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<p>Hello! o/
Just did the College Board online SAT Practice. The essay is corrected by some “e-rater” stuff, by the way. Could you correct it, please? =D</p>

<p>ESSAY PROMPT</p>

<p>A colleague of the great scientist James Watson remarked that Watson was always “lounging around, arguing about problems instead of doing experiments.” He concluded that “There is more than one way of doing good science.” It was Watson’s form of idleness, the scientist went on to say, that allowed him to solve “the greatest of all biological problems: the discovery of the structure of DNA.” It is a point worth remembering in a society overly concerned with efficiency.</p>

<p>Adapted from John C. Polanyi, “Understanding Discovery”</p>

<p>ASSIGNMENT</p>

<p>Do people accomplish more when they are allowed to do things in their own way? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.</p>

<p>MY RESPONSE</p>

<p>To get out of patterns and standards is the key of success. Doing things in your own way gives you the freedom needed to better understand your trials and to make less mistakes. As James Watson once did with his job with the DNA structure, being independent brings progress and, more importantly, a new way to seize new experiences. </p>

<p>I used to be ruled by common procedures of living, no matter what I had to do. If I had to study, I would need to stick to textbooks only, no internet, no leisure. However, there is a study about “hackstudying” - a way of solving things doing what you like - proving us wrong; The right method does not exist, It just needs to work, and then it will be “correct”. </p>

<p>It is a matter of freedom. A lot of people in the whole world follow the standards and are not successful. In fact, most of them are not even an example to be followed. To find your rhythm and understand what you need to improve is the real “secret” of accomplishment. It is simple, obviously, but it is so simple that everyone forgot about it. </p>

<p>Therefore, success is freedom and no pressure. As Watson, there is Einstein and Rutherford, known by their unorthodox ways of scientific work. It is not even necessary to go that further: There are always a few individuals in schools, universities and hospitals who have their own path. It is not a anarchy way of life, though, but a flexible way of thinking. This, of course, is the difference between success and failure.</p>

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<p>bump (still no takers??)</p>

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<p>Hi!
This is my first essay. I’m still getting introduced to essays, so it may not be brilliant.</p>

<p>Prompt 1</p>

<p>Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.</p>

<p>Many people are philanthropists, giving money to those in need. And many people believe that</p>

<p>those who are rich those who can afford to give the most should contribute the most to charitable</p>

<p>organizations. Others, however, disagree. Why should those who are more fortunate than others</p>

<p>have more of a moral obligation to help those who are less fortunate?</p>

<p>Assignment:</p>

<p>Should people who are more fortunate than others have more of a moral obligation to help those</p>

<p>who are less fortunate? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this</p>

<p>issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies,</p>

<p>experience, or observations.</p>

<p>The rich should, although not legally obliged to do so, donate the most to charity out of moral</p>

<p>value. Look at some of the greatest and most admired human beings, not only of today, but also</p>

<p>of yesterday, all hoping and striving for a better, more developed tomorrow. John Smithsonian,</p>

<p>Shelby Davis and Bill Gates are just a few of the inspiring philanthropists we have seen.</p>

<p>We are who we are today because of those yesterday. John Smithsonian was one man who put</p>

<p>the city of Washington D.C on the map, not just as the capital of the country, but as one of the</p>

<p>most renowned educational centers and knowledge hubs of the world. Smithsonian pledged</p>

<p>$17 million for the upbringing of widespread, widely available knowledge and therefore, the</p>

<p>Smithsonian Museums were born, providing academic data to the 1.5 million residents of D.C.</p>

<p>Therefore, through this example, it can be shown that whether Smithsonian was rich or poor, he</p>

<p>did it out of the goodness of his heart. He had a moral obligation to do so.</p>

<p>Another rich, talented man, living today, has evolved financial aid for students attending the</p>

<p>United States. Shelby Davis, through the Davis Scholarship, has provided scholarships ranging</p>

<p>between 50% and 100%, to all United World College (UWC) students wishing to study in USA.</p>

<p>Along the same lines, Mahindra United World College of India was established by Mahindra &</p>

