Writing Practice #3 [PDF]

Zitiervorschau

WRITING PRACTICE #3 [redo the previous essay] Present a written argument or case to an educated reader with no specialist knowledge of the following topic:

According to those in the travel business, the nature of the average 'holiday' is changing. Rather than seeking a relaxing break in a far-away place, people now want excitement on their holidays and are keen to participate in unusual and challenging activities. Do you agree or disagree? A normal holiday, which seems to be etched on many people’s mind, is a laid-back holiday in far-flung places. However, it has been claimed by those in the travel business that the aforementioned type of holiday is being gradually replaced by action-packed, exciting holidays. I, generally, agree that the nature of holiday is changing. To commence with, adventurous holidays have been more sought-after due to the burgeoning demand for stress relief and physical training. Many workers today have to bear the burden of balancing between their work and their family, which leaves them with less time for themselves. Stress and mental exhaustion can result from all mentioned onus. To boot, many people also suffer from anxiety and a dire need for excercising from being housebound during the COVID19. Therefore, a holiday with exciting activities has been in rising demand. Active holidays can offer everyone a chance to experience physical vigours and excitement. Vigourous and energy-sapping activities in the holiday can trigger a burst of endorphines and cause an adrenaline rush which result in a higher sense of satisfaction and mental well-being improvement. Furthermore, activities such as climbing or mountaineering can strengthen vacationers’ cores, muscles, legs, which can be seen as a regime to train physically. Next, the stereotype of an average holiday has failed to perpetuate since more people seem to opt for holidays that can both provide them with joy and necessary skills. With more and more contenders for a foothold in the labor market, recruiters tend to have a higher standard for applicants. Not only do they demand specialization in the field, they also demand quasi-impeccable core skills. Teamworking, communication, problem-solving, for example, are the vital skills to survive in the battleground. What’s more, during the pandemic, it has become much harder to find courses for such skills online that are able to integrate fun into insightfulness. Adventure holidays entail many activities demanding such skills such as rock climbing which need climbers to be well-prepared, conscientious and always cautious. Holidaymakers can reap benefits that are beyond fun and exhilliration. Active holidays have broken the mould of “traditional holiday” courtesy the catalyst of increasing demand for fitnesstraining holidays and one-size-fits-all holidays.

Part 1. Read the following extract and use your own words to summarise it. Your summary should be between 120 and 140 words long. A number of natural disasters in recent years— such as earthquakes, major storms, and floods—that have affected large populations of people have forced relief agencies, communities, and entire nations to reevaluate the ways in which they respond in the aftermaths of such disasters. They believe that traditional ways of dealing with disasters have proved ineffective on several occasions and, in some cases, have been destructive rather than helpful to the communities hit by these sudden and unexpected crises. Traditionally, relief has been based on the premise that aid in postdisaster situations is most effective if given in the immediate aftermath of an event. A high priority also has been placed on the quantity of aid materials, programs, and personnel, in the belief that the negative impact of a disaster can be counteracted by a large and rapid infusion of aid. Critics claim that such an approach often creates a new set of difficulties for already hard-hit communities. Teams of uninvited experts and personnel—all of whom need food and shelter—as well as uncoordinated shipments of goods and the establishment of programs inappropriate to local needs can quickly lead to a secondary “disaster” as already strained local infrastructures break down under the pressure of this large influx of resources. In some instances, tons of food have disappeared into local markets for resale, and, with inadequate accounting procedures, billions of dollars in aid money have gone unaccounted for. To develop a more effective approach, experts recommend shifting the focus to the long term. A response that produces lasting benefit, these experts claim, requires that community members define the form and method of aid that are most appropriate to their needs. Grassroots dialogue designed to facilitate preparedness should be encouraged in disaster-prone communities long before the onset of a crisis, so that in a disaster’s immediate aftermath, relief agencies can rely on members of affected communities to take the lead. The practical effect of this approach is that aid takes the form of a response to the stated desires of those affected rather than an immediate, though less informed, action on their behalf. Though this proposal appears sound, its success depends on how an important constituency, namely donors, will respond. Historically, donors—individuals, corporations, foundations, and governmental bodies—have been most likely to respond only in the immediate aftermath of a crisis. However, communities affected by disasters typically have several long-term needs such as the rebuilding of houses and roads, and thus the months and years after a disaster are also crucial. Donors that incorporate dialogue with members of affected communities into their relief plans could foster strategies that more efficiently utilize immediate aid as well as provide for the difficulties facing communities in the years after a disaster. ----------------------------------------The given text analyzes the problems with disaster’s aftermath aid and suggests several solutions to the problems. Response to the aftermaths of disasters have been reconsidered in the recent years as many of them were proved to be damaging, rather than helpful. It is often believed that immediate aftermath aid and mass-aiding are the most effective counteracting measures. However, many critics suggest the opposite. As the area’s infrastructure after the disaster has already been distressed, receiving unwanted resources can excacerbate the situation. Those tangible aids can reenter the local markets and monetary aids can go unknown. Experts suggest that donors and relief agencies can base the postdisaster support on long term benefits of the disaster-affected. By investigating into what people actually need after a catastrophe, a more well-founded response can be made, rather

