Eating at home is better for you, too. Meals at restaurants are often high in fat and calories, and they serve big plates of food--much more food than you need to eat at one meal. If you cook food at home, you have more control over the ingredients. You can use margarine instead of butter on your potatoes, or not put so much cheese on top of your pizza. At home, you can control your portion size. You can serve yourself as little as you want. In a restaurant, you may eat a full plate of food "because you paid for it".



It's true that eating out is convenient. You don't have to shop, or cook, or clean up. But real home cooking doesn't have to take a lot of time. There are lots of simple meals that don't take long to make. In fact, they're faster than eating out, especially if you think of the time you spend driving to a restaurant, parking, waiting for a table, waiting for service, and driving home.



Both eating at restaurants and cooking at home can be satisfying. Both can taste good and be enjoyed with family and friends. I prefer cooking at home because of the money and health issues, but people will make the choice that fits their lifestyle best.



14 Some people believe that university students should be required to attend classes. Others believe that going to classes should be optional for students. Which point of view do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer.



Some people may believe that going to classes should be optional, but I disagree. I don't understand how university students can expect to learn anything if they don't attend classes. Personal experience can help people learn about themselves and the world outside the classroom, but when it comes to learning about academic subjects, students need to be in class.



In class they receive the benefit of the teacher's knowledge. The best teachers do more than just go over the material in than class textbook. They draw their students into discussion of the material. They present opposing points of view. They schedule guest speakers to come, give the students additional information, or show documentary films on the subject.



Also, attending classes on any subject teaches more than just facts. It teaches students how to learn, how to absorb information and then apply what they've learned to other situations. Their teacher is the best one to help them with these skills. They can't learn them just by reading the textbook.



Going to class also teaches students how to work with the other members of the class. Many times students will be given group assignments. This is different from what they did in secondary school. Here they're with people from different backgrounds and experiences. In this situation, they learn how to handle working with people different from themselves to achieve a common goal.



Going to class also teaches students responsibility and discipline. Having to be at a particular place at a particular time prepares them for getting a job. Being at a place on time with an assignment completed prepares them for a career.



In short, by going to class students learn more than just information from the teacher. They also learn how to learn, how to work with others, and how to work responsibly. These are not optional skills in life, so attending classes should not be optional in college.



15 Neighbors are the people who live near us. In your opinion, what are the qualities of a good neighbor? Use specific details and examples in your answer.



If you have a good neighbor, you are a lucky person. You have someone who cares about your needs and your property, who is helpful in the little day-to-day situations that come up, and who is supportive in times of crisis.



A good neighbor is someone who, for instance, understands that your children may occasionally run across his lawn, even though you tell them not to. He'll realize that children can be careless about things like that, and he won't make a big fuss about it unless it becomes a regular thing. In the same vein, he knows that you'll understand if some of the trash from his trash cans blows across into your yard. IN other words, he is sensitive to the unintentional things that can happen. He doesn't make a big deal about them.



A good neighbor is also respectful of your property. For example, she asks your permission before doing anything that interferes with what's yours. This means she wouldn't plant a huge tree in between your houses without asking how you feel about it. If she wanted to put up a fence, she would let you know first. She might work with you to decide where it should be placed. Maybe the two of you would even split the cost.



A good neighbor would lend you some milk if you ran out . She'd give you a ride to work if your car was broken, and let your children stay at her house in the evening if you got stuck working overtime. You would do the same for her. Both of you would help make the other's life easier.



when something really awful happens to you, like a death in the family, a good neighbor will volunteer to help in any way he can. This could mean something small, like making some casseroles to put in your freezer to feed vesting relatives, Or it could mean something big, like helping you get through the sadness of the funeral.



I think only someone who has experienced a bad neighbor can really appreciate a good one! A good neighbor can be a good friend. He or she can make all the difference in the world to your life.



16 It has recently been announced that a new restaurant may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.



I can see both advantages and disadvantages to having a new restaurant built in our neighborhood. I'm worried about traffic and how it will affect our neighborhood. However, I think that it will benefit local businesses and increase appreciation for our neighborhood. Overall, I think it is a good idea.



