GRE analytical writing solutions to the real essay topics book 3 2nd ed

The directions may instruct you towrite a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree ordisagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position youtake..

GRE Analytical Writing:

Solutions to the Real Essay Topics - Book 3

Test Prep Series

www.vibrantpublishers.com

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GRE Analytical Writing:

Solutions to the Real Essay Topics - Book 3

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Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (5 Star

of the Issue topics that was already solved in this book Having already readthe solution had two advantages, 1) I had good idea of how to go aboutwriting the essay and 2) I felt lot more confident and all my exam stresswent away I will give this book 5 stars!

Great book to help prepare for the GRE essays!! Very helpful strategies andthe essays are also detailed I have read through only few topics yet but willdefinitely read through all of them If I get the time to read all the 60 Issuesand Arguments, there’ll be no looking back I am glad I made this purchase

Good book Each topic is followed by multiple pointers to help youconstruct the essay A sample essay is also provided for reference But what

I liked the most about the book is they covered over sixty writing topics.Great for practice

The book starts with an introduction to the analytical writing section, thenexplains Analyze an Issue task and Analyze an Argument task includingscoring patterns for both It gives strategies for writing Issue and Argumenttasks It then takes 30 Issue topics and guides us to write an essay on each

of those topics - strategies include how to interpret the topic, differentpositions that can be taken for the topic in question, ways to support theposition you take, examples and more At the end, a sample essay is alsogiven which can be used as a benchmark After the Issue topics, 30Argument topics are covered Again, each topic is followed by strategiesand a sample essay The author has addressed many possible positions of anIssue, assumptions in an argument, evidences required and questions to beanswered making the writing task look easy as pie

Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (5 Star

of writing styles and essays that are needed for passing the GRE AnalyticalWriting

This book was a great buy, a must-read for all GRE test takers The content

in the book was useful, thought provoking, and I have several ideas to work

with now In addition, the content is presented well too I found very fewbooks that focus on the GRE writing section; and of those, I prefer thisbook.

I bought this for myself and i had no problem with the Quant section of theGRE and verbal prep was not bad either I didn’t know anything about theAnalytical writing section as I had kept the prep for this section towards theend Glad I made this purchase, now I feel much more confident than I was

a week ago One more week for my real test, hope to see a 5 atleast in theGRE

The author has done a fantastic job The elaborate explanation of each topichelped me immensely, I could gather my thoughts, streamline them and putthem into appropriate words Highly recommended

Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (5 Star

This particular book provides analytical writing insights for the REVISEDGRE general test The book is itself a test, but a test taken in the quiet of thestudent’s space, acclimating the student for the concepts presented in theGRE As the book states in its introduction, ‘The Analytical WritingMeasure is intended to assess your ability to think critically and writeeffectively about a topic while following specific directions.’ Two tasks arepresented: 1) Analyze an Issue and 2) Analyze an Argument The book thensupplies tow portions and allows the reader/student thirty minutes tocomplete each It then provides a scoring guide of issue and Argument thatare relevant to the revised GRE regulations and guidelines.

The book finishes with 10 solve essay topics with input on how to approacheach topic, and finally 10 practice exercises to polish off the lessonslearned Though the information here listed will probably only beunderstood by those preparing for taking the GRE - this is hardly anentertaining book for the non-student to read! But the careful and smoothlyworded manner in which this book is written will make the material easilyunderstood by those in preparation phases for the GRE AND the importantaspect of this manual is that it takes into account all of the changes on theGRE since August 1, 2011! It would seem almost negligent not to payattention to this new and very helpful guide

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Table of Contents

1 Analyze an Issue Task

Scoring Guide

General Strategies

2 Solved Issue Tasks with Strategies

Issue Task 1 – Funding of arts

Issue Task 2 – Competition for high grades

Issue Task 3 – Preserve wilderness area

Issue Task 4 – Those in power to step down after 5 yearsIssue Task 5 – Progress requires discussion

Issue Task 6 – Researchers to not limit investigationsIssue Task 7 – Well-being of society

3 Analyze an Argument Task

Scoring Guide

General Strategies

4 Solved Argument Tasks with Strategies

Argument Task 1 – Jazz music

Argument Task 2 – Woven baskets

Argument Task 3 – Reading habits of Waymarsh citizensArgument Task 4 – Newsbeat magazine

