Writing Feedback / GRE practice essay on 'Restriction of waste disposal to check environmental problems' [NEW]

Hi , help me with the issue topics for the analytical writing section of the GRE . Please feel free to criticize.

The best way to solve environment problems caused by consumer generated waste is for towns and cities to impose strict limits on the amount of trash they will accept from each household.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim. In developing and supporting your position, be sure to address the most compelling reasons and / or examples that could be used to challenge your position.

This statement about imposing the limits on the amount of trash being accepted from each household may limit the amount of waste for the municipal community but it hardly justifies if it could limit the trash as a whole. This solution may lead the uneducated customers to find other unethical ways to dispose the garbage.

To exemplify this consider how the indian society reacted on the restriction of the gas cylinders per year per family by the indian government. They tried to circumvent the restriction and did not hesitate to follow a grey route by buying the cylinders in black at marked up prices or by legally showing the 2 families living under a single roof.

To add to an adage: Do for me and I will forget, make me do and I will understand , let me do and I will learn and today's man says 'you impose on me and I will rebel'.

Therefore, this restriction may reduce the amount of garbage say by 1% but if we want to solve the environment problems which has invaded the area on a large scale we need to follow a multifold and more pragmatic approach which starts from educating and making the customers aware about the environment problems.

Educating and enlightening people about the correct waste disposal is necessary because most of them are not aware of it and dump everything at one place altogether deteriorating the quality of the environment.

Secondly, the use of plastics can be restricted with the re-usable items like cloth woven bags or jute bags. Plastic is the biggest enemy of the environment and its use should be limited to as low as possible. One plastic bag takes around 1 million years to be decomposed. Consider the amount of plastic which is used and thrown everyday!

Thirdly regular inspections by the authorities to check for improper use of resources at neighbouring areas which may arouse a fear of being caught while doing the unjudicious use of the resources.

Furthermore we can teach them how one can donate old books or reusable items to a charity instead of throwing them away. How one can utilize the peels of some vegetables and fruits which are edible too rather than throwing them. Some peels can also be used for cleansing action plus other beauty benefits like peel of an orange radiates the skin. Waste water can be used for irrigating plants and extra food can be distributed to needy.

At last , we cannot control the waste just by restricting the limit of the waste collected from the homes but by a more widely held multidirectional approach. We need to educate the humans that how the waste is affecting the environment and thereby deteriorating the quality of our life only.

Writing Feedback / GOAL OF POLITICS - Idealism vs finding common ground and reaching reasonable consensus. [3]

Hi , I am preparing for GRE and I have just started practicing for the analytical writing part. I realized I need a lot of improvement. So correct me with everything grammar , sentence structure, vocabulary, etc. Thank you in advance:)

Some people claim that the goal of politics should be the pursuit of an ideal. Others argue that the goal should be finding common ground and reaching reasonable consensus.

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.

Politics, as I make out of it, is one of the swampy system where in to clean the mess one needs to get themselves dirty. Also if ideology gets to infused with politics, it can lead to intimidating consequences.

A very old proverbial is apt in today's political circus 'A family that eats together stays together'. So with politics, which is a diverse family responsible for the whole world, should work together as a single unit operating on a common ground which would help to abrogate the differences.

The recent situation of the war going in Syria is the reflection of this. Mass killing is being carried out to satisfy the idealistic egos of the incumbents. Had the statesmen of the world negotiated on the matter, much less lives could have been lost and further massacre would have stopped.

Additionally Russia which deliberately used its VETO power and declined to support the UN against Syria eventually has led to internal war which is presently on the verge of escalation. Had the system of UN would have succeeded in finding the solution reasonable for all there would not have been the massive human casualty and migration crisis. This situation is clearly delineating the failure of reaching a common solution of the problem at its earliest rudimentary stage.

On the other hand, idealism works well for the individual growth but in case of politics sometimes it can lead to altercations and bruised egos. Idealism should be followed for a good cause but it brings more damage than good when the path is devious.

For instance, Gandhi Ji followed their ideology of ''No violence '' and protested against the Britishers during pre-independence period in India for which they were recognized and being consecrated as the true leader. He wanted the system to follow non violence as a measure for the salvation of the millions of slaves. Their ideology of a silent protest against Britishers along with the sacrifices of other freedom fighters gradually enfeebled the strength of the Britishers and India eventually was declared independent.

