1. Why do boys achieve more than girls in science and maths?

teachers of mathematics and science expect their male students to do better at these subjects
than their female students. They even appear to encourage the difference between the sexes.
They spend more time with the male students, giving them longer to answer questions and
working harder to get correct responses from them. They are more likely to call on boys for
answers and to allow them to take the lead in classroom discussion. They also praise boys more
frequently. All of this tends to encourage boys to work harder in science and mathematics and to
give them confidence that they are able to succeed.
Such male-oriented teaching is not likely to encourage girls to take many mathematics and
science courses, nor is it likely to support girls who do. It seems certain, then, that where these
subjects are concerned, school widens the difference between boys and girls.

2. Do you think that boys might achieve less success at school in languages and the
humanities? Why do you think it might be?
3. Do you agree that city life is mainly beneficial? Why, or why not?

Yes No
o Better services: education, o Polution
transportation, medicine o crime
o entertainment o health problems
o technology
 People were leaving the countryside in droves to look for work in the cities.

4. Reasons why people move out of the cities (big metro areas)
o green spaces -> good for health, increase longevity
o closer to family
o safety: crime It is widely believed that cities are more dangerous than towns. As far as I’m
concerned, I agree with that way of thinking. First and foremost, lots of residential areas,
like inner city neighborhoods, are breeding grounds for crime and violence. Annual crime
rate statistics validates this fact. Another reason is the lack of education in poorer cities
which tends to create more juvenile delinquency.
o Why do some people prefer to live in a town? I would have to say that town folk desire a
tranquil and unbusy lifestyle where they can live a non stressful existence and not worry
about things like traffic jams, rude people, and crowded streets. On top of that, they want
to be able to go to the supermarket and not worry about long lines of people waiting to
check out. If you ask me, I’m right with them. Who wants to put up with the rush hour
traffic in a big city, certainly not me!
5. Problems of megacities
o lack of accomodation
o lack of employment
o polution
6. Should the environmental issues raised by megacities be dealt with on a city level, country
level, regional level, or global level?
Raise awareness globally -> take smallest action
7. Causes/effects of overpopulation in big cities
*Causes:
o lack of job opportunities in rural areas (backwater areas). People migrate from rural to urban
areas for better employment as well as a good lifestyle. Here, people have numerous
options in jobs in terms of money and opportunities. Moreover, people earn decent money
 that helps them to provide a better lifestyle to their families. A recent survey in Hyderabad
depicted that the population almost doubled in the last five years due to enormous job
opportunities available in the city.
o the concentration of public services such as hospitals and schools in cities. It is easier for
people in cities to have access to such services than those in rural areas. For instance,
approximately 90% of public services in Sudan are in cities. This clearly shows that people
migrate to cities looking for these services. 
8. Causes/ effects of migration to the cities
https://www.englishforums.com/English/TaskIeltsCauseEffectMigrationCities/bxbpgk/post.htm
This over-population in cities increases the crime rate, contributes to environmental pollutions,
declines the living standard of citizens, creates cut-throat competitions and makes living cost
higher. The traffic congestion is a direct result of it that kills thousand of man-hours each day.
Besides, the housing problem in cities is getting worse day by day. According to a recent study,
the lifestyle of cities is declining faster with the dramatic increase of its population.
o pressure on public services -> overload on healthcare and educational systems
o polution
o contagious diseases: slum -> lack of safe water, improper sanitation
o Causes/ effects of construction of skycrapers (high-rise building/condominium)
*Causes:
o urban sprawl: need for accommodation <-> insufficient -> build upwards
o land price is highed -> difficult to afford

*Effects:
a typical skyscraper will have at least double the carbon footprint of a 10-storey building of the
same floor area. He is talking about the resources that go into building it, what is called its
“embodied” energy. Tall buildings are more structurally demanding than lower ones – it takes a
lot of effort, for example, to stop them swaying – and so require more steel and concrete. In
London, which is mostly built on clay as opposed to Manhattan’s rock, they require ample
foundations. Snelson also mentions “in-use” energy consumption and carbon emissions – what is
needed to cool and heat and run lifts, which he says are typically 20% more for tall than medium-
height buildings.

9. Some possible disadvantages of GM foods

https://explorebiotech.com/pros-cons-genetically-modified-gm-foods/
https://ielts-nguyenhuyen.com/tu-vung-va-y-tuong-chu-de-genetically-modified-foods/?
fbclid=IwAR0YINfluuloBMFg-Rovdwh5cfZO-bFFMOtWhOcq0zuGHzJ6SWWtPj3cfwg
The most significant advantage of producing food by genetic engineering is that it aids in larger
production. Through genetic modification the plants become more resilient to pests,weeds and
adverse climatic conditions which successively lead to better yields. Large scale production of
crops also helps to reduce the price of the products making them more affordable for the
consumers. Furthermore, it plays a crucial role in fighting malnutrition in the world. These types
of crops are infused with essential nutrients and its consumption can effectively help to fight
malnutrition or deficiencies especially in the poor nations.

Nevertheless, the consumption of genetically modified food reduces antibiotic efficacy in people.
Antibiotic-resistant genes are inserted into such crops for altering their basic characteristic and
regular ingestion of such food can make a person resistant to medications like antibiotics which
can be detrimental for a person’s health. Another drawback of genetically modified crops is that
it damages the environment. The crops engineered to resists pests and weeds could give rise to
the evolution of super-weeds and super-pests which may require the use of stronger chemicals
to destroy them.In addition, cross pollination of genetically modified crops with non-genetically
modified crops could create ecological problems which in turn can affect the biodiversity.
https://discover.hubpages.com/politics/Genetically-Engineered-Foods-GMOs

10. Benefits of GM foods

11. How do you think that people should be encouraged to eat organic food? Why/ Why not?
1. YES
1. Organicfarming is environmentally-friendly because:
o the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers is minimal, if any.
o no super-insects are created by pesticides.
o it keeps animals healthy. There would be far fewer sick or infertile aquatic and land
creatures due to chemical exposure.
o there would be no soil erosion or water contamination.
2. Compared to non-organic food, organic food contains little hydrogenated fat , which can lead
to heart diseases.
3. Organic farming is animal-friendly. It will ensure that animals are given a free-range
condition and provided with natural diet.
4. Organic food often has higher nutritional value  compared to conventional food. This might
be due to the absence of fertilizers and pesticides, which allows plants to produce
phytochemicals to boost resistance against weeds and bugs.
5. Organic foods taste better as foods often lose their natural taste in the process of genetic
modification.
6. It is far healthier as chemicals, which are used in the form of pesticides and fertilizers, would
not enter your body.
2. NO
1. Compared to non-organic food, organic produce usually goes bad far faster
because:
o it does not contain any form of preservatives.
o it does not undergo any irradiation procedures.
1. Organic food is more expensive than non- organic food.
2. Even organic food production requires a small amount of chemicals. So what is the point?
3. There are no consensual reports that link organic food to health benefits.
4. Non-organic foods are just as nutritious as organic ones.
5. The bacteria (e.g. E. coli) level is higher in organic produce , which can be harmful for
children as well as pregnant women as they have vulnerable immune system
12. Compare/ Contrast GM food and natural food/ regular food.
13. Cohabitation/ Communal living
14. Globalization: good or bad
15. Fair trade: positive or negative
16. Doing startups should be encouraged among young people. Do you agree or disagree with
the opinion?
17. Single parenting negatively affects children’s physical and mental development and
therefore should be discouraged. Do you agree or disagree with the opinion?
18. People do not have to get married to be happy, so more and more people choose to stay
single. Do you think it is a positive or negative trend?