pool of gre issue based essays

Aspeoplerelymoreandmoreontechnologytosolveproblems,theabilityofhumansto

thinkforthemselveswillsurelydeteriorate.

Writearesponseinwhichyoudiscusstheextenttowhichyouagreeordisagreewiththe

statementandexplainyourreasoningforthepositionyoutake.Indevelopingandsupportingyour

position,youshouldconsiderwaysinwhichthestatementmightormightnotholdtrueand

explainhowtheseconsiderationsshapeyourposition.

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AgreeorDisagree?Agree:

Peoplearelazy. Weevolvedtoconserve

energy,soitssimplecalculus:thelesspressurethereistothinkforthemselves,thelesspeoplewillbeforcedto.Itwonteliminateitcompletely,butitwilldefinitelydeteriorate.

Peoplejustwanttobehappy. Technologywillcreatenew

pleasuresandentertainmentwhichwillreduceboththenecessity,andrewardsofthinkingforthemselves.

(Necessityisthemotherofinvention)Wecandrawananalogybetweenhowoncealternativemodesoftransportationbecameavailable,theabilityofhumanstobephysicallyfitbegantodeteriorate.

Disagree:

Humansdonotthinkforthemselvesonlytosolveproblems.

(Wealsothinkforourselvestobecreative,toexpressourselves,toplanforthefuture.)

Technologycanprovidemoreopportunitiesforthinkingforthemselves.

Googlesolvedalotofproblemswithfindinginformation,andallowspeoplegreaterpotentialforthinkingforthemselvesbyfindingtheirownsources.

Educationreliesontechnology,andthebettereducatedyouare,themorelikelyyouaretobeacriticalthinker.

Technologysolvingproblemswillleadtomorefreetime,buttherewillalwaysbenewfrontierstoexplore,andnewchallengestoconquer.Theneedforinnovationorcriticalthinkingwillneverdisappear.Peoplewillbemoresuccessfuliftheystandoutfromthecrowd.

AgreementEssayOutline:.

1. Introduction:Definethinkingforoneselfasmakingchoicesanddoingnovelthings.Introduceourthreemainargumentsof:evolvingtobelazy,peoplejustwantingtobehappy,andlookingtothepast.

2. FirstParagraph:Talkabouthowpeoplearelazy.Discusshowwhilesomeindividualswillresist,asawholepeoplewillgenerallybecomeworseatskillsthatarelessnecessaryfortheirdailylives.

3. SecondParagraph:Talkabouthowultimatelymostpeoplearejustlookingforhappiness.Notehowtechnologysolvingproblemsreducestheneedtothinkforthemselves.(Whowouldneedtocreatenovelthingsifyourebusybeingpleasuredandhavingallofyourphysicalandemotionalandmentalneedsmet.)Ifthinkingforthemselvesbeginstoleadlessandlesstowardshappiness,thentheabilitieswillaswell.

4. ThirdParagraph:Foraglimpseofthefuture,itshelpfultolookatthepast:astechnologyreducedtheneedsofotherthings(IEPhysicalFitness),otherthingsbegantodeteriorate.

5. ConcludingParagraph:Restatehowreducingtheneedforthingsnaturallymakeshumansdoitless,evenlargelyabstractthingslikethinkingforthemselveswillbecomelessnecessaryastechnologyadvances.

DisagreementEssayOutline:.

1. Introduction:Definethinkingforyourselfasanalogoustocriticalthinking.Introducemainargumentsof:Thinkingforthemselvesisntjustasolutiontosolvingproblems,Moreopportunitiesforthinkingforthemselvescancomefromuseoftechnology,andtherewillalwaysbeaneedforcriticalthinkers.

2. FirstParagraph:Humansthinkfor3. themselvesforavarietyofreasons,

notsimplythingswhichcomputerscanstandinfor.Forexample,peoplethinkforthemselveswhentheyarecreative,whentheyexpressthemselves,andtomakedecisionsaboutotherpeoplesideas.

4. SecondParagraph:Technologyincreasesopportunitiesforthinking

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foryourself.Technologyimproveseducation.Educationgivesyoumorechancestopracticecriticalthinking.

5. ThirdParagraph:Solvingproblemswillleadtomorefreetimeasourbaseneedsanddesiresaremet,buttherewillalwaysbenewfieldsandfrontierstoexplore.Technologywillopennewdoorwaysforthinkingforourselves,evenasothersdisappear.

6. Conclusion:Technologyissomethingpeoplehavealwaysreliedontosolveproblems,fromtheearliesttoolstoiPhoneusers,butitwontstandinthewayofhumansthinkingforthemselves.

Tounderstandthemostimportantcharacteristicsofasociety,onemuststudyitsmajor

cities.




explainhowtheseconsiderationsshapeyourposition

3

Disagree:1. MajorCitiesdonotexistinevery

society.(Nomadiccultures,gypsies,ruralcommunities).

2. ImportantCharacteristicsexistbothinMajorCitiesandSuburbsandRuralCommunities.(Citiesarenotrepresentativeofthecivilizationorsocietyasawhole).

3. WhilestudyingmajorcitiescanhelpunderstandsomemajorcharacteristicssuchasCulture,Religion,SocialNorms,somecharacteristicswouldbeinaccuratesuchasAgriculture

Agree:1. Majorcitiesaretheculturalcentersof

civilizations.2. Majorcitieshavethemostpeople,

logicallyitwillhavethemostdenseamountofinformationaboutcharacteristicsofasociety.

