The chart below shows the percentage ofboys and girls in one country who
played various sports in 2010.
Participation rate in sports (2010)
Swimming
Netball
Tennis
Basketball
0 5 10
15 20 25
? Boys ■ Girls
The provided bar chart compares the involvement of male and female students from
one country in six specific sports in 2010.
Overall, there are distinct differences in the sports preference of boys and girls.
While boys were particularly interested in football and cricket, girls mostly ignored
them and showed a passion for netball and swimming.
During the surveyed year, boys had a greater participation rate in four out of six
sports. The disparity between the two sexes’ figures was the most significant in
football, as 20 percent of boys partook in the activity, while only 3 percent of girls
played the king sport. The tendency is seemingly similar in cricket, with roughly 12.5
percent of male student players and only half a percent of their female counterparts.
Tennis and basketball attracted fewer players, with the boys’ statistics of 9 and 8
respectively and those of girls were lower by one percent.
By contrast, netball and swimming were more popular among girls than boys. About
17.5 percent of girls chose netball to participate in, while the figure for boys was
insignificant. While the percentage of boys in swimming was the same as that in
cricket, with over 12 percent, it was still lower than girls’ by 3 percent.
Some people who have been in prison become good citizens later. Some say
that these are the best people to talk to school students about the dangers of
committing a crime.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
After being released from prison, quite a number of ex-convicts has shown
auspicious rehabilitation, which leads to a belief that they are suitable candidates to
warn school students against law violation. From my perspective, with proper
caution and assessment from the authority, they should be encouraged to take
responsibility.
There are a myriad of reasons to support ex-prisoners’ involvement in crime
combating in general and deterring youngsters from illegal activities in particular,
The most notable one is that they know the best about the consequences of offenses,
the pain caused to victims, the harsh punishment by law, and the torment of
conscience. Therefore, the realistic experience of ex-convicts could instill fear in the
cognitively defenseless mind of students, and dissuade any potential idea of
committing a crime. Besides, nowadays many teenagers are obsessed with violence
and admire criminals due to the misleading content featured in movies and comic
books. The rehabilitated offenders could show the deluded students the bitter reality
and act better as a deterrent against crimes than teachers and parents’ guidance.
However, many aspects should be taken into account before assigning the important
mission to people who violated the laws. First, we should be conscious that they, in
fact, committed a crime, so it is not too exaggerated to say that their morals are
somehow talented. As a result, the content of their motivational speech has to be
inspected carefully before it imposes any detrimental influence on school students.
Moreover, while we should admit their potential in curbing criminal activities, other
candidates should be considered as well. Police officers who directly fight against
criminals could inspire students with a sense of justice, and social workers who have
to deal with crime victims' status might trigger sympathy and hatred toward evil
actions. In other words, schools should coordinate with various parties to ensure the
effectiveness of such speeches.
In conclusion, there are evident benefits of getting rehabilitated convicts involved in
educating students, especially to show them the consequences of crimes.
Nevertheless, schools have to be careful and uncompromising when taking this
option.
The chart below shows five countries where Australia students studied from
2004 to 2006.
Countries where Australian students studied (2004-2006)
3000
2500
2000
Number of
1500
1000
500
0
USA New Zealand UK
Germany Japan
2004 N 2005 H 2006
The chart illustrates the changes ln Australian students’ destinations to sWdy abroad
over a period of three years.
In general, the USA had the largest number of students whose country of origin was
Australia, with the figure increasing over time. The most modest statistics are
observed in Germany and Japan, in which reverse pa tterns appeared.
At the beginning of the three-year period, the figure of the USA was about 2600, just
slightly higher than that of New Zealand. However, more Australian students chose
the USA for academic pursuit in the next year, making the number rise to
approximately 2750. The trend continued in 2006 as the US figure reached the peak
at over 2800 students. Meanwhile, the quantity in New Zealand only lncreased
insignificantly to more than 2600 and remained stable over two years. The same
pattern could be observed in the UK although the number of Australian students
there only rose by fewer than 100 from 1500.
Germany and Japan was less attractive to students from the Oceania country, as the
figures over time were always lower than 500. Japan’s statistic was a bit higher than
its German counterpart in 2004. However, after a mutual crisis in the next year,
Germany’s number recovered faster, resulting in a larger quantity compared to
Japan’s.
Online shopping has various advantages for consumers but may also have
disadvantages, such as the loss of some individual privacy.