Traffic congestion is always a concern when you build something new. Our streets are narrow, with parking on both sides. More cars traveling through the neighborhood could cause a lot of congesting. Traffic means parking problems, too. Our neighborhood has very few garages attached to the houses. Most of us depend on finding a space to park on the street. If the new restaurant is built, we'll be competing for those spaces with the restaurant's patrons. Plus, if the restaurant offers wallet parking, it'll be even worse. Valet parkers work in teams to grab every possible space available on the street.



I'm also concerned about the type of patrons this new restaurant will bring into our neighborhood. A family restaurant wouldn't be a problem. However, if it's going have a bar and dancing, then there could be problems. The restaurant would stay open later, and people leaving the restaurant might be drunk. Who wouldn't worry about rowdy customers staggering around our neighborhood in the early morning hours, looking for their cars?



I have to admit, though, there are advantages to a new restaurant. Our neighborhood could certainly use the jobs the restaurant would provide. Not only that, the money neighborhood residents would earn there would likely be spent at other neighborhood businesses. This would give a boost to those businesses and make our neighborhood more prosperous.



A new restaurant would also attract a lot of people to our neighborhood. They could see what a nice area this is to live. That might attract new residents to the neighborhood. That would be a good thing, because we've been losing residents to the suburbs the last couple of years.



There are a lot of details to consider, but all in all, I support the idea of this new restaurant in our neighborhood.



17 Some people think that they can learn better by themselves than with a teacher. Others think that it is always better to have a teacher. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons to develop your essay.



Most of us can learn how to do something simple on our own with just a set of instructions. However, to learn about something more complex, it's always best to have a teacher.



Teachers bring with them varied and useful backgrounds. They've been trained to teach individuals in different ways depending on their style. For instance, omen students learn better by discussing a topic. Others learn more by writing about it. Teachers can help students learn in the way that's best of each student. A textbook or a manual can only give you one way of learning something. Plus they're only as helpful as your ability to understand them. A good teacher can adapt her teaching to your needs.



Teachers help you focus on what you're learning. If you're learning something by yourself, it's easy to become distracted, and go on to other activities. Teachers keep your attention on the subject. They also approach a subject logically, taking it one step at a time. On your own, it's tempting to skip parts of the learning process you think you don't need. That can binder your ability to really understand the subject.



Learning a subject on your own is a very narrow way of learning. You can only use the information you get from the textbook. With a teacher, you get the information in the written materials as well as the teacher's own knowledge of the topic. Teachers can also provide extra materials to broaden the scope of what you're learning.



There's nothing wrong with studying on your own, and a learner can always benefit from some quiet study. For the best possible learning, though, a good teacher is the biggest help you can have.



18 What are some important qualities of a good supervisor(boss)? Use specific details and examples to explain why these qualities are important.



Even though job situations can be very different, there are several qualities that all good supervisor have in common, A good boss treats all her employees fairly. She doesn't single out one employee for better(or worse)treatment than the others. A poor supervisor has favorites. Sometimes she'll even use her favorites to spy on other employees. She expects them to tell her what the others are saying about her. This can cause a lot of bad feeling among employees.



A good supervisor gives clear and understandable directions. She doesn't constantly change her mind about what she wants employees to do. She also doesn't get angry with an employee who is confused and needs her to explain the directions again or more fully. Delegating authority well is another quality of a good supervisor. She knows how to use the skills of her employees to best advantage. A poor supervisor insists on doing everything herself. She is unwilling to give any authority to others.



A good boss evaluates her employees on a reasonable ser of criteria, not on how she feels about them personally. And she lets the employees know what those criteria are, so they have a fair chance of meeting them.



She gives both praise and criticism in a straightforward manner. She also offers guidance when needed. A poor supervisor will criticize without giving any suggestions on how to improve.



Most importantly, a good supervisor set the standards for her employee by her own behavior. She works hard and treats employees like valuable assets to the company. This promotes good morale among her workers, and this is of great benefit to her business.



19 Should governments spend more money on improving roads and highways, or should governments spends more money on improving public transportation ( buses, trains, subways)? Why? Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.



Governments should definitely spend more money on improving all forms of public transportation. These include buses, subways and trains. This is the best way to preserve natural resources and reduce pollution.



As a planet, we're dealing with a finite amount of natural resources. Once they're gone, they can't be replaced. They can't fill our need for oil and gasoline forever. But we seem to forget that and consume them at an incredible rate. In wealthier counties, some families have two or three cars. As soon as teenagers get their driver's licenses, they're given cars so their parents won't have to drive them places.



