Writing IELTS Task 2 Model

Contents
HC THUC LNG.............................................................................................................................. 3
Explain some of the ways in which humans are damaging the environment. What can
governments do to address these problems? What can individual people do?................................3
TYPE 1: FOR & AGAINST...................................................................................................................... 3
The advantages brought by the spread of English as a global language outweigh the
disadvantages. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?...................................3
Studying Abroad.............................................................................................................................. 4
Today, the high sales of popular consumer goods reflect the power of advertising and not the real
needs of society in which they are sold........................................................................................... 4
News editors decide what to broadcast on television and what to print in newspapers. What
factors do you think influence these decisions? Do we become used to bad news? Would it be
better if more good news was reported?......................................................................................... 5
Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in order important
professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair. Discuss both
these views and give your own opinion........................................................................................... 6
Some people believe that visitors to other countries should follow local customs and behaviour.
Others disagree and think that the host country should welcome culture differences. Discuss both
Some people believe that visitors to other countries should follow local customs and behavior.
Others disagree and think that the host country should welcome cultural differences...................7
Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in other important
professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair. Discuss both
Others disagree and think that the host country should welcome cultural differences...................8
Some people prefer to spend their lives doing the same things and avoiding change. Others,
however, think that change is always a good thing.........................................................................8
Discuss both these views give your own opinion.............................................................................8
Fatherhood ought to be emphasised as much as fatherhood. The ida that women are solely
responsible for deciding whether or not to have babies leads on to the idea that they are also
responsible for bringing the children up......................................................................................... 9
To what extent do you agree or disagree?....................................................................................... 9
Others disagree and think that the host country should welcome cultural differences. Discuss
both these views and give your own opinion. (262 words)..............................................................9
Some people prefer to spend their lives doing the same things and avoiding change. Others,
however, think that change is always a good thing. Discuss both these views and give your own
opinion. (268 words)...................................................................................................................... 10
Universities should accept equal numbers of male and female students in every subject............10
People nowadays work hard to buy more things. This has made our lives generally more
comfortable but many traditional values and customs have been lost and this is a pity...............11
To what extent do you agree or disagree?..................................................................................... 11
A large number of deaths are caused by road accidents. Why do so many road accidents occur?
Make recommendations that would help to reduce the number of road accidents........................11
In some countries young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing
high school and starting university studies................................................................................... 12
In some countries young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing
high school and starting university studies................................................................................... 12
Discuss the advantages and disavantages for young people who decide to do this.....................12
Prevention is better than cure.................................................................................................... 13
Out of a countrys health budget, a large proportion should be diverted from treatment to
spending on health education and preventive measures..............................................................13
To what extent do you agree or disgree with this statement?.......................................................13
Some people think that museums should be enjoyable places to entertain people, while others
believe that the purpose of museums is to educate. Discuss both views and give you own opinion.
...................................................................................................................................................... 13
Several languages are in danger of extinction because they are spoken by very small numbers of
people. Some people say that governments should spend public money on saving these
languages, while others believe that would be a waste of money. Discuss both these views and
give your opinion........................................................................................................................... 14
Some people believe that studying at university or college is the best route to a successful
career, while others believe that it is better to get a job straight after school. Discuss both views
and give your opinion.................................................................................................................... 14
TYPE 2: OPINION............................................................................................................................... 15
Topic 105: People tend to believe that all young adults should undertake a period of unpaid work
for the good of the community. Do you agree or disagree?...........................................................15
Topic 33: People tend to work longer hours nowadays. Working long hours has a negative effect
on themselves, their families and society, so working long hours should be restricted. Do you
agree or disagree?......................................................................................................................... 15
TYPE 2: SOLUTIONS........................................................................................................................... 16
Issue 5: English as a global language................................................................................................. 16
TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2008............................................................................................................ 17
Issue 4: Public resources (Re-written)............................................................................................... 17
SUNDAY, AUGUST 10, 2008.............................................................................................................. 18
Issue 4: Public resources................................................................................................................. 18
Issue 3: Globalization..................................................................................................................... 19
Issue 2: Skepticism........................................................................................................................ 20
THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2008........................................................................................................... 22
Issue 1: Technology........................................................................................................................ 22
TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2008.............................................................................................................. 23
Topic 17: A traditional wedding........................................................................................................ 23
HC THUC LNG
Explain some of the ways in which humans are damaging the environment. What can governments do to
address these problems? What can individual people do?
Humans are responsible for a variety of environmental problems, but we can also take steps to reduce the damage
that we are causing to the planet. This essay will discuss environmental problems and the measures that
governments and individuals can take to address these problems.
Two of the biggest threats to the environment are air pollution and waste. Gas emissions from factories and
exhaust fumes from vehicles lead to global warming, which may have a devastating effect on the planet in the
future. As the human population increases, we are also producing ever greater quantities of waste, which
contaminates the earth and pollutes rivers and oceans.
Governments could certainly make more effort to reduce air pollution. They could introduce laws to limit
emissions from factories or to force companies to use renewable energy from solar, wind or water power. They
could also impose green taxes on drivers and airline companies. In this way, people would be encouraged to use
public transport and to take fewer flights abroad, therefore reducing emissions.
Individuals should also take responsibility for the impact they have on the environment. They can take public
transport rather than driving, choose products with less packaging, and recycle as much as possible. Most
supermarkets now provide reusable bags for shoppers as well as banks for recycling glass, plastic and paper in
their car parks. By reusing and recycling, we can help to reduce waste.
In conclusion, both national governments and individuals must play their part in looking after the environment.
TYPE 1: FOR & AGAINST

