1. Air traffic is increasingly leading to more noise, pollution and airport construction.

One reason for this is the growth in low-cost passenger flights, often to holiday
destinations.
Some people say that governments should try to reduce air traffic by taxing it more
heavily.
Do you agree or disagree?

Nowadays travelling by plane has become very convenient. There are many low-
cost package tours, often to holiday destinations, which have became very popular
lately. These tours are considered to be one of the main causes of the increase in air
traffic, which leads to more pollution, noise and airport construction. Some people think
that the government should reduce air traffic by taxing it more heavily.
From my point of view it is not fair. First of all/In the first place, there have
already been regular tax increases, but unfortunately, not always does the quality of
(the) flights correspond to their price. One reason for this is that more taxes would
cause financial difficulties for the kind of people who have to take two or more flights to
get to their destination.
Secondly/Another reason is that air traffic growth is essential to a country’s
economy, and such measures as tax increases could lead to a decrease in demand. In
fact, there is a category of people, such as students, pensioners and middle-class people
who would not be able to afford airplane tickets.
Furthermore/in addition/moreover, I do not think that the taxing of air traffic can
solve the problem of pollution which is wider and it does not include only air traffic but
also heavy industries, car traffic and other factors. These last two sources of pollution
are controlled by the government which should take steps to solve this problem.
Consequently, the government should investigate new ways of limiting air
pollution in order to avoid creating economic difficulties for travellers and a decrease in
demand.
2. Workaholism is a form of physical and mental dependence similar to alcoholism
and drug addiction and is therefore detrimental to people’s health

My research into workaholism shows that the workaholic whose physical and
emotional health suffers from working long hours is someone who wants to isolate
him/herself emotionally. Such a person would find a way of being so even if s/he were
not in paid employment, perhaps by taking up an obsessive hobby. Yet certain people
who work long hours because they love what they are doing are physically and mentally
uplifted by their work.
For unwilling workaholics, forced to stay at their desks for fear of losing their
jobs, long hours can be a killer. For those to whom work is a pleasure, being forced into
unsought leisure time can adversely affect their health. Such people, I found, were the
ones most likely to fall ill on holiday.
The important thing is to enjoy what you are doing. If you don’t, write down why
you don’t and see if you can make any changes to the things that/which block your
enjoyment. If you can, take steps to do so. If not/you can’t, change your job!
If you suffer from a lack of feeling in control, try to figure out how to overcome
it/such a lack/this/this problem/the problem. One idea might be to suggest to your boss
that he/she delegates more decision-making to you. Another (idea) might be to join the
management committee or become active in the union.
While you may think that smoking, drinking coffee or comfort eating help you to
deal with stress, they actually add to it. So try to find other ways/methods of relaxing,
like taking a walk, going for a swim, or reading a book.
3. Work-related illnesses. Problems connected with working too hard. The
importance of relaxation.

Work has become the most important thing in your life, or rather, work has
become your life. Your sentimental relationship is going through a difficult period,
because you have no time to stay with your partner. You neglect your friends and your
family feel neglected by you. You are unfit: you are getting fat, you do not sleep enough
and have gastritis. If you do not work, you feel bored and worried. You do not need to
take a week off and when you allow yourself a holiday, you do not enjoy yourself and
you come back earlier. Your portable computer is always on. Everyone can reach you by
mail, or mobile phone, twenty-four hours a day.
If you match this description, you will be suffering from a “very modern” illness
called workaholism, that is to say, work addiction. It might sound strange, but over-
dedication to work is a form of addiction like dependence on eating, drinking, drugs or
gambling. Work-addiction can adversely affect your relations with people, your physical
and psychological wellbeing and even professional efficiency.
Few people can recognize work addiction as a serious problem, because our
society gives great importance to professional success. Moreover, whereas the other
addictions are severely condemned, work addiction is not recognized as a disorder, on
the contrary sometimes it also arouses admiration. We have lost all sense of reality.
Mahatma Gandhi says that “There is more to life than increasing its speed” .
Relaxation must become part of our way of living and working and instead speed
controls our life and we are victims of it more and more every day. The first article of
the Italian Constitution says that “the Republic is based on work”. That is the problem:
the Italian people have taken it literally, losing all sense of proportion.
Maybe they should remember the Latin maxim: “Ne quid nimis festina lente in
medio stat virtus”: no excesses, be slow to hurry, and…. virtue lies in the middle.
4. Work–related illnesses - problems connected with working too hard – the
importance of relaxation.

