Nokia was clearly the market leader, selling 32.5% of all mobile phones in 2005. Motorola increased its market share from 17.7% in 2005 to 21.1% in 2006. The other companies listed each had a much smaller share of the market.
Nokia was clearly the market leader, selling 32.5% of all mobile phones in 2005. Motorola increased its market share from 17.7% in 2005 to 21.1% in 2006. The other companies listed each had a much smaller share of the market.
Nokia was clearly the market leader, selling 32.5% of all mobile phones in 2005. Motorola increased its market share from 17.7% in 2005 to 21.1% in 2006. The other companies listed each had a much smaller share of the market.
The table gives information on the market share of mobile phone
manufactures for two consecutive years, 2005 and 2006. In both years, Nokia was clearly the market leader, selling 32.5% of all mobile phones in 2005, and slightly more (35%) in 2006. This is a greater market share than its two closet competitors, Motorola and Samsung, added together. Motorola increased its market share from 17.7% in 2005 to 21.1% in 2006. In contrast, Samsung saw its share of the market decline slightly from 12.7% to 11.8%. The other companies listed each had a much smaller share of the market. Sony Ericssons share increased from 6.7% to 6.3%. BenQ Mobiles share more than halved from 2005 to 2006: from 2005 to 2006: from 4.9% of the market to only 2.4%. Other mobile phone manufactures accounted for 19.2% of the market in 2005 more than all the companies mentioned except Nokia. However, in 2006 the other companies only made 16.2% of mobile phone sales - less than both Nokia and Motorola. (176 words) - This is a model answer from an IELTS Examiner. - See more at: http://pathways.com.vn/vi/news-view/writing-task-1-sample-2-table-8- categories#sthash.5SfPXuR1.dpuf Topic:
The line graph, combined with bar chart, reveals some information about UK tourism activities from 1979 to 1999. In general, the number of visits abroad by UK citizens well exceeded the incoming visits by overseas residents. From just 10 million in 1979, the incoming visits to UK steadily increased to 12 million in 1985. Ten years later, it went up quickly to double that number in 1995 before falling back to a slow growth rate during next 5 years. In the meantime, outcoming visits rose considerably from 12 million in 1979 to 20 million just before 1985, then they grew dramatically to over 50 million in 1999, nearly doubling the incoming figure at that time. Among five countries, UK citizens really enjoyed visiting France when there were 11 million visits during 1999. With 2 million fewer, Spain appeared to be the second best choice for UK tourists, while the USA, Greece and Turkey all attracted lower than 4 million UK visitors. Turkey seemed the less attractive tourism destination with 2.5 million UK visitors only in that year. To conclude, the charts may well reflect the boom of UK outcoming visits during the period from 1985 to 1999 and clearly the favourite destinations of UK residents at that time were France and Spain. (212 words) - This is a very good sample written by student Minh Phuong at Pathways. - See more at: http://pathways.com.vn/vi/news-view/writing-task-1-sample-1-line-graph-bar- chart#sthash.QsWtoJ vM.dpuf Writing Task 1 - Sample 5: Process (Band 7)
The diagram reveals a long process in which rainwater is contained, treated and reused for domestic purposes. The process starts with rains brought by clouds which provide water for natural lakes, pools or artificial reservoirs likes dams. At the same time, rain water is collected into tanks from gutters, then is used directly by people without any treatment. Water in dams, however, must be filtered and made clean at water treatment plants to become drinking water before being delivered to peoples homes for daily usage. The next step is treating waste water, the output of domestic consumption. This type of water is collected from peoples houses to waste water treatment plant, where it is turned to recycled water and flowed back to houses, while the excess treated water is released to river. Also, any storm water must be passed through the storm water treatment before running to its clean, natural state. To conclude, the diagram may well reflect the steps by which rainwater is reused. With two steps of treatment applied, water is made clean before being provided to peoples usage and released to natural environment. (186 words) - This is a 7.0 response written by a 1-1 student at Pathways. - See more at: http://pathways.com.vn/vi/news-view/writing-task-1-sample-5-process-band- 7#sthash.h2cZHhj2.dpuf Writing Task 1 - Sample 3: Bar chart
The chart compares population shares in various regions of the world with the distribution of wealth in these same regions. It can be seen that population shares in almost all cases do not relate to the distribution of wealth. Even though North America has only approximately 6% of the worlds population, it boasts nearly 34% of global wealth. A similar situation can be seen in Europe, which has 15% of the global population but 30% of global wealth, and the rich (high income) Asia-Pacific countries with 5% of the worlds population but 24% of its wealth. On the other hand, the total wealth of people in China, India, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the other poor (lower income) countries in Asia-Pacific is far less than their shares of the world population. This is most striking in India, where 16% of the worlds population own only 1% of the worlds wealth and in China, which has the highest percentage of global population (24%) but only 3% of the worlds wealth. (171 words) - This is a model answer. - See more at: http://pathways.com.vn/vi/news-view/writing-task-1-sample-3-bar- chart#sthash.QrBI3M2c.dpuf
