ielts 230 samples -

BestPracticeBookforIELTSWriting:230

IELTSWritingSamples

IELTSWriting

Editedby

Dr.MdMunanShaik

@copyrighttoMdMunanShaik

TableofContents

IELTSWriting1

IELTSWriting9

IELTSWriting-Overview9

IELTSAcademicWriting10

IELTSACADEMICWRITING10

IELTSGeneralWriting11

IELTSWritingTaskGeneral(Task1)12

Sample112

Sample212

Sample313

Sample414

Sample515

Sample616

Sample716

Sample817

Sample918

Sample1019

Sample1120

Sample1221

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Sample5146

Sample5246

Sample5347

Sample5447

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Sample5649

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GeneralIELTSWritingTask251

Sample152

Sample252

Sample454

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Sample170164

IELTSLetter165

MostCommonLetterTopics-(Formal)165

SampleLetter–Formal(ComplainingtoaHotel)-Task1167

SampleLetter1167

SampleLetter2168

SampleLetter3168

IELTSLetterTopics-Semi-Formal169

SampleLetter–Semi-Formal(ComplainingtoaHotel)-Task1171

SampleLetter1171

SampleLetter2172

SampleLetter3173

IELTSLetterTopics-Informal174

SampleLetter–Informal(ComplainingtoaHotel)-Task1176

SampleLetter1176

SampleLetter2177

SampleLetter3177

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16. IELTSWriting

17. IELTSis a multi-level exam.Yougetascorebetween1and9for eachsection. Half scoressuch as 6.5 are possible.Universities oftendemand anIELTSscoreof6or7.Theymayalsodemandaminimumscoreineachofthe4sections.

1. IELTS Writingmarkingschemes

Thetwowritingquestionsaremarkedout

of9accordingtothefollowingcriteria:

TaskAchievement

CoherenceandCohesion

LexicalResource

GrammaticalRangeandAccuracy

2. IELTS Speakingmarkingschemes

Thespeaking test isalsomarkedoutof9accordingtothefollowingcriteria:

Fluencyandcoherence

Lexicalresource

Grammaticalrangeandaccuracy

Pronunciation

18. IELTS Writing -Overview

TheIELTSAcademicandGeneralWritingModules are similar in some ways anddifferentinothers.Whichevertestyoudo,youhaveonehour tocomplete two tasks.It is the nature of the tasks that makesthemdifferent.Youcanseethisclearlyinthechartbelow:

General

Task 1: Minimum 150 words: Writing aletterinresponsetoasituation–informal,semi-formal,orformal

Task 2: Minimum 250 words:Writing amore personal essay – possible informalstyle

Academic

Task1:Minimum150words:Interpreting,describing, or comparing informationpresentedingraphicform-adiagram,barchart,linegraph,piechartortable

Task2:Minimum250words:Writing anessay on a general academic topic –formalstyle.

Inbothcases,yourscoreisbasedonthreefundamentalcriteria:

Content:Howwell do you r present

yourarguments,ideasandevidence?

Quality: How effectively are youable to communicate your ideas andthoughts?

Technical Aspects: How correct isyour grammar? How rich is yourvocabulary?How varied are yoursentences?

Tocompleteanorganized,coherentpieceofwriting,youneedtotake2-5minutesto plan. During this time, you canconsiderwhatpositionyouwilladopt,howyou'regoingtoexpandonthetopicandinwhat order you will present your ideas.Youshouldskiptheplanningactivityonlyifyouhaveverylittle timeleft.Insuchacase, you can work directly on the task

itself.

Of course, grammar and vocabulary willalso be assessed. Make sure you checkyour writing forverb tense agreement,prepositions, word order, sentencepatterns, sentence structure, and rangeof vocabulary. Avoid using the sameverbs, nouns, or adjectives more thanonce.Do not use slang at all. In theacademic section of the IELTS, avoidcontractions,which are a clear symbol ofinformalwriting.

1. IELTS AcademicWriting

IELTSACADEMICWRITING

Th eIELTS Academic Writingmodulemeasures your ability to write in clear,formalEnglish, as is generally demandedin an academic context.You are assessedaccordingtothefollowingcriteria:

TaskResponse - how accurately toaddressthetask

Coherenceand Cohesion - howorganizedyourwritingis

LexicalResource - the rangeofyourvocabulary

GrammaticalRange and Accuracy -thecorrectnessofyourgrammar

Youhaveanhourtocompletetwowritingtasks.Youmustcompletebothtaskstoget

a score.Youneed toorganizeyour ideas,writeaccurately,anduse richvocabulary.It is recommended that you divide yourtimeinthisway:

Task1–150words–20minutes


1.

2. IELTS ACADEMICWRITING-TASK1

In the first task, youmust write a reportbasedonpictorialinformation.Thismeansyoumayneedtodescribeagraph,chart,ordiagram. Itmaybe abar chart, pie chart,line graph, or some other graphicrepresentation.Youmightalsobeaskedto

describe the process illustrated by thediagram.Thisinvolvesdescribingthedataaccurately, pointing out trends andrelevant information, and usingappropriatevocabulary.

To understand how best to answer thistype of task, read through the modelanswers provided in IELTS guidebooks.Examiners will score your answer basedon your ability to group relevantinformation, link ideas in complexsentences,anduseappropriatevocabularytodescribe trends.This isnot asdifficultas it sounds. By reading through severalsample answers, you can extract thevocabulary you need and also learn avariety of sentence structures, to present

your information in a formal, academicmanner. For the highest marks, also payclose attention to your spelling and copygivenwordsandphrasescorrectly.

3. IELTS ACADEMICWRITING-TASK2

Inthistask,youneedtowriteanacademicstyleessayonthesingle topicgiven.Youhave no choices here – you must writeonly about the one topic – so prepareyourself with strategies to write a well-organized essay on a variety of subjectareas.Youmayneedtoofferasolutiontoaproblem,expressanopinionorcommentonideasorargumentspresented.

Your essay should be about four or fiveparagraphsinlength,withanintroduction,

bodyandconclusion.Itshouldnotbealistof bullet points, but a properly organizedessay,written in full sentences.Youneedto state your thesis, provide evidence orreasons to support your argument andwrite a strong conclusion. Use topicsentences to clearly identify the maintheme in each paragraph. You could usetheguidebelowtostructureyouressay:

Paragraph 1: Introduction: Restate thetopic,indicateyourposition

Paragraph2:Body:Mainidea,supportingidea,examples

Paragraph3:Body:Mainidea,supporting

idea,examples

Paragraph 4: Conclusion: Summarizeideas,restateposition

2. IELTS GeneralWriting

T h eIELTS General Writingsectionmeasures your ability to communicateabout common, practical issues andexpandontopicsofpersonalinterest.Youmay be asked to provide factualinformation, make suggestions, expresslikes and dislikes, or present complaints,opinions,orviews.Thissectionlastsfor1hour and includes 2 tasks. Task 2 carriesmore marks than Task 1. Therefore, youmaywishtodivideyourtimeasfollows:



According to the makers of the IELTSexam, assessment of General Writingtasksisbasedonthefollowingcriteria:

TaskAchievement - how thoroughlyyoudowhatisasked

Coherenceand Cohesion - howorganizedyourletteris

LexicalResource - the range ofvocabularyyouuse

GrammaticalRange and Accuracy -howcorrectyourgrammaris

1. IELTS GENERAL

WRITING-TASK1

Youareaskedtowritealettertoafriend,governmentagencyor interestgroup.Thelevelofformalitydependsonwhoyouarewriting to and howwell you know them,sothestylemaybeformal,semi-formalorinformal.Youaregivenabriefdescriptionof a problem or situation, followed bybulletedinstructionsonwhattoincludeinyour letter. Make sure you write abouteach and every one of the pointsmentioned.Alsouseappropriategrammar,capitalization,andpunctuation.

It will also help to read through severalsample tests in order to both familiarizeyourself with the type of situationspresented,andtolearnhowtowritethese

types of letter answers easily, correctly,andquickly.SampleTask1tasksinclude:

writingto a college administrationofficer about problems with yourdormitory

wri t ingto a landlord to resolveproblemswiththeheatingsystem

writingto a friend to invite him/hertoasurpriseparty

2. IELTS GENERALWRITING-TASK2

You have to write a minimum 250-wordessay on a topic of general interest.Youmight have to solve a problem, present

your opinion, or compare differingviewpointsonagiventopic.

The usual rules of good essay writingapply. Plan before you write, use variedsentencestructure,utilizelinkingwordstoconnect ideas, use dynamic and richvocabularytoputyourthoughtsacross,becareful of your spelling, capitalization,and punctuation, and organize your essayinto about 4-5 paragraphs. A samplestructureisshownbelow:

Paragraph 1: Introduction: Restate thetopic,indicateyourposition

Paragraph2:Body:Mainidea,supportingidea,examples

Paragraph3:Body:Mainidea,supporting

idea,examples

Paragraph 4: Conclusion: Summarizeideas,restateposition

SampleTask2tasksinclude:

whetherit is possible to take avacationfromyourproblems

whetherfamilies today are closerthantheyusedtobe.

whethersmoking inpublicshouldbebanned

whetherold people should go tonursinghomes

Write as many practice essays aspossible,withinthe40-minutetimelimit,

soyoucandosowitheaseandconfidenceonthedayofyourexam.

IELTS Writing TaskGeneral(Task1)

Sample1

1. Youshould spendabout 20 minutesonthistask.

You are due to move into a rentedapartmentnextmonthbut youwill notbe able to because you have someproblems.Writealettertothelandlord.Inyourletter:

explainyoursituation

describeyourproblems

tellhim/herwhenyouthinkyoucanmovein

Write at least 150 words. You doNOTneedtowriteanyaddresses.

modelanswer:

Dear Miss Berry, As you know, I haverented 41 George Roche Road from youfor six months from 15th August.However, I am afraid Iwill no longer beable tomove inon thatdate,asmyplanshave had to change because of illness.During the summer vacation, I wasworking in a company as a ProjectManager. Towards the end ofmy shift, Islipped and fell on awet floor and broke

mywrist.Luckily,itwasacleanbreakanddidn't require surgery. However, it is myrightwrist,andsoIamunabletowriteforthetimebeing.Atpresent,IamathomeinKuala Lumpur until the plaster can betakenoff–Ithinkthisshouldbeinthelastweek of September. I will then return tomy course in Canterbury and take upresidenceat41GeorgeRocheRoad.Ihopethis will not cause you any difficulties.Yourssincerely,RachelYu

(164words)

Sample2

The sample letter contains 14 gaps.Complete it by putting apreposition ineachspace.

DearMr.Peter,Thankyouforyour letterof 20 September. I was very saddened.......... your account of what happened inour hotel lastmonth, and I amwriting toexpress my apologies.......... this. I canunderstand that you were shocked..........the way the receptionist behaved. Therecan be no excuse.......... such behaviourand I fully understand why you felt youneeded to complain.......... the situation. Icanprovidenoexplanation..........thewaytheemployeespoke toyou.Asamemberof Darius Hotels Group, we have areputation.......... being perfect..........lookingafterourcustomers,andIamverysorry that your experience.......... ourservice did not confirm this. I intend tode a l.......... staff member appropriatelyand I will ensure that he does not repeatthis behaviour.......... sending him on a

retraining course nextweek. Iwould liketo assure you that the behaviour youencounteredisnottypical..........ourstaff.As the guest service manager, I amresponsible..........allofouremployeessopleaseacceptmyapologiesagainandthisvoucherworth$100tospendinany..........ourhotels.Yours sincerely, JohnNormanGuestServiceManager

DearMr.Peter,

Thankyouforyourletterof20September.I was very saddenedby your account ofwhathappenedinourhotellastmonth,andI amwriting to expressmy apologiesforthis. I can understand that you wereshockedby the way the receptionistbehaved.Therecanbenoexcusefor such

behaviourandIfullyunderstandwhyyoufelt you needed to complainabout thesituation. I can provide no explanationfor/ofthewaytheemployeespoketoyou.

AsamemberofDariusHotelsGroup,wehave a reputationfor being perfectatlookingafterourcustomers,andIamverysorry that your experienceof our servicedidnotconfirmthis.I intendtodealwithstaff member appropriately and I willensure that he does not repeat thisbehaviourby sendinghimona retrainingcourse next week. I would like to assureyouthatthebehaviouryouencounteredisnottypicalofourstaff.

As the guest service manager, I am

responsiblefor all of our employees sopleaseacceptmyapologiesagainandthisvoucherworth$100tospendinanyofourhotels.

Yourssincerely,

JohnNorman

GuestServiceManager

Sample3

Marina has just started a new course atcollege and her tutor has asked her towrite him a letter telling him somethingaboutherself.

Shehasmadetenmistakesinverbtensesinherletter.Findandcorrectthem.

DearTutor,

I am coming to Brighton College fromSingapore, where I was a student for tenyears. I did already take examinations inSingapore in English, Biology, Computerand Maths. My highest score is forComputer:IgotgradeA.

When Iwasa student inSingapore I alsohave a part-time job in a shop.MyuncleownsasupermarketandsoIhelpedhiminthe evenings. I used toworked there fournights a week and I think this was verygoodexperienceforme.

At the weekends, I usually played

volleyballwithfriendsor,iftheweather'sbad,wehavebeentothetheatre,whichisverypopularinSingapore.Becauseofmypart-timejob,Ialsodidspendalotoftimestudyingattheweekend.

I didn’t go to many other places. Myfather took me to Thailand once. Threeweeksafterwehad returnedhealsowenttoMalaysiaandtookthewholefamily.

This is a brief description of mybackground.

Bestwishes,

Marina

DearTutor,

I have come to Brighton College fromSingapore, where I was a student for tenyears. Ihave already taken examinationsin Singapore in English, Biology,Computer and Maths. My highest scorewasforComputer:IgotgradeA.

When Iwasastudent inSingapore Ialsohad a part-time job in a shop. My uncleownsasupermarketandsoIhelpedhiminthe evenings. Iworked / used to workthere four nights a week and I think thiswasverygoodexperienceforme.

At the weekends, I usually playedvolleyball with friends or, if the weatherwas bad, wewent / used to go to thetheatre, which is very popular inSingapore.Becauseofmypart-time job, I

alsospent a lot of time studying at theweekend.

Ihaven't been to many other places.Myfather took me to Thailand once. Threeweeks after wereturned he also went toMalaysiaandtookthewholefamily.

This is a brief description of mybackground.

Bestwishes,

Marina

Sample4

Youshouldspendabout20minutesonthistask.

You are a student at an Englishlanguage school in Brighton and areliving in private accommodation withother flatmates.You have not had hotwater or heating for some time. Thelandlord’sworkmenhavetriedtofixtheproblembutwithoutsuccess.

Write a letter to the landlord. In yourletter:

stateyourreasonforwriting

describethe problems and explainhowyoufeel

proposea solution and risk thelandlordtotakeaction

Writeatleast150words.

YoudoNOTneedtowriteanyaddresses.

modelanswer:

DearMr.Jones,

IamoneofthetenantsatyourpropertyinUpper Lewes Road, and am writing tocomplain about the fact that we do nothaveanyhotwaterorheatinginourhouse.

Asyouknow,wehavebeen living in thishouse since September and have alwayspaid our rent on time.However,we havehadnohotwater for last twoweeks.Thisis making our lives very difficult,especially as it is now the middle ofwinter.Lastweekyousaidyouwouldsend

aworkmantoourhousewithin3days,butno one came. After calling many times,the workman eventually arrived at thehouse5days later.Unfortunately,hesaidhe could not fix the problem because theboilerwastooold!Wearenowextremelyunhappyaboutthissolution.

We are prepared to continue to rent yourhouse but please arrange for emergencyrepairstobemade.Wealsorequesta40%discountonourrentfortheperiodwehavebeenwithoutanyhotwaterorheating.Welookforwardtohearingfromyou.

ShannonBrown

(188words)

Sample5


You are going on a short course to atraining college abroad. It is a collegethatyouhavenotbeentobefore.

Write a letter to the accommodationofficer.Inyourletter

givedetailsofyourcourseandyourarrival/departuredate

explainyouraccommodationneeds

askforinformationaboutgettingtoandfromthecollege



Beginyourletterasfollows:

Dear.................,

modelanswer:

DearSir/Madam,

I amwriting to informyou that Iwill beattending the Advanced Life Insurancecourse, being held from Tuesday 24thApriluntil27rdApril,attheUniversityofHartford.

I will be arriving on the afternoon ofMonday 23th and will be leaving on themorningofSaturdaythe28thofApril,soI

will requireasingle roomfor this time. Iwouldprefermyownbathroom, if this ispossible,butdonotmindsharingifIhaveto;however,asIamwheelchairbound,theroom will have to be disability friendly.Could you please tell me howmuch thiswill cost and how I should make apayment?DoyouacceptVISA?

AsIdonotknowthearea,Iwouldalsobegrateful if you could provide someinformationaboutgettingtoandfromtheUniversity. Will I need to take publictransport from the station or is there aUniversity bus service? Any informationon what to see and do in the area wouldalsobegreatlyappreciated.

Thankyouforyourassistance.

AlexJones

(184words)

Sample6


Youarelookingforapart-timejob.

Writealettertoanemploymentagency.Inyourletter

introduceyourself

explainwhat sortof jobyouwouldlike

andsaywhat experience and skills

youhave




Dear.................,

modelanswer:

DearSir/Madam,

I am aGerman national fromHeidelbergandatpresentIamstudyingforaMaster’sdegree in Commercial Law here, at theUniversityofBielefeld,whereIhavebeenforthelasttwomonths.I am looking for a part-time job and Iwonder if you can help me. Probably, I

wouldlikeanoffice job,perhapsworkingas a secretary, office administrator ortypist. I can only work during theafternoons and at weekends as myuniversitystudiesoccupymostoftheday.Iwouldbereadytostartimmediately.I am a competent typist and I amcomputer-literate. In addition, I speakPolish and German fluently and I havebeen learning English for the past threeyears. While I studied for my degree, Iworked as a part-time officemanager foran import-export firm in Heidelberg. Inrecent years, I have also had temporarysummer jobs as a hotel receptionist inMannheim,Germany.

Iamlookingforwardtohearingfromyou,

Yoursfaithfully,

HeinrichBukowski

(170words)

Sample7


Write a letter to the accommodationofficeratthecollege.Inyourletter:

explainyoursituation.

describethe accommodation yourequire.

saywhenyouwillneedit.




DearMsRose,

Completethesampleletter

DearMsRose,

Iama26-year-oldfarmerandagronomist.................... Pakistan, and I have beenaccepted to.................... a one-monthtraining course at GreenmountAgriculturalCollegestartingnextJanuary.Iwouldbegrateful....................Youcouldeither find me accommodation for themonth or give me a list of addresses....................Icouldwriteto.Iwouldlike,if possible, to.................... a room in a

family house because I would like the.................... topracticemyEnglishat thesame time. Iwillneeda roomwithabedand a table.................... that I can studytherealso.If....................,Iwouldpreferaroom near the college since I will....................beinGreenmountforashorttimeandIwillnothavetimetolearnmywayaround.I will need the accommodation.................... five weeks from 28thDecember to the3rdFebruary as Iwouldliketoarriveafewdaysbeforethecoursebegins.Could you also.................... tell me howmuch accommodation of this kind willcost and whether the price....................meals.Ilookforwardto....................fromyou.

Yourssincerely,

Muhammad

Sample8


An English-speaking friend wants tospendatwo-weekholidayinyourregionand haswritten asking for informationandadvice.

Write a letter to your friend. In yourletter:

offertofindsomewheretostay

giveadviceaboutwhattodo

giveinformationaboutwhatclothestobring




Dear.................,


The sample letter contains eleven gaps.Complete it by putting a word or phrasefromtheboxbelowineachspace.

althoughand as because

but if since so

sothat that whenwhere

which who

DearAlbert,

I’mdelighted....................youarecomingtoSingaporenextmonth. I think itwouldbe great.................... you could staywithme andmy family,.................... sendyoutheirbestwishes.Otherwise,ifyouprefer,I can easily book you a cheap butcomfortable hotel near the beach....................youcanbemoreindependent.Therearelotsofthingstodoinmycity.IfI were you, I’d spend some days on thebeach relaxing.................... one or twodays sightseeing in the city. There areseveral interesting museums and temples.................... I’msureyouwillenjoy.One

place you really should visit is anexcellent theme park called Sentosa,.................... you’ll want to spend thewhole day.Also, you ought to go to ourexcellent night safari,.................... isaboutanhourawaybybus.You don’t need to bring a lot of clothes....................theweatherisnormallywarmandsunny,andofcourse,rainy.However,in the evening it’s a bit cooler,.................... youmayneeda jerseyandajacket.Please let me know exactly....................you'recoming....................Icanmeetyouat the airport. It’ll be great to see youagainsowecangetup-to-datewithallournews!

LoveMonica

DearAlbert,

I’m delightedthat you are coming toSingaporenextmonth.Ithinkitwouldbegreatif you could stay with me and myfamily,who send you their best wishes.Otherwise,ifyouprefer,Icaneasilybookyouacheapbutcomfortablehotelnearthebeachso/so that/where you can bemoreindependent.Therearelotsofthingstodoinmycity.IfI were you, I’d spend some days on thebeachrelaxingand/beforeoneortwodayssightseeing in the city. There are severalinteresting museums and templeswhich/that I’m sure youwill enjoy. Oneplace you really should visit is anexcellent theme park called Sentosa,

whereyou’llwanttospendthewholeday.Also, you ought to go to our excellentnight safari,which isaboutanhourawaybybus.

You don’t need to bring a lot of clothesas/because/since the weather is normallywarm and sunny, and of course, rainy.However, in the evening it’s a bit cooler,soyoumayneedajerseyandajacket.Please let me know exactlywhen you'recomingso/so that I can meet you at theairport. It’ll be great to see you again sowecangetup-to-datewithallournews!

LoveMonica

Sample9


You eat at your college cafeteria everylunchtime.However, you think it needssomeimprovements.Write a letter to the college magazine.Inyouletter

explainwhat you like about thecafeteria

saywhatiswrongwithit

suggesthowitcouldbeimproved




Dear.................,


The sample letter contains eight gaps.Complete it by putting a word or phrasefromtheboxbelowineachspace.

annoyingputright could should

enough unfortunatelygoodidea toohot

DearSir/Madam,

I normally eat lunch at the collegecafeteria because it is reasonable priced,convenient and it has a friendlyatmosphere.There are, however, a number of

deficiencies which I think should be....................Firstly,although thestaff tryto keep the tables clean, there are not....................workersatpeaktimestocleartheir tables themselves then they havefinishedeating.

...................., some studentsdonotbotherto do this. Also, there are a number ofstudentswho do notwait in the queue tobe served, which is very.................... forthe majority of us. Finally, I think thecafeteriacouldhavebetterventilationasitg e t s...................., especially in thesummer.

I think itwouldbe a.................... ifmoresignswereputaroundthecafeteriaaskingstudents to put their dirty plates andcutlery on the trolleys provided and to

throw away their leftovers and rubbish.Also, I thinkwe.................... tell studentswhen they are being anti-social andjumping the queue. Finally,....................wepleasehaveafewwindowsopenwhenthingsgettoohot?

Yoursfaithfully

DearSir/Madam,

I normally eat lunch at the collegecafeteria because it is reasonable priced,convenient and it has a friendlyatmosphere.

There are, however, a number of

deficiencies which I think should beputrightFirstly,althoughthestafftrytokeepthe tables clean, there are notenoughworkersatpeaktimestocleartheirtablesthemselvesthentheyhavefinishedeating.

Unfortunately, some students do notbothertodothis.Also,thereareanumberofstudentswhodonotwaitinthequeuetobeserved,whichisveryannoying for themajority of us. Finally, I think thecafeteriacouldhavebetterventilationasitgetstoohot,especiallyinthesummer.

I think it would be agood idea if moresignswereputaroundthecafeteriaaskingstudents to put their dirty plates andcutlery on the trolleys provided and tothrow away their leftovers and rubbish.Also,Ithinkweshouldtellstudentswhen

theyarebeinganti-socialandjumpingthequeue.Finally,couldwepleasehaveafewwindowsopenwhenthingsgettoohot?

Yoursfaithfully

Sample10


You have a full time job and are alsodoing a part time evening course.Younow find that you can not continue thecourse.

Write a letter to your tutor. In yourletter

describethesituation

explainwhyyoucannotcontinueatthistime

saywhat action you would like totake




Dear.................,

modelanswer:

DearSirorMadam,

MynameisMuhamadAbdul.Iamtakingapart-timeeveningcourse.Iamhavinga

hard time keeping up with this course. IamafraidIcannotcontinuethecourse.My problem is, I have a full-time job,from9am–5pm.Sometimes, Iamaskedtostayextrahours,tofinishuptherestofthework.Thatisbecausetheholidaysarecoming up soon.Also I have to do someworkpreparationsforthenextday.

AtnightwhenIgethome,Iamtootiredtoeven prepare a dinner for myself.Also Ihavenotimetostudyforthiscourse.

Iwould likedrop thiscourse thisquarter.Then take it again the next quarter. So,pleaseacceptmysituation.Thankyouforyourcooperation

SincerelyM.Abdul

(135words)

This is an answer written by a candidatewho achieved aBand5 score.Here is theexaminer'scomment:

Thereasonforwritingisveryclearinthisletterbutitisnotclearwhotheletteristo.Thewriter gives information to cover allthree bullet points, but only one is wellextended, and the whole response isunderlenght at 135 words, so it losesmarksforthis.

Theinformationisorganisedanditiseasyto follow themessage.Arangeof linkersis used across the answer and they aregenerally accurate, but in some places,especially the first paragraph, sentencesarenotwell-linked.

The range of vocabulary is sufficient forthe task and there are some quite preciseexpressions. There are no errors in wordform,but someverybasic spelling errorsoccur. In terms of grammar, the range israther limited with many very shortsentences and few complex structures.Grammar is generally well-controlled,however,withonlyafewminorerrorsandoccasionalinappropriatepunctuation.

Sample11


Your heighbours have recently writtentoyoutocomplainaboutthenoisefromyourhouselflat.Write a letter to your neighbours. In

yourletter

explainthereasonsforthenoise

apologise

describewhatactionyouwilltake




Dear.................,

modelanswer:

DearJames,

I was very shocked to get your letter

saying that the noise from my flat hasbeen spoiling your evenings and causingyousomedistress.Iamreally,reallysorryaboutthat.Ihadnoideathatyouwouldbeable to hear somuch, so I hope youwillacceptmyapologies.

Asyoumayhaveguessed, I am trying torefitmykitchenintheeveningswhenIgethome from work. Unfortunately it is allgetting longer than expected and I havebeen having problemswith getting thingsto fitproperly.Thishasmeant toa lotofbangingandhammering.

Asthekitchenisstillnotfinished,Ihavedecided to call in a professional builderwhowillfinishtheworkinthenextdayortwo. He’ll work only during daytimehours, so you won’t be disturbed in the

eveningsagain,Ipromis.

Sorrytohavecausedtheseproblems,

Bill.

(157words)

Sample12


You will move to a new city for work.Youknowsomepeoplewholivethere.

A s kthem for help findingaccommodation

Tellthemwhere youwould like tolive

Tellthemthetypeofplaceyouarelookingfor

Youshouldwriteatleast150words.

You doNOT need to write your ownaddress.Beginyourletterasfollows:

DearSir,

modelanswer:

DearSir,

IwantedtoletyouknowthatIamcomingto live in(city)andIwould like toask ifyoucanhelpmewithafewthingsbeforeIarriveandstartmynewjob.

Do you think you could give me a hand

finding somewhere to live? Ideally Iwould like to live close to where I amgoing to beworking, or in the downtowndistrict.IfpossibleIwouldliketobenearsomeshops,likeasupermarketandaDVDrental place. As I really love sports itwouldbegreattobenearaparktoo.

I’mnottooworriedabouttheplaceitself.Obviously I will be looking for a flat,ratherthanahouse,asitisjustgoingtobemeandIwon’tbeabletoaffordtoomuch.So,aplacewithonebedroomisfine,butIwouldliketohaveaprivatebathroom(notshared),akitchenandsomekindoflivingroom. It doesn’t matter if the kitchen issmall, but it would nice to have one. Iwould prefer to live somewhere new, soanything in a modern apartment blockwouldbegreat.

Thanksforyourhelp

(206words)

Sample13


Your car is hired from a company andwhile you are driving on holiday, youhavea small accident.Youwillhave towriteareporttothecompanytoexplainit.Youneedtoexplainthefollowing:

1. Whenandwhereyouhiredit?

2. D e s c r i b ehow the accidenthappened?

3. Whatkind of action did you takeaftertheaccident?



DearSir,

modelanswer:

DearSir,

I am a recent customer of your rentalcompanyhaving I rented a car fromyourdowntownoutlet inDetroit.Thecarhiredwas an economy model vehicle which Irented fromMarch 21st to the present. Iwould like tocommendyourcompanyon

their professionalism and the serviceoffered, and as such I am sure you willhandlemyincidentwiththesequalities.

Unfortunately, I had an unavoidableaccident involving the aforementionedvehicle and another party. The accidentwascausedbytheothercarfailingtostopat the red light of the intersection I waspassing through, and as such the secondpartycollidedinto thedriver'ssideofmyautomobile. The police were informed insitu,whereupontheyrecordedinformationregarding the accident and the otherdriver’sinsurancedetails.

The police established the other driver'sresponsibility for the accident, and thesecond party's insurance company hasbeeninformed.Iwouldliketorequestthat

areplacementvehiclebeofferedwhilemycurrent vehicle is incapacitated. Onceagain, I would like to commend yourcompany'sprofessionalattitude.Yourssincerely

(184words)

Sample14


Youcannotgotoacompanywhereyougot an offer. Write a letter to the HRsupervisortoExplain the reasonwhyyoudecline theoffer

1. Expressyougratitude

2. Explainyou like your current jobverymuch.



DearSir,

modelanswer:

DearSir,

Iwas a potential employee towhom youmade a job offer. I would like to extendmythanksforsuchanoffer,especiallyatsuch a company as yours. It is, however,with deepest regret that I must declineyourgenerousinvitationandapologizefor

anyinconvenienceImayhavecaused.

I appreciate immensely the intervieworganized by your company and theextensive effort made by all the staffinvolved. Their attitude was impressiveandhighlycommendable.As such Imustpass my sincerest apologies for anydifficulties related to the extra work thatmust have been involved, and the timewastedonyourbehalf.Althoughtheofferwas substantial, it wasn’t enough toencouragemetosever thebondswithmycurrent employer. Duringmy time atmypresent company my superiors supportedmeand fosteredmycareer. In short, theymademetheemployeeIamtoday.

I would like to keep the lines ofcommunication open between our two

parties, and look forward to furthercorrespondence.

Yourssincerely

(174words)

Sample15


You had a good meal in a localrestaurant with your family. Write aletter to the newspaper to tell themaboutit,describethemealyouhad,andwhy you think the restaurant is worthvisiting.



DearSir,

modelanswer:

TotheEditor,

Iamalongstandingmemberofourlocalcommunity and I am writing arecommendation to other citizens for oneof our fine neighbourhood diningestablishments;TheLoneStarCafé.There were many impressive attributeswhich struckme uponmy entrance, suchas the décor and ambience. I particularlyenjoyedthelaidbackattitudeoftheplace.But formymind itwas the servicealongwith the size and quality of the portions

thatwasmostmemorable.Theservicewasprofessionalyetintimate,and along with the sheer quantity of thedishesserved,motivatedmetopassonmyrecommendation. I enjoyed a steak ofmammoth proportions and a giant fresh,crispsaladaccompaniedbyaselectionofappropriatelyselectedseasonalvegetables.Thepiecederesistance,however,wastherichBlackForestgateauservedasdessert–andallforareasonableprice.I hope after reading this, potentialcustomers will frequent this diner – Bonappetite.

Yourstruly

(161words)

Sample16


Write a letter to complain about asituation in which some adolescents lettheirdogsrunwildlycausingdangerous.



DearSir,

modelanswer:

DearSir/Madam,

I am writing to draw your attention to asituation that has been developing in myneighbourhood.

Recently, I havewitnessedmanydogsonthelooseintheneighbourhood.Thedogs,whicharefiercelookingandnotmuzzled, are given license to run aroundtheneighbourhood.Theyareintimidating,especiallytochildrenandtheelderly.Iamafraidthatit’sjustamatteroftimebeforesomeonegetsseriouslyinjured.

The owners of these dogs, a bunch ofadolescents, seem to be unaware of thedangers of letting their pets off the leashand have adopted a nonchalant attitude.The teenagers have been asked bynumerous locals to keep the dogs undercontrolbutallrequestshavebeenignoredand the situation has not improved. Itherefore believe that immediate actionmust be taken and I ask that youinvestigatethematterandtakeappropriate

action as soon as possible to prevent theoccurrence of injury and serious bodilyharm.

(162words)

Sample17


You ordered a new cheque book fromyour bank twoweeks ago but you havereceivednothing.Write a letter to the managercomplaining about the bad service. Saywhen and how you ordered the chequebook. Ask how much longer you willhave towaitandask themanagerwhatactionhewilltakeoverthismatter.



DearSir,

modelanswer:

DearSir,

Iamwritingtocomplainabouttheservicethat I have received at your bank. Twoweeks ago I ordered a cheque book byfilling out the appropriate form when Ivisited thebankbut since then Ihavenotreceived the cheque book and I havereceivednoothercorrespondencefromthebank. It is quite urgent for me as I havequiteafewbillsthatIneedtopaythatcan

onlybepaidbycheque.PleasewritetomeassoonaspossibleandletmeknowhowmuchlongerIwillhaveto wait for my cheque book and pleaseexplainwhy Ihavehad towait so long. Iwould also like to knowwhat action youare going to take regarding this badservice.

IhavebeenacustomerofyourbanknowforfifteenyearsandthisisthefirsttimeIhave had to complain. It is verydisappointing.

Ilookforwardtohearingfromyousoon.

Yourssincerely,

GrahamSwann

(172words)

Sample18


You would like to buy some electricalgoodsatashopinanearbytown.

Writealettertotheshopandaskiftheyhave the things you want or whetherthey will be able to order them. Askwhat the prices are and how long theywillbeabletoholdthegoodsforyou.



DearSir,

modelanswer:

DearSir,

IamwritingtoenquireifyouhavevariouselectricalgoodsthatIwanttobuy.Ihavetriedshopsinmyowntownbuttheydon‛thaveexactlywhatIwant.

I want the new Sony DVD player, aTechnics turntable and a radio with longwavecapability.Doyouhave these itemsinstockor,ifnot,willyoubeabletoorderthemsoon?Ialsoneedtoknowwhatpriceyouchargefortheseitems.Ifyoudohavethese things, would you be able to holdthemformeand forhow long? Iamfreethisweekendand,ifyouhavethem,Ican

come over on Saturday morning to payyouandpickthemup.

Please write back to me as soon aspossibleattheaboveaddressorcallmeonmy mobile number (07364 957 143). Ilookforwardtohearingfromyousoon.

Yourssincerely,

PeterJervis

(159words)

Sample18


You have been invited to attend an

interview for a place studying a courseinacollege.Unfortunatelybecauseofaprevious appointment you cannot comeatthetimetheywish.

Write a letter to the admissions tutorandexplainyourposition.Apologiseandoffertocomeonanotherdayorlaterthesame day. Ask also how long theinterviewwillbeandwhethertherewillbeanytestsduringit.



DearSir,

modelanswer:

DearSir,

Thankyouverymuchforyourletterdated15thMay invitingme for an interview atyour college on Wednesday 2nd June at10am. I am extremely sorry but I amunabletocometoaninterviewatthattimebecause I have a maths exam thatmorning.ItreallycannotImissthisexambut of course I really wish to attend theinterview with you. Is it possible that Icouldcometotheinterviewthesamedaybutintheafternoon?Failingthat,Iwouldbe able to come the next day or any dayafter.Iwouldalsoliketoasksomethingsaboutthe interview. I would like to know howlongitwilllastandalsowhetherIwillberequiredtodoanytestsduringit.

Onceagain Iapologise fornotbeingabletoattendtheinterviewatthetimethatyouwanted and I hope Iwill be able tomeetwithyouatanothertime.

Ilookforwardtohearingfromyousoon.

Yourssincerely,

JamesWalker

(179words)

Sample19


A friend of yours is going on holidaysoonandhasaskedyoutorecommenda

destination.

Write a letter to your friend andrecommend a good place for a holidaythatyouhavevisitedbefore.Saywhereyou went, where you stayed, what youcandothereandwhatthefoodwaslike.



DearSarah,

modelanswer:

DearSarah,

Thanks for your letter. I‛m glad you andthefamilyarewell.So,you‛rethinkingof

going on holiday in the UK. Well I cancertainly recommend one destination foryou. I went one year to a place calledLochinver in the north west of Scotland.It‛s quite a long trip to get there as it‛sonly about thirty miles from the northcoastbutit‛sworthit.

Thereareonlyafewplacestostay.Therearetwohotels,theKirkaigandtheAssyntin thecentreof town,andacampsite justoutside town. We stayed at the KirkaigHotelbutIknowyouandyourfamilyarekeen campers so you might prefer thecampingoption.

Thereisalottodobutit‛sabitdependentontheweather.There‛sabeautifulbeach,agolf course, the fishing is excellent andtherearefantastichillsnearbyforwalking

in amazing scenery. If it‛s wet there‛s asmallcinemaintownbutthat‛saboutall.Takesomeboardgames!

ThefoodistypicalBritishinthehotelsbutsome of the Scottish specialities arefantastic. If you‛re camping though, foodwillbeuptoyou!

Anyway, I‛vegot togooutnowandpickup the kids.Write again if you need anymoreinformation.Regards,Mary

(222words)

Sample20

Youshouldspendabout20minutesonthis

task.

You have just spent a weekend at afriend’s house. When you returnedhome, you discovered you have left acoat containing some belongings in hishouse.

Writealettertoyourfriendtellinghimthatyouleftthecoat.Tellhimwhatthecoatlookslike,whereyouthinkyouleftit and what was inside it. Make somesuggestionsabouthowtogetitback.



DearJohn,

modelanswer:

DearJohn,

I‛m back at home now after that greatweekendatyourhouse.Thanksverymuchforputtingmeup.Ihopeyou‛llbeabletocomeandstaywithmesometimesoonaswell.

Unfortunately I leftmy new coat at yourhouse. Do you remember the dark brownonethatIworewhenwewentwalkingonSaturdayafternoon?ItisaNewLookcoatthatgoesdowntomid-thighlevel.Ithasablackcollar,darkbrownbuttonsandlargepockets on both sides. I think I left it onthehooksbehindyour frontdoor.Doyouremember we hung up our coats therewhenwegotbackfromourwalk?

It‛s quite important forme as I havemywallet in the insidebreast pocket andmydiary in therightoutsidepocket. Ihaveafriend who is driving through your townonThursdayandhewillbequitenearyouroffice. Could he please collect it fromthere?Ihavegivenhimyourofficephonenumber andhewill call youonThursdaymorning. Give me a call if this is notpossible.

Anyway,thanksagainforagreatweekendandIhopetoseeyousoon.

Regards,

Phillip

(208words)

Sample21


Youliveinaroomincollegewhichyousharewith another student.You find itvery difficult to work there because heorshealwayshas friendsvisiting.Theyhavepartiesintheroomandsometimesborrowyourthingswithoutaskingyou.

Write a letter to the AccommodationOfficeratthecollegeandaskforanewroom next term. You would prefer asingleroom.Explainyourreasons.


You doNOT need to write your own

address.Beginyourletterasfollows:

DearSir/Madam,

modelanswer1:

DearSir/Madam,

Iamwritingtoexpressmydissatisfactionwith my room-mate. As your know weshare one room, I can not study in theroomatallanymoreifIstillstaythere.

She always has friend visiting and hasparties in the room. They make lots ofnoiseandswitchontheradioveryloudly,formethisenvironmentisverydifficulttostudy and I need a quiet room. Evenborrows my things without asking, it isveryimpolite.

Irequestyoucangivemeanewroomnextterm because I have been asked her haspartiesinotherplacemanytimestheystillhaveparties in the room. I really cannotstayinthesameroomwithher.Iwouldbegratefulifyoucouldchangemeasingleroom.

EXAMINERCOMMENT:(Band5)

The answer is below the word limit andthereissomerepetitionofthetaskrubric.(Length is a commonproblem inGeneralTraining scripts). Answers that are shortlose marks because there is insufficientmaterialintheanswerfortheexaminertogive credit for accuracy and coherence.

Despite these problems, the introductiontotheletterisappropriateandthepurposeof the writer is clear. The points are notalways linked together well andpunctuation is sometimes faulty. Thesentences are kept quite simple andmistakes occur as soon asmore complexstructuresareattempted.

modelanswer2:

DearSir/Madam,

I am writing you to express mydissatisfaction with my roommate andrequest for another accommodation nextterm.

MymainproblemisthatIcannotstudyinmy room because my roommate always

has friends visiting. He also has partieswhich usually end early in the morning,several times a week. Furthermore, heoften borrows my things without askingme.

I cannot accept this situation any longer.Especially because I have very importantexams next term and I reallymust studyhard.ThisiswhyIwouldbeverygratefulifIcouldhaveanotherroomnextterm.Itwould be most convenient for me nothaving to share my room with someoneelse.

Iamlookingforwardtohearingfromyousoon.

Yourfaithfully,

IvanSidorov

EXAMINERCOMMENT:(Band7)

The answer is also short.Although ideasare often provided in the task rubric,candidates are at liberty to include someoftheirownideasintheiranswers.Inthiscase, the candidate has attempted toincorporate some original material. Theanswer reads quite fluently, is wellorganised and there is good use ofconjunctions to link points. There aresomegrammaticalerrorsbut thesedonotaffect the reader greatly and there isevidenceof somemorecomplexsentencestructures

Sample22

You have just spent a weekend stayingattheLiloHotelinAdelaide.Whenyouget home you find that you have left abagatthehotel.

Y o ushould write at least 150words.


modelanswer:

DearMr.Simpson,

Istayedinyourhotelonthe23rdand24thof October. I was in Room 603.When Iarrivedhome, I discovered that I had left

one of my bags at the hotel. Could youplease check your Lost and FoundDepartmentandseeifmybagisthere?

Thebagisasmallblackleather,documentcase with a narrow strap. Inside the bag,you will find several business cards, afountain pen, a small address book, threecopiesofabusinessproposalandasilverpocket calculator. These things are notvery valuable in money terms, but theyhavealotofpersonalvalue.

Iwouldappreciate it ifyoucouldcontactmeassoonaspossible,particularlysinceIneed the proposals for a presentation thisweek.Ifyoucouldsendthebagtomebycourierservice,Iwouldbemostgrateful.Ihavearrangedtopayfortheservice.

Thankyouforyourhelp.

Yourssincerely,

MichaelJohnson

Sample23

Youarewritingyourfirstlettertoapenpal.Describeyourprevious studiesandworkexperience,yourcurrentactivities,hobbiesandinterests.Tell your pen pal that you will bevisitinghim/her.



modelanswer:

DearMonica,

Hi! My name is Jane Zhang, and IobtainedyournameandaddressfromPenPals International. Iamveryglad tohavethis chance to write to you and becomepenpals.

Let me first introduce myself. I’mcurrently working as a computerprogrammer in a large multi-nationalcompany. I graduated from TsinghuaUniversity with a Bachelor’s degree incomputer science in July 1996. While Ienjoy my current job, I’m interested inpursuing a Master’s degree, and hope tobegin graduate studies next September.Myhobbiesincludelisteningtopopmusic

(especially U2), playing the piano anderhu (aChinese instrument), andplayingtennis. I’m also very interested intravelling,andhavevisitedeveryprovinceinChineseatleastonce.

Thissummer,IwillbetravellingwithmymothertoCalifornia.Shewillbeattendinga history conference at the University ofCalifornia-Berkeley, and I have justreceived permission to go with her. Wewill stay in California for a total of 2weeks–fromAugust2ndto16th,1999.Ifyou are free, I would be very happy tomeet you in person. Perhaps we couldspendadayortwotogether.

Well, let me finish here. I am alreadyeagerly awaiting your reply to this firstletter.Pleasetellmeallaboutyourselfand

your interests. Ihopethatwecanbecomegoodfriends.Yourstruly,

Michael

Sample24

Oneofyourfriendswantstoapplyforajob involving working with foreignteenagers.Write a letter of recommendation forhim/her.



modelanswer:

DearSirorMadam,

I have learned from your newspaperadvertisement that your center isorganizing an international summer campfor overseas teenagers, and you arelooking for a bilingual assistant tutor towork with the children. I am writing toyoutorecommendoneofmybestfriends,HelenWang,forthispost.Helenused tobemyclassmateatBeijingNormalUniversity,whereshewasalreadya very active organizer and participant inextracurricular activities. With heroutstanding leadership skills and cheerfulpersonality,shewaselectedchairpersonoftheStudentUnionseveraltimes.Busy as she was, she passed the College

EnglishTestBandSixandcompletedhermajor – teenage psychology – with anexcellent school record. Upon graduationshe was assigned to be a teacher in aninternationalhighschoolinBeijing,whereshehasbeenteachingbilinguallessonsforfiveyears.What’smore,shelovesherjobandenjoysworkingwithchildren.Thishaswon her great popularity among herstudents.

Therefore,Idonothesitatetorecommendherasan idealcandidate for thepostyouadvertised.Iamsureyouwillmakeawisedecisioninhiringher.

Sincerelyyours,

VictorLi

Sample25

Youwanttoapplyforthefollowingjob.Write a letter toMr.Mooredescribingyourpreviousexperienceandexplainingwhyyouwouldbesuitableforthejob.

Waiter/waitress required for eveningwork.Someexperiencenecessary.



modelanswer:

DearMr.Moore,

Re:Waitressposition

Iamwritingtoexpressmyinterestinyourrecentlyadvertisedpositionforawaitress.Enclosed with this letter is my resume,which further details of my previousexperienceandqualifications.Not only do my qualifications and workexperience make me a perfect candidatefor the job,my personality iswell suitedto working as a waitress. I am a veryfriendlypersonwhocanquicklyestablishrapportwithpeopleofallages.Inmylastwaitress job, I had over a dozen repeatcustomers each day. And, the fast-pacedenvironmentofwaitingontablessuitsmewell, because I thrive on working underpressure. In fact, my former boss wassurprised at both my incredible staminaandefficiency indealingwith customers’

orders.

I would like to meet with you at yourearliest convenience, to discuss thepossibilityofworkingatyourrestaurant.Ican be reached at 463-9234 during thedaysand924-6868after6pm.

Thank you for your consideration of myapplication.Ilookforwardtomeetingyouinthenearfuture.Yourssincerely,

MarthaScott

Sample26

Youhaveafriendwhoisabouttoenteruniversity, and he wants you to advisehim onwhich subject to specialize in –

history, in which he is very interested,orcomputerscience,whichoffersbetterjobprospects.



modelanswer:

DearJohn,

You have asked me for my adviceconcerning whether you should studyhistoryor computer science at university,and I will try to make some usefulsuggestions.

You must keep in mind that, above all,

your university training is a preparationfor your future career. Therefore, yourfirst consideration should be to study asubjectwhichwillbestequipyoutoearnaliving.There isnodoubt that the fieldofcomputers offers far wider jobopportunitiesthanhistory.Besides,wearenowintheageofthehigh-technologyrevolution.Fortheforeseeablefuture, not only will it be necessary foreveryone to be computer-literate, it willalsobenecessaryforthemtobeequippedwith computer skills merely to earn aliving! History, I’m afraid, howeverfascinating it may be, offers few careerprospects.

Of course, you don’t have to devote allyour time at university to studyingcomputers and nothing else. On the

contrary, I would recommend that youkeepyourreadingofhistoryinyoursparetime. That way, you will find that yourleisure hours are enriched while youprepareyourselfforaworthwhilecareerincomputers.

Yourssincerely,

James

Sample27

Afterbeinginvolvedinanaccident,youwere looked after by another person.Write a special letter to express yourthanks.



modelanswer:

DearJohn,

I am writing to express my heartfeltgratitude. I am referring to thatunfortunateaccidenttheotherday,whenIwas knocked off my bike by a taxi. If ithadnotbeenforyourtimelyassistanceingiving me first aid and taking me to anearby hospital, I fear that theconsequencesmighthavebeenmuchmoreserious.The doctor says that my broken leg ishealing well, and the bruises and cuts Isufferedwillsoonbecompletelybetter.Inaddition, the taxi company has agreed to

pay my hospital bills. Everyone agreesthat it was your quick-witted response inthat emergency that has lead to thissatisfactoryoutcome.Although nowadays many people talkabouttheneedtobeunselfishandtohelpothers,we seevery fewpeoplepracticingwhattheypreach.Butyoushowedbyyourselflessactionthatyouareanexception.Ifthere were more people like you, thisworldwouldbeamuchnicerplace.Yourssincerely,

Ted

Sample28

One of your pen pals will shortly bevisitingyourcity.Forsomereasons,youcan not manage to meet him at the

airportontime.

Writealetteraskinghimtowaitforyouat the airport and tell him how toidentifyyou.



modelanswer:

DearMary,

I am verymuch looking forward to yourvisit tomycity.Just think:afterall theseyears to writing to each other, we willfinallyhavethechancetomeet!However,I regret to inform you that I will not be

able tomeetyouat theairportassoonasyouarrive.

The reason is that your flight will arriveearlyinthemorning,andthequickesttimeI can get to the airport will be about anhourafteryouland.Pleasewaitformeinthe arrival lounge.You should be able tohavebreakfasttherewhileyouwait.

By theway,aswehavenevermet Imusttell you how to recognize me: I am ofmedium height and have a smallmustache.Inaddition,Iwillbecarryingacopy of the morning newspaper tuckedundermyleftarm.

Lookingforwardtoourfirstmeeting.

Yourssincerely,

Harry

Sample29

Your find that your study load is tooheavy. Write a letter to your collegeteacher explaining why you need towithdraw from twocourses.Ask if it ispossibletoobtainarefund.



modelanswer:

DearProf.James,

I am writing to formally request towithdraw from two courses: Introductionto Elementary Education (EDU602) andTeachingMethods(EDU619)

The main reason for reducing my courseload is that I am finding it extremelydifficult to manage six courses. In thebeginning of the term, I was perhapsoverly optimistic about juggling bothmyfulltimestudiesandmyparttimejob(20hours/week). Because I really must workpart time, I have no other choice but todecreasemycourseload.Iamplanningontakingthetwocoursesduringthesummersemester, if they are available, so that Iwillbeabletocompleteallthecoursesforthedegreeprogrambythefollowingyear.

I would also like to request a tuition

refund, and hope I am not too late toreceivethefullreimbursement.Iamsorryfor any inconveniences I have caused bythischangeinplans.Thisdecisionwasnottakenlightly,andIdoappreciatethekindconsiderationyouhaveshowntome.Thank you for your attention to theserequests.Ifyouhaveanyquestions,pleasefeelfreetocontactmeat277-9144.Ilookforwardtohearingfromyousoon.

Sincerelyyours,

JaneCarter

Sample30

As part of a student social surveyproject, you are organizing a group tovisit a historical exhibition in a small

town. Write a letter asking forinformation regarding such things asthe contents of the exhibition, and thedates of its opening and closing, and ifthereareanydiscountsavailable.



modelanswer:

DearSir,

Iamorganizingagroupofstudentstopayavisit to thehistorical exhibition inyourtown. This visit will be part of ourschool’s activities to encourage the

students to take part in social surveys.Therefore,Iwouldbegratefulifyoucouldsupplymewiththefollowinginformation.

First of all, what are the dates betweenwhich the exhibition will be held, andwhat the daily opening hours? Secondly,what is thesizeof theexhibition,what isitsthemeandwhatobjectsareondisplay?Thirdly, are there any other activitiesbeing held in connection with theexhibition?

Imustpointout that Ihope tobringoverstudentstotheexhibition.SoIwouldliketoinquireifthereisanydiscountavailableonentranceticketsforstudents.Ifso,howmuch is the discount and what is theminimumnumberofstudentsnecessarytoqualityforit?

Ilookforwardtoyourreply.

Yourssincerely,

GeorgeMoore

Sample31

You live in a room in a college whereyou share with another student. Youfind it very difficult to work therebecause your roommate always hasfriends visiting. He/She has parties inthe room and sometimes borrows yourthingswithoutaskingyou.

Write a letter to the AccommodationOfficeratthecollegeandaskforanewroom next term. You would prefer asingleroom.

Explainyourreasons.



modelanswer:

DearSirorMadam,

Iamwriting to informyou that Iwish tomoveintoanewroomnextterm.Iwouldpreferasingleroom,asIfindthepresentsharingarrangementinconvenient.

I must explain that the reason for mydissatisfaction is my roommate’sinconsideratebehavior.Forone thing,hisfriends are constantly visiting him, for

another, he regularly holds noisy parties.In addition, he sometimes borrows mythings without asking me. In thesecircumstances, I find it difficult toconcentrate on my studies, and I amfallingbehindinmyassignments.

I am sure you will agree that the onlysolutionisformetomoveintoaroomofmy own, where I will be free from suchdistractions.Therefore,Iwouldbegratefulif you could find a single room for me,preferablynotinthesamebuildingbutasneartothecollegecampusaspossible.

Yourssincerely,

JaniceKennedy

Sample32

You went to the local hospital’sEmergency Department with youryoung child who had severe stomachpains.You had towait for almost fourhoursbeforeyourdaughterwastreatedbyadoctorand,whileyouwerewaiting,you were constantly ignored by theotherstaff.Write a letter to the Registrar,complaining about the service youreceived.


Allowyourself 20 minutes for thistask.

Youdonotneedtowriteyourownaddress.

Beginyour letter as follows: DearSirorMadam...,

modelanswer:

DearSirorMadam

I am writing to complain about thetreatment my daughter and I receivedwhen we visited the casualty departmentinyourhospitallastweekend.

During the afternoon, my daughterdeveloped severe pains in the stomach.BecauseitwasSunday,mynormaldoctorwasnot inhis surgery, sowewent to thehospital casualty department. When wereached the Enquiry counter, it wasobvious that my daughter was unwell asshe was screaming with pain. However,

the Receptionist just told us to sit downandwait.

Over the next four hours, I constantlyaskedhowlongitwouldtakeforadoctorto see my daughter, but the Receptionistwas quite rude and didn’t seem to careverymuch.Eventually,wedidseeadoctorandmy little girl had to undergo tests toseeifshehadappendicitis.However,Iwasreallyangrybecausethedoctorsaidhehadnot seen anyone for over an hour, so theReceptionist wasn’t doing her jobproperly.I would be grateful if you couldinvestigate this terrible service to makesureitdoesn’thappenagain.Yoursfaithfully

Comment:

ThisletterwaswrittenbyanativeEnglishspeaker, and it is occasionally good forstudents to seewhat a native speaker canachieveinthegivenwritingtime.

Sample33

Youhavebeenofferedajob,askingyouto start next week. You want the jobvery much but, because of a previouscommitment,youwanttodelaythestartforanothertwoweeks.WritetotheManager,acceptingthejob,butexplainingyoursituationandaskingforthechangetoyourstartdate.


Allowyourself 20 minutes for this

task.


Beginyour letter as follows: DearSirorMadam...,

modelanswer

DearSirorMadam

Iamwritingtorequestputtingoffthejobwhichyouhaveoffered. I reallywant thejob but I have a important previouscommitment. So, I cannot start to worknextweek.

I was offered the job yesterday, whichwantedme to start nextweek.Thankyousomuchforofferingthejob.Ireallywant

to work at your company. However, Icannot start next week because I have apreviouscommitmentwhichismysister'swedding. It isnextweekend,besides.ShelivesinKoreaandshewantmetoprepareherweddingwithmyparents.SoIhavetogo to Korea next Monday. After thewedding Iwill travela fewdayswithmyparentswhowantedmetotravelbecauseIhavelivedfor4yearsfarfromhome.ThatiswhyIcannotstarttheworknextweek.IwillcomebacktoSydneytwoweekslater.Iwould like todelay thestart foranothertwoweeks.Couldyoudelaythestartdateforme?Once again, thank you very much forofferingit.Ilookforwardtohearingfromyouassoonaspossible.Yoursfaithfully

Comment:

This letter shows fluency, and includessome variety in vocabulary andexpressions. However, there is also somerepetition and some errors in grammar,suchasthefollowing:

1. Choiceofthetypeofarticlewhenthefollowing word begins with a vowelsound(line1)

2. Verbtense(line2)

3. Incorrectlinkage (replace relativeclause)(line3)

4. Incorrectuseofvocabulary(line5)

5. Missingpreposition(line7)

6. Wordorder(line7)

7. Incorrectvocabulary(line8)

8. Incorrecttimeexpressions(line8)

9. Agreement:linking of ‘it’ to relatedsingularnoun(line1)

Sample34

A friend you met last year has invitedyoutovisitthemintheircountry.You have never been there before andneedsomeinformationbeforeyouleave.Write a letter to your friend. In yourletter

requestadvice about a gift forhis/herfamily

askaboutactivitiesandclothing

findoutaboutthefood



youdoNOTneedtowriteyourownaddress.

modelanswer:

DearRobert,

Hi there, I hope you're enjoying yourcollegeyear.ThanksverymuchforaskingmetocomeandvisityouinSingapore.Asyou know, I haven't travelled to Asia

before,soIthoughI'dwriteandaskyouafewquestions.