than an impulsive response. However, whether this suggestion can be successfully implemented or not relies on the response of benefactors. To fully satisfy the need of affected community, help should be provided for both immediate and long-term difficuties. Part 2. The graphs show figures relating to hours worked and stress levels amongst professionals in eight groups. Describe the information shown to a university/college lecturer. Write at least 150 words

The given graphs illustrate the avarage working hours per week among eight different occupations and the percentage of workers in those eight occupations suffering from stress-related illness. Overall, while lecturers have the fewest working hours, they are the most susceptible to stress-related illness. Business men work the longest hours but they are among the few to suffer from stress-related illness. In terms of working hours, business men work longer than any other workers of other jobs do. They work 10 hours longer than producers, the runner up, per week. Doctors, writers, programmers,

lawyers and chefs work about 50 hours, 43 hours, 40 hours, 36 hours and 30 hours per week respectively. Lecturers have the shortest working hours which are only about 27 hours per week. Interestingly, although business men work the longest, they are among the few to be less likely to experience health problems related to stress. The lowest rate of stress illness is attributed to programmers with only 5%, while lecturers have the highest rate of stress-related problems with 25% although working the least amount of time. Movie producers and doctors also have high rates of stress-related illness, which are 18% and 15% respectively. Part 3. Write an essay of 350 words on the following topic: “We can usually learn much more from people whose views we share than from people whose views contradict our own; disagreement can cause stress and inhibit learning.” Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim and the reasons on which that claim is based. --------------------------------------The world we are living are multi-dementional. There is barely anything that can be viewed only from one side. The same concept can be applied to viewing a problem or a matter: any matter can be viewed from different standpoint. Many have put it that it is only beneficial to learn from those who have the same perspective as us since opposition can trigger stress. However, I, generally, don’t concur to such notion and think that it is worth learning from those whose point of view may contradict our own. To commence with, learning from those who have the different perspective as us can give a more overall look at the matter. Take a cube for example. If one stands in front of it and maintain a front viewpoint, they would not know that there are the top of the cube, the bottom of the cube. A matter can only be fully analyzed if it is seen from different perspectives. Considering the viewpoint of ones which disagree with us can shift our standing point and broaden our viewpoint. Furthermore, with a broader perspectives, the amount of information which can be obtained is far greater. One can reflect and reinforce their own arguments and opinions by making use of such information. Next, positively consideration of other’s opposite viewpoint can help ones to develop a newer way of viewing issues, and maybe better. Learning from a counterviewpoint helps learners to pop their “filter bubbles” which are barriers that besiege people from accepting any new information or concept. Instead of resisting oneself to one particular stance, which can be considered outdated or conservative in some cases, mindset of those who are willing to consider others’ contrasting opinion can be more adaptive to changes. Therefore, as changes occur within the mindset, a new way of observation can be formed. Along with learning from ones who share the same ideology, learning opportunities from listening to those whose different viewpoint should not be belittled. It is because it gives learners a chance to widen their perspectives and develop a newer approach to problems.