Topic:
If you were asked to send one thing representing your country to an international exhibition, what would you choose? Why?
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Sample Essay:
If I were asked to send one thing representing my country to an international exhibition. I’d send something unexpected: one week’s worth of television programming. These programs would best represent my county. They show how the citizens of my country live and what they think and feel.
The dramas on television are very realistic. They show how people in different parts of the country go about their daily lives. They show how they earn their livings, how they deal with crime, and how they interact with each other. The dramas also show how people in various economic groups dress, what kinds of houses they live in, and what kinds of education their children receive.
The comedies indicate what people in my country think is funny. Even though the situations are exaggerated, they reflect how my culture deals with very basic human situations. People everywhere understand falling in love, raising a family, and earning a living.
The documentaries show what issues we’re concerned about and how we want to resolve them. Some documentaries tell stories from our history. Others look into the future. They speculate on how we’ll function as a country in the new millennium. Still others examine our political system, its failures and its successes.
The sports programs show what we think about winning and losing. They demonstrate how we feel about fairness. Some of the wealthiest people in our country are the athletes we watch playing professional sports. This, also, is a reflection of our values.
Television is a common cultural experience in my country. It reflects my country’s unique personality. I think it would be the perfect way to show what my county is like.