2. In many countries today, insufficient respect is shown to older people
In many countries today, insufficient respect is shown to older people. What do you think may be the reasons for this? What problems might this cause in society? Respecting a person's age has been traditional practice in many cultures. Unfortunately, that is quickly changing. Due to a large number of societal changes which have taken place in the past 100 years, it’s clear that older people have lost their once elevated position in society. Where we used to cherish our elders and show respect for their wisdom, we now disregard their knowledge, or ignore them altogether. In my point of view, there are several reasons for this dangerous trend, and many negative consequences which result from it. First of all, a trend which has led to disrespect for the elderly is immigration and permanent movement away from family. For example, whereas in the past it was common for grandparents to live nearby and to play an integral role in the upbringing of children, they now live separately and in many cases, far away from their children. Single-family living reduces the role that older individuals can play in the family, and therefore decreases their value in society. Second of all, older people generally become “less self reliant and vulnerable” as they age. For example, in many countries now, their is a “fixed retirement age”. As a result, older people lose a source of income and become dependent on others for money. Consequently, respect is lost when anyone becomes dependent on others for their physical and financial survival. Without a steady income and unable to pay high costs of rent, older people end up living in nursing homes, or “affordable” residential communities for senior citizens. Third of all, most parents in this modern day and age are too busy working they do not teach their children proper “etiquette”- respecting older people and other important social skills. In addition, young people are “addicted” to the internet . Consequently, they learn “bad etiquette” from the internet and friends, which results in poor social behavior later in life. Finally, everyone knows Technological skills are now necessary for most forms of employment, but they are often foreign, and even frightening to the older generation. Young people may then adopt the opinion that older people are “falling behind”, and that they are no longer useful in the workforce. Hence, younger employees will disrespect their elder co-workers if they are slow to use technology and do not have computer skills. In my opinion, the tendency to disrespect and devalue older people has many negative repercussions. to Illustrate, the wisdom once given to us by older people is quickly losing its value. While the elderly may not be able to teach us about smart phones or Facebook, they possess years of experience and wisdom that money will never be able to buy. Older people are amazing role models that people of all ages, both youth and adults, should look up to. It would be a tragedy to lose the philosophical treasures and wisdom older people offer to society. Furthermore, disrespecting older people causes psychological medical problems such as depression, stress and loneliness in their final years. In conclusion, I strongly believe that societies all over the world should strive to return respect for the elderly to its rightful place. Elders should always be respected for their wisdom and experience in life, regardless of their educational or financial background. As we have seen from past generations, all elders are a “special gift” to society, and we should always strive to help them as much as possible, instead of simply seeing them as a “burden” in their final years.

3. People should be allowed to continue working for as long as they want to, and not be forced to retire at a particular age such as 60 or 65. Do you agree or disagree? Specifying a mandatory retirement age is a controversial topic around the world, as it is a form of age discrimination. Consequently, most people agree employees should be allowed to continue working so long as they are healthy and can tolerate work burdens. Nevertheless, other people believe that a fixed retirement age is a must. In my point of view, even though it is important to meet the needs of younger generations, “forcing” hardworking, motivated people to retire simply based on age is not an effective solution On the one hand, a growing number of people believe there should never be an age limit to work. Working helps people both physically and mentalIy, and prevents a myriad of diseases. Experienced professionals are a gift to society and should never stop spreading their knowledge, and expertise to younger generations. For example. Dr. Magdy Yacoub, an Egyptian cardio-thoracic surgeon, returned back to Egypt in his seventies to open a highly specialized cardiac centre. His aim was not only the free treatment of patients, but also training younger physicians in the field. Furthermore, another way that people can gain happiness is through their work. An amazing example of this is Dr. Ghulam Fayez of Operation Smile - a worldwide organization which helps people with life changing surgeries correcting cleft palates and cleft lips A Plastic surgeon in Pakistan, Doctor Ghulam has performed over 10,000 volunteer surgeries in Pakistan and around the world. His colleagues at Operation Smile always comment on his commitment and passion towards his patients. For Dr. Ghulam, happiness is using his skills and medical training to help others Hence, because of Dr. Ghulam's good deeds, he is the winner of several international prizes and awards and is constantly able to help others. If someone such as Dr.Ghulam was “forced to retire”, it would most certainly be society's loss .
On the other hand, many people argue that retirement is a must in countries with high unemployment rates, because this will give room to new generations to have job opportunities. Unfortunately however, rising living costs makes it difficult for anyone to remain unemployed, especially since pension money for most people is simply not enough to live on these days. Hence, “forcing” people to retire in todays expensive world is unjustified, and may cause homelessness, depression, anxiety and other problems in society In conclusion, a mandatory retirement age is not the solution. Experienced professionals should never be blocked from an honest living simply based on age. Through entrepreneurship, legislation and other forms of job creation, society should establish innovative ways to help people of all ages earn an honest living.

