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Example-1

Issue

In some countries, television and radio programs are carefully censored for offensivelanguage and behavior. In other countries, there is little or no censorship.

Question

In your view, to what extent should government or any other group be able to censortelevision or radio programs? Explain, giving relevant reason and/or examples to supportyour position.

Analysis

In the matter of censoring television and radio programs for offensive language andbehavior, there is an inherent conflict between our right as citizens forfreedom of information and the government s duty to protect us from potential harm. I think thatthe rights of individuals should take a back seat while compared to society s interest inpreventing the harm that exposure to obscenity can cause to the citizens, particularlythe youth.

It is my belief that exposure to obscene and offensive language and behavior can

influence the behavior of those who are exposed to it, although it is difficult to prove aconclusive cause and effect relationship. But both common sense and our experienceswith children lead us to believe that people often tend to ape the language and thebehavior which they are exposed to day after day.

No one can deny that obscene and offensive behavior is indeed harmful to a society andsuch harm is both tangible and deep. For the individual, it has a debasing impact onvital human relationships; for the society, it promotes a tendency toward immoraland antisocial behavior. Both outcomes, in turn, tear apart the social fabric that holds asociety together.

Those who advocate unbridled individual expression might point out that the right of free

speech is intrinsic to a democracy and necessary to its survival. Even so, this right is notabsolute, nor is it the most critical element. In my assessment, the interests served byrestricting obscenity in broadcast media are, on balance, more crucial to the survival of asociety. Advocates of free expression might also point out difficulties in defining

obscene or offensive language or behavior. But in my view, however difficult it maybe to agree on standards, the effort is worthwhile.

In sum, it is in our best interest as a society for the government to censor broadcastmedia for obscene and offensive language and behavior. Exposure to such media contenttends to harm society and its citizenry in ways that are worth preventing, even in light of the resulting infringement of our right of free expression.

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leaders against detractors, along with an appeal to self-interest, have we made someprogress. By the same token, efforts of individualnations to thwart international drugtrafficking have proven largely futile, because efforts have not been internationallybased. Similarly, the problem of energy conservation transcends national borders in thateither all nations must cooperate, or all will ultimately suffer.

In conclusion, nations are made up of individuals who, when left unconstrained, tend toact in their own self-interest and with short-term motives. In light of how we have dealt,or not dealt, with other global problems, it appears that an international effort is neededto ensure the preservation of natural resources for future generations.

Example-3

Issue

Corporations and other businesses should try to eliminate the many ranks andsalary grades that classify employees according to their experience and expertise. A

flat organizational structure is more likely to encourage collegiality and cooperationamong employees.

Question

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above.Support your views with reasons and / or examples from your own experience,observations, or reading.

Analysis

Which is a better way to classify and reward employees of a business; a flatorganizational structure or a hierarchical structure? The speaker prefers a flat structure in which distinctions between employees based on education or

experience are not used as a basis for monetary rewards. I strongly disagree with thespeaker s view, for two reasons.

In the first place, the speaker s preference for a flat structure is based upon the claimthat cooperation and collegiality among employees is more likely under this system thanunder a hierarchical one. However, this claim ignores our everyday experience inhuman interaction. Disagreements among coworkers are inevitable. Without a clearauthoritative figure to resolve them and to make final decisions, disputes are more likelyto go unresolved and even worsen, thereby undermining cooperation, congeniality and,ultimately, productivity and profit.

In the second place, whether or not collegiality and cooperation are best fostered by aflat organizational structure is beside the point. My main reason for rejecting

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an organizational structure that does not distinguish workers in terms of their abilities orexperience is that under such a system, workers have little incentive to improve theirskills, accomplish their work- related goals, or assume responsibility for the completionof their assigned tasks. In my experience, human motivation is such that withoutenticements such as money, status or recognition, few people would accomplish

anything of value or assume responsibility for any task. A flat system actually mightprovide a distinct disincentive for productivity and efficiency insofar as workers are notheld accountable for the quality or quantity of their work. By ignoring human nature,then, a company may be harming itself by encouraging laziness and complacency.

In sum, the speaker s opinion that a flat organizational structure is the best way topromote collegiality and cooperation among employees runs contrary to common senseabout how people act in a work environment, and in any case provides a feeble rationalefor the preference of one organizational structure over another.

Example-4

Issue

Of all the manifestations of power, restraint in the use of that power impresses peoplemost.(Manifestations: apparent signs or indicators)

Question

Explain what you think this quotation means and discuss the extent to which you agreeor disagree with it. Develop your position with reasons and / or specific examples drawnfrom history, current events, or your own experience, observations, or reading.

Analysis

This quote means essentially that people admire powerful individuals who do not usetheir power to the utmost to achieve their goals but rather use only the minimumamount required to attain them. While this view is admirable in theabstract,the statement is inaccurate in that it fails to reflect how people actually behave.

