Some people think that zoos are all cruel and should be closed down. What is your opinion on this?

It is generally thought that zoos are all cruel, so they should be closed down. I completely disagree with this opinion. Firstly, most zoos provide essential facilities to look after animals. As zookeepers often feed the animals and pay special attention to them, animals are thoughtfully supported in not only their physical health but also their mental well-being. Moreover, zoos clean the animals’ habitat regularly, which is an ideal action to protect them from suffering from severe diseases. To exemplify, Cuc Phuong National Park has become a symbolic place for animals in Vietnam due to its investments in the vital needs of animals. Secondly, zoos enable students to develop crucial knowledge about animals and to be more appreciative of them. Schools usually organise zoo trips, which include tour guides about different and endangered species in particular. Through detailed instructions about creatures, students become more empathetic and sympathetic towards them, which leads to a more protective world for them. Specifically, UMS (Ulis Middle School) has organised trips for each grade to visit zoos every year as the school wants students to be fully aware of animals. To summarise, zoos should not be closed down for their cruelty, as they play an instrumental role in supporting animals’ daily lives and students’ knowledge and awareness.

Home-cooked meals are much better than restaurant food. 

There has been controversy over whether home-cooked meals are better than restaurant food. From my point of view, I completely agree with this idea. Firstly, home-cooked food costs less due to the use of ingredients that are cheaper at the market, allowing home cooks to purchase a variety of foods for cooking. In contrast, eating at a restaurant is more expensive than cooking at home. For instance, McDonald’s goods and ingredients are relatively high-cost, as they generally include the cooks' fees and food taxes. In the second place, the food we prepare at home creates a cosier atmosphere for the family. As each member shares the same flavours of the dishes and how to make them, they can have fun through the conversations while eating. Therefore, home-cooked meals can be tasted better, which enhances the mealtime experience at home. On the contrary, the restaurant is usually overcrowded and turbulent, and several people can not concentrate on their meals due to this. In summary, home-cooked food and restaurant food differ in cost and atmosphere.

Even though AI is beneficial in learning English, people often have to struggle to apply it. When using it, several learners may be confused by the accuracy in the knowledge AI provides, such as grammar and vocabulary, which can be a formidable barrier for them to self-study English. …. According to the report from Stanford University, American researchers show how AI is leaving non-English speakers behind through data analysis. This illustrates that ChatGPTs and Geminis work well for 1.52 billion people who speak English, but they underperform the world’s 97 million Vietnamese people.

Several people are in favour of the fact that assigning homework supports students. This results from several reasons, one of which is that it strengthens students’ knowledge. This can be observed when students engage in academic exercises, as they must recall lessons learned at school to apply them. Moreover, assignments even boost students’ responsibility in self-education. Through homework, students may find some of the knowledge difficult and confusing, which leads to further search for information to acquire a deeper understanding of the exercise. According to the 21K School Blog, research in the US indicates that 80% of homework provides students with opportunities to deepen their knowledge and understanding of lessons by helping them identify the areas of difficulty and clarifying newly learnt concepts.

However, there are many arguments in support of the opposing view that home assignments harm the students. One undeniable disadvantage of this approach for the students is that it leads to lower-quality performance at school. This results from students completing homework to meet deadlines on time without reviewing it occasionally to improve their academic knowledge. Additionally, homework reduces students’ free time. As homework frequently requires a substantial time commitment, this can lead to fewer opportunities for other practical and relaxed activities. To illustrate, according to The Student Newspaper of Algonquin Regional High School, students at Algonquin receive a heavy workload of home activities, including presentations and theoretical documents. As a result, their physical and social activities are severely limited.

To conclude, although homework can harm students’ academic performance and their spare time, it supports students in consolidating their knowledge and enhancing their self-study skills.

            Apparently, there plausible arguments in favour of sending students to schools. This results from several reasons, one of which is the way it supports students to develop academic abilities. Students in classrooms frequently pay more attention to the lessons as they have direct and dynamic interactions with other students, which leads to further understanding of the lessons through discussions. Moreover, teachers are more accessible to students to assist them after classes. To exemplify, Cau Giay Secondary School’s students in Hanoi usually delve themselves into school lessons everyday with their friends’ conversations and teachers’ support, which results in higher academic achievements in the national’s fierce competitions every year.

