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CAM 18 – TEST 1 – TASK 1:

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The line graph illustrates the population distribution in cities in Philippines, Malaysia,
Thailand and Indonesia from 1970 to 2020 as well as the projection through to 2040.

Overall, the proportion of urban demographics in four areas enjoyed upswings which
are expected to continue, with Malaysia being anticipated to experience the highest
figure.

Looking firstly at the Philippines and Thailand, in 1970, around 32% of people lived in
cities in the Philippines, ranking first among the examined countries. In the next 20
years, it increased significantly to nearly 50%, before falling by roughly 10% in 2010.
It is then predicted to witness a recovery to around 55% in 2040. A similar pattern can
be seen in the population rate in Thailand. Initially, slightly under 20% were city
dwellers, after which the demographic figures experienced a considerable rise of about
10% in 1990. In spite of a slight increase to only about 32% in 2020, the population in
cities is forecast to surge to approximately 45% at the end of the period.

Concerning other countries, taking up approximately 13%, the percentage of residents

in cities in Indonesia was the lowest in 1970. The figure, however, is projected to
witness a surge to more than 60% in 2040. Likewise, there will also be a jump between
30% and above 80% in the percentage of city inhabitants in Malaysia, surpassing that
of the Philippines and is anticipated to become the country with the largest share of
city residents compared to the other cities surveyed.

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CAM 18 – TEST 1 – TASK 2:
Topic: The most important aim of science should be to improve people’s lives.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

It is clear that science has played an essential role in the world. There is an opinion
that the ultimate goal of science ought to benefit humans’ lives. Although this viewpoint
is obviously true to a certain extent, I believe that aside from this, science should also
be applied for the sake of wildlife conservation and the natural environment.

On the one hand, scientific progress has revolutionised the human world in many
aspects of life. In terms of medicine, the discoveries of treatment for diseases or
infections have saved countless patients’ lives. The introduction of Covid vaccine
research, for example, has been an effective approach to curb the coronavirus and
has rescued thousands of lives on a large scale. Moreover, science studies are a
foundation for wonderful technological inventions. Take the development of the
telephone as an example, because the inventor, Alexander Graham Bell, understood
the scientific principles of sound waves transmission through wires, the way of the
world’s communication has been transformed.

On the other hand, this argument overlooks the fact that science is of great help for
wildlife's well-being and the environment. Through some scientific investigation about
natural habits like the preference for food or living conditions in some endangered
species, conservationists have established some breeding programmes to aid in the
preservation of the animals. When it comes to environmental benefits, science is
necessary to develop renewable forms of energy such as solar or wind power. This
reduces toxic emission from non-renewable energies that drive climate change.

In conclusion, science is considered as a field to improve people’s living standards.

However, I think that science can be used for two other purposes, including protecting
animals on the brink of extinction and safeguarding the environment.

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CAM 18 – TEST 2 – TASK 1:

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The bar graph delineates USA families segmented on the basis of yearly earnings in
2007, 2011 and 2015. Overall, all the examined cohorts witnessed an uptrend over
the given timespan apart from the middle income category which remained static.
Moreover, the group of people whose income started from $100,000 per year
constituted the largest share of the surveyed income brackets at the beginning and
end of the period.

Concerning the income levels of up to $49,999, starting at 25 million families, the

number of households earning below $25,000 increased discernibly to reach its peak
of roughly 27 million in 2011, followed by a modest drop to nearly 26 million in the last
year. The package of $25,000 to $49,999 was slightly higher than the former by about
2 million in 2007. Four years later, it hit a high of approximately 30 million, outstripping
all the examined populations to become the most populous, before reducing
marginally to the second position of under 28 million in 2015.

In respect of the annual income brackets starting from $50,000, the numbers of
households making from $50,000 to $74,999 and those with earnings from $75,000 to
$99,999 hovered around at nearly 21 million, and 15 million correspondingly.
Additionally, American households on $100,000 and more witnessed a modest
decrease of around 2 million in 2011 from a starting point of nearly 30 million, before
soaring to more than 33 million in 2015.

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CAM 18 – TEST 2 – TASK 2:
Topic: Some university students want to learn about other subjects in addition
to their main subjects. Others believe it is more important to give all their time
and attention to studying for a qualification.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Topics surrounding tertiary education have always aroused great debate. Many
university learners express a strong preference for a qualification - centered education,
whilst others contend that it is advisable for them to obtain a more well-rounded one.
Notwithstanding that the former view is somewhat true, this essay will concur with the
latter.

Admittedly, the preference for a course with only major - related disciplines is
moderately understandable on two grounds. One sound justification is that students’
attention will be less diverted and fully allocated to broaden and deepen their
disciplinary understanding, which their counterparts would hardly attain within the
same amount of time. Devoting ample time to obtain a qualification accordingly helps
these students to gain a solid grasp of complicated and abstract theories which
constitute a foundation for their personal growth in the respective field. Another
coherent argument in favor of this thinking is that specialization is highly valued in the
increasingly competitive employment market. This is ascribed to the fact that extensive
expertise is translated into a high level of competence and sheer determination for
which many employers seek.

Despite the discourse above, there are justifiable motives for attaining an
interdisciplinary course. Chief among those is that being exposed to multiple domains
helps university schoolers encounter novel perspectives, thus broadening their
worldview and making them more open-minded. Additionally, cross-disciplinary
education also encourages students to challenge conventional notions which confine
their counterparts inside the limit of their realms, thus cultivating their critical thinking
skills. Moreover, learning minors besides their majors empower them with transferable
competences which will spur their employment prospects. A notable illustration of this

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is that students majoring in computer science with comprehensive conceptions of
human behaviors can create more intuitive and user - centered interfaces, which is
preferred among employers in the respective domains.