3. MajorCitiestendtohouseleadershipwhichareultimatelythemostinfluentialportionofsocietyscharacteristics.

Educationalinstitutionshavearesponsibilitytodissuadestudentsfrompursuingfieldsof

studyinwhichtheyareunlikelytosucceed.

Writearesponseinwhichyoudiscusstheextenttowhichyouagreeordisagreewiththeclaim.In

developingandsupportingyourposition,besuretoaddressthemostcompellingreasonsand/or

examplesthatcouldbeusedtochallengeyourposition.

Disagree:

1. Studentsshouldbefreetochoosewhattheywant.Assuminguniversitylevelfromfieldsofstudy,itslikelythatstudentsareall18+adults.

2. Whatdetermineshowlikelyastudent

4

istosucceedinafield?FinancialSuccess?Happiness?SenseofWellbeing?Excitement?Therearealotofwaystodefinesuccess,andtheeducationalinstitutionscouldneveraccountforallofthem.Additionally,whowillbetheonetodissuadethestudent?Onecounselor/teachermayseethepotentialinastudentwhileanotherdoesnot.

3. Theonlyresponsibilityofeducationalinstitutionsistoeducate,nottomakedecisions(Outoftheirscope).

Agree:1. Itsforthegreatergood.Societywill

bebetteroffifmorestudentsfindfieldstheycansucceedin.

2. Ultimately,itwillmakestudentshappier.Higheroddsofsuccessmeansmoremoneyandavoidingthedespairoffailure.

3. Studentscanstillchoosetotrythoseunlikelyfields,butdissuadingthemfromtryingitisimportantbecausetheyretooyoungandinexperiencedtoknowwellenoughthemselves.

4. Institutionswillalsobeabletosaveresourcesfromstudentsgraduatingontime.Studentswillbeabletosavemoneybysucceedingintheirstudies.

Scandalsareusefulbecausetheyfocusourattentiononproblemsinwaysthatnospeaker

orreformerevercould.




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Disagree:1. Scandalsarelargelyrandom.Itisnt

necessarilythemostimportantissuewhichhasascandal.

2. Scandalsdevelopshallowinterestinproblems,anddontleadtoactual,longtermimprovement.Themediadetermineswhatisascandal.Ex.MarkSanfordgetscaughtinaliethatwascoveringuphisrelationshipwithanotherwoman.HeiselectedtoaHouseseatafewyearslateranyway.Why?Themediahadblownhiscover,butwithoutanyfollowup,hewentonwithhislife.

3. Scandalsfocusourattentiononproblemsthatareshockingbutinsignificant.Theyservetodistractfromtherealissuesthatspeakersandreformersshouldbepubliclyaddressing.Example:AnthonyWeinersextingscandalorBillClinton/Lewinskyscandal.Notthemostethicalactions,butcertainlynotaMAINproblemtofocuson.

Agree:1. Thepublicenjoysscandals.Itmakes

thepublicpaygreaterattentiontoproblems.Themoremediatimethatanissuehas,inevitably,thestrongeropinionthepublicwillhaveaboutit.

2. Scandalsbringtolightwhatthepublicmaynothavebeenawareof.Ex.ThinkabouttheWatergatescandal.APresidentnotonlyhadburglarsbreakintowiretaphisopposingparty,butalsotriedtocoverupthesituation.HowhasthischangedthepublicseyeonthePresident,anelectedofficialwhoistoleadthecountry?Onasimilarnote,recently,thereistheNSAwiretappingscandal.BigBrotherisalotcloserthanpeoplethoughtandisthepubliccomfortablewiththat?

Claim:Governmentsmustensurethattheirmajorcitiesreceivethefinancialsupportthey

needinordertothrive.

Reason:Itisprimarilyincitiesthatanation'sculturaltraditionsarepreservedand

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generated.

Writearesponseinwhichyoudiscusstheextenttowhichyouagreeordisagreewiththeclaim

andthereasononwhichthatclaimisbased.

Anationshouldrequireallofitsstudentstostudythesamenationalcurriculumuntilthey

entercollege.


recommendationandexplainyourreasoningforthepositionyoutake.Indevelopingand

supportingyourposition,describespecificcircumstancesinwhichadoptingtherecommendation

wouldorwouldnotbeadvantageousandexplainhowtheseexamplesshapeyourposition.

Agree:1. Everyoneneedstolearnbasic

fundamentals.(Math,Reading,etc)2. Bystudyingthesamenational

curriculum,itincreasesthevalidityofahighschooldegree(Becauseyouknowthateveryonehasstudiedthesamesubjectmatter)

3. Whowouldpickthealternativecurriculums?Kids?Theyretooyoungtomakechoicesaboutwhattheywanttostudycanakidreallybeexpectedtoknowifhewantstogointoart,ormath,orwritingatsuchayoungage?

Disagree:

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1. Notallstudentsmaybeinterestedinthesametopics.Artinclinedstudentswouldwanttostudylessofsciencerelatedsubjectsandviceversa.

2. Themistakeofhavingonecurriculumisthatoneerrorinthecurriculumwouldmisinformtheentirenationofstudents.Example,ifsomeonetypedthegoldrushoccurredin1949insteadof1849,wewouldhaveanationofstudentsbelievingthegoldrushhappenedafterWorldWar2.

