Many old buildings protected by law are part of a nation’s history. Some people think they should be knocked down and replaced by news ones. How important is it to maintain old buildings? Should history stand in the way of progress?

 Many old buildings protected by law are part of a nation’s history. Some people think they should be knocked down and replaced by news ones. How important is it to maintain old buildings? Should history stand in the way of progress?

It is important to conserve ancient structures 

• They mirror achievements of ancestors in the field of architecture and building technologies - some knowledge can be used in contemporary times 

• They represent rich heritage and are a good way to inform the current generation about their past 

• They also are considered as the face of a city, something that is used as a medium to lure tourists. 

NO? History should not present hurdles in the way of progress 

• Old structures needs colossal investments for maintenance 

• It is hard to recondition these since material used in construction is hard to locate 

• These structures are space intensive, but modern concepts rely on compact sizes- help accommodate more populace and businesses

• Modern concepts rely more on eco-friendly building techniques, structure arrangement, and material, and can provide efficient energy use mechanism 

• These structures are not safe for occupancy and despite heavy maintenance, they are vulnerable to collapse and extending relief in structures can surely be an onerous task.

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In concurrent times, when there is a rising need to accommodate  dramatically expanding populations and businesses by providing them with space and money efficient solutions, a common suggestion has surfaced that old infrastructure should be razed and replaced with modern construction. However, there is strong dissent on this issue.

Those in favor of demolishing old structures profess that these require colossal investments of invaluable financial resources for refurbishment, and still do not provide an enduring way out for long term, by virtue of being space and energy intensive. However, contemporary construction concepts offer promises for more practical answers to the incrementing needs as developing new infrastructure will use a fraction of money allocated for maintenance of aging buildings, and will be economical in all aspects: space and energy.  

Notwithstanding the former opinion, it is extremely essential to protect such heritage as it mirrors the glorious past of a society, in the form of achievements in architecture and building technology that appropriately address local needs as per the climate, geography and socio-economic arrangements. These can also provide important cues to contemporary architects and engineers. For example, conserving pagodas in Japan has helped civil engineers learn about designing earthquake resistant buildings and skyscrapers.

Moreover, these edifices carry a great nostalgic value rather than just being piles of concrete and bricks, and act as the face of a city. They are the only reasons for alien tourists to undertake journeys to such locations. Undeniably cities like Jaipur, despite not being industrial towns, are thriving simply because of millions visiting to see ancient buildings.

Overall, it is necessary to find a panacea that creates balance between responding to the current demands and conserving the legacy of the past. Therefore, governments should act prudently and consider changes wherever possible.

Some people think that newspapers are the best way to learn about current events. However, others believe that they can learn news better through other media.

Some people think that newspapers are the best way to learn about current events. However, others believe that they can learn news better through other media.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

There is nowadays an eternal debate doing rounds to decide as to which medium of informing the masses about contemporary issues surrounding them. While a school of thought asserts that newspapers happen to be the most formidable means of obtaining information about the tropical happenings, others favour alternative sources.

On the one hand, there is tremendous following for the newspapers as this medium is hailed as a platform that delivers authentic information that is duly verified by a competent editorial team for its genuineness. Each detail is substantiated from reliable resources to confirm its validity, and only after a thorough brainstorming it is approved for reporting. Moreover, it has also been seen that editors act extremely responsibly and many a times tend to censor the details that are incendiary and have a potential to galvanize social discord and unrest. 

Similarly, this conventional mode is admired for its all-embracing detailing and analysis. The well-versed and committed journalists spend time in covering an event from all possible angles and sometimes even delve deeper to derive exhaustive facts about an occurrence, affording readers a chance to inform themselves comprehensively and also appreciate the gravity of matter more clearly.     

On the other hand, a lobby vehemently vouches for the other technology-fuel options such as television, internet and social media. Their opinion is founded on the virtue of speed that these mediums render. Undeniably, one cannot discount the instant updates these modern means can bring to a news hungry audience effortlessly and virtually free of cost.  

Overall, after assessing both sides of the coin I feel that, albeit the alternative mediums have swiftness and cost effectiveness to their advantage, newspapers, the conventional mode, shall always remain the most keenly followed way of enlightening oneself about current happenings. 

In many cases the development of a country is accompanied by pollution and environmental damage. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Can it be simply avoided if the country takes an environmentally friendly approach?

 In many cases the development of a country is accompanied by pollution and environmental damage. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Can it be simply avoided if the country takes an environmentally friendly approach?

Undeniably, the race for registering radical progress has resulted in catastrophic consequences: pollution and ecological damage. But, a reprieve is still not too far provided the focus is shifted to greener methods.

The environment is facing a paradox of progress in the form of colossal air pollution. Combustion of fossil fuels to produce energy to run factories – that are churning out goods to fuel economies - and vehicles - transporting humans and material to diverse locations for disparate purposes - has resulted in profuse spewing of pollutants, making air nearly unfit for breathing. Besides this, the attempt to render goods of luxury and comfort to society, is promoting discharge of industrial effluents in abundance in water bodies, damaging the marine ecology, as well as making water unfit for consumption.

Moreover, rapid spread of urbanization and industrial farming has resulted in reckless denuding of the planet, to make way for such venues and facilities, which is eventually setting enormous amounts of carbon dioxide free. This is giving rise to the serious problem of global warming which has the potential to seriously hamper the life sustaining ability of the planet. The atmosphere is becoming warmer and sea levels are rising, besides the climate becoming unpredictable.

Having said that, the situation can still be mitigated, and things can be salvaged provided the focus shifts from the conventional methods to the eco-friendly practices. The use of greener sources of energy instead of fossil fuels can help alleviate air pollution. Similarly, substituting exploitation of natural resources with recycling is being mulled by governments across the world as a way to put a halt to clearing of the green cover. These factors cumulatively, if applied prudently, hold great promises, and can help avert catastrophe.

Overall, undoubtedly the damage to the environment has been colossal, and rightly seems irreversible, but even so the planet can be helped to revert back to some extent by adopting sustainable methods and technology.

Nowadays many children have trouble paying attention in class or concentrating on their school work. Why is this happening? How can this problem be solved?

 Nowadays many children have trouble paying attention in class or concentrating on their school work. Why is this happening? How can this problem be solved?

Many pupils these days are facing a deficit in attention when it comes to attending classes in schools or doing school work. There are various reasons behind this problem. Further I will highlight the root causes and solutions of this complication.

The foundation to this issue has been laid down by the schools only by stretching the curriculum. Students are under immense pressure, by virtue of teachers attempting to wind up the whole curriculum to meet deadlines, regardless of the fact whether pupils are able to grasp it, or not. In this whole process, usually the former do not get time to take part in extracurricular activities, leading to disenchantment from studies.

Additionally, introduction of the internet to the pupils at an early stage has not helped the things but exacerbated the problem. Availability of technology has made their work easier, encouraging them to indulge in copying the content from websites and reproducing it in their work without even caring to comprehend the topic. On top of, owing to work pressure, faculty also seldom examines the quality of work, making students go astray and  lose their focus.

 

To surmount this challenge, several experts suggest that school management should contemplate stemming the major issue and reform the system to help learners. Teachers should have an empathetic approach towards the learners and make adjustments in their strategies such as making classrooms more interactive. Proper brainstorming should be done regularly. This will certainly help pupils to gain back the lost focus and let them invest themselves completely in their academic work with devotion.  

In hindsight, even though the  source of this bizarre situation is quite plausible, overcoming it is not an uphill task. A little change in policy and approach of teachers can fetch positive outcomes.