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ECPE Writing - Sample Article (Banning Cars from the City)

This is the fourth sample article that conforms to the writing section requirements of the ECPE (Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English) of the University of Michigan.  My first post to deal with articles , explains what needs to be present in the piece of writing candidates compose. Examiners are looking for articles that elaborate on ideas and have solid arguments; are well organized; make use of a wide lexical and grammatical range; have an original ring to them (in other words,

C2 Sample Essay 3 (Technological Developments - TV, radio, internet)

  The following is a sample essay based on the Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English (ECPE) writing section. The question can be found on page 32 of the old ECPE Book 1 Practice Examinations textbook published by the Hellenic American Union
(date of publication 2012, now no longer in circulation).

If you haven't already done so, before you read this sample essay please read

What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog?

 

 This is the topic:

Which of the following technological developments do you feel is of most benefit to society today: telephone, television or the internet? Compare, giving reasons for your choice.

 

 Here's the essay (roughly 450 words):



           It is an undeniable fact that the advances made in the field of technology in the last one hundred and fifty years or so have exceeded our expectations. Hardly anyone could be expected to imagine the advent of television, the telephone or the internet in the 1850’s. All three have become indispensable to Western society but in my view the one which offers at present the greatest benefits is the telephone, something which becomes evident if we compare all three in terms of the entertainment, information and communication they provide us with.

          The first benefit all three developments offer is information and a means of communication. Documentaries, current affairs shows and the news are all available when we switch on our TV sets at all hours of the day. This convenient means of gaining knowledge is now also at everyone’s disposal online, owing to the fact that all the major broadcasting networks run their own websites and, in addition to the articles they post, upload videos with the latest breaking news or other useful information. Furthermore, viewers have the opportunity to comment and start discussions online, thus allowing communication to take place. All this, however, would not be possible if phones had not already provided the basis of communication which first allowed local and foreign correspondents to impart facts and eye witness reports to central news agencies. What is more, phones nowadays are not only used as a hub of communication, but also serve the needs of television viewers and online visitors who tune in to watch the news or search for a specific news item online. Phones, in short, allow access to internet sites created by TV channels, radio stations and online news agencies.

          Given these facts, it is evident that phones can also supplant television and the internet in terms of entertainment. It is equally possible to see young people watching movies and videos on their phones while taking the bus to school as it is seeing them seated comfortably with a bowl of popcorn in front of a TV set. Phones, in fact, take things one step further in that everyone can now capture a short entertaining video on their phones which is then shared or uploaded on YouTube and viewed on other phones. In other words, entertainment itself has gone viral, seeing as everyone can now aspire to their fifteen minutes of fame.

          All things considered, although all three technological developments allow people to stay up-to-date on the latest news and offer them some respite from the problems they might be facing through entertainment, phones now have the technology to incorporate both the internet and television, making them the most useful tool at hand.


 

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