Planing Or Not Your Activities

Some people prefer to plan activities for their free time very carefully. Others choose not to make any plans at all for their free time. Compare the benefits of planning free-time activities with the benefits of not making plans. Which do you prefer - planning or not planning for your leisure time? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your choice.

Nowadays people have so many things to do that they almost always do not have enough time for it. When we go to bed we carefully think and plan our next day and it continues day in and day out. We wake up, recollect our checklist with things to do and in a few minutes we are already in a car on our way to the office. Often people do not have time for themselves. So, when people have some spare time  they want to use it wisely. Some people prefer to plan activities for their free time very carefully. However, others prefer not to make any plans. In this essay I will analyze both cases and present my view in favor of planning free-time activities.

From the one side, not making any plans and just letting the time pass by for some time have some benefits. First of all, a person can just relax, enjoy the beautiful moments, spend his or her time with loved ones, watch a movie, listen to relaxing music, observe the flowers in bloom from the window, contemplate about his or her life and just slow down the pace of life. I think it is a very good way to eliminate one's stress and tension and just leave all troubles and worries behind.

From the other side, careful planning can bring many benefits too. First of all, one can travel. However, traveling requires some planning to be made. For example, one most likely will need a hotel room. So, the reservation should be made beforehand. Also, it is wise to check one's car to avoid breakdowns and have an uninterrupted worry-free trip. Second of all, planning one's activities allows to spend one's free time the way he/she likes. For instance, if I want to play tennis on incoming week-end I will certainly make a reservation for a court because in this case I will not be disappointed with the waste of my time.  Personally, I prefer to make plans for my free time because it allows me to spend my vacation or week-ends the way I want it.

To sum up, I think careful planning allows people to derive maximum benefits from their free time. However, I must confess sometimes I allow my self just to stay at home with my friends and family and not make any plans.

Transportation Vehicle

Choose one of the following transportation vehicles and explain why you think it has changed people’s lives. Automobiles, bicycles, airplanes. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

The invention of the automobile is undoubtedly one of the humankind's greatest inventions. It had a great impact on people's lives. For several reasons that will be mentioned bellow I think that the invention of the automobile dramatically changed the way people lived before.

First of all, automobile allowed people to move faster from one place to another. This in one's turn dramatically increased people's life pace. Distance was no longer of that importance. It was a new means of communication.

Second of all, nowadays it is rather difficult to imagine life without a car. People can not do virtually anything without a car. Just imagine for a moment that one does not have a car. One needs to go an office, get a haircut, buy some food, watch a movie, meet one's friend, etc. To get all these done he uses a car to move fast from one place to another.

In addition, people can travel using their own vehicle. It is great because one can travel independently, without any train schedules.

Finally, I think that the invention of the automobile was inescapable. People could not continue using trains and horses to meet their life requirements. Moreover, just imagine for a moment how many horses people would need nowadays. I think we would talk about horse overpopulation as well as human overpopulation.

Unfortunately, the invention of the automobile has some negative aspects. The most obvious aspect of this is road accident. Many people every day suffer from different injuries. Also, with the  invention of the automobile humankind came across with a problem of air pollution. A huge amount of cars every day throw out many poisonous matters in the air. I believe that soon we all will be able to exchange our cars for those, which use sun energy instead of fuel.

Smokers

In some countries, people are no longer allowed to smoke in many public places and office buildings. Do you think this is a good rule or a bad rule? Use specific reasons and details to support your position.

The question about whether people should be allowed to smoke in public places is the one that is open for debate. All people can be devided on two groups: smokers and not smokers. Smokers agree that they do not benefit the society by smoking, but think that they should have some special places in office buildings or public places where they can smoke. However, others believe that smokers should not be allowed to smoke in any places except their own apartments. Personally, I completely agree with the last opinion. For the following reasons, which I will mention bellow, I think that smokers should not contaminate the air other people breathe.

