Category: IELTS Academic Writing Tests

The charts show how much a UK school spent on different running costs in three separate years 1981, 1991 and 2001.

In all three years, the greatest expenditure was on staff salaries. But while other workers’ salaries saw a fall from 28% in 1981 to only 15% of spending in 2001, teachers’ pay remained the biggest cost, reaching 50% of total spending in 1991 and ending at 45% in 2001.

Expenditure on resources such as books had increased to 20% by 1991 before decreasing to only 9% by the end of the period. In contrast, the cost of furniture and equipment saw an opposite trend. This cost decreased to only 5% of total expenditure in 1991 but rose dramatically in 2001 when it represented 23% of the school budget. Similarly, the cost of insurance saw a rising trend, growing from only 2% to 8% by 2001.

Overall, teachers’ salaries constituted the largest cost to the school, and while spending increased dramatically for equipment and insurance, there were corresponding drops in expenditure on things such as books and on other workers salaries.

Technology has dramatically altered how people interact and form relationships. Digital communication, such as social media and messaging apps, now enables people to maintain connections across distances effortlessly. This is beneficial for keeping in touch with family and friends worldwide, fostering relationships that might otherwise diminish due to physical separation.

Additionally, technology facilitates the creation of broader social networks. Online communities allow individuals to connect with others based on shared interests rather than just proximity. This can lead to richer relationships with like-minded people that they might not meet in their local environments.

In romantic contexts, online dating platforms like Tinder and Bumble expand opportunities for meeting potential partners. These platforms help people find compatible matches outside their usual social circles, potentially leading to more fulfilling relationships.

However, these changes come with drawbacks. Digital interactions can lead to superficial relationships, where online connections are numerous but lack depth. Social media often prioritizes quantity over quality, resulting in many “friends” but few meaningful interactions.

Moreover, the convenience of online communication can reduce face-to-face interactions, essential for developing empathy and deeper understanding. This can contribute to feelings of isolation despite having a large digital social network. Additionally, younger generations might struggle with developing interpersonal skills, as they rely more on online communication and less on in-person interactions.

Privacy concerns also arise with technology. Oversharing personal information online can lead to breaches of trust and misunderstandings that harm relationships.

In conclusion, while technology offers valuable tools for connecting people, it also poses challenges to the quality of those relationships. Balancing digital and real-world interactions is crucial to maintaining meaningful connections.

The pie chart shows that there are four main causes of farmland becoming degraded in the world today. Globally. 65% of degradation is caused by too much animal grazing and tree clearance, constituting 35% and 30% respectively. A further 28% of global degradation is due to over-cultivation of crops. Other causes account for only 7% collectively…These causes affected different regions differently in the 1990s with Europe having as much as 9.8% of degradation due to deforestation, while the impact of this on Oceania and North America was minimal, with only 1.7% and 0.2% of land affected respectively. Europe, with the highest overall percentage of land degraded (23%), also suffered from over-cultivation (7.7%) and over-grazing (5.5%).

In contrast, Oceanià had 13% of degraded farmland and this was mainly due to over-grazing (11.3%). North America had a lower proportion of degraded land at only 5%, and the main causes of this were over-cultivation (3.3%) and, to a lesser extent, over-grazing (1,5%).

Overall, it is clear that Europe suffered more from farmland degradation than the other regions, and the main causes there were deforestation and over-cultivation.

A child’s education has never been about learning information and basic skills only. It has always included teaching the next generation how to be good members of society. Therefore, this cannot be the responsibility of the parents alone.
In order to be a good member of any society the individual must respect and obey the rules of their community and share their values. Educating children to understand the need to obey rules and respect others always begins in the home and is widely thought to be the responsibility of parents. They will certainly be the first to help children learn what is important in life, how they are expected to behave and what role they will play in their world.
However, learning to understand and share the value system of a whole society cannot be achieved just in the home. Once a child goes to school, they are entering a wider community where teachers and peers will have just as much influence as their parents do at home. At school, children will experience working and living with people from a whole variety of backgrounds from the wider society. This experience should teach them how to co-operate with each other. and how to contribute to the life of their community.
But to be a valuable member of any community is not like learning a simple skill. It is something that an individual goes on learning throughout life and it is the responsibility of every member of a society to take responsibility for helping the younger generation to become active and able members of that society.

The chart shows the percentage change in average house prices in five cities between 1990 and 2002 compared with the average house prices in 1989.

