GRE AWA Pool of Issues

Here are the pool of issues that you would probably come across during the GRE Exam.

"The stability of a society depends on how it responds to the extremes of human behavior."
------------------------------

"Although many people think that the luxuries and conveniences of contemporary life are entirely harmless, in fact, they actually prevent people from developing into truly strong and independent individuals."
------------------------------

"There are two types of laws: just and unjust. Every individual in a society has a responsibility to obey just laws and, even more importantly, to disobey and resist unjust laws."
------------------------------

"Only by being forced to defend an idea against the doubts and contrasting views of others does one really discover the value of that idea."
------------------------------

"If a society is to thrive, it must put its own overall success before the well-being of its individual citizens."
------------------------------

"National governments should devote more of their social programs and services to children than to adults."
------------------------------

"Reform is seldom brought about by people who are concerned with their own reputation and social standing. Those who are really in earnest about reforming a government, an educational system, or any other institution must be willing to be viewed with disdain by the rest of the world."
------------------------------

"Many people believe that a few individuals or small groups (family, friends, teachers, celebrities, for example) have caused them to think and behave in the way they do. Yet it is always society as a whole that defines us and our attitudes, not a few individuals."
------------------------------

"Contemporary technology makes available many small pieces of factual information. As a result, people have become so preoccupied with bits of fragmented information that they pay too little attention to the larger issues and overall perspectives."
------------------------------

"People in positions of power are most effective when they exercise caution and restraint in the use of that power."
------------------------------

"Anyone can make things bigger and more complex. What requires real effort and courage is to move in the opposite direction—in other words, to make things as simple as possible."
------------------------------

"Most people would agree that buildings represent a valuable record of any society's past, but controversy arises when old buildings stand on ground that modern planners feel could be better used for modern purposes. In such situations, modern development should be given precedence over the preservation of historic buildings so that contemporary needs can be served."
------------------------------

"No one can possibly achieve success in the world by conforming to conventional practices and conventional ways of thinking."
------------------------------

"Students should memorize facts only after they have studied the ideas, trends, and concepts that help explain those facts. Students who have learned only facts have learned very little."
------------------------------

"Public figures such as actors, politicians, and athletes should expect people to be interested in their private lives. When they seek a public role, they should expect that they will lose at least some of their privacy."
------------------------------

"The primary goal of technological advancement should be to increase people's efficiency so that everyone has more leisure time."
------------------------------

"Money spent on research is almost always a good investment, even when the results of that research are controversial."
------------------------------

"A school or college should pay its teachers at the same rate in all disciplines, regardless of differences in salaries for related fields in the world outside of school. For example, entry-level teachers in mathematics and in the arts should receive the same pay, even if outside of school, math specialists earn a much higher salary on average than do specialists in the arts."
------------------------------

"Creating an appealing image has become more important in contemporary society than is the reality or truth behind that image."
------------------------------

"Instead of requiring students to take courses in a variety of disciplines—that is, courses ranging from the arts and the humanities to the physical and biological sciences—colleges and universities should allow students to enroll only in those courses that will help prepare them for jobs in their chosen fields. Such concentration is necessary in today's increasingly work-oriented society."
------------------------------

"No matter what the situation, it is more harmful to compromise one's beliefs than to adhere to them."
------------------------------

"The greatness of individuals can be decided only by those who live after them, not by their contemporaries."
------------------------------

"In most societies, competition generally has more of a negative than a positive effect."
------------------------------

"In the age of television, reading books is not as important as it once was. People can learn as much by watching television as they can by reading books."
------------------------------

"The intellectual benefits of attending a university or college are vastly overrated: most people could learn more by studying and reading on their own for four years than by pursuing a university or college degree."
------------------------------

"Scholars and researchers should not be concerned with whether their work makes a contribution to the larger society. It is more important that they pursue their individual interests, however unusual or idiosyncratic those interests may seem."
------------------------------

"Such nonmainstream areas of inquiry as astrology,
fortune-telling, and psychic and paranormal pursuits play a vital role in society by satisfying human needs that are not addressed by mainstream science."
------------------------------

"Because learning is not a solitary activity but one that requires collaboration among people, students of all ages will benefit academically if they work frequently in groups."
------------------------------

"To be an effective leader, a public official must maintain the highest ethical and moral standards."
------------------------------

"Government should not fund any scientific research whose consequences, either medical or ethical, are unclear."
------------------------------

"Government officials should rely on their own judgment rather than unquestioningly carrying out the will of the people whom they serve."
------------------------------

"While some leaders in government, sports, industry, and other areas attribute their success to a well-developed sense of competition, a society can better prepare its young people for leadership by instilling in them a sense of cooperation."
------------------------------

"Society does not place enough emphasis on the intellect—that is, on reasoning and other cognitive skills."
------------------------------

"The study of history places too much emphasis on individuals. The most significant events and trends in history were made possible not by the famous few, but by groups of people whose identities have long been forgotten."
------------------------------

"Imaginative works such as novels, plays, films, fairy tales, and legends present a more accurate and meaningful picture of human experience than do factual accounts. Because the creators of fiction shape and focus reality rather than report on it literally, their creations have a more lasting significance."
------------------------------

"In order to improve the quality of instruction at the college and university level, all faculty should be required to spend time working outside the academic world in professions relevant to the courses they teach."
------------------------------

"Education will be truly effective only when it is specifically designed to meet the individual needs and interests of each student."
------------------------------

"Education encourages students to question and criticize, and therefore does little to promote social harmony."
------------------------------

"College and university education should be free for all students, fully financed by the government."
------------------------------

"History teaches us only one thing: knowing about the past cannot help people to make important decisions today."
------------------------------

"Competition for high grades seriously limits the quality of learning at all levels of education."
------------------------------

"Governments should focus more on solving the immediate problems of today rather than trying to solve the anticipated problems of the future."
------------------------------

"The depth of knowledge to be gained from books is much richer and broader than what can be learned from direct experience."
------------------------------

"The increasingly rapid pace of life today causes more problems than it solves."
------------------------------

"Too much emphasis is placed on role models. Instead of copying others, people should learn to think and act independently and thus make the choices that are best for them."
------------------------------

"The media—and society in general—mistakenly expect an individual to speak for a particular group, whether or not that individual truly represents the views of the entire group."
------------------------------

"High-profile awards such as the Nobel Prize are actually damaging to society because they suggest that only a few people deserve such recognition."
------------------------------

"The widespread idea that people should make self-improvement a primary goal in their lives is problematic because it assumes that people are intrinsically deficient."
------------------------------

"To truly understand your own culture—no matter how you define it—requires personal knowledge of at least one other culture, one that is distinctly different from your own."
------------------------------

"Many people know how to attain success, but few know how to make the best use of it."
------------------------------

"People have been so encouraged by society to focus on apparent differences that they fail to see meaningful similarities among ideas, individuals, and groups."