TOPIC 128

TOPIC 128: A university plans to develop a new research center in your country. Some people want a center for business research. Other people want a center for research in agriculture (farming). Which of these two kinds of research centers do you recommend for your country? Use specific reasons in your recommendation.

Essay 1

The importance of agricultural and business research centers cannot be underestimated. Success in farming and success in business each can improve a country's standing. I think that agricultural research tends to improve the quality of individual citizens' lives, whereas successful business practices improve a country's economy in relation to other nations. Choosing between an agricultural and a business research center is a difficult decision. However, I believe that the agricultural research center would be most beneficial because its benefits are more widespread.

Business practices in the United States already serve as a model for many other countries. While we certainly have much to learn, the U.S. already has a fairly solid economic basis. Further, businesses are already well-connected internationally. They have the advantage of the Internet and other means of electronic information transmission. I think that a business research center would really only help a few directly. Businessmen would get richer. For the rest of the country's people, there might be little obvious benefit.

On the other hand, an agricultural research center would help all people. No country can survive without adequate means of food production. While the U.S. is able to produce or import enough food now, that may not remain the case if current trends continue. Natural resources are eroding, and more and more American farms are closing. Farmers need to build stronger networks across the country and internationally, much as businessmen already have done. Ultimately, better systems for farming will help all people. For example, food prices can be reduced as farmers discover more effective means of food production.

Morally, I believe that it is best to do what will benefit the most people. I believe that the
university's decision to build an agricultural research center could do just that.

(Essay ID: 225 )

Essay 2

Since the announcement of the University's plan to develop a new research center in our country, many people have showed their concern for the project and expressed their views of type of center it should be. It is now clear that the diversified views have converged to two: a business research center or an agriculture research center. Now that we have to make a decision, I think we should chose the latter without hesitation.

As everybody knows, our country is an agricultural country whose farming produce is not enough to feed its own people. We have no way out but to develop our agriculture because agriculture is the foundation of our national economy and because it would be a disaster to the whole world if we rely on foreign food to feed the biggest population in the world.

To develop our agriculture, we cannot just call on the peasants to work harder because they have being working the hardest from generation to generation. What we should do is to raise their educational level and provide them with better seeds, more fertilizers, advanced machinery and equipment, and up-to-date technical advises. In short, we have to rely on science and technology to develop our agriculture.

Some people would say that this cannot be a convincing reason because science and technology are needed not only in agriculture but also in all other fields. My view is that our situation in agriculture is the most serious and the challenges are the greatest. Ours is a big country with widely different climates and soil conditions. If we are to assist the peasants, we have to study all types of crops and all the farming conditions in this land. With a research center, these problems can be studied and solved systematically. But so far, no agriculture research center worthy of the name has been set up while there is already a business center in the southern part of the country.

Because of the above reasons, I strongly recommend that we develop a research center for agriculture purpose and I also strongly recommend this center be well funded. If we take this step and succeed in this endeavor, our agricultural produce will be greatly increased and our whole national economy will achieve a solid foundation.

(Essay ID: 444 )