Bumibahasa

In many parts of the world, children and teenagers are spending more and more of their time indoors. What do you think are the causes of this problem? What measures could best be taken to solve it?

People are increasingly reliant on indoor living these days, and there are several arguments suggesting that parents are now hesitant to let their children play outdoors for various reasons. This issue might be evident to some individuals, and it ultimately stems from the fact that we are becoming lazier than ever before, coupled with the widespread incompetence of our government in numerous aspects.

To begin with, the speed of technological advancement that has occurred in recent times is beyond anyone’s anticipation. Virtually everything one needs can be accessed with a simple request through their fingertips, and a mobile phone’s internet connection can link them to the global network. In light of this rapid progress, we are removing reasons to venture outside, consequently succumbing to a greater level of indolence. Compounding this problem, other contributing factors include high levels of pollution and increased criminal activities. It doesn’t require exceptional insight to comprehend how these factors collectively contribute to our growing inclination to spend time indoors.

Admitting that indoor confinement is problematic might be a challenging notion to accept, especially considering that contemporary society resists reverting to past norms. Given the convenience offered, the internet has evolved into an all-encompassing solution for human needs, resulting in reduced outdoor engagement unless explicitly necessary. To rectify this situation, we must heighten our collective awareness of our prevailing indolence. Only by acknowledging that we have reached a critical threshold of laziness can we begin to expect the younger generation to embrace outdoor activities. Additionally, parents should motivate their children by providing financial support for engaging in beneficial activities like swimming or attending a gym. Simultaneously, the government should take more effective measures to lower crime rates and address pollution issues.

In conclusion, only time will tell whether young individuals will once again be encouraged to participate in outdoor activities. The first step towards improvement lies in recognizing the predicament of excessive indoor seclusion. Ultimately, it is imperative for the government to eliminate discouraging elements that hinder the enjoyment of outdoor pursuits.

Car ownership has increased so rapidly over the past thirty years that many cities in the world are now ‘one big traffic jam’. How true do you think this statement is? What measures can governments take to discourage people from using their cars?

Some people believe that traffic in some capital cities, such as Jakarta and Beijing, is no longer tolerable, or, at least, anyone can admit that they are far from adequate. However, there is still hope in forms of education and good city planning, which will be discussed below.

The road space will not be able to keep up with the buying power of a growing economy. If people are allowed to buy vehicles without limitation, they will surely buy more than two or even three vehicles per household. Ultimately this will lead to traffic problems, and there is no doubt that the main contributor to the traffic is the citizen (along with improper government ruling). If the government restricts the number of cars to be purchased, there will be less traffic in the city.

To be fair about the whole matter, one must consider the reason people want to own cars in their households. Owning a car raises social status, and this new car owner will be more respected in many ways. Understanding this, it is apparent that people’s perspective on the definition of success needs to be changed, and the only way to change how and what people think is by education.

The urgency to implement specific city regulations must be addressed. Providing good public transportation is a must, and for this purpose, buses, underground services, and bike lanes can be some alternatives. This need for public transportation system is vital and even more so in the future, so all government plans and efforts toward this should be supported and are therefore justified.

To conclude, willingness is the solution to solving traffic problems (and preventing people from buying cars). These are the willingness of the public to adapt to public transportation, the willingness to let go of the chance to improve their status by purchasing cars, and the willingness of the government to help create a better city atmosphere.

(DRAFT 20 MINUTES)

Everybody should be allowed admission to university study programs’ regardless of their academic ability. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The right to obtain an education should be given to every human mainly because education is a vital tool to improve people’s quality of life. If someone becomes more educated, they will likely be more beneficial to society than if they are uneducated. The ability to provide benefits to the public and oneself is the primary reason people must be granted their right to education.

When someone has finished their compulsory education from primary school up to the senior high school level, they usually have the option to join the workforce or continue pursuing an education in college or university. If they choose to work, they will be considered unskilled workers and, therefore, will likely receive a lower overall salary. In contrast, if someone qualifies for a bachelor’s degree, they will be viewed as educated and can work where they are trusted to serve the public. For example, teachers, doctors, and engineers, valuable members of society, all have their qualifications from university studies. Therefore, graduating from university will enable everyone to have a more positive impact as a community member.

