Part Two: Discursive Essay

Question: "Living in a big city is very stressful and brings only disadvantages." To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Answer

It is often claimed that life in a large city carries no advantages and instead, only makes people stressed.  I would tend to disagree with this idea.

It is true that there are many health problems associated with urban areas.  For example, the quality of the air is very poor and can lead to conditions such as asthma. Furthermore, it has been proven that children who grow up in cities suffer from more allergies than those that grow up in the countryside.

Moreover, when peole live in such densely-populated areas, they conversely seem to lack any community spirit. In other words, many people do not know and probably do not care about the lives and needs of even their closest neighbours.

However, despite these issues, there are may advantages to be gained from living in a metropolitan area.  In terms of job and education possibilities, a small town simply cannot compete.  The opportunities are so much greater, first, to obtain an excellent education and secondly, to use that education to find the job you really desire.

In addition to job and education possibilities, there is also a huge variety of entertainment on offer.  Cities have the facilities to host artists and orchestras from all over the world.

As a result of these greater opportunities, those fortunate enough to live in a city have access to more ideas and more cultures.  This makes them more broad-minded and better able to accept different ways of thinking and living.

All in all, while there are many problems involved in living in a city, in my view, the wealth of job, education and entertainment provided means that people will continue to flock there for many years to come.