<p>Mahindra, an international company. What’s remarkable is that all selected students can attend</p>

<p>the college free of charge.</p>

<p>It can be seen that these moral acts were done because of the philanthropist’s/company’s moral</p>

<p>obligation. Mahindra’s obligation as a well known, well established corporation required (and in</p>

<p>this case, legally!) them to do charity work.</p>

<p>As demonstrated by Bill Gates, the richest man in the world (with a net worth of over $60</p>

<p>billion), his moral values led him to form the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and co-
establish the ‘Giving Pledge’ along with Warren Buffet. This pledge is reserved only for</p>

<p>billionaires, and all those supporting the cause pledge to donate 50% or more of their wealth</p>

<p>while signing the pledge or after death. Many, such as Maggie DuPont, French billionaire, have</p>

<p>refused to sign the pledge.</p>

<p>It is seen that many of the richest people in the world are not willing to part with their money.</p>

<p>What do the rich do with so much money? Many donate it out of the goodness of their heart, but</p>

<p>we must ensure that all millionaires, billionaires, multi-national and multi-million and billion</p>

<p>dollar companies follow their moral obligation. The rich must give back to society, as society has</p>

<p>done so much for them!</p>

<p>Can’t wait to hear some advice!</p>

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<p>This needs a lot of work. For now, let’s just address the first sentence - "The rich should, although not legally obliged to do so, donate the most to charity out of moral value.</p>

<p>The firs fix would be - "The rich should, although they are not legally obliged to do so, donate the most to charity out of moral value. We still have several problems though:</p>

<ol>
<li> Although true, its not helpful to address legal issues in this sentence - strike the parenthetical</li>
<li> When you use the term “most” you don’t define the parties involved</li>
<li>The term “out of moral value” does not convey your point</li>
<li> Your addressing “the rich” but the question i about the more fortunate</li>
<li> Your addressing charity while the question asks about help more broadly</li>
</ol>

<p>A better sentence would read, “People who are more fortunate have a moral obligation to help those who are less fortunate.”</p>

<p>If you really wanted to focus on the rich and charity you could say, “Rich people are morally obligated to provide charity to the poor.”</p>

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<p>Hi, I just wrote an essay and I’m not sure if it really fits the question.</p>

<p>Prompt: Being Truly human as a member of a society means seeing injustice and working to fix it. The human mind can not only perceive the immediate world and act instinctively, but also visualize a better future and endeavor to realize it. What is one great injustice in the world, and how should it be addressed? Write an essay in which you answer this question and explain the reasons. You may draw inspiration and support from lit, the arts, history, politics, science and tech, current events, or your experience or observation.</p>

<p>My Response:</p>

<pre><code>One great injustice in the world is the corruption of Fifa, an organization that is supposed to bring the world together through soccer. Two of the next three World Cups are hosted by countries that are either poor or ethically bad. Fifa should not have allowed Brazil to be host of the World Cup, one of the most diverse international events that connect the different nations together, and should change the location of the 2022 World Cup from Qatar.
</code></pre>

<p>This summer, the 2014 World Cup occurred in Brazil. Brazil spent billions of dollars making a stadium for the World Cup. Brazil did not have the money to afford to build the stadium, and get ready for the World Cup, and had to take money away from education and other necessary sectors. Brazilians, as much as they love soccer, have grown to hate the World Cup. Images have gone viral showing graffiti with hatred of Fifa in Brazil, as well as a tiny house with no electricity with a huge lighted stadium in the background. More than 100 people died in the making of the stadium, more than any World Cup previously. Fifa allowing Brazil to host the World Cup is a great injustice to the Brazilians, especially the children which now have even less money put into their education.</p>

<p>The 2022 World Cup, as of now, will be hosted by Qatar. Qatar is a very rich, but very corrupt nation. The consensus is that Qatar bribed Fifa into letting them host the World Cup. Qatar is known for its controversial modern-day slavery of Asians. They have forced construction of the stadium, and even almost a decade away from hosting the World Cup, they have already had the most people die during construction, at an estimated 2000 deaths. Letting Qatar host the World Cup would be an injustice to the world, making them go to such a corrupt place, and helping to fund the modern-day slavery.</p>

