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Sample Response to GMAT AWA Issue Questions
8.
“For hundreds of years, the monetary system of most countries has been
based on the exchange of metal coins and printed pieces of paper.
However, because of recent developments in technology, the international
community should consider replacing the entire system of coins and paper
with a system of electronic accounts of credits and debits.” Discuss the
extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above.
Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own
experience, observations, or reading.
In my opinion, the system of coins and paper shouldn't be entirely
replaced with a system of electronic accounts of credits and debts, even
though the explosion in technology is exponential. Though the recent
developments in technology have undoubtedly brought about dramatic
changes in many aspects of the society. They helped put humans on the
moon, totally revised people's conceptions of space and time, brought
tremendous comforts and conveniences to people. However, we cannot take
it for granted that technology changes everything in our life.
First Of all, the traditional monetary system has deeply rooted in
almost all societies. People have long been used to coins and paper
money as a medium of exchange and a standard of value. Even in highly
developed countries in terms of technology' like the ones in the
European community, when they were considering adopting a common
monetary system named Euro at the turn of the 21st century, they
continued in the use of coins and paper and spent a lot of money in
designing and producing them.
Secondly, developments in technology may have brought great convenience
to people, but convenience is not the only underlying standard or cause
for such changes as dramatic as the entire replacement of the existing
monetary system. Such a system, like many other systems in a society
such as language system, political system, has a cultural, historical
and social background, and therefore becomes difficult, and sometimes
impossible to change.
Thirdly, technology isn't always foolproof. Disasters involving
high-tech like the spaceship Challenger and Chernobyl nuclear station
still cast shadow on people. In recent years, it becomes not very
uncommon for us to hear about various computer viruses as well as
computer crimes. Not a single bank can afford the viruses and crimes in
their network.
At last, there are emotional factors that cannot be ignored in this
case. People have just developed a certain feeling towards coins and
paper money. They see coins and paper money as concrete, tangible and as
inviting as gold, silver and diamond. While credit cards seem to be more
functional than sensational. Besides, the entire replacement of the
present coins and paper money system will inevitably hurt millions of
coin-collectors as well as those so-called "high-tech phobic people",
who feel at a loss when dealing with such things as ATM, computer
network and the Internet.
In sum, although theoretically the replacement may bring convenience to
people and can avoid certain problems, in practice, the recent
developments in technology can only change some aspects of the existing
monetary system, not the entire one. |
