英検１級スピーチ原稿メモ集②　６７個中３４個

※私が英検１級のスピーチの対策をしていたときに書きためたものです。ネイティブチェックはしていませんので、冠詞のミスや、不自然なコロケーションなどあると思います。また論点も弱いものもあります。アイデアを得るためのヒントくらいに使っていただければと思います。

34Energy self-sufficiency is vital for a nation in today's world?

Yes
1 The use of electricity is greatly increasing these days. If we rely on other countries for a source of energy, we will be in a financial trouble. To sustain the economy, we need a great amount of energy and if we have to buy it from other countries the cost will be a huge financial burden on us.

2 With low energy self-sufficiency, we will be forced to obey other countries politically. The country which we buy energy from will have a strong power over our decision. The country may ask us to give up some of our lands in return for the energy supply. It will endanger national security.

35 Which help for developing countries is better; infrastructure or medicine.

Medicine
 1. The child mortality rate is surprisingly high in developing countries. It is clear that saving people’s life is the priority. It is more important than constructing infrastructure. If the number of healthy children increases, they will grow up and contribute to society in the future.
2. In developing countries, many people are suffering from diseases like malaria or dysentery. Many people are in dire situations. If people can get medical aid and be healthier, manpower will increase. Thus, it will help improve the countries’ economies.

36 Is Japan doing enough to curb sexual harassment?

 
Yes
1. the Japanese government has already made a law against sexual harassment at workplaces.　This has led to fewer cases. In the past, it was common that female employees received sexual harassment from their male supervisors. However, because of the law, public awareness has increased and people are now concerned about this issue and know that is illegal to sexually harass people, so the cases dramatically decreased.

2. Broadcasting ethics has improved. Mass media have become more careful with their content. They avoid content that may embarrass or degrade women. A few decades ago, there were a lot of TV programs such as comedy shows in which TV personalities sexually harassed women and that was very annoying. However, now, these kinds of TV programs are almost eliminated.

37 Is enough done to stop child abuse?

No
1. There should be more support for parents. Some parents are not ready enough when they have a child. They don’t have enough knowledge about child-rearing. As a result, they are so frustrated that they abuse their children violently. Parents need someone to consult with but there are not enough professional supporters.
2. The city government should cooperate with doctors and school teachers. Children spend long hours at school and interact with teachers a lot. Also, they often go to see doctors or at least, they have chances to see doctors when they have a health check at school. These kinds of adults can find signs of child abuse. They may find the change in the child’s behavior or they may find physical injuries on the child’s body. Thus, city officers in charge of child welfare should closely cooperate with people who see children more often than them.

38. Should the Japanese government do more to support artists financially?

Yes
Although the government allocates more budget to support artists, I don’t think it is enough.
1. There are no major supports for freelance artists. Many artists like musicians and designers work as a freelancer. The government mainly support large-scale art project managed by art-related organizations. Freelance artists are not often involved in such projects. Many of them had worked in another field during the pandemic.
2. The government should make it easier for artists to receive financial aid. Now, the process to receive subsidies for art-related businesses is too complicated and the criteria for receiving them is very strict. Artists should prove that their art is good enough to make enough profit but it is nonsense to judge whether artwork is lucrative or not.
In conclusion, the government should support artists financially more, because freelancers need more support and they should make the process more simple.

39 Agree or disagree: Surveillance cameras are an invasion of privacy.

 
No　
1. Surveillance cameras are usually installed in public places so they don’t lead to an invasion of privacy. The aim of surveillance cameras is to monitor criminals, not ordinary people. If it is installed in a private place such as in a hotel room, it is a problem but as long as they are in public places, it doesn’t matter.
2. Only authorized people like the police will watch the footage of surveillance cameras. Only a limited number of people will see it. Also, the footage will be used only when accidents or crimes occurred. Most of the footage will not be checked.

40 Can racial discrimination be totally eliminated from society?

Yes
1. People have more chances to speak out. More people are fighting against discrimination. A lot of movement against discrimination is active online. For example, last year, people used hashtag BlackLivesMatter to fight against racism.
2.People have become more open-minded because of globalization. Now, people have more chances to interact with people who have different social backgrounds. So it has become easier for them to accept diversity. They know that to be different is nothing strange.

