Report

The Council wants to improve the sports facilities in your town. You have been
asked to conduct a survey of the opinions of local people and prepare a report
suggesting which facilities to focus on.
In your report:
• say what sports are most popular among the people surveyed
• say what people think about the facilities available now
• suggest what new sports facilities should be provided to encourage interest in
sports.
Write your report in 220-260 words.

Sports facilities: present and future

Introduction
Two hundred residents were questioned about their use of sports facilities in the
town and their views on these facilities. The report outlines the most popular sports
among those questioned, assesses satisfaction with facilities, and makes suggestions
for future developments.

Popular sports
Only 20% o f the people questioned have used sports facilities in the town within
the last year, although over 70% said they did some sport in their last year at
school. The most popular sports among men are football and squash. Women prefer
swimming, dance or the use of fitness centres. The number of men using fitness
centres is small, even though the council has targeted men in its recent 'Keeping fit’
campaign.

Current facilities
The public are generally satisfied with existing facilities, although a number o f
people consider the leisure centre in need of refurbishment. The council is / are to
make a decision on this soon. It was pointed out that many of the facilities in the
town are becoming increasingly run-down; for example, the tennis courts and the
golf course. One person pointed out that 90% of funding for sports facilities comes
from local taxes, and that taxes were already very high.

Future developments
In my view, the council should invest in facilities for team sports such as volleyball,
hockey and rugby, to enable people to continue playing sports they enjoyed in
school after they leave. A new campaign should be launched to attract men to
fitness centres. The council should also consider outside sponsorship from local
businesses to fund better facilities.
Report
The Principal of your college is concerned that many students have part-time jobs
and that these are interfering with their studies. As the student representative on
the staff-student committee, you have been asked by the Principal to interview 50
students and write a report of your findings. Here is his note outlining what he
wants you to find out. Write your report in 220-260 words.

Report on part-time employment

Types of employment
Forty-eight of the 50 students interviewed had a part-time job, with 75% working in
shops. Four students were involved in education: three taught musical instruments
and one helped in a school for disabled children. The remaining eight did
babysitting. The students worked between 2 and 20 hours a week. Those in shops
worked longest, 15 hours on average, while those doing babysitting had less regular
hours. Most weeks they do very little work, but occasionally work up to four nights
per week.

Negative effects
Many of the students said their work made them stressed. They felt tired at college
and unable to complete their work to the best of their ability. A few also mentioned
that they had less time for relaxation.

Advantages
All of the students interviewed felt that a part-time job gave them independence and
awareness of the value of money. Some noted that as their parents were not well-off
it was the only way to get money for leisure activities. Many of them said that it
would be advantageous when applying to university and to jobs in later life, and
students working with children felt that their jobs were very rewarding.
Recommendations
The most negative comments came from students who worked longer, inflexible
hours in shops. Those working fewer hours a week, on the other hand, said they felt
less stress and that they gained more from their work. I therefore suggest that
students should be advised to spend no more than 10 hours a week in part-time
employment.
Report
Your company sent five senior managers to a language school in Britain this year
to improve their English. Read this message from your Director, on which you have
made some notes, and the comments made by the managers. Use this information
to write a report for your Director. Write your report in 180-220 words.

Report on English language course

Introduction
This report is based upon feedback from the five managers who attended the
English language course in Britain this year.

Teaching and accommodation

The course lasted three weeks, with 75 hours of tuition. All participants felt that the
teaching was excellent, and most said that with a longer course they would have
made even more progress. Participants stayed with local families, and most thought
this arrangement was successful. However, one manager complained that the food
was poor.

Social activities
These included weekend trips arranged by the school, and informal evening
activities organised by students. The participants said that all of these were
enjoyable, although some pointed out that they were expensive.

Problems
In addition to those mentioned, some participants grumbled that the school was
disorganised; for example, classrooms were often changed.
Recommendations
The overall cost was £2340 per person, and this seems reasonable value for money.
However, this figure excluded social activities, books and midday meals, and some
participants reported that these extra costs were a problem. My recommendation is
that the exercise should be repeated with the same school for one more year for
three weeks, but we should ask the school to include social activities and books in
the figure of £2340. If they disagree, then we should try a different school.
Report
A new out-of-town shopping centre has been built near your town. It includes over
a hundred shops, restaurants and a cinema. You work for your town council. You
have been asked to write a report on the impact of the centre on transport, on the
environment, on people’s shopping habits and on shops and recreational facilities
in the town centre. Write your report in 300-350 words.