Public transportation hasn't been sufficiently developed. Because of this, suburban areas surrounding cities have been allowed to sprawl more and more widely. This means that people can't even go to the store without having to hop into the car. Everything is too far away from where they live. If there were better and more frequent public transportation, people would be able to give up their cars for local driving.



As a result of all the cars being driven, we're dealing with terrible pollution problems. In big cities, there are days during the summer when the elderly and people with respiratory problems are advised not to leave the house. Ten years ago this was unheard of! Now it's the norm. Public transportation would cut down considerably on air pollution.



Public transportation also encourages a sense of community. People who travel to work together all the time get to know each other. Car isolate us from neighbors. However, people feel they need to drive because they can't depend on public transportation to fit their schedules. If more money were available, buses, subways and trains could run 24 hours a day. Then they would be available all the time to the people who need them.



I always try to take public transportation whenever possible, and I encourage friends and neighbors to try it too. I think we must support public transportation in order to create a better world.



20 It is better for children to grow up in the countryside than in a big city. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to develop your essay.



There are advantages and disadvantages to a childhood in either the country or a city. It's hard to say which is better. Growing up in the country means a certain amount of isolation. You're in a small town or on a armband not with a lot of people. Even more important, the people you meet everyday tend to be just like you. Most will be the same race as you, have the same background as you, and will have gone to the same school as you. In the city, the people you meet are different. There are different races and different cultures. You get a more interesting mix.



City people tend to come from a lot of different places and move around a lot. So, there isn't the sense of community in the city that you have in the country. People in the city can live in the same apartment building for twenty years and never get to know their neighbors. In the country, everybody knows everybody. For a child, this means the country is more secure. A child can get lost or hurt in the city and have no one to turn to. In the country, everyone's a neighbor. People in the country feel connected to each other.



A child growing up in the city has the advantages of a lot of interesting and exciting place to visit. He or she can go to the zoo, museum, art galleries and concerts. There are a lot of restaurants with different kinds of food. It's easy to see every new movie that comes out. Child in the country don't have a lot of these activities nearby.



All in all, I think a childhood in the city is better because it prepares you more for what real life is like.



21 EX In general ,people are living longer now. Discuss the causes of this phenomenon. Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.



Today people are living to be much older than ever before. Some of the main reasons for this are the improved health care and better nutrition available to everyone.



Medical care is more available to people. Although not everyone can get the best heath care, everyone can get basic heath care and advice. When people are seriously ill, they can go to a public hospital and be taken care of. Years ago, health care wasn't available to everyone. Some people didn't live near a doctor or a hospital, and others couldn't pay for the care they needed. They made do with herbal medicines or folk remedies. Of course, some of these worked, but not for the more serious diseases.



The quality of medical care has improved. That's also a factor in longevity. Doctors know more now about what causes disease and how to care it ,Years ago, doctors only knew about the most basic diseases and cures. Medicine was not very advanced. You could die from something as simple as an infection from a cut. Now we have antibiotics and other medicines to help cure infections.



People are also living longer now because of better nutrition. We 're eating better and more healthfully than we used to .That's reduced the number of people with heart disease and cancer. We try to eat low-fat foods and eat more vegetable and fruits ,which are now available year-round.



Improved medical care and healthy eating habits has greatly expanded our life spans. What we need to do now is make sure that everyone in the world has these benefits.



22 Ex We all work or will work in our jobs with many different kinds of people, in your opinion ,what are some important characteristics of a co-worker (someone you work closely with)?Use reasons and specific example to explain why these characteristics are important.



We spend more time with our co-workers during a week than we do with our family, Thus, it's important for our co-workers to be people we can get along with. I've worked in a lot of offices, and I've found there are certain characteristics that all good co-workers have in common.



A good co-worker is very cooperative, She does her best to get along with others.



She tries to keep her end of things flowing smoothly to help others in the office. She



realizes that if one person doesn't get her work done, it can hold up everyone else. She has a positive attitude that creates a pleasant working environment.



A good co-worker is adaptable. She is not stubborn about changes in schedules or routines, and doesn't object to having her job description revised. That can make life miserable for everyone around her. A good co-worker is willing to change her schedule to accommodate another worker's emergency, She has no problem with new procedures and welcomes changes when they come.



