Sample Essay REDWOOD

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School should prepare pupils for their future lives and for the world of employment.
Learning about history is not necessary and more emphasis should be placed on other
school subjects.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Those who learned history at school may recall how dull the class could be. Yet it is still part
of the curriculum. Now some people think that it is no longer necessary to learn about history,
and that schools should teach more important subjects that can prepare students for future
working life. I agree and I will explain why.
Life has become more demanding. Any education people used to have in the past might not
be sufficient to survive today. Human beings are organic. And we continually develop.
Education evolves. Sadly, though, the education system today is designed not to nurture
important and practical skills, but on the contrary, to kill creativity. There are no students in
this world who do not shout joyfully when class is over, or grin uncontrollably when the bell
rings for the break time. When you have to listen to things you don’t feel relevant to your life,
you just shut down. And history… shuts you down rather quickly.
The reason is perhaps not because history is in itself unimportant, but it is just irrelevant. If,
at all, we need to learn about the past, we now can go to the library for an extensive research,
or simply google it. Students’ valuable time should be used to equip them for the future.
Teach them computer programming, designs, public speaking, how to make movies, how to
sell online, and so forth. They need to be smart and creative. They need to be able to keep up
with the changes and updates.
I personally like reading about history. But I want to do that in my free time, not at school.
And for certain I do not want to pay to learn about it. I need to make sure that if I have to
spend money for school, the school gives back and teach me crucial life skills, not about who
built the Taj Mahal.
(318 words)

It is becoming more and more difficult to escape the influence of the media on our lives.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of living in a media-rich society.
Today people are surrounded by media in an unprecedented scale. The media plays a major
role in shaping our opinions and decisions. Despite all the benefits the media can offer, I
doubt that living in a media-rich society brings nothing but the good.
Undeniably, the media presents information that we often need. We can learn about the
‘breaking news’ in just seconds from the scene, sometimes the event is even presented in real
time. Knowing what is going on around you can help you calculate, estimate, and project
your actions. Information is abundant, thus assists you in making informed decisions. The
business people cleverly use the media to promote their products. The entertainment industry
definitely uses the media to generate more money. And the politicians are by far among the
craftiest people who know exactly what the media can do to their own advantage.
However, this flood of information provided by the media can make it hard for us to really
look for valuable one. Most of them are just ‘noise’. If you filter it, you get the so-called
information. If you squeeze it a bit stronger, then you get ‘knowledge.’ But hardly any
wisdom, any solution. Information could be false and twisted. Lies are spread, and people get
hurt. Even if you get the real news, they are usually tragic, heartbreaking, ironic, or
discouraging. We are bombarded with bad news every day. And we are overwhelmed.
I personally appreciate the use of the media to make many aspects of our life easier, but when
it comes to ‘rubbish’ information, I just turn a deaf ear. Or I just shrug my shoulders and sip
my cappuccino. I could probably live without the media.
(283 words)

Some people believe that children are given too much free time. They feel that this time
should be used to do more school work.
How do you think children should spend their free time?
Some claim that children are too relaxed now and have too little time to do anything
academic, thus need more school work. Those who made such claim might have just arrived
on planet Earth. Here, where a day lasts for 24 hours, they do school for 10 hours, extra
courses for 6 hours, and sleep for 5 hours. Too much free time? I don’t think so.
In my observation, children nowadays have less fun than earlier generations. I remember
when I was a kid, outdoor activities were a must. Studying and homework had their proper
place, and I didn’t miss out the fun part. However, parents today seem to push their children
to the limit, giving no room for fun. Life is about academic excellence. Today, children are
grounded, even sometimes scourged, for getting C in Math. Most parts of their day are
stressful and demanding.
The stress has already begun at a very early age now. Toddlers are to sit an interview with a
panel in order to enter kindergarten. How much could a 36-month-old kid possibly have
achieved in their life? ‘Do you still wet your pants?’, the panel asked. ‘I am now,’ replied the
super nervous kid. Parents want their children to receive academic education as early as
possible. As a result, many children even have tighter schedule than adults do. Too bad they
have to limit their caffeine intake.
I think it is best that children have more free time to enjoy their childhood. The time will
come when they have to struggle academically and face daily stress. But life as a toddler
won’t ever be repeated. I’m not saying they mustn’t learn to be responsible at all. They do
have to know that life isn’t all about fun. They need discipline and guidance. But if kept
balanced, both work and fun can make a fuller life.
So, sleep for 10 hours, play outside for 8 hours, study for 4, and annoy your parents for a
couple of hours. That’s the life of a child. And that’s how they should live it.
(346 words)

