Prepare for a high-level final exam - B2/C1 topics!grammar links

Közép/Felsőfok

What is your opinion about the topics?

(Pros and cons/ Advantages and disadvantages... In my opinion... first of all ... moreover .... on the other side .... if we take into consideration.... it's up to you....  to sum up
I totally agree/ I agree with that in some extent... / I don't agree at all)

1. IT’S HIGH TIME MEN CEASED TO REGARD WOMEN AS SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS’

It's high time men ceased to regard women as second-class citizens' This is supposed to be an enlightened age, but you wouldn't think so if you could hear what the average man thinks of the average woman. Women won their independence years ago. After a long, bitter struggle, they now enjoy the same educational opportunities as men in most parts of the world. They have proved repeatedly that they are equal and often superior to men in almost every field. The hard-fought battle for recognition has been won, but it is by no means over. It is men, not women who still carry on the sex war because their attitude remains basically hostile. Even in the most progressive societies, women continue to be regarded as second-rate citizens. To hear some men talk, you'd think that women belonged to a different species! On the surface, the comments made by men about women's abilities seem light-hearted. The same tired jokes about women drivers are repeated day in, day out. This apparent light-heartedness does not conceal the real contempt that men feel for women. However much men sneer at women, their claims to superiority are not borne out by statistics. Let's consider the matter of driving, for instance. We all know that women cause far fewer accidents than men. They are too conscientious and responsible to drive like maniacs. But this is a minor quibble. Women have succeeded in any job you care to name. As politicians, soldiers, doctors, factory-hands, university professors, farmers, company directors, lawyers, bus-conductors, scientists and presidents of countries they have often put men to shame. And we must remember that they frequently succeed brilliantly in all these fields in addition to bearing and rearing children. Yet men go on maintaining the fiction that there are many jobs women can't do. Top-level political negotiation between countries, business and banking are almost entirely controlled by men, who jealously guard their so-called 'rights'. Even in otherwise enlightened places like Switzerland women haven't even been given the vote. This situation is preposterous! The arguments that men put forward to exclude women from these fields are all too familiar. Women, they say, are unreliable and irrational. They depend too little on cool reasoning and too much on intuition and instinct to arrive at decisions. They are not even capable of thinking clearly. Yet when women prove their abilities, men refuse to acknowledge them and give them their due. So much for a man's ability to think clearly! The truth is that men cling to their supremacy because of their basic inferiority complex. They shun real competition. They know in their hearts that women are superior and they are afraid of being beaten at their own game. One of the most important tasks in the world is to achieve peace between the nations. You can be sure that if women were allowed to sit round the conference table, they would succeed brilliantly, as they always do, where men have failed for centuries. Some things are too important to be left to men!

https://lingualeo.com/en/jungle/its-high-time-men-ceased-to-regard-women-as-second-class-citizens-308359

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/gender-identity/sex-gender-identity/what-are-gender-roles-and-stereotypes

2. ‘WORLD GOVERNMENTS SHOULD CONDUCT SERIOUS CAMPAIGNS AGAINST SMOKING’

World governments should conduct serious campaigns against smoking

If you smoke and you still don't believe that there's a definite link between smoking and bronchial troubles, heart disease and lung cancer, then you are certainly deceiving yourself. No one will accuse you of hypocrisy. Let us just say that you are suffering from a bad case of wishful thinking. This needn't make you too uncomfortable because you are in good company. Whenever the subject of smoking and health is raised, the governments of most countries hear no evil, see no evil and smell no evil. Admittedly, a few governments have taken timid measures. In Britain, for instance, cigarette advertising has been banned on television. The conscience of the nation is appeased, while the population continues to puff its way to smoky, cancerous death. You don't have to look very far to find out why the official reaction to medical findings have been so like-warm. The answer is simply money. Tobacco is a wonderful commodity to tax. It's almost like a tax on our daily bread. In tax revenue alone, the government of Britain collects enough from smokers to pay for its entire educational facilities. So while the authorities point out ever so discreetly that smoking way, conceivably, be harmful, it doesn't do to shout too loudly about it. This is surely the most short-sighted policy you could imagine. While money is eagerly collected in vast sums with one hand, it is paid out in increasingly vaster sums with the other. Enormous amounts are spent on cancer research and on efforts to cure people suffering from the disease. Countless valuable lives are lost. In the long run, there is no doubt that everybody would be much better off if smoking were banned altogether. Of course, we are not ready for such drastic action. But if the governments of the world were honestly concerned about the welfare of their peoples, you'd think they'd conduct aggressive anti-smoking campaigns. Far from it! The tobacco industry is allowed to spend staggering sums on advertising. Its advertising is as insidious as it is dishonest. We are never shown pictures of real smokers coughing up their lungs early in the morning. That would never do. The advertisements always depict virile, clean-shaven young men. They suggest it is manly to smoke, even positively healthy! Smoking is associated with the great open-air life, with beautiful girls, true love and togetherness. What utter nonsense! For a start, governments could begin by banning all cigarette and tobacco advertising and should then conduct anti-smoking advertising campaigns of their own. Smoking should be banned in all public places like theatres, cinemas and restaurants. Great efforts should be made to inform young people especially of the dire consequences of taking up the habit. A horrible warning – say, a picture of a death' head – should be included in every packet of cigarettes that is sold. As individuals we are certainly weak, but if governments acted honestly and courageously, they could protect us from ourselves.

