Monday Cpe Writing

Monday, 10 February 2014
CPE Writing Paper 2013 / Part 1 Essay by guest blogger Javi Montoliu from Barcelona

Task: Write an essay summarising and evaluating the key points from both texts. Use your
own words throughout as far as possible, and include your own ideas in your answer. You
should write 240-280 words. (Texts are about "Positive Psychology", see Proficiency Expert
book)
Positive Psychology

Both texts discuss the way positive psychology affects peoples lives. The first one advocates
that it has a beneficial effect on those who put it into practice. The second one, on the other hand,
states that it might not be favourable for everyone.

The first passage argues that people who buy into positive psychology attain a more joyful life not
only for themselves but also for the wider society, but claims that experts of the field compare it to
the frivolous self-help books. I personally feel this last statement will resonate with many people
because therapies of this kind tend to be fairly senseless and unrealistic, for they tell you what to do
but not how to do it. As reported by the text, this particular psychology enhances the persons
well-being and quality of life, thereby giving rise to a much more cheerful and healthy population.

In contrast, the second text proposes that a specific group of people called defensive pessimists
react negatively to positive psychology thus stating that it is not suitable for everyone. Whilst we
might think these so-called defensive pessimists really expect the worse, they actually adopt a
pattern of behaviour which helps them be successful in life, they trick themselves into thinking
theyve performed badly. I would agree that being pessimistic might help them reach their own
targets in life; nevertheless, I feel it isnt beneficial for them to get fully involved in this pessimism.

In conclusion, it could be argued that joy and optimism are not what make us succeed in life. In
my opinion, everyone has their own quirks that help them overcome their problems; therefore, any
forced beliefs or behaviour will result in an unfavourable response.

Monday, 10 February 2014
CPE Writing Paper 2013 / Part 1 Essay by guest blogger Javi Montoliu from Barcelona
Task: Write an essay summarising and evaluating the key points from both texts. Use your
own words throughout as far as possible, and include your own ideas in your answer. You
should write 240-280 words. (Texts are about "Positive Psychology", see Proficiency Expert
book)

Positive Psychology

Both texts discuss the way positive psychology affects peoples lives. The first one advocates
that it has a beneficial effect on those who put it into practice. The second one, on the other hand,
states that it might not be favourable for everyone.

Tuesday, 23 July 2013
Useful phrases for CPE/ CAE/ FCE and IELTS essays
Essays are academic documents written for a university/college class on a serious topic, such as "global
warming" or "the impact of new technologies on our society". Therefore they are formal in style, contain
advanced/specialised vocabulary and use a wide variety of grammatical structures.

Saturday, 18 August 2012
CPE writing exam sample. An essay
Alternative energy (title)

(intro/ state an argument)
It is a fact universally acknowledged that our coal and oil resources are not unlimited, reason for which it is
vitally important to look for other alternatives to generate energy. It has recently been suggested by Dr
Symonds that nuclear power is the best way to produce such desired energy, however, this is a highly
dubious proposition.

(P1 -support your argument -idea1)
Firstly, the cost of producing nuclear energy is ridiculously expensive and in fact, totally unaffordable for
developing countries. It would be infinitely preferable for scientists like Dr Symonds to take the economic
factor into consideration and to suggest more realistic ideas on how to solve the lack of fuel problem.

Secondly, the statement that nuclear energy is environmentally friendly, which was propose by Dr Symonds
in a seminar n 12th June, is not entirely true. There is plenty of evidence that the radioactive waste produced y
nuclear plants is actually a much worse polluter than CFCs and exhaust fumes.

In addition to what has already been mentioned, I would like to point out that nuclear energy and
radioactive waste are not completly safe. There is no need to recall the tragic incidents in Japan in which after
an accident in a nuclear plant, a whole town was to suffer the lethal consequences of radioactivity, such as
infertility, malformations and even death by poisoning. To make things even worse, the pollutants produced
by nuclear plants are thrown into the ocean and this, far from being "environmentally friendly", will have
cataclysmic effects on the planet in the not so distant future.

(conclusion)
To sum up, it is clear that the use of nuclear power has more than a few drawbacks, not only is it highly
expensive but it is also dangerous both for people and the planet. Therefore, other forms of safer and more
affordable energy must be pursued by the government and the scientific community.

- Essay sample 1

Saturday, 23 June 2012
CPE Essay (Proficiency in English Exam)
CPE Writing task: After a class discussion on computers and the future, your English teacher has asked you to
write an essay entitled "Computers: friends or enemies?" for her and your classmates to read.

Computers: Friends or enemies? (title)

(introduction)
There has come a time in which we have become too dependent on computers. We rely on them to do very
delicate tasks like controlling space vessels and under-water fast trains, but we also need them to perform
ridiculous others such as calculating a two-digit equation. It is yet to be known whether computers will
prove to be our best friends who will make our lives easier or an enemy who will take over our places as we
become useless and lazy.

Picture from the film
"A Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy."
(P1 Arguments pro computers)
On one hand these machines do wonders when it comes to saving up time; take travelling or printing for
instance. In ancient times people would have to walk for days to go from one village to another and books had
to be handwritten. Furthermore computers are used for medical reseach and was it not for them the cure for
many deadly diseases would not have been discovered. They have also proved themselves invaluable in
physics, chemistry and biology, where numerous experiments on DNA and even cloning are currently being
carried out.

(P2 Arguments against computers)
On the other hand we have grown so fond of technology and gadgets that we do not even use our memories
to store basic information such as our telephone numbers any more. What for, if we can record them in our
pocket-size laptops. but even more worryingly is the fact that the development of artificial intelligence and
the creating of superintelligent robots could result in a world which is controlled by computers.

(conclusion)
Even when these arguments may seem exaggerated and we may not think we are at a real risk of ending up
living in a world which is entirely dominated by computers - the way it happens in science fiction B movies-,
I do fear we might become so dependent on them that our abilities would be diminished. So as I see it
perhaps it would be a good idea to go back to counting with fingers.

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Monday, 10 February 2014

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