1.

The chart shows the average daily minimum and maximum levels of air pollutants in 4 cities
2000.

250

207
200
200
micrograms per m3

150 Min SO2

113 Max SO2

104 100 Min N2O
100
80
Max N2O
59 54
47 52
50 39
30 25
10 14
2
0
Los Angeles Calcutta Beijing Mexico City

Sample answer

The given bar chart presents the daily minimum and maximum levels of SO2 and N2O which
caused pollution in 4 different cities (Los Angeles, Calcutta, Beijing and Mexico City) in the year
2000. Overall, Mexico City was by far the most contaminated by the two mentioned pollutants
among the four cities.

In Los Angeles, the quantity of SO2 emitted into the atmosphere was the lowest of all cities,
with a minimum average of 2 micro-grams per m3 and a maximum average five times as much,
at 10 micro-grams. The levels of N2O emissions were much higher with the maximum daily
average level reaching up to more than 100 micro-grams per m3. Meanwhile, the atmosphere
in Mexico City was severely polluted by SO2 and N2O emissions with the daily minimum and
maximum averages of 80 and 113 micro-grams per m3 respectively.

In contrast to Los Angeles and Mexico City, the amount of pollution caused by N2O in Calcutta
and Beijing was less than that caused by SO2. The daily average maximum figures for SO2
emissions were 59 micro-grams per m3 in Calcutta and 130 micro-grams per m3 in Beijing while
the average maximum figures for N2O were just over 50 micro-grams per m3 in both cities.

by ZIM
2. The chart shows the proportion of renewable energy in total energy supply in 4 countries
from 1997 to 2010.

80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Australia Sweden Iceland Turkey

1997 2000 2010

Sample answer

The given bar chart presents data about the percentages of renewable energy with regards to
the total energy production in four different countries (Australia, Sweden, Iceland and Turkey)
in three years; 1997, 2000 and 2010.

Overall, Sweden and Iceland witnessed an upward trend in the use of renewable energy
sources in the three examined years. It can also be seen that among the four countries, this
type of energy was most popular in Iceland.

In 1997, almost half of the total energy produced in Iceland came from renewable resources.
This figure continued to climb steadily to 60% in 2000 and more than 70% in 2010. Meanwhile,
in 1997, only approximately 5% of the entire amount of energy produced was generated from
natural resources in Sweden, who experienced a similar trend to that of Iceland in regards to
proportion of renewable energy produced.

Regarding Australia, nearly 10% of the energy supply was from renewable resources in 1997,
and this figure decreased slightly to around 5% in 2010. Similarly, the percentage of renewable
energy used in Turkey experienced a decline over the years from approximately 37% in 1997
down to just under 35% in 2010.

by ZIM
3.

Food
45
40
35
30
25
1998
20
2008
15
10
5
0
France Germany England

Other goods
45
40
35
30
25
1998
20
2008
15
10
5
0
France Germany England
Sample answer

The given bar charts indicate the proportion of money that people in France, Germany and
England spent on food and other products in 1998 and 2008.

Overall, it can be seen that all three countries saw significant increases in the proportion of
purchases of both food and other goods over the examined period.

In 1998, approximately 15% and 10% of the money French citizens spent was on foodstuffs
and other goods, respectively. After 10 years, figures for both categories dramatically climbed
to 40%. In Germany, there was a mild increase of 5% of money spent on food, at 25% in 1998,
and 30% in 2008. The figures for money spent on other goods were approximately 5% lower
during the same years.

In England however, buyers spent only 10% on food in 1998 and 15% in 2008. Meanwhile, the
figures for money spent on other goods experienced a surge from about 8% in 1998 to 35% in
2008.

by ZIM
4. The charts below give information on the ages of people when they got married in one
particular country in 1996 and 2008.

Age when getting married (by age group) 1996

14

12
%people getting married

10

8
Female
6 Male

0
16 - 19 20 - 24 25 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 40 - 44

Age when getting married (by age group) 2008

14

12
%people getting married

10

8
Female
6 Male

0
16 - 19 20 - 24 25 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 40 - 44
Sample answer

The bar charts compare the percentages of males and females, in a particular country, getting
married according to six different age groups (16-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44), in
1996 and 2008.

It is clear that the proportion of both men and women getting married under the age of 30
decreased slightly, while the opposite was true for those aged 30 and older. In addition, 25-29
was the most popular age range for women to get married, while for men it was 30-34 and 35-
39.

