LESSON 12 PAGE 60 61

TASK 2: For each of the following essay

questions,
a.underline the key words,
b.write a thesis statement, that states your
opinion,
c. and add two or more general sentences to the
thesis statement to make the complete
introductory paragraph for your intended essay.
1. It is important for travelers and business
people to understand the cultures they come
into contact with. What are the main advantages
of doing so?
There is no doubt that the number of visitors
and businessmen who are traveling abroad has
been increasing markedly in recent years.
However, not surprisingly, understanding the
culture of local people brings many benefits for
all type of travelers as well as problems for
those who do not know a new culture. This
essay will discuss advantages of understanding
other cultures and drawbacks due to not
comprehending them.
First of all, no sensible person can deny the
importance of understanding a new culture.
This means, your awareness will help you both
avoid violating local taboos and approach the
resident’s life when you come to the new land.
For instance, when you visit the Asian temples,
it is not permitted to wear short and colorful
clothes because it is impolite for the saint.
Another example, the Indonesian can consider
it is an arrogant act if you fold your arms or put
your hand inside the pocket while talking with
others. So, comprehending cultural
characteristics is very necessary for those who
want to travel or live abroad.
Besides that, for a businessman who wants to
make a profit and run a lucrative business in
another country ought to have some knowledge
about interests and aspects of people in that
country. For example, a person who imports
some conservative clothes into a country whose
people are not religious. Consequently,
everything goes badly and he cannot sell
anything. It is clear that capturing the culture
also helps businessmen succeed in expanding
the market.
However, the lack of understanding of cultures
and traditions would lead to misunderstanding
and increased tension between countries. Take
Islamic countries, for instance. In these
countries, a kiss towards unmarried women was
banned by Islamic law. As a result, if people
from other countries give a kiss to the women
by a way of greeting, they will into trouble. So,
you will have a lot of troubles if you do not find
out about particular cultures of the host country.
In conclusion, it is essential for visitors and
business people to get to know and be familiar
with some aspects of people’s personalities in
the host country to be able to enjoy their
journeys and run a profitable business. In the
future, if travelers and business people
understand more the cultures of the countries,
misunderstandings and troubles will disappear,
and the economies will grow.
2. Employers should pay young people the
same salary as older colleagues doing the same
job. To
what extent do you agree or disagree?
Employers of labour often pay younger people
equal salary as older contemporaries. I am of
the opinion that remuneration should be based
on experience and skills irrespective of age. The
following will explain my views in detail.
In the Labour Market, experience and skills
matter and it informs employment decisions.
Firstly, a younger employee could be more
experienced than an older employee which
often translates to higher pay. For instance,
some companies have different employment
packages for more experienced employees
engaged in the same role with less experienced
ones. Besides, an employer of labour would
compensate a higher skilled worker more than
lower one engaged in similar roles. For
example, a Banker with a Master's degree and
an accounting qualification should be expected
to earn higher than one with just a Bachelor's
degree doing the same job. Thus, skills and
experience matters in the working environment.
However, it would be a total injustice for
employers to discriminate in pay without a clear
discrepancy in the number of working years and
qualifications obtained regardless of their ages
in same role. This entails that similar skills and
experience should be offered equal
renumeration. Hypothetically, if John has
worked as an Engineer with the same number of
years as Tom, he is right to anticipate equal
pay. Therefore, for justice to prevail in the
workplace, equality of wages for
contemporaries with similar conditions should
be encouraged.
In conclusion, age should never be considered
as a factor that determines compensation in a
workplace. Equivalent wages amongst
employees on the same job is only valid when
they have similar skills and experience.
3. Do you agree or disagree with the following
statement? Universities should make more links
with businesses.
Your thesis statement:
Some people believe that universities
should give more money for the sports
activities. They claim that importance of
libraries and sports are the same. I can not
completely agree with this statement. In the
following paragraphs I will give some basic
reasons why I think that way.
I am a former student and I know all
advantages that can be given by libraries.
First for all, it is the cheapest way to
prepare for the incoming lecture, to do the
homework, to make a research and just to
read some books. From my point of view, it
is very important to supply the libraries with
the new books, magazines, journals and
newspaper. Second of all, libraries are the
places where students can spend a few
hours reading between lectures if their
schedule does not allow them to go home. 
So, libraries must be light and large
enough, have comfortable chairs and
tables. A third reason, why a good library is
so significant for a student, is that it is a
free access to computers and an Internet. If
a student can not allow to buy himself a
computer or an access to the Internet he
can use it there. I like libraries because  it
is a good place to meet and communicate
with each other, serf the Internet looking for
the last news, read some books that you do
not want to buy and just relax to the
accompaniment of the pages.
As for sports activities, I think it must be up
to a person. First of all, he or she goes to a
university to gain knowledge, not lose
some weight or  work out. Second of all, a
student must arrange his or her time in
order to have time to exercise. However, I
must say that every university should have
a few playing-fields, a pool and a fitness
center where students may have a rest
after strained days.
One more reason to have really good
libraries is that it can save not only money
but time for students. A person has not to
drive to the bookstore to get materials he or
she is looking for. So, a library can save
time that then can be spent on a sport.
To summarize, I think libraries must stay
the main resource of knowledge. So, if a
university has some extra money they
should be spent on the new books, new
software and new equipment for the
libraries.
LESSON 13 PAGE 61
TASK 2: Complete sentences 1-3 with your
own ideas. Compare your answers with your
partner’s and see if you agree with his or her
idea.
1.If you don’t get enough sleep, it may not
seem like that big of a deal. Plenty of people
get by on only a few hours a night, and
somehow make it through their day — albeit
with a few extra cups of coffee. Others even
 seem to thrive on little sleep. But the reality
is, chronic sleep deprivation is bad for
you. And it can even play a role in the
development of certain health issues.
Nowadays, every people preffer consulting
with a group of people some of the
problems because they think that they can
find a solution or they have the best way to
make an important decision, but I do not
think like that, for that reason I desagree
with this statement, for some reasons.