Conclusively, pursuit of an ideal can take the system to the zenith only if it intents to spread peace but pragmatically in today's diverse nation it is essential to find a common ground and reaching reasonable consensus which would be satisfactory to all rather than imposing the ideals on the opponents.

Writing Feedback / In any field-business, politics, education, government, rulers should concede after 5 years in power [2]

GRE issue essay on 'those in power should be required to step down after five years.

Help me with the grammar , sentence structure, coherence, essay being justified or not...thank you in advance.

In any field-business, politics, education, government-those in power should be required to step down after five years.

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.

Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future' quoted by J.F. Kennedy. Change is inevitable and constant and it is good whether it is about getting a new place to stay or reforming the political or social system, it opens up a new era and new discoveries.

Another proverb to mention here in reference to the incumbents is the stagnant water which is same as the stagnant power in position that acts an omen to the no progress system. So with the business, politics, education and government there should be the change in the incumbents position so as to rejuvenate the system with a new psyche and new ideas with the change of time.

Relatively, everyone deserves a chance to show their mettle in today's diverse society where each human has different capabilities , thinking, ideas and beliefs. To abolish the discrimination and corruption , there should be the rotation or voting for the position held in authority after a certain period of reigning the system.

To exemplify it more let's consider the rule of the Congress as Indian government over the country for consecutively 10 years that eventually resulted in the huge descent of the government by the people because of the rage due to no progress in the economy for the last years. Society needed a new government with a new plan as the congress plan was not being more fruitful though it did good in first 5 years.

Same with the education system, the motive is to bring the best education for the society and that could only be achieved with the diverse ideas but not by a single mind. Education needs change as it progresses and so the authority so to ensure its development with the recent trends.

Thirdly like in business one holding the power may be having much experience than others and could be the reason for the status of the business. But at some point there is always a need to change and for new ideas may be a younger mind which proves an additional boon for the established business. For an example, consider the corporations like Goldman Sachs, one of the leading corporations run by different incumbents over a period of time.

Furthermore, everything takes time and the incumbent at least needs around 5 years to bring the change. Thus, it is essential for the system to adopt an approach where the ones in power should be required to step down after 5 years at least so to keep the system vital as per the change in the society.

Though change does not always bring good because experience is gained with time and is of paramount importance in the power but one cannot know what the change will bring until or unless the change is not there. As a proverb it is always known that 'To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often', change is always required.

Writing Feedback / Author's argument on non-Palean woven baskets does not seems to make a cogent case. GRE argument [3]

This is my first attempt for argument task. I tried my best to make it good. Tell me if I answered the prompt correctly or not. I really appreciate the honest marking. Thank you.

Woven baskets characterized by a particular distinctive pattern have previously been found only in the immediate vicinity of the prehistoric village of Palea and therefore were believed to have been made only by the Palean people. Recently, however, archaeologists discovered such a "Palean" basket in Lithos, an ancient village across the Brim River from Palea. The Brim River is very deep and broad, and so the ancient Paleans could have crossed it only by boat, and no Palean boats have been found. Thus it follows that the so-called Palean baskets were not uniquely Palean.

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

While it is possible that Palean baskets were not uniquely Palean but the author's argument does not seems to make a cogent case for this.

At the very first place the assumption made by the author regarding supposition that baskets to be made only by the Palean people seems vague. Archaeologists could have found the baskets in the vicinity of the Palean village but it does not prove if finding the baskets at one place makes the baskets originally from that place. Because later they got to find the same baskets across the river from Palean and it is possible that as far as they go and keep on searching, they may found more baskets apart from these two villages only. Author did not mention the data or archaeological survey stating that baskets were found only in Palean.

It is possible that the baskets could have been found in numerous places which author failed to gather the information.

Secondly, the author mentioned about the recent finding and assumed that it may not be uniquely Palean. However, it is possible that baskets were of Palean origin only and were carried along the river to other places or it is possible that the baskets could be of non palean origin and were transported to Palean. To substantiate this , more archaeological survey is required which can tell to some extent that which place they find the instruments or the raw materials of the basket. That could tell us the origin of the woven baskets.

Furthermore, if boats haven't been found that does not mean it might not be there. Many ancient things remain undiscovered because of being buried deep or may be destroyed completely. Plus there is no mention of transport between the two villages. Even if not by boat, there might be some other mode of transport for the ancient people which we are not able to discover here yet. So it is unwise to say that baskets are not uniquely Palean.

