The Topic Below Was Seen in the Academic IELTS Exam in the UK

7/30/2019 The Topic Below Was Seen in the Academic IELTS Exam in the UK

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The topic below was seen in theAcademic IELTS exam in

the UK, March 2011.

General Training Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

The costs of international travel are decreasing and tourism

is growing. What are the advantages and disadvantages of

increasing tourism activity in different countries?

You should write at least 250 words.

Model Answer

Tour ism is often touted as an industry that wil l never shr ink in

size. I n other words, as the world develops, more and more

people wi ll be able to travel. Although many may see this as a

positive phenomenon, it is not a trend without drawbacks. Both

the advantages and disadvantages of this topic wil l be analyzed

before a reasoned conclusion is reached.

On the one hand, the reduction in tr avel fare and the

increasing of global tourism can be seen as a positive event as

it promotes intercultural understanding and global harmony.

For example, many M iddle Eastern states have opened their

doors and embraced tour ism over the last twenty years and this

has helped shed prejudiced views international ly that all

M iddle Eastern countr ies are dangerous. This development

clearly shows the benefi ts of an increasing international

tourism industry.
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I n addition to this, tourism creates new opportunities for trade.

For example, many Chinese tour ists are bringing back

products from foreign countr ies that are currentl y unavai lable

in China. These new trade ties are great for the health of theenti re global economy and can be seen as yet another positi ve

ramif ication resul ting from increased tour ism.

On the other hand, the international tourism industry does

pose some disadvantages. For one, money travell ing into

countr ies through tour ism can lead to the establishment of

some morally questionable activi ty. To name a few, tour ist

hotspots in developing countr ies are often r ife with theftproblems, maimed beggars and prosti tution. The inf laming of

these issues as a result of increased tourism is an obvious

disadvantage to the growing global travel industry.

Following this analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of

tourism and the fall ing travel prices that are making it more

possible, it is felt tour ism has more benefits than drawbacks. I t

is hoped the growth in global intercultural understanding

continues uninterrupted as tourism increases.


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Nigeria, May 2011.



Reducing global environmental damage should be handled

by governments rather than individuals. To what extent do

you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer and

provide relevant examples from your own experience.


Model Answer

The rate at which the Earth i s being damaged through human

activity is alarming. As awareness of thi s distur bing situation

grows, actions are increasingly being taken to meet the

chall enge. Al though wor ld governments play key roles in the

question of environmental health, it is strongly disagreed thattheir envir onmental efforts negate those of individuals. I wil l

use both a personal experience I have had as well as non-

government inspired initiatives undertaken in my country to

il lustrate this position.

F irstly, the sizeable contr ibution an individual can make in the

worlds attempt to cleanse itself should not be underestimated.

I feel the changes I have made to my own lifestyle act as agood example here. Four years ago, I made a conscious effort

to start taking the subway to work instead of driving after

reali zing I had been burning an entire tank of gas every week.

The effect of this small change over the course of four years
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became magnif ied when I reali zed I had refrained from

burning more than two hundred ful l car tanks of gas! Thus,

although there are many things that governments can do to

help fight environmental damage, the individual sti l l plays ahuge role.

I n addition to this, many non-government related enti ties have

also been making inroads in the battle for a cleaner world. For

example, at many of the universities in Canada, there are

student groups that work to raise awareness of the li festyle

changes people can make to better help the environment.

These independent groups help put a face to a message andreally push people to alter themselves for the benefi t of the

natural wor ld. As this makes clear, projects aimed at

preserving the Earth do not have to be government-run to

make a dif ference.

As my experiences show, the worlds governments should not

solely handle the issue of global environmental damage. I t i s

hoped that the future sees more people contr ibute to this causein any way they can.


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Malaysia, May 2011.



Many people believe that teachers should teach students how

to judge right from wrong and how to behave, while others

think they should just teach academic subjects. What is your

opinion?


Model Answer

Teaching is the art of transferr ing information from one

human being to another. A good teacher is someone who can

make thi s process happen smoothly. I t is argued that

instructors should make efforts to teach not only academic

subjects but also those pertaining to basic ethics and properbehaviour. To prove this, the heightened abil i ties of a teacher

to insti l l ideas and the community-related benef its of morali ty-

based lessons wi l l be analyzed.

F irstly, teachers are trained to communicate ideas effectively

and applying these ski l ls to the areas of morality and

behaviour is a positive thing. For example, Canadian Cathol ic

schools engage students in lessons that challenge them toclearly distinguish moral choices from immoral ones. As these

sorts of lessons are typically part of a spir i tual studies

program, they are not found in Canadian publi c schools.

I nterestingly, Canadian publi c schools have much higher
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incidences of youth hosti l i ty and drug use and much lower

high school graduation rates. Thus, when Canadian Catholic

schools are compared to their publ ic counterparts, the effects

of the moral and behavioural lessons teachers impart to theirstudents can be clearly seen as beneficial.