When someone enters university, they can build a good social network with equally educated people with the same interest and study backgrounds. They have the chance to reflect daily and be more aware of the world’s competitiveness. With this advantage, people can have the option to live life as they plan and see fit. The situation does not force them, nor do they become a follower. They have the chance to inspire and also to embrace their dream. This freedom will significantly improve people’s happiness instead of having a limited life due to lower education qualifications and the lack of chance to grow with an intellectual and competitive mind. If educated, people can feel more satisfied and have more opportunities to do things as planned.

To sum up, I agree that allowing everyone to obtain a degree from the university is essential. University qualification and education can be the key that people need to help them develop as better partners for developing society. In addition, it allows them to have a better personal life than being uneducated.

(DRAFT 20 MINUTES)

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the best teachers.

Most people will agree that parents are responsible for caring for their children and raising them properly. There is even a proverb that says, ‘the apple does not fall far from the tree,’ which means that a child will follow or imitate the sample given by their parents. Even so, is it true that parents are the best teachers?

It is important to understand that parents and school play an essential role in a child’s life. Any kid will significantly be affected by the behavior of their parents and the school where they spend most of their youth. For example, parents have more time in the early years of their children’s lives and, therefore, can guide them to learn simple values such as honesty, courage, wisdom, and so on. However, only after the children reach school can they implement and apply all these values taught at home.

Now, we must analyze what teaching means. If teaching means character building, parents have to be the best teacher since children will imitate them most of the time. When a father, for example, shows aggression at home, the kids will likely take after him and be aggressive at school. When a mother teaches about saving money, the kids will spend less of their pocket money at school. These are values and norms, not school subjects.

On the other hand, if teaching means integrating academic knowledge and skills of a specific subject, then it is doubtful for parents to be capable in all subjects like math, chemistry, physics, or biology. Subjects need to be taught by professionals with a degree in education. Becoming a teacher requires experience and a professional career approach.

To sum up, In this essay, I disagree that parents are the best teacher for their children. We need to have good figures both in instilling values and norms in our children and also professional teachers to get them the academic achievement they will need in school so that they can optimize their full potential.

(DRAFT 20 MINUTES)

It is more important for schoolchildren to learn about local history than world history. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Many people have valued the role of local history to schoolchildren over that of world history. In my opinion, I disagree with those people as both of them are equally essential for young learners.

Studying the history of their hometown is for sure an indispensable part of school’s curriculum during students’early education. I believe having thorough insights into what happened in the past at one’s locality develops his patriotism. For example, children of primary and secondary schools in my village are taught about how their ancestors defended their land against outside intruders and reclaimed sovereignty. Therefore, those young children would take pride in their origin and treasure the life they have today. Additionally, I think it is not only students’privilege but also their responsibility to know about their own history to understand their hometown’s traditional values and identity.

From another angle, learning about world history shares equal importance just as local one. Acquiring knowledge about the world’s past events equips students with a more well-rounded perspective of life. Lessons about the World War or Feminism protest against women’s abuse and discrimination would help those learners enhance their understanding about various aspects of the world. Furthermore, I think that being taught about the other countries’historical backgrounds would benefit young learners in their future career. Students who accumulate knowledge of this particular field at an early age would possess a golden selling point to work for foreign enterprises, especially those who highly value company culture like Japan.

In conclusion, I believe the significance of domestic and international history cannot be brought into comparison to see which one is more necessary because they have distinctively equal meanings to children.

Many museums and historical sites are mainly visited by tourists but not local people. Why is this the case and what can be done to attract more local people to visit these places?

Many museums and historical sites have become an attraction to tourists although they fail to increase the number of local visitors. This essay will analyze some main reasons for this as well as measures to encourage more local people to visit such places.

