WRITING TASK 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task

Write about the following topic:

Some people think that sending criminals to prison is not effective. Education and job training should be used instead. Do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

BÀI TRẢ LỜI MẪU:

Some people believe that providing better education opportunities and job training should replace prison sentences in combating crime. Personally, I think this is a one-sided point of view and therefore disagree with it.

There are a number of compelling reasons why it is unreasonable to consider imprisonment to be an obsolete practice. Prison sentences serve as one of the embodiments of justice and fairness in society. When a person commits an unlawful act, be it a misdemeanor or a felony, there should be punishments or else society would fall into chaos. Furthermore, prisons are not only a physical place that keeps criminals contained to protect innocent people but also a reminder of the consequences of violating the law.

Although better education and job training can enhance a person’s awareness and employability that will, in theory, reduce crime, they cannot eliminate all the elements that induce a person to become a criminal. In fact, there have been many heinous crimes committed by well-educated people, for example the infamous sexual assault on a Vietnamese child in Japan. It is naive to expect everyone to follow the law just because they are provided with better education and job skills. We cannot disregard the fact that some people are morally bad by nature and some people who are psychologically unstable may show a propensity for crime.

In conclusion, better education and job training are not the ultimate answer to crime, nor can they replace prison sentences in this regard. It is the combination of both measures that can truly make a difference in the fight against crime.

PHÂN TÍCH TỪ VỰNG:

• Obsolete (adj) /ˌɒb.səlˈiːt/: cổ xưa, lỗi thời (not in use any more, having been replaced by something newer and better or more fashionable)

        Exp: “Gas lamps became obsolete when electric lighting was invented.”

• Embodiment (n) /ɪmˈbɒd.i.mənt/: sự hiện thân (someone or something that represents a quality or an idea exactly)

        Exp: “She was portrayed in the papers as the embodiment of evil.”

• Misdemeanor (n) /ˌmɪs.dɪˈmiː.nɚ/: tội nhẹ (a crime considered to be one of the less serious types of crime)

        Exp: “He was convicted in court on a misdemeanor charge.”

• Felony (n) /ˈfel.ə.ni/: trọng tội (serious crime that can be punished by one or more years in prison)

        Exp: “He was arrested on suspicion of planning to commit a felony.”

• Heinous (adj) /ˈheɪ.nəs/: tội ác tày trời, độc ác (very bad and shocking)

        Exp: “The payment of huge rewards for the conviction of highwaymen and other heinous criminals is a case in point.”