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2005-03

1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is the opinion of the majorityin government or in any
other circumstancesa poor guide? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is creativity needed more than ever in the world today?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observation.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Are people better at making observations, discoveries,
and decisions if they remain neutral and impartial? Plan and write an
essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observation.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
Even scientists know that absolute objectivity has yet to be attained. It's the same for absolute truth. But, as
many news reporters have observed, the idea of objectivity as a guiding principle is too valuable to be
abandoned. Without it, the pursuit of knowledge is hopelessly lost.
Adapted from Focusing Our Values, Nieman Reports
Given the importance of human creativity, one would think it should have a high priority among our concerns.
But if we look at the reality, we see a different picture. Basic scientific research is minimized in favor of
immediate practical applications. The arts are increasingly seen as dispensable luxuries. Yet as competition
heats up around the globe, exactly the opposite strategy is needed.
We must seriously question the idea of majority rule. The majority grinned and jeered when Columbus said the
world was round. The majority threw him into a dungeon for his discoveries. Where is the logic in the notion
that the opinion held by a majority of people should have the power to influence our decisions?
Adapted from James A. Reed, Majority Rule

ASSIGNMENT: Is a person responsible, through the example he or she
sets, for the behavior of other people? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

2005-05
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do people depend on workwhether it is a job,
schoolwork, or volunteer workto determine what their daily activities
and interactions with others should be? Plan and write an essay in which
you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observation.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Does progress depend on people with new ideas rather
than on people whose ideas are based on the current way of doing
things? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this
issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observation.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
There is no progress unless someone comes up with a new way of looking at things, of trying things that have
never been done or thought of before. We cannot move forward by looking backward to old customs and past
experience. There can be no advancement or improvement unless there are people who look forward in pursuit
of the new and untried.

It's easy to see whyaside from the income it provideshaving a job is so desirable in our culture. Work
works for us. It structures our time and imposes a rhythm on our lives. It gets us organized into various kinds
of communities and social groups. And perhaps most important, work tells us what to do every day.
Adapted from Joanne B. Ciulla, The Working Life

If you think that what you do is your own business, you are wrong. In this world your conduct affects not only
you but the conduct of other people as well. If you behave in a way that is considered unacceptable and other
people copy your behavior, you are the consequences.
Adapted from Margaret Banning, Letter to Susan

ASSIGNMENT: Are people afraid to speak out against authority,
whether the authority is an individual, a group, or a government? Plan
and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Does worrying too much about other peoples opinions
prevent us from seeing things clearly? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2005-06
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to
learn from the past and succeed in the present? Plan and write an essay in
which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observation.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
Many persons believe that to move up the ladder of success and achievement, they must forget the past,
repress it, and relinquish it. But others have just the opposite view. They see old memories as a chance to
reckon with the past and integrate past and present.
Adapted from Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, I've Known Rivers: Lives of Loss and Liberation

Alone we can afford to be wholly whatever we are and to feel whatever we feel absolutely. With others we are
busy wondering what does my companion see or think of this, and what do I think of it? The original impact of
our feelings gets lost or reduced.
Adapted from May Sarton, The Rewards of Living a Solitary Life
We are afraid that our cause is unjust, or that it is unclear, or that it is too insignificant to justify the horrors of
a confrontation with Authority. We will endure almost any inconvenience before undertaking head-on,
I'm-here-to-tell-you complaint.
Adapted from William F. Buckley, Jr., Why Don't We Complain?

ASSIGNMENT: Do people put too much emphasis on learning practical
skills? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this
issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observation.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should schools help students understand moral choices
and social issues? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of
view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do newspapers, magazines, television, radio, movies,
the Internet, and other media determine what is important to most
people? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this
issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observation.

2005-10
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
The media not only transmit information and culture, they also decide what information is important. In that
way, they help to shape culture and values.
Adapted from Alison Bernstein, Artists Thrive on Freedom and Freedom Thrives on the Arts
Most of our schools are not facing up to their responsibilities. We must begin to ask ourselves whether
educators should help students address the critical moral choices and social issues of our time. Schools have
responsibilities beyond training people for jobs and getting students into college.
Adapted from Svi Shapiro
I cannot comprehend those who emphasize or recognize only what is useful. I am concerned that learning for
learning's sake is no longer considered desirable, that everything we do and think must be directed toward the
solution of a practical problem. More and more we seem to try to teach how to make a good living and not
how to live a good life.
Adapted from Philip D. Jordan, The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge

ASSIGNMENT: Is success in life earned or do people succeed because
they are lucky? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of
view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is societys admiration for famous people beneficial or
harmful? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on
this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do we live in a time when people do not engage in
serious thinking? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of
view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
This is a time for shallowness. Seriousness is so rare these days that we tend to make all kinds of allowances
for those who only seem to possess it. In this way, shallow ideas are not recognized for what they are, and they
are increasingly mistaken for deep thoughts.
Adapted from Margaret Talbot, The Perfectionist
1. Celebrities have the power to attract communities of like-minded followers; they provide an identity
that people can connect to and call their own. Celebrities are trusted; they stand for certain ideas and
values to which followers can express allegiance.
Adapted from William Greider, Who Will Tell the People?
2. Admiration for celebrities is often accompanied by contempt for average people. As we focus on the
famous, other people become less important to us. The world becomes populated with a few some
bodies and an excess of near-nobodies.
Adapted from Norman Solomon and Jeff Cohen, Wizards of Media Oz
1. Success in life is largely a matter of luck. It has little correlation with merit. And in all fields of life there
have always been people of great merit who did not succeed.
Karl Popper, Popper Selections
2. As Colin Powell said, there are no secrets to success. Dont waste time looking for them. Success is the
result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.
Adapted from Barry Farber, Selling Points
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should people make more of an effort to keep some
things private? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of
view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2005-11
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should our perceptions of beauty be influenced by the
perceptions of beauty of other people? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is praising others, even if the praise is excessive or
undeserved, a necessary part of life? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
There are situations where flattery is mandatory: The bride is always beautiful. If we look at someone's
artwork, we are obliged to say something complimentary to the artist. If we visit someone with a new baby, we
are required to say the infant is cute. In such situations, to say nothing is interpreted as rudeness. We
compliment each other because we understand that flattery makes life run smoothly.
Adapted from Richard Stengel, You're Too Kind: A brief History of Flattery
Beauty is not a quality in people or in objects themselves. It exists in the mind that perceives those objects,
and each mind perceives beauty differently. To seek real beauty, in some absolute sense, is pointless. Where
one person sees beauty, another may even see the opposite. For this reason, we all ought to accept our own
perceptions of who or what is beautiful, and not be influenced by the perceptions of others.
Adapted from David Hume, Of the Standard of Taste

Nowadays nothing is private: our culture has become too confessional and self-expressive. People think that to
hide ones thoughts or feelings is to pretend not to have those thoughts or feelings. They assume that honesty
requires one to express every inclination and impulse.
Adapted from J. David Velleman, the Genesis of Shame

ASSIGNMENT: Is conflict helpful? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Has the acquisition of money and possessions replaced
more meaningful ways of measuring our achievements? Plan and write
an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

2005-12
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Are leaders necessarily people who are most capable of
leadership? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on
this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
We like to think that if someone has "the right stuff," he or she will naturally rise to the top. But it isn't true. In
that same way that acting talent doesn't guarantee stardom, the capacity for leadership doesn't guarantee that
one will run a corporation or a government. In fact, at least in our time, genuine achievement is not highly
valued, and those who are skilled at achieving greatness are not necessarily those who are ready to lead.
Adapted from Warren Bennis, On Becoming a Leader
What explains our increasing obsession with money and the things it can buy? It seems as though the
acquisition of money is gradually replacing real measures of success, such as integrity, honesty, skill, and hard
work.
Adapted from Alan Durning, Limiting Consumption: Toward a Sustainable Culture
Conflict is not necessarily bad, and it does not necessarily indicate a failed interaction. It is a signal, a message
that says, "Things aren't working around here. We've got to do something different." Thus, conflict can be a
catalyst-a motivating force-encouraging people to interact and communicate in ways that are more satisfying.
Conflict can actually benefit people by pushing them to make necessary changes.
Adapted from Beverly Potter, From Conflict to Cooperation

ASSIGNMENT: Is knowledge of the past no longer useful for us today?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it necessary to limit or put restrictions on freedom of
thought and expression? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your
point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples
taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do the benefits of scientific and technological
developments come at the cost of undesirable changes to people's lives?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

2006-01
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
Progress is likely to slow down once science and technology have met our basic human needs. New
developments in science and technology will not continue to produce more societal benefits. In fact, the
promise that science and technology will continue to benefit us is increasingly doubtful when so many
individuals find their lives changing in ways they cannot control and in directions they do not desire.
Adapted from Daniel Sarewitz, Social Change and Science Policy
The free expression of thoughts and opinions is one of humanity's most precious rights. Every citizen must be
able to speak, write, and publish freely, provided that he or she is held accountable for the abuse of this liberty
in cases determined by the law.
Adapted from Thomas Paine, Rights of Man
How valuable is history for our generation? On the surface this question is not as easy as it once might have
been, for there is a widespread belief that history may no longer be relevant to modern life. We live, after all,
in an age that appears very different from the world that came before us.
Adapted from Stephen Vaughn, History: Is It Relevant?

ASSIGNMENT: Do people accomplish more when they are allowed to do
things in their own way? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your
point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples
taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it necessary to make mistakes, even when doing so
has negative consequences for other people? Plan and write an essay in
which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Can any obstacle or disadvantage be turned into
something good? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of
view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
An actor, when his cue came, was unable to move onto the stage. He said, I cant get in, the chair is in the
way. And the producer said, Use the difficulty. If its a drama, pick the chair up and smash it. If its a
comedy, fall over it. From this experience the actor concluded that in any situation in life that is negative,
there is something positive you can do with it.
Adapted from Lawrence Eisenberg, Caine Scrutiny
I do not feel terrible about my mistakes, though I grieve the pain they have sometimes caused others. Our lives
are experiments with truth, and in an experiment negative results are at least as important as successes. I
have no idea how I would have learned the truth about myself and my calling without the mistakes I have
made.
Adapted from Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak
A colleague of the great scientist James Watson remarked that Watson was always lounging around, arguing
about problems instead of doing experiments. He concluded that there is more than one way of doing good
science. It was Watsons form of idleness, the scientist went on to say, that allowed him to solve the greatest
of all biological problems: the discovery of the structure of DNA. It is a point worth remembering in a
society overly concerned with efficiency.
Adapted from John C. Polanyi, Understanding Discovery

ASSIGNMENT: Are all important discoveries the result of focusing on
one subject? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view
on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from
your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

2006-04
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it best not to change our ideas, opinions, or behaviors?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observation.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is our ability to change ourselves unlimited, or are there
limits on our ability to make important changes in our lives? Plan and
write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support
your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observation.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
A teenager challenges everything and, by forming habits of intellectual and emotional independence, makes
himself or herself into an adult. In a similar way, all people can learn the behaviors that they need to become
the people they want to be. We can all change ourselvesour behaviors, our goals, our relationships
because our potential for change is unlimited.
Adapted from Richard Stiller, Habits
Inconsistency is commonly thought to be an undesirable personality trait, and inconsistent people are viewed
as indecisive and weak willed. On the other hand, firm commitment to an idea or plan of action is associated
with personal and intellectual strength, stability, and honesty. Thus, once we have made a choice or taken a
stand, it is best not to change.
Adapted from Robert B. Cialdini, Influence: How and Why People Agree to Things
Every important discovery results from patience, perseverance, and concentration--sometimes continuing for
months or years--on one specific subject. A person who wants to discover a new truth must remain absorbed
by that one subject, must pay no attention to any thought that is unrelated to the problem.
Adapted from Santiago Ramon Cajal, Advice for a Young Investigator

ASSIGNMENT: What do you think motivates people to do their best?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observation.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should each individual decide what and how to learn?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observation.

2006-05
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Are we free to make our own decisions or are we limited
in the choices we can make? Plan and write an essay in which you develop
your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and
examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
Some people claim that each individual is solely responsible for what happens to him or her. But the claim that
we ought to take absolute responsibility for the kinds of people we are and the kinds of lives we lead suggests
that we have complete control over our lives. We do not. The circumstances of our lives can make it more or
less impossible to make certain kinds of choices.
Adapted form Gordon D. Marino, I think You Should Be Responsible; Me, Im not so Sure
Young people should have the right to control and direct their own learningthat is, to decide what they want
to learn, when, and where. If we take from someone his or her right to decide what to be curious about, we
destroy that person's freedom of thought. We say, in effect, "You must think about what interests and concerns
us, not you."
Adapted from John Holt, The Right to Control One's Learning
It is widely believed that people do their best work when they are promised rewards for their achievements.
Our schools and workplaces operate on the assumption that good work occurs when people are competing for
grades, money, or recognition from others. In truth, the prospect of rewards provided by others can inhibit and
limit people's drive and creativity. People do their best work when motivated from within by their enjoyment
of a particular challenge and their satisfaction in doing something well.


