Open World p 56. The Environment. Speaking

1. What could be done to prevent air pollution from soaring above safety levels and in so doing avoid the depletion of the ozone layer?
2. Should speed limits be reduced in order to stop cars from whizzing, whooshing and zooming along the motorway? What would be the benefits and drawbacks of such a measure? Discuss how it could minimize traffic-related fatalities, why higher speeds contribute to higher risk of serious injuries, whether lower speed limits on motorways reduce fuel consumption and pollutant emissions and therefore help to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
3. What is the environmental impact of planes hurtling overhead on our island?  Are aircraft major contributors of carbon emissions to the atmosphere?
4.  Nearly half of all ocean pollution comes from activities that take place on land. Plastic pollution comes in all shapes and sizes. Larger pieces of plastic waste make up the Eastern Garbage Patch, a floating whirlpool of trash in the Pacific ocean that’s about the size of Spain. If this were not enough, agricultural run-off containing pesticides and fertilizers, sewage, garbage dumping, and chemical spills are polluting our oceans and creating huge dead zones —oxygen-depleted areas like the Mar Menor, where many marine species struggle to survive. And on top of all this oil spills also carry serious consequences. What are the solutions you propose?
5. There seems to be almost no limit to the damage people can cause to our planet. The signs and impacts of global warming are speeding up. What vital signs of climate change and global warming have you already experienced in your lifetime?
6. Governments in some countries are due to present new measures to reduce air pollution. These include financial support to insulate people's homes and to buy electric cars. What other measure do you think could be effective? What could be the next natural step?
7. A friend of yours is keyed up because he is about to refurbish his house. He is considering having double-glazing fitted and he is also exploring the option of having underfloor heating installed. What advice would you give him? What else can he do to become more environmentally friendly?
8. If you had to write a notice to raise awareness about environmental issues, what message would you write in big red letters so that it would stick out?
9. In some cities people can see how the smoke of carbon dioxide is drifting towards their windows. What measures aim to reduce the impact of fossil fuels burning in our cities? What could be better regulated or even banned?
10. Will some political parties eventually grudgingly agree to exploit renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar power? Are offshore wind farms a solution you would go along with? Would you install a solar panel or a wind turbine on your property?

Add two more to ask a partner:
11. __________
12. __________

Open World p 53. Shopping and Consumerism. The Economy and Business. Extra Speaking

1. Interaction: Talk about the following questions with your partner for about 5 minutes. The pictures are there to help you.

1. Is the society we live in too consumer oriented? 
2. Is ethical consumption right up your street? An ethical consumer is aware of the impact of the goods he is buying and then makes the best possible purchase decision available. Should we shop more ethically? What would that involve? Can you think of some benefits of buying locally produced food and other goods? How could we all contribute to improving working conditions in sweatshops?
3. Why do you think people buy counterfeit goods? What ways of combating counterfeiting can you think of?
4.  Do you follow the latest fads or do you have your own sense of style?
5. People spend a lot during the sales.  Is this justified? Do you believe in the sales? Do you think some people buy things on impulse?
6. How do advertisers manage to strike a chord with the consumers? Does advertising play an important role when we decide to purchase commodities?  Is the best advertising the one that spreads by word of mouth? How do you achieve this? Do you think advertisers should be paid generously? Who do you think should?
7. What do you think of shopping online / in second hand shops/ at auction/ at a car boot sale? Why do you think vintage clothes have become so popular nowadays?
8. What product/service sales are currently soaring? Have businesses taken many workers on?  What have we seen a proliferation of? As a result, what business would you invest heavily in? Do you think the consumers will tire of this product/service? 
9. What product/service sales have currently lost their appeal and consequently stagnated? Has anybody had to be laid off? Has any business had to be relocated? Do you know of any business that has come close to going under? Has any company gone into administration? What would give rise to a sales jump?
10. What is the impact of having boom and bust cycles for households? What effects does a period of economic downturn have? Can you see some signs of an upturn in the economy nowadays? Why do you think the problem of hyperinflation in some countries is so hard to solve? What austerity measures do countries impose when there is a recession? May schools and hospitals face cutbacks?
11. What are the advantages and the disadvantages of the global economy? Is globalisation an opportunity or a threat?
12. Have you heard of any evictions and repossessions recently? Do some people in your country struggle to make ends meet and fall behind with their mortgage repayments? Did taxpayers have to bail any banks out? Was it the right thing to do?
13. What are three things that you would like to have but which cost the earth? 
14. Who are three famous people who you think were born with a silver spoon in their mouth?
15. Why do you think so many people in society live beyond their means? Have you ever helped anybody who was flat broke? Do you think that in our neighbourhoods there might be people who live hand-to-mouth?
    