3. Learninggapwouldbebigger.Lowincome/underresourcedstudentsandschoolswouldbeatadisadvantage.

Somepeoplebelievethatgovernmentfundingoftheartsisnecessarytoensurethatthe

artscanflourishandbeavailabletoallpeople.Othersbelievethatgovernmentfundingof

theartsthreatenstheintegrityofthearts.

Writearesponseinwhichyoudiscusswhichviewmorecloselyalignswithyourownpositionand

explainyourreasoningforthepositionyoutake.Indevelopingandsupportingyourposition,you

shouldaddressbothoftheviewspresented.

FundingtheArtsisNecessary:1. Artsrequiremoneytopayforthe

artistslivingexpensesandmaterials.Withoutgovernmentfunding,manypoorerindividualswhowantto

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expressthemselvesthroughartwontbeableto.

2. Governmentshavearesponsibilitytopreserveculturalheritage.Theyretheonlywayofdefeatingthetragedyofthecommons.Everyonewantstoappreciateart,butnoonewouldwanttopayforitindividually.

3. Governmentsponsorshipoftheartscreatesanationaldrivetowardscreativity.ArtscanbecomemoreprestigiouswiththeGovernmentendorsingthem(Thisisaweakargument.Anyotherideas?)

FundingtheArtsthreatenstheIntegrityoftheArts:

1. Theartsmaybecomebeholdentogovernmentinterests.(SuchaswhenagovernmentsetsupanartcontestwiththethemePatriotism)

2. Artsmaybecensoredbythegovernment.Membersofthepublicmaydemandthattheartbecensoredsincemytaxesarepayingforit.

3. Artshouldbecompletelyfreeandfundingfromthegovernmentfundamentallycontradictsthis.Artistswillalwayshavetoconsiderhowthegovernmentwillreact(WillIgetmoreorlessfundingifIdothis?)

Claim:Inanyfieldbusiness,politics,education,governmentthoseinpowershouldstep

downafterfiveyears.

Reason:Thesurestpathtosuccessforanyenterpriseisrevitalizationthroughnew

leadership.



Disagree:1.Frequentchangingofleadershipcouldresultintoomanychangestothefield,haltingprogress.2.Aseasonedleaderisnecessarytomaintainbalance.3.Thereareotherwaystocollectnewideas

9

andstrategiesthatdonotinvolvedrasticallyalteringthefield.Agree:1.Leadersinpowerfortoolongcouldbecomecontentorcomfortable,haltingchange.2.Corruption.3.Allfieldsareconstantlyevolving,necessitatingthattheleadershipadaptstothechanges.

Inanyfieldofendeavor,itisimpossibletomakeasignificantcontributionwithoutfirst

beingstronglyinfluencedbypastachievementswithinthatfield.





Agree:1.Tomakesignificantcontributionsinascientificfield,onemustalreadymastertheexistingknowledgeinthatfield.Thiswillinevitablyleadtoinfluence.2.Inmanyfields(ballet,classicalmusicetc)beginnersundergoextensivetrainingundermastersandthuswillinevitablybeinfluencedbytheirstyle.Disagree:1.Thereareinstancesofoutsiders/selftaughtmakingsignificantcontributions.Inthosecases,therecanbenoinfluencefrompastachievements(AnexampleherewouldbeS.Ramanujan,afamousmathematicianwithalmostnoformaleducation,butstillmadesignificantcontributions.)

Nationsshouldpasslawstopreserveanyremainingwildernessareasintheirnaturalstate,

10

eveniftheseareascouldbedevelopedforeconomicgain.

Writearesponseinwhichyoudiscussyourviewsonthepolicyandexplainyourreasoningforthe

positionyoutake.Indevelopingandsupportingyourposition,youshouldconsiderthepossible

consequencesofimplementingthepolicyandexplainhowtheseconsequencesshapeyour

position.

Agree:1. Wildernessareaspreservetheflora

andfauna.Countlessspecieshavealreadybecomeextinctduetohumansencroachinguponthesenaturalterritories.TheEarthisnotsolelyinhabitedbyhumanstheplanetisaboundwithdifferentorganisms,bigandsmall.Andtheseorganismsdeservetohaveahometoo.

2. Preservingwildlifecanhelpstabilizeglobalenvironmentalissues.Humanshavebeeninvadingnaturalterritoriesforaperiodoftimenow,slashingandburning,overfishing,poaching,andothertechniques.Moreover,theproductionofcarbongasesistoxictotheenvironment.Preservingnaturecanhelpbringdowntheamountthecarbondioxidereleasedaswellaspotentiallystabilizingclimatetopreventstorms.ThelatterhasrecentlybeenstudiedbyUSscientiststrackingstorms,withafocusonHurricaneSandyandhowthatcameabout.

3. Preservejustforthescenicbeauty.Somuchlightandairpollutionthatthefeelingofescapingtoanaturalhabitatwouldbeanicegetawayforsomepeople(nottomentionthatthiscouldbeacheapandeasyvacation).

