ESSAY INFORMATION:
Written by: Xuân Phi, 21/07/2024
Supported by: Ex-BC Examiner, 22/07/2024
Question: In the past, people stored knowledge in books. Nowadays, people store knowledge on the internet. Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?
(IELTS Academic – 20/07/2024)
ANSWER (8.0+):
It is a common trend for knowledge to be stored online rather than in physical books these days. Personally, I believe the benefits of this tendency mostly outweigh its drawbacks, as it contributes to the protection of the environment and the spread of information even though copyright violation can be an issue.
The foremost rationale for why I believe storing knowledge on the internet is beneficial relates to environmental concerns. This is because producing physical books generally generates a significant amount of carbon dioxide. This stems from the process of manufacturing paper, printing and distributing hard copies to readers. By contrast, the production of digital books is profoundly simpler, using a computer to create and upload files to websites, thus noticeably diminishing the total carbon footprint.
Another justification for my belief that online sources of information are more advantageous lies in their accessibility. As long as there is a device connected to the internet, people virtually everywhere can access the online pool of knowledge. An illustrative example of this is the Harvard online library. It provides millions of users around the world with rich academic resources, whereas only a few thousand readers who are currently at the university can benefit from its physical collections of books.
However, I acknowledge the risk of copyright violations. Numerous scholars have expressed their concerns about the illegal duplication of their research papers on popular sharing platforms such as Google Drive. They stress that these duplications are not only a direct violation of intellectual property laws but also a discouragement to those who have invested in researching new knowledge.
https://erp.cso-ye.org/
In conclusion, I am of the opinion that the advantages of online information sources carry more weight than the disadvantages considering their lower environmental costs and accessible nature despite the possibility of copyright breach. That is why schools should teach children to capitalise on these online sources, while governments should issue more stringent laws to protect the rights of innovative researchers and book writers.
(Word count: 328)
WORD LIST
| ENGLISH | TIẾNG VIỆT |
| Copyright violation | Vi phạm bản quyền |
| Environmental concerns | Các vấn đề về môi trường |
| Digital books | Sách điện tử |
| Carbon footprint | Dấu chân carbon |
| Their accessibility | Khả năng tiếp cận của chúng |
| Online pool of knowledge | Kho kiến thức trực tuyến |
| Expressed their concerns | Bày tỏ mối lo ngại của họ |
| A discouragement | Sự nản lòng |
| Lower environmental costs | Chi phí môi trường thấp hơn |
| Stringent laws | Các luật nghiêm ngặt |
