Английский язык. Экспресс-репетитор для подготовки к ЕГЭ. «Письмо»

Task 7.

Many parents see pocket money as a way of encouraging their children to do well at school. It cannot be denied that money oils the wheels of the world. But can pocket money really improve school performance?

On the one hand, getting pocket money for good school grades teaches pupils that money does not grow on trees and develops a sense of how much has to be done to earn it. Besides, children become more interested in good results at school and try to study better. What is more, for many students studying is really hard work so they consider it fair to be rewarded for their efforts just like adults.

On the other hand, it is normal to expect pupils to do their homework properly because it is their duty as are household chores. Another argument against this practice is that children get upset when they do badly at school not because of their poor knowledge but because the will get no money. Finally, getting pocket money may become their main target and students may start cheating so as to get good grades.

To sum up, I think that this practice has more bad than good sides. That is why I strongly believe that parents should not give their children any money in order to encourage them to study better. Pupils should be ready to learn for learning’s sake. Of course they may be rewarded but for extra work, not for their duties.

Task 8.

Every year thousands of students take important exams which can decide their future. For example, students have to pass exams with excellent grades in order to get a place in a university. However, are exams the ultimate solution to judge one’s knowledge?

On the one hand, exams seem fair because the questions are the same for all students. Besides, the exams are marked according to a strict scheme and usually by more than one examiner. Furthermore, students do exams at the same time and under the same conditions. If the examination procedure is strict, students have no opportunity to cheat, that is why the results of exams are quite objective.

On the other hand, exams do not truly reflect the knowledge students hold. Despite some students deserving to pass, they might be so nervous on the big day that they make a mess of the exam. In addition, there may be other reasons, such as illness, which affect a student’s performance in an exam. Moreover, exams do not judge your intelligence. What is really evaluated is your self-confidence and your short term memory.

To sum up, exams are not the ideal way of testing students therefore the idea of assessing students’ work over a longer period is becoming more popular. In my opinion, the best system would be a mixture of exams and course work, in which students will be able to show their creative abilities.