ASSIGNMENT: Would the world be a better place if everyone always
told the complete truth? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your
point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples
taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Does the success of a communitywhether it is a class,
a team, a family, a nation, or any other groupdepend upon people's
willingness to limit their personal interests? Plan and write an essay in
which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observation.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Does the truth change depending on how people look at
things? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this
issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observation.

2006-06
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
There is an old saying: "A person with one watch knows what time it is; a person with two watches isn't so
sure." In other words, a person who looks at an object or event from two different angles sees something
different from each position. Moreover, two or more people looking at the same thing may each perceive
something different. In other words, truth, like beauty, may lie in the eye of the beholder.
Adapted from, Gregory D. Foster, Ethics: Time to Revisit the Basics
It is not that people dislike being part of a community; it is just that they care about their individual freedoms
more. People value neighborliness and social interactionuntil being part of a group requires them to limit
their freedom for the larger good of the group. But a community or group cannot function effectively unless
people are willing to set aside their personal interests.
Adapted from Warren Johnson, The Future Is Not What It Used To Be
Certainly anyone who insists on condemning all lies should think about what would happen if we could
reliably tell when our family, friends, colleagues, and government leaders were deceiving us. It is tempting to
think that the world would become a better place without the hand, perhaps there is such a thing as too much
honesty.
Adapted from Allison Kornet, The Truth About Lying
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Does a strong commitment to technological progress
cause a society to neglect other values, such as education and the
protection of the environment? Plan and write an essay in which you develop
your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and
examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Are established rules too limited to guide people in
real-life situations? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point
of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it sometimes better to take risks than to follow a more
reasonable course of action? Plan and write an essay in which you develop
your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and
examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
I suspect that like many people who watch their diet, exercise regularly, and check the weather report before
leaving the house, I am a little too concerned with controlling what can't be fully controlled. I know I am
doing the sensible thing. But I sometimes think that the more reckless among us may have something to teach
the rest of us about freedom. Perhaps there is something good about taking chances against our better
judgments.
Adapted from Melvin Konner, Why the Reckless Survive
People are often told to obey the rules. In reality, these rules are not permanent: what is right at a given point
in time may be declared wrong at another time and vice versa. The world changes so rapidly that rules are
out-of-date almost as soon as they are created. People cannot rely on established guidelines to determine what
they should and should not do.
Adapted from Gregory D. Foster, Ethics: Time to Revisit the Basics
We measure our progress as a civilization by what we see as advances in technology, which seem more
significant than such concerns as education and the condition of the natural world. Still, I would prefer to be a
part of a community that judged itself on the happiness of its members rather than on the development of new
technology.
Adapted from Thomas Moore, The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do we tend to accept the opinions of others instead of
developing our own independent ideas? Plan and write an essay in which
you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observation.

2006-10
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do people achieve more success by cooperation than by
competition? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view
on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from
your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it important to question the ideas and decisions of
people in positions of authority? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
Sometimes it is necessary to challenge what people in authority claim to be true. Although some respect for
authority is, no doubt, necessary in order for any group or organization to function, questioning the people in
charge-even if they are experts or leaders in their fields-makes us better thinkers. It forces all concerned to
defend old ideas and decisions and to consider new ones. Sometimes it can even correct old errors in thought
and put an end to wrong actions.
While some people promote competition as the only way to achieve success, others emphasize the power of
cooperation. Intense rivalry at work or play or engaging in competition involving ideas or skills may indeed
drive people either to avoid failure or to achieve important victories. In a complex world, however,
cooperation is much more likely to produce significant, lasting accomplishments.
It is rare to find an objective and independent viewpoint on style, literature, politics, or any other matter. Many
people's opinions are formed through their associations with others. It is our nature to conform; conformity is a
force that few can successfully resist. We give in to the human instinct to go along with the crowd and to have
its approval.
Adapted from Mark Twain, Corn-pone Opinions

ASSIGNMENT: Does true learning only occur when we experience
difficulties? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on
this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observation.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Can deceptionpretending that something is true when
it is notsometimes have good results? Plan and write an essay in which
you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observation.

2006-11
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do we put too much value on the ideas or actions of
individual people? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of
view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
There are two kinds of pretending. There is the bad kind, as when a person falsely promises to be your friend.
But there is also a good kind, where the pretense eventually turns into the real thing. For example, when you
are not feeling particularly friendly, the best thing you can do, very often, is to act in a friendly manner. In a
few minutes, you may really be feeling friendlier.
Adapted from a book by C. S. Lewis
We don't really learn anything properly until there is a problem, until we make a mistake, until something fails
to go as we had hoped. When everything is working well, with no problems or failures, what incentive do we
have to try something new? We are only motivated to learn when we experience difficulties.
Adapted from Alain de Botton, How Proust Can Change Your Life: Not a Novel
It is wrong to think of ourselves as indispensable. We would love to think that our contributions are essential,
but we are mistaken if we think that any one person has made the world what it is today. The contributions of
individual people are seldom as important or as necessary as we think they are.

ASSIGNMENT: Can books and stories about characters and events that
are not real teach us anything useful? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Can people achieve success only if they aim to be perfect?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observation.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do success and happiness depend on the choices people
make rather than on factors beyond their control? Plan and write an essay
in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observation.

2006-12
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
Everybody has some choice. People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe
in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the
circumstances they want and, if they can't find them, make them.
Adapted from George Bernard Shaw, Mrs. Warren's Profession
"No one is perfect." There are few among us who would disagree with this familiar statement. Certain that
perfection is an impossible goal, many people willingly accept flaws and shortcomings in themselves and
others. Yet such behavior leads to failure. People can only succeed if they try to achieve perfection in
everything they do.
Many people deny that stories about characters and events that are not real can teach us about ourselves or
about the world around us. They claim that literature does not offer us worthwhile information about the real
world. These people argue that the feelings and ideas we gain from books and stories obstruct, rather than
contribute to, clear thought.
Adapted from Jennifer L. McMahon, The Function of Fiction

ASSIGNMENT: Are people more likely to be productive and successful
when they ignore the opinions of others? Plan and write an essay in which
you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observation.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it better for people to be realistic or optimistic? Plan
and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observation.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it important to try to understand people's motivations
before judging their actions? Plan and write an essay in which you develop
your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and
examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is happiness something over which people have no
control, or can people choose to be happy? Plan and write an essay in which
Abraham Lincoln said, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." In other words,
our personal level of satisfaction is entirely within our control. Otherwise, why would the same experience
disappoint one person but delight another? Happiness is not an accident but a choice.
It is easy to make judgments about people and their actions when we do not know anything about their
circumstances or what motivated them to take those actions. But we should look beyond a person's actions.
When people do things that we consider outrageous, inconsiderate, or harmful, we should try to understand
why they acted as they did.
In many circumstances, optimismthe expectation that one's ideas and plans will always turn out for the
bestis unwarranted. In these situations what is needed is not an upbeat view but a realistic one. There are
times when people need to take a tough-minded view of the possibilities of success, give up, and invest their
energies elsewhere rather than find reasons to continue to pursue the original project or idea.
Adapted from Martin E. P. Seligman, Learned Optimism
In order to be the most productive and successful people that we are capable of being, we must be willing to
ignore the opinions of others. It is only when we are completely indifferent to others' opinions of uswhen we
are not concerned about how others think of usthat we can achieve our most important goals.
you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observation.

2007-01
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should people take more responsibility for solving
problems that affect their communities or the nation in general? Plan
and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observation.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it more important to do work that one finds fulfilling
or work that pays well? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your
point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples
taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is education primarily the result of influences other than
The education people receive does not occur primarily in school. Young people are formed by their
experiences with parents, teachers, peers, and even strangers on the street, and by the sports teams they play
for, the shopping malls they frequent, the songs they hear, and the shows they watch. Schools, while certainly
important, constitute only a relatively small part of education.
Adapted from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Education for the Twenty-First Century
Most human beings spend their lives doing work they hate and work that the world does not need. It is of
prime importance that you learn early what you want to do and whether or not the world needs this service.
The return from your work must be the satisfaction that work brings you and the world's need of that work.
Income is not money, it is satisfaction; it is creation; it is beauty.
Adapted from W.E.B. Du Bois, The Autobiography of W.E.B. Du Bois: A Soliloquy on Viewing My Life from
the Last Decade of Its First Century
Many people believe that our government should do more to solve our problems. After all, how can one
individual create more jobs or make roads safer or improve the schools or help to provide any of the other
benefits that we have come to enjoy? And yet expecting that the governmentrather than individualsshould
always come up with the solutions to society's ills may have made us less self-reliant, undermining our
independence and self-sufficiency.
school? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this
issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observation.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it better to change one's attitude than to change one's
circumstances? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of
view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

2007-03
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it more valuable for people to fit in than to be unique
and different? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view
on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from
your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it best to have low expectations and to set goals we
are sure of achieving? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your
point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples
taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
It is easy to imagine that events and experiences in our lives will be perfect, but no matter how good
something turns out to be, it can never live up to our expectations. Reality never matches our imaginations.
For that reason, we should make sure our plans and goals are modest and attainable. We are much better off
when reality surpasses our expectations and something turns out better than we thought it would.
From the time people are very young, they are urged to get along with others, to try to "fit in." Indeed, people
are often rewarded for being agreeable and obedient. But this approach is misguided because it promotes
uniformity instead of encouraging people to be unique and different. Differences among people give each of
us greater perspective and allow us to make better judgments.

If we are dissatisfied with our circumstances, we think about changing them. But the most important and
effective changesin our attitudehardly occur to us. In other words, we should worry not about how to alter
the world around us for the better but about how to change ourselves in order to fit into that world.
Adapted from Michael Hymers, Wittgenstein, Pessimism and Politics

ASSIGNMENT: Do we really benefit from every event or experience in
some way? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on
this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observation.

2007-05
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should modern society be criticized for being
materialistic? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view
on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from
your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Can knowledge be a burden rather than a benefit? Plan
and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observation.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

We do not take the time to determine right from wrong. Reflecting on the difference between right and wrong
is hard work. It is so much easier to follow the crowd, going along with what is popular rather than risking the
disapproval of others by voicing an objection of any kind.
Adapted from Stephen J. Carter, Integrity
Knowledge is power. In agriculture, medicine, and industry, for example, knowledge has liberated us from
hunger, disease, and tedious labor. Today, however, our knowledge has become so powerful that it is beyond
our control. We know how to do many things, but we do not know where, when, or even whether this
know-how should be used.
Materialism: it's the thing that everybody loves to hate. Few aspects of modern life have been more criticized
than materialism. But let's face it: materialismacquiring possessions and spending moneyis a vital source
of meaning and happiness in our time. People may criticize modern society for being too materialistic, but the
fact remains that most of us spend most of our energy producing and consuming more and more stuff.
Adapted from James Twitchell, Two Cheers for Materialism

Every event has consequences that are potentially beneficial. We may not always be happy about an
experience, but we should at least gain in some way from it. For example, the worldwide gasoline shortage in
the early 1970's created many hardships but inspired efforts to conserve energy. Whether the gains are large or
small, there is something positive or useful for us in everything that happens to us.
ASSIGNMENT: Is it always best to determine one's own views of right
and wrong, or can we benefit from following the crowd? Plan and write an
essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observation.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do circumstances determine whether or not we should
tell the truth? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view
on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from
your reading, studies, experience, or observation.

