PH Discussion Text

Read the following text to answer questions number 1 to 5.

Advertisements
There are many reasons for both sides of the question, "Should we have printed
advertisement'?" Many people have strong views and feel that ads are nothing more than useless
junk mail, while other people feel it is important source information.
There are some reasons why we should have advertisement in newspaper and
magazines. One reason is ads give us information about what is available. Looking at ads we can
find out what is on sale and what is new in the market. This is an easy way of shopping. Another
reason is that advertisement promotes business. When shop owners compete against each other
the buyer saves money, more people come to their shops and they sell more goods.
On the other hand, some people argue that ads should not be put in newspapers and
magazines for these various reasons. Firstly, ads cost the shopkeepers a lot of money to print
onto paper. Also some people don't like finding junk mail in their letter boxes. Ads also
influence people to buy items they don't need and can't really afford. Ads use up a lot of space
and a lot of effort has to be made the ads eye-catching.
After looking at both sides of issue, I think we should not have advertisements because
they cost a lot of money and take up a lot of room in the papers. I don't think I find some of them
interesting. I mainly disagree because it's junk mail.
1. Why does the writer present two sides of opinions of advertisements?
A. She/he wants to take side
B. She/he wants to be in the affirmative side
C. She/he uses the opinions to emphasize her own stance
D. She/he wants the readers know the opinion about the issue
E. She/he wants the readers to understand her stance
2. The writer influences the readers by repeatedly saying that ...
A. The ads are only garbage
B. The ads contain unimportant business information
C. The ads promote unnecessary service products
D. The ads inform us tips of easy shopping
E. The ads become the source of information
3. "Ads use up a lot of space and a lot of effort has to be made the ads eye-catching”. The
underlined word is closest in meaning to ...
A. Newsworthy
B. Subtle
C. Plain
D. Impressive
E. Delicate
4. What is the generic structure of the text?
A. Arguments-Recommendation-Thesis
B. Recommendation-Issue-Arguments-Thesis
C. Issue-Supporting Points-Contrasting Points-Conclusion
D. Thesis-Supporting Points-Contrasting Points-Reiteration
E. Reiteration-Arguments-Thesis
5. "...their shops and they sell more goods." (paragraph 2) The underlined word refers to ...
 A. Buyer
B. Shop owners
C. Readers
D. Writer
E. Advertiser

Read the following text to answer questions number 6 to 10.

Muslim’s Headscarf

The right to freedom of religion is enshrined in the UN charter and considered by many to
be a basic human right. Some religions require special diet, others prayer at specific times. Why
should a religious mode of dress receive as much protection as these other aspects of religious
freedom?
Many Muslim women view the veil as a means to protect their modesty and privacy. Just as
we would not force any women to be seen in public in her underwear if she did not feel
comfortable doing so, why should a woman be forced to show her hair if she does not want to?
Modesty is a personal judgment; some are comfortable in the smallest bikini while others prefer
a lot more clothing. No one but the woman herself should make that decision.
Muslim women are not the only ones to feel coerced over their mode of dress. Most people
are affected by the societal norms surrounding them. Fashion trends could be seen in exactly the
same light as religious traditions.
Banning head coverings is only likely to provoke a more extreme reaction among highly
religious communities. Framing laws to ban only Islamic forms of dress could be considered an
attack on one religion. Feeling under attack could cause the Islamic community to close off into
it. They could set up religious schools where their children can dress as they want them to and
not mix with children from other faiths. These effects could never be good for the integration of
society and would further the influence of extremists. Internationally, the perceived attack on
Islamic values would inflame wider Muslim opinion, feed conspiracy theories and add to the
dangerous feeling that there is a clash of civilizations.
Intolerant schools make up problems as an excuse for not allowing Muslims freedom of
religious expression. In a multicultural society, students should be aware of the different
religious practice and cultural traditions of their classmates, and be taught to understand and
respect these.
Based on the above discussion, the government should not banned Muslim’s headscarf as a part
of school or office uniforms. 
6. What is the first paragraph called?
A. Issue
B. Orientation
C. Argument
D. Preview
E. Conclusion
7. Paragraph 4 tells us that banning on Muslim headscarf could ….
A. Arouse social conflict among social communities
B. Maintain solidarity among social communities
C. Provoke a more extreme reaction among highly religious communities
D. Teach students social awareness
 E. Make Muslim women lose their identity
8. “Intolerant schools make up problems as an excuse for not allowing…..” (paragraph 5)
The underlined word is synonymous with ……
A. Reason
B. Custom
C. Expectation
D. Evidence
E. Requirement

Girls also appear to be less aggressive than boys. In adulthood, it is men not women, who
prove to be the aggressors in crime and in war. Obviously, in raising children, a more patient,
gentle manner is preferable to a more aggressive one. Although, there certainly exist gentle men
and aggressive women, by and large, female are less likely to resort to violence in attempting to
solve problems.
Finally, women tend to be better communicator than men. This is shown in intelligence test,
where females, on average, do better in verbal communication than males. Of course,
communication is of utmost important in rearing children, as children tend to learn from and
adopt the communication styles of their parents.
Thus, it is all very well to suggest a greater role for men in raising children, let us not forget
that women are generally better suited to the parenting roles.

