This is the fifth sample article candidates of the ECPE examination (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 this type of piece of writing. As stated, 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, readers are able to distinguish the author's unique "voice"). Before reading, take a look at the following post if you haven't already done so. It will help you focus on the vital aspects you need to be aware of while reading the article and what you should make sure to use when you write your own. The question appeared in Practice Tests for the ECPE Book 1 (revised 2021 version) and is accompanied by the following three writing prompts:
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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 52 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 52 of the ECPE Book 1 Practice Examinations textbook published by the Hellenic American Union.
In the future, genetic engineering
may allow parents carrying congenital illnesses to produce healthy babies and
for wealthy couples to “design” their children. Should doctors be permitted to
interfere with the genetic makeup of infants, and if so, to what extent?
Discuss, giving reasons to support your answer.
As
the years pass and society changes in accordance with the breakthroughs science
and technology achieve, it is evident that mankind will need to tackle ethical
issues which will feed controversy. One such issue is the legislative power
doctors ought to have in order to tamper with a child’s DNA. Many are those who state the benefits although criticism has arisen in
support of our not interfering with nature.
On
the one hand, a number of individuals maintain that doctors should be permitted
to modify an infant’s genes and state two reasons for this. The first is that
anything which aims at alleviating pain is legally and morally justifiable. If
research gives science the tools to eradicate hereditary diseases or make
people immune at the outset of life to fatal illnesses for which no cure has
yet to be found, then there should be no valid legal or moral grounds to
prevent it. Saving mankind from cancer, AIDS or hemophilia without the need of
vaccines or other medication later in life cannot compare with any ethical
scruples one might have in playing God. The other argument put forward is that
since parents are legally responsible for their children, then it is their
right to decide what should or should not be done to them. As they are the ones
who sign medical documents regarding operations or ceasing life support when
their child has suffered brain damage or is in a vegetative state, why can they
not decide about genetic engineering procedures?
To
be fair, opponents of genetic engineering perceive the dangers of interfering
with nature. Parents may know what is best for their child, but not all parents
are reasonable. Fairly soon, decisions to change a child’s DNA to satisfy frivolous whims will be the norm. Parents will order a child
to measure, with curly blond hair, blue eyes, a flair for the arts and above
average intelligence. Who will place a limit on what a parent is allowed to opt
for once the legal rights to tamper with a toddler’s genetic makeup are
guaranteed? What happens, in this case, to the rights of self-determination a
child has?
Taking
everything into consideration, saving lives is of the utmost importance and therefore
legislation should be adjusted to suit the changing tide of our times. Nonetheless,
logic and reason should dictate our limits and restrictions must be present in
future laws to reflect the potential breach of a child’s rights and the
arbitrary exploitation of science by parents to satisfy trivial preferences.
Word count: approx. 420 words
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