2007-06
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Are people more likely to be happy if they focus on goals
other than their own happiness? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is there a value in celebrating certain individuals as
Heroes may seem old-fashioned today. Many people are cynical and seem to enjoy discrediting role models
more than creating new ones or cherishing those they already have. Some people, moreover, object to the very
idea of heroes, arguing that we should not exalt individuals who, after all, are only flesh and blood, just like
the rest of us. But we desperately need heroesto teach us, to captivate us through their words and deeds, to
inspire us to greatness.
Adapted from Psychology Today, How To Be Great! What Does It Take To Be A Hero?
People are happy only when they have their minds fixed on some goal other than their own happiness.
Happiness comes when people focus instead on the happiness of others, on the improvement of humanity, on
some course of action that is followed not as a means to anything else but as an end in itself. Aiming at
something other than their own happiness, they find happiness along the way. The only way to be happy is to
pursue some goal external to your own happiness.
Adapted from John Stuart Mill, Autobiography
It is often the case that revealing the complete truth may bring troublediscomfort, embarrassment, sadness,
or even harmto oneself or to another person. In these circumstances, it is better not to express our real
thoughts and feelings. Whether or not we should tell the truth, therefore, depends on the circumstances.
heroes? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this
issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Have modern advancements truly improved the quality
of people's lives? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of
view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do people truly benefit from hardship and misfortune?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

2007-10
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is identity something people are born with or given, or is
it something people create for themselves? Plan and write an essay in
which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
A person does not simply "receive" his or her identity. Identity is much more than the name or features one is
born with. True identity is something people must create for themselves by making choices that are significant
and that require a courageous commitment in the face of challenges. Identity means having ideas and values
that one lives by.
Adapted from Thomas Merton, Contemplation in a World of Action

It is not true that prosperity is better for people than adversity. When people are thriving and content, they
seldom feel the need to look for ways to improve themselves or their situation. Hardship, on the other hand,
forces people to closely examineand possibly changetheir own lives and even the lives of others.
Misfortune rather than prosperity helps people to gain a greater understanding of themselves and the world
around them.
The advancements that have been made over the past hundred years or more are too numerous to count. But
has there been progress? Some people would say that the vast number of advancements tells us we have made
progress. Others, however, disagree, saying that more is not necessarily better and that real progressin
politics, literature, the arts, science and technology, or any other fieldcan be achieved only when an
advancement truly improves the quality of our lives.
observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Can people ever be truly original? Plan and write an essay
in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do people achieve greatness only by finding out what
they are especially good at and developing that attribute above all else?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should we admire heroes but not celebrities? Plan and
write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support
your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

Having many admirers is one way to become a celebrity, but it is not the way to become a hero. Heroes are
self-made. Yet in our daily lives we see no difference between "celebrities" and "heroes." For this reason, we
deprive ourselves of real role models. We should admire heroespeople who are famous because they are
greatbut not celebritiespeople who simply seem great because they are famous.
Adapted from Daniel Boorstin, The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America
All people who have achieved greatness in something knew what they excelled at. These people identified the
skills that made them specialgood judgment, or courage, or a special artistic or literary talentand focused
on developing these skills. Yet most people achieve superiority in nothing because they fail to identify and
develop their greatest attribute.
Adapted from Baltasar Graciny Morales, The Art of Worldly Wisdom
We value uniqueness and originality, but it seems that everywhere we turn, we are surrounded by ideas and
things that are copies or even copies of copies. Writers, artists, and musicians seek new ideas for paintings,
books, songs, and movies, but many sadly realize, "It's been done." The same is true for scientists, scholars,
and businesspeople. Everyone wants to create something new, but at best we can hope only to repeat or imitate
what has already been done.
2007-11
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Does having a large number of options to choose from
make people happy? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point
of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it always necessary to find new solutions to problems?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is the main value of the arts to teach us about the world
around us? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on
this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

All people judge or criticize the ideas and actions of others. At times, these criticisms hurt or embarrass the
people receiving them. Other criticisms seem to be intended to make the critics appear superior. And yet
criticism is essential to our success as individuals and as a society.
Adapted from Ken Petress, Constructive Criticism: A Tool for Improvement
Many people consider the artsliterature, music, painting, and other creative activitiesunnecessary because
they provide us with nothing more than entertainment. Yet the arts are extremely valuable because they have
much to teach us about the world around us and also because they help people find meaning in life.
We are often urged to solve problems by ignoring traditional approaches and by finding solutions that are
innovative or unconventional. We are encouraged to be creative and to trust that a new way of thinking will
yield new insights. But innovation may be impractical and unnecessary. The best ways of fixing problems are
often the triedandtrue ways.
People today have so many choices. For instance, thirty years ago most television viewers could choose from
only a few channels; today there are more than a hundred channels available. And choices do not just abound
when it comes to the media. People have more options in almost every area of life. With so much to choose
from, how can we not be happy?
ASSIGNMENT: Is criticismjudging or finding fault with the ideas and
actions of othersessential for personal well-being and social progress?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

2007-12
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do people need to "unlearn," or reject, many of their
assumptions and ideas? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your
point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples
taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should people choose one of two opposing sides of an
issue, or is the truth usually found "in the middle"? Plan and write an
essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do images and impressions have too much of an effect
All around us appearances are mistaken for reality. Clever advertisements create favorable impressions but say
little or nothing about the products they promote. In stores, colorful packages are often better than their
contents. In the media, how certain entertainers, politicians, and other public figures appear is more important
than their abilities. All too often, what we think we see becomes far more important than what really is.
Our determination to pursue truth by setting up a fight between two sides leads us to believe that every issue
has two sidesno more, no less. If we know both sides of an issue, all of the relevant information will
emerge, and the best case will be made for each side. But this process does not always lead to the truth. Often
the truth is somewhere in the complex middle, not the oversimplified extremes.
Adapted from Deborah Tannen, The Argument Culture
The first problem for all of us is not to learn but to unlearn. We hold on to ideas that were accepted in the past,
and we are afraid to give them up. Preconceptions about what is right or wrong, true or false, good or bad are
embedded so deeply in our thinking that we honestly may not know that they are there. Whether it's women's
role in society or the role of our country in the world, the old assumptions just don't work anymore.
Adapted from Gloria Steinem, A New Egalitarian Lifestyle
on people? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on
this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is the most important purpose of technology today
different from what it was in the past? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2008-01
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it always better to be original than to imitate or use
the ideas of others? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point
of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is the effort involved in pursuing any goal valuable,
even if the goal is not reached? Plan and write an essay in which you develop
your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and
examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.
Often we see people who persist in trying to achieve a particular goal, even when all the evidence indicates
that they will be unlikely to achieve it. When they succeed, we consider them courageous for having overcome
impossible obstacles. But when they fail, we think of them as headstrong, foolhardy, and bent on
self-destruction. To many people, great effort is only worthwhile when it results in success.
Adapted from Gilbert Brim, Ambition
It is better to try to be original than to merely imitate others. People should always try to say, write, think, or
create something new. There is little value in merely repeating what has been done before. People who merely
copy or use the ideas and inventions of others, no matter how successful they may be, have never achieved
anything significant.
Until fairly recently, technological innovations and inventions were intended to serve basic human needs or
desires. Today, however, the most important and urgent problem confronting us is no longer the satisfaction of
basic needs. The primary purpose of modern technology is to solve the unintended problems caused by the
technology of years past.
Adapted from Dennis Gabor, Innovations: Scientific, Technological, and Social

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should people always prefer new things, ideas, or
values to those of the past? Plan and write an essay in which you develop
your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and
examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is there any value for people to belong only to a group or
groups with which they have something in common? Plan and write an
essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

2008-03
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Are organizations or groups most successful when their
members pursue individual wishes and goals? Plan and write an essay in
which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
Organizations or groups that share a common goal often mention teamwork as their secret to success by
insisting that people in the group work together for the good of the entire group. However, by requiring each
individual to accept the decisions of the others in the group, organizations may discourage the expression of
individual talent. Ultimately, a group is most successful when all of its members are encouraged to pursue
their own goals and interests.
Since we live in a global society, surely we should view ourselves as citizens of the whole world. But instead,
people choose to identify and associate with smaller and more familiar groups. People think of themselves as
belonging to families, nations, cultures, and generationsor as belonging to smaller groups whose members
share ideas, views, or common experiences. All of these kinds of groups may offer people a feeling of security
but also prevent them from learning or experiencing anything new.
Newness has become our obsession. Novelty is more interesting to us than continuing with whatever is "tried
and true." We discard the old so we can acquire the most recent model, the latest version, the newest and most
improved formula. Often, we replace what is useful just because it is no longer new. Not only with material
goods but also with cultural values, we prefer whatever is the latest trend.

ASSIGNMENT: Should people always be loyal? Plan and write an essay in
which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do people learn more from losing than from winning?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

2008-05
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Are there benefits to be gained from avoiding the use of
modern technology, even when using it would make life easier? Plan and
write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support
your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
Winning feels forever fabulous. But you can learn more from losing than from winning. Losing prepares you
for setback and tragedy more than winning ever can. Moreover, loss invites reflection and a change of
strategies. In the process of recovering from your losses, you learn how to avoid them the next time.
Adapted from Pat Conroy, My Losing Season
Being loyalfaithful or dedicated to someone or somethingis not always easy. People often have
conflicting loyalties, and there are no guidelines that help them decide to what or whom they should be loyal.
Moreover, people are often loyal to something bad. Still, loyalty is one of the essential attributes a person must
have and must demand of others.
Adapted from James Carville, Stickin': The Case for Loyalty
Technological advances have freed society from tiresome labor, such as washing clothes by hand, hauling
heavy loads, and walking long distances, and have given people increased access to information and
entertainment. Yet, when given a choice, many people still resist using modern conveniences. There must be
something to be gained from not using technology.

ASSIGNMENT: Do people place too much emphasis on winning? Plan and
write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support
your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
ASSIGNMENT: Are peoples actions motivated primarily by a desire for
power over others? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point
of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do incidents from the past continue to influence the
present? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on
this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2008-06
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
Common sense suggests an obvious division between the past and present, between history and current events.
In many cases, however, this boundary is not clear-cut because earlier events are not locked away in the past.
Events from history remain alive through peoples memories and through books, films, and other media. For
both individuals and groups, incidents from the past continue to influence the present---sometimes positively
and sometimes negatively.
From talent contests to the Olympics to the Nobel and Pulitzer prizes, we constantly seek to reward those who
are number one. This emphasis on recognizing the winner creates the impression that other competitors,
despite working hard and well, have lost. In many cases, however, the difference between the winner and the
losers is slight. The wrong person may even be selected as the winner. Awards and prizes merely distract us
from valuable qualities possessed by others besides the winners.
There are those who believe that everything we do is inspired by the desire for power in its various forms.
They maintain that our actions are nothing but expressions of a striving for power. In this view, even when we
act kindly toward other people, we are motivated, whether we know it or not, by a desire to have some control
over their lives, for our act of kindness puts them partially in our power.
Adapted from Leszek Kolakowski, Freedom, Fame, Lying, and Betrayal: Essays on Everyday Life

ASSIGNMENT: Does fame bring happiness, or are people who are not
famous more likely to be happy? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it better for a society when people act as individuals
rather than copying the ideas and opinions of others? Plan and write an
essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Are widely held views often wrong, or are such views
more likely to be correct? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your
point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples
taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
When someone has the same ideas or views as most people do, we tend to believe that the person is reasonable
and correct. Often, however, views that are considered reasonable or commonsensical are anything but
sensible. Many widely held views regarding current events, science, education, arts and literature, and many
other topics ultimately prove to be wrong. The fact that an idea or view is widespreadheld by many
peopledoes not make it right.
A society composed of men and women who are not bound by conventionin other words, they do not act
according to what others say or dois far more lively than one in which all people behave alike. When each
person's character is developed individually and differences of opinion are acceptable, it is beneficial to
interact with new people because they are not mere replicas of those whom one has already met.
Adapted from Bertrand Russell, The Conquest of Happiness
Most of us are convinced that fame brings happiness. Fame, it seems, is among the things people most desire.
We believe that to be famous, for whatever reason, is to prove oneself and confirm that one matters in the
world. And yet those who are already famous often complain of the terrible burden of fame. In fact, making
the achievement of fame one's life goal involves commitments of time and effort that are usually wasted.
Adapted from Leszek Kolakowski, Freedom, Fame, Lying, and Betrayal: Essays on Everyday Life

ASSIGNMENT: Are the actions of individuals more valuable than the
actions of groups or teams? Plan and write an essay in which you develop
your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and
examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2008-10
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is compromise always the best way to resolve a conflict?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Are decisions made quickly just as good as decisions
made slowly and carefully? Plan and write an essay in which you develop
your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and
examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
Much of what we do has become so complex that most activities require groups or teams of people to perform
them. However, although groups are useful for some purposes, for other purposes they can be worse than
useless. It is important to focus on what individuals can be and do, since focusing exclusively on groups and
teams becomes counterproductive.
People usually assume that the quality of a decision is directly related to the time and effort that went into
making it. We believe that we are always better off gathering as much information as possible and then
spending as much time as possible analyzing that information. But there are times when making a quick
judgment is the best thing to do. Decisions made quickly can be as good as decisions made slowly and
cautiously.
Adapted from Malcolm Gladwell, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
We are frequently told that compromise is the best way for people to work out their differences. When people
compromise, with each side losing a little in order to reach a satisfactory agreement, both sides can continue to
live in harmony. However, compromise can work only when the issues at stake are not that important.
Compromise does not work when there is a genuine difference of opinion about strongly held principles or
ideas.