Overall, house prices in all five cities increased between 1996 and 2002 compared to 1989, except for Frankfurt. The largest increase was in London, at 12.4%, followed by New York at 4.8% and Madrid at 4.0%. Tokyo and Frankfurt saw smaller increases of 0.8% and 0.4%, respectively.

Between 1990 and 1995, house prices in three of the five cities decreased compared to 1989. The largest decrease was in Tokyo, at -7.2%, followed by London at -6.9% and New York at -4.9%. However, house prices in Madrid and Frankfurt increased during this period, by 2.3% and 3.0%, respectively.

The two largest changes in house prices over the entire period (1990-2002) were both in London. Between 1990 and 1995, house prices in London fell by 6.9%, but then they rebounded to increase by 12.4% between 1996 and 2002. This means that by 2002, house prices in London were still 5.5% higher than they were in 1989.

Frankfurt was the only city that did not experience a significant change in house prices over the entire period. House prices in Frankfurt increased by a modest 0.4% between 1990 and 2002.

Nowadays many adults have full-time jobs and the proportion of their lives spent doing such jobs is very high. So feelings about one’s job must reflect how an individual feels about his or her life as a whole, and because of this, job satisfaction is indeed very important for the wellbeing of that person.

Employees get job satisfaction in a number of ways. Firstly, a person needs to feel that they are doing valued and valuable work, so positive feedback from superiors is very important in this respect. A sense of fulfilment is also encouraged if a worker feels the job is worth doing because it contributes to the society or the economy as a whole. Secondly, when someone feels they are improving or developing their skills through training opportunities, for example, then there is a sense of progression and purpose that rewards a worker. The sense of belonging to a team working community also contributes to job satisfaction because colleagues help each other to enjoy their working lives. Satisfaction is also increased by a sense of responsibility for and loyalty to a team.

Of course not everyone enjoys their work. Hard economic realities mean that many people have little choice in the kind of job they can get. In some cases an employee is working in a job that suits neither their skills nor their personality. Some jobs are repetitive and boring, and labour relations may be poor and lead to resentment and insecurity rather than to job satisfaction.

However, even though it is unlikely that all workers do feel happy in their work, I think it is not unrealistic to promote more job satisfaction in any job. If the factors identified above are implemented, then any job can be improved and more workers can feel greater degrees of job satisfaction.

The table provides a snapshot of consumer spending habits in five different countries in 2002.

Overall, all five countries spent the most on food, drinks, and tobacco. The percentage of spending on this category ranged from 15.77% in Sweden to 32.14% in Turkey.

Turkey had the highest spending on food, drinks, and tobacco, followed by Ireland, Spain, Italy, and then Sweden. This suggests that there may be cultural or economic factors that lead Turkish and Irish consumers to spend a larger proportion of their income on these items.

Italy had the highest spending on clothing and footwear, followed by Spain, Turkey, Ireland, and then Sweden. This could be due to a number of factors, such as the importance of fashion in Italian culture or the fact that Italy has a large clothing manufacturing industry.

Sweden had the highest spending on leisure and education, followed by Italy, Spain, Ireland, and then Turkey. This suggests that Swedish consumers may place a higher value on leisure activities and education than consumers in the other countries.

The relative importance of natural talent and training is a frequent topic of discussion when people try to explain different levels of ability in, for example, sport, art or music.

Obviously, education systems are based on the belief that all children can effectively be taught to acquire different skills, including those associated with sport, art or music. So from our own school experience, we can find plenty of evidence to support the view that a child can acquire these skills with continued teaching and guided practice.

However, some people believe that innate talent is what differentiates a person who has been trained to play a sport or an instrument, from those who become good players. In other words, there is more to the skill than a learned technique, and this extra talent cannot be taught, no matter how good the teacher or how frequently a child practices.

I personally think that some people do have talents that are probably inherited via their genes. Such talents can give individuals a facility for certain skills that allow them to excel, while more hard-working students never manage to reach a comparable level. But, as with all questions of nature versus nurture, they are not mutually exclusive. Good musicians or artists and exceptional sports stars have probably succeeded because of both good training and natural talent. Without the natural talent, continuous training would be neither attractive nor productive, and without the training, the child would not learn how to exploit and develop their talent.

In conclusion, I agree that any child can be taught particular skills, but to be really good in areas such as music, art or sport, then some natural talent is required.

The graph shows energy consumption in the US from 1980 to 2012, and projected consumption to 2030.

Petrol and oil are the dominant fuel sources throughout this period, with 35 quadrillion (35q) units used in 1980, rising to 42q in 2012. Despite some initial fluctuation, from 1995 there was a steady increase. This is expected to continue, reaching 47q in 2030.