The popularity of revenge movies aptly illustrates that many people are not impressedwith individuals who use restraint when exercising their power. In these movies theprotagonist is typically portrayed as having certain physical abilities that would enablehim to easily defeat the various adversaries he encounters. In the initial confrontationswith these individuals he typically refrains from using his abilities to defeat them. The

audience, however, soon grows tired of this, and when the here finally loses control andcompletely demolishes his opponent, they burst into applause. This homey example

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strongly suggests that many people are more impressed with the use of power than withthe restraint of its use.

The Gulf War provides another example of a situation where restraint in the use of powerwas not widely acclaimed. When the allied forces under the command of General

Schwartz off showed restraint by not annihilating the retreating Iraqi army, the generalwas widely criticized by the public for not using the force available to him to eliminatethis potential enemy once and for all . This example shows once again that people areoften not impressed by individuals who exhibit restraint in using their power.

In conclusion, the examples cited above clearly indicate that, contrary to the viewexpressed in the quote, many if not most people are more impressed with individualswho utilize their power to the utmost than with those who exerciserestraint in the use of their power.

-5

Issue

All groups and organizations should function as teams in which everyone makesdecisions and shares responsibilities and duties. Giving one person central authority andresponsibility for a project or task is not an effective way to get work done.

Question

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the opinion expressed above? Supportyour views with reasons and / or specific examples drawn from your own work or schoolexperiences, your observations, or your reading.

Analysis

Which is a more productive method of performing a group task: allowing all groupmembers to share in the decision making, duties and responsibilities, or appointing onemember to make decisions, delegate duties and take responsibility? The speaker sopinion is that the first method is always the best one. In my view, however, each of these alternatives is viable in certain circumstances, as illustrated by two verydifferent examples.

A jury in a criminal trial is good example of a group in which shared decision making,duties, and responsibility is the most appropriate and effective way to get the job done.Each member of the jury is on equal footing with the others. While one person isappointed to head the jury, his or her function is to act as facilitator, not as leader. To

place ultimate authority and responsibility on the facilitator would essentially be toappoint a judge, and to thereby defeat the very purpose of the jury system.

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Secondly, people who have a high degree of freedom in choosing their lifestyle oftenacquire it through means that would not earn them the accolade of being successful. Forexample, lottery winners or people who inherit a great deal of money may be able tospend their life in any way they choose, but few people would regard them as successful

merely due to their financial fortune.

A third reason this definition of success is unacceptable is that it repudiates some of ourbasic intuitions about success. For most people, success is related to achievement. Themore you achieve, the more successful you are; conversely, the less you achieve theless successful you are. Defining success in terms of freedom of choice ignores thisintuition.

In sum, the proposed definition of success is far too limiting, and it belies our intuitionabout the concept. I think most people would agree with me that success is betterdefined in terms of the attainment of goals.

Example-7

Issue

The best way to give advice to other people is to find out what they want and thenadvise them how to attain it.

Question


Analysis

Is the best way to advise people to simply find out what they want and help them attainit? In my view, this method is generally not the best way to proceed in advising others;it ignores the plain truth that many people do not know what they want and do not knowwhat is best for themselves.

My main reason for rejecting this technique is that people very rarely have any clear ideaof what they want. This applies not only to consumer items such as clothing, carsand luxury items but also to what they want out of life in general. In fact, numerous

studies have shown that most people cannot list the ten things they want most out of life, even if given considerable time to think about it.

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My second reason for rejecting this method is that more often than not what peoplewant is not what is best for them. Parents continually face this problem when advisingtheir children. For example, suppose a child wants to quit school and get a job. Surely,the parents would be derelict in helping their child attain this want instead of convincing

the child that continuing education would be in his or her best interest.

Admittedly, following the proposed advising method would result in a high rate of compliance, since the person being advised would act consistently with his or her ownwill be following the advice. However, as noted above, acting according to what onewants is not necessarily desirable. Proponents of this method might also point to collegecounselors as models of this technique. However, college counselors should notnecessarily be held up as models for advising people generally, let along as models foradvising students.

In conclusion, I do not agree that the best way to advise people is to find out what theydesire and help them achieve it. In my estimation the pitfalls of such a techniqueoutweigh any of its potential advantages.

Example-8

Issue

For hundreds of years, the monetary system of most countries has been based on theexchange of metal coins and printed pieces of paper. However, because of recentdevelopments in technology the international community should consider replacing theentire system of coins and paper with a system of electronic accounts of credits anddebits.

Question


Analysis

The prospect of converting the world s monetary system of metal coins and printedpaper into a computerized system of credits and debits is intriguing. Opponents of theidea regard a digital economy as a dangerous step toward a totalitarian society in whichan elite class dominates information starved lower class. My view, however, is thatconversion to a digital economy has far-reaching economic and social virtues that

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outweigh the potential risk of misuse by a political elite.