Nowadays modern communication technology and competition in every day of our

working lives can be a source/cause of stress, which can trigger very serious disorders.
Our society is undergoing rapid transformation but sometimes it does not respect the
real nature of human beings. We are constantly buried under a heap of messages, e-
mails, phone calls and radical changes. We receive too much information so our brain is
not able to contain it all. We do not have enough time to store it, but meanwhile we
are supposed to elaborate it and be ready to stand/face competition with other people
and to shoulder our responsibilities.
Our children suffer the same problems. To conform to present day life they have to
be the best in many different kind of activities; not only do they have to go to school
and get to grips with a quantity of subjects, also concerned with new technologies, but
after school they have to engage in other extra-curricular activities such as sports, music
and maybe an extra language course too. As a result they suffer from the same stress-
related illnesses and work-overload as adults do.
Stress: this term was used for the first time in the modern sense by Hans Selye only
50 years ago. Nowadays we talk a lot about stress. In ordinary language this term means
a sense of tension, anxiety and worry; it seems to cause an indisposition, that could be
negative and sometimes dangerous for the human body and psyche. If we think for a
moment about stress we tend to associate it with something negative but it is not
necessarily true. On the one hand, it can have some positive aspects; for example, when
people are faced with difficulties or if they have to undertake a task, they are
encouraged to do their best in order to reach their targets and ultimately they feel a
sense of reward; in this case, of course, stress is healthy. On the other hand stress has
its negative aspect; if it always remains in man’s mind and body it could be a serious
problem because it drains the organism of all its vital energies, and man falls into a
spiral of negativity. He feels tired; a sense of powerlessness, resignation, in other words
his mind is tormented by a progressive wear and tear that is very close to depression.
From this primary analysis, we see that stress is a very complex state of mind in which
other elements are involved. Therefore stress is not something that is outside the
environment but it is more specific, in other words it is how man judges the surrounding
world from his personal point of view.
 The main factor that can cause stress is work. These two elements are linked
together; work is very important in every man’s life because without it, he would be
excluded from life in society. That’s the reason why at work there is fierce competition
between colleagues; every one strives to be the best, every one wants to earn more
money than the others but, above all, every one dreams of having power in his hands.
Almost all people have a great desire for job satisfaction and to reach the top of the
career ladder, but all these elements are a cause of stress. The typical sentences
uttered by stressed people ‘I’m really fed up’, ‘I’ve always got so much to do’ can be
eliminated forever in different ways. The most important antonym of stress is
relaxation. According to doctors and psychologists, relaxing is extremely important.
Stress can be the cause of a lowering of our immunity resistance and therefore cause
disease. They give some interesting advice, for instance: to have a massage, to have a
warm shower or a bath, to sleep well at night, to do all kinds of sports like yoga and
stretching.
In former times our grannies used same easy natural remedies, which can be useful
at present to combat some stress-related illnesses:
Eucalyptus for respiratory disorders;
Jasmine, which boosts energy and promotes mood stability;
Mint against headache, pain in the joints, and to aid digestion.
To sum up, people must learn how to balance their private lives and jobs in a
healthy way. They should switch off the work button in order to focus on their hobbies,
interests and family in order to keep well. We should be careful not to do too many
things at the same time and taking things in our stride is the only way to obtain the best
results in work and the best way not to be placed under too much stress and strain. Take
a deep breath and go on working.
5. In some societies, stress is now regarded as a major problem, and it is thought
that people suffer from more stress than they did in the past. However, others feel
that the amount of stress people have today is exaggerated. They say that previous
generations were under more pressure, but the idea of suffering from stress did not
exist. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Stress is one of the most debated issues of our time. Surveys reveal that stress is a
major problem for more and more people in the world, actually everyone living in
modern society is at risk of stress. It is a chemical reaction that we develop when we
find ourselves in situations of anger or frustration. During an emergency it is helpful
because it keeps us alert and helps us to escape
from dangers but in everyday life it is something that damages us if we are unable to
cope with it.
Many things can be sources of stress: our family and work environment, financial
worries, health problems, love relationships, the noise and traffic in our towns etc.
Moreover we have to face so many tasks during the day and we are overwhelmed by
time pressures. So, many of us start developing stress related diseases such as frequent
headaches or stomach-aches, troubles in sleeping, tense muscles, skin problems, anxiety
and depression. And long-term effects of stress can lead to even more serious problems.
In spite of this, some people think that today there is too much concern about
stress because previous generations used to deal with much more serious problems than
ours, such as wars, lack of food or work (which caused emigration) etc. Our ancestors'
life expectancy was shorter and the quality of their lives was not as good as today (in
terms of sanitation and nutrition) but in spite of all this, they didn't know what stress
was. That is also because they didn't live at such a fast pace as it happens today and
their rhythm of life was more controlled by nature. They knew when it was time to
sleep, eat or be active because they followed their biological clock.
It is certainly true that we are now living longer than 100 years ago, and in better
conditions but we have to pay a price for this: dealing with stress. We have to learn
strategies to overcome this negative side of modern life, make some changes in our
attitude and habits, to learn for example relaxation techniques, or to control anxiety by
doing physical exercise. And if it is necessary we can seek psychological support, which
can help us better than tranquillizers or sedatives.
 If we can't go back to a 19th century healthier life style, we can at least make a
few changes which can help us to de-stress our lives.
6. Only a fifth of hospital consultants are female. Women doctors can’t be very
ambitious.

According to a general estimate only 20% of hospital consultants are female,

indeed several women who have taken a degree in medicine often decide not to carry on
with a specific postgraduate course but rather to stop and become a general
practitioner.
This is a common attitude among young female doctors because, even if they are
attracted by the idea of scaling the career ladder, they also want to create a family and
become mothers. On the other hand, men doctors are much more free to concentrate on
their career, considering that having a family doesn’t really entail/imply a radical
change for them.
From this point of view many people think women doctors cannot be very
ambitious because, if they achieved (the) men’s level, the family harmony would
disappear and the children would grow up alone. In fact if you are a surgeon you must
be available at any time, whereas a GP usually works flexible hours.
As a consequence female workers have to face the dilemma of: family or career?
In the first case they settle for a less responsible job to spend more time at home while
in the second they give up the idea of having children for the sake of a brilliant career.
But is it right that women should sacrifice either their family or their career?
We must also consider that even if a great deal of work has been done for women
in society over the last century, there is still a certain amount of discrimination in their
workplaces. This concerns above all highly responsible positions, which are appointed
for men as they don’t need any maternity leave and are thought to be more rational and
reliable by many people.
Fortunately there are also cases in which doctors are both mothers and career
women, thanks to nursery school, babysitters and home helpers, who can take care of
the children and do the housework when their mum is at work. However apart from the
cost of such a solution, this cannot be a final answer to the problem, which needs the
backing of the family.
We personally think that both career and family should be achievable by female
doctors and women in general; but it would only be possible if the employers consider
that both parents have the same responsibility and if the members of the family do help
one another and share out their tasks in the house.
7. It’s not worth trying to give up smoking, because a lot of people try and fail.