The advantages brought by the spread of English as a global language outweigh the disadvantages. To what
extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
The spread of English as a global language has become a hot controversial question among local people. Some
people reluctantly assume admitting the the values and facts of English. On the contrary, they denounce the trend
as a hinder to further existence of unique cultures. Strong arguments exist in support of both sides of this debate,
which implies that its worth examining both points view before reaching any conclusion.
From the one side, a plausible argument of pro-factory people is that it is an formidable trend driven by the
globalization process. First , it can be said with certainly that the translating cost would plummet if all the people
around the world manipulated the same language. Second , a further plus point could be that people have more
chances to meet and negotiate with each other for boosting their business projects and diplomatic conferences.
This is definitely valuable since the obstacles of misunderstanding would suffocate further cooperation without
efficient communication. Last, the widespread use of English makes the education and abroad study prosper and
easier. Students will rid the chores of learning English and then focus on the field they endeavor to work in.
From the other side, those who disagree point out that there are negative aspects. The first drawback of this matter
is the culture would disappear as soon as the language spoken in it was out of use. This is a clear limitation
because young people thus forfeit their parents customs and living habits as they adapt themselves to English
speaking. Last but not least, the diversity of languages turns to be the pools of great ideas and thoughts. If they
were extinguished in ordinary people, our society would lose the power of advancing
Talking everything into account, fort he reasons which I mentioned above, I believe that the advantages still
outweigh disadvantages. So I do totally support the idea oft he positive effects bought by it are conspiconspicuous
and will continue benefiting both individuals and countries.
Studying Abroad
Over the past decade, studying abroad has become a prevalent and publicly recognized phenomenon. Some people
support the view that education overseas is a life-transforming opportunity whilst others claim about its
challenges. It is quite natural that people from different backgrounds have their own opinions on issue. Therefore,
both of these arguments will be analyzed before a reasoned conclusion is reached.
On one hand, pursuing educational opportunities overseas allows one to gain a real knowledge of a new culture
and a new language. By interacting and communicating with native speakers daily, students can enhance not only a
a foreign language skill itself but also and improve language proficiency. Such, the knowledge of social customs
acquired in the other countries helps them become more open-minded. In addition/Besides, studying overseas is
highly motivational for students. From social aspect, where there is challenge, there is effort. In fact, students are
more likely to try their best to get admission from foreign schools as well as effortlessly keep their spirit high to
overcome difficulties arising during their study and to achieve greatness. By fulfilling even the simplest tasks at
the early beginning, such as grocery shopping, making living arrangement, they adapt to the new environment and
become self-sufficient.
On the other hand, there are certain disadvantages needed to be considered. First, living far away from home,
students will suffer from loneliness and homesickness. Overseas students often fell disoriented and depressed
because of lack of adequate knowledge and understanding of the local customs and lifestyle. Also, many students
do not want to return to their country after graduation because most of them want to seek a more comfortable life
and brighter future overseas. This may result in a serious brain-drain and our country will inevitably incur a huge
loss of talents.
In conclusion, although it may bring several downsides for students, the returns are highly justifiable. If each
individual tries with his great effort and serious commitment, benefits they will get are undeniable.
Today, the high sales of popular consumer goods reflect the power of advertising and not the real needs of
society in which they are sold.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Nowadays, there are lots of advertisements on television or on the streets. Some people think that the advertising
boosts the sales of goods and it encourages people to buy things unnessarily. This arguments may be true. In my
country, many advertising companies produce advertisements with famous and popular actors or singers. People,
especially youngsters, buy goods that their favourite singer advertise, although they do not really need the
products.
Also, on the television screen, a product may look gorgeous and good quality. As a result of it, people often buy
goods without enough consideration. Consumers may not actually need it but they buy goods impulsively soon
after they watch the advertising. Furthermore, as many customers buy a particular product due to its advertising
campaign, the other people may be affected by the trend, even if the product is not of the real needs of the society.
On the other hand, there are various aspects against these arguments. Moreover, it is peoples choice to make a
decision to buy goods. Advertising may be not a cause of customers buying habits. Individuals have their own
spending habits. If they have got enough disposable income, then the right to make a decision is given to them. No
one actually can judge whether the goods sold are the real needs of the society or not.
In addition, as there should be a limited amount of disposable income consumers are able to spend, people try to
allocate their budgets. They cannot be simply swayed by those advertisements.
In conclusion, as customers have their own strong opinions and standard of good quality goods, it is better to leave
them to make their own decision in buy goods. It is fairly difficult to say everyone is swayed by advertising and
buy good impulsively. However, in sensitive area of business such as toy industries, it may be necessary to band
advertising to those children as children have not got enough ability to control themselves or to know what they
need.
News editors decide what to broadcast on television and what to print in newspapers. What factors do you
think influence these decisions? Do we become used to bad news? Would it be better if more good news was
reported?
What to broadcast on television and what to publish in newspapers or magazines are decided by news editors.
There are various factors influencing these decisions. It is argued that we used to bad news and it may be better if
we listen to or read more good news. This essay will examine the issue in detail.
In my opinion, there are standards galore for news editors to choose news. Firstly, they will choose the news that is
proved to be accurate. As far as I know, one of the natures of news is that it must be right. Secondly, news which is
chosen is essential to peoples life such as the knowledge about health, education and so on. In my opinion, one of
the next factors is that the news must be absorbing and attractive to people. Besides, new editors can base on the
update functions of the news so that they can bring hot news to listeners or readers.
One of the frequent phenomena which we can easily perceive in broadcast and newspapers is that there is more
bad news than good news. I concur with the statement that we become used to bad news. In my opinion, this
phenomenon is easily accepted. Bad news does not mean the bad things for our lives. Through bad news, we can
see the world more widely by objective eyes so that we can build and change our world better. I suppose bad news
is like the dark colors and good news is like the bright colors in a picture. The dark and bright colors
simultaneously make the picture more interesting and worth. It cannot lack dark and bright colors. Therefore, bad
news should be reported and go along with good news. I think it is better to report more good news. If more good
news is published, it can help readers or listeners feel the world with optimistic eyes. However, there should be a
balance between bad and good ones.
In conclusion, what I want to emphasize is that both bad and good news have their own effects on listeners or
readers. However it will be more astute to remain a corporation of good and bad news.
The world of sports is a multimillion dollar industry and sport is viewed as a professional career. Those at the top
of hot sports news are paid colossal salaries. Especially, when comparing these titanic salaries with those of the top
surgeons or research scientists or even leading politicians who have the responsibility of governing the country,
many people would agree that the amount of money which they collect is deserving while others don not think so.
Personally, I think celebrities salaries are determined by considering the contribution to society they make.
People flock to sporting events or watch their favorite teams faithfully everyday on TV or public media. We must
mention that successful sports professionals have to be trained seriously from the early age to become stars
(peak performers) in their fields. They face tremendous pressure in each and every game, match or competition.
Their personal lives are compromised and they lose all privacy. Simultaneously, their strong achievements bring
honor and attention not only to themselves but also to their schools, teams, cities, countries. Moreover, with their
careers being so short lived and the amount of rigorous hours spent on the training pitch, the maximum age is
around 32 to 34 and after that they have to stop playing. Some of these will continue their domains as a coach but
many of them will retire. It is obvious that they have to collect enough money for retirement time, particularly
many of them don not have a good support from insurance companies after retirement.
Basically, I do not concur when many people argue that its just a sport and they are getting paid
ridiculously with a huge amount of money just to kick the ball around. It believe that professionals such as
doctors, police, firemen, etc., are just as important as or more important because they save peoples lives and keep
most people safe in term of physical while sports give a source of entertainment to the public. For example, World
Cup is the worlds most widely viewed sporting event. It brings us joy, excitement, happiness and amazing
moments. Therefore, why can not successful sports professionals earn a great deal more money than people in
other important professions? I think that they are deserving to receiving what they contribute.
Everyone has a different angle about this subject. None of them right or wrong. To me, I do not agree with
the idea that it is unfair when successful sports professionals are being paid great salaries. This is fully justified for
their price. Additionally, the number of professionals with genuine talents is very few and the money is the
recognition of the skills and dedication.
Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in order important
professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Nowadays, sport is greatly concerned so there are great amounts of money paid for successful sports professionals
and it can be paid much more to sports professionals than people in other important professions. It is argued that
successful sports professionals have their salaries like that, which is equitable but some people think it is unjust.
This essay will take a closer look at the issue.
There are some reasons for this argument. We can know that it is not easy to become sports professionals. They
must overcome many difficulties and try to win the hardest that is themselves. Moreover, they are responsible for
what they do during their practice. They cannot become successful overnight but exert themselves year in, year
out. In addition, media brings pressure to bear on them and their privacy. Their achievements have great value for
their counties which they represent in the world competitions. Therefore, we see this is justified for their huge
earnings.
In contrast, there are some people who feel that is unfair. There are also some factors for this. firstly, successful
sports professionals earn much money for themselves but they do not invent things which help people have a more
convenient life. Secondly, people meet many problems so they think the real need of solving those is very essential
. The last reason is that a few people think sport performance are the entertainment for them so there is no need to
pay them a lot in salaries. This is why people think that successful sports professionals should not earn more
money than people in other vital of careers.
To sum up, people can agree or disagree with this argument because everybody has his own opinion and this
depends on whether you enjoy sports or not. As for me, I think if successful sports professionals try to build their
achievements, they will deserve what they earn.
Some people believe that visitors to other countries should follow local customs and behaviour. Others
disagree and think that the host country should welcome culture differences. Discuss both these views and
give your own opinion.
As life has improved day by day, people tend to travel more frequently now than in the past. It is argued that
visitors to other countries should follow tradition and behaviour. However, there is an opposite idea saying that the
host country should welcome culture differences. This essay will take a closer look at the issue.
Nowadays, not only do people consider travelling as a chance to relax but they also think it is a way to selfimprove. It will be a great opportunity to try new things such as traditional cuisine, music, custom, etc. In my
country, I have seen many visitors being very excited and surprised when they tasted our food or when they wore
Aodai. If you travel to other countries just to view landscapes, you will obviously waste a perfect chance learning
new things.
However, there are various aspects against this argument. Some people think that it is really hard for travellers to
follow local customs and behaviour because they are totally different and they may not be able to suit the
traditions. If visitors are welcome despite all the differences, they will feel comfortable and may travel to that
country again. Besides, it is also very convenient for the native to experience new culture in their home countries.
Consequently, the host country should greet culture differences. Almost all people in my country find it very
exciting when they have a foreign guest. They can also accept the differences easily.
Personally, it is always good to have more experiences, even for the visitors or the local people. Moreover, it is not
very frustrated to try new things or to accept new things. What important is the knowledge you get and the feelings
you have been through. In conclusion, visitors to other countries should try to follow local customs and behaviour.
The host country should welcome culture differences as well.
Some people believe that visitors to other countries should follow local customs and behavior. Others
disagree and think that the host country should welcome cultural differences.
Every country has its own customs and behavior which express its cultures. It is argued that when visitors travel
abroad, they had better follow local customs and behavior. However, there are also some criteria dissenting this
argument. This means that they think the host country should welcome cultural differences. This essay will take a
closer look at the issue.
Some people concur with this argument because customs and behavior express cultures in one country, so they