16. Have you ever had to ask for a refund or a credit note? Why?
17. What are the swings and roundabouts of using loyalty cards?
    

2. Monologue: Below there are some issues related to the topic. You must talk about at least two of them for 3 minutes. You may be asked further questions about the topic when you have finished. 
 

Student A

1. Are we fashion victims?  Why?  Why not? What kind of trends/products get out of date too soon and why? How do trends take off?
2. “He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have” (Socrates).  Discuss.
3. Do you think that the fact that the economy is at a low ebb has brought about a shift in our shopping habits? Do you know any businesses who have had to diversify to survive?

Student B

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of flea markets? Have you ever haggled over the price of an item at a car boot sale? Do you agree that ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’? Have you ever stumbled upon the bargain of a lifetime when rummaging through stuff at a car boot sale? Have you ever bartered any items?

2. Do you look at prices when you go shopping?  When did you last ask for a quote? In what situations do people or organizations usually pay in advance? And in arrears? And in instalments?  And in full? And on expenses? Have you ever bought anything on hire purchase? And on credit?  What do you pay by standing order?And by direct debit?

3. "Women enjoy buying things, men don't." Do you agree with this statement? Do you think women spend freely and men are frugal and save hard? Do you enjoy retail therapy- splashing out on things when you need to be cheered up? On what occasions have you decided to dip into the money you had saved carefully? Have you ever maxed out your credit card? Have you ever considered extending your overdraft? Do you know anybody who has sponged off their relatives?

What could break the bank? On what occasions have you had to tighten your belt?

Vocabulary

Ethical Consumption is about making the connections between a product, where that product originated and in what context it has been produced. It requires YOU to think before you shop, to consider just how your lifestyle affects other people and communities, as well as the environment.

(right) up your street (also (right) up your alley)

(informal) very suitable for you because it is something that you know a lot about or are very interested in. 

E.g. A teaching job would be right up her alley.

sweatshop: a place where people work for low wages in poor conditions.

counterfeit:  /ˈkaʊntəfɪt/ an object that is not genuine, but has been made to look as if it is, in order to trick people into thinking that they are getting the real thing. Fake. E.g. Despite the introduction of a security shield on the new £10 stamp, counterfeits are costing the postal service millions of pounds a year.

counterfeiting: /ˈkaʊntəfɪtɪŋ/ the crime of making an exact copy of something in order to trick people into thinking that it is the real thing.



fad: something that people are interested in for only a short period of time. Craze.E.g. the latest/ current fad. A fad for physical fitness. Rap music proved to be more than just a passing fad.

Impulse: /ˈɪmpʌls/ a sudden strong wish or need to do something, without stopping to think about the results. E.g. He had a sudden impulse to stand up and sing. I resisted the impulse to laugh. Her first impulse was to run away. The door was open and on (an) impulse she went inside. He tends to act on impulse. 

strike/touch a chord (with somebody) to say or do something that makes people feel sympathy or enthusiasm. E.g. The speaker had obviously struck a chord with his audience.

by word of mouth because people tell each other and not because they read about it. E.g. The news spread by word of mouth.

pay generously/ handsomely

auction /ˈɔːkʃn/ a public event at which things are sold to the person who offers the most money for them. E.g. an auction of paintings. The house is up for auction(= will be sold at an auction ). A classic Rolls-Royce fetched (= was sold for) £25000 at auction. An Internet auction site.
 
soar: if the value, amount or level of something soars, it rises very quickly. E.g. Unemployment has soared to 18%. 

proliferation: /prəˌlɪfəˈreɪʃn/ the sudden increase in the number or amount of something; a large number of a particular thing. E.g. attempts to prevent cancer cell proliferation. A proliferation of personal computers. 