Argument Task 5 – Study on headaches (evidence)

Argument Task 6 – Consuming salicylates (prediction)

Argument Task 7 – Happy Pancake HouseArgument Task 8 – Stanley Park

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Introduction to the Analytical Writing Measure

The Analytical Writing Measure is intended to assess your ability to thinkcritically and write effectively about a topic while following specificdirections You will not need any specific content knowledge to completeeither in this portion of the test The purpose of both writing pieces is todetermine your readiness to perform appropriately at the graduate level.During this portion of the test, you will complete two writing tasks:Analyze an Issue and Analyze an Argument For each portion, you willhave 30 minutes to read the prompt and directions and to plan and executeyour response

The two tasks are opposite in their nature During the Analyze an Issue task,you will write persuasively as you express your point of view on theselected topic, which may be in the form of an opinion, a recommendation,

a claim and reason, or the presentation of two points of view It is important

to read the directions carefully to ensure that your response is addressingthe prompt correctly and to enable you to receive the highest score

During the Analyze an Argument task, you will evaluate an argument todetermine the strength of the facts and assumptions that it presents Youmay be asked to evaluate the evidence to determine if the assumptions arecorrect, formulate questions that will need to be answered beforedetermining if the assumptions are correct, what further evidence isnecessary before the argument can be declared correct, or what steps should

be completed before accepting a recommended course of action As in theAnalyze an Issue task, in the Analyze an Argument task, reading andfollowing the directions carefully is the best way to ensure that you receive

a high score for your efforts

Strategies for Completing Analytical Writing

Measure

Each portion of the writing measure is 30 minutes long In that period oftime, you must read the statement or brief passage and the directions forcreating your response, plan how you want to respond, and write youressay If you spend too much time taking notes and organizing yourthoughts, you may not have enough time to finish writing your essay Onthe other hand, completing a prewriting activity sufficiently will help youwrite your essay more quickly Budgeting your time is crucial andresponding to some of the prompts published on the ETS site, ets.org willhelp you to do that Although the GRE readers are aware of the time limitand that your essay is essentially a draft, they will expect you to perform at

a high level Leave a few minutes at the end of each writing section toreview your essay for errors in spelling, grammar, usage, and sentencestructure

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Analyze an Issue Task

As you complete this task, you will have an opportunity to express yourpoint of view on an issue Because it is essentially your opinion, there is no

“correct” answer You must, however, support your point of view withsufficient evidence to show the strength of your argument You may agreecompletely with the statement about the issue, partially agree with it, orcompletely disagree with it Be certain to stay on topic and follow thedirections carefully

For example, you might be presented with a statement similar to thefollowing:

It is always best to look before you leap

One interpretation of this statement is that one should consider potentialconsequences before taking any action The directions may instruct you towrite a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree ordisagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position youtake If you agree with the statement, you should recall examples from yourreading, your studies, or your own experience that support your position.Think about Holden Caulfield’s actions in The Catcher in the Rye Hisimpulsive decision to spend some time alone in New York City beforegoing home after his expulsion from Pencey Prep had unsatisfactoryconsequences You may have taken some action in your own life that youregretted afterwards On the other hand, you may disagree with thestatement Early explorers like Christopher Columbus had little idea aboutwhat they would find as they set out in their relatively small sailing vessels

If they had thought only about the dangers of their ventures, the new worldwould have been discovered much later You can also take a qualifiedapproach by agreeing with the statement to some extent Remember, thebest approach to a given prompt is the one you can argue the best The GREessay readers are trained to evaluate a wide variety of approaches to the

issue and evaluate them on their strengths and weaknesses and not on theopinion expressed.

