Cambridge 6, Test 2, Writing Task 2

Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in other important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
In the past couple of decades, successful sports professionals have evolved to another role in the society – a TV celebrity, which gives them an open door to earn a great deal more money than ordinary people in the society, including other important professions. It thus raises an issue that whether these sports professionals are worth incomes over millions of dollars each year.
First of all, to become a successful sports professional, what lies behind is intense training, countless sleepless nights and strong will power. They are forced to be on the state of constant pressure and stress from the media and public, which spares no privacy in their life. Although these successful sports professionals constantly appear on TV or posters for advertisements, they might not seem as happy and joyful as they look in real life. An example to demonstrate this is that the media always broadcast news about sports celebrities being addicted to drugs to mitigate their stresses and undergoing mental breakdowns. It sufficiently shows people that the huge amount of income of these successful sports professionals is earned at the expense of both physical and psychological torture.
Moreover, it is a high-risk investment to train a person to achieve the top level in one field of sports. Once an athlete happens to have any serious injuries, which is highly likely to incur, considering the incredibly high intensity of training, the whole sports career of this athlete will be ruined. Thereafter all the money invested in the athlete will be wasted and the sports institution and the athlete must bear the loss, financially and physically. Therefore, successful sports professionals deserve a high income to compensate them for the endurance of everything they suffered in the past.
In addition, other than the negative impacts on these sports professionals themselves, they can also bring some positive influences on the society. Some media are inclined to either write or video shoot a documentary of these sports professionals about the arduous process of becoming successful; some companies hire them as representatives to promote for the sports facilities, sports clothes or gymnastics. The advertising of the successful stories of these sports professionals encourages youngsters to strive persistently for their dreams and future. Most importantly, some sports professionals can even bring about a chain effect in the growth of sports industry: many side products of one sports brand can be expanded to tap further into the profitable market. What’s more, people tend to purchase commodities with their favourite athlete’s face on, hence spurring up the sales of a certain sports brand. The economic effects these sports professionals give rise to are as successful as their sports careers.
However, some may argue that people in other important professions such as people working for education field do not earn as much, but they make a more profound contribution to the society. For example, a university professor not only delivers knowledge to the next generation but also he or she leaves an academic legacy of research papers or even new discoveries to the world. The salaries paid to them are not proportional to their contributed value compared with what the sports celebrities receive.
Nonetheless, my point is that those other professionals do not suffer so painfully as sports professionals and the workforce environment of other professions is relatively more comfortable and significantly less stressful. For instance, my sister is working at a university as a lecturer and she has the very flexibility in working hours and locations. Other important professionals enjoy a better and more relaxing life than those doing sports and hence a much lower income.

In conclusion, I am convinced that successful sports professionals deserve the huge amount of income, for they endure a massive physical pain, bear a risk of permanent injury and bring about positive impacts on the society, which professionals in other important areas cannot make.

(643 words)

In your town or city you may wonder why some streets are called streets and others are called roads. Historically there was a difference between a street and a road which is still relevant today.

What is a street?

Street = a paved public road that only appears in a city or town, not in rural areas.
Usually there are shops/stores or houses along both sides of a street which facilitates public interaction.
Example sentences with Street:

• The opened a store on Main Street.
• It was 6pm and the streets were busy with people going home from work.
• Make sure you look both ways when you cross the street.
• After the guilty verdicy, there were riots on the streets.

What is a road?

Road = a route or way on land between two places that has been paved to allow travel by transport.
According to the OECD, a road is "a line of communication (travelled way) using a stabilized base other than rails or air strips open to public traffic, primarily for the use of road motor vehicles running on their own wheels,"
Traditionally a road was a way to travel between two points, usually other towns or distant places. Over time, a road that once connected two towns or villages that were close to each other is still called a road even though now those two towns or villages became part of the same larger city. That is why roads are normally long and important routes in a city.
Example sentences with Road:

• Unfortunately there are many potholes on the road.
• The farm is two miles south of the main road.
• Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. (extract from The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost).

The difference between Street and Road

Nowadays you may hear people informally use the word road as a synonym of street. This is fine and people will understand what you are talking about if you use either of the words. A street however normally has shops/stores or houses along both sides of it which facilitates public interaction. A road may also have buildings on either side though its main function is as a transportation route, a way of getting from one place to another, especially between towns. Outside of the city they are called roads.
Road can also be used to talk about the actual construction (materials) of a road or street. When a street (or road) is being repaired, it is called road works, not street works.

