Day 6: Culture & Leisure

TASK I: Integrated Writing

Reading: History

One of the great travelers of the Middle Ages was the Venetian Marco Polo. According to this writings, he journeyed to China in the late thirteenth century and stayed there for seventeen years. However, controversy has always followed Marco Polo’s story, and he has been the target of skepticism from his time to the modern day. It appears that the skeptics are correct. Indeed, it is likely that Marco Polo never ventured to China, nor did he engage in any of the actions he took credit for.
There are several supposedly original accounts of his journey. They are written in Italian, Latin, and old French. However, each account differs in its details, which has raised questions about the legitimacy of his journey. One critic, Peter Jackson, a British historian, believes Polo’s work was that of a romance writer using the accounts of various travelers who had spent time in the Far East.
Another criticism is that Polo failed to mention many basic facts about China known to have been true during the time he was supposedly there. He never mentioned the practice of binding women’s feet or tea drinking. He also never described the Great Wall, one of the world’s most impressive structures. And Polo could not speak, read, or write Chinese despite his assertion he had spent seventeen years there.
One of the most telling facts is that Marco Polo’s name appears nowhere in the recorded history of China in that period. Considering his claim to have been a close friend and ambassador to the ruler, Kublai Khan, and a frequent court visitor, this is incredibly surprising. He also wrote about his role in bringing a Mongol princess to Persia, yet this too does not appear in any contemporary history books.

Transcript:

W: the controversy surrounding the authenticity of Marco Polo’s story about his life in China is based on simple misunderstandings and misinterpretations of facts. Polo indeed traveled to China and then wrote an accurate account of his journey, which became one of the most important books in history.
After returning to Europe, Polo spent some time as a prisoner of war. The first account of his travels was written by a fellow prisoner, a romance writer, who told his tale in Old French. This accounts for the stories of a romance novelist writing fables. Years later, Polo wrote his own story in Italian. This was translated into Latin and later retranslated in Italian once the original manuscript was lost. This explains the many small discrepancies between the texts, a major source of the controversy.
Many critics note that Polo failed to record many common Chinese things, like tea drinking and the Great Wall. However, Polo spent most of his time in the north, where tea wasn’t often consumed. It’s also possible he never saw the Great Wall since he entered China from the west yet the wall mostly faces north. And keep in mind that the Great Wall wasn’t the finished version that exists today. It was actually smaller and included many sections that had eroded or disappeared and were later built after Polo’s departure.
Polo never learned Chinese because he didn’t need to. Kublai Khan provided Persian translators since he was fluent in that language. He often even used Persian names to describe Chinese places. As for his absence from any Chinese books, this may be related to the fact that he used a different form of his name in Chinese or Mongolian or simply that he wasn’t important enough to merit the honor of being mentioned.

Answer:

While the reading assert that Marco Polo never went to China, the professor provides evidence contrary to this assertion and believes Marco Polo really did go to China.
In response to the accusation that the original accounts of Polo’s tale written in different languages all have different versions of the story, the professor mentions that the first writing of Marco Polo’s adventures came from a romance novelist, not Polo himself. The professor says that Polo later wrote his own account, which was translated and retranslated into other languages. This naturally caused various mistakes.
The reading also points out that Polo never mentioned China-related things, such as foot binding, tea drinking, and the Great Wall. However, the professor says that in Polo’s location in China, they did not drink tea and that he might never have even seen the Great Wall.
Finally, according to the reading, Polo could neither communicate in Chinese, nor was he mentioned in any contemporary Chinese histories. The professor mentions that Polo did not need to learn Chinese since he spoke Persian and used translators. She claims that Polo may have used a different form of his name or not have been important enough to have been mentioned in any Chinese history texts.
In short, the reading is of Marco Polo’s claims; however, the professor fully believes the stories that Polo told.

Task1 cont.

TASK II: Independent Writing

Sample 1: Several languages are in danger of extinction because they are spoken by very small numbers of people. Some people say that governments should spend public money on saving these languages, while others believe that would be a waste of money. Discuss both these views and give your opinion.