Do the advantages of online shopping for the consumer outweigh the
disadvantages?
The unprecedented development of technology has resulted in a great wave of online
shopping foundations and the replacement of traditional purchasing for online
transactions. Hardly could anyone deny the obvious consequences ignited by this
trend, yet I do believe the merits of this shopping method overshadow its demerits.
The opponents of e-commerce mostly base their opinion on the fear that their privacy
might be compromised. When people want to make a purchase, they have to provlde
their bank account oY credit card information for payment and home address for
goods delivery. Once the data leak occurs, customers will become cyber criminals'
targets. In addition, most online commercial platforms are integrated with algorisms
to track web visitors' activlties; thus they can comprehend our shopping preferences,
recommend commodities that suit our likings, and urge us to buy unnecessary items.
However, all of the aforementioned drawbacks could be justified owing to the
convenience online shopping brings. In the era of a fast-paced lifestyle, people,
especlally those who dwell in urban areas, hardly have time to visit shopping malls
or street markets. Online platforms, whlch offer a variety of merchandise coming in
numerous types, styles, and prlce ranges, become an evident address to fulfill
people’s purchasing demands. For example, by entering the term 'chair' in the search
bar of Amazon, we wlll recelve thousands of options from office swlvels to patio
lounging, w th the Incredible price varylng between just ten and hundreds of dollars;
and the transaction will proceed smoothly with only some clicks.
Furthermore, online shopping saves customers a great deal of time and energy since
what they buy will be delivered directly to their doorstep. The feature also protects
the environment from greenhouse gas emissions as it curbs private vehicle usage for
goods selection and transport.
In conclusion, although disadvantages still exist, they cannot stop people from
making use of e-commerce. To ensure customers’ sense of security, stricter laws
should be introduced for better cyber management and data breach prevention.
The chart below gives information about adults with education at high school level
in six countries in 2010.
Percentage of 25-34-year-olds and 55-64-year-olds with
education at high school in 2010
Germany
USA
^'
Countri
Russia
S. Korea
Brazil
China
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Percentage
55-64-year-olds ■ 25-34-year-olds
The chart compares the percentages of people in two phases of adulthood who
received und er-secondary education in six countries in 2010.
Overall, while Germany, the USA, and Russia are three countries that witnessed the
vast majority of high school graduation rates of individuals belonging to both age
brackets, the three most significant gaps between the two age groups were recorded
in the three remaining nations.
Looking first at three Western countries, the United States alone possessed the
proportion of high-school graduates aged 55 to 64 higher than that of the other
age group, despite this difference being insignificant, by less than 3%. In contrast,
Russia and Germany's corresponding high-school education of the 55-64-year-
olds was more universal than that of citizens falling into the older age group, in
which Germany saw a fractional difference, by under 5%, whereas a substantial
dlsparity, by more than 20%, was observed in Russla.
Concerning three other countries, the percentages of natlonals graduating from high
school whose age is 25 to 34 all relatively double the figures for senior citizens, in
which with 95% of the total number of South Korean’s the 25-34-year-olds, those
gaining high-school diploma held by far the highest graduation rate from the
education level compared to the other parts of the world. Meanwhile, the most
trivial shares of both age brackets belonged to China, with 20% and 10%,
respectively.
Some say that news has no connection with most people’s life and it is waste of
time for most of us to read newspapers and watch television news programs.
Do you agree or disagree?
Although watching the news is an indispensable activity in many people’s daily
routines, some still thinly that it is just time-wasting since most of the information is
so far from their ordinary life. Personally, I am vehemently opposed to the
perspective.
People who criticize news often believe that the majority of events broadcasted on the
mass mcdia have no direct relevance to them. In another word, they have no demand
for involvement in foreign affairs, politics, or scientific breakthroughs. In fact, the
happenings around the world do have impacts on each individual, but many choose to
ignore them. For example, news about a financial crisis in the European Union may
seem pointless to Vietnamese people. However, once the EU’s economy suffers, the
demand for goods decrcases, Vietnam’s companies will lose a lot o1” customers,
which could lead to businesses’ struggle and laborers’ unemployment. The butterfly
effect is nothing strange, and it results from a piece of indifferent news at first.