41 Agree or disagree : Is exploration to the other planets a waste of time?

Yes
1. It is unrealistic. Exploring the other planets will cost a lot and it will take more than a century to achieve the goal. I think it is almost impossible.
2. Also, it is better to invest money in other things. For example, people are facing serious world hunger, so each country should make more effort to address food shortages. Also, we should develop renewable energy sources to cope with the issue of global warming.

42 To what extent does media affect violence?

 It greatly makes people violent.
1. A lot of content of media includes violence. Many people watch TV every day, and they, especially young children see violent scenes unconsciously, and then they are infused with the violent image. Even some TV animations for children include violent scenes.
2. Internet media has increased people’s aggressive attitudes because people can be anonymous there. For example, news media online have  a lot of aggressive, abusive comments from anonymous people.

43 Agree or disagree: Developed nations have a duty to share technology with developing countries?

Yes

1. They should compensate for what they have done to these countries. In the past wars, developed countries colonized developing countries and overexploited people and resources there. 
2. People’s life and health should be saved equally. This is listed on SDGs. This year, developing countries couldn’t get the vaccine from Fyzer and Modelna because the US prioritized developed countries. It was a wrong decision. All nations should cooperate with each other to make sure all people in the world can lead healthy lives.

44 Should more be done to eliminate cybercrime?

Yes
1. There should be stricter censorship. Criminals are very active online and the case is increasing recently. The police should check online content to find a sign of a crime.
2. The government should increase public awareness about this issue. For example, people should be more careful not to click on the unfamiliar link and they should change the password frequently. Also, at schools children should be taught about online literacy so that they will not be involved in cybercrime.

45 Should rich people be required to pay higher taxes?

Yes.
1 It contributes to filling the gap between the rich and the poor. If people are required to pay the same taxes regardless of their income, the rich will be even richer, and the poor will be poorer. It can prevent the rich from dominating the nation’s economy.
2 The government can have enough financial sources by making the rich pay higher taxes. If rich people don’ pay higher taxes, revenue from the tax will not be sufficient. In fact, most wealthy countries impose higher taxes on rich people to secure their finances.

46　Should minors receive life imprisonment for serious crimes?

Yes
1. It doesn’t matter how old the criminal is. What matters most is how serious the crime is. It must be scary if a young criminal who killed dozens of people doesn’t seem to be feeling sorry and can leave the prison in a few years.

2. It can be an effective deterrence to juvenile crimes. Actually, young criminals tend to commit a second crime just after they leave prison. This is because they know that they can be released eventually.

In conclusion, it is true that we adults should rehabilitate young criminals but we should give stricter punishment in really bad cases like murder.

47Agree or disagree : International terrorism will never be eliminated.

Yes.
 1. Poverty the root cause of terrorism cannot be eliminated. People in dire poverty tend to have an extreme idea. People will try to release their anger by committing terrorist acts. Terrorists are active in poor countries.
2. Some countries help terrorist groups. For example, some countries provide terrorists with weapons because selling weapons is a lucrative business. Also, some countries use terrorists as a national defense strategy. They can benefit if there is chaos near their enemy nation. So, they help terrorists.

48 Should nuclear weapons be outlawed worldwide?

Yes.
1 They threaten all life on the planet. There will be a catastrophic consequence if two countries start a nuclear war. The bombing is so powerful that it will have a worldwide influence.
2 Radioactive waste will be generated when scientists are developing nuclear weapons. Human beings are not capable of disposing of it properly. It is out of our control. We should not utilize something that is uncontrollable.

49 Should the use of genetically modified crops be banned?

No
 1. We should address the issue of food shortage. The world population is increasing rapidly, and it is estimated by 2050 the world population will be 10 billion. GM food is stronger to severe weather conditions as well as diseases. The case of extreme weather is increasing. Actually, in Japan, terrible typhoons hit us every year, but if we use GM we can still preserve the crops.
2 It is cost-effective. Famers can grow GM food with less water and fewer chemicals. Farmers need less manpower and land to grow crops so, as a result, the price of crops will be affordable. Poor people can afford to buy one, and thus it alleviates world hunger, too.

50 Do the benefits of technological improvements outweigh any negative side effects?

Yes
1 Technology changed the way of communication in a positive way.
Now, people can communicate with others living in different palaces in the world. So, we can have more chances to interact with different kinds of people. Thus, our life will become richer.
2 Medical technology contributes to the health of human beings. Now it is almost possible to replace the organ with a new one created by cloning technology. Also, now we can cope with COVID 19 thanks to technology.

