Task 1

177 words, 25 minute (after self corrections)

The first chart below illustrates the amount of people who visited the UK from other countries and who travelled overseas from the UK during a couple of decades (between 1979 to 1999). While the bar graphs indicates the favorites countries visited by UK residents in 1999.

In the first stage of the period, less than 15 million people from the UK went to foreign countries; this proportion increased in low level till 1984 when started rising greatly to reach a top of more than 50 million in 1999. At the same time, in 1974 ten million people travelled to the UK; it remained steady for around 16 years, after that it increased quickly to finish at more than twice at the end of period.

Otherwise, the most visited place in 1999 by UK residents was France, more than 10 million people chose that place to travel; followed nearly by Spain (around 9 million). In a different way, only around 4 million went to the US, fewer went to Greece, and almost 2 million people travelled to Turkey.

Task 2

Creative artist should always be given the freedom to express their own ideas (in words, pictures, music or film) in whichever way they wish. There should be no government restrictions on what they do.

To what extend do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

265 words, 33 minutes (after self corrections)

In some countries, governments are used to making decisions related to some regulation about what kind of art is allowed to exist or not. While, some people believe that artist should be free as they want to. Those groups support the idea that the only limit for artists ought to be their creativity. It is a complicated issue which needs a deep down evaluation before offering an opinion.

Many people around the history have described art as a mirror of the culture. They have said that every society develops some specific types of artistry manifestations to illustrate that particular reality.

Consequently, it is common that governments do not want to permit showing everything which is happening in some historical moments. Most of people think that it is the only reason to censors art, and they could not accept that idea.

On the other hand, presently some artists get used to express their opinions and creativity in disrespectful ways, for instance on private walls or public structures. It is becoming usual that some people modify those things in name of the art. From my point of view, it is a wrong practice because the right of someone to express his/her artistic skills is not a reason to break the others rights.

In conclusion, art is an essential way to show situations and historical events, so it must be free; however, any kind of creative actions should affect either private or public structures or walls; because those forms of manifestations are in the limit between art and vandalism; then government need to take care and restrict them.

Task 1

150 words, 22 minutes (after self corrections)

The bards graph below illustrates how proportion of women and men studied in different levels of post-school qualifications in Australia and received their degrees in 1999.

The majority of people who were certificated as Skilled vocational diplomas were men (90%); while the most popular qualifications in women were Undergraduate diplomas (over 70%) and Bachelor’s degrees (over 50%).

People who studied Postgraduate diplomas were 70% men and 30% women. Otherwise, those who received Master’ degrees were 60% men and 40% women.

After this information, it is easy to understand that in Australia at the end of the last century men tended to study longer time than women. Meanwhile, female population looked for basic skills in order to achieve some qualification.

Moreover, there only 10% of women got the highest study level in 1999. Nevertheless, in any other qualification, the difference between women and men was too long as Skilled vocational diploma.

Task 2

Happiness is considered very important in life.

Why is it difficult to define?

What factors are important in achieving happiness?

258 words, 30 minutes (after self corrections)

Some people believe that reach happiness should be the aim of the life, others that it is a fast emotion that people only feel in few moments, or that it is a way to see and experience the life. However, it is a hard point to define because it is an issue which involves lots of elements. That is why I think that it is essential to evaluate deeply this point before offering an opinion.

Every person has an individual idea about what happiness mean; it is a very personal concept because each one attributes specific value to it, for instance that it is a feeling which people live after important moments such as graduations or awards. People who support this opinion say that happiness is short and quick.

On the other hand, there are people in favor that happiness is not just a feeling; they tell others that it is a form to live and it is not necessarily related to have good mood, because a happy person is someone who face the life with an inner satisfaction and optimism.

Furthermore, they say that when this kind of person is living a bad moment the internal idea about life and herself/himself ways to cross it are from happy elements which are strong inside him/her.

In conclusion, all those factors are linked to happiness definition and become it complicated to find a clear idea without leave out fundamental elements. From my point of view, happiness should continue being a personal concept even if dictionaries give a general idea.

Task 1

176 words, 29 minutes (after self corrections)

The couple of charts below are related to the use of electricity in England; the first one shows the amount of electric power used in winter and summer. Meanwhile, the pie graph informs about the percentage of electricity used in different needs into British houses.

People there spend around twice more electric power on winter than summer. The day’s hours when people use more electricity during cold days are between 9:00 p.m. to 10:00p.m., but it tends to have fluctuation; in the afternoon and around 2:00 a.m. there spend high electricity level. While, in warm time, people use more electric power between 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.; at night, it has a reach again at 10:00 p.m.

Otherwise, the main uses of this resource there are heat rooms and water (over 50%), followed by activities related to cook such as the use of oven, kettles and washing machines. People spend 15% of their electricity at home in leisure activities like watching TV or listening to radio (and lighting house); and the same proportion as other devices. 

Task 2

279 words, 31 minutes (after self correction)

Around the world, there are happening lots of important events every second, people need to know about those in order to develop opinions and have the opportunity to take care about some important issues to them. Nowadays, media is the main way to run information, but there are many different types of it; it is essential to evaluate which of those are better and why.

Television is maybe the most popular resource of convey news in these days; some obvious benefits of TV are that it is easy to use; people do not need to make any effort to utilize it. They just turn on and watch it; moreover, in general, information on TV is clear and with wide range of opinions. The downside is that TV’s news are about global information and people do not have a chance to find news related to their community.

On the other hand, radio has the same good points, but everybody can locate local information there. However, anything is perfect, and in this case, this kind of media face a big problem, because sometimes the signal works bad and it does not sound as well as people would like to listen to it.

Finally, comics are very interesting tool to offer news, because they tend to be very critic with events; they help people to think deeply in some trouble and encourage them to read more in order to build a clear opinion.

In brief, all forms of media give to people different types to have information and develop opinion over them; from my point of view, any of them is better than other, they are just distinct and for diverse situations.

Task 1

154 words, 26 minutes (after self corrections)

The chart below is about the percentage of different types of families which lived in poor conditions in Australia in 1999.

Elderly people had the fewest amount of poverty, in both cases, single and couple. Only between 4% to 6% f them lived below the poverty line.

Otherwise, single people in all cases (senior citizens, no children and children families) were who showed the highest levels of poorness there n that year; moreover, those who had children alone were the poorest ones (21%) in comparison with the rest categories.

Couples with children or without them were poorer than old people in general, but significantly less poor than those who lived alone.

Summarizing, in Australia 11% of population had low standard of living in 1999, and most of them are single with children or without them; elderly people were who reached better living condition in this study followed by couples without children and with them.