Vung Tau English

Enhancement Program
SPEAKING TOPICS
FOR
FINAL
EXAMINATION

Strict Discipline is needed to bring up a child properly.

Do you agree?
Agree

The pros of a strict home environment

include respect for their elders as well as
children who excel in academics.
Spanking or any other forms of physical
discipline are actually effective ways to
discipline a child
Strict parenting isn't equivalent to
dictatorship. Even within democracy, we
have laws in place that are upheld strictly.
Strict parents tend to give chores and
have hard-line policies regarding
homework, school attendance and
activities. That discipline lasts for a
lifetime.

Disagree

The cons may be decreased creativity, an increased risk of low selfesteem and stress levels as well as inflexible thinking; this is due to
excessive pressure from their parents

Strict or authoritarian parents teach their children through obedience

and punishment. Children in these families aren't encouraged to
discuss issues with their parents; their attempts may be thwarted.
Negotiating and compromising is minimal or non-existent.

Talking with the child is one of the more effective way without getting
in trouble for physical abuse.

The earliest a child can understand the fine line between right and
wrong by being told is around the toddler age.

Repetitions of the conversation is necessary because they have

limited attention spans.

Time out can be effective but may lose its efficacy when the child
learns that there is nothing that stops him from not obeying.

This form of discipline is only good up to the extent of the childs fear
of the person implementing it.

but there is a find line between child abuse and child discipline. The
parents should not be angry or it may lead to excessive abuse.

Competitive sport has a negative effect on the society. Do

you agree?
Agree

Disagree

Emotional effect:

Emotional effect:

Competitive sports put a great deal of pressure to win and to be the best. It
reinforces the winner vs. loser idea on a daily basis.

Competitive sports also quickly separates those who can from those who cant.

A less athletic person than his or her peers will learn the emotional implications
of not being as good.

A low self-esteem early on in life can have an impact on an individual into

adulthood.

When a person participates in competitive sports he/she learns the

value of teamwork.

They learn at an early age that many obstacles in life do not have to
be weathered alone. They learn to rely and depend on other for their
successes. Learning at an early age to trust others allows for a
higher level of trust in adulthood.

Mental effect:

Mental effect:

To often the competitive sport takes precedence over a childs education. A

talented athlete may discover that being an athlete is all the adults around
him/her expect. They may find they no longer have to worry about learning or
grades, as long as they perform athletically at a high level they will be successful
in school. They learn to challenge themselves physically yet never mentally.

Physical effect:

Young bodies are still in the growing process. When a child participates in
competitive sports the repetitive movement required by many sports can cause
long-term injuries. Joints, ligaments and muscles are still growing well into a
childs high school years. Early overuse can cause joint and tendon problems as
well as early life arthritis as well as back and neck problems.

Studies show that physical activity stimulates the brain. A child

who gets regular physical activity is more likely to grasp and retain
new ideas. When a child participates in sports their problems
solving skills increase along with their ability to read and react
quickly to situations.

Physical effect:

We live in a society that struggles with obesity. Studies have shown

that adults who were active as child are far less likely to suffer from
obesity or other over weight issues. Competitive sports give children
the opportunity to move. Children no longer know how or are not
allowed to simply play. Children who are not involved with
competitive sports are more likely to be sedative. Children who
competitive in competitive sports learn how to use and appreciate
their bodies, they learn the benefits of being fit, limber and strong.

Violent video games cause behavioural problems. Do you

agree?
Agree:

The number one negative effect is they tend to inappropriately resolve anxiety by
externalizing it. So when kids have anxiety, which they do, instead of soothing
themselves, calming themselves, talking about it, expressing it to someone, or
even expressing it emotionally by crying, they tend to externalize it. They can
attack something, they can kick a wall, they can be mean to a dog or a pet
A recent study conducted by Iowa State University psychologists says yes. Their
study shows that brief exposure to violent video games can cause a reduction in
normal physiological reactivity to images of real violence. This process is the
same desensitization process that is used to help people get over fears of spiders
or flying.
Dr. Craig Anderson, one of the researchers involved in the study, says,
Basically, we introduce young children to very playful, fun, cartoonish forms of
violence, with little or no blood, no real consequences to the victim or friends
and family of the victim. As children grow more realistic and more threatening
elements are added. Eventually we have adults accustomed to and comfortable
with seeing lots of blood and gore, with an exaggerated view of how much
violence exists or is normal in modern society, and with belief systems that are
supportive of use of aggression or violence.
The controversy over violent video games resurfaced following the massacre of
13 people at Columbine High School in Jefferson County, CO on Apr. 20, 1999.
The two teenage shooters were revealed to be avid players of weapon-based
combat games Wolfenstein 3D and Doom. Following the shooting, 176
newspaper articles across the country focused on the allegation that video games
were the cause of the tragedy. The young men who opened fire at Columbine
High School, at the movie theater in Aurora, Colo., and in other massacres had
this in common: they were video gamers who seemed to be acting out some dark
digital fantasy. It was as if all that exposure to computerized violence gave them
the idea to go on a rampage or at least fueled their urges.