Conclusively, Archaeology works with history to find the source of the information. Apart from baskets author failed to mention the use of the baskets and we do not know from how long its been in use . It is possible that these baskets were used for transporting goods. In that case these are meant to be find in varied locations.

To know about the origin of the baskets , author need to find out the history first that for what purpose these were supposed to be? What kind of people used these baskets and what was the material used in the baskets. If it comes to be from a material which is neither supposed to be of Palean origin or its neighboring areas then again the whole argument is refuted here.

Writing Feedback / Increase in number of skateboard users in Central Plaza leading to descent of business-GRE argument [2]

Hi I am giving GRE in mid of November. Kindly help me by providing feedback for the argument task of analytical writing so that I can practice some more with better writing. Thank you in advance.

The following appeared as a letter to the editor from a Central Plaza store owner.

"Over the past two years, the number of shoppers in Central Plaza has been steadily decreasing while the popularity of skateboarding has increased dramatically. Many Central Plaza store owners believe that the decrease in their business is due to the number of skateboard users in the plaza. There has also been a dramatic increase in the amount of litter and vandalism throughout the plaza. Thus, we recommend that the city prohibit skateboarding in Central Plaza. If skateboarding is prohibited here, we predict that business in Central Plaza will return to its previously high levels."

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.

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The author in this argument requested the city to prohibit skateboarding in Central Plaza on the basis that the number of shoppers in Central Plaza has decreased with the increasing popularity of skateboarding. However author did not provide a concrete proof for this argument and many questions need to be answered before making this recommendation.

This argument is a clear reflection of the post hoc fallacy wherein the author stated that the increase in skateboarding in the recent years is the cause for decline of business in Central Plaza. It is not clear whether the skateboarding led to decrease in the number of shoppers or downfall of business in Plaza led to skateboard users occupying the Plaza in large numbers.

Firstly, the author claimed that many store owners think the use of skateboarding has decreased their business. However it is not reliable to go with the assumptions of some store owners. The author need to ask questions from store owners that what is the category of population they see doing skateboarding; are they the customers or some outsiders or the store owners themselves. It is possible that store owners themselves plunged in skateboarding and thus deviating from their business which led to lack of concern for the business and eventually led to low number of shoppers. Additionally the author need to survey the customers about what deterred them from shopping whether it is because of the skateboarding or they do not get the material or items they are looking for in the stores. Ask the customers if they are attracted to a new Plaza or shopping sites or they are not satisfied with the store owners due to their increasing carelessness . A survey for the skateboarders too should be done to ask what brought them to use the Plaza as a place for skateboarding whether is it because they could not find any other empty place to do the activity or they are just doing this to threaten the owners or customers or empty Plaza enticed them for skateboarding.

Secondly the author claimed that there is increase in the amount of litter and vandalism throughout the Plaza. Although the author did not mention the clear source of the litter and vandalism, thus it is advisable to firstly know who are responsible for the cleaning and maintaining the Plaza and why are they not doing their job? Are they finding skateboarding much delightful and thus skipping their jobs or is it because of the skateboarders who carelessly wanders around the Plaza damaging the property. It is also possible that customers drop the litter because of increased carelessness of the management or the store owners. Also survey the customers if they have stopped coming to Plaza because of low care and increased litter and vandalism which makes the Plaza less attractive.

Lastly the author recommended the city to prohibit skateboarding so as to regain the business of the store owners. But if the author can get back to the main reason for this drop in business, this recommendation is wrong to be made here. For instance, the author can recommend the city to provide space or ground for the enthusiastic persons looking for open place to skateboard. But if the store owners themselves indulging in these activities , the author should recommend to prohibit the store owners from indulging in such activities as this is deterring the business of other store owners too. Thirdly the author should recommend to clean and maintain the Plaza on periodic basis so as to maintain the flow of customers. Also if this is because of the low quality and less variety on the store then it is recommended that the store owners pay attention to their store and bring the material which satisfy the customers.

In conclusion , the author professed that the prohibition of the skateboarding in Plaza could return the business back to its position but somehow failed to provide the evidence for this. So the author need to provide the concrete data and decide accordingly to substantiate his argument.

Writing Feedback / Study of RHESUS MONKEYS- birth order affecting stimulation level of individual: GRE argument essay [2]

Hi kindly give your feedback on this regarding grammar usage, sentence structure etc. Thank you in advance.