‘The Meadows’ out-of-town shopping centre: a report on its impact on Fairfield

Introduction

The aims of this report are to identify the impact of the new out-of- town shopping
centre, The Meadows on:
• transport
• the environment
• people’s shopping habits
• shops and recreational facilities in the centre of Fairfield.

Transport
Overall, there has been a positive impact on transport facilities. This is mainly due
to the expansion of bus and tram services, providing easy access to The Meadows
for customers. These services are regular, punctual and popular with users.

Environment
There have been some negative environmental impacts:
• The construction of The Meadows has destroyed a huge area of land, previously
occupied by fields, trees and grasslands. The dam age to the ecosystem is
considerable, although difficult to measure. Furthermore, the physical attractiveness
of the area has been substantially reduced.
• The increase in traffic has not only led to more exhaust pollution, damaging the
nearby natural environment further, but also noise pollution, which disturbs local
people and wildlife.

However, there have also been positive effects:

• The implementation o f modern, clean public transport systems along with the
limit placed on the number of cars that can access The Meadows, have encouraged
more people to use public transport.

Shopping habits
When asked where they prefer to shop since the building of the new centre, an
overwhelming majority of people chose The Meadows. The main reasons given
were:
• Good accessibility
• A wide variety of shops available
• The proximity of shops to recreational facilities such as cinemas and restaurants
• A more pleasant shopping environment than in the town centre
• Longer opening hours.

Impact on Fairfield town centre

The presence of the new shopping centre has caused a slight reduction in the
amount of business conducted by shops and recreational facilities in Fairfield town
itself. However, as far as it is possible to tell at this stage, the new facilities have
not had a significant negative impact on the economy of the town centre.
An international research group is carrying out an investigation into the housing
situation for young people around the world. You have been asked by the group to
write a report about your country, including the following points:
• the different housing options available in your country for young people in their
early 20s
• the problems faced by young people with each option
• possible future changes in the housing situation for young people in your country

The housing situation for young people in my country

Introduction

The aim of this report is to examine the various housing options open to people in
their early 20s in my country and the difficulties encountered with each one. It will
also consider likely future developments in the housing situation for young people
here.

Buying a property
Property speculation and soaring inflation have put house prices out of reach of the
majority of first-time buyers. The few who do manage to raise the money for the
deposit on a small flat, are likely to experience problems obtaining a mortgage.
Banks are unwilling to lend money to anyone without a permanent contract,
something which most young workers can only dream of.

Renting
An obvious alternative is to rent a property. However, rents, like house prices, have
risen dramatically, forcing low-earners to share. For many 20-somethings this can
prove an enjoyable experience, but some soon discover that they are not suited to
living with others. Local authorities provide some low-cost rented accommodation
specifically for young single people, but this tends to be in very short supply.

Living with parents

It is hardly surprising, then, that a significant proportion of school and college
leavers opt to continue living in the parental home until they have saved enough
money to buy a place of their own. This may take some time, however, and friction
between parents and children can result.

Future developments
As long as house prices continue to increase, the outlook for young people here will
remain bleak. Only a substantial fall in property values will improve the situation
and this seems unlikely in the near future.
Your local council is conducting a review into sporting activities with the aim of
encouraging more people to take part in sport. You agree to write a report
describing the existing level of participation in sporting activities in your area
including factors which discourage people from taking part in sport, and
recommending ways of encouraging more people to take up a sport.

Participation in Sport in Santa Maria

Introduction
The aims of this report are to provide an overview of participation in sporting
activities in my local community, indicate factors which discourage people from
taking part in sport and make recommendations as to how greater participation in
sport might be achieved.

Current situation
I interviewed people from 13 to 82 living in Santa Maria. Fewer than half took part
in any sporting activity. Among those who did do sport, football was the most
popular followed by individual keep-fit activities such as jogging, aerobics and
swimming. Tennis was popular among older people because of its social nature,
while basketball and martial arts were least popular.

Factors preventing fuller participation

There was a clear division between those who already took part in sport and those
who did not. The former cited cost of equipment and lack of facilities, e.g. tennis
courts and good football pitches as the main factors preventing them from doing
more. Those who did not play a sport, on the other hand, cited dislike of
competitive sports and lack of time as the main reasons. Some described the poor
quality of facilities in changing rooms as an off-putting factor.

Recommendations
In my opinion, encouraging those who currently take no part in sports should be a
priority. I recommend
 organising an advertising campaign in order to promote keep-fit activities
rather than team games
 introducing new activities such as water aerobics at times when people are
free
 upgrading facilities currently considered to be poor. Those who already do
some sporting activity will be encouraged to do more if current sporting
facilities are upgraded.