The topic below was seen in the Academic IELTS exam in the UK, March 2011.

General Training Writing Task 2 You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. The costs of international travel are decreasing and tourism is growing. What are the advantages and disadvantages of increasing tourism activity in different countries? You should write at least 250 words. Model Answer Tourism is often touted as an industry that will never shrink in size. In other words, as the world develops, more and more people will be able to travel. Although many may see this as a positive phenomenon, it is not a trend without drawbacks. Both the advantages and disadvantages of this topic will be analyzed before a reasoned conclusion is reached. On the one hand, the reduction in travel fare and the increasing of global tourism can be seen as a positive event as it promotes intercultural understanding and global harmony. For example, many Middle Eastern states have opened their doors and embraced tourism over the last twenty years and this has helped shed prejudiced views internationally that all Middle Eastern countries are dangerous. This development clearly shows the benefits of an increasing international tourism industry.

In addition to this, tourism creates new opportunities for trade. For example, many Chinese tourists are bringing back products from foreign countries that are currently unavailable in China. These new trade ties are great for the health of the entire global economy and can be seen as yet another positive ramification resulting from increased tourism. On the other hand, the international tourism industry does pose some disadvantages. For one, money travelling into countries through tourism can lead to the establishment of some morally questionable activity. To name a few, tourist hotspots in developing countries are often rife with theft problems, maimed beggars and prostitution. The inflaming of these issues as a result of increased tourism is an obvious disadvantage to the growing global travel industry. Following this analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of tourism and the falling travel prices that are making it more possible, it is felt tourism has more benefits than drawbacks. It is hoped the growth in global intercultural understanding continues uninterrupted as tourism increases.

The topic below was seen in the Academic IELTS exam in Nigeria, May 2011. General Training Writing Task 2 You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Reducing global environmental damage should be handled by governments rather than individuals. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer and provide relevant examples from your own experience. You should write at least 250 words. Model Answer The rate at which the Earth is being damaged through human activity is alarming. As awareness of this disturbing situation grows, actions are increasingly being taken to meet the challenge. Although world governments play key roles in the question of environmental health, it is strongly disagreed that their environmental efforts negate those of individuals. I will use both a personal experience I have had as well as nongovernment inspired initiatives undertaken in my country to illustrate this position. Firstly, the sizeable contribution an individual can make in the worlds attempt to cleanse itself should not be underestimated. I feel the changes I have made to my own lifestyle act as a good example here. Four years ago, I made a conscious effort to start taking the subway to work instead of driving after realizing I had been burning an entire tank of gas every week. The effect of this small change over the course of four years

became magnified when I realized I had refrained from burning more than two hundred full car tanks of gas! Thus, although there are many things that governments can do to help fight environmental damage, the individual still plays a huge role. In addition to this, many non-government related entities have also been making inroads in the battle for a cleaner world. For example, at many of the universities in Canada, there are student groups that work to raise awareness of the lifestyle changes people can make to better help the environment. These independent groups help put a face to a message and really push people to alter themselves for the benefit of the natural world. As this makes clear, projects aimed at preserving the Earth do not have to be government-run to make a difference. As my experiences show, the worlds governments should not solely handle the issue of global environmental damage. It is hoped that the future sees more people contribute to this cause in any way they can.

The topic below was seen in the Academic IELTS exam in Malaysia, May 2011. General Training Writing Task 2 You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Many people believe that teachers should teach students how to judge right from wrong and how to behave, while others think they should just teach academic subjects. What is your opinion? You should write at least 250 words. Model Answer Teaching is the art of transferring information from one human being to another. A good teacher is someone who can make this process happen smoothly. It is argued that instructors should make efforts to teach not only academic subjects but also those pertaining to basic ethics and proper behaviour. To prove this, the heightened abilities of a teacher to instill ideas and the community-related benefits of moralitybased lessons will be analyzed. Firstly, teachers are trained to communicate ideas effectively and applying these skills to the areas of morality and behaviour is a positive thing. For example, Canadian Catholic schools engage students in lessons that challenge them to clearly distinguish moral choices from immoral ones. As these sorts of lessons are typically part of a spiritual studies program, they are not found in Canadian public schools. Interestingly, Canadian public schools have much higher

incidences of youth hostility and drug use and much lower high school graduation rates. Thus, when Canadian Catholic schools are compared to their public counterparts, the effects of the moral and behavioural lessons teachers impart to their students can be clearly seen as beneficial. In addition to this, standardised classes instructing young people how to behave can help to preserve the values of a community from one generation to the next. Take China as an example. The Chinese education system to this day includes the teachings of Confucius, which stress the honouring of ones parents. As anyone who has been to China can attest, young people tend to obey the will of their parents regardless of its nature. Thus, the teachings of behaviour by classroom instructors are effective in ensuring the values of a community are upheld from one generation to another. After looking at how the teaching of behaviour and morality can be efficiently accomplished by teachers and further how these teachings help prevent the erosion of societal values, it is concluded that teachers should instruct students how to judge right from wrong and how to behave. It is hoped global lessons on morality grow increasingly similar in nature in the years to come.

