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

Task: Young people are not reading many books these days. Some people prefer to read works of literature on the Internet. What can you say for and against reading eBooks on the Internet instead of reading traditional books?

Reading books for pleasure is not so common since the development of technology has given us computers, videos and DVDs for our leisure time. Nevertheless, with the introduction of new technologies, reading continues to be a source of entertainment as eBooks can be accessed on a computer.

One of the best things about eBooks is that you do not need shelf-space to store them. You can have hundreds of eBooks saved on your computer, which can be accessed at any time. In addition, eBooks are not as expensive to buy as ordinary books. You do not have to pay a lot if you read a book only once. You only need to pay for the cost of connecting to the Internet. Furthermore, you do not need to use paper to read an eBook and this is good for the environment.

On the other hand, with ordinary books you do not need to have technological knowledge to read them. As you can easily carry books around, you can read them wherever you like such as on buses or in cafes. Traditional books are often more attractive than eBooks because they have beautiful illustrations. They often have sentimental value if they have been given as presents.

In conclusion, eBooks will probably become more common in the future, but traditional books will continue to be a popular way of reading a text because it requires no special equipment or knowledge.

Task: Many children play videogames nowadays. Many parents think that they are dangerous and affect their children’s behaviour. What can you say for and against allowing children to play videogames?

Technology has become part of our lives and most families have computers and videos in their homes. While many parents are quite happy to let their teenagers play video or computer games, others are becoming increasingly concerned that they are harmful to children.

Firstly, many parents believe that if the videogame is violent, the player will adopt the same way of behaving and their children will act in a similar manner in real life. Secondly, as children spend so many hours playing these games, then they will not have enough time or interest to do their homework. As a result, their marks at school will suffer. Parents also feel that looking at a screen for such a long time will harm the children’s eyesight. Finally, the person in the game who has to be got rid of is often a foreigner. This encourages the player to believe in stereotypes and he may pick up racist attitudes from this.

Other people believe that videogames are a good way of keeping children occupied in the safety of their own home. Also, not all games are violent and some can even be educational. In addition, some psychologists think it is better to release aggressive feelings in a videogame rather than in real life.

In conclusion, videogames have both benefits and drawbacks. As long as parents keep an eye on which games the teenagers are playing, then videogames can be an enjoyable pastime for the children.

Task: Laptop computers are very popular nowadays. It is better to use a laptop rather than a regular PC. What can you say for and against using a laptop?

Today most people, especially the young, know how to use a computer. Many people do not only use them at work or school but also have them at home. Some people buy PCs whereas others prefer to have laptops and the sales of laptops are rising. However, in spite of their usefulness many people still prefer to buy PCs.

The main reason for people owning laptops is that they can be used almost anywhere because they run on batteries and they do not need a constant supply of electricity. Also, you do not have to have a special place in your home to put it. As a laptop is small, it doesn’t take up a lot of space. Laptop computers are not very heavy and you can easily carry them around and use them even while travelling on planes or trains.

On other hand, there are some drawbacks to buying a laptop. The screen size is smaller than that of a desktop. It is not so easy to see and can strain your eyes. In addition, they are more expensive to buy and are more delicate than PCs. It is not difficult to damage them as you carry them around.

In conclusion, the choice between a laptop and a PC depends on its use. If you live in a small apartment, a laptop is probably better than a PC. If, however, you have the space, a PC is probably better as it is stronger and cheaper.