CAMBRIDGE 17

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The maps below show an industrial area in the town of Norbiton, and planned future development of the site.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

Sample Report

Two illustrations are provided showing the manufacturing quarter of a town called Norbiton at present and the future layout. Overall, this area will be completely transformed into a residential area.

At present, the area is located east of the town with a river running from the west to the east in the north, north of which is farmland. In the middle, there is a roundabout with two exits, one of which links to the main road in the south and the other is oriented towards the east, and some factories are scattered on both sides of it as well as around the roundabout.

In the future, two new exits will be added to the roundabout. One heading northwest and the other north, which will cross a newly added bridge allowing access to new housing, leaving only the countryside in the northeast. A small roundabout will be constructed on the main road, linking to the large roundabout.  The factories will be replaced with housing and facilities such as shops and a medical center. A school will be built in the east with a new park located nearby.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic:
It is important for people to take risks, both in their personal lives and professional lives. Do you think the advantages of taking risk outweigh the disadvantages?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Essay Band 8

Accepting uncertainty is essential on both sides of people’s lives. Those sides are their works and personal lives. Taking risks has benefits for people like getting higher job positions and improving skills but it has some drawbacks which will be discussed in this essay.

First, working in higher positions involves higher pressure and accepting higher uncertainty. As a result, if people want to have higher occupations and so higher salaries, they should take uncertainty. For example, a manager has a higher salary rather than a normal employee. Moreover, when people take risks, they provide circumstances which push them to improve their skills in the long term. In other words, people improve themselves, when they create a new situation and accept its uncertainty. For instance, a man who has no experience as a leader but accepts to be a leader; For a long period of time, his leadership skill will be improved.

On the other hand, taking risks has some drawbacks like getting failure and losing family. The obvious disadvantage of taking risks is getting failed. Consequently, people, who make a high-risk decision, might get failed more than others. Another point is that taking risks in personal lives increases the probability of losing family members. For example, for parents who do not save an amount of money for a critical situation, their kids may get sick and die because parents do not have enough money.

In conclusion, taking risks have some benefits and drawbacks, but I think the advantages of it outweigh the disadvantages.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The table and charts below give information on the police budget for 2017 and 2018 in one area of Britain. The table shows where the money came from and the charts show how it was distributed.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

Sample Report

The table details the sources of funding for the police and the pie charts show the distribution of this budget. Looking from an overall perspective, it is readily apparent that the contributions of all sources increased, though local taxes displayed the greatest funding growth. In terms of spending, there was a marked increase in technology funding, buildings and transport were unchanged, and salaries declined though this category continued to represent the vast majority of the budget.

In 2017, the national government contributed 175.5 million pounds, slightly below the number for the following year (177.8m). Local taxes, in contrast, were lower overall in both years but grew considerably from £91.2 million to £102.3 million. Other sources, such as grants, were largely unchanged, rising slightly from 38 to 38.5 million. The total figure grew by 13.9m to 318.6m.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic:
Some children spend hours every day on their smartphones. Why is this the case? Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words

Sample Essay Band 8

Currently, there are many children who spend more time on their smartphones. The main reasons for such behavior are wanting to find distractions and escaping from reality. In my opinion, such an action cultivates negative habits in them.

As technology develops drastically, it has become much easier for children to have access to phones and get drawn into them. They feel that the online world has ways to soothe their feelings and can escape from reality. For instance, a child may be bullied at school and unable to express their emotions. Once they use the device, there are distractions such as cartoons or playing games with others instead of trying to solve the problem. For these reasons, some children tend to spend more time on their phones rather than doing other activities.

Even though mobile phones can entertain children in various aspects, it does reinforce negative trend in them. When children spend a long while on their phones, they start to lose touch in face-to-face interaction and that can hinder their communication skills. For example, kids who interact with people of different ages through actual verbal conversation can develop eloquence and express themselves better compared to those who don’t. Furthermore, it can deteriorate the relationship between parents and children as there is a lack of communication. There is no doubt why it brings more setbacks than benefits.

In conclusion, some children like to spend more while on their smartphones compared to others. Although it can bring them entertainment and serve as a gateway from reality; meanwhile, it does implement adverse effects including lack of interaction with parents, unable to overcome challenges and lower verbal communication.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The chart below gives information about how families in one country spent their weekly income in 1968 and in 2018.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

Sample Report

The bar chart details average spending per week for families in a given country in the years 1968 and 2018. Looking from an overall perspective, it is readily apparent that while spending on food, fuel and power, clothing and footwear, and personal goods declined, the inverse was true for the remaining categories, with only household goods unchanged. Although spending on food was by far the most common in 1968, by 2018 leisure occupied the majority of the family budget, followed closely by housing.

