Emerging New Luxury Brands Marketing Essay

Emerging New Luxury Brands Marketing Essay Let us imagine that we have gone back a decade in time. There is a woman in some part of the world flipping through the pages of a high-fashion magazine. The minute she opens the magazine she is bombarded by images of luxury goods. Luxury brand names like Versace, Chanel, Gucci and Christian Louboutin shout out to her. All she desires is to own at least one piece from these luxury fashion goods. Unfortunately, the woman earns a middling income and can only dream about owning a Versace dress or a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes. Luckily for her, in 2004 Hennes Mauritz (HM) came up with a brilliant collaboration which made all her dreams come true. For a long time access to luxury fashion goods had been limited to the elite classes. Since the 1990s there has been a boom in the luxury market because as times progressed traditional luxury brands such as Christian Dior started facing competition from emerging new luxury brands like Jimmy Choo. These new luxury brands brought in new branding and positioning strategies (Truong et al., 2009). The result of these strategies was the materialisation of masstige brands. Even though masstige brands are priced lower than super premium or traditional luxury brands, they still hold a place above conventional products and enjoy a high level of prestige (Silverstein et al, 2005). In order to tackle competition faced from these masstige brands, certain traditional luxury brands took an unconventional step. In June 2004 Hennes Mauritz (hereafter referred to as HM) announced that they would be releasing a limited edition collection designed by none other than Karl Lagerfeld, chief designer of Chanel (HM, 2004). With this step, HM began a fresh trend of co-branding in the fashion industry between high-street and luxury fashion brands. Since then HM have undergone an annual collaboration project with some of the biggest names of luxury fashion, the latest being French label, Maison Martin Margiela. With HM making continuous headlines in the fashion industry for its collaborations with luxury fashion brands, the need to study the science of co-branding, especially in fashion, is becoming vital. Thus, this dissertation aims at exploring and investigating the term co-branding and the role it plays between high-street fashion and luxury fashion brands. As HM are the contemporary of this trend in the fashion industry, the issues discussed in this dissertation will be mainly based on them. 1.1 Company Profile Company name H M Hennes and Mauritz AB Industry Retailing Sub Industry Fashion (clothing, accessories) Headquarters Stockholm, Sweden Employees 94,000 Key People Founder: Erling Persson Chairman: Stefan Persson CEO/Managing Director: Karl-Johan Perrson Table : Company Profile of Hennes Mauritz (HM, 2012a)H M Hennes and Mauritz AB is a Swedish retail company, functioning in the clothing industry. The company is known for designing fast fashion i.e. chic styles at cheap prices. The first store was opened in Sweden in 1947 under the name Hennes, selling only womens clothing. In 1968 the company bought Mauritz Widsforss, a hunting and fishing equipments store, changing the company name to Hennes Mauritz. This was also the year the company started selling mens and childrens clothing. Today, HM have branched out into five independent brands which are globally recognised HM, COS, Monki, Weekday and Cheap Monday. Besides clothing, today the company also offers footwear, accessories, cosmetics and furniture. As of 2012, the company operates around 2600 stores across 44 countries. HMs top two competitors are Spanish fashion group Inditex (who own Zara and Bershka) and American retail giant The Gap, Inc. From 2004 HM started collaborating with some of the biggest names in the luxury fashion industry, a tradition they have since followed every year. Besides HMs annual collaboration with some of the biggest luxury fashion houses, the company also has a long-standing tradition of getting together with super models and popular music artists to either design or be the faces of their seasonal collections and campaigns. 1.2 Problem Definition and Purpose Co-branding is a relatively new concept in the field of marketing. The concept has been in practice for only the past few decades and the collaborations have often yielded mixed results. Co-branding has taken place in all sectors and industries from tobacco to automobile to retail to film-making to consumer goods. Co-branding is a moderately new term in the business vocabulary which is used to describe integrated marketing activities involving two or more brands (Blackett, Boad, 1999). It is important to analyse and understand the practice of co-branding as it has been gaining recognition in the recent years and can have a considerable impact on the future of branding. More and more consumer product manufacturers are becoming interested in co-branding strategies as it is a means to gain more exposure in the marketplace, fight competition and threats innovatively and at the same time share expensive promotional costs with a partner (Spethmann, Benezra, 1994). Co-branding gives compani es a great opportunity to create something new, while sharing costs, and also provides them with an opportunity to present consumers with a market they may have not explored before. Besides undergoing classical brand extensions and other brand alliance strategies (like advertising alliances and dual branding), co-branding is a strategy which presents a brand an added method to differentiate themselves in a competitive environment (Helmig et al., 2008). While co-branding in other sectors has returned mediocre results, co-branding in fashion has generally been extremely well appreciated. American discount retailer, Target, has often collaborated with designers such as Jason Wu, Issac Mizrahi and Neiman Markus, offering their designs for a slightly higher price than Targets usual rate. These attempts have been very well received by the mass consumers. HM, especially, have a high success rate when it comes to this business practice. More than 1000 people entered New Yorks Fifth Avenue store in the first hour when Karl Lagerfeld, Chanels haute couture and ready-to-wear chief designer, created pieces for HM (de Chernatony et al., 2011). Another example would be the success of HM and American designer Stella McCartney coming together. Queues were reported outside several HM stores all across the world, forming from the night before the collection was launched (Okonkwo, 2007). However, as successful as HMs attempts at co-branding have been, this practice of luxury brands and high-street brands coming together has lead to a lot of debate and even criticism. According to the critiques, co-branding often hampers with the companys original brand equity and confuses the consumer. Although the names of the brands that come together are familiar to the consumer, the actual co-branded product is completely new. Thus, unable to make out what to think of the new product, the consumer makes a judgement based on the known brand names involved (Washburn et al., 2000). There have also been questions raised regarding the effect of co-branding on the image of one or both of the parent brands. Some critiques believe that co-branding hampers the reputation of highly ranked brands. There have been sufficient works as well as research conducted on co-branding which are available to us. Considerable research has been conducted on co-branding in the retail sector. However, there has not been much detailed research on co-branding specifically between high-street fashion brands and luxury fashion brands. There are questions still left unanswered in this particular area. Therefore, this dissertation aims to investigate and study the practice of co-branding in this particular field and hopes to give a better understanding of this phenomenon. 1.3 Research Objectives Taking into account the purpose of this dissertation, the main research objective that this study will try to answer is: Exploring and understanding co-branding between high-street and luxury fashion brands. In order to help present relevant answers for this dissertation, the main research objective can be further divided into the following sub-objectives: To understand why co-branding occurs between high-street fashion brands and luxury fashion brands To analyse the perception of consumers regarding co-branding in the fashion industry To analyse the effect of such a collaboration on the brand image and reputation of both parties involved To understand whether co-branding between a high-street and a luxury brand can yield successful results 1.4 Relevance of the Research The following section provides a justification about the relevancy of this study. Arguments for both, academic and practical, relevance are discussed. 1.4.1 Academic Relevance This dissertation surely has academic relevance in todays time. In order to study co-branding in the fashion industry, this study has merged various branches of marketing. Brand alliances, brand equity, brand leverage and consumer behaviour are combined and discussed together to help understand the phenomenon of co-branding. Although there is significant work already done on co-branding, only a few discuss the area in which co-branding has gained the most success fashion. Thus, this dissertation tries to give a clear and more detailed explanation of why and how co-branding in fashion occurs and the effects it has on the consumer. 