<p>Fifa is supposed to help unite the world through soccer. The World Cup is one of the only major events that the people of all countries can share, as well as the Olympics. However, because of the bribes and the corruptness that comes with choosing the location of the World Cup, people suffer so that Fifa gains. Fifa should apologize to the people of Brazil, as well as start a foundation or charity for Brazilian education, and should change the location of the 2022 World Cup so that they would not be funding slavery in Qatar. Only after we stop the corruption and learn to bring the world together without making some suffer, can we make the future truly great.</p>

<p>Thanks for the help in advance. I wrote this while timing it, so 25 minutes, and I have never really been good at timed writing so any help is great.</p>

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<p>I think your essay does answer the question</p>

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<p>One thing I’ll say right now is that your essay would be too long to fit all of it in the actual SAT essay sheets. </p>

<p>Also add topic sentences to each body paragraph. What is the point of each one? Make that clear to the readers and they will like it (a lot).</p>

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<p>The prompt was: “Are all discoveries the result of focusing only on one subject?”
Response:</p>

<p>All discoveries are not the result of focusing on one subject. Both literature and physics have shown this, as evidenced by author Marjane Satrapi and lionized physicist Richard Feynman. Both discovered truths about the world around them by looking to and focusing on multiple disciplines.</p>

<p>In Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi writes about her discoveries of the failings of the new Iranian government that has assumed power after the Iranian Revolution. Satrapi first discovers how the government is unstable while going to school. She is not at all focused on rooting out political failures, but she notes how, on one day, she began her school day by praying for the health of the Shah and begins the next by denouncing the Shah and tearing his photo from her school books. By focusing on her schoolwork and her family’s liberty, Satrapi discovers how unstable the government is. She is focused on many things: her freedom, her friends, and her schoolwork, but still, she makes the valuble discovery that the government is unstable and cannot be trusted. Satrapi makes another important discovery while pursuing her secondary education in Vienna. While she focuses on pleasing the nuns she lives with, making friends, and doing drugs, she receives the important realization that liberalism and freedom are only useful when enjoyed responsibly. She makes the further discovery, while focusing on many separate facets of her life, that she has not enjoyed her freedom responsibly. Satrapi’s life, as depicted in her memoir, Persepolis, evidences that important discoveries can be made by focusing on many different subjects.</p>

<p>Richard Feynman, a scientific luminary, also made several discoveries as the result of concentration on different disciplines. His discovery of the unifying principles of quantum electrodynamics were made, not cooped up in a Caltech laboratory, but on the beaches of Japan. While in Japan, Feynman attended a tea ceremony. When he viewed the way light reflected off of a mirror in the room he was sitting in (as it reflected a woman he was attempting to flirt with), he discovered how the idea of particle-wave duality was impossible. By focusing on the tea ceremony, a mirror, and a beautiful woman, Feynman made a valuable contribution to the work of science. He made an equally valuble contribution while drinking a glass of water. The water, which was icy cold, made his hands involuntarily loosen, which is when Feynman discovered that the O-rings on the Challenger had lost their form because of cold weather. This loosening caused the tragic accident of the Challenger. Feynman’s scientific theories were not made as the result of a focus on science, but as the result of focus on many different topics.</p>

<p>Not all valuble discoveries come from focus on one subject. By focusing on many different topics, the mind broadens, making discoveries easier to come by, at least sometimes.</p>

<p>END RESPONSE</p>

<p>I ran out of room at that point. I wrote this under timed conditions and completed it in roughly 22 minutes. </p>

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<p>My first SAT essay, thanks!!!</p>

<p>Prompt: Should people be judged by their potential rather than by their experience and achievements? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.</p>

<p>Schools across the United States have special programs instituted for children with gifted minds. It is by these programs that the young children are allowed to develop into brilliant young adults who go on to accomplish great things – all with support and encouragement along the way. Hence, it is through potential, not just experience and achievement that people should be judged by. This statement can be further supported by three examples with characters of potential without an impressive past.</p>