The following is a comprehensive list of the instructions that canaccompany the statements in the Analyze an Issue task

a) Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree ordisagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position youtake In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways

in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how theseconsiderations shape your position

b) Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree ordisagree with the recommendation and explain your reasoning for theposition you take In developing and supporting your position, describespecific circumstances in which adopting the recommendation would orwould not be advantageous and explain how these examples shape yourposition

c) Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree ordisagree with the claim In developing and supporting your position, be sure

to address the most compelling reasons and/or examples that could be used

to challenge your position

d) Write a response in which you discuss which view more closely alignswith your own position and explain your reasoning for the position youtake In developing and supporting your position, you should address both

of the views presented

e) Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree ordisagree with the claim and the reasons on which that claim is based

f) Write a response in which you discuss your views on the policy andexplain your reasoning for the position you take In developing andsupporting your position, you should consider the possible consequences ofimplementing the policy and explain how these consequences shape yourposition

You may have had some experience with writing persuasively in highschool or college, but you do not need to worry about employing specificrhetorical devices to receive a high score It is important to stay on topic,

present your argument in a coherent and cohesive manner, and toacknowledge counterarguments to strengthen your own You should alsomake every attempt to use correct grammar, mechanics, and a variety ofsentence structures to improve the fluency of your essay The scoring guidethat follows is reprinted from the Practice Book for the GRE RevisedGeneral Test, developed by Educational Testing Service.

Scoring Guide

Score 6

In addressing the specific task directions, a 6 response presents a cogent,well-articulated analysis of the issue and conveys meaning skillfully

A typical response in this category:

a) articulates a clear and insightful position on the issue in accordance withthe assigned task

b) develops the position fully with compelling reasons and/or persuasiveexamples

c) sustains a well-focused, well-organized analysis, connecting ideaslogically

d) conveys ideas fluently and precisely, using effective vocabulary andsentence variety

e) demonstrates facility with the conventions of standard written English(i.e., grammar, usage and mechanics), but may have minor errors

Score 5

In addressing the specific task directions, a 5 response presents a generallythoughtful, well-developed analysis of the issue and conveys meaningclearly

A typical response in this category:

a) presents a clear and well-considered position on the issue in accordancewith the assigned task

b) develops the position with logically sound reasons and/or well-chosenexamples

c) is focused and generally well organized, connecting ideas appropriatelyd) conveys ideas clearly and well, using appropriate vocabulary andsentence variety

e) demonstrates facility with the conventions of standard written Englishbut may have minor errors

Score 4

In addressing the specific task directions, a 4 response presents a competentanalysis of the issue and conveys meaning with acceptable clarity

A typical response in this category:

a) presents a clear position on the issue in accordance with the assigned taskb) develops the position with relevant reasons and/or examples

c) is adequately focused and organized

d) demonstrates sufficient control of language to express ideas withreasonable clarity

e) generally, demonstrates control of the conventions of standard writtenEnglish but may have some errors

Score 3

A three response demonstrates some competence in addressing the specifictask directions, in analyzing the issue and in conveying meaning, but isobviously flawed

A typical response in this category exhibits ONE OR MORE of thefollowing characteristics:

a) is vague or limited in addressing the specific task directions and/or inpresenting or developing a position on the issue

b) is weak in the use of relevant reasons or examples or relies largely onunsupported claims

c) is poorly focused and/or poorly organized

d) has problems in language and sentence structure that result in a lack ofclarity

e) contains occasional major errors or frequent minor errors in grammar,usage or mechanics that can interfere with meaning

A one response demonstrates fundamental deficiencies in analytical writing

A typical response in this category exhibits ONE OR MORE of thefollowing characteristics:

a) provides little or no evidence of understanding the issue

b) provides little evidence of the ability to develop an organized response(i.e., is extremely disorganized and/or extremely brief)

c) has severe problems in language and sentence structure that persistentlyinterfere with meaning

d) contains pervasive errors in grammar, usage or mechanics that result inincoherence

Score 0

A typical response in this category is off topic (i.e., provides no evidence of

an attempt to respond to the assigned topic), is in a foreign language,merely copies the topic, consists of only keystroke characters or is illegible

General Strategies

a) Restate the issue in a way that makes sense to you

b) You could also determine what question is being answered by thestatement Creating a question may help you determine your position on theissue If someone were to ask you this question, would you say yes, no, ormaybe?

c) Next, create a statement that expresses the opposing viewpoint, usinglanguage similar to that of the original statement

d) Think about alternative viewpoints Is there another way to look at thisissue? Can you qualify the original recommendation in some way? How can

you answer all or some of the questions that you generated earlier?

