2007_01_Session_A_sample speeches

1. Have people today lost their interest in politics?

[Intro]

The voting statistics clearly show an declining interest in politics in Japan. For national votes, often close to half of the electorate fails to vote. For local elections, voter turnout is often even lower. Politics plays a smaller role in our daily discussions than in former generations, and few political programs or news reports prove compelling to viewers, outside of the occasional scandal. But why have people today lost their interest in politics?

[Body]

The answer to this question is more difficult.

Some of the blame can be put on the Japanese political situation, which is often viewed as rigid and closed. No fresh or highly capable politicians seem able to rise to the top, since the majority of their fellow politicians fear change or are swayed by powerful lobbies and interest groups.

While the election process is open to the public, the selection process is not , providing voters with little choice.

But some of the blame for the fading interest goes to voters, many of whom take our political freedoms for granted.

Many are just too lazy to keep up with political developments and to make the effort to go to their neighborhood polling station, a situation that does not bode well for the future of Japanese democracy.

[Intro]

The voting statistics clearly show a declining interest in politics in Japan. For national votes, often close to half of the electorate fails to vote. For local elections, voter turnout is often even lower.

[Body]

Politics plays a smaller role in our daily discussions than in former generations, and few political programs or news reports prove compelling to viewers, outside of the occasional scandal. But why have people today lost their interest in politics? The answer to this question is more difficult. Some of the blame can be put on the Japanese political situation, which is often viewed as rigid and closed. No fresh or highly capable politicians seem able to rise to the top, since the majority of their fellow politicians fear change or are swayed by powerful lobbies and interest groups. While the election process is open to the public, the selection process is not , providing voters with little choice. But some of the blame for the fading interest goes to voters, many of whom take our political freedoms for granted.

[Conclusion]

2. Is government action the key to dealing with climate change?

Climate change may be the biggest threat to continuing human existence today; it’s a world crisis calling for a worldwide response. As individuals, there’s only so much we can do to reverse it, thus, the governments of the world are primary elements to addressing this juncture.

Firstly, governments can work together and formulate methods on how to minimize, if not eradicate, the factors causing the changes in climate. The Kyoto Protocol was an international agreement that sets binding emission reduction targets. Through this kind of treaties and conventions, guidelines will be set and imposed – therefore, countries of the world would be able to work hand in hand to minimize the effects of climate change.

In addition, the government has the power and is responsible for implementing appropriate measures to deal with climate change in their localities. Rules and policies such as garbage segregation, minimal use of electricity, and recycling would go a long way to help mother-nature recover from the harsh maltreatment the peoples of the world have been dishing out. Furthermore, educating the locals about the environment would also deem very beneficial.

The world may have become smaller, but the efforts to protect it from global crises have increased dramatically. The governments are capable of making binding treaties, confronting special interests and pushing us all to make the necessary lifestyle change to reduce the threat of global warming.

(# of words: 229)

3. Is the declining population the biggest problem facing Japanese society?

It is irony that overpopulation of the world remains a clear threat to all humankind, but that the lowering birthrate in Japan is seen as a major threat to our society. It is true that the declining birthrate in Japan is giving rise to a host of serious problems, including the reduction in the size of the workforce in relation to the increase in the number of elderly who need support. But we must all take a larger perspective rather than simply focusing on today’s birthrate and its effect on tomorrow’s economy. To what end are we Japanese pushing for a population increase? If all developed societies continue to grow as quickly as developing countries are today, the world’s resources will be even more quickly depleted and the pace of global warming will exponentially increase. Wars and famines will become even more common. If we are lucky, all the nations of the world will eventually face the problems of declining population. Rather than asking Japanese families to have more children, our government should begin to confront the population explosion in other parts of the world, assuring that other nations do their share to keep population in check. Otherwise, it is doubtful that we will even have a future to protect.

[Intro]

It is irony that overpopulation of the world remains a clear threat to all humankind, but that the lowering birthrate in Japan is seen as a major threat to our society.

[Body]

It is true that the declining birthrate in Japan is giving rise to a host of serious problems, including the reduction in the size of the workforce in relation to the increase in the number of elderly who need support. But we must all take a larger perspective rather than simply focusing on today’s birthrate and its effect on tomorrow’s economy. To what end are we Japanese pushing for a population increase? If all developed societies continue to grow as quickly as developing countries are today, the world’s resources will be even more quickly depleted and the pace of global warming will exponentially increase. Wars and famines will become even more common. If we are lucky, all the nations of the world will eventually face the problems of declining population.