The causes for a huge difference in the number of the two mentioned types of visitors are varied. First, people who live in the neighborhood seem to be familiar with their traditional customs and history. Going to those places would be therefore a waste of time and money owing to the entrance cost; and people would not pay an amount of money to see what they have already known. Meanwhile, tourists from other places tend to pay a visit to museums to know more about a new culture when travelling to a new region. Second, the design of museums and historical sites almost remained unchanged throughout decades, which can be visually unattractive to local residents who have been there at least once in earlier years. However, these places always pick tourists’curiosity during their first trip.

Some measures can be taken to stimulate more local inhabitants to visit museums and historical places. To begin with, those places should serve both education and entertainment purposes. More game zones should be constructed or didactic as well as recreational competitions should be conducted to increase the number of the local who come enjoy their time. Furthermore, if the layout of museums and historical sites is renovated with more decorations and ornate designs of the interior, not only tourists but also more local visitors will come.

In conclusion, there are two principal causes for the locals’ disinterest in spending their time in nearby museums and historical places as mentioned, and actions should be taken to encourage people to go to such places.

Nowadays, communication has undergone a transformation. We used to rely on letters and landline phones, but now they have been replaced by social media as a daily communication tool. Some argue that communication through social media is entirely positive, while others believe that it has a more negative impact. Personally, I believe that communication through social media can bring numerous benefits to those who know how to use it optimally.

One common concern regarding the use of social media as a communication tool is the loss of privacy and the associated high security risks. This is understandable because not everyone is proficient in using social media effectively. For instance, if we use our personal number as our WhatsApp number, anyone can easily track it using the GetContact application, thus revealing our true identity and our close relationships with other contacts. Moreover, if someone saves our name with an offensive word, it can seriously compromise our privacy and tarnish our overall reputation. Additionally, social media platforms like WhatsApp are often vulnerable to scammers and hackers who send phishing applications, aiming to record all input keystrokes and sensitive data from our cellphones. Those who are naive and not up to date with technology are particularly susceptible to such fraud.

On the other hand, the primary advantage of using social media as a communication tool lies in its speed and versatility. Communication via social media can be tailored to individual needs and the level of closeness with the other person. For new acquaintances, simple text messages are typically exchanged. As the relationship grows more intimate, the use of emojis, romantic stickers, voice notes, and video calls becomes more common. Moreover, social media platforms support various attachment features such as web links, audio recordings, PDF files, and photos from cameras, facilitating tasks like sending data and editing documents. Proper and ethical utilization of these features according to individual work requirements can greatly enhance work efficiency.

In my opinion, the positive aspects of communicating through social media have increased my effectiveness in daily work. However, I do acknowledge the need to be cautious about threats such as privacy breaches and data loss. Nonetheless, staying updated with the latest technological developments and using social media wisely can help address these concerns.

In this era of globalization, many people spend a significant amount of time accessing social media applications. It is often argued that social media contributes to a decrease in one’s attention span. I strongly agree with this argument and will elaborate further in this essay.

Firstly, social media and the internet have a profound influence on our daily lives. The development of 5G internet and the emergence of numerous social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, have made users constantly engage with social media. People use social media for various purposes, including staying in touch with others, enhancing the learning process, and staying updated with the latest news. Social media possesses a strong appeal due to its ability to present fast and captivating content, photos, and short videos. These types of content capture users’ attention within seconds, leading to repeated exposure and quick switches between different reels. Consequently, this significantly affects the ability to maintain focus on a task for an extended period.

Furthermore, social media also provides an abundance of distracting stimuli. Notifications such as text messages, status updates, and short video feeds continuously appear on users’ gadgets, making it difficult for individuals to concentrate on a single task for prolonged periods. These notifications often contain information that aligns with the user’s interests. Consequently, users are inclined to open these notifications and spend extended periods consuming the available content, neglecting other activities. As a result, individuals may struggle to find fulfillment and experience a decline in their mental well-being. For instance, a student who is diligently studying may become distracted when a notification from a social media platform appears on their smartphone. This interruption causes the student to discontinue their study session and access social media instead.

In conclusion, I strongly agree with the assertion that social media negatively impacts attention span. This activity ultimately hinders the ability to concentrate and maintain focus on a single topic for an extended duration. By recognizing these issues, we can develop practical strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of prolonged social media usage on attention span.