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E Sample essay Sample prompt: Essay A youth magazine you subscribe to has claimed that high school classes should not begin before 9:00 a.m. They are interested in their readers’ opinions and are asking for written contributions. Your have decided to write an essay (either for or against this claim), providing specific and detailed reasons to support your opinion. In your essay you should: • inform the reader about your current situation • describe effects on students’ and parents’ lives • outline the advantages and disadvantages of an early or late school start Give your essay a title . Write around 400 words . Useful phrases Essay Connectives: although • as … as … • as well • because • but • even if • however • in order to • in spite of • not … either • not until • provided that • since • so that • therefore • unless • whereas • while Adverbs of comment: actually • after all • apparently • basically • fortunately • frankly • in fact • in my opinion • naturally • unfortunately • obviously • of course • perhaps • possibly • probably • sadly Adverbs of degree: very • absolutely • almost • at all • at least • completely • drastically • extremely • hardly • most of all • particularly • quite • rarely • rather • really • utterly • virtually Structuring devices: both … and … • consequently • either … or • eventually • finally • first of all • secondly • furthermore • in the end • It is true that … but … . • last but not least • on the one hand … on the other hand … • on top of that P Are new inventions really making us lazier? Inventions in our society have on the whole improved the way in which we live our lives. While some inventions have certainly promoted laziness in the user, the biggest technological inventions of our time have made our lives much simpler. In my opinion, such inventions have made everyday tasks easier, which allows society to be more productive rather than lazier. The emphasis should not be placed on the inventions themselves, but rather the manner in which they are used. New developments in the form of transportation give people from small, secluded parts of the world the opportunity to travel and to see new things that they would otherwise not have had the chance to experience. As such transportation inventions have the capability of allowing people to rely on them too much, they cause a certain amount of laziness. The fact that people today can take the bus or car does not mean that they should be using modern means of transport all the time. It is important not to overuse such inventions to the point in which they begin to hinder the well-being of society. On the one hand our society has become undeniably dependent on technology, on the other hand the services which technology offers us have enabled us to accomplish much more than we could in the past. Inventions have, for example, made it possible for both parents to work outside the home. In the days before dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, tumble dryers and microwaves, typically the woman stayed at home in order to do the housework. Now it is possible to cook a meal in the microwave in a few minutes or throw your clothes in the washing machine and not have to spend all day doing the laundry. These inventions have not promoted laziness, but rather increased multitasking abilities and productivity. Likewise, some inventions yield educational benefits, such as the computer and the internet. Before the computer age, things were mostly hand- or typewritten and all the information had to be collected from printed sources. Now students can easily find information on the internet and need not go to the library. This is not being lazy, but rather a sign of the changing times in which we live. We now have a variety of different sources of reference at our fingertips and, in fact, these inventions promote curiosity and empower people to continuously expand their horizons. Inventions have changed the way we live today in comparison to a hundred or even fifty years ago. It is clear that such inventions have had a lasting impact for the better on today’s society. However, it is true that there are some people who abuse these inventions and have become lazy in the process. On an individual level we need to find a balance of what is an acceptable level of usage, before becoming too reliant and lazy. 160 Exam preparation Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv