Academic Writing - Task 2 (Model Answer)

Some people think that changing people's attitudes to other countries and cultures is an important factor in reducing world poverty. Others, however, feel that the most important method is trade. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Rich nations have always shown an interest in reducing poverty in less developed countries. Some charity organizations and artists often organize events to raise funds and awareness for the needy such as Live Aid. There are other ways to strengthen a poor country like commerce.

Trading with a third world country benefits all parties. Countries purchasing products are able to do so at a low cost while trading with others means that more people are employed in a poor country and foreign currency is attracted. A country will be able to support itself in this way and won’t rely on the handouts of richer countries. So, having cash flow can lower poverty levels and trade is a positive way to achieve a higher standard of living.

Some people believe that if you change people’s perceptions or way of thinking this will change their actions too. Poor countries are often wealthy in terms of raw materials and manpower. If businesses take a positive approach to utilizing these resources, poverty will be reduced. In addition, people need to stop feeling sorry for poor countries and treating them like they are helpless. If you give aid to a poor nation, this will only help them in the short-run whereas long-term solutions are what is needed to solve this problem.

In my opinion, trade is the most effective way to eliminate global poverty. A self-sufficient country is a strong and economically independent one. On the other hand, altering a person’s attitude does not necessarily mean they will act according to their new perception. In other words, thinking doesn’t always result in action.

Question taken from Direct to IELTS, Student's Book p.15

Academic Writing - Task 2 (Model Answer)

Over the past few decades, with the help of the internet an unimaginable amount of information has become widely available to the general public. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of this development?

We can access all types of information on the internet, ranging from academic journals to personal blogs and have even our strangest question answered. Links and pop-up boxes take us to other sites and a lot of information is interconnected.

Having infinite information available means that people will be more knowledgeable without having to research a particular field widely. In the past, for example, it was  necessary to keep large encyclopedias or physically visit libraries and spend hours, days, weeks or even months researching information. With the internet, this information can be filtered and a person can extract the information that they need. This development has allowed previous rare, delicate and important works of art to be available to the public.

On the other hand, we are experiencing an overload of information that our brains are unable to process. We are under a lot of pressure to keep up with the latest news and updates. Much of the information available has no value. In some cases, news might be of a sensitive nature and should not be disclosed to the general public as it might threaten public safety.

All in all, the availability of large volumes of information shows people’s desire to express themselves on the internet and the need for greater transparency. The internet has changed the way people access information as well as the quantity and quality of what is available. I believe we can all  benefit from this as long as we don’t get carried away with absorbing too much information.

Question taken from Direct to IELTS, Student's Book p.38

Academic Writing - Task 2 (Model Answer)

Entertainment or leisure activities should be subsidized by the government. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

People need to relax from their hectic daily lives and to do this they usually have hobbies. On many occasions leisure activities are expensive, for example buying sports equipment, as are entertainment activities such as going to a concert. Currently these expenses are paid by the individual.

If an individual benefits from an activity, it may be a good idea for the government to subsidise this. This will also benefit artists taking part in these events. Visiting an art exhibition, going to concert, watching a performance or play etc. makes people think about important issues, relaxes the audience, and contributes positively towards their spiritual development.

On the other hand, the government has more important issues to tackle such a poverty and unemployment so some might think that partially funding entertainment and free-time activities is wasteful. What people decide to do outside their work is their personal choice and each individual should fund their own entertainment options. What is more, individuals are not likely to appreciate something that is provided for free or cheaply priced. If they know they are going to pay for an entrance ticket, people will go somewhere because they really want to.

I think the government should only sponsor events that are useful for the public, for example a film promoting environmental awareness. Other leisure activities are a matter of personal choice and each individual should pay the full-cost of this themselves and let the government allocate its budget to more pressing matters.

Question taken from Direct to IELTS, Student's book p.51

Academic Writing - Task 2 (Model Answer)

Some people think the latest technology for home entertainment such as sophisticated TVs, high-speed internet connections and tablets are having a negative impact on people's lives, especially young people. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Young people are addicted to modern technology. The modern home is equipped with fast internet connection that supports digital television, tablets and other gadgets. As a result children and teenagers spend most of their time indoors preoccupied with this type of entertainment.