Besides, reading the newspaper and watching television not only keeps people
updated about things affecting their life but also informs them how to tackle problems
that may occur. These days, news about the Covid-19 epidemic dominates the mass
media. By being exposed to the flow of information, we acknowledge how people
around the world are fighting the plague and prepare for oursclvcs. Likewise, news
programs affcct people’s spiritual life positively. Particularly, while disasters and war
consequences could generate sympathy and compassion, brutal crimes might trigger
fury as well as a sense of justice, and scientific breakthroughs can arouse hope for the
future.
To sum up, whilc some people still doubt the bcncfits news could offer, I strongly
believe that keeping ourselves posted is profitable. To save time, it ls a
recommendation that people pay more attention to daily noteworthy articles instead
of“trying to catch up on all the news.
The table below shows the percentage of members of parliament who were
women in five regions, compared to the percentage of worldwide, in 1990,
1997, and 2005.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.
Percentage of members of parliament who were women in 1990, 1997, and
200S
Region 1990 UT 2005
Oceania 1.2 1.6 3.0
North Africa 1.6 1.8 8.5
South-East Asia 10.4 10.8 15.5
Latin America 11.5 12.4 19.0
East Asla 20.2 19.3 19.4
World 12.4 11.4 15.9
The provided table compares the proportion of female high-level government
officers in five reglons with the average global ratio. The statlstics were recorded for
three years 1990, 1997, and 2005.
Generally speaking, over the 15 years, the world witnessed advancement in gender
equality as most of the figures constantly increased. Notably, while Oceania
countries accounted for the most modest rate, East Asia’s percentage always
outnumbered the others.
From 1990 to 1997, the proportions of East Asla and the world reduced by nearly 1
percent simultaneously, from 20.2 and 12,4 to 19.3 and 11.4 in turn. By contrast, five
out of six surveyed regions experienced a marginal rise in the share of female
parliament members. As a result, besides East Asia, Latin America owned an
impressive statistic of 12.4 percent, higher than the world average.
Durlng the remaining period, all the figures followed an upward trend. The most
significant jump was seen in North Africa and Latin America as their figures
increased from 1.8 and 12.4 to 8.5 and 19.0 respectively. Latin America and East
Asia’s were still the only ones overshadowing the global standard, although South-
East Asia had nearly reached the average of 15.9 percent.
In many countries today, if people want to find work, they have to move away
from their friends and families. Do the advantages of this development
outweigh the disadvantages?
Due to the cut-throat competition in the current labor market, many people these days
have to migrate from their hometowns to seek job opportunities. The social
phenomenon implies both merits and demerits, and I believe that it is highly
disadvantageous.
The most noticeable bright side of starting a new life far from home is that
people can broaden their horizons. It is a valuable chance for them to learn
from not only the employment but also the local community. Besides, by
getting exposed to the surrounding society, people will gain new acquaintances.
As a result, their social circle could be enlarged; and it is totally possible to find
sincere friends in the new relationships.
However, the downsides of the tendency seem more prevailing. In terms of finance,
the modest initial salary when one starts working has to be spent on
accommodation, travel, and groceries. Living with little savings might lead to
financial misery, a common headache for young employees. Furthermore, while
struggling to adjust to the new environment, immigrant workers usually have to
shoulder pressure from work, new relationships, and homesickness. They often
find themselves miserable and helpless since there is no one for them to rely on in
case of an emergency. The accumulated negative emotion is likely to cause such
problems as anxiety disorder, depression, etc.
Another issue to be addressed is that those job-seekers are often cognitively and
psychologically defenseless university graduates. As a result, they could become the
victims of crime, especially fraud and blackmailing. In fact, lots of Vietnamese
working abroad have reported being cheated out of all possession and money after
misplacing their trust, which often cannot happen when they dwell in a familiar
environment.
In a nutshell, while the tendency is inevitable and offers undeniable benefits, people
should take their situation into careful consideration before making the decision.
The graph below shows the amount of time taken to produce a vehicle
by four US-based car manufacturers in the years 1998 and 2002.
VEHICLE PRODUCTION TIM E
* Daimler Chrysler (DC) General Motors (GM) Ford
3<
32
30
28
26
22
20
1998 1S9S 2C0C 200 2
The given diagram illustrates the differences in construction time of an automobile in
four US car manufacturers between 1998 and 2002.
Apparently, while the downward tendency could be observed in the number of hours
reported in Nissan, DC, and GM; Ford took more time to build a vehicle later ln the
surveyed timeframe.