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The following appeared as part of a letter to the editor of a scientific journal.

"A recent study of eighteen rhesus monkeys provides clues as to the effects of birth order on an individual's levels of stimulation. The study showed that in stimulating situations (such as an encounter with an unfamiliar monkey), firstborn infant monkeys produce up to twice as much of the hormone cortisol, which primes the body for increased activity levels, as do their younger siblings. Firstborn humans also produce relatively high levels of cortisol in stimulating situations (such as the return of a parent after an absence). The study also found that during pregnancy, first-time mother monkeys had higher levels of cortisol than did those who had had several offspring."

Write a response in which you discuss one or more alternative explanations that could rival the proposed explanation and explain how your explanation(s) can plausibly account for the facts presented in the argument.

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The author in the letter deduced about the effects of birth order on an individual's levels of stimulation through the study of eighteen rhesus monkeys. This is the clear reflection of post hoc fallacy as we can correlate the stimulation and birth order but we cannot determine if the birth order caused increased stimulation. Here the author failed to provide reliable data for his proposal , thus making the predictions questionable.

Firstly, the author claimed that the first born infant monkeys produce up to twice as much of the hormone cortisol as do their younger siblings when encountered with the unfamiliar monkey. The secretion of hormone during encounter with unfamiliar faces could be due to anxiety or excitement related to the change in emotional level of the monkeys. It is the tendency of the living body to react to different stimuli which further depends on their perception level. The secretion could be due to anything although we still can find a cause by going through more studies like were the first born babies and their younger siblings were of the same age when they were given the stimulation? Bigger body and elder one tends to produce more of the hormones sometimes . There could also be the difference of the nature between the first born baby and the younger siblings. Most of the time first born babies are more aware and concerned about the surroundings thus, could lead to increased cortisol by seeing the unfamiliar face as a danger. On the other side the younger siblings tend to be careless and less anxious about the surroundings thus, could lead to less cortisol secretion.

Secondly, the author claimed that the first born monkeys produce higher levels when face the situations of meeting a parent after an absence. This again depends on various another factors like the emotional attachment of the baby with the parent stimulating the hormone secretions inside the baby. This also depends on the present situation of the baby about whether he was expecting or not or he got a sudden shock of stimulation. Moreover the author need to confirm if the offspring of a same parent were compared when given the stimulation or not or different parent's off springs were compared?

Furthermore, the baby monkeys can react according to the genetic factors too which may vary in different off springs. Hereditary does play a role in responses of the offspring.

Thirdly the author professed that during pregnancy first time mother monkeys had higher levels of cortisol than those who has several offsprings. This can be true but can not be the only reason because one cannot know about how the body reacts during pregnancy . This depends on the capacity of the body and the stress carried while pregnancy. While first time pregnancy the anxiety or fear is inevitable in most of the cases which can lead to increase level of cortisol hormones and during second or third pregnancy this fear may somehow become less than the first time. Additionally, the body may pass through different stages of stress and shock leading to different levels of cortisol in the body. What goes inside the body one cannot know because if one body is producing high cortisol due to anxiety of pregnancy , one may produce due to energy and high vigor . Also, if the stimulation is already made the first time like in first time pregnancy, it is possible it will produce less cortisol while the second stimulation. The author did not mention whether the first time mothers and second time mother were given the first time stimulation simultaneously or the stimulation was given to one mother only at their first and second pregnancy respectively.

Lastly, the author need to tell whether the monkeys taken for experiment were of the same age and given the same environments? Were all the monkeys equally healthy and had equal level of emotions before the study? Were all the mother monkeys able to cope the pregnancy stress in a similar manner or every body reacted differently? Thus we can see multiple reasons for the cortisol secretion and thus author need to do a more elaborate study.

In summary, I would state to solidify this argument the author should present a far more detailed study relating all the differences mentioned above ; plus the author should carry out the study in a more precise and detailed manner with a large population of monkeys to prove the argument true.

Writing Feedback / Money is important but should not be considered as the end in itself - GRE argument essay [3]

Hi help me with the essay writing for GRE . Is the essay too short for GRE ?
Thank you in advance.

Some people believe that corporations have a responsibility to promote the well-being of the societies and environments in which they operate. Others believe that the only responsibility of corporations, provided they operate within the law, is to make as much money as possible.

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.

