Argue/Persuade/Advise - Task 4

Some young people spend time doing voluntary work. Some do this work in the local communities while other go abroad. Write the text of a leaflet which is intended to persuade young people that voluntary work would be a valuable experience for them and for the community they served.

Analyse/Review/Comment - Task 4

Why are teenagers so obsessed with fashion and labels? Write an article analysing the different reasons for this phenomenon, and commenting on whether or not it is a bad thing.

Why are teenagers so obsessed with fashion and labels? Write an article analyzing the different reasons for this phenomenon, and commenting on whether or not it is a bad thing.

We all know that every teenager wants to be popular and one of the ways of showing this popularity is wearing fashionable clothes with certain labels. Whether this act is good or bad is beyond my knowledge but I can have a guess as everyone would like some attention.

On one hand you have popularity. Some people would rather act and dress differently to have friends or to be liked. So people would think that having designer labels are a good thing as you would dress like your idol. But what if you were bullied? And to get them to stop, you would have to act as someone else because being yourself was out of the question. On the other hand you wouldn’t get bullied.

These labels are also expensive! People charge you so much just to get these labels whereas if you would go to the market place you would find the exact same top or trouser for so much less. Although we do have to think about quality and how long it would last, but some may think just because it’s cheap it won’t be up to standard.

Think about where these clothes come from! Some say that they were made by children half way around the world and it’s true. They work non stop and get paid less than 1p a day in the most poorest and disgusting conditions. These things we call fashion were made with blood, sweat and tears!

In conclusion I think having designer labels is a good thing, despite the arguments being unbalanced. I am a teenager and I wear labels not because of the statements above but because I like wearing them. Depending on your figure and the clothes you wear including labels, you look nice in them and it can build your confidence. It can give you a sense of authority and status which for some is good and some is bad. Wearing different types of clothes can also lead to assumptions and judging people by what they wear.

Argue/Persuade/Advise-Task1

As we live in a new era we notice the natural urge for change. But what we don't tend to think about is if we really want to get rid of our traditional towns?

In the old traditional Britain we had cobbled streets, horse drawn carriages and locally owned stores from butchers to shoemakers. Now, as technology has evolved, we have become unsatisfied with what we have and created a modern Britain. This has allowed us to trade in our traditions by adding components like tar maced roads, frequently running public buses and large franchises from fast food stores to the largest grocery stores all at our door steps. This has transformed our town and allowed us to forget about the finer things we had enjoyed in the past which our council are eagerly wishing we forget.

For as long as i could remember our peaceful town has been a place where we could relax and be at ease. We walk down the street without worries and fear because we are aware of all our neighbours and passers by. But if the council go ahead with this proposal we shall soon have need for concern. Danger will surround our children not to mention the sly thieves that the new shoppers will be attracting.

In our town their are family owned businesses that have been around for many decades. These stores have steadily structured the financial part of our community so we naturally trust them with our money. They also allow us to enjoy spending our money with pleasant smiles from the cashiers, well mannered glances and polite greetings. These make us feel comfortable and secure so that we are able to become their loyal customers . This change we could be facing will cause these family businesses to face extinction as all the larger companies consume land all over our country and persuade us that it's a good idea by shining their golden prices in our faces.

In conclusion I strongly believe that we have to fight for our local businesses. This is our town, our money and our businesses. If we allow the council to take this much away from us who knows what else they may decide to change. It's up to our community to chose to change!

Task 2: Opening Worlds

As people behave differently in a variety of places and conditions, children in the Games at Twilight fear the darkness and are prone to be active during good weather as they 'burst' out the door like 'seeds from a crackling, over-ripe pod.' For the Young Couple the love between them is disrupted in public but in their flat, together they can afford to be seen 'uncovered' and were always 'completely happy.'

The 'confinement in the house' causes the children to 'wail horrendously' because theres no light as everything was 'curtained' and 'shuttered' which made the children strained to escape. After a while the mother would 'let down the bolt' and the children would run out with 'maniacal yells' because they bothered her in her bath. This shows that the children feels liberated bathing in the light and breathing the air otherwise they would 'choke' in compacted space and protected from sunlight.