4. Possibleconsequences:Bypreservingthisarea,nationswilllikelyhavetobitethebulletandusethelandsforeconomicgains.However,thereisenoughresearchbehindtheimportanceofkeepingwhatremainingnaturalhabitatswehavenowinordertopreventthedecimationoftheenvironment.Researchhasalreadyproventheozonelayer,whichcanbethoughtofasaforcefieldthatpreventssunsharmfulraysfromentering,is

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deterioratingbecauseoffossilfuelsandcarbondioxideproduction.Treesandotherfloracanhelptolowerthetoxicamountbeingproducedonlyiftheyarearound.

Disagree:1. Peopleneedthisareatoprevent

overcrowdingandslumlikeareas.Theareascouldbeusedtobuildsheltersforlowincomecitizens.

2. Worldlycompetitionisfierce.Ifproductionislacking,thentheentirenationcouldsufferasothernationsmaylookelsewhereforcommodities.

3. Domesticcompetitionisnecessaryaswell.Clearingthislandmaytranslatetomorejobsforeveryone(aplazawithamallisbuilt,soconstructionworkers,engineers,etcarehiredaswellasplazaemployees.Thiscouldstimulateastrugglingeconomy.

4. Possibleconsequences:Economyisbolsteredandsuppliesmeetthedemands.Unemploymentratesareloweredtoanextentandpeoplehavemoreoptionsforhousing.Downsideisthatenvironmentcanbedamaged,notjustforthecurrentgeneration,butforfuturegenerationsaswell.

People'sbehaviorislargelydeterminedbyforcesnotoftheirownmaking.





Agree:1. Geneticsplayalargeroleinwhatsort

ofpersonyouare.Peoplearenotborncompletelytabularasa.StudiesoftwinsseparatedatbirthdemonstratethattheresastrongcorrelationbetweenGenesandaspectsofourbehaviorlikeoursexuality,

2. Peoplesbehaviorisverysituational.LookatStanleyMilgramsexperimentsinobedience.The

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majorityofpeoplewouldtortureanotherpersonifplacedinthecorrectsituation,despitethefactthatthemajorityofthetimetheydbeaghastattheidea.Followingalongwiththisistherulesandlawsthatareputinplacewhereverapersonmaybe.Forexample,inSingapore,venialcrimeslikespittinginpublic,chewinggumandlitteringareheftyfinesandevencaningsforcitizensandtourists.

3. Yourparentsplayalargepartinwhoyouare.Whatsituationtheyraisedyouinradicallychangesyourpersonality.ChristianparentstendtohaveChristianKids.MuslimparentstendtohaveMuslimkids.Whatevercountryyourparentsraiseyouinalsogreatlyaffectsyou.Choiceisjustthefinallayerthethousandlevelsthatmakeupyourbehavior.

Disagree:

1. Peoplecanmakethedecisiontofighttheexternalforces.Theindividualresponsibilityisessentialtobehavior.Students,forexample,aresurroundedbyexternalforcesandpressurestodowellinschoolsotheycanhaveabetterfuture.However,despitethispressure,thebehaviorofastudentisstilluptoeachindividualstudent.Thestudentmaychoosetoopposethisforceandadoptabehaviorthatdevotestimetopartyingthanstudying.

2. Alongthelinesofopposingtheforcesarecriminalsbreakingthelaw.Theserulesaresettogovernbehaviorandtobeapartofourscruplesifwearetothinkaboutcommittingacrime.However,therearestillpeoplewhogoagainsttheselawsandthisindicatesthatpeoplecanshrugofftheresponsibilitythattheyaretoldtohaveandbehaveotherwise.Thisalsoisasignthatthesepeopletakesoleresponsibilityintheirconductandnotexternalforces.

3.

Governmentsshouldofferafreeuniversityeducationtoanystudentwhohasbeenadmitted

toauniversitybutwhocannotaffordthetuition.

13




position.

Universitiesshouldrequireeverystudenttotakeavarietyofcoursesoutsidethestudent's

fieldofstudy.




14

Agree:1.Thiswillstimulateinterdisciplinarydialogue,suchasusingtrendsinonedisciplineforanaxiomofanother.Certaininsightscanhelpinthelearningofanother(stillneedarecognizableanalogy)2.Itwillreinforceskillsthatareubiquitoustoacademicthought,acrossdisciplines.Onesimpleexampleistheaskingquestionstonarrowthefieldofpossibilities.3.Itwillmakethestudent,intheend,morewellrounded(whateverthatmeans).Disagree:Thinkofthisasanargumentforgeneralcurriculum,resultinginthesupposedwellroundedstudent.1.Generalcurriculumcanactasaformofstratification.Ageneralcurriculumdemandsthateachstudentmeetrequirementsthatareultimatelyinessentialtotheircareergoal.AstudentinmathdoesnotnecessarilyneedacourseinVictorianPoetrytobeagoodmathematician,justasanEnglishmajordoesnotneed2coursesinmathtoworkasanEnglishprofessor.2.Itmakesthecostofhighereducationhigherthanithastobe.3.Itleadstoprolongingundergraduatestudies.Generalcurriculumkeepsstudentsinschoollonger.4.Itdetractsfromtimethatcouldbespenttowardpursuinganothermajororminor.Qualification:Ifageneralcurriculumisnotimposed,studentscouldbemissingoutoninterdisciplinaryconnectionsandinsights.Response:Studentscouldfindinterconnectionsbetweendisciplinesbytakingelectives,that,withoutageneralcurriculum,studentswouldhavemoretimetotake.


entercollege.




position.