1.4.2 Practical Relevance The practical relevance of this dissertation is also of significance. Co-branding is being frequently used as a strategy to stand out in a crowded market place (Dieleman, 2010). By understanding the science of co-branding, not just for general understanding, but especially for the fashion industry, more retail clothing brands can partake in it. By studying consumers perception towards the collaboration of high-street and luxury fashion brands, managers can decide on whether or not creating a co-branding strategy is the right approach for them. Managers can also have a better appreciation of the effects of co-branding on their brand equity and brand reputation. 1.5 Limitations As mentioned in the company profile, HM have also collaborated with popular music artists like Madonna and Kylie Minogue to conceptualise and be the faces of limited edition lines and collections. Also, the fast-fashion company has collaborated with Finnish textile company, Marimekko, in the past to use their fabric designs on their products (Wettergren, 2010). These celebrities and companies are also brands in their own; however, this dissertation will not be discussing them. Only HMs collaborations with luxury fashion brands will be taken into account. Thus, this dissertation only examines the relationship of a high-street and luxury brand, and not between other categories of brands. This dissertation does not discuss the process of co-branding between HM and the luxury brands, but the motive and effects of the collaborations. The questions this dissertation tries to answer are why co-branding occurs and what are the possible outcomes of it. How co-branding occurs is a question this study does not venture into. Also, this dissertation does not go too deeply into the marketing activities of the co-branded products and retail collections. Thus, answers to these questions will not be available in this study. 1.6 Structure The following section of this dissertation talks about existing concepts, theories and research conducted that led to the formation of this studys research question. The section is a review of existing literature as well as a presentation of the theoretical framework. Concepts such as brand management, co-branding, fashion marketing, co-branding strategies, fashion strategies and so on will be discussed. The third chapter talks about the methodology selected to conduct this research. The chapter talks about the justification of choosing the research method as well as the possible limitations of the same. Chapter four represents the findings of this research as well as gives a discussion for each of the findings. This chapter evaluates the relevant research findings for each of the research sub-objectives. The final chapter of this dissertation presents a general discussion of the entire study, highlighting the key areas and important research findings. At the end of the dissertation is a list of references; sources which helped with the research of this study as well as sources one can look into for the purpose of further reading. 2. Literature Review 2.1 The Concept of Branding Branding building is an important concept in the science of marketing and several definitions of this concept exist. The official definition of branding given to us by the American Marketing Association is that a brand is a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors. This means that even though a product or service may satisfy the same need as another, a brand provides it with an element which differentiates it from other products or services of the same kind (Kotler, Keller, 2011). The process of brand building is imperative for almost all companies, products and services because building successful brands promises future income stream and profit. Brands help build consumer loyalty which means that consumers will keep coming back to buy the brands and will support them even during crisis situations (de Chernatony et al., 2011). However, the profile of the consumer is changing from what it used to be. The market place is getting more and more crowded with the constant addition of new products and services. Not only does this mean that there is a lot of fierce competition, but also todays consumer has a lot more choice than from a decade ago. Thus, it is extremely necessary to make ones brand stand out. This is where the concept of brand management comes in. Appropriate and effective practise of brand management can lend a hand in leveraging a brand, which leads to the making of a successful brand. The concept of brand management was created by Procter Gambles Neil McElroy (Harvard Business School, 2000). Effective brand management can lead to high brand equity. Brand equity is the additional value which products and services are seen to have, besides the functional value that they possess. This value is measured on the basis of what consumers feel and think about the brand as well as the market share and pr ofitability that the brand enjoys (Keller, 2008; Aaker and Joachimsthaler, 2000; Aaker, 1996; Aaker, 1991). Proper practice of brand management can also do wonders for the brand image. Brand image is impression of the brands personality (real or imaginary) that has been developed in the consumers mind (Business Dictionary). Various techniques can be applied under brand management in order to leverage a brand. One of these techniques is brand extension. Brand extension is a marketing strategy wherein a company uses a brand name which already exists in order to penetrate into a new, different product category than which it is established in (Swaminathan, 2003). A somewhat new development has been formed from brand extension in recent decades which is known as the process of co-branding. 2.2 Co-Branding Co-branding is a brand leveraging technique where two or more brands, each having significant recognition in the eyes of the consumer, co-operatively come together to create a single unique product while retaining the names of all the brands involved (Blackett and Russell, 1999; Leuthesser et al., 2003). This term is also referred to as brand alliance and composite branding. Co-branding provides marketers with the choice of opting for a short-term alliance, thus making it an attractive opportunity. It is not necessary for co-branding to be a long-term affair, as along other benefits, marketers are mainly looking for a quick sales boost (Spethmann and Benezra, 1994) As discussed by Nunes et al. (2003), co-branding can be divided into four different types. They are as following: Promotional/sponsorship co-branding Here a company co-brands by being a part of an events activities so as to link its image to that particular event in the mind of the consumer. Example: Conseco the official financial services provider of NASCAR Ingredient co-branding In this type there is a primary brand, which acts as an important component of the secondary brand. Example: Sony Vaio laptop with an Intel microprocessor Value chain co-branding Here two or more companies come together in order to create a brand new experience for the consumer to increase differentiation. It can be further divided into three types: Product-service co-branding Yahoo! and SBC Communications coming together to form SBC Global Networks Supplier retailer co-branding Architect Michael Grave creating a line of co-branded products specially for American retailer, Target Alliance co-branding Airline alliances such as Star Alliance and SkyTeam Innovation based co-branding In this type two or more companies come together in order to present a brand new product or offering, to increase customer value as well as corporate value. Example: Boating shoe manufacturer Sperry Top-Sider collaborating with New Balance to create an athletic boat shoe It is a known fact that brands play an important role in influencing culture in consumer societies. They not only satisfy ones utilitarian needs, but also serve some hedonic purpose. It is not in the power of the marketer to create the hedonic value that the brands hold. It is only the consumer who is in control of the feelings and meanings associated with a particular brand. Thus, it is safe to say that a part of the brands equity is in hands of the consumers. Thus, the reason marketers decide on a co-branding strategy is to not only access the utilitarian benefit which a certain brand offers, but also to generate the hedonic value which the association with that brand would bring. There is a transfer of status, imagery and reputation of one brand to the other. Co-branding also reduces costs, as the RD, production and marketing expenses get shared between the parent brands. Thus, co-branding is a quick way of improving all the aspects of marketing related issues (Askegaard and Bengt sson, 2005; Nunes et al., 2003). There are also risks and disadvantages to co-branding. There is the risk of dilution, where a brand loses meaning for a consumer because of the co-branded product. There is a chance of a co-branding strategy resulting in a potential competitor. This happened when IMB partnered with Microsoft to develop DOS. Microsoft then had very low brand equity, but today they are a giant in the computer world. There is also the risk of devaluation. When aligning with a low valued brand, a high value brand may lose its reputation in front of the consumers. Co-branding may also limit a brands market reach as they might be targeting the same consumer group with the new product as well (Nunes et al., 2003; Leuthesser et al., 2003). Many theories and research have been conducted on brand alliances and their possible spillover effects. One of the first ones was by Simonin and Ruth (1998). A study was conducted by them to evaluate the change in the attitude of consumers due to the spillover effects of co-branding. The results of that study have matched the results of many other newer studies conducted on brand alliances. Baumgarth (2004) created a brand alliance study, based on Simonin and Ruths study. The results of the study matched with the hypotheses presented by Simonin