These days it is neither possible nor desirable for most people to stay in the same job
throughout their working lives.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
As the world is globalized, people nowadays tend to change jobs quite frequently. For them,
the prospect of staying in the same job for too long is undesirable, if not impossible. Though
I’m not against this trend, I can’t say I fully agree to that.
With so many fields of expertise today that requires not only skills but creativity, people have
more options when seeking jobs. A hundred years ago, if your parents saw you drawing,
they’d tell you to stop since they believed you weren’t going to be an artist. Same goes with
music, or dancing. Only anything related to industrialism was deemed worthy. It’s not the
case now. You can be a successful artist or musician and make millions. Jobs don’t always
mean sitting behind a desk doing tedious work. You can explore your talents and apply your
creativity. If you don’t like one job, you can hunt for another one. Or even start selling things
online and make money.
However, the oh-so-many fields demand a lot from you, too. You may have to pursue timeconsuming higher education due to the academic inflation which makes undergraduate degree
less valuable than it was fifty years ago. Competition gets tough. Pressures are high. There
are more people than the jobs available. In Guangzhou, for example, there are master degree
graduates working as babysitters. Staying in one job, even if you don’t enjoy it, could seem to
be the only way. You may have to suppress your dream and talents and get whatever job
available on the market in order to survive this cutthroat world.
Unfortunately, it is not always up to us to choose a job. Sometimes we’re even lucky to get
one. So, if you have to stay in the same job throughout your working lives, as mad as it drives
you, but it keeps you alive, then why not. Just go to work and stop whining.
(318 words)

Some people feel that entertainers (e.g. film stars, pop musicians or sports stars) are paid
too much money.
Do you agree or disagree? Which other types of job should be highly paid?
Entertainers are no doubt among the best paid on earth. Film stars, pop musicians, or athletes
make billions of dollars annually. They live lavishly and pamper themselves with what the
world has to offer. Serena Williams, for example, spend $5,000 for each bath using Evian
water. Some consider this is preposterous, unfair (since it doesn’t make her look any better).
While I disagree that it is unfair, I agree that it doesn’t make her look any better.
One thing to keep in mind is that these entertainers promote consumerism and life full of
enjoyment. For most earth inhabitants nowadays, that’s what life should be like. They present
dreams, as if luxury can be attained by anyone. People buy their music, go to their concerts,
watch their movies, and enjoy their games. WE are the ones who make them rich, and now
WE are protesting?
But what makes them deserve those digits is that they’re often very good at what they’re
doing. Messi and Ronaldo, for instance, are real talents in football. Jennifer Lawrence makes
blockbuster movies, and Taylor Swift tops the music chart. We acknowledge that fact, do we?
But every time they succeed, we die a little. We then blame it on capitalism and materialism.
We say it isn’t fair. Well, what is? Those people work so hard for it to earn it. And if they buy
a three-million-dollar Bugatti Veyron, or half a million on Jimmy Choo, who are we to envy
them?
Other jobs that should be highly paid include teachers and zookeepers. The former educates
and the latter cares. Mothers should be paid big time, too. And we all know why. Sadly,
though, they are among those who are usually underpaid. Is it fair? Well, again, what is? In

conclusion, life treats each one differently. Instead of questioning why some are ridiculously
paid much money, we should ask ourselves: ‘What should I do to deserve better?’
(320 words)

Some people think it would be a good idea for schools to teach every young person how to
be a good parent.
Do you agree or disagree with this opinion? Describe the skills a person needs to be a good
parent.
Some claim that young people should be taught about good parenting at school. Although the
idea is not farcical in itself, I don’t think it’s the soundest.
First of all, young people are young people. They’re not parents. A 13 year-old is not half a
26 year-old. They don’t relate to adulthood because they have never been there. Their
experiences are limited, and their wisdom inadequate. If adults think teaching young people
how to be a good parent is great because they want them to sympathize with the challenges
parents face, they could be disappointed. Young people are finding their own place in this
world, exploring their inner self and developing their own identity. At such age, they’re full
of questions and many need to be answered. Some who are not tough enough get depressed,
and the others who are over self-confident get into trouble. They’re struggling to be in their
youth, let alone learning about how to be a good parent.
Thus, it’s far better to teach young people to be responsible as teenagers. What they need is
clear and consistent guidance to roam about this fierce and ever-changing world. Parents, on
the other hand, should be taught how to be good parents. What their kids are experiencing

now is different from what they did as a child. They ought to keep up with the problems
young people are facing, and be there when those teenagers need them.
Both groups obviously have their own challenges. And both need reliable guidance. At the
end, sympathetic, consistent and loving parents, though imperfect, will reap good results.
When they administer discipline, their kids could see how it benefits them in the end. Yes, it
is a rough road to tread on, but both can succeed if they make conscientious efforts to do their
part. And let schools serve their purpose: teaching History and other boring stuffs.
(314 words)

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