Author: VidS

To what extent are Shakespeare’s works still relevant today?

Keywords: ‘To what extent …?’ and ‘still relevant’.

• Shakespeare keeps the reader/listener engaged: explores pertinent issues: challenges thoughts/opinions: plot, characters and themes are cleverly interwoven: emerging themes and ideas are timeless
• human flaws/faults, dilemmas and relationships transcend time
• characters being human is fallible, e.g. Macbeth being too ambitious and Hamlet struggling to come to terms with the death of his father
• love, friendship, betrayal and vengeance are timeless themes
• a voice is given to those marginalised in society, e.g. females in the later sixteenth/early seventeenth century
• the enrichment of the English language, e.g. Shakespeare is the most quoted author in the Oxford dictionary
• examples: ‘all’s well that ends well’, ‘the world is my oyster’ and ‘parting is such sweet sorrow’
• the entertainment value and range of subject matter, e.g. war, religious conflict, racial prejudice, class division

How far is it possible for societies to provide equal opportunities for all their citizens?

Equal opportunities for all citizens is an unrealistic goal.

  • What do we mean by ‘equal opportunities’ (a reference to gender, ethnicity, class etc.)
  • Economic and social factors at work in particular societies
  • How the provision of equal opportunities might be monitored
  • The obstacle of resistance to equal opportunities when rooted in cultural/religious issues
  • What about physically vs mentally disabled people?
  • Prisoners?

How important are brand names to consumers?

  • a range of techniques, including promotions, strap-lines and advertising are used to persuade us to buy (Read Article)
  • peer pressure influences conformity to consumer norms
  • role models and celebrities are used to endorse products
  • some consumers resist brand name marketing strategies
  • many consumers assume that brand names offer the best products and service and, therefore, remain loyal to the brand (Read Article)
  • many see brand names as a reflection of lifestyle choices.
  • Study on Car Buyers

Our choices are determined by experts and media personalities. How far do you agree?

For and against points for our choices are determined by experts and media personalities.

  • we are independent and can make our own decisions
  • experts can present technical and complex arguments that cannot be readily understood
  • the internet and electronic systems allow everyone access to goods from across the world, regardless of location
  • those in the media are prone to errors and inconsistencies that undermine their influence
  • art critics are less influential than friends and family in the choices we make
  • despite highly publicised campaigns, people still make consumer choices on price
  • celebrities can be very influential

Skyscrapers make powerful statements. What is your understanding of their significance?

• Tall buildings were found in past civilisations; pyramids in Egypt, medieval cathedrals and fortresses. The towers were a status symbol of the wealthy
• Competition to see who can build the tallest building
• The skyline can be an icon for the city
• Attracts tourists
• Are used when there is a shortage of building land
• A demonstration of the latest technology and architecture
• Symbolises the power and wealth of a state or country
• Often commercial buildings that may stand for financial success or vainglory
• The view! The penthouse
• Can be used to house many people in a small area
• Rooftops can be used as gardens and ways to save energy with solar power

Medicine has been revolutionised by advances in technology. Discuss.

  • we have a moral duty to use technology to help save lives/make lives more comfortable
  • medical technology may go wrong
  • we should not interfere with nature or ‘play God’
  • medical technology can be expensive and time-consuming
  • the treatment of self-inflicted illnesses using such technology presents a moral dilemma
  • such technology might improve the quality of life or prolong the life of some people
  • treatments may only prolong the inevitable and may cause more distress
  • a convincing response should show a keen awareness of the potential tensions inherent in the use of medical technology

‘No one should be prosecuted for helping the terminally ill to die with dignity.’ How far do you agree with this statement?

Keywords: ‘prosecuted’ and ‘helping’ and ‘terminally ill’ and ‘dignity’ and ‘how far’ and ‘agree’.

  • Personal choice/freedom to be respected
  • ‘Dignity’ is a human right
  • A measure of compassion and love (which should not be punished)
  • Forced to go to a legal country (e.g. Dignitas in Switzerland) – expensive/unfamiliar/suffering
  • Not a matter for the State
  • Precious time wasted (e.g. legal battles)
  • Legal protection from exploitation
  • Health professionals know best
  • Sanctity of life
  • Religious objections
  • Always a chance of a cure/new treatments

‘Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet.’ (‘Inversaid’ by Gerard Manley Hopkins, 1881.) To what extent have the poet’s hopes for environmental preservation been fulfilled?

  • People still seek adventure, recreation, and solitude in the wild
  • There are sanctuaries for wildlife
  • Also harmful encroachment upon their habitats
  • Educators are aware
  • Destruction by the use of pesticides and insecticides
  • The manicured garden syndrome
  • The disappearance of forests, marshland, and other wild habitats has engendered a worldwide ecological movement
  • Many writers have taken up Hopkins’ theme
  • Urban dwellers cherish the opportunities to visit wild areas
  • Financial priorities may not be helpful

How far do you agree that newspapers no longer contain news?

  • Article: The state of newspapers
  • news means different things to different people
  • many newspapers are published daily and report on daily events; magazines are usually published weekly or monthly
  • newspapers have to offer more than news if they are to compete with other news media such as the Internet and television
  • most newspapers report on at least the main news stories
  • most newspapers contain non-news items such as competitions, advertisements and TV listings
  • quality newspapers have a higher ratio of news-to-views columns than popular papers.