professionally-runchildcarefacilitiesand day nurserieshaveremovedmuch ofthe
responsibilityforchildrearingthatusedtofalltomothers.However,thesefacilities
comeatacostand oftenrequiretwosalariescomingintoafamilyto beafforded.
Ido notbelievethattheincreaseinthe numberofworkingmothershasresultedin
children being broughtuplesswellthan previously.Indeeditcould bearguedthat by
givingmotherstheopportunitytoworkandearnextramoneychildrencan be
betterprovidedforthan previously.Thereismoremoneyforluxuriesand holidays
andamoresecurefamilylifeispossible.Ofcoursetherearelimitsastotheamount of
timethatideallyshould bespentawayfromhomeandtheidealscenariowould
beforoneoftheparents(oftenthewife)to haveapart-timejobandthusbe
availablefortheirchildren beforeandafterschool.Itisimportanttoestablishthe
correctbalancebetweenfamilylifeandworkinglife.
Sample 149
Youshouldspendabout 40 minutesonthistask.
"Preventionisbetterthancure."
Outofacountry'shealthbudget, alargeproportionshouldbedivertedfrom
treatmenttospending onhealth
educationandpreventativemeasures.Towhatextentdo youagreeordisagree
withthisstatement?
Youshouldwriteatleast 250 words.
modelanswer:
Ofcourseitgoeswithoutsayingthat preventionisbetterthancure.Thatiswhy,in
recentyears,therehasbeenagrowing body ofopinioninfavourofputtingmore
resourcesinto healtheducationand preventivemeasures.Theargumentisthat
ignoranceof,forexample, basichygiene
orthedangersofan unhealthy dietorlifestyleneedstobecombatted byspecial
nationwidepublicitycampaigns,aswellas
longer-termhealtheducation.Obviously,thereisastrong humanargumentforcatching
anymedicalconditionasearlyaspossible.Thereisalsoaneconomicargumentfor
doingso.Statisticsdemonstratethecost-effectivenessoftreatingaconditioninthe
earlystages,ratherthan delaying untilmoreexpensiveand prolongedtreatment
isnecessary.Thentherearesocialoreconomiccosts, perhapsintermsofloss of
earningsforthefamilyconcerned or unemployed benefitpaid bythestate.
Sofarso good, butthedifficultiesstartwhenwetryto definewhatthe'proportion' ofthe
budgetshould be, particularlyifthefundswillbe'divertedfromtreatment'.Decisionson
exactly howmuch ofthe
totalhealth budgetshould bespentinthiswayarenotamatterforthenon-specialist,