Being the elder child in the family, I take up a large share of housework. I do the laundry,
take out the garbage, and clean the fridge once a week. My younger sister helps Mum
prepare meals and wash the dishes. My sister and I take turns laying the table for meals,
sweeping the house and feeding the pet. We do our share of household chores willingly
because we know that if everyone contributes, the burden is less and each family member
can have some time to relax: “Many hands make light work”.
Topic I.5
With the development of sciences, people are living longer now. The three most factors
enabling the longer life are: the quality of life, good medical services, and regular sports.
We could have not only enough food we want but also the healthy food. With the
development of transportation systems, inland people now could enjoy seafood and tropical
fruit. Furthermore, governments are paying more and more money on medical services so
that citizens can have good medical services easily. Many illnesses that were considered
fatal can be cured nowadays. The better prevention and cures enable people’s longer lives.
Finally, people care more for their own health. Regular exercises and sports can resist more
diseases. We can see a large number of people doing morning exercises in the parks every
morning. To sum up, the development of our society brings the longer life of people.
Topic I.6
It is true that the social, economic changes make the traditional family standards vary.
Many people agree that families are not as close-knit as they used to be for a number of
reasons. First, we all seem to have so busy lives and dynamic lifestyles, so we are now so
busy working, earning, getting promotions, taking part in social activities. In families, both
parents work so they have less time for themselves as well as for other family members.
Second, due to the explosion of modern technologies, people are more interested in their
online lives than interacting with other family members. It is sometimes thought that people
seem to isolate themselves with their smart phones, computers, etc. In addition, having
different viewpoints is the other cause of the issue. The generation gaps sometimes cause
misunderstanding or even arguments. Although changes of traditional families are
unavoidable, we can reduce the gaps between family members to be as close-knit as
possible.
Topic I.7
Nowadays, more and more people prefer to eat at food stands or restaurants, but I still
prefer to prepare and eat food at home for a number of reasons. First, you can save money
if you eat at home. In order to get profit, restaurants ask for more money on the same food
you cook at home, and that is a waste of money. Second, the food in restaurants is not what
you are expecting. You may dislike the way restaurants cook the same dishes in different
tastes. Finally, if you prepare food by yourself, you will have a happy mood and pleasure
when you eat it, regardless of the savour of the food. You can improve your method of
cooking considering your taste on that day. Cooking has become my hobby now, and I
prefer to eat food at home.