TOPIC/ISSUE for TOEFL GMAT GRE TSE題庫: (共 182 題) compiled by David Pai
TOPIC/ISSUE for TOEFL GMAT GRE TSE
題庫:(共 184 題)
compiled by David Pai
1.
In some countries, television and radio
programs are carefully censored for offensive language and behavior.
In other countries, there is
little or no censorship.
In your view, to what extent should government
or any other group be able to censor television or radio programs? Explain, giving
relevant reasons and/or examples
to support your position.
2. “It is
unrealistic to expect individual nations to make, independently, the sacrifices
necessary to conserve energy.
International leadership and worldwide cooperation are essential if we expect
to protect the world’s energy resources for future generations.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
3. “Corporations
and other businesses should try to eliminate the many ranks and salary grades
that classify employees according to
their experience and expertise. A ‘flat’ organizational structure is more
likely to encourage collegiality and cooperation among employees.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
4. “Of all the manifestations* of power, restraint
in the use of that power impresses
people most.”
*
manifestations: apparent signs
or indicators
Explain what you think this quotation means and
discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with it. Develop your position with reasons
and/or specific examples
drawn from history,
current events, or your own experience, observations, or reading.
5. “All groups
and organizations should function as teams in which everyone makes decisions
and shares responsibilities and
duties. Giving one person central authority and responsibility for a project or
task is not an effective way to get work done.”
To what extent
do you agree or disagree
with the opinion
expressed above? Support
your views with reasons and/or specific examples drawn from your
own work or school experiences, your observations, or your reading.
6. “There is only one definition of success — to be able to spend your life in your own way.”
To what extent do you agree or disagree with
this definition of success? Support your position by using reasons
and examples from your reading, your own experience, or your observation of others.
7. “The best
way to give advice to other people is to find out what they want and then
advise them how to attain it.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
8. “For
hundreds of years, the monetary system of most countries has been based on the
exchange of metal coins and printed pieces
of paper. However,
because of recent
developments in technology, the international community should consider replacing the
entire system of coins and paper with a system of electronic accounts
of credits and debits.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
9.
“Employees should keep their private lives and
personal activities as separate as possible from the workplace.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
10. “In any
enterprise, the process of making or doing something is ultimately more
important than the final product.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
11. “When
someone achieves greatness in any field — such as the arts, science, politics,
or business — that person’s achievements are more important than any of his
or her personal faults.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
12. “Education
has become the main provider of individual opportunity in our society. Just as
property and money once were the keys
to success, education has now become the element that most ensures success in life.”
In your opinion, how accurate is the view expressed
above? Explain, using reasons and examples based on your own experience, observations, or
reading.
13. “Responsibility
for preserving the natural environment ultimately belongs to each individual
person, not to government.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
14. “Organizations
should be structured in a clear hierarchy in which the people at each level,
from top to bottom, are held
accountable for completing a particular component of the work. Any other
organizational structure goes against human
nature and will ultimately prove fruitless.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
15.
“Nations should cooperate
to develop regulations that limit children’s access to adult material on the Internet.”*
*The Internet is a worldwide computer
network.
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
16. “Public buildings reveal much about
the attitudes and values of the society
that builds them.
Today’s new schools,
courthouses, airports, and libraries, for example, reflect
the attitudes and values of today’s society.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion
stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
17. “Some people
believe that the best approach to effective time management is to make detailed
daily and long-term plans and then to adhere to them. However, this highly structured approach to work is
counterproductive. Time management needs to be
flexible so that employees can respond to unexpected problems as they arise.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
18. “If the
primary duty and concern of a corporation is to make money, then conflict is
inevitable when the corporation must also acknowledge a duty to
serve society.”
From your perspective, how accurate is the
above statement? Support your position with reasons and/or examples
from your own experience, observations, or reading.
19. Some
employers who recruit recent college graduates for entry-level jobs evaluate
applicants only on their performance
in business courses such as accounting, marketing, and economics. However,
other employers also expect
applicants to have a broad background in such courses as history, literature,
and philosophy.