and Ruth. Baumgarths model added improvements by giving importance not only to the brand fit, but also to the prior attitudes consumers have towards the brands. In a study conducted by James et al. (2006), it was found that the personalities of the two brands involved have an impact on the perception of the consumers towards the co-branded product. Bouten et al. (2011) too conducted a study, basing it on the Simonin and Ruth paper. The result of their study was that a perfect fit of both, the brand image as well as the existing products of the parent brands is required for a successful brand alliance. As brand alliances started getting popular, researchers started concentrating on the term co-branding. Abratt and Motlana (2002) devised a five-step brand transition process for companies who wanted to undertake co-branding. The process stresses on the importance of understanding consumer perception as well as the fit of the brands involved. The same result was seen in the strategic framework for co-branding created by Leuthessar et al. (2003) which would help marketers assess co-branding opportunities in order to leverage their brands. On the basis of this framework, possible co-branding can be assessed by the nature of the parent brands as well as their target audiences. Co-branding was slowly starting to be seen as an important marketing strategy. As a result of this, an ontology based co-branding strategy system, called OnCob, was created by Chang (2008). This system helps marketers and brand managers research the co-branding phenomenon based on the concepts of aim, category and effect. Co-branding was further researched by Chang (2009) to present a roadmap and guide for companies wanting to co-brand. Different industries were discussed wherein some results were successful, while some were a complete failure. Also, a co-branding matrix was presented, which gives researchers a better understanding of this emerging science. The effects of co-branding on brand equity were studied by Washburn et al. (2000). The research results showed that co-branding is a win-win situation for both the brands involved, irrespective of their perceived brand value. When a high equity brand is paired with another high equity brand, the final co-branded product is perceived to have high value as well. Also, Washburn et al. found that in the case of a low equity-high equity brand pairing, it is the brand with a lower value that benefits the most from the co-branding, and although the positive effects might be less for the higher valued brand, co-branding does not have any negative effects on it. Motion et al. (2003) conducted a research on corporate co-branding and its effect on corporate brand equity. The research was conducted by studying the sponsorship of rugby team, All Blacks, by Adidas. The result of the study was that co-branding has a positive effect on the corporate brand equity, however as concluded by other studie s, it is important that the parent brands have a common vision and similar brand values. Besharat (2010) undertook a study combining the strategies of co-branding and brand extension. A comparison between co-branding and brand extensions with respect to brand equity was carried out. The final result of the study matched the results of many previous studies i.e. the success of a co-branding strategy depends on the existing brand value of the parent brands. However, there was no significant difference between consumer perception of co-branded products or brand extensions. As long as the consumers saw a fit between the new products and the brand, they accept the new product positively. A research was conducted by Thompson and Strutton (2012) to find out the effects of co-branding when one of the parent brand co-brands into a product category where it does not exist. However, the analysis showed that such an alliance is not likely to be successful. For a co-branding strategy to be successful, it is important for consumers to perceive a high level of fit between the brands involved. Another finding is that if a low value brand collaborates with a brand that is perceived highly in the eyes of the consumers, the co-branded product is likely to be viewed favourably. Thus, the brand fit plays an extremely important role in the success or failure of co-branding strategies. Erevelles et al. (2008) conducted a study on ingredient co-branding in the B2B sector, an area which does not have much research done. The finding of the research is that ingredient co-branding occurs in B2B sector usually when there is a threat of entry from a more fiscally rich competitor. Thus, brands get into an ingredient co-branding strategy to block out this competition. Besides this, the secondary brand also has monetary benefits as the ingredient supplier provides their component at a reduced cost. Askegaard and Bengtsson (2005) proposed the importance of cultural meaning in co-branding. Compared to the conventional approach to co-branding, their paper provides us with a new perspective. They suggested that each brand characterises certain symbolic and cultural meanings to the consumers, ones that may not be visible to us directly. The cultural meanings of the parent brands have a heavy influence on the meaning that the co-branded product represents. However, the interpretations provided by Askegaard and Bengtsson are far too imaginative and descriptive. No matter how creatively brand managers develop cultural meaning for a co-branded product, at the end it is only the consumer whose interpretation of brand image and meaning count. 2.3 Fashion 2.3.1 Luxury Fashion Luxury brands consist of those products and services which are generally associated with the affluent and the elite class. The luxury fashion industry is a global multi-billion dollar sector. Hundreds of brands are a part of this industry, some of them being Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Prada. Besides being valuable, luxury brands are some of the most influential in the world. For luxury goods, branding plays an extremely important role and is the core competence. This sector places high importance on branding and marketing strategy development by the use of human emotions and psychology (Okonkwo, 2007) Tynan et al. (2010) sought out to address the nature of the value of luxury brands and how value can be co-created. Instead of taking the more common managerial perspective, they took into account the perspective of the consumer. They developed a theoretical framework and researched case studies to find out what types of value consumers look for in luxury branded goods. The result was that although a utilitarian value was a must for all luxury goods, it was the hedonistic or symbolic value which acted as drivers for the purchase of a luxury good and was seen as the differentiating factor by the consumers. Reddy et al. (2009) studied the prospect of brand extensions for a luxury brand. In order to do so, they fashioned a Premium Adgency Grid, which measured the extent to which a particular brand extension matches up to the values embodied by the core brand. The luxury brands were divided into the four quadrants of the grid Star Brand, Aspiring Star Brand, Waning Star and Dying Star. With the help of this grid, marketers could measure their luxury brands brand adgency and then consider expansion opportunities and the possible risks. A framework was created by Moore and Fionda (2009) illustrating the various dimensions of the luxury brand to guide its marketing in the fashion sector. Their model identified nine key components which were deemed important for the creation of a luxury brand. Each of the nine components included sub-categories, which according to them, must be consistent for the successful creation of the brand. All of these components must be managed simultaneously for the creation and maintenance of a successful luxury fashion brand position. Thus, the Moore and Fionda model states that the management of a luxury brand should be consistent and coherent. However, the case companies in this research were all British and thus, the results are geographically and culturally narrow. A cross-cultural investigation would have provided a firmer insight in the marketing of luxury fashion brands. A five-factor model and brand luxury scale was designed by Vigneron and Johnson (2004) to provide luxury product marketers with an instrument to measure the amount of luxury a certain brand contains. According to Vigneron and Johnson, luxury is contained in brands in a matter of degree. Some brands have a very high level of luxury, while some very low. The brand-luxury scale helps measure the level on luxury in a given brand. The research found that luxury is a multidimensional factor and this can be proved by the five-factor model. These dimensions can be established and monitored by using the brand luxury scale in order to create a lasting luxury brand. However, Miller and Mills (2012) argue that more than anything else, it is the perception of brand leadership that counts. In order to attain clarity on the subject of luxury brand marketing, they developed a conceptual model the Brand Luxury Model (BML). This findings of this model state that trendy, up-to-date and visionary brand s and perceived to be more luxurious than brands that try to be unique, imaginative or original. The BML also showed that consumers perceive a match between themselves and the image of the luxury brand users with psychological or symbolic value. This finding is in sync with the research carried out by Liu et al. (2012) Liu et al. (2012) explored the effect that the various concepts of self-congruity theory have on the consumer. Self congruity theory was developed by Sirgy (1986), which refers to the likeliness of a potential consumer to psychologically compare themselves with other objects and stimuli (brands in this case). This theory has been widely used to understand brand purchase behaviour (Sirgy, 1986). The three concepts studied by Liu et al. are Brand Personality Congruity, Brand User Imagery Congruity and Brand Usage Imagery Congruity. The relationship of these three types of self-congruity to the customer attitude and loyalty toward a luxury brand are studied in this paper. The study focuses on two brands CK and Chanel to understand the effect of a potential consumers self congruity in the purchasing of luxury brands. The study found that Brand User Imagery Congruity and Brand Usage Imagery Congruity are much stronger predictors of attitude and loyalty than Brand Personality Congruity i n either of the brands. It was found that the consumers own self-image and perception of a typical users image as well as usage imagery play an important role in a consumers purchase intention and attitude towards a brand. The findings of this study were similar to the previous claims made by Sirgy et al. (1997), Liu et al. (2008) and Sotiropoulos (2003). 