ielts sample answers writing

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SAMPLE ANSWERS FOR SELECTED WRITING TASKS

Useful Tips to Help You Succeed in IELST Essay Writing

1 When writing an essay during your IELTS exam, be sure to check your essay in terms of the following criteria:

• word order;

• vocabulary;

• punctuation;

• structure of the sentences.

2 Though IELST essay writing has a time limit, you should spend some time (not more than 5-10 minutes) planning your essay Otherwise, you risk losing your way while writing and distracting from the topic It is

inadmissible in IELST essay writing.

3 Be sure to present your ideas in separate paragraphs IELST essay writing demands clear expression of your ideas, clear structure of your essay will make it readable.

4 IELST essay writing establishes a word limit for the essays You should observe the word-limit for IELST essay writing, it is a must.

5 Getting ready for an exam, you should search the Internet for sample topics for IELST essay writing to improve your writing There are several large categories IELST essay writing topics belong to:

• Education;

• Society;

• Gender Issues;

• Government, etc.

Practice WRITING TEST 1 TASK 1(Practice test for IELTS)

The diagram shows there has been a remarkable rise in the power output of basic machines during the past 300 years The maximum power output of a modem steam turbine is in excess of 1 million kilowatts, in stark contrast with the 1 kilowatt output from the early steam engines produced just after 1700

From the beginning of the 18th century to the middle of the 19th century there were steady improvements

in the power output of water wheels and steam engines Around 1850 the water turbine was introduced and

developed rapidly The power output of water turbines has improved from less than 1,000 kilowatts in 1850 to

more than 100,000 kilowatts in the late 20th century

The steam turbine was introduced around 1900, and its power output has improved rapidly from a figure of just over 1,000 kilowatts, i.e around the point where development of the steam engine stopped By the late 20th century the maximum power output of steam turbines had increased by a factor of three to over 1 million

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The most spectacular improvement has been with the internal-combustion engine From its early days in the late 19th century and a maximum power output of around 5 kilowatts, by the middle of the 20th century internal-combustion engines were delivering more than 10,000 kilowatts The recent development of gas turbine engines has pushed this figure even higher

The two graphs show the situation with and without treatment for two types of cancer in women - cancer of the alimentary tract and lymph sarcoma Without treatment, the life expectancy for both types of cancer is poor

- fewer than 25% of patients survive for five years after diagnosis

For cancer of the alimentary tract, treatment can be reasonably effective Whereas only 35-40% of patients survive one year after diagnosis without treatment, when treatment is applied about 75% of patients survive one year, and the survival rate after five years is just under 50%

For lymph sarcoma, however, treatment can literally be fatal The survival rate one year after diagnosis is around 50%, whether treatment is applied or not However, treatment is shown to have a very negative effect beyond one year After five years 25% of untreated patients are still alive, whereas none of the cases studied who received treatment survived five years after diagnosis

It is immediately apparent from the diagram that in 1970 the professions in Malaysia were almost totally dominated by men Many key professional people, including jurists, accountants, architects, engineers and economists, were men, occupying more than 90% of all positions Architecture and engineering were particularly male dominated, with only 3% of professionals in those areas women

Women were only slightly better represented in science and medicine, comprising around 15% of scientists, mathematicians, doctors and dentists In education, the proportion of women decreased according

to the level, from around 40% of teachers in primary and secondary schools to under 25% of teachers in universities and higher education

The only profession where women predominated was in the traditionally female area of nursing, with 99%

of all nurses and midwives being women The diagram therefore shows a very traditional pattern of male and female roles in the professions in Malaysia in 1970

The table shows Australian company profits before tax for the period 1986-90 in four sectors: Manufacturing, Mining Retail Trade and Other Industries Profits were very uneven across these four sectors

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during the four year period.

The most important sector was Manufacturing, where profits nearly doubled from 1986 to 1989 to peak at

$8.6 billion, followed by Mining, where profits reached almost $5 billion in 1989-90, after fluctuating just below

$4 billion for the previous three years Profits in Retail Trade also grew strongly during the four year period, doubling to just below $1.4 billion In Other Industries there was steady growth in profits for three years from

$1.2 billion to almost $1.7 billion, followed by a crash to below $0.4 billion in 1989-90

The table indicates that the year 1989 was a turning point for the Australian economy After consistent rises from 1986 to 1989, profits in Retail Trade levelIed off in 1989-90, while those in Manufacturing and Other Industries both fell - in Other Industries the fail was particularly sudden, to less than a quarter of their 1989 level Only Mining, where profits had been steady during 1986-89, showed a significant rise in profits in 1989-90

PRACTICE WRITING TEST 5 TASK 1(Practice test for IELTS)

It is commonly said that men and women see things differently The information in Table 1 tends to support this view, as the perceptions of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and their spouses or partners show significant differences on a number of issues

The three main sources of stress as far as CEOs were concerned were: time pressures and deadlines (52%), the demands of work on private life (48%) and the demands of work on the relationship with the family (45%) The four main sources of stress nominated by their spouses and partners were: work overload (62%), long working hours (62%), time pressures and deadlines (60%) and work-related travel (57%) Time pressures and deadlines are tangible factors that both groups were very aware of However, spouses tended to be more specific in identifying work overload, long working hours, and work-related travel as problems, compared to CEOs who focused on more general "demands of work."

The biggest difference is in the numbers nominating long working hours as a source of stress: 62% of spouses/partners, compared to only 24% of CEOs It seems reasonable to assume that most CEOs enjoy their work, and generally don't mind the long hours, whereas their spouses and partners don't appreciate this situation at all

It is true that new technologies can create serious social and environmental problems The question is whether governments should focus on these problems when they are formulating policies relating to new technology

Some people would argue that governments have an important watchdog role to play and that they should attempt to establish whether a proposed technology is likely to have any harmful effects This is seen as an aspect of government looking after the public interest and showing concern for the welfare of its citizens

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These people would invest government with the power to veto the introduction of certain technologies.

The problem with this approach, however, is that it is very difficult to know in advance what the fulI effects

of any new technology will be The history of science and technology has many fascinating examples of unexpected developments Sometimes a technological advance in one area can lead to a surprising breakthrough in another, seemingly unrelated area And one certainly cannot depend on government bureau-cracies to make accurate assessments about these matters Another problem is that, where one government might decide to ban the use of a new technology, another country may well go ahead with its introduction In

an increasingly competitive global economy the first country may severely disadvantage itself by such an action

New technology is essential for a country's economic development The best approach is to positively encourage the development of new technologies and to focus on their benefits Any problems that may arise can be dealt with after implementation

There are many examples of industrial conflict situations where employees believe it is in their best interests to go on strike Some people argue that going on strike is a legitimate and effective way to resolve industrial disputes I want to argue, on the contrary, that going on strike is, in most cases, not justified

Strikes bring with them a number of very negative effects, including loss of production and possible loss of customers for companies, not to mention loss of wages for the striking employees In some cases striking employees also put their own jobs at risk, either directly through possible dismissal by their employer, or indirectly through weakening the competitive position of the company they work for

Strikes are an exercise in power, and do not get to the underlying cause of industrial disputes, which is a conflict of interests between employer and employee However, both sides must also realize that they need each other, and must be prepared to negotiate a compromise solution in situations where conflicts arise It has been shown in many case studies of strike situations that strikes tend to increase conflict and to hurt both parties through the economic damage they cause

There are better ways than going on strike to resolve industrial conflict Employers should realize that their employees are an invaluable resource They should use every avenue to encourage employees to contribute their ideas to improving the work environment Employees should realize that they have more to gain by working constructively with employers than by opposing them Where communication is encouraged at every level relations will be better and strikes much less likely to occur

All people should have access to adequate health care It is difficult to argue against this proposition In

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theory most people would agree with it But in practice it is more difficult to find countries where it is actually true.

Health care systems such as in the United States where a large proportion of the population cannot afford health insurance are most undesirable in social terms People are not cared for properly if they suffer a serious accident or become seriously ill Yet in the same country the very best in medical services are available to those with the capacity to pay Are we at the point where we accept that the life of a rich person is worth more than that of a poor person?

Governments have a responsibility to provide basic health services to all the population However, governments always have limited resources and they have a responsibility to use these in an efficient and effective manner for example it is difficult to justify governments spending money on expensive medical procedures such as cancer research, if this diverts resources away from the primary objective of equal access

to health care for all The argument then turns on what kind of health care system should be supported by governments

Preventive health care is one area where government needs to take the lead Money spent on preventing disease is more than repaid by money saved in not having to treat that disease at a later time Public health programs to eradicate diseases such as typhoid and smallpox are a good example where the benefits flow on

to all people regardless of income or social status More recently government sponsored fluoridation programs have played a major part in reducing the incidence of tooth decay, with significant improvements in general health and enormous savings in dental bills for ordinary people

PRACTICE WRITING TEST 9 TASK 2 (Practice test for IELTS)

One feature of improved education systems around the world has been an increase in the period of compulsory schooling for students In many developed countries students are now required to stay at school until they are 15 years of age

There are quite plausible reasons for opposing this policy Low income families for example may not be able to afford to keep their children at school and may resent governments imposing this decision on them In many developing countries children can bring in much needed income either by working in family agricultural activities or else through paid employment Compulsory schooling might also be opposed on educational grounds Recent studies have shown that compulsory school can be psychologically damaging for students who are not motivated to learn They may be more ready to learn later on as adults when their motivation is stronger

But there are also strong reasons why students should be obliged to remain at school until a certain age first at a young age students are unlikely to be sufficiently mature to make sensible decisions about their lives

We should not allow students to make decisions they may later regret A second reason is that in today's society, where increasingly high levels of skills and knowledge are required of the work force, early school leavers will find it very difficult to obtain employment

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It is my view that schooling should be compulsory until a certain age Education authorities however must ensure that the education provided is both affordable to families and relevant and interesting to students.

