Writing
Topic A
Suppose
your country has an unexpected amount of money that can be spent on either the
military or your country’s Olympic athletes. Which should your country spend
money on, the military or Olympic sports? Offer specific details to explain
your choice.
☆Let’s think
1.
Why
is the choice between military and Olympic athletes? Why is it not between
military and welfare, or education? To answer this question, list as many nouns
for military and Olympics as you can for comparison.
- List of nouns that relate to
military:
Examples: battle,
conscription, destruction, nationalism, bombing (air raids), industry
(military-industrial complex), bad image of the country, missiles, nuclear
weapons, dirty bombs, environmental destruction, soldiers, deaths, injuries,
disaster-relief operations, etc.
- List of nouns that relate to
Olympics:
Examples: training,
strategy, sports industry, commercial ads, environmental destruction, games, matches,
fair play, national pride, excitement, admiration, exercise, etc.
2.
What
nouns in the lists do military and Olympics share?
3.
What
are the pros and cons of each choice?
Military:
Olympics:
4.
Considering
specific conditions of your country, which choice would you make? Why?
☆Hints for Points
1.
In
terms of the money flow in the economy, the choice is letting the money flow
into either the military-industrial complex (American arms industry, Japanese
heavy industry, businesses that cater to the Self-Defense Forces and American
bases) or Olympics-related industries (the media, construction, sports, food
and drink, etc.)
2.
The
world is shifting from arms competition to business cooperation, although some
politicians and military men are still warlike. Hence, chances are low that
Japan wages wars against other nations and arms race is futile.
3.
Military
use for humanitarian aids in disaster stricken areas is now increasing. As long
as it is used for peaceful purposes, providing extra money for the military is
good.
4.
Government
spending on sports has been tight as well as on science, art, and education. To
make our country rich in the true sense, we need to spend more money on these
areas.
5.
The
government will get better images (soft power) by supporting Olympic sports rather
than increasing military spending.
6.
Weapons
are much more expensive than promotion of sports. Therefore, it is more effective
to allocate money to Olympic athletes than to military.
7.
The
Olympic games are not free from problems but a controversial sporting event. The
International Olympic Committee (IOC) is corrupt, prioritizing the
profit-making through television broadcasting rights. The government of the
host country often funnel tax to related industries, making the people suffer from
the government debt. The trickle-down effect has been proven wrong. The weak people
are affected. The environment is influenced.
8.
Japan
is already the fifth largest military power in the world although its military
spending is in the ninth place. The Self-Defense Forces have been training with
the U.S. military for more than a decade. Militarization of Japan will complete
the practical preparation of making Japan a country that can go to war, except
for the constitutional amendment.
9.
There
has been increase in the threat of neighboring countries.
⇔ Counterargument: Japan-U.S.
relationship does not seem to change soon. Japanese prime ministers and U.S.
presidents reaffirm Japan-U.S. security relationship.
10.
Request
for militarization from powers have been strong. The Unites States and other
big countries request Japanese militaristic participation in their activities
to keep the world quiet such as fight against terrorism or protection of
commercial ships against pirates.⇔ Counterargument: Japan has had a defense-only policy. The activity
of Self-Defense Forces is limited to self-defense and peaceful operations under
Article 9 of our constitution, which stipulates renunciation of war and
military force. Also, joining the militaristic activity of the United States is
joining the oppression of the oppressed.
11.
Being
armed with more than decent amount will provoke those who want to start a
battle with us. Japan has a history of violent past: imperial Japan before and
during WWII. Militarization would give a bad impression to other countries,
especially countries that Japan invaded in the past. Also. Japan has a history
of diplomatic solutions of international problems since the end of WWII. This
has earned us a good reputation and has kept us free from terrorism. We must
continue this diplomatic peace-building.
Reference
Excerpt
from An Appeal from the “Article Nine Association”
Through the use of weapons reaching the cruelty of the atomic bombs of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Second World War claimed over fifty million lives.
As a result, the citizens of the world learned the lesson that resorting to
force should never be an option, even for the purpose of resolving
international disputes.
Bearing an enormous responsibility for having continuously pursued a war
of invasion, Japan decided to work towards realizing this global vision, and
thus established a constitution including Article Nine which stipulated the
renunciation of war and of military force.
…The
use of force only results in robbing a country and its people of their
livelihood and of their happiness. Since the 1990s, armed interventions by
major nations into regional conflicts have also failed to result in effective
resolutions. That is why, in such places as Europe and Southeast Asia, efforts
are being strengthened to create regional frameworks that can help to resolve
conflicts through diplomacy and dialogue. … Based on Article Nine, Japan
needs to develop ties of friendship and cooperation with the peoples of Asia
and other regions, and change a diplomatic stance that only prioritizes a
military alliance with the United States. Japan must play an active role in the
tide of world history by exercising its autonomy and acting in a pragmatic
manner. It is precisely because of Article Nine that Japan can engage its
partner nations in peaceful diplomacy while respecting their various positions,
and collaborate with them in the fields of economy, culture, science and
technology.