ASSIGNMENT: Can a group of people function effectively without
someone being in charge? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your
point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples
taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do actions, not words, reveal a person or groups true
attitudes and intentions? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your
point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples
taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2008-11
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do all established traditions deserve to remain in
existence? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on
this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
If an old tradition is still around today, we can assume that it deserves to remain in existence. Well-established
customs, styles that are still popular, and ideas that people still find sensible survive because these traditions
are strong enough to survive. Continuity guarantees quality. Old-fashioned hospitality, old-fashioned
politeness, old-fashioned honor in businessall these traditions have qualities of survival. Fortunately, these
will always be with us.
Adapted from Jacob Braude, Jacob Braude's Second Encyclopedia of Stories, Quotations, and Anecdotes
Governments, businesses, groups, or people reveal themselves by how they act, not by what they say. A
company may claim to value its customers, or a politician may claim to be committed to a cause, but what do
their actions say? People or groups may state what they wish were true or what they think others want to hear,
but it is their actions that reveal their true values.
It is unrealistic to think that any group of peoplea family, a committee, a company, a citycan function
peacefully and productively without some kind of authority. The needs and interests of the individuals who
make up any group are too varied for its members to operate as a unit without having someone to make the
final decisions. Somebody has to be in charge; somebody has to be ultimately responsible.

ASSIGNMENT: Do people need to compare themselves with others in
order to appreciate what they have? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it necessary for people to combine their efforts with
those of others in order to be most effective? Plan and write an essay in
which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should society limit people's exposure to some kinds of
information or forms of expression? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2008-12
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
On the surface, censorship seems objectionable because it limits our freedom. But all societies need to
suppress or restrict information that is offensive or potentially harmful. People depend on the establishment of
some limits, some way of making distinctions between what is right and what is wrong. Censorship is actually
beneficial to a society because it helps to establish ideals of what is proper in such areas as art, music, and
literature.
Independent peoplethose who rely on themselves rather than on othersget what they want through their
own efforts. Interdependent people combine their efforts with the efforts of others to achieve their goals. To be
most effective, people need to be interdependent. People who do not think and act interdependently may
achieve individual success, but they will not be good leaders or team players.
Adapted from Stephen R. Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
We cannot appreciate what we have for its own merit. We see ourselves as fortunate only when we have as
much as, or more than, other people. Thus, our judgment of what represents an appropriate limit on
anythingon wealth or status or possessionsis never arrived at independently. Instead, we compare
ourselves to other people, always wondering if what we have is enough.
Adapted from Alain de Botton, Status Anxiety


ASSIGNMENT: Is persistence more important than ability in
determining a person's success? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is acting an essential part of everyday life? Plan and write
an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Can people have too much enthusiasm? Plan and write an
essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
When people are very enthusiasticalways willing and eager to meet new challenges or give undivided
support to ideas or projectsthey are likely to be rewarded. They often work harder and enjoy their work
more than do those who are more restrained. But there are limits to how enthusiastic people should be. People
should always question and doubt, since too much enthusiasm can prevent people from considering better
ideas, goals, or courses of action.
Whether it is a child pouting to get ice cream or a politician using emotionally charged language to influence
potential supporters, all people use some form of acting to achieve whatever ends they seek. Public figures of
all kinds would have short, unsuccessful careers without the aid of acting. Actingconsciously assuming a
role in order to achieve some purposeis a tool people use to protect their interests and gain advantages in
every aspect of life.
Adapted from Marlon Brando, Foreword to The Technique of Acting by Stella Adler

The biggest difference between people who succeed at any difficult undertaking and those who do not is not
ability but persistence. Many extremely talented people give up when obstacles arise. After all, who wants to
face failure? It is often said about highly successful people that they are just ordinary individuals who kept on
trying, who did not give up.
Adapted from Tom Morris, True Success: A New Philosophy of Excellence

ASSIGNMENT: Do we only help others in order to help ourselves in
some way? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on
this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2009-01
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Does planning interfere with creativity? Plan and write an
essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do highly accomplished people achieve more than
others mainly because they expect more of themselves? Plan and write
an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
Why do people help others? Many philosophers and psychologists claim that everything people do, no matter
how noble and beneficial to others, is really directed toward the ultimate goal of self-benefit. According to this
view, helping others is always motivated by the prospect of some benefit to the helper, however small, and not
out of genuine concern for the welfare of another.
Adapted from C. Daniel Batson, The Altruism Question
Most people underestimate their own abilities. They tend to remember their failures more vividly than their
successes, and for this reason they have unrealistically low expectations about what they are capable of. Those
individuals who distinguish themselves through great accomplishments are usually no more talented than the
average person: they simply set higher standards for themselves, since they have higher expectations about
what they can do.
Planning lets people impose order on the chaotic processes of making or doing something new. Too much
planning, however, can lead people to follow the same predetermined course of action, to do things the same
way they were done before. Creative thinking is about breaking free from the way that things have always
been. That is why it is vital for people to know the difference between good planning and too much planning.
Adapted from Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit

ASSIGNMENT: Should people change their decisions when
circumstances change, or is it best for them to stick with their original
decisions? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on
this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is striving to achieve a goal always the best course of
action, or should people give up if they are not making progress? Plan
and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

2009-03
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Does being ethical make it hard to be successful? Plan
and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
Many people believe that being honest and honorable limits their options, their opportunities, their very ability
to succeed. Unfortunately, in today's me-first culture, ethics may be the only thing people choose to live
without! They believe they have only two choices: (1) to win by doing whatever it takes, even if it is wrong, or
(2) to be ethical and therefore lose. Few people set out to be dishonest, but nobody wants to lose.
Adapted from John C. Maxwell, There's No Such Thing as "Business" Ethics

The history of human achievement is filled with stories of people who persevere, refusing to give up in the
struggle to meet their goals. Artists and scientists, for instance, may struggle for years without any apparent
progress or reward before they finally succeed. However, it is important to recognize that perseverance does
not always yield beneficial results.
Adapted from Robert H. Lauer and Jeanette C. Lauer, Watersheds

People are taught that they should not go back on their decisions. In fact, our society supports the notion that
to change your mind is evidence of weakness and unreliability, leading many people to say, "Once I decide, I
decide!" But why do people make such a statement? If factors, feelings, and ideas change, isn't the ability to
make a new decision evidence of flexibility, adaptability, and strength?
Adapted from Theodore I. Rubin, Compassion and Self-Hate
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it sometimes necessary to be impolite? Plan and write
an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should we limit our use of the term "courage" to acts in
which people risk their own well-being for the sake of others or to
uphold a value? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of
view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2009-05
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should we pay more attention to people who are older
and more experienced than we are? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
There are good reasons to pay attention to people who are older or more experienced than we are, even if their
opinions on important issues are very different from ours. Of course, not every person older than us is worth
learning from, while many young people are. But if the only people we listen to are our age and are likely to
see things the same way we do, we will miss out on something important.
We define "courage" too loosely. Real courage is conscious self-sacrifice, either for the sake of others or to
uphold a value. But we typically identify a single aspect of couragedaring or honesty, for exampleas the
entire virtue. We even say it takes courage to differ from the mainstream in one's preferences in fashion or
music or to speak out about certain wrongs. Such acts, though admirable, are not necessarily courageous.
Adapted from John McCain with Mark Salter, Why Courage Matters

Whatever happened to good manners? Many books and articles have been written about the lack of common
courtesy and old-fashioned politeness in today's society. From spoiled children acting out in restaurants to
so-called experts yelling at each other on cable news shows, people seem less concerned with good manners
and civilized behavior than ever before. On the other hand, if people really want to change the world for the
better, they have to risk being seen as impolite or uncivil.


ASSIGNMENT: Should people let their feelings guide them when they
make important decisions? Plan and write an essay in which you develop
your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and
examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Has today's abundance of information only made it more
difficult for us to understand the world around us? Plan and write an essay
in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Are people best defined by what they do? Plan and write
an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

2009-06
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
Thanks to great advancements in technology, we live today in a world in which knowledge is more readily
available to greater numbers of people than ever before in history. Having more and better technology,
however, has not made people wiser or more understanding. Indeed, people are so overloaded with
information today that they have become less, rather than more, able to make sense of the world around them
than our ancestors ever were.

Good decision making generally requires people to think carefully and logically and to pay attention to
practical details. However, people who depend on their feelings and emotions to make important decisions are
not likely to spend hours gathering information, making lists, considering all possible outcomes, and so forth.
When comparing the advantages or disadvantages of one course of action to another, these people ask
themselves, "What do my feelings tell me?"

People define themselves by work, by what they "do." When one person asks another, "What do you do?" the
answer always refers to a job or profession: "I'm a doctor, an accountant, a farmer." I've often wondered what
would happen if we changed the question to, "Who are you?" or, "What kind of person are you?" or even,
"What do you do for fun?"
Adapted from Stephen Rechtschaffen, Time Shifting


ASSIGNMENT: Do we benefit from learning about the flaws of people
we admire and respect? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your
point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples
taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it best for people to accept who they are and what
they have, or should people always strive to better themselves? Plan
and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Can common sense be trusted and accepted, or should it
be questioned? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of
view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
Some people say you should be content with what you have and accept who you are. But it is possible that too
much self-acceptance can turn into self-satisfied lack of ambition. People should always strive to improve
themselves and to have more in their livesfriends, things, opportunities. After all, where would we be if
great people, both in history and in our own time, did not try to have more and to improve themselves?
The discovery that someone we admire has done something wrong is always disappointing and disillusioning.
Yet even when people we consider heroes have been tarnished by their faults, they are no less valuable than
people who appear perfect. When we learn that an admired person, even one who is seemingly perfect, has
behaved in less than admirable ways, we discover a complex truth: great ideas and great deeds come from
imperfect people like ourselves.
So-called common sense determines what people should wear, whom they should respect, which rules they
should follow, and what kind of life they should lead. Common sense is considered obvious and natural, too
sensible to question. But people's common sense decisions may turn out to be wrong, even if they are thought
to be correct according to the judgment of vast majorities of people.
Adapted from Alain de Botton, The Consolations of Philosophy

ASSIGNMENT: When some people win, must others lose, or are there
situations in which everyone wins? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2009-10
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
ASSIGNMENT: Is using humor the best way to approach difficult
situations and problems? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your
point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples
taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
ASSIGNMENT: Does everyone, even people who choose to live alone,
need a network or family? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your
point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples
taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
Winning does not require people to be against someone else; people can reach their goals through cooperation
just as well as they can through competition. Winning is not always the result of selfish individualism. People
achieve happiness by cooperating with others to increase the happiness of all, rather than by winning at others'
expense. Ours is not a world in which the price of one person's happiness is someone else's unhappiness.
Adapted from Gilbert Brim, Ambition
Both in society and in our own lives, today's problems are serious and require serious solutions. Increasingly,
however, people are taught to laugh at things that aren't usually funny and to cope with difficult situations by
using humor. They are even advised to surround themselves with funny people. There is strong evidence that
laughter can actually improve health and help fight disease.
Adapted from Marshall Brain, How Laughter Works

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. You need
one because you are human. You didn't come from nowhere. Before you, around you, and, presumably, after
you, there are others. Even if you live alone and even if your solitude is by your own choice, you still cannot
do without a network or a family.
Adapted from Jane Howard, All Happy Clans Are Alike: In Search of the Good Family


ASSIGNMENT: Do books, newspapers, and other media focus too much
on bad news? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view
on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from
your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it better for people to know everything they can about
something before taking action, or should they act first and get more
information later? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of
view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2009-11
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Are the values of a society most clearly revealed in its
popular culture? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of
view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
Good news is, for the most part, no news. It is not sufficiently compelling or important to make leading stories
and front pages in the media, certainly not as often as bad news. Bad news sells, or so it seems from the books,
newspapers, and television reports that fill our lives. But in this endless focus on the bad, the media present a
distorted view of the world.
Adapted from Richard B. McKenzie, The Paradox of Progress: Can Americans Regain Their Confidence in a
Prosperous Future?
People distinguish between knowledge and action and pursue them separately, believing that one must know
everything about a problem before one can take any action on it. This idea that people should put knowledge
first and save action for later is not new. There have always been people who waste precious hours of their
lives in this manner, saying that they will wait until they truly know all there is to know before putting their
knowledge into practice.
Adapted from Wang Yang-ming, cited in A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy

Popular culture refers to television shows, movies, books, musical selections, artworks, products, activities,
and events that appeal to the interests and desires of large numbers of people. Popular culture tells us a lot
about the people of a society. Some people may criticize popular culture or deny its influence on their lives,
but one thing is clear: popular culture typically displays the ideas and principles that people value most.