2.3.2 High-Street Fashion High-street fashion describes the clothing retailers who cater to the mass-market. These retailers design and sell clothes which are affordable and are used for mass-consumption. The brands either have independent stores, franchises or are a part of chain stores. As the high-street fashion market started getting crowded with the introduction of more and more brands, competition started running high. In order to combat this competition, many of the high-street brands started the concept of fast-fashion. These are brands like Zara, HM and Mango who create affordable, trendy and disposable items to cater to the consumers demands. Fast-fashion gives brands a competitive edge as they turn the latest runway designs to chic disposable clothes that the mass-market can afford (Tungate, 2008; Hines and Bruce; 2001). Following the success of fast fashion, Cachon and Swinney (2

Computer: Wildlife and People

: 1. Tourism is becoming good source of revenue for many countries. Discuss the advantage and disadvantage of exploiting this resource. 2. What is your opinion about the advantages and disadvantages of fast food? (2002,10;2003,1;2004,4) 3. In 1995,an Englishman killed a burglar who broke into his house. He was sentenced. Do you think he should be sentenced ? How can we protect our property? 4. With the development of a market economy. Advertisements have become a dominant feature in television industry, despite the rich information brought by television.There still exists strong criticism against television advertisement. Write an article analyzing the positive and negative effects of television advertisement. 5. :version:000121(2005? G ) Some people think that visitors to other countries imitate local custom and behaviors. Some people disagree. They think the host country should welcome culture different. Discuss the two views and give your own opinion. : : 1. Some people think that people at the age of 55 and over should be encouraged to retire in order to give opportunities to a new generation. Do you agree or disagree? 2.A report indicates that nowadays children are becoming more and more lazy, fat and unsociable. Give the reasons for this and a proposal for a solution. (2003) : 3. Computers are widely used for education and some people think that teachers will not play important role in the classroom. Disagree or agree? 4. People use computers when they work, go banking and so on, but some argue that it will make people isolated and decrease their social skills. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 5. Some people think that traditional techniques and modern technology are incompatible. To what extent do you agree or disagree? . Oriental session 7. Some people think that strong tradition can civilize a country and the government should subsidize musicians, artists, actors and drama companies. Do you agree or disagree with this opinion? what should government do? 8. Is it possible for a woman to be a good mother and a successful career woman at the same time? some people agree that government should pay some money to women so that they can stay at home to look after their children. Do you agree or disagree? 9. Modern technology, such as fertilizer and machinery has changed our world so much. What are the advantages and disadvantages? Discuss 10.There have been many technological developments in the 20th century. For example, computer and electric power. Choose either of them, describe the change it has brought about and discuss whether all the changes are positive. 11. :What are the purposes of places, such as museums and how should they be funded? : 1. A. Television is the most popular form of entertainment in the modern household. ( )people of all ages use this medium to entertain themselves for an average of four hours a day. ( )thus, television has had a tremendous influence on its viewers, especially children. )scien tists now say that children can be negatively effected by constantly watching television. ( )? I take their side. B. We hear a lot about negative effects of television on the viewers. Obviously, televisions can be harmful if it is watched constantly. However, when television is watched in moderation, it is extremely valuable,( )as/for it provides relaxation entertainment and education. 2. Some people think that the government should not put money in building theaters and sports stadium, they should spend more money on education and medical care. a.Theaters and sports stadium are the most popular places in the modern society. People of all ages love to entertain themselves and enjoy the relaxation. Plus, as the desire for music and sports is increasing, the government ought to spend more money on that. b. Most people hold the point that theaters and sports are losing their importance as time passes by. It is no denying that modern people are leading an increasingly busy life. Neverth eless, not a single place can replace the status in helping people develop their physical body and mental condition like theaters and stadium. : 1. :We are now living in high developing world. Great changes have taken place. The computer was born in 1946 in America and was named ENTAC by researchers. It’s development is very quick. It had made greater progress recently and plays a more important role in our society. ( ) It is of great value to master necessary computer knowledge In world today. ( )? That is to say, one can never live without sufficient knowledge of computer. As what happens in Britain, a college graduate even from Cambridge University may face a difficulty in finding a job if he or she does not know how to manage computers.It is true in other countries. Therefore, it will be very hard to live free from contact with computers. : From the above, in conclusion, in short, all in all, on the whole, in one word : some people claim that disadvantages of cars are more than advantages, do you agree or disagree? 2:2005 version00110 Many of the world’s languages and cultures are dying out. Give possible reasons and your recommendations. 1. : 2. :Dear Mr. Wang: I am awfully sorry about what my dog did to your garden the day before yesterday, I want you know how badly I feel about it. I assure you that it will not happen again. , , , , , , , , ) :Being sorry is not enough. But we honestly thank you for being so generous with us and our dog. Yours sincerely Lynn 3. :thank you from the bottom of my heart thanks a million I sincerely appreciate Many thanks for your kindness :Write a letter to thank your friends for caring for you when you were in hospital after an accident. 4. 😕 :Write a letter to Mr. Wang who works in administration office to ask for an increase in financial aid. Dear Mr. Wang: I am writing to you to see whether or not I can get an increase in financial aid.As the administration office had done a lot in help ing people with financial need. I tend to ask another help from you. 5. : you have come back to your hometown after the first term in Canada. Write a letter to your good friend, Mike, inviting him to visit your hometown in summer vacation. One of your friends invites you to visit his hometown. But you have made your plans. Write a letter to refuse his invitation. Version 00113 Some people think that university should not provide theoretical knowledge, but to give practical training beneficial to the society.Do you agree or disagree? Use your own experience and knowledge to support you idea. 5: Most universities and colleges spend rather long period in fundamental theories and elementary course. But students regard these kinds of knowledge useless, and pay less attention to it. Some people think that university should not provide theoretical knowledge, but to give practical training beneficial to the society. As for me, I think this view is reasonable in some aspects. First of all, the theoretical knowledge just handles problem is an abstract concept. It must combine with real job.For instance, as everyone know, with the development of society, work position more and more need experienced and technical talent, especially in Shanghai of China, one of the biggest city throughout the world. So, more offering practice training to university students can help them to adapt to the society better. Therefore, the theoretical knowledge losing contact with reality is nonsensical. Secondly, the theoretical knowledge comes from practice. Any theoretical knowledge is obtained form the work of practicing. The universities provide practical training to students, making them understand the theoretical knowledge deeply.Just because of this, our universities believe that students should participate in social work at least one year in the four years in order to get practical training. However, the theoretical knowledge is the essence of practice, and it is the important course t hat we can’t ignore too. So, theoretical knowledge and practice have the equal status in our study. In a word, theoretical knowledge and practical training is all our require courses. We should study theory knowledge, and then apply it to practice. , , , , version 00121(2005? G )Some people think visitors to other countries should imitate local custom and behaviors. Some people disagree. they think the host country should welcome culture different. Discuss the tow views, and give your own opinion. 