need to be reserved. If the visitors going to other countries do not follow local customs and behavior, they will not
only make people living in these countries incense but also affect the cultural picture of these countries. For
example, it is very hostile for you to ask about an Americans age. Even they may be fined because they do not
obey the law there. As in Singapore, when visitors throw rubbish on the road what they must pay is that they have
to lose a lot of money as a forfeit. Therefore when you travel abroad, you should follow local customs and
behavior.
On the other hand, as you know, there are over 220 countries in the world, and every country has its own customs.
It is very difficult for us to know as well as to remember all the customs. Moreover, we have our own habits which
can not be changed easily. For example, we are Asian, and in the main dishes we often have rice. However, the
European often eats bread as the main menu. If we eat bread every day, we will be famished. From these reasons,
there are some people thinking that the host country should accept different cultures from their visitors. This will
create some advantages. First, when the host countries accept cultural differences, they express their cordialities
and friendliness with visitors. Second, they will expand their knowledge about geography and cultures. Lastly, the
host also can advertise their countrys tourism to other countries.
In my opinion, it is very difficult for me to follow local customs and behavior. However, I will exert myself to be
appropriate for the cultures in other countries. What I want to encourage people is that we had better search
information about the country which we will go to know a little bit about it.
Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in other important
professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair. Discuss both these views
and give your own opinion.
People who are successful in sports profession are able to earn a great deal more money than professionals in
other important fields are. It is said that this is not fair while others think it is completely justified. This essay will
take a closer look at the issue.
The people with the opinion that the ability to earn a great deal more money of successful sports professionals is
unfair do havea point. Comparing the contribution as well as the responsibility of a celebrated sports professional
with a distinguished surgeon or scientist will show that sports stars do not have actually great contribution to
society while they get the salaries that are far more super than what surgeons or scientists can. Sports stars are
not paid for what they do. They receive rewards for the level of public popularity that they can generate from
the devotees of sports.
On the other side of the picture, people who think that the sports stars salaries are fully justified also have their
own arguments. Firstly, there are definitely few persons having enough abilities to play sports in a polished way.
Money is just the reward for the real talent. Secondly, to become a successful sports professional, a sportsman
must have great dedication to his sport. If he did not practice hard year in year out, he could not have any chances
to be a sport star though he has real talent.
In conclusion, both of two views have their own logical opinions. However, I think that sports stars play a career
relating to the moral needs of the spectators. If a sportsman can make his devotees feel happy, they are ready to
pay more money than his worth.
disagree and think that the host country should welcome cultural differences.
Some people prefer to spend their lives doing the same things and avoiding change. Others, however, think
that change is always a good thing.
Discuss both these views give your own opinion.
Some people think that change is not good and they like the life without any changes. In contrast, others prefer to
spend their lives with changes; they think that change is always a good thing. This essay will take a closer look at
the issue.
The people who prefer to spend their lives doing familiar things and dodging changes do have their own
standpoint. The great traditional values can be eroded by changes and these changes even yield some bad
corollaries to society. For example, the change in the opinion about sex and love in teenagers is making the rate
of abortion increase. Moreover, change makes people who have not yet adapted be eliminated while they do not
richly deserve the elimination.
On the other side of the picture, it is not roof and branch nonsensical if a person thinks that change is always a
good thing. We know that development would not happen if there were not change as a starting point. We could not
have our modern life today if there were not dramatic changes in technology. Change gives people a chance to
think differently and find solutions to unsolvable problems. Moreover, change allows people to live an inspired
life. What is more tedious than the life with the same things year in year out?
In conclusion, I think that change, like everything, has both good side and bad side but actually it is necessary for
our lives. Sooner or later the people who prefer a life with only the same things will concede that life cannot
operate without change and they must try to learn how to adapt.
Fatherhood ought to be emphasised as much as fatherhood. The ida that women are solely responsible for
deciding whether or not to have babies leads on to the idea that they are also responsible for bringing the
children up.
It is argued that fatherhood should be considered as precious as motherhood. Some people believe that women
have sole responsibility to give the decisions of having babies and also to bring the babies up. This essay will
examine the issue in detail.
Personally, I do not totally concur with the confirmation that only women are responsible for deciding the
existence of babies. I will analyse this issue in two major aspects which are physical and spiritual ones. Firstly,
according to my knowledge of biology, the existence of babies is the results of the corporations of both men and
women. Secondly, lets turn to the spiritual one. Having babies is the happiness of both husbands and wives. The
babies are the evidence of their truly permanent love. Therefore, after considerating both aspects, notwithstanding
the fact that it is women that give birth to children, I suppose that both men and women have responsibility for
judging whether to have babies or not. Besides, children need the caring and education of their parents. We cannot
deny the indispensible responsibility of men in educating children. If children are taken care of by both their
parents, they will improve in better ways than by sole fathers or mothers.
Lets talk about fatherhood. In my opinion, fatherhood is a complicated emotion. Fathers do not usually show off
their feelings in front of their children. Children are usually the apples of parents eyes. Nonetheless, fathers and
mothers have their different outstanding ways to express their feelings. What I want to say is that father and
mothers are the most vital people in our lives and their love is worth being respected. They simultaneously give us
the birth and bring us up. Therefore, fatherhood is essential to be emphasized as much as motherhood.
In conclusion, what I want to emphasize is that it must be better if both men and women are responsible for
bearing children and bring them up. We should not pull this precious responsibility to only men or women.
disagree and think that the host country should welcome cultural differences. Discuss both these views and
give your own opinion. (262 words)
Nowadays, there are more and more foreign tourists travelling to other countries. It may be true that
differences about customs as well as behavior are unavoidable. The dispute here is whether foreign tourists have to
adapt to local customs and behavior or the host country should accept cultural differences. This essay will take a
closer look at the issue.
To some people, especially the host, customs are everything they are proud of in their countries. Because
of that, they always want to preserve those customs and make them outlast from generation to generation. In
addition, following the local customs and behavior is one of the best ways to show respect of foreign tourists to
culture of the host country. For example, in Japan, a guest will be considered an impolite person if he does not get
off his shoes before getting in the hosts house.
On the other hand, other people think that in modern life, to develop, all countries should be openminded and willing to welcome new cultural differences. In other words, accepting cultural differences shows the
spirit of goodwill in international relations. As a result, this will attract a lot of foreign investment as well as a large
number of tourists.
In conclusion, I think everyone, especially foreign tourists, should get on well with customs and behavior
of that country to avoid offending the hosts as well as to show the respect to them because it is said that, When in
Rome do as the Romans do. It is the good way to make a good impression on the hosts.
Some people prefer to spend their lives doing the same things and avoiding change. Others, however, think
that change is always a good thing. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. (268 words)
Nowadays, thanks to high technology and scientific breakthroughs, our life, as well as everything, around
us always changes. It is essential for us to decide whether we should change to keep pace with the modern life or
keep doing things that we have experienced before. This essay will take a closer look at the issue.
To those people who are often active and like new things, change is very essential and worth discovering.
They found living and working in the same environment boring. It even makes them become old-fashioned to the
modern life they are living. Because of that, changing is indispensable for them to challenge themselves and bring
new things to their lives. That thinking is partly right in some cases. For example, you will not know which job is
suitable for you if you do not try changing jobs.
However, to those people who want to be safe, change term does not mostly exist in their minds. Some
people think they are cowardly because they do not dare to face failure. In fact, doing things that they have
experienced before will help them save time and bring to them better outcomes. Furthermore, changes that are not
at the right time can lead to serious consequences. For instance, when you are taking a university examination, you
can not try a new way that you have just found to solve a geometry problem.
In conclusion, what I want to say is that changing or not changing depends mainly on each persons
attitude. However, it is better if we consider both ways to finally have judicious choices.
Universities should accept equal numbers of male and female students in every subject.
Nowadays in universities, students have a tendency to choose the subjects that are not appropriate for their genders
at all. They do that because they are really interested in the subjects. However, it is argued that universities had
better approve of an idea that the numbers of male and female have to be equal in every subject. This essay will
take a closer look at the issue.
On one side of the argument, I completely dissent from the opinion of having the equal numbers of male and
female in every subject. Firstly, most universities these days are running under the structure of credits. Thus,
students have the right to choose and register which classes as well as subjects they want to attend. The act of
choosing and registering are always done via the internet. For this reason, the universities find it difficult to
arrange all its students so that every subject can have the equal number of male and female. It takes the universities
a lot of time and money to get it done. Secondly, some subjects are just suitable for a particular gender group. For
instance, obstetrics is more appropriate for female students. In addition, more female students show interest in that
subject than males. In that case, if universities attempt to make the number of male and female equal, they have to
accept some male students who do not have passion towards the subject. That will impact upon the students
academic record as well as the performance of the university.
On another side of the argument, if universities agree with the idea of having the equal numbers of male and
female students; it will be an advantage when they start learning together as well as working after graduating. If a
class has the numbers of male and female equal, the outcome will be better than the class that does not have. As
the ideas of male are really different from the ones of female; new and innovative ideas are always needed to make
the lesson more vivid and the professors more interested in his or her lecture.
In conclusion, universities should rely on the students expectation taking them into a particular subject rather than
taking students based on gender.
People nowadays work hard to buy more things. This has made our lives generally more comfortable but
many traditional values and customs have been lost and this is a pity.
In our contemporary life, people are trying to earn as much money as they can to buy more things. It is argued
that these things have created a chance for people to have a comfortable life. However, it is unfortunate that many
traditional values and customs have also been lost on the way. This essay will take a closer look at the issue. (63
words)
There are some traditional values which are in danger of being lost. One of them is the bond of the family. People
in a family nowadays do not spend time having lunch or dinner together. Most of the time is spent on working and
studying in order to acquire some social status. A delicious meal with the whole family is being replaced by fast
food, and hardly does every body in a family have enough time to listen to each other. (81 words)
Some customs are also being lost because the majority of the young generation have been focusing on lastest
things. Music is a good example of this. while the elder like listening to Cai Luong, the younger want to listen to
pop, rock music. Some of the adolescentseven do not have any knowledge of Cai Luong. What this will lead to is
that Cai Luong will naturally not exist in the future. (71 words)
In conclusion, if the subject like the value of protecting the cultural identities is taught at both school and family,
it will affect the young generation and we still can have a comfortable life without losing any thing. (38 words)
A large number of deaths are caused by road accidents. Why do so many road accidents occur? Make
recommendations that would help to reduce the number of road accidents.
Seriously, the mass of deaths are causing by transportation accidents. Is the number, size of the road or attitude of
people. This examine will take a closer look about this problem.
Nowadays, the speedy of life make society must be faster. This is the causing of road accidents. First of all, the
undeveloped streets in developing countries is the most source of this argument. Politicians do not have enough
money to expand and create more road to community. This lead to the controller of vehicle must drive in small
street, it make accidents come easier.Secondly, the attitude if controller is very fundamental.
Many people always use their vehicle in terrible status.The most of man who drink too much beer in restaurants
still come back home by drive his care by their care by themselve. My father is the same as the man in previous
example.Now he can not walk by his foot because of his awful mistake.
Untill now, the government is trying their best in reduce this issue. They create many expanded roads with modern
facilities. For example: the sign of using transportation is put on any streets, that is a great try of them. Moreover,
the increase of public transportations is necessary. The more people do not use their private vehicle, the lower
