Read the essay below and the two conclusions that follow. Which conclusion speculates and which one recommends? Select the correct answers.

Issues relating to the environment are a cause for concern. Therefore the Government should be responsible for its protection.

To what extent do you agree?

To a large degree, there is a clear argument to suggest the government should ensure that environmental damage is kept to a minimum; however, the actions of individuals also impact on a daily basis and ordinary people are also accountable as I shall now explain.

Primarily, the government can directly impact on the environment in a number of ways, for example with policies related to regulation of pollution caused by industry, legislation which discourages the use of vehicles causing potential damage, such as older cars, and provision of proper recycling facilities for rubbish. This type of government intervention, particularly if practised on a global level, can have an enormous and positive impact on our world.

An additional reason to support the government having responsibility is protection of wildlife, forest areas and the natural world; many of our resources are finite and regulation at government level is necessary.

On the other hand, our day to day lives also affect the environment and for this reason it is also the responsibility of the individual. Furthermore it is not possible for the government to ensure that every household recycles properly, for example, or does not waste water or power. We, as a society, therefore need to endeavour to make sure that our actions are not damaging in any major way. The government can however provide educational programmes increasing society’s awareness of the issues.

Read the essay below and select the best conclusion from the choices given. Look for appropriate academic style.

Some prefer to donate money to the local community, while others like to give money to international organisations. Argue both opinions and give your view.

When supporting charities, some people favour local organisations whereas others choose to contribute to causes overseas. There are valid reasons for both, as will now be considered.

Many people believe that local charities are more worthy for several reasons. Firstly, some individuals prefer to be able to see where their money is being spent; they may read reports in local newspapers or be able to witness the impact that a new community hall, for instance, is having on the quality of life of local underprivileged children. Moreover, they may feel that sponsoring improvements in the local area could have an indirect benefit for everyone in the community, themselves included; to illustrate, the works of charities focussed on assisting local troubled teenagers may actually succeed in lowering local crime rates.

Conversely, others donate to international organisations, perhaps because the need of famine or tsunami victims, for example, is far greater. Indeed, such causes often deal with critical situations and aid can literally save lives. The advertising used by international charity organisations is usually highly emotive; for example, vivid pictures of starving children in Africa are effective in getting people thinking about the fortune of their own situation

In my opinion, both local and international charities are equally important, if people donated to only one cause, the problems in the other area would quickly become much worse. There is, therefore, a clear argument for individuals making donations to both if possible.

Read the essay below and select the best conclusion from the choices given. Look for appropriate academic style.

In some countries men are required to spend some time in military service.

What are your opinions on this?

In some places, it is compulsory for males to join the armed forces. There are a number of people who agree with this, although I personally see more disadvantages than advantages, as I will now explain.

Firstly, having to spend time completing military service may interfere with an individual’s career or education plans, particularly if attaining their professional goal involves a lengthy period of study. For example, if someone is planning to become a doctor, they may find it impossible to follow their ambitions if they are required to participate in an extended period of service in the army.

Secondly, being forced into military service is contrary to an individual’s right to make personal choices in their life. Political and moral decisions, such as deciding to participate in activities which support war, should be the choice of the individual and not be made compulsory. To illustrate, a person with strong religious beliefs may be morally opposed to war yet placed in a position where they were forced to become involved.

Admittedly, a period of military service could also bring benefits. Being in the army requires high levels of self discipline and an army environment is very strict; however, some personalities would not benefit at all from such a regime. Often the military offers high quality and free training to recruits but not all career paths would be available and therefore not all people would benefit to the same extent.

Read the essay below and match it to a title. Select the correct answer.

There are a number of factors which have resulted in a decline in the number of people who currently read, as I will now illustrate.

First of all, we seem to be leading increasingly busy lives. Particularly parents who are raising children and also work full-time find it difficult to sit down and relax while reading a book as there are so many demands on their time. This has also impacted on the number of children who read books for pleasure, many are not being taught the enjoyment of reading as a hobby. It used to be common for parents to read with their children, for example bedtime stories, however this practice seems to be becoming less usual.

Secondly, as technology has developed there is a wider range of alternatives for how we spend our free time. As a result many people have developed hobbies in different areas, for example, playing computer games and watching DVDs.

Finally, people now seem to expect to be entertained rather than entertain themselves. Many books have been turned into movies; the latter often proving more popular than the original work. Reading requires us to use our own interpretation of events whereas movie special effects mean that we do not have to really use our imagination. To illustrate, it is likely that the Lord of Rings movie was watched by a much higher proportion of viewers than people who have actually sat down and read the book.

To summarise, the essay has discussed a number of explanations why interest in reading has fallen. Igniting an interest in books in our children may help to cause a reversal in this trend.