4: Recent years, because traffic is convenient day-by-day, people have more chances to travel around the world. The plane can make us reach any corner of the earth in a short time. Some people think visitors to other countries should imitate local custom and behaviors, but some people disagree. As far as I am concerned, necessary imitation is, in contrast, a wiser choice.As a famous saying goes, do as they do when in Room. The knowledge of local custom can help outside people adap t to the new environment rapidly. For instance, a Chinese student came to Britain, he can imitate British life style. In this way, he can understand British habit more thoroughly, thus, make himself live a more comfortable life in Britain. In addition, the cultural uniqueness that should be maintained need more attention. If people did not adhere to their national symbol especially in foreign country, these treasures would disappear. Take American hug for instance.Opposed to it, Chinese people greet each other with a formal handshake instead of warm hug. Because of this, different countries know each other to a greater extent. On the other hand, it is generally believed that outside cultures take a significant role in shaping the new world. Without taking back foreign customs home, a traveler can do nothing to help promote his or her country’s civil variety, In conclusion, according to the above reasons, the transformation to total reference to foreign customs gain an upper h and over the persistence in cultural identity abroad. Version 00110Many world languages and cultures are dying out. Give possible reasons and your recommendations. Nowadays, international communication has become more and more important. But many world languages ad cultures are dying out. In this essay, we will examine the problem of languages and culture dying and the solutions. Firstly, as the technology improves, people around the world are relying more and more on electronic devices to communicate with each other. Take internet for example. In order to make international conversations, people attempt to talk and send e-mail with the commonly-spoken language, say, English.As a result, cultural uniqueness will fade away gradually. Secondly, some of the world languages and cultures are not being learned widely by children. As what happens in China, Chinese youngsters tend to avoid speaking as their elders do. Because of their contact with foreign cultures, they prefer imitating som e odd sayings and behaviors. That is also the way Peking opera is dying out. In order to solve the problems illustrated above, I offer two solutions in this special occasion. For one solution, people might record the culture and languages on books or tapes, making sure our descendants can learn or use them in the future.The second solution is to increase the awareness of the importance of national cultural identity among young people. From the above analyses, the important thing is to learn the elder’s tongue and culture before it is too late. Otherwise, we will lose them. V120 What are the purposes of places such as museums and how should they be funded? : As we all know, museums are unreplaceable places for human beings. However, more and more museums have to face the serous economic problem nowadays. Therefore, many people doubt museum’s significance. On the contrary, I am a firm believer that museums is still of great importance.Firstly, museum is considered the h istorical symbol that it exhibits traditional culture of a nation. Nations of difference have different culture and history. Taking the history and revolution museum for example. The museum is the best way to let the Chinese youngsters enjoy their ancestor’s history and let visitors and foreigners know what china was like century ago. Secondly, museum could help improve people’s love for art and beauty. As a result, museums aiming to exhibit artist paintings, photos and the like can never be replaced. For instance, the greatest art museum in Paris represents things alike every year.Without it, we would not have a so keen taste for beauty. For one solution, the government ought to buy all museums. If museums belong to government, it means main economic problem of museums is solved. The second solution is that society ought to donate lots of money to maintain development of museum. The museum protects out history and culture, so we have obligation to support progress of museums. All in all, it is museums, along with other institutes, that enrich our dull lives. Only by permanently funding them can we share the magnificence. V105Some people claim that the disadvantages of cars are more than the advantages, do you agree or disagree? With the development of science and technology, the cars have already become the important component in our daily life gradually. Cars make our life convenient and swift. However, too many cars have caused very serious social problems. Some people claim that the disadvantages of cars are more than the advantages. I doubt it. Since one century ago, the auto industry has been developed at full speed worldwide, and has brought the enormous progresses to our life. For example, the car is the most convenient tool of transportation.We can be on and off duty by car every day; we can go to travel by car on the vacation; we can utilize the cars to deal with some emergency too. The car is playing an important role in our daily life . They make our rhythm of life faster and faster and make our business become more and more efficient. On the other hand, the development gives people countless employment opportunities too, such as manufacturing industry, repairing industry and maintaining industry. We are enjoying the convenience that the cars bring to us; at the same time we can utilize the auto industry to support ourselves.However, we ca not ignore that too many cars cause enormous social problems, for example, traffic jam, air pollution, traffic accident, to which we have to find a solution. In a word, the cars have brought enormous change to our life. The advantages are far more than the disadvantages. : The graph below shows the percentage of people unable to find work in three major countries from 1983 to 1992. [pic] The line graph shows a comparison of unemployment rates in Japan, the United Kingdom and Canada between 1989 and 1992. In Japan, the percentage of unemployment from 2. 3%to 3%between 1983 and 1986.After that, the percentage started decreasing with minor fluctuation and returned to the original value in 1992. ( : , , ) In 1983, the percentage of umemployed people was 12% in Canada and 13% in the UK. ( )These values decreased dramatically and at a constant rate over the next few years. ( )and unemployment reached the lowest percentage in Canada with about 7. 7% in 1988-1989,and in the UK with 7% in 1989-1990. ( )( )The unemployment rates of the two countries reaches the same point between 1988 and 1989. And then the figures( ))started increasing in both countries . n 1992,Canada reached its original value. Meanwhile, UK reached 10%, three points below the original percentage in 1983. ( ) From the above analysis, the unemployment rate was more stable than those of UK and Canada. ( ) : The graph below shows the different modes of transport used to travel to and from work in one European city in 1950, 1970, and 1990. [pic] The bar chart represents a contrast in terms of bus , car, bike, foot in years of 1950, 1970 and 1990. From 1950 to 1990,the percentage of people who travel( )by bike and on foot decreased from 27%to 7% and 33%to 10% respectively.Similarly, the percentage of people taking bus dropped after 1970 but increased before that. However, car’s percentage use sharply boomed year after year. ( : ) Traveling by bike or on foot were most popular in 1950. but percentage of car users was far more smaller. After two decades, with the decrease of bike users and travelers on foot, bus and car gain a lot of popularity. Bus reached its peak at 27%. in 1970,over one out of three( )people drive to and from work. ( , ) All in all, as the economy increases gradually, people prefer to go to work and come home by driving rather than taking bus or walking. : The table below shows information on income, taxes and prices in five cities around the world. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below. |City |Average hourl y wage |Tax as % of wage |Monthly rent for 4-bedroom flat | |Athens |? 4 |18. 9% |? 700 | |Geneva |? 13 |26. 6% |? 1, 300 | |Hong Kong |? |15% |? 2, 400 | |London |? 7 |31. 3% |? 1, 200 | |Tokyo |? 12 |19. 3% |? 