Get moving lah!
Possible Points for unless there is the freedom to give offence there is no freedom of expression
• Different societies may view some things as offensive but others not
• It may be that religious beliefs can cause offence or vice-versa
• Need to be able to express one’s opinion through literature, art and dance
• There may be opinions/views that are simply inadmissible in any circumstances
• Human beings diminish themselves by refusing to consider others’ feelings
• Tobacco has health warnings but sugar does not
• Children are targeted in adverts, especially sugary drinks and sweets
• Tobacco is banned for below a certain age but children are targeted in supermarkets
• Sugar contributes to obesity and other life-threatening diseases
• Nature of addiction
For/Against points for Research using animals has reached an all-time high.
• Do animals have rights?
• Do we not have a responsibility towards animals?
• Done for the greater good of humans
• Research using animals may find a cure for diseases
Hosting major sporting events have actually done the hosting countries and their people more good than bad. One cannot agree with the statement that ‘hosting major sporting events create more problems than benefits.’ To argue my case, this essay will examine the economic benefits for hosting major events, how will the society benefit and what will the governments of the hosting countries gain. The discussion shall be largely confined to the Olympic Games, the F1 formulae race and the World Cup. Hosting major events may be defined as a national project to provide a platform for the best sportsmen and sportswomen all around the world to compete with each other.
The increase in revenues from tourist spending, air flights, sponsorships by both local and overseas companies, broadcasting fees, tickets for seats and merchandising of products related to the major sporting events bring huge economic benefits to the hosting countries. Singapore for example recently held the F1 formulae race. The F1 race being a major sporting event attracted many F1 fans from all over the world to come to Singapore to watch it. As a result, more tourists flew to Singapore and more revenues are earned from the increased air flights. Due to the surge in tourists coming to Singapore, more hotel rooms are also being booked during the F1 race period. Recently, a survey done in Singapore also shows that a tourist who came to watch F1 race in Singapore last year far exceeded the spending of a normal tourist. This has helped to improve the Singapore economy. However, the hosting of a major sporting event also involved high costs. Money is needed to build new infrastructures and facilities like stadiums and roads if they are not adequate or up to international standards to host the event. To make the event successful, the country will also need to pay high amount to attract professionals to organize the event so that the sporting event is run smoothly and safely. In addition, the country will have to provide prize money, free lodging and entertainment for the sportsmen and sportswomen that came for the event. All these things involve costs but the point is some of these cost can actually be saved or covered by other revenues. For example, Singapore saved the cost and trouble of building extra roads and upgrading of roads for the F1 race because the roads are adequate and already well built. The country can also get sponsorships from both local and overseas companies and use profits from ticket sales and merchandising of products related to the event to cover the cost. If the sports event is a success, the country will have high chances of hosting the same or other different major sporting events and this will bring in more tourists in the future. Therefore, the economic benefits far outweigh the cost involve in hosting the event.
The society benefits from the surge of tourists coming to watch the major sporting events. For example, the F1 race in Singapore created many jobs in the service sectors. Hotels, restaurants and places of entertainment will need to hire more people to handle the extra customers. This will help to solve the problem of unemployment and benefit the society. Shops will also earn more profits from the spending of the tourists. The service sector will also improve in the sense that firms will want to attract more tourists to spend and to do this, they will need to improve their service attitude. However, the surge of tourists can also create social problems. There are cases of tourists drunk and getting into fights with the local people causing unrest to the society. However, most tourists are well behaved and those very few tourists causing trouble are dealt with appropriately without causing additional troubles. In addition, if the laws of the hosting countries are strict, tourists will need to think twice before getting into fights or any other activities that cause harm to the society.
The building of new infrastructures and facilities for hosting the sports events also benefit the society. For example, China the country which hosted the recent Olympic Games needed to build stadiums, swimming pools, tennis court, lodging place and many other facilities that are of world-class standards. Many people think that it’s a waste of money to build new infrastructures and facilities because these buildings cost millions of dollars to build. Moreover, the usage of the facilities after the event is questionable. However, the process of building these infrastructures have already benefit people by create job opportunities in the construction sector. After the infrastructure is being built, the China Olympic Stadium which looked liked a bird’s nest outside, for example, becomes a majestic view for the Chinese. It will inevitably become a place for the Chinese and the tourist to tour in the future. In addition, after the world class infrastructures and facilities are built, sportsmen and sportswomen can make use of the excellent facilities to train and improve their abilities. Furthermore, future major sports events can be hosted in these well built facilities and infrastructures.
Hosting major sports events can help unite people together and this will allow the government to achieve one of her political goals. When a country decides to host a major sporting event, lots of help is needed from the citizens to make the event successful. In the case of the F1 race hosted in Singapore last year, Singaporeans become more united in the sense that they all work together to achieve a common goal and that goal was the make the first F1 race in Singapore a successful one. Along the process, there will be conflicts among people working together. People from all over the world will judge Singaporeans on how well they will be at hosing such a major sporting event. However, these problems will be removed as Singaporeans will naturally unite and work together to show that they can do it. During the 2002 World Cup held by Japan and South Korea, the South Koreans unite together and cheered their team on strongly and in the end the South Korea team emerged fourth position which is their highest position in history. All these examples show that hosting major sports events is a good way to bond people in the country together.