Smoking is one of the most serious problems in modern society. In fact, the
number of smokers has increased over the years and the age when people start smoking
is getting lower and lower.
Fortunately, many of them try to give up this lethal vice but they do not always
attain positive results, falling back into their old habits again. As everybody knows, it is
very difficult to stop smoking. You need discipline, willpower and you really have to be
motivated.
Moreover, modern research has introduced various remedies such as plasters or
chewing gums, pills, fake cigarettes and sprays that cause nausea if you smoke. It is
possible to face this addiction with psychological help, attending group therapy or
private sessions, according to what you think is the best for you.
Giving up smoking has many positive aspects, e.g. it reduces the risk of:
Cardiovascular illnesses: heart attacks, strokes, thrombosis, etc...
Respiratory problems: lung or throat cancers, bronchitis, pneumonia, etc.
In addition people’s external appearance benefits from it since smoking accelerates the
ageing process of the skin, it makes teeth and nails yellow and hair lifeless.
The other side of the coin is that the lack of nicotine makes people extremely
nervous and intolerant and some of them make up for this absence with food, so they
could put on weight. For these reasons lots of smokers fail or even do not try to give up.
In our opinion, this is a wrong and self-defeating attitude because each
cigarette makes your life five minutes shorter. Moreover, the worst aspect concerns the
fact that this vice does not only involve the smoker him/herself but also the persons
around him/her who are subjected to an even greater danger.
8. Death Penalty

Death penalty is the lawful killing, carried out by the State, as a punishment for
crimes known as “capital crimes” such as premeditated murder, espionage, treason, or
for breaking military law. In some countries also sexual crimes carry the capital
punishment, as do religious ones.
Historically, the execution of criminals and political opponents has been enforced
in virtually all societies. We find the first documented death penalty laws in the code of
king Hammourabi of Babylon. Moreover, it is a well-known fact that Romans used to
practice crucifixion, beating to death and burning alive. The Abolitionist Movement finds
its roots during the European Enlightenment period. The most important document is
the essay “On crimes and punishment” by Cesare Beccaria. Nowadays the death penalty
has been abolished in various countries in the world but some developed and democratic
countries such as Japan and US still retain it.
Capital punishment is a contentious issue. People who are in favour of it think
that it prevents crime because it is a good deterrent and an appropriate punishment for
the crime of murder. Its opponents, on the contrary, argue that it does not deter
criminals, violates human rights and involves the great risk of killing innocent people.
A lot of organizations in the world, both religious and lay, are fighting to abolish
the death penalty. The most famous are Amnesty International and the Community of
St. Egidio: they promote several campaigns in which everybody can participate.
The question is this: “Is spending the rest of one’s days in prison worse then
dying? Isn’t a human life the most important thing?”
In our opinion there is no justification for the State’s taking of a life.
9. Everyone would benefit from taking more exercise.

In modern society people tend to take less and less exercise. This is partially due
to the fact that we are provided with all kinds of technological comforts such as cars,
electrical appliances, lifts...
In the past people were forced to make more physical effort in everyday life:
their means of transport were far more expensive and less affordable to the masses;
besides, before the advent of industralisation, work was more physical. Nowadays
unfortunately we have become a society of “couch- potatoes”: this bad attitude has led
to an increase in health problems such as obesity, circulation problems and heart
disease.
To fight this negative trend it is advisable to take regular exercise. Not only does
it help to better our physical and mental condition, but it also boosts our self-
confidence and (our) social skills. Everyone from children to old people would benefit
from taking exercise. Children who practise sports could learn to focus on achieving
positive goals, to become more disciplined, to get to know their own bodies and discover
their physical limits; finally, a regular physical activity could help to prevent the risk of
obesity, an illness which is alarmingly spreading among children. Also adolescents would
benefit from practising team sports: this way they could socialize with other people of
the same age instead of spending all the afternoon alone in front of a computer, video
games and TV. In addition, through sport they could give vent to their anger and
tensions. Adults who are overwhelmed by work, stress or family problems could find in
physical activity a source of relaxation and entertainment. Sport is useful even in old
age: it helps old people to keep fit, to reduce heart disease and it makes them feel
younger and more active.
On the other hand taking physical exercise may have some drawbacks as well. For
example people could become obsessed with their physical appearance, spending too
much time working out and making use of anabolic steroids. It could also be dangerous
to take exercise by yourself, without a competent trainer to guide you. In some
circumstances children and adolescents practising agonistic sports have to undergo many
hours of hard training and the stress caused by competition: thus sport becomes a duty
rather than a pleasure.
 To sum up, physical activity fortifies both body and mind (as the ancient Romans
said: “Mens sana in corpore sano”), but we must not exaggerate. Even walking the dog
or doing the household chores can be sufficient to improve our lifestyle.
10. The pros and cons of studying languages abroad

Learning foreign languages is not a simple matter. Scholars affirm that the most
suitable period to learn foreign languages is childhood, when our brain is more inclined
to receive linguistic stimuli. Unfortunately, in our society, we begin studying foreign
languages only later. For this reason, it is advisable to spend a period of time abroad
where we can learn rapidly.
Spending a period of time abroad gives us the possibility to learn very quickly
because people are obliged to express themselves using the language they intend to
learn. At the same time, they are submerged by thousands of words and expressions
used by native speakers. In this way, learning is not reduced to a short period but it lasts
all day long. In any case, people must never neglect grammar since native speakers
don’t follow rules very strictly and learners might risk speaking ungrammatically.
The large number of words that people can learn in the course of their daily life
abroad helps them to speak in a more natural way, avoiding the circumlocutions that are
so typical of the language of beginners. Furthermore, idiomatic expressions that people
pick up make them sound more like mother-tongue speakers, as opposed to the type of
text-book language they learn in class. In this way, listening to them becomes more
pleasant.
On the other hand, living abroad is not all that simple because it can be very
expensive, even if nowadays thanks to projects such as the Erasmus exchange project,
more people can afford a period of study in another country. Perhaps the best way to
take full advantage of a similar experience is living with a foreign family, because this is
also a good opportunity to pick up some cultural elements. Moreover, living with a
family is a good chance to meet new friends, even if the impact with a different culture
can involve some difficulties at first.
To conclude, it is possible to say that studying abroad is a rewarding experience
both from a linguistic and a personal point of view. Not only do we have the possibility
to improve our knowledge but also to come in contact with new people.
11. English is the only foreign language worth learning.

