Global Breaking News - Friday, October 9, 2026

 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The ability to read and write is more important today than in the past. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

As societies through out the world developed, many previously unimportant skills have become vital. While reading and writing are two skills that may have previously been unimportant to certain people in the past, they are completely vial for surviving in modern society. I believe that reading and writing are more important than they were in the past because they are basic survival skills and every form of employment requires employees to be literate.
* previously = 이전의 / vital = 필수적인 / modern society = 현대사회 / survival = 생존 / literate = 글을 읽고 쓸 줄 아는

First, reading and writing are necessary to survive in modern society. In the not too distant past farmers may have considered the ability to read and write a waste of time. At that time, only scholars or the rich and elite had the ability. However, as time progressed and industrialization increased, society evolved from an agrarian base to being based on industry. At this point the ability to read and write became a necessity to survive in the city. Keeping track of current events required reading the newspaper, something not possible for those suffering from illiteracy. Getting around in the city required reading. Once cars became commonplace, imagine driving around the city being unable to read. Drivers would not understand the concept of one ways streets or when and where they could park their vehicle. Being unable to read would not only be negligent but dangerous for everyone involved.
* distant = 먼, 동떨어진 / waste of time = 시간낭비 / scholar = 학자 / elite = 엘리트 / progress = 시간이 지나다 / industrialization = 산업화 / evolve from = ~에서 진화하다, 발달하다 / agrarian = 농업의 / necessity = 필요, 필요성 / keep track of = 기록하다, 알고 있다, 파악하다 / suffering from = ~로부터 고통받다 / illiteracy = 문맹 / commonplace = 아주 흔한, 흔히 있는 / vehicle = 차량, 탈 것 / negligent = 태만한, 부주의한

Finally, the ability to read and write is required for employment. In the past, workers could simply follow instructions for tilling fields or picking fruits and vegetables. Literacy was not necessary to pick cotton, till a field or clean the floors. Reading and writing only became important once the industrial revolution began. With increasingly complex technology, workers needed to be able to perform more complex tasks rather than just find enough to eat. Construction workers need to be able to follow precise directions or potentially face dangerous consequences, such as buildings collapsing and killing occupants. All fields have become increasingly complex and are only likely to become even more so. Without reading and writing skills, any form of advanced technology is useless
* instruction = 지시, 명령 / till = 논밭을 갈다, 경작하다 / vegetables = 채소류 / cotton = 목화 / industrial revolution = 산업혁명 / task = 일, 업무 / construction worker = 건설노동자, 공사현장 인부 / precise = 정확한 / potentially = 가능성 있게, 잠재적으로 / consequence = 결과 / collapse = 붕괴되다, 무너지다 / occupant = 사용자, 입주자 / advanced = 선진의, 고급의 / useless = 불필요한, 쓸모없는

In conclusion, surviving without the ability to read and write is no longer possible. These two skills are necessary for everything such as reading the takeout menu of your local diner to reading directions on the street. Reading and writing ensure people are able to survive in society and prosper.
* takeout = 가지고 가는 음식 /  ensure = 보장하다 / prosper = 번영하다, 번창하다