What you believe in. Give an example for your belief. Then state a little about the other aspect.
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How can one enjoy fruits of money when means to acquire money has deteriorated the health and well being of society and environment. In todays capitalistic society, corporations are the main drivers of the economy. They provide employment, generate resources and raise money for the society. But if the motive deviates from the society, this may prove unhealthy for the society as well as corporations too as stated in a common adage: "Who will guard the guards". This states that people from the society only runs corporations and if the corporations would be indifferent to these people , then who would make money for the corporations.

For an instance consider the corporations that deals with the coal and petroleum. Now if the corporations in order to make money would decide to export more fuels and sell them at a way higher price then required then it would be detrimental to society as people would not be able to afford that much thus affecting their growth which eventually may lead to decline in the growth of the corporations as well.

As a gainsay take Google as an example which has risen from being an internet search based company to a technology behemoth with innovation as the benchmark for success. It does not give priority to money making over innovations. It constantly strives to make people's life easier and enjoyable by giving cutting edge technological solutions at a very low price. It is a company with highest job satisfaction by employees and also does not harm the environment unduly. On the contrary take the example of huge subprime crisis that consumed many renowned banks in US because of the desires to make huge profits that led to abortive consequences. Therefore I believe that the corporations do have a responsibility to promote the well being of the societies and environments in which they operate.

Paradoxically money is important for economy , it gives a perspective and a goal. Money breaks monopoly and it gives rise to competition and cost effectiveness. To exemplify take the example of big stores like Walmart which has become the biggest retailer today because of the largest sales but also has risen the competition in the society. It has prove a boon to the society along with making money for the economy. I would like to add another truism here: 'Losing margins is like horse friendships with grass. If the corporations would think about only the welfare of the society then how would it make money and eventually would led to descent of the business.

Thus in a nutshell, I would say though money is important to raise the economy but it should not be considered as the end to itself because as a matter of fact, if society and environment would not be auspicious then it would not be possible for the corporations to attain the summit.

Writing Feedback / Comparison between Adams Realty and Fitch Realty estate firms - GRE argument essay [2]

Hi help me with the another argument essay. I would appreciate if you can score it on the level of 6.

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Real Estate Sales

The author in the above letter suggested her friend to sell their home through Adams Realty estate firm which is superior to other Fitch Realty firm according to the author. However the author did not provide the warranted data for this assertion and thus makes the argument questionable.

Firstly the author claimed that the Adams Realty (AR) though having more real estate agents than Fitch Realty (FR) working full time is thus considered superior to FR. This assumption seems flawed as number of estate agents can not be considered as the criteria, but how efficiently and diligently one estate agent works matter. For an instance if one person is working full time but with less focus would come out with a low output as compared to a person who utilizes the time efficiently and brings the best in minimum time. The author should state the number of estate agents in each firm who are known to be the best agents with respect to loyalty, honesty and labor. Which firm gives guarantee or not and which firm follows the propriety. Who are the agents who remain nice to customers and can be easily contacted when needed and which firm does not provide the customer satisfaction. I would like to state here a saw : What matters is quality not the quantity".

Secondly the author claimed that Adams R. revenue last year was twice as high as that of FR including more average in home sales compared to FR. This is not a justified statement because the author did not mention the total sales by the firms instead the average amount. It is possible that the AR sold more homes in less price thus contributing to more average whereas FR sold less homes in better prices thus average is not that high. The author should provide the data referring to the number of the sales and what locations and what kind of homes being sold by the firms as many factors may result in the low average price. It could be due to difference in the house locations or the type and condition of home. The author should know what type of homes they sell and are the prices comparable or not if everything is same. The author should also check for the responses from the people whether they are satisfied or not and if any firm cheated on them with the less price.

Thirdly the author stated their personal opinion but did not mention other factors which may prove unfavorable while they listed their home with FR. It is possible that the time of listing with the FR. was not so auspicious and there were low sales in the market. It is also possible that the house sold through FR was less furnished and in least favorable location which led to delay in sale plus the low price. The author did not mention whether the home sold through Adams R. was more furnished or located at a very good place or not which could be the reason for a good price and fast selling. Furthermore it is possible that the same home would be sold at a higher price if sold through FR . The author should be clear about the type and other amenities provided by the home before comparison.

In a summary I would say that it is possible that the author is right about the AR but the author should provide more information about the type of homes sold through both firms and which firm works more efficiently to substantiate the argument.