Task 1: The table below shows the number of people (millions) taking part in the five different physical activities between 2001 and 2009 in Australia.
The table presents information regarding the number of Australians in millions, who took part in 5 different sporting and recreational activities. The focus for the data is on the years 2001, 2008 and 2009. It can be clearly seen that walking was the most popular activity enjoyed by Australians, however aerobics saw the largest growth in the period examined. To begin with, walking saw a 43% growth in the number of participants with 4.3 million in 2001. It then increased rapidly to 5.9 and finally 6.1 million users in the years 2008 and 2009 respectively. The trend for Australians doing aerobics was similar. The number of those enjoying the activity was a low 1.1 million in 2001, though seven years later it had risen to 1.6 million and a sudden dramatic surge in the final examined year to 2.8 million made aerobics the second most popular physical activity in Australia. Swimming dropped from second to third place over the period and it saw only a 2% positive change with 2.1 million, slipping slightly to 2 million, before recovering to 2.2 million participants over the three years examined. Next is tennis, and this is the only activity that shrank in the number of its participants compared to the other four. Overall there was a 23% drop with 0.9 million players in 2001, but in 2008 and 2009, numbers had fallen but stabilized at appropriately 0.7 million. Finally, the numbers of Australians enjoying running had huge growth, like aerobics with a noticeable 89% growth in this activity. The numbers grew from 0.9 to 1.1 million from 2001 to 2008, though the largest increase like aerobics came in the final year overtaking tennis and rocketing up to 1.7 million. Based on the information provided it can be concluded that all physical activities increased in popularity with the exception of tennis. Also the most obvious changes were seen between the years 2008 and 2009 in general for the activities. (339 words) - This is a sample of a band 9. - See more at: http://pathways.com.vn/vi/news-view/writing-task-1-sample-4-table-5- categories#sthash.B4u5jzAW.dpuf
What young people should study at school has long been the subject of intense debate and this is a question that certainly does not have one correct answer. We need to provide young people the best possible chance of doing well at school. In traditional curriculum there is a wide variety of subjects with a mix of academic and non-academic subjects. In this way a young person is formed with a rounded education. Non-academic subjects would include sports, cooking, woodwork and metalwork. I believe this is the best form of education. A young person should learn things other than academic subjects. Sport is particularly important. Young people have to learn to love sport so that they can be fit and healthy later in life. If not we will be raising an obese and unfit generation. I totally understand the point of view that education is so important that students must be pushed as hard as possible to achieve their best. It sounds a good idea to only expose the students to academic subjects as then they can spend all of their school hours on studying areas that will get them into university and good jobs later in life. I just feel a more rounded education would produce a better individual. We must remember too that a lot of people, maybe even most people, arent academically minded and would benefit more from a more vocationally based education. Forcing academic studies onto them would lead to failure and the student leaving school too early. Therefore I agree that although a wholly academic curriculum would suit and benefit some young people, I believe that for most students non-academic subjects are important inclusions still in todays syllabuses. (283 words) Estimated IELTS Writing Band 9
Topic: Some people think that towns and cities should have large open spaces like squares and parks. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this idea? To many people, parks and squares are deemed of immense importance, as they provide opportunities for outdoor activities that they would not have otherwise at home. While these places are decidedly exorbitant to construct and often argued to be useless and wasteful, I believe the benefits would far outweigh any drawbacks if these are built. Firstly, public places have long contributed to the improvement of our general health. Nowadays, the amount of physical work has diminished to a non- existent amount, due to the invention of many new and convenient innovations. Consequently, it leads to an unhealthy lifestyle with the potential of developing various illnesses, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and the inevitable loss of lifespan. Therefore, having open spaces in cities or towns is indeed encouraging of a more active life, where people can exercise freely if they are not able to pay for the expense of fitness facilities. Secondly, public places are often associated with the special characteristics of the given town or city. Places such as squares, parks and other open spaces are considered highly sophisticated and culturally advanced, which are frequented by visitors of varying ages, and they serve much more of a purpose than just a place for mundane exercising. These are the places where people gather socially and as a whole these places help in creating a more united and socially cohesive society. In conclusion, it is not at all unjustified to affirm that squares and parks are of many uses and should be built for the sake of peoples lives, along with the progress of entertainment industries. (262 words) - This is a 7.5 essay written by a 1-1 student at Pathways. - See more at: http://pathways.com.vn/vi/news-view/writing-task-2-sample-11-large-space- in-living-area-band-75#sthash.ZYm1yoUm.dpuf
Topic: In the last 20 years there have been significant developments in the field of information technology (IT), for example the World Wide Web and communication by email. However, future developments in IT are likely to have more negative effects than positive. To what extent do you agree with this view? The last two decades have seen enormous changes in the way people's lives are affected by IT, with many advances in this field. However, while these technological advances have brought many benefits to the world, it can be argued that future IT developments will produce more negative effects than positive ones. To begin, information technology has brought us countless positive changes. One of these is email, which has made communication, especially abroad, much simpler and faster, resulting in numerous benefits for commerce and business. Furthermore, the World Wide Web means that information on every conceivable subject is now available to us. People accessing news, medical advice, online education courses and much more via the internet are all examples of this. It is evident that these improvements have made life far easier and more convenient for large numbers of people and will continue to do so for decades to come. Nevertheless, the effects of this new technology have not all been beneficial. For example, many people feel that the widespread use of email is destroying traditional forms of communication such as letter writing, telephoning and face-to-face conversation. This could result in a decline in people's basic ability to socialise and interact with each other on a day-to- day basis. In addition, the large size of the Web has meant that it is nearly impossible to regulate and control. This has led to many concerns regarding children accessing unsuitable websites and viruses. Unfortunately, this kind of problem might even get worse in the future at least until more regulated systems are set up. In conclusion, developments in IT have brought many benefits, yet many believe developments relating to new technology in the future are likely to produce many damaging impacts to individuals and society. These will begin to outweigh the positive effects increasingly more in the future unless they are adequately addressed. (309 words) - See more at: http://pathways.com.vn/vi/news-view/writing-task-2-sample-1-information- technology#sthash.m15cVKb7.dpuf
Topic: Space tourism has been growing in popularity in recent years. However some people claim that the disadvantages of this type of travel outweigh the advantages. Do you agree or disagree? The idea of travelling through space has fascinated people for centuries. Despite numerous current drawbacks, travelling to outer-space has never failed to attract peoples attention and provoke controversy. In my opinion, space tourism has passably more benefits than costs for the time being, however, that is likely to change in the future. The first reason to support tourism into space is that it has undoubtedly rekindled peoples enthusiasm in the natural sciences, which has dwindled down since the space race in mid-to late 20th century. As interest in space exploration has developed and talents in space technologies retained, perhaps more research and development will be conducted broadening the horizons of mankinds knowledge about the universe. Some people argue that the merits of space travel to inspire passion of the universe are very limited as the experience can be enjoyed by only a few. Currently, only one company, Virgin Galactic, is offering space fights for a very premium price. Nonetheless, it can be expected that as the scientific knowledge is uncovered, and research and development initiated the cost of travelling to space can be lowed, namely through more efficient fuel, space craft and increased competition. Another significant benefit of space tourism is that it can enrich the lives of these privileged to be able to do so. It is a once in a lifetime adventure, that has not been until recently available to general public. As a result, many people believe that space travel is a positive development and opportunities for space tourism should be opened to more people. Based on the mentioned facts, one can conclude that tourism into outer space has apparent merits, although its effects are not yet fully manifested for the time being. (286 words) - This is a very good sample written by student Ha Ly at Pathways. - See more at: http://pathways.com.vn/vi/news-view/writing-task-2-sample-2-space- tourism#sthash.FZgcx2Vi.dpuf