accident come. The rule of banning motorcycle is possible because this unsafety. Finally, make a cost for people
who is out of law is essential too.
In conclusion, the death of transportation accidents will decrease of society together try their best. Be safe for
yourself and for the world
In some countries young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school
and starting university studies.
Actually, we often have the trend that retains to learn university. Subsequently we can apply for a vocation.
However, it is argued that young adults should work or travel for a year which intervenes between completing high
school and attend in the university. There are some advantages as well as disadvantages for this argument. This
essay will take a closer look at the issue.
There are advantages galore for young people working or traveling immediately graduating from high school.
Firstly, though they take time for working or traveling, they can collect many experiences that are essential for
your future studying and vocation. Beside that young adults can also expand their relationships. Secondly, if they
have a job, they can earn money which will help them pay the tuitions at the university as well as they can be selfsupporting. Thirdly, if young people travel around, a year can be seen as a period of relaxing after many years in
compulsory mass education.
On the other hand, there are also some disadvantages. First of all, young people have just graduated from high
school. Therefore, they can not only receive a low salary but also be blocked in that job. Second, one year is a long
time. Therefore, they work or travel simultaneously their study will be procrastinated. As a result, they will forget
their knowledge and fail in the university entrance exam. Last but not least, nowadays, society always requires
credentialed professionals. Therefore, what young people have to do to achieve credentials is that they must finish
university courses.
In conclusion, every problem has a negative as well as positive aspect and what I want to say is that young people
should base on their favourites as well as abilities to choose the right way.
In some countries young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school
and starting university studies.
Discuss the advantages and disavantages for young people who decide to do this.
In many nations, young adults are stimulated to work or travel for a year between graduating from high schools
and preparing for university studies. This essay will examine the issue in details.
In my opinion, working and travelling have their own advantages galore. Firstly, there is a big gap between the
knowledge studied at school and how to use them in genuine life. Therefore, if the students work immediately after
graduating from high schools, they can practice effectively what they have learned. Secondly, working gives them
the chances to cope with difficulties and after that, they achieve many experiences, which they cannot gain if they
just sit in classroom. Thirdly, if people have more money, they can do retention and choose travelling for a year
before attending universities. Travelling helps students relax after a period of learning in pressure-cooker schools
and pre-college cram schools. It gives students the chances to discover the world and upgrade their knowledge.
On the other hand, notwithstanding having many outstanding good points, this fact also has its drawbacks that
should be taken notice of. Firstly, as the society is moderner and moderner, the knowledge we learn at high schools
cannot help us get good vocations with high salaries. Therefore, it is necessary for you to continue studying at
colleges or universities. Secondly, I concur with the confirmation that travelling helps us relax. However, my
contention is that in many circumstances, overwhelming relaxation can have its bad reaction. The reason is that if
you are deeply relaxed, you will loose the hope of coming back to schools, which is very awful. In addition, you
can waste lots of money travelling instead of spending much less money studying at universities.
In conclusion, what I want to say is that each fact has its own good and bad points. Therefore, before choosing
working, travelling or continuously studying, young adults should base on their specific conditions to make the
judicious decisions.
Prevention is better than cure
Out of a countrys health budget, a large proportion should be diverted from treatment to spending on
health education and preventive measures.
To what extent do you agree or disgree with this statement?
It is argued that prevention is better than cure. Therefore, a countrys health budget should spend a larger
percentage on health education and preventive methods than on cures. This essay will examine the issue in details.
In my opinion, the confirmation that Prevention is better than cure has its own reasonable points. Firstly, there
are many diseases that are totally beyond our control. We are unable to avoid them by operating preventive
therapies. It is the reason why the governments should spend a lot of money on educating their civilians about
health protection and prophylactic. Dont let the grass grow under our feet, which is also the reason why the
governments should be astute enough to make adequate preparation for their citizens for treating illnesses.
Secondly, we know that there are many illnesses that are treated by extremely giant money, which leads to a result
that a larger number of money to cure them is spent more than to prevent them. This is very wasteful. Take the
H5N1 fever, which used to spread rapidly in Vietnam, for example. At that time, our governments diverted a big
proportion of health budget for preventing this epidemic such as demolishing ill domestic birds and propaganda
about the bad effects of this disease. These efforts result in a successful consequence in mitigating the spread of
this fever.
On the other hand, it will be a problem if the governments just focus on health education and preventive measures
and forget to concentrate on treatment. My contention is that there are many diseases that cannot be forecasted so
that we can avoid it. Therefore, therapeutic medicines and physical therapies to treat diseases is necessary to be
invested with a suitable scale. In addition, preventive measures do not always succeed., which means that the
illnesses still happen notwithstanding our efforts to restrain them. As a result of it, it is indispensable for the
governments to take reasonable notice of cures.
In conclusion, what I want to emphasize is that a big percentage should be diverted to health teaching and
preventive methods. Besides, treatment is essential to be paid adequate attention to.
Some people think that museums should be enjoyable places to entertain people, while others believe that
the purpose of museums is to educate.
Discuss both views and give you own opinion.
People have different views about the role and function of museums. In my opinion, museums can and should be
both entertaining and educational.
On the one hand, it can be argued that the main role of a museum is to entertain. Museums are tourist attractions,
and their aim is to exhibit a collection of interesting objects that many people will want to see. The average visitor
may become bored if he or she has to read or listen to too much educational content, so museums often put more of
an emphasis on enjoyment rather than learning. This type of museum is designed to be visually spectacular, and
may have interactive activities or even games as part of its exhibitions.
On the other hand, some people argue that museums should focus on education. The aim of any exhibition should
be to teach visitors something that they did not previously know. Usually this means that the history behind the
museums exhibits needs to be explained, and this can be done in various ways. Some museums employ
professional guides to talk to their visitors, while other museums offer headsets so that visitors can listen to
detailed commentary about the exhibition. In this way, museums can play an important role in teaching people
about history, culture, science and many other aspects of life.
In conclusion, it seems to me that a good museum should be able to offer an interesting, enjoyable and educational
experience so that people can have fun and learn something at the same time.
(253 words, band 9)
Several languages are in danger of extinction because they are spoken by very small numbers of people.
Some people say that governments should spend public money on saving these languages, while others
believe that would be a waste of money.
Discuss both these views and give your opinion.
It is true that some minority languages may disappear in the near future. Although it can be argued that
governments could save money by allowing this to happen, I believe that these languages should be protected and
preserved.
There are several reasons why saving minority languages could be seen as a waste of money. Firstly, if a language
is only spoken by a small number of people, expensive education programmes will be needed to make sure that
more people learn it, and the state will have to pay for facilities, teachers and marketing. This money might be
better spent on other public services. Secondly, it would be much cheaper and more efficient for countries to have
just one language. Governments could cut all kinds of costs related to communicating with each minority group.
Despite the above arguments, I believe that governments should try to preserve languages that are less widely
spoken. A language is much more than simply a means of communication; it has a vital connection with the
cultural identity of the people who speak it. If a language disappears, a whole way of life will disappear with it,
and we will lose the rich cultural diversity that makes societies more interesting. By spending money to protect
minority languages, governments can also preserve traditions, customs and behaviours that are part of a countrys
history.
In conclusion, it may save money in the short term if we allow minority languages to disappear, but in the long
term this would have an extremely negative impact on our cultural heritage.
(258 words)
Some people believe that studying at university or college is the best route to a successful career, while
others believe that it is better to get a job straight after school.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.
When they finish school, teenagers face the dilemma of whether to get a job or continue their education. While
there are some benefits to getting a job straight after school, I would argue that it is better to go to college or
university.
The option to start work straight after school is attractive for several reasons. Many young people want to start
earning money as soon as possible. In this way, they can become independent, and they will be able to afford their
own house or start a family. In terms of their career, young people who decide to find work, rather than continue
their studies, may progress more quickly. They will have the chance to gain real experience and learn practical
skills related to their chosen profession. This may lead to promotions and a successful career.
On the other hand, I believe that it is more beneficial for students to continue their studies. Firstly, academic
qualifications are required in many professions. For example, it is impossible to become a doctor, teacher or
lawyer without having the relevant degree. As a result, university graduates have access to more and better job
opportunities, and they tend to earn higher salaries than those with fewer qualifications. Secondly, the job market
is becoming increasingly competitive, and sometimes there are hundreds of applicants for one position in a
company. Young people who do not have qualifications from a university or college will not be able to compete.
For the reasons mentioned above, it seems to me that students are more likely to be successful in their careers if
they continue their studies beyond school level.
(271 words, band 9)
TYPE 2: OPINION
Topic 105: People tend to believe that all young adults should undertake a period of unpaid work for the
good of the community. Do you agree or disagree?
Over the past decade, working on a volunteer basis for the good of the community has become a prevalent and
publicly recognized phenomenon. Although this may bring several downsides for young, the returns are highly
justifiable.
Most young people are already under enough pressure with their studies, without being given the added
responsibility of working in their spare time. In fact, school is just as demanding as a full-time job, and it seems
that they need to take rest in their idle time when preparing to start a new season. It is very likely to see that they
wont welcome involving in free-paid jobs. In addition, teenagers in fact require to enjoy times when are being
young. If they were obliged to take part in unpaid jobs, they would feel losing their youth time. Such, this would
cause some psychological problems in their future life.
At the same time, this view is against of values of a free society. From economic viewpoint, money is to the human
life what air or water is to the plant. In such a society people regardless of age are free to take part in certain jobs
especially when there is no money to pay.. Even if those people are obliged to carry out those tasks, because of
lack of interesting they will not complete their duties properly. This may bring teenagers into conflict with people
working with them.
In conclusion, I believe that due to the fact that human beings have a deep hatred of compulsory tasks this idea is
not practical to establish in a community. Teenagers may choose to work for free and help others, but in my
opinion we should not make this compulsory.
Topic 33: People tend to work longer hours nowadays. Working long hours has a negative effect on
themselves, their families and society, so working long hours should be restricted. Do you agree or disagree?
Over the past decade, lifestyle of workers has become a prevalent and publicly recognized phenomenon. At the
heart of matter is the discussion of whether the government should limit the working hours or not. Although this
may bring several downsides for workers and society, the returns are highly justifiable from my point of view.
Working in long hours has adverse impact on employees life. In fact, they have tendency to live under high
pressure and stress frequently and overlook the recreational activities. Such, it increases the chance that they suffer
many physical and psychological diseases such as splitting headache, Alzheimers disease or even feeling of
isolation. Besides, because of spending most of their time on working, they let many happy moments pass through
large part of their life. If someday they want to enjoy these emotional experiences, they may get old and retire
from their job.
From economic viewpoint, long hour working staff not only puts themselves at a disadvantage but also hampers
the development of their companies and society sometimes. Many studies have pointed out that the most
productive period of a person in a day is limited and it only lasts in certain hours. Employees, therefore, cannot pay
their attention to what they are doing if they experience nonstop long working hours. In many cases, their mistakes
when they cannot focus on anything lead to the shutdown of production line and cause tremendous damages to
their company in particular and to society in general. It gives an explanation why a lot of firms do not foster their
staff to work overtime and they usually organize beneficial outdoor activities for their staff like vacation or sports
events.
In conclusion, although working long hours comes at a cost, the flaws outweigh the benefits, based on the abovementioned facts. The government should accordingly have further consideration on it.
TYPE 2: SOLUTIONS
Issue 5: English as a global language