<p>In the book Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy, one of the plots revolves around the story of a young black boy, Tom, who is the first African American to go to a Southern Military Institute. He shows no exemplary past and he does not even elucidate on his past experiences of high school or other places he could have faced discrimination. Even as a gang of white students, notoriously known as the secretive “Ten”, attempt to get him expelled from the institute, Will, a white senior, continues to act as a mentor to Tom. Will does this because he sees potential in Tom – he sees that Tom has the ability to be an honorable graduate from the Military Institute just as much as the other white cadets do. This exemplifies that people should not be judged on the experiences of the past, or the lack of, but rather what lies in the future for them in which their potential can guide them through.</p>

<p>The story of Einstein’s childhood is one that shows that the ignorance of potential is a mistake. In the German school that Einstein attended as a child, teachers reprimanded him for attempting to question the information being taught from textbooks. These teachers could have been a setback for the brilliant genius at such a young age, yet there were in fact people who saw the potential in Einstein. One such person was a graduate student whom Einstein’s family hosted for dinner on Thursday nights. The grad student saw the intelligence in Einstein’s mind and lent him several advanced math books which led Einstein to learn geometry and even calculus at a very young age. However, once again, Einstein’s childhood shows that people should focus on potential rather than experiences and achievement.</p>

<p>Lastly, the example of Mary Brown of the short story Mary displays potential and possibility as more valuable qualities than achievement. Mary is born blind at birth and her family has given up hope of her ever achieving a normal lifestyle. Yet, Mary is a young girl full of compassion and proves that one does not need his or her eyes to see clearly. She eventually goes on to work as a nurse with war veterans with encouragement of her friend Katherine who sees the potential in Mary to hold an independent life.</p>

<p>Through the examples of Will and Tom in Lords of Discipline, Albert Einstein, and Mary Brown, it is evident that potential is the future of all, not necessarily achievement and experience. Life is full of surprises and turns, and potential guides people through it successfully, not the height of the past.</p>

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<p>Prompt: Does the success of a community - whether it is a class, a team, a family, a nation or any other group - depend upon people’s willingness to limit their personal interests?</p>

<p>The premise that the success of a community depends on people’s willingness to limit their personal interests is an unequivocal truth. Several examples from history and literature effectively prove this point.</p>

<pre><code>Mongolia is a vast area comprising mainly of nomadic tribes. When Atilla The Hun set out to make the world’s most feared army his task wasn’t easy. His soldiers, after being trained, obeyed his every order. There was no second chance for the Huns and the pillaged mercilessly but with unity. Therefore, Atilla and his army were successful only by unity and had to make personal sacrifices for the greater good.

When World war two was raging on, supplies were limited. Even the wealthy citizens in England were not able to consume more than their respective rations. Most supplies went to the warfront and helped the soldiers survive. The main reason the Allies won World War two was because they outlasted the Germans. Hence, the sacrificing of basic necessities by all classes of people greatly contributed to the success of the Allies.

In 1984, a novel written by George Orville, the state is able to control people. The endless propaganda, the thought police and the fact that Big Brother is watching all, contribute to a lack of personal interests for the citizens. Their is no freedom and all the people are focused directly on the blaring propaganda. This lack of personal interest clearly shows that the state is very successful and remains strong. So, the state remains in control because it has removed the one important piece of a person which is the individual.