ヒロシマ・ナガサキの原爆にいたる残虐な兵器によって、五千万を越える人命を奪った第二次世界大戦。この戦争から、世界の市民は、国際紛争の解決のためであっても、武力を使うことを選択肢にすべきではないという教訓を導きだしました。/ 侵略戦争をしつづけることで、この戦争に多大な責任を負った日本は、戦争放棄と戦力を持たないことを規定した九条を含む憲法を制定し、こうした世界の市民の意思を実現しようと決心しました。/ …なにより武力の行使は、その国と地域の民衆の生活と幸福を奪うことでしかありません。一九九〇年代以降の地域紛争への大国による軍事介入も、紛争の有効な解決にはつながりませんでした。だからこそ、東南アジアやヨーロッパ等では、紛争を、外交と話し合いによって解決するための、地域的枠組みを作る努力が強められています。/ … / 憲法九条に基づき、アジアをはじめとする諸国民との友好と協力関係を発展させ、アメリカとの軍事同盟だけを優先する外交を転換し、世界の歴史の流れに、自主性を発揮して現実的にかかわっていくことが求められています。憲法九条をもつこの国だからこそ、相手国の立場を尊重した、平和的外交と、経済、文化、科学技術などの面からの協力ができるのです。 (「九条の会」アピール一部抜粋)
☆Sample Essay Structure
【Introduction】Given two choices, spending extra money on either the military
or Olympic athletes, I would choose the latter.
【Point 1】Spending money on sports rather than on military sends a positive
message to the public and the world.
【Point 2】The world is shifting towards peaceful co-existence.
【Counterargument-treatment】It is true that the threat of being
attacked exists, but the threat of rouge activity will never free us in
general. Also, as is often said, efforts should be made to prevent wars,
because letting a war start is a failure. After all, we live in the world where
thousands of nuclear warheads are in place targeting spots on the other sides
of the oceans.
【Conclusion】Instead of spending money for fear, I would like my government
to spend it on an activity that can create hope in some people.
Other
Patterns for Sample Essay Structure
Sample
B
Introduction
Body
1: About Olympics
Body
2: About Military
Body
3: My Choice
Conclusion
Sample
A
Introduction
Body
1: Good Point of My Choice 1
Body
2: Good Point of My Choice 2
Body
3: Why the advantage of the Other Choice is not important
Conclusion
Your
Sample Essay Structure
【Introduction = Outline】
【Point 1】
【Point 2】
【Point 3 / Counterargument-treatment】
【Conclusion = Wrap-up】
☆Speech Time
Make
a one-minute speech on this topic.
☆Sample Paragraph development
【Main Idea】Choosing Olympics sends a positive message.
【Supporting Details (General)】Spending extra money on a certain budget
sends an important message domestically and internationally. Our country,
though not wealthy as before, is a developed country, and usage of some
unexpected large amount of money shows exactly what the government is
interested.
【Supporting Details (Specific)】Whether allocating extra money on military
or Olympics can be taken as the sign of being warlike or pacifistic. Given the
international concern over Japanese politics swinging to militaristic, it would
be unwise to show any tendency to militarization.
【Follow-up】 Olympic is not free from criticisms, but it is within
the sphere of who benefits the most, while military spending always reminds
wars and deaths.
【Wrap-up】A windfall should be used for what is less controversial
Your
test paragraph development
【Main Idea】
【Supporting Details (General)】
【Supporting Details (Specific)】
【Follow-up】
【Wrap-up】
Writing
Topic B: Many children like, and participate in, individual sports such as
tennis, golf and swimming. Do you think it is better than doing team sports
such as soccer and baseball? Explain your opinion on this question by offering
specific reasons and examples.
☆Let’s Think
1.
What
is the negative of 【A ＞ B】？
Fill in the blank between A and
B in the following box brackets. 【A B】
2.
If
you disagree with a statement that A is better than B, what will you need to
prove?
Fill in the brackets. You need
to prove either B is ( ) ( )
A or B is as ( ) as A.
3.
Name
team sports. What are the good points of team sports?
Examples of team sports:
Advantages of team sports:
4.
Name
individual sports. What are the good points of individual sports?
Examples of individual sports:
Advantages of individual sports:
5.
If
you were a parent of a young child, which type of sports would you recommend to
your child?
☆Hints for Points
1.
Most
of the advantages of team sports and individual sports overlap or can be found
in other activities. Also, individual aptitude and personal
preference count in sports.
2.
Advantages
of team sports are that they can be enjoyed with other people, children can
learn teamwork effectively, and they can make friends with teammates.
3.
Advantages
of individual sports are as follows. They can be enjoyed alone. They offer
flexibility in time and place for exercise. Introverts can play this type of
sports.
4.
Regardless
of types, for a child to play a sport is good as long as the child can enjoy
it and grow up mentally and physically by doing it.
☆Sample Essay Structure
Sample
B
Introduction
Body
1: About Team Sports
Body
2: About Individual Sports
Body
3: My Choice
Conclusion
Sample
A
Introduction
Body
1: Good Point of My Choice 1
Body
2: Good Point of My Choice 2
Body
3: Why the advantage of the Other Choice is not important
Conclusion
Your
Sample Essay Structure
【Introduction = Outline】
【Point 1】
【Point 2】
【Point 3 / Counterargument-treatment】
【Conclusion = Wrap-up】
☆Speech Time
Make a 50-second speech on this topic.
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