The advantages of spread of English as a global language will continue to outweight its disadvantages.
The availability of technology advancements facilitates people to become more and more mobile, both physically and
electronically. So it's essential to use English as a global language to promote mutual intelligibility of people speaking
different languages.
The use of English is particularly appreciated by the international academic and bussiness communities. For scientists,
they write up papers in English if their audience is international. And if necessary, they could put their ideas in English
and exchange thoughts directly with the author of the paper via E-mail when they are refering to the previous research
findings. As for bussinessmen, suppose such a situation: A French company director arranges to meet German and
Korean contacts in a Russian hotel to plan a multi-national deal would not be impossible, if each plugged in to a 3-way
translation support system, but it could be more complicated than the alternative, which is for each to use a common
language --- English.
However, some may argue that the widespread use of English will hasten the disappearance of minority languages. But
a general perspective a person needs to know is that the domination and loss have been known throughout the
linguistic history, and exist independently of the emergence of a global language. Instead, it's political or economic
influences that enable some languages to die out in the course of development. While the emergence of English as a
global language had the reverse effect --- stimulating a stronger response in support of one's own language, as it's one's
identity.
Actually, it's perfectly possible to develop a situation where intelligibility and identity happily co-exist, and that's
bilingualism. One is a global language like English, providing access to the world community; the other is wellresourced local language, providing access to a local community. With respective functions, a global language can grow
without at the expense of loss of linguistic diversity.
Sky
Posted by Sky at 22:02 No comments:
TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2008
Issue 4: Public resources (Re-written)

