In any field of endeavor, it is impossible to make a significant contribution without first being strongly influenced by past achievements within that field.
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To be an effective leader, a public official must maintain the highest ethical and moral standards.
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Some people claim that a nation's government should preserve its wilderness areas in their natural state. Others argue that these areas should be developed for potential economic gain.
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People's behavior is largely determined by forces not of their own making.
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Claim: The best test of an argument is its ability to convince someone with an opposing viewpoint.
Reason: Only by being forced to defend an idea against the doubts and contrasting views of others does one really discover the value of that idea.
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The surest indicator of a great nation is represented not by the achievements of its rulers, artists, or scientists, but by the general welfare of its people.
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Governments should not fund any scientific research whose consequences are unclear.
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The effectiveness of a country's leaders is best measured by examining the well-being of that country's citizens.
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When old buildings stand on ground that modern planners feel could be better used for modern purposes, modern development should be given precedence over the preservation of historic buildings.
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In order to become well-rounded individuals, all college students should be required to take courses in which they read poetry, novels, mythology, and other types of imaginative literature.
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The best way to teach is to praise positive actions and ignore negative ones.
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Claim: Any piece of information referred to as a fact should be mistrusted, since it may well be proven false in the future.
Reason: Much of the information that people assume is factual actually turns out to be inaccurate.
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It is primarily through our identification with social groups that we define ourselves.
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Some people believe that society should try to save every plant and animal species, despite the expense to humans in effort, time, and financial well-being. Others believe that society need not make extraordinary efforts, especially at a great cost in money and jobs, to save endangered species.
Write a response in which you discuss which view more closely aligns with your own position and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should address both of the views presented.
All college and university students would benefit from spending at least one semester studying in a foreign country.
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Colleges and universities should require their students to spend at least one semester studying in a foreign country.
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Critical judgment of work in any given field has little value unless it comes from someone who is an expert in that field.
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Some people believe that universities should require every student to take a variety of courses outside the student's field of study. Others believe that universities should not force students to take any courses other than those that will help prepare them for jobs in their chosen fields.
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The surest indicator of a great nation is not the achievements of its rulers, artists, or scientists, but the general well-being of all its people.
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Educational institutions should dissuade students from pursuing fields of study in which they are unlikely to succeed.
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Some people believe that competition for high grades motivates students to excel in the classroom. Others believe that such competition seriously limits the quality of real learning.
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Universities should require every student to take a variety of courses outside the student's field of study.
Write a response in which you discuss your views on the policy and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider the possible consequences of implementing the policy and explain how these consequences shape your position.
Claim: Many problems of modern society cannot be solved by laws and the legal system.
Reason: Laws cannot change what is in people's hearts or minds.
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People should undertake risky action only after they have carefully considered its consequences.
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Some people believe that the purpose of education is to free the mind and the spirit. Others believe that formal education tends to restrain our minds and spirits rather than set them free.
Write a response in which you discuss which view more closely aligns with your own position and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should address both of the views presented.
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