ASSIGNMENT: Do society and other people benefit when individuals
pursue their own goals? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your
point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples
taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
ASSIGNMENT: Is it better for people to stop trying when they feel
certain they will not succeed? Plan and write an essay in which you develop
your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and
examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should new ideas always be questioned? Plan and write an
essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

2009-12
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

Some people ruin their chances of achieving success or refrain from attaining a goal because they have learned
that success is selfish. But they should not feel guilty about trying to achieve their own goals. People who act
on their inner desirestheir greatest wishes and ambitionsonly make their own and other people's lives
better and are more likely to benefit society. Imagine how much better the world would be if everyone could
be happy and fulfilled.
Adapted from Sheri O. Zampelli, From Sabotage to Success
No matter how much people try and how much they believe in themselves, everyone encounters situations in
which it is impossible to succeed. People are often advised, "Never give up," but sometimes, when it seems as
though success will not be achieved, they should stop trying, learn from the experience, and move on.
Adapted from Phyllis George, Never Say Never
The philosopher John Locke once said that new ideas are usually opposed for no other reason than that people
are unfamiliar with them. Locke thought people should not be suspicious of new ideas. He may have been
right. After all, people once opposed the idea that the Earth is round. Still, people should not accept new ideas
simply because they are new. It is foolish not to question new ideas.
Thanks to the Internet, the word "friendship" now has a much broader meaning. No longer are the bonds of
friendship limited to telephone conversations, shared activities, or speaking face-to-face. In this day and age,
very close friendships can be formed without the people ever meeting and by simply typing words on a screen.
Adapted from Sharon Hendricks, "A Broader Definition of Friendship"
ASSIGNMENT: Is it easier now to form friendships than ever before?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should people give up their privacy in exchange for
convenience or free services? Plan and write an essay in which you develop
your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and
examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it better for people to work out their own ideas on a
problem or issue before learning how others have approached it? Plan
and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
ASSIGNMENT: Is it a mistake to believe something simply because an
authority claims that it is true? Plan and write an essay in which you develop
your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and
examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

An Internet phone service is offering unlimited free telephone calls for anyone who signs up. There is only one
catch: the company will use software to listen to customers' phone conversations and then send customers
advertisements based on what they have been talking about. For example, if they talk about movies with their
friends, advertisements for movies will appear on their computer screens. Commentators have voiced concern
about customers' giving up their privacy in exchange for phone service.

People are often criticized for working out their own ideas before learning all that others have discovered
about a problem or subject. But those people are right; it is possible to know too much, especially at first. The
time for thorough inquiry and extensive research is later, after you have made your own discoveries and come
to your own conclusions.
Adapted from Charles Horton Cooley, Life and the Student

Many people believe in the truth of certain "facts" or ideas merely because someone with authority has told
them that these things are true. However, many facts and ideas once upheld by experts or authority figures
have turned out to be false, including some that have been generally believed and accepted. Thus, people
should never assume the truth of anything that they have not carefully examined or tested for themselves.
2010-01
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do the demands of others tend to make people more
productive than they would be without such pressure? Plan and write an
essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
ASSIGNMENT: Should all peoples opinions be valued equally, or should
only informed opinions be taken seriously? Plan and write an essay in
which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should books portray the world as it is or as it should be?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
assignment below:
External constrainsfactors that limit peoples plans and projectscan create stress, but this stress is not
always bad and may even be necessary. In fact, the pressure of deadlines, budgets, rules, and the demands
imposed by others can push people to accomplish things that they would find impossible to accomplish with
unlimited time, money, and the absence of pressure.
Adapted from Jena Pincott, Success: Advice for Achieving Your Goals from Remarkably Accomplished People
Are people entitled to have their own opinion? Yes and no. People can have virtually any opinion, no matter
how illogical, uninformed, or foolish. But this does not mean that they are entitled to have their uninformed
opinions taken seriously or that their opinions should be considered as valuable as informed opinions.
Opinions are valuable only when they are backed up by thorough knowledge of the subject.
Adapted from Jhon Chaffee, The Thinkers way.

There are books that try to show the world as it is and books that try to show the world as it should or could
be. Which sort of books should we be offering children and reading ourselves? One answer is the argument for
the value of truth, for telling it like it is. Writers could promote certain positive ideals by being less realistic,
but all of usespecially childrenhave a right to be told the truth.
Adapted from Claudia Mills, The Ethics of Representation: Realism and Idealism in Childrens Fiction.


ASSIGNMENT: Do people make the greatest discoveries by exploring
what is unfamiliar to them or by paying close attention to what seems
familiar? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on
this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2010-03
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should leaders of a country or group be judged by
different standards? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point
of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is moderation an obstacle to achievement and success?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
Great discoveries often occur when a person explores the unknown, venturing far from what is familiar. But
important breakthroughsinnovative solutions to difficult problem, for examplecan also result when people
take the time to look closely at their daily surroundings. In fact, the greatest discoveries often occur when
people recognize in their familiar surroundings certain opportunities that others have overlooked or when
people recognize that they way things have always been done is unjust or ineffective or unnecessary.

Many powerful leaders throughout history have considered themselves above the law and acted in ways that
violated the laws or guidelines of their own country or group. People are quick to condemn these leaders, but
shouldn't leaders be held to different standards? If what a leader is doing benefits the majority of the people in
a country or group, it does not matter if a law or guideline is violated.
People are often advised to practice moderation in everything they do. The way to succeed in achieving their
goals, they are told, is to remain balanced, controlled, and restrained. But this advice is misguided. Instead of
being moderate, people should be passionate and intense. Throughout history, moderation has produced
nothing extraordinary or exceptional. Excellence in any pursuit requires excess great enthusiasm, high
energy, and extreme effort.

ASSIGNMENT: Does society put too much emphasis on working hard?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

2010-5
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do small decisions often have major consequences? Plan
and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
ASSIGNMENT: Is talking the most effective and satisfying way of
communicating with others? Plan and write an essay in which you develop
your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and
examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
Possibly because we live in a work-oriented society, most of us feel that we must be continually busy in order
to be successful. We are led to believe that fabulous wealth and fame await the person who works the hardest
and is always busy. The irony is that taking it easy now and then would help us achieve our goals a lot sooner.
In fact, overwork can stifle our creative ability.
Adapted from Ernie J. Zelinski, The Joy of Not Working
People make decisions all the time. Some of these decisions may seem to be minor and
inconsequentialwhether to read a book or to not attend a meetingwhile others are obviously more
important. But even though the important decisions are likely to have equally important consequences, people
should not treat casually or overlook the small decisions. The so-called decisions have the greatest impact on
our lives.
A well-known company recently proposed setting aside every Friday as a day with no e-mail-based
communications. On these e-mail-free Fridays, employees would be encouraged to refrain completely from
reading or sending e-mail or text messages and advised instead to call each other or talk in person. This idea
can work for everyone. If each week we set aside time to actually talk to one another, our communications will
be less impersonal and more effective and satisfying.

ASSIGNMENT: Should the government be responsible for making sure
that people lead healthy lives? Plan and write an essay in which you develop
your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and
examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do people succeed by emphasizing their differences
from other people? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of
view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2010-06
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do people tend to get along better with people who are
very different from them or with those who are like them? Plan and write
an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
Our distant ancestors survived because they were physically active, hunting wild animals and gathering fruits
and vegetables over large areas of land. Modern life, however, is characterized by physical inactivity. Given
the resulting health problems and the tremendous cost of treating them, the government should work with
schools and businesses to ensure that people eat the right foods and get enough exercise each day.
In business, the term personal brand describes how companies define themselves and differentiate their
products from those of other companies. People, too, are often advised to develop a kind of personal brand or
styleto make themselves stand out from other people by developing unique characteristics. Nowadays,
people who want to be successful in school, at work, or in their personal relationships must emphasize their
differences from their peers in the same way that companies emphasize their differences from their
competitors.
Common sense tells us that people tend to get along better with those who are like them, who think and act as
they do. Many people, however, get along very well with people who are very different from them and may
prefer to associate with those whose views and actions are different from their own. In fact, some people even
complain that they are bored and irritated by those who are too much like them.
ASSIGNMENT: Is solitudespending time alonenecessary for people
to achieve their most important goals? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
ASSIGNMENT: Should ordinary people be considered heroes, or should
the term "hero" be reserved for extraordinary people? Plan and write an
essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
ASSIGNMENT: Is it wrong to use the word "courage" to describe
behaviors that are ordinary or self-interested? Plan and write an essay in
which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.

2010-10
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
From early childhood, we are encouragedpressured, evento be in the company of others: We are urged to
belong to this or that group, to join this or that club, to spend time with this or that friend. People do
everything to avoid being by themselves, treating solitude as though it were the equivalent of loneliness. And
yet it is only when people are by themselves that they can truly achieve their most important goals.
Usually, people look to others around themordinary peoplefor their heroes. They define heroes as decent
citizens who make sacrifices or try to make a difference. For example, people name streets after local war
veterans, parks after teachers, bridges after local politicians. Rejecting historical, literary, or national figures as
heroes, people tend to believe that anyone can be a hero. A hero does not have to be superhuman.
Adapted from Peter H. Gibbon, A Call to Heroism
Numerous times in my life I have been called "courageous." Courage seems like a worthwhile quality, but
people use the word so often and so unthinkingly that it has become almost meaningless. As with most words
that become overused compliments, it is difficult to come up with a ready definition of "courage." For
example, if a person navigates a small boat through dangerous waters to retrieve an expensive wristwatch, is it
correct to call that person courageous?

ASSIGNMENT: Is it absolutely necessary for people to study the
creative arts? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view
on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from
your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:


ASSIGNMENT: Is it important for people to spend time outdoors and to
learn to appreciate the natural environment? Plan and write an essay in
which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should originality always be more highly praised than
conformity? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view
on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from
your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:


Why do we not value the creative arts more than we do? Why are subjects like music, drama, photography,
and creative writing always the first to be cut from school budgets during hard times? Many would answer
that, unlike math, science, history, and other subjects taught in school, the arts are unnecessary. But this is so
untrue. The arts are as necessary as these other subject areaspossibly even more necessary.
I spent some part of every year at the farm until I was twelve or thirteen years old. The life that I led there was
full of charm and so is the memory of it yet. I can call back the faint odors of wildflowers, the sheen of
rain-washed foliage, the clatter of raindrops when the wind shook the trees, and the far-off hammering of
woodpeckers. I can call back the prairieand its loneliness and peace.
Adapted from Mark Twain, My Autobiography

In some circumstances we are encouraged to conformto follow others, to do and think what everyone else is
doing and thinking. In other circumstances, however, we are told to be individuals and are reminded that most
people we consider great are not afraid to be different. Conformity may be appropriate in day-to-day life, but
we should save our highest praise for people who choose to be unique.
Some people say, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do," meaning that when you are in a new culture, place,
or setting, it is best to change your behavior to adapt to the rules and customs of your new surroundings. But
does that old saying still apply in today's world? Isn't the world better off when people facing a
changewhether it is a transfer to a new school, the start of a new job, or travel to a foreign countryretain
their individuality and way of life instead of changing?
ASSIGNMENT: Should people adapt to their new surroundings, or
should they refuse to change? Plan and write an essay in which you develop
your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and
examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2010-11
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do people put too much emphasis on doing things by
and for themselves? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point
of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is imagination less valuable than facts and objectivity?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is a group of people more likely than an individual
leader to bring about significant change? Plan and write an essay in which
We are very individually oriented. We see everything in terms of personal independence, personal pleasure,
personal fulfillment. "Do your own thing," we say. The idea that people can actually do things for someone or
something elsea community, a school, or any other groupis lost. It is important to realize, however, that
all people are interconnected. We cannot survive without each other.
Adapted from Willard Gaylin in Bill Moyers, A World of Ideas

Most people are so impressed by facts and objectivity that they do not appreciate the use of imagination. They
worry that our imaginations get us away from reality, distort our views and perspectives, and, worst of all, are
unscientific. As a result, using our imagination and other related activities such as appreciating art or music or
being creative are often considered the "frosting"the nice extras in liferather than vital pursuits that are
crucial to everyone.
Adapted from Rollo May, The Courage to Create

There is no more powerful way to initiate significant change in our communities, our society, and our lives
than to start talking to others. When people discover that they share a common concern, that is when the
process of change begins. Change does not start with an individual leader of a group, a nation, or an
organization announcing a new plan. It begins when a group of people notices something that could, or even
must, be done differently.
Adapted from Margaret J. Wheatley, "Some Friends and I Started Talking..."

you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Would it be better if people were more accepting of
mistakes? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on
this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2010-12
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it possible to be a hero in the modern world? Plan and
write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support
your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Does the way that information is communicated today
result in people learning less than ever before? Plan and write an essay in
which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.
Some people believe that making mistakes is unacceptable, that whatever is done must be done error free.
However, research has found that perfectionists tend to be less successful than nonperfectionists because they
spend too much time trying to be perfect. Even when they do some things wrong, nonperfectionists often
achieve more of their goals than perfectionists do.
Adapted from Glenn Hirsch, "An Imperfect Look At Overcoming Perfectionism"

Again and again we hear the complaint that we have no heroes anymore. Heroespeople who should be
admired for their great courage or noble achievementsare no longer recognized in our modern world. Many
people, in fact, believe that heroes existed only in the past. But this belief is wrong. Because more praise is
given to the latest technological innovation than to one individual's heroic achievements, we may not be aware
of our heroes, but we do have them.
Technology has dramatically increased the speed with which we can communicate and share information.
Some people are critical of this development, claiming that rapid communication, often made possible by
some form of technology, discourages people from focusing at length on any one topic, shortens their attention
spans, and prevents them from truly learning about the world and people around them. But what is wrong with
how instantly and easily information is communicated thanks to the wonders of modern technology?