Consumption of energy derived from natural gas and coal is similar over the period. From 20q and 15q respectively in 1980, gas showed an initial fall and coal a gradual increase, with the two fuels equal between 1985 and 1990. Consumption has fluctuated since 1990 but both now provide 24q. Coal is predicted to increase steadily to 31q in 2030, whereas after 2014, gas will remain stable at 25q.

In 1980, energy from nuclear, hydro- and solar/wind power was equal at only 4q. Nuclear has risen by 3q, and solar/wind by 2. After slight increases, hydropower has fallen back to the 1980 figure. It is expected to maintain this level until 2030, while the others should rise slightly after 2025.

Overall, the US will continue to rely on fossil fuels, with sustainable and nuclear energy sources remaining relatively insignificant.

The extinction of languages is a complex phenomenon that raises questions about cultural diversity, identity, and the interconnectedness of the global community. While some argue that having fewer languages would simplify communication and make life easier, I strongly disagree with this viewpoint. Preserving linguistic diversity is essential for maintaining the richness of human culture, fostering understanding, and preserving unique ways of thinking.

Firstly, languages are carriers of cultural heritage and identity. Each language encapsulates the unique history, traditions, and worldview of a particular community. When a language dies, a wealth of cultural knowledge and expressions disappears with it. For example, indigenous languages often contain valuable insights into sustainable living, local ecosystems, and medicinal practices. Losing these languages means losing a part of humanity’s collective wisdom.

Secondly, linguistic diversity plays a crucial role in fostering mutual understanding and tolerance. A world with fewer languages may seem more convenient for communication, but it also risks homogenizing cultures. Language is not just a tool for communication; it shapes the way we perceive the world. Having a variety of languages allows for different perspectives and ways of thinking, promoting a more inclusive and tolerant global society.

Furthermore, maintaining linguistic diversity has practical benefits. Languages often evolve to adapt to specific environmental or societal needs. For example, some languages have unique vocabularies related to specific landscapes or climates. Losing these languages could mean losing valuable insights into adapting to environmental challenges.

In conclusion, the extinction of languages is a matter of great concern. Preserving linguistic diversity is crucial for maintaining cultural richness, promoting understanding, and addressing practical challenges. While it might be tempting to think that life would be easier with fewer languages, the long-term consequences for human society far outweigh any short-term convenience. Efforts should be made to document, revitalize, and celebrate linguistic diversity to ensure a more vibrant and inclusive global community.

The pie charts depict the population distribution across different age groups in Yemen and Italy for the year 2000 and projections for 2050.

In 2000, Yemen had a younger population with over half being under 14, while Italy had more middle-aged citizens. By 2050, Yemen is expected to have an even younger population with over 57% being under 14, while Italy is projected to have a more balanced distribution. The younger generation (0-14 years) is projected to almost double from 14.3% in the year 2000 to approximately 24.1% by the year of prediction in Italy.

Conversely, in Yemen, the percentage of people aged between 15-59 years is expected to decrease from 50.1% to 37%. The elderly population (60+ years) will see a slight increase from 3.6% to an estimated 5.7% in Yemen, while Italy’s elderly populace is expected to decrease from 24.1% to 11.5% by 2050.

Both countries are expected to experience growth in their younger demographics but at varying degrees.

A problem of modern societies is the declining level of health in the general population, with conflicting views on how to tackle this worrying trend. One possible solution is to provide more sports facilities to encourage a more active lifestyle.

Advocates of this believe that today’s sedentary lifestyle and stressful working conditions mean that physical activity is no longer part of either our work or our leisure time. If there were easy-to-reach local sports centres, we would be more likely to make exercise a regular part of our lives, rather than just collapsing in front of a screen every evening. The variety of sports that could be offered would cater for all ages, levels of fitness and interests: those with painful memories of PE at school might be happier in the swimming pool than on the football pitch.

However, there may be better ways of tackling this problem. Interest in sport is not universal, and additional facilities might simply attract the already fit, not those who most need them. Physical activity could be encouraged relatively cheaply, for example by installing exercise equipment in parks, as my local council has done. This has the added benefit that parents and children often use them together just for fun, which develops a positive attitude to exercise at an early age.

As well as physical activity, high tax penalties could be imposed on high-fat food products, tobacco and alcohol, as excessive consumption of any of these contributes to poor health. Even improving public transport would help: it takes longer to walk to the bus stop than to the car.

In my opinion, focusing on sports facilities is too narrow an approach and would not have the desired results. People should be encouraged not only to be more physically active but also to adopt a healthier lifestyle in general.