You will have 20 minutes to plan, write and revise an essay about the

topic below.
Your response will be judged on how well you develop a position,
organize your ideas, present supporting details, and control the
elements of standard written English. You should write 200300 words.
1)The claim that animals have rights has been the subject of much
debate since the 1970s. Are zoos helping or hurting our animals?
Should zoos be banned? Do you agree or disagree?
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text)
Good zoos serve the welfare of animals . They generate in people a
commitment to the value of nature and the environment .
In the past , there have been questionable zoos employing cruel
practices . These zoos , of course , need to be reformed . Good zoos
where animals are cared for properly , well fed and well looked after ,
and where animals are kept in spacious surroundings , are becoming the
norm and should be encouraged . Zoos increasingly become places
where people are encouraged to connect with animals . The long-term
future of zoos depends on people making a commitment to animals long-
term well-being.
The emphasis has shifted from zoos being seen as places of
entertainment towards zoos being seen as places of education . Most
modern zoos put their main emphasis on conservation and education
visitors come to zoos to learn about nature , the environment ,
endangered species , and conservation . Far from encouraging bad
treatment of animals , zoos provide a direct experience of other
species that will increase ecological awareness.
Programs in zoos to breed endangered animals in captivity are lauded as
huge success stories . Animals such as tigers , pandas and gorillas have
a chance of surviving as a species because of these programs .
Providing that animals are treated well, there is no reason why
conservation , education , and cruelty-free entertainment should not all
be combined in a zoo .
Animals can and should be studied in the wild, but they can also be
studied more closely, more rigorously, and over a more sustained period
in captivity. For endangered animals to be given a better chance to
survive, zoos need to be supported.

2) Age discrimination occurs when a decision is made on the basis of a

persons age. In the workplace, these are most often decisions about
being employed in the first place, winning promotions or being unfairly
dismissed. Should discrimination against older workers be made illegal?

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correct word)
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Older workers are generally just as capable as the young . Since age is
not necessarily an indication of lower ability , treating a person less
favorably on the basis of their age alone is just as unreasonable and
unfair as doing so on the basis of his or her sex , race or religion . It
would also be inconsistent with the principles of equal treatment and
non-discrimination, which are at the heart of the notion of individual
rights, which most modern democracies espouse.
If a specific older worker truly has , say , less concentration or manual
strength than a younger worker , and this objectively makes that
candidate less qualified for the particular job , then employers could
come to a determination regarding the employment decision in the case
, based on relative lack of suitability for the jobrather than merely
on age . Age by itself should never be a determinant.
There is nothing to indicate that older workers are not as productive
and essential to the work place as younger workers. Indeed the
contrary may be the case. The benefits of having a mixed-age work
force, which better reflects the wider society, may bring a crucial
competitive advantage to the employing organization. Older workers
could take on a mentoring role for younger workers who may not have
as wide a range of life skills and experiences as older workers.
Conversely, older workers may be able to benefit from the technical
skills of younger workers who are more aware of cutting edge
technologies.
Ultimately any decision should be based on general principles
concerning the rights of individuals to achieve their true potential, the
needs of companies to meet the economic challenges ahead and the
need for laws governing the rights of individuals to be consistent
across all spheres of public life . Therefore, in my view, discrimination
against older workers should definitely be made illegal.

3) Public figures include politicians and other public officials such as

judges and civil servants as well as celebrities such as film stars,
musicians and sports stars. The very nature of these roles opens these
people to scrutiny by the press. The extent to which the media are
legally free to investigate and publish details of public figures private
lives varies from country to country. Countries like France are much
stricter on protecting personal privacy than, for example, Britain.
People have a right to know about those in power. Whether through
taxes, in the case of politicians and civil servants, or by revenue
generated by films, music, TV, sporting appearances or concerts in the
case of celebritiesthese peoples income is dependant on the general
public.
People have the right to make informed judgements about the kind of
leaders they have. Attempts to restrict what may be reported about
public figures in the press could easily become a conspiracy to keep
voters in the dark and to manipulate them. All elections are to a
greater or lesser extent about the character of the leading politicians
involved. Unless the voters are allowed insights into their private lives
they will lack the information needed to make a fair decision at the
polling booth. For example, some people believe that a politician who
betrayed his wife in an affair was equally capable of breaking his
promises and lying to his country.
Exposing corruption and dishonesty on the part of public officials and
businesses is a critical part of the function of a free press, and it is
essential to the functioning of a free-market economy. If investigative
journalists are prevented from scrutinising the private lives of public
figures, then corruption and crime will be much easier to hide.
Public figures know that with fame comes a price and that price is
constant scrutiny. In fact, many celebrities actively seek media
exposure in order to advance their careers, revealing to the media
many aspects of their personal lives. Once success has been bought in
such a fashion it is then somewhat hypocritical to complain of press
intrusion into those few aspects the star would prefer to remain
hidden.

Type in words and click on 'Guess' or press ENTER. (Score +1 per

correct word)
Click on any gap to see the word. (Score -1 per word)
You may want to see the summary before you start. (Score -10 to see
the text)
Media scrutiny of public figures should be supported because these
public figures depend on the general public for income , and there are
often pressing public policy concerns.