15

Diagree1.allstudentslearnatdifferentrates,recognizethenochildleftbehindact2.advancedstudentswouldbeheldbackfromtheirfullpotential,andotherswontlearnthematerialaswell3.thenationcouldhaveasetback,knowledgeispoweristheslogan,morepowerfulthanwar.4.whowouldmakethecurriculum?andwhatmakesthispersonqualifiedenoughtoknowwhatthesestudentsneedtoknow.5,theneedtobedistinguishedfromoneanother

Educationalinstitutionsshouldactivelyencouragetheirstudentstochoosefieldsofstudy

thatwillpreparethemforlucrativecareers.




16

Somepeoplebelievethatinordertobeeffective,politicalleadersmustyieldtopublic

opinionandabandonprincipleforthesakeofcompromise.Othersbelievethatthemost

essentialqualityofaneffectiveleaderistheabilitytoremainconsistentlycommittedto

particularprinciplesandobjectives.




Formaleducationtendstorestrainourmindsandspiritsratherthansetthemfree.

17





Thewellbeingofasocietyisenhancedwhenmanyofitspeoplequestionauthority.





Governmentsshouldfocusonsolvingtheimmediateproblemsoftodayratherthanon

tryingtosolvetheanticipatedproblemsofthefuture.





Somepeoplebelievethatcollegestudentsshouldconsideronlytheirowntalentsand

interestswhenchoosingafieldofstudy.Othersbelievethatcollegestudentsshouldbase

theirchoiceofafieldofstudyontheavailabilityofjobsinthatfield.




Lawsshouldbeflexibleenoughtotakeaccountofvariouscircumstances,times,and

places.





Claim:Thebestwaytounderstandthecharacterofasocietyistoexaminethecharacterof

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themenandwomenthatthesocietychoosesasitsheroesoritsrolemodels.

Reason:Heroesandrolemodelsrevealasociety'shighestideals.



Governmentsshouldplacefew,ifany,restrictionsonscientificresearchanddevelopment.

Writearesponseinwhichyoudiscusstheextenttowhichyouagreeordisagreewiththerecommendationand

explainyourreasoningforthepositionyoutake.Indevelopingandsupportingyourposition,describespecific

circumstancesinwhichadoptingtherecommendationwouldorwouldnotbeadvantageousandexplainhow

theseexamplesshapeyourposition.

Thebestwaytoteachistopraisepositiveactionsandignorenegativeones.





Governmentsshouldoffercollegeanduniversityeducationfreeofchargetoallstudents.





Theluxuriesandconveniencesofcontemporarylifepreventpeoplefromdevelopinginto

trulystrongandindependentindividuals.





Inanyfieldofinquiry,thebeginnerismorelikelythantheexperttomakeimportant

contributions.


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Thesurestindicatorofagreatnationisrepresentednotbytheachievementsofitsrulers,

artists,orscientists,butbythegeneralwelfareofitspeople.





Thebestwaytoteachwhetherasaneducator,employer,orparentistopraisepositive

actionsandignorenegativeones.




Teachers'salariesshouldbebasedontheirstudents'academicperformance.




Societyshouldmakeeffortstosaveendangeredspeciesonlyifthepotentialextinctionof

thosespeciesistheresultofhumanactivities.




position.

Collegestudentsshouldbasetheirchoiceofafieldofstudyontheavailabilityofjobsin

thatfield.



20


Asweacquiremoreknowledge,thingsdonotbecomemorecomprehensible,butmore

complexandmysterious.





Inanysituation,progressrequiresdiscussionamongpeoplewhohavecontrastingpoints

ofview.





Educationalinstitutionsshoulddissuadestudentsfrompursuingfieldsofstudyinwhich

theyareunlikelytosucceed.




position.

Governmentsshouldnotfundanyscientificresearchwhoseconsequencesareunclear.





Societyshouldidentifythosechildrenwhohavespecialtalentsandprovidetrainingfor

thematanearlyagetodeveloptheirtalents.



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Itisprimarilythroughouridentificationwithsocialgroupsthatwedefineourselves.





Collegestudentsshouldbeencouragedtopursuesubjectsthatinterestthemratherthan

thecoursesthatseemmostlikelytoleadtojobs.





Claim:Whenplanningcourses,educatorsshouldtakeintoaccounttheinterestsand

suggestionsoftheirstudents.

Reason:Studentsaremoremotivatedtolearnwhentheyareinterestedinwhattheyare

studying.



Thegreatnessofindividualscanbedecidedonlybythosewholiveafterthem,notbytheir

contemporaries.





Studentsshouldalwaysquestionwhattheyaretaughtinsteadofacceptingitpassively.



22



Theincreasinglyrapidpaceoflifetodaycausesmoreproblemsthanitsolves.





Claim:Itisnolongerpossibleforasocietytoregardanylivingmanorwomanasahero.

Reason:Thereputationofanyonewhoissubjectedtomediascrutinywilleventuallybe

diminished.



