Regents’ Test Topics Fall 2007

17 Each year, many teenagers run away from home. What do you think are the chief causes?

52 Is college a good place to find out who you really are? Discuss.

54 Discuss the most important characteristics an elected official should have.

98 If you had the power to change any event in history (outcome of an election, who won a war, etc.), which would you choose to change, and why?

121 What makes one college course more enjoyable than another? Explain.

129 If you were to be deprived of one of your five senses (sight, touch, smell, taste, and hearing) which one would you most hate to give up? Explain.

136 For what qualities or achievements would you feel justified in calling an individual successful? Explain.

144 Why do you believe radio has continued to be popular in the age of television? Discuss.

160 What, in your opinion, are some of the reasons so many people have pets? Discuss.

161 Do you prefer shopping at a large shopping center or at a downtown store? Discuss.

163 Apart from chronological age, what are some major differences between an adolescent and an adult?

194 Why do some couples choose to live together without getting married? Explain.

213 Should college students be required to take physical education courses? Why or why not?

220 What do you consider the most important event of the past decade? Why?

247 Is marriage an outmoded institution in the United States? Explain why or why not.

250 Many American homes and offices have become a jungle of houseplants. Why do you think that so many people surround themselves with growing things?

274 What are the chief causes of shoplifting? Discuss.

300 It has been said that computers are taking over our lives. Do you agree or disagree? Explain.

301 Is the person without knowledge of computers handicapped? Discuss.

304 Should adoption records be open to the people directly involved (the person adopted, the biological parents and/or the adoptive parents)? Explain why or why not.

316 Do you favor or oppose a rule that would prohibit professional teams from recruiting college student athletes until their college sports eligibility is over? Why?

324 What steps should be taken to improve the quality of education in our public schools? Discuss.

354 Should an introduction to art, music, and drama be a part of every college student’s education? Explain why or why not.

361 What are some possible reasons for the decline in the reading skills of high school students? Discuss.

364 Discuss some of the appeals used in automobile advertisements.

365 What steps should be taken to reduce the number of drunk drivers? Discuss.

376 How have your eating habits changed since you’ve been in college? Discuss.

377 Do you think of yourself as a “goal-oriented” person? Explain.

382 If you could have a household robot, for what jobs would you want it programmed? Discuss.

394 Why do people play practical jokes? Explain.

401 Which of your talents do you value most? Why?

404 If you were among the first colonizers of a new planet in the twenty-first century, what would you not want your fellow colonists to transport from the planet Earth? Explain.

406 Americans generally condemn daydreaming as a waste of time. Do you agree with this view, or do you see some benefits of daydreaming? Discuss.

419 The Supreme Court ruled that public schools have the right to conduct searches of students’ persons and property when there is reasonable cause to suspect the presence of weapons or drugs. Do you support or oppose such searches? Explain.

427 Should tax dollars be used to subsidize public television and radio broadcasts? Discuss.

430 Some think that divorces are too easy to obtain today. Do you agree or disagree? Explain.

431 What steps can be taken to reduce the amount of litter found along highways and in the countryside?

440 Do Americans place too much emphasis on physical appearance? Discuss.

457 Which advertisements do you find most appealing or offensive? Why?

458 What do you do to cope with stress?

472 Should final examinations in college courses be comprehensive? Discuss.

480 Should computer literacy be required of all college students? Discuss why or why not.

483 In order to protect American industry, should the U.S. government impose heavy tariffs on foreign goods coming into this country? Discuss why or why not.

486 How can we reduce the problem of illiteracy in our nation? Explain.

495 Should a person tell his or her spouse about past love affairs? Discuss why or why not.

496 What can be done to help prevent a marriage from ending in divorce? Explain.

500 What type of movies do you prefer? Explain.

521 Is there one place on earth that means more to you than all others? Why?

523 What have you been promising to throw out for years but just cannot seem to part with? Discuss.

526 What are some characteristics of people you try to avoid when selecting friends? Explain.

535 What foreign country would you like to visit, and why would you like to go there?

541 Explain why you think so many people get the holiday blues.

542 Are people in the U.S. overly concerned about being thin? Discuss.

547 What was the most useless invention of the twentieth century? Explain.

550 How can Halloween be made safer for young people?

551 Some television series (such as M.A.S.H., The Andy Griffith Show and Seinfeld) have enjoyed a long life both in production and in reruns. Explain why.

566 Which qualities or characteristics of childhood should we strive to preserve throughout our lives? Discuss.

589 What elective course that you have taken would you not recommend to other students? Explain your dissatisfaction with the content of the course.

595 Do you believe that recycling should be mandatory? Discuss.

599 Some people have argued that zoos are inhumane, that keeping animals captive is wrong. Discuss why you agree or disagree.

613 What are some activities that are especially appealing to children? Why?

628 Discuss a stereotype that you once believed but that later proved inaccurate.

629 Should English be the standard language in public schools, or should schools be required to offer classes in the language a student speaks at home? Discuss.

637 What working conditions do you or would you look for when applying for a job? Explain.

646 What things about yourself would you most like to improve? Explain.

648 If you suddenly found that your home was on fire and you had time to rescue only a few belongings, what would you save? Explain.

652 It often takes people as long to heal from emotional wounds as from physical ones. What steps can people take to recover from emotional trauma? Explain.

654 Would you buy and use an electric car? Explain.

664 Should a person be given another chance after he or she has been unfaithful, lied, or broken a promise? Explain.

668 What does someone have to do to earn your respect? Discuss.

669 Imagine you must choose one of the following: a heartfelt and fulfilling relationship with one person but no other close friendships, or lots of friends but no single, enduring connection to one person. Which would you choose and why?

678 Murphy’s Law states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Describe a real or imagined day in your life to demonstrate the truth of Murphy’s Law.

685 What are the advantages and disadvantages of the HOPE scholarship?

696 What are the best ways to deal with telephone solicitors? Discuss.

697 Discuss some of the major pressures faced by teenagers.

702 What should be done with “deadbeat parents” who refuse to pay child support?

706 How should the United States protect itself from terrorist attacks? Discuss.

725 What specific things might one do to enrich personal relationships (parent-child, husband-wife, friends) despite a busy schedule? Discuss.

734 How can learning a foreign language prove helpful to you? Discuss.

735 How can learning a foreign language prove helpful to you? Discuss.

740 What sort of problems could be caused by advertisements that make exaggerated or false statements? Discuss.

747 Entertainers referred to as “stand-up comics” continue to be popular. Why?

754 At what major historical event would you like to have been present? Why?

762 What subjects do you (or did you) especially enjoy (or avoid) discussing with your family? Explain.

776 If you wrote a book about your life, would it be a comedy, a tragedy, or a combination of the two? Discuss.

782 How are you different from your best friend? Discuss.

788 Discuss why you agree or disagree with the following: “Historically, most good leaders have not been people of good character.”

796 Does a “double standard” still exist between the sexes? Discuss.

801 What factors make a job or career satisfying? Discuss.

808 Explain how a television show, movie, commercial or popular song stereotypes a group of people.

810 Explain why people sometimes continue to do things that are harmful to them.

813 Should preserving endangered species take priority over jobs, development, and property rights? Why or why not?

814 Have your family’s expectations of you been a help or a hindrance? Explain.