Many might think that English is the only foreign language worth learning.
Nowadays English is so widespread that it is considered the most important language to
study. This could be true for many reasons.
First of all, English is the language chosen for every kind of international
communication: it is the language of informatics, technology, international affairs.
When you switch on a computer, most of the instructions are in English. In international
meetings English is spoken by politicians coming from different countries, because it is
known by most of the people.
By now, English is the most studied language at school and it is always required
for every kind of job. Children start studying English compulsorily from a very young age
and those people who still cannot speak it attend English courses to have better chances
of getting a good job.
This does not mean, however, that it is not worth learning other languages, too.
On the subject of work, it must be said that there are some jobs where a knowledge of
other languages is required. It is even easier to find a job when you can speak more than
one foreign language, for instance in the tourist and hotel field, as a translator, teacher,
interpreter, in some large firms, and so on.
Moreover, it is interesting as well as useful to learn foreign languages other than
English for travelling and personal curiosity. Speaking languages other than your own not
only gives you access to other cultures, but also allows you to interact with foreigners
when you go on holiday or you travel abroad for work purposes.
In conclusion, we disagree with the opening statement that only English is useful
to learn, because we think that learning foreign languages is not only a matter of
practical use, but also a way of enriching our knowledge and opening our minds.
12. After high school, is it better to start working or to continue studying??

Students who have finished high school have to face a very hard decision: “Shall I
go to university, or start my working career?” The best way to decide is to weigh up a
few pros and cons.
The first advantage of studying can be that, nowadays, a degree is of great
importance, in fact it is highly requested by most firms. People with a degree have more
chances to obtain a higher salary, to find a job more quickly and to be given long-term
contracts.
By attending university, you have the possibility to come in contact with a lot of
interesting people, and if you study hard you can spend a period abroad to practice the
language, obviously funded by your university. Another advantage given by the
university system, is that the students have to organize their own time and efforts,
because there are no compulsory terms.
On the other hand, university fees are extremely high and very frequently,
students do not respect the three-year period in which they are expected to conclude
their studies. Starting university, people cannot expect to become as economically
independent as those who work, so it is very probable that they’ll need financial
support from their families. Frequently, universities are located in big city centres, so
students have to commute or rent an apartment there, thus increasing the costs.
Anyway, even if students have been studying hard for 3/5 years, it is not to be taken for
granted that they will immediately find a suitable job.
Choosing the second alternative, people can start their own life. In fact, earning
your own money makes you totally independent. By working you can improve your
practical knowledge, which is not developed at university. You are expected to work
eight hours a day, but once you have finished you have nothing more to worry about.
This is not possible at university where you are always under psychological pressure. Of
course people who work have less free time to dedicate to personal hobbies.
In our opinion, we think that is very important to study even if it means a big
sacrifice for us and our families. The university of Parma has been a good choice but the
disadvantage is that it does not teach practical skills, like the use of computers, and
everyday conversation in the languages we are learning.
13. Censorship in Society

Many people feel that censorship is unacceptable in a democratic society,

because it can compromise freedom of speech and expression.
It is difficult, in fact, to decide where to draw the line between what should be
censored and what should not. Ironically, the people who censor materials to protect
the common people sometimes do not have the common person’s best interests in mind;
it is the people in power who want to impose the views of a small percentage of society
on the masses. Through ideological censorship people are left inane and ignorant:
perhaps this is the worst side of the matter.
Violent and sexually explicit material in our mainstream society is tolerated to a
certain degree and within certain circumstances. The rape of the Sabine Women, the
Martyrdom of St. Agatha and the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ are iconographic images
which many artists throughout history have depicted and are consistently shown in art
museums.
However some works of art challenging our modern culture nowadays often face
resistance and censorship due to homophobic, sexist and racist reactions. This is totally
unacceptable and even paradoxical because in many places, on the contrary, it is easy
to find degrading images of women in magazines or in mainstream advertising.
Although censorship may be barbaric, it has always been a part of history.
Throughout the ages, even during the Soviet or Nazi periods, people resorted to book
burning, even when books were handwritten and very few copies existed. Book burning
would be a shocking thing to see at the present time, so other alternative methods have
been adopted.
Censors have found devious ways to restrict access to offensive or dangerous
publications and in some cases they have succeeded. For example, many authors’ books
(such as those by Noam Chomsky and D.H. Lawrence) have been wrongly banned because
of their sexual and political references. Works of art must not be judged through moral
criteria, because they do not have any specific aim: their only end is expressing the
inner personality of the artist and his attitude towards life.
Today many National Bills state that everyone has freedom of thought, belief,
opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of
communication. Nevertheless sometimes this freedom is violated and some important
information is deliberately hushed and left in the dark; even translation can be
ideologically committed and lose neutrality through word-manipulation. We think that
people are smart enough to make decisions for themselves and to chose what to accept
as not-offensive to their rationality and sensibility.
The only exception is represented by children. They must always be protected
from violent images and obscene material, because they are not mature enough to
select and discriminate. They can easily come in contact with ‘wrong’ video recordings
both watching TV and surfing the Internet, and they usually tend to react in a similar
way; for this reason censorship is necessary to avoid both corruption and anti-social
behaviour. Children who accidentally see violent images often have nightmares or
problems in getting asleep; if they are used to staying alone, watching everything on TV
(even bad programmes) they run the risk of growing up with a wrong concept of life and
feelings and behaving in unsuitable ways.
To conclude, we are not in favour of censorship if it concerns ideology or art, but
we admit that minors should be safeguarded from immoral content because they cannot
exert any kind of conscious discrimination.
14. Violence in football stadiums