In both years, 16-19 year olds were the lowest percentage of people getting married, with
women at less than 0.5% in 1996 and about 1% in 2008. Noticeably, no men in this age group
got married. The figures for those aged 20-24 also reduced over the years from approximately
6% to 3% for women and just over 2% to just under 2% for men. Meanwhile, the figure for 25-
29 year old women remained unchanged at about 12%, as opposed to a slight drop to 8% in
the figure for men.

Regarding older age groups, a considerable rise to 8% and 11% respectively could be seen in
the proportion of 30-34 year old females and males getting married. However, while the
number of men who got married aged 35-39 increased by 4%, to 11% in 2008, only 3% of
women in that age group married in 2008. Finally, the figures for both genders in the 40-45 age
group remained relatively unchanged over the examined period.

by ZIM
5. The chart below shows the number of films produced five countries in three years.

100

90

80

70

60
2007
50
2008
40 2009
30

20

10

0
A B C D E

Sample answer

The bar chart provides information about movie production in five different countries (labelled
A-E) from 2007 to 2009.

Overall, country A had the highest number of films produced. It is also notable that while there
was a decline in the figures for country A and D, the opposite was true for those of country B,
C and E.

In 2007, around 86 films were made by country A. The figure remained unchanged one year
later before slightly decreasing to exactly 80 films in 2009. Starting at about 15 movies in 2007,
the number of films released by country D fell to just under 10 in 2008 and rose again to 12 in
2009.

However, the opposite trend could be seen in the figures for the other countries. Between
2007 and 2009, the number of movies made by country B witnessed a rise of 20 movies from
50 films to 70 films. Similarly, despite standing at only under 10 films in 2007, the number of
movies made by country C underwent a gradual increase to 18 movies by 2009. As for country
E, the figure only experienced a minimal rise from around 9 movies in 2007 to 11 in 2009.

by ZIM
6. The bar chart below shows the percentage of government spending on roads and transport
in 4 countries in the years 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005.

Percentage of government spending on road and transport

(1990 - 2005)
30

25

20
1990
Percentage

15 1995
2000
10
2005
5

0
Italia Portugal UK USA

Sample answer

The given bar chart shows the proportion of government expenditure on road and transport in
four countries (Italy, Portugal, UK, USA) every five years between 1990 and 2005.

Overall, it can be seen that governments in mainland Europe spent far more money on roads
and transport than those in the UK and USA. It is also clear that the UK spent the least amount
of money on roads and transport in all measured years.

In 1990, Portugal spent the most amount of money on roads and transport at approximately
27%, followed by Italy at about 22%, while the USA and UK both spent only around 10% of
their government budget. In 1995 however, all countries reduced their road and transport
spending by between 1-3%.

By 2000 while Portugal continued to reduce its road and transport spending down to around
22%, Italy had increased its spending to approximately 23%, overtaking Portugal as the leading
spender on transport infrastructure in 2000. The UK and USA had both increased spending in
2000 by about 3%. In 2005, all countries except USA further reduced their spending with
Portugal, Italy, UK and the USA at 20%, 19%, 8% and 15% respectively.

by ZIM
7. The chart shows information about the actual and expected figures of population in three
cities, Jakarta, Sao Paulo, and Shanghai.

Population size (1990 - 2000)

Jakarta

Shanghai

Sao Paulo

0 5 10 15 20 25
In millions

1990 2000 in prediction 2000 actual figures

Sample answer

The given bar chart illustrates the population of Jakarta, Shanghai and Sao Paulo in 1990, as
well as the estimated and actual figures of the populations in 2000.

Overall, the population figures were highest for Sao Paulo, while Jakarta had the lowest number
of inhabitants. Also, there were significant differences in the predicted and actual figures for
2000 in all countries.

Starting at around 17 million people in 1990, the population of Sao Paulo, the most populous
area of the three examined cities, was expected to rise by about 4 million over the next decade.
Likewise, forecasts estimated that the figure for Jakarta would also experience an increase of
2 million to reach 11 million in 2000, while that of Shanghai would decrease slightly to 11 million
people.

The actual figures, however, implied a considerable growth in the populations of all cities. To
be specific, Sao Paulo’s population reached nearly 25 million after ten years, while there were
about 3 million more residents in Jakarta. At the same time, Shanghai’s figure which was
projected to decrease slightly turned out to soar to 15 million in 2000.

by ZIM
8.