The topic below was seen in the Academic IELTS exam in UK, May 2011. General Training Writing Task 2 You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Some people believe that universities are producing more graduates than needed, and that less emphasis should be placed on university education. Others are of a different opinion. Discuss both views and include your own opinion. You should write at least 250 words. Model Answer As the world develops, the opportunity to achieve a tertiary education is becoming more widespread. This has led many to question whether larger numbers of university graduates is a positive trend. However, others counter than university does more than simply provide employment opportunities. Both of these arguments will be analysed before a reasoned conclusion is reached. On the one hand, many feel the rising number of university graduates today causes more harm than good. For example, graduates from Canadian universities are having to wait for employment simply because there are no working opportunities for them to engage in. Despite this, Canadian labour-related job openings are booming. This example shows a disparity that is common in many parts of the world and makes clear that achieving a higher education can actually be the precursor to unemployment. Thus, it is understandable

why many support the argument that less emphasis should be put on garnering a university education. However, in contrast to this stance, there are those who believe higher education provides more to people than simply job related skill sets. For instance, the analytical skills honed by university graduates in the United States give them a heightened perception and deeper understanding of the world. Although this benefit does little by way of professional development, it gives people the chance to develop and challenge themselves personally. This makes it is clear why many do not agree with reducing the enthusiasm for higher education. After analysing these stances on university, it is felt the argument to lessen educational emphasis holds little water. It is hoped the world continues to push its young people towards the challenges offered through higher learning.

The topic below was seen in the Academic IELTS exam in Australia, June 2011. General Training Writing Task 2 You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Several languages die every year. Many people feel this is a positive trend and that a world with fewer languages promotes harmony and understanding between people. Analyze both sides of this argument and provide your opinion. You should write at least 250 words. Model Answer Many languages around the world die every year, often replaced with more widely spoken dialects. Opinions as to whether this is a positive or negative trend are mixed. On one hand, people feel sharing a common language may help to encourage economical development in the world. However on the other hand, many feel the losing of languages is a negative trend that makes it increasingly difficult to trace humanitys heritage. Both of these accounts will be examined before a conclusion is reached. As many attest, the global adoption of a single language can do a lot in promoting economical development. For example, all export companies in China hire English speaking people to help them communicate with foreign buyers. The growth in trade that comes as a result of this effort to speak the worlds language does a lot to create jobs and industries around the

world. Thus it can be understood why many people support this point of view. However, other people would argue that the rapid reduction of the worlds languages is making it increasingly hard to trace where and how people evolved. For example, during colonial times many lesser spoken African languages were replaced with English, French and Dutch. This phenomenon has understandably caused major problems for modern day historians, as these old and forgotten languages render many of the recovered historical records and artifacts indecipherable. After analyzing both sides of this argument, it is felt that more good comes from the global adoption of a single language than the preservation and practice of older languages. Thus, it is hope the world continues to move towards a single, standardized linguistic system.

The topic below was seen in the Academic IELTS exam in Singapore, June 2011. General Training Writing Task 2 You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. In most parts of the world people are living longer. What are the possible causes of this situation? Is this a negative or positive development? You should write at least 250 words. Model Answer Longevity in the world over has been increasing for a variety of reasons. Babies born today enjoy much longer life spans than those of their parents. It is argued that this increase is a positive phenomenon and that the main causes of it are both the deepening of medical understanding and the sharing of such information between people via tools like the Internet. These causes will be examined in detail to prove their value in the lengthening of worldwide life spans. Firstly, medical advancements over the last century have allowed people to postpone death. Among the more significant discoveries that made this possible is the development of antibiotics. Antibiotics, now available to most people the world over, dramatically lower incidences of infection and have thus greatly curbed the number of people the world over who die due to diseases once thought incurable. Thus, advancements in science can be seen as one of the more major contributors to the extending of worldwide life spans.

