Task 1
The bar chart shows the percentage of the total world population in 4 countries in 1950 and 2003, and projections for 2050.
Sample Answer:
The bar chart illustrates the proportion of the total world population in four countries (India, China, USA and Japan) in 1950, 2002, and predicted figures for 2050.
Overall, the figures for the proportion of world population decreased for all countries except India. Additionally, India is the only country where the proportion of world population is expected to have increased by 2050.
In 1950 and 2002, China made up the greatest proportion of world population, despite a slight decrease in its figures from approximately 23% to 20%. Similarly, the USA and Japan also experienced a decline of around 2% over the same period, with figures at around 5% and 2.5% respectively in 2002. In contrast, the opposite could be seen in India where the figure increased from approximately 15% to 17% in 2002.
In 2050, the figures for China and Japan are predicted to continue to drop to around 15% and 2% respectively, while the figure for the USA is likely to remain unchanged, at 5%. Meanwhile, India’s percentage of world population is projected to continue rising to 19%.
Task 2
Nowadays a large amount of advertising aimed at children should be banned because of the negative effects.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Sample Answer:
These days, a large amount of advertising is aimed at children and some people feel that it should be banned. While advertising can have several negative impacts on children, I believe it should not be completely banned.
On the one hand, commercials aimed at children can have a detrimental impact, particularly on the relationship between parents and their children. Many children are easily manipulated to want things they see in advertisements, and this may cause conflicts between parents and children if parents deny their children of something they want. In addition, advertising targeted at children can have negative effects on their health, as many fast food and junk food companies these days direct their marketing strategies towards children, making their products appear to be healthy and appealing. Unfortunately, most children do not understand the concept of advertising and are easily persuaded to purchase these unhealthy foods, and as a consequence, can be at risk of many serious health issues, such as obesity and diabetes.
On the other hand, I feel that there should not be a ban on advertising aimed at children because advertising is one of the key aspects of a prosperous economy. If bans were to be placed on commercials, many companies would suffer from a decrease in sales and profits, which would eventually affect unemployment rates and the economy. For example, Coca Cola provides thousands of employment opportunities in advertising throughout its branches across different regions around the world. If advertising was banned, a large number of workers, such as marketers, may become unemployed, and as a result, the government will have to provide temporary financial support for those unemployed people.
In conclusion, although advertising aimed at children may have certain negative impacts regarding family relationships and health, imposing a prohibition on it is unreasonable.