However, the weather did not affect the bond between the couple. Instead, the place they're in changes the way they treat each other. Naraian and Cathy lived in a flat with a great view of a 'decadent eighteenth century mausoleum.' They wouldn't mind being 'stark naked' and usually they would spend 'a lot of time in bed' together. In public Naraian would try to stay a 'few inches' away from Cathy to show that it's awkward to be very close to her and shy to touch her.

Similarly, as the environment change it brings fear to people that is not familiar with it. Ravi experience horror as he enter a shed to hide himself from Raghu and the darkness inside makes the surrounding 'less definable' and 'less recognizable'. This causes Ravi to imagine snakes living inside the shed and succumbs to the fear, hoping to get caught so that he could 'be in the sun.' As a result, darkness fear children because Ravi is young and light comforts them.

On the other hand, there is no privacy in public as Cathy tries to feel close to Naraian. He would quite often 'forget' that Cathy is around and that their hands never touched'. Also Naraian becomes 'very aware' of what Cathy is up to like if her 'dress crept up over her knee' or one of her 'button is undone.' This shows that Naraian is not comfortable and feels more formal at his home country instead of in England where he and Cathy enjoyed 'kissing' and 'holding hands.'

In conclusion, people react differently in different places but they learn to adapt to it after a long time or become sick of it. Ravi becomes more courageous and remains in the darkness to hide from Raghu causing him to imagine his triumph over the 'football champion.' But Cathy feels more claustrophobic in the flat towards the end as everyone 'joined forces' and causing Naraian to feel more 'dissatisfied' and 'complain' about it.

Opening Worlds - Task 4

Look carefully at the extract describing Bolan in the fountain and beneath the parrots in the trees. Compare how Bolan and one other character from another short story of your choice seek happiness, and assess how successful they are.

Argue/Persuade/Advise-Task 3

You have been invited to contribute to a radio discussion called Issues for the 21st Century. The topic of your programme is: ‘We should refuse to buy goods from countries where workers are exploited.’ Decide on your point of view, then write out, in full, what you intend to say on the programme.



Exploitation.A topic of many discussions .Many people are becoming much more aware of this selfish act and are trying to fight against it.Does it sound hard?In fact it is very easy.If you want to make a difference you could start by firstly changing your shopping habits and refusing to buy products from countries where workers are exploited.

Exploitation is a growing problem.In many third world countries many poor people are working hard hour after hour after hour and getting paid peanuts.You may be thinking that many other people in the UK get underpaid for their jobs, such as NHS workers.However, this is a different story altogether.

Many big brands that we see in our shops today are guilty of this crime.They go to third world countries where the people are stricken with poverty and would do anything to get a little bit of money.Big businesses thrive on this and take advantage of the weaknesses of these innocent victims.This results in business men and women behind this heinous act become billionaires in seconds.

In the news today there are many shocking stories of third world exploitation.For example many children younger than you and me are sent to work at factories that are not only horrible but dangerous.Many children die or become severely injured working in them but there is no way out for they have to earn a living and this is the only way to.Sitting in a classroom isn't going to give them money to take home everyday is it?

I come from Pakistan which isn't the richest of countries.It is home to thousands of exploited people.I would witness this whenever I would go to the bazaar.The first time I saw this was when I was ten years old and going to the shopping centre to buy some clothes for my uncle's wedding.I remember looking out of the window of my car and seeing things that I will never forget.I remember seeing young children working in factories.I would see them coming out with an expression of exhaustion on their faces.I remember the feeling in my heart when I saw this and the anger I felt towards the ones behind this.

It doesn't have to be this way.If we refuse to buy products from countries where workers are exploited.Ever felt like changing something in the world, no matter how big or small?Now is your chance.Lets break the chains of exploitation and give back the rights to the workers.Lets come together as a community in cohesion and make a difference.Lets give the poor workers a chance to be able to go home with a happiness in their hearts that they have worked for a reason and been treated fairly.It really is that simple.

Argue/Persuade/Advise - Task 3

You have been invited to contribute to a radio discussion called Issues for the 21st Century. The topic of your programme is: ‘We should refuse to buy goods from countries where workers are exploited.’ Decide on your point of view, then write out, in full, what you intend to say on the programme.

Opening Worlds - Task 1

Compare the presentation of poverty and its effects in two short stories of your choice.