invest foolishly/ heavily/ wisely

tire of something/somebody: to become bored with something/ somebody or begin to enjoy it/ them less. E.g. They soon tired of the beach and went for a walk. She was sure that he would soon tire of her. There are plenty of restaurants for those who tire of shopping.

stagnated stopped growing. To stop developing or making progress. E.g. Profits have stagnated. I feel I'm stagnating in this job. Businesses must adapt to change or stagnate.

go under:  to become bankrupt (= be unable to pay what you owe). E.g. The firm will go under unless business improves.

administration: a situation in which the financial affairs of a business that cannot pay its debts are managed by an independent administrator. E.g. If it cannot find extra funds, the company will go into administration.

give rise to something: (formal) to cause something to happen or exist. E.g. The novel's success gave rise to a number of sequels.

jump (in something) a sudden increase in amount, price or value. E.g. a 20 per cent jump in pre-tax profits. Unusually large price jumps.

boom and bust: a situation in which an economy or business regularly goes through periods of increased activity and success followed by periods of failure. E.g. The history of oil is one of boom and bust. In the gold industry, boom and bust cycles last an average of 10 years.The country seems, for now at least, to have left behind boom-and-bust economics.

downturn (in something) a fall in the amount of business that is done; a time when the economy becomes weaker. E.g. the recent economic downturns. a downturn in sales/trade/business. the economic downturn of 2008/2009. a period of economic downturn.

The global economy: the system of industry and trade around the world that has developed as the result of globalization (= the way in which economies have been developing to operate together as one system). The economies of the world's individual countries considered together as a single economic system. E.g. "New York plays a vital role in the global economy" Some of the global economy's largest industries, including the fossil-fuel, banking and insurance industries, are potentially at risk.



bail somebody out (of something) (British English also bale somebody out (of something))

to rescue somebody from a difficult situation. E.g. The government had to bail the company out of financial difficulty. Ryan's late goal bailed out his team. 

 

live beyond one's means: to spend more money than one can afford to spend.

E.g.

They've been living beyond their means for some time now, but they're too proud to move out of that giant house or give up their expensive cars. 

flat broke: not having any money at all. 

E.g. I'm flat broke.

 

 

credit note: a letter that a shop gives you when you have returned something and that allows you to have goods of the same value in exchange.

E.g.
If damaged items have to be returned, the manufacturer may issue a credit note.

 

out of date: old-fashioned or without the most recent information and therefore no longer useful. E.g These figures are very out of date. Suddenly she felt old and out of date. An out-of-date map. Out-of-date technology.  

The ebb: /eb/ the period of time when the sea flows away from the land. E.g. the ebb tide.
at a low ebb: in a poor state; worse than usual. E.g. Morale among teachers is at a low ebb.

bring something about: to make something happen. Cause. E.g. What brought about the change in his attitude? 

shift (in something) a change in position or direction. E.g. a dramatic shift in public opinion. A shift of emphasis.

diversify:  /daɪˈvɜːsɪfaɪ/
diversify (something) (into something) (especially of a business or company) to develop a wider range of products, interests, skills, etc. in order to be more successful or reduce risk. E.g.  Farmers are being encouraged to diversify into new crops. The company has been trying to diversify its business.

 

barter: the system of exchanging goods, property, services, etc. for other goods, etc. without using money

E.g.

The islanders use a system of barter instead of money.

 

quote (also quotation or estimate) a statement of how much money a particular piece of work will cost. E.g. Their quote for the job was way too high. You need to get a written quotation before they start work. We'll give you a free quotation for replacing your windows. We got estimates from three firms and accepted the lowest.

In arrears: /əˈrɪəz/ if money or a person is paid in arrears for work, the money is paid after the work has been done. E.g. if you pay in arrears, you settle the bill when the work is finished.