e) From here, you must decide which point of view to address in your essay.Before you decide, carefully consider the following questions You willhave addressed several of them in the exercises you will perform below.i) What, precisely, is the central issue?

ii) What precisely are the instructions asking me to do?

iii) Do I agree with all or any part of the claim? Why or why not?

iv) Does the claim make certain assumptions? If so, are they reasonable?v) Is the claim valid only under certain conditions? If so, what are they?vi) Do I need to explain how I interpret certain terms or concepts used inthe claim?

vii) If I take a certain position on the issue, what reasons support myposition?

viii) What examples - either real or hypothetical - could I use to illustratethose reasons and advance my point of view? Which examples are mostcompelling?

f) Once you have decided on a position to defend, consider the perspectives

of others who might not agree with your position Ask yourself:

i) What reasons might someone use to refute or undermine my position?ii) How should I acknowledge or defend against those views in my essay?The next step should be listing the main reasons and support for yourposition Keep in mind that the GRE readers scoring your response are notlooking for a “right” answer—in fact, as far as they are concerned, there is

no correct position to take Instead, the readers are evaluating the skill withwhich you address the specific instructions and articulate and develop anargument to support your evaluation of the issue

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Solved Issue Tasks with Strategies

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Issue Task 1

Topic

Some people believe that government funding of the arts is necessary to ensure that the arts can flourish and be available to all people Others believe that government funding of the arts threatens the integrity of the arts.

Write a response in which you discuss which view more closely aligns withyour own position and explain your reasoning for the position you take Indeveloping and supporting your position, you should address both of theviews presented

Strategies

Restate the Issue:

Consider each view separately before deciding which of them you mostclosely agree with

Or: What role should the government play to ensure that the arts can

flourish and be available to all people?

Think about the way that you would answer one or both of these questions

to help you determine your position

Now identify elements in the statement that can provide evidence for you toaffirm or refute

a) Some people – This indicated that the opinion is not unanimous.

b) necessary – This implies a requirement Without government funding

the arts would not flourish

c) flourish – This means to thrive, a stronger action than survival.

d) available – Another way to say this might be accessible Art would be

accessible or open to all people

Point of view 2:

Restate the view by making it a negative statement

In other words:

The integrity of the arts cannot survive with government funding.

You should formulate the question that requires this statement as an answer

What effect would government funding have on the integrity of the arts?

Or: How does government funding threaten the arts?

Now identify elements in the statement that can provide evidence for you toaffirm or refute

a) others – The implication is that there are two points of view.

b) threatens – This word always has a negative connotation The response

to a threat is defense

c) integrity – One thinks of strength, honesty and wholeness.

The directions do not allow for alternative positions Even though you maynot be in complete agreement with either of the positions, you must decidewhich one most closely matches the way that you think about the issue.Make certain to acknowledge the opposite viewpoint as you develop yourresponse

Sample Essay

Some may say, “I don’t care about painters or sculptors”, but the creativearts encompass so much more It is not strictly high–brow The artistsinclude writers of fiction, drama, poetry, and journalism They includecomposers of country music, Broadway scores, and classical pieces Manypeople don’t realize the number of ways that they are exposed to art in theireveryday lives The National Endowment for the Arts supports programs allaround the United States that promote exposure to all of the creative arts.The NEA also funds grants for various artists and projects through anapplication and award process There is little doubt that, without thisorganization, children in otherwise culturally–deprived areas of the countrywould have no introduction to the creative arts The struggling artist may be

a popular stereotype in film and fiction, but the fact of the matter is thatnew artists in nearly every field do struggle, at least for a time The NEAallows these artists to apply for grants to help them get a start

