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C2 Sample Essay 39 (School or family shapes one's personality)

In the minds of ESL exam candidates, e ssay writing is one of the most daunting tasks they are required to complete, regardless of the level of the exam, the administering body or the ease with which they themselves use the language. The same applies to students who are asked to write an essay by their teachers at school.  In the previous sample essays posted on the blog, the main point I stress is the need to become acquainted with this form of writing (as opposed to writing a letter, review or report, for instance), to get a feel of what authorial voice is and how to organize and progressively express the arguments you wish to make in a coherent manner.  Unfortunately, the best way to prepare for exam writing or learn how to write good essays for school is to read as many essays from as many sources as possible, then write as

C2 Sample Essay 6 (Genetic Engineering)

 


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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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