Poverty has a great effect on the lives of the families in Pieces of Sliver and The Red Ball. For the ‘poor folks’ three pence was “a lot of money” and in the Red Ball the love of a father from his son was taken away by poverty. However one of the families learns to cope with it and help them from the humiliation while the other family was disappointed by “everything going up.”

In Pieces of Sliver the Dovecot family had to live in a house that had a “poor, wretched coop of a room.” The house was ‘discoloured’ and the walls was cover with old “newspapers and magazines,” and they had to sit on “sanded floor.” This shows how poverty took over their lives and they had to live in place where you can see the “rotting, warm eaten boards beneath.”

Similarly in the Red Ball, Bolan and his family had a hard life and lived in a “long line of barracks.” They came to live in the Port of Spain to get a better live but it seems like when they came “everything went up.” Bolan wanted to make new friends and he had no other choice but to steal the money from his parents’ savings. This shows that the effect of poverty made people change their ways of living; forced them to do things they wouldn’t and turned them into a ‘thief.’

Clement’s father was ashamed of their poverty. He had to “sweat blood” for the money he made and the thought of giving his son three pence made him broke down in a ‘helpless laughter.’ They had to eat from a “peeling metal spoon.” This shows that poverty made them helpless and that they had to work really hard to earn the little money they got but that wasn’t enough.

Bolan had a “pin which kept his shirt front closed.” The living conditions Bolan and his parents had was really bad and Bolan was sent to ‘market school.’ He had to sleep on a “straw mat” and sit on a “low stool.” His mother was ‘disappointed’ by only saving eight shillings. This shows that their lives became worse by moving to Port of Spain and that when a nip of rum meant ‘celebration,’ but now everything evening his father would have it because of the stressed he had over not having enough money.

In conclusion, poverty can destroy lives but also help people to get along with each other. Clement and his sister Evelina has a close bond while Bolan is a pariah to the society. Both of the families went through a hard life but Clement and his sister helped themselves and others from being ashamed. While Bolan makes his father disappointed in him by taking their ‘savings’ to make new friends.

Analyse/Review/Comment-Task3

Currently, young people are able to vote when they turn 18 in the UK. Analyse the advantages and disadvantages or lowering the age to 16 (or even lower) and comment on when you think YOU would be ready to vote in the general election.

Currently in the UK, young people are able to vote when they turn 18.This system has worked smoothly for many years.People vote,votes are counted and then a winner is announced.Some are thrilled at the results and some are outraged.Nonetheless, some people want to lower the age to 16 or younger and give younger people the chance to vote.

In media , young people are portrayed in a very negative.Their sensational reports stereotype teenagers as being like monsters.Many people say that if they have a chance to vote they will feel more responsible, feel like part of the community and have a chance to air their views. This could make those who commit crime feel more positive within themselves,that they are doing something good and other people would feel less intimidated by them.

Similarly, young people are now the future of this country.It is now important that they have a chance e to change the way things are done in the UK. They may be seen as children but a few days down the line they will be voting anyway, so what difference does it make?They might as well get some practise now.

On the other hand,some may argue that we have followed this system for many years so what is the point of changing it now?For years the system of only being able to vote when you reach the age of 18 has worked fine for the country.It has worked nice and smoothly so there is no point of changing it all now and letting children vote when they should be focusing on their studies.

It is also easy to argue that at this age young people aren't interested in the general election. They are more focused on their studies, fashion and the opposite sex. The general election is small in comparison to being asked out by the cutest boy in your year.

Taking all this into account, I think that the voting age should remain the same.I'm in no hurry to start voting and am happy to wait till 18 to vote.I may not agree with many of the results of the elections nowadays but I doubt I will jump to the chance of voting at the age of fourteen.

Analyse/Review/Comment - Task 3

Currently, young people are able to vote when they turn 18 in the UK. Analyse the advantages and disadvantages or lowering the age to 16 (or even lower) and comment on when you think YOU would be ready to vote in the general election.

Opening Worlds-Task 3

Compare the role of the statue and the oak in the lives of Bolan and Savushkin

Throughout the Red Ball and the Winter Oak, the social pariahs Bolan and Savushkin look up to the statue and the oak.For Bolan the statue in Woodford Square is like a haven.Similarly for Savushkin the Winter Oak is like an "old acquaintance".These two landmarks offer them some hope in their lonely lives.

