TEST 1 WRITING CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH IELTS 6

CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH IELTS 6

TEST 1

WRITING

WRITING TASK 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task The table gives information about changes in modes of travel in England between 1985 and 2000. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant Write at least 150 words. Average distance in miles travelled per person per year, by mode of travel. 1985 2000 Walking 255 237 Bicycle 51 41 Car 3,199 4,806 Local bus 429 274 Long distance bus 54 124 Train 289 366 Taxi 13 42 Other 450 585 All modes 4,740 6,475 WRITING TASK 2 You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic. Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in other important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while other think it is unfair. 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.

ANSWER KEY

Model Answer Writing task 1 The line graph delineates how the vehicle preferences of British changed over the time by comparing the average distance an English travelled using different modes of carriers in 1985 and 2000. Overall, cars were British citizen’s primary mode of transportation and taxi was the least used mode of travel for them. As the data suggests, an English travelled more than 6400 miles on an average in a year which was almost 36% higher than the distance an average Brit travelled in 1985. Car use predominated this total travel as more than 4800 miles out of 6400 in 2000 were crossed using automobiles and a similar trend was seen in 1985. Use of personal cars in truth increased over the time, as the data outlines. Reliance on buses was higher than train and bicycle use and despite an average 255 miles walking by a Brit in 1985, it decreased after 15 years. Taxi was perhaps the least preferred mode of commuting as only 13 miles were travelled by a British using it in 1985 which, despite an increase in 2000, was ignorable. Train travel hiked in 2000 while distance travelled by British in local buses dropped. All other transportations contributed to 585 miles of travel by a Brit in 2000, an increase than that of 1985. Writing task 2 As a result of constant media attention, sports professionals in my country have become stars and celebrities, and those at the top are paid huge salaries. Just like movie stars, they live extravagant lifestyles with huge houses and cars. Many people find their rewards unfair, especially when comparing these super salaries with those of top surgeons or research scientists or even leading politicians who have the responsibility of governing the country. However, sports salaries are not determined by considering the contribution to society a person makes, or the level of responsibility he or she holds. Instead, they reflect the public popularity of the sport in general and the level of public support that successful stars can generate. So the notion of ‘fairness’ is not the issue. Those who feel that sports stars’ salaries are justified might argue that the numbers of professionals with real talent are very few, and the money is recognition of the skills and dedication a person needs to be successful. Competition is constant and a player is tested every time they perform in their relatively short career. The pressure from the media is intense and there is little privacy out of the spotlight. There is a huge number of sports persons compared to those who have become successful and having a huge salary. It takes lots of practice, skills and time to become a sports icon. Again Sports personality like Sachin Tendulkar, Tiger Woods, Shane Warne inspires the new generation to be attracted to the games they play.  So all of these factors may justify the huge earnings of the sports personality. The first reason why I think that such high salary is deserved by famous athletes and entertainers because we all need them. Entertainment plays an essential role in our everyday's life. We need to relax, watching TV with our favourite TV stars or favourite football players. Entertainment is one of the best ways to eliminate stress and tension and leave all troubles behind. For example, I can not stay home all day long without watching TV. So, basically, I believe that famous athletes and entertainers have such high salaries because we need them. They like doctors for our minds and soles. Scientists say that people usually spend the same amount of money for their food and entertainment. I think this fact tells a lot. The second reason for this is that famous athletes have to work hard in order to get good results. I am sure that achievements they make are the result of hard work, persistence and pain. They sometimes risk their lives and health. For example, I am a big fan of L. Amstrong, the most famous cyclist in world's history. He faced probably, the most challenging difficulty in his life, cancer. He was very young for this disease. Amstrong was in his early twenties when he found out about it. I read a book about his life, and what impressed me were his words after his victory in France. He said: "Cancer was the best thing that ever happened to me ". He defeated the disease only because he believed in himself and did not give up. I think such person deserves to have a high salary and be loved by many people throughout the world. Personally, I think that the amount of money such sports stars make is more justified than the huge earnings of movie stars, but at the same time, it indicates that our society places more value on the sport than on the essential professions and achievements.