9. The main information of the text is about ….

A. the importance of men and women in child rearing
B. the reluctance of men to play the role of parents
C. the reasons why women are better parents than men
D. the superior of women in family
E. the different attitudes of men and women as parents
10. As parents, women in general play a more important role than men because they are ….
A. not aggressive at all
B. good communicators
C. superior human beings
D. experienced in raising children
E. capable of solving problems

There are a lot of discussions as to whether children should be given homework or not.
Some people claim that children to enough work in school already. They also argue that
children have hobbies that they want to do after school, such as sports or music. A further point
they make is that a lot of homework is pointless and doesn't help the child learn at all.
However, there are also strong arguments against this point of view. Parents and teachers
argue that it is important to find out whether children can work on their own without the support
from the teacher. They say that the evening is a good time for children to sit down and think
about what they have learned in school.
Furthermore they claim that the school day is too short to get anything done that needs
doing and it makes sense to send home tasks like independent reading or further writing tasks
that don't need teacher's support.
 On balance, I think that some homework is a good idea but that it should only given at the
weekend when children have more time.
11. How many reasons are presented by those who are against homework ...
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
E. 5
12. Those who are pro homework think that the students can ....in the evening.
A. Prepare for the next lesson
B. Review their lessons
C. Enjoy their pastime
D. Do their hobbies
E. Test themselves
13. "A further point they make is that a lot of homework is pointless and doesn't help the
child learn at all." (Paragraph 2).
The underlined word is synonymous with…
A. Terrible
B. Careless
C. Difficult
D. Unimportant
E. Uninteresting
14. What is the writer's suggestion about homework?
A. Homework is pointless
B. Homework is badly needed
C. Homework should be given at weekend
D. Student should not be given any homework
E. Student must frequently have homework

15. In what paragraph do you find the supporting point?

A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
E. 5
Essay
Internet has been the most outstanding invention in the history of mankind. With internet,
out earth has become a global village. Yet, like many other human made technologies, it has its
own advantages and disadvantages.
There is plenty of software that can entertain us or help us to communicate with our beloved
ones. In a mere second, we can chat for hours with a person who is sitting at the other parts of
the world, read our e-mail in our smart phone or listen to our favorite radio broadcast by
streaming it on our table.
With its easy access, internet also has its disadvantages. one of them is children may be
exposed to violence and explicit contexts that only suitable for adults. There are thousands of
such inappropriate contents on the internet which can be easily found. It is a very serious issue
and may harm children well-being.
Although, internet can create havoc and destruction, its advantages are more important than
its disadvantages.
1. What is one disadvantages of the internet?
2. What is the main idea of paragraph 2?

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Distance Learning

Distance learning is seen as an inferior way. Nowadays, even famous and established
traditional colleges and universities are providing distance learning courses ad it is generally
considered a way to improve one’s life.
However, people still argue whether distance learning has more advantages or
disadvantages. Some of them who see the benefit of distance learning will say that distance
learning needs no commuting. Of course, it saves money and time that students would take.
Furthermore, distance learning can be done at any students’ convenience. The classes of distance
learning are mostly synchronous. It means that students do not have to attend a lecture at a fixed
particular time and place. Students can review the assignments and do their homework during
off-hours or from home. In addition, distance learning provides more accessibility. No one can
deny it. People with limited mobility may encounter the problem when they attend traditional
classes. With the online class system, the problem is solved.
Despite the many advantages, other people will see that distance learning is costly and needs
complex technology. To attend online learning, a student must have a computer with access to
the internet. Admittedly, such technology devices are not always available for common students.
Another disadvantage of distance learning is that it does not provide immediate feedback.
Unlikely traditional classroom, students have to wait for the feedback and comments until the
instructor has reviewed the works and sent responses to them. Most of the time, the students will
study alone. Distance learners may feel isolated or miss the social interaction that comes in a
traditional classroom.
Regarding the individual’s style, many students are able to learn when there is live interaction
between them and the available accompanying teacher while others don’t really need it. So
before deciding a choice of attending distance learning or not, each student needs to do a fair
analysis regarding the kind of person he/she is.
Answer the following’s questions‼
4. What are the pro’s ideas?
5. What are the contrary’s claims?
6. According to the text, the writer stands for the point of pro/contra? Mention the sentence
as a proof