The word "hooligan" is believed to derive from the verb "to hooley" which means
to party in a wild and unruly way. The term can also apply to general rowdy behaviour
and vandalism, often under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The term has been used
since at least the 1890s, to describe the behaviour of street gangs.
The hooligans phenomenon dates back to the end of the 70s, and is particularly
evident in two countries where football is the national sport, Italy and England. In the
beginning, hooligans belonged to the lower social class: they not only shared the passion
for their team but also the uneasy condition of unemployment, misery, violence etc.
Nowadays this alarming phenomenon is no longer confined to a restricted circle of
people but includes persons of all ages and social classes. In Italy the reason for protest
is not due to rage for social uneasiness but it is instigated by violent fanaticism.
On February 2, 2007, violence occurred between football supporters and the
police in Catania. The clashes occurred during and after the First Division match
between the Catania and Palermo football clubs, also known as the Sicilian Derby. Police
officer Filippo Raciti was killed. Following the riots, the government announced its
willingness to make severe amendments to the current football rules, also known as the
Pisanu decree (Italian: Decreto Pisanu) after the former Minister of the Interior Giuseppe
Pisanu, who enacted the law in 2005. In its original form, the Pisanu decree required
Italian mayors and football clubs to meet specific safety standards in their stadiums.
Some of the countermeasures provided by the current government include a ban on
rockets, smoke-producers and firecrackers at sports events.
The events in Catania led Minister Amato, and Minister of Sports Giovanna
Melandri, to immediately cancel every derogation, so forcing teams to play "behind
closed doors" (forbidding the presence of spectators in every stadium not complying with
the law), including the San Siro Stadium in Milan, San Paolo Stadium in Naples and
Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence.
According to us sport has lost its original purpose of uniting people and being a
moment of fun. Stadiums now are often dangerous for children, families and for
inoffensive spectators. Let's hope that the new law will protect people who want only to
support their teams and to punish those who create trouble.
15. Do UFOS exist?

Unidentified Flying Object or UFO: this acronym can be considered as one of the
main topics which have been discussed during the last centuries. The idea of
the existence of other beings from outer space is intriguing but, at the same
time, shocking. That is why people ask themselves: do they really exist?
According to ufologists, that is, researchers who believe in their presence, there
is a certain amount of evidence of their visits to our planet. The most famous UFO event
is the one that took place in Roswell, New Mexico, in the first half of the 20th
century, where a spaceship with three aliens on board landed. From that moment
ufologists have disclosed the creation of a secret area called "Area 51", where
a team of scientists are still studying what they found. Moreover, these phenomena are
divulged and broadcast by the media. In fact TV programs have as guests witnesses of
these contacts, who claim to have been kept in custody by strange
creatures. In addition, others say they are sure of having seen Unidentified Flying
Objects, as shown in videos and photos collected, for example, by the French
government and recently published.
On the other hand, a large part of public opinion does not believe in them. There
could be various reasons for this: people can find no certainty in the stories told and
some researchers do not agree in ufology because there are no scientific
documents which support the possibility of other forms of life in the universe.
Furthermore, many persons referring their "meetings (encounters) of
the third type" are probably just publicity hunters.
The issue still remains unsolved and it is very difficult to take a standpoint
on such a controversial theme. Thinking of being alone in the whole Solar system
could sound a bit egocentric and maybe wrong. On the contrary, this idea can
be frightening and make people think about a possible threat to human beings.
But the fascination of UFO mystery attracts our minds...Are they watching us?
16. It is inevitable that as technology develops so traditional cultures must be lost.
Technology and traditional cultures are incompatible. You cannot have both
together. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The modern view often associates/equates the concept of technology with the
disasters of our society. Technology versus traditional cultures is the debate of the
century. A debate in which it is impossible to find, maybe, a definitive answer. A
compromise between a responsible use of technology and the keeping of traditional
culture could be the right solution.
I think technology is still indispensable for the progress of humanity, but
technology alone is not able to guarantee this. Scientists, businessmen, sociologists,
philosophers must find a new model of progress in which it is possible to
retrieve/recover/recapture the most important traditional values. It is absurd to think
of going back to using only the plough and oxen in agriculture, but at the same time, if
we use modern technological methods of farming, it is necessary to respect Nature’s
times and cycles. On the other hand, a total lack of technology would lead to the life
condition of some Third and Fourth World countries.
The problem is not technology, but how we intend to use it. We must use it
without neglecting certain values handed down by traditional culture. In this case
traditional culture plays a crucial role. Technology must not be imposed, but used to
improve certain aspects of our life. Internet and the use of e-mails can be a perfect
example of a correct interaction between technology and traditional culture. The
younger generations have lost the desire and the ability to write, apart from short and
very easy messages on their mobile phones. Yet the diffusion of e-mails among the
young has encouraged them to write again. Our way of writing is different, there is a
new language, with new rules of writing (the small letter after a full stop is an
“accepted error”), but the most important thing is the result: young people have started
writing again.
If we were in a fairy tale, according to different points of view, technology would
be the Prince Charming and traditional culture the monster or ogre. Probably as in a
fairy tale the characters live a sort of antagonism; similarly, technology and traditional
culture could not exist one without the other.
17. It is inevitable that as technology develops so traditional cultures must be lost.
Technology and traditional cultures are incompatible. You cannot have both
together. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Traditional culture is becoming lost as technology develops: is this inevitable?

There is no definitive answer to this question.
Technology has slowly spread out its tentacles through our lives, gradually
reaching a point where it has now become extremely difficult to do without it. Unless,
of course, you want to become a new Robinson Crusoe and live far from civilization in an
uncontaminated, unconditioned, savage world.
Computers, Internet, cell-phones, satellite-TV, domestic appliances, advanced
scientific instruments of research, fast transport systems have radically changed our way
of life and our way to relate to others. All this seems to be against traditional culture
based on family values, religion, friendship, work and study.
Nevertheless technology has many advantages: the development of
communications and fast means of transport have made cultural exchanges easier; daily
life has become more comfortable; scientific discoveries have improved our health
conditions and lengthened our life expectancy. Computers have brought the world to our
home.
On the other hand technology is sometimes responsible for the change in the
relationships among family members: nowadays family members seldom have a meal
together and if they do, they don't usually communicate anymore because they prefer
watching TV. Technology has speeded up our life and has reduced our privacy: it is as if
we are heading towards Orwell's Big Brother. Man has become more selfish, irritable and
violent, also less motivated because of lack of values. As far as work is concerned,
technology has improved it, but on the other hand it has become frenetic; because of
the help of computers and cell-phones, you can take your work home, thus conditioning
your social and private life, which can suffer from an excessive workload.
In conclusion, in our opinion, both technology and traditional culture can coexist,
as one complements the other. It is up to our own common sense to find a balance
between the two. Only in this way will we be able to take the advantages that
technology offers without losing our traditional culture.
18. In the past, sporting champions used to be motivated primarily by the desire to
win a match or to break world records. These days, they are more likely to be
motivated by prize money and the opportunity to become famous.
What message does this send to young people and how does this attitude to sport
affect sports themselves?

