Some people say that parents should decide on what kind of medical care their children should receive, while others believe that this is the state’s responsibility
Discuss both views and give your opinion
Although almost everyone agrees about the necessity to provide children with the best healthcare, there is some dispute about whether parents or the government should decide what that care is. My own view is that while governments may adopt a general policy for children’s medical care, parents should normally have the ultimate say.
There are good grounds for arguing that the state should decide on the form of medical provision for children. One of these is that typically the state is better able to make informed decisions because it has access to all the latest medical research. Another is that occasionally there are epidemics in schools and it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that illnesses should not be spread unnecessarily. In this case, it might justifiably order compulsory vaccination.
Equally there is a very strong argument for allowing parents to decide on what care their children receive. This is because one extremely important principle is that everyone should have the right to choose what care they receive. For children who are too young to make their own choice, it is only natural that their parents should make that decision for them. This is particularly important for families that come from a culture where certain medical interventions such as blood transfusions are forbidden. In this case, it seems quite wrong for the government to order something that may go against religious beliefs.
In conclusion, I do accept that there are good reasons for the state to outline what care children should receive, but parents should be able to have the last word particularly when religious principles are at stake.
(271 words – Dominic Cole)
Saturday, May 13, 2017
IELTS Writing Task 2: Science and technology have improved the standards of living in all over the world. Some people claim that the role of the arts has become insignificant. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Science and technology have improved the standards of living in all over the world. Some people claim that the role of the arts has become insignificant.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
There is no doubt that the quality of our lives in the 21st century has been greatly improved by various scientific and technological advances. Despite this, the arts and humanities too still have much to teach us about ourselves and life in general.
One area in which we can learn from the arts is that concepts such as beauty matter in and of themselves, whereas in the world of science and technology the only true measure is whether something works or not. This is a limited view of the world and the arts differ in that they offer us an alternative and more spiritual outlook. For example, if we listen to Mozart we can learn about harmony and joy through the medium of music or if even we read an author like PG Wodehouse we learn about the value of humour. These essential aspects of life are absent from the clinical world of science and technology.
The other way in which artists can teach us more about life is that enjoying art encourages the habit of self- reflection. If you walk into an art gallery, attend a concert or even just stay in to read a book, you will almost certainly begin to think about your inner values. For me, this is a invaluable lesson in life because if we begin to reflect about ourselves, we begin not just to become more human, but also consider the lives of others too.
So while science and technology may have made our physical lives more comfortable in the 21st century. It remains true that the arts and humanities are still absolutely necessary for ordinary people as they promote a more spiritual and reflective view of life that is essential to our humanity.
(289 words – Dominic Cole)
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
There is no doubt that the quality of our lives in the 21st century has been greatly improved by various scientific and technological advances. Despite this, the arts and humanities too still have much to teach us about ourselves and life in general.
One area in which we can learn from the arts is that concepts such as beauty matter in and of themselves, whereas in the world of science and technology the only true measure is whether something works or not. This is a limited view of the world and the arts differ in that they offer us an alternative and more spiritual outlook. For example, if we listen to Mozart we can learn about harmony and joy through the medium of music or if even we read an author like PG Wodehouse we learn about the value of humour. These essential aspects of life are absent from the clinical world of science and technology.
The other way in which artists can teach us more about life is that enjoying art encourages the habit of self- reflection. If you walk into an art gallery, attend a concert or even just stay in to read a book, you will almost certainly begin to think about your inner values. For me, this is a invaluable lesson in life because if we begin to reflect about ourselves, we begin not just to become more human, but also consider the lives of others too.
So while science and technology may have made our physical lives more comfortable in the 21st century. It remains true that the arts and humanities are still absolutely necessary for ordinary people as they promote a more spiritual and reflective view of life that is essential to our humanity.
(289 words – Dominic Cole)
IELTS Writing Task 2: In the past lectures were the traditional method of teaching large numbers of students. Nowadays new technology is increasingly being used to teach students. Do the advantages of this new approach outweigh the disadvantages?
In the past lectures were the traditional method of teaching large numbers of students. Nowadays
new technology is increasingly being used to teach students.
Do the advantages of this new approach outweigh the disadvantages?
As we move into the twenty-first century, technology is affecting many different areas of life and education is no exception. Indeed, in some institutions traditional forms of education have been revolutionised by new technology to the extent that the lecture is no longer the main method of delivery. While there are a variety of benefits to this new approach, there are also significant drawbacks.
Perhaps the greatest bonus of the introduction of technology is the flexibility it offers. This is evident in two different ways. Firstly, it is now no longer essential for students to be present in the lecture theatre for their courses. This means that part-time courses for adults who are in employment and distance learning courses for people in other countries are now much more practical. Another area of flexibility is of course that the lecturer and tutor are able to use Moodles, interactive whiteboards and other tools to deliver their courses in a more stimulating way to large numbers of students.