A good co-worker is helpful. She pitches in when someone falls behind in his or her work. She's willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. She doesn't keep track of how often she has to finish another's work or take on extra work. Some co-workers do their own job, period. They have no sense of office community. They only want to do their work, get paid and go home.



A good co-worker is a sympathetic listener, and never uses what she learns against people. she doesn't gossip. A bad co-worker uses negative rumors to take advantage of others.



Being a good co-worker isn't too hard, but some people just can't seem to manage it. Wouldn't it be a wonderful world if everyone could?



23 AD In some countries, teenager have jobs while they are still srudents. Do you think this is a good idea? Support your opinion by using specific reasons and details.



I don't think it is a good ideas for teenagers to have jobs while they are still students. It can interfere with their studies, It can disrupt their home life, and it takes away part of their childhood that their can never replace.



Education today is very complex and difficult .In order to learn and get good grades, a student must work very hard and concentrate, This means attending classes from early in the morning until late afternoon, then doing research for projects, then going home and doing homework. It's a busy schedule for everyone. For someone trying to hold down a job, it's even harder. Students need all their energy for their studies. If they're working after class at night, they're going to be tired the next day. They won't be able to concentrate. This will have a negativeimpact on their learning, and eventually on their grades.



Having a job can also disrupt a teenager's home life. Families spend less and less



time together. If a teenager has a job to go to after school, he won't be home for dinner.



He won't be home after dinner either, and may not get home until late at night, This means he doesn't have a lot of time to spend with his family .If he doesn't have a car, it can mean changes in his parents' schedule ,too. They have to drive him to work and pick him up.



The main drawback of a teenager having a job while he's still a student is that he's missing out on the fun of being young. He has a whole lifetime in which he'll have to earn a living. This is the last free time he'll have, It's the last chance he'll have to hang out with friends and just enjoy himself. Soon enough he'll have to worry about paying the rent and buying food.



Jobs bring money, but money isn't everything. A teenager with a job gives us too much. No one should spend all his time at working, and especially not a teenager.



24 PR A person you know is planning to move to your town or city .What do you think this person would like and dislike about living in your town or city? Why? Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.



A friend of mine from college is moving to my city, so I have been thinking about what she would and wouldn't like about it, I'd say the quality of life here, as far as fun and activities are concerned, is very good. The quality of life isn't very good, though, in other important ways.



Living in a lager city is exciting, but you pay a price for it. There are lots of interesting things to do, and good restaurants with food from around the world. There are museums, art galleries, and lots of movie theaters. However. the crime rate is high, and people have to be careful about where they go at night. There's a lot of traffic most of the time, and finding a parking space can be a problem. There are also a lot of people living here. Sometimes it feels too crowded.



In a big city like mine, housing is very expensive. If costs a lot even if you're just renting an efficiency apartment. The good side is that there's a lot of choice about where you want to live and how you want to live. You can find apartment of all sizes in different settings. Houses of equal variety are available for sale or rent.



If my friend likes the great outdoors, she might be disappointed. Unfortunately, my city doesn't have a lot of wide open green spaces, and there aren't a lot of trees on the streets. We're not near the ocean, and the mountains are a day's drive from here. Still, we do have some natural areas. For example, we have a beautiful big park. It even has a lake in the middle that's used for ice skating in the winter. There's a different kind of beauty in the city.



Thinking about it, I suppose whether my friend likes my city will depend on whether or not she likes exciting places. I hope she likes a lot of variety as far as housing and activities are concerned. If she does, then this is the place for her.



25 AD It has recently been announced that large shopping center may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.



There would be both advantages and disadvantages to having a shopping center built in my neighborhood. One advantage would be the convenience. I would like to have all those stores close by. Shopping would be much easier and faster because I wouldn't have to drive great distances to get to the stores.



A shopping center would mean more choices, because there would be more stores selling different products. I might have a movie theater nearby, because so many shopping centers these days include movie theaters in their plans. Most shopping centers also have restaurants and a food court. That means a greater variety of places to eat in our area.



Having a shopping center built in the neighborhood would also mean more jobs for the community. Initially, these jobs would be in the building of the center. Later the jobs would be in the stores, theaters, and food establishments.