Do you think that, in the application process, employers should emphasize one type of background — either specialization in business courses
or a more varied academic
preparation — over the other? Why or why not? Develop
your position by using reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
20. “In this age
of automation, many people complain that humans are becoming subservient to
machines. But, in fact, machines are
continually improving our lives.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
21. “Job
security and salary should be based on employee performance, not on years of
service. Rewarding employees
primarily for years of service discourages people from maintaining consistently
high levels of productivity.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
22. “Clearly, government has a responsibility to support the arts. However,
if that support is going
to produce anything
of value, government must place no restrictions on the
art that is produced.”
To what extent
do you agree or disagree
with the opinion
expressed above? Develop
your position by giving specific
reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or
reading.
23. “Schools
should be responsible only for teaching academic skills and not for teaching
ethical and social values.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
24. “A powerful business leader has far more opportunity to influence the course of a community or a nation
than does any government official.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
25. “The best strategy for managing a business, or any enterprise, is to find the most capable people
and give them as
much authority as possible.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
26.
“Location has traditionally been one of the
most important determinants of a business’s success. The importance of location is not likely to change, no matter how
advanced the development of computer communications and others kinds
of technology becomes.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
27. “A company’s
long-term success is primarily dependent on the job satisfaction and the job
security felt by the company’s employees.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
28.
“Because businesses use high-quality
advertising to sell low-quality products, schools should give students
extensive training in how to
make informed decisions before making purchases.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
29. “Too many people think only about getting results. The key to success, however, is to focus on the specific task at hand and not to worry about results.”
What do you think this piece of advice means,
and do you think that it is, on the whole, worth following? Support your views with reasons and/or
examples drawn from your own experience, observations, or reading.
30. “Companies
benefit when they discourage employees from working extra hours or taking work
home. When employees spend their
leisure time without ‘producing’ something for the job, they will be more focused
and effective when they
return to work.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
31. “Financial gain should be the most important factor
in choosing a career.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
32. “You can tell the ideas of a nation by its advertisements.”
Explain what you think this quotation means and
discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with it. Develop your position with reasons
and/or specific examples
drawn from history,
current events, or your own experience, observations, or reading.
33. “People are
likely to accept as a leader only someone who has demonstrated an ability to
perform the same tasks that he or she expects others to perform.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
34. “All
citizens should be required to perform a specified amount of public service.
Such service would benefit not only
the country as a whole but also the individual participants.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
35. “Business relations
are infected through
and through with the disease
of short-sighted motives.
We are so
concerned with immediate results
and short-term goals that we fail to look beyond
them.”
Assuming that the term “business relations” can refer to the decisions and actions of any organization — for instance, a small family business, a
community association, or a large international corporation — explain the extent to which you think that this
criticism is valid. In your discussion of the issue, use reasons and/or examples
from your own experience, your observation of others, or your reading.
36. “Businesses and other organizations have overemphasized the importance of working as a team. Clearly, in any human group, it is the strong
individual, the person with the most commitment and energy, who gets things done.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
37. “Since
science and technology are becoming more and more essential to modern society,
schools should devote more time to teaching science and technology and less to teaching
the arts and humanities.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
38. “Courtesy is rapidly disappearing from everyday interactions, and as a result, we are all the poorer for it.” From
your perspective, is this an accurate observation? Why or why not? Explain,
using reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
39.
“It is difficult for people to achieve
professional success without sacrificing important aspects of a fulfilling personal life.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
40.
“With the increasing emphasis on a global
economy and international cooperation, people need to understand that their role as citizens of the world is more
important than their role as citizens of a particular country.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
41. “The best way to preserve the natural environment is to impose
penalties — whether
fines, imprisonment, or other punishments — on those who are most responsible for polluting or otherwise damaging
it.” Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion
expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
42. “Scientists
are continually redefining the standards for what is beneficial or harmful to
the environment. Since these standards keep shifting, companies
should resist changing
their products and processes in response
to each new recommendation until those recommendations become government
regulations.” Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
43.
“The most important
reason for studying
history is not that knowledge
of history can make us better people or a better society but that it
can provide clues to solving the societal problems that we face today.” Discuss
the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion
expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
44. “All companies
should invest heavily
in advertising because
high-quality advertising can sell almost
any product or service.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
45. “The most effective way for a businessperson to maximize profits
over a long period of time is to follow
the highest standards of ethics.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
46. Businesses
are as likely as are governments to establish large bureaucracies, but
bureaucracy is far more damaging to a business
than it is to a
government.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
47. The primary
responsibility for preventing environmental damage belongs
to government, not to individuals or private industry.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
48. In matching job candidates with job openings, managers
must consider not only such variables as previous work experience and educational
background but also personality traits and work habits, which are more difficult
to judge.