I n addition to this, standardised classes instructing young

people how to behave can help to preserve the values of a

communi ty from one generation to the next. Take China as an

example. The Chinese education system to this day includes

the teachings of Confucius, which stress the honour ing of

ones parents. As anyone who has been to China can attest,young people tend to obey the wil l of their parents regardless

of its nature. Thus, the teachings of behaviour by classroom

instructors are effective in ensur ing the values of a community

are upheld from one generation to another.

Af ter looking at how the teaching of behaviour and morali ty

can be eff iciently accomplished by teachers and fur ther how

these teachings help prevent the erosion of societal values, it isconcluded that teachers should instruct students how to judge

r ight f rom wrong and how to behave. I t is hoped global lessons

on morali ty grow increasingly simi lar in nature in the years to

come.


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UK, May 2011.



Some people believe that universities are producing more

graduates than needed, and that less emphasis should be

placed on university education. Others are of a different

opinion. Discuss both views and include your own opinion.


Model Answer

As the world develops, the opportuni ty to achieve a ter tiary

education is becoming more widespread. This has led many to

question whether larger numbers of university graduates is a

positive trend. However, others counter than uni versity does

more than simply provide employment opportuni ties. Both ofthese arguments wi l l be analysed before a reasoned conclusion

is reached.

On the one hand, many feel the rising number of university

graduates today causes more harm than good. For example,

graduates from Canadian universities are having to wait for

employment simply because there are no working

opportuni ties for them to engage in. Despite this, Canadianlabour-related job openings are booming. This example shows

a dispar ity that is common in many parts of the world and

makes clear that achieving a higher education can actuall y be

the precursor to unemployment. Thus, i t is understandable
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why many support the argument that less emphasis should be

put on garner ing a university education.

However, in contrast to this stance, there are those who believe

higher education provides more to people than simply job

related ski l l sets. For instance, the analytical ski l ls honed by

university graduates in the Uni ted States give them a

heightened perception and deeper understanding of the world.

Although this benefi t does li ttle by way of professional

development, i t gives people the chance to develop and

chal lenge themselves personal ly. This makes it i s clear why

many do not agree with reducing the enthusiasm for highereducation.

After analysing these stances on university, it is felt the

argument to lessen educational emphasis holds li ttl e water . I t

is hoped the world continues to push its young people towards

the challenges offered through higher learning.


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Australia, June 2011.



Several languages die every year. Many people feel this is a

positive trend and that a world with fewer languages

promotes harmony and understanding between people.

Analyze both sides of this argument and provide your

opinion.


Model Answer

Many languages around the world die every year, often

replaced with more widely spoken dialects. Opinions as to

whether this is a positive or negative trend are mixed. On one

hand, people feel shar ing a common language may help toencourage economical development in the world. However on

the other hand, many feel the losing of languages is a negative

trend that makes it increasingly difficult to trace humanitys

her itage. Both of these accounts wil l be examined before a

conclusion is reached.

As many attest, the global adoption of a single language can

do a lot in promoting economical development. For example,all export companies in China hire Engl ish speaking people to

help them communicate with foreign buyers. The growth in

trade that comes as a result of this effort to speak the worlds

language does a lot to create jobs and industr ies around the
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world. Thus it can be understood why many people support

this point of view.

However, other people would argue that the rapid reduction of

the worlds languages is making it increasingly hard to trace

where and how people evolved. For example, during colonial

times many lesser spoken Afr ican languages were replaced

with English, French and Dutch. This phenomenon has

understandably caused major problems for modern day

histor ians, as these old and forgotten languages render many

of the recovered historical records and arti facts

indecipherable.

After analyzing both sides of th is argument, it is felt that more

good comes from the global adoption of a single language

than the preservation and practice of older languages. Thus, it

is hope the world continues to move towards a single,

standardized l inguistic system.


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Singapore, June 2011.



In most parts of the world people are living longer. What are

the possible causes of this situation? Is this a negative or

positive development?


Model Answer

Longevity in the world over has been increasing for a var iety

of reasons. Babies born today enjoy much longer l i fe spans

than those of their parents. I t is argued that this increase is a

positive phenomenon and that the main causes of it are both

the deepening of medical understanding and the shar ing of

such information between people via tools like the I nternet.These causes wil l be examined in detai l to prove their value in

the lengthening of worldwide li fe spans.

F irstly, medical advancements over the last century have

allowed people to postpone death. Among the more signi f icant

discoveries that made this possible is the development of

antibiotics. Antibiotics, now available to most people the world

over, dramatically lower incidences of infection and have thusgreatly curbed the number of people the world over who die

due to diseases once thought incurable. Thus, advancements

in science can be seen as one of the more major contr ibutors to

the extending of worldwide li fe spans.
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Secondly, the I nternet and the information shared across it

has made the debunking of ineffective medical practices much

easier . For example, medical folklore in countr ies like Ghana

and rural China dictate new mothers avoid washingthemselves for a month after giving bir th. Before tools l ike the

I nternet, r idiculous and unsani tary practices such as this were

widely believed to be in the best interests of the mothers

health. Today, few people in either country would argue in

favour of th is postnatal tradition. Thus, the I nternet has

all owed people to share li fe-promoting information the world

over.

