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,
If you haven't already done so, before you read this sample essay please read
Sample C2 level Essay
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 152 of the ECPE Book 1 Practice Examinations textbook published by the Hellenic American Union.
What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog?
Sample C2 level Essay
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 152 of the ECPE Book 1 Practice Examinations textbook published by the Hellenic American Union.
While
technology has brought us many great advances, some people claim that it has
made us less human. In your opinion, has the increased use of technology made
people less able to interact?
The
debate regarding the joys or sorrows technology ushers in rages on as more and
more people view its advances as not quite as rosy as the majority of
individuals would have us think. Indeed, many are those who comment on the
inability of acquaintances to sit down and simply chat over a cup of coffee,
something which has led to the conclusion that people have become isolated and
withdrawn. In my view, however, the opposite is true.
To
begin with, computers and other digital gadgets of our era have facilitated communication
and, by extension, human interaction. One needs only to look at all the social networks
available nowadays to realize that in fact people cannot stop talking to one
another. All the comments on blogs, Facebook, Twitter, all the arguments and help
found on a variety of forums, all the gossip shared on Skype, WhatsApp or Viber
are instances of human beings interconnecting. In other words, human
interaction need not be limited to face-to-face contact to occur. Phones and
emailing are two other means of communication which allow us to express our
thoughts and use our social skills. Is it because we are using digital means to
convey our thoughts that we have become less human? I highly doubt it.
To a
certain extent, the criticism levied against technology is understandable as an
ever-increasing number of cases has shown that people are barricading
themselves in their rooms, obsessed with the latest online role-playing game,
so much so that they spend more than half of their waking hours glued to a screen.
It is also true that you may see a group of teenagers seated at a diner for
hours, slurping milkshakes and tapping away at their cell phones, as if completely
oblivious of each other. Nevertheless, these are instances interrupted by
conversation, whether talking to a co-player in the game or putting the phone
down to exchange a few words with your friends. The truth of the matter is that
the reason why people see technology as detrimental to communication lies in locality:
conversations occur but not necessarily when two people are in the same place.
This is essentially the change that technology has brought about in our
interaction with others, and not the idea that we have become less human and
unable to interact.
To sum
up, though it is true that more hours are spent facing a screen than a living
human being, technology has enabled us to communicate through texts, video
calls, images and voice mail at all hours of the day without any constraints.
If some believe we are losing our ability to interact, they should take a look
at the number of messages sent and calls made around the world on a daily
basis.
Word count: 460 words