Supporters of the idea of digital cash view the move to a digital economy as thenext logical step toward a global system of free trade and competition. Herein lies themain virtue of a digital economy. In facilitating trade among nations, consumers

worldwide would enjoy a broader range of goods at more competitive prices.

In addition, a digital economy would afford customers added convenience, while at thesame time saving money for businesses. Making purchases with electronic currencywould be simple, fast, and secure. There would be no need to carry cash, and no needfor cashiers to collect it. A good example of the convenience and savings afforded bysuch a system is the pay and go gasoline pump used at many service stations today.Using these pumps saves time for the customer and saves money for the business.

A third benefit of such s system is its potential to eliminate illegal monetary transactions.Traffickers of illegal arms and drugs, dealers in black-market contraband, andcounterfeiters all rely on tangible currency to conduct their activities. By eliminating hardcurrency, illegal transactions such as these would be much easier to track and record. Asa result, illegal monetary transactions could be virtually eliminated. A related benefitwould be the ability to thwart tax evasion by collecting tax revenues on transactions thatotherwise would not be recorded.

To sum up, I think it would be a good idea to convert current monetary systems into asystem of electronic accounts. The economic benefits, convenience and savings affordedby such a system, along with the potential to reduce crime, far outweigh the remotepossibility of a significant social or political shift toward totalitarianism.

Example-9

Issue

Employees should keep their private lives and personal activities as separate as possiblefrom the workplace.

Question


Analysis

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Should employees leave their personal lives entirely behind them when they entertheworkplace, as the speaker suggests here? While I agree that employees should not allowtheir personal lives to interfere with their jobs, the speaker fails to consider thatintegrating personal life with work can foster a workplace ambiance that helps everyonedo a better job, thereby promoting success for the organization.

Engaging coworkers in occasional conversation about personal interests and activitiescan help build collegiality among co-workers that adds to their sense of common purposeon the job. Managers would be well advised to participate in and perhaps even planthe sharing of personal information as a leadership tool as well as a morale booster. Anemployee feels valued when the boss takes time to ask about the employee s family orrecent vacation. The employee, in turn, is likely to be more loyal to and cooperativewith the boss. Company-sponsored social events picnics, parties, excursions, and soforth also help to produce greater cohesiveness in an organization, by providingopportunities for employees to bond with one another in ways that translate into betterworking relationships.

Admittedly, employees should guard against allowing their personal life to impinge upontheir job performance or intrude on coworkers. Excessive chatting about non businesstopics, frequent personal telephone calls, and the like, are always distracting. Andromances between coworkers are best kept confidential, at least to the extent theydisrupt work or demoralize or offend other employees. By the same token, however,employees who are too aloof sharing nothing personal with others may be resentedby coworkers who perceive them as arrogant, unfriendly or uncooperative. The ill-willand lack of communication that is likely to result may ultimately harm the organization.

In the final analysis, employees should strike a careful balance when they mix theirpersonal lives with their jobs. Although there are some circumstances in which bringingone s personal life to the job may be counterproducti ve, for many reasons it is a goodidea to inject small doses of personal life into the workplace.

Example-10

Issue

In any enterprise, the process of making or doing something is ultimately moreimportant than the final product.

Question


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Analysis

The question at hand is whether the process of making or doing something is ultimatelymore important than the final product. Process may not always be more important thanproduct, but it often is. A process may provide an opportunity for new and importantdiscoveries with ramifications far beyond the current product; moreover, a process canoften be an important end in and of itself for those engaged in it.

New discoveries are often unexpectedly made during routine processes. Such was thecase with Alexander Fleming in 1928, who while conducting an unremarkable studyof bacteria, discovered inadvertently that mold growing on one of his cultures was killingthe bacteria. His ordinary process led to an unexpected and remarkable end: thedevelopment of penicillin.

Process also offers opportunities for refining old methods and inventing new ones. Forexample, as the defense industry slowed down after the cold war, many methods andtechnologies for weapons production proved useful in other areas from commercialaviation to medical technology. The same has been true of technologies developed forthe space program, which now find broad application inmany other fields.

Finally, in my observation and experience, people become caught up in processesprimarily for the challenge and enjoyment of the activity, not merely to produce someproduct. Once the process has culminated in a final product, the participantsimmediately search for a new process to involve themselves with. From a psychologicalstandpoint, then, people have a need to busy themselves with meaningful activities i.e., processes. So most processes can fittingly be characterized as ends in themselves inso far as they fulfill this psychological need.

In sum, the process of making or doing something frequently has implications farbeyond the immediate product. For this reason, and because process fills a basic humanneed, I strongly agree with the speaker s assertion the process is ultimately moreimportant than product.

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