I want to bring a present with me and Iwondered what would be appropriate.Perhapsyoucouldletmeknowwhatyourmum'shobbiesareandthenIcouldcomeupwithanideabasedononeofthem.

Also,whatsortofclothesshouldIbring?Iknow it's prettywarmwhereyou livebutdoIneed jumpersoracoat?whatsortofactivities are we likely to do while I'mthere and should I bring things likeswimminggearortrainers.

Lastly,IhatetobenuisancebutIhopeyourememberthatI'mvegetarian.Idoeatfishand eggs but I don't eat red meat andchicken at all. Is that going to be a

problem?

Lookforwardtohearingfromyou.

Barnaby

Sample35

You have received a letter from yourbank,askingyoutoacknowledgereceiptof a newbank card.However, the cardwasmissingfromtheenvelope.

Writealettertothebank'sheadoffice.Inyourletter

explainwhyyouarewriting

expressconcern about the missingcard

askthemwhattheyintendtodo




modelanswer:

DearSir,

IamwritingtoinformyouthatIreceiveda letter from my bank today, which wassupposed to contain my new bank card.Unfortunately there was no bank cardenclosedintheenvelopewhenIopenedit.

I telephoned the bank to explain theproblem,butIcouldnotgetthroughtotherightdepartment,eventhoughIwaitedonthe line for over half an hour,whichwasextremelyannoying.

Intheletter,youaskedmetoacknowledgethe receipt of the card, but obviousely Icannotdo thisas Ihavenot received it. Iam now very worried because it is apossibility that my card has gone toanother customer or got lost. What willhappen if somebody has already used thecard and and spent my money?Will thebankrepayme?

Is it possible for the bank to cancel thiscardsonobodyelsecanuseit?Couldyoualsosendmeanewcardbysecuremeans?

Ihopetohearfromyousoon.

Sample36

You borrowed an important textbookfromaclassmatelastterm.You now realise your classmate hasreturned home overseas and you stillhavethebook.Writealettertohim/her.Inyourletter

apologisefrothemistake

findouthowimportantthebook istohim/her

saywhatyouwilldo




modelanswer:

DearYuki,

I hope you had a safe journey back toJapan,andthatyourfamilyareallwell.

I amwriting to say that I'm sorry fornotgiving you back the book 'EnglishGrammar inUse'which I borrowed fromyoulastterm.Youlentittomejustbeforethe exams to help me prepare for them,andyesterdayIfounditundermybed.

Please let me know straight away if youneedthisbookforyourstudiesrightnow,orwhetheryoucanmanagewithoutit.

Ifyoureallyneedit, Icanpost it foryouby airmail immediately. If not, do youmind if I send it by ordinary mail as itquiteheavy?Or, ifyouprefer, Icansendseme money insead. Please let me knowwhatyouwantmetodo.

Ihopeyouenjoytheholiday.

Sample37

You have seen an advertisement forpart-time work in a hotel forthreemonthsoverthesummer.WritealettertotheManager.

Inyourletter

saywhatexperienceyouhave

askwhattheworkinvolves

enquireaboutconditions




modelanswer:

DearSir,

Iamwritingtoenquireaboutthepart-timeposition as a waiter advertised in 'TheEveningEcho'on24thJune.

I am looking for work in the months ofJuly and August because my universityvacation is then. I have quite a lot ofexperience in thehotelbusiness, as Iwasworkinginaguesthouselastyear.Thejobinvolved dealing with geusts, and I verymuch enjoyed it. I can supply referencesof my previous employer if you requirethem.

Could you please let me know what thisposition involves? At the guesthouse, Iworked as a porter and also I did somework as a waiter in the restaurant, so Iwouldbeinterestedineitherofthesejobs.Couldyougivemeanideaoftheworking

hours? I am available at theweekends aswell as during the week, and I can workany hours. However, I would preferdaytime to shifts, if possible. Could youalso tell me about accommodation foremployeesandhowmuchyoupay.

Iwouldappreciatehearingfromyou.

Yoursfaithfully

Sample38

Youhave recently been to staywith anold friend for a few days. You hadn'tseeneachotherforalongtime.

sayhowyoufeltaboutthevisit

referto something enjoyable that

youdidwhilestayingwithhim/her

inviteyourfriendtovisityou




modelanswer:

DearXX,

I'm writing to thank you for a reallyenjoyable visit. It was good to see youaftersolong,andtobeabletospendsometime with you, talking about old

schoolfriendsandteachers.

Now that I'mbackhome, I keep thinkingabout how good it was to be somewherequiet and peaceful. I particularly enjoyedour trip to the wildlife sanctuary andappreciatedtheopportunitytoseesomanyrarebirdsandanimals.It'smademethinkthat I should try and do more to protectthem,soI'mhavingalookontheinternettoseewhatsortoforganisationthereare.

Perhaps next time we get together youcouldcomeandvisitme.Thereareplentyofplaceswecangoandmybrotherwouldreally like toseeyou.Letmeknowwhenyoumightbefreetocomehereandwecanfixsomethingup.

Lookforwardtohearingfromyousoon.

Sample39

For the past year you have been amemberofalocalclub.Nowyouwanttodiscontinueyourmembership.Writealettertotheclubsecretary.

Inyourletter

statewhattypeofmembershipyouhaveandhowyouhavepaidforthis

g i v edetails of how you havebenefitedfromtheclub

explainwhyyouwanttoleave


Allowyourself 15 minutes for this



modelanswer:

DearSir,

In September 2003, I joined your Sportsand Social club as a full-time studentmember. Since then I have paid themonthlymembership fees by direct debitfrom my bank: Nationwide in SandersonAvenue,Kinghill.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my clubmembership as it has provided me withusefulopportunitiestomeetupwithotheryoung people and to participate in a

number of social activities. I have alsobeen fortunate enough toplay in someoftheinter-clubtennistournamentsandhavetaken advantage of the various classesavailablesuchasYogaandT'aichi.

However, my studies are now coming toanendandasIwillshortlybereturningtomy home country, possibly for good, IregretthatInolongerwishtocontinuemymembership.Iwouldbegrateful,therefore,ifyoucouldconfirm in writing that the monthly feewillno longerbedeductedfrommybankaccount.

Sample40

Yourecentlystayedinahotelinalargecity.Theweatherwas very unusual for

thetimeofyearandtheheating/coolingsystem in the hotel was quiteinadequate.Write a letter to the manager of thehotel.

Inyourletter

givedetailsofwhatwaswrong

explainwhat you had to do toovercometheproblematthetime

saywhat actionyouwould like themanagertotake




modelanswer:

DearSir,

I have just returned home after spendingthree nights at your hotel in Paddington.The staff were very friendly and thelocation was extremely convenient.However, I feel I must express mydisappointmentabouttheroom.

Asweallknow,Londonisexperiencingavery warm summer this year, withtemperatures around 30 °C last week,whichisquiteunusual.Asaresult,itwasveryhotinmyroomonthesixthfloor.

Becauseoftheextremeheatintheroom,Ihad to leave the windows open all nightandsoitwasverynoisy,asthehotelisonamainroadand the trafficneverstops inLondon. Consequently, I got very littlesleepoverthethreenights.

Ithinkitwouldbeagoodideatoinstallanairconditioning system in the hotel. Thiscouldalsobeusedasaheatingsystem inthe winter and would certainly make therooms more comfortable. Perhaps youwould consider givingme a discount if Icometoyourhotelagain.

Ilookforwardtohearingfromyou.

Yoursfaithfully

Sample41

Youhaverecentlyheardthatafriendofyourshashadsomeproblemsasaresultofsomeunusualweather.Writealettertoyourfriend.

Inyourletter

expressconcern (i.e. say you aresorrytohearwhathashappened)

tellthemaboutasimilarexperiencethatyouoncehad

givesomeadviceorofferhelp



modelanswer:

DearAnnaandLeo,

WewereshockedtohearfromLaraaboutthe storm that hit your city recently andthe damage done to your house. Howawfultocomehomefromyourholidaytofindtheroofblownoffthehouse!

Iunderstandhowyoumustfeel,aswehadasimilarexperienceafewyearsagowhentherewasasuddenelectricalstormhereinSydney. I came home from work to findthat a tree had fallen on top of the houseand all the windows were broken.Fortunatelytheinsurancecoveredthecostof the repairs, but it was still veryupsetting.

I suppose you have to think positively insituations like this and look at the

opportunity you have to improve yourhouse - give it a new look. If we can doanything for you in the holidays,we'd behappytohelp.

Dropusalineandletusknow.

Bestwishes

Sample42

You recently visited a place that had astrongimpactonyou.Write a letter to a friend about theplace.Inyourletter

explainwhere the place was andhowyougotthere

describewhatyousaw

offertotakeyourfriendthere

modelanswer:

DearSam,

I have just returned frommy holidays inFrance and while we were there weclimbed a mountain called 'Parleman' inthe French Alps. We were able to drivehalfwayupthemountainbutthentheroadstopped.Soweparked,putonourwalkingbootsandbeganthelonguphillstruggle.Despiteoftheroadatthebegining,itstilltookusawhiletocompletetheclimbbutitwaswellworththeeffort.Whenwegotto the top of themountain, the viewwasincredible. I could see right across thetownand the lake toone side, andon theothersidewerethesnow-coveredpeaksof

MontBlanc.Itwassimplybreathtaking.

Asyouknow,weoftengotoFranceonourholidaysandnext timeweplana trip, I'dreally like to takeyouthere. I'msureyouwould love the scenery and as you enjoyexercise, you would be able to takeadvantageofallthemountainwalks.

Ihopetohearfromyousoon.

Sample43

You recently took a part-time jobworking for a local company. After afewweeks,yourealisedthereweresomeproblemswiththejob.

Write a letter to the manager of thecompany.Inyourletter

explainwhyyoutookthejob

describethe problems that youexperienced

suggestwhat could be done aboutthem

modelanswer:

DearSir,

I have been a part-time fitness instructorin your gym for four months. I waspleased to be offered the job, not onlybecause Ineed toearn someextramoneyto cover my living expenses but alsobecauseIneedsomeexperienseinfitnesstraining.

Ithasbeenobvioustomethatpeopleoften

need help in using the gymequipment.However, it seems that theother trainers havenot been encourage tooffer assistance to clubmembers. I offerasmuchasIcan,butthismeansthatIamconstantly in demand and therefore,working harder than anyone else in thegym.Thissituationseemsratherunfair.

While I realise that members receiveinitialgyminstruction,Ifeelthattheyalsoneed ongoing help with the equipment.Could I suggest that a letter is sent totrainerspromotingthis?Afterall,personalattention of this kind makes people feelvalued and may result in increasedmembership.

Yoursfaithfully

Sample44

A friend has asked you to babysit onSaturdayandwants toknowhowmuchyou charge per hour for this.Unfortunately, you already have acommitment this weekend and cannothelp. However, you free the followingweekend.

Write a letter to your friend exlainingthat you are not able to help this time,but could help later. Explain alsowhatyourfeefortheserviceis.




modelanswer:

DearXX(nameofcolleague)

Thank you for asking me to babysit foryou. As you know I enjoy looking afterAnthonyandwouldbehappy tohelpyouout. However, this weekend I have acommitmentwhichIcannotbreak.

My parents are coming to visit and I amgoingto take themdownto thecoastasIhave always promised to do. They aregetting older so I like to spend as muchtimewiththemaspossible.Also,itismyfather's birthday and I want to celebratewiththem.IamreallysorrythatIamnot

able to help this time, but I am free nextweekendandIwouldbegladtobabysitforyou then, if you should choose to go outfortheevening.

Mychargeisfifteendollarsperhouruntilmidnightandtwentydollarsperhourafterthat. You would need to give me anyspecialinstructionsyoumighthaveand,ofcourse, leave a phone number in case ofemergency.

Yourssincerely

Sample45

Youhavejustrentedanunfurnishedflatand a friend has told you that theOpportunityShopintheshopingcentrehascheapsecond-handfurniture.

Writetotheshopownerdescribingwhatyouneedandaskingwhether theyhavetheseitemsandwhattheycost.




modelanswer:

DearSir/Madam

Ihavejustarrivedfromoverseasandneedtohavesomefurnitureformyunfurnishedflat.A friend has told me that you havesomecheapsecond-handfurnitureforsale.

Perhaps you can helpme. I would like akitchen table, some chairs, a double bed,as well as a single bed for a visitor, acupboard forourclothes,andabookcase.Ifyousellhomeappliances,Iwouldlikeamicrowave oven, a fridge, TV set and aCDplayertoo.Thesemustallbecleanandthe electrical items must be in goodworking condition with a guarantee of atleastthreemonths.

Iwould be grateful if you could givemesomepricesfortheseitems.Ifyoudonotsupply electrical goods, can yourecommend another shop which does?Also, could you let me know what youwould charge to deliver goods to HighStreet.

Thankyouforyourhelp.Ilookforwardtohearingfromyou.

Yoursfaithfully

Sample46

You are an international student andhave borrowed a book from the localpubliclibrary.Youleftthebookonabusandwhenyoucontacted the bus company, they couldnotfindit.Writealettertothelibrarianexplainingthe situation and asking what youshoulddo.


Youshouldspendabout20minutes


modelanswer:

LastweekIborrowedanEnglishgrammarbook, "EnglishGrammarExercises" fromyour library to help me improve myknowledge of English. It was extremelyuseful, sowhen Iwent to visit a friend Itook the book with me to show her howgooditwas.

Unfortunately, when I was on the busgoing home, I fell asleep andmissedmybus stop. I woke up at the next stop andrushedforwardtothedrivertoaskhimtostop but forgot to bring the book. As aresult,thebookwasleftonthebus.WhenIrangthebuscompanythenextday,they

could not find it and suggested thatsomebodymusthavepickeditup.

CouldyoupleaseletmeknowwhatIhaveto do now? As I am an internationalstudent I do not have very muchmoney,butofcourseIwillpayforanewcopyofthebookifthisisnecessary.

Yoursfaithfully

Sample47

Youcelebratedyourbirthdaywithsomefriendslastweekinarestaurant.Itwasagreatsuccessandyouandyourfriendsenjoyedtheeveningverymuch.

Writealettertotherestauranttothankthem.Mentionthefood,serviceandthe

atmosphere. Also suggest anyimprovementstomakethingsbetter.



Youdo NOT need to write yourownaddress.

modelanswer:

DearSir,

LastweekonSaturdaynightsomefriendsand I had dinner in your restaurant tocelebrate my birthday. I am writing tothank you for the great evening that wehad.

Allmyfriendsremarkedafterwardsonthestandard of the food and service that wereceived.All the foodwas very tasty andwell presented. Our waiter, whose namewas James,was fast and friendly and putwith well with our bad jokes! Therestaurant itself was warm and friendlyand the atmosphere showed that all thedinerstherewereenjoyingtheirevening.

I would like though to suggest oneimprovement. One of my friends is avegetarian and he felt that the choice forvegetarianswas little small. If you coulddevelopthat,itwouldbeagreatadvantagetoyourrestaurant.

Once again Iwould like to thank you formyhighlyenjoyablebirthdaydinner.Yoursfaithfully,

RebeccaAhlinder

Sample48

YouaregoingtostudyinacollegeintheUKnextyear.YouwouldliketostayinacollegeHallofResidence.Writealettertothecollegegivingyouraccommodation requirements. Youshouldoutlinewhatyourroomandfoodneedsareandalsoaskwhatalternativesare available if they cannot providewhatyouwant.



Youdo NOT need to write your


modelanswer:

RespectedSir,

Ihave just recentlybeenawardedaplaceatyouresteemedcollegeand Inowwritewith respect to my accommodationrequirementsformyfirstinitialyear.

AsIwillnotknowanyoneattheCollege,IwouldliketospendmyfirstyearinaHallofResidenceso that Icanmeetpeople inthisplace. Iwouldprefer theHall tobeasingle sex female only hall andwith fullboardso that Iwon'thave toworryaboutcooking for myself. In addition I alsorequire a vegetarian choice as I amvegetarian. If there are no halls offering

the above then I would be satisfied in ahall with kitchens so I can cook. InadditionIwouldnotliketosharemyroomandIwouldpreferensuitefacilitiesifyouhavehallsofferingthis.

Thanking you for your assistance inadvance, I look forward to hearing fromyousoon.

Yourssincerely,

AnnadaSilva

Sample49

Last week you were on a flight toLondon. Unfortunately, when you leftthe plane, you left a bag. You did notrememberaboutthebaguntilyougotto

yourhotel.Write a letter to the airline. Explainwhat has happened, describe the baganditscontentsandsaywhatyouwouldlikethemtodoaboutit.




modelanswer:

DearSir,

IamwritinginconnectionwithabagthatIleftononeofyourplanes.Lastweekon

Tuesday 4th May I came to London onflight ABC from New York. My seatnumberwasR5.Theplanearrived late atnight and Iwas tired.As a resultwhen Igothome,IrememberedthatIhadleftmybagontheplaneundertheseatinfrontofme.

Mybagissmallandmadeofblackleatherwithazipopeningthe top.Inside thebagthere isapen,apaperbackIwasreading,somecarkeysandmydiary.

Therefore would your lost propertydepartment please check and see if theyhave my bag and contact me as soon aspossibletoletmeknowwhethertheyhavefounditornot?

You can contact me on my mobile

telephone number which is: 01753 853736.Thankingyou in advance for your help, Ilookforwardtohearingfromyousoon.

Yourssincerely,

JohnSmith

Sample50

You have just returned home afterliving with a family in an English-speakingcountryforsixmonths.

Younowrealisethatyouleftasmallbagofpersonalpossessionsinyourroom.Write to the family describing thethingsyouleftbehind.Askthemtosendsome ar all of them to you. Offer to

coverthecosts.




modelanswer:

DearMr.andMrs.Hooper,

I hope you are all well. The flight homeseemedverylongbutmyfamilyallcameto meet me at the airpoint, which wasfantastic. Thank you so much for havingme-Ienjoymytimewithyouverymuch.

Ihaveafavourtoask.WhenIgothome,Irealised that I had left a small blackhandbag inmy bedroom.Youmay recallthatIboughtmyselfanewbagwhileIwasinSydneyandI'mprettysureIputtheoldoneunderthebed.

Idon'treallyneedthebagbutsomeofthethingsinsideareofsentimentalvalueandIwouldbeverygratefulifyoucouldsendthemtome.Thereisaredaddressbook,asmallleatherwalletwithsomephotosandasilvernecklace.Noneoftheotherthingsare important sopleasedon'tworryaboutthem.Couldyouplease letmeknowhowmuch the postage is and I will send youthemoneytocoverthecost.

Looking forward to hearing from yousoon.Thankyouonceagainforyourhelp.

Lovetoallthefamily.

Maria

Sample51

Youareunhappyaboutaplan tomakeyour local airport bigger and increasethenumberofflights.Youliveneartheairport.

Write a letter to your local newspaper.Inyourletter:

•explainwhereyoulive

•describetheproblem

•givereasonswhyyoudonotwantthisdevelopment.

Yo ushould write at least 150words.



modelanswer:

DearSir/Madam,

I amwritingwith regard to the article inyournewspaperdated7thSeptember.Myhouse is situatedwithin 20minutes walkoftheairport.Pleaseallowmetopointoutthe problems which have caused seriousdamageontheresidentialarea.Iamfullysurethattheproblemsmustbeaggravated

if the plan is carried out to expand theairportandIncreasethenumberofflights.

First of all, the low-flying aeroplanes areutterly distractive. Theymake such a bignoise that I cannot concentrate onhousework at all. What is worse, I amwoken up by the late hour flights atmidnight;IwasdiagnosedasInsomniatheotherday.Ishouldcallthissituationnoisepollution.

Secondly,Iamafraidthattheexpansionoftheairportmayreducetheplotoflandforthe playground which is underconstruction near the airport at themoment. To sum up, I strongly disagreewith the plan. I would appreciate if youcould possiblywrite the article about theproblems and disagreement as I said

above.

Yoursfaithfully

Sample52

Youareduetostartanewjobnextweekbutyouwillnotbeable tobecauseyouhavesomeproblems.Writealettertoyournewemployer.Inyourletter:

•explainyoursituation

•describeyourproblems

• tell him/her when you think you canstart.

Y o ushould write at least 150

words.



modelanswer:

DearMsBarnes,

I am writing concerning the position ofAssistantOfficeManagerthatIamduetobegin nextMonday. However, a problemhasarisen.

As you know, I currently work for myuncle’s food-packing business, and youwill remember from my interview that Ihavegainedvaluableexperiencethere.

Unfortunately, he has had to go intohospitalforanoperation,leavingmyauntin charge of both the home and thebusiness. She has asked me, as this is aparticularlybusytimeofyear,tostayonandhelpherwiththerunningoftheoffice.

I realise thiswill be inconvenient toyou,but very much hope that, given thecircumstances, you would be prepared toallowmetotakeupmypositionwithyoutwoweekslaterthanplanned.

I would like to emphasise that I remainverykeentoworkwithyou,andthatIwillbe gaining further useful experienceduringthistime.

Ilookforwardtohearingfromyou.

Yourssincerely,

JohnForbes

Sample53

You travelled by plane last week andyoursuitcasewaslost.

You have still heard nothing from theairlinecompany.

Write to the airline and explain whathappened. Describe your suitcase andtell themwhatwas in it.Findoutwhattheyaregoingtodoaboutit.

Y o ushould write at least 150

words.



modelanswer:

DearSirs,

Iwasoneof thepassengerswho took theflight from Narita (Tokyo) to Heathrow(London)on5August.Unfortunately,mysuitcasedidnotcomeoutafter the flight.Although I have explained this Mr.McDonald who was in charge at theLuggage Claim Office I have not heardfromhimasofnow.

MysuitcaseisgreySamsonitewhosesizeis10x95cm.Thereare3steckersononeside and 1 heart shaped stecker on theother side. My initials "AR" are alsowrittenonbothsides.There are a few books and a copy ofmythesisinthatsuitcasewhichIneedfortheconferenceon19August.So I would deeply appreciate it if youcouldgivemeapromptreplyatyourmostconvenient. My flight number, luggageclaim number and address are writtenbelow.FlightNo:NH101

LuggageClaimNo:00026

Address:6HSilverStreet

London.NWI65AL

YoursFaithfully.

Sample54

You borrowed some books from yourschool or college library.Unfortunatelyyou have to go away to visit a sickrelativeandcannotreturn thebooks intime.Write a letter to the library. Explainwhat has happened and tell themwhatyouwanttodoaboutit.



Youdo NOT need to write your

ownaddress.

modelanswer:

DearSirorMadam,

I am writing this letter to explain why Ihavebeenunabletoreturnthethreebookshaveoutonthree-dayloan,whicharenowoverdue.

Aftertakingthebooksouton16thMarch,Ihadanurgentphonecallfrommyelderlyaunt's neighbour to say thatmy aunt hadhadafallandhadbeentakenintohospital.I am her only surviving relative in thiscountry, so I felt I had to go and see herimmediately. I travelled down to Surreythe following morning, thinking I wouldstayforonlytwoorthreedays.

Unfortunately, my aunt's condition hasonly improvedveryslowly,soIhavehadto stay here longer than expected.However,thehospitalsaysthatifallgoeswell,sheshouldbeabletogohomeintwoorthreedays'time,inwhichcaseIwillbebackatthebeginningofnextweek.Dealing inmind thecircumstances I trustyouwill kindlywaive any fines thatmayhaveaccumulated.Yourssincerely

Sample55

Youhavehadabankaccount fora fewyears. Recently you received a letterfromthehankstatingthatyouraccountis$240overdrawnandthatyou will he charged $70 which will he

taken directly from your account.Youknowthatthisinformationisincorrect.

Writealettertothebank.Explainwhathas happened and say what you wouldlikethemtodoaboutit.




modelanswer:

DearSir,

IamwritinginreplytoaletterIreceived

from you a few days ago. In your letteryou state that I am $240 overdrawn andthatyouwillbechargingme$70.

Iwould like topointout that thereasonIam overdrawn is because of a mistakemade by your bank. If you look throughyour records you will see that I wroteseveralweeksagoexplainingthesituation.For the last twelve months, I have beenpaying $300 a month for a car I boughtlastsummer.Themonthlypaymentsweretaken directly from my bank account.However, two months ago I sold the carandIwrotetoyouinstructingyoutostoppayingthemonthlyinstalments.Ireceiveda letter from you acknowledging myrequest,but,forsomereason,nothingwasdoneaboutit.Another$300instalmenthasbeenpaidthismonthandthisisthereason

whyIamoverdrawn.

I would like you to contact the garagewhere I bought the car explaining yourerror.Iwouldalsolikeyoutoaskthemtoreturnthemoney.

Yoursfaithfully,

PStoft

Sample56

You have a friend who lives in a cityabroad. You have decided that youwouldliketoapplytodoacourseatoneofthecollegesinthiscity.

Write to your friend explaining whatyouwouldliketodo.Tellhim/herwhat

type of work or studies you have beendoingforthepastfewyearsandaskforassistance in contacting an appropriateinstitution.




modelanswer:

DearAnita

SorryIhaven'twrittenforages. I'vebeensobusyoverthelastyearandIneverseemtohaveaminutetomyself.

I'd like to study electrical engineering atuniversity in Australia next year and Ihopeyoucangivemesomeadvice.IthinkIwouldpreferMelbournebecauseIknowafewpeoplefrommyvisitlastyear.

Thisyear I'mdoingmaths andphysics atschoolandIhopetodowellinmyexams.However, I really don't know whichuniversity to apply to, so could you sendme some information about differentcolleges? Also can you find out whatqualifications I need? For intance, as anoversease student, do I have to take anEnglishtest?

Ihopeyoudon'tminddoingthisforme.Itismuchbettertogetthisinformationfromsomeone who lives in the country, so Ihopetohearfromyousoon.

Manythanks,

Rosanna

Sample57

Yourecentlyboughtanitemofclothingfromashop.Youdiscoveredthatithada fault and returned it to the shop forreplacement or refund. However, theassistant told you that this was againstthestore'spolicy.

Write a letter to the store manager,explaining the problems you have had.Ask for a refund or exchange on theitem.




modelanswer:

10thJanuary,2004

DearSirorMadam

Re:faultyjumperandrefundrefusal

On Wednesday 2nd January, I bought agreen long-sleeved jumper from yourstore. The jumperwasmedium-sized andmadefomcotton.Itcost$59.95anditwasnotonspecial.

When I gothome, I discovered that therewasasmallholeintheleftsleeve.Itlookslike a rip of some kind and the stitchinghasunravelled.Ireturnedtoyourshopthenext day to ask for an identicalreplacement jumper. Unfortunately therewerenoneinstock.ThereforeIaskedforarefund. However, the shop assintantrefusedtogivemearefundbecauseitwasnotthepolicyofthestore.

Iamwritingtodemandarefundor,atthevery least, a replacement jumper. Thejumperisunwearableasit isandIdonotwanttobuyanythingelse.Ihopethatyoucanassistmeinthismatter.IfIdonotgetsatisfaction, Iwillbe forced toseek legaladvice.

Yourssincerely

SusanMilne.

Sample58

Youare organisinga trip to theSnowyMountains in New South Wales for agroup of students from Perth inWesternAustralia.

WritetothemanagerofStudentHostelServices and explainwhen youwant tovisit the Snowy Mountains, how longyouwillstay,howmanystudentsareinyour party, and what accommodationyouwillreuire.

modelanswer:

DearManagerofStudentHostelServices,

IamwritingtoseekaccommodationintheSnowyMountains for agroupof studentsfromPerth.

Weexpect tobe in theSnowyMountainsbetween June 1 and June 12. There arefourteen people in our group, five men,seven women and a married couple. Thefive men will accept dormitoryaccommodation,andthewomenarehappyto share rooms, but the married couplewould like a double room. We hope tokeepourexpensesaslowaspossible.

Please tellme about recreational servicesinthearea.Thegroupwillbringtheirownboots forbushwalking,butwearehopingto hire equipment for other sports, likeskiing. Some of our group will want tohiregeologicalpicksandotherequipment,

if possible. We also need to know aboutaccess to caves and other interestinggeologicalfeaturesinthearea.

I am looking forward to receivinginformation about the Student HostelServicesandotherfacilities.Yourssincerely

AmandaChan

Sample59

You have a friend who lives in a cityabroad.

Youhavedecidedthatyouwouldliketoapply to do a course at one of thecollegesinthiscity.Write to your friend explaining what

youwouldliketodo.Tellhim/herwhattype of work or studies you have beendoingforthepastfewyearsandaskforassistance in contacting an appropriateinstitution.

modelanswer:

DearAnita,

SorryIhaven'twrittenforages. I'vebeensobusyoverthelastyearandIneverseemtohaveaminutetomyself.

I'd like to study electrical engineering atuniversity in Australia next year and Ihopeyoucangivemesomeadvice.IthinkIwouldpreferMelbournebecauseIknowafewpeoplefrommyvisitlastyear.

Thisyear I'mdoingmaths andphysics atschoolandIhopetodowellinmyexams.However, I really don't know whichuniversity to apply to, so could you sendme some information about differentcolleges? Also can you find out whatqualifications I need? For instance, as anoverseas student, do I have to take anEnglishtest?

Ihopeyoudon'tminddoingthisforme.Itismuchbettertogetthisinformationfromsomeone who lives in the country, so Ihopetohearfromyousoon.

Manythanks,

Rosanna

Sample60

Write a letter to the InformationOfficerattheTAPEInformationOfficeasking for information about theTertiaryPreparationCertificate.

Describe your educational backgroundandyour reasons forwanting todo thecourse.



modelanswer:

DearSir/Madam,

I would like some information about theTertiary Preparation Certificate. Ifpossible I would like to enroll in this

courseasapart-timestudentin1992.

I left school eight years ago aftercompleting the 1ISC. Since then I haveworked as a sales assistant in bothGraceBrosandDavidJones.Fromthebeginningof this year I have been in charge of theChildren's Wear Department in GraceBros,Lilyfield.

However, in order to advance any furtherinmycareer intoamanagerialposition,Iwillneedtodosomefurtherstudy,suchasaMarketingorBusinessCourse.BecauseIhavenotstudiedformanyyears,Ibelievethat I should complete the TPC beforeenrollinginaBusinesscourse.Couldyoupleasesendmetheinformationas soonaspossible, and tellme thedatesfor enrolling in the Tertiary Preparation

Certificate.

Yoursfaithfully.

19. General IELTSWritingTask2

Sample1


Writeaboutthefollowingtopic:

Some people think women should beallowed to join the army, the navy andtheairforcejustlikemen.To what extent do you agree ordisagree?

Givereasonsforyouranswer.


modelanswer:

Whether women should be allowed toserveinthemilitaryhastriggeredspiriteddebate. Some assert that the status quoshould be changed andwomen should beentitled to join the armed forces.Personally, I fundamentally agree withtheirassertion-forthreereasons.

History has shown that women are fullycapableofperformingwellinthemilitary.Historically, there were a host of valiantwomen soldiers whose achievementsreally put their male counterparts toshame.One need only look at the classic

examplesofJoanofArcandMulantoseehow exceptionally women could performonthebattlefield.Inmyobservation,theirdetermination,courageanddignity,tothisday, are still being admired by malesoldiersandciviliansalikethroughouttheworld.

Moreover,fromanenlightenedstandpoint,femalepatriotsshouldbegrantedtherightto go to the front line when theirmotherland is involved in a war.Admittedly, gender inequality was ahighlycontroversialissueinthetwentiethcentury. However, now twelve years intothenewmillennium,womencanlearnandteach,workandsupervise,voteandvotedinmostcountriesjustlikemen.Inlightofthissweepingprogressingenderequality,thereisnosenseindenyingthemtheright

todefend their homecountrywhenawarbreaksout.

In sum, keeping military services out ofboundsofwomenintheinformationageisunwarranted.Ihavebeenconvincedthatitisinthebestinterestofanationifwomenare also granted equal rights in thisparticulararena.

(254words)

Sample2



Machinetranslation(MT)isslowerand

less accurate than human translationand there is no immediate orpredictable likelihood of machinestakingoverthisrolefromhumans.

Doyouagreeordisagree?


Readthefollowingsampleanswer.

Complete the answer by filling the gapswithawordorphrasefromtheboxbelow.

o nthecontrary

forinstance especially because

f o rthesereasons inorderto itistrue ofcourse

similarly however i tseems tome

forexample

It is true that there have been greatadvancesintechnologyoverthelastfortyyear s ..................... the use of mobilephones and e-mail communication arecommon these days.....................,machinesthattranslatefromonelanguagetoanotherarestillintheirearlystages.

....................thatamachinecouldneverdoas good a job as a human,....................whenitcomestointerpretingwhatpeopleare saying....................., machines cantranslatestatementssuchas“Whereisthebank?”butevensimplestatementsarenotalways straightforward.................... themeaningdependsonmorethanjustwords..................... the word “bank” has a

number of differentmeanings inEnglish.How does a translating machine knowwhichmeaningtotake?

.................... understand what people aresaying, you need to take into account therelationship between the speakers andtheir situation.Amachine cannot tell thedifferencebetweentheEnglishexpression“Look out!” meaning “Be careful!” and“Look out!” meaning “Put your head outof thewindow”.Youneedahumanbeingtointerpretthesituation..................... with written language, it isdifficult for a machine to know how totranslateaccurately....................werarelytranslate every word....................., we tryto take into consideration how the ideawouldbeexpressedintheotherlanguage.This is hard to do.................... every

language has its own way of doing andsayingthings..................... I feel that it ismostunlikelythat machines will take the place ofhumans in the field of translating andinterpreting. If machines ever learn tothink, perhaps then they will be in apositiontotakeonthisrole.

ModelAnswer:

It is true that there have been greatadvancesintechnologyoverthelastfortyyears.Forexample/Forinstancetheuseof mobile phones and e-mailcommunication are common these days.However, machines that translate fromone language to another are still in theirearlystages.Itseemstomethatamachinecouldnever

do as good a job as a human,especiallywhenitcomestointerpretingwhatpeopleare saying.Of course, machines cantranslatestatementssuchas“Whereisthebank?”butevensimplestatementsarenotalways straightforwardbecause themeaningdependsonmorethanjustwords.For instance / For example the word“bank” has a number of differentmeanings in English. How does atranslatingmachine knowwhichmeaningtotake?In order to understand what people aresaying, you need to take into account therelationship between the speakers andtheir situation.Amachine cannot tell thedifferencebetweentheEnglishexpression“Look out!” meaning “Be careful!” and“Look out!” meaning “Put your head outof thewindow”.Youneedahumanbeing

tointerpretthesituation.

Similarly with written language, it isdifficult for a machine to know how totranslate accuratelybecause we rarelytranslateeveryword.Onthecontrary,wetrytotakeintoconsiderationhowtheideawouldbeexpressedintheotherlanguage.Thisishardtodobecauseeverylanguagehas its own way of doing and sayingthings.

For these reasons I feel that it is mostunlikelythatmachineswill taketheplaceof humans in the field of translating andinterpreting. If machines ever learn tothink, perhaps then they will be in apositiontotakeonthisrole

Sample3



Many newspapers and magazinesfeaturestoriesabouttheprivatelivesoffamouspeople.Weknowwhattheyeat,where they buy their clothes and whothey love.Wealso often seepictures oftheminprivatesituations.

Is it appropriate for a magazine ornewspaper to give this kind of privateinformationaboutpeople?

Givereasonsforyouranswer.


modelanswer:

Generally,peoplereadnewspaperstofindout about world current affairs and theyread magazines to be entertained.Therefore, one would expect to findarticles that feature the private lives offamous people in magazines rather thannewspapers. However, nowadays, moreandmore newspapers include stories likethese which are neither informative noruseful.

In my opinion, this type of gossip aboutpeople's private lives should not be innewspapersforseveralreasons.Firstly,forexample, the fact that Princess Diana isgoing out with a sportsman is notimportant news. Secondly, if newspaperswant to publish articles about famouspeople they should focus on their publicevents and achievements. In otherwords,

if there isanarticleaboutPrincessDianait should be about her works of charity,which will increase public awareness ofimportant problems. In addition,journalists should make sure that theywrite about the facts only, not rumours.Oneshouldbeable torelyonnewspapersfortheactualtruth.

Magazines, on the other hand, focus onsocial news. But I feel it is moreacceptable for them to contain somefeatures about famous personalities. Inaddition to being popular reading, thesestories often benefit the stars by givingfree publicity to them, thereby helpingtheircareers.However,Ialsobelievethatmagazine stories should not mentionthingsthataretooembarrassingoruntruejusttoattractpeopletobuythemagazine.

Sensational stories, such as these, causegreatunhappinesstothepeopleconcerned.

In conclusion, I think newspapers shouldconcentrate on real news but magazinescan feature some articles on people'sprivatelives.

(268words)

Sample4



Some people feel that certain workerslike nurses, doctors and teachers areundervalued and should be paid more,

especially when other people like filmactorsorcompanybossesarepaidhugesums of money that are out ofproportion to the importance of theworkthattheydo.

-Howfardoyouagree?

-Whatcriteriashouldbeusedtodecidehowmuchpeoplearepaid?

You should use your own ideas,knowledge and experience and supportyour arguments with examples andrelevantevidence.


modelanswer:

Nobody can deny that there are certainprofessionals like nurses, doctors andteacherswhoareessential tothefabricofsociety, and who should therefore berewarded accordingly. However, this isseldom the case. When we look at thesalaries and fees commanded by certainfilm stars and actresses and people whorun large companies, this does not seemfair.

First of all, not all film stars earn hugesumsofmoney.Infact,atanyonetimeintheUK, for example, roughly80per centofactorsareoutofworkandontopofthatthe number who are paid so-called‘telephone number fees’ is even smaller.Onemustalsorememberthatthecareerofmany actors is very short and thattherefore the money they earn has to be

spreadovermanyyears.Thesameappliestocompanybosses.

Stating a set of criteria as to how muchpeopleshouldbepaidisnoteasy.Theideaof performance-related pay is very muchinvogueatthemoment.Rewardingpeopleaccording to qualifications has long beenusedasayardstickforpayingpeople,butit is not a consistently good measure.Another is years of relevant experience,buttherearemanycaseswhereayoungerperson can perform a task better thansomeonewithlotsofexperience.

Whatever criteria are used to assesssalaries, an on-going cycle will develop.This will create pressure in other areas.This considered, generally I feel thatcertainkeyprofessionalsshouldhavetheir

salaries assessed by independent reviewbodiesonanon-goingbasissothattheydonotfallbehind.

(269words)

Sample5



Some people consider computers to bemoreofahindrancethanahelp.Othersbelievethat theyhavegreatly increasedhumanpotential.

How could computers be considered ahindrance?

Give reasons foryouranswerand includeany relevant examples from your ownexperience.


Lookatthewordsorphrasesincapitals.Correctyourversionwherenecessary.

It is easy tounderstandwhysomepeopleTHINKcomputersaremoreofahindrancethanahelp.THINGSLIKEGETTINGMYMONEY BACK FROM BANK orchanging a ticketAREEASYWITHOUTUSING COMPUTER, yet once one isinvolved, the process can become time-consuming, complex and prone to errors.INALLTHEOFFICESI'VESEEN,itcansometimesseemthatforeveryhoursavedby computers, at least set of problems

caused by THE COMPUTERSBREAKING DOWN. THIS WASTES ALOTOFTIME.

ALSO,over-enthusiasticuseofcomputersin the home has the potential to divertlarge amounts of free time away fromTHINGS LIKE socialising, taskingexercise or having dinner with yourfamily. Spending a lot of leisure timelooking at a computer monitor screenHINDERS achieving other goals in life,LIKE being healthy and sociallyintegrated.

However, it would be simplistic to SAYthat computersARE BAD. THEY HAVECAUSED ENORMOUSIMPROVEMENTS in communications,medicine,design,educationandLOTSOF

OTHER THINGS. THESE DAYS,virtuallyEVERYTHINGWEKNOWisasfar away as the nearest internet point.Computershavebroughtaboutaprofoundchange in the way most people in RICHCOUNTRIESlive.(Althoughitshouldnotbe forgotten that the majority of theinhabitants of this planet have neverEVENUSEDACOMPUTERONCE.)

THEREAREDEFINITELYMOREGOODTHINGS THAN BAD THINGS ABOUTCOMPUTERS. The question is not DOcomputers help or hinder, but DO WEalways use THEM in a sensible andresponsibleway?

ModelAnswer:

It is easy tounderstandwhysomepeople

believe thatcomputers are more of ahindrance than a help.Operations such asobtaining a refund or changing a tickettend to be fairly straightforward withoutthe aid of a computer, yet once one isinvolved, the process can become time-consuming, complex and prone to errors.Inanofficeenvironment,itcansometimesseem that for every hour saved bycomputers,atleastsetofproblemscausedbyasystemmalfunction.Another consideration is that, over-enthusiasticuseofcomputersinthehomehasthepotentialtodivertlargeamountsoffree time away fromactivities such associalising, tasking exercise or havingdinnerwithyourfamily.Spendingalotofleisuretimelookingatacomputermonitorscreencouldperhapsachievingothergoalsin life,suchasbeinghealthyandsocially

integrated.However, it would be simplistic toassertthat computershave a generally negativeimpact. There have been enormousadvences in communications, medicine,design, education andnumerous fields ofhumanendeavour.Nowadays,virtuallytheentire sumof human knowledge is as faraway as the nearest internet point.Computershavebroughtaboutaprofoundchange in the way most people inthedevelopedworld live. (Although it shouldnot be forgotten that the majority of theinhabitants of this planet have neversomuchastouchedacomputerkeyboard.)The benefits of computers undoubtedlyoutweigh thedisadventages. The questionis notwhether computers help or hinder,butwhetherpeople always usetheir hugepotential in a sensible and responsible

way?

Sample6



Modern lifestyles mean that manyparents have little time for theirchildren.Many children suffer becausetheydonotgetasmuchattention fromtheirparentsaschildrendidinthepast.



1)Lookatthewordsorphrasesincapitals.

Choosethewordorphrasewhichsoundsmoreformal.

2)Rewritethefinalparagraphinamoreformalstyle.

People who SAY/ARGUE that nowadaysparentsgivelessattentiontotheirchildrenthan in the past areFREQUENTLY/OFTENlookingback toaSHORT/BRIEF period of time in thetwentieth century whenMOTHERS/MUMS in middle-classfamiliesREMAINED/STAYEDathometolook after their children. What thesepeopleareSUGGESTING/SAYINGisthatwomen nowadays should not go out towork.THE FACT OF THE MATTER ISTHAT/ACTUALLY in MOST/THE

MAJORITYOF families in the past bothparents worked MUCH LONGERHOURS/MORE than they do nowadays.What has changed is that now in mostcountries their childrenATTEND/GOTOschool rather than also workingthemselves. In that sense they may SEELESSOF/HAVELESSCONTACTWITHtheirparents.Nowadays,asaresultofACQUIRINGANEDUCATION/GOING TO SCHOOL,children come into contact with teacherswho NATURALLY/OF COURSE have toexplain why some of their students arefailing. What teachers come up with areLOTS OF/FREQUENT stories of parentswhoareSIMPLY/JUSTtoobusyfor theirCHILDREN/KIDS. And IF CHILDRENARE NOT SUPERVISED BY THEIRPARENTS/IF PARENTS DON’T KEEP

AN EYE ON THEIR CHILDREN, theywilloftenDOBADLY/UNDERPERFORMat school. However, FAILURE ATSCHOOL/ACADEMIC FAILURE isnothing new even when one or bothparents are at home. If children ARENEGLECTED/DON’T HAVEATTENTIONGIVENTOTHEMby theirparents,theywillsuffer.I guess children probably had moreproblems in the pastwhen they and theirparents had to work non-stop just to getby. These days, the law looks afterchildren and they can go to school, sochildrenhavelotsmorechancesthantheyeverhadbefore.

1. Lo o kat the words or phrases incapitals. Choose the word or phrasewhichsoundsmoreformal.

2. Rewritethefinalparagraphinamoreformalstyle.

People whoARGUE that nowadaysparentsgivelessattentiontotheirchildrenthan in the past areFREQUENTLYlookingbacktoaBRIEFperiodoftimeinthetwentiethcenturywhenMOTHERSinmiddle-class familiesREMAINED athome to look after their children. Whatthese people areSUGGESTING is thatwomen nowadays should not go out towork.

THE FACT OF THE MATTER ISTHAT inTHEMAJORITYOF familiesin the past both parents workedMUCHLONGER HOURS than they donowadays.What has changed is that nowinmostcountries theirchildrenATTEND

school rather than also workingthemselves.InthatsensetheymayHAVELESSCONTACTWITHtheirparents.

Nowadays, as a result ofACQUIRINGAN EDUCATION, children come intocontact with teachers whoNATURALLYhavetoexplainwhysomeoftheirstudentsare failing. What teachers come up witha r eFREQUENT stories of parents whoa r eSIMPLY too busy for theirCHILDREN. AndIF CHILDRENARENOT SUPERVISED BY THEIRPARENTS, they will oftenUNDERPERFORM at school. However,ACADEMIC FAILURE is nothing neweven when one or both parents are athome. If childrenARENEGLECTEDbytheirparents,theywillsuffer.

I guess children probably had moreproblems in the pastwhen they and theirparents had to work non-stop just to getby. These days, the law looks afterchildren and they can go to school, sochildrenhavelotsmorechancesthantheyeverhadbefore.

Inmyopinion,childrenprobablysufferedmore in the past when the whole familywas obliged to work long hours just tosurvive. Nowadays children are protectedby the law.Moreover access to educationmeansthattheyhavegreateropportunitiesthaneverbefore.

Sample7



In most countries multinationalcompanies and their products arebecomingmoreandmoreimportant.This trend is seriously damaging ourqualityoflife.



Thewriterhas tried to avoid repeatingthesamewordstoooftenintheanswer.Read the sample again and findsynonymsorphraseslaterintheanswerwithsimilarmeaningstotheunderlinedwords.

modelanswer:

Multinationalcompaniesnowadaysfinditeasybothtomarkettheirproductsalloverthe world and set upfactories wherevertheyfinditconvenient.Inmyopinionthishas hadaharmfuleffectonourqualityoflifeinthreemainareas.

Thefirstareaistheirproducts.Supportersof globalization would argue thatmultinational companies make high-quality goods available to more people.While thismaybe true to someextent, italso means that we have less choice ofproducts tobuy. When powerfulmultinational companies invade localmarketswiththeirgoods, theyoftenforcelocal companies with fewer resources togooutofbusiness.Inconsequence,weareobliged to buy multinational productswhetherwelikethemornot.

This bringsme tomy second point. It issometimes said that multinationalcompanies and globalisation are makingsocieties more open. This may be true.However,Iwouldarguethatasaresultthehumanraceislosingitsculturaldiversity.If we consumeddifferent products,societiesallovertheworldwouldbemorevaried.Thiscanbeseenbythefactthatweall shop insimilar multinationalsupermarkets and buy identical productswhereverwelive.

Thirdly, defenders of multinationalcompanies often point out that theyprovideemployment. Although this isundoubtedly true, it also means that wehave become moredependent on them,whichinturnmakesusmorevulnerabletotheir decisions. When, for example, a

multinational decides to move itsproduction facilities to another country,this has an adverse effect on its workerswholosetheirjobs.All in all, I believe that if we as voterspressured our governments to makemultinationalcompaniesmoreresponsibleand to protect local producers fromoutside competition, we could have thebenefits of globalisation without itsdisadvantages.

modelanswer:

Multinationalcompaniesnowadaysfinditconvenientboth tomarket theirgoodsallover the world and set upproductionfacilitieswherevertheyfinditconvenient.In my opinion this has hadan adverseeffectonourqualityof life in threemain

areas.

Thefirstareaistheirproducts.Supportersof globalization would argue thatmultinational companies make high-quality goods available to more people.While thismaybe true to someextent, italso means that we have less choice ofproducts toconsume. When powerfulmultinational companies invade localmarkets with their goods, they oftenareobliged local companies with fewerresources to go out of business. Inconsequence, we are obliged to buymultinational products whether we likethemornot.

This bringsme tomy second point. It issometimes said that multinationalcompanies and globalisation are making

societies more open. This may be true.However, I wouldpoint out that as aresultthehumanraceislosingitsculturaldiversity. If we consumedvariedproducts, societieswherever we livewouldbemorevaried.Thiscanbeseenbythe fact that we all shop inidenticalmultinational supermarkets and buyidenticalproductswhereverwelive.

Thirdly, defenders of multinationalcompanies often point out that theyprovidejobs.Althoughthisisundoubtedlytrue, it also means that we have becomemorevalnurable on them, which in turnmakes us more vulnerable to theirdecisions. When, for example, amultinational decides to move itsproduction facilities to another country,this has an adverse effect on its workers

wholosetheirjobs.

All in all, I believe that if we as voterspressured our governments to makemultinationalcompaniesmoreresponsibleand to protect local producers fromoutside competition, we could have thebenefits of globalisation without itsdisadvantages.

Sample8



More and more qualified people aremoving from poor to rich countries tofill vacancies in specialist areas like

engineering,computingandmedicine.

Somepeoplebelievethatbyencouragingthe movement of such people, richcountries are stealing from poorcountries. Others feel that this is onlypart of the natural movement ofworkersaroundtheworld.



modelanswer:

The so-called ‘brain drain’ from poor torich countries is now robbing poorercountries of essential personnel likedoctors,nurses,engineers,andthetrendissettocontinue,ifnottogetworse.

Somepeoplesaythismovementofpeoplearound the world is not a newphenomenon. Migrant workers havealwaysbeenattractedbythewiderchoiceofemploymentandgreateropportunityinmajor cities in their own countries andabroad.Recently,asthetechnologicalagehas advanced and as richer countries findthemselves with not enough workers tofeed their development, they have had toruntootherpartsof theworld tofind thenecessary manpower. Many richerEuropeancountries, forexample,arenowtrying to attract skilled IT workers frommyhomecountryIndiabyofferinghighersalaries than they could hope to earn athome.Withtheglobalisationoftheworldeconomy, many people feel that theprocesscannotbestopped.

Others,myselfincluded,areoftheopinionthatmeasures should be taken to addressthe problem, by compensating poorercountries financially for the loss ofinvestmentinthepeopletheyhavetrained,like doctors and nurses.Admittedly, thismaybecumbersometoadminister,butanattempt could be made to get it off theground. Another step, which in part hasalready begun to happen, is to use theforces of globalization itself. Westerncountries could encourage people to stayintheirowncountriesbydirectinvestmentin projects like computer factories or bysendingpatientsabroadfortreatment,asisalreadyhappening.

It is obviously difficult to restrict themovementofpeoplearoundtheworldandit isprobablyfoolish to try tostop it,but

attempts should be made to redress theimbalance.

(291words)

Sample9



Computers and modems have made itpossible for office workers to domuchof their work from home instead ofworking in offices every day. Workingfromhomeshouldbeencouragedasitisgoodforworkersandemployers.




Completetheanswerbyfillingthegapswithawordorphrasefromtheboxbelow.

Also because T h efirst isthat

ForExample

Secondly Finally Inconclusion since

suchas while Ontheotherhand

A further point isthat

In recent years the vast expansion ofinformation and communications

technology has made teleworking muchmore practical. Although in many casesoffice workers could be madegeographically independent by usingmodems, faxes and cell phones, fewcompanies or employees take fulladvantageofthispossibility.

Thereareanumberofstrongargumentsinfavor of allowing workers to work fromhome. Firstly costs for employers wouldbe reduced.................... businesseswouldrequire less office space, which is oftensituated in the center of large cities....................., worker's lives would beimproved in a variety of ways.....................,theywouldnotneedtotravelto get to work, which would give themmorefreetime....................., they could combine their

work with their family life, which is amajor advantage if they are parents ofyoungchildrenortheyhaveoldpeopletolook after....................., traveling to acentralized workplace also has a numberof points in its favor..................... manyemployeeswouldmissthesocialaspectofwork.................... seeing colleagues andmeeting customers.....................employerswould need to be able to trusttheir workers to work at a high standardandfinishtheirworkontime,....................supervising teleworkers is even morecomplicated than supervising workers inthesameoffice.

...................., working from home mightinhibitteamworkandcreativeworkandsoperhaps soonly really suitable forpeopledoingroutineofficework.

...................., I believe that....................manyworkerswelcometheopportunitytogo out to work, others would find thechance to work from home veryconvenient. Where possible, I thinkworkers shouldbeoffered thechoice,butnotforcedtoworkfromhomeunlesstheywishto.

In recent years the vast expansion ofinformation and communicationstechnology has made teleworking muchmore practical. Although in many casesoffice workers could be madegeographically independent by usingmodems, faxes and cell phones, fewcompanies or employees take fulladvantageofthispossibility.

Thereareanumberofstrongargumentsin

favor of allowing workers to work fromhome. Firstly costs for employers wouldbe reducedbecause businesses wouldrequire less office space, which is oftensituated in the center of large cities.Secondly, worker's lives would beimproved in a variety of ways.Forexample,theywouldnotneedtotraveltogettowork,whichwouldgivethemmorefreetime.Also, theycouldcombine theirworkwiththeir family life, which is a majoradvantage if they are parents of youngchildren or they have old people to lookafter.On the other hand, traveling to acentralized workplace also has a numberof points in its favor.The first is thatmany employees would miss the socialaspect of worksuchas seeing colleaguesandmeetingcustomers.Afurtherpointis

that employers would need to be able totrust their workers to work at a highstandard and finish their work on time,since supervising teleworkers is evenmore complicated than supervisingworkersinthesameoffice.

Finally,workingfromhomemightinhibitteamwork and creative work and soperhaps soonly really suitable forpeopledoingroutineofficework.

Inconclusion, I believe thatwhilemanyworkerswelcometheopportunitytogooutto work, others would find the chance towork from home very convenient.Wherepossible,Ithinkworkersshouldbeofferedthe choice, but not forced to work fromhomeunlesstheywishto.

Sample10



Nowadays many students have theopportunity to study for part or all oftheircoursesinforeigncountries.While studying abroad brings manybenefits to individual students, it alsohasanumberofdisadvantages.



Whichof these thingsshouldyou includeinyouranswertothisquestion?

WriteYES,NOORMAYBEnexttoeachquestion.

1 What problems students may havestudyingabroadandwhatisgoodaboutit.....................2 What countries gain and lose frompeoplegoingabroadtostudy.....................3 Whether governments should subsidisestudents’studiesabroad.....................4 Your personal experience of studyingabroad, or the experience of people youknow.....................5 What is wrong with your country’seducationsystem.....................

Sample11


Completetheanswerbyfillingthegapswithawordorphrasefromtheboxbelow.

although because finally firstly

i nmyopinion suchas for

example moreover

secondly furthermorew h a tismore therefore

incontrast dueto ontheotherhand

In recent years there has been a vastincrease in the number of studentschoosing to study abroad. This is partly....................peoplearemoreaffluentandpartly.................... the variety of grantsand scholarships which are available foroverseas students nowadays.....................

foreign study is not something whichevery student would choose, it is anattractiveoptionformanypeople.Studying overseas has a number ofadvantages....................., it may givestudentsaccesstoknowledgeandfacilities.................... laboratories and librarieswhich are not available in their homecountry....................., by looking abroadstudentsmayfindawiderrangeofcoursesthan those offered in their country’suniversities, and.................... one whichfits more closely to their particularrequirements....................., studying abroad has anumber of drawbacks. These may bedivided into personal and professional..................... students have to leave theirfamily and friends for a long period..................... studying abroad is almost

always more expensive that studying inone’s local university. ....................,students often have to study in a foreignlanguage, which may limit theirperformance andmean they do not attaintheirtruelevel....................., however, the disadvantagesof studying abroad are usually temporaryin nature. Students who study abroadgenerally become proficient in thelanguage quite soon and they are onlyaway from their family and friends for ayear or two....................., many of thebenefits last students all their lives andmakethemhighlydesirabletoprospectiveemployers.

Answer

In recent years there has been a vastincrease in the number of studentschoosing to study abroad. This is partlybecause people are more affluent andpartlydue to the variety of grants andscholarships which are available foroverseas students nowadays.Althoughforeign study is not something whichevery student would choose, it is anattractiveoptionformanypeople.

Studying overseas has a number ofadvantages.Firstly/For example, it maygive students access to knowledge andfacilitiessuchaslaboratoriesandlibrarieswhich are not available in their homecountry.Furthermore/Moreover/Whatismore/Secondly, by looking abroadstudentsmayfindawiderrangeofcoursesthan those offered in their country’s

universities, andtherefore onewhich fitsmore closely to their particularrequirements.

ontheotherhand,studyingabroadhasanumber of drawbacks. These may bedivided into personal and professional.Firstlystudentshavetoleavetheirfamilyand friends for a long period.Furthermore/Moreover/What ismore/Secondly studyingabroad isalmostalways more expensive that studying inone’s local university.Finally/Furthermore/Moreover/What ismore, students often have to study in aforeign language, which may limit theirperformance andmean they do not attaintheirtruelevel.

In my opinion/On the other hand,

however, the disadvantages of studyingabroad are usually temporary in nature.Students who study abroad generallybecome proficient in the language quitesoon and they are only away from theirfamily and friends for a year or two.Furthermore/Whatismore,manyofthebenefits last students all their lives andmakethemhighlydesirabletoprospectiveemployers.

Sample12



As mass communication and transportcontinuetogrow,societiesarebecomingmore and more alike leading to aphenomenon known as globalization.Somepeoplefearthatglobalizationwillinevitably lead to the total loss ofculturalidentity.

Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththisstatement?