Being glued to a screen for long periods bring about health problems such as bad eye sight, a sore  back and hands. Youngsters do not get enough exercise and fresh air which is unhealthy for them. Their social skills are also affected as they do not interact with others and they do not form groups so their understanding of team spirit is limited. Finally their imagination suffers because they play repetitive games and watch programmes that do not contribute towards their education but merely wastes their time.

Having the latest technology at home means that youngsters are up-to-date with the most recent trends and are familiar with technology which will help them later on in their lives when they enter the job market. They may also be able to improve their language skills as they learn new words effortlessly, interact with others around the globe, think and react fast and gain some knowledge from programmes such as National Geographic.

Generally speaking, however, I believe that home entertainment has little to offer to young people other than entertainment. The negative impact in terms of health and anti-social behaviour is great. Home entertainment is creating a nation of youngsters that are overweight, unimaginative,  lack confidence and like to spend time alone.

Question taken from Direct to IELTS, Student's Book p.51

Academic Writing - Task 2 (Model Answer)

Some people think that the main influence on young people's diet is advertising rather than family and friends. To what extent do you agree or disagree ?

Today young people’s diet consists of plenty of unhealthy junk food. This may be due to their parent’s busy lifestyle. Being at work all day means that parents have hardly any free time to cook a healthy meal for their family. Young people also spend a lot of time watching television and surfing the internet which gives fast food restaurants the opportunity to promote their food.

A person’s environment has an impact on their diet. If a young person eats all their meals at home and one of their parents cooks for them on a daily basis then they are likely to have a balanced diet. Parents that take responsibility for their children’s nutrition will therefore have a greater influence on their eating patterns. Friends also play an important role in a person’s choice of food because youngsters spend most of their free time with their friends and they are subject to peer pressure too.

Advertising for food is conveniently placed  on billboards, slotted during breaks of popular TV shows and pop ups while surfing frequently visited sites. These colorful ads have catchy tunes, are easy to remember, display delicious-looking food and promise free gifts or special offers. All these factors make dining at these outlets very attractive. It seems that marketing departments have found a successful way to lure young people and influence their preferences.

To sum up, I believe that what a young person eats depends on who they spend the most time with and their family’s philosophy towards food. If children spend many hours in front of the TV or a computer they will get to see more advertisements for ready meals and they will be the ones trying to convince their parents to take them out for some fast food.

Question taken from Direct to IELTS, Student's book p.59

Academic Writing - Model Answer (Task 1)

The pie charts show five waste disposal methods used for dangerous products in three countries.

To begin with, Korea employs three methods. Most dangerous waste material is re-cycled (69%). The remaining 31% is either buried or burnt. In Sweden, burial is the favored way of dangerous waste material disposal with more than half the waste being disposed in this way. A quarter is recycled and 20% ends up incinerated. Finally, like Sweden, the United Kingdom chooses to place dangerous waste underground (82%). Equal proportions are dumped at sea or chemically treated. Only 2% is burnt.

Korea is the only country that disposes of dangerous matter responsibly by recycling it. The United Kingdom does not use this method at all and is the only country that dumps waste in the sea and uses chemical treatment. Lastly Sweden and the UK predominantly prefer to get rid of hazardous material by burying waste underground.

Question taken from Official IELTS Practice Materials 2

Academic Writing - Model Answer (Task 1)

The bar charts show which areas contain the world’s oil reserves as well as the proportion of yearly oil use globally by region.

The Middle East has the greatest percentage of total world oil resources by far. This amounts to more than a half of global supply (56.52%). All the other countries listed have less than 15% of the world’s reserves with Canada having 14.84%. Eastern Europe and Africa have almost the same percentage, whilst Australia and New Zealand have less than 1% of this resource.

Asia (26.21%) and the United States (25.48%) consume most of the world’s oil every year, closely followed by Western Europe (19.24%). All other areas mentioned consume very little oil, less than 7% with Australia and New Zealand only using 1.31%.

The charts show that even though the Middle East has the greatest supply of oil, it is Asia, the USA and Western Europe that consume the largest amount of oil. Australia and New Zealand do not have much oil and they have the lowest consumption as well.

Question taken from official IELTS Practice Materials 2