Waste disposal in one European country (2005 - 2008)

2000
1800
average amount - million tonnes

1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
2005 2006 2007 2008

Landfill Burning Dumping at sea

Sample answer

The bar chart details the amount of waste that was disposed via landfill, burning and dumping
at sea, in a particular European country between 2005 and 2008.

Overall, it can be seen that while landfills initially were the main method of waste disposal and
burning the least used method, the trend slowly reversed over the four-year period.

In 2005, disposing of waste via landfill was significantly the most preferred method of disposal
with 1800 million tonnes of trash being buried. The amount of trash dumped at sea was only a
third of this, at 600 million tonnes, while the amount of trash that was burnt was around 500
million tonnes. In 2006 the amount of waste buried in landfills had reduced substantially by 600
million tonnes, to 1200, however the amount of waste that was burnt or disposed of at sea only
increased by 50-100 million tonnes.

In 2007, the waste the was buried and dumped at sea both dropped to about 900 and 600
million tonnes respectively, while the amount of trash burnt rose to around 700 million tonnes.
By 2008, burning of waste was the preferred method of disposal, at 900 million tonnes, with
landfill waste down to only 600 million tonnes, a third of the figure from four years earlier, and
only approximately 550 million tonnes of waste dumped at sea.

by ZIM
9. The bar shows the percentage of people going to cinemas in one European country on
different days.

50

45

40

35

30
2003
25
2005
20 2007

15

10

0
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

Sample answer

The chart illustrates the proportion of people visiting a cinema during seven days of the week
in a European nation from 2003 to 2007.

It is clear that there were only small fluctuations in people’s preference of which day to go to
the cinema over the examined period. People in this country tended to go to the cinema on the
weekend rather than on Monday to Friday.

In 2003, 40% of people went to cinemas on a Saturday, compared to 30% on Friday or Sunday
each. On the other days, the proportion of movie-goers was higher on Tuesday, at 20%, while
the lowest figure can be seen on Monday, at only 10%.

Over the next four years, the percentage of people going to the cinema on weekends increased
slightly to 45% 35% for Saturday and Sunday respectively. Similarly, Thursday and Monday
became more popular among cinema-goers, with about 2% more people choosing these days.
However, fewer people went to see movies on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the figures falling
to 19% and 9% respectively. Finally, the proportion of movie-goers choosing to go to the
cinema on a Friday remained at 30% during the three examined years.

by ZIM
10. The chart below shows the percentage of the population in the UK who consumed the
recommended daily amount of fruit and vegetables in 2002, 2006 and 2010.

35%
32%

30% 28%
27%
25%
25% 24%
22%

20%
16%
15% 14%

11%
10%

5%

0%
2002 2006 2010

Men Women Children

Sample answer

The chart illustrates the percentage of men, women and children who consumed the
recommended amount of fruit and vegetables on a daily basis in three different years.

Overall, women came out first in term of fruit and vegetable consumption while the opposite
was true for children.

In all three years, there was a small difference in the percentage of males and females who
consumed enough fruit and vegetables every day. The highest figure for women was 32% in
2006 compared to 28% of men. 2010 witnessed the second highest rank for both women and
men’s figures. While 27% of women consumed fruit and vegetables, the percentage of men
was 24%. And the smallest figure for both women and men, which was nearly the same as the
2010 figures, was recorded in 2002.

The smallest percentage of people consuming the daily recommended amount of fruit and
vegetables was children with only 11% in 2002, half as much as that of men and women in the
same year. Following that, the figure for children slightly increased to 16% in 2006 before
falling marginally to 14% in the last year.

by ZIM
11. The chart below shows the annual pay (thousands of US dollars) for doctors and other
workers in seven countries in 2004.

The US

Switzerland

Finland

Germany

Czech

Italy

France

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140

Doctors Other workers

Sample answer

The bar chart compares seven countries regarding the yearly payment for doctors and other
jobs in the year 2004.

It is clear that doctors generally made more money than other types of work in each country
during the research period. Also, the average incomes of American doctors and other workers
were the highest among the seven nations.

The US doctors earned the largest amount of money compared to those in the other six
countries, receiving nearly $120,000, while the figures for Switzerland and France were
significantly lower, at close to 70,000 each. In contrast, there was only about $50,000 earned
by doctors in Finland, as opposed to doctors in the other countries, who received around
$61,000 each.