Firstly, because every person have

different way to make an important
decision, for example If I have a problem I
know that I can find a solution not it is
necessary talk about my problem with a
group of people.

Secondly, imagine that I need help and I

talk with that group of people, probably I
can not find a good way to make a decision
because they can told me about a bad
idea, a bad decision or they don not want
help me and this can be a problem, for
example, my sister told me two years ago
that she was working in a company, but
she had to make an important decision and
she felt frustrated and her decided
consulting with a group of coworkers and
they did not pay attention to her and after
two minute they make a bad idea, but, she
decided to choose a bad option, for that
reason we don not have to consulting with
a group of people when they did not pay
attention or they don not want to help.

Lastly, because we have to believe in our

self, because if we have to make an
important decision we have to think,
analyze and try to find the best way,
because we can, we don not have to
depend of a group of people, also because
we know our problems, it is necessary to
think in advantages and disadvantages
before to make a good decision.

In conclusion, I disagree with this

statement because in some cases we
cannot find a good solution if we only want
to listen other people and we don not
believe in our self, but If I believe in my self
not it is necessary consulting with a group
of people.
2.When travelling medium distances, some
people prefer to fly. Others prefer to take
express trains. Which do you prefer? a. Trains
and airplanes have both advantages and
disadvantages. b. I don’t really like flying
because it is very expensive and I often get
airsick. Thesis statement: Although some
people prefer to fly, I’d rather take the train

Nowadays people have many opportunities to

visit different places, and also, they have
different choices to decide how they want to
travel. Some people think when traveling long
distances its better fly. However, some others
think when traveling medium distances, it is
better to take an express train. In my opinion, I
agree with the last point of view, because
traveling by train I have so many things to
enjoy, and in this essay, I will show you some
reasons to support that.

Firstly, you can appreciate the beautiful and

awesome view all the way. When we travel by
train we can go observing through our window
different new things, you can look at the
window and see how nature is changing and
different cities and villages are floating pass
you. Moreover, you can look through the
window and watch the beauty of nature and
beautiful trees, houses, hills and industrial
districts go by. In addition, we can see many
new things that we cannot see if we go to by
airplane and only see clouds. This one becomes
one of the strengths that going by train have,
and it is part of the way we can enjoy our travel.

Secondly, we can travel for a lower price and in

less time. It is said that traveling by plane is
faster than traveling by train. However,
nowadays, you can use an express train, which
helps us to save more time and more money.
We must have to know that If we go by
airplane, airfare is more expensive than travel
by train, and the travel fees are not than lower
than going by train, because it includes different
services, that probably going by train does not
have. However, it does not mean that traveling
by train would not be comfortable, and the
service would not be good, because it is. One
advantage of going by train is that we can save
money, and be on time. In fact, this money can
help us during the travel, or in the place, we are
going to arrive after traveling. On the other
hand, we can save this money to return from
our travel and bring some souvenirs from the
place we have already visited.
Thirdly, traveling by train is more comfortable,
you do not have to suffer from high pressure or
any stresses be in any case you are afraid of
high. Consequently, you have time to read
newspapers or just read a book, and to talk with
a lot of people during your journey. In fact, you
can listen to music, watch movies or series on a
laptop or TV screen, and nothing can disturb
you.

Taking everything into consideration, traveling

by train is the best option when you want to
travel medium distances. In my opinion,
traveling by train can be very relaxing and
comfortable at a lower price. You can sit by a
window while having a meal or snack and
enjoy the view of the countryside, or engage in
conversation with another passenger or simply
enjoy the travel doing your own things.