InPsychologytheressomethingknownastheHaloEffect.Weoftenbelievethatifsomeonehasonegoodquality,(suchas,beingagoodactor),thenalloftheirqualitiesaregood.Whileitistrue,thatmediascrutinywilldiminishthereputationofmanyindividualswhomighthavepreviouslyreceivedheroworshipwithoutcloseinspection,itisdefinitelypossibleforsocietytoregardlivingmenorwomenasheroes.SocietywillredefineHeronotassomeonewhoisperfectineveryway,butassomeonewhohasovercometheirlimitations.Wellbechanginghowweanswerthefundamentalquestionofifitsbettertobebornstrong,ortobebornweakandgrowbeyondit.

Competitionforhighgradesseriouslylimitsthequalityoflearningatalllevelsofeducation.



23




fieldofstudy.





Educatorsshouldfindoutwhatstudentswantincludedinthecurriculumandthenofferitto

them.





Educatorsshouldteachfactsonlyaftertheirstudentshavestudiedtheideas,trends,and

conceptsthathelpexplainthosefacts.





Claim:Wecanusuallylearnmuchmorefrompeoplewhoseviewswesharethanfrom

thosewhoseviewscontradictourown.

Reason:Disagreementcancausestressandinhibitlearning.



Governmentofficialsshouldrelyontheirownjudgmentratherthanunquestioninglycarryout

thewillofthepeopletheyserve.

24





Youngpeopleshouldbeencouragedtopursuelongterm,realisticgoalsratherthanseek

immediatefameandrecognition.





Thebestwaytoteachistopraisepositiveactionsandignorenegativeones.





Ifagoalisworthy,thenanymeanstakentoattainitarejustifiable.





Inordertobecomewellroundedindividuals,allcollegestudentsshouldberequiredtotake

coursesinwhichtheyreadpoetry,novels,mythology,andothertypesofimaginative

literature.





Inorderforanyworkofartforexample,afilm,anovel,apoem,orasongtohavemerit,

25

itmustbeunderstandabletomostpeople.





Manyimportantdiscoveriesorcreationsareaccidental:itisusuallywhileseekingthe

answertoonequestionthatwecomeacrosstheanswertoanother.





Themainbenefitofthestudyofhistoryistodispeltheillusionthatpeoplelivingnoware

significantlydifferentfrompeoplewholivedinearliertimes.





Learningisprimarilyamatterofpersonaldisciplinestudentscannotbemotivatedby

schoolorcollegealone.





Scientistsandotherresearchersshouldfocustheirresearchonareasthatarelikelyto

benefitthegreatestnumberofpeople.




26


Politiciansshouldpursuecommongroundandreasonableconsensusratherthanelusive

ideals.





Peopleshouldundertakeriskyactiononlyaftertheyhavecarefullyconsideredits

consequences.





Leadersarecreatedbythedemandsthatareplacedonthem.





Thereislittlejustificationforsocietytomakeextraordinaryeffortsespeciallyatagreat

costinmoneyandjobstosaveendangeredanimalorplantspecies.





Thehumanmindwillalwaysbesuperiortomachinesbecausemachinesareonlytoolsof

humanminds.



27



Everyindividualinasocietyhasaresponsibilitytoobeyjustlawsandtodisobeyandresist

unjustlaws.




Peoplewhoarethemostdeeplycommittedtoanideaorpolicyarealsothemostcriticalof

it.





Somepeoplebelievethatsocietyshouldtrytosaveeveryplantandanimalspecies,

despitetheexpensetohumansineffort,time,andfinancialwellbeing.Othersbelievethat

societyneednotmakeextraordinaryefforts,especiallyatagreatcostinmoneyandjobs,

tosaveendangeredspecies.




Somepeoplebelievethatthepurposeofeducationistofreethemindandthespirit.

Othersbelievethatformaleducationtendstorestrainourmindsandspiritsratherthanset

themfree.




Somepeoplebelieveitisoftennecessary,evendesirable,forpoliticalleaderstowithhold

28

informationfromthepublic.Othersbelievethatthepublichasarighttobefullyinformed.




Claim:Universitiesshouldrequireeverystudenttotakeavarietyofcoursesoutsidethe

student'smajorfieldofstudy.

Reason:Acquiringknowledgeofvariousacademicdisciplinesisthebestwaytobecome

trulyeducated.



Youngpeopleshouldbeencouragedtopursuelongterm,realisticgoalsratherthanseek

immediatefameandrecognition.





Governmentsshouldnotfundanyscientificresearchwhoseconsequencesareunclear.




position.

Collegesanduniversitiesshouldrequireallfacultytospendtimeworkingoutsidethe

academicworldinprofessionsrelevanttothecoursestheyteach.




position.

29

Knowingaboutthepastcannothelppeopletomakeimportantdecisionstoday.





Inthisageofintensivemediacoverage,itisnolongerpossibleforasocietytoregardany

livingmanorwomanasahero.





Wecanusuallylearnmuchmorefrompeoplewhoseviewswesharethanfrompeople

whoseviewscontradictourown.





Themosteffectivewaytounderstandcontemporarycultureistoanalyzethetrendsofits

youth.





People'sattitudesaredeterminedmorebytheirimmediatesituationorsurroundingsthan

bysocietyasawhole.




30


Claim:Thebesttestofanargumentisitsabilitytoconvincesomeonewithanopposing

viewpoint.

Reason:Onlybybeingforcedtodefendanideaagainstthedoubtsandcontrastingviews

ofothersdoesonereallydiscoverthevalueofthatidea.



Nationsshouldsuspendgovernmentfundingfortheartswhensignificantnumbersoftheir

citizensarehungryorunemployed.