            On the other hand, a large majority of people are of high opinion that homeschool benefits students. One undeniable advantage of this way of thinking is that learners are more physically and mentally active. They are just required to study through smart devices two to three hours per day, which allows they to engage themselves in other social activities. Additionally, students are not under peer pressure each day they study, which boosts students’ emotions and comfort during their lessons. To illustrate, USA homeschooling progams provide students with flexible hours to study and a comfortable state of mind, which is the reason for 70% of students’ better health during studying at home, according to a research conducted by Harvard University.

            All things considered, I firmly believe that homeschooling provides students with more practical chances of being more active in life.

Initially, parents can control the students’ use of Internet. By applying forbidden words in the system’s settings, they can stop children from gaining access to findings with those words. Additionally, parents can make a frequent check on the children’s Internet search, or use AI applications to do this instead. These strict specific actions will effectively decrease the students’ frequency of finding homework answers. To exemplify, the under-15-year-old accounts of Google allow parental control over what can be done by students. By using this feature, parents can forbid students from entering exercise-online websites, such as Loigiaihay and Vietjack.

In the second place, teachers can give students with academic tasks from time to time. They can assign practical homework to test their students’ understandings abou the lessons. Moreover, educators can make weekly and monthly mini tests to assess their students’ academic scores. These specific actions not only support learners to think more logically and deeply but also enhance their true academic abilities and scores. This can be illustrated in high-gifted secondary schools in Vietnam, such as Archimedes, Cau Giay and UMS. The students in these schools have to take frequent projects and presentations to avoid fake academic achievements.

In summary, students finding answers online easily can be solved by parents controlling their use of Internet and teachers increasing tests on study abilities of each student.

Collaborative problem solving can be defined as the capacity of an individual to engage oneself with others in a problem to attempt to solve it by sharing one’s understanding and efforts through one’s knowledge and skills. This skill generally combines social skills and cognitive ones, which effectively support youngsters in various ways.

Initially, it is undeniable that collaborative problem solving can greatly enhance youngsters’ leadership skills. Specifically, young people solve the problem by collaborating with the team, thus they need to take every feedback to combine diverse views from others to evolve them into the best solutions. Therefore, youngsters are encouraged to explain and persuade their teammates to trust their ideas, which additionally supports them to enhance their ability to influence and guide a team towards a specific goal. For instance, in a project, half the team chooses to make art digitalized while the other half chooses to make art hand-made. A leader emerges from both opinions by hand-drawing art on a digital device and adding more effects onto the product which not only compromises both but also improves their leading skills.

Furthermore, collaborative problem solving supports young people to strengthen emotional stability. To be specific, collaborative problems generally require a heavy and lengthy process of critical thinking and creativity that is likely to put a strain on young people. However, collaborative problem solving skills can support them thanks to the collaboration of a high number of people with different backgrounds of knowledge. In other words, the young can share their obstacles with others to overcome together, which further replaces the feeling of loneliness and stress when having to face the problem alone. To illustrate, tennis players often feel more assisted and encouraged when playing with their partners, as they can support each other in fighting against their opponents in a match.

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Initially, it is undeniable that virtual activities are designed to attract users with an endless source of entertainment with vibrant appearances, such as Genshin Impact, Minecraft, Instagram Reels and Youtube Shorts. Therefore, they fully satisfy users’ demands to relax their minds and to recharge their bodies. Furthermore, engaging in digital leisure activities can randomly provide people with useful tips or novel views in today’s society that greatly enhance and deepen their understanding in different aspects of life. To exemplify, users who enjoy watching Youtube Shorts are more likely to acquire recent and viral topics through short videos.

However, one of the cons of this phenomenon is its contribution to people’s unproductivity. Specifically, people are largely distracted from carrying on working after entertaining themselves. Thus, they have a shorter attention span that leads to a gradual decline in work efficiency and thinking productivity. Moreover, users pursuing virtual pastimes often find unverified information due to lack of censorship. This often results in people’s weakened critical thinking and emotional instability. To illustrate, Threads, which is a new social network platform, is one of the most evident examples for this aftermath. Threads allow dramatic posts and videos to appear first on each user’s newsfeed, triggering them to make themselves immerse more in the information and to feel doubtful of themselves.