Give reasons foryouranswerand includeany relevant examples from your ownknowledgeorexperience.Writeatleast250words.

modelanswer:

Globalizationmeansthatinsomewayspeoplearoundtheworldarebecoming

moreandmoresimilar.Weofteneatthesamefood,watchthesameTVprogrammes,listentothesamemusicandwewearthesameclothes.Someofthisatleastcanbeblamedonthespreadofmultinationalbrandsavailableallovertheworld.Onthesurface,itmayappearasiftheglobaldiversityofculturalidentitiesisbeinglost.If,theargumentgoes,peopleinTokyoandLondonlookanddressthesame,thenthatmustmeanthatculturaldifferencesaredisappearing.However,Iwouldarguethatthisisaverynarrowdefinitionofcultureandthatinfactculturaldifferencesareaspresentasever.CulturalIdentityisbuiltonfarmorethanjustthefilmswewatchorthejeanswewear.Thefoundationofculturalidentityissharedvalues.Whenyoulookindetailat

differentcultures,yourealizethatthethingsthatareimportanttooneculturecanbeverydifferentfromthethingsvaluedbyanotherculture.Takemyownculture,India,asanexampleandcompareittoaverydifferentculture,Japan.AlthoughIhavenevervisitedJapanpersonally,Ibelievethatitisaculturewhichplacesalotofvalueonhardworkandthatpeopleoftenworkverylonghours.TheIndianpeople,incontrast,greatlyvaluetheirleisuretimeandstrivetospendasmuchlimewiththeirfamilyastheypossiblycan.Evenifweconsumethesameproducts,Iwouldarguethattherearestillsomeverydeep-rooteddifferences.Tosummarize,Idonotacceptthatthattotallossofculturalidentityisinevitable,despitetheinfluenceoflargecompanies

andtheirproductsaroundtheglobe.

Sample13



In some countries young people havelittleleisuretimeandareunderalotofpressuretoworkhardintheirstudies.

What do you think are the causes ofthis?

Whatsolutionscanyousuggest?

Give reasons foryouranswerand include

any relevant examples from your ownknowledgeorexperience.


modelanswer:

Some young people find themselveswithverylittleleisuretime.Ibelievetherearetwomaincausesofthissituation.Thefirstis parental pressure and the second iscompetitionforuniversityplaces.

Everyparentwantstoseehisorherchilddo well in school and go on to have asuccessful career. This means that theyexert pressure on their children to spendhours each day studying at home. Someeven arrange extra tuition for theirchildren. In my own country, it is not

uncommon for young people to spendanother three hours at small privateschoolsaftertheirusualdayatstaleschoolis over. As a consequence, their leisuretimeisextremelylimitedandthepressureonthemisconsiderable.

The second cause is related to the highereducation system. Each year, there aremany timesmore applicants touniversitythanthereareuniversityplaces.Theresultofthisisthatonlythosestudentswithveryhighgradesmanagetoobtainaplace.Thiscontributes to the pressure on teenagerssince theymust work long hours to haveanychanceofsuccess.

Onesolutiontotheproblemisforparentsto be made aware of the effects of thepressure they put on their children.

Schools should inform parents that toomuch pressure can lead to anxiety, stressand depression. They should be shownwaysinwhichtheycanhelptheirchildrenleadmorebalancedliveswithareasonableamountofleisuretime.

Another effective measure would be forthegovernmenttoinvestinthecreationofmoreuniversityplaces.Thiscouldbedoneby expanding existing universities or bybuilding new ones. This would have theeffect of easing competition for placesgiving teenagers some of their preciousfreelimeback.

(296words)

Sample14


Scientists and the news media arepresenting ever more evidence ofclimatechange.Governmnetscannotbeexpectedtosolvethisproblem.It is theresponsibility of individuals to changetheir lifestyle to prevent furtherdamage.

Whatareyourviews?


Give reasons foryouranswerand includeany relevant examples from your ownknowledgeorexperience.

modelanswer:

Recently scientists worried about climatechange have urged governments tointroduce measures to reduce thegreenhousegasemissionsthatareseenasits main cause. Simoultaneouslty,politicians and environmentalists haveurgedindividualstomakechangestotheirlifestyle. I shall argue that governmentsand individuals should take joinresponsibilityforthisproblem.

Firstly, industry accounts for a largeproportion of the greenhouse gasemissions,andthiscanonlybecontrolledbygovernmentaction.Measurescouldbetaken to discourage pollution, such aslimiting or taxing the use of fossil fuels.Alternatively, subsidies could be offered

to industries to clean up their productionprocesses. If these ideas were adopted, Ibelieve that businesses would regardpollutionasafinancialissue.

Secondly, only discussion betweengovernmentscanensurethatsolutionsaresuccessful. The Kyoto agreement, forexample, tried to reach global agreementon how to address the problem. Withoutsuch co-operating, it seems to me thatefforts to reduce fuel consumption areunlikelytobeeffective.However, national and internationalpolicies will only secceed if individualsalso change their lifestyle. For example,people could think more carefully abouthow they use energy in their homes. Byusing less electricity, installing energy-efficient light bulbs and electrical

appliances, or investing in solar panels,individualscanmakearealdifference.

Inaddition, I think individualattitudes totransport need to change. Instead ofmaking short tips by car, people couldchoosetowalk,cycle,ortakeabus.Sincecars are a major source of the problem,changingourbehaviourinthisareawouldhaveamajorimpact.

Inconclusion,Iwouldmaintainthatonlyacombination of international agreement,national policies, and changes inindividual behaviour will succeed inpreventing further damage to theenvironment.

(291words)

Sample15



Somepeoplesaythatadvertisingencouragesustobuythingsthatwereallydonotneed.Otherssaythatadvertisementstellusaboutnewproductsthatmayimproveourlives.

Whichviewpointdoyouagreewith?

Givereasonsforyouranswerandincludeanyrelevantexamplesfromyourownknowledgeorexperience.


modelanswer:

The purpose of advertising is to tell theconsumer about any new product orservice or any new promotion on theexistingproductandservice.Weneeditsowe canmakegooddecisionswhenwegoshopping. Advertising tells us when newand improved products become availableandletsusknowwhichoneshavethebestprice.

Through advertising we learn about newproducts. For example, many grocerystores now sell prepackaged lunches.These are very convenient for busyparents. They can give these lunches to

their children to take to school. Busyparents don’t have time to look at everyitem on the store shelf, so withoutadvertising they might not know aboutsuchaconvenientnewproduct.

Evenproductswearefamiliarwithmaybeimproved, and advertising lets us knowabout this. Most people use cell phones,but new types of cell phone servicebecome available all the time. There aredifferentplansthatgiveyoumorehourstotalk on the phone, you can send textmessages and photos, and next weekprobablysomeevennewertypeofservicewill be available. By watchingadvertisementsonTVitiseasytofindoutabout new improvements to all kinds ofproducts.

Advertisements keep us informed aboutprices. Prices change all the time, buteveryone can look at the ads in thenewspaper and see what the latest pricesare.Advertisements also inform us aboutsales. In fact, some people buy thenewspaper only in order to check thepricesandplantheirweeklyshopping.

Advertisements improve our lives bykeeping us informed about the latestproductsdevelopmentsandthebestprices.Advertisementsserveausefulpurpose.

(281words)

Sample16



Successfulsportsprofessionalscanearnagreatdealmoremoneythanpeopleinotherimportantprofessions.Somepeoplethinkthisisfullyjustifiedwhileothersthinkitisunfair.

Discussboththeseviewsandgiveyourownopinion.



modelanswer:

As a result of constant media attention,sports professionals in my country havebecomestarsandcelebrities,and thoseatthe top are paid huge salaries. Just likemovie stars, they live extravagantlifestyleswithhugehousesandcars.

Many people find their rewards unfair,especially when comparing these supersalaries with those of top surgeons orresearch scientists, or even leadingpoliticianswhohave the responsibility ofgoverning the country. However, sportssalariesarenotdeterminedbyconsideringthecontributiontosocietyapersonmakes,or the level of responsibility he or sheholds. Instead, they reflect the publicpopularityofsportingeneralandthelevelofpublicsupportthatsuccessfulstarscangenerate.Sothenotionof‘fairness’isnot

theissue.

Thosewho feel that sports stars’ salariesare justifiedmight argue that the numberof professionals with real talent are veryfew,andthemoneyisarecognitionoftheskillsanddedicationapersonneeds tobesuccessful.Competition is constant and aplayeristestedeverytimetheyperformintheir relatively short career. The pressurefromthemediaisintenseandthereislittleprivacyoutofthespotlight.Soallofthesefactorsmayjustifythehugeearnings.

Personally, I think that the amount ofmoney such sports stars make is morejustified than the huge earnings ofmoviestars,butatthesametime,itindicatesthatour society places more value on sportthan on more essential professions and

achievements.

(251words)

Sample17



Schoolchildrenarebecomingfartoodependentoncomputers.Thisishavinganalarmingeffectonreadingandwritingskills.Teachersneedtoavoidusingcomputersintheclassroomatallcostsandgobacktoteachingbasicstudyskills.Doyouagreeordisagree?



modelanswer:

Nowadays modern technology has totallychanged our approach to study. In manycountries studentsno longerhave tocopynotes by hand from the blackboard;instead the teacher gives them aphotocopy.Ratherthanmessyinkandpen,students present a typed-up copy of theirassignments. Their computer even checkstheir spelling as they go. In fact, somepeople believe that modern technologydoesalotofourthinkingforusand,asaresult,we are going to loseour ability to

thinkforourselves.

In my opinion, spelling skills havedefinitely deteriorated in recent years. Somanyyoungpeopleusemobilephones tosend text messages where speed andconciseness are more important thanspelling or grammar. Some teacherscomplainthatthesestudentstakethesameattitudetowardtheirassignments.

On theother hand, typed assignments aremucheasier to read and aremuchneater.Frankly, I find somenotesor textswhicharehandwrittenalmostimpossibletoread.Doctors, for example, have a reputationforillegiblehandwriting,whichcouldleadtodisastrousmedicalmistakes.Perhapsitistimewefocusednotonhandwritingbutonpresentinginformationasaccuratelyas

possible.

OneadvantageofcomputersisthataccesstotheInternethasopenedupanewworldof learning for us.We no longer have towait for a book that has already beenborrowed from the library before we doour research. In fact, the Internet canclearlybeusedtoresearchinformationinthe same way as a library but moreconveniently.

Onthewhole,ratherthanholdingstudentsback, I believe modern technology hasactually improved standards of educationconsiderably.

(276words)

Sample18



Governmentsshouldmakemoreefforttopromotealternativesourcesofenergy.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththisopinion?



modelanswer:

Ithasbeenknownforsometimenowthat

amove towards sources of energy whichare not carbon-based is urgently requiredto stop the effects of global warming. Inmy view, there are too few governmentswhoseemtobepromotingtheuseofothertypesofenergysuchaswind,wave,solarandnuclearsourcesofenergy.

Governmentsatpresentare too reliantoncoil, oil and gas. Although somegovernments are doing research into theuse of alternative energy sources, manyarenot.Energyfromthewind,theseaandthe sun does not pollute the environmentand is an everlasting source of power.Nuclearpower isclean,andalthoughit isnot totally unproblematic, it wouldprovide a large amount of energy anddramatically improve the environment.CountriessuchasFrancehavemadegood

useofnuclearpower.

Myfeelingisthatmoreusecouldbemadeof wind power. In some countries, therehasbeenareluctancetousewindturbines,even in areas which are not denselypopulated,assomepeoplebelievetheyareeyesores.Personally,Ibelievetheyarenotonly useful, but beautiful as well.Governmentsshouldspendmoretimeandeffort promoting the benefits of thissource of energy and trying to make thepublicunderstandthereasonforchange.

In conclusion, I believe that, ifgovernments forced everyone to have awind turbine and solar panels on thebuilding they live in, made more use ofwavepowerandbuiltmorenuclearpowerstations, then theywouldmanage toavert

the dangers that are seriously threateningtheEarth.

(268words)

Sample19



CountiessuchasChina,IndiaandJapanhaveunsustainablepopulationgrowths.Infactmanyexpertsareoftheopinionthatthepopulation‘explosion’whichisnowaveryworryingconcern,isthemostseriousthreattolifeonthisplanet.

Givesomesuggestionstoaddressthis

problem.


modelanswer:

It is true that the population ‘explosion’which has taken place over the lastcentury,isaveryseriousproblem.Oneofthe main reasons for this unacceptablepopulation growth is a lack ofunderstanding about the environment.Over-population is the major reason forwater, soil and air pollution. It is alsooften the cause of starvation and evenwars. Experts have put forward manysuggestions to address this problem. Thefollowingarejustafewofthese.

The most important weapon we have to

fightpopulationgrowthiseducation.Thisshouldstartataveryearlyagei.e.beforechildren even go to school. TV cartoonsand children’s programs can be used toeducate the very young. At high schoollevel, students can be taught about theproblemmoredirectly.Atuniversitylevel,scholarships should be made available tostudentswhowish tostudyfurther in thisfield. International exchange groups mayalsohelptoincreaseawareness.

Another important means of controllingpopulation growth is to disadvantagepeople who have more than one or twochildren. This can be done, as it is inChina,bymeansofahighertax.Althoughit is controversial, persons who comeforward to be sterilized could be given asumofmoney. Itmayalsobepossible to

make it advantageous for people to haveonly one child by giving such couples aspecialtaxdeduction.

It should also be possible to makecontraception devices free to the publicandeasilyobtainable.

This problem is a very difficult one toaddressbutweshouldmakeeveryefforttodo so. There are many other problemswhichare related toover-population suchas increasing crime, illiteracy andpollution. So by addressing one problemwewouldbeaddressingtheothersaswell.

(298words)

Sample20



Inarecentsurveyconductedinthiscountry,itwasfoundthatupto20%oftwelveyear-oldsinsomeschoolswereshowingearlysignsofnicotineaddiction.Intheeighteentotwentyyearagebracketthepercentagewasashighas70%.AlargecontributingfactortothishighlevelofaddictionisattributedtotheuncensoredTVadvertisingofcigarettes.Forthisreasonallcigaretteadvertisingshouldbebanned.

Discuss.


modelanswer:

Theissueofcigaretteadvertisingisanimportantone,especiallyinthiscountrywheresomanyyoungadolescentssmoke.Oneofthemaincausesofthisproblemispeerpressure.Anothercauseisadvertising,especiallyTVadvertising.Smoking,asweallknow,leadstoanumberofhealthproblemssuchascancerandheartdisease.Manypeoplethinkthatcigaretteadvertisingshouldnotbebannedsincethiswouldlimitourfreechoiceinthismatter.Howeverthereisgrowingevidencethatthisseriousproblemisgettingoutofcontrol.Letusexaminethefactsmoreclosely.

Themostimportantreasonwhycigaretteadvertisingshouldbebannedisthatcigaretteisbadforourhealth.Smokingcauseslungcancerandheartdisease.Manypeoplealsosufferfromslowandpainfuldeathfromadiseasecalledemphysema.Anotherimportantreasonwhycigaretteadvertisingshouldbebannedisthatitcoststhetaxpayermoney.Peoplewhobecomesickfromsmokinghavetobecaredforinexpensivehospitals.Inadditiontheirdeathsoftenresultsinfinancialproblemfortheirfamilies.Finallycigarettesmokingmayleadtoanotherproblemnamelydrugaddiction.Althoughthereisnotconclusiveevidencethatthisoftenhappens,manyexpertsinthisareafeelthatthereisaconnectionbetweenthetwo.

Perhapsasolutiontothisproblemistheeducationofyoungchildrenconcerningthedangersoftakingupthishabit.Alsoaheavytaxcouldbeplacedoncigarettessothatyoungsterswouldnotbeabletoaffordthem.Inanycase,itseemsbeyondanyreasonabledoubtthatcigaretteadvertisingshouldbebanned.

(267words)

Sample21

Youshouldspendabout40minutesonthistask.Writeaboutthefollowingtopic:

Illiteracyhastraditionallybeenviewedaslargelyathirdworldproblem.Howeveritisbecomingapparentthatin

countriessuchastheUSAandAustralia,illiteracyisontheincrease.

Discusspossiblecausesforthisanditseffectonsociety.Writeatleast250words.

modelanswer:

Itistruethatilliteracyisbecomingaseriousprobleminindustrialisednations.Thisissurprisingasmostpeoplethinkthatthisisaproblemonlyinunder-developednationssuchasinpartsofAfricaandIndia.Illiteracyisrelatedtomanyotherproblemssuchaspoverty,over-populationandgovernmentalcorruption.Letustakeamoredetailed

lookatthecausesofthisgrowingprobleminmanyWesternnations.Oneofthemostobviousreasonsfortheincreaseinilliteracyistheadventoftelevision.Childrennolongerhavetoreadtoobtaininformation.Neitherdotheyhavetoreadtorelax.Todaychildrengethomefromschoolandgostraightto“thebox”towatchtheirfavoriteprogram.Watchingtelevisionismucheasierandmoreexcitingthanreading.Anotherreasonfortheincreaseinilliteracyisthefactthatsomanywomenwork.Thismeansthatchildrenareoftenaloneathomeandsotheyareunsupervised.Whenparentsgethometheyareoftentootiredtospendqualitytimewhittheirchildren.Itisalsotruethatmanypeopleblameschoolsforthedeclineinilliteracy.In

manycountriestherehasbeenamoveawayfromteachingbasicskillssuchasreadingandwriting.Therearemanyeffectsofthisgrowingilliteracyrate.Themostobviousisunemployment.Thismayinturnleadtoalcoholanddrugabuse.Ultimatelytheeconomyofthecountrybeginstosufferandthereisadropinlivingstandards.Toaddressthisproblem,parentsneedtobecomemoreawareoftheirresponsibilitiesandschoolsneedtoconsiderachangeintheirteachingmethods.Ifthisworseningtrendisnotreversed,theproblemofilliteracywillbecomeveryserious.

(286words)

Sample22


Usingacomputereverydaycanhavemorenegativethanpositiveeffectsonyourchildren.Doyouagreeordisagree?

Givereasonsforyouranswerandincludeanyrelevantexamplesfromyourownknowledgeorexperience.Writeatleast250words.

modelanswer:

Itendtoagreethatyoungchildrencanbenegativelyaffectedbytoomuchtime

spentonthecomputereveryday.Thisispartlybecausesittinginfrontofascreenfortoolongcanbedamagingtoboththeeyesandthephysicalpostureofayoungchild,regardlessofwhattheyareusingthecomputerfor.However,themainconcernisaboutthetypeofcomputeractivitiesthatattractchildren.Theseareoftenelectronicgamesthattendtobeveryintenseandratherviolent.Theplayerisusuallythe‘hero’ofthegameandtoomuchexposurecanencouragechildrentobeself-centredandinsensitivetoothers.Evenwhenchildrenuseacomputerforotherpurposes,suchasgettinginformationoremailingfriends,itisnosubstituteforhumaninteraction.Spendingtimewithotherchildrenandsharingnonvirtualexperiencesisanimportantpart

ofachild'sdevelopmentthatcannotbeprovidedbyacomputer.Inspiteofthis,theobviousbenefitsofcomputerskillsforyoungchildrencannotbedenied.TheiradultworldwillbechangingconstantlyintermsoftechnologyandtheInternetisthekeytoalltheknowledgeandinformationavailableintheworldtoday.Thereforeitisimportantthatchildrenlearnatanearlyagetousetheequipmententhusiasticallyandwithconfidenceastheywillneedtheseskillsthroughouttheirstudiesandworkinglives.Ithinkthemainpointistomakesurethatyoungchildrendonotoverusecomputers.Parentsmustensurethattheirchildrenlearntoenjoyotherkindsofactivityandnotsimplysitathome,learningtoliveinavirtualworld.

(273words)

Sample23


Intoday'scompetitiveworld,manyfamiliesfinditnecessaryforbothparentstogoouttowork.Whilesomesaythechildreninthesefamiliesbenefitfromtheadditionalincome,othersfeeltheylacksupportbecauseoftheirparents'absence.



modelanswer:

Inthepastatypicalfamilyconsistedofafatherwhowentouttoworkandamotherwhostayedathomeandlookedafterthechildren.Nowadays,itisthenormforbothparentstowork.Thissituationcanaffectchildrenbothpositivelyandnegatively.Somepeoplethinkthatthechildrenofworkingparentsareinanadvantageouspositionwheretheirparentsareabletoaffordmereluxuriessuchasnewclothes,videogamesormobilephones.Proponentsofthisviewarguethatchildrenareabletoenjoyandexperiencemorefromlifeduetotheirparents'extrawealth,forexample,

bygoingonforeignholidays.Ontheotherhand,however,therearethosewhoclaimthatwhenbothparentswork,theirchildrendonotgetenoughsupportandattention,meaningthatthechildrenmightnotdoaswellatschoolbecausethereisnooneathousetoprovidesupportwithsuchthingsashomeworkorexamrevision.Theabsenceofaparentathomecouldmakeiteasierforchildrentogetinvolvedinsuchthingsasdrugsorundertakedrinking.WhenIwasgrowingup,bothmyparentsworkedandIwasalwayswellprovidedfor.Ontheotherhand,IthinkthatitwouldsometimeshavebeenbetterifIcouldhaveseenmoreofmyparents.Inconclusion,Ibelievethatwecannotchangethefactthatbothparentshavetoworknowadays.Itisnotanidealsituation,

butifparentsmaketimefortheirchildrenintheeveningsandattheweekends,thenthechildrenwillnotsufferinanyway.Itmustbestatedthattheextraincomegeneratedbybothparentsworking,makesforamuchhigherstandardoflivingwhichbenefitsthewholefamily.

(295words)

Sample24


Ifyoucouldchangeoneimportantthingaboutyourhometown,whatwouldyouchange?Usereasonsandspecificexamplesto

supportyouranswer.


modelanswer:

IfIcouldchangeonethingaboutmyhometown,Ithinkitwouldbethefactthatthere’snosenseofcommunityhere.Peopledon’tfeelconnected,theydon’tlookoutforeachother,andtheydon’tgettoknowtheirneighbors.Peoplecomeandgoalothere.Theychangejobsfrequentlyandmoveon.Thismeansthattheydon’tputdownrootsin

thecommunity.Theydon’tjoincommunityorganizationsandthey’renotwillingtogetinvolvedintryingtoimprovethequalityoflife.Ifsomeonehasapetitiontoputinanewstreetlight,shehasaveryhardtimegettingalotofpeopletosign.Theydon’tfeelithasanythingtodowiththem.Theydon’tgetinvolvedinimprovingtheschoolsbecausetheydon’tthinkthequalityofeducationisimportanttotheirlives.Theydon’tseetheconnectionbetweenthemselvesandtherestoftheircommunity.Peopledon’ttrytosupportothersaroundthem.Theydon’tkeepafriendlyeyeontheirchildren,orcheckinonolderfolksiftheydon’tseethemforafewdays.They’renotawarewhenpeoplearoundthemmaybegoingthroughahardtime.Forexample,theymaynotknowifa

neighborlosesalovedone.There’snotalotofcommunitysupportforindividuals.Neighborsdon’tgettoknoweachother.Again,thisisbecausepeoplecomeandgowithinafewyears.Sowhenneighborsgoonvacation,nooneiskeepinganeyeontheirhouse.Nooneismakingsurenothingsuspiciousisgoingonthere,likelightsinthemiddleofthenight.Whenneighbors’childrenarecuttingacrosssomeone’slawnontheirbikes,there’snofriendlywayofcasuallymentioningtheproblem.Peopleimmediatelyactasifit’samajorpropertydisagreement.Myhometownisaniceplacetoliveinmanyways,butitwouldbemuchniceifwehadthatsenseofcommunity.

(331words)

Sample25


Acompanyhasannouncedthatitwishestobuildalargefactorynearyourcommunity.Discusstheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofthisnewinfluenceonyourcommunity.Doyousupportoropposethefactory?Explainyourposition.


modelanswer:

Newfactoriesoftenbringmanygoodthingstoacommunity,suchasjobsandincreasedprosperity.However,inmyopinion,thebenefitsofhavingafactoryareoutweighedbytherisks.ThatiswhyIopposetheplantobuildafactorynearmycommunity.Ibelievethatthiscitywouldbeharmedbyalargefactory.Inparticular,afactorywoulddestroythequalityoftheairandwaterintown.Factoriesbringsmogandpollution.Inthelongrun,theenvironmentwillbehurtandpeople’shealthwillbeaffected.Havingafactoryisnotworththatrise.Ofcourse,morejobswillbecreatedbythe

factory.Ourpopulationwillgrow.Toaccommodatemoreworkers,morehomesandstoreswillbeneeded.Dowereallywantthismuchgrowth,sofast?Ifourtownisgoingingrowth,Iwouldpreferslowgrowthwithgoodplanning.Idon’twanttoseerowsofcheaplyconstructedtownhouses.Ourqualityoflifemustbeconsidered.Ibelievethatthisgrowthwillchangeourcitytoomuch.Ilovemyhometownbecauseitisasafe,smalltown.Itisalsoeasytotravelhere.Ifwemustexpandtoholdnewcitizens,thesmall-townfeelwillbegone.Imouldmissthatgreatly.Afactorywouldbehelpfulinsomeways.However,Ifeelthatthedangersaregreaterthanthebenefits.Icannotsupportaplantobuildafactoryhere,andhopethatothersfeelthesameway.

(251words)

Sample26


Ithasbeensaid,“Noteverythingthatislearnediscontainedinbooks.”Compareandcontrastknowledgegainedfromexperiencewithknowledgegainedfrombooks.Inyouropinion,whichsourceismoreimportant?Why?


modelanswer:

“Experienceisthebestteacher”isanoldcliché,butIagreewithit.Themostimportant,andsometimesthehardest,lessonswelearninlifecomefromourparticipationinsituations.Youcan’learneverythingfromabook.Ofcourse,learningfrombooksinaformaleducationalsettingisalsovaluable.It’sinschoolsthatwelearntheinformationweneedtofunctioninoursociety.Welearnhowtospeakandwriteandunderstandmathematicalequations.Thisisallinformationthatweneedtoliveinourcommunitiesandearnaliving.Nevertheless,Ithinkthatthemostimportantlessonscan’tbetaught;they

havetobeexperienced.Noonecanteachushowtogetalongwithothersorhowtohaveself-respect.Aswegrowfromchildrenintoteenagers,noonecanteachushowtodealwithpeerpressure.Asweleaveadolescencebehindandenteradultlife,noonecanteachushowtofallinloveandgetmarried.Thisshouldn’tstopusfromlookingforguidelinesalongtheway.Teachersandparentsarevaluablesourcesofadvicewhenwe’reyoung.Asweenterintonewstagesinourlives,theadvicewereceivefromthemisveryhelpfulbecausetheyhavealreadybadsimilarexperiences.Butexperiencingourowntriumphsanddisastersisreallytheonlywaytolearnhowtodealwithlife.

(232words)

Sample27


Nowadays,foodhasbecomeeasiertoprepare.Hasthischangeimprovedthewaypeoplelive?Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyouranswer.


modelanswer:

Thetwentiethcenturyhasbroughtwithitmanyadvances.Withthoseadvances,humanliveshavechangeddramatically.Insomewayslifeisworse,butmostlyitisbetter.Changesinfoodpreparationmethods,forexample,haveimprovedourlivesgreatly.Theconvenienceofpreparingfoodtodayisamazing.Evenstoveshavegottentooslowforus.Microwavecookingismucheasier.Wecanpressafewbuttonsandamealiscompletelycookedinjustashorttime.Peopleusedtospendhourspreparinganoven-cookedmeal,andnowtheycanusethattimeforother,betterthings.Plus,thereareallkindsofportable,prepackagedfoodswecanbuy.Heatthemintheofficemicrowave,andlunchatworkisquickandeasy.Foodpreparationtodayallowsformore

variety.Withrefrigeratorsandfreezers,wecanpreservealotofdifferentfoodsinourhomes.Sincetechnologymakescookingsomuchfaster,peoplearewillingtomakeseveraldishesforevenasmallmeal.Parentsaremorelikelytoletchildrenbepicky,nowthattheycaneasilyheatthemupsomeprepackagedmacaroniandcheeseontheside.Needlesstosay,adultslivinginthesamehousemayhaveverydifferenteatinghabitsaswell.Iftheydon’twanttocookalotofdifferentdishes,it’scommonnowtoeatoutatrestaurantsseveraltimesaweek.Healthfuleatingisalsoeasierthanevernow.Whenpeoplecook,theyusenewfatsubstitutesandcookingspraystocutfatandcalories.Thisreducestheriskofheartdiseaseandhighcholesterol.Additionally,

wecanbuyfruitsandvegetablefresh,frozenorcanned.Theyareeasytoprepare,somanyofuseatmoreofthosenutritiousitemsdaily.Ahundredyearsago,youcouldn’timaginetheprocessoftakingsomefrozenfruitandicefromthefreezer,addingsomelow-fatyogurtfromaplasticcupandsomejuicefromacanintherefrigerator,andwhippingupalow-fatsmoothieintheblender!Ourlifestyleisfast,butpeoplestilllikegoodfood.Whatnewfoodpreparationtechnologyhasgivenusismorechoices.Today,wecanpreparefoodthatismoreconvenient,healthier,andofgreatervarietythaneverbeforeinhistory.

(376words)

Sample28


Doyouagreeordisagreewiththefollowingstatement?Parentsarethebestteachers.Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyouranswer.


modelanswer:

Throughoutmylife,Ihavebeenlucky

enoughtohaveaverygoodrelationshipwithmyparents.Theyhavesupportedme,givenmenecessarycriticism,andtaughtmeagreatdealabouthowtolivemylife.Parentscanbeveryimportantteachersinourlives;however,theyarenotalwaysthebestteachers.Parentsmaybetooclosetotheirchildrenemotionally.Sometimestheycanonlyseetheirchildrenthoughtheeyesofaprotector.Forexample,theymaylimitachild’sfreedominthenameofsafety.Ateachermightseeatriptoabigcityasavaluablenewexperience.However,itmightseemtoodangeroustoaparent.Anotherproblemisthatparentsmayexpecttheirchildren’sintereststobesimilartotheirown.Theycan’tseemtoseparatefromtheirchildrenintheirmind.Iftheylovescience,theymaytrytoforce

theirchildtolovesciencetoo.Butwhatiftheirchild’strueloveisart,orwriting,orcarrepair?Parentsareusuallyeagertopassontheirvaluetotheirchildren.Butshouldchildrenalwaysbelievewhattheirparentsdo?Maybedifferentgenerationsneeddifferentwaysofthinking.Whenchildrenareyoung,theybelievethattheirparentsarealwaysrights.Butwhentheygetolder,theyrealizethereareotherviews.Sometimesparents,especiallyolderones,can’tkeepupwithrapidsocialortechnologychanges.Astudentwhohasfriendsofalldifferentracesandbackgroundsatschoolmayfindthatherparentsdon’treallyunderstandorvaluethedigitalrevolution.Sometimeskidshavetofindtheirownwaystowhattheybelievein.

Themostimportantthingtorealizeisthatweallhavemanyteachersinourlives.Ourparentsteachus,ourteachersteachus,andourpeersteachus.Booksandnewspapersandtelevisionalsoteachus.Allofthemarevaluable.

(316words)

Sample29


Peopleattendcollegeoruniversityformanydifferentreasons(forexample,newexperiences,careerpreparation,increasedknowledge).Whydoyouthinkpeopleattendcollege

oruniversity?Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyouranswer.


modelanswer:

Peopleattendcollegesoruniversitiesforalotofdifferentreasons.Ibelievethatthethreemostcommonreasonsaretoprepareforacareer,tohavenewexperiences,andtoincreasetheirknowledgeofthemselvesandtheworldaroundthem.Careerpreparationisbecomingmoreandmoreimportanttoyoungpeople.For

many,thisistheprimaryreasontogotocollege.Theyknowthatthejobmarketiscompetitive.Atcollege,theycanlearnnewskillforcareerswithalotofopportunities.Thismeanscareers,suchasinformationtechnology,thatareexpectedtoneedalargeworkforceinthecomingyears.Also,studentsgotocollegesanduniversitiestohavenewexperiences.Thisoftenmeanshavingtheopportunitytomeetpeopledifferentfromthoseintheirhometowns.Formoststudents,goingtocollegeisthefirsttimethey’vebeenawayfromhomebythemselves.Inadditions,thisisthefirsttimethey’vehadtomakedecisionsontheirown.Makingthesedecisionsincreasestheirknowledgeofthemselves.Besideslookingforself-knowledge,

peoplealsoattendauniversityorcollegetoexpandtheirknowledgeinsubjectstheyfindinteresting.Formany,thiswillbetheirlastchanceforalongtimetolearnaboutsomethingthatdoesn’trelatetotheircareer.Iwouldrecommendthatpeoplenotbesofocusedonacareer.Theyshouldgotocollegetohavenewexperiencesandlearnaboutthemselvesandtheworldtheylivein.

(243words)

Sample30


Inmanycountriestoday,theeatinghabitsandlifestyleofchildrenaredifferentfromthoseofpreviousgenerations.Somepeoplesaythishashadanegativeeffectontheirhealth.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththisopinion?


modelanswer:

Ithasrecentlybeensuggestedthatthewaychildreneatandlivenowadayshasledtoadeteriorationintheirhealth.Ientirely

agreewiththisview,andbelievethatthisalarmingsituationhascomeaboutforseveralreasons.Tobeginwith,thereistheworryingincreaseintheamountofprocessedfoodthatchildrenareeatingathome,withlittleornoneofthefreshfruitandvegetablesthatearliergenerationsateeveryday.Secondly,moreandmoreyoungpeoplearechoosingtoeatinfast-foodrestaurants,whichmaybeharmlessoccasionally,butnoteveryday.Whattheyeatthereisextremelyhighinfat,saltandsugar,allofwhichcanbedamagingtotheirhealth.Thereisalsoadisturbingdeclineintheamountofexercisetheyget.Schoolshavebecomeobsessedwithexams,withtheshockingresultthatsomepupilsnowdonosportsatall.Tomakemattersworse,

fewevengetanyexerciseonthewaytoandfromschool,asmostofthemgointheirparents’carsratherthanwalkorcycle.Finally,childrenarespendingfarmoretimeathome,playingcomputergames,watchingTVorsurfingtheInternet.Theynolongerplayoutsidewithfriendsortakepartinchallengingoutdooractivities.Tosumup,althoughnoneofthesechangescould,onitsown,havecausedwidespreadharmtochildren’shealth,therecanbelittledoubtthatallofthemtogetherhavehadadevastatingeffect.This,inmyopinion,canonlybereversedbyencouragingchildrentoreturntomovetraditionalwaysofeatingandliving.

(267words)

Sample31


Thenumberofoverweightchildrenindevelopedcountriesisincreasing.Somepeoplethinkthisisduetoproblemssuchasthegrowingnumberoffastfoodoutlets.Othersbelievethatparentsaretoblamefornotlookingaftertheirchildren'shealth.Towhatextentdoyouagreewiththeseviews?


modelanswer:

Thereisplentyofevidencetosuggestthatchildrenareoverweightandthesituationisgettingworse,accordingtothemedicalexperts.Ifeelthereareanumberofreasonsforthis.Somepeopleblamethefactthatwearesurroundedbyshopssellingunhealthy,fattyfoodssuchaschipsandfriedchicken,atlowprices.Thishascreatedawholegenerationofadultswhohavenevercookedamealforthemselves.Iftherewerefeweroftheserestaurants,thenchildrenwouldnotbetemptedtobuytake-awayfood.Thereisanotherargumentthatblamestheparentsforallowingtheirchildrento

becomeoverweight.Itendtoagreewiththisview,becausegoodeatinghabitsbeginearlyinlife,longbeforechildrenstarttovisitfastfoodoutlets.Ifchildrenaregivenchipsandchocolateratherthannourishingfood,orarealwaysallowedtochoosewhattheyeat,theywillgoforthesweetandsaltyfoodseverytime,andthiswillcarryonthroughouttheirlives.Thereisathirdfactor,however,whichcontributestothesituation.Childrenthesedaystakeverylittleexercise.Theydonotwalktoschool.Whentheygethome,theysitinfrontofthetelevisionortheircomputersandplayvideogames.Notonlyisthisanunhealthypastime,italsogivesthemtimetoeatmorejunkfood.Whattheyneedistogooutsideandplayactivegamesorsport.Thetwoviewsdiscussedplayanequal

roleincontributingtotheproblem,butIthinkwehavetoencourageyoungpeopletobemoreactive,aswellassteeringthemawayfromfastfoodoutletsandbadeatinghabits.Weneedtohaveabalancedapproach.

Position:Writerreferstoanumberofreasonsintheintroduction,andtotheneedforabalancedviewintheconclusion.Mainideas:Firstsentenceofthesecondparagraph;firstandsecondsentencesofthethirdparagraph;secondsentenceofthefourthparagraph.Linkers:and,accordingto,somepeople,suchas,if,then,thereisanotherargument,because,or,thereisathirdfactor,however,notonly,also,thetwoviews

discussed,but,aswellasReferencewords:the,this,who,themselves,these,thisview,they,their,themTopicvocabulary:medicalexperts,shops,unhealthy,fattyfoods,chips,cooked,take-awayfood,chocolate,sweetandsalty,exercise,walk,television,computers,videogames,unhealthypastime,junkfood,activegames,sport,fastfoodoutletsSentencetypes:Awiderangeofcomplexstructuresandsentencesisused.Length:286words

Sample32


task.Writeaboutthefollowingtopic:

Nowadaysweareproducingmoreandmorerubbish.Whydoyouthinkthisishappening?Whatcangovernmentsdotohelpreducetheamountofrubbishproduced?


modelanswer:

Ithinkitistruethatinalmostevery

countrytodayeachhouseholdandfamilyproducesalargeamountofwasteeveryweek.Mostofthisrubbishcomesfromthepackagingfromthethingswebuy,suchasprocessedfood.Butevenifwebuyfreshfoodwithoutpackaging,westillproducerubbishfromtheplasticbagsusedeverywheretocarryshoppinghome.Thereasonwhywehavesomuchpackagingisthatweconsumesomuchmoreonadailybasisthanfamiliesdidinthepast.Convenienceisalsoveryimportantinmodernlife,sowebuypackagingorcannedfoodthatcanbetransportedfromlongdistancesandstoreduntillweneedit,firstinthesupermarket,andthenathome.However,Ithinktheamountofwasteproduceisalsoaresultofourtendencytousesomethingonceandthrowitaway.We

forgetthateventhecheapestplasticbaghasusedupvaluableresourcesandenergytoproduce.Wealsoforgetthatitisasourceofpollutionanddifficulttodisposeof.Ithink,therefore,thatgovernmentsneedtoraisethisawarenessinthegeneralpublic.Childrencanbeeducatedaboutenvironmentalissuesatschool,butadultsneedtotakeaction.Governmentscanencouragesuchactionbyputtingtaxesonpackaging,suchasplasticbags,byprovidingrecyclingservicesandbythinghouseholdsandshopsthatdonotattempttorecycletheirwaste.Withthepoliticalwill,suchmeasurescouldreallyreducetheamountofrubbishweproduce.Certainlynobodywantstoseeourresourcesusedupandourplanetpoisonedbywaste.

(270words)

Sample33


Recentfiguresshowanincreaseinviolentcrimeamongyoungstersundertheageof18.Somepsychologistsclaimthatthebasicreasonforthisisthatchildrenthesedaysarenotgettingthesocialandemotionallearningtheyneedfromparentsandteachers.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththisopinion?

Givereasonsforyouranswerandinclude

anyrelevantexamplesfromyourownknowledgeorexperience.Writeatleast250words.

modelanswer:

Itdoesseemtobetruethatparentsfindteachershavelosttheauthoritytheyusedtohave,especiallyintheeyesofteenagers.Theyarenolongerseenasmodelsforbehavior:hardwork,politenessandotherpositivequalitiesareseenasoldfashioned.Manyyoungpeoplehavenorespectforthesequalitiesorthepeoplewhorepresentthem.Infact,Ithinkwhenyoungpeopletodayaresorebelliousthatit'spossiblethatbothparentsandteachersareafraidtoexercisetheirauthority.

However,Idonotagreethatthisisthebasicreasonfortheincreaseinteenageviolence.WhileIbelieveitistruethatalackofsocialandemotionallearningcontributestotheproblem.Otherfactorsaresurelyinvolved:economicfactors,forexample.Ifachildcomesfromapoorfamilyandtheyliveinlow-qualityhousinginallundesirablearea,thisissuretoaffectthechild,howeverlovingtheparentsare.Thereisalsothequestionofwhoyourfriendsare.Ibelievethatwhenyouareinyourteensyourfriendshavemoreinfluenceonyouthanyourparentsorteachers.Atthatage,youwanttobepartofagroup,orevenagang,andthismightleadtobreakingthelawinanumberofways.Inconclusion,whileIagreethatlackof

socialandemotionallearningfromparentsandteachersisafactorinthegrowthofteenageviolence,Idonotbelievethatitistheonlyormaincause.

(255words)

Sample34

Youshouldspendabout40minutesonthistask.Presentawrittenargumentorcasetoaneducatedreaderwithnospecialistknowledgeofthefollowingtopic:

Accordingtothoseinthetravelbusiness,thenatureoftheaverage'holiday'ischanging.Ratherthanseekingarelaxingbreakinafar-awayplace,peoplenowwantexitementon

theirholidaysandarekeentoparticipateinunusualandchallengingactivities.Doyouagreeordisagree?

Youshouldwriteatleast250words.Useyourownideas,knowledgeandexperienceandsupportyourargumentswithexamplesandwithrelevantevidence.

modelanswer:

Holidaysareimportantbecausetheyprovideabreakfromournormaldailyroutineandfromtheworldofwork.Traditionally,holidayshavebeenseenasatimeforrelaxationandasanopportunitytovisitanothercountryinordertofindout

aboutitsgeographyandcustoms.Nowadays,however,itseemsthatothertypesofholidayarebecomingpopular.Somepeoplewanttheirholidaytobeakindofadventure,andfindthismoreexcitingthangoingtothebeachorvisitingmuseums.Onanadventureholiday,youmaystayinquitebasicaccommodation,ratherthanaluxurioushotel.Activitiesmayinvolvethingssuchasbushwalkingorcycling,ormayformpartofanaidprojectdesignedtohelpcommunitiesinremoteareas.Holidayssuchasthesearepopularwithpeopleofallagesandcanoftenhelptopromotetourisminruralenvironments.Theincreasingpopularityofdangeroussportshasalsoboostedthenumberofadventureholidays;forexample,watersports,mountainclimbingorparagliding.

Theseholidaysaremorepopularwiththeyoungergeneration,astheycanbebothphysicallyandmentallydemanding.Participantsareoftenseekingthesortofthrillsthattheycannotgetinordinarylife.Thereisnowgreaterawarenessofthedamagingeffectsofmasstourismandthismaybeonereasonforthechangingnatureofholidays.Thiscanonlybeagoodthing.Butperhapspeoplearealsodiscoveringthatitisjustasrefreshingtotakeanactiveholiday,asitistolieonabeach-thoughthatisstillaquestionofpersonalpreference.

(266words)

Sample35


task.Presentawrittenargumentorcasetoaneducatedreaderwithnospecialistknowledgeofthefollowingtopic:

Insomecountries,marriagesarearrangedbytheparentsbutinothercases,peoplechoosetheirownmarriagepartner.Discussbothsystems.


modelanswer:

Theideathatamarriageshouldbearrangedbytheparentsofthecouple,orbyothermembers-ofthefamily,isquiteacceptabletosomesocieties,yetcompletelyoutofthequestionforothers.Italldependsonyourculturalexpectations.Inso-calledwesternsocieties,itisveryunusualformarriagestobearranged.Mostyoungpeoplewouldnotwelcometheideathattheirparentshavetherighttochoosetheirpartnerforlife.Theyfeelthatarrangedmarriagesdenythemtheirfundamentalrighttochoose,eveniftheymakeabaddecision.However,ifwearehonestaboutit,wemightacknowledgethatsomeparentsorganisetheirchildren'slivesinsuchawaythattheyarelikelytomeetandmarrypartnerstheparentsapproveo£Itcouldbe

saidthatthisis,tosomeextent,similartoanarrangedmarriage.Itisalwaysbetterwhenfamiliessupporttherelationshipandwelcomethegrandchildren.Peopleforwhomarrangedmarriagesaretheculturalnormoftenarguethatthelikelihoodofthemarriagelastingisgreaterwhenitissetupinthismanner.Parentscanbeassuredthattheirchildrenarejoiningafamilyofsimilarstandingandculturalbackground,andthis,inthelongrun,makesforamorestablesocietyifyourparents'marriagewasarranged,andhasworkedwell,thenwhyshouldyouquestionthecustom?Theimportantthingtoensureisthatpeopleareneverforcedintoamarriagewhichwillmakethemunhappyorleadtoanunequalrelationshipwhereonepartner

isexploitedbytheother.Thisappliesinallsocietiesandsituations.

(269words)

Sample36


Peoplewhohaveoriginalideasareofmuchgreatervaluetosocietythanthosewhoaresimplyabletocopytheideasofotherswell.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththisstatement?


modelanswer:

Icertainlyagreethatpeoplewhocomeupwithnewideas;inotherwordsthosewho'invent'or'discover'thingsareterriblyimportanttosocietyasawhole.However,Ialsothinkthereisaroleinsocietyforgoodimitators.Noonewoulddenythatkeyindividualsmustbethankedforprovidinguswithcertainfacilitiesthatweuseeveryday.Where,wouldwebe,forexample,withoutbasicitemssuchasthewashingmachine,

thetelevisionand,morerecently,thecomputer?Theseitemsarenowusedsoregularlythatwetendtotakethemforgranted.Infact,thesocietyweliveintodayhasbecomeincreasinglyconsumer-oriented,andwhileitmaybepossibletoconstantlyupdateandimproveconsumergoods,noteveryonewhereIlivecanaffordthepricesoftheseinnovations.Furthermorenoteveryonelivesinanareathathasaccessibilitytothelatestmodelsonthemarket.Forthisreason,thereisavaluetobeplacedonbeingabletoprovidegoodcopiesofexpensiveitems.Havingsaidthat,certaininnovationshaveamoreseriousimpactonourlivesthanconsumergoodsandcannoteasilybereplicated.Vitalmedicineslikepenicillinandvaccinesagainstdangerousdiseases

alsoexistbecausepeoplemadecontinualeffortstodevelopthem.Scientificideassuchastheseenableustolivelongerandescapeillness.

(225words)

Sample37


Somepeoplebelievethatcomputersaremoreahindrancethanahelpintoday'sworld.Othersfeelthattheyaresuchindispensabletoolsthattheywouldnotbeabletoliveorworkwithoutthem.

Inwhatwaysarecomputersahindrance?

Whatisyouropinion?


modelanswer:

Theadvanced`Mindmachines'socalled`theComputers'arenodoubtthebestproductsoflatesttechnology.OnecannotimaginetheadvancementoflifeandScienceswithoutthesemachines.Butlikeotherachievements;theyhave

theirowngoodandbadeffectsasseenwithexperienceandpassageoftime.Inmyopiniontheyaregoodifusedforeducationalandbeneficialusesforhealthandlivingetc.BasicallytwentiethcenturyhadbeenfamousforitslatestComputertechniquesandtheirapplicationonourlives.DatasshownonComputershelpustoassesshowmucheducationisconductedthroughthismedia.Theassessmentwaysaswellasexaminationsareimproved.MoreoverpersonalskillsofreadingandwritingarefarmoreimprovedthroughComputers.MoreoverScienceandtechnologyprogressedimmenselywithcomputers.Researcherslikecloningandtransplantsareonlypossiblewithmoderncomputerizedskills.Goodquestioncomestoonesmind...

wherewillthisComputerwouldtakeusnext??Certainlynooneknows!Wemightexplorenewplanners.MaybewewillbuyhousesonMoon,MarsorJupitor.Orwemightlooseourownidentity.Onecannotforgettheendof2000millenniumwheneverybodywasinchaostothinkwhatwillhappenifthecomputerscrash?Theaeroplanesweregoingtocrashandthetrainswouldcolloid.ThatShowweareforcedtothinkthatoneshouldnotbedependentonthesemachineafterallwearehumans.Weareheretocommandcomputersnotthemtoorderus.

(249words)

Thisisananswerwrittenbyacandidate

whoachievedaBand5score.Hereistheexaminer'scomment:

Thecandidatehasattemptedtoorganizesomegoodargumentswithvalidexamplesandcomplexideas.Thereissomerelevantvocabulary(cloning)andsynonymsavoidrepetition(badeffectsvhindrance,goodeffectsvhelp).However,theargumentsinparagraph3arenotclearandthe'against'argumentsarecontainedinthefinalparagraph,withnoseparateconclusion.Therearefrequentgrammaticalinaccuracies(scienceandtechnologyprogressed,Researcherslikecloning,wherewillthiscomputerwouldtakeus,thatshowwe).Thisanswerhasalsolostmarksbecauseitistooshort(190words).


task.

Sample38

Discusstheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofhavingacar.

Youshouldwriteatleast250words.Givereasonsforyouranswerandincludeanyrelevantexamplesfromyourownknowledgeorexperience.

modelanswer:

Nowadays,asroadsarebecomingmoreandmorecrowded,peopleareconsidering

boththeadvantagesanddisadvantagesofhavingacarbeforetheybuyone.Themainadvantageofthecaristhatitgivesthefreedomtotravelwhenandwhereyouwant,withoutbeinglimitedtofixedroutesandtimetables.Whatismore,youcancarryseveralpassengersandasmuchluggageasyoulike,atnoextracost.Inadditiontothis,youcantravelincomfortinacar,withaseattoyourselfandthepossibilityofcomfortssuchasamusicsystemandairconditioning.Ontheotherhand,owningacarisveryexpensive.Aswellasthepriceofthecar,thecostoftax,insurance,petrolandrepairsmustalsobeconsideredbeforebuying.Moreover,theincreaseintrafficmeansthatdriversarespendingmoreandmoretimestuckintrafficjams.Perhapsthemajordisadvantageofcarsingeneral

isthehugedamagethattheydotohumanlifeandtotheenvironment,andallmotoristsmuchacceptthattheyaremakingasmallcontributiontothis.Tosumup,providedyouhaveaccesstoanefficientpublictransportsystem,thenbuyingandrunningyourowncarcouldbeconsideredanexpensiveluxury.

(213words)

Sample39


Comparetheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofthreeofthefollowingasmediaforcommunicatinginformation.Statewhichyouconsiderto

bethemosteffective.

comics

books

radio

television

film

theatre


modelanswer:

Inourdailylife,wealwayscommunicateinformationthroughthemedia,suchastelevision,radio,film,Thesemediahavedifferentadvantagesanddisadvantagesforus.Now,Iamgoingtocomparetheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofbooks,televisionandfilm.Booksbringusdifferentknowledge.ItbasesonwhatBookweread.AfamousChinesetraditionalversewhichdescribedbooksisatreasure.Wecanfindagoldenhouseinthere.Moreover,whenwewanttoreadit,wecanfinditeasily,suchasbookstore,library.Wecanalsolearnalotofwordsfrombooks.Anditcanimproveourreadingandwritingskills.However,booksalwaysarenotattractiveforchildrenoryoungster.Itisbecause

booksarequiteboring.Alotofwordsandlesspicturesinsidethebooks,comparetotelevision,televisionhaspicturesandsound,wedon'thavetoreadalotofwordsintelevision.Butsomeartistintelevisionprogrammeorfilm,bringabadimagetous.Thensomechildrenoryoungerswillimitatetheirbehaviour.Somefilmalsobringawrongmessagetous,Forexample,theyarealwayssmokinginfilms.Itseemsthatsmokingisgoodandsmart.Itcausedmanyyoungersimitatethemsmoking.Inconclusion,bookds,televisionandfilmhavemanyadvantagesanddisadvantages.Icannotwriteallinhere.Andwehavechoosethemediacarefully.

(231words)

ThisisananswerwrittenbyacandidatewhoachievedaBand4score.Hereistheexaminer'scomment:

Thisanswerdescribessomerelevantadvantagesanddisadvantagesofbooks,TVandfilms,althoughthesearesometimesunclearornotsufficientlydeveloped.Thescriptlosesmarks,however,becauseitdoesn'tanswerthequestionabout`whichmediumismosteffective'andalsobecauseitisundertheminimumlength(only230words).Thewriterhastriedtoorganiseideasandusesparagraphingtostructuretheresponse.However,themessageisconfusedattimesandtheanswerisincomplete.Someideasarelinkedappropriately,butthereisalotofrepetitionacrosssentences.

Thewriterusesalimitedrangeoflanguagequiterepetitivelyandthereareonlysimplesentences.However,theseareoftenquiteaccurate,althoughtherearemanyexamplesofbasicerrorsingrammarandpunctuation.

Sample40


Itisbecomingmoreandmoredifficulttoescapetheinfluenceofthemediaonourlives.Discusstheadvantagesanddisadvantagesoflivinginamediarichsociety.


modelanswer:

ThemediaisaboutcommunicationandIsupposemostofuswouldagreethat,ashumanbeingsweneedtocommunicate.Weneedtoknowwhatisgoingonintheworldgenerally;wewanttobeentertainedandtokeepintouchwithpeople.Oldermedia,suchasnewspapers,radioandTVhelpusdothis,butthenewermedia,particularlytheinternetandmobilephonesgofurther.Wehavemorechoiceintermsofwhatwewatchorwhowetalkto.

IhaveanI-Phonewhichallowsme-justbyusingonedevice-tomakephonecalls,usetheinternet,listentomusic,playgamesandwatchvideos.Andit'sallimmediate,andportable.Itmakesyoufeelincontrol,buttherearcdisadvantagestoo.Peoplearealwaystextingandemailingeachotherandiftheydon'thavetheirphoneorlaptoparound,theyfeelcutoff.Also,haveyouseenagroupofteenagersinacafewherethey'renottalkingtoeachother,butusingtheirphones?It'saverycommonsightthesedays,whichmanypeoplefeelisworrying,asweseemtopreferusingtechnologytoface-to-facecommunication.Wearealsospoiltforchoice-perhapstoomuchchoice.TherearesomanyTVchannels,butsomanyoftheprogrammesarepoorquality.There'salsosomuch

advertisingallaroundus,tryingtopersuadeustobuythingswedon'treallyneed.Tosurviveinsuchasociety,youhavetobeveryawareofthepowerthemediacanhaveoveryou,youractionsandyouropinions,andtrynottoletitcontrolyourlife.Tomymind,there'snodoubtweliveinamedia-richsociety,andthere'snothingwecandoaboutthat.Whatwecandoisusethemediaresponsiblyandnotletituseus.

(327words)

Sample41


Childrenshouldneverbeeducatedat

homebytheirparents.Doyouagreeordisagree?Discusstheadvantagesanddisadvantagesforyoungpeoplewhodecidetodothis.


modelanswer:

Nobodycansaywithconfidencethatchildrenshouldbetaughtathomeoratanychildren'sinstitutions.Therearemanydifferentchildrenandeveryonedemandofeducationsuitableonlyforhim.Butformostofchildrenthebestwayoflearningthelifeisbeinginthechildren'sinstitutions.Nobodywouldarguethat

contactsbetweenchildrenofthesameageareveryimportantforbringingyourchildup.Suchacontactisveryimportantforplaying,entertainingandlearninglivingwithotherpeople.Theharmoniouslivingwithotherpeople,tomymind,isthefirsttaskforanyman.Lackofthisharmonysetsproblemsandtroubles.Thechildrenneedspacetorunandmakenoise,tojumpandcry.Doyouoryourneighboursallowtheseactionsforyourchild?Ifyouliveintown,itisdifficulttofindasafeplacetoplay.Kindergartensgivesuchapossibility.Theygivespace,alotoftoysandconstructionsforphysicalexercises.So,ifyouhavebadlivingconditions,thekindergartenisthebestwayforyou.Butifyouhavealargefamilywithmanychildrenandenoughspace,youmaykeepyourchildathome.