4. It is wrong that our government pays more money to the artistic projects, for instance, there are
more and more paintings and sculptures appearing at the public places, because there are more
important things to do. What's your opinion?
Artistic creations enrich people's lives and enlighten their imaginations. So to better facilitate their lives, the
government should invest public resources on artistic projects. Strong opening. Very specific, succinct and to
the point.
On the one hand, the artists, through works of art, provides [artists provide, not artists provides] an invaluable
and unique mirror of the culture --- a mirror for the audience to gaze into for insight and appreciation. Take this
Olympic Opening Ceremony for example, Beijing presented to the world a spectacular ceremony [don't want to use
"ceremony" twice so close together, so how about "a highly valuable work of art" because your
argument is that it's important for the government to invest money, so let's call it valuable, even
though it truly was spectacular], which included a beautiful picture scroll depicting the 5000-year Chinese
civilization at that magical and memorable moment. From Four Great Inventions, that is, papermaking, typography,
compass and gunpowder to the Great Wall and 3,000 disciples of Confucius, but most of all, the values entrenched in
the culture --- the harmony and peace. This last sentence is not a complete sentence, so it's not clear what
your point is. I think you mean to say something like -- well, you could just put a comma after moment
instead of a period, and that would fix it, but then the sentence gets really long. I think if I put a comma
after "moment," then I would put parentheses before "that is" and after "gunpowder" instead of
commas. Another way would be to make it its own sentence by saying something like: This
spectacular (use this word here instead of above)scroll showed the world how much China has
contributed, from our Four Great Inventions -- that is, papermaking, typography, gunpowder, and the
compass -- to the Great Wall and 3,000 disciples of Confuscious. But most of all, this work of art
showed the impressive values which are entrenched in our ancient culture, specifically, harmony and
peace. [the problem my students have, even when I taught high school, and that you also struggle with
is that they try to cram too many thoughts into one single sentence, so the meaning gets cloudy. So
that's some feedback you can use to edit your other posts. Try to think about the ONE main idea you
want your sentence to convey, then once you've conveyed it, start another sentence.]
On the other hand, the artists attempt to caputure and convey the essence of a problem or issue, like cartoons do,
which exposes the hidden problems in the society. Isn't this exactly where the government miss [did you mean
"needs"?] to pay a price? Artists need fundingto survive though [no, not "though," I don't believe. I think you
need to take out that word, and substitute "and" or "while." I think "while" is better, clearer, more
specific], the government is responsible to confront and combat the situations[issues?] suggested by artists. Always
at the end of a paragraph, you want to make sure you made your point. Not sure you did here, and I
would add a summary sentence here at the end. Something like: For this reason, it is crucial that
government use its available funds to promote artists, as well as making sure the art is readily
available to awaken the population to the problems in society they may not be aware of. Something like
this. Of course, you can take from it what you like and leave the rest.
However, some may argue that government should assign more funds to science and technology research, as that may
help more to feed and clothe the population, as well as to keep them healthy. Yet when the government invests in
the [take out "the"] artistic projects, which["this in turn" not "which in turn." that's what makes it a
complete sentence. With the "which" in there, it's just a fragment.]in turn creates jobs, such
as for engineers, architects, tour guides, waitresses, etc. [Okay, I see how you can say the artwork creates jobs such as
engineering and architecture, but not sure of the connection to tour guides and waitresses. Like what societal problems
would the artwork reveal to show you need more tour guides and waitresses? Maybe the art would show that China is
too closed to the world and if it were more open, people could see what a great society it is. So maybe more tourists
come and then more tour guides and waitresses are needed. Is that what you were thinking? If so, you might need to
spell it out better for the reader.] As for health, in some cases one could only overcome the sickness through their
powerful will, which cannot be improvised within a day. Instead, it is the art that breeds its growth. [Sorry, Sky, but
these last two sentences make no sense to me. What do you mean by "improvised within a day"? And
what's the "its" that art breeds the growth of? This is what I can figure out: As for health, oftentimes
one needs to overcome that through one's own powerful will. However, a cure like this cannot be
instantly created within a single day, since a person grows only over time. On the other hand, art itself
often breeds the growth of one's will with the inspiration it provides. Therefore, by investing in art, the
government is indirectly helping people to have better health.]
Also, btw, this paragraph is an excellent example of deflecting the other side's arguments. You are
such a good student; you learn so quickly and easily.
In conclusion, the [no "the" required; you can take it out] art is not only for appreciation, but also for promoting
development, both for the [no "the" required; you can take it out. you can leave it in IF you change
"individuals" to the singular, saying "the individual"] individuals and the [no "the" required; you can take
it out, but here it's also okay to leave it in, one of those optional situations. But here's my
opinion: either say "both for the individual and for society as a whole" or say "both for individuals and
for the society as a whole"] society as a whole. Therefore it's a necessity for the government to allocate sufficient
funds to support the art [Say "the arts" or just "art" without a "the."]. To emphasize your point at the end
and make it strong, I wouldn't use a contraction. Also, I would emphasize it: "Therefore, it is not
simply a nice idea for the government to allocate sufficient funds to support artistic projects, it is a
necessity to promote a healthy, developing society."
My utmost to write like this, I'm pretty confusing writing about government investment. I have never imagined myself
to be a policy-maker, so ....
Hilary, do you indicate that it's more easier to write on investing science and technology projects? Or it's a wiser policy?
I have choosen to write on art, because it's not my expertise, hope I could learn more about the art through writing this
post.
Posted by Sky at 22:51 7 comments:
SUNDAY, AUGUST 10, 2008
Issue 4: Public resources