PRACTICE WRITING TEST 10 TASK 1 (IELTS practice test now)

In all, the world spends an estimated $US25 billion annually, on civilian space applications.

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the trends in the graph below and suggesting reasons for any major differences in expenditure.

According to the graph, there is considerable variation in spending on civilian space programs around the world Argentina, for example, spends virtually nothing while, at the opposite end of the scale, the United States spends $1500m The next highest spenders are France, Japan and China spending $1400m, $1300m and $1200m respectively Middle range spenders include Germany, Italy, Sweden and Russia, spending in the

$700-$1000m range Among the lowest spenders are Ireland, Australia, Pakistan and Israel spending under

$100m The remaining countries spend between $ I 00 and $300m

Overall, the trends in the table show the wealthy, developed countries as being foremost in space application spending, while countries classed as developing, or those with very small populations, spend the least There are some exceptions, like China, which is developing fast and has obviously made space technology a priority Thus the main reasons for the differences may include wealth, size, political and eco-nomic stability and the chosen priorities of each country (159 words)

PRACTICE WRITING TEST 11 TASK 2 (IELTS practice test now)

Present a written argument or case to an educated non-specialist audience on the following topic:

Tourism is becoming increasingly important as a source of revenue to many countries but its disadvantages should not be overlooked.

You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence.

Faster planes and cheaper flights are making it easier than ever before for people to travel In most 'developed' societies, visiting exotic places is a sought-after status symbol The tourism industries of both developed and developing countries have recognized this fact and are learning to take advantage of it

There are, however, some problems associated with this new industry Firstly, there is the increasing crime rate Some locals see tourists as easy prey because, not only are they in unfamiliar territory and therefore less able to take care of themselves, but also they carry visible items of wealth, such as cameras and jewellery which can be disposed of quickly for a profit

Another major problem is health With greater mobility comes greater danger of spreading contagious diseases around the world One carrier returning home could easily start an epidemic before their illness was

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diagnosed Moreover the emergence of many more diseases which resist antibiotics is causing scientists to be increasingly concerned about this issue.

Also to be considered is the natural environment, which can be seriously threatened by too many visitors Australia's Great Barrier Reef, for example, is in danger of being destroyed by tourists and there are plans to restrict visitors to some of the more delicate coral cays

These are just three of the reasons why any country should be wary of committing itself to an extensive tourism development program (232 words)

PRACTICE WRITING TEST 12(1) TASK 1 ( Prepare for IELTS )

These two pie charts show the differences between two groups of Australians (25 to 34 and 55 to 69 year olds)

in terms of their post-school qualifications

The first point to note is the huge increase in the number of people with qualifications The younger group is more than three times bigger than the older group (347,500 compared to 104,800)

Comparing the two groups, architecture and medicine have experienced a decrease in popularity with younger graduates; medicine declined by almost 4% However, the biggest loss was to engineering, which decreased from 19.27% to 9.35% of the whole

Some subjects were more popular with the younger age group The biggest gains in graduate numbers were made by Science, Maths and Computers which, as a group, have increased by over 8% Administration has gained by 4.1%

To sum up, the graphs show a threefold increase in : the number of graduates The most noticeable change in subject percentages is the decrease in the number of engineering graduates

This diagram shows the sources and concentration levels of nitrogen in the groundwater of a coastal city

In a natural situation, nitrogen may be oxidized by lightning or fixed by vegetation Domestic and market gardens add to the nitrogen in the water table through fertilizer and household liquid wastes Industries add nitrogen through leaks from storage tanks and wastewater ponds, and the disposal of waste in landfills may lead to more nitrogen entering the water table

The groundwater flows toward the sea and discharges into the ocean in the groundwater discharge zone Some nitrogen is taken up by soil particles The heaviest concentration of nitrogen is shown in the darker sections on the illustration, and this shows that the heaviest concentration of nitrogen comes from industry, from household liquid waste, and from landfill The concentration tends to decrease near the saltwater interface and between the areas of high concentration of nitrogen which descend from industry and waste disposal

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PRACTICE WRITING TEST 14(3) TASK 1 (Prepare for IELTS )

The first graph shows the percentage of people employed in different sectors of the economy in 1992, and the percentage of GDP which they produced The main economic sectors are natural resources, industry and services The second graph shows movements between 1986 and 1995

The first graph reveals that although 77.4% of the population worked in nature resources in 1992, they produced only 19.2% of GDP However, the 3.6% of the population who worked in industry produced 15.4% of GDP, and the 15.2% who worked in the service sector produced 58% of GDP

The second graph shows that services as a percentage of GDP have been falling steadily In 1986 natural resources provided more than 25% of GDP, but this declined to less than 20% in 1992, recovered in 1993 but fell below 20% in 1995 Industry earned less than 10% of GDP in 1986, but rose almost to 20% in 1995

The two graphs reveal that GDP is earned primarily by the service sector

The table shows consumer preferences in four different European countries

In the United Kingdom (UK) and France consumer prefer 34" and narrow shells, in Germany and Sweden 34" and wide shells The load capacity varies slightly between 5 and 6 kilos The preferred spin speed ranges from

850 rpm (Germany), 800 rpm (Sweden), 700 rpm (UK), to 600 rpm (France)

The preferred chum material is enamel in the UK and France, stainless steel in the other countries Consumers in every country except the UK prefer front loading to top loading machines The British and the Swedes want a water heating system, but this is not so elsewhere

Each country has a different preference for styling features, the British favoring an inconspicuous appearance, the Germans requiring a machine which looks indestructible, the French an elegant machine and the Swedes

a strong-looking machine The final feature, the washing action, sees a division between the UK and France where consumers prefer an agitator, and the other countries where a tumble action is preferred

A wide range of medical treatments is available today Patients may wonder which will be the most effective, and whether their own mental attitude to the type of treatment might affect its success This essay will consider the second of these questions.

Many people visit their doctor or go to hospital with complete trust in the expert care offered by conventional services However, some people do not get a satisfactory result For example, the drugs they are prescribed

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may have unpleasant side-effects Their initial positive attitude towards their treatment does them little good.

Similarly, those patients who trustfully choose alternative treatments over traditional medicine may find themselves disillusioned Less rigorous qualification standards among alternative practitioners may mean that some healers give ineffective or damaging advice The result, again, is that a patient who entered treatment with confidence leaves that treatment disillusioned

On the other hand, patients may try a style of treatment with some skepticism A person used to conventional medicines and drugs may be suspicious of treatments based on diet and lifestyle changes Yet if they follow such programs, they may in fact notice improvements in their condition, in spite of their skepticism Equally, a patient opposed to conventional medicine may have an accident and be saved by the effective treatment of

conventional emergency services

In conclusion, it appears that the mental attitude of the patient is not the most significant factor in determining the outcome of the treatment Patients who enter treatment confidently may leave disillusioned while those who begin treatment skeptical of the results may find themselves surprised with what they have gained Patients should seek the advantages which each style of care can offer.

Governments can only provide a limited range of services for citizens Certain types of service, however, must

be provided by governments, whereas both governments and private groups or individuals can share the responsibility to provide other services

A government must provide those services which are essential to a country These include defence lities and social security Private enterprise and the profit motive should not form part of these essential services

capabi-On the other hand, some services could be provided by either governments or private groups or both Education and health care are examples of such services A government must provide at least a basic level of education and health care 'so all citizens can have access to them Private enterprise, though, could also provide services in these areas for those who wish to pay for them

Urban infrastructure is another area where governments and private groups or individuals can share responsibility Governments must build and maintain a system of roads, but toll roads can be built and road maintenance carried out by private contractors Similarly, other infrastructure, such as water or electricity supply, can be operated by private companies

To sum up, there are some services such as defence and social security which must be provided by government Other services, for example water supply or education, could be provided by both government and private enterprise Consequently, it is not true to say that a government's role is only to provide some

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services while others should be provided by the private sector In fact, both government and private groups can share in the provision of most services.

Computers are now essential in many areas of life modern banking, retail and information exchange among others However, this is not true for education At a simple level some subjects may be better taught using computers, but to explain important concepts a human teacher is still indispensable

There are some subjects in which a computer can be used successfully to teach Elementary mathematics, elementary language learning, any area which requires a student to memorize basic facts through repetition is well suited to computer learning The computer can be programmed to provide an endless number of simple questions, and as the student answers these questions the facts are learned and reinforced

However, in the learning and practice of more complex ideas, the computer is not adequate A computer can evaluate an answer as right or wrong, but it cannot determine why It cannot find out why a student is making mistakes, and then re-present important concepts in a different way so the student will understand It cannot determine at what stage in a mathematics problem the student has made an error, it can only indicate that the final answer is wrong Tasks involving reasoning cannot be taught by computers, as there are too many variables for a computer to deal with successfully

Thus, while computers may be useful as a tool for practising simple skills, they are not an essential feature of modern education, because they cannot monitor a student's grasp of concepts, nor evaluate a student's reasoning Until further developments in computers are made the human teacher will remain indispensable

The private motor vehicle has given us a freedom our ancestors could only dream about We can travel swiftly, and usually safely, over the roads which have been built to accommodate our cars People can display their wealth by driving a car which may cost as much as another person's home

Sadly the car has become a disadvantage as well as a boon The car pollutes the atmosphere, may be involved in serious accidents, and by its very numbers blocks roads and chokes cities How can we reduce its use?

