My ielts materials

Despite these negatives, I firmly believe that people have far more to gain from enrolling in foreign institutions of higher learning. Firstly, by studying abroad, students broaden their horizons and improve their outlook on life because of exposure to new culture and people. Gaining a higher degree overseas also forces individuals live an independent life since they alone would be responsible for taking care of themselves and their needs. As a result, these people become self-reliant and self-confident. A final point is that the quality of education is usually higher overseas compared to that of the home country. This is because of highly qualified teachers, a competitive environment and research facilities that universities in foreign countries provide to incoming students.

However, there are various steps that governments could take to tackle these problems. Firstly, they could invest money in the building of affordable or social housing to reduce the cost of living. Secondly, politicians have the power to ban vehicles from city centres and promote the use of cleaner public transport, which would help to reduce both air pollution and traffic congestion. In London, for example, the introduction of a congestion charge for drivers has helped to curb the traffic problem. A third option would be to develop provincial towns and rural areas, by moving industry and jobs to those regions, in order to reduce the pressure on major cities.

However, I believe that the recent rise of advertising in modern society should be viewed negatively. One reason for this belief is that advertising companies often use manipulative techniques to influence consumer decisions and therefore induce individuals to buy things they may not need. This leads to overconsumption and excessive waste, adversely affecting the environment. The fact that advertising ends up creating too much choice is another reason. The explosion of products and services in our age often makes it difficult for people to choose the right product or service because they tend to be confused and overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices available. A further problem with advertising relates to the increased cost of the product. Advertising is expensive, and thus to cover advertising expenses, producers often raise the cost of their products, leading to high prices for consumers.