In summary, although screen-based leisure often causes people to have emotional instability and short attention span, it can not be denied that they support people in many ways, including increases in their life satisfaction and in their understanding of life. I think rather than avoid internet-related recreation, young people should be encouraged to shift from passive scrolling to active and team-oriented problem solving.

To begin with, AI-driven instruction can significantly bolster a student's academic efficiency. Thanks to recent technological advancements, students can seamlessly access virtual educators, even in geographically isolated areas or under tight schedules. Therefore, students are able to prioritize their core studies without the distractions of traditional logistical barriers. In addition, these platforms can tailor pedagogical approaches to align with individual learning styles, which greatly optimizes a learner’s productivity and their likelihood of reaching academic milestones. Owing to those merits, students often become more purpose-driven and motivated, leading to a measurable improvement in their results. To illustrate, Edmicro, an English learning application, utilizes AI to generate personalized learning trajectories for every user. Hence, a vast majority of its users have successfully attained their target scores, particularly in the IELTS exam, with results ranging from 6.5 to 8.5.

Furthermore, AI-driven instructors play a pivotal role in supporting the emotional well-being of learners. In contrast to several human educators who may occasionally become impatient or emotionally detached, AI teachers are engineered to provide unwavering affective support. This creates a non-judgmental sanctuary where students feel comfortable articulating their concerns and seeking empathy after an arduous day of study. These virtual tutors can offer sophisticated guidance and affirming words that greatly bolster a student's emotional equilibrium. Consequently, students feel more solaced and resilient, reducing academic anxiety and fostering a greater commitment to their tasks. To exemplify, modern AI chatbots are increasingly designed with empathetic interfaces that use phrases, such as “I will always be with you”, “I understand your feelings right now” or “Let me know if you have any problems”. This encourages students to share their challenges, thereby fostering emotional stability through a digital educator during the learning process.

Ultimately, I maintain that virtual educators powered by Artificial Intelligence yield a profoundly positive impact on the learning process. This is evident through both the notable enhancement of academic performance and the cultivation of emotional resilience following intensive study sessions. By offering a combination of bespoke instructional paths and unwavering affective support, AI teachers represent a transformative advancement in modern education.

To begin with, emotional intelligence courses support students’ academic achievement. To be specific, EQ courses enable high school students to effectively manage their emotions after completing them. Thanks to the greater improvement in emotional stability after the course, high school students can maintain their emotional equilibrium and boost their stress management when facing high-pressure situations, such as academic competitions and communicating with strangers. Consequently, they are more likely to focus on achieving their goals without letting emotions cloud their judgment. To exemplify, Yale University’s RULER Program has had a meaningful impact on its students. By taking part in the program’s EQ courses, the majority of students have achieved higher GPAs and suffered lower levels of academic anxiety, owing to emotional enhancement, according to CNN News.

Furthermore, high school students taking emotional intelligence courses often have a stronger connection to the global community. In other words, taking those courses helps them have a deeper insight into their own emotions and those of others. Therefore, they adopt an empathetic stance and practice perspective-taking in various communication situations. This substantially acknowledges them about how to interact with others effectively and handle disagreements calmly without being driven by emotions, which fosters their communication skills in today’s society. Thus, students are more likely to connect with others and to feel less lonely afterwards. To illustrate, Harvard University students have improved their relationships and connected with more friends just after participating in the university’s EQ courses, according to a study conducted by Harvard University itself through interviews and questionnaires.

To conclude, EQ courses should be included in high school students’ curricula owing to several merits, including emotional stability and a stronger bond with global society. Hence, high school students should seek those courses to take advantage of these benefits.

To begin with, it is undeniable that electrified transport can significantly mitigate a nation’s carbon footprint. To be specific, those vehicles operate exclusively on electricity, which is sourced from environmentally friendly renewables sources. Consequently, EVs produce zero tailpipe emissions, thereby minimizing the ecological impact on urban environments. Furthermore, battery-electric vehicles often enhance the passenger experience during transit. Unlike conventional internal combustion engine vehicles, EVs are engineered for silent operation and smooth propulsion. Specifically, because they eliminate the combustion process, commuters are far less likely to be exposed to noxious exhaust fumes or excessive acoustic pollution. To exemplify, VinBus, a leading provider of sustainable mass transit in Vietnam, has received widespread acclaim for its clean-energy services, with passengers specifically citing the superior cabin comfort and noise reduction during their journeys.