51　Should animal testing be banned?

No
1 It is essential for medical development. As an example, in the past, the Polio vaccine was invented using animal testing. Without animal testing, we would be still suffering from these kinds of horrible diseases.
2. There is no alternative to animal testing. It is impossible to test medicine on human bodies because it can harm us. Also, the computing test is not realistic. Human gene structure is too complicated, so computers cannot test the efficacy of the medicine.
On the other hand, animals have similar genes so we can check the efficacy of medicine by testing it on them.

52　All nuclear plants should be shut down.

 
Yes
1 They are vulnerable to disaster. It was proven when the Tsunami destroyed nuclear power plants in Fukushima in 2011. Especially, countries with a lot of natural disasters like earthquakes and volcano eruptions, nuclear plants are just too dangerous.
2. We cannot dispose of radioactive nuclear waste properly. It is said that these substances will be harmful to thousands of years. What we do know is just bury them underground or discard them into the ocean. It destroys the natural environment.

53　Should the number of weekly working hours be decreased?

Yes
1. Decreasing working hours will lead to efficiency. Even if workers are given longer working time, they are destructed with a lot of things at work like chatting, surfing and checking smartphones. Workers can concentrate on their work more with shorter working hours.

2 Shorter working hours will improve workers’ creativity. Workers can spend more time relaxing and interacting with other people, so it may become easier for them to come up with new ideas. Thus, they can increase their productivity.　Decreased weekly working hours enhance concentration and output.

54 Has the quality of education improved in the digital age?

Yes
1 Teachers now can utilize a wider range of teaching materials. In the past, they could only use printed materials but they can now use movies, internet websites and so on. Among them, video-sharing websites like Youtube are very convenient and exciting for children. Because of this, the way of teaching is rich in variation.
2 Children can have more time for interactions with their classmates and teachers. Even in the Covid 19 pandemic, sometimes schools closed because of a state of emergency, but children still had access to education thanks to the digital devices and internet. They took online classes and were able to learn a lot of things.

55 Is enough being done to protect children facing neglect?

No
1 There should be more support for the parents. Parents neglect their children because they just don’t know how to raise them. They get upset when they encounter problems in raising their kids and sometimes neglect them. They should be given chances to talk to professional counselors and also there should be more lectures for parents about child-rearing.

2 The city officers in charge of child welfare must closely cooperate with doctors and teachers. Teachers spend a lot of time with the children and also children go to see doctors sometimes. They may find a sign of neglect. The sign may be a decrease in the child’s weight or strange behavior. City officers can save children from neglect by cooperating with adults around children.

56 Is Japan doing enough to support disabilities?

Yes
１． Equipment for disabled people is installed in most public spaces. For example, there is braille on elevators, and on the pedestrian roads, there are blocks for blind people. Also, there are slopes for wheelchairs everywhere. Society is becoming barrier-free.
2. There is enough financial support for disabled people. For example, they can receive a disability pension, which can help them maintain a minimum standard of living. Also, they only have to pay 10% of the medical cost. This is much lower than other people.

Japanese society is supportive of people with disabilities.

57 Is it worthwhile to rehabilitate prisoners?

Yes
1. Rehabilitating prisoners can prevent a second crime. Many criminals commit a crime again after leaving prison. They should be rehabilitated more. For example, they should be taught how to control themselves mentally. They commit a crime because they are not mentally stable. By teaching them to control their emotion, they will be less likely to commit a crime again.
2 By being rehabilitated, criminals can contribute to society. They usually take work-related training. Nowadays, Japan has a serious labor shortage, so they can become valuable human resources.

58 Should Japan make more efforts to achieve gender equality?

Yes. 

 1. Women are treated unfairly at workplaces. For example, there is a huge gap between the salary of men and women. Also, the number of female managers is very small compared to other developed nations. The government should make companies treat men and women equally at work.
2 Married couples depend too much on women for childrearing and house chores. This is because people still have the stereotype that these kinds of things are what women should do. Because of this, many working women are suffering from the double burden of housework and office work. Actually, only less than 5% of men took paternity leave last year in Japan. More should be done to change people’s thoughts about each gender’s role.