In 1998, Nissan was the manufacturer with the longest automobile productlon, with
about 37 hours to build a car. The least time-consuming process took place in Ford’s
factory, as they only needed approximately 25 hours to finish. There is an
inslgnificant differential of only 2 hours ln the figures for Daimler Chrysler and
General Motors.
After five years, Nissan dramatically improved their efficiency. The manufacturing
time sharply dropped to under 24 hours after the first two years and hit the bottom
of 21 hours at the end of the period, making them the speediest one in the four. DC’s
statistics fell by 3 hours after the first year, remained stable in the next three years,
and then had a remarkable decrease to 28. Constant productivity development
occurred in GM as the amount dropped from 32 to 24. On the other hand, Ford lost
the leading position in 1998 as the figure gradually increased and only recovered
slightly after reaching 26.
The shortage of housing in big cities can cause severe consequences, and only
government action can solve the problem. To what extent do you agree or
disagree?
Housing insufficiency these days has become a common headache for many
metropolises’ authorities. To tackle the consequences generated from the
predicament, I believe that not only the government but also the private sectors
should make efforts.
On the one hand, it is undeniable that the authorities have to take major responsibility
for combating the unpleasant phenomenon. Slnce people rush to big cities in the hope of
better living quality, the inner parts of“ urban areas become congested. Consequently,
the accommodation price escalates, forcing thousands of peoplC lflto homelessness. As
a managing body, the people in power could control the average cost of housing.
Besides, authorities might also work out better legal procedures to demolish old houses
and construct condominiums. Nothing but the authorities could operate such huge
planning with a potentially enormous investment. Furthermore, accommodation shortage
has led to various issues such as informal settlements and crime, which rcquire the
power of officers and the police force. Only the government could order the concerned
agencies to take action.
However, to rapidly mitigate the problem, private sectors might also make noticeable
contributions. In fact, the national budget is limited and there are many issues
demanding sponsorship, so it seems hopeless to wait for the government to
completely address the accommodation situation. With the large financial capacity,
enterprises and corporations can provide the public with low-budgct housing projects
in the suburb, lifting the burden off metropolises. Moreover, non-govemmenta1
organizations could bring charitable campaigns to slums and homeless communities
to alleviate their misery while waiting for authorities’ measures. lt is totally possible
for individuals to help by donating to the funds.
In conclusion, the housing shortage is a thorny issue that needs tackling instantly.
That is why although the government is capable enough to deal with it, other sectors
should also join hands to accelerate the process.
The chart below shows the percentage of boys and girls in one
country who played various sports in 2010.
Participation rate in sports (2010)
Swimming
Netball
Tennis
Basketball
0 5 10
15 20 25
Boys ■ Girls
The provided bar chart compares the involvement of male and female students from
one country in six specific sports in 2010.
Overall, there are distinct differences in the sports preference of boys and girls.
While boys were particularly interested in football and cricket, girls mostly ignored
them and showed a passlon for netball and swimming.
During the surveyed year, boys had a greater participation rate in four out of six
sports. The disparity between the two sexes’ figures was the most significant in
football, as 20 percent of boys partook in the activity, while only 3 percent of girls
played the king sport. The tendency is seemingly similar in cricket, with roughly
12.5 percent of male student players and only half a percent of thelr female
counterparts. Tennis and basketball attracted fewer players, with the boys’ statistics
of 9 and 8 respectively and those of girls were lower by one percent.
By contrast, netball and swimming were more popular among girls than boys. About
17.5 percent of girls chose netball to participate in, while the figure for boys was
insignificant. While the percentage of boys in swimming was the same as that in
cricket, with over 12 percent, it was still lower than girls’ by 3 percent.
There is no need for printed books, magazines, and newspapers. To what extent do
you agree or disagree?
It is now a commonplace that people, especially youngsters, get themselves well-
informed by utilising computers and electronic gadgets. Naturally, some argue that
printed materials are no longer needed. Personally, I regard this argument as shallow and
short-sighted.
To a certain extent, advanced technologies, be they computers or digital devices, do have
their edges. The most conspicuous one is that they provide the public with much more
convenience. Taking full advantage of the colossal database established and information
travelling fast on the Internet, netizens, by simply Gllcking on certain websites, can not
only get informed at the moment when the latest news and resources have just been
updated, but also dig the previous information rather than search through piles of printcd
books, magazines, and newspapers. Meanwhile, the progresses of electronic devices have
made it possible to search information via portable palm-sized gadgets, which is much
morc convenient. In this sense, printed materials secm to hold the shfinking share in
tennis of accessing information.
