Essays: qualities of a good parent

TOPIC 178: What are some of the qualities of a good parent? Use specific details and examples to explain your answer.

Essay 1

Different parents have different methods to teach their own children. When faced with the decision of what some of the qualities of a good parent are, each person has his own opinion. From my point of view, I consider that consideration, encouragement, communication, and care are the qualities of a good parent. There are numerous reasons why I hold the above opinion, and I would explore only a few of the important ones here.

The primary reason why I persist in the above opinion is that these qualities help parents and children to understand each other. For example, consideration is a key to good relationships between parents and their children. When parents stand at children's point of view, it is easier for them to understand why children is behaving like that, and what they are thinking. This is will give parents a full understanding, and they will be able to find a suitable method to teach his children what to do correctly and how to do on such a thing. By such consideration and communication, children, of course, can accept their parent's advice. Meanwhile they can eliminate the so-called "generation gap", and the relationship between parents and their children is getting along very well.

Another factor which should deserve some words is that these qualities can promote children to make progress. For instance, encouragement is an effective way for a parent to teach his children. When a child fails to do something, because of his limited knowledge and experience, if his parent can encourage the child to do it again and help the child analyze the reason why what he has done is wrong. Then the child can learn more knowledge and will try it again, and he will succeed in doing such a thing finally.

What is more, these qualities help children grow up healthily. When parents take care of their children, children can feel family’s care and can stay at home very happy. This is very useful for children to grow up healthily. With these, children can form excellent character and be confident in doing things.

In a word, to be a good parent is not an easy thing, but with parents’ effort, each parent can do it very well. From what I have stated above, you may agree with my statement that consideration, encouragement, communication and care are the qualities of a good parent.

(Essay ID: 471. This is a 5 point essay)

Essay 2

I am fortunate to have good parents so it is easy for me to identify the qualities that make them good. These qualities are unconditional love, trust, and respect for me and my brothers and sisters.

All mothers and fathers love their children. They nurture them and keep them from harm. But not all love is unconditional. Some parents would not love their children if they married someone of a different religion or from a different ethnic group. Some parents would not love their children if they were of a different sexual orientation. My parents would. My parents-would love us regardless of whom we married or whom we chose to love.

Part of unconditional love is trust. My parents trust us to do what is right. They know we would never do anything to hurt them or to disgrace them. They trust us so we trust them. We are confident that they would never do anything to hurt us.

Because our parents love us, they also respect us. They treat us as individuals. They accept our differences. They do not expect us to be like them. They want us to be our own persons. They want us to make our own way in the world, not follow in their footsteps.

Without their love, I would not be as confident as I am. Without their trust, I would not be free to do what I want. Without their respect, I would not feel comfortable being on my own. All children should have such wonderful parents.

(Essay ID: 62 )

Essays: the 21st century

TOPIC 177: The 21st century has begun. What changes do you think this new century will bring? Use examples and details in your answer.

Essay

Now that we are in a new millennium, we can assume there will be changes in the world. I predict that the changes will be in the areas of information dissemination, global alliances, and family structure.

In the past decades, the computer was responsible for changing the way information was
organized. Now, the computer plus the Internet is changing the way information is spread. Information will now be universally available to anyone with a computer. You will not have to go to libraries to do research; you will not have to travel to visit scholars; you will not have to go to a bookstore to buy a book. You can do all of this from your home on the computer.

In the past decades, the nations of the world aligned themselves with the United States, the former Soviet Union, or with one another in a loose alliance. In the future, these alliances will be more fluid. Some countries will align politically with one country, but economically with another. Some countries will share technology and other information, but will not trade together. Some countries, which have long been enemies, will align militarily for regional security.

The family structure will not be based on a mother/father/child pattern. Single parent families will be more common and often the child will not be a biological child of the single parent, but will be adopted. Other family structures like domestic partnerships will become more accepted.

Whatever the changes may be, whether in the way we receive information, the way nations align with one another, or the way family units are defined, you can be sure that there will be more change. Change is a constant.

(Essay ID: 61 )

Essays: buy a car or go on vacation?

TOPIC 176: A friend of yours has received some money and plans to use all of it either * to go on vacation * to buy a car Your friend has asked you for advice. Compare your friend's two choices and explain which one you think your friend should choose. Use specific reasons and details to support your choice.

Essay 1

Between going on vacation and buying a car, I would like my friend to buy a car. Below is why.

The first and most important reason is that a car can bring him convenience. Undoubtedly, nowadays people rely on cars for transportation more than ever before. For example, when he drives a car to go shopping, he may feel more convenient and can pick up more groceries than before because he can put groceries in the car trunk instead of carrying them by hands. Furthermore, when he wants to pick somebody up, or travel to a scenic spot, a car will make him feel convenient.

