Global Breaking News - Sunday, October 11, 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 have progressed around the world, some skills that were not so important in the past have become vital. Reading and writing are two of the skills that are more important now than they used to be. There are some people that think that you can get by without those skills, but I believe they are necessary because reading and writing are now basic skills that are needed to survive in society and almost every job nowadays requires some level of literacy.
* progress = 나아가다, 진전을 보이다, 시간이 지나다 / past = 과거, 지난 날  / vital = 없어서는 안 될, 필수적인 / get by = 그럭저럭 살아나가다 / basic skill = 기본 능력 / literacy = 읽고 쓰는 능력

First of all, basic knowledge of reading and writing is necessary to survive in modern society. Not too long ago reading and writing were not really necessary to survive and were, in fact, considered a waste of time for everyone except the rich and elite. Farmers and others who made their living by manual labor had no use for those skills. However, over time the agrarian sector of most societies has shrunk and the majority of the populations of most countries live in cities. It is a necessity to be able to read and write when you live in a city because these skills are put to use on a daily basis for everything from using public transportation to paying bills. Often, reading and writing are necessary for banking transactions or ordering needed products.
* basic knowledge = 기초 지식 / modern society = 현대사회 / not too long ago = 얼마 전만 해도 / survive = 생존하다, 살아남다 / in fact = 사실 / waste of time = 시간낭비 / elite = 엘리트 / make a living = 생계를 꾸리다 / manual labor = 막노동, 육체노동 / agrarian = 농업의 / sector = 부문, 분야 / shrink = 줄다, 축소하다 / majority = 대부분, 대다수 / population = 인구 / necessity = 필요물 / on a daily basis = 매일 / public transportation = 대중교통

In addition, the ability to read and write is important today because nearly every job in modern society requires at least minimum literacy skills. In the past, a day laborer could show up on a job site, ask for work and be told what to do. Literacy was not necessary to build a wall, plant crops or clean a kitchen. Reading and writing for pleasure were not a common hobby because everyone was just trying to find enough to eat. However, in modern society, many jobs, including farming and construction, are based on steadily advancing technology; thus, reading and writing are required. Almost all businesses, from retail to farming, are somehow linked to a computer network. And as we know, without reading and writing skills, a computer is just a paperweight.
* at least = 적어도, 최소한 / literacy skill = 글을 읽고 쓰는 기술 / day laborer = 날품팔이, 일급쟁이 / show up = 나타나다 / plant a crop = 작물을 심다 / common hobby = 보통의, 흔한 취미 / farming = 농업 / construction = 건축 / steadily = 착실하게, 끊임없이 / retail = 소매의 / somehow = 어떻게든 / paperweight = 서진, 문진

In conclusion, long gone are the days when a person could prosper and live a good life without reading and writing skills. These skills are essential for survival in modern society just because everyday situations and most jobs require some level of literacy. Any person without these basic skills is severely handicapped in this modern society.
* prosper = 번영하다 / essential = 필수적인 / severely = 심하게, 심각하게 / handicapped = 장애가 있는