Howcver, never does this mean that traditional forms, printed materials, are no longer
necessary for the reason that they have the functions which the Internet cannot serve. To
illustrate, the stories written on newspapers, books, and magazines are authentic, since
the strict censorship requlres authors and editors to be certain about minute details. By
stark contrast, the infonration shown on the Internet may be fabricated, as some people
tcnd to attract others attention. Those idle gossips arc very likely to mlslead the nctizens
who lack the ability to seek or distinguish authoritative sources. To guarantee the
authenticity of’ information, hardly can printed materials be replaced. Additionally,
those who reckon that paper documents arc no longer nceded also mistakenly ignore the
demands of either the readers who are accustomed to paper reading or collectors who are
fond of book serics.
In a nutshell, at present never can the Internet substitute for printed books, magazines and
newspaper.
The graph below shows the percentage of people in one country who accessed the news from
four sources between 1995 and the present, with projections to 2025.
Percentage of people who accessed the news from four sources, 1995-2025
80
70
O 60
TV
40
Newspaper
y 20
10
0
1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025
Year
The given graph depicts the changes in the ways people kept themselves updated
from 1995, with expected statistlcs in 2025 in a particular country.
The first glance at the graph reveals that despite the downward trend wltnessed ln
the proportions of TB, newspaper and radio access, the Internet have been seeing
rocket-like popularity,
In 1995, mostly noone from the mentioned country acknowledged Internet access.
The citizens strongly relied on TV for information updating, as nearly 70 percent of
them chose the means of media. Standing at the second highest position was
newspaper, with about 55 percent of the populatlon’s choice. The figure for radio is
not so far behind, standing at approximatelt 52 percent.
At the end of the surveyed perioud, the situation has changed dramatically.
Information access from TV, after suffering a quick drop to 55 percent between
2000 and 2005, slightly recovered by 5 percent in 2010 and has constantly
decreased so far. It is expected that the figure will hit 50 percent in 2025, making TV
the second most popular of the four. By contrast, Internet entry slowly entered the
market during the first seven years, then made a drastic invasion as the estimated
proportion might reach 55 percent at the end of the period. Newspaper and radio’s
percentage gradually fell throughout the researched timeframe; they could gain
prospective figures of under 30 and over 20 percent respectively.
People living in the twenty-first century have a better quality of life than people who
live in previous centuries. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
The twenty-first century is witnessing an unprecedented level of socio-economic
development, leading to considerable upgrades in people’s living standards.
However, when considering the quality of life, I personally opine that despite the
undeniable bright sides, the modern era holds more demerits than the mankind's
expectation
Many people who claim that human beings are enjoying a superb life based their
opinion on some reasonable arguments. Firstly, the development of healthcare has
led to medications and surgical procedures for various diseases which were
incurable in the past. Take HIV/AIDS as an example, about two decades ago,
people could only live several years after a positive diagnosis, but now they can
continue their normal life just by taking periodic medicines. Second, progress in
transportation has deliberated humans from arduous traveling on horsecarts or
sailboats, which not only is costly and time-consuming but also strains our physical
condition. We could even observe what is happening outside the planet, and outer-
space traveling, once regarded as fictional, is not beyond our reach anymore.
However, convenience comes with an enormous cost. Although scientific
advancements and breakthroughs have brought remedies for many diseases, we are
now facing more fatal ailments which continuously threaten the international
population and challenge the healthcare system. The COVID-19 pandemic, for
example, has caused millions of deaths, deteriorated global health, and disrupted
normal life in most countries. Besides, human beings nowadays are living in a bizarre
level of pollution, which jeopardizes not only people but also animals and plants.
Our ancestors in the past, by contrast, could breathe freely in the fresh air
without a facemask and consume vegetables and fruit which are not contaminated
by excessive pesticides and preservatives. Moreover, an indisputable dark side of the
modern era is cut-throat competition in both academic and working environments, as
the world is advancing day by day. As a result, people have to suffer from more
stress and pressure than ever.
To sum up, while people in this century are bestowed with lots of advantages, they also
have to face numerous challenges. Consequently, the question of whether the living
quality has been improved or degraded will still be controversial in the near future.