[Conclusion]

Rather than asking Japanese families to have more children, our government should begin to confront the population explosion in other parts of the world, assuring that other nations do their share to keep population in check. Otherwise, it is doubtful that we will even have a future to protect.

4. Are patrols by local citizens an effective way of reducing crime?

Volunteer patrols by local citizens can be very effective at reducing crime and promoting cooperation among local residents and the police. Neighbors know their own neighborhoods best. They know its problems, its resources and its needs. They also know the people who live there better than law enforcement officials. By patrolling neighborhoods, volunteers provide local law enforcement with additional eyes and ears by watching out for suspicious behavior and criminal activity. These groups are especially helpful at reporting and reducing such crimes as burglary, vandalism and perhaps even gang-related problems. We have a volunteer patrol in my neighborhood, and I know the people around my house feel safer because people are watching out for them. I heard that members of the patrol have received training from the police and that they know how to help out during emergencies, such as typhoons and earthquakes. We often see patrol volunteers on the streets, and they greet us. My family knows some of them personally. I’m sure that if thieves or other criminals came into our neighborhood, they would think twice before carrying out a crime. In this way, I think citizen patrols are effective in reducing crimes and making us all feel safer.

[Intro]

Volunteer patrols by local citizens can be very effective at reducing crime and promoting cooperation among local residents and the police.

[Body]

Neighbors know their own neighborhoods best. They know its problems, its resources and its needs. They also know the people who live there better than law enforcement officials. By patrolling neighborhoods, volunteers provide local law enforcement with additional eyes and ears by watching out for suspicious behavior and criminal activity. These groups are especially helpful at reporting and reducing such crimes as burglary, vandalism and perhaps even gang-related problems. We have a volunteer patrol in my neighborhood, and I know the people around my house feel safer because people are watching out for them. I heard that members of the patrol have received training from the police and that they know how to help out during emergencies, such as typhoons and earthquakes. We often see patrol volunteers on the streets, and they greet us. My family knows some of them personally. I’m sure that if thieves or other criminals came into our neighborhood, they would think twice before carrying out a crime.

[Conclusion]

In this way, I think citizen patrols are effective in reducing crimes and making us all feel safer.

5. The pros and cons of zoos and aquariums

I have very mixed feelings when I visit zoos. I love seeing the animals and always have ever since I was a child. But some zoos, the cages are small and the animals do not look happy or healthy. I’ve read that animals in zoos and the fish in aquariums have a much shorter lifespan than animals in the world. They suffer from more frequent illnesses and mental disorders. This makes me wonder whether such facilities are really good. However, other zoos I’ve visited have much wider spaces for animals, and their habitats look much more natural than the metal bars and cement floors of traditional zoos. I once visited a zoo in the city of San Diego, and I was very impressed with the quality of care given to the animals there. The zoo also maintained a huge safari park, and many of the animals spent part of each year in this wider area, away from the public eye. Zoos and aquariums do play an important function, for they can teach us the importance of life, environmental protection and species conservation. Children can feel closer to nature and animals, and they learn to respect our natural world, because zoos and aquariums provide them with valuable educational opportunities. We just have to make sure that they meet certain standards, so that the animals and fish there have a satisfactory quality of life.

[Intro]

I have very mixed feelings when I visit zoos. I love seeing the animals and always have ever since I was a child. But some zoos, the cages are small and the animals do not look happy or healthy.

[Body]

I’ve read that animals in zoos and the fish in aquariums have a much shorter lifespan than animals in the world. They suffer from more frequent illnesses and mental disorders. This makes me wonder whether such facilities are really good. However, other zoos I’ve visited have much wider spaces for animals, and their habitats look much more natural than the metal bars and cement floors of traditional zoos. I once visited a zoo in the city of San Diego, and I was very impressed with the quality of care given to the animals there. The zoo also maintained a huge safari park, and many of the animals spent part of each year in this wider area, away from the public eye.

[Conclusion]

Zoos and aquariums do play an important function, for they can teach us the importance of life, environmental protection and species conservation. Children can feel closer to nature and animals, and they learn to respect our natural world, because zoos and aquariums provide them with valuable educational opportunities. We just have to make sure that they meet certain standards, so that the animals and fish there have a satisfactory quality of life.