It is no accident that our society has been tagged as an "outward society". This
modern thirst for fame and glory is no longer typical only of people from showbiz, who
turn their image into a job, but it affects politicians and sportsmen also, i.e. people who
normally do not spend their lives in the spotlight. If we focus our attention on the
category of sportsmen, for instance, we cannot refrain from thinking about their ever
more evident transformation into real stars.
How can we not talk about David Beckham, for example, who sets the world
buzzing more for his staggering profits and cool way of dressing (and to think his wife is
called "Posh Spice"!) than because of his sporting skills. Obviously, young people are
allured by such a lifestyle, full of money, women and success.
In fact, talented young sportsmen, sometimes, start their career in order to
distinguish themselves as aces and later end up by developing a keen interest in money
and nights of revelry. The excesses of sportsmen create a bigger stir when, of course,
they concern a champion of the particular cult sport of a country (American football and
basketball in USA, football in Italy...), where considerable sums of money are involved.
In Italy, the recent betting and wiretapping scandals confirm the increasing
corruption in the world of football, which offends football fans to the quick and
undermines the idea of football itself. Moreover, what is ever more insulting is that the
relevant authorities do not suspend the league championship when violent episodes take
place in the stadium.
People involved in football are definitely more afraid of missing the opportunity
of earning easy money than of besmirching the original concept of sportsmanship.
19. In the past, sporting champions used to be motivated primarily by the desire to
win a match or to break world records. These days, they are more likely to be
motivated by prize money and the opportunity to become famous.
What message does this send to young people and how does this attitude to sport
affect sports themselves?

Young people spend more and more time watching television and they are easily
influenced by the messages it transmits.
Nowadays sport also occupies an important place among other TV programs. The
media describe some sportsmen as heroes and induce young people to imitate them.
Producers use the sportsman’s image to persuade people to buy clothes, jewels, food,
etc.., thus making them believe that if they buy these articles, they can be like sporting
champions (e.g. Del Piero for "Morellato", Fiona May for "Kinder fette al latte"). They are
also called to take part in some TV programs, for example Aldo Montano and Igor Cassina
in "Ballando con le stelle"; last week Totti was invited to appear on the "Big Brother" TV
programme, etc..
So sportsman are also celebrities, thanks to the sponsors they earn huge sums of
money. This world described by the media fascinates young people: they are
brainwashed into believing that if you practice sport, you will have an attractive body,
money and fame; they often forget that sport requires discipline and sacrifice. They
idealize sportsmen and fail to view the world of sport in realistic terms.
A great deal of economic interests affect sport in a negative way: in order to earn
more and more money, some people, belonging to this world, forget the right rules of
sport and legitimate illegal practices, such as doping and all other kinds of fraudulent
practices.
20. In some countries, it can be very difficult for people over the age of 50 to get
good jobs, despite their experience. What do you think are the causes of this
problem, and what measures could be taken to solve it? Give reasons for your
answers.

There are three categories of temporary workers: women who hope to find a
regular part- time job and when they have their first child they have to use all their wits
to strike a happy medium between job and family; young people whose lack of job
security is a highly debated topic in many media discussions; finally people over the age
of 50 who are the “new” temporary workers.
All these categories suffer the consequences of the Italian Labour Market which
are underdeveloped and outdated, but in particular the last category, because when
fifty-year-old men lose their jobs, they do not manage to find a suitable new job,
despite their experience. The problem is that the companies believe that a fifty-year-
old worker is no longer an economic resource, but only a heavy burden that creates a
gap in comparison with those countries that have a successful Labour Market. A fifty-
year-old worker becomes useless and loses his value in terms of working potential.
It is necessary, clearly, to take some measures to solve this new working
emergency. I think the Government should make themselves responsible and offer
security and incentives for all companies which employ temporary workers like the over-
50’s. But in particular I believe that we need a new mentality. It is indispensable that
companies and workers change their point of view and attitudes.
Many companies think in the same way as 50 years ago, when the average life
expectancy was lower than today and the tasks to be carried out were more physically
demanding. Nowadays many jobs require experience, attention and constant updating
and fifty-year-old men are really the right response to this new way of working. The
experience that they have matured over the years could increase their commercial and
working value. And now that the average lifespan is 80/85 years it is really impossible to
think of paying retirement pension for 35 years, given that a 50-year-old man is forced
to retire at that age.
This is a challenge for every staff manager. It is absolutely necessary to fight
against lack of job security.
21. Back to the dark ages? Electricity, like so many other inventions such as the
telephone, has become a part of our lives which we take for granted. However, if we
stop and think for a moment, would it be possible for us to live without it?

From the moment we switch off the alarm-clock in the morning until we put out
the light in the evening, we keep on using electricity. Because of our habits, a life
without it would be impossible.
Electricity makes so many machines work, not to mention the heating in our
houses, our household electrical appliances, the computers, the lights in the city
streets, the medical equipment in hospitals and so on. Often we use it without even
noticing it, only when there is a black-out do we realize the importance of electricity in
our lives.
The invention of electricity has definitely improved our living conditions but in
the meantime it has created a huge new problem: pollution, the major cause of global
warming. In fact electricity is a type of energy which is clean where it is used and
pollutant where it is produced. For that reason we have to use electricity with
conscientiousness and reduce the waste of energy. For example we do not need to have
a temperature of 25 degrees in our houses during the winter or we can use energy saving
bulbs instead of the normal ones.
Energy saving is very important however it is not sufficient because what we need
are better, cleaner and more efficient alternative energy sources. If we want to live in a
healthier world we do not have to go back to the dark ages, first of all because, as I said
before, it would not be possible, secondly because progress means finding solutions
looking towards the future, not hiding in the past.
To conclude, the advantages of electricity outweigh the disadvantages.
22. Back to the dark ages? Electricity, like so many other inventions such as the
telephone, has become a part of our lives which we take for granted. However, if we
stop and think for a moment, would it be possible for us to live without it?