Bolan is a "tunapuna boy from the sugar cane fields". He lives in a "long line of barracks" and is stricken with poverty. This poverty leads him to become a social outcast as there is a feeling that his parents regret having him in the first place.This is due to the financial problems they face and how they cannot save enough to live happily.

Similarly, Savushkin is a social outcast in his school. He is seen as a "difficult boy" by his teacher Anna Vasilevna and is laughed at by his fellow class mates.However the difference is that Savushkin doesn't realise this and sits in class "smiling, at his own thoughts, clearly not bothered.

However, out of the man made community of the school and into the nature of the forest, Savushklin feels at home. In the the forest he knows everything and is comfortable.The "huge and majestic" Winter Oak is like an old "acquaintance" and offers him a sense of belonging.He feels so happy in the forest and in the company of its " guardian" that it takes him an awfully long time to get to school which results in him being late.

The statue in Woodford square holds the same status to Bolan as the Winter Oak to Savushkin.Woodford square is like a haven to Bolan.A place where no-one
is "chasing him down".The "smiling" statues offer him some happiness and pleasure in the evenings before he has to face the tensions of family life.

In conclusion,the statue in Woodford square and the Winter Oak seem to be extremely important in the lives of Bolan and Savushkin. While not being accepted in society these landmarks offer them some hope,pleasure and happiness .While Bolan realises how vulnerable he is without the statue,Savushkin has a more casual relationship with The "magestic"Oak.

Opening Worlds - Task 3

Compare the role of the statue and the oak in the lives of Bolan and Savushkin.

Analyse, Review and Comment- Task 2

In many schools there is a system of setting students by ability in their lessons. Many schools swear by it and always use this method as they believe that this is the only way to gain the maximum potential from each student.However, there are those who question this method and would like to see another system put into place.

The people who are against this idea hold views that setting students in ability groups result in low self esteem.The students who are in top sets are labelled as 'Gifted and Talented'.In some schools there are even schemes for the Gifted and Talented such as residential trips ,privileges and schemes such as peer mentoring. However there is nothing for the people in the bottom sets.They are labelled as 'dumb', 'thick' and 'stupid'.They aren't given the attention that the Gifted and Talented children get.They are left doing basic things in their lessons,just letting time go by.

On the other hand, There are views that if this system is kept the way it is it is much easier for the teacher.In a mixed ability class the teacher has to plan their lesson to cater for the needs of each student. This is extremely difficult because they will have to plan the lesson to be challenging enough for an A* student but easy enough for a G grade student.The positive of this system is that the teacher only has to plan their lesson to fit the needs of only A*- B students or E-G grade students.

Similarly, the students benefit from this system.In some lessons students to spend half the lesson listening to the teacher waffle on about the same old thing to a student who isn't as strong at the subject as he/she is ,or a student having to attempt work that they don't understand just so they don't look stupid in front of the class.With this system a strong student can get on with work to challenge their brain and a weaker student can take their time on a piece of work so that they understand it fully.

However,flipping the coin to the less shiny side, in some lessons in a bottom set there are many under- achieving students who disrupt the lesson.This could be to do with feeling that because they are in the bottom set there is no point of trying to learn because whatever they do and how hard they try they are thick as two short planks of wood and won't get anywhere in life.This could result in the other students who want to learn failing because the teachers attention is on those who disrupt the lesson and not on the teaching.

When you think about the argument of low self esteem and disruption in lessons, you can easily go against the system of placing students by ability in lessons. However, in my opinion I feel that disruption in lessons depends on how the teacher controls the class,not because the students in the low sets are the 'under-achieving' students.The low self esteem which many people say are caused by setting would never be there in the first place if the necessary action was taken to make all students feel that though they may be weak in some subjects there are subjects where they will shine.In my school this system is in place and it has many positive effects.

Argue/Persuade/Advise - Task 2

Your school council has decided to raise awareness, both in the school and the community, of the importance of recycling waste. Write the text of a leaflet which is to be widely distributed, persuading people that recycling is a good thing for themselves, the community and the environment.

Analyse/Review/Comment - Task 2

Analyse the advantages and disadvantages of setting students by ability in schools, commenting on what you think to be the best way to group children in school.

Opening Worlds - Task 2

Explore the importance of the setting in two short stories of your choice.

