than those in urban cities; therefore, they will be more
willing to teach in academic institutes in far-away and mountainous areas.

In conclusion, illiteracy has always been a serious problem affecting negatively both individuals
and society. Fortunately, serveral steps can be taken to reduce the rate of people who can not
read or write.

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A country should spend money on skills training or vocational training for practical work,
rather than on university education. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The question of whether the government of a country should allocate more financial resource
on vocational training courses or higher education remains a source of controversy/
Nowadays, while multiple students enter universities for academic purposes, there are opinions
that a certain number of graduates should embark on vocational training programs to create
eligible human resources. While the benefits university education brings cannot be denied, I
believe that more money should be invested in encouraging youngsters to pursue skills training
courses.

On the one hand, the government must remain to provide fund for university education.
Practically, there are certain grounds supporting the scholastic pursuit at colleges and
university. The first reason is that, higher education provides the job markets with a high-
qualified workforce that lays a solid ground on the development of other industries. Only by
pursuing education from top-notch universities and be under the instructions of experienced
professionals can young scientists acquire a grasp of specialised areas of knowledge. When a
person graduates from university, one could justify himself as hard working and willing to learn
and most importantly, readily to be committed to working environment. For example, with the
current situation of the coronavirus outbreak, virologists and medical workers are in need more
than ever. If they successfully create the vaccine, they can save millions of people and
businesses on the verge of bankruptcy worldwide. Secondly, university education opens the
door for disabled people whose physical health is not qualified for vocational jobs. When doing
headwork, they have equal opportunities to bring out their potential as people with no physical
disorders. (Another necessity of academic training is because this plays an indispensable role in
building research and academia communities. A shortage in university graduates would
eventually result in the lack of specialists and researcher, who assume the responsibility of
leading innovations for national policies.)

On the other hand, I strongly believe that the authority should give more attention and
money on skills training courses/On the other hand, vocational training should also be
recognized as the key to a balanced and fortified workforce.. it is undeniable that many
countries are facing inproportionate labour force where white-collar workers outnumber blue-
collar workers. As a consequence, millions of undergraduate students are unemployed and
unable to pay their student loans while there is a huge shortage of manual workers such as
construction builders, plumbers, or farmers. To solve the problem, businesses must bear the
costs of a higher compensation package, combined with transport, accommodation, and visa
fees to hire foreign experts to fill the vacancies. If the government prioritises expenditure on
vocational education, more high-skilled physical workers will be provided, creating a balance
and competitive labour that benefits both enterprises and society as a whole. (Furthermore, in
contrast to the limited request for intellectual employees, qualified and skilled workers are in
great demand in most countries. Therefore, the promotion of vocational training helps to
mitigate the problem of unemployment associated with workforce imbalance.)
In conclusion, besides continuously investing in college education, the government should place
a high priority on practical skills training courses to provide enough essential manual workers
for the job markets.

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Some people believe that all wild animals should be protected. Others say that only a few
wild animals should be protected. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

The question of whether resources should be allocated to protect all species of wild animals or
just a specific number of them remains a boisterous debate. While a group of people firmly
believe that every wild animal deserves to receive equal protection, I would content that due to
limited resources, scientists and the government should give priority to animals on the brink of
extinction.

On the one hand, there are some reasons why all animals should be put under protection.
Firstly, each and every animal plays an important role in the food chain of the Earth, thus the
extinction of any wild animals will disrupt the ecological system. In many cases, when a species
of animals in the wild goes extinct, the life of animals reliant on them might be put in danger.
Secondly, unequal protection of different groups of wild animals gives rise to the exploitation
and slaughter of more popular animals like elephants or bears. Due to the lack of care about
the laws protecting these animals of the government , smugglers or local people tend to over-
poach these species, which makes their population decreases significantly.

On the other hand, regarding/given the limited human and financial resources, I believe that
protecting animals on the verge of extinction is a more practical solution. The conservation of
endangered animals requires a great number of highly-qualified scientists as well as a great
deal of funding. Since these resources are not unlimited, the protection of wild endangered
species should be prioritized to guarantee their survival, which contributes to the diveristy of
the ecosystem. What’s more, the protection given to some types of animals that are
detrimental to the life of human beings will be a waste of time and money. Rats, for example,
carry diseases and contaminate food and water, posing a threat to human beings.
In conclusion, it seems to me that it is impossible to protect all wild species and attention
should be paid to those which are in danger of becoming extinct.

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Some people claim that museums and art galleries are not needed today, because everyone
can see historical objects or art works by computer. Do you agree or disagree?

It is true that in the digital era, people can easily join virtual history museums and art
exhibitions, which makes many people believe physical museums and art galleries are no
longer necessary. While I agree that the benefits of online exhibitions are undeniable , I would
content that some physical museums are irreplaceable.

One the one hand, the conversion of museums and art galleries into virtual exhibitions may be
highly beneficial/advantageous. To maintain such a museum, the government needs to provide
a huge amount of annual funding for it. The money is used to pay for overhead costs and
marketing campaigns to attract visitors to museums or art galleries. If these places are replaced
by online exhibitions, a large percentage of the operational costs can be cut down, thus
allowing the government to increase the budget for more urgent matters such as healthcare
and education. Fortunately, virtual exhibitions also offer vistors more benefits than physical
ones. They only need to pay some money for subscription to art galleries’ websites to get
access to millions of artworks and historical masterpieces.

On the other hand, I believe some long-history museums and galleries should continue to
operate. Firstly, many works of art and historical objects require in-person experience to fully
understand their aesthetic qualities. For example, only by seeing the skeletons of dinosaurs in
the Natural History Museum in New York with the naked eye can people feel the awe of their
enormous size and value. Secondly, these historical and cultural buildings contribute greatly
to/make great contributions towards the tourism industry of a country. This is due to the fact
that not only do visitors will spend money on the museum but also on other activities such as
restaurants or clothing, increasing the income of thousands of sellers.
In conclusion, I believe that while people should be encouraged to admire exhibitions on their
computer thanks to the evolution of technology, a small number of historical and cultural
buildings should still be open for visitors.

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The world of work is changing rapidly and people cannot depend on the same job or the same
conditions of work for life. Discuss the possible causes for these changes and give your
suggestions on how people should prepare for work in the future.

As the nature of businesses evolves at an ever-increasing pace, many jobs have gradually
become obsolete, and workers are no longer guaranteed any lifetime or sustainable
employment career. While numerous reasons can explain for this change, there are some ways
for people to make preparation for future jobs.

The changing trend in the world of work stems from the introduction of new technology and
some social issues. Firstly, entering the digital era, a staggering number of jobs can be done
completely automatically by machine or artificial intelligence, providing a substitute for human
beings. For example, supermarkets’ demands for cashiers have decreased significantly following
the introduction of self- service checkout counters. As a result, people are either made
redundant or transferred to other types of jobs that their knowledge and skills are qualified for.
Secondly, as the costs for food, accommodation, and education surge constantly, only a source
of income is not enough for people to enjoy high living standards. Thus, they need to work on
numerous jobs and have the ability to adapt to different work conditions.

People should take actions to be well-prepared to fit in future work. From the employees’
perspective, the best way to deal with dramatic changes is to welcome them by adapting to
flexible working hours and environment while improving self skills. From the employers’
perspective, providing workers with a vocational course or expertise training plays an integral
part in enhancing their skills to meet the requirements of the new dynamic job markets. This
will benefit both employees who are able to secure their jobs and income and employers who
can cut down on recruitment costs.
In conclusion, although cutting-edge technology and social issues have changed the way
people do their jobs, many suggestions can be taken into consideration by both employees
and employers.