Topic 1: Does increasing travels between countries enable people to learn different cultures or to

Topic 113: Many people join distance-learning programs (study material, post, TV, 
Internet) and study at home, but some people think that it cannot bring the same benefit 
as attending colleges or universities does. Do you agree or disagree?
 
(a very original and effective educational model), (increase the opportunities of being educated); 
(develop technology competencies), (broaden skill set), (increase employment opportunities) ;
(Those with restricted mobility, such as the elderly, disabled and injured), (those with irregular work 
schedule) (Education is accessible for those living far away from schools.);
(communicate and interact with students all over the country or even the world),
(documents and materials) (Archived and recorded. ( easily retrieved) , ( for printing and reading)
(lack of in-person contact with faculty members), ( wait for a long time before receiving feedback 
about assignments);
 (have no chance to enhance oral communication skills) ;
( many distractions at home); (Not all work industries acknowledge online degrees.)
To keep abreast of the 21st century, large numbers of people are seeking to receive 
tertiary education. Distance learning, a state-of-the-art educational model, has received wide 
currency among qualification seekers. Despite being an important alternative to formal 
education, whether distance learning can achieve the same effect as the traditional form of 
university education-i. e., going to university in person-is genuinely open to discussion.
Distance learning, first of all, requires a high degree of maturity or commitment from 
students because it proceeds in the absence of teachers or tutors. It suits those self-motivated 
and self-directed students, instead of those who have difficulty in self-scheduling and 
independent learning. For those young learners who are generally lack of motivation and self-
control, their learning effort tends to be disorganized, futile and fragmentary. They will over 
time develop bad study habits and lag behind their peers.
The second weakness of distance learning is its over-dependence on media. Media have a 
myriad of contents that are likely to divert students' attention from their study. Online games 
and browsing web pages, for example, consume much of young learners' time. In addition, 
sitting in front of the computer for several hours in succession might cause boredom, fatigue, 
or other physical problems. The university campus, in contrast, leaves no chance for this kind 
of problems, because students are supervised and monitored by faculty members. Meanwhile, 
their interactions with classmates are constant. It is beneficial for learners to organize 
teamwork and develop interpersonal relationships.
As indicated above, under no circumstance can distance learning be taken as a qualified 
substitute for traditional methods of learning. Learners' low motivation and commitment, 
inadequate interaction with teachers and some other inherent problems have made it nearly 
impossible to replace a traditional class with a virtual class.
1. Keep abreast of=stay up-to-date with=stay aware of 
2. State-of-the-art=modern=up-to-date 
3. Currency =popularity=support=prevalence
4. Self-directed=independent=self-ruling
5. Self-control=self-discipline=restraint=willpower
1

---

6. Disorganized =muddled=unsystematic
7. Futile=useless=vain=ineffectual=fruitless
8. Lag behind=drop back=drop behind=fall back=fall behind
9. In succession=consecutively=successively=in a row
2

---