Regarding the average salaries of other workers, the amount of money earned by other workers
in the US, at approximately $45,000 and in Switzerland, at exactly $40,000 was higher than in
any of the other nations. Roughly $30,000 was given to French other workers, about $5,000
higher than that of Finnish counterparts. By contrast, the figures for the remaining countries
were lowest, at exactly $20,000 each.

by ZIM
12. The chart shows the proportion of people in a UK survey carried out in three different
years who said they were interested in certain sports.

foot

swim

rugby
2005
2000
snooker 1995

tennis

golf

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Sample answer

The bar chart shows the percentage of UK residents interested in six different sports, in three
years (1995, 2000 and 2005).

It is clear that walking was by far the most popular physical activity in all surveyed years, while
golf was the least popular activity. Additionally, the percentages of people who enjoyed
walking, swimming and rugby increased, whereas the figures for those who enjoyed other
sports decreased over the measured years.

In 1995, walking was the most popular activity, chosen by 40% of the survey participants, while
playing snooker and tennis accounted for around 30%. In contrast, about 23% of people chose
swimming, while only 18% said they were interested in golf. Meanwhile, approximately 25% of
survey respondents chose rugby as their preferred sport.

In 2005, slightly more people preferred walking, with the figure rising to just under 45%, but
there was a significant decline in the figures for tennis and snooker, to about 22% each. The
figures for golf remained the same, at around 15%, as opposed to the figures for swimming and
rugby, which experienced considerable gains in popularity to over 25% each. (by ZIM)
13. The chart below show the number of magazines sold per person in five countries in 2000
and 2010, with projected sales for 2020.

Number of magazine sold per person

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Country A Country B Country C Country D Country E

2000 2010 2020

Sample answer

The bar chart compares five different countries in terms of the number of magazines sold per
individual in two years 2000 and 2010, with projections for 2020.

It is clear that while the number of magazines sold in country D increases, the opposite is true
for the other countries. Additionally, the figure for country B is largest, as opposed to the lowest
figure which can be seen in country E.

In 2000, a resident in country B sold nearly 50 magazines, while just under 50 units and 40
units were sold by an individual in country A and C respectively. In contrast, there were nearly
20 magazines sold by country D, compared to only approximately 6 by country E. In 2010, the
quantities of magazines sold in country A, B and C fell slightly, whereas the other countries saw
the opposite trends in their figures.

In 2020, it is predicted that the number of magazines sold in country B, country C and country
E decrease minimally by around 1 each, while that of country D rises by similar number.
Meanwhile, there was a considerable fall to under 40 in the figure for country A.

by ZIM
14. The chart below shows the number of passengers who used public transport in
Somewhere town from 2012 to 2015.

Train Bus Tram

2015

2014

2013

2012

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Sample answer

The chart illustrates how many passengers used three different means of public transport in
Somewhere town, between 2012 and 2015.

Overall, the number of passengers using Tram saw the biggest growth. Additionally, the figures
for train passengers decreased over the period, while the number of bus passengers fluctuated
slightly.

In 2012, the number of commuters using trains was the highest, at over 75,000 passengers,
compared to around 55,000 bus passengers, and approximately 15,000 passengers using trams.
However, in 2015, while the number of passengers on buses remained the same, trams had
become the most used form of transport, at around 95,000 passengers, with figures for train
passengers dropping to around 60,000 people.

Additionally, the trends of passengers in 2013 and 2014 were similar, although there was an
increase in the total numbers of passengers for each form of transport over the two years.
Buses were the most popular form of public transport during these years, followed by trains,
and finally trams.

by ZIM
15. The bar chart below shows the number of houses built per year in two cities, Derby and
Nottingham, between 2000 and 2009.

The number of houses built per year in the cities of

Derby and Nottingham
400

350

300

250

200 Derby
Nottingham
150

100

50

0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Sample answer

The graph compares two cities in England namely Derby and Nottingham in terms of the
number of houses built each year, from 2000 to 2009.

Overall, both sets of figures for Derby and Nottingham witnessed an upward trend over the
ten-year period. However, while the number of houses built each year in Derby either increased
or stayed the same, the figures for Nottingham saw greater fluctuations.

In 2000, the number of newly built homes in Derby was just under 50, and steadily increased
over the next three years to reach around 125 houses in 2003. The figures then remained the
same for the next four years before dramatically increasing in 2008 and 2009, to reach a figure
of approximately 350 homes by the end of the period.