Disagree:

On June 27, 2011, the US Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in Brown vs. Entertainment Merchants Association that the
California law banning the sale of violent video games to minors violated free speech rights. In the majority
opinion, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote, "A state possesses legitimate power to protect children from harm... but
that does not include a free-floating power to restrict the ideas to which children may be exposed."

Within hours of the Virginia Tech shooting on Apr. 16, 2007, attorney and anti-game activist Jack Thompson
appeared on Fox News to blame the tragedy on the violent game Counter-Strike. Other high-profile figures such
as television host Dr. Phil McGraw and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney argued that video games
were to blame for the shooting. However, it was later revealed by the Virginia Tech Review Panel that the shooter
did not play video games.

Defenders of violent video games argue that the research has failed to show a causal link between video games
and real-world violence. They argue that correlations between video games and violent behavior can be explained
by youth predisposed to violence being attracted to violent entertainment. Additionally, if video games do cause
youth to be violent, then one would expect juvenile violent crime to increase as more youth play violent video
games. Instead, the arrest rate for juvenile violent crimes has fallen 49.3% between 1995 and 2008, while video
game sales have quadrupled in the same period.

According to Ian Bogost, associate professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and founder of software
maker Persuasive Games. Look at World of Warcraft: Youve got 11-year-olds who are learning to delegate
responsibility, promote teamwork and steer groups of people toward a common goal.

As mentioned earlier, the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) has proclaimed that kids need more, not less,
video game play. They argue that video games hold the potential to help address one of Americas most pressing
problems preparing students for an increasingly competitive global market.

The success of complex video games demonstrates that games can teach higher-order thinking skills such as
strategic thinking, interpretative analysis, problem solving, plan formulation and execution, and adaptation to
rapid change, the Federation announced in a 2010 report. These are the skills U.S. employers increasingly seek
in workers and new workforce entrants.

The Economist, in its Apr. 4, 2005 editorial "Chasing the Dream," stated:

"The opposition to gaming springs largely from the neophobia that has pitted the old against the entertainments
of the young for centuries. Most gamers are under 40, and most critics are non-games-playing over-40s. But
what of the specific complaints - that games foster addiction and encourage violence? There's no good evidence
for either

Most of the research on whether video games encourage violence is unsatisfactory, focusing primarily on shortterm effects. In the best study so far, frequent playing of a violent game sustained over a month had no effect on
participants' level of aggression. And, during the period in which gaming has become widespread in America,
violent crime has fallen by half. If games really did make people violent, this tendency might be expected to show
up in the figures, given that half of Americans play computer and video games. Perhaps, as some observers have
suggested, gaming actually makes people less violent, by acting as a safety valve."

In your opinion, what makes a good holiday?

Sports stars and film stars should be paid no more than

the average wage in the country . Do you agree?
Agree:

Some sports get paid more than others and it

isn't fair to other players or the sport itself. It
seems like some sports players that get a higher
contract are only in it for the big bucks and not
because they love the sport. NHL players get
paid about 7 million a year and Tiger Woods gets
over 40 million.
All professional athletes make mistakes, so why
pay them so much? They get paid like they are
perfect all the time, but realistically they are not
even close. For example Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod),
who plays for the Yankees didn't get hits last year
so they benched him during games. Per at bat he
gets on average of $200,000. So basically he gets
$200,000 to strikeout.
There are many people like doctors who deserve
the same amount of money as a pro football or
baseball layer earns. They save lives everyday

Disagree:

The time frame being in the industry is shorter

than other professions. That is mainly because in
sports, there is an age limit. Human bodies will
degrade biologically as you grow older and thus
the lucrative income lasts short.

the stress and risks the sports professional face.

Successful athletics have the name of their
countries buried in them. A single wrong step
will cause a career downturn in the industry
forever. Hence, higher pay should be used to
compensate it.

It's obvious that the more talent you have, the

more you are paid.
They are paid so much because people look to
them for entertainment after a long week of
work.
Besides, they still do pay for taxes. They still do
pay big money to the government, thus
contributing to society.

Part 3.

According to google, 94% of people stated that Wi-Fi is the

most important hotel amenity, even when on holiday. With so

much competition between hotels, what other amenities are
important when choosing a hotel to stay in?

Fitness center/ gym

Multi-Lingual staff
Swimming pool
Choice of Restaurants
Room Service
TV in room/ Movies on demand
Laundry Service
Electrical equipment including hairdryer, iron, etc.

According to a recent study, the average number of people

who apply for one job is 118. Which of the followings are most
important to consider when preparing for a job interview?

Finding out some background information

Arriving on time
Taking copies of your qualifications
Being aware of your body language
Exaggerating your abilities
Preparing some questions
Appearance
Having a sense of humour