Allparentsshouldberequiredtovolunteertimetotheirchildren'sschools.





Collegesanduniversitiesshouldrequiretheirstudentstospendatleastonesemester

studyinginaforeigncountry.





Teachers'salariesshouldbebasedontheacademicperformanceoftheirstudents.




31


Itisnolongerpossibleforasocietytoregardanylivingmanorwomanasahero.




Somepeoplebelievethatinordertothrive,asocietymustputitsownoverallsuccess

beforethewellbeingofitsindividualcitizens.Othersbelievethatthewellbeingofa

societycanonlybemeasuredbythegeneralwelfareofallitspeople.




Somepeoplebelievethatgovernmentofficialsmustcarryoutthewillofthepeoplethey

serve.Othersbelievethatofficialsshouldbasetheirdecisionsontheirownjudgment.




Claim:Anypieceofinformationreferredtoasafactshouldbemistrusted,sinceitmaywell

beprovenfalseinthefuture.

Reason:Muchoftheinformationthatpeopleassumeisfactualactuallyturnsouttobe

inaccurate.



Claim:Nationsshouldsuspendgovernmentfundingfortheartswhensignificantnumbers

oftheircitizensarehungryorunemployed.

Reason:Itisinappropriateand,perhaps,evencrueltousepublicresourcestofundthe

artswhenpeople'sbasicneedsarenotbeingmet.

32



Claim:Manyproblemsofmodernsocietycannotbesolvedbylawsandthelegalsystem.

Reason:Lawscannotchangewhatisinpeople'sheartsorminds.



Educatorsshouldtakestudents'interestsintoaccountwhenplanningthecontentofthe

coursestheyteach.





Theprimarygoaloftechnologicaladvancementshouldbetoincreasepeople'sefficiency

sothattheyhavemoreleisuretime.





Educatorsshouldbasetheirassessmentofstudents'learningnotonstudents'graspof

factsbutontheabilitytoexplaintheideas,trends,andconceptsthatthosefactsillustrate.





Unfortunately,incontemporarysociety,creatinganappealingimagehasbecomemore

importantthantherealityortruthbehindthatimage.



33



Theeffectivenessofacountry'sleadersisbestmeasuredbyexaminingthewellbeingof

thatcountry'scitizens.




Allparentsshouldberequiredtovolunteertimetotheirchildren'sschools.





entercollege.









Educationalinstitutionsshouldactivelyencouragetheirstudentstochoosefieldsofstudyin

whichjobsareplentiful.




position.

34

People'sbehaviorislargelydeterminedbyforcesnotoftheirownmaking.









position.

Althoughinnovationssuchasvideo,computers,andtheInternetseemtoofferschools

improvedmethodsforinstructingstudents,thesetechnologiesalltoooftendistractfrom

reallearning.






fieldofstudy.




position.

Thebestideasarisefromapassionateinterestincommonplacethings.





35

Tobeaneffectiveleader,apublicofficialmustmaintainthehighestethicalandmoral

standards.




Claim:Imaginationisamorevaluableassetthanexperience.

Reason:Peoplewholackexperiencearefreetoimaginewhatispossiblewithoutthe

constraintsofestablishedhabitsandattitudes.



Inmostprofessionsandacademicfields,imaginationismoreimportantthanknowledge.





Tobeaneffectiveleader,apublicofficialmustmaintainthehighestethicalandmoral

standards.





Criticaljudgmentofworkinanygivenfieldhaslittlevalueunlessitcomesfromsomeone

whoisanexpertinthatfield.





36

Disagree:

interdisciplinaryfields

novice>novelty

agree:

expertknowsbest>routine,

Somepeoplebelievethatscientificdiscoverieshavegivenusamuchbetterunderstanding

oftheworldaroundus.Othersbelievethatsciencehasrevealedtousthattheworldis

infinitelymorecomplexthanweeverrealized.




Criticaljudgmentofworkinanygivenfieldhaslittlevalueunlessitcomesfromsomeone

whoisanexpertinthatfield.




Inanyprofessionbusiness,politics,education,governmentthoseinpowershouldstep

downafterfiveyears.




Requiringuniversitystudentstotakeavarietyofcoursesoutsidetheirmajorfieldsofstudy

37

isthebestwaytoensurethatstudentsbecometrulyeducated.





Claim:Thesurestindicatorofagreatnationisnottheachievementsofitsrulers,artists,or

scientists.

Reason:Thesurestindicatorofagreatnationisactuallythewelfareofallitspeople.



Anyleaderwhoisquicklyandeasilyinfluencedbyshiftsinpopularopinionwillaccomplish

little.





Governmentofficialsshouldrelyontheirownjudgmentratherthanunquestioninglycarryout

thewillofthepeoplewhomtheyserve.






entercollege.





38

Itisprimarilyincitiesthatanation'sculturaltraditionsaregeneratedandpreserved.





Wecanlearnmuchmorefrompeoplewhoseviewswesharethanfrompeoplewhose

viewscontradictourown.





Whenoldbuildingsstandongroundthatmodernplannersfeelcouldbebetterusedfor

modernpurposes,moderndevelopmentshouldbegivenprecedenceoverthepreservation

ofhistoricbuildings.