Task1: APA

We’ve all heard of Asda, Tescos, Sainsbury’s and other supermarket chain stores. They would usually be in densely populated areas because it makes it more convenient to buy groceries or other things we need. But we must not neglect the smaller local shops that wait for you round the corner.

There are at least over fifty small shops located around your town that are overwhelmed by monstrous superstores. People that own these small businesses would struggle to attract more customers if those grand supermarkets give better deals that are unprofitable or a better variety of food. The last thing they wouldn’t want to happen is become bankrupt. The percentage of unemployment would fly sky high and poverty would plague the town all because of a large supermarket built nearby.

Similarly, the town is already saturated with shops and supermarkets. Most of them sell similar products and there isn’t much variation. There is already some supermarket chain stores built here and it’s pointless to build a business that sells the same thing. We’ve got enough supermarkets that provide us the things we need and more of them is just wasting the land.

Another point is that, there aren’t a lot of open areas for leisure. When I was a kid it was difficult to play outside since there were no parks or fields. I had to play in the streets with my friends and we end up breaking windows if we start a game of football. You wouldn’t want a naive child to break your windows or disturb you so why not let nature remove your worries and give children the greatest gift you have for them.

Furthermore, the land can be used to give the town a better image. It could be decorated with flowers and ponds also it could be used for festivals like Christmas and have a tree sparkle during the darkest winter nights and warm you in the coldest winter days. It makes the environment more interesting and everyone would be really disappointed to be used to build a supermarket.

In conclusion, the open land can be used for many things. Even though it would bring money to the community and attract more people to the town if a supermarket were to be built there but the open land is used as part of our daily lives. You wouldn’t want to wake up to a towering infrastructure that you’ve created would you?

Argue/Persuade/Advise - Task 1

Your local council intends to allow a supermarket chain to build a superstore on a piece of land which has become available. Write an article for your local newspaper in which you try to persuade local people that this is unacceptable.

Task 1: ARC

Money, bits of paper that we value almost more than some things we really need in life. It buys items we need, popularity and even freedom although it isn’t easy earning it. But if we’re fortunate enough, what can we do if we suddenly became filthy rich?

Banks have credit cards or debit cards for people to instantly buy things they want but misusing credit cards could create an awfully large sum of debt that we must pay back. Especially young adults which blindly use it to buy things that are in fashion or amazes them. However, suddenly becoming extremely rich could help us pay off those debts or loans which shows that it could liberate us from any financial problems.

Another point is that becoming rich unexpectedly could improve the quality of people's lives. The cost of services or products become insignificant to us if we had a huge amount of money and we could easily go on a deluxe flight to L.A or buy the latest gaming consoles. This shows that becoming intensely wealthy have the power to manipulate our minds to think that the value of something is insignificant yet also improve the quality of other things.

On the other hand, it changes the image and popularity of a person if they use it to help charities and save lives. It gives guilt and pressure because if you don't help those who needs it, it shows that you're selfish and arrogant. This means that money is like a drug thats hard to give up for any reason and the withdrawal symptoms is like the sorrow, anger or regret of having to give it.

Similarly, it makes us become arrogant, ignorant and self-centered because of the value of money. It helps us to live and travel because everything has a cost these days. As a result, money can change our personality because it used a lot almost for everything.

Overall, money is in fact important to our lives. We could buy anything or do anything if we suddenly became rich. But excess amount of it could blind us with greed and power and loosing all of it could make us feel weak since we rely on it everyday in our lives. Therefore, suddenly becoming rich is a bad thing because we mainly want it for ourselves instead of sharing it with others.

Analyse/Review/Comment - Task 1

There is a particular view that to come into money unexpectedly – such as through a lottery win, or similar – can solve many of the problems commonly faced in life. Analyse the advantages and disadvantages of suddenly becoming rich.

Opening Worlds - Task 1

Compare the presentation of poverty and its effects in two short stories of your choice.

Welcome to the BLOG

Every day during holiday periods this academic year (Christmas, half terms, Easter etc.), I will post ONE practice question on this BLOG.

I strongly recommend you:
post an attempt at each question
give meaningful and useful feedback to other students on their attempts.

This is a PEER ASSESSMENT blog, and so the more people who use it (posting AND commenting) the more successful it will be for all concerned.

Good luck! That A (or A*) grade is just within your reach...

Mr Savage