After careful analysis it is evident that the success of the community in fact depends on the willingness of people to limit their personal interests.
</code></pre>

<p>Thanks in advance</p>

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<p>First SAT essay (from MGH book, I know)</p>

<p>Prompt: How important is it to look beyond superficial appearances?</p>

<p>Throughout history, and as noted in literature, the reliance on superficial appearances has resulted in drastic misunderstandings of situations. These situations have resulted in consequences ranging from loss of opportunity, to injury, to death. Stephen Hawking, World War II’s Operation Barbarossa, and Jay Gatsby in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby all illustrate that it is very important to look beyond superficial appearances.</p>

<p>The first example, Stephen Hawking, is paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair; consequently, he looks almost horrifying. However, this man is one of the world’s foremost minds and one of the greatest scientists that has ever lived. If one were to simply rely on superficial appearance, as many have, they would fail to see the brilliant wealth of knowledge that this gentleman possesses. Thankfully, with the assistance of a mind-to-speech computer, Hawking is able to communicate with the world.</p>

<p>Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of Soviet Russia during WWII, illustrates the consequence of relying on superficial appearance. Two years prior to the Operation, Germany and the USSR innocently signed a non-aggression pact. The USSR only saw Germany’s smiling face and failed to notice the underlying malicious intents. As a result, the Russians suffered heavy casualties when Germany sent troops all the way into Leningrad and Stalingrad. Had they looked beyond the superficial, the Russians would have been prepared for the attacks.</p>

<p>In Fitzgerald’s Gatsby, Jay Gatsby puts up a false appearance of a fine, young gentleman who likes to host parties. Under the surface, however, is a deep hatred and jealously that dates back to long ago. Tragically, nobody notices anything more than the superficial, party-host appearance before it is too late, causing great destruction when the truth is revealed. Consequently, relationships are shattered, lives are lost, and one young man’s life is scarred forever because all failed to look beyond the superficial.</p>

<p>In conclusion, it is very important to look beyond superficial appearances. As demonstrated in the cases of Stephen Hawking, WWII’s Operation Barbarossa, and Jay Gatsby in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the failure to look beyond the superficial can result in loss of opportunity, injury, or even death. So, one must be sure to look beneath the surface and understand that there is more to anything than first appearance.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>Additional question: is the SAT essay “rough-draft style” (like AP history DBQs in that you can scratch out and insert words) or do you have to erase?</p>

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<p>^^The essay is pretty good. You could improve it by developing your support more strongly. Each support paragraph has one sentence of argument and several of background. Try to limit the background and spend more time developing the argument. </p>

<p>There’s also some room for grammar and word choice improvement. These two sentences are probably the worst “Mongolia is a vast area comprising mainly of nomadic tribes. When Atilla The Hun set out to make the world’s most feared army his task wasn’t easy.”</p>

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<p>^this dude pm’ed me so I’ll just post here</p>

<p>I took about 15 minutes to show you what can be easily improved. Sorry, CC doesn’t like formatting so it’s hard to see what I edited.</p>

<p>Prompt: Does the success of a community - whether it is a class, a team, a family, a nation or any other group - depend upon people’s willingness to limit their personal interests?</p>

<p>Hook, expand on prompt Each and every human being is ultimately linked to other people; such is the nature of society. Transition to examples and main ideaSometimes, however, the interests of the individual and the community can conflict-such as in warfare and politics-  and these examples show that the premise that the success of a community depends on people’s willingness to limit their personal interests is an unequivocal truth.</p>

<p>show relevance to prompt Mongolia, with its vast area and numerous nomadic tribes, has a culture of fierce indepencence. When Atilla The Hun set out to make the world’s most feared army his task required a great collective effort by each of his soldiers. Bring in prompt again-what individual sacrifices? They had to leave their families and overcome tribal conflicts, but His soldiers, after being trained, obeyed his every order. Show the consequencesThe Huns seized their chance and conquered China, leaving a cultural legacy that remains to this day. Atilla and his army were successful only by unity and had to make personal sacrifices for the greater good.</p>

<p>Transition During war, people also often must suffer for the common good. When World war two was raging, supplies were limited. Therefore, Prime Minister Winston Churchill passed measures that limited the amount of food people could buy. Even the wealthy citizens in England were not able to consume more than their respective rations. Most supplies went to the warfront and helped the soldiers survive. The main reason the Allies won World War Two was because they outlasted the Germans, draw contrast whose senior officers enjoyed lavish, expensive lifestyles. Hence, the sacrificing of basic necessities by all classes of people greatly contributed to the success of the Allies.</p>

