Session 1: The Discussion

1I think schools should focus more on skills than on memorising facts.

→ than on memorising facts.→ focus more on skills than on memorising facts.

2To a certain extent, exams measure how well you prepare, not how much you know.

→ how much you know.→ well you prepare, not how much you know.

3Teachers have a much harder job now than they did twenty years ago.

→ did twenty years ago.→ job now than they did twenty years ago.

4Online courses are useful, but they can't fully replace a classroom.

→ fully replace a classroom.→ useful, but they can't fully replace a classroom.

5In my country, parents put a lot of pressure on children to get high grades.

→ to get high grades.→ of pressure on children to get high grades.

6It depends on the situation, but I'd say practical subjects are undervalued.

→ practical subjects are undervalued.→ situation, but I'd say practical subjects are undervalued.

7A good teacher can change the direction of a student's whole life.

→ a student's whole life.→ change the direction of a student's whole life.

8In the long run, I believe education will become far more personalised.

→ become far more personalised.→ I believe education will become far more personalised.

9Technology has made our lives easier, but not necessarily happier.

→ but not necessarily happier.

10Most people check their phones without even noticing they're doing it.

→ noticing they're doing it.→ their phones without even noticing they're doing it.

11On the other hand, it has made information available to almost everyone.

→ available to almost everyone.→ it has made information available to almost everyone.

12Older people sometimes feel left behind by how quickly things change.

→ how quickly things change.→ feel left behind by how quickly things change.

13I'd be surprised if children in ten years still used paper textbooks.

→ still used paper textbooks.→ children in ten years still used paper textbooks.

14The biggest risk, in my view, is how much personal data we give away.

→ data we give away.→ is how much personal data we give away.

15Social media connects people, yet many of them feel lonelier than before.

→ feel lonelier than before.→ yet many of them feel lonelier than before.

16There's no easy answer to how much screen time is too much.

→ time is too much.→ to how much screen time is too much.

17These days, very few people stay in the same job for their whole career.

→ for their whole career.→ in the same job for their whole career.

18Young people tend to value flexibility more than a high salary.

→ than a high salary.→ to value flexibility more than a high salary.

19Working from home saves time, but it can blur the line between work and rest.

→ between work and rest.→ can blur the line between work and rest.

20I'd argue that job satisfaction matters more than status.

→ matters more than status.

21Some jobs will disappear because of automation, while new ones will appear.

→ new ones will appear.→ because of automation, while new ones will appear.

22Employers increasingly look for people who can keep learning.

→ who can keep learning.

23It's reasonable to expect equal pay for work of equal value.

→ work of equal value.→ expect equal pay for work of equal value.

24In the long run, the ability to adapt may be the most valuable skill of all.

→ valuable skill of all.→ may be the most valuable skill of all.

25Individuals can make a difference, but governments have to lead the way.

→ to lead the way.→ difference, but governments have to lead the way.

26People are more aware of climate change than they were a decade ago.

→ were a decade ago.→ climate change than they were a decade ago.

27The problem is that the greener option is often the more expensive one.

→ the more expensive one.→ greener option is often the more expensive one.

28I think big companies should be held responsible for the waste they produce.

→ the waste they produce.→ be held responsible for the waste they produce.

29Public transport would be more popular if it were cheaper and more reliable.

→ cheaper and more reliable.→ popular if it were cheaper and more reliable.

30To a certain extent, we've become too used to throwing things away.

→ to throwing things away.→ we've become too used to throwing things away.

31Education is probably the most effective way to change people's habits.

→ to change people's habits.→ the most effective way to change people's habits.

32I'd be surprised if cities still allowed petrol cars in thirty years.

→ cars in thirty years.→ cities still allowed petrol cars in thirty years.

33Many people move to cities because that's where the opportunities are.

→ where the opportunities are.→ to cities because that's where the opportunities are.

34The downside is that housing has become unaffordable for young families.

→ unaffordable for young families.→ that housing has become unaffordable for young families.

35Life in the countryside is slower, which some people find very appealing.

→ people find very appealing.→ is slower, which some people find very appealing.

36Compared with my grandparents' generation, we rarely know our neighbours.

→ rarely know our neighbours.

37On the other hand, cities offer a kind of freedom that small towns don't.

→ that small towns don't.→ a kind of freedom that small towns don't.

38Governments should invest more in parks and public spaces.

→ parks and public spaces.

39It depends on the situation, but I think crowded cities increase stress.

→ crowded cities increase stress.→ situation, but I think crowded cities increase stress.

40There's no easy answer, because every solution creates a new problem.

→ creates a new problem.→ answer, because every solution creates a new problem.

41Most people get their news from social media rather than newspapers now.

→ rather than newspapers now.→ news from social media rather than newspapers now.

42The danger is that it's hard to tell reliable sources from unreliable ones.

→ sources from unreliable ones.→ hard to tell reliable sources from unreliable ones.

43I think it's important to hear more than one side of a story.

→ side of a story.→ hear more than one side of a story.

44Advertising has a stronger influence on children than we like to admit.

→ we like to admit.→ influence on children than we like to admit.

45Traditional culture is changing, but I wouldn't say it's disappearing.

→ wouldn't say it's disappearing.

46Travel has made people more open-minded about other ways of life.

→ other ways of life.→ people more open-minded about other ways of life.

47Celebrities shouldn't be treated as role models just because they're famous.

→ just because they're famous.→ treated as role models just because they're famous.

48To sum up, I'd say the media reflects society as much as it shapes it.

→ as it shapes it.→ reflects society as much as it shapes it.