Youshouldbesurethatthechildfeels,dressedandcomfortable.Hisbrothersandsistersgivehimnecessarycontacts.It'snoticedlongagothatchildreninbigfamiliesaremuchmoreeasy-temperedandcalm.Theyarelocatedinmoreharmonicworldthanothers.Sometimesdifferencesinageputtroublesincontactsbetweenchildreninlargefamilies.Thenitisbetterforchildtobesenttothekindergarten(school).Butifquarrelsdon'tlastforalongtime,everythingisallright.Ingeneral,quarrelsdevelopabilitytocooperatewithpeople.Theydevelopapersonalinitiativeandforcesettingthebalance.Insuchawaythechildgetslessonsoflife.Addly,thequarrelsoftentakeplaceinkindergartensandschoolsandweshouldn'tfearit.Sidebysidewithquarrelsparentsoften

areafraidofcoldswhichhappeninkindergartensmorefrequently.Parentspreferkeepingthechildathome.Butforahealthychildoddcold(ifillnessoccurs,itgoesitsnormalcourse)can'tmakebigharmtothechild.Andifthechildisadaptabletotheconditionsofpublicplacesearlieritwouldbebetterforhiminfuture.Ingeneral,Iamafollowerofthetheoryofkeepingchildreninadaptedplacessuchasgoodkindergartens.Butkeepingchildreninsuchaplacecan'treplacefamilyandhome.Onlytogethertheymakeharmonicandbeautifulunion.(431words)

Sample42


Researchindicatesthatthecharacteristicswearebornwithhavemuchmoreinfluenceonourpersonalityanddevelopmentthananyexperienceswemayhaveinourlife.Whichdoyouconsidertobethemajorinfluence?


modelanswer:

Todaythewayweconsiderhumanpsychologyandmentaldevelopmentisheavilyinfluencedbythegeneticsciences.Wenowunderstandtheimportanceofinheritedcharacteristicsmorethaneverbefore.Yetwearestillunabletodecidewhetheranindividual’spersonalityanddevelopmentaremoreinfluencedbygeneticfactors(nature)orbytheenvironment(nurture).Research,relatingtoidenticaltwins,hashighlightedhowsignificantinheritedcharacteristicscanbeforanindividual'slife.Butwhetherthesecharacteristicsareabletodevelopwithinthepersonalityofanindividualsurelydependsonwhetherthecircumstancesallowsuchadevelopment.Itseemsthattheexperienceswehaveinlifearesounpredictableandsopowerful,thattheycanboostorover-ride

otherinfluences,andthereseemstobeplentyofresearchfindingstoconfirmthis.Myownviewisthatthereisnoonemajorinfluenceinaperson'slife.Instead,thetraitsweinheritfromourparentsandthesituationandexperiencesthatweencounterinlifeareconstantlyinteracting.Itistheinteractionofthetwothatshapesaperson'spersonalityanddictateshowthatpersonalitydevelops.Ifthiswerenottrue,wewouldbeabletopredictthebehaviorandcharacterofapersonfromthemomenttheywereborn.Inconclusion,Idonotthinkthateithernatureornurtureisthemajorinfluenceonaperson,butthatbothhavepowerfuleffects.Howthesefactorsinteractisstillunknowntodayandtheyremainlargelyunpredictableinaperson’slife.

(249words)

Sample43


Manypeoplesaythattheonlywaytoguaranteegettingagoodjobistocompleteacourseofuniversityeducation.Othersclaimthatitisbettertostartworkafterschoolandgainexperienceintheworldofwork.Howfardoyouagreeordisagreewiththeaboveviews?



modelanswer:

Itisprobablytruetosaythatmostpeoplebelievethatauniversitydegreeistheonlywaytogetagoodjob.Ithinkthisistrueincertainareas,whileinotherareas,adegreeisnotasuseful.Tobeginwith,manypeoplehaveambitionstobecomeaqualifiedprofessionalandthereisnodoubtthatbecomingadoctororalawyer,forexample,isonlypossiblewithadegree.Anotheradvantageofgraduatingfromuniversityisthatitgivesyoumorechoiceswhenitcomestochoosingajob.Mostemployerswillbemoreimpressedbya

candidatewhohasadegreethantheywouldbebyonewhoonlyhashighschoolqualificationsbecauseitshowsacertainlevelofintelligenceandeducation,aswellasthecommitmentandself-disciplinethatisneededInordertostudyadegreecourseforthreeorfouryears.Ontheotherhand,theremightbesomebenefittostartingyourcareerearly,especiallyifyourchosenfieldisonewhichdoesnottypicallyrequireauniversityeducation.Thiswouldapplytosomebodywhowantstobeacarmechanic,orafashiondesigner,forinstance,whowouldnotnecessarilygainanythingfromgoingtouniversity.Thehands-onexperienceyougaininyourjobwhileothersarestudyingforadegreecangiveyouadistinctadvantage.Ioncereadaboutamanwholeftschoolatsixteenand

wentontobecomeawealthyandsuccessfulinvestmentbroker.Heclaimedthathehadlearnedallheneededtoknowbyworkinginhischosenfieldandthathecouldnothavedoneanybetterbygettingadegree.So,toconclude,itispossibletogetagoodjobwithoutgoingtouniversity.Havingsaidthat,someprofessions,suchasthelaw,requireyoutohaveadegreeandasstatedaboveaUniversitydegreecouldpotentiallyopenmoredoorswhenlookingforajob.

(327words)

Sample44


Bypunishingmurdererswiththedeathpenalty,societyisalsoguiltofcommittingmurder.Therefore,lifeinprisonisabetterpunishmentformurderers.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththisstatement?


modelanswer:(Disagree)

Istronglysupportthedeathpenaltyformurderers.Intoday'ssociety,lifeisveryviolent.Therearemanymentally-ill

peoplecommittingcrimesandalmostnothingwillstopthem.Wehaveinterviewedcapturedcriminalswhosay,"Iwasgoingtokillhim,butIknewthatIcouldgetthedeathpenaltyifIdid.SoIjustlefthimthere."Obviously,havingthedeathpenaltysaveslivesandthatmakesapositivedifferencetosociety.Ifacriminaldoesmurdersomeone,andthengetsthedeathpenalty,thatisn'tsociety'sfault.Everyoneknowsaboutthedeathpenaltyasapunishmentformurder.So,thepersonwhomurdersisreallykillinghimselfatthesametimeheiskillinghisvictim.Themurdererhasmadethechoicetodie.Itisimportanttorememberthatthedeathpenaltyisusedonlyforpeoplewhohavecommittedveryseriouscrimes.Forexample,awomanshotapoliceofficer

whenshewastryingtoescapefromjail.Shewasalreadyaconvictedcriminalwhenshecommittedmurder,andshedeservesthedeathpenalty.Peopleneedtoacceptresponsibilityfortheiractions.Punishingmurdererswiththedeathpenaltyisonewaythatsocietycanhelppeopletorealize/realisetheconsequencesoftheirdecisions.

(209words)

Sample45


Bypunishingmurdererswiththedeathpenalty,societyisalsoguiltofcommittingmurder.Therefore,lifein

prisonisabetterpunishmentformurderers.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththisstatement?


modelanswer:(Agree)

"DoasIsay,notasIdo."Thisiswhatsocietytellsuswhenitpunishesmurdererswiththedeathpenalty.Societytellsusthatmurderiswrong,andinourlegalsystem,murderisagainstthelaw.Yetwestillseeoursocietykillmurderers,andthusweare

committingmurderourselves.Forthisreason,thedeathpenaltyshouldend,andinsteadmurderersshouldbepunishedwithlifeinprison.Societyneedstoshowapositivemodelofhowourlivesshouldbeandhowpeopleshouldact.Weshouldalwaysstrivetoimproveoursituation,tobeatpeaceandinharmonywithothers.However,whenwekillmurderers,wearenotworkingtoimproveoursociety.Instead,wearestoopingtothecriminals'level.Itmakesmethinkabouttherevengethatcamewhenplayinggameswithmybrothers.Whenwewerekids/children,mybrotherwouldtakemytoys,soIwouldhithimandtakemytoysback.Thenhewouldhitmeharderandtakethetoysagain.Thinkingofthedeathpenalty,Iimagineamurdererkillssomeone.Societytakes

revengebykillingthemurderer.Thisleavesbehindthemurderer'sfamilyandfriends,whohavetremendousangerinsideofthem,whichtheymayreleaseontosociety.Thecycleofkillinggoesonandon.Societyshouldnotcondemnpeoplewhoaretakingthesameactionthatsocietyistaking.Societytellsusnottokill,andyetsocietykillswhenitexercisesthedeathpenalty.Becauseofthiscontradiction,weshouldendthedeathpenaltyandinsteadpunishmurderersbysentencingthemtolifeinprison.

(273words)

Sample46


task.

Somepeoplethinkthatasenseofcompetitioninchildrenshouldbeencouraged.Othersbelievethatchildrenwhoaretaughtoco-operateratherthancompetebecomemoreusefuladults.Discussboththeseviewsandgiveyourownopinion.


modelanswer:

Nowadays,purposeofeducationbeingchangedinKorea.TherearesomePeoplewhothinkthatcompetitioninchildrenshouldbemade,alsoothersbelievethatchildrenwhoaretaughttoco-operateaswellasbecomemoreusefwladults.Thereareadvantagesanddisadvantagesforbothofthearguments.Tobeginwith,whatisgoodifasenseofcompetitionmchildrenismade?Theycoulddevelopethemselvesmoreandmoreastheylearnandstudyalottowinfromthecompetitbn.Toprovethis,inKorea,itispopular-evencommonnow-tohaveatutorwhocometostudent'shousetoteachextrapiecesofstudywithpayingalotofmoney.Theylearnfasterthanwhattheylearnatschool.Furthermore,duringthevacations,studentsstudyabroadtolearnEnglishforamonthinsteadofrevise

schoolwork.Iftheyhaveexperimentssuchasstudyabroad,itisoneofthegreatestpluspointtogotothefamouswell-knownhigh-school.Moreover,therearefourbigschoolexamandtwonationalexaminationstoteststudents'levelofstudies.Generally,onlythehighest40%cangotothegoodquatrtyhighschoolsandcolleges.Childrenlearnasmuchastheycan,towimthecompetitiontoobtaingoodqualityschools.Ontheotherhand,astheyarebusytoentertheschoolsandstudyindividuallywiththeirowntutors,thereareproblems.Theybecomeselfish.Theybecomecarelessanddon'thelpothersalotifitisaboutstudies.Therewillbenoco-operationsforthem.Then,whyaretherecompaniesformanypeopletoworkin?

Eachofthemareclever,however,thereareweakpartsandstrongpartsforeachperson.Toco-operateistoimprovethispart.Peopletalkandlistentowhatothersthmkingofandlearn.Thatcouldalsobeagreatopportunitytolearninsteadoflearningalonewithoneteacher.Inconclusion,Istronglyagreewiththatchildrenshouldbetaughttoco-operateratherthancompete.Nobodyisperfect.Peoplelearntogether,worktogethertodevelopeachother.Therefore,Iwantparentsandteacherstoeducatechildrenconcentratingonco-operation,notcompeteandrankingthem.

(365words)

ThisisananswerwrittenbyacandidatewhoachievedaBand6score.Hereistheexaminer'scomment:

Althoughtheanswerconsidersthemainissuesinthequestion,itdealsmuchmorewiththeaspectof'competition'thanitdoeswith'co-operation'.Someofthesupportingexamplesareoverdevelopedanddivertthereaderawayfromtheargument.However,themainpointsarerelevantandthewriter'spointofviewisgenerallyclear.Theargumenthasalogicalprogressionandthereissomegooduseoflinkingexpressions,thoughtheuseofrhetoricalquestionstosignaltopicchangesisnotveryskilful.Therearealsoexamplesofoverusingmarkers,andoferrorsinreferencing.

Thecandidatetriestousearangeoflanguage,butthereareregularerrorsinwordchoiceandwordform,andthisoccasionallycausesproblemsforthereader.Similarly,arangeofstructuresisattempted,butnotalwayswithgoodcontrolofpunctuationorgrammar.However,themeaningisgenerallyclear.


Sample47

Familieswhodonotsendtheirchildrentogovernment-financedschoolsshouldnotberequiredtopaytaxesthatsupportuniversaleducation.


modelanswer:(Disagree)

Familieswhodonotsendtheirchildrentopublicschoolshouldberequiredtopaytaxesthatsupportpubliceducation.Everychildinmycountryisrequiredtoattendschoolandeverychildiswelcometoenrollathis/herlocalpublicschool.Somefamilieschoosetosendtheirchildrentootherschools,anditistheirprerogativetodoso.However,thepublicschoolsareusedbythemajorityofourchildrenandmustremainopenfor

everyone.Forexample,myunclesenthistwochildrentoaprivateacademyforprimaryschool.Thenhelostahugeamountofmoneythroughsomepoorinvestmentsandhecouldnolongeraffordtheprivateschool'stuition.Thechildreneasilytransferredtotheirlocalpublicschoolandlikeditevenmorethantheiracademy.Thepublicschoolssupportedtheirfamilywhentheyhadnomoneytoeducatetheirchildren.Becausethepublicschoolseducatesomanycitizens,everyoneinmycountry-whetheraparentornot-shouldpaytaxestosupportoureducationalsystem.Weallbenefitfromtheeducationthatstudentsreceiveinpublicschool.Ourfuturedoctors,firefighters,andteacherspeoplewhomwerelyoneveryday-areeducatedinlocalpublicschools.Whenapersonisin

trouble,it'sreassuringtoknowthatthosewhowillhelpyou-suchasfirefighters-knowwhatthey'redoingbecausetheyreceivedgoodtraininginschoolandlater.Providinganexcellenteducationinthepublicschoolsystemisvitaltothestrengthofourcommunityandourcountry.Ourgovernmentmustofferthebesteducationavailable,butitcanonlydosowiththefinancialassistanceofallitscitizens.Therefore,everyone-includingfamilieswhodonotsendtheirchildrentopublicschool-shouldsupportpubliceducationbypayingtaxes.

(290words)

Sample48


Familieswhodonotsendtheirchildrentogovernment-financedschoolsshouldnotberequiredtopaytaxesthatsupportuniversaleducation.


modelanswer:(Agree)

Familieswhodonotsendtheirchildrentogovernment-financedschoolshouldnotberequiredtopaytaxesthatsupport

universaleducation.Whenfamiliessendtheirchildrentonon-public(thatis,parochialandprivate)schools,theymustpaytuitionandotherschoolexpenses.Spendingadditionalmoneytopaytaxescreatesanevengreaterfinancialhardshipforthesefamilies.Theymustmakesacrifices,tryingtohaveenoughmoneytopayforschoolinadditiontootherbills.Forexample,myfriendAmaliaisasinglemotherwithaneight-year-oldson,Andrew.Becausetheysurvivesolelyonherincome,moneyistight.Amaliaworksatleast10hoursofovertimeeachweektocoverAndrew'sschoolexpenses.ThisgivesAmaliaandAndrewlesstimetospendtogether,andsheisalwayssotiredthatsheisimpatientwithhimwhentheydohavefamilytime.Clearly,thisextraexpenseisanunfair

burdenforhard-workingparentslikeAmalia.Whilesomepeoplemayconsiderparochialorprivateschooltobealuxury,formanyfamiliesitisessentialbecausetheircommunity'spublicschoolsfailtomeettheirchildren'sneeds.Unfortunately,duetoshrinkingbudgets,manyschoolslackwell-qualified,experiencededucators.Childrenmaybetaughtbysomeonewhoisnotacertifiedteacherorwhoknowslittleaboutthesubjectmatter.Someproblemsareevenmoreserious.Forexample,thepublichighschoolinmyoldneighborhood/neighbourhoodhadserioussafetyproblems,duetostudentsbringingguns,drugs,andalcoholtoschool.Afteragang-relatedshootingoccurredatthehighschool,myparentsfeltthattheyhadnochoicebuttoenrollmeinaparochial

schoolthatwasknownforbeingverysafe.Unfortunately,evenwhenfamiliespreferpublicschools,sometimestheycan'tsendtheirchildrentoone.Thesefamiliesareburdenednotonlyforpayingexpensesatanotherschool,butalsobybeingforcedtopaytaxestosupportapublicschoolthattheydonotuse.

(323words)

Sample49


Astheworldbecomestechnologicallyadvanced,computersarereplacingmoreandmorejobs.Describesomejobpositionsthatmaybe

lostbecauseofcomputers,anddiscussatleastoneproblemthatmayresult.


modelanswer:

Whencomputersfirstmadetheirwayintothebusinesssector,everyonebelievedthattheywouldmakepeople'sjobseasier.Whatwasnotexpectedwasthatcomputerswouldeliminatejobs.Besidescontributingtounemployment,theseautomatedworkersoftenexhibitinadequatejobperformance.

Anumberofjobshavebeenlostasadirectresultofnewcomputertechnology.Ticketagentsinvarioustransportationfacilities,fromsubway/undergroundstationstoairportsarevirtuallynonexistentthesedays.Banktellershavebeengreatlyreducedduetoautomatedbankmachines.Inaddition,manycallcenters/centresthathavehelplinesarealmostentirelycomputerized/computerised.AfewyearsagoIworkedasahelperinourlocallibrary.Todaythispositiondoesnotexist,becausesixnewcomputershavebeeninstalled.Thenumberofpositionslosttocomputersgrowsexponentially,andunemploymentcontinuestogetworse.Whileacomputermayeasilyachievethemaintasksofthesejobs,mostcomputersfallshortwhencustomershaveaunique

requestorproblem.Apre-paidticketboothdoesnothaveinsightabouttheentertainmentdistrictandcannotofferfriendlydirectionstoatourist.Similarly,anautomatedbankmachinecannotprovideassistanceandreassurancetoacustomerwhohasjusthadhiscreditcardstolen.And,moreoftenthannot,automatedtelephoneoperatorscannotanswertheonequestionthatwehave,andweendupwaitingonthelinetospeakwithsomeoneanyway.EverytimeIgointothelibrarywhereIworkedInoticeelderlypeoplewhodon'tknowhowtousethecomputersandcan'tfindanyonetohelp.Inthefuture,Ibelieveanewbusinesstrendwillevolve.Ascomputerseliminatejobs,newpositionswillhavetobeinvented.Moreandmorepeoplewillgo

intobusinessforthemselves,andhopefullyputthepersonaltouchbackintobusiness.Ibelievethatthehumanworkforcewilldemonstratethatitismorevaluablethancomputers.

(315words)

Sample50


Trafficandhousingproblemsinmajorcitiescouldbesolvedbymovinglargecompaniesandfactoriesandtheiremployeestothecountryside.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththisopinion?


modelanswer:

Thesedayswithincreasingurbanpopulations,therearemajorproblemswithcongestionandnotonlytheprice,butalsoavailabilityofaccommodationinlargecitiesoftheworld.Itseemsthatonepossiblesolutioncouldbetorelocatelargecompaniesandfactoriesaswellastheirrespectiveemployeesoutoftheseurbanareasandintomoreruralones.Inmyopinion,Istronglyagreethatthiswouldhaveadesiredeffectinmakingcities

morelivable.Tobeginwith,thetrafficproblemincitiesdoesn’tonlyexistfromcommutingemployees,butalsothegeneralpublictravellingaroundthecity.Whilethismaybeafact,ifthenumberofworker’svehiclesisreducedoncitystreets,alargepercentageoftrafficwillobviouslydeclineinrushhours.Forexample,peakhourtrafficisundoubtedlymadeuplargelyofstafffromcompaniesgoingtoandfromhome.Secondly,inregardstohousingproblems,populationswillalwayscontinuetogrowincitiesandthereforeinadvertentlydecreasethenumberofcheapandavailableapartments.Thisiscertainlyobvious,however,alargeproportionoftheseapartmentsareoccupiedbyemployeesfromlargefirmsandtheir

families.Ifthisworkforceisrelocatedtohousingestatesinthecountry,cityapartmentblockswillfallinpriceandcertainlyincreaseinavailability.Inconclusion,byrelocatingworkerstoruralareastoworkandreside,heavytrafficconditionsandlackofadequateaccommodationincitycentreswillobviouslychangeforthebetter.AsfarasI’mconcerned,Iagreethatthegovernmentshouldenforcesuchalawinordertoincreaseourstandardoflivinginourhecticcitylife.

(272words)

Sample51


Companiesshouldencourageemployeeswhoworkinahighpositiontoleaveattheageof55inordertogiveopportunitiestothenewgeneration.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththisopinion?


modelanswer:

Itotallydisagreewiththeideaofhigh-levelemployeesleavingattheageof55tomakeroomfortheupcominggeneration.Whileitistruethattheenergyleveland

freshideasofyouthcanrejuvenateacompany,thesteadyhandofexperiencecanstillbestguideacompanyinmostcases.InEnglishthereisasaying,“Youcan’tteachanolddognewtricks.”Inthefast-pacedworldofbusiness,bolsteredbyevenfasterhi-techinnovations,ayoungermorepliantmindwouldseemtobeabletoadaptwithgreaterflexibility,whilesuchanenvironmentmightboggleanoldermoreset-in-its-waysmind.Take,forexample,Microsoft’sBillGates,whoseenergyandbrilliantinsightsasayouthhelpedhimtopioneernewterritoryinthecomputersoftwareworldandestablishadigitalempire.NowasamorematureCEO,thiskingofthe“computer”mountainisconstantlyonthevergeofbeingknockeddownbyupcomingdigerattientrepreneurs.

However,itisnowtheexperiencehehasaccumulatedasanoldermanwhichkeepshimontop.So,combiningthevigourandinnovationofyoungerworkerswiththeexperienceofolderworkerswouldseemtobethewinninghandintheworldofbusiness.Theassertionistogiveopportunitiestotheyoungergeneration.Ifeveryoneretiresat55,therewillbesmallerpoolofexperienceatthecompany.So,whowillshowthemtheropesofthetrade?Itwouldbeasifweloppedoffthelastfewchaptersofatextbook.Onthispointtheargumentwouldseemtobebuiltonfalsepresumptions.Andthinkofalltheotherproblemsretirementat55wouldcreate.Withlifeexpectancyinmanyadvancednationsat70-plusyears,howwouldthestatealong

withprivateenterprisesbeabletosupporttheirretirementpensions?Theeconomicrepercussionsofsuchanideacouldbegreat.Besides,theWesternformofcapitalismisbuiltoncompetitionandmeritandnotseniorityaccordingtoage,anddemocracyisbuiltonequalityforallregardlessofone’sage,sotheargumentclearlygoesagainstthesetwopillarsofWesternsociety.Granted,mycounter-argumentsareperhapsassimplisticastheoriginalassertionitself,butwithoutqualifyingtheassertionwithgreatersupportingevidenceorbackgroundinformation,bothsidescanbeargued.Nevertheless,evenafterthoroughlyconsideringtheargument,IbelieveIwouldstilladheretomy

viewpointthattheassertionlacksmeritfortheaforementionedreasons.Besides,whenIam55Idonotfancytheideaofbeingputouttopasture.IthinkIwillstillbefullofvitalityandhaveadesiretowork,soIhopemyworkplacewillviewmeasatreasurehouseofvaluableexperiencetopassalongtothenextgenerationandkeepmeonuntilIamatleast65ifnotolder.

(478words)

Sample52


Somepeoplesaythegovernmentshouldnotputmoneyintobuildingtheatresandsportsstadiums;theyshouldspend

moremoneyonmedicalcareandeducation.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththisopinion?


modelanswer:

WhatwouldtheworldbelikewithoutShakespeareortheOlympics?Whilemedicalcareandeducationareperhapsthehighestcausestowhichmoneycanbecontributed,theartsandathleticsareinsomewaysjustasvaluable.So,toaskthe

governmenttonotextendsupporttothesetwoareascouldbejustasdetrimentaltothewelfareofsocietyasthelackofsufficienthealthcareandeducation.TheRomansbelievedin“menssanaincorporesano”.Inshort,thatthereisindeedacorrelationbetweenahealthybodyandhealthymind.Whenwearehealthy,wefeelbetterandsoaremorelikelytobeproductiveacademically.Plus,thepracticeofsportscanalsoteachustheverysamedisciplineweneedforourstudies.Whyevenabriskwalkorwatchinganexcitingathleticmatchcanrefreshthemindforgreaterwork.Moreover,sportscanservetocreatehealthierbodies,whichinturnwouldserveasaformof“preventivemedicine”therebycuttingdownonmedicalcosts.Inthesamevein,theartsareknownto

induceasenseofwell-beinginperformersandaudiencealike,reducingmentalproblemsandtheirassociatedphysicalmanifestationsandagain,medicalcosts.Assuch,buildingtheatresandstadiums,whichspurinterestintheartsandsportsrespectively,actuallywouldbepracticallyidenticaltospendingmoneyonmedicalcareandeducation!NowIrealizethequestionspecificallyaddressesthebuildingoftheatresandsportsstadiumsbygovernment.Somepeoplewouldcontendathleticsandtheartscanstillbeenjoyedandpracticedwithoutsuchconstructions.Iwouldhazardthatthesebuildingsstandasthealtarstothesportsandartsworlds,inspiringwould-beathletesandperformers.Withoutsuchvenueswherewouldsportsspectatorsandmusicaficionadosbeabletoenjoy

theseevents?Nowsomeotherpeoplewouldalsosaybusinesscouldsupporttheirconstruction,butweknowtheavariceofbusinesscouldverylikelyjeopardizetheloftyspiritofathleticsandtheartsjustaswell.Therefore,allowinggovernmenttoretainsomesayinthematteronbehalfofthepeoplewould,Ibelieve,beinthebestinterestofthepeople.Inshort,aslongasthegovernmentdoesnogooverboardinitsexpendituresforthesebuildingsandusessuchvenuesforthebenefitofall,then,asmentionedabove,peoplewillbenefitintermsofbothmedicalcareandeducationaswell.Thisisnottosaythegovernmentshouldneglectmedicalcareandeducation,butrathertothinkofthisnotasaneither-orchoicebut

asawin-winsituationforall.

(434words)

Sample53


Somepeoplethinkthatitisimportanttohaveasinglelanguageasaninternationalofficiallanguage.Othersthinkthatitwillmakeitdifficulttoidentifycountriesandcausealossofculture.Whatareyouropinionsonthis?

Youshouldwriteatleast250words.Givereasonsforyouranswerandincludeanyrelevantexamplesfromyourown

knowledgeorexperience.

modelanswer:

Withtheadventofglobalization,acommonlanguagetofacilitatetradeandcommunicationseemsinevitable.Someopposethedevelopmentofasinglelanguageonthegroundsthatitmayleadtoculturalerosionandalossoflocallinguisticknowledge.Yet,Iamoftheopinionthatitispossibletouseanofficialinternationallanguageandstillretainone’sownlanguageandculture.Firstly,manycountriesalreadyuseanofficiallanguageorlanguages.Forexample,inIndiatherearetwoofficiallanguages:HindiandEnglish.Inacountry

suchasIndiawherethereareinnumerablelanguagesspoken,thereisaneedforofficiallanguagestoensurecommunicationbetweendifferentsectionsofthepopulationandthedifferentstates.InChina,wheredifferentdialectsarespoken,Mandarin,theofficiallanguage,enablespeoplefromdifferentprovincestocomprehendeachother.Secondly,inanageoframpantglobalizationthereisnodoubtthataninternationallanguageisinevitability.HowisanAfricanbusinessmangoingtoconductbusinessinChinawhentherearesuchdifferencesbetweenlanguages?Inthissense,notonlyisaninternationallanguageinevitable,butalsoanecessityfortrade,commerceandeconomicexpansioninthe21stcentury.Thecriticsopposingtheadoptionofan

internationalofficiallanguagearguethatitwouldleadtoalossofculturalidentity.However,theuseofaninternationalofficiallanguagedoesn’tmeanthatlocallanguageswilldieout.Forexample,Englishalreadyfunctionsasakindofunofficialinternationallanguagebutthisdoesn’tmeanthatpeoplesolelyconverseinEnglishortheyneglecttheirownlanguage.Englishisusedinspecificcontexts(trade,business,etc)andnativelanguagesareusedforeverydayinstruction.Inbrief,astheworldbecomessmallertheneedforanofficialinternationallanguageseemsunavoidable.Englishhasalreadyassumedthisrolealthoughitsstatusisunofficial.Inmyview,theuseofeitheranofficialorunofficialinternationallanguageisnecessarytofacilitate

communicationinatimeofrapidglobalization.

(330words)

Sample54


Fashiontrendsaredifficulttofollowthesedaysandit’swidelybelievedthattheyprimarilyexistjusttosellclothes.Somepeoplebelievethatweshouldn’tfollowthemandthatweshoulddressinwhatwelikeandfeelcomfortablein.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththisopinion?.



modelanswer:

It’swidelybelievedintoday’smaterialisticworldthatthelatestinnovativefashiontrendsholdgreatsignificance.Ontheotherhand,suchtrendsarebelievedtobesetonlyinthepursuitofprofitsforlargedesignercompanies.Itseemsthatinrecenttimes,peoplearenowchangingtheirmindsinregardstowearingclothesforcomfortandasapersonalchoice.PersonallyIagreethatweshouldpaymoreattentiontoindividualityandcomfortinthewaywe

dress.Firstly,fashiondesignsexistasaformofcreativeartisticexpressionofthedesigner.Althoughthismaybetrue,undoubtedlysuchdesignstakeawayindividualityonceatrendissetinplace.BythisImeanthatthereisnothinguniqueaboutwearingwhateverybodyelsedoes.Morespecifically,ifeveryonesportsthelatestcolouranddesigninsummerskirts,dowenotlookthesame?Secondly,Itispossiblethatfashiontrendscanlookextremelystylishtothegeneralpublic.However,itcanbearguedthatthemainpurposeofwearingclothesisformorefunctionalreasons.Thisisprimarilyduetothefactthatclothesweretraditionallyworntoprotectpeoplefromclimaticconditions.Forinstance,clothesarestillwornbasicallytokeeppeople

warmanddryinwinterandcoolinsummer.Finally,fashioncertainlygivesusasenseofconfidenceandprideinourappearance.Whilethisiscertainlyagoodpoint,italsomeansthatfollowingsuchchangeabletrendsprovestobeexpensive.Forexample,purchasingeverylatestseason’sfashionitemwillofcourseblowthebudgetofmanyyoungpeople.Inconclusion,therearevariousargumentstosupportthedismissaloffashiontrends,consistingofnotconforming,comfortandprice,whichIstronglyagreewith.

(290words)

Sample55


task.

Nowadays,educationoverseashasbecomemoreaccessibleandgrowingnumbersofpeoplesendtheiroffspringtostudyinothercountries.However,thistrendhasitsdetractors.Istronglybelievethattheprosfaroutweighthecons,andwillexaminebothbelow.


modelanswer:

Oneofthegreatestadvantagesisthatthechildrenlearntobeindependent.Havingtocook,clean,andpaybillsinstillsthisinthem.Oftentheyhavetoworkpart-timetomakeendsmeet,andthisimpressesuponthemtheimportanceofworkandmoneymanagement.Anotherimportantfactoristhatthesechildrenwillbeexposedtodifferentculturesandwaysofthinking.Theywillbecomemoreopen-mindedandtolerantandarelikelytobecomemoreadaptableindividuals.Oneofthemainmotivesforsendingyoungpeopleabroadtostudyisthatitenhancestheiremploymentprospects.Inmyexperienceoflivinginforeigncountriesandspeakingtovariousyouths,itseemsthataforeigneducationisregardedassomethingdesirableand

helpfulingettingadecentjob.AdegreefromBritain,forexample,isseenasbeingofahigherstandardthanonefromadevelopingcountry.Furthermore,livinginaforeigncountrymayleadtofluencyinasecondlanguage,whichisanothersellingpointforprospectiveemployers.Inaddition,manycompaniesarekeentorecruitpeoplewithaglobaloutlook.Thereareafewdrawbackshowever.Forinstance,withoutparentalsupervision,thenewfoundfreedomchildrenexperiencemayleadtoharmfulpracticessuchasdrug-takinganddrinking.Reluctanceorinabilitytoreintegrateintotheirmothercountryisanother.Tosumup,itcanbeseenthattheadvantagesofstudyingabroadforchildrenaremorenumerousthanthedisadvantages.Ofcoursealot

dependsontheageofthechild,butIbelievethatformostteenagersitwouldbeapositiveexperience.

(266words)

Sample56


Nowadays,internationaltourismisthebiggestindustryintheworld.Unfortunately,internationaltourismcreatestensionratherthanunderstandingbetweenpeoplefromdifferentcultures.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththisopinion?


modelanswer:

Thegrowthoftourismandthenumbersofpeopletravellingtoothercountriesfortheirvacationshasledtodebateastowhetherthisisbeneficial.Ibelievethattherearemanyproblemswhichariseoutofthetouristindustry,andwillexaminetheseindetail.Manypeoplearguethattravelbroadensthemind.However,thisstatementdoesnotfullyholdwater.Iwouldarguethatspendingafewweeksinanothercountryis

notlongenoughtogainaproperunderstandingofanalienculture.AforeignervisitingBritainmightbemetwiththetraditionalBritishreserve,andmistakenlyconcludethattheBritishareunfriendly.Furthermore,somepeopleareunwillingtoopentheirminds.AWesterntravellertoanArabcountryisunlikelytoconsiderthattheveilingofwomenisacceptable.Beingatouristinaforeigncountrybringswithitproblemsthatcanleadtodislikeofthenativepeople.Firstly,aforeignerisvulnerable,andisoftenrippedoffbylocals.Secondly,thelanguagebarriercanleadtomisunderstandings.Thirdly,touristsareoftenhassledtobuygoods,whichcanruinaholiday.WhenIwenttoBali,peopletriedtosellmesomethingeveryfiveminutes,andthistotallyspoilt

mysunbathing.Localpeoplealsooftenendupdislikingforeigners.Visitorsmaymistakenlyactcontrarytolocalnorms,ortheymayjustbeplainoffensive,asmanydrunkenBritishholidaymakersmustseemtotheSpanish.Globaltourismcanleadtohostilityfromthenativepeople,whomayfeeltheirtraditionalwayoflifeisunderthreat.Additionally,therelativewealthoftheforeignvisitorscancauseenvyandresentment.Inconclusion,IwouldsaythatIlargelyagreewiththeargumentthatglobaltourismcreatesmisunderstandingbetweenpeoplefromdifferentcultures,andthatthedifferencesareoftenacauseforconflictratherthancelebration.

(308words)

Sample57


Peoplehavedifferentjobexpectationsforjobs.Somepeopleprefertodothesamejobforthesamecompany,whereasothersprefertochangejobsfrequently.Writeabouttheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofeachviewpoint?


modelanswer:

Inthemodernworkplacethereisnolongertheattitudethat‘ajobisforlife’.Nowadays,manypeopletaketheoptiontochangejobs,whileothersprefernotto.Inmyessay,Iwillexplorethegoodandbadpointsoftheaboveattitudes.Oneofthemainbenefitsofstayinginonejobissecurity.Changingemployeroftenmeansaperiodofinstability,whereonemayhavetothinkaboutmovinghouse,ortemporarilylosingasteadysourceofincome.Stayinginonejobmeanstheseproblemsareavoided.Anotherbenefitofnotchangingoccupationisthatoneisabletogainalotofexperienceandexpertiseinhisspecificprofession,thusenhancingjobsecurity.One’scompanymayrecognizetheir

loyaltyandrewardtheirservice.Ontheotherhand,thosewhooftenchangejobsmaybeseenasunreliable,lackinginexperienceandemployersmightbereluctanttohireandinvesttraininginthem.However,thereareargumentsinfavourofchangingjobfrequently.Oneisthataworkerimproveshisemployability.Workinginseveraldifferentjobsoftenmeansthattheindividualhasmoreskills.Suchpeopleareseenasmoredynamicandversatile.Anotherbenefitofchangingjobsfrequentlyisthatonenevergetsstuckinarut.Frommyownexperience,IgotboredwhenIspenttoolonginajob.Followingthis,thequalityofmyworkwouldsuffer.Ialsobelievethatemployersgenerallydon’ttendtogreatlyrewardloyaltyor

commitment.Increasedwagesandpromotionareofteneasiertoattainbychangingjobs.Overall,itcanbesaidthatthedisadvantagesofchangingjobsaretheadvantagesofstayingput,andviceversa...Inmyopinion,Ifeelthatchangingjobseveryonceinawhileisofmorebenefit.

(299words)

Sample58


Itiswidelybelievedthatchildrenofdifferentlevelsofintelligenceshouldbetaughttogether,whileothersthinkthatmoreintelligentchildrenshouldbe

taughtseparately.Discussandpresentyourownopinion.


modelanswer:

Inpasteducationalinstitutions,childrenhavebeentaughttogetherbasedonageregardlessofintellectualabilitydisplayedatschool.Alternatively,alargeproportionofthepopulationbelievesthereshouldbeastrongmovetowardstheseparationofchildrenofdifferentintellectualcapabilitiesincurrenteducational

institutions.Frommyowneducationalperspective,Ihonestlybelievethatyoungerstudentspossessinghigherintelligencelevelsthantheirpeersoughttobeseparatedintoalternativelevelsbasedontheirgift,foranumberofreasons.Admittedly,althoughyounglearnershavethechancetolearnalotfromassociatingwithclassmatestheirownage,itiswidelybelievedthatsuchaprocessisn’tconsideredtobevitalforahealthyeducationalupbringing.Theargumentforintellectualseparationholdssomestrongadvantages.Firstly,byallocatingstudentstoclassesbasedonlevelsofintelligence,highachievershavetheopportunitytoexcelinawaythattheycouldn’tinanormalclass.Owingtothefactthattheycanbeplacedintoanunrestricted

educationalenvironment,studentscanexcelwithintellectualfreedom.Secondly,thereisastrongargumentinregardstoinhibitingachild’sintellectualgrowthbyrestrictingthemfrommovingabovetheirpeersiftheirmentalcapabilitypermits.Whyshouldwelimittheintelligenceofourfuturegeneration?Forinstance,manyoftoday’shighlysuccessfulartistsandentrepreneursintheworldhavecomefromanunrestrictededucationalbackgroundandhavebeenallowedtoexploretheirmindandcareerstothefullestextent.Inconclusion,althoughIbelieveaneducationalenvironmentforyounglearnersshouldpromoteequalopportunity,Ihonestlythinkthatcreatingamoreliberalenvironmentwhichenhancesthelearningcapabilitiesof

intellectually-giftedchildrenwillnotonlybenefitindividual’scareersbutfuturesocietyasawhole.

(288words)

Sample59


Somepeoplethinkthatuniversitiesshouldnotprovidesomuchtheoreticalknowledgebutgivemorepracticaltrainingthroughouttheircourses.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththisopinion?

Youshouldwriteatleast250words.Givereasonsforyouranswerandinclude

anyrelevantexamplesfromyourownknowledgeorexperience.

modelanswer:

Inthepast,amajorityofacademicshaveheldtheopinionthatuniversitiesshouldonlyofferatheoretically-basedapproachtoteachingthroughouttheircourses,asopposedtothemorerecenttrendtowardsempiricalacquisitionofknowledgeinvolvingmore“handson”experience.Isthisthemosteffectivewayforstudentstolearnvitalacademicinformationwhileundertakingtheirdegrees?Undoubtedly,advantagesanddisadvantagesofbothacademiclearningstyleshavetobeevaluated.

Firstly,ontheonehand,despitebeingthemoretraditionaleducationalapproach,learningfromtheoryinrelevantacademicdiscoursestoidentifyestablishedknowledgeallowsustogainaprofessionalinsight.Forexample,studentscaneasilyidentifyfactsandopinionsfrompastdiscourses.Inaddition,studentsacquireknowledgemoreeasilywhengivenrelativetheoreticalexamplestobuildupon.Forinstance,insubjectssuchashistoryorsociology,studyingtextbookexamplesallowsstudentstounravelcomplexacademictheorieswhichtheycouldexpandon.Alternatively,therearesomedisadvantagesforstudents.Ontheotherhand,thereisnodoubtthatstudentscouldfindthemselvesreadingtediousandmonotonousacademicpapers.Forinstance,universitydegreesinvolving

theevaluationofnumerous‘long-winded’academicdiscoursesprovidelittleinspirationforstudents,discouragingenthusiasm.Obviously,interestcanbestimulatedthroughempiricalresearchinclass.BythisImeanthat‘thehumanbrainlearnsbestbydoing’.Althoughtime-consuming,thereisnosubstituteforlearningfrommakingmistakes.Inconclusion,whilebothapproacheshavebenefitsanddrawbacksinourever-changingacademicworld,Ihonestlybelievethatamorepracticalapproachpromotesastrongeracquisitionofacademicknowledge.Inspiteofthecomprehensivenaturewhichtheoreticalteachingcanpossiblyprovide,practicallearningequalsmorepositivelearningforfuturegenerations.

(280words)

Sample60


Thecostsofmedicalhealthcareareincreasingallthetime.Governmentsarefindingitdifficulttobalancethehealthcarebudget.Shouldcitizensbetotallyresponsiblefortheirownhealthcostsandtakeoutprivatehealthinsurance,orisitbettertohaveacomprehensivehealthcaresystemwhichprovidesfreehealthservicesforall?Discuss.



modelanswer:

Amuchdebatedissuethesedaysiswhethercitizensshouldtakeoutprivatehealthinsuranceornot.Thecostofprovidingfreemedicalcareforboththewealthyandthepoorisfartoogreatforanygovernment,andmostpeopleagreethatifyoucanpayforinsurance,youshould.Inthisessay,Iwillarguethatallwhocanafforditshouldbeinsured,butfreemedicalcaremustbemadeavailableforthosetoopoortodoso.Themostimportantreasonforencouragingpeopletotakeoutprivate

healthinsuranceisthecosttothegovernmentofhealthcare.Freehealthcoverforpeoplewhoareabletopayforitisawasteofpublicmoney.Ofcourse,peoplewillonlypayhealthinsurancepremiumsiftheyknowthattheyaregettinggoodvaluefortheirmoney.Iftheygetsick,theyshouldpayverylittleornothingatall.Inaddition,theprivatelyinsuredareentitledtospecialbenefitssuchashavingthechoiceoftheirowndoctors,andbeingabletoavoidlongwaitinglistsforhospitalbeds.Ontheotherhand,thosewhoreallycannotaffordtopayprivateinsurancepremiums,whichareoftenveryhigh,arestillentitledascitizenstothebestmedicalcareavailable–theycannotbeexpectedtopaytheirownmedicalbills.However,iftheyareworking,theyshouldstillpaya

percentageoftheirwage(say1to2%)asataxwhichpaystowardsthecostofproviding"free"medicalservices.Inconclusion,mostpeopleshouldprivatelyinsuretheirhealth,butitisunreasonabletosupposethatallcitizenscanaffordit.Therefore,asafetynetintheformofabasicfreehealthcaresystemmustexistfortheverypoorandtheunemployed.

(300words)

Sample61


Somepeoplebelievethatacollegeoruniversityeducationshouldbeavailable

toallstudents.Othersbelievethathighereducationshouldbeavailableonlytogoodstudents.Discusstheseviews.Whichviewdoyouagreewith?Explainwhy.


modelanswer:

Peoplelearnthroughtheirentirelives.Theyconstantlyimprovetheirknowledgeanddevelop.Ithinkthatacollegeoruniversityeducationshouldbeavailableto

allstudentsbecauseeverypersonhastherighttochoosethewaytoself-perfection.BellowIwillgivesomeofmyreasonstosupportmyposition.Firstofall,everypersonshouldhavethechancetogetahigherdegree,gainnewknowledgeandexperience.However,somepeoplebelievethathighereducationshouldbeavailableonlytogoodstudents.Ithinkitissilly.ItisliketomakeunavailabletravelingforonewhodoesnothaveIQhighenough.Secondofall,someyoungpeopledonotdowellatschoolbuttheyhavegreatpersonalityandabilitytolearn.Theyareself-confident,persistentandpatient.Withthesequalitiestheycangethighergradesthentheirclassmateswhoaretalentedbutlazy.Imagineforexamplesituationwhenateenagergetshighgradesbecausehisor

herparentsconstantlymakehimorherstudyandhelptodomostofthehomework.InthiscaseachilddoesverywellatschoolbutIthinkacollegecanshowtheoppositeresults.Finally,itisadiscriminationagainststudentstomakeavailablehighereducationonlyforgoodones.So,ifastudentdoespoorandgetslowgradeshe/sheshouldbesentdown.Butifapersonwasnevergivenachancetotryhimself/herselfatcollege,whattodointhiscase?Tosumup,Ithinkthatallyoungpeopleshouldhavethechancetogetahighereducation.Totakeornotthischancemustbeuptothem.

(277words)

Sample62


Somepeopleprefertoeatatfoodstandsorrestaurants.Otherpeopleprefertoprepareandeatfoodathome.Whichdoyouprefer?Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyouranswer.


modelanswer:

Man,throughtheages,hasundergoneanychangesfromthetimewhenhehadtohauntforfoodtothesedayswhenhehastobuyit.Somepeopleprefertobuyfreshvegetables,meatandfruitsandpreparefoodathome.However,otherpeopleprefertoskipthatstepwithcookingandhavedinneratarestaurant.Ithinkthatbothofthesechoiceshavesomeadvantagesanddisadvantages.BellowIwillgivesomereasonstosupportmyanswer.Personally,Idonotlikefastfood.So,mychoiceisalwaysbetweenarestaurantandmyhome.Firstofall,Iwouldliketosaythatcookingisagreattradition.Ithelpspeopletorelax,reflectonsomepleasantmomentswhilepeelingorcuttingthe

vegetables.Itisameansofeliminatingone'sstressandtension.Secondofall,sometimesIdonotwanttohavesomethingtoocomplicatedformydinner.Ijustwanttohavelightfoodlikeasaladandaglassofmilk.So,oneofthereasonswhyIliketoeatathomeisbecauseIcanhavewhatIwantatthismoment.OnegreaterthingabouteatingathomeisthatIcansitinfrontoftheTVandwatchaninterestingprogramoramovie.Finally,havingdinnerathomeallowsafamilycommunicateswitheachother,becloserandsharesomegoodandbadmomentsthathappenedearlierthatday.Besides,eatingathomeisagreatwaytosavesomemoney.Asforrestaurants,Iseesomepositiveaspectsabouteatingtheretoo.Firstofall,Isometimesgettiredfrompeeling,

cutting,washing,frying,etc.ItdoesnotmeanIdoitalot.SometimesIjustusethemicrowaveandapreprocessedfoodthatIboughtearlier.IwanttohavesomethingmoredeliciousthanIhaveinmyrefrigerator,somethingthatistime-consumingtoprepareathome.So,formeitisagoodreasontogotoarestaurant.Thereonemaymeetoldfriendsorjusthasagreattimelisteningtomusicandtastingsomedeliciousmeats.Also,restaurantsareagoodplacetocelebratesomething.Onedoesnothavetopreparefoodforallfriendswhoarecoming,washdish,putinorderallthatmessaftertheparty,etc.Inconclusion,Ithinkthatitdoesnotimportantwhereonehasone'sdinner.Whatimportantisthatitmustbefullandnutritious.

(415words)

Sample63


Whatdiscoveryinthelast100yearshasbeenmostbeneficialforpeopleinyourcountry?Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyourchoice.


modelanswer:

IamfromRussia.Frommyopinionthemostbeneficialdiscoveryforpeopleinourcountryhasbeenthediscoveryoftheouterspace.Russiaisthefirstcountrythatlaunchedaspacecraftwithamanontheboardintothespace.Thiseventwasabigsteptowardsthenewdiscoveriesandbroughtmanybenefitsnotonlyforpeopleinmycountry.BellowIwillgivemyreasonstosupportmyanswer.Firstofall,allhumankindmadeahugesteptowardsthemysteryofourcreation.Scientistshadtheopportunitytodothenewresearchandexperiments.Manynewdiscoveriesweremadeontheboardsofthespacecraftsintheouterspace.Peoplefromallovertheworldwatchedtheseevents.Manybookswithrealcolorful

photoswerewrittenaboutthebeginningofthespaceexploration.Nowadayswehaveabigstationcalled"Mir"intheouterspacecreatedonthebaseofcollaborationUSAandRussia.Manypeopleworktheredoingamazingexperiments.Secondofall,theworldbecame"smaller".Peoplelearnthowtoexchangeinformationveryquicklybyuseofsatellites.Televisionisbroad-castedallovertheworldbyuseofsatellites.HereinHoustonIcanwatchRussianprograms.Peoplegottheopportunitytoexchangenewsveryquickly.Tosumup,Ibelievethatspaceexplorationwillbringmuchmorebenefitsinthefutureandsomedaywewilllearnwhatisbeyondourcurrentgalaxy.

(240words)

Sample64


Doyouagreeordisagreewiththefollowingstatement?Apersonshouldnevermakeanimportantdecisionalone.Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyouranswer.


modelanswer:

FrommyeverydayexperienceandobservationIcanclaimthatdiscussionofanimportantdecisionwithotherpeoplebringmanybenefits.InthefollowingparagraphsIwillgivemyreasonstodefendthisstatement.Firstofall,differentpeoplehavedifferentopinions.Inordertomaketherightchoicepeopleshoulddiscusseverypossibledecisionanditsconsequences.Makinganimportantdecisionalonecanbringmanynegativeaspects.Forinstance,apersoncanrevealhisselfishnessorimpatienceandtheconsequencesofthatdecisioncanaffectmanypeopleinthefuture.Ithinkthatagoodandwisedecisioncanbebornonlyindiscussionbecausepeoplecansharetheirknowledgeandexperiencesalookattheproblemfromdifferentsidesandaspects.

Secondofall,Ithinkthatmakingdecisionaloneisunacceptableespeciallyforacompany.Imaginethatachiefmakesthedecisionaboutincreasingaproductionlinewithoutdiscussingitwithhisemployees.Inthiscaseapartofcompany'sprofitwillbespendingonextendedpurchaseofrawmaterials.So,shareholderswillbeleftwithoutdividends.Thisdecisionmayleadtogettingridofcompany'ssharesandasaresultofthisdecliningthevalueofacompanyasawhole.Tosumup,Ithinkthatapersonshouldalwaysconsulthisrelativesorcollegeswhenmakinganimportantdecisiontoavoidpossiblemistakes.

(230words)

Sample65


Describeacustomfromyourcountrythatyouwouldlikepeoplefromothercountriestoadopt.Explainyourchoice,usingspecificreasonsandexamples.


modelanswer:

Inourmodernstressfulworldweoftenforgetaboutourcustomsandtraditions.

However,Ithinkthatpeopleshouldkeeptheirtraditionsbecausetheyhelptorememberourforefathersandvaluethebeautifulmomentswehaveinourlives.Inmycountrywehaveagreatcustomcalled"Maslenica".Itisaholiday,whichiscelebratedattheendofthewinter.Manypeoplegatheronthebiggestsquareofthecityandseeofthewinter.Theysaytothewintergood-byeandaskthespringtochangethewinter.Theycelebratethebeginningofthelifewheneverythingstartstogrow.Peopleatthisholidaybakepancakesandtreateachotherwiththem.Also,manypeoplegatheredonthesquareplaydifferentgames.Forexample,themostwell-knowngame"pullingarope"subsistsinthattwoteamspullarope.Thewinneristheteam,witchhasalongerrope.Other

peopledrawontheicypole.Peoplehavefunatthisholidayeveniftheyjustobservethosegamesanddonotparticipate.Inconclusion,Iamsurethat"Maslenica"wouldbenefitmanycountriesallovertheworld.Peoplehavetheopportunitytorelax,leavetheirtroublesandworriesbehindandhavefun.Also,thisholidayhelpspeopletofindoutmoreabouteachother,communicateandmeetnewpeople.Inadditiontothosepracticalbenefits,"Maslenica"helpspeopletoslowdowntheirlifepaceandenjoythepresentmomentsthatareirreplaceableandbeautiful.

(248words)

Sample66


Whenpeoplemovetoanothercountry,someofthemdecidetofollowthecustomsofthenewcountry.Othersprefertokeeptheirowncustoms.Comparethesetwochoices.Whichonedoyouprefer?Supportyouranswerwithspecificdetails.


modelanswer:

Peoplemaychoosetokeeptheiroldtraditionsfromtheirnativecountryortoacceptnewones.Keepingtheoldcustomswillhelponetoovercometheculturalshockandthechangeoftheenvironment.Fromtheotherside,acceptingthenewtraditionswillhelponetoadaptandmakenewfriendswithresidents.InthisessayIwillgivedifferentreasonswhypeopledecidetofollowthecustomsofthenewcountryortokeeptheirowncustoms.Ifoneisfromthecountrywithstrongandoldtraditions,Ithinkitwillberatherdifficultforhimtoadapttothenewcustomsandmoreovertorejecthisown.Thatiswhysomepeoplefromthesamecountrytrytolivetogetherandtocreatetheirowncommunitywheretheoldtraditionsarekept.Theycannotbreakthecustomsthatwerecreatedbytheir

ancestors.Forexample,somenationsarerestrictedincertainkindsoffoodbytheirtraditions.So,theydonotgototherestaurantsunlesstheirtraditionalfoodisservedthere.Somenationsaccordingtotheircustomshavetowearcertaintypesofclothbecausetheirreligiontellsthemtodoso.Fromtheotherside,ifoneisfromthecountrywithtraditionssimilartoonesofthenewcountryitwillbeeasyforhimtoadoptandtofollowthecustomsofthenewplace.Hewillnotfeelmuchdifference.Probably,themostdifficultpartofhisrelocationwillbetoaccustomtothenewclimate.Ithinkthatpeopleofthenewcountryarefriendlierwhentheyseethatforeignerfollowstheircustoms.Ibeliefthat

traditionsofeverycountrydeserverespect,especially,whenonelivesthere.Insummary,Ithinkthateverycountryhasitsownbeautyandifonewantstofindoutmoreaboutithewillloveit.

(313words)

Sample67


Doyouagreeordisagreewiththefollowingstatement?Moderntechnologyiscreatingasingleworldculture.Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyouropinion.


modelanswer:

Man,throughtheages,hasundergonemanychangesfromthetimewhenhedepictedaherdofmammothsonthewallsofthecavetothesedayswhenhecanchartwithsomeoneontheothersideoftheglobe.Moderntechnologyisrapidlychangingtheworld'slivingstandardsthatresultsincreatingasingleworldculture.NewtechnologiesincludingInternet,television,electronicmedia,meansoftransportation,etchasagreatimpacton

creatingasimilarcultureallaroundtheglobe.BellowIwilllistmyreasonstosupportmyopinion.Firstofall,Internetande-mailhavechangedthewaypeoplecommunicatetoeachother.Internetbroughtmanybenefits.Itisanewmeansofcommunication,afastaccesstoinformationandnews.Peoplecommunicatewitheachother,sharetheirideas,happinessanddifficulties.Wehaveagreatopportunitytofindoutmoreaboutcountriesandtheirhistory.Secondofall,themodernmeansoftransportationallowspeopletomovefromoneplacetoanotherveryquickly.Afewcenturiesagoitwasimpossibletoimaginewakingupinonecountryandfallingasleepinanother.Finally,asaresultofallmentionedabove

theboundariesbetweencountries,theirtraditionsandcustomsareerased.Manypeoplemigrateduringtheirlives.Someofthemarelookingforabetterplacetolive,otherswanttogetnewexperienceandknowledgeorjustpleasure.So,manyfamiliesarecreatedbetweenpeoplefromdifferentcountries.Traditionsfuseandevolveintootheronesorjustvanish.Tosupup,moderntechnologyhasagreatimpactonthewaypeoplelivenow.Itiscreatinganewsingleworldculturewheretraditionsanddistancesarenolongerofthatimportance.

(286words)

Sample68


task.

Aforeignvisitorhasonlyonedaytospendinyourcountry.Whereshouldthisvisitorgoonthatday?Why?Usespecificreasonsanddetailstosupportyourchoice.


modelanswer:

Travelingisagoodwaytofindoutmoreaboutdifferentcountrieswithdifferent

traditionsandcustoms.Sometravelersprefertospendinonecountryjustafewdaysoronedayandthenleaveforanothercountry.Thiswayoftravelingallowspeopletovisitmorecountriesinfewerdays.Unfortunately,inthiscasesuchtravelershavetohurryinordertovisitmoreplaces.IamfromSaint-Petersburg,Russia.So,ifaforeignvisitorhasonlyonedaytospendinmycountryIthinkIwouldadvicehimtovisitthe"Hermitage"-themostwellknownandamazingmuseuminRussia.The"Hermitage"has3floorsandmorethen100halls.Itisreallyamazingtovisitthatplace.Manypeoplefromallovertheworldeverydayenteritswalls.Someoftheroomsdevotedtothehistoryofothercountries.Othersdevotedtotheartofafamouspainterandthehistoryofhislife.

However,mostofthehallsconcludemanythingssuchaspaintings,royalbelongings,sculpturesfromRussianhistory.Somepeoplesaythatitisimpossibletofeeldeeplyandseealltheseamazinghistoricalvaluesforonevisit.Ihavetocompletelyagreewiththisstatement.WhenIfirstvisitedthe"Hermitage"Iwas14yearsold.ItimpressedmesomuchthatIwasbacknextdaytoseewhatIhadnotbeenabletoseethedaybefore.The"Hermitage"isanimpressiveandbeautifulmuseum.IthinkitisworthtospendthereawholedayandIbelievethatafterthataforeignvisitorcanclaimwithaproudthatheorshesawRussia.

(280words)

Sample69


Youhavetheopportunitytovisitaforeigncountryfortwoweeks.Whichcountrywouldyouliketovisit?Usespecificreasonsanddetailstoexplainyourchoice.


modelanswer:

Iamapersonwholikestotravel.Ithinktravelingisagreatopportunitytomeet

newpeople,gainmoreknowledgeandexperience,andlearnnewcustomsandtraditions.Ididnottravelalotyet,butIamsureIwillhaveachancetodoit.So,ifIhadtheopportunitytovisitaforeigncountryIwouldvisitEgypt.Ithinkitisagreatandveryinterestingcountrywithmarvelloushistory.InthefollowingparagraphsIwillgivesomereasonstosupportmychoice.Firstofall,IalwaysdreamedtovisitEgyptpyramids.MyauntvisitedEgyptafewyearsago.Shewasveryexcitedafterthattripandsaidthatshewouldreturnthereonemoretimeatanycost.ShesaidthatEgypthadimpressedherverymuchwithitsgloriouspyramidsandancientbuildings.Secondofall,Ithinkthatinthatcountryonecantouchhistory,feelthehardbreathofworkersbuildingapyramid

undertheparchingsun,andseethechainofcamelswalkinginthedesertwiththehugetrunksfullofpresentsforCleopatraontheirhumps.Finally,Iwanttoseearealdessertandridethecamel.Allmyfriendswhorodethecamelsaythatitisanunforgettableexperience.