Another great reason why I encourage my friend to buy a car is that my friend will not spend much time on commuting anymore. Everyday we waste too much time on waiting for a bus or riding a bicycle to work. We all experienced the frustration of taking a bus. After having their own cars, such the problems will disappear automatically.

Of course, if my friend decides to use his money to go on a vacation, I think that there are some advantages also. For example a vacation may increase his personal experience and knowledge, and may even reduce many troubles that are related to a car. But if all the factors are contemplated, I think that the advantages of buying the car will carry more weight than those of going on vacation.

From what has been discussed above, I may safely draw the conclusion that buying a car will be correct choice for my friend.

(Essay ID: 59 )

Essay 2

Trying to decide how to use your money is always tough. Should you use your money to buy a car or go on a vacation? Both afford lasting pleasure, but of a very different kind. From a vacation you get the pleasure of doing wonderful things and of totally relaxing and enjoying yourself. The memories you bring home with you can give you that same pleasure again every time you think of them.

A car also gives you pleasure, every time you drive it. There's the pleasure of not having to depend on public transportation. You can go places off the beaten track, where public
transportation doesn't go. There is also the pleasure of being independent. You are able to go anywhere your car can take you, without depending on others.

A vacation gives you the opportunity to learn new things and meet new and interesting people. However, it's only for a short period of time. A car gives you the same opportunities on a smaller level, but on a more regular basis. With a car, you can go someplace new every weekend. You can also join a car pool. That way you can share travel expenses with the new people you meet.

Some people might say that spending your money on a vacation instead of on a car is being impractical. But nothing is as satisfying as a really good vacation. It's mentally and physically healthy. It gives you a chance to get away from all that is familiar to you and see the world from a new perspective. It lets you do nothing but play, the way you did when you were a child. Being able to play, even for a short period of time, is absolutely necessary for everyone's mental health. I would choose the vacation, because we all deserve to indulge ourselves sometimes.

(Essay ID: 60 )

Essays: if you could create a new holiday...

TOPIC 175: Holidays honor people or events. If you could create a new holiday, what person or event would it honor and how would you want people to celebrate it? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

Essay 1

Most countries already have many holidays. In my country, China, we have nineteen official holidays. However, I believe that my new holiday, "Walking Day" would be very beneficial and should be added to the nineteen holidays China already has. In this essay, I will outline the three main reasons why "Walking Day" would be a very good holiday.

First, walking is good exercise. As we all know, people all over the world are becoming busier and busier. They are studying more and more so that they can have better jobs. When they work, they are working more and more. As a result, people have less time for other important things in their lives, including exercise. We can read reports in the newspapers everyday about people who have worse health and complain about poor health condition. Many of these problems could be reduced by exercising more and walking is one of the best and simplest exercises for people.

Second, by walking, we can reduce pollution and thereby protect the environment. As technology improves all over the world and people have more and more money, they are starting to use this money to buy automobiles. As a result, people are using public transportation less and less. Driving one's own car every day has had a very large impact on the environment as a result of the pollution created by gas burning automobiles. Walking is the perfect way to reduce pollution since there are so many other benefits as well.

Finally, by walking, people can slow down the pace of their lives. Perhaps this is one of the greatest benefits of walking more. Life at the beginning of the new millennium is stressful--people are competing with each other for better jobs, countries and companies are competing with each other for business. Many people start to forget about the importance of slowing down in their lives, of simply enjoying the moment. People need to contemplate life more. Walking is a perfect opportunity to slow down, think about life, and simply enjoy the big, beautiful world that we live in.

Finally, we could celebrate this holiday by encouraging people to walk instead of driving or taking the bus for at least one trip during the day. I believe that people could find at least one trip during the day that they could make on foot instead of some other form of transportation. For example, if people usually drive to a large supermarket to buy food, perhaps they could walk to a closer, smaller market to buy only a few things. I believe that while people were walking, they would be able to enjoy the exercise and the fresh air and would be able to think calmly and clearly.

In short, if I had to create a new holiday, I would create "Walking Day" because of the many simple benefits it could provide us.

(Essay ID: 57 . Sample essay provided by Erin Billy of www.TestMagic.com)

Essay 2

October 24 is Union Nations Day. The day is noted in the calendars, but not observed as a holiday around the world. I want the entire world to celebrate the birth of the United Nations because of its attempts to promote peace, education, and health around the world.

Peace is the most important thing that we can have today. The sooner that we can stop war the sooner we can all have better lives. There are countries around the world that have been at war for generations. In some of these countries, UN Peacekeepers have temporarily stopped the violence so people can go about their lives. If this peace could be made lasting, the lives of these citizens would be much richer.