4. It is wrong that our government pays more money to the artistic projects, for instance, there are
more and more paintings and sculptures appearing at the public places, because there are more
important things to do. What's your opinion?
Artistic projects are presentations of one culture and served as spiritual support of life, while something more
important I guess may refer to material things. In this case, there's no need to decide whether government should
assign more public resources to one than the other since they are two sides of the same coin.
Admittedly, cultural enrichment pales in importance compared to food, clothing and shelter; after all, what a starving
person would prefer a good painting to even a bad meal? It's appropriate for government to give higer priority to satisfy
the basic needs of human beings. Even so, there's a saying that better teaching a person how to fish than giving him
fish. The government funds artistic projects, which in turn promote the tourism industry, providing jobs such as
waitress, drivers, cleaners, tour guides.
In many ways, artists provide spiritual support to the hungry, the helpless and the hapless, enabling them to confront
the challenges of life. Imagine, how did a person trapped in the earthquake on May 12th with no water, no food
magically survive after more than 200 hours? This is not a business that can be swiftly improvised by a mere command
of the will. How do those survival people face the reailty of losing their family and their hometown? The programs
about the earthquake have long been moved by all Chinese and encouraged those unlucky to be strong and to rebuild
their homeland as they are living in such a unity country.
In addition to this, artistic projects can effectively reveal the inner world of human beings, depicting the feelings and
attitudes of individuals in a society. Most of all, it can vividly embody the spirits and character of a country. Take
Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony for example, it's a perfect picture scroll of 5000-year Chinese civilization, such a
magical and memorable moment. This spectacular opening not only moved the Chinese but the world, leave the
audience rates alone, it enables the world to know more about China and greatly encouraged the Chinese. It really is the
pride of the Chinese.
In conclusion, concerning that artistic projects have value not only for artistic sake but for the state of spiritual life, I
think neither the spiritual nor the material could be ignored. They are actually complementary to each other and thus
the government should pay equal attention.
Sky
Issue 3: Globalization
Today people in different countries can see the same movies, watch the same TV programs and follow
the same fashions. To what extent do you think this is a positive development?
There's a growing international trend in the leisure time pursuits, which is not restricted to young people who are keen
international-brand buffs, but is also evident among the elder who are enjoying foreign TV series more ever than
before.
The reason for this trend is the growth of global network, which disminishes the borders of time and space: it's an age
of globalization. With the development of the Internet, people broaden their cultural exposure and real-world
experience. Knowing another culture promotes the understanding of cultural differences, or the appreciation of another
culture, or the cooperation, which hopefully would reach a hamony --- the peace of the world. In addition to this, one
may be trapped in a fixed mode of thinking unless something refreshing insinuates one's mind. In this case, new ideas
are efficiently and effectively activated or inspired by the illumination of another culture. Moreover, comparing
different ways of life, one can be more clear of what he/she really wants and thus makes a better choice.
However, one common accusation of globalization is the loss of culture. It seems as if globalisation had damaged the
cultural diversity of the world. Instead, it can even be a vehicle for reinvigorating local cultures. Staying within one
culture makes one take for granted everything that the culture defines and some teens might even not want to be
induced into the old traditions. At this moment if another culture is introduced, it would contribute to better
understanding of one's own culture. And the realization that one's own culture is one's unique identity would no doubt
enhance one's faith in his/her culture.
My view is that globalization is one symbol of the development, also a best way to realize the dream of a global village
with a peaceful scenery. To each single person, the awareness of both the opportunities and challenges that
globalization would bring with is essential.
Not sure what you're trying to say at the end here, and I'm going to try to write it more clearly -- but I
may not be capturing the idea you're trying to convey. But for one thing, in English, we wouldn't say "A
best," because best means only 1, THE best. Do you mean: Globalization, one symbol of development,
is also one of the best ways to realize the dream of a global village in a peaceful environment"? Because
also, it doesn't make sense to say a peaceful scenery in this context. Or did you mean: My view is that
globalization is one symbol of development, as well as the best way to realize the dream of a global
village within a peaceful environment"? Or you could say: "...within a peaceful atmosphere."
Sky
Issue 2: Skepticism
We can get information from news but some people think we should not trust what the journalists tell
us. To what extent do you agree?
"Better no book than entire acceptance of its ideas," Not sure if this is important, but remember that commas
ALWAYS ALWAYS go INSIDE the quotation marks. a philosopher Mencius has once said. Put it in another
way, reading books without thought is fruitless. This can be same applied to reading news without thinking is
useless. More clear to say: "This same idea can be applied to the news, that is, reading news without
thinking is useless." I don't really like the way this sounds either; I'm sort of stuck here trying to come
up with a better way to state it. But this way is more clear.
Journalists collect and edit news in our lives, but as soon as people involved Do you mean "as soon as people ARE
involved"?, the report is evitably The word is INevitable, meaning it's destined to happen; it has to happen;
it can be no other way. of living experience within comtemporary communities, be it values or beliefs.
It Whenever you use a pronoun, like "it," you need to be sure you make it clear what the pronoun
refers to. I'm not sure here what "it" is referring to. What is it that more or less influences the
credibility...? more or less influences the credibility and reliability of the writing, for example, description in details
that journalists may employ in accounting some events would no doubt embody the truth while may also hide their
inclinations. Could it be possible for journalists to choose some particular detais so as to enable their readers to draw
some conclusions after reading? Considering this, a sophisticated journalist tends to report news from different angles,
runing the gamut from praise to contempt.
See, Sky, I don't really understand what you're specifically saying in the above paragraph. I get the
general idea, but I'm going to rewrite it saying what I THINK you are meaning to say. Remember, there
are a million different ways to express any given idea or argument, so the words I use are just
suggestions. The idea is to show you (in general, even though I'm referring to specifics) how to use
English more accurately to convey the ideas you are attempting to convey.
Journalists collect and edit news in our lives, but the drawback to this method is that people are
involved in coming up with the final product. As a result, the report inevitably reflects more the ideas
of the writer than being simply a truly objective reporting of events. Therefore, a writer's own beliefs
and ideas influence the credibility and reliability of their writing. Now I have trouble really knowing
what the heck you're trying to say here (chuckle, chuckle), so I'm taking a guess: Moreover, the author
may even choose what details to include in an article, based on the his or her personal beliefs, so that
some may embody the truth, while others may simply serve to hide the author's inclinations. In other
words, it is possible for journalists to choose some details to enable their readers to draw specific
conclusions chosen ahead of time by the writer.[It's exactly what I mean, journalists may choose some
particular details, making it more reliable on the one side, while on the other side, these details can
serve to their special needs, hidden purposes] Okay, in this last sentence, I also am not sure of the
point you are making, why you are including this sentence. So I'll try to see if I can make sense of it in
the way you were intending: Considering these issues, a truly objective journalist will report news
from different angles, to be sure the story is not biased. [I just want to add a sentence here to show
how a journalist could increase his/her credibility,feasible? Yeah, it sounds good to convey that; I'm
just not sure how to get the idea across, and perhaps it's not even needed.]Sky, I can't see a way to
include the "running the gamut" phrase. It just isn't needed, I think. I mean, I can see how it would
emphasize the "different angles" phrase, but it's just not clear to say running the gamut from praise to
contempt. I think you mean that the writer needs to look at all angles, running the gamut all the way
from positive to negative sides of the issue. But I think it's sufficient to say "from different angles."
Maybe you can say "all different angles" or "many different angles." But really I think just "different
angles" says it all. Hope this helps. [I see,:)]
To readers, the need to develop an (the) [Actually, I am always confusing about when to choose "a" and
when to use "the", such silly question. It is definitely NOT a silly question. it's just difficult for me to
give you a rule because as a native English speaker, it comes so naturally to me. I'm sorry. I could tell
you this: "A" is an indefinite article, meaning not a particular one, like "a book" is not a particular
book, just a book in general. "The" is a definite article, which means you use it when you are referring
to a specific one, like "the book" or "the boy." You are talking about a specific book and a specific boy,
like the boy with the red hair or the book with the fire engine on the front or the book on the table over
there. "A boy," on the other hand, is any boy in general, like "a boy who likes to mow lawns." Okay,
also "the" refers to one specific one, and "a" refers to more than one. So "the boy with red hair," refers
to that one specific boy over there: "I like the boy with red hair." But you could say, on the other hand,
"I sure would like a boy with red hair" or "Over there is a boy with red hair." Both of these imply there
is more than one boy with red hair. Hope this helps.]ability of critical thinking (to think critically) is
essential.Okay, I think it's better to write this first sentence like this:It is essential for readers to develop
the ability to think crictically. Regardless of either the limitations of the journalism(journalist) or the nature of
the learning (nature of the article, I think is better, or you could say the nature of the writing), one ought
to be prepared of (prepared TO, not prepared of)challenge the ideas he/she comes across while reading. That is to
say,one can believe the news after the process of your thinking (after processing it through one's thinking).
However, (a reader must always be careful to avoid going to the other extreme, doubting all he or she
reads.)this can never go to the other extreme: doubt about all the reading. Moreover, when it comes to how to develop
this skill (again, when you say a descriptor like "this," you need to be clear about what you are referring
to, so I would say something like: Moreover, addressing the problem of how to develop the skill of
discernment in reading, the only way is through extensive reading, whether it be newspapers,
websites, broadcasts, or books.), it seems no other ways but extensive reading, no matter of newspapers or
websites or broadcasts or books. A little minor detail is, you can't READ a broadcast. So not sure if you need
another phrase instead of "extensive reading." Maybe something like, the only way to develop this skill
is by practice, practice, practice, whether it be through analyzing newspapers, websites, broadcasts, or
books. [I wonder if I can use practice three times? sounds like spoken english, it seems to me. Well,
you can use it three times when you're using it for emphasis. You can of course use it only once and
that's fine. But when you use it 3 times, you are saying one needs LOTS of practice. But maybe you're
right about the fact that using it 3 times makes the writing less formal, and you probably wouldn't use
that in a formal, academic paper. But in an informal essay, one that's more light-hearted, you would
use this with no worries.]
In conclusion, from my point of view I've been taught not to put things in an essay such as "from my point of view" or
"in my opinion," etc., because if you're writing the paper, we know that whatever is in it is your opinion,[again thank
you for telling me this] even though sometimes journalists do tell lies, it actually provides one with another
opportunity to develop one's sense of judgement (an error many Americans make is misspelling the word
judgment. The "e" is taken out of judge when you add the -ment.) only if he/she has a tendency to perceive
the essence through the apperance. (I would make this last phrase a separate sentence, something
like: However, this can only be true if one is able to discern (or your could say "distinguish") the facts
from the opinions. I do like the phrase essence through the appearance, but I'm not sure it fits here.
Yeah, maybe it does. ...if one can perceive the essence within the appearance. That will work, but to
me, it's not as clear. Your call. [Yours is better, I like that.]
Okay, I'm tired, I'm posting, and I'm going to bed! Goodnight, Sky. Sweet dreams. Can hardly wait to
read your revised posts tomorrow when I get up (which will probably be about noon!) [Hope you have
a good night, sweet dreams, sorry for keeping you stay up so late, thank you a million.:)]
Sky
Posted by Sky at 00:08 1 comment:
THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2008
Issue 1: Technology
1. Today people can perform many everyday tasks such as shopping, banking and business
transactions without meeting others face to face. What are the effects of this phenomenon on
individuals and society as a whole?
There's a growing trend for people to conduct a business at home and it's modern technology that contributes to such
convenience as well as efficiency. People who are unable to take advantage of technology is(are) believed to be at
an (a) disadvantage and would probably finally be eliminated in this competitive society (You mean in China?).
The (delete "the") technology as a whole and the Internet in particular covers the distance (covers what distance in
particular? You might mean the idiom "runs the gamut." but even when you use this idiom, you have to specify what
the gamut, or distance, is. For example, you might say that technology...Internet in particular runs the gamut from
building small businesses to large corporations, to helping employees work from home, and even provides customers
from all over the world," or something like that. Not sure if that's what you meant or not. If you want to use "covers the
distance," I think you need to say something like covers a broad distance or a wide range, providing customers from all
parts of the globe, or something along these lines.)as nowadays people could do online shopping without walking out of
their house, and at the push of a button your shopping is in completion within the break of coffee time (complete by the
morning coffee break). Besides it saves both time and energy; take setting up a business, for example. More and more
people are doing (building)their own bussiness (businesses) online in their spare time. which I have meant (What I
refer to) here refers to something like a little online shop. After establishing your (a) bank account, you (one) could post
your (here you could say his/her or you could say their -- even though it's technically wrong, we use it -- or you could
say one's, which is what people in England would probably use) products' advertisement (you have to say
either product's advertisement orproducts' advertisements) via the Internet, and then (instead of "and then," you'd
need to say something like thus contacting -- and not using "with" or this way making contact with or thus making
contact with)contact with those potential customers. All this would undoubtedly promote the economic growth and
accelerate the pace of developping(one p) the society.
However, everything has its two sides, and technology is no exception. Though many tasks benefit greatly from
technology, emotions are at stake. Without face-to-face meeting, would people tend to be not so close to their family or
friends as they used to be (people may not be able to build the relationships businesses so rely on to promote
growth). or how to iron out differences and create shared solutions for those bussinessmen? (I would say something
like: Furthermore, how would companies iron out differences among personnel or create shared solutions with so little
face-to-face contact?) In fact, it (not clear what "it" refers to here. do you mean "success"? If so, then say success and
not "it." Maybe you could say something like: In fact, when it comes to the use of technology, success and growth of a
company would depend more on the people who use it than the technology itself.) depends on people who utilise the
technology, rather than technology itself (so true).
Overall, I think there's no doubt that technology served (if you say "served" past tense here, then you have to make the
whole paragraph past tense, and need to say facilitated rather than the future of to better facilitate. I think it might
sound better to say, there is no doubt that technology can serve to better facilitate our lives, but it will have to be
moderated with the traditional ways, or something along these lines.) to better facilitate our life, but it doesn't mean
that we have to rule out the traditional ways. Doing business online or (and) meeting face to face could be
complementary to each other, so that we would not have to take any of that (the) so-called risks.
Sky
TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2008
Topic 17: A traditional wedding
1-minute Preparation Card