Topic: Some people believe that university education should be completely free, while others believe students and their families should pay at least part of the cost. Discuss both views and give your opinion. Today, in many countries having a university degree is a prerequisite condition for young people to secure a decent job. Because of this, many people believe that it would only be fair if everyone had access to university education, hence it should be free. At the same time, others refute that students and their families should pay for their higher education, partially if not completely. Both opinions have their own rationale, which will be discussed in this essay before arriving to a reasoned conclusion. People who believe in free university education argue that it leads to a more educated and productive workforce which in turn positively enhances economic growth. A current study reveals that the most powerful economies in the world, such as the United States, Canada and J apan have higher rates of university graduates in comparison with developing countries. It can be seen that there is a correlation between economic growth and higher education. Thus, to enhance the quality of the workforce, higher education should be made accessible to everyone and therefore it should be free. On the other hand, people who are against this idea argue it is unjust for people who do not want go to university to subsidize those that do. Higher education is expensive, as evidenced by a recent estimate in Australia that a free university system would cost the government 23 billion dollars a year. In order to raise this huge amount of money, the government would have to force people to pay more taxes. That means a larger portion of peoples wages, including those who do not intend to go to university, will be cut to pay for the education of those who potentially have higher income. In other terms, it is making the poor pay for the rich, which is unfair. Thus, university education should not be provided for free. In conclusion, it can be seen that both sides can be strongly justified. However, I believe that free higher education is an ideal which is not quite realistic. According to the aforementioned argument by the latter group, it is not fair for people who do not go to university to subsidize those that do. It would cause a negative reaction in the portion of the workforce which effectively diminishes national economic growth. The government can resolve this problem by providing loans to those who wish to go to university instead. (398 words) - This is a very good sample written by student Le Chi at Pathways. - See more at: http://pathways.com.vn/vi/news-view/writing-task-2-sample-3- education#sthash.ETPjaRO9.dpuf Topic: 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, and would it be better if more good news was reported? The contents broadcasted by mass media (the television and the printing press in particular) is believed to have a significant effect on peoples thoughts and behaviour. Hence, various individuals and groups take interest in what appears in the media, but the ultimate decision lies with the news editor. This essay seeks to understand the pressure and the motivation that drives the editors. Furthermore, it is argued that people have become desensitised to negative news and it would be beneficial if positive news was reported more often. This stand point is also explored in this essay. There are inter-related influences that factor into a news editors decision, namely large corporations, the government, the audience and personal interest of the news editor. Firstly, it is often the case that large corporations have stakes in media companies. This serves their profit-making and political objectives. By releasing certain information the media can be a powerful tool to sway the public opinion in certain directions. Hence, political campaigns often involve a large amount of corporate and media contribution. In turn, the government does to some extent restrain the operations of media. News editors face pressure from these group on daily basis and their decisions are likely to be affect by this factor. Moreover, news editors are too certain extend compelled either on subconscious level by their education and background or purposefully by their personal stakes, such as career opportunities, which may compromise their objectivity when faced numerous opportunities to express their opinion publicly. Another factor is the audience interest, which varies from seeking knowledge and information, looking for interest and entertainment. Overall, news editors need to evaluate the consequence of news against the value of the news on the public. There is a concern that peoples level of tolerance for bad news has increased, which might have negative influence over their mind. It is even