COMPOSITION AND TALKING TOPICS

1-	The  most  important of human  qualities is a sense  of humour

Ability to laugh distinguishes from animals.
Laughter is a unifying force.
Certain comic types are universal.
Prevents taking ourselves and life so seriously.
Too much grimness in the world- sense of humour outlet.
Happiness: Goal
Sense of Humour: Key to happiness

2-	Advantages and disadvantages of having too much money
Adv:
Status/ Power/Pleasure
Disadv:
No real friends
No goals
Too many enemies

3-	Living together as a couple before getting married

Advantages
No legal commitment
Familiarisation
Experience

Disadvantages
Pressure
Insecurity
Ambiguity in future plans

4-	The Generation Gap is widening:
	Do the Young Understand the OLD?

5-	Changing Values in Developing Societies:
	MONEY WAS THE ROOT OF ALL EVILS And THE ONLY THING MATTERED WAS FREEDOM

6-	Discuss the Advantages and Disadvantages of Having State Universities Rather Than 
	Private Universities

Comment on the advantages and disadvantages of having state universities rather than private universities.
Advantages				Disadvantages

Smaller financial burden on student 		Limited self-government
Equal opportunities 			Lack of diversity
No risk of closing down 			Lower educational standards
7-	Resolution of the disagreements  between the superpowers should have a beneficial effect on world peace.

a. 	Financial benefits smaller expenditure on arms more money for other purposes
b.	Scientific co-operation solution of global problems sharing of knowledge
c.	International relations: political and cultural

8-	Write about a page discussing the measures that can be taken to prevent "traffic anarchy'. 
	The following points are given as guidelines. You may add other points if you wish.
Training
-Harder driving tests
-Building new roads
-Better traffic control and planning
- Stricter  traffic rules  and fines
-Alternative traffic transportation system

9- Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of being a successful sportsman.

Advantages: 				Disadvantages:
Fame 					No personal or family life
Money					Short active sports career
National or international prestige 		Lack of other training
Good examples of youngsters		Possible injury

10- 	Write an account of how to stop migration into big cities using the following points
- set up better services  in rural areas (water, electricity, drainage)
- set up small scale industries in rural areas
- provide training for farmers
- encourage industries that employ a lot of people in rural areas

11- 	Write about the brain drain in Turkey

-Low salaries
-inadequate facilities
-Lack of opportunities for career development

12- 	Working women have happier lives. Write about one page  either for or against this viewpoint. Use the guidelines given below.  Should women work?

FOR 					AGAINST
-economic independence			-children get less care
-help the family budget			-more divorces among working women
-more knowledge of the world		-housework not done very well
-more interesting person
13- 	Write  whether you think world governments should conduct serious campaigns  against smoking. Use the points given below.

FOR:
-smoking causes bronchial troubles, heart diseases, lung cancer
-much money spent on curing these illnesses

AGAINST:
-smoking brings psychological benefits
-tobacco source of income to many countries

14-	Advantages and disadvantages of having a television.

Advantages:
-source of information
-educational programs
-free entertainment 

Disadvantages:
discourages reading hobbies, sport
-less socialisation
-makes people lazy
-children exposed to harmful influences
-waste  of time

15-	There has been a new decision to increase number of the universities in the country . 

Causes
many students/ few universities
limited number of alternatives
political reasons 

Effects
lower quality
risk of unemployment
financial burden on the state

16-	Discuss the measures that can be taken to protect the environment    
Strict regulations
Education ( school, media) 
Volunteer work (concerts, campaigns, clubs) 
Better disposal systems 
International cooperation

17-	In the modern world, the pace of life is faster

weaker ties
eating habits    
health problems 
selfishness 
limited leisure

18-	Divorce rate has been increasing in recent years
economic independence of women
rise in educational level
change in values
rise in standards of living
effects of mass media

19-	Discuss the harmful effect on people of watching TV
Causes eyestrain
People get fat
Hampers other social activities
Rightly called "silly box". 
Prevents thinking
People read less
May lead to divorce
Violence has bad effect especially on children

20-	Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of being an only child

Advantages;
-more undivided attention from parents
-no sibling rivalry
-more material benefits 

Disadvantages
-lonely childhood
-does not learn to share
-has to carry parents' burden all alone when they get old.

21-	0ne of the major problems of modern life is stress
-no time
-tied to schedules
-high expectations
-worried about not achieving
22-	Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of owning a car

Advantages
-speed
-gets you exactly where you want to go
-don't have to depend on public transportation 

Disadvantages
-costs a lot to buy and maintain
-difficulty of driving in traffic
-parking problems

23-	Compare and contrast quality newspapers and popular newspapers 
Quality
-more real ones
-longer and more detailed articles
-more serious criticism of the arts 

Popular
-more pictures
-more cartoons
-less tiring to read

24-	Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of open university education. , 

Advantages
Educational opportunities for more people
Both work and study possible
No location limitations
Lack of financial burden (students and government)
Low admission requirements

Disadvantages
Lack of immediate communication
No practical work possible.
Restricted range of studies
No campus life
Low prestige

GUIDELINES
1-	Birth control should be practiced by everybody in the world today.