Writing Feedback / I am a medical professional today despite my low record in science in high school -GRE issue essay [3]

Kindly give your feedback . You guys have made me learn a lot till yet and looking forward to learn more about my mistakes. In this essay I also doubt if my essay is making sense or not according to the prompt. I have written this essay in timed manner of 30 minutes, thus I could write only this much. Is it too short for GRE ? Thank you in advance .

Educational institutions have a responsibility to dissuade students from pursuing fields of study in which they are unlikely to succeed.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim. In developing and supporting your position, be sure to address the most compelling reasons and/or examples that could be used to challenge your position.

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Educational institutions are considered as the second teachers of a student after family. They have a huge responsibility towards the student's development of personality and future of their career. Students come to learn and get guidance from the educational institutions to plan and establish a successful future of theirs. I believe that the responsibility of educational institutions is to give guidance to students for selecting their own field of study.

Every student has different capability and interest that they might not be aware of. Both capability and interest are two different phenomena in a student's life. For an instance, consider a student who is well capable to excel in economics. Theoretically this student should pursue economics as a career to be successful in the future. Thus , the educational institutions should guide and persuade him to take economics. On the other hand, consider a student who is capable of doing biological sciences as per his record in academics. But at the same time same student might be interested in pursuing maths despite the poor record in maths. Therefore, even if he will pursue sciences in future he would be less likely to succeed in the same. The interest creates passion and passion is the benchmark for success. Thus the educational institutions should not dissuade students on the basis of what the institutions think about the student's future. They should rather let the student build his own capability according to his interest and satisfaction.

Secondly, I believe that rather than dissuading the students, the educational institutions should engage them towards the variation in different fields of study. This would help them to distinguish and select the field according to their interest which they would enjoy to the best. I would like to add here my personal example: I always wanted to pursue medical field but in high school I was poor in science subject rather always topped the maths subject. My teachers tried to dissuade me from pursuing medical sciences seeing my academic records and poor performance in science . Paradoxically, today I am a successful and happy medical professional and I love providing services to people apart from my good capability in maths.

In a summary I would suggest that though responsibility of the educational institutions should be about guiding towards the right path and dissuading the students from incorrect line of study; this may sometimes become the reason for failure too. Thus I would say that the educational institutions should not dissuade students from the fields of study at which they seem unlikely to succeed rather they should let the students decide their field of study by guiding through all the aspects and should persuade the students for following the same.

Writing Feedback / Government should not be biased when it comes to investment in cities - GRE issue essay. [2]

Hi, help me with the feedback please. I have written this essay in timed manner of 30 minutes as in GRE.

Claim: Governments must ensure that their major cities receive the financial support they need in order to thrive.

Reason: It is primarily in cities that a nation's cultural traditions are preserved and generated.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim and the reason on which that claim is based.

"Equality is for all" we have been taught this thing since our childhood and I think that the same truism implies on the government too governing a particular country. The claim above states that the government must ensure the financial support for their major cities because of the reason that it is in these cities only that a nation's cultural traditions are preserved and generated. I agree with this claim but I believe that the government's role should be more towards the development of the whole country as a whole and not be biased.

Culture and tradition both comes from the history and somewhere it has been lost or modified in the dust of modern lifestyle. To get the feel of real culture and tradition , I would suggest go to the minor cities or villages of a country where you will get to learn more about the culture of the nation and forgotten traditions. Consider the capital of a country considered to be a major city , one will get to see a new lifestyle and a modern technology instead of the ancient culture like Delhi the capital of India. But when it comes to learn about Indian culture and tradition, people would prefer to visit villages and minor cities like neglected areas of Rajasthan , Madhya Pradesh and other states. These are the places where one would get to see the real tradition and culture which is still being followed in these places. Thus the claim of investing in major cities sounds vague to me because these cities being developed already and have less of tradition and culture as compared to real culture seen in minor cities.

Moreover, metropolitan cities mostly constitute the major population and well developed facilities whereas the small cities sometimes get neglected and is seen as the "black spot" in the high fashion oriented lifestyle of the major cities. The major cities already developed that much to ensure the facilities and services they needed whereas the minor cities may be striving for the fundamental need. Thus I believe that instead of the major cities, the government should invest more in the minor cities so that they also get a chance to develop and deface that black spot from the country. This would not only lead to upliftment of the society but would lead to more economy for the country too thus more financial support for the country.