What do you consider essential in an employee
or colleague? Explain, using reasons and/or examples from your work or worklike experiences, or from your observations of others.
49. “Ask most
older people to identify the key to success, and they are likely to reply ‘hard
work.’ Yet, I would tell people starting
off in a career that work in itself is not the key. In fact, you have to approach work cautiously — too much or
too little can be
self-defeating.”
To what extent do you agree or disagree with
this view of work? Develop your position by using reasons and/or examples
from your reading, experience, or observations.
50. How far
should a supervisor go in criticizing the performance of a subordinate? Some
highly successful managers have been
known to rely on verbal abuse and intimidation. Do you think that this is an
effective means of communicating expectations? If not, what alternative should
a manager use in dealing
with someone whose
work is less than satisfactory?
Explain your views on this issue. Be sure to
support your position with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
51. “The presence of a competitor is always beneficial to a company.
Competition forces a company to change itself
in ways that improve its
practices.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
52. “Successful
individuals typically set their next goal somewhat — but not too much — above
their last achievement. In this
way, they steadily raise their level
of aspiration.”
In your opinion, how accurate is this
statement? Explain, using specific reasons and examples from your reading,
your own experience, or your
observation of others.
53. “The term ‘user friendly’ is usually applied to the trouble-free way that computer
software moves people
from screen to screen, function to function. However,
the term can also refer to a government office,
a library, public transportation, or anything
designed to provide information or services in an easy, friendly way. Just as all societies have many striking
examples of user-friendly services, so do they abound
in examples of user- unfriendly systems.”
Identify a system or service that you have
found to be either “user-friendly” or “user-unfriendly.” Discuss, from the user’s perspective, in what way
the system either is or is not easy to use and explain the consequences or effect of such a system.
54.
“Popular entertainment is overly influenced by commercial interests. Superficiality, obscenity, and violence
characterize films and television today because those qualities are
commercially successful.” Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with this opinion.
To support your position, use reasons and/or
examples from your reading, your observations, or your experiences as a consumer
of popular entertainment.
55. “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do, and they
will surprise you with their ingenuity.” To what extent do you agree or disagree
with the opinion expressed above? Explain your point of view by giving
reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations,
or reading.
56. “The secret of business
is to know something that nobody else knows.”
Explain what you think the above quotation
means and discuss
the extent to which you agree or disagree with it.
Support your position with relevant reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
57. “Everywhere, it seems, there are clear and positive
signs that people
are becoming more respectful of one another’s differences.”
In your opinion, how accurate is the view
expressed above? Use reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading to develop
your position.
58. “What is the
final objective of business? It is to make the obtaining of a living — the
obtaining of food, clothing, shelter,
and a minimum of luxuries
— so mechanical and so little time-consuming that people shall
have time for other things.”
— A business leader, circa 1930
Explain what you think the quotation above means and discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the
view of business it expresses. Support your views with reasons and/or examples
from your own experience, observations, or reading.
59. “Juvenile crime is a serious social problem, and businesses must become more involved in helping to prevent it.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
60. “Employers should have no right
to obtain information about their employees’ health or
other aspects of their personal
lives without the employees’ permission.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
61. “Even at its best,
a government is a tremendous burden to business,
though a necessary
one.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
62. “What education
fails to teach
us is to see the human community
as one. Rather than focus on the unique differences that separate one nation from another, education
should focus on the similarities among all people
and places on Earth.”
What do you think of the view of education expressed above? Explain, using reasons and/or
specific examples from your
own experience, observations, or reading.
63. “As government bureaucracy increases, citizens
become more and more separated
from their government.” Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree
with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons
and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or
reading.
64. “The goal of business
should not be to make as big a profit as possible.
Instead, business should also concern
itself with the well-being of the
public.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
65. “The rise of multinational corporations is leading
to global homogeneity*. Because people everywhere are beginning to want the same products
and services, regional
differences are rapidly
disappearing.”
