Category: Uncategorized

To what extent do television programmes have a negative influence on people?

Possible points discussing the negative impacts of television programmes

  • discuss the role of television programmes in society
  • consider the extent to which the influence of television programmes has been detrimental
  • make a judgement, based on considering the evidence and argument put forward.
  • television programmes make people lazy and replace more active leisure pursuits
  • some television programmes are essentially escapist and have little cultural value
  • Illegal and inappropriate actions are ‘normalised’ in many programmes
  • causing people to interact less and stay in their own homes more
  • television is responsible for high-quality programmes and making them available around the world
  • television becoming an important medium for news and current affairs
  • in many countries, regulatory bodies monitor the negative or controversial content of television programmes
  • recent developments in digital television and streaming improving the
  • range and diversity of programmes.

To what extent do films have to be realistic to be enjoyable?

Possible points for discussing if films have to be realistic to be enjoyable

  • explore what constitutes realism in films
  • assess whether films need to be realistic to be enjoyable
  • make a judgement, based on the consideration of the evidence and argument put forward.
  • films that are realistic in terms of drawing on real life
  • the need for realistic places and locations to engage the audience
  • the need for believable characters in believable scenarios to whom we can relate
  • the importance of realism in documentary films and their impact on the audience
  • escapism being the main reason for watching a film for many
  • a film may be more unpleasant to view if it is too realistic
  • some people watch films in order to view extraordinary people or situations
  • too much emphasis on real-life could render a film as dull.

Is complete self-sufficiency  in countries ever  possible?

The notion  of complete self-sufficiency was often seen  as a myth within the modern world as the contemporary developments of globalisation reveal  the  hyper-connected world we live in today, where  countries are succumbed to  the  interdependent  nature of the  global  economy. It  is not  surprising  to  see  that  countries across  the  world are increasingly dependent on one  another for their resources and  this is also regarded as the   norm   and   trait  of  today’s  world.  However,   issues   such  as  growing  demand and   potential  import disruptions  have  surfaced  recently,  with the  notable  COVID-19  pandemic threatening many  global  supply chains  and  affecting the  sufficiency and  sustainability of resources within nations. This raises  the  question if countries should  be pursuing complete self-sufficiency to minimise the threats from the external environment and to be able to maintain  itself without  outside aid or intervention. Even though some nations have pursued self-sufficiency to some degree and  have adopted incremental progress over the past  decade to provide for their own needs, in practice, self-sufficiency is arguably still viewed to be a relative concept along  a continuum that  is highly dependent on the global  climate.  This question raises the debate if complete self-sufficiency is even possible given the interdependent nature of our global  economy today. Is there any interests or benefits to aim for complete self-dependency in countries? What  are  the  factors  that  may influence, shape or limit such possibilities?

To what extent has space exploration benefitted humankind?

• examine how exploring space has benefitted humankind
• consider whether space exploration has had any negative impacts on humankind
• make a judgment, based on the consideration of the evidence and argument put forward
• the benefits of ongoing programmes to explore the moon for water and life
• the development of the international space station and the implications for global cooperation
• new inventions and technological advancements enhancing various aspects of life on Earth
• the learning achieved from studying various planets and phenomena in the Solar System
• the search for alien life and the benefits to humankind of what we have discovered so far
• there being no need to look into space, as humans have their religions and philosophy to aid understanding
• money used for space exploration could be better spent improving humankind in other ways
• space exploration being of no benefit to life on the planet as it is merely to fulfill intellectual curiosity.

Evaluate the view that education does not encourage creativity.

• discuss what education should be about or concerned with
• explore whether or not education encourage creativity
• make a judgement, based on the consideration of the evidence and argument put forward that education does not encourage creativity.
• traditional education curricula emphasising basic skills of literacy and numeracy
• most countries expecting education to produce ‘useful’ citizens who will contribute to the economy
• creativity in schools contributing to an appearance of apparent disorder
• academic education usually being considered as the prime target of schooling
• most children demonstrating innate creativity that ought to be nurtured and channelled
• the modern world requiring more creative ‘solutions’ rather than just a production line
• creativity often involving collaborative effort that lies at the heart of the modern workplace
• nurturing creativity helping to develop the originality and dynamism that drives all human endeavour.