IbelievethatIwillhaveachancetovisitthisbeautifulcountrysomeday.Unfortunately,nowIhaveplentyofplansandthingstodo,so,IamafraidthatIwillnotbeabletotravelforthenexttwoyears.Iwanttofinishmyeducationandthenfindajob,andthesethingshavehigherprioritythentraveling.MyhusbandwantstovisitthiscountrytooandwemadeanagreementtomakeourtriptoEgyptonourfiveyearsanniversarywhichisintwoyears.

Inconclusion,IwanttoaddthataftermytriptoEgyptIwilldefinitelyvisitAustralia.Thiscountryisthesecondoneonmylistthemostwantedtosee.

(339words)

Sample70


Itisgenerallyagreedthatsocietybenefitsfromtheworkofitsmembers.Comparethecontributionsofartiststosocietywiththecontributionsofscientiststosociety.Whichtypeofcontributiondoyouthinkisvaluedmorebyyoursociety?Givespecificreasonstosupportyouranswer.


modelanswer:

FrommyeverydayexperienceandobservationIthinkthatartistsaswellasscientistsbringmanybenefitstosociety.Itisacontroversialquestionweatherthecontributionsofartistsaremoreorlessthenthecontributionsofscientiststothesociety.Forseveralreasons,whichIwillmentionbellow,Ithinkthatbothtypesarevaluable,pricelessandirreplaceableforeverysociety.Thecontributionsofartiststothesociety

areveryessential.Artcanformperson’sspiritualsense,theirviewsandpersonalities.Peoplelearnhistory,thetraditionsoftheircountrytroughtheart.Wealsowatchmoviesthatentertainandatthesametimeextendourrangeofinterests.Anotherimportantaspectofthisisthatartisanancientmeansofcommunication.Inoldtimespeopledepictedtheherdsofmammothsonthewallsoftheircaves.Theyperformeddifferentritualsaroundthefireplaceaskingtheirgodsforhealth,goodharvestandweather.Ourlanguageisaresultofpeople'sneedtocommunicate.Fromtheotherside,thecontributionofscientistsiscouldnotbeexaggerated.Allhumankindisindebtedtothescientistsbecauseoftheirworkandachievements.Scientistsmakeourlifeeasier.Wehave

carsandairplanestomovefastfromoneplacetoanother.Wehavemicrowavesandabunchofpreprocessedfoodtomakethecookingmucheasier.Wehavedifferentdevicesthatsimplifyallwedo.Finally,scientistsaremakinggreatachievementsinmedicinethatmakeourlifelongerandhappier.Nowadayspeoplehaveagreatopportunitytodomanythingsfasterbyuseofcomputers.Tosupup,Ibelievethatartistsnourishoursoulswhenscientistsandtechnologyfeedourminds.So,wecannoteliminateorunderestimateoneofthem.

(289words)

Sample71


Somepeoplesaythatcomputershavemadelifeeasierandmoreconvenient.Otherpeoplesaythatcomputershavemadelifemorecomplexandstressful.Whatisyouropinion?Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyouranswer.


modelanswer:

Somepeoplesaythattheinventionofcomputersisoneofthegreatesthumankind'sinventions.However,otherpeoplethinkthatcomputersmaketheirlifemorestressful.Iagreewiththosepeoplewhothinkthatcomputersbroughtmanybenefitsandplayaveryimportantroleinourmodernlife.Firstofall,everycompanynowadaysusesacomputertostoreitsdataandmakedifferentkindsofoperations.Itisverydifficulttoimaginelifewithoutcomputers.Acompanywouldhavetostoremillionsofpapersanddocuments.Moreover,acustomerwouldhavetowaithourstocheckhisbalanceorgetapieceofinformationabouthistransactionsathisbank,whileanemployeewaslookingtroughthosepapers.Anotherimportantaspectofthisisthatpeopleareableto

typealltheirinformation,makecorrections,printorsenddocumentsusingcomputers.Itmakeslifemucheasier.OnecanspendtherestofthetimewatchingTVwithhisfamilyorworkingonsomethingnew.Weusecomputerseverydaysometimesevennotknowingit.Whenwegotoastoreanduseourcreditcardsmanycomputersprocessourinformationandperformtransactions.Whenweneedtogetsomecashweusemoneyaccessmachinesthatarecomputerizedtoo.Secondofall,computersprovidedagreatmeansofcommunication-theInternet.Ithinkitistheeasiestandcheapestwaytogetintouchwithrelatives,friends,businesscolleagues,etc.Nowadaystheworldbecomessmallerandsmaller.When

Iwasalittlegirl,Icouldnotimaginethatitwouldbepossibletocommunicatewithpeoplefromallaroundtheworldinsoeasyway.Apersoncangetlatestnews,becomefriendswithsomeonefromanothercountry,findhisoldfriends,askforapieceofadvice,etc.Finally,inadditiontothesepracticalbenefitspeoplecanshopwithoutleavingtheirhouse.TheyjustuseanInternetaccess,acomputerandtheircardstomakeapayment.Itiskindofdifficulttoimaginethatafewyearsagopeoplehadtospendtheirtimeinlinesbuyingtickets.Now,apersoncanchooseadestination,company,dateandtimeandgetticketsdeliveredtohisdoor.Ithinkitisamazing.Tosumup,Ibelievethatcomputersmadeourliveseasier.Theychangeourattitudetowardslife.Ithinkwiththeinventionof

computerspeoplebecamecloserandfriendlier.

(404words)

Sample72


Whenpeopleneedtocomplainaboutaproductorpoorservice,someprefertocomplaininwritingandothersprefertocomplaininperson.Whichwaydoyouprefer?Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyouranswer.



modelanswer:

ItisratherdifficultformetoanswerthequestionhowIprefertocomplain:inwritingorinpersonbecausesometimesIjustdonothaveachoice.Forexample,ifIorderaproductusingtheInternetfromanotherstateorevencountry,Iwillmorelikelyhavetheopportunitytospeaktoarepresentativeofacompanyinperson.So,insomecasesIchoosetospeakinpersonandinothersIprefertocomplaininwriting.However,Ibelievethateveryoptionhasitsadvantages.Fromtheoneside,complaininginwriting

bringsmanybenefits.Firstofall,onedoesnothavetospendhisprecioustimedriving,waitingforhisturnandtalkingwitharepresentative.Hecanjustsendmailore-mailandgetallexplanationheneeds.Secondofall,Ithinkitisthebestwaytoavoidanunpleasantconversation.Personally,Idonotliketocomplainaboutanythingespecially,inperson.Finally,sometimesitisimpossibletohaveaface-to-faceconversationbecauseacompanywhichprovidedapoorproductorserviceistoofaraway.Fromtheotherside,complaininginpersonhassomebenefitstoo.First,thistypeofcomplainingprovidesanimmediatefeedback.So,ifIhavesomecomplainsaboutcompany'sproductsIwillreceiveallinformationandexplanationrightaway.However,sendingacompanya

letterandgettingafeedbackcantakemorethenamonth.Second,face-to-faceconversationisoftenmoreeffective.Peopletalktoeachother,seeeachotherfacialgesturesandbodymovements,whichcantellalotaboutaperson.Inadditiontothesepracticalbenefits,inthecaseifonecannotreceivecreditableexplanationfromonerepresentativehealwayscanrequiretotalktoanotherperson.Forinstance,myhusbandrecentlyhadsomeextrawithdrawsfromhisaccountbyhisbankandhewasnotawareofit.So,hewenttothebankandexplainedtothebank'srepresentativethesituationandtheytogetherfoundthesolutionandthatmoneywasgivenbacktomyhusband'saccount.Ithink,inthiscaseface-to-faceconversationisthebestwaytocomplainandgetfeedbackfast.

Inconclusion,IthinkthatifIhavetocomplainaboutaproductorpoorserviceIwilldoitinperson.However,ifface-to-faceconversationisimpossibleIthinkIhavenothingleftbuttosendaletterorwriteane-mailthere.

(409words)

Sample73


Somepeopleprefertoworkforalargecompany.Othersprefertoworkforasmallcompany.Whichwouldyouprefer?Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyourchoice.



modelanswer:

Theissuewhetherworkingforalargecompanyisbetterthanworkingforasmallcompanyisacontroversialone.FrommyeverydayexperienceandobservationIthinkthateveryoptionhasitsadvantagesanddisadvantages.Ibasemyopiniononthefollowingpoints.Fromtheonesideworkingforalargecompanybringsmanybenefits.Firstofall,onehasbettermedicalinsurance,

highersalary.Oftenemployeesofalargecompanyhavelessresponsibility.Moreover,theyfeelmoresecurebecausetheircompanyhasmoreclientsandthismeansbetterchancetosurviveonthemodernmarket.However,oneworkingforalargecompanyhaslesschancetobepromotedbecauseone'smanagerdoesnotwanttolosehisorherjobunlesssheorheispromotedtoo.Also,frommyobservation,managersofalargecompanydonotpaymuchattentiontoone'ssolutionsandsuggestions.Fromtheothersideworkingforasmallcompanyhasmanyadvantagestoo.Firstly,onehasbetterchancetobepromoted.Secondly,onecantalktotheownerofthecompanyaboutanyimprovementsthatcanbedoneinordertogetmoreprofit.Anotherimportantaspect

ofworkingforasmallcompanyistheopportunitiestofindoutmoreabouthowcompanyworks.Asaresultofthisonecangainmoreexperienceandgetbetterrecommendations.However,thisalsohassomedisadvantages.Forinstance,onecangetlesssalary,worsemedicalbenefits,etc.Tosumup,Ithinkthateverypersonchoosesforhimselfwhatheorshewants.Ifonewantsbettercareerandmoreresponsibilitiesthenasmallcompanyisbetterchoice.Otherwise,workingforalargecompanymaybeagoodoptiontoo.

(286words)

Sample74


task.

Youhavedecidedtogiveseveralhoursofyourtimeeachmonthtoimprovethecommunitywhereyoulive.Whatisonethingyouwilldotoimproveyourcommunity?Why?Usespecificreasonsanddetailstoexplainyourchoice.



modelanswer:

IthinkthequestionwhatwouldIdoifI

hadachancetoimprovemycommunityisdifficult.Ihaveinmymindmanythings,theimprovementofwhichwillmakeourcommunitybetterplacetolivebuttheyallrequiretheparticipationofmanypeopleand,moreover,theyrequireinvestments,whichIcannotprovide.Forexample,mycommunityisquitenoisy.Wehavethehugemalljustinfrontofourcommunity,sotrafficjamsareverycommonforthisplace.Ithinkthattheconstructionofafewpass-byroadswillbenefitallpeoplewholivehereaswellaspeoplewhodrivebyeveryday.Unfortunately,thequestioniswhatIcandoformycommunitygivingafewhoursofmytimeeverymonth.IthinkIcannotdomuch,butIstillcanhelpsomeoneinmycommunity.Forexample,Icanbaby-sit.Iknowacoupleoffamilieswithlittle

children,whocannotaffordtospendmuchmoneyonthebaby-sitter.Oneofthesefamiliesisasinglemomwithalittlegirl.Julia,thisishername,isawaitressinarestaurant.Sheisagreatpersonandwebecameclosefriends.So,sometimesIofferherhelpwithherchildwhenshehastoworkintheevenings.Anotherfamilyhastwofunnylittletwins.Onetimetheirparentsaskedmetobabysittheirchildrenbecausetheyhadtoattendanunexpectedpresentation.Ithinkthiskindofhelpbringsmanybenefitstomycommunity.Firstofall,peoplebecomefriendlier.Forexample,thosefamilies,whichImentionedabove,becamefriendsafterIintroducedthemtoeachother.Secondofall,peoplegettoknoweachotherandfeelmoresecurein

theirhousesandapartments.Finally,IamreadytohelpthosepeoplebecauseIamsurethattheywillhelpmetoo.OnetimeIlostthekeysfrommycarandJuliaofferedmehercarforawhile.Tosumup,Ibelievethatbaby-sittingisagreatwaytohelpmycommunityinmanyaspects.

(353words)

Sample75


Doyouagreeordisagreewiththefollowingstatement?Televisionhasdestroyedcommunicationamongfriendsandfamily.

Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyouropinion.



modelanswer:

Theinventionoftelevisionisundoubtedlyoneofhumankind'sgreatestinventions.Itisawayofcommunicationamongpeopleofonecountryanddifferentcountriesandnations.PeoplewatchTVtofindoutaboutthelatestnews,weather,sports,etc.Itisagreatwaytolearnnewandextendone's

rangeofinterests.ScientistssaythatchildrenspendthesameamountofhoursinfrontofTVastheydoinschool.Ithinkthatthiscanbesaidaboutmanygrownpeopletoo.Also,televisionisagreatmeansofeliminatingstressandtension.Onecanrelaxandleaveone'stroublesbehindlyingonone'sfavoritesofaandwatchingacomedy.However,somepeoplebelievethattelevisionhasdestroyedcommunicationamongfriendsandfamily.Personally,Idonotagreewiththisstatement.Acouplecenturiesagopeoplespenttheirtimegambling,reading,gossipingorplayingchess.Idonotthinkthattelevisionisacauseofdestroyedcommunicationamongfamilymembersandfriends.Firstofall,ifmembersofafamilyhavecommoninterestsandthey

wanttomakeeachotherhappytheywillalwaysfindmanywaystospendtheirtimetogetherandbeclose.Otherwise,ifpeopleavoideachotherandtheydonothaveanythingtosharewitheachothertheywillfindtelevisionagreatwaytoescapefromthismiserableexistence.Ibelievethatmanypeoplechosefamilyandtheirfriendsoversomesoapoperasoramovie.Secondofall,Ithinkthattelevisioncanbeagreatresourceofsubjectstodiscuss.Manypeoplewatchdifferenteducationalprogramstofindoutmoreabouttheirenvironment,nature,wildlifeanimals,economicsituations,etc.So,whentheygatherwiththeirfriendstheydiscussimportantissuesandarquewitheachotherinlookingforthetruth.MyhusbandandIoftenwatchthenewschanneltokeepabreastofthelatestnews.

Afterthatwealwaysdiscusssomeissuesweconcernedabout.Also,weliketowatchaTVshow"thefunniestanimals".Welikethisprogrambecauseitmakesuslaugh.Icannotimaginehowtheseprogramscanpreventourcommunicationandbeharmfultoourrelations.Tosummarize,Iwouldliketoaddthatifpeoplewanttocommunicatewitheachothertheywillfindawaytodoit.Otherwise,iftelevisionwerenotexistent,peoplewouldfindotherescapesandreasonsnottobewitheachothersuchasdrugs,gambling,etc.

(413words)

Sample76


task.

Weallworkorwillworkinourjobswithmanydifferentkindsofpeople.Inyouropinion,whataresomeimportantcharacteristicsofaco-worker(someoneyouworkcloselywith)?Usereasonsandspecificexamplestoexplainwhythesecharacteristicsareimportant.


modelanswer:

Alargenumberofpeoplespendmostoftheirtimeatwork.Ourlifeisdividedintothreeequalparts:8hours-sleep,8hours-

work,8hours-familytime.So,inthemostcases,one'sco-workerplaysanimportantroleinone'slife.Frommyopinion,theessentialcharacteristicsofaco-workerarethefollowing.Firstofall,apersonwhoworkscloselywithmemustlikehisjob.Ithinkitisveryimportantforapersontofeelsatisfactionwithhisjob.Myhusbandisasoftwaredeveloper.Heisfondofhisjobandpeopleenjoyworkingwithhimbecausetheyseehowmanyenergyheputsintohisjob.Secondofall,myco-workermustbepersistentandnevergiveup.Ilikewhenpeoplewhocameacrossaproblemtrytosolveit,findagooddecisioninsteadoflookingforanotherpersontohanditover.Anotherimportantaspectofthisisthatagoodworkershouldalwaysaskhimself"Whatcanbeimproved?"andsuggests

newsolutions.Inaddition,hemustbeagoodteamplayer.Inthemodernworldgoodcommunicationskillsandtheabilitytoworkinateamareamongthecommonpositionrequirements.Personally,Ithinkitisgreattohelpeachother,sharenewideas,developnewsolutions,etc.Ithelpstocreateateamspiritandimprovelaborproductivity.Finally,myco-workermustbepunctual.HeorsheshouldfinishthejobontimeIthinkthatItisunacceptabletomaketherestofateamwaitwhileapersonfinisheshisorherjob.Also,my"idealco-worker"shouldalwaysbereadytoofferhisorherhelpandbesupportive.Tosummarize,Ithinkifaco-workerpossessesallofthesequalitiesmentionedabovehecanmakeworkwithhimreally

enjoyableandproductive.

(314words)

Sample77


Doyouagreeordisagreewiththefollowingstatement?Classmatesareamoreimportantinfluencethanparentsonachild’ssuccessinschool.Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyouranswer.


modelanswer:

Icannotcompletelyagreewiththestatementthatclassmatesareamoreimportantinfluencethanparentsonachild'ssuccessinschool.InthisessayIwillfirstfocusonthereasonswhyIagreewiththisstatementandthenlistafewpointswhyfrommyopinioninsomecasesisnottrue.Fromtheoneside,classmateshaveasignificantinfluenceonchild'sbehaviorandhisorhersuccessinschool.Firstofall,childrenspendmuchtimeatschool.Classmateshavemanythingsincommonsuchasage,interests,homeworkandclassesafterall.So,theydiscusstheirimpressionsaboutanewteacher,solveproblemstogether,learntheirhomework,gainnewknowledgeandexperienceand

evenmaketheirowndiscoveries.Sharingallthesemakesthemcloser.Someofthembecomefriendsandtheyspendafter-schooltimetogether.Inadditionfriendstendtocopyeachother'shabitsandmanners.Forinstance,mylittlesisterbecamefriendswiththegirlwhodidnothavegoodgradesatschoolatthattime.Itdoesnotmeanshecouldnothavebettergrades;shejusthadmanyfriendswhodidnotcareabouttheirgrades.So,whentheystartedtospendtheirtimetogetherandsharetheirinterests,girl'sgradesimproved.Theydidtheirhomeworktogether,sharedtheirdreamsandexcitingmoments.FromthispointImustagreethatclassmatescanchangechild’sattitudetowardsschool.Fromtheotherside,parentshaveagreatinfluenceonchildren'successinschool

too.Forexampleifparentsshowaninterestintheirchild'sprogressandtalktohimorherabouttheimportanceoflearningIthinktheirchildwilllistentothemanddohisorherbest.Personally,Ibelievethatrelationshipsbetweenparentsandachildplayanessentialroleinchild'ssuccessinschool.IftheserelationshipsarecloseandwholeheartedIamsurethatparentsshouldnotbeafraidofbadinfluencefromtheoutside.

(328words)

Sample78


Itisbetterforchildrentogrowupinthecountrysidethaninabigcity.Doyouagreeordisagree?Usespecificreasonsandexamplestodevelopyouressay.


modelanswer:

Somepeoplebelievethatitisbetterforchildrentogrowupinthecountrysidethaninabigcity.However,otherpeoplethinkthatabigcitygivesmoreopportunitiesanditisgoodforthelongrun.Personally,forseveralreasonsIthinkthatitisbetterforchildren'shealthtogrowupinthecountry.

Firstofall,itisveryimportantforachildtogrowupinahealthyenvironment.Childrenneedfreshair,notpollutedbythehugeamountofcarsandfactoriesofthemoderncity.Inthecountrytheycanspendmoretimeexercisingandwalkingwiththeirfriends.ScientistssaythatnowchildrenspendthesameamountoftimewatchingTVastheydoatschool.Probably,thepossibilitytojointheirfriendsforaplaywillchangethisproportion.Anotherimportantaspectofthisisthatparentswillhavemoretimetospendwiththeirchildrenasaresultofeliminatingtrafficjamsanddecreasingdrivingtimeasawhole.Fromtheotherside,childrenhavesomeadvantageslivinginabigcity.Forexample,theyhavemoreopportunitiestochoosefromwhattheywanttodo.They

canchoosetoattendballetschool,schoolofart,gymnastics,etc.Forthelongrun,itisgoodforthem.Theywillbebetterpreparedforaliveina"realworld"andtheywillhavemorechancestomakeagoodcareerandsucceed.Moreover,abigcityusuallyhasmanyentertainingcenterswithmovietheatresandplaystations.WhenIwasachildIlikedtogotothemovietheatrewithmyparentstowatchapremiere.Onemorereasontochooseabigcityforachildisthatacityprovidesbetterliveconditionsandservicessuchasmedical,dental,etc.Myfriendlivedinthecountryforawhileandonetimeheandhisfamilyhadtodriveacoupleofhourstothenearestmedicalcenterwhenhischildgotaheavycough.Tosummarize,Iagreewiththosepeople

whowanttoraisetheirchildreninacity.Theplentyofopportunitiesofferedbyacityhelpschildrentofindwhattheyreallylikeandbethebestatit.Moreover,despitetheairpollution,childrengetabettermedicalservicethatisgoodfortheirhealth.

(394words)

Sample79


Apersonyouknowisplanningtomovetoyourtownorcity.Whatdoyouthinkthispersonwouldlikeanddislikeaboutlivinginyourtownorcity?Why?Usespecificreasonsanddetailsto

developyouressay.


modelanswer:

IamfromSaint-Petersburg,Russia.Itisaverybeautifulcitythatattractsmanypeopleeveryyear.Myclosefriendisgoingtomovehereafterhergraduation.Shealreadyfoundajobandsheaskedmetohelpherwithanapartment.KnowingherverywellIthinkIcanenumeratethemajorityofthingsshewilllikeanddislikeaboutmycity.Firstofall,Ibelieveshewilllikeahugeamountofmuseums,theatres,movietheatres,etc.Myfriendisfromasmall

town,so,shecannotenjoyallthesebenefitsathernativetown.Secondofall,itseemstomethatshewilllikethewaypeoplelivehere.Thepaceoflifeismuchfasterheretheninasmalltown.Peoplearealwaysinahurry,theytrytocatchabus,andthentheyruntothenearestsubwaystation,gotoanoffice,meetnewpeople,etc.Also,Ithinkmyfriendwilllikepeoplehere.Theyareveryfriendlyandreadytoofferahelptothoseinneed.Unfortunately,myfriendwillnotsurelylikesomethings.Asaresultofahugeamountofcarsandfactoriestheairispollutedhere.Onemorethingshewilldefinitelynotlikeistheweather.Itisquitehumidhere.However,Ithinkshewillalsolikethepublictransporthere.ThebusservicesarerunbytheGovernmentanditisquite

regular.Ifoneinahurryhecantakeataxi,whichalsoisquitecheapandprovideagoodtransport.

Inconclusion,Ibelievethatinspiteofallmentionedabovedisadvantagesshewilllikethiscity.

(283words)

Sample80


Somepeoplethinkthatchildrenshouldbegintheirformaleducationataveryearlyageandshouldspendmostoftheirtimeonschoolstudies.Othersbelievethatyoungchildren

shouldspendmostoftheirtimeplaying.Comparethesetwoviews.Whichviewdoyouagreewith?Why?


modelanswer:

Peoplelearnthroughtheirentirelives.Curiositywasalwaysthebasiccharacteristicofahumanbeing.Wealwayswanttobreaklimitsandlearnmore.Atthispointsomepeoplethinkthatchildrenshouldbegintheirformaleducationataveryearlyageandspendmostoftheirtimeonschoolstudies.Thiswillhelpthemtosucceedinthefuture.However,forseveralreasons,whichIwill

explainbellow,Ithinkthatchildrenshouldnotstudyataveryearlyage.Ofcause,childrenwhobegintostudyataveryearlyagehavemorechancestosucceedinthefuture.Theygainmoreknowledgeandexperiencewhicharepricelessandvaluable.Inaddition,studyingmorenowtheywillgivethemtheopportunitytoperfecttheirknowledgeinthefutureandbecomebetterprofessionals.However,Ithinkthateverychildmusthavehisorherchildhood.Childrenshouldlearnthroughplayingandcommunicationwiththeirfriendsandparents.Ithinkthatsuchbasicqualitiesaskindness,self-confidenceandjustagoodsenseofhumorcannotbegainedfromstudying.Childrenshouldmoretimespendwiththeirfamily,playingandlearningwiththeirparents.

Imaginethatachildinsteadofplayingwithhisfriendsdoeshishomeworkandfeelexhaustedandtired.Anotherimportantaspectofthisisthatchildrenattheirearlyagesneedmoreexercisebecauseatthisagethedevelopmentoftheirbodyisaveryessentialaspect.Childrenfirstofallmustbehealthy.Tosumup,Ithinkthatchildrenshouldhavetheircarelesschildhoodwithnoresponsibilities.Moreover,Iamsurethatplayinghelpsthemdevelopnotonlytheirbonesandmusclesbuttheirabilitytomakedecisions,analyzethings,makeconclusions,whichisverygoodfortheirfuture.

(296words)

Sample81


Doyouagreeordisagreewiththefollowingstatement?Watchingtelevisionisbadforchildren.Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyouropinion.


modelanswer:

Someparentsbelievethatwatchingtelevisionisbadfortheirchildren.So,theytrytorestricttheirchildrenfromwatchingTV.However,otherparentsthinkthatthereisnothingbadinwatching

TV.Personally,IthinkthatwatchingTVbringschildrenonlybenefitsunlesstheyspendinfrontofTVsetlessthenacoupleofhoursdaily.Forthefollowingreasons,whichIwillmentionbellow,Ibelievethattelevisionplaysanessentialroleinchild'sdevelopment.Firstofall,televisionhelpsachildtoextenthisorherrangeofinterests.Childrencanfindoutmanynewthingsandmakemanyexitingdiscoveriesforthemselves.Inadditiontothesepracticalbenefitstelevisionimproveschildren'svocabulary,theirmemoryandgivesthemtheopportunitytogainmoreknowledge.Ithinkitisveryessentialforachild.Ofcause,someonecansaythatthereareplentyofdifferentrecoursesofinformationsuchasbooksandteachers.But,Ithink,inourmodernworldchildren

mustlearnfasteranduseallcontemporarytechnologyinordertosucceed.Secondofall,watchingcognitiveprogramshelpschildrentolearnmoreaboutwildlife,ourenvironmentandabouttheimportanceofpreservingourforestandwildanimalsthatlivethere.ScientistssaythatachildshouldnotwatchTVmorethen40minutessuccessively.Forexample,mymotheralwaysmadeushaveabreakafterwatchingTVmorethenhalfanhourandletoureyesrestforseveralminutesbeforeturningontheTVagain.Ithinkitisthebestsolution.Tosumup,Ibelievethattelevisiongiveschildrenandallpeopletheopportunitytolearnwhatcannotbelearnfrombooks.Televisionandmoviesinparticularallowpeopletofeeltherealityandseewhattheywillmostlikelynotbeabletoseeintheir

lives.Personally,whenIwasachildIlikedtowatchcognitiveprogramsaboutwildanimals.Unfortunately,myfamilyhadonlyoneTV,buttheseprogramsweretheonlyonesweallwantedtowatch.So,wegatheredinourlivingroomandwatchedthemincompletesilenceandIalwaysrememberthosemomentswithasmileonmyface.

(367words)

Sample82


Doyouagreeordisagreewiththefollowingstatement?Childrenshouldbeginlearningaforeign

languageassoonastheystartschool.Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyouropinion.


modelanswer:

Languageisthebestmeansofcommunication.Inthemodernglobalizationeraitisnotenoughtobeabletospeakonelanguagetocommunicatewiththeoutsideworld.Istronglysupporttheideathatchildrenshouldbeginlearningaforeignlanguageassoonastheystartschool.Theyfasterbecomefamiliarwithastrangelanguage,improvetheirhearingabilitytounderstand

newwordsastimegoesbyandlearnnewwords.InthefollowingparagraphsIwilllistsomereasonstosupportmyposition.Firstofall,ifonewantstoseeoutcomesoon,onemuststartsooner.So,theearlychildrenbegintolearnnewlanguagethebetterwillbetheresult.Scientistssaythatachilddoesnotconfusetwodifferentlanguagesbutlearnsthemmoreeffectively.Secondofall,adultsareoftenafraidtomakemistakeswhentheyarespeakinginanewlanguage.Thisfearisoneofthebiggestbarriersforapersoninhiseffortstospeakfreely.Otherwise,childrendonotafraidofmakinggrammaticalmistakesbecausebasicallytheyjustrepeatwordsandsentencesinthewaytheyhearthem.Also,childrenhaveabetterchancetogetridofanaccent.Theyfastergetusedto

therightpronunciationandbetterfeelthemelodyofalanguage.Tosumup,Ithinkthatitisveryessentialforchildrentobeginlearningaforeignlanguageintheirearlyages.Itisbringsmanybenefitssuchasgreatpronunciation.Also,ithelpsachilddevelopandgainmoreknowledgewhichisgoodforalongrun.

(264words)

Sample83


Doyouagreeordisagreewiththefollowingstatement?Parentsorotheradultrelativesshould

makeimportantdecisionsfortheir(15to18year-old)teenagechildren.Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyouropinion.


modelanswer:

Parentsareinmostcasesourfirstteachersandfriends.FrommyeverydayexperienceIhavetoagreewiththestatementthatimportantdecisionsshouldbemadebyourparentsoradultrelatives.InthefollowingparagraphsIwillgivemyreasonstosupportthisstatement.Firstofall,teenagechildrenhavethetendencytoliveintheirownfantasies.

Theydonotclearlyunderstandtherulesofareallife.WhenIwas18yearsoldIthoughtthattheworldwasperfectandeverythingseemedtobesimple.Teenagersarebasicallyinexperienced;theyaspireforindependenceandtrytomaketheirfirststepstowardsfreedom.Ithinkthatitislikestartingtowalkwhenababyneedsitsparentsforsupport.Anindependentlifeisabigandsignificantpartinaperson'slife.So,mypointisthatitisveryimportanttomakethisstepright.Secondofall,Ithinkthatparentshaverighttointerfereintheirchildren'slives.Theyneedtoknowwhatkindoffriendstheirchildrenhaveandhowchildrenspendtheirsparetime.ForexampleIhadaneighteenyearsoldfriendwhogotreallyangrywithhisparentswhentheyprohibitedhimtobefriendswithayoung

man.Somehowhisparentsfoundoutthatthatyoungmanwasoccasionallytakingdrugs.Thatmanwasdeadinayearbecauseofdrugabuse.Afterthataccidentmyfriendthankedhisparentsforthatinterference.Finally,Ithinkteenagechildrenshouldbemoreopen-mindedwiththeirparents.Itwillhelpthemtomaketherightchoiceandavoidmanymistakes.Tosumup,Ibelievethatyoungpeopleshouldtrusttheirparentsbecausetheywishtheirchildrenonlythebest.

(291words)

Sample84


Itisbetterforchildrentogrowupinthecountrysidethaninabigcity.Doyouagreeordisagree?Usespecificreasonsandexamplestodevelopyouressay.


modelanswer:

Somepeoplebelievethatitisbetterforchildrentogrowupinthecountrysidethaninabigcity.However,otherpeoplethinkthatabigcitygivesmoreopportunitiesanditisgoodforthelongrun.Personally,forseveralreasonsIthinkthatitisbetterforchildren'shealthtogrowupinthecountry.

Firstofall,itisveryimportantforachildtogrowupinahealthyenvironment.Childrenneedfreshair,notpollutedbythehugeamountofcarsandfactoriesofthemoderncity.Inthecountrytheycanspendmoretimeexercisingandwalkingwiththeirfriends.ScientistssaythatnowchildrenspendthesameamountoftimewatchingTVastheydoatschool.Probably,thepossibilitytojointheirfriendsforaplaywillchangethisproportion.Anotherimportantaspectofthisisthatparentswillhavemoretimetospendwiththeirchildrenasaresultofeliminatingtrafficjamsanddecreasingdrivingtimeasawhole.Fromtheotherside,childrenhavesomeadvantageslivinginabigcity.Forexample,theyhavemoreopportunitiestochoosefromwhattheywanttodo.They

canchoosetoattendballetschool,schoolofart,gymnastics,etc.Forthelongrun,itisgoodforthem.Theywillbebetterpreparedforaliveina"realworld"andtheywillhavemorechancestomakeagoodcareerandsucceed.Moreover,abigcityusuallyhasmanyentertainingcenterswithmovietheatresandplaystations.WhenIwasachildIlikedtogotothemovietheatrewithmyparentstowatchapremiere.Onemorereasontochooseabigcityforachildisthatacityprovidesbetterliveconditionsandservicessuchasmedical,dental,etc.Myfriendlivedinthecountryforawhileandonetimeheandhisfamilyhadtodriveacoupleofhourstothenearestmedicalcenterwhenhischildgotaheavycough.Tosummarize,Iagreewiththosepeople

whowanttoraisetheirchildreninacity.Theplentyofopportunitiesofferedbyacityhelpschildrentofindwhattheyreallylikeandbethebestatit.Moreover,despitetheairpollution,childrengetabettermedicalservicethatisgoodfortheirhealth.

(394words)

Sample85


Doyouagreeordisagreewiththefollowingstatement?Childrenshouldberequiredtohelpwithhouseholdtasksassoonastheyareabletodoso.

Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyouranswer.


modelanswer:

Theissueaboutwhetherchildrenshouldhelpwithhouseholdtasksassoonastheyareabletodosoisopenfordebate.Somepeoplesaythatchildrenshoulddevotemoretimeforplayingwiththeirfriends,watchingTVandstudying.However,otherpeoplebelievethatchildrenshouldhelptheirparentswithhouseholdtasks.Personally,forseveralreasons,whichIwillexplainbellow,Iadheretothelatterpointofview.

Firstofall,Ithinkthateverychildshouldhavehisorherownresponsibilities.WhenIwasachildmyparentstaughtmehowtomakebreakfastinthemorning.So,Iwokeup,wenttothekitchenandpreparedacoupleoftoastsforbreakfast.ItwaseasyandIenjoyeddoingitbecauseIlikedthewaymyparentsthankedmeandIfeltthattheywereproudofme.Also,mymomalwayswantedmetoknowhowtocook,cleanandironmycloth.Thankstothelearning,nowadays,whenmymaidcannotcometomyhouseIhandleallhouseholdtasksmyself.Secondofall,performinghouseholdtasksteacheschildrentovaluethejobofpeoplewhodidit.WhenIwasachildIdidnotimaginethatcleaninghousecouldbesotimeandenergyconsuming.So,whenIbegantodosomeofthehouseholdtasks

bymyselfIbegantorespectthejobofothersandtryedtocollectallmytoysaftermyplayingwiththem.Finally,doinghouseholdtasksteacheschildrentoarrangetheirtime.Inadditiontothosepracticalbenefits,helpfromchildrenallowsparentstohavemoresparetimefortheirpersonallivesandforthechildren.Afamilycanhavemoretimetospendwitheachothertalking,watchingmoviesorjustenjoyingthebeautifulmoments.Tosumup,Ithinkthatchildrenshouldhelptheirparentswithhouseholdtasks.Doinghouseholdtaskshelpsthemtogrowintoindependent,self-confident,andattentivepersonswhorespecttheirparents.

(334words)

Sample86


Whataresomeimportantqualitiesofagoodsupervisor(boss)?Usespecificdetailsandexamplestoexplainwhythesequalitiesareimportant.


modelanswer:

Manypeoplehavetoworkundersomebody'ssupervision.Inmostcasesanemployeedoesnotchoosehisorherboss,

unlessasupervisoriselected.InthefollowingparagraphsIwilllistthemostimportantqualitiesofmy"idealboss".Firstofall,hemustbeimpartial.Ibelievethatitisveryimportanttomakeatechnicaldecision,thinkaboutsomebody'spromotion,etc.impartially.Forinstance,myfriendisasupervisoronadairymill.Itishisfamily'sbusinesssoalotofhisrelativesworkthere.Butheneverpromotessomeonebecauseheorsheishisfamily.Ithinkitisagoodqualityforaboss.Secondofall,my"idealboss"mustbehonest,patientandattentive.Heshouldpayattentiontopeople'sfeelings,encouragethembyincreasingtheirsalary,listentotheirsuggestionsaboutimprovinglaborconditionsandproductivity.Forinstance,ifhedoesnotsatisfiedwiththe

resultheshouldunderstandtheoriginoftheproblemandexplainpeoplehowtofixit.Inaddition,hemustknowhowtosolveconflictsthatcanarisebetweenemployees.Anotherimportantqualityofabossistheabilitytochoosetherightdecisionsandtolearnonsomebody'smistakes.Finally,Ithinkagoodbossmustvaluehisorheremployeesbecausetheprofitdirectlydependsonthepeoplewhoworkthere.Inconclusion,Ithinkagoodbossshouldbeabletomakehispeopleenjoytheworktheyaredoingandencouragetheirdiligence.

(252words)

Sample87


Somepeopleenjoychange,andtheylookforwardtonewexperiences.Othersliketheirlivestostaythesame,andtheydonotchangetheirusualhabits.Comparethesetwoapproachestolife.Whichapproachdoyouprefer?Explainwhy.


modelanswer:

Somepeopleliketoliveinthesamehouse,havethesamejobandhabitsall

theirlives.However,othersaspiretochangesandnewexperience.Personally,fortheseveralreasons,whichIwillexplainbellow,Ipreferthefirstapproachtolife.Firstofall,changesinone'slifebringmanybenefits.Onetriesnewthings,gainsnewknowledgeandexperience.Ithinkitisgreatbecausewithoutchangeslifebecomesboring.Ialwaystrytomakechangesinmylife.Moreover,whenIfeelthatmylifeisboringIdonotfeelwellaboutit.IfeellikeIspentthosedaysfornothing.Ididnotdoanythingexiting,IlearntnothinginterestingandIjustwaistedmytime.Secondofall,peopleneedchanges.Furthermore,weneedobstaclestoovercomeandreachourgoals.Ibelievethatchangesmakeusstronger,more

persistent,moreself-confident,andmorepatient.Also,Ifeelthatallpeoplewhosucceededinlifelikechangesandnewexperiencebecauseitisimpossibletobethebestatsomefieldwithoutperfectingthepresentknowledgeandgainnewexperience.Peoplecatcheveryopportunitytolearnmoreandchangetheirlifeforthebest.Fromtheotherside,peoplewholiketheirlivestostaythesameareverypermanent.Theyhavethesamejoballtheirlife,thesamehabits,thesameweek-endsandeventhesameyearsinyearsout.Ithinkitisboring.Whatwilltheytelltheirchildrenabouttheirlives?Whatkindofcontributionwilltheymakeforthesociety?Ithinksuchpeoplearejustafraidofchanges.Ithinkcuriosityandaspirationtothenew

experiencearetwoofthemainreasonsofhumanevolution.Peoplealwayswantedtobreaklimitsandgainmoreknowledgeandexperience.So,peoplewhoenjoychangearetheengineofhumandevelopment.

(314words)

Sample88


Doyouagreeordisagreewiththefollowingstatement?Businessesshoulddoanythingtheycantomakeaprofit.Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyourposition.


modelanswer:

Idonotagreewiththestatementthatbusinessesshoulddoanythingtheycantomakeaprofit.Istatemyopiniononthefollowingpoints.Firstofall,everycompanymusthaveitsmoralcode.Itmeansthatacompanyshouldtreatitsclientsproperlyandrespecttheirrights.Ofcauseacompanymayloseapartofitsprofitbutsecurityofitsclientsmustbeonthefirstplace.Otherwise,clientswillswitchtoanothercompanyandneverbeback.Forinstance,afewyearsago"Jonson&Jonson"producedanewtypeofpainkillers.

Unfortunately,thisproductwasnottestedproperly.Asaresultofthismanypeoplediedandreceivedinjures.Thepresidentofthecompanymadeacrucialdecisiontocallbackallpainkillersfromalldistributorsandpaytoallinjuredcustomersfortheirtreatment.Itcostalotofmoneyforthecompanybutitsaveditsimageandclients.Itwasaverydifficultdecision,butthepresidentofthecompanyunderstoodthatitwouldcosthimevenmoreinthefuturebecausehewouldnotbeabletoreturnclients'respect.Loosingcustomersmeansforacompanyloosingitsprofit.Secondofall,inordertosucceedinthemodernworldcompanieshavetocompetewitheachother.Manycompanieslosetheirprofitdecreasingpricesontheirproducts.Theydonotaspireforextra

profitbutforclients'satisfaction.Companiesdoitbecausetheywanttheirproductssoldandtheircustomerssatisfied.Theyofferdiscounts,freedelivery,freeservice,freeInternetaccess,goodreturnservice,etc.Allthesearedonetomaketheiroldcustomershappyandattractnewclients.Tosumup,Ithinkacompany,whichtheonlygoalisprofitwillnotsucceednowadays.Otherwise,companiesthatrespecttheirclientsandwanttoseethemsatisfiedwillmakeafortune.

(311words)

Sample89


Businessesshouldhireemployeesfortheirentirelives.Doyouagreeordisagree?Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyouranswer.


modelanswer:

Iwouldhavetocompletelydisagreewiththestatementabove.InthefollowingparagraphsIwilloutlinethebasicconceptsofmyposition.Firstofall,Iwillleastthemajordisadvantagesforemployers.Onthetoday'smarketacompanymustbeveryflexibleinordertocompetewithother

firms.So,imaginethesituationwhenacompanycannotfireitsemployeestostayonthemarket.Itwillleadtoloosingnotonlyaprofit,buttheclients,marketshareandcompetitiveability.Now,imaginethesituationwhenacompanyisgrowingfast,everythingisgoodandthenextfewyearsaregoingtobeexcellent.So,employersneedmorepeopletoextendtheproduction.However,nobodycantellwhatwillhappeninafewyears.Inthiscase,employerswillbeafraidtohirenewpeopleandextendtheirbusinessbecausetheywillnotbeabletofirethemifsomethinggoeswrong.Anotherimportantaspectofthisisthatacompanycannothavethebestemployees.Itcannothirethebetteronewithoutdismissinganotheremployee.Whatkindofdisadvantageswillhavean

employeeinexchangeforthiskindofjobsecurity?Firstofall,itwillbeverydifficulttofindajobifoneisnotthebest,becauseanemployerdoesnotwanttospendmoneyonone'seducation.Besides,employerwillnothaveachancetofireoneifhedoesnotdohisjobwell.Secondofall,employeeswiththiskindofsecuritytendnottoperfectthemselvesbecauseaftertheyarehiredtheycannotlosetheirjob.Inconclusion,Iwouldliketoaddthatthisstatementhassomepositiveaspectstoosuchasconstancy,astrongspiritofthecompany,etc.ThissystemtakesplaceinJapanandsomecompaniessucceededinit.ButIthinkthatthereasonofitsubsistsintheJapanesetraditions,theparticularculturalfeatures,habitsandcustoms.However,ontoday'smarkethereinthe

UnitedStatesacompanycannotaffordtohireemployeesfortheirentirelife.

(349words)

Sample90


Shouldacitytrytopreserveitsold,historicbuildingsordestroythemandreplacethemwithmodernbuildings?Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyouropinion.


modelanswer:

Somepeoplethinkthatold,historicbuildingsarenoneedforthecityandtheyshouldbedestroyedandreplacedwithmodernones.However,otherpeoplebelievethathistoricbuildingsmustbepreservedinordertoknowandrememberourpast.ForseveralreasonsthatIwillmentionbellowIagreewiththosepeoplewhowanttopreserveold,historicalbuildings.Firstofall,bypreservinghistoricalbuildingswepassourhistorytoourfuturegenerations.Ithinkthatoutchildrenshouldknowtheirhistory,learnfromitandrespectit.Peopleneedtoknowtheirtraditionsandcustoms,whicharepricelessandirreplaceable.Ourhistoryisourknowledgeandpower.Frommyopinion

weneedtopreserveandrestorehistoricalbuildings.Bydestroyingthemweshowourdisrespecttoourforefathersandtheirtraditions.Secondofall,bypreservinghistoricalbuildingsacitycanattractmanytravelers.Welcomingtouristsacitycangetmanybenefitsincludingmoney,whichcanbespentonpreservinghistoricalbuildingsaswellasonimprovingroadsandfacilities.Also,manytouristsmeanalotofnewbusinessopportunities.Anotherimportantaspectofthisisthatbusinessmenwillbewillingtobuildnewrecreationalcenters,hotels,movietheaters,shoppingcenterstomakeacitymoreattractivefortravelers.Inadditiontothosepracticalbenefits,manypeoplewillhavetheopportunitytogetajob.Allthisisgoodfortheeconomyofthecity.

Tosumup,Ibelievethatpreservingold,historicalbuildingscanbringonlybenefitstoacityandallhumankind.

(259words)

Sample91


Thegovernmenthasannouncedthatitplanstobuildanewuniversity.Somepeoplethinkthatyourcommunitywouldbeagoodplacetolocatetheuniversity.Comparetheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofestablishinganewuniversityinyourcommunity.Usespecificdetailsinyourdiscussion.


modelanswer:

Ithinkitisagreatideatobuildanewuniversityinmycommunity.However,Ithinkitisacontroversialquestionwhetherthebuildingofanewuniversitywillbringonlybenefitstoourcommunity.InthisessayIwillanalyzeadvantagesanddisadvantagesofthisissueandpresentmyviewinfavorofestablishinganewuniversityinmycommunity.Fromtheoneside,establishinganewuniversityinmycommunitybringsmanybenefits.Firstofall,anewconstructionmeansmorejobopportunities.Ithinkitwouldbegoodformycommunitybecause

manypeoplehavetospendmuchtimedrivingtotheirworkdayinanddayoutbecausetheycouldnotfindajobinourneighborhood.Secondofall,anewuniversityisagoodchancetomeetnewpeopleandIlikethisopportunity.Manystudentswillliveinourcommunity.Finally,ifanewuniversityisbuiltinmycommunitythereisabigchancethatIwillbewillingtoenrollinit.IthinkitisgreatbecauseitisnotfarfrommyplaceandIdonothavetomovetoanotherpartofthecity.Anotherimportantaspectofthisisthatpeoplefrommycommunitywillhaveachancetousenewlibrariesandfacilitiesofanewuniversity.Forexamplesomepeoplecantakecoursesandclassesthere.Fromtheotherside,buildinganewuniversitycanbringsomedisadvantages.Anewconstructionmeansnoise,traffic

jamsanddifferentkindsofpollution.Inadditiontothesedisadvantages,manyyoungpeopleinourcommunitycancausemorenoiseespeciallyintheevenings.Tosumup,IthinkthatIwouldsupportthedecisionofthegovernmentofestablishinganewuniversityinmycommunitydespiteafewdisadvantagesthatcouldfollowthisconstruction.Ibelievethatanewuniversitywillincreaseachanceofmanyyoungpeopletogetahighereducation,gainmoreknowledgeandexperience,whichwillhelpthemtosucceedintoday’sworld.

(341words)

Sample92


task.

Acompanyhasannouncedthatitwishestobuildalargefactorynearyourcommunity.Discusstheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofthisnewinfluenceonyourcommunity.Doyousupportoropposethefactory?Explainyourposition.


modelanswer:

IamfromSaint-Petersburg,Russia.Ibelievethatbuildingalargefactorynearmycommunityhasadvantagesaswellas

disadvantages.InthefollowingparagraphsIwilllistbasicbenefitsandlossesthatwillbebroughtbyanewfactory.Forseveralreasons,Ithinkthatanewfactorywillnotbeagoodadditiontomyneighborhood.Firstofall,factoriesoftenbringpollution.Theyarepronetocontaminatingthelocalairandwater.Secondofall,factoriesmakenoise.Anotherimportantaspectofbuildinganewfactorynearbyisthatitwillmakethelocaltrafficheavy.Asaresultofthis,theamountoftrafficcongestionswillincrease,aswellascontaminationoftheair.So,alltheseobviouslywillnotmakeone'slifehappierandhealthierinmycommunity.Fromtheotherside,Ibelievethatanewfactorywillbringsomeadvantagestomycommunity.Firstofall,itwillbringnew

jobopportunities.Manyspecialistswillberequiredtoworkthere.Secondofall,Ithinkmanylocalcommunityfacilitieswillhavetoberenovatedtoobtainreliablesupplyofwaterandelectricity.So,someoldpipesmaybechanged.Anotherimportantbenefitofthisisthatthelocalroadsinordertomanagetheincreasingtrafficwillberebuiltandwidened.However,Idonotthinkthatlistedabovebenefitsareworthallthesetroublesincludingwatercontaminationandtheconstantpollutionofair.Frommypointofviewallfactoriesmustbebuiltfarfromthepeoplecommunitiesbecausetheycanbereallyharmfulforpeople'shealth.

(266words)

Sample93


Ithasrecentlybeenannouncedthatanewmovietheatermaybebuiltinyourneighborhood.Doyousupportoropposethisplan?Why?Usespecificreasonsanddetailstosupportyouranswer.


modelanswer:

Iliveinasmallcommunity.FrommyeverydayexperienceandobservationIcansaythattheideaaboutbuildinganew

theatreinmyneighborhoodhassomeadvantagesaswellasdisadvantages.InthisessayIwillfirstfocusonthereasonswhyIsupportthisideaandthenmoveontoanalyzingwhyIopposeit.Firstofall,IlikemoviesandmyhusbandandIsometimesgotothemovietheatretowatchpremieres.Unfortunately,itistime-consumingforus.Wehavetodriveabout50minutestothenearestmoviestheatre.So,theideaofhavingamovietheatreinourneighborhoodseemsveryattractive.Itwouldsaveusanhourjusttogetthereandanotherhourtogetbackhome.Anotherimportantaspectofitisthatinthiscasewewillbeabletogettothemovietheatrebyfoot.Imusttoconfessthatwealwayshaveparkingtroublesintheparkingspacenearthemovietheatre.Secondofall,newmovietheatreisavery

goodplaceforstudentswhowanttoearnsomemoney.MyhusbandandIlivenearastudentcommunity,soIthinkitwouldbeagreatnewsforthem.Inadditiontothispracticalbenefitstudentswillbeabletowatchallmoviesfreeofcharge.Isupposeitisagreatwaytosavesomemoney.Finally,thereareusuallymanyrestaurantsandentertainingcentersaroundamovietheatre.Therepeoplecanhavedinnerorplaygamemachines.Incontrast,Ithinkthatthebuildingofanewmovietheatrewilldestroythesilenceandbeautyofoutcommunity.Suchentertainingcentersareoftennoisy.Moreover,trafficjamswillprobablybetheresultofit.Inconclusion,IthinkthatifthequestionwasaboutbuildinganewmovietheatreinthenextneighborhoodIwouldcompletely

agree.

(316words)

Sample94


Doyouagreeordisagreewiththefollowingstatement?Peopleshouldreadonlythosebooksthatareaboutrealevents,realpeople,andestablishedfacts.Usespecificreasonsanddetailstosupportyouropinion.


modelanswer:

Somepeoplethinkthatfictionbookshavenouseatall.Theyclaimthatpeopleshouldreadaboutrealeventsthattookplace,realpeople,andestablishedfacts.Ihavetototallydisagreewiththisstatement.FrommyeverydayexperienceandobservationIcanstandthatfiction,miraclesandfairytailsarerequiredinourlife.Forseveralreasons,whichIwillmentionbelow,Ibelievethatfictionbooksplayanessentialroleinourlife.Firstofall,itiskindofdifficulttoimagineasixyearoldchildreadingaboutpoliticsorhistorywiththerealfactsthatarenotalwayspleasant.IthinkthatchildrenneedmiraclesandSantaClausbecausetherealworldistoocomplicatedforthem.Theyaretooinnocentand

inexperiencedtoknowtherealfactsandunderstandwhatareallifeisabout.Inaddition,Iamsurethatmakingachildreadonlynon-fictionbookscanresultinshock.Secondofall,followingthisstatementaboutrefusingfromreadingbooksaboutfictioneventswealsoshouldrefusefromfestivals,parades,andcelebrationsuchholidaysasHalloweenbecausemostofthecharacterstherearefictional.Moreover,comicbookswilldisappearaswellasanimatedfilmsandfictionmovies.Thedisadvantageofnon-fictionliesinthefactsthatnothinghappenstoexcitethemindandspirit.Fromtheotherside,fictionprovidesagreatslopeforamindtothinkcreatively.Inconclusion,Ithinkthatpeopleneedmiracles.Wecannotbesatisfiedwith

onlynakedtruth.Humankindmustbelieveinsomethingandthisbeliefhelpspeoplebreaklimitsandmakenewinventions.

(273words)

Sample95


Ithasbeensaid,“Noteverythingthatislearnediscontainedinbooks.”Compareandcontrastknowledgegainedfromexperiencewithknowledgegainedfrombooks.Inyouropinion,whichsourceismoreimportant?Why?


modelanswer:

Peoplearelearningandpracticingthroughtheirentirelife.Ibelievethatlifeexperienceandpracticearethebasicreasonsofthehumankind'sevolution.However,inmyopinion,knowledgegainedfrombooksplaysaveryimportantroleinthemodernlife.Themostobviouslyimportantadvantageofbooksisthattheyholdallknowledgegainedbypreviousgenerations.Peoplewritebooksabouttheirdiscoveriesandinventions,whicharegainedthroughpracticeandexperience.Thisknowledgeisaccumulatedinbooksthatarepassedfrom

generationtogeneration.So,basically,peoplegetallknowledgeaboutthepreviousachievementsfrombooks,analyzeitandthan,accordingtotheirexperienceandnewdata,writenewbooks.Inthiscase,booksaretheholdersofhumankind'sexperience.Forexample,atoldtimespeoplethoughtthattheEarthwasflat.Itwasconcludedfromobservationsandstuddying.However,thenextgenerations,usingtheexperienceoftheirancestors,provedthattheEarthwasround.Personally,Ithinkthatbooksareveryimportantbecausetheyareabletogivepeoplethebasicandfundamentalknowledge.Booksstorehistory,theimportanteventsanddiscoveries.Withoutthemitisdifficultandsometimesimpossibletomoveforward,makenew

discoveriesandinventions.Tosummarize,Ithinkapersonshouldtakebasicknowledgefrombooksbecauseitwillhelphimtomakehisowninventions,conclusionsanddiscoveries.Onlyusingbothbooksandone’sexperienceonecanmoveforward.

(237words)

Sample96


Manypartsoftheworldarelosingimportantnaturalresources,suchasforests,animals,orcleanwater.Chooseoneresourcethatisdisappearingandexplainwhyitneedsto

besaved.Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyouropinion.


modelanswer:

Ashuman'spopulationisdramaticallyrisingeveryyear,people'srequirementsareincreasingtoo.Weneedmorefood,morefreshwater,moreplacestolive.Asaresultofthismanypartsoftheworldarelosingessentialandsometimesirreplaceableresources,suchasforest,animals,orfreshwater.InthisessayIwillfocusonthethreatofdisappearingmanywildanimals.

ThereasonwhyIthinkthatanimalsshouldbepreservedisthatalllivingcreaturesonthisplanetareconnectedwitheachother.So,thedisappearanceofonlyonespeciescancausedramaticchangesintheplanetandevendeathofmanyotherlivingcreatures.Forexample,thedisappearanceofbatswillcausethehugeincreasingofinsectpopulationandthiswillreflectonallanimalsandplants.Anotherexampleisthatifthepopulationofbatsincreases,thepopulationofinsectswilldecreasesignificantly,andthiswillcausethedisappearanceofmanyplantsbecauseinsectsarethemainpollinators.So,Ithinkitisveryimportanttopreserveallspeciesonourplanetandliveinharmonywithourenvironment.AnotherimportantreasonwhyIthinkthatanimalsshouldbesavedisthatI,

personally,donotwantmychildtolearnaboutdifferentanimalsfrombooksandnotbeabletoseethemalive.Ithinkitisshamefulforhumankindtoexplainourchildrenthatwearethereasonwhythoseanimalsdisappeared.Inconclusion,Iwouldliketosaythattheissueaboutlosingimportantnaturalresourcesistopicalandopenfordebatenowadays.Ibelievethattogetherpeoplecanmakeadifference.Frommypointofview,thefirstproblemweshouldfindasolutionforishuman'soverpopulation.AsImentionedabovepeople'sdemandsaregrowingandthismeansweconsumemoreandmorenaturalresources.Thesecondquestion,whichisonthelistofmostimportantissues,ispollutionincludingtheairpollution,waterpollution,etc.

(325words)

Sample97


Somepeoplethinkthathumanneedsforfarmland,housing,andindustryaremoreimportantthansavinglandforendangeredanimals.Doyouagreeordisagreewiththispointofview?Whyorwhynot?Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyouranswer.


modelanswer:

Ashumanpopulationissignificantlyrisingeveryyear,people'srequirementsareincreasingtoo.Weneedmorefood,moremachines,moreplacetolive.Asaresultofthispeopleneedmorelandtosatisfytheirrequirements.Wecultivateandirrigatemoreandmorelandtoplantvegetables,buildnewbuildings,airports,roads,etc.Ithinksometimesweforgetthatwearenotaloneonthisplanet.Ihavetodisagreewiththosepeoplewhothinkthathumanneedsaremoreimportantthansavinglandforendangeredanimals.Ibasemyopiniononthefollowingpoints.Firstofall,asIalreadymentioned,wearenotaloneonthisplanet.Afewcenturiesagowewerethepartofwildnature.Ithinkweneedtorememberthisfactand

respectallcreaturesaroundus.Secondofall,Ibelievethatweallneedtothinkoftheproblemofoverpopulation.Thehumanpopulationisdramaticallyincreasingandwehavetodosomethingaboutit.Frommyopinion,everyfamilyshouldhavenomorethantwochildren.Itwillhelptostopthegrowthofpopulation,decreasehumanneedsforfarmland,housingandindustry.Inconclusion,Ithinkitisaverytopicalquestionnowadays.Mypointisthatallpeopleshouldanswerthisquestionandfindthesolution.