5, 300 | This table graph demonstrates a comparison of wages, taxes and rents in five important cities, Athens, Geneva, Hong Kong, London and Tokyo. Geneva and Tokyo offer the highest average hourly wage,13 and 12 pounds respectively.Within expectation, the tax as percentage of wage is also high. However, the rent in Tokyo is much more than that in Geneva. On the contrary, the lowest wages are offered by Hong Kong and Athens,3 and 4 pounds respectively. It is not surprising that the taxes are correspondingly lower than the rest. The difference between the two cities is the rent, with the lowest 700 pounds in Athens and more higher 2400 pounds in Hong Kong. ( : , ) With the average rent and wage, London has the highest tax ( ) In conclusion, in terms of living cost, living in London might harder than the others. ( ) :The two pie charts below show the types of communication used in 1962 and 1982. [pic] [pic] The two pie charts demonstrate a comparison in different patterns of communication which were used in 1962 and 1982. As what has been shown in the two charts, the percentage of letters drastically decreased from 50% in 1962 to 10% in 1982 respectively. The figures of phone and computer usage, on the contrary, increased correspondingly at a high rate. The percentage of computer communication in 1982 was exactly twice that in 1962. Similarly,the popularity of phone in 1982 can also be suggested by its rise-25% from the original value,35%.In conclusion, communication devices, as economy and technology are being enhanced, have changes greatly. High-tech ways will gradually take the place of private and traditional ones. 1. 21 discuss? With our entrance to 21st century, there rises the controversy of whether our future would turn to the bright one. Many people claim that 21st century would be taken into a positive way through scientific and technological advance while a great number of pessimists argue that our future is threat123d by lots of ongoing disasters. As for me, I prefer a balanced view that there will be crisis and opportunities.On one hand, we have reasons to be optimistic. For one thing, the development of information technology will make it possible to for all the people in the world to communicate with each other easily. Take the internet as an example. A simple click on the mouse could lead you to every place and person all over the world. For another, as the medical treatment develops, it could be expected that there will be cure for such deadly diseases as cancer and AIDS and that human beings would be able to enjoy a long life expectancy. Moreover, with the ongoing mechanization, an increasing amount f dangerous and heavy-labor work would tend to be taken by the robot. In this case, man can work in more safe and comfortable conditions, as well as enjoy more leisure time. On the other hand, it can be foreseen that there may be crises in the future. First, people will run high risk of psychological problems for dealing with computers in long-term is likely to cause the loneliness and infantile autism. Consequently the rate of suicide would experience a sharp rise. Besides, there is possibility that the robot would take over the earth, enslaving our mankind who is originally its creator.Furthermore, it is not impossible that a global nuclear war would break out. As a result, none of all creatures on the earth can escape this disaster so that from then on the civil history comes to an end. From the discussion above, it can be concluded that we would confront both opportunities and crises. The advanced science and technology could obtain merit and drawback. So what I hope to see in the future is that we can enjoy healthier and longer life and that more and more science and technology will be em ployed in the peaceful way. 2.Some people claim that the increasingly frequent business and cultural communications are positive whereas others hold a different opinion. Discuss. Although a slight mention of the past pastoral life arouses a nostalgia and reminiscent beauty, which is unexceptionally characterized by isolation and somewhat disconsolation, various and frequent communications in business, education, scientific research, and even the daily life are flooding the existent values, ideas, and ideals. Inevitably, this social phenomenon provokes a storm of commendation and criticism as well.Frequent communications in various fields among cultures and people undoubtedly benefit individuals’ life. Almost every citizen becomes the beneficiary of the communications. People around the world today are able to enjoy otherwise unavailable products and services. For instance, it is due to the international communication in business that people in China can enjoy such high qualit y products as Mercedes Benz from Germany, Titoni watch from Switzerland, and IBM computers. All these cases demonstrate one thing: communications contribute to human beings.Not only are diverse array of communications in the international spectrum positive to individuals, they also have been exerting significant favorable influences on family life. It was virtually incredible to imagine an international family five decades ago, but today on account of the rapid development of communications and transportations, religious and racial discriminations have almost entirely â€Å"gone with the wind†. It is no longer an â€Å"abnormal† thing that a Chinese husband gets married with a Japanese wife.Such international family, as scientific research warrants, is a welcome development in terms of both biological and political elements. In fact, the advantages of communications are also shaping and reflecting the general human civilization development. If God, as Bible says, creat ed different languages among men, then men all over the world today are able to work together, pray together, and struggle for freedom together. The communications are actually a process of globalization. This is the trend of sustainable development. With communications, people become brothers and sisters rather than enemies.With communications, there will be peace rather than war. With communications, the mundane mortals will eventually retrieve the paradise that our forefathers lost and get renascence. Admittedly, the communications might have some negative influences. But the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. Therefore, the communications should be advocated and encouraged with the utmost enthusiasm A,B : Wild animals have no place in the 21st contrary, and the protection for them is a waste of resource. To what extent, do you agree or disagree with the above statement?Humans share the planet with the wild animas who have contributed a lot to our society and economy. But today, the world is poised on the brink of the largest wave of extinctions. So we have to do something to protect wild animals. Firstly, faming to feed the growing human population is one of the chief cause of extinction. From this millions of hectares of forests and natural vegetation have been cleared for agricultural use. Secondly, excess mining has destroyed the habitat of wild animals. Then came the threat of illegal logging, poaching and smuggling.Wild animals are now facing severe problems, but fortunately more and more people begin to realize the value of wild animals to our human-beings environment. As we know, wild animals together with wild plants consist of a complex ecosystem, which is significant to our natural environment, providing clean water, clean air and various resources. They are so connected and interacted that even extinction of several species will lead to a disaster to the whole ecosystem. Furthermore, the variety of species and genes founding wild animals are critical resources that could be utilized in each country’s development, especially in science and medical.In history, many ideas of famous inventions originated form animals such as ultrasonic fro bat. Moreover, there are still so many undiscovered fields of science, maybe we can get use of one kind of wild animals one day. Before this, we had better keep them protected, particular to some rare species. Someone said safeguard of wild animals is a waste of resource, but I do not agree. It seems that we would spend some time, wealth and manpower on this meaningless thing. Actually we also do this for human being ourselves.Wild animals have no place in the 21st contrary, and the protection for them is a waste of resource. To what extent, do you agree or disagree with the above statement? With the rapid progress of society, people’s living standard is dramatically improved, with more convenience and resource coming to us. However, our living environment at the same t ime is getting more polluted. One effect of this phenomenon is that there is not enough space for wild animals to survive, and many people hold an opinion that it would be a waste of resource to protect wild animals.Nevertheless, I think exactly the opposite way. The environment is a comprehensively biological life cycle, with human beings, animals and plants playing affecting each other accordingly. Wild animals occupy an essential position in the life cycle. Let’s look at a very simple example. Although snakes are very dangerous and frightening, they can catch mice, and mice can destroy the crop as well as sanitary surroundings. Here it is easy to understand that if there are not enough snakes, the number of mice would grow rapidly, doing more harm to us. Then , should not we protect the snake?Actually, we are saving resource by doing this because trying to save something that is already destroyed seriously costs more. Secondly, in present, quite a number of problems such a s desertification and rivers dried up, caused by excessive exploitation of natural resource, have arisen an increasing number of people aware of environment protection. More and more places, I think, should be planned for wild animals in 21st contrary. Thus, it is obviously noticed that more trees are planted and more wildlife conservation areas are planned, ensuring that wild animals will be under protection.As we can see from the improvement, in the 21st contrary, wild animals would be leading a happy life. To sum up, we cannot live without wild animals due to their profound effects on us. For this reason, we should try our best to protect them. Let’s remember one thing—protecting wild animals is equivalent to protecting ourselves. Wild animals have no place in the 21st contrary, and the protection for them is a waste of