Claim:Thesurestindicatorofagreatnationmustbetheachievementsofitsrulers,artists,

orscientists.

Reason:Greatachievementsbyanation'srulers,artists,orscientistswillensureagood

lifeforthemajorityofthatnation'speople.



Somepeopleclaimthatyoucantellwhetheranationisgreatbylookingatthe

achievementsofitsrulers,artists,orscientists.Othersarguethatthesurestindicatorofa

greatnationis,infact,thegeneralwelfareofallitspeople.


39



Thebestwaytounderstandthecharacterofasocietyistoexaminethecharacterofthe

menandwomenthatthesocietychoosesasitsheroesoritsrolemodels.




Thebestwayforasocietytoprepareitsyoungpeopleforleadershipingovernment,

industry,orotherfieldsisbyinstillinginthemasenseofcooperation,notcompetition.




Allcollegeanduniversitystudentswouldbenefitfromspendingatleastonesemester






Somepeopleclaimthatanation'sgovernmentshouldpreserveitswildernessareasin

theirnaturalstate.Othersarguethattheseareasshouldbedevelopedforpotential

economicgain.




Inmostprofessionsandacademicfields,imaginationismoreimportantthanknowledge.



40


Thesurestindicatorofagreatnationisnottheachievementsofitsrulers,artists,or

scientists,butthegeneralwellbeingofallitspeople.




Somepeoplearguethatsuccessfulleadersingovernment,industry,orotherfieldsmustbe

highlycompetitive.Otherpeopleclaimthatinordertobesuccessful,aleadermustbe

willingandabletocooperatewithothers.




Collegestudentsshouldbasetheirchoiceofafieldofstudyontheavailabilityofjobsin

thatfield.





Somepeoplebelievethatcorporationshavearesponsibilitytopromotethewellbeingof

thesocietiesandenvironmentsinwhichtheyoperate.Othersbelievethattheonly

responsibilityofcorporations,providedtheyoperatewithinthelaw,istomakeasmuch

moneyaspossible.




Claim:Researchersshouldnotlimittheirinvestigationstoonlythoseareasinwhichthey

expecttodiscoversomethingthathasanimmediate,practicalapplication.

41

Reason:Itisimpossibletopredicttheoutcomeofalineofresearchwithanycertainty.



Somepeoplebelievethatoureverincreasinguseoftechnologysignificantlyreducesour

opportunitiesforhumaninteraction.Otherpeoplebelievethattechnologyprovidesuswith

newandbetterwaystocommunicateandconnectwithoneanother.




Claim:Knowingaboutthepastcannothelppeopletomakeimportantdecisionstoday.

Reason:Theworldtodayissignificantlymorecomplexthanitwasevenintherelatively

recentpast.



Claim:Knowingaboutthepastcannothelppeopletomakeimportantdecisionstoday.

Reason:Wearenotabletomakeconnectionsbetweencurrenteventsandpastevents

untilwehavesomedistancefromboth.



Educationalinstitutionsshouldactivelyencouragetheirstudentstochoosefieldsofstudy

thatwillpreparethemforlucrativecareers.




position.

Educationalinstitutionsshouldactivelyencouragetheirstudentstochoosefieldsofstudyin

42

whichjobsareplentiful.




Educationalinstitutionshavearesponsibilitytodissuadestudentsfrompursuingfieldsof

studyinwhichtheyareunlikelytosucceed.





Somepeoplebelievethatcompetitionforhighgradesmotivatesstudentstoexcelinthe

classroom.Othersbelievethatsuchcompetitionseriouslylimitsthequalityofreallearning.




Claim:Majorpolicydecisionsshouldalwaysbelefttopoliticiansandothergovernment

experts.

Reason:Politiciansandothergovernmentexpertsaremoreinformedandthushavebetter

judgmentandperspectivethandomembersofthegeneralpublic.



Somepeoplebelievethatuniversitiesshouldrequireeverystudenttotakeavarietyof

coursesoutsidethestudent'sfieldofstudy.Othersbelievethatuniversitiesshouldnotforce

studentstotakeanycoursesotherthanthosethatwillhelppreparethemforjobsintheir

chosenfields.



43


Itismoreharmfultocompromiseone'sownbeliefsthantoadheretothem.





Claim:Collegesanduniversitiesshouldspecifyallrequiredcoursesandeliminateelective

coursesinordertoprovideclearguidanceforstudents.

Reason:Collegestudentslikepeopleingeneralprefertofollowdirectionsratherthan

maketheirowndecisions.



Nofieldofstudycanadvancesignificantlyunlessitincorporatesknowledgeand

experiencefromoutsidethatfield.





Truesuccesscanbemeasuredprimarilyintermsofthegoalsonesetsforoneself.





Thegeneralwelfareofanation'speopleisabetterindicationofthatnation'sgreatness

thanaretheachievementsofitsrulers,artists,orscientists.



44


Thebesttestofanargumentistheargument'sabilitytoconvincesomeonewithan

opposingviewpoint.





Theeffectivenessofacountry'sleadersisbestmeasuredbyexaminingthewellbeingof

thatcountry'scitizens.





Nationsshouldpasslawstopreserveanyremainingwildernessareasintheirnaturalstate.




Inanyfieldbusiness,politics,education,governmentthoseinpowershouldberequired

tostepdownafterfiveyears.




position.

45

pool of gre issue based essays

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