Secondly, the Internet and the information shared across it has made the debunking of ineffective medical practices much easier. For example, medical folklore in countries like Ghana and rural China dictate new mothers avoid washing themselves for a month after giving birth. Before tools like the Internet, ridiculous and unsanitary practices such as this were widely believed to be in the best interests of the mothers health. Today, few people in either country would argue in favour of this postnatal tradition. Thus, the Internet has allowed people to share life-promoting information the world over. In conclusion, human life is precious and the global extending of life spans should be seen as positive. It is hoped medical discoveries continue to increase in number and that access to the Internet continues to grow, allowing longevity to be a pleasure enjoyed everywhere.

Universities should accept equal numbers of male and female students in every subject. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

In my opinion, men and women should have the same educational opportunities. However, I do not agree with the idea that universities should fix equal number of seats for both genders in all subjects. To begin with, it would not be practical to have the same number of men and women in all courses. Many courses are more popular with one gender than the other, and it would not be practical to aim for equal proportions. For example, nursing course is more popular among female applicants, and mechanical engineering is more common among the male applicants. This would lead to many seats remaining vacant and many deserving candidates would not get the course of their choice.

Secondly, universities should select the best candidates for each course according to their qualifications. In this way, both men and women have the same opportunities, and applicants know that they will be successful if they work hard to achieve good grades at school. The main reason why some people say that universities should have equal numbers of both genders in all subjects is that they want to remove discrimination against women who have lesser chances of higher education in many societies. However, taking such a step could lead to negative discrimination against the men. Finally, it could be argued that such a step could lead to unwilling students in a few courses. What sort of graduates would the society have of students who have studied half-heartedly just because of the fact that they could not get into the subject of their choice. What is more, the numbers of drop-outs would also increase and many would not complete their higher education. In conclusion, the selection of university students should be based on merit, and it would be both impractical and unfair to change to a selection procedure based on gender. (Model essay) General exam in late July as seen in Perth, Australia Ryans notes:

Several students told me they saw the following question on their General exam in Australia. (Thanks to those students for passing on the info.)

High school aged students should be taught how to manage money. Do you agree or disagree? Often, people debate whether personal money management is a suitable topic for a high school classroom. However, having an understanding of monetary manipulation is a skill that everyone in the world needs to have at least basic knowledge of. Thus, it is agreed that high school aged students should be taught how to manage money. This will be shown by analyzing how such a course can both instill good business sense in young people as well as prepare them for the working world they face after finishing their education. Firstly, one of the merits of educating students about money matters is that it often fosters business success later in life. For instance, a high school friend of mine was taught how to manage money by his father, who owned and ran a car dealership. Today, this same friend runs a very profitable company, no doubt partly because of the financial information his father bestowed upon him. As this shows, providing young people with information regarding how to handle money is a good thing. In addition to this, teaching adolescents about how to regulate their funds helps to prepare them for independence. For example, during my senior year in high school, I was privileged enough to be enrolled in an accounting course which taught a unit of study entitled Managing Money. I found that the topics covered in this unit were extremely helpful the following year when I moved on to university and out of my parents house. As my experience shows, teaching young people how to be financially independent can be helpful to them later in their lives.

After looking at how adolescents are benefitted through basic monetary instruction, it has been proven that this course of study is a positive thing. Thus, it is hoped that high school aged students the world over be exposed to some kind of training regarding the handling of money. (Model essay) August 2011 Academic exam in Abu Dhabi The popularity of news media often has significant influence on peoples lives. Some people believe this to be a negative development. Do you agree or disagree? Since the invention of modern media, news feeds have become an increasingly invasive force in the lives of all human beings. However, it is disagreed that the development of news media is negative. This will be shown by looking at how news media encourages both awareness and transparency within the world. Firstly, modern media sources have made great inroads in the spreading of knowledge. For example, the Internet allowed (and continues to allow) the world to witness the uprisings of the Arab Spring. Had these images not been made available to a scrutinizing global audience, it is possible the entire phenomenon could have cost many more lives than it did. As this example shows, modern news media allows the human family to keep watch of each other and provide aid if it is needed. In addition to this, news media sources have developed transparency and accountability the world over, which has done a lot to tackle corruption. Take the tragic high-speed train crash in China as an example. Despite trying to quickly bury the carriages involved, the Chinese government was forced to admit that serious corruption problems had plagued the project from the beginning. The healthy dialogues that the media coverage of this unfortunate event sparked will hopefully continue to encourage integrity within the Chinese government. It is for reasons such as this that news media should be thought of as a positive entity in the world. After looking at how news media helps to develop awareness and transparency, its benefits can clearly be seen. It is hoped free press will continue to grow with the help of technology and modern tools.