The first reason for this is that smokers not only damage their own health but actually cause damage to the health of others. Scientists say that people who do not smoke, but regulary breathe in the smoke of cigarettes, so-called "passive smokers", poison their health more then smokers themselves. For example, when I was a student I lived with the roommate who was a chain smoker. First I did not know what to do, I smelled that smoke everywhere and I could not breathe freely, but in a few weeks I got used to it. Now I think that I was a real smoker because of the fact that I regulary breathed in so much smoke.

Second of all, I think that people should not be allowed to smoke in public places and in office buildings because this rule will force them to quit. Smokers will have to quit smoking or at least will do it less often and this benefits all people smokers as well as not smokers.

Finally, smoking in public places contributes to the growth of number of smokers because many people seeing smokers  may feel a desire to take a cigarette and join them. The advertisement of cigarettes is already prohibited by the law and I think it is a good sign because many people become smokers only because they see other people do it.

In conclusion, I think that this rule will benefit the society of every country and our world on the whole.

People Learn In Different Ways

People learn in different ways. Some people learn by doing things; other people learn by reading about things; others learn by listening to people talk about things. Which of these methods of learning is best for you? Use specific examples to support your choice.

People learn through their entire lives. Some people prefer to read many books and gain knowledge from them. Others prefer to learn from their own experience. Also, there are people who prefer to learn from others by listening to their advice and analyzing their mistakes. For several reasons, which I will mention bellow, I think that each of these ways to learn new things has  many advantages. Personally, I think that the combination of these ways is the best way to learn and gain more knowledge and experience.

Undoubtedly, learning by doing things is the best way to learn. First of all, one can gain his own experience, which is priceless and valuable. Moreover, some things are impossible to learn without practicing. For example, when children learn how to read they can not perfect in it without everyday practice. Or when a student learn how to type on a computer. He can not just listen to someone or read books about it and then type very quickly. Many things in our life require practice and own experience. Personally, I think that mostly I learn how to do  things by doing them not by reading about them.

However, there are some things that are impossible to be learnt by doing them. For example, students learn many things from the books and other different recourses like Internet, magazines, newspapers and even through conversations. Take for example our history or space exploration. People learn about them from books and TV programs. We can not get back in time and experience different historical events except that we do it in our imagination.

In conclusion, I think that the combination of these ways will give the best results. However, there is no doubt that personal experience is priceless and irreplaceable, because it gives the great opportunity to analyze one's mistakes, make conclusions and avoid them next time. So, in my case I try to learn thing by doing them if it is possible and if it is not then I use other ways to lean them.

Long Or Short Vacations

Some people believe that students should be given one long vacation each year. Others believe that students should have several short vacations throughout the year. Which viewpoint do you agree with? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.

The issue whether students should be given one long vacation each year or they should have several vacations throughout the year is the one that is open for debate. Some people believe that students should have a few short vacations. However, others believe that one long vacation each year have more benefits for students. Personally, I think that every position has advantages as well as disadvantages. In the following paragraphs I will analyze these opinions and present my view which is that students should have one short vacation and one long vacation every year.

From the one side, one long vacation every year can bring many benefits to the students. First of all, students will have the opportunity to work full time during this vacation. They will be able to earn some pocket money or even money to cover the cost of their education. I think it is a great experience. Moreover, students will be able to be more independent, they will learn how to earn money and how to spend them more carefully. I am from Russia. Unfortunately, I do not have any experience in the USA in this field, but in my country students can barely combine their education with their jobs. So, basically, students in Russia have the opportunity to earn some money only during long vacation. Second of all, one long vocation gives students a great opportunity to travel, to learn more about other countries, their traditions and customs, gain more knowledge and experience.

From the other side, several short vocations bring a few benefits too. First of all, students have the opportunity to have a rest throughout the year. They can spend more time exercising, muster their strength for another term and then get higher grades. Second of all, during short vocations students usually have better opportunity to prepare for the incoming exams. Finally, usually a long vocation has a negative aspect: from my own experience students tend to forget many subjects they studied earlier. So, a couple of first weeks is usually spent on reviewing an old material.

To sum up, I think that in this case an intermediate position can be taken. Students should have one long vocation in summer and one short vocation in winter.