* homogeneity: sameness,
similarity
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion
expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
66. “Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring that their products
are safe. If a product
injures someone, for whatever
reason, the manufacturer should be held legally and financially accountable for
the injury.” Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion
expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
67. “Work greatly influences people’s
personal lives — their special interests, their leisure activities, even their appearance away from the workplace.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion
expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
68.
“Since the physical
work environment affects employee productivity and morale, the employees themselves should have the right
to decide how their workplace is designed.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
69. “The most important quality
in an employee is not specific knowledge or technical competence. Instead, it is the
ability to work well with other employees.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion
expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
70. “So long as no laws are broken, there is nothing unethical
about doing whatever
you need to do to promote existing
products or to create new products.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion
expressed above. Support your point of
view with reasons and/or
examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
71. “Commercialism has become too widespread. It has even crept into schools and places of worship. Every
nation should place limits on what kinds of
products, if any, can be sold at certain events or places.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree
with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons
and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or
reading.
72.
“Companies should not try to improve employees’
performance by giving incentives — for example, awards or gifts. These incentives encourage negative kinds of
behavior instead of encouraging a genuine interest in doing the work
well.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
73. People often give the following advice:
“Be yourself. Follow
your instincts and behave in a way that feels
natural.”
Do you think that, in general, this is good
advice? Why or why not? Develop your point of view by giving reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
74. “The people we remember
best are the ones who broke the rules.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
75. “There are essentially two forces that motivate people:
self-interest and fear.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
76.
“For a leader there is nothing more difficult,
and therefore more important, than to be able to make decisions.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
77. Although ‘genius’ is difficult to define, one of the qualities of genius is the ability
to transcend traditional modes of thought and create new ones.”
Explain what you think the above statement
means and discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with this definition of genius. In your discussion, be sure to include at least one example of someone who, in your opinion, exemplifies genius or a particular
characteristic of genius.
78. Most people
would agree that buildings represent
a valuable record of any society’s past, but controversy arises when old buildings stand on ground that modern planners
feel could be better used for modern purposes. In your opinion,
which is more important — preserving historic
buildings or encouraging modern development? Explain
your position, using reasons and examples based on your own experiences, observations, or
reading.
79. “The ability
to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee, and it is
worth more than any other commodity
under the sun.”
Explain what you think the above quotation
means and discuss
the extent to which you agree or disagree with it.
Support your position with relevant reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
80. “As individuals, people save too little
and borrow too much.”
From your perspective, how accurate is the view
expressed above? In your discussion, be sure to consider the conditions under which it is appropriate to save money and
the conditions under which it is appropriate
to borrow. Develop
your position using reasons and/or
examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
81. “No one can
possibly achieve any real and lasting success or ‘get rich’ in business by
conforming to conventional practices
or ways of thinking.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
82.
“Business and government must do more, much
more, to meet the needs and goals of women in the workplace.”
What do you think of the opinion expressed above? In your discussion, be sure to use reasons
and/or examples from your
own experience, observations, or reading.
83. “We shape our buildings
and afterwards our buildings shape us.”
Explain what you think this statement means and
discuss the extent to which you do or do not agree with it. Support
your views with reasons and/or
specific examples from your experience, observations, or reading.
84. “A business
should not be held responsible for providing customers with complete
information about its products or
services; customers should have the responsibility of gathering information
about the products or services
they may want to buy.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
85. “Advertising is the most influential and therefore the most important artistic achievement of the twentieth century.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
86. “Whether
promoting a product, an event, or a person, an advertising campaign is most
effective when it appeals to emotion rather than to reason.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading
87.
“As technologies and the demand for certain
services change, many workers will lose their jobs. The responsibility for those people to adjust to such change should
belong to the individual worker, not to government or to business.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with specific
reasons and/or examples
drawn from your reading, your observations, or your own experience.
88. “Each
generation must accept blame not only for the hateful words and actions of some
of its members but also for
the failure of other members to speak out against
those words and actions.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading
89. “The study of history
is largely a waste of time because
it prevents us from focusing
on the challenges of the present.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading
90. “People
often complain that products are not made to last. They feel that making
products that wear out fairly quickly
wastes both natural and human resources. What they fail to see, however, is
that such manufacturing practices keep costs down for the
consumer and stimulate
demand.”