However, since it is funded by the government, the NEA budget depends onthe whims of Congress Senators and congressmen also feel entitled toattempt to place restrictions on the type of artwork or artist supported byNEA grants There arises the paternalistic attitude that says,” If I’m payingfor it, I’ll decide how it gets used.” Congress has attempted to censor someforms of artistic expression by claiming that it is pornographic ordemeaning to one group or another, even that it is unpatriotic It is difficult,

if not impossible, for an artist to express his vision if that vision is clouded

by requirements placed upon it by otherwise well–meaning public servants.What are the alternatives to public funding of the arts? It used to be thatgifted artists would have wealthy patrons who were individuals or even theVatican itself in the case of the sculptor/architect, Bernini Of course, theCatholic Church placed restrictions on the kinds of work completed Otherpatrons generally made demands of the artists they supported as well Theartists, however, did stave off starvation and homelessness Patrons of thearts still exist and invest in Broadway productions, pay for visitingmusicians at local concert halls, and donate paintings to museums This stilllimits accessibility to the arts for those who live in rural or otherwiseremote areas

Does one require live experiences to say that he/she has been exposed to thearts? The World Wide Web allows anyone with an Internet connection to

view works of the masters and hear recorded performances or see video oflive performances Nearly everyone with a cellular phone carries around acamera and a video recorder, and they upload their recordings to YouTube

by the thousands every day Those second–hand viewings and audios maynot replace a visit to the Louvre or La Scala, but they do make the artsaccessible Local libraries have a service for their card holders that enablesthe patrons to download best sellers to their electronic readers or tablets,making a trip to the library, itself, unnecessary

Men and women of ideas and artistic talent can create followings on theInternet by daily writing and uploading to their own blogs There is a betteropportunity for artists in every medium to retain their integrity and freedom

of expression if they let the public decide who shall succeed and who shallnot rather than relying on funds that may have strings attached

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in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how theseconsiderations shape your position.

Strategies

Begin by restating the issue The original issue statement tells whatcompetition for high grades does to the quality of education Try changingthe order of the statement

In other words:

The quality of learning at all levels is seriously limited by the competition for high grades.

Determine what question is being answered by the original issue statement

What effect does the competition for high grades have on the quality of learning at all levels?

The question should help develop alternative points of view The originalissue statement is only one of several possible answers to the question

Now think about the parts of the original issue statement that provideevidence that you can affirm or refute

a) competition – Competition exists in other areas of school life.

Competition exists in areas of life outside of school

b) seriously limits – Could the effect be somewhat limiting?

c) quality of learning – Is competition for grades the greatest influence on

the quality of learning? What about instructional methods? Curriculummaterials?

Next, create a statement that expresses the opposing viewpoint, usinglanguage similar to that of the original issue statement

Opposing viewpoint:

Competition for high grades enhances the quality of learning at all levels.

Or: Competition for high grades has no effect on the quality of learning at

any level.

Identify the parts of the opposing statement that provide evidence to refute

or affirm

a) enhances – improves or adds to the quality

b) no effect – competition may be a non–factor in the quality of learning –

it is neutral

Now you must decide which point of view to address in your essay.Completing the prewriting activities has given you several choices andideas for defending any of those choices Even the viewpoints that areopposite of yours will have points that you can use in writing yourresponse As you review your notes, decide which of your ideas offer thestrongest support for your position; you do not have to use all of them.Keep in mind that others may disagree with your position, so address theirconcerns in your response Before you decide, carefully consider thefollowing checklist You will have addressed several of them in theexercises you have completed above

a) I have identified the central issue

b) I understand the instructions

c) I have decided that I agree/disagree/partially agree with the issue andwhy

d) I have identified the assumptions in the claim and determined whether ornot they are reasonable

e) If necessary, I can explain how I interpret any or all of the concepts andterms used in the claim.

f) I have identified my reasons for the position I have taken

g) I have compelling examples to support my position

The next step should be listing the main reasons and support for yourposition You may use any of the above prewriting activities as you prepareevidence for supporting you point of view Remember that the GRE readersscoring your response are not looking for a “right” answer The readers areevaluating your ability to address the specific instructions and articulate anddevelop an argument to support your understanding and evaluation of theissue

Position:

Competition for high grades enhances the quality of learning at all levels.