59 Does there need to be stricter government regulation of the Internet?

yes
 1 On the internet, there are too many aggressive contents which include violence and abusive comments. Last year, a famous TV personality committed suicide because she received slander on SNS. People tend to be aggressive on the internet because they can be anonymous.
2.The information on the internet tends to be inaccurate or biased. For example, news media online contains a lot of inaccurate information because they don’t get enough fact checks before they are uploaded. Also, internet news is more biased than traditional media printed newspapers.

60 Is a nation's economic development more important than protecting its cultural heritage? 

No,  both are important 
1. Cultural heritage is significant because it can forge a strong bond among people. It can increase patriotism. When people see their beautiful cultural heritage, they will be proud of it and become confident.
 2. Protecting national cultural heritage will contribute to economic growth. A nation’s cultural heritage can attract more tourists. It also boosts the tourism-related industry like hotels and souvenir shops. It will lead to increased job opportunities. The local people will benefit from that.

61 Are the values of young people today different from those of previous generations?

Yes
 1 The young generation is becoming more open-minded because they have more chances to interact with people from other countries. It is easy for them to accept diversity. The discrimination against others is decreasing.
 2 Unfortunately, young people nowadays are becoming self-centered. In the past, they were taught the importance of being courteous, modest and respecting seniors. However, young people today don’t try to show respect to others.

62 Can individuals make a difference in the modern world?

Yes
1. Thanks to the development of the Internet, individuals can voice out their ideas, thoughts, and opinion in the world. Your thought will spread throughout the world in a matter of seconds. Also, people use hashtags such as the movement of BlackLivesMatter. Another example is female activist Marara from Pakistan. She used her blog to fight against discrimination against women.
2 Also, ordinary people were just interested and were able to read only what the mass media broadcast but nowadays, people are interested in what others think more because they can read them on SNS. That way, individuals can be influential.

63 Are the threats to society posed by the low birth rate being taken seriously enough?

No
 Population is like the lifeblood of a country, so a country takes it seriously if it is decreasing.
1 It will lead to labor shortage but I don’t think enough is begin done to address the issue. The number of nurseries is not enough in the big cities. Also, the government hired a lot of laborers from overseas to sustain the need for labor but it is only a temporary method.
2 Welfare and healthcare system will collapse in the future but I don't think the government is taking enough steps to work on this problem. They need to think about how to increase the financial recourse for welfare healthcare. As well as increasing the workforce, they have to think of other ways to increase national income. For example, they can do more effort to support business starters.

64 Is the TV era coming to an end?

Yes
 It is becoming obsolete
1. many forms of entertainment
In the past, TV was the only source of entertainment that people can enjoy at home.
Now we have video games, smartphones, and VR google to entertain ourselves. We will spend less time watching TV.
2. We can watch movies, TV dramas and animations on online streaming services. It is much more convenient because we don’t have to wait until the program is broadcasted or record it. We just go online and click the contents that we want to watch.

65 Is it better for school curriculums to emphasize competition or cooperation?

Cooperation
I strongly believe that it is better for school curriculums to emphasize cooperation than competition because children should learn how to cooperate, socialize with other people.
Nowadays, companies are becoming multicultural and now it is more important for people to cooperate to create strategies. Individuals cannot really create a certain idea without cooperating with others.
We will have one project and work together to achieve it at work.

A school is the only place where students can learn to be cooperative. They can acquire skills and knowledge by themselves but they cannot learn how to cooperate with others alone. They have a lot of chances to socialize with others at school.
In school festivals, children are taught to cooperate to achieve the same goal

66 Is enough being done to halt the use of illegal drugs?

No
1. Police have to do patrolling online more. Drug dealers are active online. They can hide their identity online and can sell drugs easily.
Police should censor the internet to prevent drug dealing.
2 There should be stricter laws against dangerous drugs. Now, the laws against dangerous drugs have a loophole, so many new kinds of drugs are prevalent. The law enforcement agency should take action soon.

67 Agree or disagree: Tariff rates should be lowered to stimulate the world economy

No
1. With the lower tariff, each nation’s economy will suffer. It is needed to protect local companies. Some countries have extremely low labor costs. It is almost impossible for local companies to compete with these companies. This can cause local companies to go out of business and it leads to national economic recession.
2. Without high tariffs one powerful global company may dominate the market and the country it belongs to will have the power over other countries. This does not lead to world economic growth. This is good for just a limited number of countries which have a lot of resources and food production.