Sample Essays (From “Practice Exam Papers for the Russian National Exam” CenterCom, 2005)

Task: The Internet is a new way to communicate. Some people think it has more drawbacks than advantages. What can you say for and against communicating by using the Internet?

The Internet is an extremely useful tool that has become an important part of our lives in the last few years. It makes searching for information much easier and quicker than before when people had to rely on books as a research tool. But there are those who point out that the Internet can make life more difficult.

It is true that the Internet has given us the possibility of reading vast quantities of information on an unlimited number of topics. What is more, it allows us to communicate that information to anyone who has a computer, via email. For many people, it is their only source of written information.

However, the Internet has its drawbacks. The main one is that the information that it provides is not always accurate or up-to-date. Secondly, the amount of information is so great that it can make looking for something too complicated. In addition, it can be quite costly to log onto and use.

All in all, the Internet is a useful addition to our lives when it is used wisely, but it is important not to think of it as the only source of information and to use books as well. It is unique in the way it has united the world through communication of ideas and this has never happened before.

Task: Email is a quick and easy way of communication, but it has its fair share of disadvantages as well. What can you say for and against using email as a means to communicate?

With the recent developments in technology, communication between people all over the world has been made easier and quicker. One of the most popular means of contacting friends and acquaintances is email, but there are drawbacks to using this way of contacting people.

One of the main advantages of emails is that massages are easily stored and you do not have to use any paper, which saves space and helps to protect the environment. Emails are also cheaper than conventional letters because the cost of using the Internet to send emails is less than the price of stamps. Furthermore, many people who do not enjoy writing letters prefer emails as you can have almost instant replies instead of waiting days by regular mail.

On the other hand, using email isn’t as personal as a handwritten letter as you have to read them on a computer screen. Emails tend to be written and sent quickly and sometimes misunderstandings can occur. Moreover, your email address may be passed on to commercial companies and you are then sent lots of texts advertising products, which you do not want.

On the whole, there are more advantages to email than disadvantages. As long as the person you want to write to has email, the speed and ease with which you can communicate cannot be matched. However, many people who are not familiar with computers prefer ordinary mail.

Task: Some people say that the inventions of email and text messaging have been wonderful for communication between people. However, some people say that this kind of communication has disadvantages as well as advantages. What can you say for and against the use of email and text messaging? (from “Oxford Tests for the Russian State Exam”, 2007)

It is obvious that email and text messaging are fantastic inventions because they make it easy to communicate with people at any time.

Personally, I cannot imagine life without text messaging. My friends and I send messages to each other all the time and it is great fun. We do not usually have anything important to say, but we send each other funny messages, or we tell each other about things that have happened at school that day, or what we are going to do at the weekend. Email is a wonderful invention too because it means that you can get in touch with people anywhere in the world easily and quickly. It is really useful in the world of work, where it is much quicker than communicating with people by letter.

I think it is true that there are disadvantages too. Some young people get addicted to text messaging and spend all their time doing it, so they do not actually communicate with people by speaking to them very much. They do not have proper conversations; they just send messages in this strange language that text messaging uses. There is the same problem with email. People do not talk to each other directly, they communicate by sending messages. So there is less personal contact than there used to be, and that is not a good thing.

Email and text messaging are a big part of life now and it is hard to imagine a world without them. They have brought many advantages, but I think people should also make sure that they have personal contact with other people. Sometimes it is better to talk to people than send them an email or a text message.