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Very few schoolchildren learn about the value of money and how to look after it, yet this is a critical life skill that should be taught as part of the school curriculum.

Do you agree or disagree?

It may be true that schools don’t really teach young people how to handle their finances on a grand scale, but it isn’t true that they ignore the topic altogether. The problem may be that students don’t see the relevance of what they are taught.

At primary school children learn to do mental arithmetic and simple calculations including fractions and decimals. At my school, maths problems at this level were set in a real context such as working out the cost of buying a T-shirt at 10% discount, or calculating interest when you put your pocket money in a savings account.

Unfortunately, some children do not realise how useful these things will be later in life. For instance, if you borrow money to buy a car, you need to know how to work out for yourself how much it will cost you without relying on the finance company to tell you. Similarly people should only buy things on credit if they know how much it is really costing them if they don’t pay the debt off each month.

It is possibly true that schools could try to make children understand the importance of all these areas, but children are young and cannot look into the future or predict the skills that they will need.

Ultimately, people have to make their own decisions about what money is worth, based on their earnings and lifestyle. An education system can equip us to work out what is best, but it cannot save the money for us.

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Question Type: Summary Completion from a list of words. 

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Question Type: Summary Completion from a list of words. 

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Many students choose to take a gap year before starting university, to travel or gain work experience.

Do you think this is a good idea or a waste of time?

The majority of students start their degree in the same year as finishing school or college. Some students, however, choose to take a year out before starting university. In my opinion, this is a very good idea if the time is used wisely in order to gain new skills or knowledge. In the following essay, I will discuss this idea further.

It is very important that, when a gap year is taken, the time is not wasted but used productively. It would not look very impressive to a future employer if the time was simply used to take a break. This does not mean to say that a gap year should not be enjoyed.

Many people choose to go travelling during their gap year. This can be very beneficial to the individual as it exposes them to new ideas and cultures. It can also mean that they are able to learn a new language. Other students decide to gain work experience during this year. This can be particularly useful, especially if connected to their chosen area of study. Often, students who have worked before attending university appreciate their course more, as they are able to understand the relevance of what is being taught.

Overall, therefore, as discussed in this essay, there can be several benefits to taking a gap year. It is very important, however, that this time is used wisely and not wasted. This means that the year needs to be planned carefully in advance to get the most from the experience.

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People who cause their own illnesses through unhealthy lifestyles and poor diets should have to pay more for health care.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Healthcare costs all over the world are rising due to the rise in modern diseases which are a product of unhealthy lifestyles. These Lifestyles include poor diet, smoking and lack of exercise. While many people do not need to use medical services, there are others who constantly need medication due to their unhealthy daily lives. In my view people who are responsible for their own illness should have to contribute towards the cost of their medical treatment.

First of all, it is important to highlight the fact that ignorance is not an excuse. Information about health and fitness is widely available so everyone should know that smoking and eating fast food are not only bad for our health, but can cause serious diseases. Furthermore, there is a wide range of help services which people can consult for advice on improving their health from doctors to sports trainers and dieticians. People who continue to live unhealthy lifestyles despite advice from doctors or medical professional should not receive free or reduced cost medical services.

Secondly, it is clear that certain types of treatment are very expensive and some diseases can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle. If people who are obese require treatment, they are taking money away from another patient, whose operation or treatment may be costly, but necessary. Therefore, it could be a good solution to make people pay some money towards the cost of their treatment. If their health improved, this payment could be reduced.

In conclusion, making people contribute towards the cost of medical treatment for self-inflicted diseases could help reduce this type of disease and make more money available for other people.

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It is generally believed that some people are born with certain talents, for instance for sport or music, and others are not. However, it is sometimes claimed that any child can be taught to become a good sports person or musician.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

The relative importance of natural talent and training is a frequent topic of discussion when people try to explain different levels of ability in, for example, sport, art or music.

Obviously, education systems are based on the belief that all children can effectively be taught to acquire different skills, including those associated with sport, art or music. So, from our own school experience, we can find plenty of evidence to support the view that a child can acquire these skills with continued teaching and guided practice.

However, some people believe that innate talent is what differentiates a person who has been trained to play a sport or an instrument, from those who become good players. In other words, there is more to the skill than a learned technique, and this extra talent cannot be taught, no matter how good the teacher or how frequently a child practices.

I personally think that some people do have talents that are probably inherited via their genes. Such talents can give individuals a facility for certain skills that allow them to excel, while more hard-working students never manage to reach a comparable level. But, as with all questions of nature versus nurture, they are not mutually exclusive. Good musicians or artists and exceptional sports stars have probably succeeded because of both good training and natural talent. Without the natural talent, continuous training would be neither attractive nor productive, and without the training, the child would not learn how to exploit and develop their talent.

In conclusion, I agree that any child can be taught particular skills, but to be really good in areas such as music, art or sport, then some natural talent is required.

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How should I begin my essay?

You should start by introducing the topic and the points for discussion in your own words. You may also wish to state your position.

How should I organise my ideas?

Your ideas need to be presented in a logical sequence. This is done through the use of paragraphing. The examiner will be looking for a clear, convincing argument that supports your position and leads to a logical conclusion.

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Summary completion questions test your ability:

to understand the general meaning of the summary

to scan for the correct information in the text

to be able to identify synonyms and paraphrases

Tips:

1. The answers normally come in the same order as the questions

2. Skim the summary and try to understand the overall meaning.

3. Identify which part of the reading text the summary relates to. Scanning for synonyms from the summary will help you do this.

4. Check to see if your word makes the sentence grammatically correct..