(218words)

Sample98


task.

Somepeoplebelievethatthebestwayoflearningaboutlifeisbylisteningtotheadviceoffamilyandfriends.Otherpeoplebelievethatthebestwayoflearningaboutlifeisthroughpersonalexperience.Comparetheadvantagesofthesetwodifferentwaysoflearningaboutlife.Whichdoyouthinkispreferable?Usespecificexamplestosupportyourpreference.


modelanswer:

FrommyeverydayexperienceandobservationIcanstandthatthebestwayoflearningaboutlifeisthroughpersonalexperience.However,somepeoplethinkthatitiswisertolearnaboutlifethroughlisteningtotheadviceoffamilyandfriends.ItdoesnotmeanItotallydisagreewiththiswayoflearning.Moreover,Ithinkthatitiswiseforapersontotakeanintermediatepositionbecauseeachofthesewayshasitsownadvantages.BellowIwillgivemyreasonstosupportmypointofview.Fromtheoneside,learningthroughone'spersonalexperiencebringsmanybenefits.Firstofall,scientistssaythatpersonalexperiencehasgreaterimpactonaperson.Ihavetoagreewiththis.Takeforexamplechildren.Theywillnotbelievetheirparentsthatsomethingcanhurtthemuntil

theytryitandmakesureinit.Furthermore,mostlikelytheywillrememberthisexperiencelonger.Secondofall,peoplelearnhowtoanalyzetheirmistakes,makeconclusionsandnexttimetrytoavoidthem.So,Ithinkitisagreatexperiencethatmakespeoplestronger,moreself-confidentandpersistent.Theygainmoreknowledgeandexperiencethatwillbeveryhelpfulandvaluableinthefuture.Fromtheotherside,listeningtotheadviceoffamilyandfriendsbringsmanybenefitstoo.Parentswithgreatpatiencepassdowntheirknowledgeandexperiencetotheirchildren.Theyteachthemalltheyknowandtheywanttheirchildrendonotmakethesamemistakes.Inadditiontothosepracticalbenefits,learningfrom

someone'sadviceispainless.Forexample,parentsnowadaysveryoftentalktotheirchildrenaboutdrugs.Ithinkitisagreatexamplewhenoneshouldnottrydrugsinordertogainnewexperience.Ithinkitisacasewhenchildrenmusttrusttheirparents.Tosumup,Ithinkitiswisetocombinebothofthesewaystolearnandtrytoanalyzepersonalmistakesaswellasnotpersonal.Ithinktogethertheycangreatlysimplifyone'slifeandmakethewaytosuccessshorter.

(350words)

Sample99


Somepeopleliketodoonlywhattheyalreadydowell.Otherpeopleprefertotrynewthingsandtakerisks.Whichdoyouprefer?Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyourchoice.


modelanswer:

FormmyeverydayexperienceandobservationIthinkthatallpeoplewhosucceededinlifehadtoworkhardandgainmoreknowledgeandexperienceinordertoreachtheirgoals.Fromtheotherhand,peoplewhoalltheirlifedothingstheyalreadydowellanddonotimprove

theirknowledgedonotmoveforward.Ibasemystatementonthefollowingpoints.Firstofall,peoplewhowanttosucceedmustconstantlyimprovetheirknowledgeandgainmoreexperience.Moreover,theymustbethebestattheirprofession.So,theyneedtotrynewthings,takeriskssometimesandworkhard.Secondofall,itisimpossibletolivewithouttryingnewthings.Imagineonewantstolearnhowtodrive.Hewillneverbeabletodoitwithoutlearningnewthingssuchasdrivingrules.Personally,Ithinkthatitisveryinterestingtolearnnew,togainmoreexperience,tomakenewgoalsandreachthem.Lifeistooshorttostayononeplace.Peopleneedchangesbecausetheymakeourlivesmorebeautifulandexiting.Wefindoutnewthings,learnnewthings

anddreamtoknowotherthings.Peopleneedchallengesbecausewhileovercomingobstacleswemakenewdiscoveries,becomestronger,perfectourselvesandmoveforward.Tosumup,Ibelievethatpeople'saspirationforlearningnewthingsisthemainreasonthewaywelivenow.Peoplemakemanydiscoveriesandinventionsthatmakeourliveseasier,happierandlonger.

(249words)

Sample100


Somepeoplesaythatadvertising

encouragesustobuythingswereallydonotneed.Otherssaythatadvertisementstellusaboutnewproductsthatmayimproveourlives.Whichviewpointdoyouagreewith?Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyouranswer.


modelanswer:

Ithinkthateveryonecandividealladvertisingproductsandservicesintouselessonesandusefulones.Itislikelookingthroughaninformationdeskwhenyoupayattentiontothosemessagesthatinterestyou.Takemeforexample.

Idonotlikejewelry.ItdoesnotmeanIdonothaveitatall,Ihaveacoupleofinexpensiveringsasgiftsfrommyparents.Ijustthink,peoplepaytoomuchattentiontothisstuff.Ibelieveitistheresultofmassadvertising.EverydaywhenIamwatchingTV,listeningtotheradioorreadingthepaperInoticemanyadsaboutgettinganexpensivering,chain,necklaceorear-rings.Frommypointofviewthesekindsofadvertisingcontaminatepeople'sminds.Inthiscaseyouareencouragedtobuythingsyoudonotreallyneed.Theymakeyoubelieveyouneedsuchproductsinordertosucceedorbehappy.Fromtheotherside,Ithinkthatadvertisementsofthenewdetergentswithup-to-dateformulastohelpyoumaintainyourclothinperfectconditions,thenewcarswithsomeextrafuturesthatmake

yourtravelingmorecomfortableandsportsgoodsthatmakeyourlifehealthiermayhelpyoutoimproveyourlife.RecentlymyhusbandandIsawanadontheInternetaboutaveryinterestingandinexpensivevocationtoJapanforaweek.Isnotitawesome?Weliketraveling.Sonowweareplanningtofindoutmoreaboutitand,maybe,makereservations.Ibelievethatwithoutadvertisementswewouldbeunawareaboutplentyofoppotunitiesthatmaymakeyourlifehappier,easierandlessstressful.Mypointisthateverypersonhashisownscaleofvalues.Soifheisvegetarianhewillconsideranadaboutmeatproductsuselessforhim.

(305words)

Sample101


Doyouagreeordisagreewiththefollowingstatement?Advertisingcantellyoualotaboutacountry.Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyouranswer.


modelanswer:

Everycountryhasitsowncultureandtraditions.Thereisnodoubtthatan

advertisingcampaignconductedinRussiawillnothavethesameaffecthereintheUnitedStates.Letustakeforexampleadvertisementoffoodandrestaurants.Ahugeamountoffastfoodstandssuggesttheirservicesforbreakfast,lunch,dinnerandsupperhereinHouston.Thecompetitionisverystrong.Everyweekyougetinyourmail-boxanenvelopewithdifferenttypesofdiscountsinexchangeforvisitingthemororderingpizza.WatchingTVyouarealsofromtimetotimeinvitedtovisitarestaurantinordertotastesomedeliciousfood.Itisnotbecauseitiseasytomakemoneycookingbutbecausethedemandforsuchserviceishigh.Firstofall,peopleliketogooutsometimestohavedinnerwithfriends.Secondofall,itisoftenimpossibletodrivehomeforlunch.Itcanbetime

consuming.AsforRussia,itisagreattraditiontohavedinnerathomewiththefamilyandgototherestaurantforbigholidays.AdditionallyfastfoodisnotpopularinRussia.Soyouwillseeadvertisementsofyogurts,coffee,dairyproductsandjuiceinsteadofrestaurantsandfastfoodstands.InconclusionIwouldliketoaddthatinordertosucceedinadvertisingcampaignespeciallyontheinternationalmarketcompanymustknowtraditions,languageandhistoryofthecountry.

(239words)

Sample102


Somepeopleprefertoplanactivitiesfortheirfreetimeverycarefully.Otherschoosenottomakeanyplansatallfortheirfreetime.Comparethebenefitsofplanningfree-timeactivitieswiththebenefitsofnotmakingplans.Whichdoyouprefer-planningornotplanningforyourleisuretime?Usespecificreasonsandexamplestoexplainyourchoice.


modelanswer:

Nowadayspeoplehavesomanythingstodothattheyalmostalwaysdonothaveenoughtimeforit.Whenwegotobedwe

carefullythinkandplanournextdayanditcontinuesdayinanddayout.Wewakeup,recollectourchecklistwiththingstodoandinafewminuteswearealreadyinacaronourwaytotheoffice.Oftenpeopledonothavetimeforthemselves.So,whenpeoplehavesomesparetimetheywanttouseitwisely.Somepeopleprefertoplanactivitiesfortheirfreetimeverycarefully.However,othersprefernottomakeanyplans.InthisessayIwillanalyzebothcasesandpresentmyviewinfavorofplanningfree-timeactivities.Fromtheoneside,notmakinganyplansandjustlettingthetimepassbyforsometimehavesomebenefits.Firstofall,apersoncanjustrelax,enjoythebeautifulmoments,spendhisorhertimewithlovedones,watchamovie,listentorelaxingmusic,observetheflowersinbloomfrom

thewindow,contemplateabouthisorherlifeandjustslowdownthepaceoflife.Ithinkitisaverygoodwaytoeliminateone'sstressandtensionandjustleavealltroublesandworriesbehind.Fromtheotherside,carefulplanningcanbringmanybenefitstoo.Firstofall,onecantravel.However,travelingrequiressomeplanningtobemade.Forexample,onemostlikelywillneedahotelroom.So,thereservationshouldbemadebeforehand.Also,itiswisetocheckone'scartoavoidbreakdownsandhaveanuninterruptedworry-freetrip.Secondofall,planningone'sactivitiesallowstospendone'sfreetimethewayhe/shelikes.Forinstance,ifIwanttoplaytennisonincomingweek-endIwillcertainlymakeareservationforacourtbecauseinthiscaseIwillnotbedisappointedwiththewaste

ofmytime.Personally,Iprefertomakeplansformyfreetimebecauseitallowsmetospendmyvacationorweek-endsthewayIwantit.Tosumup,Ithinkcarefulplanningallowspeopletoderivemaximumbenefitsfromtheirfreetime.However,ImustconfesssometimesIallowmyselfjusttostayathomewithmyfriendsandfamilyandnotmakeanyplans.

(394words)

Sample103


The21stcenturyhasbegun.Whatchangesdoyouthinkthisnewcentury

willbring?Useexamplesanddetailsinyouranswer.


modelanswer:

Man,throughtheages,hasundergonemanychangesfromthetimewhenhedepictedaherdofmammothsonthewallsofhiscavetothesedayswhenhecancreatebeautifulpicturesandevenmakecoffeebyuseofcomputertechnologieswithoutleavinghisfavoritechair.The20thcenturymadehugestepsindevelopingcomputertechnologiesandreachedmanygoalsthatmadeourlife

mucheasier.Whatshouldweexpectinthe21stcentury?Firstofall,Ithinkthatthepaceofourlifewillspeedup:wewillmovefasterfromoneplacetoanother,fromonecontinenttoanotherusinghighspeedjetairplanes.Secondofall,Ibelievethatwewillbeabletodomanythingsthattakemuchtimenowwithoutleavingourhouse.Computerswillbeeverywhereincludingoutclothes.Manypeoplewillhavechipsandminicomputersinsertedintheirheadstoholdhugeamountofinformationandhaveaquickaccesstoit.Butwhatwillbethemostamazingthinginthe21stcenturyistheflightstotheouterspaceandMarsthatwillbeavailabletoallpeople.ScientistssaythatMarshasmanythingssimilartotheEarth's.Moreover,theysaythatwiththehelpof

moderntechnologypeoplecanartificiallycreateconditionsthatwillallowpeopletolivethereontheconstantbasis.Tosumup,Iamsurethatmanyamazingchangeswillbebroughtbythe21stcentury.Furthermore,Ithinkthatwiththehelpofthecontemporarytechnologiespeoplecandomanythingsthatwereevendifficulttoimagineacenturyago.So,nowadaysitisratherdifficultandevenimpossibletoimagineallchangesthatwillhappeninthenextdecades.

(290words)

Sample104


Alleducation,primary,secondaryandfurthereducation,shouldbefreetoallpeopleandpaidforbythegovernment.Doyouagreeordisagreewiththisstatement?


modelanswer:

Differentcountrieshavedifferenteducationsystems.Idon‛tknowalltheeducationsystemsintheworldbutalltheonesIdoknowabouthavefreeschooleducationatprimaryandsecondarylevel.Icertainlyagreewiththestatementthatthisshouldbethecase.Ibelieveuniversityeducationisdifferent.

Nomatterwhatstandardofincomesomeonehasorwhatsocietysomeonecomesfrom,everyoneshouldhavetheopportunitytohaveagoodstandardofeducation.Thisisnotalwayswhathappensbutitiswhatshouldhappen.Privateschoolscanbeavailableforthosewhowantandcanafforditbutthefreeschoolsshouldalwaysbethere.Thisiscertainlyoneofthebestattributesofwesterndemocracyandallcountriesitseemsstrivetoattainsituationalthoughsomehaveproblemsduetotheeconomicandpoliticalsituationsintheircountries.Governmentsshouldmakesurethatalltheircitizenshaveaccesstoagoodstandardoffreeeducationatprimaryandsecondarylevel.Furthereducationisdifferent.Inanidealworldthisshouldbefreebutgovernments

havealotofdemandsontheirmoney.Ithinkthatstudentsshouldhavetopay,maybenotall,butatleastacontributiontowardstheirtuitionfees.Theywillbeabletoearnitbackoncetheyhavegraduated.TheUKhasthissystemwhereasintheUSstudentshavetopayalltheirhightuitionfeeswhichcanrunintothetensofthousandsofdollarsoverafullcourse.IamnotsureifIagreewiththisbutitcertainlywouldmakesurethatstudentsmakethebestofeffortstopassoralltheirmoneywouldbewasted.ThereforeIconcludethatprimaryandsecondaryeducationshouldbefreelyavailableforallifpossiblebutthatfurthereducationshouldnotnecessarilybewhollyfree.

(309words)

Sample105


Tradeandtravelwouldbealoteasierwithasingle,globalcurrencythatwealluse.Doyouagreeordisagreewiththisstatement?Wouldasinglecurrencycauseanyproblems?


modelanswer:

Itiscleartomethattheideaofasingleglobalcurrencyisanexcellentidealto

worktowards.Therecanbenodoubtthattradeandtravelwouldbevastlyeasier.OntheotherhandIbelievethatitwouldcauseproblemstoday.ThebenefitsofasinglecurrencycanbeseenwiththeuseinEuropeoftheEuro.WheneveryouaretravellingbetweencountriesusingtheEuro,theproblemsofcurrencychangingandexchangeratesarehistory.SimilarlybusinessbetweencountriesusingtheEurosissomucheasier;nomoreworryingaboutexchangerateriskandpricing.Everyone‛smoneyisthesame.ThesamethingistruewiththeUSdollar.MostcountriesdonotusetheUSdollarbutitisacceptedinmanyplaces.TherearemanycountriesthatyoucantraveltoandjusttakeUSdollarstouse.Atpresentthoughaglobalcurrencywould

beimpossible.Firstlymostcountrieswouldnotaccepttheidea.Secondlyallcountriesareindifferenteconomicstates.Someareeconomicallyverystrongandsomeareinastateofcollapsewithinflationruiningtheeconomy.Suchcountriescouldnotbebroughtintoaworldcurrencyasitwouldcausemassivefinancialinstabilityworldwide.Soitisclearthataglobalcurrencywouldindeedcausesomeseriousproblems.So,inconclusionIseeaglobalcurrencyasafutureidealbutitwillnothappeninmylifetime.Itwouldmaketradeandtravelmucheasierbuttheproblemsitwouldcausenowadayswouldbeinsurmountable.

(259words)

Sample106


Thewealthgapbetween1stworldcountriesand3rdworldcountriesseemstobeincreasing.Howcanwereducethisgap?Doyouthinkthatdevelopedcountrieshaveadutytoassistdevelopingcountriesineveryway?


modelanswer:

Everydaytherichcountriesintheworld

getricherandthepoorcountriesgetpoorer.Canwereducethisgap?Ofcoursewecan.Thequestioniswhetherthepeopleinpowerwanttodoit?Reducingthewealthgapcanbeachievedbycancellingthirdworlddebt,cancellingtradeandfarmingsubsidiessothatthirdworldcountriescancompete,gettingridofthirdworldcorruptionandinvestingandbuildinginthirdworldcountriesusinglocalpeopleandskillsandallowingthemownershipofbusinesses.Thereareotherthingsaswell.Unfortunatelythereisnoprofitinbusinessforfirstworldcountriestodothesethings.Somewilldothembutmostwillnot.Theordinarymanonthestreetwantsthingstobebetterforpoorercountriesandthepoliticianssaythattheywillhelpbutthepoliticianswillintheenddowhatbusinesstellsthemtodo.

Politiciansalsorightlyfeeltheyhaveadutytoprotecttheirowncountriesandkeepingeconomicallydominantispartofthisduty.Creatingeffectivecompetitionfortheirowncountry‛sbusinessesisnotpartofwhattheyareexpectedtodo.ThisthenleadsontowhetherIbelievethatdevelopedcountrieshaveadutytohelpthedevelopingcountries.Yes,Ido.AsanindividualIbelievethatwehaveadutytoassistthepoorercountrieswiththeirdevelopmentinallaspects.WecanprovideteachersandeducationanddoctorsonthesmallscaleandonthelargerscalethethingsthatIhavetalkedaboutinthepreviousparagraph.Canwedothis?Yes.Willwedothis?Seethepreviousparagraphagain.InconclusionyoucanseethatIbelievethatthereisasplitbetweenwhatwould

happeninaperfectworldandwhatactuallyhappens.Wehaveadutytoreducethewealthgapbetweendevelopedanddevelopingcountriesandwecandoit,butitisunlikelythatthiswillhappenquickly.

(329words)

Sample107


Everydaytrafficseemstogetworseonourroads.Howcanwereducethenumberofcarsonourroadstoday?Whatalternativescanweoffercardrivers?


modelanswer:

Themorepeoplethatthereareintheworld,themorecarsthereareontheroad.Peoplearerichertooandoftenfamilieshavemorethanonecar.Ithasbeenprovedthatbuildingmoreroadsdoesnotwork;itjustencourafesmoretraffic.So,whatcanwedo?Peopleliketheircarsandthefreedomandindependencethatcarsgivethem.Onepossibilitywouldbetoraisecartaxesandfueltaxessothatpeopledonotwanttospendtheextramoney.Taxesonnewcarsalesaswellcouldbeincreasedinordertodiscouragepeoplefrombuying.Perhapsausedcar

salestaxcouldbeintroducedtoo.Inthesamewaymotorwayscouldhavetollschargedforusingthemalthoughthismayjustincreasecongestiononsmallerroadsaspeopletryandavoidthemotorways.Thegovernmentthatintroducessuchideaswillnotbepopularthoughandwouldprobablylosepower.Governmentswouldthereforebeunlikelytosetupsuchnewmeasures.Ithinkitwouldbebettertotryandchangepeople‛sattitudesandofferthemalternatives.Educatethemmoreaboutthepollutionandwastethattheyarecausing.Persuadethemtocarshare,usepublictransportorevencycleifthedistancesarenottoolong.CountriessuchasHollandandDenmarkarewellknownforhowtheircitizensarepassionateaboutgreenissuesandhowtheyusebicycleswhentheycan.

Reducingtrafficisadifficulttask.Idon‛tthinkitispossiblerealisticallytoreducecarnumbersbutIdothinkthatwecanchangepeople‛sattitudesandgetthemtousedifferentwaysoftravelling.

(275words)

Sample108


AlotofpeoplebelievethattheamountofviolenceshownonTVandinthecinemaaffectstheactionsofouryoungpeopleandthereforeincreasestheamountofviolenceinoursocietytoday.

Doyouagreeordisagreewiththis

statement?Whatcanbedonetoreduceviolenceinoursocietytoday?


modelanswer:

ThequestionofwhethertheamountofviolenceonTVandcinemahasaffectedyoungpeopleinoursocietyissomethingwhichcannotbequantifiedorproved.Myopinionisthoughthattheansweris“yes,ithas”.TVandcinematodaydoshowalargeamountofviolenceand,althoughwetryandshieldouryoungpeoplefromseeingtoomuch,theystillgettowatchit.Attheageofeighteeninmycountrytheycansee

everythinganyway.Violenceonthestreetshasincreased.Thathasbeenproved.TheconnectionbetweenTV‛sandthecinema‛sobsessionwithviolenceandtoday‛sstreetviolencecannotbeprovedbutitislogicalthatthetwoareconnected.Youngpeopleimitatewhattheyseeanditislogicalthattheyseeglamourinwhattheydowhentheycommitviolence.Howcanwelessenviolence?ReducingtheamountofviolenceonTVandinthecinemawouldcertainlybeagoodstart.Beingmorevigilantaboutwhatagechildrenarewhentheyseeviolenceinthesemedia,andraisingtheagelimitswouldalsohelp.Anothergoodideawouldbetochanneltheviolenceofyoungpeople.Idon‛tthinkthatnationalserviceshouldbere-establishedinthiscountrybut,ifpeopleareconvictedofviolence

andsenttoprison,thenwhynotgivethemtheoptionofservinginthearmy.Theirviolencewillbecontrolledandtheywillbesubjectedtodisciplinesothattheywillbebetterabletocontrolthemselveswhentheyleave.ThusIagreewiththestatementthatcinemaandTVviolenceaffectstheyoungpeopleinoursociety.TherearesomethingsthatcanbedonetobetterthesituationbutIdoubtwhetheranythingwillbedone.

(294words)

Sample109


Withthepressuresontoday’syoungpeopletosucceedacademically,somepeoplebelievethatnon-academicsubjectsatschool(eg:physicaleducationandcookery)shouldberemovedfromthesyllabussothatchildrencanconcentratewhollyonacademicsubjects.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagree?


modelanswer:

Whatyoungpeopleshouldstudyatschoolhaslongbeenthesubjectofintensedebateandthisisaquestionthatcertainlydoes

nothaveonecorrectanswer.Weneedtoprovideyoungpeoplethebestpossiblechanceofdoingwellatschool.Intraditionalcurriculumthereisawidevarietyofsubjectswithamixofacademicandnon-academicsubjects.Inthiswayayoungpersonisformedwitharoundededucation.Non-academicsubjectswouldincludesports,cooking,woodworkandmetalwork.Ibelievethisisthebestformofeducation.Ayoungpersonshouldlearnthingsotherthanacademicsubjects.Sportisparticularlyimportant.Youngpeoplehavetolearntolovesportsothattheycanbefitandhealthylaterinlife.Ifnotwewillberaisinganobeseandunfitgeneration.Itotallyunderstandthepointofviewthateducationissoimportantthatstudentsmustbepushedashardaspossibleto

achievetheirbest.Itsoundsagoodideatoonlyexposethestudentstoacademicsubjectsasthentheycanspendalloftheirschoolhoursonstudyingareasthatwillgetthemintouniversityandgoodjobslaterinlife.Ijustfeelamoreroundededucationwouldproduceabetterindividual.Wemustremembertoothatalotofpeople,maybeevenmostpeople,aren‛tacademicallymindedandwouldbenefitmorefromamorevocationallybasededucation.Forcingacademicstudiesontothemwouldleadtofailureandthestudentleavingschooltooearly.ThereforeIagreethatalthoughawhollyacademiccurriculumwouldsuitandbenefitsomeyoungpeople,Ibelievethatformoststudentsnon-academicsubjectsareimportantinclusionsstillintoday‛ssyllabuses.

(283words)

Sample110


Children'slivesthesedaysarequitedifferentfromourgeneration's.Describewhatarethebiggestchangesinyoungergenerationandexplainsomefactorsofthisphenomenon.


modelanswer:

Overthepastfewdecades,theworldhassignificantlychanged.Nowadays,manyhavebeguntowonderwhatthereasonsbehind[=for]thesechangesare.Twomajorfactorscontributingtothisphenomenonareadvancesinmediaandchangefamilydynamics[=organization].First,advancesinmedia,suchastheInternetandTV,havemeantthatchildrenspendalargeportionoftheirleisuretimeinfrontofascreen.Consequently,theyarenotgettingproperamountsofexercise,whichresultsinanincreaseinthenumberofchildrenwhoareoverweightandobese.Inaddition,fastfoodrestaurantshavebecomeincreasinglypopular,whichhasalsocontributedtochildren'shealthproblemsMoreover,anotherleadingforceofthistrendischangesinthefamilyunit.

Comparedwithahalfcenturyago,nuclearfamilieshavebecomewaymorecommoninmodernsociety.Peopletendtohaveonlyonechild,whichhascausedpersonalitydisorderssuchasdepression,loneliness,andselfishness.Thisismainlybecauseparentswithonechildhavetendencytoputalltheirfocusandmoneyintotheironlysonordaughter.Studieshaveindicatedthatover65%ofchildrenwhoarebroughtupwithoutsiblingsshowself-centeredbehaviorfinditdifficultcooperatingwiththeirpeers.Insummary,therearemanyfactorsthathavecausedchildrentoliveverydifferentlyfromthegenerationbeforethem.Therearehighhopesthatparentsexercise(s)wisdomintreatingtheirchildren.

(270words)

Sample111


Inmanycountries,sportsandexerciseclassesarereplacedwiththeacademicsubjects.Discusstheeffectsofthistrend.


modelanswer:

Overthepastfewdecades,academicsubjectshavebecomeincreasingly

importantinthisfast-changinginformation-basedsociety.Nowadays,therehasbeenagrowingdebateastowhetheritwouldbemoreeffectivetoreplacephysicaleducationclasseswithacademicsubjects.Despitetheimportanceofsports,Ihighlybelievethatitisinevitableandmoreefficienttofocusmoreonacademicsubjectsforseveralreasons.Thosewhoarguethatsportsandexerciseclassesareneededinschoolbasetheircaseonthefollowingarguments.Firstofall,sportsareagoodwaytobuildcharacteranddeveloppersonality.Thatis,therearenecessaryforlearningaboutcompetition,cooperation,andgoodsportsmanship.Inaddition,asamajorityofchildrenthesedaysareaddictedtotheInternet,theyfindithardtoleavetheir

computer.Consequently,agrowingnumberofchildrenarebecomingoverweightorobeseduetoalackofexercise.So,ifschoolsfosteranenvironmentthatdeprivesstudentsofgettingaproperphysicaleducation,itwillhavealong-termnegativeeffectonchildrenbothmentallyandphysically.Nevertheless,peopleshouldnotignorethefactthatdevotingmoretimeandenergytoacademicsubjectswillbenefitstudentsmoreinthelongrun.ThetimedevotedtophysicaleducationnowwouldbebetterspentteachingstudentsEnglish.ThisisbecausespeakingfluentEnglishwillgiveyoungpeopleanadvantageoverothercollegeapplicantsandjobseekersinthenearfuture.Besides,sciencewillundoubtedlybenefityouthmorethanphysicaleducationaswell.Theprinciples

learnedinsciencewillprovidethenecessaryfoundationforsolvinganddifficultproblemsthataresuretoariseinstudents'futures.Insummary,therearehighhopesthateducatorsandparentsexercisewisdominteachingyounggenerations.(300words)

Sample112


Somepeopleinsistthatseniorworkers65orovershouldretirebutothersbelievethattheyshouldcontinueworking.Whatisyouopinion?


modelanswer:

Overthepastfewdecades[Inthepast],therehavebeenmanyadvancesinmedicaltechnology.Becauseofthis,seniorcitizensarehealthierandmoreactivethanbeforeandmaychoosetoworkbeyondtheageof65.Nowadays,however,therehasbeenagrowingdebateastowhetherornotthesepeopleshouldretireinordertocreatejobsfortheyoungergeneration.Despitetheadvantagesofearlyretirement,Istronglybelievethatitisbetterforseniorworkerstocontinueworkingaslongastheyarephysicallyandmentallycapable.Thosewhobelievethatseniorworkersneedtoretireforyoungergenerationbase

theircaseonthefollowingarguments.First,theunemploymentrate,especiallyforcollegegraduates,hasneverbeensohighsoitistoday.Thisislargelyduetothesloweconomy.Therefore,firingsomeelderlyworkerswhoarewell-paidwouldallowthoseunemployedyoungpeopletohavegoodopportunitiestogetajob.Inaddition,replacingolderworkerswithyoungpeoplewouldbringgreaterbenefitstocompanies[=employers].Thisisbecauseyoungstersarebetteratadaptingthemselvestofastchanginginformationbasedsociety.Theyaregenerallybetteratcomputersandspeakingforeignlanguagesthantheiroldercounterparts.Nevertheless,peopleshouldnotignorethefactthatseniorcitizenshavebeenplayingvitalrolesbothathomeandatworkfortheirentirelives.Tobeginwith,ayoung

person'sneedforajobisnomoreimportantthananolderperson's.Bothhavearesponsibilitytosupporttheirfamilies.Sadly,fewseniorscanaffordearlyretirement.Besides,seniorworkersprovidethewisdomandexperiencethatyoungemployeescannotoffer.Thereisstrong[=acute]possibilityofsituationsarisingthatrequiretheknowledgeofskilledsenioremployees.Insummary,theadvantagesofkeepingseasonedworkersfaroutweighitsdisadvantages.Therearehighhopesthatemployersexercisewisdom[=caution]indealingwiththisissue.(310words)

Sample113


Somepeoplethinkhighschoolgraduatesshouldtravelorworkforaperiodoftimeinsteadofgoingdirectlytostudyatuniversity.Discusstheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofbothapproaches.Givereasonsforyouranswerandincludeanyrelevantexamplesfromyourownknowledgeorexperience.


modelanswer:

Highschoolstudentsfacemanydecisions

astheypreparetograduate,includingwhattheyaregoingtodoaftergraduation.Somehighschoolstudentsgodirectlytocollegeoruniversityaftergraduation.Othersprefertotravelorworkforsometimebeforegoingtouniversity.Forthosewhochoosetogocollegeoruniversityaftergraduation,thereareadvantagesanddisadvantages.Oneofthebigadvantagesofgoingdirectlyfromhighschooltocollegeisthatyouarestillinthehabitofstudying.Bygoingtocollegeaftergraduation,youdonotlosethestudyskillsthatyoudevelopedduringhighschool.Thebigdisadvantages,however,isthatyoumaynotbereadyforcollege.Youmaynotknowexactlywhatyouwanttostudy,oryoumaybemoreinterestedinfreedomandpartiesthaninyourcourses.Atthatage,itisoftendifficultforstudents

totakeontheresponsibilitiesofcollege.Therearealsoadvantagesanddisadvantagestoworkingortravelingbeforstartingcollege.Workingortravelingallowsyouabetterideaofwhatyouwanttodowithyourlife.Yougainpracticalexperiencethathelpsyoudefinewhatyouwanttostudy.Youalsoarewellpreparedfortheresponsibilitiesofcollegeoruniversitystudies.Ontheotherhand,bythetimeyoustartcollege,youwillprobablyhaveobligations,likeajoborspouse,whichkeepyoufromfocusingonstudies.Inaddition,travellingorworkingbeforecollegemaycauseyoutospendenoughtimeoutofschoolthatyouforgethowtostudy.Thedesicionofwhattodoafterhichschoolgraduationcanbeadifficultone.Decidingwhethertogostraightinto

collegeoruniversityortaketimetoworkortravelissomethingthatfaceseveryhighschoolstudent.Afterthinkingabouttheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofbothoptions,thedecisionshouldbebasedonwhatisbestforyou.

Sample114


Childrenwhoarebroughtupinthefamilythatdonothavealotofmoneyarebetterpreparedtodealwithproblemswhentheybecomeadultsthanchildrenwhoarebroughtupbywealthyparent.Doyouagreeordisagreewiththis

statement?

Givesreasonsforyouranswerandincludeanyrelevantexamplesfromyourownknowledgeorexperience.Writeatleast250words.

modelanswer:

Overthepastfewdecades,alongwithgrowinginterestinchildeducation,people'sattentiontothefamilyenvironmentwhereachildisbroughtuphasalsosignificantlyincreased.Somepeoplehavebeguntofeelthatachildwhohasgrownupinapoorfamilytendtobebetterpreparedtodealwithproblems.Inmyopinion,however,familyenvironment

alonedoesnotmuchinfluenceachild'sabilitytosolveproblems.Achildwhowasbornintoapoorfamilywouldhavehadmoresituationswheretheyhadtosolveaproblemormakeadecisionontheirown.Thisisbecauseinmostunfortunatefamilies,bothparentsareusuallyworkingandchildrenareputintosituationswheretheyhavetotakecareofthemselves.Bycontrast,duetotheirwealth,richchildrencanexperienceandlearnthingsthatunfortunatechildrencannot.Forexample,theyusuallygotothebestschoolsandreceiveahighereducationthere,whichpreparesthembetterforsolvingproblemsintheirlife.However,fewwoulddisagreewiththefactthateachindividualisdifferent.Thatis,problemsolvingskillscomemorefromlifeexperience.Thatis,themoreaperson

experiencesinlife,themoretheycanusetheseexperiencestoadjust,toadaptandtosolveproblemstheyencounter.Personalityalsocanbeafactorindealingwithproblems.Apersonwhoisoptimistic,outgoing,confidentandopen-mindedcanlookatandsolveproblemsmoreeffectively.Asdiscussedabove,natureandnurturehaveanequalinfluenceonachild'sabilitytofacechallenges.Parentsshouldsparenoefforttofigureouthowtheycanhelptheirchildrentobeindependent.Ihopethatinthefuturethenextgenerationwillgrowupasmaturecitizens.

(291words)

Sample115


Theearthisbeingfilledwithwastematerialsuchasplasticbagsandotherrubbish.Isthisreallyhappening?Whataresomesolutionstothisproblem?


modelanswer:

Overthepastfewdecades,theincreasingamountofindustrialwastesandhousehold

garbagehasbecomeamajorprobleminmanycountries.Peoplehavequestionedwhatcausedthisproblemandwhatcanbedonetoimprovethesituation.Inmyopinion,twoofthemostcriticalcausesofthiswastematerialproblemaretheincreasedconsumptionandashortageofspaceforlandfill.Tobeginwith,modernlifestylehascontributedgreatlytotheincreasingamountofwasteandgarbageweproduceeveryday.Inotherwords,wehaveturnedintoamaterialisticandmass-consumptionsocietywhereweusemoreandthrowawaymorethaneverbefore.Moreover,countriesarerunningoutofspacetostoregarbageandwastematerial.Infact,securinglandforwastedisposalraisescontroversiesinmanycountries.Tosolvethisintractableproblem,every

citizenneedstoparticipateinproducinglessgarbage.Forexample,wecanbringourownpersonalshoppingbagsinsteadofusingplasticbagsprovidedbystoresandshops.Besides,thegovernmentcanenforcestricterlawsoncompaniestousebiodegradablepackagingoruserecycledmaterial.Indeed,thisalonecaneliminatemuchofthewastewhichissenttoatlandfills.Companiescanalsocontributebydevelopingnewrawmaterialwhichisrecyclableandwillultimatelyleadtolessgarbage.Onegoodexampleofthisisthattirecompaniesdevelopnewtiresforcarswhicharenotmadeofrubberbutofnewbiodegradablematerial.Asdiscussedabove,individuals,businessandthegovernmentcansharetheresponsibilitytoreducetheamountofwastematerialandtosavetheearth.I

hopethatinthefutureouroffspringwillbebetteroffwiththewell-preservedenvironment.

(282words)

Sample116


InBritain,whensomeonegetsoldtheyoftengotoliveinahomewithotheroldpeopleswherestherearenursestolookafterthem.Sometimesthegovernmenthastopayforthiscare.Whoshouldberesponsibleforouroldpeople?


modelanswer:

ManyoldpeopleinBritain,afteralifetimeofhardworkandthetoilofbringingupchildren,areputintohomesfortheelderlybytheirfamilies.There,theyarelookedafterbyprofessionalnurses,andthisissometimesattheexpenseofthegovernment.However,thissituationhasraisedcontroversyaboutwhetherweextendtooureldersthecareandrespecttheydeserve.Thecriticsofthissystemsaythatitisthe

dutyofthefamilytolookafteritsseniormembersintheyearswhentheyarenolongerabletowork.Theypointoutthatinretirementhomesoldpeopletendtofeeluselessandunwantedbytheirfamilymembers,whoseldomcometoseethem.Inaddition,thereisevidencethatyoungerpeoplebenefitfromtheexperienceandwisdomofolderpeoplewholivewiththemonadailybasis.Ontheotherhad,thosewhosupportthesystemsaythatretiredparentscanbeaburdentoyoungfamilies.Notonlyisitexpensivetosupportoldpeoplewhohavelittleornoincome,butthefactthatoldpeopleareoftenillandneedagreatdealoflookingaftercanbetoomuchfortheirbusychildren.Inmyopinion,neithersideiscompletelyright.Oldpeopleingoodhealthandwith

enoughfinancestosupportthemselvescanbeagreathelptotheirchildren.Forinstance,theycanlookaftertheirgrandchildrenwhilechildrenareoutatwork.Ontheotherhad,sickandpenniless

Sample117


Actionmovieswithspectacularcarchasesareverypopularwithyoungpeople.itisoftensaidthatthesesortsofmoviesleadtoanincreaseincaraccidentsamongyoungdriversastheytrytocopywhattheyhaveseeninthefilms.Doyouagreethatsuchmoviesincrease

theamountofbaddriving?Whatcanbedonetoencourageyoungpeopletodrivemoresafely?


modelanswer:

Moviestendtohaveaverylargeinfluenceonyoungpeoplewhoareinfluencedbothbywhattheyseeandhear.Becausethisisthecase,itistruethatcarchasesinactionmoviestendtoleadtoanincreaseinthenumberofcaraccidentsamongyoungdriversbecausetheytrytocopywhatthey

haveseeninthefilms.Theydrivetoofastandtakeunnecessaryrisksandthedifficultyisthatmostyoungpeoplelacktheskillsandexperiencetodothis.Thereareavarietyofwaysinwhichyoungpeoplecanbeencouragedtopractisesaferdrivinghabits.Firstly,theGovernmentshouldlaunchasafedrivingcampaigntoconveythefactthatdrivingsafelyisnotuncool.Ineffect,itshouldbecooltostayaliveandhealthy!Secondly,everymovieshouldmakeitclearthatdangerouscarchasesareundertakenonlyinstrictsafetyconditionswithexperienceddrivers,andoftenspecialmovie-makingtricksareusedtoenhancetheaction.Thirdly,youngpeopleshouldbeforcedtotakesafedrivingcourseseveryyearforthefirstfiveyearsthattheyhavetheirdriver'slicence.Inthisway,

theyareforcedtoperfecttheirdrivingskillsortheirlicencewillbetakenaway.Finally,aspartofthiscourse,youngdriversshouldgotohospitalsandwitnesstheeffectsofpoorordangerousdrivingonotherpeople.Whentheyseehospitalisedpeoplewhoseliveshavebeendestroyedduetostupidrisk-taking,theywillsurelychangetheirmindsaboutwhetheritiscooltocopyactionheroesanddrivefast.

264words

Sample118


Shouldanimalsbeusedintestingnew

drugsandprocedures?


modelanswer:

Everyyear,millionsofanimalsundergopainfulsufferingordeathasaresultofscientificresearchintotheeffectsofdrugs,foodadditives,cosmeticsandotherchemicalproducts.Whilemostpeoplethinkanimaltestingisnecessary,othersareupsetbywhattheyseeasneedlesssuffering.Thisessaylooksatsomeofthepositiveandnegativeaspectsofanimal

testing.Manymedicaltreatmentsandprocedureshavebeendevelopedfromexperimentsonanimals.Sinceanimalssharemanyfeatureswithhumans,scientistsuseanimalstotestthesafetyandeffectivenessofnewlydevelopeddrugsbeforepilottestingonsmallgroupsofpatients.Medicalteamspracticenewoperatingtechniquessuchastransplantsonanimals.Withoutanimaltesting,manyproceduresornewdrugswouldbeextremelyunsafe.However,manypeopleareconcernedthatanimalsaresufferingunnecessarilyandcruelly.Theydonotbelievethateverynewdrugneedstobetestedonanimals,especiallywiththehugedatabaseofknowledgeandmoderncomputermodels.Theyalsoareworriedthatmanyanimaltestsareineffective,pointingoutthatany

drugshavehadtobewithdrawnfromthemarketdespiteextensivetesting.Theyparticularlyfeelthatanimaltestingshouldnotbeusedfornon-essentialproductssuchascosmetics,shampoos,soaps,andcleaningproducts.Furthermore,somecampaignerswouldliketoseecertaintestsreplacedandmorehumanemethodsused.Weneedtomakesurethatthemillionsofanimalswhoareusedfortestingnewproductsaretreatedwiththeminimumofsuffering.Althoughsomeanimaltestingmaybeunavoidableatpresent,treatingourfellowcreaturesasmercifullyaspossiblewilldemonstrateourhumanity.

267words

Sample119

Inthepast,buildingsoftenreflectedthecultureofasocietybuttodayallmodernbuildingslookalikeandcitiesthroughouttheworldarebecomingmoreandmoresimilar.Whatdoyouthinkisthereasonforthis,andisitagoodthinkorabadthink?


Allowyourself40minutesforthistask.

Youshoulduseyourownideas,knowledgeandexperienceandsupportyourargumentswithexamples.

modelanswer:

cityhasitsarchitecturalcharacter,butthesimilaritiesbetweencitiesaremoreobviousthesedaysthaninthepast.Inmyopinion,onereasonforthisisthehighpriceofland.Inmostlargecities,landisscarceandconsequentlyitisveryvaluable.Thishasledtotheconstructionoftallbuildingswhichoccupyonlyasmallareaoflandwhileprovidinglotsoffloorspacewherepeoplecanliveorwork.Buildingsofthistypearemadeofconcreteandsteelandcanbebuiltcomparativelyquicklyusingprefabricatedmaterials.Theydonotuselocalmaterials,suchasstone,timberorbrick,whichusedtogivecitiestheirindividualcharacter.Inconsequencemanycities.nowlookverymuchthesameand

youmightnotknowwhetheryouwereinBrisbane,BangkokorBerlinwhenyouareonthestreet.WhileIrealisethatwecannotstandinthewayofprogress,Ibelievethatcitiesshouldtrytokeepsomeindividuality.Forexample,inParisitisprohibitedtobuildverytallbuildingsinthecentreofthecity,asthiswouldspoiltheoverallappearanceoftheskyline.Othercitieshavechosentodesignuniquebuildingstoensuretheylookdifferent.ThetwintowersinKualaLumpurortheOperaHouseinSydneyareexamplesofthisapproach,andIagreewiththiskindofinitiative.Allinall,althoughitisregrettablethatmoderncitieslooksimilar,Itendtofeelthatthisisunavoidable.However,itcanbearguedthat,evenifthebuildingsare

similar,citieswillmaintaintheirowncharacterasaresultofculturaldiversity,theterrainandtheclimate,whichultimatelydeterminehowpeoplelive.

Sample120

Inmanymajorcitiesoftheworld,youwillfindlargepublicbuildings,bothnewandold.Discusstheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofsuchbuildings.Howimportantisitforacountrytoconstructimpressivepublicbuildingswhenhousesarewantisreallyrequired?


Allowyourself40minutesforthis



modelanswer:

(Introduction:mentionthatpublicbuildingsexistinallcitiesandtowns,largeandsmall,e.g.postoffice,courtpause,placesofworship,theatre)Apublicbuildingisabuildingthatbelongsinsomewayothestate.Thenumberofpublicbuildingsinanytownorvillagewilldependonthesizeofthat

communityanditsneeds.Forexample,youwillusuallyfindatownhallofsomesort,aschoolandaplaceofworshipatheleast.Inangercommunitiestherewillbeapolicestation,lawcourts,alibraryandmaybeatheatrefundedbyhestate.(Pros:citypride,beautifultolookat,useful/necessarybuildings,createacitycentre.)Thedesiretobuildimpressivebuildingsisnotnew.TheancientcitiesoftheMiddleEastandSouthAmericaweredesignedwithlargepublicbuildingstoimpressvisitorsandenemiesandgiveasenseofpride.Inmoderntimes,outstandingpublicbuildingsstill.createagreatsenseoflocalandnationalpride.Theyarewhatgivesacityitscharacterandtheyformasocialcentre,aplacewherepeopleliketomeet.(Cons:wasteofpublicmoney,

intimidating,nationalistic.Giveopiniononwhethertheystopusfrombuildinghousesorwhethertheycanbecompatible.)However,somepeoplearguethatgovernmentshaveconstructedunnecessary,andsometimesugly,buildingssimplytomakethemselvesfeelimportant.ItendtofeelthatsuchbuildingsmaybeawasteofpublicmoneybutIamnotsurewecanclaimthattheypreventhousesfrombeingbuilt,becausethesegovernmentshaveoftenensuredthatadequatehousingwasalsoavailable.Housesandpublicbuildingscanexistsidebyside.(Conclusion-sumupthetwopartstotheanswer.Leavethereaderthinking.)Theanswerliesinfindingaperightbalance.Wewantofeelprideinourtown,

butwealsowantourcitizenstohavecomfortablehomes.Itishardtopleaseeveryone.

Sample121

Learningaforeignlanguageoffersaninsightintohowpeoplefromotherculturesthinkandseetheworld.Theteachingofaforeignlanguageshouldbecompulsoryatallprimaryschools.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththisview?




modelanswer:

(Clearstatementfollowedbyaquestionbasedonthepremise.)Languageislinkedtotheidentityofanation,andspeakersofacommonlanguagesharemanythings,butdoesthisgivegovernmentstherighttorestrictthewayalanguageisusedortaught?(Concessionmodetothe"For"case,butfollowedbytheAgainst'pointofview.Anexampleisgivenwhichcommentsonthelikelyeffectivenessofsuchapolicy.)

Itcanbearguedthatanationmaintainsitsculturethroughitslanguage,andsothereisaneedtorestricttheuseofforeignwordsandchangesinpronunciation.However,inrealitythisapproachisfruitless,becauselanguageisalivingthinganditisimpossibletostopitfromchanging.Thispolicyhasbeentriedinsomecountries,butitneverworks.People,especiallyyoungpeople,willusethelanguagethattheyheararoundthem,andwhichseparatesthemfromothers;stoppingtheuseofcertainwordswillonlymakethemappearmoreattractive.(PutsthecaseAgainst'governmentspreventingspellingreform,butconcedesitmaybeuseful.)Asforspelling,weallknowthattheEnglishsystemisirregularand,Ibelieve,itwouldbenefitfromsimplificationso

thatchildrenandotherlearnersdonotwastetimelearningtoreadandwrite.Ontheotherhand,somepeoplemayfeel,perhapsrightly,thatitisimportanttokeeptheoriginalspellingofwordsasalinkwiththepastandthisviewisalsoheldbyspeakersoflanguageswhichdonotusetheRomanalphabet.(Putsbothsidesoftheargumentaboutwhichlanguagetouseinschools.)Whileitisimportantforpeoplewhospeakaminoritylanguagetobeabletolearnandusethatlanguage,itispracticalforeducationtobeinacommonlanguage.Thiscreatesnationalprideandlinkspeoplewithinthesociety.Realistically,schoolsarethebestplaceforthistostart.(Endswithaclearstatement.)Ultimately,thereisaroleforgovernmentstoplayintheareaoflanguageplanning,

particularlyineducation,butatnotimeshouldgovernmentsimposeregulationswhichrestrictpeople'slinguisticfreedom.

Sample122

Withtheincreasingpopularityofcomputersandcalculators,studentliteracyisdecreasingdramatically.Whatarethepositiveandnegativeeffectstheprogressofscienceandtechnologyhasbroughtabout?



modelanswer:

Ithasbeenwidelynotedthat,withthegrowinguseofcomputersandcalculatorsbothintheclassroomandinthehome,thelevelofliteracyandmathematicalabilityofstudentsisdropping.Thisraisesseriousdoubtsaboutthevalueoftheprogressofscienceandtechnology.HereIwilldiscusstheprosandconsofthisquestion.Firstofall,advancesinscienceandtechnologyhavecertainlybroughtaboutmanybenefitsformankind.Theyhavemadeourlivesmorecomfortableandhealthier.Inaddition,theyhaveeasedtheburdenofworkformostpeopleandprovidedthemwithmoreleisureopportunities,whileatthesametimeincreasingproductivitydramatically.Nevertheless,itcannotbedeniedthat

technologyhassomenegativeside-effects.Asmentionedabove,withcomputerswhichcheckspelling,grammarandcalculationforthem,studentshavelittleincentivetolearnhowtodothesethingsforthemselves.Also,theavailabilityofTVprogramsandvideosencouragesanunhealthy,sedentarylifestyle.Anotheraspectofthisissueisthattechnologymaybegoodorbad,dependingonhowweuseit.Forinstance,dynamitemaybeusedtomakeroadconstructioneasier,oritmaybeusedtokillpeople.Again,nuclearreactorscansupplyhugeamountsofcheapelectricity,butiftheyarecarelesslyhandledtheycancausedevastatingpollution.Wecanconcludethattheprogressofscienceandtechnologyhasbothpositiveandnegativeeffects.Whatwemustdois

tomakesurethatthepositiveonesareencouragedandthenegativeonesareeliminatedasfaraspossible.Amongotherthings,thismeansthatstudentsarewarnednottoletcomputersandcalculatorsdoalltheirworkforthem.

Sample123

Itisoftensaidthatthesubjectstaughtinschoolsaretooacademicinorientationandthatitwouldbemoreusefulforchildrentolearnaboutpracticalmatterssuchashomemanagement,workandinterpersonalskills.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagree?

Youshouldwriteatleast250

words.


modelanswer:

Acriticismoftenheardthesedaysisthatthesubjectstaughtinschoolstendtobetooacademic,andcontributelittletopreparingayoungpersonforthereal-lifetasksheorshewillhavetoperformaftergraduation.Theysaythatacademicsubjectsarerootedinthepast,andarenotusefulforsolvingmodernproblems.Idisagreewiththispointofviewforthreereasons.Myfirstreasonisthatitisthedutyof

parents,notteachers,topreparetheirchildrentodealwiththepracticalaffairsoflife.Thehome,nottheclassroom,istheidealplacetolearnabouthomemanagementandinterpersonalskills.Asforworkabilitiesandattitudes,theyarebestlearned“onthejob”andunderthesupervisionofanexperiencedolderworker.Mysecondreasonisthatacademicsubjectshavewithstoodthetestoftime.Theyrepresenttheaccumulatedwisdomofourancestorsdownthroughtheages,and,farfrombeingimpractical,theyequipuswiththeknowledgeandconfidencetomakesoundjudgementsaboutanyproblemswhichmaycropup.Inaddition,academicsubjectsaregoodfortrainingusinmentaldiscipline,whilepracticalsubjectsareweakinthisregard.

Mythirdreasonisbasedonthesaying“Mandoesnotlivebybreadalone.”Schooldaysdevotedsolelytoinstructionindown-to-earthpracticalmatterswouldbedullindeed!Lessonsinthebestliteratureoftheworld,andtheepoch-makingscientificandgeographicaldiscoveriesofthepastenrichourlivesandmakeusfeelthatwearepartofthegreatfamilyofmankind.Allinall,theteachingofacademicsubjectsinschoolsisentirelyappropriate.Itismyfirmlyheldviewthatpracticalsubjectshavenoplaceintheclassroom.Onthecontrary,thecurriculumshouldbemoreacademic!

Sample124

Manypeoplethinkthatnowadayspeoplearebeingsubjectedtomoreandmorepressureintheirwork,andthusarehavinglessandlesstimetorelax.Whatisyouropinion?



modelanswer:

Inmodernsociety,especiallyinbigcities,undoubtedlyhardworkhasbecomeaveryimportantfeatureofordinarypeople’severydaylife.Itseemsthatmanypeople

areundertheimpressionthattheirworkisbecomingmorepressingandurgent,andthustheysacrificemoreandmoreleisuretime.Inthefirstplace,withtherapiddevelopmentofscienceandtechnology,worktodayismoredemandingthanitusedtobe.Forexample,collegegraduatesnowadayshavetomasterEnglish,computerscienceanddrivingskillsbeforetheycanfinddecentjobs.Peoplehavetospendmoretimeacquiringnewtechniquesandskills.Andtheirsparetimetendstobefullyoccupied,notwithleisurepursuit,butwithwork-relatedpursuits.Inthesecondplace,competitionisbecomingmoreintense.Manypeoplefeelanxiousthattheymaybe“laid-off”iftheycan’tworkashardasothers.Andtheyalsofeelatadisadvantagebeforenew

graduates.Therefore,itisunderstandablethatpeoplekeepthemselvesinvolvedinintenselyhardworkinordertopreservetheirpositions.Inmyopinion,theworstaspectofthisphenomenonisthatthehugepressureofworkwillgraduallyaffectpeople’smentalhealth.Excessivelyhardworkmeansthatpeoplecannevergetridofthefatigueoftheirwork,evenintheirleisuretime.Thismeansthattheycannotenjoyanormallife.Inaword,inmodernsocietyoverworkisstealingourleisuretime.however,Ibelievethisproblemwillbesettledeventuallywiththedevelopmentofscienceandtechnology.

Sample125

Itisgenerallyacknowledgedthatfamiliesarenownotascloseastheyusedtobe.Givepossiblereasonsandyourrecommendations.



modelanswer:

Thereismuchdiscussionnowadaysastowhetherornottherelation-shipbetweenfamilymembersisascloseasbefore.Diversecontributingfactorscanbe

identified.Inthefollowing,Iwouldliketopresentmypointofview.Greatchangeshavetakenplaceinfamilylifealongwiththedevelopmentofsociety.Oneofthemisthattheonce-extendedfamilytendstobecomesmallerandsmaller.Manychildrenhavetoleavetheirparentsatanearlyagetostudyorworkelsewhere.Astimepasses,childrenbecomeemotionallyestrangedfromtheirparents.Comparedwiththepast,socialcompetitionisbecomingincreasinglyfierce.Peopleareurgedtoconcentratetheireffortsuponwork,sothattheycanachievesuccess,oratleastagoodstandardofliving.Asaresult,theycan’taffordtospendtheirleisurehourswiththeirfamilies.Theimportanceofbondsofkinshipisgraduallyfadingfromtheir

minds.Inaddition,theavailabilityofvariouskindsofrecreationalfacilitiesalsodivertspeoplefromenjoyingchatswiththemembersoftheirfamilies.TheirfreetimeismostlyoccupiedbywatchingTV,surfingtheInternetorplayingvideogames.Theycometoloseinterestincommunicatingwiththeothermembersoftheirfamilies.Inviewofsuchalienationwithinfamilies,urgentstepsmustbetaken,inmyopinion.Formembersoffamilieswholiveawayfromoneanother,regularcontactonthephonecanbringthemthecarethattheyneed.Familyreunionsonholidaysorotherimportantoccasionscanmakeadifferenceaswell.Forthoselivingtogether,itisagoodideatotakesometimeoffworkorrecreationperiodstospendmoretimewith

eachother.Inthefinalanalysis,aclosefamilyrelationshipcansurelybemaintainedaslongaswerealizethesignificantroleitplaysinourlivesandattachimportancetoit.

Sample126

Ithasbeenmorethan30yearssincemanfirstlandedonthemoon.Somepeoplethinkthatspaceresearchisawasteofmoney.Discuss.



modelanswer:

Foroverfiftyyears,anumberofnationshavebeeninvolvedintheexplorationofouterspace.Thisresearchhasbeenverycostly,ofcourse.Hasthismoneybeenwell-spentorwasted?Somepeoplebelievethatallormostspaceresearchshouldbeeliminatedbecauseofitsincredibleexpense,notonlyintermsofmoney,butalsointermsofscientificandhumanresources.Thesepeoplepointoutthefactthatitcostbillionsofdollarstosendastronautstothemoon,butalltheybroughtbackweresomeworthlessrocks.Thesepeoplesaythatthemoneyandeffortnowbeingwastedinouterspacecouldbespentforhomelesspeople,improvingthe

educationsystem,savingtheenvironment,andfindingcuresfordiseases.However,otherpeoplebelievethatspaceresearchhasprovidedmanybenefitstomankind.Theypointoutthathundredsofusefulproducts,frompersonalcomputerstoheartpacemakerstofreeze-driedfoods,arethedirectorindirectresultsofspaceresearch.Theysaythatweatherandcommunicationsatellites,whicharealsoproductsofspaceprograms,havebenefitedpeopleallovertheglobe.Inadditiontothesepracticalbenefits,supportersofthespaceprogrampointtothescientificknowledgethathasbeenacquiredaboutthesun,themoon,theplanetsandevenourownearthasaresultofspaceresearch.Iagreewiththosepeoplewhosupportspaceresearchandwantittocontinue.

Spaceresearch,asshown,hasalreadybroughtmanybenefitstohumanity.Perhapsitwillbringevenmorebenefitsinthefuture,onesthatwecannotevenimaginenow.Moreover,justasindividualpeopleneedchallengestomaketheirlivesmoreinteresting,Ibelievethehumanraceitselfneedsachallenge,andIthinkthatthepeacefulexplorationofouterspaceprovidesjustsuchachallenge.