Which do you find more compelling: the
complaint about products that do not last or the response to it? Explain
your position using
relevant reasons and/or
examples drawn from your own experience, observations, or reading.
91.
“Government
should establish regulations to reduce or eliminate any suspected health
hazards in the environment,
even when the scientific studies of these health hazards are incomplete or
contradictory.” Discuss the extent to
which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your
position with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
92.
“Employees should show loyalty to their company
by fully supporting the company’s managers
and policies, even when the employees believe
that the managers
and policies are misguided.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
93. “To be successful, companies should trust their workers
and give them as much freedom as possible. Any company
that tries to control employees’ behavior through a strict system of rewards
and punishments will soon find that such controls have a negative
effect on employee
morale and, consequently, on the company’s
success.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
94. “If parents want to prepare their children to succeed
in life, teaching the children
self-discipline is more important than teaching them self-esteem.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
95. “Companies are never justified
in employing young children, even if the child’s family would benefit
from the income.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
96. “What a society chooses
to preserve, display,
and commemorate is the truest
indicator of what the society
values. Therefore, in order to understand a society, we must examine the
contents of its museums and the subjects of its
memorials.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
97. “In business, more than in any other social arena, men and women have learned how to share power
effectively.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
98. “In order to
accommodate the increasing number of undergraduate students, colleges and
universities should offer most
courses through distance learning, such as videotaped instruction that can be
accessed through the Internet or
cable television. Requiring students to appear at a designated time and place
is no longer an effective or efficient way of teaching most undergraduate
courses.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
99.
“A nation must maintain a highly competitive educational system — a system
in which students
compete among themselves and
against students from other countries — to ensure its own economic success.” Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
100. “In order to force companies to improve policies
and practices considered unethical or harmful,
society should rely primarily on consumer action—such as refusal to buy products—rather than government intervention.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
101. “The automobile has caused more problems than it has solved. Most societies would probably be much better
off if the automobile had never been invented.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
102. “An advanced
degree may help someone get a particular job. Once a person begins
working, however, the advanced degree and the formal
education it represents are rarely relevant to success on the job.” Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree
with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
103. “People today place too much emphasis
on satisfying their immediate desires.
The overall quality
of life would be greatly
improved, however, if people focused
instead on meeting
long-term needs.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
104. “The value of any nation should
be measured more by its scientific and artistic achievements than by its business successes.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
105.
“All archeological treasures should remain in
the country in which they were originally discovered. These works should not be exported, even if museums in other
parts of the world are better able to preserve
and display them.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
106.
“The most effective way for managers to assign
work is to divide complex tasks into their simpler component parts. This way, each worker completes a small portion
of the task but contributes to the whole.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion
stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
107. “People are overwhelmed by the increasing amount of information available on the computer. Therefore, the
immediate goal of the information technology industry should be to help people
learn how to obtain the information they need
efficiently and wisely.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
108. “Employees
should not have full access to their own personnel files. If, for example,
employees were allowed to see certain
confidential materials, the people supplying that information would not be
likely to express their opinions
candidly.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
109. “All
personnel evaluations at a company should be multi-directional — that is,
people at every level of the organization should review not only
those working ‘under’ them but also those working ‘over’ them.” Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree
with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
110. “The most effective business
leaders are those who maintain
the highest ethical
standards.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
111. “The overall quality of life in most societies
has never been better than at the present time because of recent advancements in such areas as business and technology.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
112. “In most
fields — including education, politics, and business — the prevailing
philosophy never stays in place very long.
This pattern of constantly shifting
from one theoretical position to another
is an inevitable reflection of human nature:
people soon tire of the status
quo.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
113. “The nations of the world
must increase spending
on the building of space stations and on the exploration of other planets,
even if doing so
means spending less on
other government programs.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
114. “Technology
ultimately separates and alienates people more than it serves to bring them
together.” Discuss the extent to
which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your
position with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
115. “All
employees should help decide how the revenues of their company or business
should be used.” Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with
reasons and/or
examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
116. “A
government should provide funding for the arts, but only for those artistic
works that reflect the values and attitudes of the majority of the population.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
117. “The
well-being of a society depends more on the success of small businesses than on
the success of a few large, high-profile corporations.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
118. “People’s loyalty
to political parties
and political leaders
significantly hinders their
ability to form their own opinions about
an issue.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
119. “It makes
little sense for people with strong technological skills to go to college if
they know that they can earn a
good salary without a college or university
degree.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
120.