5. Many people are afraid to leave their homes because of the fear of crime. Some believe that more actions should be taken to prevent crime. Others feel that little can be done. Discuss both views and give your opinion. The popularity of crime today has made people stay indoors for self-protection. In my point of view, it seems the root of this problem cannot be solved completely. Nevertheless, I agree some realistic solutions certainly exist. On the one hand, many people argue that in such a current era of moral decadence, any attempts to prevent crime would turn out to be a failure. Poverty and unemployment are considered chief precursors to law violation, and only when these two social issues are eliminated will crime disappear. However, it is true that a society can only provide a limited number of jobs for its residents, and those who are not lucky enough to receive a good education from childhood will find it difficult to pursue a career later in life. Hence, such individuals who lack both skills and formal education may resort to crime rather than live on governmental subsidies or performing menial work.
On the other hand, I am of the opinion that there are still solutions to maintain criminal justice. First of all, stricter sets of laws are required. Legal authorities and lawmakers should work together to enact stronger laws to avoid crime in the first place. Second of all, countries should encourage entrepreneurship, companies and organizations to expand and run more projects. As a result, these actions will create more jobs in every sector of society for all people, regardless of their educational background. Hence, individuals may then be able to earn a living with their own clean money and avoid breaking the law. Finally, young people should be encouraged from an early age to participate in internships, volunteer work or part-time jobs. In America, the YMCA is a popular organization which helps young people “keep busy” in a positive way. Through sports, recreation, and library activities, young people will “stay off the street”, and hence, stay out of trouble. In conclusion, I believe that the aforementioned measures are certainly possible solutions towards reducing crime around the world. Overall, they will not only create more peaceful communities, but will also prevent problems before they begin.

6. Nowadays the amount of rubbish produced on a daily basis is increasing dramatically. What are the reasons for this, and what can people do to help reduce the amount of rubbish produced? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience The amount of garbage produced is rising at an alarming rate all over the world. Many large cities are struggling with effective garbage disposal and recycling programs. Even though this remains a challenging task, through entrepreneurship many people are discovering effective ways to combine profit while still managing to help the environment. To begin with, the products we buy in the shops tend to be pre-wrapped in plastic or polystyrene containers. This is particularly true for processed foods, which are becoming increasingly popular. As soon as people arrive home they tend to throw this packaging away without effective recycling programs in place. Furthermore, many stores or shops do not have recycling bins or programs intact; hence, people will simply litter on the street instead.Nevertheless, there are some measures which people could take to help reduce the problem of rubbish.
Entrepreneurs around the world are attempting to combine recycling with profit. For example, Rania Rafie of Upfuse Egypt is turning plastic waste into trendy handbags and accessories. Furthermore, other entrepreneurs are also seeking to encourage recycling while establishing a profitable company. An amazing example of how entrepreneurship can help environmental problems indirectly is TATWEER Egypt. Tayssir Ibrahim, CEO of the company, came up with a brilliant business idea. Large businesses such as Red Bull and Coca Cola would renovate and maintain old kiosks all over Cairo, in return for free advertising on the kiosk. In addition, recycling bins would be available and maintained at every kiosk, which would also help the environment and encourage people to stop littering.
In conclusion, reducing the amount of rubbish and litter prevention in any society is a challenging task. Nevertheless, as Upfuse and TATWEER have proven, helping the environment while still maintaining a successful business is a definite possibility in this day and age. So long as technology exists, entrepreneurship will continue to serve as an effective tool turning everyday challenges, into profitable business opportunities.

7. Some people think that parents should teach children how to be good members of society . Others however, believe that schools are the place to learn this. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Preparing children as good members of society is very important to productive societies. Some people contend this responsibility falls mainly on parents, while others argue educational institutions primarily have this duty. In my point of view, even though both parents and institutions should work hand in hand in order to prepare young people to become responsible members of society, “parental” duties belong exclusively to parents.
On the one hand, statistics show that children behave the way their parents behave. For example, a child learns respect for others if he or she is treated respectfully by parents. Hence, the concept of respect begins at home. If children are raised in a respectful environment, and witness all family members treating each other respectfully, they will become respectable adults and behave this way in public as well.
On the other hand, some people believe schools are the right institutions where children may receive proper guidance to become sensible members of society. They argue that students spend at least 8 hours a day at school and claim teachers are responsible to teach polite social behavior. For example, if there is a dispute between students, some people claim it is the teachers responsibility to teach their students how to act properly in such a situation. Personally, I feel is an unrealistic request. A teacher's job is to teach, not to act as parent in a classroom.
In conclusion, both of these arguments have merits, and both schools and families should work together to make students productive members of society. Overall however, I believe the stronger claim is to have “parental” responsibilities fall primarily upon the parents.