It is true that some minority languages may disappear in the near future. Although it can be argued that governments could save money by allowing this to happen, I believe that these languages should be protected and preserved.
There are several reasons why saving minority languages could be seen as a waste of money. Firstly, if a language is only spoken by a small number of people, expensive education programmes will be needed to make sure that more people learn it, and the state will have to pay for facilities, teachers and marketing. This money might be better spent on other public services. Secondly, it would be much cheaper and more efficient for countries to have just one language. Governments could cut all kinds of costs related to communicating with each minority group.
Despite the above arguments, I believe that governments should try to preserve languages that are less widely spoken. A language is much more than simply a means of communication; it has a vital connection with the cultural identity of the people who speak it. If a language disappears, a whole way of life will disappear with it, and we will lose the rich cultural diversity that makes societies more interesting. By spending money to protect minority languages, governments can also preserve traditions, customs and behaviours that are part of a country’s history.
In conclusion, it may save money in the short term if we allow minority languages to disappear, but in the long term this would have an extremely negative impact on our cultural heritage.

Sample 2:Some people think that museums should be enjoyable places to entertain people, while others believe that the purpose of museums is to educate. Discuss both views and give you own opinion.

People have different views about the role and function of museums. In my opinion, museums can and should be both entertaining and educational.
On the one hand, it can be argued that the main role of a museum is to entertain. Museums are tourist attractions, and their aim is to exhibit a collection of interesting objects that many people will want to see. The average visitor may become bored if he or she has to read or listen to too much educational content, so museums often put more of an emphasis on enjoyment rather than learning. This type of museum is designed to be visually spectacular, and may have interactive activities or even games as part of its exhibitions.
On the other hand, some people argue that museums should focus on education. The aim of any exhibition should be to teach visitors something that they did not previously know. Usually this means that the history behind the museum’s exhibits needs to be explained, and this can be done in various ways. Some museums employ professional guides to talk to their visitors, while other museums offer headsets so that visitors can listen to detailed commentary about the exhibition. In this way, museums can play an important role in teaching people about history, culture, science and many other aspects of life.
In conclusion, it seems to me that a good museum should be able to offer an interesting, enjoyable and educational experience so that people can have fun and learn something at the same time.

Sample 3: Many people prefer foreign films, while others are more like to watch locally produced films. Which would your prefer? Should governments give more financial support to local film industries?

It is true that foreign films are more popular in many countries than domestically produced films. There could be several reasons why this is the case, and I believe that governments should promote local film-making by subsidizing the industry.
There are various reasons why many people find foreign films more enjoyable than the films produced in their own countries. Firstly, the established film industries in certain countries have huge budgets for action, special effects and to shoot scenes in spectacular locations. Hollywood blockbusters like ‘Avatar’ or the James Bond films are examples of such productions, and their global appeal is undeniable. Another reason why these big-budget films are so successful is that they often star the most famous actors and actresses, and they are made by the most accomplished producers and directors. The poor quality, low-budget filmmaking in many countries suffers in comparison.
In my view, governments should support local film industries financially. In every country, there may be talented amateur film-makers who just need to be given the opportunity to prove themselves. To compete with big-budget productions from overseas, these people need money to pay for film crews, actors and a host of other costs related to producing high-quality films. If governments did help with these costs, they would see an increase in employment in the film industry, income from film sales, and perhaps even a rise in tourist numbers. New Zealand, for example, has seen an increase in tourism related to the ‘Lord of the Rings’ films, which were partly funded by government subsidies.
In conclusion, I believe that increased financial support could help to raise the quality of locally made films and allow them to compete with the foreign productions that currently dominate the market.

Sample 4: Many people today blame movies and TV for having negative effects on young people. I completely disagree with this notion because the right kind of movie or television program can be highly educational as well as motivational.

Of course, there is a lot of trash on TV and the big screen these days. However, if parents guide their kids and have them watch worthwhile programs such as documentaries or event the news, their children can learn important information instead of just being entertained. For example, my father has always enjoyed watching the documentary Animal Planet, and he has gotten me into it as well. I never realized how much I was fascinated by animals and how complex their lives really are. Actually, I have even considered becoming a veterinarian mainly because of my exposure to Animal planet. Without TV, I may never have found what I want to do as my career. Television and movies can definitely have positive effects on young people these days.