Instalment: /ɪnˈstɔːlmənt/ one of a number of payments that are made regularly over a period of time until something has been paid for. Sp. Plazo, cuota. E.g. we paid for the car by/ in instalments.

in full: to the full amount due. E.g. their relocation costs would be paid in full.

expenses [plural] money that you spend while you are working and which your employer will pay back to you later. E.g. You can claim back your travelling/ travel expenses. To take a client out for a meal on expenses. An all-expenses-paid trip 

Hire purchase: /ˈpɜːtʃəs/ A system by which one pays for a thing in regular instalments while having the use of it. The article only belongs to the person who is buying it when all the payments have been made. Sp. Comprar algo a plazos. E.g. a hire purchase agreement. We're buying a new cooker on hire purchase.

Credit: an arrangement that you make, with a shop/store for example, to pay later for something you buy. E.g. we bought the dishwasher on credit.

 

standing order: an instruction that you give to your bank to pay somebody a fixed amount of money from your account on the same day each week/month, etc.     

E.g.

to set up a standing order    

to pay by standing order

 

direct debit: an instruction to your bank to allow somebody else to take an amount of money from your account on a particular date, especially to pay bills.

E.g.
We pay all our bills by direct debit.

 

 

spend freely/ extravagantly/ lavishly/ wisely

Frugal: /ˈfruːɡl / using only as much money or food as is necessary. Sp. Austero. E.g. a frugal existence/ life. He has always been hard-working and frugal. 

save carefully/ hard 

dip into: to take an amount from money that you have saved.

E.g.
We took out a loan for the car because we didn't want to dip into our savings.

 

max out: to reach, or make something reach, the limit at which nothing more is possible.

E.g.

The car maxed out at 150 mph.     

I maxed out all my credit cards (= reached the spending limit on each one). 

overdraft

the amount of money that you owe to a bank when you have spent more money than is in your bank account; an arrangement that allows you to do this.

E.g.

She had run up an overdraft of £3 000.     

to pay off/clear an overdraft     

The savings account has no overdraft facility.

 

sponge (off/on somebody) /spʌndʒ/ (informal, disapproving) to get money, food, etc. regularly from other people without doing anything for them or offering to pay.

E.g.

He spent his life sponging off his relatives.

 

 

 

Open World p 53. Shopping and Consumerism. Extra Activities

Choose correct answers:

A World without Money. Choose correct alternatives

Multiple Choice Cloze:

What Price for a Handbag? Louis Vuitton Takes an NGO Worker to Court. Extra Multiple Choice Cloze

Word Formation Cloze:

Don’t Buy What You Don’t Need . Extra Word Formation

Are Footballers Earning Too Much. Extra Word Formation

Money Buys Happiness. Extra Word Formation

Listening

Buy Nothing Day. Extra Listening

Advice on Money Matters. Extra Listening

Summarise Your Views. Listening

Ethically Produced Clothes. Extra Listening 

Trends. Listening

 Open Cloze

A description of an object. Extra Cloze

Story

The Raffle. Extra Story

 

 

 

 

 

 

Open World p 45. Report about your classes at the EOI. Writing

 

Write a report

Task description 

Your company paid for your enrolment at the EOI this year. After a couple of months at the EOI they want to know if their money was well invested and if more needs to be done. Therefore, you have been asked to write a report about your classes, your achievements, your goals, your experience in general, your needs and any recommendations you have for the continued success of the programme.
These are some of the points you need to include in the report:
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the education programme
- Reflect and recognise what you are learning
- What progress you have made toward learning goals
- Key learning objectives you have accomplished
- Key learning objectives you would like to accomplish
- What you should do to improve
- What you need to do to perform successfully
- What else you need from the programme

 

Models:

Open World p 45. A Report. Writing

Open World p 45. Report: William Shakespeare Course. Cloze

Open World p 50. Raising Funds For Our Local Animal Shelter. Report. Word Formation

 

 

Open World p 45. A Report. Writing

How to write a report
 

How to write a report from sergeiG

WHAT IS REPORT?

A report is a factual description of an event or situation. It may be written for a superior (e.g. a teacher, a manager), a peer group (e. g. colleagues) or a general audience (e. g. a committee). A report should be practical and business-like. The writer of the report should present the necessary information as clearly as possible (using subheadings) so that the reader can follow it easily, and it should express an overall opinion and / or make suggestions or recommendations at the end.