*****

3. 'TELEVISION IS DOING IRREPARABLE HARM’

Television, one of the most popular and used media, is accessible to a considerable number of people nowadays. Although it is an important medium of entertainment and knowledge, I believe that their inappropriate use can be dangerous. In the first place, the programming many times is not good or interest at all. There are many dumb programs on TV. Though they, frequently have a big audience, their contents are quite superficial and in poor taste. In addition, several channels show a lot of advertising during its daily broadcastings. This can incite negative consumption habits and materialistic behaviors. Besides there are many popular programs with a high content of violence, misbehavior and drugs. This might establish wrong concepts among the audience, mainly on children, that influence them into having negative behaviors. Secondly, to spend too much time in front of the TV sets can be the cause of health problems like visual and muscular disorders. Besides, watching television for prolonged periods of time has negative effects over the developed of children and leads to deterioration of the mental capacity in older people by causing both attention and memory problems in the long term. People should do useful activities like exercises, reading, interacting with friend and family that are crucial for a healthy lifestyle. However a correct use of television has many positive things. TV informs; people hear what happen in the world much more on the news than no other medium. Television is an inexpensive source of entertainment; we can enjoy films, sports, debates, music from the home´s comfort, but it harms sometime. Besides, television educates; fortunately there are still very interesting, appealing and educational programs on TV. In conclusion, even though the television can influence negatively on our physical and mental health and our behavior, a good use of it, certainly adds elements that improves, and You May Also Find These Documents Helpful Television Does More Harm Than Good Television does more harm than good When the TV was invented, it impressed the whole world, so everyone since then seeks to buy a one. In the past TV was only has less than ten channels and it were locked in the latest hours of night. But now there is thousands or millions of satellite channels are broadcasted on TV. As a result the number of TV owners has risen until 98% of American households have a TV set and the same is true of most developed countries. In fact, television channels…. Television TELEVISION-BOON OR BANE Since the invention of the television by John Lagie Baire in 1920, television has been one of the most widely used equipments in households all around the world. People have been amazed by the wide reaching capabilities of television. However, it has been argued that the invention of the television was a mistake and that television has become one of the most baneful machines that man has created. Television has led to a new era of knowledge. Television has helped in spreading…. Persuasive Essay: What Is Television Really Doing to Children? Deneke 1 What Television is Really Doing to Our Children by Betty As we already know, television has changed the world and how we view it. In today’s world, majority of what we see on the television ranges from violence to sexuality to profanity. There is no doubt that whatever is shown on the television can not only easily influence the behaviour of adults, but also the most vulnerable minds which is that of young…. Is Science and Technology Doing Us More Harm Than Good SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY-DOING MORE HARM THAN GOOD? Technology can be defined as science applied to practical purposes. From day to day, our world has been changed gradually from one condition to another. New ideas always come up to the minds of people to make the living better. Nowadays, technology has advanced in tremendous leaps and bounds. We cannot image the world without technological advances. Technology has brought many inventions. Among them are computers, mobile phones, weapons ,cars,….

Pros & Cons    

https://www.bsuir.by/m/12_113415_1_96817.pdf

4. ‘ANY FORM OF EDUCATION OTHER THAN CO-EDUCATION IS SIMPLY UNTHINKABLE’

5. ‘CAMPING IS THE IDEAL WAY OF SPENDING A HOLIDAY’


6. 'NEW FASHIONS IN CLOTHING ARE CREATED SOLELY FOR THE COMMERCIAL EXPLOITATION OF WOMEN'

7. ‘WE SHOULD ALL GROW FAT AND BE HAPPY'

8. ‘THE YOUNGER GENERATION KNOWS BEST'

9. ‘ONLY STRICTER TRAFFIC LAWS CAN PREVENT ACCIDENTS'

10. ‘PARENTS ARE TOO PERMISSIVE WITH THEIR CHILDREN NOWADAYS’

11. ‘ADVERTISERS PERFORM A USEFUL SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY’

12. ‘POP STARS CERTAINLY EARN THEIR MONEY’

13. ‘VICIOUS AND DANGEROUS SPORTS SHOULD BE BANNED BY LAW’

14. ‘TRANSISTOR RADIOS SHOULD BE PROHIBITED IN PUBLIC PLACES’

15. ‘THE ONLY THING PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN TODAY IS EARNING MORE MONEY’

16. ‘COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE SHOULD BE ABOLISHED IN ALL COUNTRIES’

17. ’CHILDHOOD IS CERTAINLY NOT THE HAPPIEST TIME OF YOUR LIFE’

18. ‘UNTIDY PEOPLE ARE NOT NICE TO KNOW’

19. ‘THE ONLY WAY TO TRAVEL IS ON FOOT'

20. ‘EXAMINATIONS EXERT A PERNICIOUS INFLUENCE ON EDUCATION'

21. ‘BOOKS, PLAYS AND FILMS SHOULD BE CENSORED’

22. ‘PEOPLE SHOULD BE REWARDED ACCORDING TO ABILITY, NOT ACCORDINGTO AGE AND EXPERIENCE’

23. ‘THE TOURIST TRADE CONTRIBUTES ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO INCREASING UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN NATIONS’

24. ‘ONLY A MADMAN WOULD CHOOSE TO LIVE IN A LARGE MODERN CITY’

25. ‘EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY HAS NOT DESTROYED THE CLASS SYSTEM’

26. ‘NO ONE WANTS TO LIVE TO BE A HUNDRED'

27. ‘CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IS THE ONLY WAY TO DETER CRIMINALS’

28. 'THE SPACE RACE IS THE WORLD’S BIGGEST MONEY WASTER'

29. ‘VIOLENCE CAN DO NOTHING TO DIMINISH RACE PREJUDICE’

30. ‘THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL HUMAN QUALITIES IS A SENSE OF HUMOUR’




http://www.scribd.com/doc/12347970/For-and-Against-Topics-Alexander

http://www.procon.org/

 Nyelvtan magyarul:   https://www.scribd.com/document/108071691/94-Ford-elm-B