my best friend's wedding
Past tense
marriage ceremony, bride's maid, raise a glass, bridal gown
2-minute Talk
It was my best friend's wedding, three years ago. And actually I was abride's maid, so I was quite thrilled.
Early in the moring, as I was told, I reached the bride's home around 8. The bride was doing her Hair Dressing, looking
more beautiful than ever before. Another bride's maid and I were treated with (treated to) desserts, a conventional
must to anyone who visited the bride's home that day.
Later, when the groom arrived, we(the bride's maids) blocked the groom outside and played "door game" with the
groom. The rules of the game are as follows: 1. use one sentence to express your love to the bride. For this, the
groom declared outside: "I will love you all my life.", the groom answered outside; 2. sing a song to express your
love. After clearing his throat, the groom began to sing "TheMouse Loves the Rice," one of the famous love songs by a
network singer. "Louder, louder," we shouted inside; 3. your red packets (Is it packets or pockets? My students
kept calling them red pockets) [I have posted a picture for you, we call it in Chinese: hongbao,
translated in English textbook as red packets]prepared? In response to this requirement, the groom sent
his red envelopes (with cash inside) through the crack of the door. Until then did we (you need to say either Not until
then did we orUntil then, we did not) open the door to welcome the groom.
And the groom holded (held. There is no such word in English as holded. One of those "lovely" irregular
verbs) [it's a familiar word, but again mis-spelt] the bride up to go out of (to come out of or
just to leave) her room. As it's said that when the groom takes away the bride (takes the bride away) from her
home, you (since you're talking about the groom, you need to say"he") cannot take anything else with
you (him), SO (take out "so."When you start a sentence with "as" or "because" or "since," you don't then add "so,"
because "so" is understood in those 3 words. ) he had to hold the bride up so as not even to take any dust from the
bride's home. (interesting, huh?) (yes, very interesting for me)
Then the groom took the bride to his home, treated all guests(usu. relatives) and us (but aren't you one of the guests? If
so, you might say something like "treated all of us guests") with desserts. (Another time the dessert is a must,
Hilary is fond of that, right?Unfortunately, yes. I can't remember being that obvious! How
embarrassing! :-) :) After that, we set off to the restaurant where the banquet was hold (with "was" you use past
tense, "held," i.e. "was held").
(Is there an actual wedding ceremony between taking the bride out of her home and taking her to his home? If so,
include that in there. Or maybe the "game" is the ceremony. I'm asking because in our country, there is a person who
officiates at the ceremony who, after asking a series of questions and making a series of statements, declares the bride
and groom to be husband and wife. It's all very legal and formal. Maybe it's not that way in China. Just
curious.) [Oops, I have just jumped it over, it seems universal. But in China, it is a bit different. Actually,
the ceremony begins with the wedding reception. After the declaration of the marriage(usu. by an
emcee), there is one chief witness at the wedding reception to make a speech, talking briefly about
their introductions to all the guests present. And this chief wittness of their wedding usu. is someone
who is high up in the couples' workplace, like principal for instance. After this, Three Bows follow.]
On (At, because it's at a function or place, not on something, like on the floor or on the bed or on the
water or on the moon.) the wedding reception, the bride and groom need to do "Three Bows,", (commas always
go inside the quotation marks, just fyi) the first to the (no "the," just Heaven) Heaven and Earth, second to
their parents, third they bowed to each other(leave out "they bowed," because you already said it when you
introduced these three actions when you said "need to do Three Bows," so you don't want to repeat
"they bowed" again. So just say, "and third to each other."). Then the bride and groom exchanged their figure
rings (Not sure what figure rings are. In the U.S., we would just say they exchanged their rings. Did you
mean finger rings? [Oops,again misspelt!] Maybe you say figure rings or finger rings in China, but we
don't say that in English. It's just assumed that a ring is something that goes on a finger, unless one
specifies a toe ring or an earring). Then they worked together to pour champagne into two goblets and drank
wedlock wine. All guests toasted and started the banquet (Sounds like you're saying they toasted the banquet
and started the banquet. Did you mean the guests toasted the bride and groom and then started the
banquet? If so, say that) . [I guess I should omit this sentence, my original meaning is after this
ceremony, the banquet started.]
During the wedding banquet, the bride and groom had to raise a glass with all the guests. At the end of the banquet, all
guests got wedding candy, which usually with "Double Happiness" on (you would never say "which usually
with," but I'm not sure what you would say because I'm not sure what you mean. Do you mean that the
wedding usually has the characters or symbols for double happiness imprinted on it? If that's what you
mean, you can say something like "all guests got wedding candy, which usually has "Double
Happiness" written on it.[Yup,correct! Hilary always can figure out what I really would like to express,
thank you! Actually, it's two Chinese characters,translated as happy happy put together just like the
picture shows, yet this character only occurs at the wedding ]Or maybe you can say "which usually has
"Double Happiness" symbolized on it. Or you could say, "which usually has the symbol for "Double
Happiness" on it. Or "...stamped on it." But you would not end the sentence with just "on.").
As to (As for) the bridal gown, the bride usually have (has) several("sets of clothes" or "suits of clothes" or
"suits of clothing" or "sets of clothing") clothes prepared, one for greeting guests in the lobby of the restaurant,
one for the wedding ceremony, and one for the banquet when raising a glass, and another for see (either "for seeing
guests off" or "to see guests off") off guests after the banquet. Though usu. red is preferred on (for) the wedding
in China, there's a growing trend for brides to wear white to greet guests. White represents that they are angels that
day, it seems to me. AndTraditional Chinese dress is also preferred on the wedding (You can say "at the
wedding" or "at the wedding ceremony" or on the wedding day).

Writing IELTS Task 2 Model

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Contents

TYPE 1: FOR & AGAINST

Issue 5: English as a global language

Issue 4: Public resources (Re-written)

Issue 4: Public resources

Topic 17: A traditional wedding

1-minute Preparation Card

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