STRUCTURE

When you write a report, clarity is essential. Therefore, it should be clearly organised. Give your report a clear title.  You should organise your report into paragraphs or sections to deal with separate aspects of a subject and use  subheadings to make this clear. You should clearly explain the objective of the report at the beginning (introduction). You can start by saying what the report is about and/or how you gathered the information. Towards the end of the report you may predict the future (future developments), make suggestions or recommendations and finally end with a conclusion which gives a summary of the situation.

LAYOUT 

Title

The title needs to be clear and simple to help the reader know what you will be discussing in the report.

Introduction

The introductory paragraph should state the purpose of the report and where the information was gathered.

Different sections
Use different paragraphs to deal with separate aspects of a subject. Use a clear layout with a division into paragraphs according to the input (use  subheadings)

You may also use lists of numbered points or bullets where appropriate. (DON'T overdo it, though. If you use them in more than one section, you won't be able to show the full range of structures and vocabulary you know.)

Future developments
You may predict the future in a separate paragraph.

Recommendations
You may make recommendations in a separate paragraph.

Conclusion
In the conclusive paragraph give a clear summary of the situation.

STYLE

You should use formal, objective, factual, impersonal language. Remember to avoid contractions.

USEFUL PHRASES FOR EACH OF THE PARAGRAPHS

Title

Introduction (paragraph 1)

Stating the purpose of the report
• The main aim/objective/purpose of this report is to compare/examine/evaluate/describe/outline/analyse/expose/present/give information on/regarding the...
• It will also include/recommend/consider/suggest....
• It appears that... It is observed that... 
• This report aims to... etc.
• This report is intended to inform sb of sth
• The report highlights one of the major problems facing society today.
• This report looks at... / deals with...
• This report also contains my recommendations/ comments on (how health and safety standards might be improved)

Describing how you got the information
• This report is based on a survey conducted among...
• It is the result of a discussion which took place among...
• In order to prepare this report, I conducted interviews with... / I visited three of the most popular... / I discussed the issue with/ I interviewed... / studied......

Body (with subheadings) (paragraphs 2, 3,...)


Presenting a list
• First of all/Firstly
• Secondly/ Furthermore/Moreover
• Apart from this / In addition to this...
• Lastly/Finally
•The arguments against... are the following: First,...Second,...
•The following were the main reasons given for supporting..: firstly,..., secondly,...
•Points mentioned in favour of / against... were: ...
•There are several ways in which... might be...: ...
•They gave / suggested the following reasons: ...
•They made the following points: ...

Reporting your results
• Interestingly / Surprisingly / Strangely / Not surprisingly...,
• It is interesting / surprisingly / strange that...
• It should be considered, it is worth considering
• The first observation to make is/ concerns...
• It has been stressed that.../It has been pointed out that...
• It is thought that...
• It appears / seems that...
• It appears that the majority of ...
• Several people said / told me / suggested / thought that...
• It was commented upon by a number of people we talked to that...
• Most people / The majority of people seem to / tend to...
• According to (the majority of respondents) 
• Many of those interviewed stated that....
• All those who were interviewed believe that / are concerned that...
• Others pointed out that...
•The main problem was that...
•A cause of dissatisfaction was...
•The only problem is that ...

Linking: contrast and concession
• However, nevertheless, although, even though, on one hand/on the other hand...
• (The best way to learn a language is to live in the country). Alternatively, (one can also attend...)
• In spite of/despite the fact that.../ (Noun phrase) /  (...-ing) (, it is nevertheless the most...)
• In spite of/ Despite this/that
• (Many students sacrificed many nights to study for the exam), but for all that (they still failed).
• Regardless of (what was previously agreed to,...)
• While/ Whereas (many students...,there are others who)
• (A class does not have to be boring). On the contrary, (there are many fun activities that can be done...)
• By comparison with (the good atmosphere in the school, there were unfortunately some students who ...)
• (Teaching today is done very differently) when compared to (the way I was taught)
• Unlike (most programmes, this one is very ...)
• In contrast to (an improvement in some skills, there are still ...)  
• At first sight (the English language looks unchallenging) but in fact (it is nothing like as easy as it seems)
• One of the main differences between X and Y is that...
• X is totally / entirely / completely different from Y, in that...
• X is slightly / rather / somewhat / a great deal/ far/ much (cheaper / more expensive) than Y.
• (It was) nowhere near as difficult as (I thought it would be)
• (English) is not nearly/quite as challenging as (Russian).   
• It’s nothing like as overwhelming as (I was told).  
• (Our school) is by far the best one (in the world) 

