102 Focus Writing & Arguement Writing & Precise writing/summury writing

GRE: Issue Task (Example Topic- 10)

Young people should be encouraged to pursue long-term, realistic goals rather than seek immediate fame and recognition.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the recommendation and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, describe specific circumstances in which adopting the recommendation would or would not be advantageous and explain how these examples shape your position.

Strategies:

 Restate the issue perhaps by reversing the order of the sentence components. (Restate=নতুন করে বিবৃত করা; আবার অন্যভাবে বলা)

<> In other words (Restate the issue): Rather than seek immediate fame and recognition, young people should be encouraged to pursue long-term realistic goals.

<> Determine what question is being answered by the statement. This will help you begin to think how you would answer it and whether or not you agree with the original statement. (Determine = নির্ধারণ করা; is being=করা হচ্ছে)

<> Should young people pursue long-term goals or seek immediate fame and recognition?

Parts of the original statement that provide evidence that you can affirm or refute. (refute=খণ্ডন করা; affirm=ইতিবাচক উত্তর/অনুমোদন কর)

a) young people – They are less likely to have the necessary maturity or skills to create goals. (likely to=সম্ভাবনা আছে’ বুঝাতে ব্যবহৃত হয়)

b) encouraged – Provide reasons and information to help them rather than set the goals for them

c) long-term – Goals that will not be achieved quickly
d) realistic – Goals should be based on one’s ability to achieve them

e) immediate – Right now or in the near future; in the context of the statement, it has a negative connotation

f) fame – Fame is a result of a variety of accomplishments, and, in this context, seems undesirable

g) recognition – Recognition implies acknowledgement of good deeds or accomplishments

Next, create a statement that expresses the opposing viewpoint, using language similar to that of the original statement.

Opposing viewpoint (বিকল্প দৃষ্টিভঙ্গি):

Young people should be encouraged to seek immediate fame and recognition rather than pursue long-term, realistic goals.

The evidence in this viewpoint is essentially the same as in the original. Is there any other way to look at this issue? Can you qualify the original statement in some way? Is it possible to partially agree with the statement?

Alternative viewpoint (বিকল্প দৃষ্টিভঙ্গি):

Young people should be encouraged to pursue long-term, realistic goals as well as immediate fame and recognition.

a) as well as – Both options should be available

List some circumstances under which each might be true.

Circumstances (পরিস্থিতি):

a) Advances in medicine occur as a result of long-range planning and study.

b) Business success derives from long-range planning.

c) A secure retirement requires planning and saving over many years.

d) Immediate fame is a suitable goal for professional athletes, whose careers are generally short-lived.

Sample Essay:

For most young people, setting long-term, realistic goals is the route to lifetime success. Those who choose this route are less likely to experience failure and become discouraged. However, setting long-term, realistic goals is not the best choice for some, and notable exceptions exist today and throughout history that demonstrate the wisdom of their choices. Those

with special talents may be better served by seeking immediate fame and recognition.

The world of professional sports is populated by stellar athletes who made the decision to seek immediate fame and recognition. It used to be that those seeking careers as professional athletes would first complete a college degree and, then, enter the draft. In recent years, it has become more common for those with high-level skills to leave college early or never attend at all and be drafted right out of high school. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James went directly from high school to the NBA. At the ripe old age of eighteen, each was making millions of dollars per year. Would four years of college hoops have made them better players? Perhaps not. They may have run the risk of career-ending injuries, ultimately ending any chance of signing multi-year, multi-million dollar contracts. Seeking immediate fame and recognition was the right decision for these two superstars, both of whom have won multiple NBA championships with their teams.

Examples abound in the world of the arts of those whose talents may not have been recognized or rewarded had they been advised to set realistic goals. Every year, hundreds of thousands of hopefuls audition for American Idol. Rather than testing their talents in small clubs or enduring rounds of auditions, these young singers take a single shot at the big time. Only one of them can win the prize, relegating the remainder to the ranks of also-rans. In the case of the winner and a select few of the top ten, great success ensues. In 2012, Phil Phillips won, and the song written for him to sing in the finale became the theme of the American gymnastics team at the London Olympics. Still a teenager, Phillips gained immediate fame and recognition. Had he not taken a chance on American Idol, he may have continued to sing in church and the school choir, and singing might have become a pleasant pastime in his adult life.

Situations do exist where long-term, realistic goals are more likely to ensure success. Medical research comes to mind. As scientists search for cures or treatments for serious, even deadly, diseases or genetic conditions, they must meticulously test and retest, create scientific trials, and seek FDA approval before releasing new drugs on the market. This process can take

many years, and virtually none of those individual scientists gains fame or recognition.

A young woman from my home town set a long-term goal for her life when she was a small child. She wanted to be an astronaut when she grew up. Toward that end, Jessica Meir worked hard in school and graduated as valedictorian of her class. She went on to Brown University and obtained her first degree. She completed research at the Scripps Oceanographic institute, becoming an aquanaut. Eventually, she attended the International Space University in Strasbourg, France. At the time of her selection as one of eight in the newest class of NASA astronauts she was an assistant professor of anesthesiology at Harvard. Now in her mid-thirties, Jessica has reached her lifelong goal by systematically setting a course that would lead her there. It is important to note that Jessica was not selected the first time she applied to become an astronaut, but she stayed the course and, eventually, reached her destination.

In reality, the vast majority of us benefit from setting long-term goals. The finish line is far in the future, and we will get there one step at a time. Making long-term, realistic goals will keep us from becoming discouraged or quitting altogether. Even very talented individuals sometimes spurn the chance for early fame and recognition in order to avoid the stress and public scrutiny that attend them. Young people should be encouraged to take the path that best suits their talents and circumstances.

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