Your notes do not have to be exhaustive As you begin to write your essay,your brain will generate new ideas Make certain that you keep thedirections in mind as you develop your ideas Use as many or as fewparagraphs as you consider appropriate for your argument, but create a newparagraph when you move on to a new idea or example of support for yourposition The GRE readers are not looking for a specific number of ideas orparagraphs Instead, they are reading to determine the level ofunderstanding of the topic and the complexity with which you respond

In this task, you are asked to discuss the extent to which you agree ordisagree with the statement You may completely agree or disagree with thestatement, or you may agree under certain conditions You are alsoinstructed to explain your reasoning and consider ways in which thestatement might or might not hold true and explain how theseconsiderations shape your position

You may use any organizational strategy or form of reasoning to presentyour position as clearly and succinctly as possible You may recall writingstrategies that you learned in high school or a writing–intensive course thatyou took in college, but it is not necessary to employ any of thosestrategies It is important that your ideas follow a logical progression anddisplay strong critical thinking

Sample Essay

That competition for high grades exists is not debatable As collegesbecome more selective and the cost of higher education soars, students arecompelled to achieve at the highest level to gain entry to the best schoolsand to receive scholarships to offset the cost of those schools In schoolswhere grades are weighted, students also take honors or AdvancedPlacement courses to elevate their GPAs Whether or not this competitiondiminishes learning is debatable

Consider the benefits of competition in the private sector Beforecompetition existed, monopolies dominated the business world in America.Moguls like John D Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie cut prices on theirproducts and forced their competitors out of business With no alternatives,the buying public was forced to pay whatever prices those titans ofcommerce chose to charge them To relieve this financial burden that thecitizens of the country had to bear, antitrust laws were enacted As a result,goods and services became available at fair prices that enabled everyone tolive in some degree of comfort Today, the American consumer can elect tobuy discount goods at Wal–Mart and other big–box retail outlets or opt topurchase luxury goods at designer boutiques like Coach or Louis Vuitton.Competition keeps businesses on their toes as they strive to produce goods

of a quality and price that their customers demand Competition is good forthe consumer as they are presented with a wide array of goods and servicesfrom which to choose

Now consider how learning benefits from the competition for grades.Before it became virtually mandatory for every American child to attendsome post–high–school educational institution, many students were content

to learn the minimum required to pass a course After all, they wereentering the world of work after high school, and their grades in algebra orchemistry wouldn’t matter a bit to their employers Teachers, recognizingthis, taught the minimum required to satisfy that demographic The worldhas changed, and no longer is it possible to obtain employment in mostplaces without additional training or education beyond high school.Teachers have been charged with the responsibility to prepare their studentsfor this eventuality Students must do more in high school to get more out of

life In addition, many careers now require job seekers to have advanceddegrees, extending the competition for grades into college and beyond.The final product of competition for grades must be increased learning.When students are working harder to earn better grades, teachers areworking harder to meet the demand They are designing more advancedcurriculum units and applying standards more rigorously Teachers arecreating a product that consumers – in this case, colleges and employers –are demanding Colleges and businesses will have more choices when theyshop for students and employees.

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Issue Task 3

Topic

Nations should pass laws to preserve any remaining wilderness areas in their natural state, even if these areas could be developed for economic gain.

Write a response in which you discuss your views on the policy and explainyour reasoning for the position you take In developing and supporting yourposition, you should consider the possible consequences of implementingthe policy and explain how these consequences shape your position

Strategies

When developing a response to an Analyze an Issue question, you arerequired to present both sides of the argument and choose one to support A5– or 6–paragraph structure is recommended for this style of essay Makesure to have an Introduction, Body (2 or 3 supporting points and 1 counter–point), and Conclusion

It is highly recommended that regardless of the position you choose, thefirst 5 minutes should be devoted to brainstorming a few points that agreewith the policy issue at hand and a few that disagree with it Here is asample brainstorm for this question:

Agree:

a) Wilderness forms the basis of our world’s ecosystems, and millions ofspecies of animals depend on access to the wild By enacting laws to protectthe wilderness, we are ensuring the long–term survival of the earth

b) Humans occupy a large area of the available land in the world However,

as the population grows, we should commit to building up and not out.Single families do not need private tennis courts, swimming pools, and

gardens at the expense of nature Left to their own devices, humans aregreedy – so it is up to the nations to be altruistic.