Furthermore, it is possible that there may be some cultural monuments or places in major cities but as it is being already developed, then it might obviate the need of more investment . On the other hand small cities with the real tradition may be lacking in finances thus, may lead to destruction of the ancient culture preserved there. In addition to this, it is possible that the minor cities being neglected could have hordes of traditional sites or artifacts which may be undiscovered yet,thus, the government should invest more in these cities to discover the hidden facts and to preserve the culture being established in these places.

In a nutshell, though major cities may be the best when it comes to luxury, tourism or comfort but it may be still lacking behind the real tradition and culture found in minor cities or villages. Thus the government should invest more in minor cities so that they could preserve the real culture and tradition of the nation which is not being modified by the modern lifestyle of the major cities.

Writing Feedback / One must study the major cities to understand a particular society. [2]

Time taken 30 minutes. Thank you in advance for your feedback, small or big I am looking for every correction in my essay.

To understand the most important characteristics of a society, one must study its major cities.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position.

Every society is characterized by different culture, traditions and customs. We live in a society which have its own beliefs and contention, some are traditional and some are modern and practical depending upon the education and nature of the people forming the society. I believe though cities are a part of the society but society is defined by the people who live in a the city.

I would like to describe it with my own experience as a girl raised in a metropolitan city with good education and services provided in our city. Our city though a small one but is considered to be the country's most well planned city and every second person's dream for a good life . By the definition , the city is supposed to have a well educated society with rational thinking and pragmatic life, but this is controvert. The city is inhabited by mixed culture due to influx of various people from the small villages to huge metropolitan cities. This has led to a diverse cultural society with different beliefs and traditions. I was surrounded by the people from very strict conservative thinking to ones with the most modern approach towards life due to the manifold culture being established here. Thus , I believe that to understand the important characteristics of a society, it is refutable to study its major cities.

Furthermore , as it goes with the adage: 'Survival of the fittest' , people change places , their cities in order to find better opportunities away from their own society and plans to settle at a place where one would get enough money to support their family and also other luxurious benefits. Least of the people care for the society but for their benefit. Thus , in this race for gaining excellence and shifting cities it is hard to distinguish the society according to cities. For instance, presently we are living in a foreign country with different culture and is surrounded by the diverse culture from different countries, some are here for education and some are here for money and jobs. We are living in a neighborhood of the same culture as of us and this does not let us feel different from the society we used to live. Thus this again rebuts the premises for understanding the society culture on the basis of study of the cities.

Paradoxically, cities do tell us about the society if we study it as a whole. For instance, New York City if we see tells us about the modern beliefs and fast running life of a society. Grossly, the city is defined as a society with vivacious lifestyle as a sparkling star with high class people and high cost of living. But to study the major characteristics we need to identify the people living here having a particular lifestyle. There is a high number of homeless people contradicting the rich culture of the society plus the city is more boisterous compared to elegance , thus making it controvert if cities can decide the characteristics of the society.

In a summary, I would say that studying the cities may give us a gross idea about the society but due to 21st century and race for competition , the cities can not be defined as the parameter for the societies' characteristics.

Writing Feedback / Increase in number of accidents in Balmer Island - GRE argument essay [NEW]

Every honest feedback is appreciated. Thank you in advance.

The following appeared in a letter to the editor of the Balmer Island Gazette.

"On Balmer Island, where mopeds serve as a popular form of transportation, the population increases to 100,000 during the summer months. To reduce the number of accidents involving mopeds and pedestrians, the town council of Balmer Island should limit the number of mopeds rented by the island's moped rental companies from 50 per day to 25 per day during the summer season. By limiting the number of rentals, the town council will attain the 50 percent annual reduction in moped accidents that was achieved last year on the neighboring island of Seaville, when Seaville's town council enforced similar limits on moped rentals."

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.

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The author in this letter recommended the town council of Balmer Island to limit the number of mopeds rented by the island's moped rental companies during the summer season on the basis of the reduction rate attained by the neighboring island following the same legislation. This is possible that the enforcement of the law would result in limited number of accidents , however, the author failed to make a cogent case for this problem .