The car is only desirable if we can use it easily, so we might begin by reducing access to parking spaces in the cities and simultaneously increasing the quality and availability of public transport Cars could be banned from certain parts of the city, thus forcing people to walk or to use public transport

The expense of buying and running a car can be raised If the motorist is faced with a high purchase price, high road tax, high insurance premiums and substantial fines he or she may reconsider the purchase A

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Neither of these arguments will sway the super rich who can afford the status cars, but it would perhaps encourage them to look at other ways of demonstrating their wealth However we do it, reducing the number of cars on the road will reduce the problems of pollution and the congestion which can bring cities to a standstill

PRACTICE WRITING TEST 20(1) TASK 2 ( Prepare for IELTS General )

Over the last few years people in Australia have become more health conscious and are making greater efforts

to stay healthy

They do this by eating a balanced diet which includes foods from the five food groups (proteins, drates, grains, dairy produce and fats) with less emphasis on fats and red meats such as steak In fact many more Australians are becoming vegetarians in an effort to become healthier

carbohy-Exercise is important to Australians Fitness centers are very popular and offer a wide variety of activities and facilities, from circuit training and aerobics to lap swimming in heated swimming pools A lot of people attend these centers before and after work, or during their lunch break A number of people also get exercise by walking or riding bicycles instead of driving or taking public transport Competitive and social sporting activities are also popular forms of exercise

Everyday living can cause stress in peoples' lives which is bad for their health For this reason people who want to stay healthy try to reduce stressful situations both at work and at home To avoid stress in the workplace some businesses run conflict resolution courses which employees are encouraged to attend Making a little time during the day for some personal relaxation provides an opportunity to relieve stress and thereby stay healthier Many Australians are also in favour of using alternative forms of medicine and healing such as massage, acupuncture, aromatherapy and homoeopathy

Thus, an increased awareness of a healthier lifestyle has led many Australians to alter their dietary and exercise habits and the type of health care they embrace

It would be unwise, indeed foolhardy, to impose the same rules of behaviour on all children in every part of the world

Acceptable rules of behaviour can vary greatly from one country, to another, with factors such as age and family values influencing what is deemed to be acceptable in that particular society Even the sex of a child can greatly influence these rules

A basic factor that must be considered is the age of the child Theoretically a child is anyone aged zero years

to approximately eighteen A pre-school child is incapable of making independent decisions and is necessarily

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dependent on his/her family to determine and impose rules of behaviour As the child's age increases, the every day rules that were instilled at an early age should become automatic As a child moves into adolescence, he/she is often expected and encouraged to negotiate some rules of behaviour with parents and other adults.

Age is not the only factor that will determine the severity or laxity of rules A child's level of maturity and personality will also influence these rules, and even though some rules will be standard in a household where there is more than one child, a wise parent will allow a certain degree of flexibility with each child

Whatever the situation, rules of behaviour do need to be imposed on children In all societies rules are an integral part of life and if imposed from an early age a child will develop a more disciplined approach to life and

as a result develop into a well balanced adult able to deal with an ever more complex world

Most countries in the world are experiencing difficulties as populations increase and resources become more scarce In many ways Australia is a lucky country as it has many resources and so the standard of living is high However, even in Australia there are problems

Firstly in Australia we are not sure of our identity Should we remember our past and our British heritage or try

to define ourselves as part of Asia? It would be impossible to try to forget our past; however, it is more important to look to the future Only through free open debate in newspapers, on television and on radio will

we be able to better understand what we wish to represent

On the level of the economy there is another big problem for Australia In order to survive we must do business with the other countries in our region Our neighbours are Asian Most Australians do not speak Asian languages and so we are at a disadvantage when we try to deal with Asian businesses If more Asian languages are offered at school this problem would be minimized

In religion and culture too there are many differences that can present problems for Australia What may be acceptable in one country may not be allowed in another Only through more contact and communication will

we be able to avoid such misunderstanding

As I have shown Australia is facing some difficulties but it seems possible that if we listen to each other and our neighbours we will be able to overcome them

Every country, no matter how affluent, has groups of people who live in poverty Poor people can be described

as those who are lacking in goods and services to the point where their lives become miserable Examples of

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important goods they may lack are food and shelter Examples of services are health and education This essay will examine some of the main causes of poverty and some possible solutions.

A major cause of poverty has always been war The recent war in Bosnia saw people evicted from their homes and deprived of food and shelter, and of services such as hospitals, schools, gas, water and electricity Media coverage of the war caused world wide revulsion The solution to war may be such universal rejection that world leaders will not consider it as an option

Some countries have the twin problems of overpopulation and underdevelopment They simply do not create enough wealth per capita for their people to escape from poverty This is changing in many places as countries take steps to reduce their birthrate and develop their resources Other countries are facing the scourges of famine and disease The only short term solutions for these countries lie in massive aid from the rest of the world

This essay has looked briefly at such causes of poverty as war, overpopulation, underdevelopment, famine and disease The problems at times appear overwhelming, with no solution Despite this, much good work is being done, with more people than ever enjoying a good quality of life The challenge for the world is to keep rolling back the frontier of poverty, knowing that it will only be achieved inch by inch

PRACTICE WRITING TEST 24(1) TASK 1 ( IELTS to success )

The two decades between 1975 and 1995 brought significant changes in the representation of women in Freedonia's work force, according to the graphs

In 1975, for example, some 300000 men and 250000 women worked in the communications sector Twenty years later, though the number of men remained unchanged, the number of women rose to 550000

A similar situation was seen in the wholesale and retail trade sector, where the number of women rose from about 550000 in 1975 to almost 800000 two decades later The number of men in this sector remained stable over the period, at around 700000

Women also made gains in both the finance banking industries and in the defence related public sector Whereas some 125000 women worked in finance and banking institutions in 1975, the number increased to

450000 by 1995 The number of men grew only marginally from 425000 to 480000 over the same period In defence, the number of men declined from 225000 to 200000, while the number of women rose from 25000 to over 100000

Two sectors that retained stable employment numbers for both men and women were manufacturing, which had about 300 000 women and 650000 men in both surveyed years, and the public sector (non-defence), which employed 650 000 women and 850000 men

Thus, women appear to have made gains in the Freedonian work force but not at the expense of men.(243

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Anyone who has visited a dentist has been told that eating excessive amounts of sweets risks harming the teeth This is because sweets lower pH levels in the mouth to dangerous levels

When the pH level in the mouth is kept above 5.5, acidity is such that teeth are unlikely to be in danger of decay Sweet foods, however, cause pH in the mouth to drop for a time, and the longer pH levels remain below 5.5, the greater the opportunity for decay to occur

By comparing fruit sugar, cane sugar and honey, which are all common ingredients of sweet foods, we find that cane sugar lowers pH levels for the longest period, thus producing the greatest risk of the three Approximately five minutes after consuming cane sugar, pH levels drop to as little as pH 3.5 They then begin

to rise slowly, but do not rise above pH 5.5 until at least 30 minutes have elapsed By contrast, fruit sugar, which causes the mouth's acidity to fall to just above pH 4, poses a danger for a shorter period: tooth decay is unlikely 20 minutes after consumption Honey appears an even less risky substance Though acidity falls to about pH 4.75 within five minutes of consumption, it returns to above pH 5.5 in under fifteen minutes

The implications, then, are that people who insist on eating sweet foods should be aware of the ingredients, and that fruit sugar or honey appear preferable to cane sugar (242 words)

Mandatory retirement age varies from society to society, perhaps a reflection of economics, population pressures or simply value systems Indeed, retirement at 50 can probably be as easily justified as that at 70 It

is my belief, however, that the longer an able person is allowed to work, the better for both the individual worker and the employer

Chronological age is not always a true indicator of ability While some 65.year.olds may not perform as well

as they did in their past, many workers at this age do just as well or better than they used to People's suitability for a position should be a reflection of their performance in the job, rather than the number of wrinkles or grey hairs they have Employers concerned about the increasing age of their employees need only observe their work records Those doing poorly may be asked to retire, but those as yet unaffected by age should stay on Indeed, it would appear economical for an organization to retain its older employees when possible rather than spend time and money on training new workers

Remaining in one's job for as long as one is able makes sense as life expectancies increase around the world As people live longer, they are longer able to contribute to society in the form of meaningful work But they are also in need of income for a longer period, so a mandatory retirement age of 55 for someone who is statistically likely to live to 77 becomes increasingly difficult to justify At a time when populations are ageing, governments are less able to provide for their senior citizens, so by keeping able workers in paid employment

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for as long as is practicable, public expenditures are less strained

Thus, workers who can still demonstrate their capacity to carry out their work should not be asked to retire simply because they have reached a certain age Societies that insist on early retirement may do well to look again at their policies.(333 words)

There is no doubt that going to study in a foreign country, with its different language and culture, can be a frustrating and sometimes painful experience But while overseas study has its drawbacks, the difficulties are far outweighed by the advantages Indeed, people who go abroad for study open themselves up to experiences that those who stay at home will never have

The most obvious advantage to overseas university study is real life use of a different language While a person can study a foreign language in his or her own country, it cannot compare with constant use of the language in academic and everyday life There is no better opportunity to improve second language skills than living in the country in which it is spoken Moreover, having used the language during one's studies offers a distinct advantage when one is applying for jobs back home that require the language

On a university campus, the foreign student is not alone in having come from far away He or she will likely encounter many others from overseas and it is possible to make friends from all around the world This is not only exciting on a social level, but could lead to important overseas contacts in later professional life

Finally, living and studying abroad offers one a new and different perspective of the world and, perhaps most important, of one's own country Once beyond the initial shock of being in a new culture, the student slowly begins to get a meaningful understanding of the host society On returning home, one inevitably sees one's own country in a new, often more appreciative, light

In conclusion, while any anxiety about going overseas for university study is certainly understandable, it is important to remember that the benefits offered by the experience make it well worthwhile (301 words)

Most consumer goods go through a series of stages before they emerge as finished products ready for sale

Raw materials and manufactured components comprise the initial physical input in the manufacturing process Once obtained, these are stored for later assembly But assembly first depends upon the production planning stage, where it is decided how and in what quantities the stored materials will be processed to create sufficient quantities of finished goods The production planning stage itself follows the requirements of the goods' design stage that proceeds from extensive research After assembly, the products are inspected and tested to maintain quality control Those units that pass the inspection and testing stages are then packaged,

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dispatched and offered for sale in retail outlets The level of sales, which is the end point of the manufacturing process, helps determine production planning.