Not everything, however, about the introduction of this new technology into education is positive. One major problem is that not all students are comfortable with using technology, even if they are part of the digital native generation. This is a serious issue as they may suffer from their lack of technological skills. Another related issue is that education is a human activity and it works best with as much human interaction as possible. Impersonal technology cannot replace the human contact found in traditional face-to-face tutorials and seminars.
As we have seen, there are major benefits to the introduction of technology into education, not least because it enables modern forms of education such as distance learning courses. This is balanced, however, by the fact that it can be too impersonal for some and disadvantages others for their lack of technological skills.
(305 words – Dominic Cole)
Do the advantages of this new approach outweigh the disadvantages?
As we move into the twenty-first century, technology is affecting many different areas of life and education is no exception. Indeed, in some institutions traditional forms of education have been revolutionised by new technology to the extent that the lecture is no longer the main method of delivery. While there are a variety of benefits to this new approach, there are also significant drawbacks.
Perhaps the greatest bonus of the introduction of technology is the flexibility it offers. This is evident in two different ways. Firstly, it is now no longer essential for students to be present in the lecture theatre for their courses. This means that part-time courses for adults who are in employment and distance learning courses for people in other countries are now much more practical. Another area of flexibility is of course that the lecturer and tutor are able to use Moodles, interactive whiteboards and other tools to deliver their courses in a more stimulating way to large numbers of students.
Not everything, however, about the introduction of this new technology into education is positive. One major problem is that not all students are comfortable with using technology, even if they are part of the digital native generation. This is a serious issue as they may suffer from their lack of technological skills. Another related issue is that education is a human activity and it works best with as much human interaction as possible. Impersonal technology cannot replace the human contact found in traditional face-to-face tutorials and seminars.
As we have seen, there are major benefits to the introduction of technology into education, not least because it enables modern forms of education such as distance learning courses. This is balanced, however, by the fact that it can be too impersonal for some and disadvantages others for their lack of technological skills.
(305 words – Dominic Cole)
IELTS Blog: Why attitude is more important than IQ
IELTS Blog: Why attitude is more important than IQ: Why attitude is more important than IQ Success lies in how you handle defeat. Scott Barbour/Getty Images LinkedIn Influencer Dr. Travis ...
Why attitude is more important than IQ
Why attitude is more important
than IQ
Success lies in how you handle defeat. Scott Barbour/Getty Images LinkedIn Influencer Dr. Travis Bradberry published this post originally on LinkedIn.
When it comes to success, it's easy to think that people blessed with (~ having something) brains will inevitably leave the rest of us in the dust (~leave smb far behind). But new research from Stanford University
Success lies in how you handle defeat. Scott Barbour/Getty Images LinkedIn Influencer Dr. Travis Bradberry published this post originally on LinkedIn.
When it comes to success, it's easy to think that people blessed with (~ having something) brains will inevitably leave the rest of us in the dust (~leave smb far behind). But new research from Stanford University
will change your mind (and your attitude).
Psychologist Carol Dweck has spent her entire career studying attitude and performance, and her latest study shows that your attitude is a better predictor of your success than your IQ.
Dweck found that people's core attitudes fall into one of two categories: a fixed mindset or a growth mindset.
With a fixed mindset, you believe that you are who you are and you cannot change. This creates problems when you're challenged because anything that appears to be more than you can handle is bound to make you feel hopeless and overwhelmed.
People with a growth mindset believe that they can improve with effort. They outperform those with a fixed mindset, even when they have a lower IQ, because they embrace challenges, treating them as opportunities to learn something new.
Psychologist Carol Dweck has spent her entire career studying attitude and performance, and her latest study shows that your attitude is a better predictor of your success than your IQ.
Dweck found that people's core attitudes fall into one of two categories: a fixed mindset or a growth mindset.
With a fixed mindset, you believe that you are who you are and you cannot change. This creates problems when you're challenged because anything that appears to be more than you can handle is bound to make you feel hopeless and overwhelmed.
People with a growth mindset believe that they can improve with effort. They outperform those with a fixed mindset, even when they have a lower IQ, because they embrace challenges, treating them as opportunities to learn something new.
Common sense would suggest that having ability, like being smart,
inspires confidence. It does, but only while the going is easy. The
deciding factor in life is how you handle setbacks and challenges.
People with a growth mindset welcome setbacks with open arms.
According to Dweck, success in life is all about how you deal with failure. She describes the approach to failure of people with the growth mindset this way,
"Failure is information—we label it failure, but it's more like, 'This didn't work, and I'm a problem solver, so I'll try something else.'"
