Which person has been the greatest influence in your life?
Personally, I believe that my mother has been the biggest influence in my life. For example, I am now in America working as an au pair. An au pair is like a babysitter who lives with an American family. I am doing this for a year in Stamford, Connecticut. At first I didn’t want to come to America and leave all my friends in Estonia, but my mother said it would be a great experience and a great way to develop my English. She was right. Living with an American family has been a wonderful experience and my English is so much better. Also, my mother is my inspiration. When I was growing up, she was a high school teacher. This was strange because all my friends’ mothers were housewives. But my mother wanted to work. She always told me to just follow my heart. I remember these words whenever I have problems in America, and they give me strength. For those reasons, my mother has been the biggest influence in my life.
People are living longer. Why?
Personally, I contend that people are living longer because they are taking better care of themselves. For example, my grandfather is eighty. When he was younger, he used to smoke and drink a lot. Also, he never ate very well. Then, when he was fifty, he had heart attack. He was in the hospital for a long time. The doctor told him he should stop smoking and drinking, and start eating better. That’s what my grandfather did. Now, he doesn’t drink or smoke anymore. Also, he eats lots of healthy food like salads and fish, and he exercises every day. As a result, he feels much better than before and has lots more energy. By changing his lifestyle, my grandfather is definitely going to live longer because he is taking better care of himself.
Should teenagers work during high school? Why?
Personally, I think that high school students should work while going to school. For example, when I was a high school student, I had a job at an English bookstore in Budapest, Hungary. I worked every Saturday and Sunday, and sometimes at night during the week. I loved it because I was always meeting foreigners who spoke English. By helping them find books, I was able to practice my English. It was great because at school, I only learned grammar from books, but at the bookstore I was learning conversational English. Not only that but I made money for myself. This helped me because I didn’t always have to ask my parents for money for books and other things. As you can see, by working at the bookstore I killed two birds with one stone.
In conclusion, I believe that all high school students should work part-time during high school.
Why do people travel? Develop your opinion using examples and reasons.
Personally, I like traveling because it is a learning experience. For example, last year I went to Manhattan. I visited many famous places like The Met and Radio City Music Hall. The most interesting place was Ground Zero. Ground Zero is where the World Trade Center once stood. Now, it’s nothing but a big hole. On TV it doesn’t look so big. But seeing it in person, I had no idea it was so huge. It’s like a big hole in the heart of the city. Looking at it made me realize that sometimes you just have to see things with your own eyes. That way you can understand what really happened. For those reasons, traveling to Manhattan was definitely a great learning experience for me.
Okay, so we’ve been talking about some problems faced by biologists when they try to reintroduce species into the wild. As we’ve talked about, sometimes the animals aren’t ready or able to go to fit into their native habitats. But there have been some new strategies used which seem to be working out. For example, biologists recently reintroduced four lynx into the wild. The first time they tried it, the cats died of starvation – they didn’t know how or where to hunt. This time, they kep the animals longer and let them mature. They also forced the animals to hunt for food instead of giving them the food directly. And finally, they kept the lynx together in a big pen so they know how to get along with other members of their species.
The woman offers her opinion of the announcement. State what her opinion is and what reasons she gives for having that view.
The woman believes that the decision to reduce the hours of the computer lab is a bad idea. Her first reason for claiming this is that she needs a computer for her class work. The woman states that she doesn’t have a computer and that some of her classes require her to use one. Also, the woman claims it will be harder to complete all of her work. According to the woman, the best time to do work is on the weekends. Now she fears that the labs will be too full during the week.
Some universities give financial aid in the form of grants, which don’t have to be paid back, whereas others provide financial assistance in the form of loans, which must be paid back. Which option do you think is better and why?
I think it is better to offer students’ loans. I prefer loans because they make the student responsible. A student who has to pay back a loan becomes personally responsible for his or her education. Furthermore, loans are safer for the school. Grants require the school to give away large amounts of money, and there is no guarantee that the school will get the money back. Lastly, a student with a loan is probably more likely to stay in school. If the student doesn’t complete the degree, it will be harder to pay back the money.
Describe a place you would like to visit, and explain why you chose this location.
I would like to visit Italy. I would choose to visit Italy because it has a lot of history. For example, Italy has many interesting Roman ruins. It would be interesting to see these historic sites. Another reason I would like to visit Italy is for the culture. Italy has been home to many great artists and the museums there contain some of the most famous works of art. Finally, I would like to visit Italy to sample the food. I love Italian food and would really like the chance to try some authentic Italian cooking.
Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to specifically explain how they cast doubt on points made in the reading passage.
The lecturer contends that the arguments made by the anti-immunization movement are invalid. Even though the movement seems to offer strong arguments against vaccinating babies and children, these arguments, one by one, can be challenged.
First, they state that natural immunity is preferable; however, those not immunized in the world have died. Second, the group claims that diseases are contracted by immunizations, yet no such cases have been found. It’s easier to say that a rise in certain diseases or conditions is due to immunizations rather than bothering to investigate further. Third, the argument that natural healing is better than immunizations is absurd. In fact, no such healing has been proven successful. Finally, the assertion that the vaccine itself is harmful is false. Vaccinations may cause pain; however, no one has ever died from a shot.
To summarize, the great number of deaths in areas of the world without vaccinations is clearly proof enough that the movement against immunizations is not to be taken seriously. In other words, the claims of this movement have no scientific basis.