G.B.C. sample answer: Biggest global threat

This question has been asked in a lot of recent G.B.C. tests, and has actually been discussed in a lot of newspapers around the world recently. It is a timely topic, and well worth preparing an answer.

Notice how this answer is in a spoken tone, so some sentences are shorter than they would be if this was in a written style. Try reading this out loud to get a feel for the pacing.

Here's the question: What threat, issues or problems do you think we will be faced with in the foreseeable future?
  

Okay, I think that is a very timely question. Of course, there are always threats, issues and problems, but this year a big one has come to light. It’s the rise of nationalism in countries that are economic super-powers. We can see this in the Brexit vote in the UK and the recent election of Donald Trump in America.

 

Specifically, Donald Trump has advocated for more nuclear weapons, rejecting trade deals like NAFTA and the TPP, and re-evaluating military partnerships. That last point greatly impacts Japan. We rely on the American military bases for protection.

 

Naturally, a lot of people, especially in Okinawa, oppose the military bases. But if Japan isn't protected by America, then we have to scale up our own military. Actually, Prime Minister Abe has talked about changing Article 9, which prevents Japan from having a large military. It's quite possible for Japan to militarize in the near future. This could escalate into conflicts with China or Korea. Since Japan, Korea and China have never reached a firm agreement after the Second World War, and we have a rocky relationship at the moment, it could lead to a very serious situation.

 

Also, the next American government is not willing to work towards stopping climate change. I recently read in the newspaper that Trump has decided to hire a top climate change skeptic to be in charge of the Environment Protection Committee. This means that we will move much more quickly toward a global climate that is not suitable for humans to live.

 

So, to wrap up, we can see that nationalist, isolationist movements are taking hold in the UK and the US. This means global trade deals may break down, military alliances may break down and climate change deals may break down. Any one of those would be a big problem. If all three happen, it would be a complete disaster.

Consider how this answer met the G.B.C. criteria, it:

• Showed enthusiasm: The use of dramatic repetition and intensifiers in the ending is an effective way to show this.
• Used various types of logic: The sections on the military and climate change have a variety of dependent clauses.
• Used clear, various expressions: Especially, "So, to wrap up, we can see that..." shows that the answer is concluding.
• Used supporting evidence: Mentioning specific examples and quoting a current news story should be sufficient evidence.

Of course, it goes without saying that this is my personal opinion. Please take some time to think of your own answer, and don't forget to practice saying it out loud.