A product's design is not only the result of product research, but is also influenced by testing and market research If the testing stage (after assembly and inspection) reveals unacceptable problems in the finished product, then adjustments will have to be made to the product's design Similarly, market research, which examines the extent and nature of the demand for products, has the role of guiding product design to suit consumer demands that may change with time Market research, while influenced by product sales, also serves to foster future sales by devising suitable advertising for the goods

Thus the reality of consumer goods manufacturing goes well beyond a simple linear production process.(246 words)

PRACTICE WRITING TEST 29(6) TASK 2( IELTS to success )

The view that women are better parents than men has shown itself to be true throughout history This is not

to say that men are not of importance in child-rearing; indeed, they are most necessary if children are to appreciate fully the roles of both sexes But women have proven themselves superior parents as a result of their conditioning, their less aggressive natures and their generally better communication skills

From the time they are little girls, females learn about nurturing First with dolls and later perhaps with younger brothers and sisters, girls are given the role of career Girls see their mothers in the same roles and

so it is natural that they identify this as a female activity Boys, in contrast, learn competitive roles far removed from what it means to nurture While boys may dream of adventures, girls' conditioning means they tend to see the future in terms of raising families

Girls also appear to be less aggressive than boys In adulthood, it is men, not women, who prove to be the aggressors in crime and in war Obviously, in raising children, a more patient, gentle manner is preferable to a more aggressive one Although there certainly exist gentle men and aggressive women, by and large, females are less likely to resort to violence in attempting to solve problems

Finally, women tend to be better communicators than men This is shown in intelligence tests, where females, on average, do better in verbal communication than males Of course, communication is of utmost importance in rearing children, as children tend to learn from and adopt the communication styles of their parents

Thus, while it is all very well to suggest a greater role for men in raising children, let us not forget that women are generally better suited to the parenting role

(303 words)

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Differences in sleep patterns appear to reflect differences in individuals' occupations.

A Canadian study has pointed out, for example, that students typically sleep for a consecutive 8-hour period each night, from 11 p.m to 7 a.m This may be because the central activity in their lives, study, takes place in normal daylight hours Similarly, business executives sleep consecutive hours, but perhaps because their jobs are especially busy and stressful they sleep for 6 hours on average, getting up around 5 a.m

By contrast, truck drivers, probably because of their need to keep their trucks on the road over long periods, tend to sleep in two 3-hour blocks: one between 7 and 10 a.m and another from 4 to 7 p.m Another occupation associated with broken sleep schedules is that of doctors They tend to retire to bed around 1 a.m and start their day at 7 a.m., but may be woken up to deal with emergencies in the middle of the night Finally, full-time mothers, especially those with young children, tend to sleep when their babies do Typically, they will sleep from 10 p.m and be awoken at 1 a.m to comfort their babies for a couple of hours They then go back to bed to wake at 6 a.m.,but nap for two hours or so in the early afternoon

Thus the influence on one's sleep pattern is worthy of consideration when choosing an occupation.(239 words)

The mass media have a powerful influence in shaping our lives We have come to depend on them for information and entertainment, and in doing so we let them affect important aspects of our lives

The undeniable usefulness of the media in almost instantly providing information about events around the world is largely taken for granted But in our dependence on the media we have allowed them to mould our notions and opinions of events, places and people Though few of us probably think about it, our conceptions

of, say, our elected officials spring from television images and newspaper stories Most of us will never meet prime ministers or presidents, but anyone who is regularly exposed to the media will have an opinion of them When it is time to cast our vote, we will make our decision based on how the media portray the candidates We are similarly swayed by coverage of wars The media, representing the values of their owners, societies and governments, tend to report wars with a bias; which is the 'good' side and which the 'bad' is determined for us

by reporters, editors and commentators, and sure enough the public begins to form opinions that reflect the coverage they see, hear and read in the major media

The media are also influential in the way they facilitate the spread of culture and lifestyle The so-called 'global youth culture', in which one finds young people around the world displaying a common interest in music, clothing styles and films, is an example of the media's enormous sway in this regard A popular figure such as Michael Jackson would never be so well known were it not for the media's extensive reach into every society on the globe

Thus I would argue that the mass media's influence is certainly great Indeed, with technological advancements such as the Internet bringing even more forms of electronic media to our homes and

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workplaces, it is likely the media's influence will grow even stronger.(333 words)

A glance at four indicators of economic and social conditions in four countries, Canada, Japan, Peru and Zaire,

in 1994 reflects the great differences that exist between wealthier and poorer nations

The table shows that Japan and Canada had annual incomes of $15760 and $11100 per person, respectively These figures were overwhelmingly greater than the corresponding figures of $160 in Peru and

$130 in Zaire

Health indicators, too, reflected overall levels of affluence in the four nations Life expectancy at birth, for example, was higher among the more economically developed countries Japan reported the highest life expectancy, 78 This was followed by Canada, 76; Peru, 51; and Zaire, 47 This suggests that richer societies are able to put more money into health care than poorer ones

The number of calories consumed daily per person roughly followed the same ranking Canadians each consumed some 3326 calories per day while the Japanese took 2846 calories The corresponding figures for Peru and Zaire were 1927 and 1749, respectively

Literacy rates among adults, too, were higher in wealthier countries, no doubt a reflection of ability to invest

in education Canada and Japan both reported literacy rates of 99 per cent, while Peru claimed 68 per cent Zaire, the least economically developed of the four countries, had a literacy rate of 34 per cent

The data appear to confirm the often cited link between national wealth and health and education standards.(236 words)

The spread of telecommuting is sure to have far reaching effects on society By itself, telecommuting refers to office workers spending much of their time working from home and using electronic technologies to communicate with their employers The broader implications of telecommuting, however, may involve changes

to corporate structure, workers' lifestyles and even urban planning

The most obvious changes may be apparent in the 'normal' offices of companies, governments and other organizations If even half the working week is spent telecommuting from home, then we would initially expect many empty desks in the office As offices become smaller, workers coming in for the day would be expected

to share desks with their absent colleagues This, in turn, may affect the social atmosphere of an organization, however, as less social contact with one's colleagues could harm morale and loyalty

For the individual office worker, telecommuting would mean spending more time at home For a parent with young children, this may be a blessing Moreover, many telecommuters would be able to work the hours they

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wished: having a nap in the afternoon, for example, but working some hours in the evening One substantial benefit for all telecommuting workers is that there will be no need to travel to work, allowing more free time.

The structure of urban life is also likely to be affected by telecommuting We would expect to see fewer cars

on the road during peak hours and, eventually, a smaller con centration of offices in cities' central business districts In short, people will have less reason to travel to city centers from outlying areas As more people work and live in the same location, shops and cultural events will likely be relocated out of the city center

In sum, telecommuting will serve to change not only the way we work but also the way we live (306 words)

The diagram reveals that the hours per week spent in unpaid work are unequally distributed between men and women, and, to a lesser extent, between married and unmarried women

In households without children, where the partners are married, women reportedly spend 30 hours per week doing housework, gardening etc Men's contribution to these tasks averages a considerably lower 18 hours When children enter the household, however, the inequality becomes even greater In families of 1-2 children, men maintain approximately the same number of hours of unpaid work as in childless households, but the number of hours women work in the home rises to 52 per week - much of it, no doubt, due to childcare responsibilities Interestingly, when there are 3 or more children, men are found to work even fewer hours Whereas women's unpaid hours rise to approximately 56 per week, the corresponding figure for men, 16, represents a decrease

Comparing women according to marital status, wedded childless women work about 5 more unpaid hours per week than their unmarried counterparts - perhaps explained by perceived marital obligations In contrast, unmarried mothers, regardless of number of children, work an additional 4 hours per week compared with married mothers.(193 words)

Anyone who lives in a city is aware of the increasing number of cars on the road and the kinds of problems this creates: traffic jams, air pollution and longer commuting periods As economies grow and access to cars spreads to increasing numbers of people, this trend is likely to worsen The solution, it would seem, is for government to encourage the use of public transport in urban areas, thus decreasing dependence on the car

One way to stimulate public transport use is to make private car use more expensive and inconvenient The introduction of tolls along urban motorways has been success fully employed in many cities Other such measures are high-priced permits for parking in urban areas and the restriction of parking to a limited number

of cars Faced with high costs or no place to park, commuters would perhaps be more willing to abandon their cars in favour of buses or trains

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There are also less punishing ways of spurring public transport use The construction of free car parks at suburban train stations has proven successful in quite a number of countries This allows commuters to drive part of the way, but take public transport into the central, most congested, urban areas.

Indeed, making public transport more comfortable and convenient should work to attract more commuters and decrease traffic congestion Public transport that is convenient and comfortable retains its passengers, much like any business that satisfies its customers The more commuters committed to taking public transport, the less congestion on city streets

(253 words)

PRACTICE WRITING TEST 36 TASK 1 ( IELTS practice test plus )

The three graphs provide an overview of the types of music people purchase in the UK At first glance we see that classical music is far less popular than pop or rock music

While slightly more women than men buy pop music, the rock market is dominated by men with 30% buying rock, compared to 181, of women From the first graph we see that interest in pop music is steady from age 16

to 44 with 20% of the population continuing to buy pop CDs after the age of 45

The interest in rock music reaches its peak among the 25 to'34 year olds, though it never sells as well as pop Interest also drops off after the age of 35 with an even sharper fall from age 45 onwards, a pattern which is the opposite to the classical music graph

In times of high unemployment, employers need do very little to encourage their staff to work hard, but when job vacancies are scarce, they have to find effective ways of rewarding their staff in order to stop them from going elsewhere

One obvious way of doing this is to offer extra money to employees who are seen to be working exceptionally hard and this is done in companies with a product to sell For example, real estate agents or department stores can offer a simple commission on all sales

This style of management favors people who can demonstrate their contribution through sales figures, but does not take into account the work done by people behind the scenes who have little contact with the public

A better approach is for management to offer a bonus to all the staff at the end of the year if the profits are healthy This, however, does not allow management to target individuals who have genuinely worked harder than others

Another possibility is to identify excellent staff through incentive schemes such as 'Employee of the Month' or

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'Worker of the Week' to make people feel recognized Such people are usually singled out with the help of clients Hotels, restaurants and tour operators may also allow staff to accept tips offered by clients who are pleased with the service However, tipping is a highly unreliable source of money and does not favor everyone.