Electricity, like so many other inventions such as the telephone, has become a
part of our lives which we take for granted. It is customary for us to turn on the lights in
the evening; we spend our spare time watching TV or chatting on the phone. Our lives
have been improved by computers and domestic appliances which need electricity to
function.
But is all this really indispensable? Couldn't we live without electricity? Some
people think that it is possible. For example the Hamish community in America and
another small one in Italy, the "Comunità degli Elfi" reject all the inventions of the 20th
century and they can do without them. They have no electricity in their houses, no
television and no telephone. Nevertheless they live well and they are extremely proud
of their lifestyle and happy to live in contact with nature.
Moreover in some underdeveloped countries people have no electricity at all in
their houses and their way of living is quite different from ours. Despite this they can
live all the same.
Maybe we could live with no electricity and other comforts, maybe they are not
really indispensable. But it is also true that our standard of living would be very low.
Some inventions, such as computers, internet, mobile phones, are not essential for our
existence and we could do without them. The new inventions have considerably
improved and changed our way of living.
In conclusion, I think even though electricity and other discoveries are not
completely indispensable, they continuously improve our lives. I am firmly convinced
that civilization must go on and not go back to “the dark ages”.
23. “Do young people today make good use of their leisure time? Or do they spend
too much time watching television and playing video games, instead of taking part in
more productive activities?”

Nowadays children tend to spend the major part of their leisure time watching TV
and playing video games. This attitude can cause a series of problems: first of all,
because children spend so much time indoors, they have less time to dedicate to sports,
and as a consequence of this, children become lazy and can suffer from physical
problems/disorders/complaints. For example, by sitting too much time in front of the
screen, children’s sight becomes weaker and weaker.
Secondly, children who spend the whole afternoon alone, watching the television,
not only alienate themselves from their family but have no social contact with other
children. Other problems can be the lack of creativity and the absence of mental
stimulation/stimuli from the external world.
Despite all these drawbacks, we can find some benefits in watching television: for
example young people can acquire useful information through educational programmes.
Moreover, videogames can be a means to become more acquainted with computer skills
and is a way to relax after a day at school.
Thus, these activities are not completely negative, even though they must not
occupy an unreasonable length of time. More productive leisure activities might be
taking part in sporting activities, in order to practise physical exercise; spending time
with friends and playing with other children; reading to improve their creativity and
reading skills; or playing a musical instrument.
24. Nowadays teaching methods entail the carrying-out of tests and examinations at
regular intervals in the scholastic career of young learners. It is a common notion
that too much emphasis is given to these tests and that the teaching staff perceive
these examinations as a restriction and an unnecessary pressure on students.

I agree mainly with the first part of the assertion: the feeling of presumed
restriction. In this respect, tests can prove to be a sort of obstacle to the scheduled
programme because teachers must waste time preparing, correcting and
assessing/evaluating tests and exams. This increase in the number of working hours may
affect negatively the regular course of teaching and the final result could be the risk of
an unfinished programme at the end of the year. In addition, teachers have to organize
school programmes according to exam dates.
On the other hand the matter can be considered also from a different point of
view. First of all testing offers teachers the opportunity to follow/monitor/supervise the
scholastic career of young learners in a more constant way and secondly to check the
validity of the teaching method they have applied. Finally teachers have more
instruments at their disposal to judge the students' progress.
With reference to the second part of the topic: the unnecessary pressure exerted
on students, I disagree in part for two reasons. It is true that young learners can check
their knowledge and understand what they have to work on in order to attain
satisfactory grades. Secondly, it is a way to make a student aware of his/her
responsibilities, since there will always be someone judging him/her in the course of
his/her life, for example in his/her working career.
The other side of the coin is that pressure could make learners too nervous and
badly affect their performance. It is undeniable that because of anxiety and
responsibility the exam results may fall short of parents' expectations and provoke a
feeling of inadequacy or frailty/insecurity in young learners.
In conclusion, the difficulties encountered at school can be a training for life
before entering the adult world.
25. What are the key problems facing the world’s cities in the 21st century, and
what can be done about them?

Almost half the world’s population now live/lives in urban areas and, as cities

grow even larger, conditions for city dwellers are likely to get worse. Two of the most

critical problems are pollution and a high incidence/level of crime.

In the cities there are many cars that cause not only air- but also noise pollution.

Air pollution, in the long run, could cause respiratory diseases, such as bronchitis,

asthma, emphysema and lung cancer; noise could be disturbing during the night or even

bring about hearing disorders.

A possible solution is to increase public transport, for people going to work; or if

their work-place is not far, they could walk. In Italy, for example, cars are banned in the

city centre one Sunday a month. Scientific research has also demonstrated how a car

can also run on hydrogen but the economic importance of petroleum prevails over the

finding of alternative sources of energy to fight pollution.

Some cities are not the safest places to live in. People are sometimes abused, for

example they could be victims of robberies, bag-snatchings, mugging or even murders.

This happens because of unemployed people who seek an easier way to obtain (some)

money. Among these, there are also young people who very often take drugs. We could

face the problem with more police forces to keep law and order in the city slums; they

also need the help of social workers to find them a job or oblige them to go to school.

Here they could be given education on how to respect the rules by means of film-clips

about the tragic consequences of crime or through direct contact with victims of crime.

A piece of advice to those who live in the city is not to be indifferent to these and

other city problems because they concern everyone.