For all that: in spite of something just mentioned. In spite of that. E.g. She sacrificed many nights to study for the exam, but for all that she still failed. He was a nice man for all that. We drove like bats out of hell to get there on time, but for all that hurrying, we were still too late to board the plane.

regardless of: without taking into account. In spite of. E.g. We are a welcoming and a friendly club who accepts all regardless of age. Regardless of what was previously agreed to, we now refuse to sign the contract. Regardless of our mistakes, our parents will always love us. The plan for a new office building went ahead regardless of local opposition.

by/in comparison (with): used for talking about the ways in which two people or things are different. When compared with another : when looked at or thought about in relation to someone or something else. E.g. Their lives were exciting and glamorous; ours seemed dull by comparison. By comparison with the lively teenagers, the adults were a joyless lot.  Yesterday's weather was very cold. Today's weather is mild by comparison. He's a well-behaved child in comparison with his brother.  By comparison, expenditure on education increased last year.  The second half of the game was dull by comparison with the first. The tallest buildings in London are small in comparison with New York’s skyscrapers

Future developments (predicting the future) 

• The outlook for young people/jobs/the country is far from bright/optimistic/depressing/daunting
• The future looks bleak/remains uncertain/is promising
• This seems unlikely in the near/foreseeable future

Recommendations
 
• I would strongly recommend that (the company/the school...) should...
• In the light of the results of the survey I would strongly advise against (giving too much homework).
• I feel it would be to our advantage if...
• The best solution is/would be to...
• This will have an impact on (our economy)
• It is recommended that...
• The opinion/ the views of... should be taken into consideration...
• In order to improve/decide/ make future decisions/ succeed in the future...
• All things considered...
• My overall recommendation / opinion / feeling is that...
• We have no hesitation in recommending...
• It would seem that... is the best idea.
• Taking all the factors mentioned into account...
• I would therefore recommend (+ -ing)...
• I would strongly/highly recommend that... should + bare infinitive
• Clearly, more could be done to... Therefore, I would make the following recommendations:...
• My first / second recommendation would be to...
• It would be (highly) advisable to ...
• If my recommendations are followed, then ...
• The best solution / ideas would seem to be ...
• In the light of the results of the survey I would advise against/ in favour of...
• I feel it would be to our advantage if...
• This will have an impact on + noun
• Another option would be to ...
• I would also suggest ...
• Another point to consider is that ...

Conclusion
 
• As long as/provided that these recommendations are taken into consideration...
• In conclusion,...
• The research shows/demonstrates
• From the research/the evidence we conclude that
• On the whole I believe we can...

You can also find useful language for writing a report here. 

MODELS

SAMPLE 1:

The Student Services Manager at your school or college has asked you to write a report on the library facilities and to suggest any improvements that could be made.

Title:

            Report on College Library Facilities

INTRODUCTION:

·         The aim/purpose of this report is to…

·         This report looks at…

·         In order to prepare this report, I visited/interviewed/studied…

In order to prepare this report, I visited the college library on several occasions and interviewed the librarians and a number of students.

SUBHEADINGS:

Write subheadings or number each point.

            General

            Books

            Newspapers and magazines

REPORTING IMPRESSIONS AND FINDINGS:

·         It seems/appears that …

·         Most people/The majority of people seem to/tend to…

·         It is interesting/surprisingly/strange that…

·         Interestingly, Surprisingly, Strangely, …

QUOTING

·         According to X, Y said/felt/mentioned that … + reported speech

GENERALISING

·         In general, On the whole,

General

The library has a welcoming atmosphere and most people said that it was easy to find your way around. It is well decorated and well-lit and the only problem is that there are not quite enough tables and chairs for everyone at busy times.

Books

There is a very good selection of books for all subjects but according to the librarians there is sometimes a waiting list when a particular book has been recommended by a teacher. The catalogue system is rather complicated and surprisingly it does not appear to have been updated recently.

Newspapers and magazines

The range of newspapers and magazines is excellent and they seem to be well used.