Basically, employees want to be recognized for their contribution - whether through receiving more money or simply some encouraging words They also need to feel that their contribution to the whole organization is worthwhile Good management recognizes this need and responds appropriately

By comparison with even the recent past the choice of leisure activities on offer today is vast, so it is reasonable to Find that some of these activities reflect the trends and fads of the day

People have far more money and time than before to pursue their interests but the ever-increasing number of activities does not automatically guarantee continuity In fact new hobbies come and go For example sports

such as roller- blading lose their fascination after a few months Similarly although snow boarding has taken

over from traditional skiing it is doubtful whether its popularity will last Other things like electronic games go out of date almost as soon as you have bought them because the manufacturers promote the fact that only the latest version is worth having, and so ensure continued sales

On the other hand not everyone is a victim of fashion in this way and people of all ages and backgrounds may take up hobbies for social reasons Traditional hobbies range from participation in active sports like tennis to old favourites such as chess and stamp collecting and these continue to be popular By joining a club people can make friends and feel part of a group with whom they can share a common interest and leisure time

Where sport is concerned most people know what they like and participate out of love of the game, rather

than because it is currently fashionable

I feel therefore that while fashion may have an influence particularly among the young the majority of people enjoy their hobbies for their own sake

PRACTICE WRITING TEST 39 TASK 1 ( focus on ielts )

The chart provides a breakdown of employment in a number of tourism-related industries over a ten-year period Overall we can see that the total level of employment increased by about twenty per cent during the period However, there was some variation in the figures for the individual sectors For example, while the travel industry increased its workforce substantially over the decade there was relatively little growth in that associated with hotels and other tourist accommodation

Travel represented the biggest area of expansion having almost doubled its number of employees by 1999 The food industry also saw a significant increase from 283.000 employees in 1989 to 357.000 in 1999 while

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the sports industry enjoyed an almost equal level of growth The least successful sector was culture including museums and art galleries where the figures actually fell slightly of the period.

The data suggests that despite minor fluctuations in the various sectors, employment in the tourism industry

as a whole will continue to grow

PRACTICE WRITING TEST 40 TASK 2 ( focus on ielts )

Unemployment causes many problems for society Individuals suffer not only economically but also in terms

of their self respect and even health, Inevitably, when the breadwinner is unemployed other family members become victims too Young people without job prospects may turn to drugs or crime to escape boredom and poverty For all these reasons any measures which can reduce unemployment are to be welcomed

The first priority for the job seeker is information and here the Internet offers a unique tool Details of job vacancies and training schemes can be accessed within minutes on a computer screen saving time and money that would otherwise be spent visiting employment agencies or buying newspapers In addition the Internet can be very useful in preparing for job interviews

Once a suitable job vacancy has been identified, it’s vital to respond quickly, and in this respect it can be argued that a mobile phone is more convenient than a conventional phone Since calls on a mobile can be wry expensive, however, costs can easily get out of hand unless they are monitored carefully

It has to be said that ,like any tools, the Internet and the mobile phone are only as good as their user Both need to be used effectively, and of course both are open to abuse There is little point in making technology available, therefore, without providing basic training in using it

In conclusion I believe there are strong arguments for giving unemployed people access to the Internet However, the case for providing mobile phones is less convincing, and it may be more cost effective in the long run to invest in relevant training programmes

PRACTICE WRITING TEST 41 TASK 1 (ielts on track )

These pie charts show changes in world population between 1900 and 2000 The major regions are represented as percentages of the total world population

From 1900 to 2000 Africa's percentage of world population increased from 4.5% to 10% while Latin America grew from 3% to 8% of world population On the other hand, the percentage of population in Europe and Asia decreased during the same period Europe dropped from 25% to 14% while Asia's percentage declined from

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60% to 54% North America, however, showed no change, remaining at 5% of world population both in 1900 and 2000 The Middle East and North Africa, a new category in 2000, represented 6% of world population The percentage of population in the remaining areas of the world ('Others') rose slightly from 2.5% to 3%.

Overall, this represents a huge increase in the number of humans on the planet from 1,600 million to 6 billion

in just one hundred years Most of this population growth has occurred in developing countries

People today are clearly more mobile than in the past This is largely due to modern technology which makes travelling and communicating easier and quicker: Why do people move? Often people re-Iocate to large cities for employment; some people study in English-speaking countries Whatever the reason, moving away from home may create many challenges, - both practical and social

Firstly there are practical problems such as finding accommodation, managing finances, shopping and so on These might present challenges to someone who has not lived independently before In addition, adapting to

a new city environment includes understanding the public transport system, possibly in another language, while trying not to get lost ! The best strategy for minimizing such anxious moments is to prepare In advance

as much as possible Thus it might be helpful to get advice from someone familiar with the area There are also publications such as travel guides to overseas countries which give tips and useful information A city street directory is also very handy Ideally, sharing; accommodation with someone who is familiar with the city,

or staying in a 'homestay' on arrival in a new country may overcome many of these problems Homestay families or 'sharemates' will provide company and be able to explain aspects of the new city or culture that may seem strange at first

There are also social and emotional issues to deal with, like loneliness or problems with the language Moreover, starting a new job or course may be stressful at first Generally, however, there are organizations such as overseas students' associations in an educational institution, or other sports or hobby clubs where it is possible to meet people and make friends

In conclusion, although there are many challenges when leaving home for a new city or country, planning in advance can transform an ordeal into an adventure

The table shows the percentage of personal income devoted to savings in seven countries in 1970, 1990 and 2000

The most dramatic changes are evident in Italy, Japan, France and Canada In 1970 Italy had the highest

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savings rate of 29.5%, followed by France with 18.7% and Japan with 17.6% Canada had the lowest rate - 5.6%.

By 1990 Italy was still the leading country, though its saving rate had dropped to 17.6% Germany was next with 13.8% (same as 1970) and the rate, in France and Japan were close behind In Canada the saving rate had almost doubled to 11.5% The UK and the USA had the lowest rates, 8.2% and 5.5% rel3pectively

"By 2000 the savings rates had levelled out considerably across the seven countries France and Japan led with 13.6%, followed by Germany, Italy and the UK at around 11% Personal savings in North America dropped sharply, with the USA at 4% and Canada at a very low 1.9%

The overall trend shows a reduction in savings over this thirty-year period

I agree entirely with the opinion in the title There is increasing evidence that climate changes are not just random but are being accelerated by , industrial activity, particularly in developed countries Many nations are recording extreme weather conditions, such as the wettest year on record, or the hottest summer on record Sea levels are rising and sea temperatures are increasing more rapidly than before

The Kyoto Agreement in the 1990s tried to create international consensus to limit industrial emissions of gases but unfortunately some ; nations are unwilling to commit to real change This, is probably related to economic pressures from within the country and the interests of multinational corporations In industrialized nations a good lifestyle means a high level of consumerism This keeps factories operating and people employed but it also creates enormous pollution and waste

To solve these serious problems requires political action in a number of I directions At the individual level, education programs in schools should be set up to reduce wasteful behaviour and to encourage respect for the planet At the corporate level, businesses need to develop responsible environmental policies together with governments They must be held legally accountable for their actions

One major difficulty is that environmental parties like the Greens have little political power Their policies are appropriate but they need support from the general public in order to increase pressure on the main parties and large corporations

The time for action is definitely now Each year of delays and ineffective policy will make it harder to restore the health of planet Earth

The process of making chocolate begins with the grinding of the cocoa bean, to produce cocoa liquor and

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some waste products The liquor is used in two ways When pressed into powder it can be sold on to the food industry Alternatively when pressed into cocoa butter it is used, along with the liquor to make industrial chocolate This is combined with sugar and other ingredients and refined to produce chocolate bars.

How is the money from the retail price of a chocolate bar divided up? The pie chart indicates that the farmer, who produces the cocoa bean, receives only 4% of the retail price The supermarket, on the other hand receives 34% A rather small 10% goes to the chocolate company, while 15 % is taken by the government in the form of taxes The cost of ingredients and production, make up the largest proportion, 37% of the price of a chocolate bar

It seems unfair that the farmers, who do so much of the work, get such a small return for their efforts

Dogs and cats can be wonderful companions but there are also a number of problems associated with pet ownership, both for the animals and for the community

In the best situations pets are fed, cared for and loved as part of a family It is easy to see how much attention

is given to pets, by the range of products available in the pet section of supermarkets In return, cats and dogs contribute to the well being of the community in many ways Dogs are useful for protection and serve as guides for the disabled People with pets are not only happier and healthier; but may even live longer Thus the animals benefit individuals and the community

There are, however; also negative aspects for the pets and for the community The freedoms of both dogs and cats are increasingly restricted In Australia there is community pressure to force owners to keep cats inside at night to protect native birds and animals Dogs can no longer run free in parks and at the beach but must be kept on leads These restrictions have been imposed by the community to protect the public In addition pet owners are required to clean up after their dogs Parks and beaches often provide plastic bags for this purpose The community also has to pick up the costs of dogs and cats that have been abandoned by irresponsible owners

So the relationship between pets and the community is a complex one More and more the community is intervening to force pet owners to restrict the activities and freedom of their pets Still, responsible owners,

prepared to give adequate time and attention to their cats and dogs, can give them a good and happy life.(290 words)

The two line graphs show trends in smoking and alcohol consumption since 1960 for several countries

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In terms of smoking patterns, the general trend in the USA, Japan and Holland is downwards Holland had the highest percentage of smokers in 1960 at nearly 60%, followed by Japan at about 47% and the USA at around 40% Holland experienced the most dramatic decrease, falling to about 43% in 1980 and then declined at the same steady rate as Japan until 2000 USA's level fell to below 20% by 2000.