However, the figures for Nottingham followed a rather different pattern. Between 2000 and
2005 the figures for newly built homes fluctuated around 50, before dropping to almost 0 in
2006. A large increase of almost 200 newly built houses was seen in 2007, but the figure then
once again dropped to around 10 houses in 2008. 2009 witnessed another surge in the number
of new houses, with the figure peaking at 250. (by ZIM)
16. The bar chart below shows the percentage of people living alone in five different age
groups in the USA between 1850 and 2000.

People living alone in the USA between 1850 and 2000

18

16

14

12

10

0
1850 1900 1950 2000

17-26 27-36 37-46 47-54 55-64

Sample answer

The bar chart illustrates the proportion of people who lived by themselves in the USA, in five
different age groups (17-26, 27-36, 37-46, 47-54, and 55-64), in 1850, 1900, 1950 and 2000.

Overall, the percentage of Americans aged 55-64 who lived alone were highest in all measured
years. In addition, figures for all age groups increased over the period.

The percentages of those living alone aged 37-46, 47-54, and 55-64 all followed similar trends
over the measured period. There were significant increases in these figures beginning at around
2%, 2% and approximately 3% in 1850, and ending at around 7%, 13% and 17% respectively,
in 2000.

Additionally, Americans aged 27-36 did not start living alone until 1900, beginning at just over
2%, and rising to around 8% in 2000. Furthermore, Americans aged 17-26 also did not start to
live by themselves until around 1950, beginning at around 2% and increasing to approximately
5% in 2000.

by ZIM
17. The graph shows estimated oil production capacity for several Gulf countries between
1990 and 2010.

Oil Production Capacity

(Estimated)
16

14
Millions of barrels per day

12

10 1990

8 2000
2005
6
2010
4

0
Iran Iraq Kuwait Qatar Saudi Arabia UAE

Sample answer

The bar chart illustrates oil generation in six different nations from 1990 and 2010.

It is clear that the amount of oil produced in all countries increased except for Qatar, and that
Saudi Arabia saw the biggest change in its capacity. Additionally, while Saudi Arabia was the
largest oil manufacturing country over the period shown.

In 1990, Saudi Arabia was a leading oil producer as the amount registered over 8 million barrels,
while Iran produced about 3 million barrels. In contrast, there were just under 2 million barrels
generated in Kuwait, compared to only nearly 1 million barrels in Quatar. Meanwhile, the figures
for Irag and UAE were relatively similar, at around 2 million barrels each. In 2000, the quantity
of oil created in UAE remained unchanged, but the other countries experienced slight increases
in their figures.

In 2010, marginally more oil was produced in Iran, Irad, and UAE as illustrated by rises to around
4 million barrels each, whereas the figure for Kuwatt reached well under that amount. In
contrast, there was a dramatically growth in the figure for Saudi Arabia to over 14 million
barrels, while Quatar’s figure still stayed extremely low at under 1 million barrels.

by ZIM
18. The bar chart shows the percentage of the total world population in 4 countries in 1950
and 2003, and projections for 2050

The percentage of total of world population

25
%

20

15
1950
2002
10 2050

0
India China USA Japan

Sample answer

The bar chart illustrates the proportion of global population in four nations in two years 1950
and 2002, and also predictions for 2050.

It is clear that while the percentages of population in India increases, the reverse is true for the
other countries over the period shown. Additionally, China and India have highest proportions
of population, whereas the figure for Japan is by far lowest during the research period.

In 1950, China was the most populous nation with the figure registering around 23%, while the
Indian population accounted for 15% of world population. In contrast, about 7% of people in
the world were from the USA, compared to only less than 5% from Japan. In 2002, the rate of
the Indian population rose slowly, while China, the US and Japan all saw declines in their
figures.

In 2050, India is predicted to have the largest population as illustrated by an increase to nearly
20%. By contrast, the proportions of population in China and Japan are projected to decrease
to 15% and about 2% respectively. Meanwhile, the figure for the USA is likely to remain the
same, at 5%. (by ZIM)
19. Bar chart

Estimated percentage of car trips

by purpose and gender of drivers, 2005

Courses

Visiting town

Bank

Running Errands

Visiting friends

Recreation

Work

Shopping

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Men Women

Sample answer

The bar chart compares the percentage of car trips made by male and female drivers for eight
different purposes in 2005.

