1 AD Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Face-to-face communication is better than other types of communication, such as letters, email, or telephone calls. Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
I would have to agree that face-to-face communication is the best type of communication. Face-to-face communication can eliminate misunderstandings immediately, cement relationships, and encourage continued interaction.
If you are talking to someone directly, you can see right away if they don’t understand you. A person’s body language will tell you they disagree or don’t follow your line of thought. You can repeat yourself or paraphrase your argument. If you had sent an e-mail, the person may have misinterpreted what you wanted to say. He or she could be insulted and you would have to waste time explaining yourself in another e-mail.
When you talk face-to-face, you communicate with more than words. You communicate with your eyes and your hands. You communicate with your whole body. People can sense that you really want to communicate with them. This energy bonds people together. Your relationship with a person can grow much stronger when you communicate in person.
Face-to-face encounters tend to go on longer than other forms of communication. An e-mail lasts a second; a telephone call, a few minutes. However, when you meet face-to-face, you’ve made an effort to meet with the person, and the person has made an effort to meet with you. You will probably spend longer together talking. The longer you talk, the more you say. The more you say, the stronger your relationship will be.
In summary, if you want to establish a relationship with another human being, the best way is talking face-to-face. When you communicate directly, you can avoid misunderstandings that may occur in writing. You can communicate on levels other than just words and you can spend more time doing it.
2 PR Some people like to do only what they already do well. Other people prefer to try new things and take risks. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.
I am not a risk taker. I like to do just those that I am proficient at. I have learned that it is better to focus my attention, do one thing and do it well, and not try anything new.
When I was younger, I was always experimenting with a lot of different things. First I wanted to be a dress designer so I studied drawing. I couldn’t’t draw so I decided to be a historian. That suited me perfectly since all I had to do was sit in a library and read. I learned to focus my attention on one subject.
I am a very good reader and history is very interesting to me. I decided not to read any other subject. I only read history books. I even focused my attention on Chinese history. I only read history books on Chinese history. I do one thing and I do it well.
I don’t like to try anything new. If I read things in another area, I don’t do well. I don’t understand American history or English history. The names are confusing and the stories not interesting to me. I don’t want to learn about anything else. Chinese history is my subject.
I may seem a bit stubborn, but I have learned what makes me happy. I don’t like to take a risk with new things. I like to focus my attention on one subject, do it well, and not try anything new.
3 EX Some people believe that success in life comes from taking risk or chance. Others believe that success results from careful planning. In your opinion, what does success come from? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Nothing ventured. Nothing gained. If our great explorers and scientists did not live by this creed, where would we be? I think that we must all take risks in our lives, but these must be calculated risks. Like the great thinkers of our time, we must plan carefully, seize all opportunities, and reevaluate our plans.
There is no such thing as a chance occurrence. Columbus in his search for the Indies drew maps, plotted his route carefully, and set out. Madam Curie worked diligently in her laboratory recording every aspect of her experiments. You need to have a careful plan so you can measure your success.
Even with a careful plan, changes occur. Columbus was looking for the Indies, but ended up in the Caribbean. Lewis and Clark were looking for a river passage west, but discovered much more. You have to be ready to take advantage of new things as they occur.
When things go against plan, you must be ready to change direction. Columbus didn’t bring back spices from the East Indies, he brought back gold from the West Indies. It is important to see the positive side of things. Make your mistakes work for you.
You will never succeed in life if you don’t take chance. But before you start, you must plan carefully so you are ready to take advantage of every opportunity and turn mistakes to your advantage.
4 MA What change would make your hometown more appealing to people your age? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
I think that people my age would like to have a place to go after school. They could go there to socialize, have meetings, and just relax.
In my town, there are a few tea houses, but these are reserved for our fathers and their friends. Teenagers do not go there unless it’s to carry message to their fathers. We need a place where we can meet after school to talk about school and other subjects that interest us.
At our own tea house, we could also have meetings. Those would be like club meetings. We could have a debating society, a poetry reading group, or a political club. We could meet after school one night a week and have our meetings.
We need a place where we could just relax away from our family. Our home life is very hectic; there are a lot of younger children making a lot of noise in the evening. We need a quiet place to study, read the paper, or just sit.
If our town had a tea house reserved for teenagers, it would be good for our parents since they would always know where we were. They would know that we were just socializing, or meeting, or just relaxing with our friends. |