In 1968, families spent on average 35% of their weekly income on food, greatly outstripping other budgetary concerns, each of which represented between 5% and 10%. Among these, fuel and power were the lowest at 6%.

By 2018, spending patterns diverged more widely. Food represented a still significant 17% of the budget, trailing housing at 19% (a 9% overall rise) and leisure at 22% (a 13% increase). Transport also displayed a notable growth of 14%. Fuel and power, clothing and footwear, and personal goods all fell to 4%, 5%, and 4%, respectively. Household goods were the only expense to remain fixed, at 7%.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic:
Some people believe that professionals, such as doctors and engineers, should be required to work in the country where they did their training. Others believe they should be free to work in another country if they wish.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Essay Band 8

It has never been easier for a highly-trained individual to decide where to practice than now. However, people hold conflicting opinions about it. While some believe it is unfair to leave the region where one receives the training, others consider it a personal choice which should not be restricted.

Some reasons can support the idea why competent people, like doctors and engineers, should practice in their home country. Firstly, it usually costs a lot to train an eligible candidate into a professional regarding money and time, all of which will be a waste for the government if they decide to serve in another country. Secondly, the general trend of the talent movement is always from developing countries to developed ones, which, undoubtedly, will aggravate the disparity. For example, the United States and the United Kingdom absorb thousands of doctors annually worldwide, mostly from Asian and African countries, for higher salaries and more opportunities. However, that will lead to a vicious cycle as third-world countries will encounter more problems due to the outflow of talent. Therefore, professionals should consider the best interest of their country and stay.

Nonetheless, advocates, including myself, always believe that one has the freedom to migrate as one wishes. Although government sponsors the training, doctors and engineers are working and creating value for the government at the same time. Moreover, individuals are not responsible for invigorating a country. It is reasonable for them to make decisions based on personal interests, either for better career prospects or work-life balance. In addition, they can pay back to their home country by learning experiences from advanced areas and bringing them back home.

In conclusion, I think that it is a blessing for people from all over the world to move freely and one should always be allowed to choose their workplace if they can.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graph below shows the number of shops that closed and the number of new shops that opened in one country between 2011 and 2018.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

Sample Report

The line chart details shop closures and openings in a given nation between 2011 and 2018. Looking from an overall perspective, it is readily apparent that both figures were in decline, though most noticeably the number of openings. After erratic trends for both categories, by the end of the period closures had become more common.

In 2011, there were approximately 8,500 openings in the country, significantly higher than the 6,200 closures. Over the next several years, openings dropped to a low of 4,000 and then partly recovered to 6,100 in 2014. Openings were more stable and rose to a peak of 7,100 in 2013 before reaching nearly the same level as closures in 2014.

After this point, closures fell dramatically to just 600 in 2015 before returning to slightly depressed levels and finishing the time surveyed at 5,100. In contrast, openings declined less substantially to around 4,000 between 2015 and 2017 and dipped to end at 3,000 precisely in 2018.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic:
Nowadays, a growing number of people with health problems are trying alternative medicines and treatments instead of visiting their usual doctor.
Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Essay Band 8

Currently, a number of citizens who suffer from health issues are trying to find alternative remedies and treatment rather than visiting their physicians. While such solutions can alleviate the pain but they are not being cured completely and properly. This essay will discuss why eventually such a trend can significantly exacerbate the problem instead of solving it.

More people are now trying to find a cure for their health problems rather than going to experts to get treated. Many find that visiting their doctors to get checked up is time-consuming and costly. For instance, going to public hospitals can be cost-efficient but it can take up a whole day before they can get diagnosed. On another hand, private hospitals can provide assistance faster but that comes with excessive fees. Those who earn a low income, cannot afford it. As a result, they choose to find alternative medicines and treatments rather than seeing their usual doctors.

Although an increasing number of citizens are trying to find home remedies and treatments, it can crucially worsen the condition. Many of the alternative medicines and cures are not scientifically proven. When used wrongly, it may seem to stop the irritation or ache for a period of time but it can trigger the conditions to deteriorate in the future. For example, they might be using painkillers to lessen discomfort when they experience stomaches but they do not know what is happening to their bodies. It might not be normal stomach pain but cancer. If not treated properly by specialists, it might be too late to cure it. Hence, patients should visit their physicians instead of trying to find cures blindly by themselves.

In conclusion, the number of people finding other medicines and cures is increasing and avoiding seeing their doctors. For many, they see it as a solution that can save time and expense; while, ignoring the fact that it could cause more harm than good. In my opinion, such behavior is a negative development that can cost them their lives.