The hosting of major sports events helps hosting countries improve their economy, creates a better society and achieve their political goals. More importantly, the hosting of a major sporting event creates history for the country, something that is invaluable.
GP Essay Questions on Youth. Have a look at these GP Essay Questions on Youth from the past papers.
Possible Points for advantages of apprenticeships and training in the workplace
• Hands-on experience useful when applying for a job
• Some young people prefer using practical skills
• May have a small wage
• Useful for businesses
• Academics are important to deliver leadership in education and health
• Also can have a combination of both, e.g. hospitals and schools
Possible Points for/against powerful nations are more inward-looking than weaker ones.
• May look at the geography and history of these nations
• Limited knowledge of other nations arising from lack of interest
• No need to align themselves with other nations
• Weaker nations are more motivated to look beyond their borders
• Power has to be kept; the powerless have other priorities
Possible points for/against equality of opportunity is the most important feature of a civilised society.
• Fair and just laws
• Access to Art, Music and Culture
• Fair legal system
• Courtesy and good manners towards people from all walks of life
• Political and economic issues
• An empty aspiration given social realities
In many societies, today literature is considered useless as it provides with no economic benefits. In pragmatist societies, people are concerned with economic growth and progress at an individual and national level. In such society’s importance is given more to practical subjects like mathematics and science which are key to getting high paying jobs. For example, by studying mathematics and science people can breakthrough in fields such as engineering, data analytics and medicine. Literature, on the other hand, does not provide any such economic benefits. It is believed that the one who studies literature would end up struggling or becoming a writer which is a high-risk job. Such a mindset towards literature is the primary reason why literature is considered useless in a pragmatic world. After all, we need more computer engineers, accountants and software developers in this competitive world. Studying literature does not contribute to any of these essential skills and thus is useless in a pragmatic world.
In our practical world today, more emphasis is being placed on subjects like Science and mathematics. Pragmatists believe that for building a strong economy people should be adept at these subjects. This stems from the fact that subjects like science and mathematics are required and given more preference even in the job market. When it comes to Literature, pragmatists believe that it is a pointless subject that does not offer any insights into the real world. For them, knowledge of scientific theories and geometric theorems is more important than the knowledge of Shakespeare’s plays and Auden’s war poetry. However, disagreeing with this view it can be contended that literature is still relevant and useful in a pragmatic world because it holds historical value, provides us with a wealth of knowledge and helps engage with diverse cultural perspectives.
However, terming literature as useless based on the economic benefits is reductive. The usefulness of literature does not rely on whether it provides people with high-paying jobs or successful careers. Literature is useful because it provides people with an opportunity to look at things from broader perspectives. It provides people with an infinite source of knowledge which is instrumental in enriching the lifestyles and mindset of the people living within the society.
Literature provides insights into the human mind and allows people to empathize with various situations. The study of literature allows people to understand other people’s feelings which helps people to connect to various aspects of different regions, races, societies, and periods of time. Literary works provide a variety of genres and themes that are applicable to daily lives. For example, To Kill a Mocking bird gives readers insights into issues like race and justice from the perspective of a child. The book leads readers to empathise with the characters and teaches them a lesson of morality. Similarly, works of Shakespeare are instrumental in understanding human nature. His plays like Macbeth and Hamlet provide valuable insights into the psyche of the characters. Literature is helpful in providing a broad view of society, through the eyes of the characters. Literature in this sense is not useless as it fosters understanding, tolerance and empathy values that are important in today’s pragmatic world.
Literature is also important as it allows us to understand the nuances of language. In the technological world where people use contractions and chat language to communicate it is essential to understand the language. Literature leads to enrichment of the language, people by reading and analysing works of literature can learn about syntax, vocabulary and writing styles. Classical works of George Orwell, William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens can help people understand the evolution of language. Literary structures, trends, the way views are expressed within these works bring awareness about language developments and can lead to a better understanding of language in the current context. These language skills that are built by the study of literature can help people to become confident and use language in academic as well as social settings. For example, use of language can help them in writing academic essays and while stepping in the job world it can help them write convincing cover letters and drafting emails. Thus, literature has practical use in society and to deem it as useless is because of the deeply entrenched misconceptions about its utility. Thus, the study of literature is useful in the pragmatic world because it has practical uses.
Lastly, literature has an entertaining value that can help readers escape from the shackles of their mundane lives. In a pragmatic world, people are in a constant rat race to outdo each other, such struggle leads to stress that is inevitable. Reading works of literature can provide people with the necessary respite from their stressful lives. By reading literature we can dive into different realms and let our imagination run free. For example, by reading JK Rowling’s Harry Potter, people can be a part of that universe and imagine themselves to be using wands and invisibility cloaks. Similarly, by reading Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, people can imagine themselves rafting through the Mississippi River with Huck and Jim. Such escapism helps people in forgetting about the stress in their lives even if for a moment. Thus, in this pragmatic world where stress is inevitable, literature provides the much-needed entertainment and escapism and hence cannot be deemed as useless.
In conclusion, literature is useful in this pragmatic world. While economic growth and progress are important, it cannot be denied that literature holds an intrinsic value today. Literature provides the necessary knowledge, entertainment, fosters creativity and offers an escape for readers. In this way, literature is not useless but is essential for enriching our lives in more ways than one.