This is the depiction of "hasty generalization fallacy" wherein the author recommended the enforcement of the same law as the neighboring island Seaville Island (SI) to limit the number of accidents happening in Balmer Island (BI) without presenting the detailed scenario or conditions prevailing in the SI. The author claimed that Seaville's town council enforced certain limits on moped rentals, however, the author did not mention what was the rationale for SI to impose such laws and what were the other factors that ultimately led to reduction of accidents in SI. It is possible that the accidents in SI were exclusively because of the mopeds or it was because of the increase in the number of rental companies thus, leading to more rented mopeds on road. It is also possible that along with the limits on companies, the SI's town council also enforced laws for traffic control and sanctioned the laws for rule breaking defaulters. Thus the author need to specify full agenda for SI for the similar recommendation.

Secondly, the author recommended to limit the sale of mopeds on rent on the basis that the accident rate is mostly due to mopeds and pedestrians. Though , the mopeds serve as a popular form of transportation in the BI , it is possible that the increase in the number of accidents could be due to other means of transportation like heavy vehicles , cars etc. Thus , this refutes the assumption of increase in accidents due to mopeds use. The author should do a survey of the native people, visitors and rental companies too about what is the frequency of the accidents in the Island? Is it annual or during the summers only? Are the mopeds involved more in the accidents or other vehicles? Do the rental companies keep a track of their mopeds that what number of mopeds come damaged or lost or stolen ? It is possible that due to increase in population, may be the reckless drivers frequency also get increased or there might be the possibility of increase in careless pedestrians on the road leading to more number of accidents. Thus , in this case the town council should pass laws for reckless driving or may limit the use of vehicles on the road or in some crowded places where the chances of accidents are high.

Furthermore, the author professed that the population increases in summer months, but the author did not clarify if the population increase is because of the increase in the native population or due to visitors in the Island. It is possible that the visitors to the BI may be travelling in their own vehicles leading to more crowded roads and thus, more number of accidents. It is possible that the people visiting the island may not be aware of the island's landmarks and thus, leading to chaos followed by multiple accidents. For this aspect, it is recommended for the government to limit the number of vehicles coming from external areas rather support the use of native mopeds for the visitors or native vehicles with a guide to prevent the chaos. There is also a possibility that the Island itself is not capable of handling large population or visitors , thus, leading to more number of accidents. Therefore, the town council should plan on the extension or improvement of the roads to prevent the accidents along with the limitations on use of mopeds.

In summary, I would state that though author's assertions could be true but the author need to be more specified with the conditions prevailing in the SI , what caused the reduction in accident rate in SI. Additionally , the author should be clear about the causes of the accidents happening in BI thus, to recommend the best possible solution.

Writing Feedback / Decision based on emotions leads to poor decision making. [NEW]

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People who make decisions based on emotion and justify those decisions with logic afterwards are poor decision makers

Decision making is the important aspect of life and different people have different criteria for making their decisions in life. Some prefer to decide the things emotionally and some lead a pragmatic approach with cogent reasons towards the decision making. I believe that every situation has its own parameters for the right decisions, but a good decision maker is the one who do not let the emotions overpower them and decide practically keeping in mind both the emotions and logicality related to the situation.

According to me, people who make decisions based on emotion and justify their decisions with logic afterwards can not be considered as the poor decision makers, because at last what matters is the right decision but not how the decision was made. Some decisions are for family and some are for career, it depends the relativity of the case with the person. I would like to state here my own decision of becoming a doctor. I pursued the medical field only because of my emotional attachment with the people who care for others and provide services despite my poor grade in science. Had I decided to think logically and pursued engineering instead , I would not be happy as today. My decision of becoming a doctor later justified to be the best option as career inspite of the emotional fact related to it. Emotions create passion and passion develop interest which further lead to success in whatever we do but being overly sentimental creates depression and thus lead to failure in life. Thus, I would not fully agree with the statement that decisions taken emotionally are not the correct decisions because the emotions sometimes justify our reasons and develop our thinking to act logically.

On the contrary, some decisions are taken throwing the emotions on one side. For an instance, consider a huge company who had a downfall and is on the verge of raze. It will be required by the company to take decisions for handling the crisis and thus, avoiding the descent of the business like merging the company with another successful company or selling the company and compensate for the losses with the amount offered. At this time , where everything is at stake for the company , it would be futile to act emotionally to not to let go of the company but to take a logical step for saving the company. Therefore, I would say that poor decision makers are those who react emotionally in every situation leading to failure in life.

In a nutshell, I would say that a good decision maker is the one who can distinguish between the emotional and over emotional thinking and thus, could take the decisions practically for the good.