• Make sure you look both ways when you cross the street. (Here you could also use road instead of street)
• Look at all of those potholes on the road.
• I think I will be late to work because of all the road works on the way.
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What is an avenue?

Avenue = a straight street (or road) with trees planted along both sides. Avenues are typically wider than streets, sometimes having more lanes and therefore more traffic.
In some cities in the US that are based on a grid system, streets and avenues are the same with the difference that streets run from west to east while avenues run north to south. Note that in other US cities this may be reversed and the streets go north to south and the avenues from west to east. Thus in city centers (downtown), you will almost never find two avenues that intersect.
Example sentences with Avenue:

• It's on the corner of Patriot Street and Sixth Avenue.
• The main avenue that runs through Santiago changes its name four times.
• The spent the afternoon strolling along the tree-lined avenue.
• The widest avenue in the world is in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

 

Alleys, Boulevards, Lanes, and more

An alley is a narrow passageway between or behind buildings. Often there is only enough space for a one vehicle in an alley or for none at all (just for pedestrians).
A boulevard is a wide tree-lined street, similar to an avenue though with a grass median strip (with trees and/or grass).
A court is a short street that ends in a cul-de-sac.
A cul-de-sac is a street that is closed at one end. Sometimes the end of the street has a large round paved area (from above it has the shape of an old light bulb) making it easier for vehicles to turn around and go back out.
A highway is a major public road, usually connecting towns and cities. In some countries UK, NZ etc, the word motorway is used instead of highway.
A lane is a short narrow street usually without a sidewalk/footpath.
A path is not normally paved and is dedicated to pedestrians, not vehicles.
A pedestrian street is a street that has been closed to road vehicles. They are paved and you can only walk along them.

Giving Directions

When giving directions, sometimes people leave out the Street part of a street name. For example:

• Go along Churchill (Street) and once you get to Piccadilly (Street), turn right.

Mischiefnoun

uk   /ˈmɪs.tʃɪf/  us   /ˈmɪs.tʃɪf/


[U] ​behaviour, ​especially a child's, that is ​slightly ​bad but is not ​intended to ​cause ​serious ​harm or ​damage: She's a ​lively little ​girl, ​full of mischief. He ​needs a ​hobby to ​keep him ​busy and ​stop him from getting into mischief. Maybe a new ​bike would ​keep him out of mischief. I ​hope you haven't been up to any mischief while I was gone. 
[U] informal ​damage or ​harm: ​criminal mischief

• om is mischievous. 
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• Boys are fond of mischief. 
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• He likes to be mischievous. 
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• Tom is in a mischievous mood. 
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• That child is full of mischief.
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• That child is full of mischief. 
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• Tom is quite a mischievous child. 
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• Tom gave Mary a mischievous smile. 
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• A little mischief can be a good thing. 
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• Keep an eye on the boys. They're mischievous. 
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• We stopped the child from getting into mischief. 
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• That boy isn't as mischievous as we thought he would be. 
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The little boy got into mischief when he was left alone.

 

1. Which musical instrument do you like listening to most? (Why?)
I like listening to the Violin the most because it has a very high sound and it is very popular string instrument in Orchestra.
2. Have you ever learned to play a musical instrument?
Not really but I would love to have got the opportunity to learn Piano.
3. Do you think children should learn to play an instrument at school?
No, I think the disadvantageous for learning to play an instrument at school would outweigh the advantageous . The essentiality for learning a music instrument is not as high as other mainstream subjects at school. It goes with hobbies rather than the main curriculum subjects such as math and science not to mention the fact that not every child could cope with it
4. How easy would it be to learn to play an instrument without a teacher?
I think it depends ,firstly- gifted children or adults would probably go ahead and play it without academical approach tutors . secondly- people would learn it easier and faster if they have got the interest in learning it as a hobby. Thirdly –people might take ages to learn music instrument if they have not got hold of a real interest in it.


The best way to encourage people to live in a healthy way is to spread awareness about the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle.  This can be done through the media like television and newspapers.  At an early age, children should be given education about the importance of a healthy lifestyle.  It should also be included in the curriculum.  Moreover, sports should be made compulsory in schools.  Another effective way is to give gym and sports facilities in factories and offices.  

The best way to encourage people to live in a healthy way is to spread awareness about the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle.  This can be done through the media like television and newspapers.  At an early age, children should be given education about the importance of a healthy lifestyle.  It should also be included in the curriculum.  Moreover, sports should be made compulsory in schools.  Another effective way is to give gym and sports facilities in factories and offices.