suggested that people have developed a taste for negative press that causes shocking and sensational gossip. Nevertheless, it is impertinent to ask the question where the bad news comes from, whether it is mere manipulation of the media to attract audience or the reports correspond to major events around the world. Although gossip magazines and tabloids do use negative press to attract audience, serious journalist focus on reporting important news. At the moment there are a lot of worrying developments around the world such as wars, recession natural disasters and climate change. The people that seek out negative press are only a minor group in the audience. People have become utterly desensitised to bad news, but that negative news is the natural outcome of the deteriorating development around the world making people more cautious and worry. Some advocate that the promotion of good news will have a positive impact on the society. For some people positive news may counteract the effect of negative news and help them to overcome the sense of pessimism. There is a large audience for positive and productive news that is not being adequately satisfied at the moment. All in all, there is a number of inter-related factors that have an impact on a news editors decision whether to publish something or not. Negative news is making more frequent appearance in the media, which has not diminished its profound impact on the audiences mind and hence more positive news should be reported in order to counter this force. (562 words) - This is a very good sample written by student Ha Ly at Pathways - See more at: http://pathways.com.vn/vi/news-view/writing-task-2-sample-4- media#sthash.wtbl4t1G.dpuf
Topic: As computers are being used more and more in education, there will be soon no role for teachers in the classroom. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? There is no doubt that education and the learning process has changed since the introduction of computers. The search for information has become easier and amusing, and connectivity has expedited the data availability. Though experts systems have made computers more intelligent, they have not yet become a substitute of the human interaction in the learning process. In my opinion what can be expected is a change of the teachers role, but not their disappearance from the classroom. Nobody can argue that the acquisition of knowledge is more fun and easier with computers. The mere activity of touching and exploring this device constitutes an enjoyable task for a child. This, accompanied by the relaxing attitude and software interactivity, usually contributes to a better grasping of new knowledge. At a higher educational level the availability of digital books, simulators and other academic materials provide the student with an ever accessible source of information, that otherwise would not be at hand. But, besides the increasing complexity and behavior of intelligent software, which is usually embedded in the academic digital material, the need for human interaction in the learning process will always be present, at least in the foreseeable future. There is the necessity for a human being to be able to determine what the specifics needs of each individual are. The expertise of a teacher in how to explain and adapt complex concepts to different individuals can hardly be mimicked by a computer, no matter how sophisticated its software is. As computers are becoming a common tool for teaching, teachers should be more aware of their role as guides in the acquisition of knowledge rather than transmitters of facts. They have to be open minded to the changes that are taking places, keep updated and serve as problem solvers in the learning process, thus allowing students to discover the fact for themselves. To summarize, in my personal view, teachers play and will continue to play an important role in the classroom, especially at the primary level. No matter how complex computers become, there will be no replacement for the human interaction, but in the way how this interaction takes place. (357 words) - This is a sample of a band 8. - See more at: http://pathways.com.vn/vi/news-view/writing-task-2-sample-5-computer-or- teachers-band-8#sthash.UZqFH7HZ.dpuf Topic: People in many countries today are encouraged to buy and more consumer products. Some people think that this development is good for the economy, while others think that it is very bad for society as a whole. Discuss both these views and give your opinion. Consumers now, through an increasingly more materialistic mentality along with mass marketing and sophisticated targeted and viral marketing, are encouraged to buy more. There is a pervasive anxiousness from some about the adverse impacts of this trend on individuals and society as a whole, while others claim that this development, from an economic and business perspective, instead brings a great array of long term benefits that can filter down to the individual level. Analysing this issue from an economic basis shows a clear positive cycle linking national economic growth and business development to higher standards of living for all in society. Firstly, if a greater demand for products is stimulated through the media via different forms of advertising, then