It can be seen that commuting to work was the most common reason for car travel for both
males and females. Meanwhile, visiting town, recreation, going to the bank, running errands,
and visiting friends were the reasons for car travel that saw the biggest difference between the
percentages of men and women doing these activities.

In 2005, 52% of men travelled to work by car, which was about 13% higher than that of women
for the same purpose. By contrast, slightly more women than men went on car trips for
shopping, with 16% and 10%, respectively. Similarly, the percentages of men and women
driving to courses were fairly similar, at 8% and 12% respectively.

The percentage of each gender was considerably different with regards to other purposes. The
percentage of men who made car trips to visit town, at 9%, and for recreation, at 11%, were
nearly three times more than that of women for each purpose. While cars were used by around
8% to 10% of women for going to the bank, running errands, and visiting friends, approximately
4% of men used a car for the same purpose.

by ZIM
20. Bar chart

How often do you change your car?

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Every Year Every 2 Year Every 3-4 Year Every 5 Year or Never change No car
more

What car do you buy?

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
New Second-hand Sometimes new/Sometimes No car
Second-hand
Sample answer

The bar charts display the results from a 2009 survey regarding people’s automobile purchasing
habits in a European country.

Overall, it can be seen that the majority of consumers tended to purchase a new car after five
years or more of using their old vehicle. Meanwhile, secondhand cars were the most popular
choice with regards to the type of vehicle purchased.

The first bar chart shows that approximately 52% of people in this particular country changed
cars after 5 or more years, and roughly 37% changed cars after 3-4 years. About 5% of people
changed cars every two years, 1% of people changed every year, and approximately 3% of
people never changed. Furthermore, about 2% of people didn’t even own a car.

With regards to the type of vehicle purchased, approximately 68% of people chose to buy
second-hand cars, while about 25% bought brand new vehicles. In addition, roughly 10% of
people sometimes purchased either new or second-hand cars.

by ZIM
21. The chart show fresh fruit exports in 2010.

Oranges Lemons
United States Argentina
Egypt Mexico
South Africa Turkey

0 500 1000 1500 0 200 400 600

Exports (in 1000 metric tons) Exports (in 1000 metric tons)

Other types of citrus fruits

Grapefruits
United States
Turkey
South Africa Israel

United States Mexico

0 50 100 150 200 250 0 100 200 300 400 500

Exports (in 1000 metric tons) Exports (in 1000 metric tons)

Sample answer

The charts compare different types of citrus fruit exports from a number of different countries
in 2010.

Overall, oranges were by far the fruit that was exported the most, in terms of weight, followed
by lemons and then grapefruits.

Orange exports were the highest, with South Africa exporting just over 1 million metric tons.
Egypt and the US also exported a large amount of oranges, at 900,000 and 700,000 metric tons
respectively. With regards to lemon exports, Turkey was the main exporter, with 500,000
metric tons, followed by Mexico and Argentina, at approximately 440,000 and 260,000 metric
tons.

Grapefruits were the third most commonly exported fruit, with the US and South Africa both
exporting around 230,000 tons, while Turkey managed to export around 50,000 tons less than
those countries. In terms of other types of citrus fruits, Mexico was responsible for 450,000
metric tons of exports. The US and Israel made minimal contributions in comparison.

by ZIM
22. Bar chart

Percentage of different type of waste recycled

Glass

Paper

Cans

Plastic

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

2002 1997 1992

Sample answer

The bar chart compares the recycling rates of four different kinds of waste material (plastic,
cans, paper, and glass) in a city, from 1992 to 2002.

It is clear that the percentage of all types of recycled waste generally increased over the period.
While glass was the most recycled waste material, the opposite was true for plastic during the
majority of the period.

Paper and glass were the two most recycled types of waste material during most of the period.
Beginning at approximately 14% and 15% respectively, both figures rose considerably to 21%
and 29% five years later. By the end of the period, the recycling rates of paper and glass were
almost double that of plastic and cans, at approximately 40% and 50%.

Plastic and cans were recycled far less, with the figures beginning at around 10% and 18%
respectively, in 1992. While the figure for plastic slightly increased by about 2% in 1997, the
figure for cans dropped by about half. In 2002, the figure for recycled plastic remained the
same, however, the amount of cans recycled jumped back up to around 20%. (by ZIM)
ZI
M
ZI
M