“Companies should not allow the trend toward
informality in dress and conduct at the workplace to continue; formality in dress and behavior helps create a more disciplined and productive work environment.” Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
121. “Whether
people accept or reject an idea depends more on the way it is presented to them
than on the merits of the
idea itself.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
122. “Schools should
not teach specialized information and techniques, which might soon become outdated. Instead, schools
should encourage a more general
approach to learning.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
123. “The
practice of moving frequently from company to company has negative
consequences: it causes instability
in the workplace and, as a result, instability in society. Therefore, companies
should require employees to make a long-term commitment to the organization.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
124. “The most
effective leaders are those who can solve complex problems by finding simple,
immediate solutions.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
125. “Formal education should not come to an end when people graduate
from college. Instead
people should frequently enroll in courses
throughout their lives.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
126.“Laws pertaining to relatively minor
crimes must be vigorously enforced
if a society hopes to stop more serious crimes.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
127. “In general,
a company’s most valuable employees
are those who are more concerned with productivity as measured by quick results than with quality
that takes time to achieve.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
128. “Instead of
relying on the advice of outside experts, organizations should place greater
value on the advice that can
come only from their own highly
experienced employees.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
129. “When
judging the qualifications of potential employees, business employers should
rely primarily on objective
information, such as a candidate’s résumé and education. Personal interviews
are much too subjective and are therefore not a valid basis
on which to judge a person’s qualifications for a job.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
130.
“We can learn more about a society by observing
how its people spend their leisure time than by observing them at
work.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
131.
“Governments should not be responsible for
regulating businesses and other organizations. Instead, society would benefit if the organizations themselves assumed
responsibility for establishing and enforcing
their own standards and regulations.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
132. “In any
business or other organization, it is better to have managers with strong leadership
skills than managers with expertise and work experience in a particular
field.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
133. “Employees
should not be asked to provide formal evaluations of their supervisor because
they have little basis for
judging or even understanding their supervisor’s performance.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
134.
“Although many people object to advertisements and solicitations that intrude into their lives through
such means as the telephone, the Internet, and
television, companies and organizations must have the right to contact potential customers and donors
whenever and however they wish.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
135. “In business courses, professors should teach only factual information and skills, not ethics.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
136. In some
companies, employees are allowed to express their feelings and opinions about
the company by sending electronic messages
to everyone in the company.
In other companies, this type of communication is strictly
prohibited.
What restrictions, if any, do you think
companies should place on employees’ electronic communications? Support
your views with reasons and/or
examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
137. “Although
restricting public access can help protect national parks and historical sites,
in fact there should be few, if any, such restrictions because
these places were intended for everyone to use.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
138. Some people
claim that the growth of mass media has stifled intellectual curiosity. Others,
however, argue that the availability
of so much information and entertainment has encouraged individuals to expand their intellect and creativity.
Explain your position on this issue. Support
your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations,
or reading.
139. Some experts
maintain that students learn best in a highly structured environment, one that
emphasizes discipline, punctuality,
and routine. Others insist that educators, if they are to help students
maximize their potential, ought to
maintain an atmosphere of relative
freedom and spontaneity.
Explain your position
on the issue of structure versus freedom in an ideal
learning environment. Support
your views with reasons and/or examples from your
own experience, observations, or reading.
A1. “Whether in politics or in business, leaders of any group need to understand that learning to compromise is ultimately more important than winning.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons
and/or examples from your
experience, observations, or reading.
A2. “Constant innovation and change within
an organization are as likely
to damage the organization as they are to
improve it.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons
and/or examples from your
experience, observations, or reading.
A3. “Government should
place stricter limits on the ability of businesses to invade citizens’
privacy through telemarketing, E-mail,
advertising, collection of personal information on consumers, and so on, even if those limits
affect businesses’ profitability and competitiveness.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons
and/or examples from your
experience, observations, or reading.
A4. “Companies should recruit and reward employees
more for their enthusiasm and willingness to contribute to the
mission of the organization than for their
knowledge and skills.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons
and/or examples from your
experience, observations, or reading.
A5. “Previous failure in some enterprise is essential if one is to become
a successful leader.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons
and/or examples from your
experience, observations, or reading.