3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do temporary or otherwise imperfect solutions to
problems only create more serious problems? Plan and write an essay in
which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it better for people to have limited choices? Plan and
write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support
your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

2011-01
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is an idealistic approach less valuable than a practical
approach? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on
this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
Is a temporary or partial solution to a problem better than no solution at all? Many people would say so. All
that humanity can hope to accomplish is to find workable solutions to the serious problems of the world.
Others would argue, however, that the world's serious problems are, in fact, caused by the so-called solutions.
These solutions are creating problems more serious than the problems they are addressing.
Choice improves the quality of our lives. On the other hand, the fact that some choice is good doesn't
necessarily mean that more choice is better. There is a problem with having too much choice. We are
unwilling to give up any of our options, but stubbornly insisting upon having all the choices available to us
can lead to bad decisions, stress, and dissatisfaction.
Adapted from Barry Schwartz, The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less

Idealistic people, people who pursue great ideas in hopes of changing the world, often have ambitious plans
that are difficult or even impossible to carry out. These people can claim few solid accomplishments. In
contrast, practical people concentrate on workable ideas and goals, even though these may not meet an
idealist's high standards. Their approach is likely to be more valuable than the approach of idealistic people.

ASSIGNMENT: Is it better for people to learn from others than to learn
on their own? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view
on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from
your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do people put too much importance on getting every
detail right on a project or task? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Does the process of doing something matter more than
the outcome? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view
on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from
your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2011-03
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do people benefit from forms of entertainment that
People generally put more trust in what they have learned for themselves than in what they learn from others.
Few people, however, are really motivated to learn anything on their own. They are much more apt to learn
when others are willing to teach them. Even though learning from others means occasionally learning things
that are not useful or important, people are still better off when they learn from others.
Too many people do not consider their task or project complete or acceptable until every detail has been done
right. Fortunately, such people have not always had their way, since nothing would ever be completed if we
had to check every detail before we could consider our work done. In fact, none of the world's greatest
accomplishments would have been made, because none of them is perfect in every detail.
People in our goal-oriented society place far too much emphasis on the outcomes of what they do. As a result,
they miss out on the most important part of attempting anything: the process itself. The process of trying to
achieve something is always more meaningful and enjoyable than reaching the final goal. Whether we succeed
or fail, it is the process--how we go about achieving the goal--that matters most.
Reality television programs, which feature real people engaged in real activities rather than professional actors
performing scripted scenes, are increasingly popular. These shows depict ordinary people competing in
everything from singing and dancing to losing weight, or just living their everyday lives. Most people believe
that the reality these shows portray is authentic, but they are being misled. How authentic can these shows be
when producers design challenges for the participants and then editors alter filmed scenes?
show so-called reality, or are such forms of entertainment harmful?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Are photographs straightforward representations of
real life, or are they artistic creations reflecting the photographer's
point of view? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view
on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from
your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it better for people to act quickly and expect quick
responses from others rather than to wait patiently for what they want?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

2011-05
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do rules and limitations contribute to a person's
happiness? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on
this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observations.
Photographs are very much a part of our daily lives. They show us faraway places, things to buy, important
people and happenings, and sometimes just the ordinary. These pictures seem like frozen moments of real life.
Cameras do copy what is in front of the lens, and so, in that sense, photographs show us what is real. They are
at the same time, however, creations of the artist's intentions and unconscious mind.
Adapted from Leslie Sills, In Real Life: Six Women Photographers

When we are young, we learn from parents and teachers that we should wait patiently for what we want. Few
people would dispute the wisdom or truth of this teaching. Our society, however, with its mad rush and hurry
and its insistence on instant gratification and quick responses, encourages and rewards impatience. Experience
teaches us that we should not and do not have to wait.
Most of us tend to find rules, limits, and restraints irritating. We want to be free of anything that limits our
choices. But limitations protect us. Without limitations on our behavior, too many of us will act without regard
to the consequences for ourselves, for others, and for the future. Limitations contribute to, rather than take
away from, our overall happiness.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: If people worked less, would they be more creative and
active during their free time? Plan and write an essay in which you develop
your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and
examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Does every individual have an obligation to think
seriously about important matters, even when doing so may be difficult?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is real success achieved only by people who accomplish
goals and solve problems on their own? Plan and write an essay in which
you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.

2011-06
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
People today seem to spend most of their free time being passively entertained: they just sit on the couch and
watch movies or television or sporting events. This is mainly because they use up all their energy at work or at
school. If they had more time and energy to devote to activities outside of work or school, you can be sure
they would enjoy more creative and active pursuits during their free time.
While serious thinking about important matters may disturb people in the short term, it benefits them
immeasurably in the long term. Only by confronting unpleasant truths and by weighing both sides of complex
issues can people understand the factswhether in history, politics, literature, or their own livesand make
appropriate decisions. People may find it difficult, or uncomfortable, to think seriously about important
matters, but not doing so means that they are leading lives without meaning or purpose.

Many people think that success is impossible without help and support from others. They believe that even the
strongest and most successful leaders need advisers to define their goals, and followers to carry out their plans.
Real success, however, cannot be claimed by those who need others to solve their problems and help them
confront obstacles. Only those whose accomplishments are truly their own can claim to be successful.
ASSIGNMENT: Does every achievement bring with it new challenges?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Does accepting the values of a group allow people to
avoid taking responsibility for their own thoughts and actions? Plan and
write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support
your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do groups that encourage nonconformity and
disagreement function better than those that discourage it? Plan and
write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support
your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
People assume that every accomplishmenteach step in what we call progresswill lead to the solution to a
problem and will help them reach the goal of understanding themselves and the world around them. In reality,
however, each new answer provokes additional questions and each fresh discovery uncovers further
complications. Every accomplishment leads to further problems, added responsibilities, more complications,
and new challenges.
Loyalty is a virtue that is encouraged and rewarded in every aspect of our lives. We are, therefore, loyal to our
families, our teams, our schools, and our countries. But too often loyalty is blind: by automatically identifying
ourselves with a group and accepting its values as our own, we avoid taking responsibility for our own
thoughts and actions.
A requirement for membership in any group is conformity. Members must agree on such vital issues as how
decisions will be made, who will serve as leaders, and how much freedom group members will have. The
quality of decision making, however, is better when groups encourage nonconformity and disagreement
among their members. Although it sometimes creates disorder and conflict, disagreement may prevent
powerful majorities from making mistakes.

ASSIGNMENT: Are people more likely to be fair and just if they have
been faced with unfairness and injustice? Plan and write an essay in which
you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.

2011-10
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do people need discipline to achieve freedom? Plan and
write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support
your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do people have to pay attention to mistakes in order to
make progress? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of
view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
Some people claim that one must grow up in a society, community, or family that values fairness and justice to
have a clear sense of what is right and what is wrong. They assume that a person will act ethically only if he or
she has good examples to follow. Others, however, think that the opposite is true. They believe that people are
more likely to care about justice and to behave fairly when they themselves have been faced with injustice and
unfairness.
"Discipline" is a negative word for many people because it is associated with rigorous training, strict rules, and
strong self-control. But we fail to realize that freedom comes only through discipline. Discipline compels us to
sacrifice immediate rewards and pleasures, but it also gives our lives structure and prevents us from making
costly mistakes. It keeps us from being subject to our impulses and weaknesses and thus frees us to achieve
our true goals.
We are often encouraged to stop worrying about making mistakes and advised not to dwell on those we have
already made. But without analyzing mistakesdecisions and actions that made a project fail, for
instancehow can anyone be successful? Besides, there are some well-known mistakes others have made that
seem worth studying carefully. Perhaps these mistakes could have been prevented if those responsible had
been more concerned about making mistakes in the first place.

ASSIGNMENT: Are people overly influenced by unrealistic claims and
misleading images? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point
of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Are people better off if they do not listen to criticism?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

2011-11
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should individuals take responsibility for issues and
problems that do not affect them directly? Plan and write an essay in which
you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
The making of illusionsmisleading images or ideas that appear to be authentic or truehas become the
primary business of our society. Included in this category are not only the false promises made by advertisers
and politicians but all of the activities which supposedly inform, comfort, and improve us, such as the work of
our best writers and our most influential leaders. These promises and activities only encourage people to have
unrealistic expectations and to ignore facts.
Adapted from Daniel J. Boorstin, The Image

Although most of us do not like being criticized, it is said that we can always benefit from being told what we
are doing wrong. We may lose a valuable learning opportunity if we do not listen to the criticisms expressed
by others. Yet criticism, even when honest and well-intended, can be more harmful than helpful. We have
more to gain by ignoring or shielding ourselves from the criticisms of others.
It has been said that "All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing." This statement
suggests that people should do more than merely think about themselves and a few others, that they should
feel responsible for issues and concerns that affect the larger society or community. But aren't most people
already doing a lot more than "nothing" by taking responsibility for their own well-being and that of their
families and friends?


ASSIGNMENT: Is it often difficult for people to determine what is the
right thing to do? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of
view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: are the consequences of people's actions more
important than the motives behind the actions? Plan and write an essay in
which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Are optimistic, confident people more likely than others
to make changes in their lives? Plan and write an essay in which you develop
your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and
examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2011-12
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
All communities and groups have reliable rules of right and wrong in the form of laws, values, and social
standards. It is therefore generally assumed that most people know the difference between right and wrong and
that they usually know the right thing to do. This view is simplistic, however, people often find themselves in
complex situations for which no rule provides adequate guidance and the right course of action is unclear.
When judging ourselves, we tend to consider our motives as well as our actions. If we mean to do something
that will benefit others but our actions have hurtful consequences, we may feel that our good intentions are just
as important as the effects of our actions. But we give our intentions too much credit. Actions can and should
be judged on their own merits, regardless of what motivated someone to take them in the first place.
It is often observed that some sense of unease or dissatisfaction with oneself or one's circumstances, some
self-criticism, is absolutely necessary for people to move forward and make any kind of progress or change.
But optimisma feeling of confidence that one's actions will be successful and will pay off in the futureis
even more important. If people are not optimistic, what motivation will they have to change?
Adapted from Richard B. Mckenzie, The Paradox Of Progress

ASSIGNMENT: Is it always harmful for an individual to think and live as
other people do? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of
view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Can a small group of concerned individuals have a
significant impact on the world? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do idealists contribute more to the world than realists
do? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this
issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

The pressures to conform in a modern free society are not as drastic as they were in the past, when failure to
conform meant imprisonment or worse. Such influences are, however, more dangerous because they are hard
to detect. These are the pressures to live like our neighbors, to think like our community, to reshape ourselves
in the image of someone else. The appeal of belonging to a group is attractive, but doesn't such conformity
destroy our individuality?
Adapted from Eleanor Roosevelt, You Learn By Living

Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is
the only thing that ever has." However, it is hard to believe that just a few people can make a significant
difference. Given the many great challenges that the world faces, it seems impossible to change anything for
the better unless one can attract a lot of people and spend a lot of money.
We all know idealistspeople who have goals that are noble but often impractical. We also know
realistspeople who limit their goals to achievements that they are likely to accomplish and who only make
plans that are practical and manageable. While it is true that practical people often accomplish their individual
goals, humanity as a whole has more to gain from the idealistic dreamers.
Experts seem to agree that people benefit from the increased number of choices available to them in modern
society. For instance, if consumers can decide from among a hundred breakfast cereals or dozens of types of
cell phones, they ought to be able to find the product that is best for them. But with so many choices available,
people can never be sure they chose the right thing. They agonize over every choice.
Adapted from Gregg Easterbrook, The Progress Paradox
ASSIGNMENT: Do people benefit more from having many choices or
few choices? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view
on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from
your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2012-01
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it wise to be suspicious of the motives or honesty of
other people, even those who appear to be trustworthy? Plan and write
an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Does improvement or progress usually involve a
significant drawback or problem of some kind? Plan and write an essay in
which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it wrong or harmful to motivate people to learn or
achieve something by offering them rewards? Plan and write an essay in
Most people tend to trust others too readily. To avoid being taken advantage of, however, it is generally wise to
be doubtful and suspicious of others' motives or honesty. Many people would agree that if you find yourself
doubting other people's sincerity or questioning their intentions, your instincts are probably correct. You are
less likely to regret being cautious than being too trusting.
People who complain about progress and change expose themselves to criticism. Yet there is always a subtle
danger in life's improvements and refinements, a drawback or disadvantage that occurs along with the benefits
of progress. It sometimes seems that we devote half of our time to making what we call "improvements"in
our lives, our work, our relationshipsbut so often the original conditions had some quality that is lost in the
process of change.
Adapted from E.B. White, "Progress and Change"
Learning and doing are their own rewards. No external rewards are required. Yet when external rewards are
introducedwhether attention and praise from parents or prizes from teachersthese rewards exert a
substantial influence. Instead of reading books to find out about the world, kids will read to win prizes. Kids
will produce for rewards, but the quality of their activity and their interest in it will be dramatically altered.
Adapted from Barry Schwartz, The Costs of Living

which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.