<p>Transition Individuality can also be too oppressed. In 1984, a novel by George Orville, the dictatorship is able to control people through endless propaganda, the thought police and the fact that Big Brother is watching all, contribute to a lack of personal interests for the citizens. There is no freedom and all the people are focused directly on the blaring propaganda. This lack of personal interest enables the government to stay in power.</p>

<p>The success of the community depends on the willingness of people to limit their personal interests and liberties from examples. Big picture, spout some wisdom here Therefore, we must carefully guard our rights in order to exercise a role in our communities.</p>

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<p>^Excellent advice, although I’d think someone with that level of expertise would know that Mr. Orwell wrote 1984 :)</p>

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<p>Lol, I didn’t change that from the original essay.</p>

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<p>Value is frequently understood as a synonym for low price, but it more accurately describes the relationship between the benefits the customer receives from a product and its price: the greater the value, the higher the price. Therefore, an expensive product should yield proportional benefits. It is too often the case, however that an expensive product is also the least beneficial, while a beneficial product may be too expensive to be useful to the majority of customers.</p>

<p>Therefore, is price necessarily the reflection of value?</p>

<p>My response:</p>

<p>The question “Is price necessarily a reflection of value?” suggests that price may not be analogous to worth. In other words, a costly commodity may be the least advantageous, while a valuable article may be too high-priced to be useful. In my opinion, expensive does not always correspond with usefulness. Throughout society, humanity, and in life, the evidence to support my viewpoint is pervasive.
Consider the case of Hollingsworth v. Perry, a Supreme Court case decided on June 25, 2013. An unlikely bipartisanship, made up of Theodore Olsen and David Boies, worked diligently and without pay to overrule Proposition 8, a Californian amendment banning same-sex marriage. They believed that the right for homosexual couples to marry trumped a paycheck. Their pro bono (literally “for good” in Latin) work has changed the lives of tens of thousands, for 18,000 same-sex marriages took place after the ruling. The price the lawyers were paid was $0, but the value of allowing a monumental amount of couples to wed is priceless.
Another example is provided by the 1903 Louisiana Purchase; an acquisition by the United States of America of 828,000 square miles from France’s Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte. Thomas Jefferson accepted Napoleon’s asking price of a mere $15 million. For only 3 cents an acre, the Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the nation and today makes up 15 of our phenomenal states. The United States would not be the superpower they are today if it wasn’t for this inexpensive procurement.
As a final vivid example, consider Jay Gatsby’s ostentatious parties in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby”, written in Long Island in 1925. Gatsby is famed for his ornate, extravagant parties in his West Egg mansion. He spends an inordinate amount of time and money preparing these parties, but when the party actually commences, he hides in his room and feels lonely. He does not enjoy his own lavish affairs, even though the attendees speculate that Gatsby lives an idyllic life because of his wealth.
Clearly the above examples show that the monetary cost is not a manifestation of importance. The accession of the Louisiana Purchase was low-cost, and without it, the United States would be an irrelevant, small country, instead of the vast and formidable nation it is today. Without the pro bono work of Theodore Olsen and David Boies, infatuated same-sex couples across the state of California would not be able to wed. Only by realizing that high price is not parallel to quality can humanity begin to thrive.</p>

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<p>@soccerforlife Don’t explicate examples so thoroughly in the 1st paragraph, save that for the body paragraphs. Also where is your thesis and your topic sentences for each body paragraph? Adding those two will make your essay more clear to the readers. </p>

<p>And furthermore, 2 paragraphs seems too little… it is as if you have just 1 body paragraph (which you might not have had the intention of doing) or multiple body paragraphs mashed into 1 large mass of sentences. Whenever you’re focusing on a different reason to support your thesis, begin a new body paragraph and along with it, a new example.</p>

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<p>@Jarjarbinks23‌ that being said, what score would you give me? thanks for the insight!</p>