c) Humans are in favor of natural wilderness areas, as they allow for hiking,traveling, and exploring People can enjoy the wilderness as a form ofentertainment, nourishment, and spiritual fulfillment, and preserving theseareas would increase the well–being of humans as well as other species.d) In the United States, for example, National Parks and National Forestsare a source of pride and an attraction in and of themselves Such locations

do not need to be developed in order to attract tourism, and economicsystems are built around the parks themselves

e) There are many examples of countries that developed areas for economicgain that ended up a disaster China’s overdevelopment and stripping ofnatural resources left the country with serious health problems resultingfrom severe pollution

Disagree:

a) There are still plenty of areas that humans will likely never develop, solaws are not required to ensure this For example, Canada is sparselypopulated, and it does not require formal laws to remain as such

b) Managed growth is as good as or better than leaving the wildernessuntouched For example, planned fires and the weeding out of invasivespecies that arrived there through other human activities or accidentally(e.g., the invasion of Japanese species after the 2011 tsunami) By bothexploiting and regulating the wilderness, a win–win situation is created.Now, you are ready to get started on the essay

Sample Essay

The human population continues to grow With this growth, we demand anever–increasing amount of natural resources, such as land, oil, andagricultural products Yet, we must also balance this requirement with theknowledge that we must maintain sustainability to ensure the survival ofour species and of Earth itself Overexploitation of resources will depletethe available stock and affect fragile ecologies worldwide To ensure that

we (and Earth) continue to flourish for generations to come, nations have

the responsibility to enact laws protecting existing wilderness areasregardless of whether they can be exploited for economic gain.

Proponents in favor of using wilderness for economic gain suggest thatexploitation and preservation are not mutually exclusive By controlling andregulating forest fires, conducting managed growth, and farmingsustainably, proponents suggest that we can benefit from natural resourcesand preserve as large of a wilderness area as possible They claim thatinstead of laws to preserve the wilderness in its natural state, we shouldcreate a wilderness development program that ensures the survival of allspecies through adequate managed growth

However, managed growth does not target the root of the problem ofexploiting natural resources: the negative externalities generated bydeveloping wilderness areas More specifically, the advantage of wildernessareas is that they have well–established ecosystems, including old trees withdeep roots Logging and clearing these trees and replacing them with newsaplings reduces the amount of photosynthesis that occurs in the area; inturn, increasing amounts of human–generated carbon dioxide does notconvert fast enough to oxygen, leading to high pollution For example,China both logged their forests and exploited other resources (e.g., coal)while developing industries on the land They are suffering theconsequences of these decisions as their population is exposed to increasedpollution and widespread health problems The only feasible way to slow orreverse these would be to stop exploiting the natural wilderness and letnature do the healing

In addition, wilderness areas can be used as a resource without beingexploited specifically for economic gain For example, many people viewthe wilderness as a form of spiritual retreat away from their busy lives – it isthe final frontier where they can go hiking, mountain biking, and camping

in nature On another note, many animals such as fish rely on an untouchedwilderness to thrive The effects of interfering with the natural habitat ofthese fish (e.g., the rivers that salmon spawn in) or attempting to managetheir growth have backfired – fish in the hundreds of thousands havedisappeared or died because of human interference, which is opposite to ourgoals of creating a sustainable fishable population in the oceans and seas

To ensure that we are able to continue to enjoy these fish, we must see the

wilderness as a resource that we cannot interfere with and preserve it underlaw.

Therefore, we do not understand the wilderness well enough to manage iteffectively at this point and although we might believe that we are capable

of using our wilderness resources in a sustainable fashion, our performanceshows otherwise For nations looking to continue to grow and thrive andbuild successful industries, the benefits of protecting the wilderness in itsnatural state in the long run far outweigh those of developing wildernessareas for economic gain in the short run

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When should those in power in any field be required to step down?

How long should those in power in any field be allowed to retain their positions?

Consequences of adopting this policy:

a) Fresh ideas will be introduced every five years

b) Long– range planning becomes difficult

c) Ineffective leaders can be replaced quickly

Next, create a statement that expresses the opposing viewpoint, usinglanguage similar to that of the original statement.

Opposing viewpoint:

In any field – business, politics, education, government – those in power should not be required to step down after five years.