One of the most notorious events Adolf Hitler had ever done was the
holocaust to the Jews and other alleged "inferior people". Back in high school,
Hitler had already come in contact with the fanatical nationalist ideology. While
wandering miserably in Vienna after losing both parents, Hitler read abundant
books promoting "racial superiority". In his most noted autobiography "Mein
Kampf" in 1925, he revealed the certitude to the superiority of his Nordic
nationality as well as the hatred to the Jewish people. During 1939 to 1945,
including the uppermost Jewish persecution, a total of 11-14 million people
were tortured to death by mass executions, gas, starvation, diseases, draconian
labor, human trials and other analogous inhuman treatments. Even those great
characters were treated as prisoners and very few survived in Auschwitz
Concentration Camp, the main camp Nazi Germany had ever established: 2002
Nobel Literature Prize winner, Hungarian Jewish writer Kertesz; 1986 Nobel
Peace Prize winner Elie Visser Seoul; having composed music for the poetry of
Chinese prominent Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu, Czechoslovak Jewish composer
Pavel Haas; former Polish Prime Minister Joseph, etc. In Hitlers tenet, the
persecution of the Jews and other so-called "inferior people" might be the key to
boost the society purification, which could absorb global attention and praise to
his so-called "master race". From my perspective, however, his pursuit of these
rewards merely stemmed from his deep sense of inferiority. Consequently,
when these external rewards were introduced to Hitler, he embarked on an
inhuman road of no return.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should people be treated according to what they are
capable of achieving instead of what they have actually done? Plan and
write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support
your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

2012-03
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
We almost always tend to treat people on the basis of what they have done: the star athlete is recognized and
rewarded with a college scholarship, while the lawbreaker is prosecuted and punished. But our past deeds
provide only a partial measure of our real worth as human beings. We should be treated according to what we
are capable of accomplishing, regardless of what we may or may not have actually done.

ASSIGNMENT: Is it best to forget about past mistakes as soon as
possible? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on
this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do people put too much trust in the guidance of experts
and authorities? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of
view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below.

ASSIGNMENT: Does tradition prevent people from doing things in new
or more sensible ways? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your
point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples
taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2012-05
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

Mistakes we have made in the past are supposed to make us wiser, stronger, and better able to deal with the
future. This approach suggests that we should continue to focus on our mistakes, that we should remember
them, no matter how painful or embarrassing to us they may be. But nothing is to be gained by concerning
ourselves with old mistakes. We should forget them as soon as possible.
We all have "authorities"experts and specialists, from authors to doctors to politicianswho seem to dictate
our lives and determine our futures. In the best of circumstances, these authorities can make us feel safe. They
make our decisions for us. They look out for our interests. Or so we hope. But not everyone we consider an
authority is deserving of our trust.
Adapted from Douglas Rushkoff, Coercion: Why We Listen to What "They" Say
The word "tradition" seems innocent enough; we associate it with holiday observations and customs practiced
by our ancestors. But tradition, or at least the belief in it, is a trap. At every level, from the individual to the
national, tradition is simply an excuse for doing things the way they have always been done, even if that way
makes no sense or causes harm to others.
People talk too much about their feelings. They share their deepest secrets and innermost thoughts on
television talk shows. They write revealing autobiographies. They buy books that advise them to tell others
about their feelings. We would be far better off if we followed the advice of Florence Nightingale, a pioneer in
the field of nursing, who thought that people too often waste their feelings by talking about them and should
instead turn their feelings into actions that bring results.
ASSIGNMENT: Is it better for people to act on their feelings than to talk
about them? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view
on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from
your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should people accept unfairness and find ways to make
the best of it? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view
on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from
your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Does money lead to selfishness? Plan and write an essay in
which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do advertisements contribute to unhappiness and
dissatisfaction? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of
view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

As people become more knowledgeable and experienced, they eventually realize that complete equity and
justicewhether in politics, in education, or in day-to-day eventswill never really be achieved. Even so,
they are encouraged to continue to hope for and fight for fairness. But shouldn't people put their energies to
better use? There will always be unfairness in life, and becoming an adult means finding ways to make the
best of this fact.
No amount of wealth can help humanity move forward and make progress, even under the management of the
most dedicated and socially conscious workers. Money leads only to selfishness and becomes an irresistible
temptation to its owners to abuse it. The only thing that can lead people to praiseworthy ideas and noble deeds
is to follow the example of those great individuals who put other factors before money.
Adapted from Albert Einstein in Alice Calaprice, The New Quotable Einstein
Advertisements provide information about available products and services. Many people argue, however, that
something else is going on: advertisements try to convince people that when they buy things, they are also
buying satisfaction and happiness. Advertisements merely fool people into believing that the next "new and
improved" product will make their lives better, and the result is that people are even more unhappy and
dissatisfied than they would have been without the advertisements.
2012-06
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Does progress reduce the number of problems in the
world, or does solving old problems just lead to new ones? Plan and write
an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Are people likely to succeed by repeating actions that
worked for them in the past? Plan and write an essay in which you develop
your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and
examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Are people more likely to achieve their goals by being
flexible or by refusing to compromise? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
We would like to think that progress causes problems to be solved completely, and sometimes that happens.
For example, some diseases that once posed a serious threat are no longer a problem, thanks to modern
medicine. Some problems can be solved, and they go away. But as often as not, problems exist in a chain of
cause and effect: for each problem solved, a new one develops.
Adapted from Gregg Easterbrook, The Progress Paradox: How Life Gets Better While People Feel Worse
Too often, people fail to solve problems because they focus only on the problems, thinking that if they study a
problem, it will eventually suggest its own solution. Instead, they should remember their past successes and
retrace their steps by analyzing what they did or did not do in similar situations in the past. It is often said that
there is no formula for success, but if people would only focus on repeating the specific actions that worked
for them before, they would surely succeed again.
The word "uncompromising" is often used as a compliment, especially when it describes someone who is
completely dedicated to certain principles and values. Uncompromising people have indeed recorded great
achievements. But being uncompromising is not always a virtue. People who are uncompromising tend not to
consider other people's views, seeing themselves as right and everyone else as wrong. All in all, it is better to
be flexible and make compromises.

ASSIGNMENT: Should people respect and tolerate everyone's opinions,
or should people take a stand against opinions they consider to be
wrong? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this
issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2012-10
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should we care just as much about people in other
countries as we do about people in our own country? Plan and write an
essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do the actions of high achievers benefit all people? Plan
and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
Most people try to be fair to others and respect their opinions. It is sometimes difficult, however, to be open to
and accepting of all opinions, especially when the people expressing them are obviously uninformed or
mean-spirited. It is more important to point out to others what they are doing and saying wrong than to try to
tolerate every opinion.
The idea of caring about only the people of one's own country seems outdated. Some people still defend this
attitude, claiming that if we are going to expend resources to help people, we should help those of our own
country first. But national boundaries are meaningless lines that shift over time. There is no reason why a
citizen of one country should not feel just as responsible for the well-being of people in other countries as for
the well-being of those in his or her own country.
Some say that high achieverspeople who reach their ambitious goals because of their determination and
skillsalways get ahead at the expense of others. When one political candidate is elected, others are defeated;
when someone wins in any kind of competitive event, others lose. But this view of achievers is too negative.
By improving the world around them and providing an example for all to follow, achievers benefit others as
well as themselves.

ASSIGNMENT: Do people learn more from examining events in the past
than from focusing only on the present? Plan and write an essay in which
you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do all people need to be creative? Plan and write an essay
in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.

2012-11
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Does familiarity prevent people from developing or
maintaining respect for others? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
Studies of creativity often focus primarily on writers, artists, composers, and scientists. Political leaders are
not usually considered to be very creative. Indeed, it is sometimes said that it is a good thing that leaders in
general are not very creative, since an excess of creativity, especially in leaders who have to enforce rules,
would only lead to trouble. Yet surely some degree of creativity is desirable in all walks of life.
Adapted from Thomas G. West, In the Mind's Eye
People tend to consider the past unimportant. After all, why waste time dwelling on what has already
happened? There is no way to go back and change events or their outcomes. But this way of thinking is wrong.
People are too focused on the present; they should pay more and closer attention to past events. The lessons
learned from examining the past are much more valuable than any lessons that people can learn from the
present.
It often seems as though we truly respect only people whom we do not know, such as leaders and other public
figures. It is much more difficult for us to respect people who are familiar to us and are part of our everyday
lives. The fact is that if we were to develop close personal relationships with these strangers that we look up
to, we would see that they are only ordinary people, just as flawed as we are.

ASSIGNMENT: Is it better to aim for small accomplishments instead of
great achievements? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point
of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it better for people to agree with others, even if doing
so means being insincere? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your
point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples
taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Are people too serious? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2012-12
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should leaders be judged according to how well they
treat people? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view
Stories about the great achievements of others, from athletic championships to scientific or artistic
breakthroughs, often inspire people to make great achievements of their own. Such stories, however, do not
reflect the fact that real progress is more often a gradual process consisting of many small improvements than
the direct result of a single great act. People would probably achieve more if they were encouraged to aim for
small accomplishments rather than for great achievements.
Most of us value sincerityopen, honest communication and behavior. We try hard to be sincere with others,
and we expect others to be just as open and honest with us. Sincerity can be a problem, however, when by
expressing our true thoughts and feelings we might offend others. At such times, it is often better for us to
pretend to agree with others rather than take the risk of provoking feelings of anger or resentment.
It is very important for people to be serious about themselves and to make serious efforts to attain their goals.
In school or at work, for example, people have to put in real effort and stay focused on their tasks; in sports,
people have to train hard and concentrate on improving their skills. People who are serious, however, forget
there are other important personal qualities they should develop.
Many people admire leaders who have effectively achieved their goals. But too many leaders are dedicated to
achieving their goals at the expense of caring for the people who follow and support them. Leaders should be
judged on how well they treat people, not on the achievement of their goals.
on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from
your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Are firmly held opinions reasonable? Plan and write an
essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
ASSIGNMENT: Should people be more willing to excuse the errors and
shortcomings of others? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your
point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples
taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is there really much more for people to invent and
discover in the world today? Plan and write an essay in which you develop
your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and
examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2013-01
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
There is something good to be said for holding firm opinions, whether in politics, art, business, or daily life. A
person who is deeply committed to a certain position on a film, a political candidate, or an idea may have
thought long and hard before reaching that position. But too often such opinions are not based on careful
thought and may be so rigidly held that those who express them do not consider other viewpoints or positions.
It seems that we are always ready to justify our own actions and overlook our own errors. Why, then, are we
so unwilling to judge others in the same way? We tend to hold others to very high, even unrealistic standards,
expecting them to be always right, always honest, or always conscientious. All of us have personal flaws and
shortcomings that we are quite willing to excuse. Surely we should be more willing to excuse such
shortcomings in others.
Some people believe that very few of today's "inventions" are really new. Inventions today seem to consist
primarily of improvements to things that have already been invented. Medicines, it is said, may be better, and
vehicles may be faster, but they are really not new or different. In reality, we have not even begun to exhaust
the supply of original ideas or new inventions. There is much more for us to invent and discover.