Sample127

Somepeoplebelievethatchildrensleisureactivitiesmustbeeducational,otherwisetheyareacompletewasteoftime.Doyouagreeordisagree?Givereasonsforyouranswerand

includeanyrelevantexamplesfromyourexperience.



modelanswer:

Today,educationhasbecomeapriorityformanyparentsseekingtosecureagoodfuturefortheirchildreninthisrapidlychangingworld.Theybelievethatiftheirchildrenapplythemselvesandworkhardatschool,thentheywillincreasetheiropportunitiesforgoingtohighereducation

andeventuallygettingagoodjob.Ofcoursetheyareright,andasaccesstothebesteducationandbestjobsisbecomingmorecompetitive,thenitistruethatchildrenhavetomakethebestoftheirstudytimewhentheyareyoung.However,theparentswhodonotallowtheirchildrensufficientfreetimeforleisureactivitiesoutsideschoolhours,aremisguided.Suchactivitiesarefarfrombeingawasteoftimeforthechildrensimplybecausetheyarenotacademic.Itisimportanttorememberthatchildrenneedtodevelopskillsotherthanintellectualones,andthebestwaytodothisisthroughactivitiessuchassports,gamesandplayingwithotherkids.Iftheycannotplaymake-believegames,howcantheydeveloptheirimagination?Howcantheylearnphysicalco-ordinationorlearn

importantsociallessonsaboutwinningandlosingiftheydonotpractiseanysports?Manychildrenformstrong,personalrelationshipswiththefriendstheyplaywith,andwithouttheopportunitytodothis,theycouldgrowupemotionallyimmatureorunformed.Finally,Ithinkitisalsoimportanttorememberthatchildrenneedtorelaxaswellaswork.Ifeverythingtheydomusthavesomeeducationaloracademicrelevance,thentheywillsoongettiredofstudyingaltogether,whichisthelastthingparentswouldwant.

Sample128

Newseditorsdecidewhattobroadcastontelevisionandwhattoprintin

newspapers.Whatfactorsdoyouthinkinfluencethesedecisions?Dowebecomeusedtobadnews?Wouldithebetterifmoregoodnewswasreported?



modelanswer:

Ithasoftenbeensaidthat.Goodnewsisbadnews.becauseitdoesnotsellnewspapers.Aradiostationthatonce

decidedtopresentonlygoodnewssoonfoundthatithadgoneoutofbusinessforlackoflisteners.Badnewsontheotherhandissocommonthatinordertocopewithit,weoftensimplyignoreit.Wehavebecomeimmunetobadnewsandthenewspapersandradiostationsareawareofthis.WhilenewspapersandTVstationsmayaimtoreportworldeventsaccurately,betheynaturalorhumandisasters,politicaleventsorthehorrorsofwar,itisalsotruethattheirmainobjectiveistosellnewspapersandattractlistenersandviewerstotheirstations.ForthisreasonTVandradiostationsattempttoreflecttheflavouroftheirstationbyprovidingnewsbroadcaststailor-madetosuittheirlisteners.preferences.ProgrammesspecialisinginpopmusicorTVsoap

operasfocusmoreonlocalnews,homeissuesandup-to-datetrafficreports.Themoreseriousstationsandnewspapersliketoprovide.socalled.objectivenewsreportswitheditorialcommentaimedatanalysingthesituation.Ifitistrue,then,thatnewspapersandTVstationsaretailoringtheirnewstotheirreaders.andviewers.requirements,howcantheypossiblybereportingrealworldeventsinanhonestandobjectivelight?ManyradioandTVstationsdo,infact,reportitemsofgoodnewsbuttheynolongercallthisnews.Theyrefertotheseashumanintereststoriesandpackagetheminprogrammesspecialising,forinstance,inconsumeraffairsorlocalissues.Goodnewsnowcomestousintheformofdocumentariesthefightagainstchildren.scancerorAIDS,orthelatest

developmentsinthefighttosavetheplanetfromenvironmentalpollution.

Sample129

Manypeoplebelievethattelevisionprogramsareofnovalueforchildren.Doyouagree?Whyorwhynot?Providereasonsandexamplestosupportyourresponse.



modelanswer:

Televisualmediahasbecomeapervasiveforceinthelivesoffamiliesaroundtheworldtoday.Yet,acentralquestionremainsregardingwhetherwatchingtelevisionisharmfulorbeneficialforchildren.Ananalysisofthisquestionrevealsthattelevisionprogramspresentthreemajorconcernsinthecaseofchildren,includingdepictionsofviolence,theuseofprofanelanguage,andtherepresentationofpoormoralrolemodels.Televisionprogramsthatportrayviolenceareaparamountconcernforparentsnowadays.Recentresearchhasshownthatchildrenmaycommitactsofviolencebecausetheywishtoemulatethebehaviorthattheyseeontelevision.Thisisespeciallytruewhenviolentactsarecommittedbywell-knownaction“heroes.”Inaddition,televisionprogramsshow

cartoonfigures,aswellasactors,committingviolentacts.Usingcomicsituationstodepictviolentthemescausesfurtherproblemswiththewayinwhichyoungpeopleviewviolence.Televisionprogramsthatcontainprofaneordisrespectfullanguagealsoworryparentswithyoungchildren.Becausecensorshiplawshaverelaxedoverthepastfewdecades,ithasbecomeverycommonfortelevisionprogramsofeachandeverykindtoshowcharactersexpressingimpolite,rude,andinsultingutterancestooneanother.Bearingresemblancetothecaseofportrayalsofviolence,childrenunfortunatelyoftentrytoimitatetheseactionstheywatchontheirtelevisionscreens.Finally,someparentsareupsetaboutthe

moralbehaviordepictedontelevision.Astheystruggletoteachtheirchildrenmoralandethicalvalues,parentsmightdespairaboutthelackofmoralsandethicsrepresentedinsomeoftheso-calledrolemodelsontelevision.Forinstance,certaincharactersnotonlyhavenoremorsefortheirimmoralactions,butalsofrequentlygounpunishedbylargersociety.Becauseofthesefactors,manyparentsbelievethattelevisionprogramssendtheiryouththewrongkindsofmessages.Theemulationofthispoorbehaviorbytheirchildrenissomethingtheywishtoavoidatallcosts,andtheyhaveaccordinglydecidedtobantelevisionintheirhouseholdsforthesereasons.

Sample130

Televisionhashadasignificantinfluenceonthecultureofmanysocieties.Towhatextentwouldyousaythattelevisionhaspositivelyornegativelyaffectedtheculturaldevelopmentofyoursociety?



modelanswer:

IthasbeenaroundfortyyearssincetelevisionwasfirstintroducedintoAustralianhouseholdsandpeopletoday

stillhavemixedviewsonwhetherithasapositiveoranegativeinfluenceonthesociety.Manypeoplebelievethattelevisiondamagesculture.ItpromotesthestrongerculturesofcountriessuchasBritainandNorthAmericaandweakenstheculturesoflesswealthycountries.Thisisbecausethestronger,wealthiercountriesareabletoasserttheirownculturebyproducingmoreprogramsthatareshownwidelyaroundtheworld.Theseprogramstheninfluencepeople,particularlyyoungpeople,inthecountrieswheretheyareshown.Also,becausetelevisionnetworksneedtoattractlargeaudiencestosecuretheirfinancialsurvival,theymustproduceprogramswhichareinterestingtoabroadrangeofpeople.InAustraliathisrangeis

verybroadbecauseweareamulticulturalsocietyandpeopleofallagesliketowatchtelevision.Tointerestallthesedifferentpeople,mosttelevisionprogramsareshortinlength,fullofactionandexcitement,donotrequiremuchintelligenceorknowledgetounderstand,andfollowuniversalthemescommontoallcultures,suchasloveandcrime.Televisionprogramswhichconcentrateonordevelopthemespertinenttooneparticularculturearenotsosuccessfulbecausetheyinterestasmalleraudience.Neverthelesswemuchacknowledgethattelevisiondoeshavesomepositiveeffectsonthecultureswithinasocietyaswell.Peoplewhodonotlivewithintheirownculturecan,inalimitedway,accessitthroughthemulticulturalstationonthetelevision.Forexample,Aboriginal

childrenwhohavegrownupinwhitefamilies,ormigrantsandinternationalstudentslivinginAustralia,canwatchprogramsfromtheirowncultureonthetelevision.Inconclusion,Iholdtheviewthattelevisionpromotesandstrengthensthoseculturesthatarewealthyandinfluentialwhileitweakenstheculturesthatarealreadyinaweakenedposition

Sample131


Withoutcapitalpunishment(thedeathpenalty)ourlivesarelesssecureandcrimesofviolenceincrease.Capitalpunishmentinessentialtocontrol

violenceinsociety.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththisopinion?


modelanswer:

Beforetalkingabouttheessentialroleofdeathpenalty,youhavetothinkaboutthemeaning,andthepurpose,ofanykindofpunishment.Ifyouconsiderthatthepurposeistopreventtheguiltyfrombeingnastyagain,youcanbeseducedbyanargumentationinfavourofthesuppressionofcapitalpunishment.Butyouhavetothinkaboutanotheraspectoftheproblem:apunishmentisalsousefultoimpress

people,tomakethemfearthelaw.Infact,let'staketheexampleofayoungmisfit,whichhasgrowninaviolentatmosphere,influencedbyolderdelinquents,etc...Helivesinthestreets,he'sgotnoaimbuttosurvive.Thisisthekindofpersonwhocouldpossiblykillsomeoneformoney,orevenforfun...Whywouldhefearprison?Lifewouldbeeasierforhimthere.Inaddition,inmanycases,whenyoubehavenormally,youcanbenefitfrompenaltyreductions.Thisyoungmisfitneedstobeimpressed,heneedstoknowthatthelawisafrontier.Whenyoucrossit,youcanloseyourlife.Thatiswhycapitalpunishmenthelpskeepingadistancebetweenrobberyandmurder.Ifyouabolishit,yousuppressthedifferencebetweenthesetwotypesofcrime,whicharecompletelydifferent.

Butthereisalsoalimittodefine:evenifdeathpenaltyisunavoidable,itwouldbeacrimetoapplyittoinadequatecases.Ifthereisnopremeditationorpastfactswhichcanjustifysuchapunishment,itisfartoostricttoapplydeathpenalty.Thatiswhythelawmakershavetoestablishpreciselythecontextinwhichcapitalpunishmentcarbepronounced.Thatisthepricetopaytolimitviolencewithoutusingexcessiveviolence.

Comment:

ThisisananswerwrittenbyacandidatewhoachievedaBand8score.Hereistheexaminer'scomment:Thisresponseisveryfluentandwellexpressedinanappropriateregister.Arangeofrelevantissuesisskilfully

presentedanddiscussed.Theargumentislogicallydevelopedandwellorganised.Awiderangeofstructuresandvocabularyareusedappropriatelyandaccuratelywithonlyminorflaws.

Sample132

"Fatherhoodoughttobeemphasisedasmuchasmotherhood.Theideathatwomenaresolelyresponsiblefordecidingwhetherornottohavebabiesleadsontotheideathattheyarealsoresponsibleforbringingthechildrenup."Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagree?



modelanswer:

Ibelievethatchild-rearingshouldbetheresponsibilityofbothparentsandthat,whilsttheroleswithinthatpartnershipmaybedifferent,theyareneverthelessequalinimportance.Insomesocieties,ithasbeenmadeeasierovertheyearsforsingleparentstoraisechildrenontheirown.However,thisdoesnotmeanthatthetraditionalfamily,withbothparentsprovidingemotionalsupportandrole-modelsfortheirchildren,isnotthemostsatisfactorywayofbringingupchildren.Ofcrucialimportance,inmyopinion,is

howwedefine'responsibleforbringingthechildrenup'.Atitssimplest,itcouldmeangivingthefinancialsupportnecessarytoprovideahome,foodandclothesandmakingsurethechildissafeandreceivesanadequateeducation.Thiswouldbethebasicdefinition.Thereis,however,anotherpossiblewayofdefiningthatpartofthequotation.Thatwouldsayitisnotjustthefathersresponsibilitytoprovidethebasicsforhischildren,whilehiswifeinvolvesherselfintheeverydayactivityofbringingthemup.Rather,heshouldsharethosedailyduties,spendasmuchtimeashisjoballowswithhischildren,playwiththem,readtothem,helpdirectlywiththeireducation,participateveryfullyintheirlivesandencouragethemtosharehis.Itisthissecond,fuller,conceptof

'fatherhood'thatIaminfavourof,althoughIalsorealisehowdifficultitistoachievesometimes.Theeconomicandemploymentsituationinmanycountriesmeansthatjobsaregettingmore,notless,stressful,requiringlonghoursandperhapslongjourneystoworkaswell.Thereforeitmayremainformanyadesirableidealratherthananachievablereality.

Sample133


MillionsofpeopleeveryyearmovetoEnglish-speakingcountriessuchasAustralia,BritainorAmerica,inordertostudyatschool,collegeoruniversity.Whydosomanypeoplewanttostudyin

English?WhyisEnglishsuchanimportantinternationallanguage?Givereasonsforyouranswer..


modelanswer:

IamnotsurprisewhenIreadinthenewspapersthatmanypeoplemovetoEnglishspeakingcountries.IamanengineerinaprocesscontrolsincetenyearsandIunderstandthenecessityofEnglishlanguage.Forexample,whenIreadtechnicalEnglishspecifications,whenImeetJapaneseIndustrialstobuildtogethersomeelectronicmaterialsor

whenIgoonholidaysinItalywherethebestway(forme)tocommunicateistospeakEnglish.Therefore,today,it'snecessarytolearnEnglishandthebestwayistostudyinEnglishassoonaspossiblewhenweareatschoolbutalsowhenwehaveajob.It'ssoImportanttocommunicatewithforeigners,becauseofwork.Forexample:toseafoodsinUSA,tobuildelectroniccardswiththeJapanese,toobtainacertificationwithFDA(Americanorganization)inordertosellsomepharmaceuticalproducts.Infact,jt'sImportantforeverybody,theworkers,thevisitors,thescientists,etc...ThesearethemainreasonwhichexplainwhysomanypeoplegotoEnglishspeakingcountries(thebestwaytolearn)andwhyEnglishissuchanImportantInternationallanguage(the

communicationbetweenmanythepeopleovertheworld).

Comment:

ThisisananswerwrittenbyacandidatewhoachievedaBand6score.Hereistheexaminer'scomment:Thisresponseisunderlengthandismarkeddownbecauseofthis.Onlyafewrelevantideasarepresentedandtheseareusedratherrepetitivelyandareinsufficientlydevelopedorsupported.However,thewritingcommunicatesfluentlyandasatisfactoryrangeofstructuresandvocabularyareused.

Sample134

Somegovernmentssayhowmany

childrenafamilycanhareintheircountry.Theymaycontrolthenumberofchildrensomeonehasthroughtaxes.Itissometimesnecessaryandrightforagovernmenttocontrolthepopulationinthisway.Doyouagreeordisagree?Givereasonsforyouranswer.



modelanswer:

Itiscertainlyveryunderstandablethat

somegovernmentsshouldstartlookingatwaysoflimitingtheirpopulationstoasustainablefigure.Inthepast,populationswerepartlyregulatedbyfrequentwarandwidespreaddisease,butinrecentyearstheeffectsofthosefactorshavebeendiminished.Countriescanbefacedwithapopulationthatisgrowingmuchfasterthanshenation'sfoodresourcesoremploymentopportunitiesandwhosememberscanbecondemnedtopovertybytheneedtofeedextramouths.Theyidentifypopulationcontrolasa'meanstoraisinglivingstandards.Buthowshoulditbeachieved?Clearly,thiswholeareaisaverydelicatepersonalandculturalissue.Manypeoplefeelthatthisisnotamatterforthestate.Theyfeelthisisoneareaoflifewheretheyhavetherighttomakedecisionsforthemselves.

Forthatreason,itwouldseemthatthebest.approachwouldbetoworkbypersuasionratherthancompulsionThiscouldbedonebyaprocessofeducationthatpointsoutthewayasmallerfamilycanmeananimprovedqualityoflifeforthefamilymembers,aswellaslessstrainonthecountry'sperhapsverylimited,resources.Thisisthepreferredway.Ofcourseifthisdocsnotsucceedwithinareasonabletimescale,itmaybenecessarytoconsiderothermeasures.suchastaxincentivesorchild-benefitpaymentsforsmallfamiliesonly.Thesearemidwaybetweenpersuasionandcompulsion.So.yes.itissometimesnecessary,butgovernmentsshouldtryveryhardtopersuadefirst.Theyshouldalsorememberthatthisisaverydelicateareaindeed,and

thatsocialengineeringcancreateasmanyproblemsasitsolves?

Sample135

Themassmedia,includingtelevision,radioandnewspapers,havegreatinfluenceinshapingpeople'sideas.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththisstatement?Givereasonsforyouranswer.



modelanswer:

Themassmediahaveapowerfulinfluenceinshapingourlives.Wehavecometodependonthemforinformationandentertainment,andindoingsoweletthemaffectimportantaspectsofourlives.Theundeniableusefulnessofthemediainalmostinstantlyprovidinginformationabouteventsaroundtheworldislargelytakenforgranted.Butinourdependenceonthemediawehaveallowedthemtomouldournotionsandopinionsofevents,placesandpeople.Thoughfewofusprobablythinkaboutit,ourconceptionsof,say,ourelectedofficialsspringfromtelevisionimagesandnewspaperstories.Mostofuswillnevermeetprimeministersorpresidents,butanyonewhoisregularlyexposedtothemediawillhave

anopinionofthem.Whenitistimetocastourvote,wewillmakeourdecisionbasedonhowthemediaportraythecandidates.Wearesimilarlyswayedbycoverageofwars.Themedia,representingthevaluesoftheirowners,societiesandgovernments,tendtoreportwarswithabias;whichisthe'good'sideandwhichthe'bad'isdeterminedforusbyreporters,editorsandcommentators,andsureenoughthepublicbeginstoformopinionsthatreflectthecoveragetheysee,hearandreadinthemajormedia.Themediaarealsoinfluentialinthewaytheyfacilitatethespreadofcultureandlifestyle.Theso-called'globalyouthculture',inwhichonefindsyoungpeoplearoundtheworlddisplayingacommoninterestinmusic,clothingstylesandfilms,isanexampleofthemedia's

enormousswayinthisregard.ApopularfiguresuchasMichaelJacksonwouldneverbesowellknownwereitnotforthemedia'sextensivereachintoeverysocietyontheglobe.ThusIwouldarguethatthemassmedia'sinfluenceiscertainlygreat.Indeed,withtechnologicaladvancementssuchastheInternetbringingevenmoreformsofelectronicmediatoourhomesandworkplaces,itislikelythemedia'sinfluencewillgrowevenstronger.

Sample136

Therisinglevelsofcongestionandairpollutionfoundinmostoftheworld'scitiescanbeattributeddirectlytotherapidlyincreasingnumberofprivate

carsinuse.Inordertoreversethisdeclineinthequalityoflifeincities,attemptsmustbemadetoencouragepeopletousetheircarslessandpublictransportmore.Discusspossiblewaystoencouragetheuseofpublictransport.



modelanswer:

Anyonewholivesinacityisawareoftheincreasingnumberofcarsontheroadand

thekindsofproblemsthiscreates:trafficjams,airpollutionandlongercommutingperiods.Aseconomiesgrowandaccesstocarsspreadstoincreasingnumbersofpeople,thistrendislikelytoworsen.Thesolution,itwouldseem,isforgovernrnmenttoencouragetheuseofpublictransportinurbanareas,thusdecreasingdependenceonthecar.Onewaytostimulatepublictransportuseistomakeprivatecarusemoreexpensiveandinconvenient.Theintroductionoftollsalongurbanmotorwayshasbeensuccessfullyemployedinmanycities.Othersuchmeasuresarehigh-pricedpermitsforparkinginurbanareasandtherestrictionofparkingtoalimitednumberofcars.Facedwithhighcostsornoplacetopark,commuterswouldperhapsbemorewillingtoabandontheircarsin

favourofbusesortrains.Therearealsolesspunishingwaysofspurringpublictransportuse.Theconstructionoffreecarparksatsuburbantrainstationshasprovensuccessfulinquiteanumberofcountries.Thisallowscommuterstodrivepartoftheway,buttakepublictransportintothecentral,mostcongested,urbanareas.Indeed,makingpublictransportmorecomfortableandconvenientshouldworktoattractmorecommutersanddecreasetrafficcongestion.Publictransportthatisconvenientandcomfortableretainsitspassengers,muchlikeanybusinessthatsatisfiesitscustomers.Themorecommuterscommittedtotakingpublictransport,thelesscongestiononcitystreets.

Sample137

'Telecommuting'referstoworkersdoingtheirjobsfromhomeforpartofeachweekandcommunicatingwiththeirofficeusingcomputertechnology.Telecommutingisgrowinginmanycountriesandisexpectedtobecommonformostofficeworkersinthecomingdecades.Howdoyouthinksocietywillbeaffectedbythegrowthoftelecommuting?



modelanswer:

Thespreadoftelecommutingissuretohavefar-reachingeffectsonsociety.Byitself,telecommutingreferstooffiiceworkersspendingmuchoftheirtimeworkingfromhomeandusingelectronictechnologiestocommunicatewiththeiremployers.Thebroaderimplicationsoftelecommuting,however,mayinvolvechangestocorporatestructure,workers'lifestylesandevenurbanplanning.Themostobviouschangesmaybeapparentinthe`normal'officesofcompanies,governmentsandotherorganisations.Ifevenhalftheworkingweekisspenttelecommutingfromhome,thenwewouldinitiallyexpectmany

emptydesksintheoffiice.Asofficesgrowsmaller,workerscominginforthedaywouldbeexpectedtosharedeskswiththeirabsentcolleagues.This,inturn,mayaffectthesocialatmosphereofanorganisation,however,aslesssocialcontactwithone'scolleaguescouldharmmoraleandloyalty.Fortheindividualofficeworker,telecommutingwouldmeanspendingmoretimeathome.Foraparentwithyoungchildren,thismaybeablessing.Moreover,manytelecommuterswouldbeabletoworkthehourstheywished:havinganapintheafternrnoon,forexample,butworkingsomehoursintheevening.Onesubstantialbenefitforalltelecommutingworkersisthattherewillbenoneedtotraveltowork,allowingmorefreetime.Thestructureofurbanlifeisalsolikelyto

beaffectedbytelecommuting.Wewouldexpecttoseefewercarsontheroadduringpeakhoursand,eventually,asmallerconcentrationofoffiicesincities'centralbusinessdistricts.Inshort,peoplewillhavelessreasontotraveltocitycentresfromoutlyingareas.Asmorepeopleworkandliveinthesamelocation,shopsandculturaleventswilllikelyrelocatethemselvesoutofthecitycentre.Insum,telecommutingwillservenotonlytochangethewayweworkbutalsothewaywelive.

Sample138

Manypeoplebelievethatwomenmakebetterparentsthanmenandthatthisiswhytheyhavethegreaterroleinraising

childreninmostsocieties.Othersclaimthatmenarejustasgoodaswomenatparenting.Writeanessayexpresingyourpointofview.



modelanswer:

Theviewthatwomenarebetterparentsthanmenhasshownitselftobetruethroughouthistory.Thisisnottosaythatmenarenotofimportanceinchild-

rearingindeed,theyaremostnecessaryifchildrenaretoappreciatefullytherolesofbothsexes.Butwomenhaveproventhemselvessuperiorparentsasaresultoftheirconditioning,theirlessaggressivenaturesandtheirgenerallybettercommunicationskills.Fromthetimetheyarelittlegirls,femaleslearnaboutnurturing.Firstwithdollsandlaterperhapswithyoungerbrothersandsisters,girlsaregiventheroleofcarer.Girlsseetheirmothersinthesamerolesandsoitisnaturalthattheyidentifythisasafemaleactivity.Boys,incontrast,learncompetitiverolesfarremovedfromwhatitmeanstonurture.Whileboysmaydreamofadventures,girls'conditioningmeanstheytendtoseethefutureintermsofraisingfamilies.Girlsalsoappeartobelessaggressivethan

boys.Inadulthood,itismen,notwomen,whoprovetobetheaggressorsincrimeandinwar.Obviously,inraisingchildren,amorepatient,gentlemannerispreferabletoamoreaggressiveone.Althoughtherecertainlyexistgentlemenandaggressivewomen,byandlarge,femalesarelesslikelytoresorttoviolenceinattemptingtosolveproblems.Finally,womentendtobebettercommunicatorsthanmen.Thisisshownisintelligencetests,wherefemales,onaverage,dobetterinverbalcommunicationthanmales.Ofcourse,communicationisofutmostimportanceinrearingchildren,aschildrentendtolearnfromandadoptthecommunicationstylesoftheirparents.Thus,whileitisallverywelltosuggestagreaterroleformeninraisingchildren,let

usnotforgetthatwomenaregenerallybettersuitedtotheparentingrole.

Sample139


Insomecountriestheaverageworkerisobligedtoretireattheageof50,whileinotherspeoplecanworkuntiltheyare65or70.Meanwhile,weseesomepoliticiansenjoyingpowerwellintotheireighties.Clearly,thereislittleagreementonanappropriateretirementage.Untilwhatagedoyouthinkpeopleshouldbeencouragedtoremaininpaidemployment?Givereasonsforyouranswer.


modelanswer:

Mandatoryretirementagevariesfromsocietytosociety,perhapsareflectionofeconomics,populationpressuresorsimplyvaluesystems.Indeed,retirementat50canprobablybeaseasilyjustifiedasthatat70.Itismybelief,however,thatthelongeranablepersonisallowedtowork,thebetterforboththeindividualworkerandtheemployer.Chronologicalageisnotalwaysatrueindicatorofability.Whilesome65¬year-oldsmaynotperformaswellastheydidintheirpast,manyworkersatthisagedojustaswellorbetterthantheyusedto.

People'ssuitabilityforapositionshouldbeareflectionoftheirperformanceinthejob,ratherthanthenumberofwrinklesorgreyhairstheyhave.Employersconcernedabouttheincreasingageoftheiremployeesneedonlyobservetheirworkrecords.Thosedoingpoorlymaybeaskedtoretire,butthoseasyetunaffectedbyageshouldstayon.Indeed,itwouldappeareconomicalforanorganisationtoretainitsolderemployeeswhenpossibleratherthanspendtimeandmoneyontrainingnewworkers.Remaininginone'sjobforaslongasoneisablemakessenseaslifeexpectanciesincreasearoundtheworld.Aspeoplelivelonger,theyarelongerabletocontributetosocietyintheformofmeaningfulwork.Buttheyarealsoinneedofincomeforalongerperiod,soamandatoryretirement

ageof55forsomeonewhoisstatisticallylikelytoliveto77becomesincreasinglydifficulttojustify.Atatimewhenpopulationsareageing,governmentsarelessabletoprovidefortheirseniorcitizens,sobykeepingableworkersinpaidemploymentforaslongasispracticable,publicexpendituresarelessstrained.Thus,workerswhocanstilldemonstratetheircapacitytocarryouttheirworkshouldnotbeaskedtoretiresimplybecausetheyhavereachedacertainage.Societiesthatinsistonearlyretirementmaydowelltolookagainattheirpolicies.

Sample140


task.

Goingoverseasforuniversitystudyisanexcitingprospectformanypeople.Butwhileitmayoffersomeadvantages,itisprobablybettertostayhomebecauseofthedifficultiesastudentinevitablyencounterslivingandstudyinginadifferentculture.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththisstatement?Givereasonsforyouranswer.


modelanswer:

Thereisnodoubtthatgoingtostudyina

foreigncountry,withitsdifferentlanguageandculture,canbeafrustratingandsometimespainfulexperience.Butwhileoverseasstudyhasitsdrawbacks,thedifficultiesarefaroutweighedbytheadvantages.Indeed,peoplewhogoabroadforstudyopenthemselvesuptoexperiencesthatthosewhostayathomewillneverhave.Themostobviousadvantagetooverseasuniversitystudyisreal-lifeuseofadifferentlanguage.Whileapersoncanstudyaforeignlanguageinhisorherowncountry,itcannotcomparewithconstantuseofthelanguageinacademicandeverydaylife.Thereisnobetteropportunitytoimprovesecond-languageskillsthanlivinginthecountryinwhichitisspoken.Moreover,havingusedthelanguageduringone'sstudiesoffersa

distinctadvantagewhenoneisapplyingforjobsbackhomethatrequirethelanguage.Onauniversitycampus,theforeignstudentisnotaloneinhavingcomefromfaraway.Heorshewilllikelyencountermanyothersfromoverseasanditispossibletomakefriendsfromallaroundtheworld.Thisisnotonlyexcitingonasociallevel,butcouldleadtoimportantoverseascontactsinlaterprofessionallife.Finally,livingandstudyingabroadoffersoneanewanddifferentperspectiveoftheworldand,perhapsmostimportant,ofone'sowncountry.Oncebeyondtheinitialshockofbeinginanewculture,thestudentslowlybeginstogetameaningfulunderstandingofthehostsociety.Onreturninghome,oneinevitablyseesone'sowncountryinanew,oftenmore

appreciative,light.Inconclusion,whileanyanxietyaboutgoingoverseasforuniversitystudyiscertainlyunderstandable,itisimportanttorememberthatthebenefitsofferedbytheexperiencemakeitwellworthwhile.

(301words)

Sample141

Inthepast,buildingsoftenreflectedthecultureofasocietybuttodayallmodernbuildingslookalikeandcitiesthroughouttheworldarebecomingmoreandmoresimilar.Whatdoyouthinkisthereasonforthis,andisitagoodthingorabadthing?

Youshouldwriteatleast250

words.


Youshoulduseyourownideas,knowledgeandexperienceandsupportyourargumentswithexamplesandrelevantevidence.

modelanswer:

Everycityhasitsarchitecturalcharacter,butthesimilaritiesbetweencitiesaremoreobviousthesedaysthaninthepast.Inmyopinion,onereasonforthisisthehighpriceofland.Inmostlargecities,landisscarceand

consequentlyitisveryvaluable.Thishasledtotheconstructionoftallbuildingswhichoccupyonlyasmallareaoflandwhileprovidinglotsoffloorspacewherepeoplecanliveorwork.Buildingsofthistypearemadeofconcreteandsteelandcanbebuiltcomparativelyquicklyusingprefabricatedmaterials.Theydonotuselocalmaterials,suchasstone,timberorbrick,whichusedtogivecitiestheirindividualcharacter.Inconsequencemanycities.nowlookverymuchthesameandyoumightnotknowwhetheryouwereinBrisbane,BangkokorBerlinwhenyouareonthestreet.WhileIrealisethatwecannotstandinthewayofprogress,Ibelievethatcitiesshouldtrytokeepsomeindividuality.Forexample,inParisitisprohibitedtobuildverytallbuildingsinthecentreofthecity,

asthiswouldspoiltheoverallappearanceoftheskyline.Othercitieshavechosentodesignuniquebuildingstoensuretheylookdifferent.ThetwintowersinKualaLumpurortheOperaHouseinSydneyareexamplesofthisapproach,andIagreewiththiskindofinitiative.Allinall,althoughitisregrettablethatmodemcitieslooksimilar,Itendtofeelthatthisisunavoidable.However,itcanbearguedthat,evenifthebuildingsaresimilar,citieswillmaintaintheirowncharacterasaresultofculturaldiversity,theterrainandtheclimate,whichultimatelydeterminehowpeoplelive.

Sample142

PopulareventslikethefootballWorld

Cupandotherinternationalsportingoccasionsareessentialineasinginternationaltensionsandreleasingpatrioticemotionsinasafeway.



Youshouldgivereasonsforyouranswerusingyourownideasandexperience.

modelanswer:

Everyfouryears,thewholeworldstopstowatchinternationalsportingeventssuchas

theOlympicsandtheFootballWorldCupinwhichathletesshowtheirbestperformancetomaketheircountryproudofthem.Thesesportingoccasionshaveprovedtobehelpfulineasinginternationaltensionsindifficulttimeswhenpowerfulleadersweretryingtocontroltheworld'seconomyandothergovernmentswerefightingoverland.TheOlympicGamesareoneofthebestexampleswhichprovehowsportingeventscanbringnationstogether,atleasttemporarily.FromancientHistory,whenGreeksandRomanswouldinterruptbattlestoparticipateinthegames,tothemorerecentinternationaldisputes,whenathletesfromPalestineandIsraelwouldforgettheirdifferences,competepacificallyandevenembraceeachotherafteranevent.Moreover,thesepopular

eventshavecalledtheworld'sattentiontotheterribleconsequencesofwars;thussomeleadershavetriedtoacceptagreementstoendtheirdisputeandlivepeacefully.Similarly,internationalsportingeventsshowbenefitsinsomedevelopingcountrieswhichliveinadailyinternalcivilwar.Forexample,Brazilhasahighrateofunemployment,lackofeducation,hunger,crime,povertyandcorruptionwhichleadstoanimmenseembarrassmentofbeingBrazilianandalowself-esteem.However,whentheFootballWorldCupstarts,theBraziliansquad,whichisconsideredthebestteamintheworld,provokesanamazingfeelingofprideintheircountry.Mostpeopleseemtoforgetalltheirproblemsandeventhecriminal

activitydecreases.Theypaintroadswiththenationalcolors,useweartheBrazilianteamshirtandbuynationalflags.Moreover,thecompetitionbringsfamiliesandneighborstogetherandevenrivalgangswatchthegamesandcelebratepeacefully.Inconclusion,popularsportingeventsplayanimportantroleindecreasinginternationaltensionsandliberatingpatrioticfeelingsasHistoryhasshown.

Sample143

Ascomputersarebeingusedmoreandmoreineducation,therewillbesoonnoroleforteachersintheclassroom.




modelanswer:

Therehavebeenimmenseadvancesintechnologyinmostaspectsofpeople'slives,especiallyinthefieldofeducation.Nowadays,anincreasingnumberofstudentsrelyoncomputerstoresearchforinformationandtoproduceaperfectpaperforschoolpurposes.Othershavedecidedtoleavetheoriginalwayoflearningtogetknowledgethroughonlineschools.These

changesinthelearningprocesshavebroughtaspecialconcernregardingthepossibledecreaseofimportanceofteachersintheclassroom.Somepeoplebelievetheroleofteachersstartedtofadebecausecomputershavebeenhelpingsomestudentstoprogressintheirstudiesquickerthanwhencomparedwithanoriginalclassroom.Forexample,inthesameclassroom,studentshavedifferentintellectualcapacities,thussomewouldbetiedtoaslowadvanceintheirstudiesbecauseofothers’incapacityofunderstanding.Inthisway,pupilscouldprogressintheiracquisitionofknowledgeattheirownpaceusingcomputersinsteadoflearningfromteachers.However,thepresenceofateacherisessentialforstudentsbecausethehumancontactinfluencestheminpositiveways.

Firstly,studentsrealizethattheyarenotdealingwithamachinebutwithahumanbeingwhodeservesattentionandrespect.Theyalsolearntheimportanceofstudyingingroupandrespectotherstudents,whichhelpsthemtoimprovetheirsocialskills.Moreover,teachersarerequiredinthelearningprocessbecausetheyacknowledgesomestudent'sdeficienciesandhelpthemtosolvetheirproblemsbyrepeatingthesameexplanation,givingextraexercisesorevensuggestingaprivatetutor.Hence,studentscanhaveabiggerchancenottofailinasubject.Inconclusion,theroleforteachersinthelearningprocessisstillveryimportantanditwillcontinuetobeinthefuturebecausenomachinecanreplacethehumaninteractionanditsconsequences.

Sample144

Ithasbeensaid,"Noteverythingthatislearnediscontainedinbooks."Compareandcontrastknowledgegainedfromexperiencewithknowledgegainedfrombooks.Inyouropinion,whichsourceismoreimportant?Why?



Youshouldgivereasonsforyouranswerusingyourownideasandexperience

modelanswer:

"Experienceisthebestteacher"isanoldcliché,butIagreewithit.Wecanlearnalotofimportantthingsfrombooks,butthemostimportantlessonsinlifecomefromourownexperiences.Throughoutthedifferentstagesoflife,fromprimaryschooltouniversitytoadulthood,experienceteachesusmanyskillsweneedforlife.Aschildreninprimaryschool,welearnfactsandinformationfrombooks,butthatisnotallwelearninschool.Ontheplaygroundwelearnhowtomakefriends.Inourclasswork,welearnhowitfeelstosucceedandwhatwedowhenwefail.Westarttolearnaboutthethingsweliketodo

andthethingswedon't.Wedon'tlearnthesethingsfrombooks,butfromourexperienceswithourfriendsandclassmates.Inouruniversityclasses,welearnalotofinformationandskillswewillneedforourfuturecareers,butwealsolearnalotthatisnotinourtextbooks.Inourdailylivesbothinclassandoutofclass,welearntomakedecisionsforourselves.Welearntotakeonresponsibilities.Welearntogetalongwithourclassmates,ourroommates,andourworkmates.Oursuccessesandfailureshelpusdevelopskillswewillneedinouradultlives.Theyareskillsthatnobookcanteachus.Throughoutouradulthood,experienceremainsaconstantteacher.Wemaycontinuetoreadortakeclassesforprofessionaldevelopment.However,our

experiencesatwork,athome,andwithourfriendsteachusmore.Thetriumphsanddisastersofourlivesteachushowtoimproveourcareersandalsohowtoimproveourrelationshipsandhowtobethepersoneachoneofuswantstobe.Booksteachusalot,butthereisalimittowhattheyteach.Theycangiveusinformationorshowusanotherperson'sexperiences.Thesearevaluablethings,butthelessonswelearnfromourownexperiences,fromchildhoodthroughadulthood,arethemostimportantoneswelearn.

Sample145

Nowadaysfoodhasbecomeeasiertoprepare.Hasthischangeimprovedthe

waypeoplelive?




modelanswer:

Foodisabasicpartoflife,soitfollowsthatimprovedmethodsoffoodpreparationhavemadeourlivesbetter.Nowadayswecanpreparemealsmuchfasterthanwecouldinthepast.Wecanalsoenjoya

greatervarietyoffoodandeatmorehealthfully,allbecauseofmodernmethodsoffoodpreparation.Microwaveovenshavemadeitpossibletopreparedeliciousfoodquickly.Peoplethesedaysrarelyhavetimetoshopandpreparemealstheold-fashionedway.Weliveveryfastlives.Wearebusyworking,caringforourfamiliestravelling,playingsports,andmanyotherthings.Becauseofmicrowaveovens,wehavetimetoenjoyagoodmealwithourfamilyandthenplaysoccer,gotoamovie,study,ordoanythingelsewewanttoafterwards.Modernmethodsofpreservingfoodhavemadeitpossibletoenjoyawidevarietyoffood.Becauseofrefrigerators,freezers,canning,andfreeze-drying,wecaneatfruitsandvegetablesthatcomefromfarawayplaces.Wecanprepareamealone

dayandsavetheleftoversintherefrigeratororfreezertoeatatanothertime.Wecankeepdifferentkindsoffoodintherefrigeratororontheshelf.Itseasytoalwayshavefoodavailableandtobeabletoeatcompletelydifferentmealseveryday.Healthfuleatingiseasiernowthaniteverwas.Becauseofmoderntransportationmethods,freshfruitsandvegetablesareavailableallyearround.Modernkitchenappliancesmakeiteasytopreparefruitsandvegetablesfrocooking.Breadmachinesmakeitpossibletoenjoyhealthful,home-bakedbreadwheneverwelike.Wecaneatfreshandhealthfulfoodeverydaybecausemodernmethodshavemadepreparationeasy.Ourlifestyleisfast,butpeoplestilllike

goodfood.Newfoodpreparationmethodshavegivenusismorechoices.Todaywecanpreparefoodthatismoreconvenienthealthier,andofgreatervarietythaneverbeforeinhistory.

Sample146

Doyouagreeordisagreewiththefollowingstatement?Parentsarethebestteachers.Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyouranswer.



Youshouldgivereasonsforyour


modelanswer:

Parentsshapetheirchildrenfromthebeginningoftheirchildren'slives.Theyteachtheirchildrenvalues.Theysharetheirinterestswiththem.Theydevelopcloseemotionaltieswiththem.Parentscanbeveryimportantteachersintheirchildren'slives;however,theyarenotalwaysthebestteachers.Parentsmaybetooclosetotheirchildrenemotionally.Forexample,theymaylimitachild'sfreedominthenameofsafety.Ateachermayorganizeaneducationaltrip

toabigcity,butaparentmaythinkthistripistoodangerous.Aschoolmaywanttotakethechildrencamping,butaparentmaybeafraidofthechildgettinghurt.Anotherproblemisthatparentssometimesexpecttheirchildren'sintereststobesimilartotheirown.Iftheparentslovescience,theymaytrytoforcetheirchildtolovesciencetoo.Butwhatifthechildprefersart?Iftheparentsenjoysports,theymayexpecttheirchildtoparticipateondifferentteams.Butwhatifthechildpreferstoread?Parentswanttopassontheirvaluestotheirchildren.However,thingschange.Thechildrenoftodayaregrowingupinaworlddifferentfromtheirparents'world.Sometimesparents,especiallyolderones,can'tkeepupwithrapidsocialortechnologicalchanges.Astudentwhohas

friendsofdifferentracesatschoolmayfindthathisparentshavenarrowerviews.Astudentwholovescomputersmayfindthatherparentsdon'tunderstandorvaluethedigitalrevolution.Parentsareimportantteachersinourlives,buttheyaren'talwaysthebestteachers.Fortunately,wehavemanyteachersinourlives.Ourparentsteachus,ourteachersteachus,andwelearnfromourpeers.Booksandnewspapersalsoteachus.Allofthemarevaluable.

Sample147

Peopleattendcollegeoruniversityformanydefferentreasons(forexample,newexperiences,careerpreparation,increasedknowledge).

Whydoyouthinkpeopleattendcollegeoruniversity?




modelanswer:

Peopleattendcollegeforalotofdifferentreasons.Ibelievethatthethreemostcommonreasonsaretoprepareforacareer,tohavenewexperiences,andto

increasetheirknowledgeofthemselvesandoftheworldaroundthem.Careerpreparationisprobablytheprimaryreasonthatpeopleattendcollege.Thesedays,thejobmarketisverycompetitive.Careerssuchasinformationtechnologywillneedmanynewworkersinthenearfuture.Atcollege,studentscanlearnnewskillsforthesecareersandincreasetheiropportunitiesforthefuture.Studentsalsogotocollegetohavenewexperiences.Formany,itistheirfirsttimeawayfromhome.Atcollege,theycanmeetnewpeoplefrommanydifferentplaces.Theycanseewhatlifeislikeinadifferentcity.Theycanlearntoliveontheirownandtakecareofthemselveswithouthavingtheirfamilyalwaysnearby.Atcollege,studentshavetheopportunitytoincreasetheirknowledge.Asthey

decidewhattheywanttostudy,pursuetheirstudies,andinteractwiththeirclassmates,theylearnalotaboutthemselves.Theyalso,ofcourse,havetheopportunitytolearnaboutmanysubjectsintheirclasses.Inadditiontotheskillsandknowledgerelatedtotheircareer,collegestudentsalsohavethechancetotakeclassesinotherareas.Formany,thiswillbetheirlastchancetostudydifferentsubjects.Collegesoffermuchmorethancareerpreparation.Theyoffertheopportunitytohavenewexperiencesandtolearnmanykindsofthings.Ithinkallofthesearereasonswhypeopleattendcollege.

Sample148

Thepositionofwomeninsocietyhaschangedmarkedlyinthelasttwentyyears.Manyoftheproblemsyoungpeoplenowexperience,suchasjuveniledelinquency,arisefromthefactthatmanymarriedwomennowworkandarenotathometocarefortheirchildren.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththisopinion?




modelanswer:

ItiscertainlytruethatthepositionofwomeninsocietyhasundergoneadramaticchangeinthepasttwentyyearsbutIdonotfeelthatthisisadirectcauseoftheindisputableincreaseinjuvenile-relatedproblemsduringthisperiod.Itisnowacceptedthatyoungwomenshouldfindworkonleavingschool;indeedtorelytotallyontheirparents'financialsupportisnolongeranoptioninmanyfamilies.Likewise,oncetheygetmarried,themajorityofwomencontinueworkingsincethefinancialpressuresofsettingupahouseandestablishingareasonablestandardoflivingoftenrequiretwoincomes.

Twentyyearsagoitwascommonforwomentogiveupworkoncetheyhadchildrenanddevotetheirtimetocaringfortheirchildren.Thisisnolongerthegeneralruleandtheprovisionofprofessionally-runchildcarefacilitiesanddaynurserieshaveremovedmuchoftheresponsibilityforchildrearingthatusedtofalltomothers.However,thesefacilitiescomeatacostandoftenrequiretwosalariescomingintoafamilytobeafforded.Idonotbelievethattheincreaseinthenumberofworkingmothershasresultedinchildrenbeingbroughtuplesswellthanpreviously.Indeeditcouldbearguedthatbygivingmotherstheopportunitytoworkandearnextramoneychildrencanbebetterprovidedforthanpreviously.Thereismoremoneyforluxuriesandholidays

andamoresecurefamilylifeispossible.Ofcoursetherearelimitsastotheamountoftimethatideallyshouldbespentawayfromhomeandtheidealscenariowouldbeforoneoftheparents(oftenthewife)tohaveapart-timejobandthusbeavailablefortheirchildrenbeforeandafterschool.Itisimportanttoestablishthecorrectbalancebetweenfamilylifeandworkinglife.

Sample149


"Preventionisbetterthancure."Outofacountry'shealthbudget,alargeproportionshouldbedivertedfromtreatmenttospendingonhealth

educationandpreventativemeasures.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththisstatement?


modelanswer:

Ofcourseitgoeswithoutsayingthatpreventionisbetterthancure.Thatiswhy,inrecentyears,therehasbeenagrowingbodyofopinioninfavourofputtingmoreresourcesintohealtheducationandpreventivemeasures.Theargumentisthatignoranceof,forexample,basichygieneorthedangersofanunhealthydietorlifestyleneedstobecombattedbyspecialnationwidepublicitycampaigns,aswellas

longer-termhealtheducation.Obviously,thereisastronghumanargumentforcatchinganymedicalconditionasearlyaspossible.Thereisalsoaneconomicargumentfordoingso.Statisticsdemonstratethecost-effectivenessoftreatingaconditionintheearlystages,ratherthandelayinguntilmoreexpensiveandprolongedtreatmentisnecessary.Thentherearesocialoreconomiccosts,perhapsintermsoflossofearningsforthefamilyconcernedorunemployedbenefitpaidbythestate.Sofarsogood,butthedifficultiesstartwhenwetrytodefinewhatthe'proportion'ofthebudgetshouldbe,particularlyifthefundswillbe'divertedfromtreatment'.Decisionsonexactlyhowmuchofthetotalhealthbudgetshouldbespentinthiswayarenotamatterforthenon-specialist,

butshouldbemadeonthebasisofanacceptedhealthservicemodel.Thisisthepointatwhichrealproblemsoccur-theformulationofthemodel.Howdoweaccuratelymeasurewhichhealtheducationcampaignsareeffectiveinbothmedicalandfinancialterms?Howdoweagreeaboutthemedicalefficacyofvariousscreeningprogrammes,forexample,whenthemedicalestablishmentitselfdoesnotagree?Averyrigorousprocessofevaluationiscalledfor,sothatwecanmakeinformeddecisions.

Sample150

Mostwritersoffictiondonotearnenoughmoneytolivefromtheirwriting.Doyouthinkthegovernmentshould

givethemfinancialassistancetohelpencouragegoodliterature?




modelanswer:

Therearesomeconditionsunderwhichanovelistcouldreasonablyexpectsomegovernmentsuport.Ingeneralterms,ifthewriterhasalreadyprovedthatheorshe

canwritewell,andifthestoriesproducedarestimulatingandinteresting,thenIconsiderthatsomefinancialhelpmightbegiven.

Languagequalityisdifficulttodefine,butifthewritingshows,forexample,goodgrammar,awidevocabulary,andeleganceandimagination,thenIcanseeavalidreasonforassistinganauthortospendsometimefreefrommoneyproblems.Suchawritingneedstobeencouraged.theentertainmentvalueofabookwouldbealsoafactorindecidingwhethertoprovideassistancetoanauthor.Furtherconsiderationwouldincludesocialandeducationalvaluesexpressedintheauthor'swork.

However,iftheideasweresocially

irresponsible,orifthestoriescontainunnecessaryviolenceorpornographyforitsownsake,thenIwouldnotwanttoseetheauthorsponsoredtowritestorieswhichdonotbenefitsociety.Otherexceptionsarethemanywritersofgoodbookswhodonotrequirefinancialhelp.Bookswhichprovedtobeextremelypopular,suchastheHarryPotterstories,clearlyneednosubsidyatallbecausetheauthorshavebecomerichthroughtheirwriting.

Viewsonwhatgoodqualitywritingmeanswillvarywidely,andsoifanyauthoristobegivenmoneyforwriting,thenthedecisionwouldhavetobemadebyacommitteeorpanelofjudge.Anindividualopinionwouldcertainlycausedisagreementamongthereadingpublic.

Sample151

Internationalentertainers,includingsportspersonalities,oftengetpaidmillionsofdollarsinoneyear.Inyourview,withwidespreadpvertyintheworld,arethesehugeearningsjustified?




modelanswer:

Thesalariesofmanysingers,dancersandsportspeoplehaveincreasedoutofallproportioninrecentyears,whileinplaceslikeSudanpeoplearestarvingtodeath.Idonotbeleivethatanyoneshouldbeabletoearnsuchenormoussalarieswhansomanypeopleintheworldarelivinginpoverty.

Oneafthefactorswhichshouldaffectwhatapersoncanearnoughttobethebenefitofperson'sworktosociety.Itisunreasonableforafamoussingertobeabletoearnfarmorefromanevening'sentertainmentthan,forinstance,amedicalscientistwhodevelopsanewdrugwhichproducesatreatmentforacommondisease.Thepopstarcertainlyhasavalue

insociety,butthevalueinnowayexceeds,orevenmatches,thevaluegainedfromasuccessfulmedication.

Secondly.workdoneshouldbepaidaccordingtotheamountofeffortandskillthatgoesintoit.Nobodywoulddenythatafamouspersonworkshardandisskillful,yetsuchpeopledonotworkanyharderthanthousandofotherworkerswhohavenoclaimtofame.Yetmarketforcearesuchthatthesesuperstartscanobtainmillionsofdolorwhileotherunknownpeoplesometimesearnlessthantheyneedtosurvive.

Finally,itshouldbepossibleforgovernmentstoworktogethertoensurethattheamountofmoneyincirculationshouldbemoremoreequallyandfairly

distributed.Thisseemsonlyfairgiventhattherearesomanysuffering.

Toconclude,itisclearthatworldpovertyisaseriousproblemandyettheproblemcouldbeeasedifgovernmentsandcompeniesgavemorethoughttopayingsalariesonamoreequitablebasisandiftheystartedtocontributemoremoneytothoseinneed.

Sample152

Smokerscancausethemselvesserioushealthproblems.Thechoicetosmokeismadefreelyandwithknowledgeofdangers.Smokersshouldthereforeexpecttopaymoreformedicaltreatmentthannon-smokers.

Towhatextentdoyouagreewiththisstatement?



modelanswer:

Everyonehasthechoiceofbeingasmokerornot.Thepeoplewhochoosetosmokedosoknowingthereisariskofcausingharmfuldamagetothemselves.However,Idonotentirelyagreethatthesepeopleshouldhavetopaymoretoreceiveallthemedicaltreatmenttheyneed.

Ithinktherearemanysituationsinwhichamedicalproblemhasnothingtodowithwhetherapersonsmokesornot.Inthesecases,whereanillnesshasnorelationtosmoking,thenIbelievethatsmokersshouldnotberequiredtopaymorethanotherpeoplefortheirmedicaltreatment.Mostcaraccidents,forexample,havenoconnectionwithsmoking,andthepeoplewhoareinjuredoughttohavethesamemedicalhelp,regardlessofthecost.Andwhataboutthecommonflu-itdoesnotseemjustifiabletomethatasmokershouldhavetopaymoretoseeadoctorforanillnesswecanallcontract.

Ontheotherhand,Iagreethatasmokershouldpaymorethananon-smokerforthenecessarytreatmentofanyconditionwhichhasbeencausedbysmoking.The

principlethatpeopleshouldtakeresponsibilityfortheirownactionsisagoodone.Consequently,ifapersonchoosestosmokeknowingthatthishabitcancauseserioushealthproblems,thenthereisnoreasonwhythecommunityoraninsurancecompanyshouldhavetopayformedicaltreatmentforanillnesswhichcouldhavebeenavoided.Inmanycountries,cigarettepacketshaveaclearwarningthatsmokingcancausehealthproblemsandsonosmokercanclaimnottoknowthedanger.Lungcancerissometimesafataldiseaseandthetreatmentisbothlengthyandexpensive,anditisunfairforthesmokertoexpectthehospitalorthecommunitytocarrythecost.Infact,itcouldalsobearguedthatthosewhosmokeinpublicshouldbeaskedtopayextrabecauseoftheillness

causedtopassivesmokers.

Inconclusion,Ifeelthatsmokersshouldpaymoreincasesrelatedtosmoking,butforanyotherillnesstheyshouldpaythesameasanyoneelse.

Sample153

Wearebecomingincreasinglydependentoncomputers.Theyareusedinbusinesses,hospitals,crimedetectionandeventoflyplanes.Whatthingswilltheybeusedforinthefuture?Isthisdependenceoncomputersagoodthingorshouldwehemoreauspiciousoftheirbenefits?



modelanswer:

Computersarearelativelynewinvention.Thefirstcomputerswerebuiltfiftyyearsagoanditisonlyinthelastthirtyorsoyearsthattheirinfluencehasaffectedoureverydaylife.Personalcomputerswereintroducedasrecentlyastheearlyeighties.Inthisshorttimetheyhavemadeatremendousimpactonourlives.Wearenowsodependentoncomputersthatitishardtoimaginewhatthingswouldbeliketodaywithoutthem.Youhaveonlygottogointoabankwhentheirmaincomputerisbrokentoappreciatethechaosthat

wouldoccurifcomputersweresuddenlyremovedworld-wide.Inthefuturecomputerswillbeusedtocreatebiggerandevenmoresophisticatedcomputers.Theprospectsforthisarequitealarming.Theywillbesocomplexthatnoindividualcouldhopetounderstandhowtheywork.Theywillbringalotofbenefitsbuttheywillalsoincreasethepotentialforunimaginablechaos.Theywill,forexample,beabletoflyplanesandtheywillbeabletocoordinatethemovementsofseveralplanesinthevicinityofanairport.Providingallthecomputersareworkingcorrectlynothingcangowrong.Ifonesmallprogramfailsdisaster.Thereisacertaininevitabilitythattechnologywillprogressandbecomeincreasinglycomplex.Weshould,however,ensurethatwearestillina

positionwhereweareabletocontroltechnology.Itwillbealltooeasytosuddenlydiscoverthattechnologyiscontrollingus.BythenitmightbetoolateIbelievethatitisveryimportanttobesuspiciousofthebenefitsthatcomputerswillbringandtomakesurethatweneverbecometotallydependentonacompletelytechnologicalworld.

Sample154

ShouldparentsbeobligedtoimmunisetheirchildrenagainstcommonBand9answerchildhooddiseases?Ordoindividualshavetherighttochoosenottoimmunisetheirchildren?



modelanswer:

Theissueofwhetherweshouldforceparentstoimmunisetheirchildrenagainstcommondiseasesis,inmyopinion,asocialratherthanamedicalquestion.Sincewearefreetochoosewhatweexposeourbodiestointhewayoffood,drink,orreligionforthatmatter,whyshouldthequestionofmedical'treatment'beanydifferent?

Medicalresearchersandgovernmentsareprimarilyinterestedinoverallstatisticsandtrendsandinmoney-savingschemes

whichfailtotakeintoconsiderationtheindividual'sconcernsandrights.Whileimmunisationagainstdiseasessuchastetanusandwhoopingcoughmaybeeffective,littleinformationisreleasedabouttheharmfuleffectsofvaccinationswhichcansometimesresultinstuntedgrowthorevendeath.Thebodyisdesignedtoresistdiseaseandtocreateitsownnaturalimmunitythroughcontactwiththatdisease.Sowhenchildrenaregivenartificialimmunity,wecreateavulnerablesocietywhichisentirelydependentonimmunisation.Intheeventthatmassimmunisationprogrammesweretocease,thesocietyasawholewouldbemoreatriskthaneverbefore.Inadditionthereistheissueoftherightsoftheindividual.Asmembersofa

society,whyshouldwebeobligedtosubjectourchildrentothispotentiallyharmfulpractice?Somepeoplemayalsobeagainstimmunisationonreligiousgroundsandtheirneedsmustalsobeconsidered.ForthesereasonsIfeelstronglythatimmunisationprogrammesshouldnotbeobligatoryandthattheindividualshouldhavetherighttochoosewhetherornottoparticipate.