The UN actively works to promote education. Universal literacy is one of its important goals. Every child in the world deserves to know how to read and write. The UN is also involved in job training for adults. The age of information technology demands new job skills.-The UN works with continuing education programs around the world so workers are not left out of the job market.

The UN has played an instrumental role in the eradication of smallpox. Polio vaccines and AIDS-awareness programs have also helped reduce the incidence of these diseases. There is a lot to be done in these areas.

Much of the work of the UN is unknown and underappreciated. If we want to live in a peaceful world, where every child can attend school and where every citizen has access to health care, we need to support the work of the UN. We need to recognize its importance and celebrate its birthday.

(Essay ID: 58 )

Essays: your learning style

TOPIC 174: Some students like classes where teachers lecture (do all of the talking) in class. Other students prefer classes where the students do some of the talking. Which type of class do you prefer? Give specific reasons and details to support your choice.

Essay

In my country, the lecture system is the most common system. It is the one I prefer for three reasons: I am used to the lecture system; it is an efficient system; I am too shy to talk in class.

All my life, I have listened to teachers. They come into the room, open their books, and start to lecture. We students sit quietly at our desks and take notes. We never ask questions because we don't want to seem stupid. At the end of the course, we are given a test. If we can repeat on the test what the teacher said in class, we will get a good grade.

The lecture system is an efficient one. The teacher is the one who knows the subject, not the students. It is a waste of time listening to a student's ideas. What good will that do me? Time is short. I want the teacher to give me as much information as he or she can during the class period.

Even if we could talk in class, I would never open my mouth. I am much too shy. I would be afraid the other students would laugh at me and make fun of my ideas. I prefer to listen to the teacher and memorize the teacher's ideas.

I hope I can always study in a school where they use the lecture system. I think it is better to continue with what one is used to. I also think that there is a lot of information that I must learn in the most efficient manner possible. I wouldn't want to interrupt a teacher with my foolish questions.

(Essay ID: 56 )

Essays: generation gap

TOPIC 173: Every generation of people is different in important ways. How is your generation different from your parents' generation? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer.

Essay

The principal differences between my generation and my parents' generation are in how they relate to others. My generation is more tolerant of other people's choices, less concerned about what others think, and more self-centered.

My parents' generation has stricter standards about what kinds of behavior are acceptable. They sometimes have a hard time accepting the fact that other people may have different ideas about what's right and what's wrong. My generation thinks people should have a lot of choices. For example, they choose whom they want to live with, whether or not to have children, whether or not to practice a particular religion, and what to do for a living.

My parents (generation is much more concerned about what other people think of them. Many grew up in tightly knit communities where people knew each other's families. Fitting in meant that you had to act a certain way. Many of my generation grew up in loosely knit communities, where we only knew about our closest neighbors. We didn't care what the rest of the community thought of us. Also, we were a very rebellious generation and often did things just to shock people.

Wherever we grew up, most of my generation didn't have to worry about having enough to eat or a roof over our heads. My parents' generation did. They grew up during the Great Depression, when many people were poor. For this reason, my parents didn't have time to analyze their feelings or think about their inner selves. They were too busy trying to get by. Children of my generation were well taken care of by their parents. Because of that, we had time to think about ourselves and our place in the universe. As adults, many of us have continued to be self-absorbed.

We join health clubs to be perfect in body and go into therapy to be perfect in mind.
When I think about our actions, it seems that my parents' generation is more "outer" directed and my generation is more "inner directed."

(Essay ID: 55 )

Essays: borrowing money from a friend

TOPIC 172: It is sometimes said that borrowing money from a friend can harm or damage the friendship. Do you agree? Why or why not? Use reasons and specific examples to explain your answer.

Essay

I don't think it's a very good idea to borrow money from a friend. It can cause resentment and awkwardness in the relationship. How do you approach your friend without making him feel he has to do this for you? It's unlikely he'll feel as if he can turn you down. Can he turn you down without insulting you? Probably not.

How do you know whether your friend can afford to lend you the money? He may be embarrassed to admit he's a little short of funds himself. Or he might not want to disappoint you. So he lends you the money and then he needs money, too.

There's also the question of when you'll pay back the loan. It's awkward for your friend to ask for a deadline for repayment. Besides, if you're short of funds, you may not be able to predict when you'll pay him back. What about interest on the loan? If it's a small amount of money, this doesn't matter. However, if large funds are involved, and you won't be paying it back for a while, should you offer to pay interest? Should your friend ask you to pay interest? All these issues can result in hurt feelings and can harm the friendship.

It's possible, of course, that if you borrow money from a friend and pay it back in a timely fashion, this will create a special bond between the two of you. You'll know that you can count on your friend when you need help. He'll know you're trustworthy.

However, more often than not, money issues between friends are an embarrassment. If you need money, it's better to go to a bank for a loan.

(Essay ID: 54 )