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<p>Hi!</p>

<p>Excerpt: Sometimes it is necessary to challenge what people in authority claim to be true. Although some respect for authority is, no doubt, necessary in order for any group or organization to function, questioning the people in charge – even if they are experts or leaders in their fields – makes us better thinkers. It forces all concerned to defend old ideas and decisions and to consider new ones. Sometimes it can even correct old errors in thought and put an end to wrong actions.</p>

<p>Assignment: Is it important to question the ideas and decisions of people in positions of authority? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.</p>

<p>My Response</p>

<p>Challenging the ideas of people in authority is extremely important. This is the only way that change is brought forth. Questioning others is a pillar of human society and causes those in power to reconsider and re-evaluate their ideas. The examples of Fidel Castro and Jack Stein see to this.</p>

<p>Fidel Castro was a dictator, ruling Cuba for several decades. Born in 1920, he was shocked by the poverty and discrimination between the rich and the poor that was caused by World War I. Seeing the need to abolish the rich-poor line of discrimination, he rose to power by the early 1940s. However, his extreme right-wing ideology falsely duped the poor. He claimed to provide the poor with basic necessities of life, but in return, demanded an excruciating amount of labor. Common man recognized the counterfeit ideology and started to question the government. The Cuban People’s Liberation was born, and due to continuous pressure by the group, Castro resigned.</p>

<p>These changes were only brought about because people questioned Castro, the so-called leader of the country. Had they not questioned, there would have been no change, and Castro would have continued to rule, maybe throwing the country into chaos.</p>

<p>In 2005, George Bush established the Teach America Movement, a plan that would eradicate all illiteracy by 2020. It was a long-term strategy, with the implementation of more schools, after-school tutoring and other ideas to bring the literacy of America to 100%. On the other side of the country, in Kansas City, nine-year old Jack Stein read about Bush’s new scheme. Jack questioned. He talked to his government teacher, and his teacher immediately realized that Jack was right. There was a clear, simple flaw that Bush had overseen. Six months later, Bush completely redesigned the plan.</p>

<p>Had Jack and the common man in Cuba not questioned, the world would have accepted the experts’ ideas blindly. As the Dalai Lama once said, “change comes by questioning. If you don’t question, you don’t change.”</p>

<p>I would really appreciate some feedback and an estimated score. Thanks a ton!</p>

280

<p>What is it out of 6?</p>

<p>Prompt: is it important to challenge the ideas and decisions of people in authority?</p>

<p>Questioning the ideas and decisions of people in authority is essential in order for society to progress. By questioning the status quo, great advances have been made in fields from science, human rights, and art. Scientists such as Galileo made huge discoveries in astronomy by questioning the church. Horrible practices such as slavery were outlawed, and revolutionary new music forms took hold by questioning the norm.</p>

<p>In the 15th century, the Catholic church was the authority on human knowledge. The church had control over schools and Universities, so any learning and scientific research was strictly regulated. The church’s incorrect teachings such as geocentrism, the belief that the sun revolves around the earth, were taught as fact until one man dared to challenge the Church. Galileo, an Italian scientist, discovered that the earth revolved around the sun, which was a revolutionary idea at the time. Galileo’s theory was correct, and his protest of the church’s authority inspired scientists like Newton and led to a scientific revolution.</p>

<p>Centuries later, the field of human rights experienced a revolution by questioning the authority of governments around the world. At the beginning of the 19th century, most governments believed that slavery was acceptable. This belief was the norm until, starting in the mid 1800’s, human rights leaders around the world protested this idea. In the US, leaders like Abraham Lincoln fought against the widely held idea that slavery was acceptable. Similar events took place in other countries, leading to a universal ban on slavery throughout the world.</p>

<p>Similar to the scientific revolution brought on by Galileo and the revolutionary new ideas about slavery, there was a musical revolution that took place in the 1950’s. Elvis Presley, the first “rock & roll” musician, challenged existing ideas on music and created a genre that still lasts today. The “authority” on music, which were the adults of the kids listening to Elvis, hated his music, but Elvis still played and invented a new type of music.</p>

<p>Progress in the fields of science, human rights, and music was not made easily, and challenging authority was essential to improvement. Challenging authority is still just as necessary today if society expects to progress</p>