MAKING A RECOMMENDATION

·         In my opinion/view,

·         I would recommend (+ -ing)

SUMMING UP

·         In conclusion, To sum up, On balance

Conclusion

The library facilities are very good, on the whole, but I would recommend providing additional copies of popular books, supplying a small number of extra chairs, and improving and updating the catalogue system.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Report on College Library Facilities In order to prepare this report, I visited the college library on several occasions and interviewed the librarians and a number of students. General The library has a welcoming atmosphere and most people said that it was easy to find your way around. It is well decorated and well-lit and the only problem is that there are not quite enough tables and chairs for everyone at busy times. Books There is a very good selection of books for all subjects but according to the librarians there is sometimes a waiting list when a particular book has been recommended by a teacher. The catalogue system is rather complicated and surprisingly it does not appear to have been updated recently. Newspapers and magazines The range of newspapers and magazines is excellent and they seem to be well used. Conclusion The library facilities are very good, on the whole, but I would recommend providing additional copies of popular books, supplying a small number of extra chairs, and improving and updating the catalogue system.

 SAMPLE 2:  
The Housing Situation for Young People in My Country


Sample answer:




SAMPLE 3:

The University Union to which you belong intends to make suggestions to the University Council to improve the main library on campus. You are asked to write a report to assess its current situation.

Report on College Library Facilities

The aim of this report is to evaluate the present-day conditions of the library facilities on campus.

In order to prepare this report, I visited the main college library on several occasions and interviewed the librarians and a number of students.

General

The main university library has a welcoming atmosphere and most people said that it was easy to find your way around. It is well decorated and well-lit and the only problem is that there are not quite enough tables and chairs for everyone at busy times.

Books

There is a very good selection of books for all subjects but according to the librarians there is sometimes a waiting list when a particular book has been recommended by a teacher. The catalogue system is rather complicated and surprisingly it does not appear to have been updated recently.

Newspapers and magazines

The range of newspapers and magazines is excellent and they seem to be well used.

Conclusion

The library facilities are very good, on the whole, but I would recommend providing additional copies of popular books, supplying a small number of extra chairs, and improving and updating the catalogue system.

SAMPLE 4:

Your college has been asked to accept a group of 50 students from another country for two weeks. Your principal has asked you to write a report. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of accepting this group? What would you recommend?

Report on proposed visit by 50 overseas students

Introduction

The purpose of this report is to consider the advantages and disadvantages of accepting a large group of students from overseas for two weeks. I have discussed the issue with all the senior members of college staff.

Advantages

All those I interviewed believe that for students, this would be an exciting opportunity to explore a foreign culture, both in the classroom and socially. Moreover, most of them thought the visit would be stimulating for the college at this quiet time of the year.

Disadvantages

Some members of staff are concerned that:

1. there would be insufficient seating in the library at busy times.

2. the visitors might be more interested in enjoying themselves than studying.

3. the restaurant queue would be very slow at lunchtime.

Conclusion and recommendation

Clearly, the visit might involve some practical difficulties, but on the whole, everyone thought that it should be seen as an opportunity not to be missed. I would therefore suggest that the college accepts the group.

SAMPLE 5:

You work for the Student Travel Agency of your college. The principal of the college is interested in the experiences of students who have worked abroad during their summer holidays. She has asked you to write a report on the advantages and disadvantages of such work. In particular, she wants to know whether the college should recommend "working holidays" to its students.

Working holidays for students

The purpose of this report is to consider the advantages and disadvantages of working holidays abroad. In order to obtain this information, I interviewed more than 30 students who had worked in different countries.

The benefits of working holidays

A large number of the students I spoke to said that they had enjoyed working abroad and had become more open-minded as a result. Apparently, they felt they had learnt a lot about the local people and their way of life by working side by side with them.

The disadvantages of working holidays

Not surprisingly, many students complained that they had worked too hard in certain countries. They believed that they had been exploited by their employers, who paid them very little money. According to some students, there had also been problems with documents such as work permits.

Conclusions and Recommendations

It appears that the majority of students found the experience of working abroad very beneficial. Therefore, I believe that the college should recommend "working holidays" to its students. However, it should also warn them about the problems they could face and the precautions they need to take.