Task 1
The chart shows the percentage of car manufacturer’s total sales in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
Sample Answer:
The bar chart illustrates the percentages of vehicles sold in four different regions by a car manufacturer, over five consecutive years, starting from 2006.
It is clear that while the proportion of cars sold in Asia increased significantly, the opposite was true in South America. Additionally, the figures for the remaining regions remained relatively stable over the period shown.
In 2006, 30% of cars were sold in Asia and Europe each, just 1% higher than in South America. By contrast, the car sales in North America made up by far the lowest percentage of total sales, at only 11%. Two years later, the proportion of car sales in Asia and Europe both rose moderately, with Europe’s sales peaking at 38% in 2008, whereas there were considerable decreases in the figures for the other regions.
By 2010, the percentage of cars sold in Asia had soared to reach 50%, while those in Europe and South America had declined significantly to 30% and 9% respectively. Meanwhile, the sales in North America, which had dropped to 5% in 2009, had recovered to 11%.
Task 2
In many nations, people in huge cities either live alone or in small family units, instead of in large, extended family groups. Is this a positive or negative trend?
Sample Answer:
In many large cities around the world, it has become quite common for people to either live alone or in a small family, as opposed to living in large extended family households. This essay will take a closer look at some of the positive and negative aspects that arise with this trend.
On the one hand, this trend does have some positive aspects. For example, different generations want and value different things these days. Many young people do not wish to live the traditional lifestyles of their parents and grandparents. Therefore, living alone allows them the freedom to do as they please without having to face constant judgement or criticism. Furthermore, many older people do not wish to live the hectic, fast-paced lifestyle of modern city life and prefer to live a slower-paced, healthier life in the countryside during their retirement. Living alone, or in smaller family groups allows each generation to live their preferred lifestyle.
However, this trend also brings several drawbacks. Firstly, as parents and grandparents get older, they may face a number of physical and mental health problems, and by living alone, they may lack the care and attention they need from their children. (1) Secondly, children will have less interaction and influence from grandparents, and potentially miss out on important life lessons that can be taught from grandparents who have a lot of valuable life experience. Important traditions and customs may also be lost from generation to generation. (2) And finally, living alone, or in small family groups can lead to poor family bonds between generations.
In conclusion, I believe that while this trend does bring some benefits, overall they are definitely outweighed by the drawbacks.