ASSIGNMENT: Is it necessary for people to imitate others before they
can become original and creative? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is money the most significant factor in determining a
person's quality of life? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your
point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples
taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is popular culture the strongest influence on a young
person's identity? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of
view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should people change their behavior depending on what
People generally prefer originality to imitation, which is often considered inferior and second-rate. However,
we have learned most of what we know by imitating others. Mastering any skill or gaining any knowledge
means that we must learn from those who have gone before us. In fact, it is not until we have imitated others
and learned from them what there is to know that we can strike out on our own and maybe create something
new.
Many people say that money is not the most important thing in life and that being overly concerned about
money leads only to unhappiness. Others point out, however, that money and wealth have always been of
dramatic significance in society. They argue that there is really nothing more important to one's overall quality
of life than money.
Young people are highly influenced by popular culture. They attempt to define themselves on the basis of
what they see on television, in newspapers and magazines, and in the movies. In fact, young people accept the
values of popular culture as their own, believing that those values are central to their personal development
and social acceptance.
Many people believe that our behavior should be consistent, that we should always be ourselves. They feel
that we should not act one way with some people and another way with others. But is this right? Should our
behavior always be consistent, or should we behave differently in different situations? Isn't behaving
differently according to the people we are with or the situation we are in simply a matter of politeness and
common sense?
situation they are in? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point
of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2013-03
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it a disadvantage to pay attention to details? Plan and
write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support
your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Are people likely to be dissatisfied rather than content
once they have achieved their goals? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Are people too willing to agree with those in charge? Plan
and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.
People often focus on "the details," those seemingly minor features and elements that often have major effects
or consequences. Whether they are making ordinary, everyday decisions, analyzing historical events, or
enjoying the plot of a novel, many people consider the details to be all-important. Others, however, argue that
paying attention to details distracts people from the big pictureperceiving an idea, goal, or plan in its
entirety.

Whatever their goalsto be the best at something, to solve a difficult problem, to have a rewarding
careermost people anticipate that reaching those goals will bring them contentment. When people are
working toward a goal, they imagine that achieving it will bring an end to their struggles and put them at ease.
But the opposite is more likely to occur. Rather than bringing contentment, achievement often brings
dissatisfaction.
Even on unimportant matters, many people so fear conflict with those in positions of leadership or authority
that they willingly suppress or deny their own thoughts and ideas. We cannot criticize people who feel this
way. After all, in most cases, those in leadership positions are entitled to some respect in their
decision-making role. More likely, however, people remain silentthey do not oppose people in
authoritysimply because they do not want to be considered "troublemakers."
Adapted from Derrick Bell, Ethical Ambition


2013-05
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it best to determine how wise people are by how
happy they are? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of
view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Has the emphasis on individualism in our society caused
people to forget the importance of belonging to a community? Plan and
write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support
your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it a mistake to value action over thought? Plan and
write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support
your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
We live in an era of individualism. The individual is celebrated and praised in every wayfor being special
and creative, for making an original contribution, for competing with others to be the best. Nowadays
individualism is a guiding idea for many people and has many benefits. But focusing on individuals has
caused us to neglect our sense of community, our feeling that we are part of a harmonious group. The
importance of belonging to a community has been forgotten.
Adapted from Piero Ferrucci, The Power of Kindness
We live in a world that values action over thought. The idea of taking time to reflect and think things through
is out of favor. Our most popular movies and novels focus on action, not reflection, and our most admired
public figures are praised for what they do, not for what they think. While there is something to be said for
taking action instinctively and without hesitation, the fact is that people put too much emphasis on action.
People use the term "wisdom" to mean many things. They describe someone as wise if that person is
intelligent, well-informed, or capable of making good decisions. These descriptions, however, are not really
useful in distinguishing wise people from unwise ones. Happiness is a better measure of wisdom: a wise
person is a happy person. Even the most intelligent people should not be called wise if they are not happy.

ASSIGNMENT: Is preparing for the future more important than
enjoying the present? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your
point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples
taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2013-06
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it possible for a society to be fair to everyone? Plan and
write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support
your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Can the study of popular culture be as valuable as the
study of traditional literary and historical subjects? Plan and write an
essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
No one knows how the future will turn out. Faced with this uncertainty, some people choose to live as though
the only thing that matters is now. Instead of planning for the future, they devote their energy to enjoying the
present. How misguided! They should spend their time today preparing for the future. Knowledge, skills, and
resources they work to acquire now will serve them long after the pleasures of today are forgotten.
Our cherished notions of what is equal and what is fair frequently conflict. Democracy presumes that we are
all created equal; competition proves we are not, or else every contest would end in a tie. We talk about a level
playing field, but it is difficult to make conditions equal for everyone without being unfair to some.
Adapted from Nancy Gibbs, "Cool Running"
Many colleges now offer courses in which students study television programs, comic books, magazines,
advertising, and other aspects of popular culture. Critics complain that schools should not replace serious
literature and history courses with such fluff. They claim that courses in popular culture present material that
is trivial and inconsequential. But the study of popular culture can be just as important, demanding, and
instructive as the study of traditional subjects.

ASSIGNMENT: Is strong moral character the most important
qualification for a leader? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your
point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples
taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do people need to know the source of any information
before they use it? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of
view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2013-10
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Does being content with the way things are prevent
people from improving themselves and doing better? Plan and write an
essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
Many voters think that integrity and character are the most important qualifications for political office. I
disagree. Integritythe quality of standing up for the same values in every situationis not a good
qualification for getting people to work together. Strongly held morals may make a candidate too inflexible
and incapable of negotiation. And if character were really so important, candidates would be judged by their
personal relationships rather than by their ability to deal with a community's or a nation's problems.
Adapted from Stanley Fish, "Integrity or Craft: The Leadership Question"
Thanks to the Internet, people have more access to more information than at any other time in history. People
can instantly find information on almost any topic in the time it takes to type a couple of words and click a
mouse. But we often know so little about the source of this information, including its reliability and the
qualifications of the person who wrote it. If we do not know its source, information is not much good to us.
Most people think that contentmentbeing happy with the way things areis the perfect state of affairs.
After all, what could be better than being so satisfied with how things are that you don't want anything else?
But contentment has disadvantages: if we are content with the way things are, we are not motivated to change
things, to improve ourselves, or to do better. We must therefore always choose between being content and
pushing ourselves to do better.

ASSIGNMENT: Do we place too little value on privacy? Plan and write an
essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Do people place too much value on newness? Plan and
write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support
your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Does having too much information about public figures
distract us from the important issues? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

2013-11
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

Privacy was once valued and protected. Diaries came with locks to keep the writers privately recorded
thoughts from being read by others. Public telephones were enclosed in booths so that conversations would not
be overheard. But now people feel free to post information about themselves on social networking Web sites
and carry on cell phone conversations in public places. We would be much better off if we valued
privacyour own and that of othersfar more highly than we do.

Nobody wants to be called old-fashioned or be considered out of touch with current trends and thinking. But
there's something to be said for holding on to old ideas and customs even if they may not be in fashion at the
moment. People are too easily impressed by anything new and trendythe latest television show, or music
group, or technological gadget. They place too much emphasis on newness without bothering to look at
something's real value.
Everything a public figure or celebrity says or does is likely to turn up on an internet site or a television show.
The great appeal of these sites and shows is that they help us learn as much as possible about public figures.
The more we know about political candidates, for example, the more informed we are as voters. Much of the
information, however, is irrelevant and actually prevents us from focusing on the issues that matter.
We are often reminded that acquiring and owning material possessionsmoney, property, jewelry, even
clothingwill not lead to true happiness. While it is certainly true that material possessions alone cannot bring
happiness or provide us with genuine meaning in life, there is something to be said for having material
possessions. Not only can they make us comfortable, but the happiness they can provide, while it may be
momentary, is still happiness.
ASSIGNMENT: Do material possessions make us truly happy? Plan and
write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support
your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is flexibility the sign of a strong and wise leader? Plan
and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Are advertisements harmful to teenagers? Plan and write
an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is imitation of others always harmful? Plan and write an
essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your
position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.

2013-12
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
Some people emphasize that strong leaders never depart from their goal, plan, or vision and that such
dedication is, in fact, a measure of their strength. Others would argue, however, that strong leaders are
flexible. Strong leaders know when to admit they have made a mistake and when it is appropriate to change
their goal or mission. This flexibility shows their strength and the extent of their wisdom.
Aiming advertisements for products directly at teenagers is a practice that occurs on television, in magazines,
and on the Internet. These advertisements may help prepare young people for adulthood, as teenagers gain
experience in evaluating and selecting from among the many options in our complex consumer society. Many
critics, however, argue that teenagers are especially vulnerable to misleading claims of the advertising
industry; moreover, they argue that advertisements often promote values harmful to young people.
Too often, peopleespecially young people, who may not have settled on a firm identity yettry to imitate
others, because it is easier to do so than to develop their own unique individuality. They focus on trying to
imitate what seems attractive or desirable in others. But imitating others is never a good idea: when we imitate
others, all we do is harm our ability to develop our own individuality.
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Is it more important to remain consistent than to change
one's mind when circumstances change? Plan and write an essay in which
you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Are teams or groups beneficial for individuals, or does
group membership prevent individuals from forming their own moral
judgments? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on
this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your
reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Does society place too much value on convenience? Plan
and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:
Being unwilling to change is often seen as a limitation. For example, a common accusation people often make
in arguments is that the other person refuses to even consider taking new positions on issues. But being
consistent is not always a bad thing. In fact, firmly supporting a position or point of view shows that one is
stable and constant and does not change one's position whenever circumstances change. This consistency is far
more important than a willingness to adjust one's thinking.
Getting people to work well in teams is crucial to accomplishing ambitious goals. Teams work a kind of magic
in developing important ideas and getting hard work done, and they give us the close human contact and
shared purpose that we all need. But theres a dark side to teams too: group identity can be too powerful. The
desire to be an accepted member of a group can prevent individuals from forming their own moral judgments.
Adapted from Peter S. Temes, The Power of Purpose
Modern society values convenience. From disposable napkins to the personal computer, from fast-food
restaurants to cell phones, it seems that nearly everything we buy or use has been designed to maximize
convenience. Unfortunately, instead of saving time and energy and minimizing frustration, many of the
so-called conveniences in our lives turn out to be nuisances or have a negative impact on our health, the
environment, or our emotional well-being.

ASSIGNMENT: Do consumers have a responsibility to purchase goods
only from companies and people whose actions are beneficial to others?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

2014-01
1. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Does progress result only from struggle and conflict?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

2. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should people make more decisions on their own and
rely less on the advice of experts? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

3. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

When we go shopping, most of us do not think about the impact our spending has on other people. However, if
we buy products from companies or individuals that mistreat their employees or the environment, or that
otherwise do harm, we indirectly approve or even encourage such behavior. On the other hand, it may be
unrealistic to assume that anything would prevent people from buying a good product at the right price.
Frederick Douglass once said, "If there is no struggle, there is no progress. This struggle may be a moral one,
or it may be a physical one, and it may be both moral and physical, but it must be a struggle." He was right.
Progress is something that must be fought for; without conflict, progress simply does not occur.
There are two false assumptions about experts. One is that they see more clearly and think more intelligently
than ordinary citizens. Sometimes they do, sometimes not. The other false assumption is that these experts
have the same interests as ordinary citizens and hold the same values. In fact, the important decisions of
society are within the capability of ordinary citizens. Not only can ordinary people make their own decisions
without the help of experts, but they ought to.
Adapted from Howard Zinn, Declarations of Independence
For many people, the traditional path to success involves graduating from high school and college before
working their way up in a particular profession. However, many of societys most successful individuals
taught themselves the skills they needed to start their own businesses, invent new technologies, or create
works of art. For these individuals, the nontraditional path turned out to be the path to success.
ASSIGNMENT: Are people who do not follow societys traditional paths
to advancement more likely to be successful than those who do? Plan
and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.
Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.

4. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below:

ASSIGNMENT: Should we hold on to the old when innovations are
available, or should we simply move forward? Plan and write an essay in
which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with
reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or
observations.
Some see printed books as dusty remnants from the preelectronic age. They point out that electronic books, or
e-books, cost less to produce than printed books and that producing them has a much smaller impact on natural
resources such as trees. Yet why should printed books be considered obsolete or outdated just because there is
something cheaper and more modern? With books, as with many other things, just because a new version has
its merits doesnt mean that the older version should be eliminated.

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