ESSAY INFORMATION:
Written by: Xuân Phi, 18/07/2022
Supported by: Ex-BC Examiner, 19/07/2022
Question: In some parts of the world it is increasingly popular to research the history of one’s own family. Why do people want to do this? Is it a positive or negative development?
(IELTS Academic – 16/07/2022)
ANSWER:
It is increasingly common for people in different nations to investigate research the history of their own families. There are some reasons behind this tendency including better health choices and increased connections with other kin. It is believed to be a negative trend since it squanders valuable time and has detrimental influence on people’s mental health.
The growing trend in researching family history can be attributed to two reasons. The primary one is the reinforcement of health choices. This is because people can be provided with information regarding genetically inherited health concerns as they learn about their ancestors, hence acknowledging their own health risks and adopting a certain lifestyle to avoid potential health problems. The second explanation is the connection with other relatives. More specifically, people can find their relatives whom they lost contact with due to geographical barriers or wars. For instance, numerous Vietnamese refugees have found their missing next of kin through Bionet, a DNA database bank, as it enables users to compare genes to seek information about their family tree online.
However, conducting research regarding the origins of their own family is negative to some extent. First and foremost, it consumes a substantial amount of time. To be more specific, researchers have to go through a long process of collecting and analyzing data of their relationships and family records, which is inconvenient for people in a modern society with hectic schedules. Another justification is that people’s mental well-being can be adversely affected. To illustrate, after realizing potential health risks that they can inherit from their forefathers, they are more likely to become excessively worried and cannot enjoy their lives to the fullest instead of paying attention to the present.
In conclusion, the proliferation of researching one’s own origins is due to the acknowledgement of their own medical risks and enhanced connections with other relatives. Nevertheless, it has some drawbacks such as time-consuming and the negative impacts on people’s mental well-being.
(Word count: 325)
WORD LIST:
| ENGLISH | TIẾNG VIỆT |
| squander valuable time | lãng phí thời gian quý giá |
| research family history | nghiên cứu lịch sử gia đình |
| genetically inherited health concerns | những lo ngại về sức khỏe di truyền |
| next of kin | thân nhân |
| compare genes | so sánh gen |
| consume a substantial amount of time | tiêu tốn một lượng thời gian đáng kể |
| potential health risks | những rủi ro sức khỏe tiềm ẩn |
| excessively worried | lo lắng quá mức |
| enjoy their lives to the fullest | tận hưởng cuộc sống của họ một cách trọn vẹn nhất |
| research one’s own origins | nghiên cứu nguồn gốc của ai |