26. Is teaching children easier than teaching adults?

It may seem true that teaching children is easier than teaching adults, because
one thinks at first of children’s more elastic minds, in fact they learn much more
quickly, and one thinks that teaching adults calls for a greater preparation.
However, there are several arguments to disprove this idea. Teaching children
requires much more energy and many resources because it is necessary to give them
continuous stimuli to make them learn and to keep their attention at a high level.
Besides, there is emotional involvement, which calls for more dedication and attention
to their educational and psychological needs.
Adults, on the other hand, do not need particular motivations because they
usually learn with a specific objective. The only drawback with them is that they have
less mental receptiveness. Furthermore there are no problems with the maintaining of
discipline, which we have instead with children. However this largely depends on the
age of the adults; in fact if we consider here also students who are 18 or 19 years old,
things are different because teaching them requires enormous dedication due to their
personality.
Now it is hard to say which type of teaching is easier. Teaching is never an easy
role and the choice should be made according to the teacher’s personality. But this is a
job that gives you new emotions day by day, as opposed to working in front of a PC all

day. It could be tiring but it also can be rewarding, pleasurable and stimulating .
27. Is PC learning a substantial alternative for studying?

It is not completely true to say that PC learning is a useless way to learn

languages. It represents one of the most effective systems for long-distance
learning. In fact it has been adopted by many people in recent years.
In areas where transport is difficult and it is not easy to reach schools, online
courses can help students to improve their own knowledge, both as regards foreign
languages and the most varied subjects. Thanks to the Internet and the various
possibilities it offers, we can plan our own self-study at home and how to improve on our
weak points in grammar, vocabulary and listening. All this, saving time and money, also
gives working people the opportunity to learn whenever they want.
On the other hand it is also necessary to say that school helps people to become
part of society by interacting with (the) others. If there is no cooperation between
students and teachers, there can be problems in pronunciation and translation skills.
The teacher's contribution can correct, stimulate and suggest useful exercises based on
our difficulties of comprehension. Thanks to his/her experience and knowledge, a good
teacher is able to recognize and correct our mistakes immediately.
Finally, we can assert that PC learning is such an anonymous and impersonal way
of studying that, despite being useful and practical, gives us very few stimuli. Moreover,
if the Internet enables global communication, it is also true to say that a direct dialogue
has to be considered the best way to exchange views and opinions.
28. Income tax is too high. We should vote for the party which would lower taxes

Currently we are living in a critical period, where economic conditions and the
buying power of Italian citizens are getting worse and worse. Most Italians cannot live on
their salaries, and usually their money runs out by the third week of the month. The
middle class is disappearing and rich men are even richer and poor men even poorer.
The sensitivity of the Italians to these economic problems comes out when we switch on
the radio and television and when we read newspapers because the principal topics for
discussion are taxation and the elections.

At the moment it seems to be possible to resolve the situation by voting for the
party which presents a political program with lower taxes. We must consider that in a
political campaign, a lot of promises are made just to obtain votes, even if it is very
difficult to keep them. The programs of the PD (Partito Pemocratico) and that of the
PDL (Partito Delle Libertà) are very similar as far as taxation is concerned: in fact, both
propose the abolition of ICI (i.e. property tax) on residential homes, a sum of money for
the newborns, and tax relief for families.

Some months ago the Italian Minister for the Economy Padoa Schioppa referred to
taxes as a “beautiful thing”, a statement which raised a certain amount of discussion. As
a matter of fact taxes were created to fund public services, for this reason paying more
taxes should produce a higher standard of living and less expenditure. In a little town in
Norway called Trondheim most of the people voted for the party which advocated “More
taxes for everyone”. Politicians kept these promises and they have won the election for
the second time. This happened because with the money from taxation they have rebuilt
schools, built nursery schools, hospitals, they have cut down bus fares and they have
given assistance to the old people. This model proves that is not necessary to vote for
lower taxes to improve citizens’ social condition.

In conclusion this last model would be supported by many people, if they were
guaranteed that all money from taxes would return to the citizens in the form of public
service improvement. But our politicians do not offer these guarantees.
29. Is animal vivisection a legitimate practice?

Vivisection (or, better, animal testing) consists in experiments in the pharmacological,

physiological, biomedical and biological fields. Animal testing comprises various
experimental trials, but the most common involves induction in the animal of a specific
pathology, then the observation of the reaction of drugs on the animal itself. Animals
can be exposed to radiation and they can even be mutilated.

The necessity for animal testing, its scientific utility and its ethical justification are all
highly controversial topics. Many associations in favour of animals consider the abolition
of animal testing as their most important aim. Anti-vivisection groups maintain that
animal testing is scientifically ineffective and potentially replaceable with other
methods; animal rights supporters, on the other hand, are less concerned with the
scientific area, underlining the non-ethical aspect of the issue.

It is clear that scientists and researchers are not unanimous. They consider animals
“causal analog models” (CAM), that is to say that the primary function of animal testing
is to discover causal mechanisms, which trigger the pathology in animals, and then to
transfer, by analogy, these results to human beings. In their opinion animal testing has
played an important role in several well-known experiments: in 1890 Ivan Pavlov
demonstrated his theory about conditioned reflex using a dog; insulin was isolated for
the first time in dogs in 1922, revolutionizing the treatment of diabetes.

In Italy there is a group, always in search of new members, which actively opposes
vivisection and it is called LAV (lega anti vivisezione). Its members periodically organize
petitions to make the government abolish the decree n. 116 which disciplines animal
testing in Italy. According to this group, and I agree with them, there are many people
who believe that vivisection is useful only because most facts and news are hidden, and
the scientific discoveries related to animal testing are used in such a way as to make
people think that it is really essential. For this reason they are publicizing alternative
methods, like new ways to perform toxicity tests, such as cell and human tissue cultures
or the use of artificial skin. In this field the number of exploited animals in Italy and in
Europe in general is steadily decreasing.
Scientific research is important for everyone’s life, but maybe we should agree with
what Mahatma Gandhi once said: we shouldn’t destroy the marvellous creatures God has
created on Earth.