resource. To what extent, do you agree or disagree with the above statement? Biological diversity has never been as threatened as it is today as a r esult of the process of human civilization.The various forms of pressure created by human activity have destroyed natural balance, led to the deterioration of natural habitats, genetic erosion and the rarity, even disappearance, of a number of plant and animal species. As the pace of civilization accelerates, more people, taking more space, needing to use more natural resources, engaging in ever-growing consumption, impose sever deterioration on the habitat of animals. An increasing number of people come to realize that the disappearance of animals will result in serious threat to the equilibrium of ecosystem.Simply put, the extinction of hawks, rat-eating bird seen in many regions, will result in the rapid propagation of rats. And rats, further, will destroy the prairies and threaten the other animals like gazelles, zebras, and others, who live on grass and green lands. The coexistence of animals and human beings creates perfect harmony and brings about vividness to our planet. It is hard to imagine what our world would be like without animals. Sociologists also point our that the disappearance of animals can cause social and economic problems. Animals trade, as a supporting sector to the world economy, was very active before.However, the situation is beyond control since animals trade is very profitable and alluring. Many species cannot escape the adversity of being killed. Certainly, our diet cannot be without meat. There are living stocks, which can provide us with sufficient and nutritious produce. Therefore, we need not to resort to wild animals, especially the endangered ones. To protect animals is to protect our living environment. Every individual should join efforts to keep the diversity of animals. : The gap of living in cities and the countryside is larger and larger. What are the reasons in your country and how to reduce the differences?As the step of economic development accelerates, the gap between the city and the countryside becomes more and more overt , which arouses colossal concerns. Take a further look at the phenomenon, there are three major causes. Firstly, the insufficiency of investment in the rural areas accounts mainly for the issue. China, for example, covers a very large area. Due to the emphasis on the development in the coastal areas, the government devotes more investment in the large cities, such as shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. The investment, undoubtedly, is repaid by the threefold increase of economy and commerce in these cities.However, this is not the case in the rural area and the western regions. The lack of investment barriers the productivity and economic development and sharpens the gap between the city and the countryside. Secondly, the low education level in the rural areas contributes partly to the gap of living. Education is the prime force of productivity. Keeping this in mind, many countries and governments give priority to the development of education. China’s education witness ed a rapid growth in the past decade. However, the education level in the countryside still keeps very low.The enrollment of primary schools and secondary schools is much lower compared with the advanced regions, not to mention the developed countries in the world. Without good education, the development of economy and technology would be dream difficult to be realized. Finally, the influx of migrant workers to the cities form the countryside deteriorates the undeveloped conditions in the rural areas. The life style in the urban areas is very attractive to the people in the countryside. To seek more working opportunities, many people abandon the fertile lands and leave them uncultivated.If the situation continues, it will lead to serious unbalance of economic and regional development. To sum up, only when the government renders more concerns over the issue can the gap between the cities and the countryside be bridged. The gap of living in cities and the countryside is larger and lar ger. What are the reasons in your country and how to reduce the differences? When you look back to the last contrary, amazingly you will find that not only had all world’s largest populated cities experienced different population growth rates, but also the difference between the city and the ountryside had grown accordingly. Two reasons of mine can examine the tendency as following. The glamorous city life allures lots of human resources to move to the city, taking major contribution to the gap. In the city, there are many advantages to attract those talented people to settle down—more job opportunities, cultural activities, sporting events, if you name them. Therefore, even those well-educated people who are originated from the country intend to lead a dynamic city life instead of returning to face the static country view.If the rural government can work out some favorable policies such as low prices of land occupied for industrial uses, with the combination of low co st of workforce, investors are willing to establish factories in the countryside. The improvement of employment situation will enormously help pull back some intellectuals and lessen the gap. (104words) In the second part, I would mention the factor of transportation. Supporting sentences: the vital resistance of economic development in the countryside is the inconvenient transportation. It has been witnessed in China that almost all leading cities are scattered along the coastline.They take advantages of sea, air and other sophisticated transport facilities to enjoy high economic growth rates. I suggest that the central government should fund on infrastructure for the whole nation, including rural areas, to build up a nationwide transport network. Consequently, tourism as well as housing in the countryside will be boosted, and the difference between the city and the country would be minimized. (94words) To sum up, intelligent resources would determine who is the winner or loser of the intense competition; moreover, transit system also play an important role in developing economy.If both issues were tackled properly in the countryside, gap between the city and the country would never be overwhelming. 2007 3? 10? TASK 1bar , , 7 TASK2 With the increase in use of mobile phones and computers, less people tend to write letters. The skill of writing letters will disappear completely. To what extend do you agree of disagree? How important do you think is letter writing ? 3? 3? task 1 ,overseas and UK visitors in London from 1996 to 2001. task 2 , , 2? 10? task1 how waste recycled to garden fertilizer task2: maintaining public libraries is a waste of money because computer technology services the function. do you agree or disagree? 2? 3 TASK1:TABLE. TASK2:Who will be responsible for the environment, individual? or government? you opinion? 1? 20 table, 8? ( 8? ) motor vehicle? 1990 2000 It is believed that government should pay for health care and education instead of the public. However, some people debate that it would be a large cost and it is not necessary. What's your opinion? 1? 13? 1? TABLES 1? 6 ,TABLE 1900 ? 2000 : , , , 2006 1? 7? People believe that they should be able to keep all the money they earn and should not pay tax to the state. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 1? 14? There are social, medical, and technical problems associated with the use of mobile phones. What forms do they take? Do you agree that the problems outweigh the benefits of the mobile phone? 1? 21? At present, science has been developing at a high speed, but people still have a high opinion of artists.What can the arts tell us of the life that science cannot? 2006? 2? 11? In many countries, the proportion of older people is steadily increasing. Does this trend have more positive or negative effects on the society? 2? 18? Some people believe that air travel should be restricted because it causes serious pollution and uses up the world's fuel res ources. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 2? 25? More and more measures to improve the security in the urban area have been introduced because of the increased crime. Do the benefits of the measures outweigh the drawbacks? 3? 11? In many countries, more and more young people are leaving school and unable to find jobs after graduation. What problems do you think youth unemployment will cause to the individual and the society? Give reasons and make some suggestions. 3? 18? VS Some people think that teachers should be responsible for teaching students how to judge right and wrong and how to behave well. Some say that teachers should only teach students about academic subjects. Discuss both views and give your opinion. 3? 25? Long distance flight uses more fuel than car and brings pollution to the environment.We should discourage non-essential flight rather than limit the use of car. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 06/ 04 / 08 Space travel to the moon, cited as a b ig step for the mankind. Some people think it made little difference to our daily lives. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 06/ 04 / 22 VS History is little or nothing to tell people. Others believe people must study history to understand the present. Please discuss. 06/ 04 / 29 Some people believe that national sports teams and individual men and women who represent their country should be financially supported by the government.Others think they should be funded by non-government organizations (business, scholarship). 06/ 05 / 13 Housing shortage in big cities can cause severe consequences. Only government action can solve this problem. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 06/ 05 / 20 Do the problems brought by international travel outweigh the advantages? 