To conclude, although qualification - centered study is not without certain merits, I

would contend that there are more legitimate arguments for interdisciplinary education.
It is projected that more university students can obtain cross-disciplinary education
with the emergence of artificial intelligence chatbot technology.

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CAM 18 – TEST 3 – TASK 1:
The diagram below shows the floor plan of a public library 20 years ago and how
it looks now.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.

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The illustration indicates the layout of the Central Library 20 years ago, and how it
looks at the moment. Overall, the library has been updated to include several
dedicated spaces for events, self-service facilities and a cafe. Notably, the library
now has an open area in the centre.

Regarding the lower section of the layout, in the past, as visitors came in from the
entrance in the lower centre of the map, they would see a curved enquiry desk on
the right. Opposite this was a reading room with newspapers and magazines. Now
there is a computer room on the left and a cafe on the right where the enquiry desk
once was. In the central open space, tables and chairs have been removed, and
adult fiction books have been moved to the right-hand side of the room, where adult
non-fiction used to be. Also in this section, the library has added a smaller
information desk and three self-service machines. On the left now is where all
reference books are housed.

Moving to the upper section, in the back left-hand corner, there was a room that
previously stored CDs, videos, and computer games. This room has since been
made larger, and houses children’s fiction and two new sofas. It also has a space
where storytelling events are held. On the opposite corner, where children’s books
once were, there is now a smaller room reserved for lectures.

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CAM 18 – TEST 3 – TASK 2:
In many countries around the world, rural people are moving to cities, so the
population in the countryside is decreasing.
Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

Due to urbanisation, many nations have experienced a significant rise in the number
of people migrating to cities. Because of this, the population in rural areas has
declined correspondingly. In my view, despite its drawbacks, this development is
rather a positive one.

Undoubtedly, an influx of rural migrants has certain drawbacks that warrant attention.
Rapid rural-urban migration can strain existing urban infrastructure, including
housing, transportation, sanitation and water systems. Consequently, this strain may
lead to issues like overcrowding, surging house prices, and inadequate provisions of
basic services in urban areas. Furthermore, the loss of agricultural workforce as rural
populations decline poses a significant concern. With fewer individuals engaged in
farming and agriculture, food production may decrease, thereby necessitating
dependency on imports and jeopardising food security. Therefore, these negative
aspects can have a serious impact on society as a whole.

Nevertheless, the transition to city life also brings clear benefits. Job opportunities
are abundant in the city, where most organisations’ headquarters are located. As a
result, job seekers would not find it difficult to land a job, even a well-paid one.
Moreover, urban environments provide individuals with opportunities for professional
growth, including the possibility of promotions, and widening professional circles.
Importantly, the advantages of rural-urban migration extend beyond the migrants
themselves. Their children, for example, can attend international schools, which offer
a well-rounded education and the opportunity to interact with peers from different
cultural backgrounds. Such educational advantages are often unavailable in small
towns. Thus, the positive impact of this development reaches far beyond the
migrants.

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In conclusion, although the rapid movement of people from rural areas to cities may
put pressure on current infrastructure and disrupt the agricultural workforce, I believe
[more clearly signal your opinion here please] the benefits such as better career
prospects and a brighter future for their children make the transition to city life an
overall positive development.

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CAM 18 – TEST 4 – TASK 1:

The line chart illustrates the changes of prices of three types of metals in every month
in 2014. Overall, from June to October, the prices of nickel and zinc declined, whereas
copper got more expensive. In other months, the costs of these metals generally
increased to varying degrees.

Regarding nickel, the price of this metal went through a 6% rise in January 2014,
followed by much lesser growth in the next four months. By June, the cost of nickel
had dropped drastically, with a 3% decline from May. It was not until around November
that nickel's price rose again, ending the period with an increase of 1% in November
and December.

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The figures for copper followed the same pattern as those for nickel, but to a much
lesser extent. It was only in May and June that the price of copper decreased, with a
figure of around -1% in both months. Meanwhile, the price rises in other months
hovered around the 1% mark.

Finally, there was fluctuating growth of around the 2% mark in the cost of zinc in the
first four months. However, from June to October, the price decreased mildly, with its
figure being around -1%. Zinc’s price then increased again by 2% in December,
making it the most significant rise in this month compared with the two other metals.

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CAM 18 – TEST 4 – TASK 2:

It is observed that decreasing fertility rates and increasing life expectancy are
contributing to aging populations in many nations. While some believe that this trend
is a positive one, many people, myself included, would argue that the drawbacks of
this development can outweigh the benefits.

Admittedly, there can be significant benefits from the increasing number of senior
citizens. The main one is that if the government incentivized these old people to return
to the workforce, there would be more laborers, indicating financial gains for the
country. Added to this is that those who have reached the age of retirement tend to be
more experienced than their younger counterparts, and so their returns to the
workforce would even be more fruitful to the economy. However, with more elderly
people being employed, there would be fierce competition for jobs, exacerbating the
problems of unemployment. This would cause a huge number of young citizens to be
jobless and possibly feel resentful towards the older generation, causing
intergenerational conflicts.

In terms of negatives, having a rapidly ageing population can put an immense amount
of pressure on families and the government alike. Regarding the former, if a family
cannot afford to send their older family members to care homes, one of the working
parents may have to stay at home to take care of them, leading to the family having
less income and more financial problems. Furthermore, since aged people are more
vulnerable to illnesses, they tend to require more healthcare and other services, and
as a result, the government may have to collect more taxes from working adults to
have enough financial resources to cover the costs incurred. This also means that less

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funding would be channeled towards services for the young generation like education,
exerting stultifying effects on the development of a country.

In conclusion, I believe that the described trend should be viewed as a negative

development, given its significant drawbacks to individuals and the society at large.

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