Turning to alcohol consumption, the story is different The number of liters per capita consumed in Holland and the USA increased sharply between 1960 and 1980 from around 4 liters per person in Holland to about 11 in

1980 and from nearly 8 liters to more than 10 in the USA Thereafter both countries' consumption declined steadily to around 8 liters in the USA in 2000 and 10 in Holland The pattern in Turkey was rather different Turkey's consumption remained low, rising only slightly from 1 to about 1.5 liters per person between 1960 and 2000

The electronic information age that we live in today, certainly makes communicating very quick and easy It is simple for many people to contact dozens of others every day via computer or phone, but does this make them feel happier? Happiness is difficult to define, but in addition to basic needs like food, shelter or peace, it depends on such things as good health, a loving family and friends and a satisfying occupation - either job, study or pastime Whether modern communication has increased people's feelings of happiness is, however , debatable

There are many advantages to being connected electronically For the price of a local phone call we can stay

in touch via email with family or friends around the world ln this way isolation by distance or climate can I be overcome For example, Finland with its long winter has one of the highest rates of internet use Information that would only be available to a small number of people without the use of computers is now at our fingertips Similarly thousands of people use chat rooms and internet dating sites every day

On the other hand it seems to be the case that depression and suicide ; rates are high and the divorce rate is increasing Employees complain of longer working hours and increased stress levels There is concern that people are in fact becoming more isolated, only communicating on-line On this evidence they seem unhappier today

Happiness is hard to measure, as it is subjective and depends on the particular situation Perhaps there is more awareness of current problems because so much information is available through technology and the media Even so; it would seem that the quality of our relationships and therefore our level of happiness is unrelated to modern technology, which is, after all, only a tool

The table indicates in-flight preferences of 400 regular male and female economy class travellers in two age

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groups, based on an airline survey in 2002.

Specifically 39 of the 100 men aged 25-45 rated seat/leg room as the most important feature, rising to 46 of the older men Service was next with 27 of the 25-45 male group and 26 of the 45+ group rating that first After that, at 20 and 24 respectively comes meals/drinks Last is entertainment, chosen by only 14 of the younger and 4 of the 45+ males

Turning to the female groups, it is clear that entertainment is also of low importance with only 10 of the younger and 4 of the older age group placing it first Drinks and meals are rated number one by 26 younger women and 31 of the over 45s Service and seat/leg room are the most important in-flight features for women, with 34 younger and 30 older women choosing the former; while 30 and 35 chose the latter

The high priority of physical comfort for frequent air travellers seems undeniable

Almost daily there are reports of new advances in medicine In the developed world certainly, the prognosis for many medical problems is more optimistic today than ten years ago and continues to improve But these developments in health care are very expensive, and it is questionable whether countries can afford to continue to increase spending on health Many believe that it would be better to spend more preventing people from becoming unwell in the first place, and reduce the amount spent on curing ill health

As many modern diseases are a consequence of our lifestyles, one way of making savings to the health budget would be to educate people about how to prevent expensive health problems such as diabetes or heart disease Most medical doctors today do not have the time to (nor are they paid to) teach patients how to make these changes to their lifestyle through diet or exercise

It is understandable that when people are sick they want the best medical treatment possible, with access to the latest diagnostic equipment, expensive MRI scanners, for example If the problem is life threatening then

we demand complex operations such as open-heart surgery or organ transplants Such procedures usually require intensive nursing care and lengthy periods of hospitalization, which are costly

Thus it can be seen that this is not a straightforward issue and depends to some extent on one's situation While the 'health dollar' is limited, however; it would seem rational to direct more resources towards the prevention of ill health In this way fewer people would become ill from these preventable lifestyle diseases In the long term this should save the country money and increase the well-being of the population

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The graph and table indicate that Asia is the region of the world with the largest numbers of fishers in 1970,

1980 and 2000, at 9, 13 and 24 million respectively No other region has seen such dramatic increases in numbers Africa's fishers numbered 1.3 million in 1970, and 2 million in both 1980 and 2000 South America had steady numbers of fishers, 1.2 million, throughout the period In North America there were 0.5 million fishers in 1970 increasing to about 1.2 million in 1980, a number that remained unchanged in 2000 Europe had the fewest fishers with 0.6 million in 1970 contracting to 0.3million in 1980 and returning to 0.6 million in 2000

Turning to the table of exporters, Thailand is the world's top exporter of fish, but European and North American countries are also prominent Norway and Denmark take second and fifth places respectively, while the USA is the third largest exporter and Canada ranks sixth China and Taiwan occupy fourth and seventh places while Russia, Indonesia and South Korea complete the table in eighth, ninth and tenth spots

To summarize, there are more fishers in Asia than in the rest of the world combined

It is true that there Is Increasing pressure on schools today to prepare their students for work In the first century As a result, physical education Is losing ground on the school curriculum to employment

twenty-related subjects like business While many see this shift as inevitable, I would argue that physical education is a vital part of the school program and should be maintained Sport and PE add variety to the curriculum, broaden the students' experience and teach essential life skills

Within the school day, students need physical activity to balance the long hours spent sitting at desks PE provides a break from the mental focus of academic subjects A good PE program should include a variety of sports plus non-competitive activities like dance and aerobics so that students can experience exercise as both challenging and fun

There Is a growing concern among parents and educators about obesity in children Many young people have

a sedentary lifestyle that revolves around TV, computers and being driven In cars Physical education ensures that all students get some form of regular exercise during the school day In addition they learn about the importance of looking after their bodies

In conclusion physical education programs In schools are not only worth maintaining, they should be developed The result will be students who are happier, healthier and more productive In class They will grow Into adults who value fitness and enjoy participating in sport These are lessons for a lifetime, as important as any subject on the school curriculum

PRACTICE WRITING TEST 53 TASK 1 ( 101 helpful hints for ielts )

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The table shows the sales figures of fiction books, non-fiction books, and magazines in a college bookshop for February 2000 The figures are divided into two groups; sales to non- Book Club members and to Book Club members.

The non- Book Club member figures comprise sales to college staff, college students, and members of the public College staff bought 332 magazines, 44 fiction and 29 non-fiction books College students bought 1249 magazines, 194 non-fiction and 31 fiction books More magazines were sold to college students than to any other group of customers Although no fiction books were sold to members of the public, they purchased 122 non-fiction books and 82 magazines

Book Club members bought more fiction (76) and non-fiction books (942) than other customers On the other hand, magazine sales to Club members (33) were fewer than for any other type of customer

The total number of publications sold for the month was 3134 (1474 to college students, 405 to staff, 204 to the public, and 1051 to Book Club members) Of this figure, 151 items were fiction books and 1287 were non-fiction Therefore, magazines accounted for the greatest number of sales (1696)

Studying a language in a country where it is widely spoken has many advantages It is, therefore, a good idea

to study English in a country such as Britain However, I believe it is not the only way to learn the language

In the first place, most students in non-English-speaking countries learn English at secondary school, and sometimes at university nowadays Although their spoken English is not usually of a very high standard, their knowledge of grammar is often quite advanced This is certainly useful when students come to an English-speaking country to perfect the language

Secondly, studying the basics of English at secondary school is less stressful than learning the language while overseas This is because students living at home do not have to worry about problems such as finding accommodation, paying for their study and living costs, and trying to survive in a foreign country where day to day living causes much stress

However, there are obvious advantages of learning English in Britain Every day there are opportunities to practise listening to and speaking with British people Also, students can experience the culture first hand, which is a great help when trying to understand the language This is especially true if they choose to live with

a British family, as exchange students for example Furthermore, if students attend a language school full-time, the teachers will be native speakers In this case, not only will students' speaking and listening skills improve, but attention can be given to developing reading and writing skills

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For this university course an essay is completed in six stages The first stage is a private tutorial in which the task and topic are fully discussed with the tutor A reading list should be obtained, detailing useful resource material.

The second stage involves conducting suitable research Notes are taken from available literature at the library, and data collected nom questionnaires, interviews and surveys Writing the first draft is the third stage First, it is necessary to organize the content of the essay, and produce a brief outline Next, the draft is written

in the acceptable formal academic style, and checked for appropriate language

Stage number four is another tutorial or study group discussion, during which problem areas are analyzed, and further ideas and suggestions are noted The fifth stage includes reading the resource material again, before writing a second draft using suggestions nom stage four Once completed, all quotations should be checked for errors

The sixth stage consists of writing the final draft of the essay A spell check is required, before adding a title page and compiling a bibliography The essay should then be submitted before the" deadline for completion

In most countries of the world the population is increasing alarmingly This is especially true in poor, undeveloped countries Overpopulation causes a considerable number of problems

In poor countries it is difficult to provide enough food to feed even the present number of people In addition, education to limit the number of children per family is not always successful Poorer countries usually have a lot of unemployment too, and an increase in population simply makes the situation worse The environment also suffers when there are too many people living on the land

In rich, industrialized and developing countries it is very difficult for govemments to provide effective public services in overcrowded cities Moreover, there is usually a great deal more crime, which is often due to high rates of unemployment Further large increases in population only cause more overcrowding, unemployment and crime

There are two main solutions to the overpopulation problem Firstly, every woman who is pregnant, but who does not want to give birth, should be allowed by law to have an abortion Secondly, govemments must educate people to limit the size of the family In China, couples are penalized financially if they have more than one child This may seem cruel, but the "one-child policy" is beginning to have an effect in the world's most populous nation Eventually, similar policies might also be necessary in other crowded nations such as India,

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for example.