manufacturers and producers will aim to meet this market need in the production of more goods. This then results in job growth, a greater range of employment options, and possibly higher job earnings for individuals in all industry levels. If a person has a higher earning potential than they have greater personal spending power and a greater amount of domestic spending, which is clearly good for the economy, along with greater prosperity for individuals are the final results. This trend of consumerism, however, does have its obvious downsides. Advertising permeates every facet of our lives through various direct and more subliminal means in the media. For some, a negative cycle of borrowing and spending, in the end leading to a debt trap, can have detrimental impacts on their lives. Though it is worth pointing out that overspending and an overly materialistic mindset does not affect the majority of people in our community, and for most individuals, addictive spending tendencies can be managed. From the issues outlined above, one can conclude that there is stronger evidence in favour of economic and societal benefits of encouraging people to buy increasingly more products. Uncontrolled spending and debt are negative consequences of this trend which only affect a small percentage of the population that cannot escape from the downward spiral of this spending trap. (339 words) - This is a sample of a band 9. - See more at: http://pathways.com.vn/vi/news-view/writing-task-2-sample-6-economy-band- 9#sthash.OPtx41J R.dpuf Topic: 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. Discussion both views. Graduating from high school, the young often wonder whether they ought to keep on studying further or not. Many people suppose that continuing to study at university or college can be the best way to guarantee their successful career, whereas others believe working right after school is much better. Working straight after graduation is beneficial in some ways. Firstly, young people are able to earn money as soon as possible. If they finish high school, they will be mature enough to live independently on their own income. It is common sense that having a job can prove ones maturity. Secondly, a person who chooses to get a job instead of studying higher is likely to progress rapidly in their career. This may bring about a good chance to obtain a lot of real experience and skills for their chosen profession. On the other hand, there are a variety of reasons why people have a tendency of choosing to continue education after high school. First, a college education will provide young people with more qualifications, which is what most employers expect these days. University graduates will probably get a much higher salary than those without university education. Furthermore, the job market is becoming more and more competitive. In fact, people would be well-advised to get a degree, as hundreds of applicants often chase the top jobs. It is an obvious advantage for university graduates. For example, graduate engineers in Vietnam are highly paid and find it easy to get a top job. In conclusion, it seems evident that both working right after school and choosing to continue higher study are advantageous in their own ways. - See more at: http://pathways.com.vn/vi/news-view/writing-task-2-sample-10-education-or- work-band-7#sthash.XVBI6juY.dpuf
opic: Educating children is expensive and in some countries the government pays some or all of the costs. Do the advantages of the government paying for children's education outweigh the disadvantages? Investing in education is investing in human intellectual capital, which in turn is vital to the creation of high-skilled workforce and the long-run development of a nation, however the question arises as to who should pay for this. To be more specific, should the government subsidise some or all of the costs or should we leave the cost to be funded privately? Some people claim that partial or completely subsidised primary and secondary school education, if it is entirely funded by the government, may diminish the incentive for students to strive harder. However this is not the case, as low cost or free education in fact offers significant opportunities for children from low-socio-economic groups or from rural areas, whom might not have access to academic schooling otherwise. There are numerous benefits stemming from this, namely bridging the gap between urban and rural areas, the rich and the poor, along with bringing more equal opportunities for people and creating a larger more highly qualified workforce for our society. On the other hand, there are some that allege that government subsidised public schools tend to be of poorer quality, both in facilities and teaching staff compared to private schools, and that they may suffer to a greater extent in an economic downturn, when the government needs to cut spending. This argument becomes quite lacking in the face of evidence of a consistently good level of quality public education in many countries over long periods of time. Although private education may provide a better educational environment on the whole, people still have the freedom of choice, from both tiers of private and public schooling, based on their finances and the type