WRITING COMPONENT

APTIS ADVANCED - EXAM VERSION 2

PART 1

In this part you will have a social network-type interaction. You will receive three
questions and need to respond. Use 30-40 words.

“You are a member of a History club. You are talking to some other members in a
chat room. Talk to them using full sentences”.

SAM: Why did you join it?

Hi! Well, I’ve always been a bit nerdy about History. I think it’s very important to know
what’s happened in previous times so we don’t make the same mistakes. Also, I love
meeting people with similar interests.

MIGUEL: Tell us about the history of your country.

My country is extremely rich when it comes to culture and geography. We have four
different official languages and all kinds of landscapes; from the most beautiful
mountains to the most concurred beaches. It’s lovely!

MICHELLE: What is your favorite historical character and why?

My favourite historical character is Socrates. He used to annoy everybody by letting

them realise how little their knowledge about everything was. He was a bit like
Colombo but in Ancient Greece.

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PART 2

In this part you will read an email from an authority. You need to respond to the
email in 120-150 words, using the notes provided, expressing how you feel about the
situation.

Dear Customer

We are currently assessing the state and service of our supermarket and we would like
your input. If possible, would you kindly email us any and all problems you feel we
have to rectify.

We thank you for your patience and continued support.

Kind Regards,

Notes:
a) young staff. not trained enough. offer more training
b) the background music is too loud. annoying. Classical music?
c) Products badly organized. Difficult to find. System?

Dear Sir or Madam

I am writing in reference to your previous email in which you request my opinion on the
state and service of your supermarket.

Firstly, I would like to mention that I think the staff are too young and inexperienced. I
would therefore recommend providing specific training time for them to ensure a
better service.

Secondly, I highly recommend supervising the music as it is always too loud and the
music selection frankly irritating when you are trying to acquire your basic groceries.
Would there be the possibility of playing more soothing music like classical music?

Finally, I need to point out that the products are badly displayed. It becomes quite
tedious to find what you need at the present moment. Could you think of a better
system to organize all the items?

Should you need further information, do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours faithfully

Mohammed

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PART 3

In this part you will write an article for a website that is both informative and
interesting. Notes about the topic are provided and you need to use the information
to help write the article. The article needs to be between 180 and 220 words.
“CCTV Surveillance Cameras”
- Proof in criminal cases
- Crime rate reduction
- London with the highest number
- Privacy invasion
- High installing cost
City Cameras
London 80 000
Stockholm 8 000
San Francisco 8 000

CCTV Surveillance cameras; security or invasion of privacy?

Have you ever thought about the impact that CCTV cameras may have in our daily
lives? It was in George Orwell’s novel “1984” where a life without privacy and total
state control became a reality and, as far-fetched as it may have seemed in previous
years, people are wondering today whether that was not a simple science-fiction novel.

While it is true that in many occasions these cameras have been an asset in different
ways, many people keep questioning whether it is moral to fill a city with these
artefacts. Only in London we can find 80.000 of them. This contrasts greatly with other
big cities like Stockholm or San Francisco, where despite still being used, the number is
significantly lower.

Local authorities claim that their benefits are out of question as they are of great help
when used as proof in criminal cases where no other methods can provide clearance.
Furthermore, crime rates seem to have dropped as criminals may refrain themselves in
their presence.

As always, it is not gold all that glitters. Normal citizens complain about feeling their
privacy invaded and fear the day in which these devices will serve as social invigilators.
Moreover, the high installing costs and maintenance, obviously funded by tax payers,
are also a factor that leads to further debate.