To sum up, if the population explosion continues, many more people will die of starvation in poor countries, and life in the cities, even in affluent nations, will become increasingly difficult

The graph shows the four quarters of the 2000 financial year and the monthly profit of Acme Sports Cars and Branson Motors for 12 months The former was making almost twice the profit at the beginning than at the end

of the financial year There was a three-fold increase in the latter's monthly profit over the same period

During the first quarter, Acme Sports Cars' monthly profit decreased slightly from $70,000 to $ 60,000, but rose sharply to $ 80,000 by the end of June Branson Motors' monthly profit, however, doubled from $ 20,000

to $ 40,000

Due to the introduction of a luxury goods tax, Acme Sports Cars' monthly profit fell dramatically during the second quarter from $ 80,000 to only $ 10,000, whereas that of Branson Motors continued to rise, peaking at just over $ 60,000 by the end of September

In the third quarter, Acme Sports Cars' monthly profit increased steadily to $ 20;000 and remained stable, while Branson Motors' monthly profits fluctuated between just over $ 60,000 and $ 40,000 At the beginning of the last quarter, a boost in the economy meant the monthly profit of both Acme Sports Cars and Branson Motors gradually increased to $ 40,000 and $ 60,000 respectively by the financial year's end (200 words)

According to the bar chart, students from four European countries (Sweden, Spain, France and Germany) and one Middle Eastern country (Syria) are taking Graphic Design at the college Some students are enrolled in the Computer-Aided Design (CAD) core option; the others are taking Photography

Overall, Sweden has the largest number of enrolled students (17) and Syria the smallest (5) France and Spain both have 12 students; Germany has 11 It is noticeable that France and Germany have similar profiles

Students from all five countries are enrolled in CAD, but more males are taking this option than females (21 and 9 respectively) For each nationality the males taking CAD outnumber the females, except in the case of the Syrians with 3 females to only 1 male Sweden has the most students studying CAD (9); Spain is next with

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As for the photography option, more females than males are enrolled from every country except Syria In fact,

no female Syrian students are taking Photographic Design Only 1 male from each country is enrolled in Photography, except for 2 males from Spain

Youth drug abuse is a serious problem nowadays in many cultures Not only is illegal drug use on the rise, but children as young as 10 years old are experimenting with alcohol and tobacco The reasons for this behaviour are unclear, but certain sociologists blame the examples set by their elders

Parents who drink and smoke to excess are, in effect, telling their children that it is acceptable to abuse their bodies with drugs Consequently, children may have a similar view towards illegal drugs, even if their parents are against their use In addition, drug use shown on television and in films can only confuse children who are also taught at school that drug abuse is wrong

The pressure on young people to perform well at school in order to compete for jobs is a possible cause of the problem Many believe they cannot live up to their parents' expectations, and feel a sense of hopelessness Also, the widespread availability of drugs means teenagers are faced with the temptation to experiment Drugs are used as a means of expressing dissatisfaction with the pressures they face in society

The effects of drug abuse are well known Many young people's talents are wasted, and addiction to hard drugs can cost a user his or her life Furthermore, those who drink and drive may be involved in fatal road accidents The cost to society is great, and enormous amounts of money are spent on convicting drug dealers and on education programmes

To conclude, I recommend that the only sensible way to solve this problem is to educate young people about the dangers of drug use, and to take steps to reduce the pressure of competition placed upon them

These days, many people are afraid of nuclear technology because of the dangers associated with its use In

my opinion, although it is true that nuclear weapons pose the greatest threat to life, the use of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes also carries some serious risks

Nuclear power stations provide an important source of cheap power for many industrialized nations and some developing countries However, there is always the danger of radiation leaking from these plants Even though

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safety precautions are taken, there have been numerous disasters such as the explosion of a nuclear plant in

Nuclear technology is even used to help cure some diseases such as cancer Radiation can be applied to the body to bum away cancerous cells This is, however, a dangerous procedure, and the application of radiation

is almost always painful and not always successful

The most worrying aspect of nuclear technology, though, is its use for military purposes Enough atomic bombs have already been built to completely destroy the planet, and the real danger is that one day some country will start a war with these weapons Too many countries now have the technology required to make such bombs, and there is currently much debate about how to control the situation

In conclusion, nuclear technology certainly has positive uses, but is, nonetheless, dangerous However, it would have been better if it had never been used to create nuclear weapons If life on Earth is to continue, all the nuclear nations of the world should agree to disarm as soon as possible

PRACTICE WRITING TEST 61 TASK 2 ( focusing on ielts )

One of the major problems today is that natural resources such as coal and oil are not renewable and are running out extremely quickly

It is therefore extremely important that every effort should be made to cut down on the resources used The most obvious way of doing this is to be more economical People should be forced to drive smaller cars and cars should be adapted to use petrol as efficiently as possible Moreover people should be encouraged to use public transport whenever possible This could be done by taxing cars heavily and using the money to improve the quality of public transport

Cars are not the only drain on resources The generation of electricity is also a major problem Although it has

to be admitted that everyone needs electricity, it is often used wastefully For example are those large neon advertisements in the city center really necessary? If we really tried everyone could save some electricity by using fewer electrical gadgets and turning off lights when they are not in use

Energy saving is not enough In the long term we must find alternative Sources of power The most commonly made suggestion is nuclear power, which generates large amounts of electricity and does not cause major pollution However the consequences of a nuclear accident would remain with us for generations and may not

be worth the risk On the other hand clean cheap sources of energy do exist Solar power, wind power and hydro-electric power have all been suggested as possible solutions

However, the energy produced is either not enough or not consistent enough to be commercially viable

It is important that energy is conserved whenever possible, while research into alternative sources of power continues and is perfected

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The bar chart illustrates the percentage of employees in different occupations absent from work in a given week in 1999

It is noticeable that the best paying jobs have the lowest rate of absenteeism with, managers and administrators recording only around 3.25% absent This is nearly 1% less than the next lowest rate of absenteeism, which were professional! occupations at just over 4%

On the other hand the highest rate of absenteeism was found in personal and protective occupations, plant and machine operatives and clerical and secretarial jobs All of these had absent rates of just below 6% noticeably higher than the rate for all occupations of 4.9% However, it is also important to notice that the figures show that these sectors employ the highest number of people

In conclusion it would seem that managers and administrators are the leas likely to be absent from work while plant and machine operators and persona and protective staff are the most likely to call in sick

Most countries encourage consumer spending and consumption as It stimulate economic growth and provides people with jobs However, many of the products purchased are thrown away after a few months' use This is

a problem when it is remembered that our natural resources are finite

Human society has developed around the concept of people paying money t buy goods At the simplest level this is not too much of a problem as people only buy enough to fulfill their basic needs However, the more advanced the society the more people are encouraged to buy If people do not replace their clothes or cars every few years with a newer model, manufacturing industries will go bankrupt because of a lack of demand, governments will not be able to support social services and people will lose their jobs

Although this is a fundamental of our society, it is also the cause of many of the problems facing the human race today Resources such as the rain forests, oil, coal and natural gas are being used up al an unsustainable rate, while pollution and waste disposal are fast becoming major problem for the world Many products have built-in obsolescence for example cars are only made to last for a few years This coupled with the advertising world's constant quest for new markets has meant that people's demand have far outstripped their basic needs This type of economic development may not be sustainable

Although society relies heavily on consumption, it is vitally important that there is a major shift of attitudes and economies begin to rethink their ideas on economic growth Consumption needs to be controlled so it has the minimum effect on the environment and the world's resources

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PRACTICE WRITING TEST 64 TASK 1 ( Cambridge ielts 1 )

The chart shows that high income earners consumed considerably more fast foods than the other income groups, spending more than twice as much on hamburgers (43 pence per person per week) than on fish and chips or pizza (both under 20 pence) Average income earners also favoured hamburgers, spending 33 pence

per person per week, followed by fish and chips at 24 pence, then pizza at 11 pence Low income earners

appear to spend less than other income groups on fast foods, though fish and chips remains their most popular fast food, followed by hamburgers and then pizza

From the graph we can see that in 1970, fish and chips were twice as popular as burgers, pizza being at that time the least popular fast food The consumption of hamburgers and pizza has risen steadily over the 20 year period to 1990 while the consumption of fish and chips has been in decline over that same period with a slight increase in popularity since 1985

It has often been said that 'Good news is bad news' because it does not sell newspapers A radio station that once decided to present only good news soon found that it had gone out of business for lack of listeners Bad news on the other hand is so common that in order to cope with it, we often simply ignore it We have become immune to bad news and the newspapers and radio stations are aware of this

While newspapers and TV stations may aim to report world events accurately, be they natural or human disasters, political events or the horrors of war, it is also true that their main objective is to sell newspapers and attract listeners and viewers to their stations For this reason TV and radio stations attempt to reflect the flavour of their station by providing news broadcasts tailor-made to suit their listeners' preferences Programmes specializing in pop music or TV soap operas focus more on local news, home issues and up-to-date traffic reports The more serious stations and newspapers like to provide 'so called' objective news reports with editorial comment aimed at analyzing the situation

If it is true, then, that newspapers and TV stations are tailoring their news to their readers' and viewers' requirements, how can they possibly be reporting real world events in an honest and objective light? Many radio and TV stations do, in fact, report items of good news but they no longer call this news They refer to these as human interest stories and package them in programmes specializing, for instance, in consumer affairs or local issues Good news now comes to us in the form of documentaries: the fight against children's cancer or AIDS, or the latest developments in the fight to save the planet from environmental pollution

Computers are a relatively new invention The first computers were built fifty years ago and it is only in the last

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thirty or so years that their influence has affected our everyday life Personal computers were introduced as recently as the early eighties In this short time they have made a tremendous impact on our lives We are now

so dependent on computers that it is hard to imagine what things would be like today without them You have

only got to go into a bank when their main computer is broken to appreciate the chaos that would occur if computers were suddenly removed world-wide