For
Limit population growth 
Less economic burden 
More time devoted to fewer children

Against 
No freedom of choice 
Children are economic power 
Religious rules

2-	Living in big cities is becoming increasingly unpleasant. 

Causes 	Effects

Crime 	Corruption of young, fear
Unemployment 	Poverty, family problems 
Pollution 	Health problems

 
3-	The gap between the younger and the older generation is widening.
Causes
Changing values
Changing family relations
Education
Influence of mass media

Effects
Lack of communication 
difficulty in parental guidance
psychological problems
weakening family ties.

4-	Comment on the advantages and disadvantages of having state universities rather than private universities.

Advantages                              	Disadvantages
Smaller financial burden on student     	Limited self-government
Equal opportunities                        	Lack of diversity
No risk of dosing down                  	Lower educational standards

5-	Resolution of the disagreements between the superpowers should have a beneficial effect on world peace.

a. financial benefits 
smaller expenditure on arms 
more money for other purpose's

b. scientific cooperation 
solution of global problems 
sharing of knowledge

c. international relations 
political 
cultural

6-	Write about a page discussing the measures that can be taken to prevent  "traffic anarchy". The following points are given as guidelines. You may add other points if you wish.
-Training
-Harder driving tests
-Building new roads
-Better traffic control and planning
- Stricter traffic rules and fines
-Alternative traffic transportation systems

7-	Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of being a successful sportsman

Advantages:
Fame
Money
National or international prestige
Good examples of youngsters 

Disadvantages :
No personal or family life 
Short active sports career
Lack of other training
Possible injury

8-	It is difficult for the young people of developing countries to be independent.
-Strong family ties
-No financial independence
-Social and cultural pressure
-Low level of education
-Educational system = no creativity or research

9-	It is more important to spend on the exploration of space  than on attempting to solve the social problems on earth. Write about one page discussing the advantages and disadvantages of the space race

Advantages                             			
If we restrict man's desire for knowledge-no progress    	
-Man's curiosity                        
-Space race fires imagination (Satellites, radio telescopes, Moon, Venus, Mars)
-Mass emigration from overpopulated  earth.-possibility?
-Most exciting possibility - communication with other beings          

Disadvantages
-Space race is not objective search for knowledge but power race
-Only wealthiest nations take part
-Necessities before luxuries(Poverty, hunger, war, disease)
-Impossible to reach even nearest star.
- No practical use

10-	Real democracy is only possible in countries where there is economic stability and educated voters.

Agree
-Uneducated voters more easily swayed by rhetoric
-vast differences in standards of living result in divergent values
-people more interested in improving living standards than 'philosophical' issues 

Disagree
-uneducated voters are not necessarily ignorant
-everybody feels the effects of lack of freedom
-people are not motivated only by economic issues

11-	Older people should be given a lot of love and attention to help them overcome their special problems

-loneliness
-inability to adapt to contemporary life
-illness
-fear of death

12-	Write about one page on the benefits of higher education
-more employment possibilities
-higher salary
-more prestige in society
-can contribute more to society
13-	The lives of fatally ill people should be ended. (For people who are fatally ill, euthanasia is the answer) 

For     
End suffering 
Reduce financial burden 
Patients' freedom of choice

Against
Religious and ethical considerations
new medical discoveries
conflict over the decision maker

14-	“The only thing people are interested in today is earning more money”.
-A materialistic society
- one is trained to be acquisitive
- 'mine' and 'yours' concepts learned in  early childhood 
-Success measured in money
- people's possessions on display 
- a criterion of wealth
-Modern industry creates new markets
- consumer goods everywhere
-More and more money must be earned

15-	Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using technological equipment for educational purposes

Advantages
saves time, space and energy.
aids further progress
reduces mistakes
facilitates self- learning

Disadvantages
kills creativity
leads to mental laziness
limited availability
expensive

16-	Compulsory military service should be abolished. It should be on the voluntary basis

Agree
Interruptions (Daily life, career) 
Decrease in productive workforce 
Limits allocation of resources 
Psychological problems

Disagree 
Better defence 
Acquisition of skills 
Gaining experience
Contrary to tradition, national values

17-	Young people's career prospects are not reward according to their ability 
	Write an essay arguing for the above statement
Young people today are better educated than their elders- ambitious and eager to succeed.
Young people are prepared to move around within the job market.
Older people are settled with families and refuse to move
The view of the young are not considered- 
The old ones make the decisions
Young people bring innovations and vigour to the job. Older people are more conservative and resist change
Young people have more energy demanded by the pace of life in the workplace today than their elders have.

18-	Turkey is the world's number one supplier of classical antiquities to the west- all illegal. Why? How could it be stopped?

Lack of education, no interest in archaeology 
Value of classical antiquities not appreciated. 
Turkish archaeologists have little technical knowledge -excavations are expensive to undertake- little state funding 
Western firms do excavating -leads to some smuggling 
Export of antiquities forbidden - not effectively applied 
Turkish Government must insist on the return of smuggled antiquities. 
The right to fight lawsuits in international courts 
The use of extradition of known smugglers through Interpol.