VIP Class Notes (Tony)
How to look for the General Question:
As countries develop, an increasing amount of people are buying their own cars. Do the advantages of this trend to the individual outweigh the disadvantages to the environment.
(Bad Grammar, so you can see the main points) Countries Develop, Individuals have own cars. Advantages to individual outweigh disadvantages to environment?
(The basic structure of the sentence has the same idea, but can be changed in many different ways to add detail.)
Transportation advantages through work programs to the individual.
Permanent disadvantages from pollution to the environment.
Put the Instructions in Your Own Words:
Read the instructions for each task carefully?
Read the instructions for this part carefully. – For every part
Writing Test Example:
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
(Background Info) The graphs below give information about computer ownership as a percentage of the
population between 2002 and 2010, and by level of education for the years 2002 and
2010.
(Task 1) Summarise the information by(how are you gonna summarize it) selecting and reporting the main features (Select the main features and Report the main features), and make
comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
(Task 1 Example Answer)
WRITING TASK 1 – Model Answer
The bar charts show data about computer owner
ship, with a further classification by
level of education, from 2002 to 2010.
A steady but significant rise can be seen in the percentage of the population that owned
a computer over the period. Just over half the population owned computers in 2002,
whereas by 2010 three out of four people had a home computer.
An analysis of the data by level of education shows that higher levels of education
correspond to higher levels of computer owners
hip in both of those years. In 2002, only
around 15% of those who did not finish high school had a computer but this figure had
trebled by 2010. There were also consi
derable increases, of approximately 30
percentage points, for those with a high school diploma or an unfinished college
education (reaching 65% and 85% respectivel
y in 2010). However, graduates and
postgraduates proved to have the greatest level of ownership in 2010, at 90% and 95%
respectively, 20 percentage points higher than in 2002.
The last decade has seen a substantial growth in computer ownership in general, and
across all educational levels.
(Task 2)
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
A person’s worth nowadays seems to be judged according to social status and material
possessions. Old-fashioned values, such as honour, kindness and trust, no longer seem
important.
To what extent(how much) do you agree or disagree with this opinion(not a fact)?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples(like what?) from your own
knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
(Task 2 Example Answer)
Given the power and influence of the super rich, it might seem as if social status and
material possessions are the new symbols of per
sonal worth, but in everyday life I do not
think this is true.
It is apparent that most celebrities today are
admired or envied solely for their material
wealth or position in various social hierarch
ies. Many of these people are known to turn
their backs on friends, cheat on their spous
es or spend their evenings over-indulging in
alcohol and/or drugs. Things like owning
a mansion, driving an expensive car and
getting into A-list parties are exalted above old-fashioned values. Ultimately, though, it is
the many readers of gossip magazines and celebrity blogs who reinforce these ideas.
Nevertheless, I do believe that in their day-to-day lives most people still believe in values
such as honour, kindness and trust. In some way most of us want to form loving families,
raise our children to be good citizens, stand up for the downtrodden and protect our
communities from harm. We still form fri
endships, romances and business partnerships
based on old-fashioned criteria. When our trust is abused or we are unfairly treated, we
see that as a major violation of our relationship and we judge the wrongdoer accordingly.
In conclusion, I believe there is some truth to the notion that status and possessions
have superseded old-fashioned values as a measure of a person’s worth. Looking
beyond the tabloids, however, it is appar
ent that most ordinary people have still
preserved an old-fashioned conscience.
Grammar
How are you gonna cook the noodles?
By boiling them.
One method to answer essays:
I.E.C. method.
Idea: What you think.
Evidence: Example of real numbers or situation.
Commentary: How these two things relate. How does your idea relate to the evidence.
I: Dogs can help people reduce stress.
E: There was a study done by Oxford in 2001 that showed dog ownership had a connection with longer lives.
C: We can see from the study that people who owned dogs lived longer, so it is possible that having a dog reduced their stress and lowered the chance for a serious health problem.
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