Also, movies and television can open up our eyes to the would without visual media, our would would be a much smaller place, and certain shows can motivate us to make the world we live in a better place. In this sense, they can have very positive effects on young people by encouraging them to change the world. For example, I often watch the Discovery Channel, which has programs on problems such as diseases and food shortages that people face in Africa. Eventually, with my parents’ help, I began to donate some money each month to help people in Africa. Without television, I would not have known how serious the situation was there and would never have tried to help. In this way, because of TV, I was motivated to help poor and desperate people in far-off lands whom I do not even know.

In summary, television and movies can have very positive effects on young people because they can educate them about the world and motivate them to do good deeds. Television opens up the world around us and can be a positive aspect in anyone’s life so long as that person avoids all of the trivial programming.

Sample 5: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Television has destroyed communication among friends and family. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

These days there is a lot of anguish about how television has destroyed communication between human beings. However, I strongly believe that the advent of televised entertainment has not had a negative effect on interpersonal communication. I feel this way for two main reasons, which I will explore in the following essay.
To begin with, I contend that television actually helps people to have more meaningful conversations. In the past, people mostly talked about what they had in common. Often, talk of this sort was quite limited because people lived fairly simple lives in fairly mundane circumstances. These days, in contrast, individuals can enjoy spirited discussions about the wide array of current events and world affairs that they hear about on television every day. For example, I have a regular Friday lunch date with my work colleagues at a local restaurant. We do, indeed, talk about work affairs, but most of our conversations are about the wide world around us which we learn about from watching television. We talk about everything from political developments in distant countries to sports results from entirely different continents. I strongly believe that without television to supply us with topics, my colleagues and I would talk mainly about banal office gossip.
Secondly, I am of the opinion that television has mostly replaced solitary activities, rather than replacing interactions with others. It appears that television has mainly replaced hobbies like reading and exercising. My own experience is evidence of this. I grew up in a very rural area without access to stable television signals and as a result, I spent most of my free time reading books and magazines. When I started university, however, I moved to a big city and suddenly had access to the complete hundred channel universe. Almost immediately, watching shows and movies replaced reading as my primary hobby. I now read almost no books, but as I indicated in the above paragraph I still have meaningful conversations with friends on a regular basis.
In conclusion, I disagree with the idea that the advent of television has harmed communication between friends and family. I feel this way because television supplies us with a variety of topics which we can discuss with our friends and because television-watching has mostly replaced solitary hobbies and activities rather than social

How do movies or television influence people’s behavior? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.

Ever since the invention of film, movies and television have exerted a major influence on the way people behave. In my opinion, the most noticeable way that such entertainment influences us is by providing role-models. I feel this way for two reasons, which I will explore in the following essay.
First of all, films and television provide society with a lot of negative role-models, which too many people are willing to emulate. These days, the so-called “anti-hero” is a big part of popular culture. This is a type of character who acts badly towards other people, ignores the rules of society and is generally misanthropic in nature. It is quite common for these characters to glorify excessive alcohol consumption and drug use. For example, an old friend of mine from high school is a huge fan of characters of this type. While he started high school as a straight-A student, he later began to watch a lot of “drug comedies” which gave him the impression that consuming vast quantities of illegal narcotics was amusing and desirable behavior. My friend barely finished high school and is now unemployed and has few prospects for the future.
On the other hand, filmed entertainment also provides people with a lot of positive role-models. For people who desire to watch it, there is a tremendous amount of wholesome family entertainment on offer. Programs like this showcase functioning, stable families. They are not just traditional conservative families, but caring, loving people from many different backgrounds and beliefs. My own family often takes inspiration from the parents and children we see on television in shows of this genre. We are not always able to live up to the ideals presented to us, but they offer a positive influence on the way we behave every day.
In conclusion, I am of the opinion that television and movies influence the way we behave by providing role-models. The type of role-models we might emulate, though, depends on what programs we choose to consume, as both positive and negative messages are being broadcast all the time.