In the future computers will be used to create bigger and even more sophisticated computers The prospects for this are quite alarming They will be so complex that no individual could hope to understand how they work They will bring a lot of benefits but they will also increase the potential for unimaginable chaos They will, for example, be able to fly planes and they will be able to co-ordinate the movements of several planes in the vicinity of an airport Providing all the computers are working correctly nothing can go wrong If one small program fails - disaster

There is a certain inevitability that technology will progress and become increasingly complex We should, however, ensure that we are still in a position where we are able to control technology It will be all too easy to suddenly discover that technology is controlling us By then it might be too late I believe that it is very important to be suspicious of the benefits that computers will bring and to make sure that we never become totally dependent on a completely technological world

PRACTICE WRITING TEST 67 TASK 1 ( ielts practice test 1 )

The graph shows figures for the number of cases of certain diseases in childhood over a period of 50 years from 1950 to 2000 It seems that overall these diseases decreased substantially until about 1980 but then started to increase again

However, certain diseases have shown different trends Firstly, malaria appears to have remained fairly constant over the period with between 2 and 3 million cases apart from 1960 when there were only one million instances of the disease in childhood Also, the figures for some diseases have fallen significantly Although there were 3 million recorded cases of childhood smallpox in 1950, the disease appears to have been completely eradicated by 1980 In 1950 the number of occurrences of tuberculosis peaked at 6 million and subsequently decreased dramatically until they reached an all time low of 500,000 in 1980 Since then there has been a gradual increase with one million cases in 2000 Finally, the figures for AIDS, which were first recorded in 1980, have shot up from approximately 500,000 and topped 9 million in 2000

The essay title proposes that younger people are to be preferred as employees because they are more able to accept changes in the workplace compared to a more mature workforce

One argument in favour of younger employees is that older workers are mare often set in their ways and are

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believed to be resistant to change There may be an element of truth in this but there are many intelligent and flexible older workers as well as narrow-minded and younger ones set in their ways Attitude to change is a mailer of personality type rather than age Nonetheless, there are physical changes which progress with age that may make some jobs better suited to a younger element For example, it seems to be accepted by psychologists that memory diminishes with age In some modem, hi-tech industries like computer programming, where there is a premium on the regular memorizing of large amounts of new information, it would seem younger workers have an advantage.

However, older workers do have many other positive qualities which they can bring to their company working environment Generally speaking they have more working experience than youngsters and this can benefit the firm whilst planning Long-term policies Their maturity and managerial skills can be viewed as a way of training the younger workers to be leaders themselves

In conclusion, therefore, it would seem that the proposal in the title has to be rejected since in most work situations a mixture of the best qualities of young and old is to be preferred in order to foster the most productive environment

This report describes the enrolments for a number of different subjects in universities in the UK, Australia and France

As can be seen in the table, medicine is the most popular subject studied in Australia with 10% of the total students compared to France and the UK with 6% and 4% respectively In contrast to this, Australian students

in literature number only 1% whereas in the UK it secured 12% of the student population, the second most favoured branch of learning after media studies which had 15% Engineering is easily the most studied subject

in France with 18% but in Australia and the UK few students selected this as their specialization with only 3% and 1% respectively Whilst more modem disciplines such as media studies and sports studies atl1rlcted interest in the UK and Australia, gaining 12% and 8% for the latter subject in France they appear not to exist at all In all three countries languages do not appear to be very popular with France having the highest numbers

at 6% and falling to 2% and 1% for Australia and the UK

Many of the poorest countries in the world are locked into a cycle of debt to the rich counties Loans arranged years or even decades ago when interest rates were low, are now very expensive as interest rates are high What little these countries can earn in foreign exchange through the sale of raw materials, is used to pay off these massive debts

There are obvious reasons why these debts should be eliminated or reduced In poor countries it would seem much more sensible to spend foreign currency on medicines to combat disease, machinery to help indigenous

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industry and agriculture so everyone can work, or on teacher trainers so the education system can combat ignorance and poverty In the absence of these things Third World citizens are suffering and dying young and those benefiting from the huge interest paid by the underdeveloped countries are the rich bankers in the West

It would be more sensible to reduce these debts and improve the lives of people in the Third World

It can be argued that these debts should be retained One argument is that these debts have been legally incurred and like any other debt must be honoured It would damage the whole banking system if the West decided to abandon some debts and not others Everyone with a debt would want it eliminated and difficult decisions would have to be made concerning which debts to drop

Where people are suffering and dying for debts incurred by others sometimes years before they were born, such arguments do not seem logical or powerful Banks can and do write off bad debts and for humanitarian reasons they should do so for the underdeveloped countries of the Third World

This report describes the number of court appearances for boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 18, in New South Wales, Australia in 1994 and 1995

As can be seen from the table, at the age of 10 the court appearances for boys are relatively few numbering a mere 25 Until the age of 17 the figures increase steadily every year when they reach a peak at 3495 At 18, the first year of adulthood, there is a dramatic fall in the total male court attendances to 1203 cases

The trend for girls is similar in as much as the fewest court cases is 4 at the age of II and the figures rise steadily until the age of 15 at 530 Between 16 and 17 the figures remained stable at 586 and 596 respectively

At 18, as in the case with the male statistics, the numbers drop significantly to 163

Although the general trend is similar for both sexes, the court appearances for boys are between three and seven times more frequent than those for girls

Tourism, it is suggested, is like colonialism in that tourists damage the places they visit and distort the economy There are a number of presumptions here, that colonialism was bad, that it and tourism distort the local economies and that this distortion is bad All of these presumptions can be challenged

Colonialism does not have to be all bad The Roman colonization of Britain, for example, brought peace,

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roads, proper sewerage systems and underfloor heating It might be argued that these were and are rather good things, and when the Romans left so too did many of these benefits.

However, tourism, or colonialism does not necessarily distort local economies Where the indigenous industry has dramatically declined, as with coal mining in South Wales, turning a mine into a tourist attraction can be a way of preserving the local economy and the local community by providing regular employment

It should be noted that the changes tourists bring are not all bad The money from tourists at Big Pit in South Wales, to continue the example from the previous paragraph, has been used to improve the local countryside not damage it In many countries what we see as ugly modern hotels in beautiful locations, are beautiful hotels

in beautiful locations 10 the local population Modernity is not disliked everywhere, and the jobs and the wealth these things bring are worth far more than the local scenery to people who were previously economically impoverished

In conclusion, there are obviously advantages and disadvantages to tourism but I believe that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks

It is claimed that tourism is a modem form of colonialism It is reported that tourism distorts local economies, causes environmental damage and ruins the places it exploits However, it is not true at all So-called "tourism' means a kind of desire to travel around the world, including sceny-viewing and expressing local life There are many obvious differences between colonialism and tourism The colonialism has a bad effect on local economies and environment In my opinion, tourism is good for local economies and environments In the first place tourism can bring local government much money Nowadays in lots of regions, tour is the most important income source Specially many places where the scenies are brilliant are poor areas In the second place, to solve the local energy problems and starve situation, local governments normally overuse local natural sources But if tour can make local people rich, local sources will survive Therefore, tour is good for local environment too There are many cases to point out that local people benefit great from tourists In addition, tour will make local people know much other civilization at the same time, tour will bring other civilization back their own regions in a word, tour will boom all kinds of culture instead of ruining them in conclusion, in contrast with colonialism, tourism brings local people much money and culture With the development of tourism the local economies and environment will be better and better

This report describes the sales of hardback and paperback books bought in New York from 1960 to 1990 and the types of books which are preferred

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According to the graph, the numbers of both kinds of books have risen with paperback sales being the greater

20 paperbacks per person were bought in 1960 but by 1985 this figure had more than doubled to 43 books Concerning hardbacks, the average number bought in 1960 was only two but sales increased steadily until

1985 when those purchased had increased fourfold to eight per person per year

As can be seen in the histogram, books on self-help were the most popular in 1990 at 28 per person and these have experienced a dramatic increase in popularity since 1960 when only 2 per person were purchased The most well liked books in 1960 were about religion and politics but they have gradually fallen from 24 and 22 to

16 and 12 respectively in 1990, with only religious books showing a sudden surge in popularity in 1975 when

22 books were sold The least popular books have always been those on biography and history, peaking in

1960 at 17 and 8 but from 1970 onwards neither book has sold more than 5 copies per person per year

PRACTICE WRITING TEST 75TASK 2 ( ielts practice test 1 )

Many sports, like rugby and football involve violent contact between players and often lead to injury Other sports, boxing and wrestling in particular, have the deliberate intention of hurting an opponent Whether this is acceptable in modem society when at all other times we try to train people not to be aggressive and not to deliberately hurt other people is a debatable point

The arguments against sports like boxing come from a minority of people who find violence, even in a controlled and institutionalized form, highly disturbing Their line of reasoning appears to be that it is better for everyone if we live in a violence free society In order for us, especially children, to learn to avoid such behavior then it is preferable if we never see it and cannot copy u If society actually sanctions brutality, as in boxing, it cannot be argued that violence is always unacceptable

On the other hand, realists point out that cruelty is inherent in society and banning boxing will not alter this On the contrary, by institutionalizing and controlling violence in boxing clubs can help change this Boys, who would otherwise be part of street gangs outside the law, can be taught to be part of a group and direct their energies at activities which are inside the law In this environment they can be trained to be better members of society Organized boxing matches follow elaborate rules and medical facilities are always on hand so, barring accident, none should be seriously hurt How much better this is than uncontrolled street fighting outside the law

To sum up, it seems to me that there is little to be gained and much to be lost by banning sports such as boxing Prohibiting boxing will not stop violence in society but it will drive organized fighting outside the law and into the hands of criminals We would all lose if that occurred

Tiêu đề	IELTS Sample Answers Writing
Chuyên ngành	English Language and Writing
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