of education they need for their children. Taking all the views above into consideration, publicly funded education has overwhelming advantages as it makes learning available to the more disadvantaged groups in our society, hence contributing to equality of opportunities and utilisation of human resources in an economy. Therefore, it can be argued that the cost is justified in the light of present and future benefits. (343 words) - This is a very good sample written by student Ha Ly at Pathways (with assistance from her 1-1 teacher). - See more at: http://pathways.com.vn/vi/news-view/writing-task-2-sample-9-education-cost- band-85#sthash.QaIf12Uq.dpuf Topic: Some people believe that it is better for young people to begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather than secondary school. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages? Learning a foreign language such as English is increasingly becoming necessary and children are learning at younger ages than in the past, beginning in primary school. In my opinion, it is better for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather than secondary school. It's is very easy for young children to learn a new language because they absorb new ideas quickly and learn new skills faster than older ones. If they start learning a foreign language at an early age, they can get used to it and have more time to practice. Also, they can pronounce words correctly because they do not have a first language interference like adults typically do. Although in common knowledge, people believe primary school students are too young to learn a foreign language as they may get bored in the lesson and find it unnecessary, it all depends on the way they are taught. We can try to make the lesson interesting to attract the children to pay attention more and enjoy it. Some people claim that secondary school students can make better progress at learning foreign languages like English. Since they are older, they can focus more on their study and can get better results. But at school, they have more subjects to learn and work to do so they have difficulties in dividing their time to suit with their learning. As a result, although they are more mature, they still cannot learn foreign languages as easily as primary school students. People may also say students in secondary school can differentiate their mother tongue from the foreign language but there is no evidence for that statement. On the contrary, because they start learning at such a late time, they will mix up with their mother tongue and their pronunciation will be incorrect. It is also very hard for them to get used this new language. In conclusion, learning a foreign language at primary school has more advantages than learning at secondary school. (333 words) - This is a very good sample written by student Han Dinh (14 years old) at Pathways (with assistance from her 1-1 teacher) - See more at: http://pathways.com.vn/vi/news-view/writing-task-2-sample-8-age-and- education#sthash.E61yZNu6.dpuf
Topic: Living in big cities is bad for people's health. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Even though cities have become epicentre of human development, there is a genuine concern that city lifestyles and the pressures of modern living are resulting in negative consequences both mentally and physically. These thoughts are not unfounded; nonetheless, it is important to look at the matter from both sides. Numerous research studying the effect of urban lifestyle on the mental function and health have been conducted. It is argued that statistically there is a greater chance for a city dweller to suffer from some kind of mental disorder compared to people living in rural areas. There are some of factors that are suggested to be the cause of this, namely over-crowding and as a consequence, a greater amount of stress caused by traffic congestion and noise pollution on urban dwellers. Social disconnection and isolation are other issues for people living in city areas without a strong sense of community. As a result of these factors, people it can be seen can tend to become much more easily agitated, distressed and depressed, which may trigger more underlying problems related to behaviour and mood. Physical health is another issue that needs to be discussed in this context. Pollution here is the main concern as well as a lack of sufficient physical exercise. People living in cities spend much more time indoors as well, which deprives the body of important vitamins received from sunlight such a vitamin E. Although health awareness is increasing among the city population, the environment and lifestyle is, on the whole, fairly discouraging to physical health. All in all, there are both benefits and downsides to dwelling in the city. Although the impact may vary from person to person, from city to city and from one suburb to another, that being said, the conditions in the city can have an overwhelming negative impact on peoples wellbeing, and this needs to be recognised. (313 words) - This is a very good sample written by student Ha Ly at Pathways (with assistance from her 1-1 teacher) - See more at: http://pathways.com.vn/vi/news-view/writing-task-2-sample-7-place-and- health-band-85#sthash.MnOMciI8.dpuf