Sample155

Shouldparentsbeobligedtoimmunisetheirchildrenagainstchildhooddiseases?Ordoindividualshavetherighttochoosenottoimmunisetheirchildren?



modelanswer:

Somepeoplearguethatthestatedoesnothavetherighttomakeparentsimmunisetheirchildren.However,Ifeelthequestionisnotwhethertheyshouldimmunisebutwhether,asmembersofsociety,theyhavetherightnotto.Preventativemedicinehasprovedtobethemosteffectivewayofreducingtheincidenceoffatalchildhooddiseases.Asaresultofthewidespreadpracticeof

immunisingyoungchildreninoursociety,manyliveshavebeensavedandthediseaseshavebeenreducedtoalmostzero.Inpreviouscenturieschildrendiedfromordinaryillnessessuchasinfluenzaandtuberculosisandbecausefewpeoplehadimmunity,thediseasesspreadeasily.Diseasessuchasdysenteryweretheresultofpoorhygienebutthesehavelongbeeneradicatedsincethearrivalofgoodsanitationandcleanwater.Nobodywouldsuggestthatweshouldreversethisgoodpracticenowbecausedysenteryhasbeenwipedout.Seriousdiseasessuchaspolioandsmallpoxhavealsobeeneradicatedthroughnationalimmunisationprogrammes.Inconsequence,childrennotimmunisedarefarlessatriskinthisdisease-freesocietythantheywould

otherwisebe.Parentschoosingnottoimmunisearerelyingonthefactthatthediseaseshavealreadybeeneradicated.Ifthenumberofparentschoosingnottoimmuniseincreased,therewouldbeasimilarincreaseintheriskofthediseasesreturning.Immunisationisnotanissuelikeseatbeltswhichaffectsonlytheindividual.Adecisionnottoimmunisewillhavewidespreadrepercussionsforthewholeofsocietyandforthisreason,Idonotbelievethatindividualshavetherighttostandaside.Inmyopinionimmunisationshouldbeobligatory.

Sample156

Disruptiveschoolstudentshavea

negativeinfluenceonothers.Studentswhoarenoisyanddisobedientshouldbegroupedtogetherandtaughtseparately.Doyouagreeordisagree?Givereasonsforyouranswer.



modelanswer:

Thereisnodoubtthatsomestudentsinschoolsbehavebadlyandtheirbehaviourcausesdifficultyforotherseitherbecause

ithasanegativeeffectonthegrouporbecauseordinarystudentsfinditdifficulttostudywiththem.Onesolutionistotakethesestudentsawayandteachthemontheirown.However,ifwesimplyhavethemremovedafteroneortwowarnings,wearelimitingtheireducationalopportunitiesbecauseitseemstomethataschoolwhichcatersfordifficultstudentsisasortof"prison"whatevernameyougiveitandthepeoplewhogotheremayneverrecoverfromtheexperience.Thiscanthencauseproblemsforthewidersociety.Perhapsweneedtolookatwhythedisruptivestudentsbehavebadlybeforeweseparatethem.Disruptivestudentsmaybeveryintelligentandfindtheclassesboringbecausetheworkistooeasy.Perhapsthesestudentsneedextralessons

ratherthanseparatelessons.Orperhapstheteachersareuninspiringandthisresultsinbehaviouralproblemssoweneedbetterteachers.Ontheotherhand,moststudentsputupwiththissituationratherthancausetrouble,andsomepeoplearguethatwehavetolearntosufferbadteachersandboringsituationsandthatstudentswhocan'tlearnthislessonneedtobetaughtseparately.Sobeforewecondemnthestudentstoaspecialschool,weshouldlookatfactorssuchastheteaching,becauseoncethechildrenhavebeenseparated,itisveryunlikelythattheywillbebroughtback.

Sample157

"Althoughabuseofthesystemare

inevitable,socialwelfarepaymentsareessentialtoprotecttherightscitizenshavetoaguaranteedminimumincomeinademocraticsociety"Discuss.



modelanswer:

Socialwelfareisanessentialelementofanadvancedsociety.Goodsystemsarealwaysabused,butthatdoesnotmeantheyarefaulty.Inmyopinion,thetwo

mainreasonswhywelfarepaymentsarenecessaryareasfollows:Firstofall,criticsforgetthattherearemanyformsofwelfarebesidespaymentstotheunemployed.Theirnegativeopinionsharmthosewhoarenotcapableofearningawage,suchassingle-parentmothers,thedisabled,andthesick.Moreover,theunemployedhavetherighttoanincome,too.Theyarenotalwaysatfaultfornothavingajob,andinmostcasesthetaxtheyhavepaidinthepastentitlesthemtoassistance.Thesecondreasonisthatcrimeincreaseswhenpeoplehavenomeansofsupport.Thedesperatelypoorinevitablyturntocrime,whichisnotonlydangerousbutcostly.Policingthestreetsismoreexpensivethanprovidingwelfare.Apoliceman'swageisfourorfivetimes

higherthana"dole"payment.Certainmembersofsocietybelievethatpeopleshouldlookafterthemselves.Theypointoutthatwelfareincreasesdependencyonothersanddestroysdignity.Thismaybetrue,butinthecaseoftheunemployed,thereliefpaymentsareusuallytemporary.Itissurelythefaultofthegovernmentiftherearelong-termunemployed.Welfarecriticsalsobelievethatitistheresponsibilityofavictim'sfamilytoprovidefinancialassistance.However,itistooexpensivetoprovidecompletehelpforaseverelydisabledperson.Toconclude,itisvitaltounderstandtheneedforwelfareinamoderndemocraticsociety.Withoutwelfarepaymentsthepooraredestinedtobecomepoorer.Thefirstdutyofagovernmentistoprovidea

financialsafetynetforalldisadvantagedpersons,andthatincludesthosewithoutwork.

Sample158

StudyingtheEnglishlanguageinanEnglish-speakingcountryisthebestbutnottheonlywaytolearnlanguage.Doyouagreeordisagreewiththisstatement?



modelanswer:

Studyingalanguageinacountrywhereitiswidelyspokenhasmanyadvantages.Itis,therefore,agoodideatostudyEnglishinacountrysuchasBritain.However,Ibelieveitisnottheonlywaytolearnthelanguage.Inthefirstplace,moststudentsinnon-English-speakingcountrieslearnEnglishatsecondaryschool,andsometimesatuniversitynowadays.AlthoughtheirspokenEnglishisnotusuallyofaveryhighstandard,theirknowledgeofgrammarisoftenquiteadvanced.ThisiscertainlyusefulwhenstudentscometoanEnglish-speakingcountrytoperfectthelanguage.Secondly,studyingthebasicsofEnglishatsecondaryschoolislessstressfulthan

learningthelanguagewhileoverseas.Thisisbecausestudentslivingathomedonothavetoworryaboutproblemssuchasfindingaccommodation,payingfortheirstudyandlivingcosts,andtryingtosurviveinaforeigncountrywheredaytodaylivingcausesmuchstress.However,thereareobviousadvantagesoflearningEnglishinBritain.EverydaythereareopportunitiestopractiselisteningtoandspeakingwithBritishpeople.Also,studentscanexperiencetheculturefirsthand,whichisagreathelpwhentryingtounderstandthelanguage.ThisisespeciallytrueiftheychoosetolivewithaBritishfamily,asexchangestudentsforexample.Furthermore,ifstudentsattendalanguageschoolfull-time,theteacherswillbenativespeakers.Inthiscase,notonlywillstudents'speakingandlistening

skillsimprove,butattentioncanbegiventodevelopingreadingandwritingskillsaswell.Ingeneral,eventhoughitispreferabletostudyEnglishinanEnglish-speakingcountry,areasonablelevelofEnglishcanbeachievedinone'sowncountry,ifastudentisgiftedanddedicatedtostudy.

Sample159

Theworldisexperiencingadramaticincreaseinpopulation,Thisiscausingproblemsnotonlyforpoor,undevelopedcountries,butalsoforindustrialisedanddevelopingnations.Describesomeoftheproblemsthatoverpopulationcauses,andsuggestatleastonepossiblesolution.



modelanswer:

Inmostcountriesoftheworldthepopulationisincreasingalarmingly.Thisisespeciallytrueinpoor,undevelopedcountries.Overpopulationcausesaconsiderablenumberofproblems.Inpoorcountriesitisdifficulttoprovideenoughfoodtofeedeventhepresentnumberofpeople.Inaddition,educationtolimitthenumberofchildrenperfamilyisnotalwayssuccessful.Poorercountries

usuallyhavealotofunemploymenttoo,andanincreaseinpopulationsimplymakesthesituationworse.Theenvironmentalsosufferswhentherearetoomanypeoplelivingontheland.Inrich,industrialisedanddevelopingcountriesitisverydifficultforgovernmentstoprovideeffectivepublicservicesinovercrowdedcities.Moreover,thereisusuallyagreatdealmorecrime,whichisoftenduetohighratesofunemployment.Furtherlargeincreasesinpopulationonlycausemoreovercrowding,unemploymentandcrime.Therearetwomainsolutionstotheoverpopulationproblem.Firstly,everywomanwhoispregnant,butwhodoesnotwanttogivebirth,shouldbeallowedbylawtohaveanabortion.Secondly,governmentsmusteducatepeopletolimit

thesizeofthefamily.InChina,couplesarepenalisedfinanciallyiftheyhavemorethanonechild.Thismayseemcruel,butthe"one-childpolicy"isbeginningtohaveaneffectintheworld'smostpopulousnation.Eventually,similarpoliciesmightalsobenecessaryinothercrowdednationssuchasIndia,forexample.Tosumup,ifthepopulationexplosioncontinues,manymorepeoplewilldieofstarvationinpoorcountries,andlifeinthecities,eveninaffluentnations,willbecomeincreasinglydifficult.

Sample160

Peopleinallmodernsocietiesusedrugs,buttoday'syouthareexpertimentingwithbothlegalandillegaldrugs,andat

anincreasinglyearlyage.Somesociologistsclaimthatparentsandothermembersofsocietyoftensetabadexample.Discussthecausesandsomeeffectsofwidespreaddrugusebyyoungpeopleinmoderndaysociety.Makeanyrecommendationsyoufeelarenecessarytohelpfightyouthdrugabuse.



modelanswer:

Youthdrugabuseisaseriousproblemnowadaysinmanycultures.Notonlyisillegaldruguseontherise,butchildrenasyoungas10yearsoldareexperimentingwithalcoholandtobacco.Thereasonsforthisbehaviourareunclear,butcertainsociologistsblametheexamplessetbytheirelders.Parentswhodrinkandsmoketoexcessare,ineffect,tellingtheirchildrenthatitisacceptabletoabusetheirbodieswithdrugs.Consequently,childrenmayhaveasimilarviewtowardsillegaldrugs,eveniftheirparentsareagainsttheiruse.Inaddition,druguseshownontelevisionandinfilmscanonlyconfusechildrenwhoarealsotaughtatschoolthatdrugabuseiswrong.Thepressureonyoungpeopletoperformwellatschoolinordertocompeteforjobs

isapossiblecauseoftheproblem.Manybelievetheycannotliveuptotheirparents'expectations,andfeelasenseofhopelessness.Also,thewidespreadavailabilityofdrugsmeansteenagersarefacedwiththetemptationtoexperiment.Drugsareusedasameansofexpressingdissatisfactionwiththepressurestheyfaceinsociety.Theeffectsofdrugabusearewellknown.Manyyoungpeople'stalentsarewasted,andaddictiontoharddrugscancostauserhisorherlife.Furthermore,thosewhodrinkanddrivemaybeinvolvedinfatalroadaccidents.Thecosttosocietyisgreat,andenormousamountsofmoneyarespentonconvictingdrugdealersandoneducationprogrammes.Toconclude,Irecommendthattheonly

sensiblewaytosolvethisproblemistoeducateyoungpeopleaboutthedangersofdruguse,andtotakestepstoreducethepressureofcompetitionplaceduponthem.

Sample161

Wehavebeenlivinginthenuelearagenowforoverhalfacentury.Sincethefirstatomicbombsweredeveloped,nucleartechnologyhasprovidedgovernmentswiththeabilitytototallydestroytheplanet.Yetthetechnologyhasbeenputtopositiveuseasanenergysourceandincertainareasofmedicine.TowhatextentisnucleartechnologyadangertolifeonEarth?Whatarethebenefitsandrisksassociatedwithitsuse?



modelanswer:

Thesedays,manypeopleareafraidofnucleartechnologybecauseofthedangersassociatedwithitsuse.Inmyopinion,althoughitistruethatnuclearweaponsposethegreatestthreattolife,theuseofnucleartechnologyforpeacefulpurposesalsocarriessomeseriousrisks.Nuclearpowerstationsprovideanimportantsourceofcheappowerformanyindustrialisednationsandsomedevelopingcountries.However,thereisalwaysthedangerofradiationleaking

fromtheseplants.Eventhoughsafetyprecautionsaretaken,therehavebeennumerousdisasterssuchastheexplosionofanuclearplantinRussianotlongago.Nucleartechnologyisevenusedtohelpcuresomediseasessuchascancer.Radiationcanbeappliedtothebodytoburnawaycancerouscells.Thisis,however,adangerousprocedure,andtheapplicationofradiationisalmostalwayspainfulandnotalwayssuccessful.Themostworryingaspectofnucleartechnology,though,isitsuseformilitarypurposes.Enoughatomicbombshavealreadybeenbuilttocompletelydestroytheplanet,andtherealdangeristhatonedaysomecountrywillstartawarwiththeseweapons.Toomanycountriesnowhavethetechnologyrequiredtomakesuchbombs,andthereiscurrentlymuchdebate

abouthowtocontrolthesituation.Inconclusion,nucleartechnologycertainlyhaspositiveuses,butis,nonetheless,dangerous.However,itwouldhavebeenbetterifithadneverbeenusedtocreatenuclearweapons.IflifeonEarthistocontinue.

Sample162

Somepeoplethinkthatitisimportanttouseleisuretimeforactivitiesthatimprovethemind,suchasreadinganddoingwordpuzzles.Otherpeoplefeelthatitisimportanttorestthemindduringleisuretime.


Youshouldspendabout40minutes


modelanswer:

Itisgenerallyacceptedthatweallneedleisuretimetorecoverfromthestressesofworkandeverydaylife.Personally,Iprefertobeactiveduringthistime,asIthinkthissuitsmebetter.However,whatwedowithourleisuretimeisuptousandnoonecansaythatanyparticularactivityisthebest.

Somepeoplerelaxbywatchingmovies,readingorsurfingtheinternet.Peoplewhohavephysicallydemandingjobsmaychoosethesetypesofactivities.Ifyouare

anurseorbuilder,youmayfeelthatyoudon'twanttodoafive-kilometrerunafterwork,becauseyouarealreadyphysicallytired.

Otherpeopledoverysedentaryjobs.Computeranalysts,forexample,mayspendalldaysittinginfrontofacomputerscreen.Attheendoftheworkingday,theymaybekeentostretchtheirlimbsandimprovetheirhealthbyswimmingorgoingtothegym.

Anotherfactorthatinfluencesourchoiceofleisurepursuitiswherewework.Peoplewhoworkindoorsoftenpreferoutdoorhobbies,whereasforpeoplewhoworkoutdoors,thereversemaybetrue.Iamastudentmyselfandthisinvolvesalotofsittinginlectures,soIneedtogetout

intothefreshairafterwards.

Inanysituation,theimportantthingisthatpeopleneedtostayhealthybychoosingwhatisbestforthem.Theonlywrongwaytospendfreetime,inmyview,istohaveasedentaryjobandthengohomeandwatchtelevision.

Sample163

Usingacomputereverydaycanhavemorenegativethanpositiveeffectsonchildren.Doyouagreeordisagree?

Givereasonsforyouranswerandincludeanyrelevantexamplesfromyourownknowledgeorexperience

Intoday'smodernworld,computersarean

essentialpartofeverydaylife.Aroundtheglobe,childrenoftenusecomputersfromaveryyoungage.Althoughitisimportantforchildrentoparticipateinvariouswell-balancedactivities,inmyopinion,childrenwhousethecomputerdailyareactuallydevelopingacriticalskillforfuturesuccess.Thebasesformyviewsarepersonal,academic,andprofessional.

Fromapersonalpointofview,computersareaninvaluableresourcetohelpyoungpeopleexploretheworldaroundthem.Forexample,childrenwhouseInternettosatisfytheircuriosityaboutdiversetopicsarealreadybecomingindependentlearners.Nochildwithacomputeriseverbored!Bystartingearlyintheirlives,childrenfeeltotallyateasearoundcomputers;theyarealsoabletotake

advantageofthewiderangeofservicescomputersprovide.

Fromanacademicviewpoint,childrenhavenochoicebuttomasterthistechnologicalinvention.Forinstance,whenIwasinuniversity,studentsbroughttheirlaptopstoclasstotakenotes,doresearchandexchangeinformation.Theywroteassignments,createdpresentationsanddevelopeddatabases.Childrenwhobuildearlyconfidenceandexperienceintheseabilitiesareatadistinctadvantageoverthosewhohavenot.

Fromaprofessionalperspective,thecomputerhasfoundapermanentplaceintheworkplace.Today,employersstillpaytoprovidecomputertrainingtotheiremployees.Tomorrow,corporationswill

expectprospectivejobapplicantstoalreadypossessthesecriticaljobskills.Consequently,parentswhoencouragetheirchildtousethecomputerforareasonableperiodoftimedailyareinfactinvestinginthechild'sfuturecareer.

Inconclusion,thereisnodoubtthatthecomputerasatechnologicaltoolisheretostay.Thesoonerchildrenbecomecomputer-literate,thebetterformanyaspectsoftheirfuturelives.

(299words)

Sample164

Successfulsportsprofessionalscanearnagreatdealmoremoneythanpeopleinotherimportantprofessions.Some

peoplethinkthisisfullyjustifiedwhileothersthinkitisunfair.Discussboththeseviewsandgiveyouropinion.



Theworldofsportsisamultimilliondollarindustry.Aroundtheglobe,peopleflocktosportingeventsorwatchtheirfavouriteteamsfaithfullyeachweekontelevision.Asaresult,professionalsportsathletesreceivehugesalaries–wellabove,forexample,thoseofdoctors,lawyers,teachersorsocialworkers.Thereissomedebateaboutwhethersuchoutrageouslyhighsalariesarejustified.

Ontheonehand,sportisviewedasaprofessionalcareer,inwhichthetopplayersshouldrightlyearnhighsalaries.Athletestrainrigorouslyfromanearlyagetobecomepeakperformersintheirfield.Theyfacetremendouspressureineachandeverygame,matchorcompetition.Theirpersonallivesarecompromisedandtheyloseallprivacy.Atthesametime,theirstrongachievementsbringhonourandattention,notonlytothemselves,butalsototheirteams,schools,citiesorcountries.

Ontheotherhand,variousprofessionscontributetomakingourworldrunsmoothly.Doctorsputinatleasttenyearsofgruelingstudyandinternship;theirworksaveslives.Teacherseducateandinspireyoungpeopletoberesponsiblecitizens:theireffortsproducethecitizens

oftomorrow.Socialworkersrescueindividualsfacingphysical,mentalandpsychologicalchallenges:theirinterventioncreatessafersocieties.

Yet,professionalsinthefieldsaboveusuallystruggletogetby,despitetheirmeaningfulandcriticalcontributiontotheworld.

Inmyview,payingenormoussalariestosportspeopleisunnecessary.Weneedtoreconsideroursocialprioritiesandeliminatethegreatdisparityinincomereceivedbydiverseprofessionals.Bydoingso,wecanbuildsocietiesinwhicheachonefeelsvalued,appreciatedandappropriatelycompensatedfortheirownvocationorspecialization.

(273words)

Sample165

Insomecountries,youngpeopleareencouragedtoworkortravelforayearbetweenfinishinghighschoolandstartinguniversitystudies.Discusstheadvantagesanddisadvantagesforyoungpeoplewhodecidetodothis.



Takinga“gapyear”offbetweenhighschoolanduniversityhasbecomeapopularoptionamongmanyyoungpeople.

Thistimeoffprovidesabreakaftermanyyearsofformalstudy.Somestudentsusethistimetotravelaroundtheworld,othersvolunteerandstillothersbeginworking.Theideabehindeachoftheseactivitiesistodosomethinghands-onandrefreshing,whichenablesyoungpeopletolearnmoreaboutthemselvesandtheirplaceintheworldaroundthem.

Thebenefitsoftakingayearoffareplentiful.Onapersonallevel,studentswhotravelawayfromhomedeveloptheirindependenceandself-confidence.Onaculturallevel,theylearnaboutviewpoints,traditionsandperspectivesdifferentfromtheirown.Professionally,studentsgetatasteofdiverseworkplaces,whichmightinspireapossiblecareerinterest.Intellectually,theyexaminetheirown

beliefsandideasinrelationtothoseofothersinanewenvironment.Alltheseadvantagescombinetomakeastrongcasefortakingtheone-yearbreak.

Nevertheless,therearealsodangersinvolvedintakingsuchalongbreak.Academically,themaindrawbackisthatstudentscangetsidetrackedfromtheirstudies.Ayearisalongtimeandstudentscouldlosethegoodstudyhabitsandsenseofdisciplinetheyhadwhentheywereinaformalacademicstructure.Iftheybeginworking,theycouldalsobedeludedintothinkingthatthey’remakingalotofmoney.Theycouldlosethebenefitofcollegeoruniversityeducationandthechancetoearnahigherincomealltheirlives.

Inconclusion,whethertotakeayear-longbreakornotisanindividualdecision.Eachyoungpersonshouldconsiderhisorhermotivationscarefullyanddecideonwhat’smostdesirable.Timeisapreciousresourceandpeopleofallages,includingyoungpeople,shouldtreatitwithrespect.

(305words)

Sample166

Universitiesshouldacceptequalnumbersofmenandwomenineverysubject.



Genderissueshavebeenincreasinginimportancethroughthecenturies.Inalmosteverysphereofhumanactivity,therehasbeenamovementtowardsgreaterequalitybetweenmenandwomen.AlthoughIagreethatuniversitiesshouldopentheirdoorstoallstudentsalike,inmyview,theyneednotsetafixedlimitonthenumberofmenandwomentheyacceptineachsubject.Thebasesformyviewsarepsychologicalandpersonal.

Psychologically-speaking,menandwomenaresimplydifferent,thoughtheyhavethesamepotentialforgreatness.Forexample,womentendtobemoreintuitive,sensitivetoothersandcaring.Thismeanstheymayfeeldrawn,onthebasisoftheirpersonalities,tocertainkindsofprofessionssuchasteaching,nursing,or

psychology,evenifallfieldsareopentothem.Insuchacontext,itisbestforuniversitiestochoosethebestapplicants,regardlessofgender.

Personally,studentsneedtodiscovertheirtruecalling.Thisisanindividualmatterandisnotinfluencedbytheuniversitiesreservingseatsformenorwomen.Forexample,ifthemajorityofwomenshyawayfrommathorengineering,perhapsithastodowiththeirupbringing,whichhasinfluencedtheirinterests.Theuniversitieswillnotbeabletoreversethistrend,thoughtheyshouldalwayslookoutforthemostqualifiedcandidates.

Inconclusion,equalitycannotbeforceduponpeople–notintheareaofeducation,employmentorfamilylife.Equalityis

abouthavingchoicesandthosewhoprovethemselvescapablewillqualifyforuniversity,regardlessofgender.Itisonlyrightthatuniversitiesreflectandrespectthesefreeandnaturalchoicesbeingexercisedbytheirstudents.

(277words)

Sample167

Therisinglevelsofcongestionandairpollutionfoundinmostoftheworldcitiescanbeattributeddirectlytotherapidlyincreasingnumberofprivatecarsinuse.Inordertoreversethisdeclineinthequalityoflifeincities,attemptsmustbemadetoencouragepeopletousetheircarslessandpublictransportmore.Discusspossiblewaysto

encouragetheuseofpublictransport.



Inaworldofincreasingenvironmentalawarenessimprovedpublictransportrepresentsthewayofthefuture.Althoughpeopledoenjoytheconvenienceandprivacyoftravelingintheirownprivatevehicles,inmyopiniontheymaychoosepublictransportifitfulfillscertainconditions.Theseconditionsfallintothreebroadcategories:attitudinal,financialandlogistical.

Fromanattitudinalperspective,peoplemustfirstbeconvincedofthebenefitsof

publictransportation.Aneducationalorpublicrelationscampaignmustbelaunchedtosensitizethosewhomighthavedisregardedthispossibilitybefore.Peopleshouldbefamiliarizedwiththeenvironmental,socialandpersonalbenefitsforpresentandfuturegenerations.Thisisonestep.

Fromafinancialperspective,publictransportationmustbeaclearandviablebenefittoconsumers.Inotherwords,itmustbemoreaffordablethandrivingtoworkeveryday.Forexample,ifpeopleknowthatbyusingbusandsubway,theycansaveenoughmoneytotakeafreeholidayeachyear,manymoreindividualswouldbepersuadedtotravelinthisway.Thisisanothercriticalstep.

Fromalogisticalperspective,publictransportationshouldbeconvenientforcommuters.Cityplannersandtransportofficialsmustensurethatfrequentandreliablepublictransportationisavailableforeachcitizen.Forpeopletomakethehabitoftravelingbybusorsubway,theymustknowthattheywillbeabletogettovariousplacesontime.Transportvehiclesmustbewellmaintained,subwayandbusdriversshouldbecustomer-orientedandservicemustbepunctualandefficient.Thisisanadditionalimportantstep.

Inconclusion,throughamulti-prongedapproach,itispossibletoincreasetheuseofpublictransportation.Cityofficialsandpoliticianscanleadthewaybyutilizingtheseformsoftransportthemselvesandbringingaboutchangethroughpersonal

example.Then,morecitizenswillfollowsuitandwemayallhopetoliveinacleaner,lesspollutedenvironment.

(316words)

Sample168

Manypeoplebelievethatwomenmakebetterparentsthanmenandthatthisiswhytheyhaveagreaterroleinraisingchildreninmostsocieties.Othersclaimthatmenarejustasgoodaswomenatparenting.Writeanessayexpressingyourpointofview.Givereasonsforyouranswer.



Achildisborntotwoparents–amanandawoman.Bothsexesplayacrucialroleinraisingthechild.Althoughfatherscanmakeexcellentparents,inmyopinion,mothersareinrealitybetterparentsbasedontheirnaturalintuitionandcompassionatetendencies.

Firstly,forawidevarietyofsocio-culturalreasons,womentendtohavemoreintuitiveintelligencethanmen.Itisthisintuitionthatenablesthemothertoknowwhenherchildneedsher.Inaddition,womenoftenknowhowtoreadnon-verbalsignalsinhumanbehavior,whichcanalertthemtoissuesandproblemsinthechild’slife.Allofthese“perceptiveskills”playamajorrolein

makingthemotheraclose,responsibleandresponsiveparent.

Secondly,mostmothersshareainimitablebondwiththeirchildren.Perhapsthisbondarisesduringtheninemonthsofpregnancy;perhapsitisreinforcedthroughtheactofbreastfeeding.Whateverthecause,thereoftenappearstobealifelongsilverchordorpsychicconnectionbetweenmotherandchild.Asaresult,themotherisabletoevaluatethechild’sactionsfromtheviewpointofhis/herintentions,andnotjustresults.Thisempathyispricelessandcannoteasilybereplicated.Althoughfathersmayformdeeplovingbondswiththeirchildren,theymaynotbeabletomatchthedepthofclosenesssharedbymotherandchild.

Inconclusion,althoughbothparentsarecertainlycapableofcaringforthechild,themotheroftenmakesabetterparent.Anyonewhohasexperiencedtheunconditionalacceptanceofamother’slovecanbearwitnesstothisreality.

(260words)

Sample169

Whatfactorsarerelatedtoacademicsuccessinhighschoolstudents?


Highschoolisacriticaltimeinthelifeofyoungpeople.Ontheonehand,teenagersareeagertoenjoytheirfreedomandindependence.Ontheotherhand,they

mustbedisciplinedenoughtokeeptheirprioritiesstraight.Inmyopinion,threesocialinstitutionsimpacthighschoolstudentsthemostatthisvulnerabletime–thefamily,peergroupandschool.

First,thefamilyplaysthecentralrolebyprovidingthebackdropinayoungperson’slife.Apositivefamilyenvironmentprovideslove,supportandencouragementforthestudenttodohis/herbest.Simultaneously,thefamilyaimstoinstilldisciplineandambitioninthechild.Theinfluenceandexpectationsoffamilymembersremainparamountatthistimeandthroughoutayoungperson'slife.

Second,asachildturnsintoateenager,thepeergroupbeginstoplayan

increasinglyimportantroleinhis/herlife.Thefriendshipsonedevelopsatthishighlysensitivestagecanaffectonesattitudetostudies,authority,societyandtheworld.Intherightcompany,youngpeoplecangetinvolvedinpositiveactivitiesthatsupporttheiracademicperformance.Withthewrongcrowd,teenagerscoulddevelopahostofunhealthyanddangeroushabitswhichimpactnotonlytheirgradesbutallaspectsoftheirlives.

Lastly,theschoolitselfisadecidingfactorinthestudent'sacademicsuccess.Avarietyofelementsdeterminehowthestudentsfeelaboutschool:theteachers,thestaff,thefacilities,thesubjects,thetextbooks,themethodofinstructionandmore.Allofthesehaveasignificantimpactontheyoungperson’smotivation

toexcel.

Inconclusion,highschoolsuccessistheproductofvariousinfluences.Weareallfortunatethat,asidefromafewunfortunateexceptions,themajorityofstudentsworldwideaspiretodowellandgrowuptobecomeactiveandhealthyparticipantsintheworldaroundthem.

(309words)

Sample170

Foreignlanguageinstructionshouldbegininkindergarten.Discuss.


Accordingtoafamoussaying,“Thelimits

ofmylanguagearethelimitsofmyworld.”Indeed,theabilitytospeakseverallanguagesisconsideredoneofthehallmarksofaculturedperson.Fromthisperspective,foreignlanguageinstructionshouldbeginasearlyaspossibleinordertoachievenear-nativefluency.Thereasonsbehindthisapproachareintellectual,socialandprofessional.

Intellectually,learningaforeignlanguageatayoungageenableschildrentodeveloptheirbrain.Atthisage,children’smindsarelikespongesandtheircapacitiesarelimitless.Theyhavelessinhibitionorbiasesagainstlearningdifferentsubjects.Theycanlearnone,twoorthreelanguageswithoutconfusion;itwouldonlyservetoexpandtheirminds.Therefore,itisidealtostartteachingaforeignlanguagein

kindergarten.

Socially,learningaforeignlanguageenablestheyoungchildtoenterawiderculturalworld.Bylearningtospeak,thinkandunderstandadifferentlanguage,thechilddevelopsgreatercross-culturalawareness.Thiscriticalabilityenablesthechildtomakefriendswith,identifywithandempathizewithotherswhospeaktheadditionallanguage.

Professionally,bylearningaforeignlanguageinkindergarten,thechildexpandshis/herfuturecareerhorizons.Intoday’sincreasinglyglobalizedworld,bilingualandmultilingualindividualsareinhighdemand.Thechildwhoachievesthisfluencynaturallyandeasilyatayoungagealreadyhasanedgeoverothersinthe

jobmarket.

Insummary,numerousbenefitsflowfromteachingaforeignlanguagefromkindergarten.Thechildwillmostlikelygrowuptothankthosewhomadesuchalearningexperiencepossible.

IELTSLetter

MostCommonLetterTopics-(Formal)

1.AskingforInformationYouliveinanEnglishspeakingcountryandyouwanttodosomevoluntary,unpaidworkinadevelopingcountry.Writea

lettertoacompanycalledCulturalExpeditions,whichorganizessuchtrips.Inyourletter:

Explainwhyyouwanttodothevoluntarywork.

Statewhatyourskillsandexperienceare.

Indicatewhereyouwouldliketovolunteerandforhowlong.

Beginyourletterasfollows:DearSir/Madam

Youshouldwriteatleast150words.Youshouldspendabout20minutesonthistask.

2.ApplyingforaJob

YouhavedecidedtoapplyforajobasaSpanishinstructorthatwasadvertisedintheAprileditionofthemagazineTeachingProfessional.ThisadwaspostedbyMrJohnSullivan,directoroftheSpanishdepartmentatTheLanguageInstituteofGreatBritaininLondon,England.InyourlettertoMrSullivan:


describeyourqualificationsandexperience

explainhowtheycancontactyou

Writeatleast150words.Youshouldspendabout20minutesonthistask.

3.MakingSuggestionsYoueatatyourcollegecafeteriaeverylunchtime.However,youthinkitneedssomeimprovements.Writealettertothecollegemagazine.Inyourletter:

explainwhatyoulikeboutthecafeteria

saywhatiswrong




4.ApplyingforaJobYouarelookingforapart-timejob.Writealettertoanemploymentagency.Inyourletter:

introduceyourself

explainwhatsortofjobyouwouldlike

saywhatexperienceandskillsyouhave



5.ComplainingtoaBankYouhavereceivedaletterfromyourbank,askingyoutoacknowledgereceiptofanewbankcard.However,thecardwasmissingfromtheenvelope.Writealettertothebank'sheadoffice.Inyourletter:


expressconcernaboutthemissingcard


Beginyourletterasfollows:Dear________,


6.InforminganAirlineLastTuesdayyouflewfromNewYorktoParis.Whenyouarrivedhome,youdiscoveredthatyouhadleftyourcabinbagontheplane.Writealettertotheairline.Inyourletter,youshouldexplain:

whereandwhenyoulostyourbag

whatyourbaglookslike

whatitscontentswere



7.ApplyingforaJobYouhaveseenanadvertisementforpart-timeworkinahotelforthreemonthsoverthesummer.Writealettertothemanager.Inyourletter:

saywhatexperienceyouhave

askwhattheworkinvolves

enquireaboutconditions



8.MakingRecommendationsYounormallygoshoppingintheareawhereyoulive.However,youthinksomeofthefacilitiesforshopperscouldbeimproved.Writealettertoyourlocalnewspaper.Inyourletter:

sayingeneralwhatyoulikeaboutshoppinginyourarea

saywhatiswrongwiththefacilities

suggesthowtheycanbeimproved


Youshouldwriteatleast150words.Youshouldspendabout20minutesonthis

task.

9.ApplyingforaJobYouwouldlikeatemporaryjobworkinginthesummercampwhichrunssportsandoutdooractivitiesforchildrenandyoungpeoplenextsummer.Writealettertotheorganizersofthesummercamp.Inyourletter:

explainwhatsortofjobyouwouldliketodo

describeyourpersonality

saywhatexperienceandskillsyouhave

Beginyourletterasfollows:DearSir/

Madam


10.ComplainingaboutaProductYouliveinasmalluniversitytown.Lastweek,youdrovetoabigcityabouttwohoursawaytobuyanewlaptopatagoodprice.Youworkedonthelaptopallweekandfinishedwritingalongassignmentthatisdueshortly.However,thisweek,thelaptopdoesn'tevenswitchon.Writetothestore.Inyourletter:

tellthestorewhereyoulive&whathappened

explaintheproblemwiththelaptop

explaintheproblemwiththelaptop

statewhatactionyouwouldlikethestoretotake

Beginyourletterasfollows:Dear________

Youshouldwriteatleast150words.Youshouldspendabout20minutesonthistask

SampleLetter–Formal(ComplainingtoaHotel)-Task1

SampleLetter1


Yourecentlystayedinahotelinalargecity.Theweatherwasveryunusualforthe

timeofyearandtheheating/coolingsysteminthehotelwasquiteinadequate.

Writealettertothemanagerofthehotel.Inyourletter:

givedetailsofwhatwentwrong

explainwhatyouhadtodotoovercometheproblematthetime

saywhatactionyouwouldlikethemanagertotake


YoudoNOTneedtowriteyourownaddress.


Dear__________

DearSir/Madam

IamwritinginconnectionwithmyrecentstayattheFourSeasonsinLondon,England.Unfortunately,duetoamalfunctioningheaterinmyroom,IspentthreemiserablenightsatyourhotelfromApril26–29,2010.

WhenIarrivedinLondon,therewasanunexpectedsnowstorm.IunderstanditdoesnotusuallysnowinApril;however,whenIgottomyroom,therewasnoheat.Aftercomplaining,atechnicianwassentup,whoinformedmetheyhadtoinstallanewheatingunit.WhenIaskedtobemovedtoanotherroom,Iwastoldthehotelwascompletelybooked.

Unfortunately,eachnightafterworkIreturnedtodiscovertheproblemhadnotbeenrectified.Eventually,Ispentthreehorriblyuncomfortablenights,wearingmycoattobed,wearingsocksaroundtheroomandendingupwithabadcoldfromtheunheatedroom.IhadnotimetocomplainasIhadtocatchaflighthomerightaftermyconference.

Iamshockedbythisterribleservice.Thisisnotwhatanyoneexpectsfor$400anight!Tocompensatemeforthistremendousinconvenience,Iaskthatyourefundmymoneyrightawayandoffermeafree,morecomfortablestayinoneofyourfinersuitesinthefuture.Ifnot,Iampreparedtotakemycomplainttoahigherauthority.

Ilookforwardtohearingfromyouattheearliest,

Yoursfaithfully,

MrJohnMcFee

(236words)

SampleLetter2


Youhavereceivedaletterfromyourbank,askingyoutoacknowledgereceiptofanewbankcard.However,thecardwasmissingfromtheenvelope.

Writealettertothebank'sheadoffice.In

yourletter:


expressconcernaboutthemissingcard



YoudoNOTneedtowriteanyaddress.


Dear__________

DearSir/Madam

Iamwritinginconnectionwithamissingorstolendebitcardfromyourbank.This

isanurgentmatterasthebankcardcouldprovedangerousinthehandsofthewrongperson.

Justyesterday,Ireceivedaletterfromyourbank'sheadoffice.Itstatedthatmynewbankcardwasenclosedandaskedmetoacknowledgereceipt.However,whentheenvelopearrivedinmymailbox,itwasinatatteredstate.Moreimportantly,thedebitcardwhichwassupposedtobeincluded,wasmissing.Icheckedandrecheckedaroundthemailbox,butfoundnothing.Iamconcernedthatsomeonehasgonethroughmymailandpossiblystolenthecard.

ForthisreasonIrequestthatyoucanceltheexistingdebitcardimmediately.Thedebitcardinquestionisrelatedtomy

accountnumber64729401atyourBayandBloorbranch.Afterithasbeencancelled,pleasearrangetosendmeanewone,asIneedtotraveloverseasnextweekandwillneedtocarrythenewbankcardwithme.

Thankyoukindlyinadvance,

Yoursfaithfully,

MsBrendaHolster

(172words)

SampleLetter3


Youeatatyourcollegecafeteriaatlunch

timeeveryday..However,youthinkitneedssomeimprovements.Writealettertothecollegemagazine.Inyourletter:

explainwhatyoulikeaboutthecafeteria

saywhatiswrongwithit




Dear__________

DearSir/Madam

Iamwritinginconnectionwithourcollegecafeteria.Sincealmostevery

studentspendssometimehereeveryday,Ibelieveitisineveryone'sbestinteresttofindwaystoimprovethequalityofthiscentraleatery.

Thecafeteriaitselfismodern,spaciousandattractive.Thenewlypaintedmuralsoftheseasidegivetheseatingareaanopen,airy,outdoorfeelingwhichmakesitverypleasanttoeatmealsthere.Thisisfurtherenhancedbythelargegreenplantsandflowingwaterfountains.

Themainproblemwiththecafeteriaisinthefoodserved!Firstofall,thereisaverylimitedselectionavailable.EachdayoffersuponlystandardNorthAmericanfareofhamburgers,hotdogs,chickennuggetsandfrenchfries.Notonlyisthisselectionunhealthy,butalsouninteresting

dayinanddayout.Wehavesomanyinternationalstudentsoncampus,itwouldbewonderfultohavesomecurries,burritosandfalafeladdedtothemenu.Secondly,sincethisisastudentcafeteria,pricesneedtostaylow.Wehaveunfortunatelyseentwopricehikesinthelasttwoyears.

Iamsureifweofferawiderrangeoffoods,atbetterprices,thecafeteriawillcontinuetorunprofitablyasmorestudentschoosetoeatthere.

Yoursfaithfully,

DanielBernard

IELTSLetterTopics-Semi-Formal

1.ArrangingAccommodationYouarebeingsentonaonemonthworkassignmentinSanFrancisco,California.Youneedaplacetostaywhileyouarethere.WritealettertotheMaurySamsonRealEstateAgency.Inyourletter:

explainthesituation

describethekindofaccommodationyouwouldlike

providethedatesyouwillneedit

Beginyourletterasfollows:DearMrSamson,


2.AskingforPermissionYouarestudyingoverseas.Youneedtoreturntoyourcountrybeforetheendofthesemesterforafamilyevent.Writealettertoyoursupervisor.Inyourletter:

Requesttimeoff

Explainwhyyouneedtoleaveearly

Reassurehim/herthatyourstudieswillnotsuffer

Beginyourletterasfollows:DearMr/Ms_______

3.ComplainingtoaLandlordYouhavebeenlivinginarentalapartmentforthepastyear.Recentlyanewneighbourmovedinwhohasloudpartiesseveraltimesaweek.Writealettercomplainingaboutthistothelandlord.Inyourletter:

explainthesituation

describewhyitbothersyou

suggestasolution

Beginyourletterasfollows:DearMr/Ms_____________,

Youshouldwriteatleast150words.Youshouldspendabout20minutesonthis

task.

4.MakingaSuggestionYouexerciseregularlyandhavebeenamemberofmanydifferentgyms.Recently,youmovedintoanewneighborhoodandjoinedanewgym.Youhavenoticedthatpeopleatthisgymdonotbothertowipedownthemachinesafteruseandoftenleavedirtytowelsonthebenchesinthechangerooms.WritetoMrKoto,themanager.Inyourletter:

explainwhoyouare

describetheproblemexactly

makesuggestionstoimprovethegym

Beginyourletterasfollows:DearMr

Koto,


5.BookingAccommodationYouaregoingtotakeashortholidayinSingaporeandyouwanttorentaholidayapartmentwhileyouarethere.Writetothetouristinformationoffice.Inyourletter:

explainwhatyouneed

saywhenyouplantobethere

askforinformationaboutprices

Beginyourletterasfollows:DearMr/Ms__________


6.ExplainingtoaNeighbourYouarehavingagraduationpartynextSaturdaynight.Youhaveinvited50peopletocelebrateatanoutdoorbarbecueevening,whichmaycontinueintolateintothenight.Writealettertoyourelderlyneighbour.Inyourletter:

explainwhatwillbehappening

offeryourapologiesinadvance

invitehertojointhecelebration

Beginyourletterasfollows:DearMr/Ms_________


7.AskingforpermissionYouaresupposedtohandinamid-termprojectforyourpsychologyclassbyNovember1st.However,yourbrotherisgettingmarriedinHawaiiatthesametimeandtheentirefamilyistravelingtherefortheoccasion.Youwouldlikeanextensionontheduedateforsubmittingtheproject.Writetoyourprofessor.Inyourletter:

explainthesituation

remindtheprofessorofyourfineacademicrecordtodate

askforanextensionoftheduedate



8.MakingaSuggestionYouliveinahigh-risebuilding,whichhasacommunallaundryroom.Therearemanywashersanddryersthere,butevenmoreresidents.Sometimespeopledon'tcomeintimetoemptythemachinesandotherresidentshavetowaitforawasherordryer.Youthinkthebuildingmanagementshouldpurchase10extralaundrybasketsandmakethemavailableforsuchtimes,sothemachinescanbefreedup.WritetothePropertyManager,MrsWilliams.Inyourletter:

explainhowlongyouhavebeenaresident

describetheproblem

proposeyoursolution

Beginyourletterasfollows:DearMrsWilliams


9.AskingforPermissionYouhavereceivedajobofferforapositionyouhavewantedforalongtime.YouareexpectedtostartonJuly1st.However,youcanonlystartaweeklaterduetopersonalreasons.Writealetterto

MrJackson,yournewboss.Inyourletter:

showyourenthusiasmforthejoboffer

explaintheproblem

suggestwhatyoucando

Beginyourletterasfollows:DearMrJackson,


SampleLetter–Semi-Formal(ComplainingtoaHotel)-Task1

SampleLetter1


Youareapplyingforajobandneedaletterofreferencefromsomeonewhoknewyouwhenyouwereatschool.

Writealettertooneofyouroldteachersaskingforareference.Inyourletter:

saywhatjobyouhaveappliedfor

explainwhyyouwantthisjob

suggestwhatinformationtheteachershouldinclude



Dear__________

DearMrsSweeney

Howareyou?Ihopeeverythingisfineattheschoolandthatyouhavebeenwell.IstillrememberthedynamicwayinwhichyoutaughtgrammartomeandalloftheteachertraineesinyourEnglishclass.Thanksagainforthoseimportantlessons.

IamwritinginconnectionwithaletterofreferencethatIneedforajobthatIhaveappliedforrecently.AsIamduetograduatenextmonth,IhaveappliedforapositionasanESLteacherataprivatelanguageschoolinTokyo,Japan.YoumightremembermytellingyouhowverymuchIlookedforwardtoteachingandtravelingaroundtheworld.NowIhavethe

chance.IamconfidentthatIcanmakeadifferenceinthelivesofstudentswhoneedtolearnEnglish.

Intheletterofreference,Iwouldappreciateitifyoucouldincludeinformationrelatedtomytrustworthiness,myenthusiasmandmycross-culturalawarenesswhileinteachertrainingcollege.AsthejobisinJapan,theydonothavethechancetointerviewmeandwillbasetheirdecisionlargelyonmylettersofreference.Iwouldneedtohavetheletterintwoweeks,byJuly1st.

Thankyoukindlyinadvance,

Yourssincerely,

GraceSmith

SampleLetter2

YouaregoingonashorttrainingcourseatacollegeinSydney,Australia.Youneedsomewheretolivewhileyouarethere.

Writealettertotheaccommodationofficeratthecollege.Inyourletter:

Writealettertotheaccommodationofficeratthecollege.Inyourletter:

explainyoursituation

describetheaccommodationyourequire

saywhenyouwillneedit




Dear__________

DearMrsWalker

IamwritinginconnectionwithmyupcomingtrainingcourseatyourcollegeinSydney,Australia.IwillbetheretoattendtheBrain-BasedLearningprogramatVictoriaCollegeforaperiodofthreeweeksfromJuly2sttoJuly22st,2010.Iamhopingthatyouwillbeabletoassistmewithmyaccommodationarrangements.

AsIamslightlyolderthanmostoftheotherparticipants,Iwouldappreciateitif

youcouldfindaprivatestudioapartmentforme,closetothecollege.ItwouldbeidealifIcouldwalktoschooleachday,butifnot,Iwouldneedaccesstopublictransportation.IunderstandsomeoftheeventsoncampusfinishquitelatesoIwouldprefernottowalkinanunfamiliarneighbourhoodafterdark.Intermsoftheapartment,allIrequireisabed,adesk,aTV,anInternetconnection,akitchenandabathroom.MybudgetisaroundUS$1000for3weeks.

AsIwillbearrivingonJuly1st,Iwouldneedtheapartmenttobeavailablefromthatnightuntilthedayofmydeparture,whichisJuly23rd.MylastnightintheapartmentwouldbeJuly22nd.

Pleaseletmeknowifyouareabletofind

suchanapartmentandifnot,pleasesuggestothersuitablearrangements.Ilookforwardtohearingfromyou,

Yourssincerely,

JaneGoodwin

(236words)

SampleLetter3


Youhavebeenlivinginarentalapartmentforthepastyear.Recentlyanewneighbourmovedinandhasbeenmakingalotofnoise,whichdisturbsyou.

Writealettertothelandlord.Inyourletter:

explainthesituation

describewhyitbothersyou

suggestasolution




Dear__________

DearMrShah

Ihopeyouandyourfamilyareallwell.IamwritinginconnectionwithaproblemI

havewiththenewtenant,Jack,whohasmovedindownstairs.Unfortunately,hishabitsandneedsappeartobequitedifferentfrommyown.

TheissueisthatJackisaprofessionalmusicianwhoplayshiselectricguitarlateintothenight.Iunderstandheisinabandandneedstopractice;however,Ithinkhecannotdosoinaresidentialbuildingsuchasours.AsImentionedtoyouwhenIsignedtheleasetotheapartment,Iamafull-timewriterwhoworksfromhome.Forme,itisessentialtohavesilencesoIcanconcentrateonmywork.WithJackplayingatallhours,Ihavebeenunabletogetanyofmywritingdone,exceptwhenheisout.Insomecases,Ihaveevenbeenforcedtoleavetheapartmentandworkatanearbycoffeeshoporlibraryasthe

guitarplayingwascausingsuchadisturbance.

IwouldappreciateitifyoucouldspeaktoJackandaskhimtoturndownthevolumeonhisguitarorelsetouseheadphones.Ihavespokentohimaboutit,buttonoavail.Iwillletyouknowassoonasthesituationimproves.

Thankyoukindlyinadvanceandpleasegivemybestregardstoyourfamily,

Yourssincerely,

MegSnyder

(234words)

IELTSLetterTopics-Informal

1.InvitingafriendYouarestudyingEnglishataprivatelanguageschoolattendedbymanyinternationalstudents.Youareplanningasurprisebirthdaypartyforafriendwhohasbeenfeelingparticularlysadandhomesick.Writetoanotherclassmateandinvitehim/hertotheparty.Inyourletter:

explainthereasonfortheparty

givethedateandtimeoftheparty

suggestwhattheclassmatecouldbringtotheparty



2.AdvisingafriendaboutaholidayAnEnglish-speakingfriendwantstospendatwo-weekholidayinyourregionandhaswrittenaskingforinformationandadvice.Writealettertoyourfriend.Inyourletter:




Beginyourletterasfollows:Dear_______

Youshouldwriteatleast150words.You

shouldspendabout20minutesonthistask.

3.ApologizingtoafriendYouborrowedanimportanttextbookfromaclassmatelastterm.Younowrealizeyourclassmatehadreturnedhomeoverseasandyoustillhavethebook.Writealettertotohim/her.Inyourletter:

apologizeforthemistake

findouthowimportantthebookistohim/her

saywhatyouwilldo

Beginyourletterasfollows:Dear_____________


4.ThankingafriendforaholidayYouhaverecentlybeentostaywithanoldfriendforafewdays.Youhadn'tseeneachotherforalongtime.Writealettertothefriend.Inyourletter:

sayhowyoufeltaboutthevisit

refertosomethingenjoyablethatyoudidwhilestayingwithhim/her





5.AdvisingafriendaboutworkAnEnglish-speakingfriendiscomingtostudyinyourtownnextyearandhaswrittenaskingforinformationandadvice.Writealettertoyourfriend.Inyourletter:

Offertofindaplaceforhim/hertolive

Giveadviceabouthowtofindapart-

timejob

Giveinformationonwherehe/shecanlearnyourlanguage

Beginyourletterasfollows:Dear__________


6.Forgettingsomethingatafriend'sYoustayedatyourfriend'shousewhenyouparticipatedinaconferenceinAustralia.Youleftabriefcasewithimportantdocumentsinyourroom.Writealettertoyourfriend.Intheletter:

thankyourfriendforthestay

describethebriefcase

askhim/hertoreturnittoyoubypost

Beginyourletterasfollows:Dear_________


7.RemindingaFriendAyearago,youlentyourfavoritebooktoafriendwhoyouthoughtwouldenjoyit.Unfortunately,yourfriendhasforgottentoreturnit.Thebookhassentimentalvaluetoyouasithadbeenpresentedbyyourgrandmother.Writealettertoyourfriend.

Intheletter:

askhowheorsheisdoing

remindhim/heraboutthebook

explainwhyyouneeditback



8.CongratulatingaFriendYourbestfriendjusthadherfirstbaby.Youarecurrentlyoverseasbutwillbereturningtoyourhometowninaweek.Writetoyourfriend.Inyourletter:

congratulateyourfriend

tellherwhenyouwillbereturninghome

askwhenyoucoulddropintomeetherandthebaby

Beginyourletterasfollows:Dear_________


9.RequestingHelpYourparentswillbecelebratingtheir40thanniversarynextmonth.Youareplanningabigcelebration,butyouarenotsurehowtomaketheoccasionreallymemorable.

Writetoyourbestfriend,Joan,whoisaprofessionaleventplanner.Inyourletter:

explainwhytheoccasionisspecial

askforherassistance

setupatimetomeetatyourfriend'sconveniencetodiscussyourplans

Beginyourletterasfollows:DearJoan,


10.AdmittingaMistakeYouattendedanoldfriend'sweddinginanothercity,about3hoursaway,aweekago.Itwasanoutdoorweddingheldonarainydayandyouhadtakenalongarather

expensive,elegantumbrella.Whenyoureturned,youweretiredandwentstraighttobed.Youhadaverybusyweek.Thisweekend,whenitstartedtorain,yourealizedyouhadthewrongumbrella.Youmusthavetakensomeoneelse'sumbrella,whichwasverysimilartoyourown,whenleavingtheweddingreception.Writetoyourfriendwhogotmarried.Inyourletter:

congratulatehim/heronthebeautifulwedding

explainthesituation

askhowyoucanreturnthisumbrellaandlocateyourown

Beginyourletterasfollows:DearJoan

__________


SampleLetter–Informal(ComplainingtoaHotel)-Task1

SampleLetter1


Lastmonthyouhadaholidayoverseaswhereyoustayedwithsomefriends.Theyhavejustsentyousomephotosofyour

holiday.

Writealettertoyourfriends.Inyourletter:

thankthemforthephotosandfortheholiday

explainwhyyoudidn'twriteearlier

invitethemtocomeandstaywithyou




Dear__________

DearAjayandSunita,

ThankssomuchforyourkindletterandthelovelyphotosofmyholidayinMumbai.Sorryforthedelayinacknowledgingyourmail,butyourpackagearrivedjustasIwasabouttoleavetownonabusinesstrip.I'vejustreturnedtoTorontotoday.

Lookingatthephotosbringsbacksomanyhappymemoriesofthetimeswespenttogetherandthewonderfulhospitalityyouextendedtome.Ifeltcompletelypamperedbybothofyou!Yousurroundedmewithwarmfriends,goodfood,amazingsights,greatshopping,unforgettableculturaleventsandlaughter-filledevenings.Iwouldhavebeenlostwithoutyou.Ican'tthankyouenough.

Thesegoodmemoriesgavemeanidea.Iknowyou'vealwayswantedtovisitCanada.Whydon'tyouplanaholidayandstaywithmethissummer?Theweatherisgreatatthattimeofyear,alltouristsitesareopenandIcouldtaketwoweeksofffromwork.AsidefromseeingToronto,wecoulddrivetoNiagaraFalls,ThousandIslands,Montreal,OttawaandQuebecCity.Iwouldbethrilledifyoucouldmakeit.

Thankyoubothagainforthebeautifulholidayandthephotoswhicharealreadyuponmywall.Now,I'mlookingforwardtohearingfromyou.

Warmwishes,

Carol

(216words)

SampleLetter2


Youhaverecentlystartedworkinanewcompany.

WritealettertoanEnglish-speakingfriend.Inyourletter,

explainwhyyouchangedjobs

describeyournewjob

tellhim/heryourothernews




Dear__________,

DearEva,

Howareyou?Ihopeyou'vebeenwell.Sorryforhavingbeenoutoftouchforashortwhile.TherehavebeensomechangesinmylifeandIwantedtoletyouknowthelatestfrommyside.

ThebignewsisthatIhavefinallychangedmyjob!Doyourememberwhenyouwerehereonholiday,IalwaystalkedabouthowIhatedmyboringbankjob?Well,itwasclearIneededachange.So,finally,Itookapart-timeTESLcourseandtrainedtobe

anESLteacher.NowI'mworkingfull-timeinaprivatelanguageschool.IteachGeneralEnglish,BusinessEnglishandIELTS.Eachday,Ilookforwardtogoingtowork.MystudentscomefromallovertheworldandIloveteachingthemaswellaslearningfromthem.

Asidefromthat,IalsomovedtoanewapartmentneartheschoolwhereIwork.It'ssmall,butdowntown,soIamrightintheheartofthecity,insteadofwayoutinthesuburbs.Suddenly,there'ssomanyfunthingstodo,intheeveningstoo.Iamamuchhappierpersontodaybecauseoftheserecentchanges.

So,howaboutyou?Ihopeyou'llhaveachancetovisitCanadaagainsoon.Inthemeantime,pleasewriteandletmeknow

what'snewwithyou.

Warmwishes

Kim

(226words)

SampleLetter3


AnEnglish-speakingfriendwantstospendatwo-weekholidayinyourregionandhaswrittenaskingforinformationandadvice.Writealettertoyourfriend.Inyourletter,








Dear__________,

DearJulie

Thankssomuchforyourlatestletter.I'mreallyexcitedtohearthatyou'replanningtovisitToronto.Itwillgivemeachancetotakeyouaround,asyoudidsokindlyformewhenIwasinAmsterdamlastyear.

Regardingyourvisit,Iwouldbehappyto

helpinanywaypossible.First,unlessyoureallylikefreezingweather,IsuggestyoucomeinthesummermonthsofJulyorAugust.Thoughmosthotelsareexpensiveatthattime,wehavesomewonderfulguestsuitesavailableinourhigh-risebuilding,foronlyabout$50pernight.Theyarefullyfurnishedstudioapartments,withakitchen,soyoucanhavetheoptionofeatingin.JustletmeknowyourdatesandIcanmakeareservationforyou.

Summerisalsothetimewhenallthetouristsitesareopen.WecanvisitCentreIsland,Canada'sWonderland,NiagaraFalls,theCNTower,theRoyalOntarioMuseum,theScienceCentreandThousandIslands.Theweathershouldbewarmandcomfortable,around25–30

degreesCelsius,sobringyourinformalsummerclothes,aswinsuitandanumbrellatoo.Wedogetsummershowersquiteoften.

Ican'twaitforyoutocome!Writesoonwithmoredetails,

Warmwishes

Irene

(207words)

ielts 230 samples -

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