06/ 05 / 27 Some people think that the use of animal for experimentation is cruel. Other think it is good for the development of science. Discuss the two sides and give your opinion. 06/ 06 / 10 Nowadays some peo ple like to give help to the local community or provide people with direct help. Other people prefer to give money to national and international organizations. Discuss both of the two ways and present your own opinion. 06/ 06 / 17 The best way to solve the world’s environmental problems is to increase the price of fuel. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Use your own experience and give an example to support your idea. 06/ 06 / 24 Some people think that it is beneficial for students to go to private secondary schools, but other people think that it can have a negative effect.Discuss the two points and give your own opinion. 06 / 07 / 08 In a modern society, it has been observed in some countries that the elderly are not duly respected. Discuss the reasons why this has occurred and the effects it might have on our society. 06 / 07 /22 Is it better for students to live at home with their parents or in school accommodations? Give your own opinion on the issue. Use your own experience or an example to support your idea. 06 / 07/ 29 Earlier technological development brought more benefits changes to the life of ordinary people than the recent technological development will.To what extent do you agree or disagree? 06 / 08/ 05 Some people think museums should be enjoyable places to attract and entertain young people. Other think the purpose of museums is educate, not entertain. Discuss both sides and give your own opinion. 06 / 08/ 12 In order to learn a language well, we should also learn about the country as well as the cultures and lifestyles of the people who speak it. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 06 / 08/ 26 Multi-cultural societies, which are a mixture of different ethnic groups, bring more benefits than drawbacks for a country.To what extend do you agree or disagree with this conclusion? 06 / 09/ 02 In some countries, advertisers increase the amount of advertising which try to persuade children to buy snacks, toys,and other goo ds. Parents object such pressure on children. But some advertisers claim that there is useful information in these advertisements. Discuss both views and give your opinion. 06 / 09/ 16 Some people think the students should take the subjects which are decided by the government in the university. Others think that students can apply for the subjects they prefer.Discuss the two situations and give your opinion. 06 / 09/ 23 Young adults should undertake unpaid work to help people in the community. Do you think it brings more drawbacks to the community and the young adults than benefits? 06 / 10 / 14 Some people think the main purpose of schools is to turn the children into good citizens and workers, rather than to benefit them as individuals. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? 06 / 10 / 22 The speeding up of life in many areas such as travel and communication has negative effects on society at all levels—individual, national and global.To what extent d o you agree or disagree? 06 / 10 / 29 Some people think that increasing business and cultural contacts have positive influences on development; others think that it has negative effects on national identities. Discuss both views and give your opinion. 06 / 11/ 04 Some people think that good health is very important to every person, so medical services should not be run by profit-making companies. Do the disadvantages of private health care outweigh the advantage? 06 / 11/ 18 Some people think secondary students should study international news as a school subject, but others argue that it is a waste of their valuable school time. What’s your opinion? 06 / 11/ 25 Exposure to international media, e. g. films, TV and magazines, has an impact on the local culture. Please discuss whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. 06 / 12/ 02 Throughout the history, male leaders often made the society more violent and conflicting. If women governed the world, it would be a more peaceful world. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give an example to support your idea. 6 / 12/ 09 Modern buildings are appearing in large numbers, some people believe that we should build our buildings in traditional styles. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 06 / 12/ 16 Some people believe that personal happiness is directly related to economic success. Others believe there are other factors. Discuss the two sides and give your opinion ———————– 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 % of people unable to work (UNEMPLOYMENT RATES) United Kingdom Canada Japan 1962 P 35% C 15% L 50%

Potato Osmosis Lab Report

Abstract:In this experiment was designed to study the effect of a concentrated solution applied to white and sweet potatoes. The solution’s impact among the potatoes were to be either hypertonic, hypotonic, or isotonic. The potatoes were first cut into fries with a fry cutter, and then weighed after being cut. The white and sweet potatoes’ weights ranged from .005-.015 grams.A total of 18 sugar solutions are to be made over the course of 3 trials. In each trial, 6 different types of solutions are to be made. (0% sugar, 10% sugar, 20% sugar, 30% sugar, 40% sugar, and 50% sugar). For each trial, in 6 plastic cups, pour 100mL of water, combine the sugar that in which corresponds to the percentage of sugar, and place one â€Å"potato fry† in each cup. In the first and second trials, use the sweet potatoes. In the third trial, use the white potatoes. LABELTHE CUPS ACCORDING TO THE MIXED SOLUTION! Leave the potatoes to sit for a 24-hour period.Introduction: Osmosis is the spontaneous net movement of solvent molecules through a partially permeable membrane into a region of higher solute concentration in the presence of water. An isotonic solution is one in which the concentration of solutes is the same inside the cell as outside the cell (STAYS THE SAME). A hypotonic solution will have a lower concentration of solutes than the cell (SWELLS).A hypertonic solution will have a higher concentration of solutes than the cell and will have a higher osmotic pressure outside the cell than inside the cell. (SHRINKS) The objective of this experiment was to study the effects of one concentrated solution (with different percentages of solute) on white and sweet potatoes. If a .015 white potato is placed in solution with 50% sugar, then it will shrink! (Hypotonic)Materials: †¢Sugar †¢Water †¢Potato Fry Cutter †¢Plastic Cups †¢Black Permanent Marker †¢Graduated Cylinder †¢1 Sweet Potato †¢1 White PotatoProcedures:1.Accumul ate 1 white and 1 sweet potato. 2.Cut potatoes into fries with a fry cutter and weigh 12 white potato fries and 6 sweet potato fries. 3.For each trial, in 6 plastic cups, pour 100mL of water, combine the sugar that in which corresponds to the percentage of sugar. LABEL THE CUPS! 4.Place one potato fry in each cup. 5.In the first and second trials, use the sweet potatoes. In the third trial, use the white potatoes. 6.Leave the potato fries to sit for 24-hours.Controls: The controls include the time, temperature, and 100mL of each water, ETC. Independent Variables: The independent variables include the solutions tested, ETC. Dependent Variables: The potatoes’ ability to swell, shrink or stay the same, ETC.Conclusion: Through experimentation, â€Å"If a .015 white potato is placed in solution with 50% sugar, then it will shrink† hypothesis was accurately proved. To further better this experiment, I would extend the time over a course of 2 hours and would test the experime nt outside on the sun.Questions: What causes sugar to shrink and swell things? Why did some potatoes swell and others didn’t that had the same weight and percentage of sugar?

Living Recovery From Addictions 10 Essay - 1059 Words

LIVING RECOVERY FROM ADDICTIONS 10 Drug Teen’s are Most Likely to use the First Time Trying or Using a Drug in 2008: In 2008, of the 2.9 million persons aged 12 or older who used illicit drugs for the first time, within the past 12 months, a majority reported that their first drug was marijuana (56.6 percent). Nearly one third initiated with psychotherapeutics (29.6 percent, including 22.5 percent with pain relievers (PERCOCET, OXYCONTIN), 3.2 percent with tranquilizers (XANAX), 3.0 percent with stimulants, and 0.8 percent with sedatives). A sizable proportion reported inhalants (9.7 percent) (HUFFING) as their first drug, and a small proportion used hallucinogens as their first illicit drug (3.2 percent). http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/statistics-teen-drug-use-abuse-addiction/ Discussion From the case studies, it is apparent that AA is the most common recovery support group that has assisted many people (Singer, Page, 2014). Its operation depends on testimonials of members that have recovered after undergoing the process. AA has helped many alcoholics and addicts, not only Elizabeth, or Robert as described in the case studies above but thousands. According to AA (n.d.), there are twelve steps that AA authenticates for use to persons in their recovery program. All the other support groups use the same twelve steps altering them somewhat for their purpose. The first step is to admit that one has no power over alcohol or drug LIVING RECOVERY FROM ADDICTIONS 10 use and thatShow MoreRelatedThe Problem With Drugs And Drugs Essay878 Words   |  4 Pagesotherwise is one of the greatest hindrances to recovery. After all, what is there to recover from if you don’t have a problem? But deep inside you know the truth. 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