I n conclusion, human l i fe is precious and the global extending

of l i fe spans should be seen as positive. I t is hoped medical

discoveries continue to increase in number and that access to

the I nternet continues to grow, allowing longevity to be a

pleasure enjoyed everywhere.

Universities should accept equal numbers of male and female students in every subject. To what

extent do you agree or disagree?

In my opinion, men and women should have the same educational opportunities. However, I do not

agree with the idea that universities should fix equal number of seats for both genders in all subjects.

To begin with, it would not be practical to have the same number of men and women in all courses.

Many courses are more popular with one gender than the other, and it would not be practical to aimfor equal proportions. For example, nursing course is more popular among female applicants, and

mechanical engineering is more common among the male applicants. This would lead to many seats

remaining vacant and many deserving candidates would not get the course of their choice.


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Secondly, universities should select the best candidates for each course according to their

qualifications. In this way, both men and women have the same opportunities, and applicants know

that they will be successful if they work hard to achieve good grades at school. The main reason why

some people say that universities should have equal numbers of both genders in all subjects is that

they want to remove discrimination against women who have lesser chances of higher education in

many societies. However, taking such a step could lead to negative discrimination against the men.

Finally, it could be argued that such a step could lead to unwilling students in a few courses. What sort

of graduates would the society have of students who have studied half-heartedly just because of the

fact that they could not get into the subject of their choice. What is more, the numbers of drop-outs

would also increase and many would not complete their higher education.

In conclusion, the selection of university students should be based on merit, and it would be both

impractical and unfair to change to a selection procedure based on gender.

(Model essay) General exam in late July as seen in Perth, Australia

Ryans notes:

Several students told me they saw the following question on their General exam inAustralia. (Thanks to those students for passing on the info.)

High school aged students should be taught how to manage money. Do you agree or disagree?

Often, people debate whether personal money management is a suitable topic for a high school

classroom. However, having an understanding of monetary manipulation is a skill that everyone in

the world needs to have at least basic knowledge of. Thus, it is agreed that high school aged studentsshould be taught how to manage money. This will be shown by analyzing how such a course can both

instill good business sense in young people as well as prepare them for the working world they face

after finishing their education.

Firstly, one of the merits of educating students about money matters is that it often fosters business

success later in life. For instance, a high school friend of mine was taught how to manage money by

his father, who owned and ran a car dealership. Today, this same friend runs a very profitable

company, no doubt partly because of the financial information his father bestowed upon him. As this

shows, providing young people with information regarding how to handle money is a good thing.

In addition to this, teaching adolescents about how to regulate their funds helps to prepare them forindependence. For example, during my senior year in high school, I was privileged enough to be

enrolled in an accounting course which taught a unit of study entitled Managing Money. I found that

the topics covered in this unit were extremely helpful the following year when I moved on to university

and out of my parents house. As my experience shows, teaching young people how to be financially

independent can be helpful to them later in their lives.


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After looking at how adolescents are benefitted through basic monetary instruction, it has been

proven that this course of study is a positive thing. Thus, it is hoped that high school aged students

the world over be exposed to some kind of training regarding the handling of money.

(Model essay) August 2011 Academic exam in Abu Dhabi

The popularity of news media often has significant influence on peoples lives. Some people believe

this to be a negative development. Do you agree or disagree?

Since the invention of modern media, news feeds have become an increasingly invasive force in the

lives of all human beings. However, it is disagreed that the development of news media is

negative. This will be shown by looking at how news media encourages both awareness and

transparency within the world.

Firstly, modern media sources have made great inroads in the spreading of knowledge. For example,

the Internet allowed (and continues to allow) the world to witness the uprisings of the Arab

Spring. Had these images not been made available to a scrutinizing global audience, it is possible theentire phenomenon could have cost many more lives than it did. As this example shows, modern news

media allows the human family to keep watch of each other and provide aid if it is needed.

In addition to this, news media sources have developed transparency and accountability the world

over, which has done a lot to tackle corruption. Take the tragic high-speed train crash in China as an

example. Despite trying to quickly bury the carriages involved, the Chinese government was forced to

admit that serious corruption problems had plagued the project from the beginning. The healthy

dialogues that the media coverage of this unfortunate event sparked will hopefully continue to

encourage integrity within the Chinese government. It is for reasons such as this that news media

should be thought of as a positive entity in the world.

After looking at how news media helps to develop awareness and transparency, its benefits can

clearly be seen. It is hoped free press will continue to grow with the help of technology and modern

tools.

The Topic Below Was Seen in the Academic IELTS Exam in the UK

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