A6. “The type of leadership that an organization needs (be it a college,
a country, or a business, for example) depends
largely on whether the organization is stable or in crisis.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons
and/or examples from your
experience, observations, or reading.
A7. “Highly skilled employees who are
ambitious, self-motivated, and self-sufficient are more likely to be harmful
than beneficial in an organization based on teamwork.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons
and/or examples from your
experience, observations, or reading.
A8. “An explicit and enforced set of values is
crucial to the success of any company or other type of organization.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree
with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons
and/or examples from your
experience, observations, or reading.
A9.“An organization cannot make real progress
unless all its members share a common set of values rather than make decisions that are guided by their
own values and beliefs.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons
and/or examples from your
experience, observations, or reading.
A10. “In today’s
rapidly and unpredictably changing world, attempting to learn from the past is no longer the wisest strategy.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons
and/or examples from your
experience, observations, or reading.
A11. “The most important quality
for a leader of an organization to have is not the ability to plan, to organize, and to solve
problems but rather the ability
to communicate the organization’s mission
and to inspire people to work toward fulfilling that mission.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons
and/or examples from your
experience, observations, or reading.
A12. “Because technology has increased the
speed of communication, people are less able to communicate, except
on the most superficial
level.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or
reading.
A13. “Employers can best motivate employees not
through raises and bonuses but rather by offering non- monetary highly-publicized awards for high performance (e.g.,
employee-of-the-month awards, special parking spaces, personal letters from management, etc.).”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A14. “The most successful
structure for any business is one that is clearly hierarchical with clearly defined
roles for all levels of employee.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A15. “Employers can get the best performance from employees by praising what they do well rather than criticizing what they do badly.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A16. “One must rely on
oneself, and not on others, to progress in life both personally and
professionally.” Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A17. “In retaining and promoting employees, companies should favor those who accept the system as it is over those who want to make changes
in the workplace.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A18. “To be successful, a business must align its goals to the goals of the country.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A19. “Progress
depends on those
who refuse to conform and who actively
resist the status
quo.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A20. “People
starting out in a career
should set their sights on the position
they ultimately want to reach
and then begin
immediately working toward that goal.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A21. “Companies should encourage competition among their own employees.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A22. “The quality and character of a nation can
best be seen in its leaders.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A23. “Employers should base employees’ salary increases
solely on the measurable outcomes
of their work and not the less tangible aspects of their performance.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A24. “No matter how unselfish an action may appear, it is almost always motivated
by some type of self- interest.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A25. “Businesses should
grant all employees the opportunity to move into management-level positions.” Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree
with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A26. “Individual comfort and security
will be greatly increased when electronic surveillance cameras are continuously operating in all public areas.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A27. “Opinion
polls and other
forms of surveys
are greatly overused
and often meaningless.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A28. “In
most businesses, revising and updating old ideas and methods produces better
results than creating and implementing new ones.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A29. “Employees who display any antisocial behavior
toward their coworkers
should be immediately dismissed.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A30. “Business
executives deserve full credit for all successes
in their company.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A31. “Managers
should not promote or even retain employees
who repeatedly express dissatisfaction with their jobs.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A32. “A company is not responsible for motivating employees; instead, motivation is the employee’s own responsibility.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A33. “To be truly successful, companies should require all managers to spend one month per year in nonmanagerial positions.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A34. “An employee should not publicize a company’s ethical violations if doing so could harm the company.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A35. “Companies should never hire or promote
employees on the basis of family relationships, friendships, or other social connections.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A36. “A manager should
function primarily as an advocate for the employees whom he or she supervises.” Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree
with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A37. “Each year, a
company should identify and fire the lowest-performing members of its
workforce.” Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A38. “Companies should not have the right to fire employees for behavior outside
the workplace.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A39. “In difficult economic
times, companies should substantially reward the best-performing employees rather than give
small raises and bonuses to all employees.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A40. “To encourage successful cooperation and collaboration among employees, companies
should give salary
raises and bonuses to teams rather than to individuals.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A41. “Employees committed to their own personal
success usually make the most contributions to a company’s success.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A42. “In general, the
best managers are those who trust their employees to work on their own without
close monitoring.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
A43. “People
are more effectively motivated by myths
and symbols than by logic and reasons.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
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