APTIS ADVACED – APTIS SV - 0346808595

Test 1 writing
Part 1: You are a member of a history club. You are talking to three other
members in the history club chat room. Talk to them using sentences. Use 30
to 40 words per answer. Answer all three questions.
(Suggested time 10 mins)

Sam: Hi! Welcome to the club. I was interested in history at school and I
studied it at university. What about you?
Hi Sam, actually I wasn’t into history when I was very young. But after watching
some historical documentary films, I became totally interested in historical events.
Now I frequently read history books about the Vietnam war during my free time.

Miguel: Welcome. Can you tell me something about the history of your
country?
Well, my country, Vietnam, is known for a long heroic background of history. Our
ancestors and forefathers courageously defeated many foreign enemies to end
thousands of years of colonization and brought us freedom.

Michelle: Who is your favorite person from history, and why are you
interested in him or her?
Without any hesitation / doubt, I would say Uncle Ho. He is the greatest president
of Vietnam, who sacrificed all his life to find the way to save our country from
invaders. Therefore, I genuinely feel so proud of him.

Part 2: You have received this email from your local supermarket. Read the
email and the notes you have made. Write a reply using all the information in
your notes, and express how you feel about the situation. You should write
between 120 and 150 words. (Suggested time 15 mins)

Dear Customer
Thank you for shopping at our supermarket. We value your custom and would like
to hear about your most recent shopping experience. Firstly, we want to know your
opinion of our staff. Were they able to help you in any way? (1) We would also like
to know what you think about the organization of the store. Was it easy to find the
products you wanted? (2). Finally, we would like to hear your suggestions for
improving the customer shopping experience. (3)

Your faithfully,
Customer Services

Your notes
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1. Staff seem very young - don’t always know about products.
2. Every month products are moved - difficult to find what you want
3. Music plays all the time - very irritating - prefer silence!

(Remember the style is formal - rewrite the notes using your own words)

Dear Customer Services

I am writing in response to your email requesting customer feedback.
(Thanks for reaching out)

Firstly, during my visits to your supermarket I found the staff enthusiastic and well
disposed towards customers. However, they are not really well informed about the
products when I asked them for more information, which I do not appreciate. I
understand that they are mainly students who are only working part-time, but they
really need more training to provide customers with better services.

Regarding store layouts, they are seemingly changed on a monthly basis, therefore
it really takes me a huge amount of time to find the items I need and this is so
frustrating. I will be more satisfied if you do not move the products very
frequently.

Finally, I suppose you really need to consider the loud music that is constantly
played in the supermarket. Customers might find it extremely irksome and
distracting as they are not able to concentrate on looking for their desired goods. I
would suggest you get rid of it altogether.

Let me know if you have any questions about my comments.

(I trust you will find my feedback useful. )
Best regards/ Yours faithfully

irksome = annoying = irritating

Part 3: Things you should know is a website that accepts short articles from
members of the public on subjects of popular interest. You have been to contribute
an article on the subject of Public Surveillance Systems. You have already done
some research on the subject in note and diagram form. Use information from your
research notes to help you write an article that is both informative and interesting.
(Suggested time 20 mins)
Write between 180 and 220 words.
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Notes on Public Surveillance Systems
 CCTV cameras used in public areas (streets, shops, banks)
 Increasing number of private homes installing CCTV
 Benefits: allows monitoring of public safety/ can provide evidence in
criminal cases
 Drawbacks: threat to individual liberty/ intrusion into individual privacy.

City Country Number of CCTV cameras Crime index (the higher

per 1000 people (including number, the greater the
private homes) incidence of crime)
Tokyo Japan 1 23.13
Beijing China 55 34.45
London UK 75 53.7

Would you really think that the crime rate is on the decline if the surveillance
system is ubiquitous ?
With the advent of advanced technology at reasonable prices , recording devices,
like CCTV cameras, have become so commonplace that we do not even pay much
attention to their appearance. Not only can it be easy to come across such recording
devices in public places such as banks, streets or supermarkets, but also a large
number of households choose to install them at their private homes.

Undeniably, many people feel reassured regarding safety when attending places
which are constantly monitored. Another noteworthy advantage is the availability
in offering compelling evidence in emergency circumstances such as illegal
activities. However, opponents argue that surveillance systems are certainly a
threat to people’s freedom as they are interfering significantly in each individual’s
private life.

What strikes me here is the relationship between the average number of cameras
and the crime rate in three major metropolises in the world. The statistics show that
Tokyo in Japan has the lowest crime index , despite the fewest cameras, while the
opposite is true for London in the UK as this city installs the most cameras on
average but also witnesses the highest crime rate. Meanwhile, Beijing in China
falls between the two, both in terms of CCTV and crime.
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compelling = reliable