According to Dweck, success in life is all about how you deal with failure. She describes the approach to failure of people with the growth mindset this way,
"Failure is information—we label it failure, but it's more like, 'This didn't work, and I'm a problem solver, so I'll try something else.'"
Regardless of which side of the chart you fall on, you can make
changes and develop a growth mindset. What follows are some
strategies that will fine-tune your mindset and help you make certain
it's as growth oriented as possible.
Don't stay helpless
We all hit moments when we feel helpless. The test is how we react to that feeling.
Don't stay helpless
We all hit moments when we feel helpless. The test is how we react to that feeling.
We can either learn from it and move forward or let it drag us down
Countless successful people would have never made it if they had succumbed to feelings of helplessness: Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star because he "lacked imagination and had no good ideas"; Oprah Winfrey was fired from her job as a TV anchor in Baltimore for being "too emotionally invested in her stories"; Henry Ford had two failed car companies before succeeding with Ford; and Steven Spielberg was rejected by USC's School of Cinematic Arts multiple times.
Imagine what would have happened if any of these people had a fixed mindset. They would have succumbed to the rejection and given up hope.
People with a growth mindset don't feel helpless because they know that to be successful you need to be willing to fail hard and then bounce right back.
Countless successful people would have never made it if they had succumbed to feelings of helplessness: Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star because he "lacked imagination and had no good ideas"; Oprah Winfrey was fired from her job as a TV anchor in Baltimore for being "too emotionally invested in her stories"; Henry Ford had two failed car companies before succeeding with Ford; and Steven Spielberg was rejected by USC's School of Cinematic Arts multiple times.
Imagine what would have happened if any of these people had a fixed mindset. They would have succumbed to the rejection and given up hope.
People with a growth mindset don't feel helpless because they know that to be successful you need to be willing to fail hard and then bounce right back.
Be passionate
Empowered people pursue their passions relentlessly. There will always be someone who is more naturally talented than you are, but what you lack in talent you can make up for in passion.
Empowered people's passion is what drives their unrelenting pursuit of excellence. Warren Buffett recommends finding your truest passions using what he calls the 5/25 technique: Write down the 25 things you care about the most. Then cross out the bottom 20. The remaining five are your true passions. Everything else is merely a distraction.
Empowered people pursue their passions relentlessly. There will always be someone who is more naturally talented than you are, but what you lack in talent you can make up for in passion.
Empowered people's passion is what drives their unrelenting pursuit of excellence. Warren Buffett recommends finding your truest passions using what he calls the 5/25 technique: Write down the 25 things you care about the most. Then cross out the bottom 20. The remaining five are your true passions. Everything else is merely a distraction.
Take action
It's not that people with a growth mindset are able to overcome their fears because they are braver than the rest of us; it's just that they know fear and anxiety are paralyzing emotions and that the best way to overcome this paralysis is to take action. People with a growth mindset are empowered, and empowered people know there is no such thing as a truly perfect moment to move forward. So why wait for one? Taking action turns all your worry and |
concern about failure into positive, focused energy.
Then go the extra mile (or two) Empowered people give it their all, even on their worst days. They're always pushing themselves to go the extra mile. One of Bruce Lee's pupils ran three miles every day with him. One day, they were about to hit the three-mile mark when Bruce said, "Let's do two more." His pupil was tired and said, "I'll die if I run two more." Bruce's response? "Then do it." His pupil became so angry that he finished the full five miles. Exhausted and furious, he confronted Bruce about his comment, and Bruce explained it this way: "Quit and you might as well be dead. If you always put limits on what you can do, physical or anything else, it'll spread over into the rest of your life. It'll spread into your work, into your morality, into your entire being. There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there; you must go beyond them. If |
it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly exceed his level."
"Quit and you might as well be dead."
If you aren't getting a little bit better each day, then you're most likely
getting a little worse — and what kind of life is that?
Expect results
People with a growth mindset know they will fail from time to time,
but they never let that keep them from expecting results. Expecting results keeps you motivated and feeds the cycle of empowerment.
After all, if you don't think you're going to succeed, then why bother? |
Be flexible
Everyone encounters unanticipated adversity. Empowered people with a growth-oriented mindset embrace adversity as a means for improvement, as opposed to something that holds them back. When an unexpected situation challenges empowered people, they flex (~prepare before doing physical activity) until they get results.
Don't complain when things don't go your
way
Complaining is an obvious sign of a fixed mindset. A growth mindset looks for opportunity in everything, so there's no room for complaints.
Bringing it all together
By keeping track of how you respond to the little things, you can work every day to keep yourself on the right side of the chart above.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)