However, a significant drawback of electrified mobility is the limited operational range. It is evident that the scarcity of charging infrastructure in isolated regions acts as a deterrent for commuters who require high-frequency travel. Furthermore, the prolonged charging duration may be perceived as inconvenient by individuals with stringent time constraints. In addition, the acquisition cost of electric-powered vehicles remains comparatively high. Specifically, these vehicles incorporate sophisticated technology and specialized components that require significant capital investment and technical expertise to manufacture. Moreover, environmental variables such as extreme weather conditions can affect battery efficiency and charging stability, further increasing the total cost of ownership. To illustrate, while the most affordable internal combustion engine models in the USA are priced at approximately $20,550, their electric counterparts typically start at a substantially higher price point of roughly $28,000, according to the BBC News.

To conclude, the adoption of electrified mobility presents a dichotomy of ecological benefits and logistical challenges. While the mitigation of carbon emissions and enhanced cabin comfort are significant advantages, they are currently countered by prohibitive acquisition costs and infrastructure limitations. Ultimately, as technology matures, stakeholders must judiciously evaluate these factors to determine the viability of electric vehicles in meeting modern transportation needs.

To begin with, social awareness is generally defined as the ability to take perspective of or empathize with others regardless of their backgrounds and to understand social norms for behaviour. Social consciousness may greatly boost individuals in many ways as it takes control of how people behave towards other people in today’s society. To exemplify, a youngster with social awareness often respects cultural differences or helps others in need in the community.

There are several solutions for this problem. Initially, young people should spend more time joining community and volunteer activities. By engaging themselves in supporting the old in their daily activities, positively providing sufficient foods and drinks for the poor or donating to charity, the young are more likely to understand the difficult situations of those underprivileged people, further enhancing their social sensitivity and empathy towards others. Moreover, schools ought to strengthen moral and civic awareness of the students. Specifically, schools should organize social awareness lessons and workshops and encourage young individuals to take part in extracurricular activities, thereby acknowledging students through lessons and motivating them to put them into practice that gradually forms social awareness in each person. To illustrate, UMS in Hanoi has been organizing “Civic Awareness” classes annually with a view to improving students’ abilities to empathize with others and acknowledge ethical norms, according to the school website.

To conclude, social consciousness is usually defined as the way people respect others emotionally and understand social norms nowadays. Interpersonal consciousness can be practiced by involving students in social and volunteer activities and greatly supporting their perspective-taking and civic engagement.

As this reading-writing course comes to a close, I find myself looking back on the 40+ essays I’ve produced this school year. While I’ve learned an immense amount, I wanted to share a few reflections on my journey.

Initially, I would like to congratulate myself on my sheer effort. Trying to keep pace with my peers and chasing higher band scores has been a challenge for me this year. I’ve consistently done my homework and participated in class because I am fully aware of how high the stakes are for my upcoming entrance exams of my dream schools.

However, I am still struggling with my time management. I didn't spend as much time practicing writing as I had promised myself I would at the beginning of the school year. That is a habit I am actively trying to reform.

I’ve noticed I can handle grammar and vocabulary quite well. My favorite piece by far was the final draft on social awareness; it didn't just boost my vocabulary, it actually enhanced my degree of knowledge. I know I still need to work on clarifying my ideas and expanding my advanced vocabulary. My immediate milestone is a 6.5 - 7.0 in IELTS, but I am aiming for an 8.0 - 8.5 (it sounds slightly impossible T-T).

Ultimately, I think becoming a writer with profound knowledge and a killer vocabulary sounds incredibly cool, and I’d love to teach writing to others someday.

I would love to get your feedback on my current writing style. What is it on paper, and how can I develop it? I would deeply appreciate it if you could continue to cast an eye over my work and push me to improve.

Thank you so much for your patience and encouragement on my journey!