Consequences of adopting this policy:

a) More experience leads to better decisions

b) Those in power may become complacent

c) Long– range planning becomes possible

Is there any other way to look at this issue? Can you qualify the originalstatement in some way? Is it possible to partially agree with the statement?

Alternative viewpoint:

In any field – business, politics, education, government – those in power should step down when they are no longer effective.

Consequences of adopting this policy:

a) Effective leaders can remain in power

Sample Essay

A five–year limit on tenure in any field appears arbitrary Some in positions

of power or leadership should leave office sooner, and some should beallowed to remain for as long as they want Examples exist on the local,state, national, and international level that support either the original or theopposing point of view It is impossible and impractical to establish hard–and–fast rules about the length of time anyone should serve in a position ofpower or leadership

America's founding fathers, in order to eliminate the potential tyrannyassociated with sovereigns like kings, established a democracy in which thepeople would elect their leaders They also established a four–year term aspresident It was not until the middle of the twentieth century that thenumber of terms a president could serve was limited to two US senatorsand representatives serve two–and six–year terms respectively, and they

may remain in office as long as the voters choose to keep them Thefrequency with which they must seek reelection allows the voters to keepthose who represent them well and eliminate those whose actions do notbenefit them.

Many American presidents have served more than one term PresidentFranklin D Roosevelt was elected for four consecutive terms during themost challenging period in our history He led us out of the GreatDepression by creating the New Deal replete with public works projectsthat provided honorable and necessary work for Americans who had losteverything He was Commander in Chief during most of the WWII years Itwould be difficult to imagine how America would have fared during thosetrying times if our nation's leader had been compelled to serve only 5 years

In contrast to the beneficial results of FDR's tenure, the Russians weresuffering under the dictator, Stalin who did not have to run for reelection.Despite the Communist 5–year plans for productivity, millions of Russiansdied from starvation and persecution Whereas Americans were well–served

by FDR's lengthy leadership, Russians would have been better off if Stalinhad been forced out of office

One negative consequence of limiting the tenure of those in positions ofleadership is the inability to plan long–term In virtually any field, theleader cannot effect change without first creating a cohort of like–mindedindividuals Convincing those with the same point of view to work towardthe leader's goals is difficult enough without also having to persuade those

on the fence or diametrically opposed to his or her ideas This can consume

a great deal of time and energy Once the cohort is established, the membersare apt to want some concessions or compromises from each other beforethe final objective is clearly delineated Additional steps in the process mayinclude conducting polls, surveys, or research Several years can elapseduring this process at the end of which, the leader may have little timeremaining to fulfill his goals If the leader is compelled to leave in themiddle of the journey, the goal may never be achieved, and the new leadermay have very different ideas about the needs of the institution he isdirecting and restart the entire complex process In contrast, a leader whoknows his time in office is limited may work more diligently to accomplishhis objectives When people have deadlines for completing tasks or

assignments, they organize their time more efficiently Imagine a studenthaving a research project with no due date He or she might procrastinate ornever do the work at all.

Experience is the best teacher A good leader in any field becomes moreadept He or she is apt to face similar situations over the course of histenure and use what he has learned from past actions and consequences toinform his decision making He will have learned what works, what doesn't,and how to negotiate for the best outcome Longevity can also lead tostagnation, and some are inclined to do things the way they've always beendone They are resistant to change or even compromise Because voters,company directors, and boards of education have the discretion and power

to remove institutional leaders when they are no longer effective, anarbitrary term limit is not necessary Term limits can truncate the careers ofeffective leaders or extend those of leaders who should have been removedsoon after assuming their positions

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in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how theseconsiderations shape your position.

Strategies

A good starting point is to break down the statement and identify theassumptions it makes Look for ambiguous phrasing and consider allpossible exceptions – they represent weak points that you can defend orattack depending on your chosen position

Statement breakdown:

a) Any situation – this is a categorical statement; there are always

exceptions

b) Progress – this implies moving forward, solving an issue; can the issue

be solved? What about time constraints?

c) Discussion – another term for this is dialogue – are people willing to

listen? Can they understand or is the point of view too remote from theirown? What about communication errors?

d) Contrasting – Radically opposing points of view? What about fringe

viewpoints?

Assumptions:

a) Any situation can be mediated through discussion