Category: Outlines

‘Noise pollution is a real threat to the quality of life.’ To what extent is this true in your country?

Points for and against noise pollution is a real threat

• Depends on living environment (busy road/noisy neighbours/apartment living/flight paths/night-time noise/dog barking)
• Noise pollution is a real threat as it can cause stress/depression
• Whether the noise is constant or intermittent
• Whether there are any enforceable laws
• Examples from your country
• It could be that air pollution is a greater threat, particularly in large cities (wearing protective masks)
• Some people might think noise enhances ‘quality of life’ (night-club/sporting events)
• Depends on personal tolerance

Scorpion venom may be used to cure cancer in the future. Evaluate the importance of species’ preservation.

Points for/against importance of species’ preservation.

• Their edibility; good for the environment, improve animal welfare, reduces the risk of disease in humans
• Reduces the need to provide animal feed
• Insects produce more protein at a lower cost both to the environment and to our pocket
• To feed cattle we need grain, fertiliser, land, and water
• Insects can be fed with our own waste products
• Importance of species’ preservation can help to reduce greenhouse gases
• Insects do not require an abundance of water
• Improvement in animal welfare – killing insects humanely is easy
• We do not have so much in common with insects as other species – therefore reduced risk of disease – swine flu, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease etc.
• Danger of ingesting pesticides
• Dealing with the disgust factor
• Pollination
• Dealing with the mosquito
• Good for food security
• Antibacterial properties of honey
• The venom of a tarantula is more environmentally effective than conventional insecticides
• Centipede venom as an alternative to morphine

‘Religious education should be a part of the school curriculum.’ Discuss.

Points for/against religious education should be a part of the school curriculum

• Religion should be taught in the home, not at school
• Some countries go by the principle of separation of church and state
• Religious education can lead to segregation and stereotyping
• Not all families are religious
• Time could be spent on other subjects
• Does not always meet the needs of a multicultural society
• Children could be taught in ways that disturb their own legitimate beliefs
• Some parents send their children to “faith schools” in spite of not being religious themselves.
These schools sometimes have the reputation of being well-disciplined and promoting high
achievement
• It can increase divisions in a community and a nation
• Perhaps the teaching of ethics and morals, as an alternative
• The local place of worship can provide education, out of school hours
• Knowledge of different religions can develop a greater understanding of others

‘The way we choose to furnish and decorate our homes reflects who we are.’ How true is this statement?

Points for/against the way we choose to furnish and decorate our homes reflect who we are

• Suggests interests abroad/travel (Italian furniture/traditional carvings/tropical plants)
• Religion/culture
• the way we choose to furnish and decorate our homes suggests wealth/superiority
• Eccentric/quirky
• Artistic/creative
• Reading/learning
• Where we live (climate)
• Conscious of the environment (eco-friendly materials)
• Taste/personality/attitude/materialism etc.
• Could just reflect budget/poverty/lack of interest
• Pragmatism
• Rented, already furnished/decorated room, which cannot be changed
• Environment (house on stilts)
• Energy saving (solar panels)

Assess the value of a musical education in your country.

Points for the value of a musical education in your country.

• Your country must be the focus
• Both formal and informal education may be considered
• The extra-curricular as well as curricular
• Examples of musical experiences in school and elsewhere
• Such an education may be undervalued
• It may be argued that it should not be a priority
• The benefits of a musical education
• Increased concentration, for example, Mozart and cognitive flexibility
• Therapeutic benefits
• The ability to play an instrument at whatever level has benefits
• Do not interpret ‘value’ literally

Today, health warnings are everywhere: on cigarettes, alcohol and even food. How effective are such warnings?

Points for and against health warnings are everywhere and their effectiveness.

• The authorities have a statutory duty to inform the public about dangers to health
• It is the responsibility of professionals to alert both the public and government; scientists, researchers and so on
• Irrespective of GDP and profit multinationals have a duty of care
• Dramatic decrease in smoking at least in the developed world
• Growing public concern about sugar intake
• Target groups need to be identified and where addressed effectively things have improved.
• Pregnant women and mothers are more aware
• Why are health warnings not so effective in some places?
• Pricing is more important than anything else
• Danger of people becoming immune to horrific depictions of consequences of addiction
• Resentment of the “nanny state”
• Better to address root causes; stress, poverty etc.
• Confusion as to what is good or bad
• Alternative strategies; use of role models, promotion of sport and exercise, self-help groups, making therapeutic intervention widely available at no cost

‘How and where we live is as important for our well-being as the genes we were born with.’ Discuss.

Points for how and where we live is as important for our well-being as the genes we were born with

• Various genetic claims
• Gene variants, alleles, affect hair colour and certain disease states
• Height – genetic but also environmental
• The role of birth order
• Grandparents’ experiences can be passed on to later generations – e.g. the experience of hunger
• Genetically innate potential is not always realised … why?
• The obvious danger of “labelling”
• The treatment of those suffering from mental illness may be improved with more understanding of genes
• Questions surrounding personal responsibility and genetic disposition
• The debate around obesity
• The importance of nurture/environmental influences as well as nature
• What the future might hold … e.g. gene adjustment and physical traits
• Understanding of the prenatal environment
• Tackling the various forms of social injustice of how and where we live is at least as important as genetic research

‘The photograph rarely tells the whole truth’. Discuss.

Points for against the photograph rarely tells the whole truth

• Can capture a moment of truth
• Can be spontaneous (holidays/events/visits)
• Depends whether a natural or artificial pose
• Cameras can distort (zoom/select/lighting/background)
• Truth as an art form
• Modern technology can edit/enhance/airbrush
• Depends on the function/purpose
• Mobile cameras can capture real situations (protest/war/suffering)

“The classroom is the only place for education”. Discuss.

Points for and against the claim that the classroom is the only place for education.

• The classroom environment is desirable both economically and socially
• The classroom is the only place for education because it can encourage co-operative learning
• Specialist knowledge can be made available to many
• Expensive technology can be shared
• Offers an environment that values and encourages education
• Provides a space that promotes respect for diversity
• Homeschooling can have positive and negative effects
• Distance learning can benefit the individual learner
• Parents are the key educators
• The classroom limits freedom and exploration
• It can be a diminishing experience for some
• Teaching and learning knows no boundaries