2016年11月19日土曜日

Pre-TOEFL writing, Should we pay attention to the opinions made by famous people?

Writing Topic
When famous people such as actors, athletes and rock stars give their opinions, many people listen. Do you think we should pay attention to these opinions? Give specific reasons and examples to support your answer


Hints for Points
1.    Celebrities raise awareness of important issues and make changes.
2.    Issues taken up by famous people are usually very important.
3.    Most famous people follow the status quo and what they say could be wrong.
4.    Endorsement by stars could be misused to manipulate public opinions.

Sample Development
1. Celebrities raise awareness of important issues and make changes. They have the power to mobilize large numbers of people in a short time. Their admirers follow them through media, and when they mention something and call for an action through such media as Twitter, the comments will be shared by people and actually lead to some positive results. Angelina Jolie has used her fame to support poor people in Africa. Leonardo DiCaprio actively tries to alert the world to climate change whenever possible. The 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, contributed to attention to police brutality and all the discrimination against black people in the U.S. by refusing to stand up but instead kneeling down during national anthem and the news made people of all walks of life all over the world think about the problem and the importance of taking a stand. Many stars are taking advantage of their status for good causes and we should listen to them.

2. Most famous people follow the status quo and what they say could be wrong. They live on exposure to the mainstream media, which depend on sponsors. Thus, they consciously or unconsciously conform to the people in power. For example, when a documentary film maker Michael Moore blamed President George W. Bush for having a fictitious war, meaning that the Iraq War was based on a false reason, at the Academy Award ceremony, almost all participants booed him and accused him of being “unpatriotic”. Before long, Michael Moore proved right. There were no weapons of mass distraction in Iraq and it turned out that Bush administration had wanted to attack Iraq since 9.11 not for war on terrorism but for oil. Few celebrities, just like mainstream media, mention it even today. As this example shows, it is necessary to make an educated guess on whether to pay attention to opinions given by famous people.


♦Your Sample Essay Structure                                    
Introduction = Outline

Point 1


Point 2


Point 3 / Follow-up


Conclusion = Wrap-up


0 件のコメント:

コメントを投稿

注: コメントを投稿できるのは、このブログのメンバーだけです。